I am a 23-year-old first-year law student at 
Frank Rich -- The Enemy Within
If someone was to tell me Satan had sent one his minions into the mainstream media, I'd have to guess it was Frank Rich. The New York Times style columnist, who inexplicably ends up writing about God in most of his columns, seems to regard Christianity and everything about it with pure contempt.
Friday, March 25
This Couch
.... has been moved from Shiloh and is on its way back to McComb. That couch takes with it many memories over the last several centuries ... Shiloh will just never be the same again.
Thursday, March 24
McGwire and The Hall
I just read a headline on ESPN.com that said Hall of Fame voters would not select Mark McGwire for Cooperstown.
This isn't surprising. Sportswriters, far more than the general public, have high moral expectation for ballplayers. Some might say the sports pundits are self-righteous, but journalists are in a field where honesty and accuracy are the hallmarks are success. They cover a field where honesty often is not. And any time they can stray off the beaten pay and tackle a morality tale, you bet they'll do it. Mark McGwire was once the media's darling. But now they've turned on him. And Big Mac will pay a heavy price.
But even when Mark McGwire was a slender rookie, he hit 49 home runs. The guy is one of the best sluggers in baseball history, and until someone can offer some real proof that McGwire did more than andro, he'd have a place on my ballot.
It's said that McGwire's no-answers have made him more of a villain than Sammy Sosa, who got in front of Congress and (probably) lied.
This isn't surprising. Sportswriters, far more than the general public, have high moral expectation for ballplayers. Some might say the sports pundits are self-righteous, but journalists are in a field where honesty and accuracy are the hallmarks are success. They cover a field where honesty often is not. And any time they can stray off the beaten pay and tackle a morality tale, you bet they'll do it. Mark McGwire was once the media's darling. But now they've turned on him. And Big Mac will pay a heavy price.
But even when Mark McGwire was a slender rookie, he hit 49 home runs. The guy is one of the best sluggers in baseball history, and until someone can offer some real proof that McGwire did more than andro, he'd have a place on my ballot.
It's said that McGwire's no-answers have made him more of a villain than Sammy Sosa, who got in front of Congress and (probably) lied.
Schiavo Case
What would you do?
Wednesday, March 23
Big Government and Schiavo
Where did the party that supported States' Rights go?
Without getting into the merits of the right to die debate, I am perplexed by the decision to turn the Schiavo case into a federal issue.
The more you study the motivations of the leaders of the three branches, the more you see that consistency and pure ideology does not exist. It is instead a game of balancing and placing value and priorities, with lawmakers scrapping old dogma to advance what is to them a more important end.
Oh, and I saw a woman at CiCi's Pizza last night that looked eerily similar to Terri Schiavo. I was definitely caught off guard.
Without getting into the merits of the right to die debate, I am perplexed by the decision to turn the Schiavo case into a federal issue.
The more you study the motivations of the leaders of the three branches, the more you see that consistency and pure ideology does not exist. It is instead a game of balancing and placing value and priorities, with lawmakers scrapping old dogma to advance what is to them a more important end.
Oh, and I saw a woman at CiCi's Pizza last night that looked eerily similar to Terri Schiavo. I was definitely caught off guard.
Softball Resumes
The rain is pelting Charlottesville for the first time in months (freezing rain excluded). While walking to class was a hassle in the downpour, it was a comforting reminder that the snow is likely gone until next December. And another indication of spring -- softball. UVA's institution.
For some inexplicable reason, softball is the law school's pastime. They've been playing it competitively for decades. The law school hosts the national law school softball tournament annually, and usually a squad from UVA wins. I don't think the law school attracts necessarily great softball players. I imagine people know softball is a permanent and significant part of the campus culture and cheap social outlet, so they embrace the game.
Our law school section, Section E, named The Express Contracts for reasons still unknown to me (I was an advocate of Executioners), kicked our the spring season with a matchup against Section C, an affable and close-knit group with a penchant for obsessively reading contracts.
After a dismal first inning, we shook off the cobwebs and throttled Section C. Not sure the final score. I think we won by 5 runs. But because we didn't have enough girls on our roster (we borrowed two from the other section), Section C won by forfeit. Fielding a team seems oftentimes to be more important than fielding grounders. But win or lose, it's good to be back. The games never get real heated, though we still hold a grudge from first semester, when one of the players from Section K was lobbying the umpire and arguing close calls despite the fact that his team was pounding us by 10 runs.
To our occasional disadvantage, but our moral benefit, our two softball managers are good about letting everyone who wants to play get their innings in and mixing up the batting order so everyone can get their swings through the season. (with the exception of the permanent lead-off hitter, our pitcher and star player Josh Goad)
A Star is Blogged
JA, Sigma Nu, and Ole Miss Great Lenwood Brooks Starts a Blog
University, Miss. – (SNN) Lenwood Brooks is breaking into the blogosphere.
The bass-voiced Sigma Nu High Councilman and Mr. Jackson Academy 2001 released Lenwood Brooks The Blog to the public late Monday Night. Currently located at http://lenwoodbrooks.blogspot.com, the blog will be a commentary on life from the perspective of an Ole Miss senior in the twilight of his college career grappling with the difficult decisions that will soon face him as a graduate.
With the recent outpouring of new blogs, readers had hoped to be treated to a hearty helping of humor and insight daily. Yet most of the new additions, plagued by sporadic updates and too many posts about Andy Roddick, have failed to meet expectations.
But Lenwood Brooks the Blog is built to last. Already with a fresh design that discards the generic blogger template, Lenwood’s self-reflective blog has touched on a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from spirituality to professional spring breakers to senior doubt to blogs that rip off news from The Drudge Report.
Lenwood has far-reaching group of friends, and should be able to attract a wide audience of readers including such luminaries as Business School Dean Brian Reithel, J.B. Ward, former Jackson Prep star nose tackle Peter Glover, JA Legend Ryan “Too Much” Hutchinson, Sigma Nu Executive Director Brad Beacham, his former boss, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), and packs of fawning sorority girls.
No doubt Lenwood must still address recent accusations that he is my illegitimate twin brother, but he’ll weather the controversy firestorm and put out an exciting product.
A Funny Bud
There's this guy who I attend law school with who, as far as I can tell, is an extremely nice guy. Seems well-liked. He's active around school. We've met a few times. Probably had half a dozen conversations, never had a conversation longer than a couple of minutes. Everytime I walk past and say hello, he responds with "Hey bud." Since I've never heard him say my real name before, I'm beginning to wonder if A) he's forgotten it and B) really thinks my name is Bud Snyder.
Tonight, I saw him and said hello. He responded by saying, hey bud, what you know?. And before I could utter the first word of my response, when only the garbled sound of the beginning of a forming word could be audible, he said, "I hear ya."
I hear ya? Hear me say what? nnuhhhh... I just basically grunted.
It was a spectacularly odd moment.
It's kind of like when I used to talk to a member of the staff at the Sigma Nu house. I'd say 'hey' and the guy would respond by saying "doing fine. doing fine."
Tonight, I saw him and said hello. He responded by saying, hey bud, what you know?. And before I could utter the first word of my response, when only the garbled sound of the beginning of a forming word could be audible, he said, "I hear ya."
I hear ya? Hear me say what? nnuhhhh... I just basically grunted.
It was a spectacularly odd moment.
It's kind of like when I used to talk to a member of the staff at the Sigma Nu house. I'd say 'hey' and the guy would respond by saying "doing fine. doing fine."
Tuesday, March 22
Miss. State Student Government Elections
Edward Sanders' blog has caught on like wildfire with his thorough and informative coverage of MSU student government elections and Starkville municipal elections. One thread has received 122 comments. I may have to name that Post of the Year if solely for the massive response it garnered.
His work is far better than anything The Reflector has done on student government elections over the last several years. Someone actually mentioned this on Edward's blog, which prompted a slew of comments from Reflector staffers about the quality of their work.
The election is between John David Cole, a proud graduate of Steven Godfrey's alma mater, The Northwest Rankin Attendance Center, and T.J. Harvey, Richard Bishop's successor as State Chairman of The College Republicans.
I thought Senator Sanders should have sought the presidency, but you can't always get what you want.
His work is far better than anything The Reflector has done on student government elections over the last several years. Someone actually mentioned this on Edward's blog, which prompted a slew of comments from Reflector staffers about the quality of their work.
The election is between John David Cole, a proud graduate of Steven Godfrey's alma mater, The Northwest Rankin Attendance Center, and T.J. Harvey, Richard Bishop's successor as State Chairman of The College Republicans.
I thought Senator Sanders should have sought the presidency, but you can't always get what you want.
Bardwell on Aging College Athletes
Bardwell has been on a roll lately.
This post deals with Ontario Harper, Mississippi State's 8th year senior.
According to Bardwell, Ontario may be back again, gaining an additional year of eligibility from some sort of medical redshirt.
Ontario Harper was one of Mississippi's top high school basketball players in 1997-1998. I know David Stern wants players older when they enter NBA, but this is getting ridiculous.
If this keeps up, Ontario may pass Ben Newton and Hayes Dent for most years spent at a Mississippi university. And at least Ben was ASB Senator of the Year. I haven't seen Ontario picking up any SEC awards.
I support another year, though, just because it would be interesting.
This post deals with Ontario Harper, Mississippi State's 8th year senior.
According to Bardwell, Ontario may be back again, gaining an additional year of eligibility from some sort of medical redshirt.
Ontario Harper was one of Mississippi's top high school basketball players in 1997-1998. I know David Stern wants players older when they enter NBA, but this is getting ridiculous.
If this keeps up, Ontario may pass Ben Newton and Hayes Dent for most years spent at a Mississippi university. And at least Ben was ASB Senator of the Year. I haven't seen Ontario picking up any SEC awards.
I support another year, though, just because it would be interesting.
Odds and Ends
I think Jerry Falwell's son graduated from UVA Law in the 1980s. John Ashcroft's daughter who went here a few years back. Put those two together, and I can say with pride that I've attended the same school as the scions of two of America's most far right conservatives. That does a pretty good job of cancelling out Ted and Robert Kennedy.
I've become the technological Job (like the guy from the bible). In the last couple of weeks, my 1) keyboard has broken 2) my primary windows profile has become corrupted, forcing me to go through the arduous process of shifting all text, image, and music files over to a new profile 3) my printer has stopped printing more than one page without making a mistake 4) frank's printer doesn't print at all 5) windows freezes xp up often 6) aol instant messenger stopped working 7) the uva wireless access stopped on my computer because of the aforementioned corrupted windows profile 8) i was unable to figure out how to install movable type on my web server 9) blogger is constantly down, preventing me from blogging regularly 10) my laptop doesn't have a ps/2 port, forcing me to go purchase an adapter
just an add-on, the law weekly computer (an aging apple) crashed today, and there's no way of knowing whether it can be resusciated or not in time to salvage friday's issue.
but at least i have my health. sanity, on the other hand, i'm not so sure about.
I've become the technological Job (like the guy from the bible). In the last couple of weeks, my 1) keyboard has broken 2) my primary windows profile has become corrupted, forcing me to go through the arduous process of shifting all text, image, and music files over to a new profile 3) my printer has stopped printing more than one page without making a mistake 4) frank's printer doesn't print at all 5) windows freezes xp up often 6) aol instant messenger stopped working 7) the uva wireless access stopped on my computer because of the aforementioned corrupted windows profile 8) i was unable to figure out how to install movable type on my web server 9) blogger is constantly down, preventing me from blogging regularly 10) my laptop doesn't have a ps/2 port, forcing me to go purchase an adapter
just an add-on, the law weekly computer (an aging apple) crashed today, and there's no way of knowing whether it can be resusciated or not in time to salvage friday's issue.
but at least i have my health. sanity, on the other hand, i'm not so sure about.
Monday, March 21
State Scares The Devil Out of Duke
I said they'd beat Duke, and they came real close ..
Sunday, March 20
Goodfellas Inspiration Busted for Drugs
NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska (AP) -- Former mobster-turned-chef Henry Hill, whose gangland experiences inspired the movie "GoodFellas," has been charged with felony drug possession.
Police said Hill's luggage was searched on August 15 at the North Platte Regional Airport and methamphetamine and cocaine was found.
On Friday, Lincoln County Judge Kent Florum sent him to district court on a felony charge of drug possession.
Hill, portrayed by Ray Liotta in "GoodFellas," had sought refuge in the witness protection program after agreeing to testify against his former mob bosses from New York.
However, he left the witness protection program and now lives in North Platte with his wife, who is from the area. He has been working as a chef and helping establish an Italian restaurant.
Hill also wrote "The Wiseguy Cookbook," released in 2002.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Hill said he had been addicted to the mobster lifestyle.
"But you overcome it I think. I mean, you succeed," he said.
March Madness Leaderboard (As Of Sunday Night)
After the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Jake Dickerson's Res Ipsa Loquitur sits atop the SNN March Madness leaderboard. Buoyed by accurate batch of Sunday predictions, the Ole Miss 1L and Desoto County native vaulted into the lead. This success is quite ironic since only yesterday, Dickerson's team was the subject of my ridicule after his national title game teams, Wake Forest and Kansas, lost in first three days of the tournament.
As it's almost guaranteed that one or both teams will need to correctly chosen to win March Madness Pick'Em, Dickerson's lead will evaporate as the tournament progresses. Teams ready to take Dickerson's place on the top include former Colonel Reb Jimbo Williams's Rick Neuheisel, who sits alone in 2nd; Thew Ingram, who is enjoying his improbable run at victory on the ski slopes of Europe; and Josh Kyle, the law school afficionado who began the weekend in the cellar and has rose to 3rd place with excellent 2nd round predictions.
While these teams prosper, Pete Deweese sits at the bottom of the bracket. Pete had a David Duval-caliber weekend and is 11 points out of the lead. But as Josh Kyle showed, fortunes can drastically change in one round, and this pick em's ultimate winner could be anywhere on the board.
Here's The List:
1 Res Ipsa Loquitur 45
2 Rick Neuheisel 44
3 thew 43
3 JoshKyle 43
5 CluelessPicks 42
5 worldclassglass 42
5 The Pendulum 42
8 Birmingham Rebel 41
8 Team Dubose 41
8 holtz w/ a broken nose 41
8 TMY 41
12 tangy's picks 40
12 The Pinball Wizards 40
12 Big Papa 40
12 Jen 40
12 I Can't Dance 40
12 Cofer 40
12 ballers 40
19 Lay 39
19 Cobra Strike 39
19 Ballin' 39
22 Port City Rebels 38
22 JMorrison 38
22 Bardwell's Bracket Busters 38
22 Casterline 38
22 sprimal 38
22 StanTheCaddy 38
22 dukewins 38
22 memphis playas 38
30 Iron Buffalo 37
30 koury 37
32 valid team name 36
32 Strike Force 36
32 MW 36
32 StanfordOverStateAndDuke 36
36 Orenthal's Wrath 35
37 Pete's Pick'em 34
As it's almost guaranteed that one or both teams will need to correctly chosen to win March Madness Pick'Em, Dickerson's lead will evaporate as the tournament progresses. Teams ready to take Dickerson's place on the top include former Colonel Reb Jimbo Williams's Rick Neuheisel, who sits alone in 2nd; Thew Ingram, who is enjoying his improbable run at victory on the ski slopes of Europe; and Josh Kyle, the law school afficionado who began the weekend in the cellar and has rose to 3rd place with excellent 2nd round predictions.
While these teams prosper, Pete Deweese sits at the bottom of the bracket. Pete had a David Duval-caliber weekend and is 11 points out of the lead. But as Josh Kyle showed, fortunes can drastically change in one round, and this pick em's ultimate winner could be anywhere on the board.
Here's The List:
1 Res Ipsa Loquitur 45
2 Rick Neuheisel 44
3 thew 43
3 JoshKyle 43
5 CluelessPicks 42
5 worldclassglass 42
5 The Pendulum 42
8 Birmingham Rebel 41
8 Team Dubose 41
8 holtz w/ a broken nose 41
8 TMY 41
12 tangy's picks 40
12 The Pinball Wizards 40
12 Big Papa 40
12 Jen 40
12 I Can't Dance 40
12 Cofer 40
12 ballers 40
19 Lay 39
19 Cobra Strike 39
19 Ballin' 39
22 Port City Rebels 38
22 JMorrison 38
22 Bardwell's Bracket Busters 38
22 Casterline 38
22 sprimal 38
22 StanTheCaddy 38
22 dukewins 38
22 memphis playas 38
30 Iron Buffalo 37
30 koury 37
32 valid team name 36
32 Strike Force 36
32 MW 36
32 StanfordOverStateAndDuke 36
36 Orenthal's Wrath 35
37 Pete's Pick'em 34
Picture of the Day
What is George Nichols doing in a New Yorker illustration? Why is he on a motorcylce? And who is that red-headed fella on the back of the motorcycle with George?
March Madness Leaderboard
1 The Pendulum (Sal Passalaqua) 36
1 Rick Neuheisel (Jimbo Williams) 36
3 worldclassglass (Bobo Champion) 34
3 Cofer (John Cofer) 34
3 ballers (John Windsor) 34
6 TMY (Trent Yates) 33
6 Lay 33 - Christopher Lay 33
6 Birmingham Rebel (Marshall Rivers) 33
6 thew (Matt Ingram) 33
6 Team Dubose (Allen Thigpen) 33
6 Res Ipsa Loquitur (Jake Dickerson) 33
6 holtz w/ a broken nose (Nicholas Holtz) 33
6 Ballin' (Chris Wilson) 33
14 CluelessPicks (Clark Henegan) 32
14 memphis playas (Gabe Roberts) 32
14 tangy's picks (Sam Wells) 32
14 sprimal (Unsure) 32
14 I Can't Dance (Mason Montgomery) 32
14 The Pinball Wizards (Drew Snyder) 32
20 JoshKyle (Josh Kyle) 31
21 dukewins (Lum) 30
21 Jen (Jennifer Jeansonne) 30
21 Bardwell's Bracket Busters (Will Bardwell30
21 Port City Rebels (Seth Little) 30
21 Big Papa (Jonathan Werne) 30
21 StanfordOverStateAndDuke (David Long) 30
21 StanTheCaddy (Judson Nowell) 30
28 koury (Michael Koury) 29
28 Iron Buffalo (Matt Herndon) 29
30 JMorrison (Jim Morrison) 28
30 MW (Not Sure) 28
30 Casterline (John Casterline) 28
30 Strike Force (Greg Little) 28
30 Pete's Pick'em (Pete Deweese) 28
35 Cobra Strike (Not Sure) 27
35 Orenthal's Wrath (Taylor Smith) 27
37 valid team name (Bradford Walker) 26
1 Rick Neuheisel (Jimbo Williams) 36
3 worldclassglass (Bobo Champion) 34
3 Cofer (John Cofer) 34
3 ballers (John Windsor) 34
6 TMY (Trent Yates) 33
6 Lay 33 - Christopher Lay 33
6 Birmingham Rebel (Marshall Rivers) 33
6 thew (Matt Ingram) 33
6 Team Dubose (Allen Thigpen) 33
6 Res Ipsa Loquitur (Jake Dickerson) 33
6 holtz w/ a broken nose (Nicholas Holtz) 33
6 Ballin' (Chris Wilson) 33
14 CluelessPicks (Clark Henegan) 32
14 memphis playas (Gabe Roberts) 32
14 tangy's picks (Sam Wells) 32
14 sprimal (Unsure) 32
14 I Can't Dance (Mason Montgomery) 32
14 The Pinball Wizards (Drew Snyder) 32
20 JoshKyle (Josh Kyle) 31
21 dukewins (Lum) 30
21 Jen (Jennifer Jeansonne) 30
21 Bardwell's Bracket Busters (Will Bardwell30
21 Port City Rebels (Seth Little) 30
21 Big Papa (Jonathan Werne) 30
21 StanfordOverStateAndDuke (David Long) 30
21 StanTheCaddy (Judson Nowell) 30
28 koury (Michael Koury) 29
28 Iron Buffalo (Matt Herndon) 29
30 JMorrison (Jim Morrison) 28
30 MW (Not Sure) 28
30 Casterline (John Casterline) 28
30 Strike Force (Greg Little) 28
30 Pete's Pick'em (Pete Deweese) 28
35 Cobra Strike (Not Sure) 27
35 Orenthal's Wrath (Taylor Smith) 27
37 valid team name (Bradford Walker) 26
Saturday, March 19
Dickerson's Bracket
Law student Jake Dickerson's prediction of Wake Forest / Kansas national title was ruined almost as quickly as the forecast from a guy who picked Delaware State vs. Alabama A&M as a joke.
I would say that Dickerson deserves this fate for naming his team 'Res Ipsa Loquitur'. Meanwhile,his former colleague in the Ole Miss Admission's office, Clinton native Mason Montgomery, is still in the hunt. I keep saying I'll post a leaderboard, and I eventually will.
I would say that Dickerson deserves this fate for naming his team 'Res Ipsa Loquitur'. Meanwhile,his former colleague in the Ole Miss Admission's office, Clinton native Mason Montgomery, is still in the hunt. I keep saying I'll post a leaderboard, and I eventually will.
Shane Has the Power
Less than 24 hours until Shane Power, Winsome Frazier, and 42-year-old Ontario Harper conjure up the basketball spirits of Whit Hughes and Vandale Thomas and shock the country with a victory over Duke.
After a Strong Friday, Chris Wilson Nudges Ahead in SNN March Madness
Wilson in front, Thursday leader Mason Montgomery only trailing by 1.
Friday, March 18
expect some weekend posts
braindead. i'm close.
brief? more like a marathon. but it's over.
thew ingram gets an attaway to go for his pick of vermont over syracuse.
the leaderboard in the snn march madness pick 'em will be up tomorrow (if blogger is working)
i saw a south park episode wednesday about hippies. it was one of the most hilarious of all-time. the hippies come to south park. led by the "know-it-all college hippies" who pull up to south park in a little volkswagon with a colorado-boulder sticker on it, the hippies decide to take on the evil corporations ..... by having a huge music concert. it's up to cartman to save south park from the hippies.
quote of the week: "steroids is bad" - mark mcgwire (who looks like he aged 10 years during the course of the hearing)
mississippi state is looking good tonight -- miss. state over duke was my giant upset pick of the tournament. anything not to see j.j. redick.
best line of the week: jim boeheim walks around with a cane made out of rony seikaly's femur.
worst of the week: ole miss sports fan who post on rebelgrove and spirit board critiquing the writing ability of sports columnists. considering most of them can't string a complete sentence or logical thought together, they should be in admiration.
if the democrats don't like the new drilling in alaska, maybe they should get kelly kopowski and jessie spanno to lock themselves to an oil derrick in the middle of the high school. and then maybe get zack morris to spray the ceo of chevron with an oil can.
brief? more like a marathon. but it's over.
thew ingram gets an attaway to go for his pick of vermont over syracuse.
the leaderboard in the snn march madness pick 'em will be up tomorrow (if blogger is working)
i saw a south park episode wednesday about hippies. it was one of the most hilarious of all-time. the hippies come to south park. led by the "know-it-all college hippies" who pull up to south park in a little volkswagon with a colorado-boulder sticker on it, the hippies decide to take on the evil corporations ..... by having a huge music concert. it's up to cartman to save south park from the hippies.
quote of the week: "steroids is bad" - mark mcgwire (who looks like he aged 10 years during the course of the hearing)
mississippi state is looking good tonight -- miss. state over duke was my giant upset pick of the tournament. anything not to see j.j. redick.
best line of the week: jim boeheim walks around with a cane made out of rony seikaly's femur.
worst of the week: ole miss sports fan who post on rebelgrove and spirit board critiquing the writing ability of sports columnists. considering most of them can't string a complete sentence or logical thought together, they should be in admiration.
if the democrats don't like the new drilling in alaska, maybe they should get kelly kopowski and jessie spanno to lock themselves to an oil derrick in the middle of the high school. and then maybe get zack morris to spray the ceo of chevron with an oil can.
Thursday, March 17
One Final Reminder About the March Madness Pick 'Em
We're at 27 and counting right now -- participants will be listed this afternoon. Results will be posted periodically. Sign up before tip-off.
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
Wednesday, March 16
award suggestions
ok ...
here's what i have thus far
best new blog by a snn reader (any blog created from march 17, 2004 until today)
best dm fitness columnist
best commenter
most bitter snn feud
post of the year
post other suggestions and your recommendations for the winners in these categories.
here's what i have thus far
best new blog by a snn reader (any blog created from march 17, 2004 until today)
best dm fitness columnist
best commenter
most bitter snn feud
post of the year
post other suggestions and your recommendations for the winners in these categories.
Godfrey on Orgeron
Steven Godfrey lays into Ed Orgeron and his coaching staff in his column in The New Albany Gazette.
This Cullen guy needs to go if for no other reason than he worked for Gerry DiNardo at Indiana. Gerry DiNardo + Indiana = Where Coaching Careers Go to Die.
Has Orgeron brought anything positive to Ole Miss thus far? He brought a police record and an assistant coaching staff that seems to only be teaching lessons in bad behavior.
Thank goodness he kept Tommy amd Matt Luke around. Otherwise my criticism would be much more stinging.
This Cullen guy needs to go if for no other reason than he worked for Gerry DiNardo at Indiana. Gerry DiNardo + Indiana = Where Coaching Careers Go to Die.
Has Orgeron brought anything positive to Ole Miss thus far? He brought a police record and an assistant coaching staff that seems to only be teaching lessons in bad behavior.
Thank goodness he kept Tommy amd Matt Luke around. Otherwise my criticism would be much more stinging.
Posts About the "New" Design
I scared everyone this afternoon with a very rudimentary layout of SNN. I'm pleased with this design (heavens knows I put effort into it), but as blogger was down, I had to use something to update, so the basic wordpress template was the only thing available. I did decide to get some mileage out of it, asking people what they thought of the new attitude. Here were the posts.
Tango Says:
I like it. It sure is easier to read for the tango.
landon Says:
“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.”
- Jessie Sampter
Who is Jessie Sampter? I have no idea…
Maddog Says:
The stoic and flagship school of Mississippi, with even its own students calling it the Havard of the South, Yes the almighty powerhouse, University of Mississippi, has nothing but a bunch of thugs for coaches and players on their football team, yaw need ol Jackie to come in and clean things up, this is just not acceptable for such a grand tier 3 school who think no other school can be mentioned in the same sentence with them
Tango Says:
hey maddog, you’re an idiot. What the hell are you talking about? he asked if you liked the page or not. there was nothing said about Ole Miss or State. Learn to read you dumbass, then post.
Grant Says:
I thought that the old one was more elegant. But what do I know I went to Ole Miss. If any state fan responds I’ll be sure to whip your ass next time I’m down south.
Bardwell Says:
This design has all the visual appeal of the Drudge Report. Bring back the old layout.
keith Says:
i like the old one
Sara Says:
I like the old one, too
Nicholas Says:
I thought I was on the wrong site. Drew, this is like me trying to create a website.
Small Paul Says:
Hate to say it, but I liked the old site better
Bardwell Says:
Screw New Coke. Bring back the old stuff.
Little Says:
Hulkamania still rules and so does the old layout
Hunter Says:
BOOO! I’m not sure I like the new attitude. The old layout said ” this website is a pillar of journalistic excellence.” The new layout says ” my name is Drew and my favorite color is baby blue.” I suggest you sport the throwback layout asap.
Tango Says:
I like it. It sure is easier to read for the tango.
landon Says:
“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.”
- Jessie Sampter
Who is Jessie Sampter? I have no idea…
Maddog Says:
The stoic and flagship school of Mississippi, with even its own students calling it the Havard of the South, Yes the almighty powerhouse, University of Mississippi, has nothing but a bunch of thugs for coaches and players on their football team, yaw need ol Jackie to come in and clean things up, this is just not acceptable for such a grand tier 3 school who think no other school can be mentioned in the same sentence with them
Tango Says:
hey maddog, you’re an idiot. What the hell are you talking about? he asked if you liked the page or not. there was nothing said about Ole Miss or State. Learn to read you dumbass, then post.
Grant Says:
I thought that the old one was more elegant. But what do I know I went to Ole Miss. If any state fan responds I’ll be sure to whip your ass next time I’m down south.
Bardwell Says:
This design has all the visual appeal of the Drudge Report. Bring back the old layout.
keith Says:
i like the old one
Sara Says:
I like the old one, too
Nicholas Says:
I thought I was on the wrong site. Drew, this is like me trying to create a website.
Small Paul Says:
Hate to say it, but I liked the old site better
Bardwell Says:
Screw New Coke. Bring back the old stuff.
Little Says:
Hulkamania still rules and so does the old layout
Hunter Says:
BOOO! I’m not sure I like the new attitude. The old layout said ” this website is a pillar of journalistic excellence.” The new layout says ” my name is Drew and my favorite color is baby blue.” I suggest you sport the throwback layout asap.
Web Hosting - SnyderNews.Net Achilles' Heel
In the past, when SNN would start rolling, something would happen with the web host -- one summer, something happened to the Polaris server I was hosted on and SNN went dormant for a couple of months.
Now, I'm stuck between a blogger system that's simple but rarely works and a Word Press system that always works but requires a little additional learning before I'm able to change their basic template to the one you see here. I'm hoping it'll be rectified by the weekend. We'll see.
Now, I'm stuck between a blogger system that's simple but rarely works and a Word Press system that always works but requires a little additional learning before I'm able to change their basic template to the one you see here. I'm hoping it'll be rectified by the weekend. We'll see.
Last Minute Reminder About March Madness
Don't forget to join the March Madness pool -- I think we've got 15 or 20 entered thus far ....
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
If this site starts working, I'll be running daily updates on the performances of the bracket prognosticators.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
If this site starts working, I'll be running daily updates on the performances of the bracket prognosticators.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
A Blog's Anniversary
March 16, 2004, I restarted The Snyder News Network as a travel log to chronicle my European travels. It's become more than a travel log since then. To commemorate the year, I may throw out some "best of" awards this weekend or Monday .... best posters .... best post .... best blog ... etc .... etc ............
Tuesday, March 15
Tommy Tuberville
Monday, March 14
SNN's March Madness Pool
March Madness is upon us. For several weeks, we get to watch college basketball's finest. The best will go on to be roleplayers and bench support for the real star of the NBA -- the guys who turned pro out of high school. The less stellar players in the college ranks will coach high school ball at South Jones High School. But for a few weeks, they're all hero and villains, depending where the fan playing the office pool predicted their school to finish.
So SNN is joining the party. Join the pool.
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
The winner won't get monetary compensation, but I'll write a few feature posts about it. Plus you can taunt the other people you beat on instant messenger.
The more teams, the better. And this year should be competitive. We won't have the 40% of entrants predict Ole Miss to go to The Final Four like they did when we did this in 2001.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
So SNN is joining the party. Join the pool.
Go Here and sign up
Group ID# 79770
Group Name SNN
Group Password philcollins
The winner won't get monetary compensation, but I'll write a few feature posts about it. Plus you can taunt the other people you beat on instant messenger.
The more teams, the better. And this year should be competitive. We won't have the 40% of entrants predict Ole Miss to go to The Final Four like they did when we did this in 2001.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men
....... Gone!
Pete Gillen steps down. Takes $500,000 with him. Leaves a near decade of basketball mediocrity. I'd say Gillen wasn't as shoddy as we all thought he was.
Big names are being thrown around -- Notre Dame's Mike Brey, Gonzaga's Mark Few, UAB's Mike Anderson, Texas's Rick Barnes, even Kentucky's Tubby Smith. Sounds like somebody in the UVA Athletic Department has taken a page from the Pete Boone Guide to Exaggeration and is dropping big names to get the fan base all excited.
UVA has gobs of money, a new stadium on the way, and a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It's a great job. But something tells me Tubby Smith is staying in Lexington. Nolan Richardson, Wimp Sanderson, and The Harricks need not apply.
Big names are being thrown around -- Notre Dame's Mike Brey, Gonzaga's Mark Few, UAB's Mike Anderson, Texas's Rick Barnes, even Kentucky's Tubby Smith. Sounds like somebody in the UVA Athletic Department has taken a page from the Pete Boone Guide to Exaggeration and is dropping big names to get the fan base all excited.
UVA has gobs of money, a new stadium on the way, and a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It's a great job. But something tells me Tubby Smith is staying in Lexington. Nolan Richardson, Wimp Sanderson, and The Harricks need not apply.
Pumping Iron
Ok, I did something really out of character today -- I went to the gym. UVA has 4 gyms in its sprawling campus. We headed up to Slaughter. It looked like it was built straight out of the early 1980s and had the feel of a nicer version of the JA Raider Den -- mostly male, none particulary strong, a few girls that were there to get their run in on the precorp machine.
All the meatheads go the Aquatic Fitness Center, this mammoth fitness complex that could probably house a couple of liberal arts colleges inside of it. This place is like the Double AA franchise for working out -- most people there walked around like they actually knew what weights were but the guys weren't grunting and admiring one another's triceps.
Well, I definitely left all my strength back in the high school weightroom. If somebody at JA stumbles upon it, please tell them to turn it in to JA football coach Joey Hawkins so I can pick it up the next time I'm in town.
All the meatheads go the Aquatic Fitness Center, this mammoth fitness complex that could probably house a couple of liberal arts colleges inside of it. This place is like the Double AA franchise for working out -- most people there walked around like they actually knew what weights were but the guys weren't grunting and admiring one another's triceps.
Well, I definitely left all my strength back in the high school weightroom. If somebody at JA stumbles upon it, please tell them to turn it in to JA football coach Joey Hawkins so I can pick it up the next time I'm in town.
Best Buy Turning Over a New Leaf?
Best Buy, Wal-Mart's more sophisticated older brother, is a store I detest but I can't resist. Their service is usually shoddy, lines are long, and return policies have enough small print to confound my omniscient Contracts professor. But it's still the best deal in town -- and you don't have to witness acts of child abuse and human misery that you see at Wal-Mart or the gross incompetence you get at CompUSA.
Anyway, I went in to buy a keyboard I could hook up to my laptop. Found it, and then went to the digital camera to admire than shiny silver and black imaging machines. And much to my amazement, an employee actually walked up to me, asked me if I needed help, and we engaged in an educated conversation about Canon's new line of cameras. In Jackson, you have to practically bribe or kidnap a customer service employee, and if you ask them about a Canon, they'd tell you they didn't sale military equipment there. Ask them for an Olympus, they'd direct you to Greece.
So props to Best Buy and the dude in the digital camera section. Sure, the Dell turned out not to have the parallel port I needed to plug in the keyboard, but now I can go back and buy the adapter and have the confidence that someone can actually provide me with service.
Anyway, I went in to buy a keyboard I could hook up to my laptop. Found it, and then went to the digital camera to admire than shiny silver and black imaging machines. And much to my amazement, an employee actually walked up to me, asked me if I needed help, and we engaged in an educated conversation about Canon's new line of cameras. In Jackson, you have to practically bribe or kidnap a customer service employee, and if you ask them about a Canon, they'd tell you they didn't sale military equipment there. Ask them for an Olympus, they'd direct you to Greece.
So props to Best Buy and the dude in the digital camera section. Sure, the Dell turned out not to have the parallel port I needed to plug in the keyboard, but now I can go back and buy the adapter and have the confidence that someone can actually provide me with service.
SNN's New Host and New E-mail Address
A few of y'all in the late night crowd alerted me to issues with the blog tonight. The problems stemmed from SNN's relocation, as I was moving the site from a blogspot server to Globat, a web hosting company.
I selected Globat after reading several reviews of the large web hosting sites and examining their pricing plan, which includes outstanding features at an amazing value.
For nearly the last year, the URL for SNN hasn't truly been snydernews.net. Instead, snydernews.net was forwarded to the blogspot server. This became irksome for three significant reasons.
1) The large and obtrusive google search bar on the bottom that was the trade-off for free URL forwarding
2) I often had trouble seeing the referrals to my site; almost all of the referrals came from the URL forwarding. Now when there's a referral, I know I won't miss it.
3) Maybe most importantly, I couldn't have email addresses under the previous plan. Now I think I have access to several hundred of them. DrewSnyder@snydernews.net is the site's temporary new email address; it'll shift to drew@snydernews.net by tomorrow afternoon.
Globat seems to have some really great options, and coincidentally, is the hosting company The Virginia Law Weekly uses, so I we begin revamping that site, I'll be working with the same hosting company, for better or for worse.
I've already gotten to used Globat's site statistic readings, a much more extensive report than Sitemeter provides. And with a MySQL database, I can make the leap to Movable Type or Word Press if Blogger continues to cause me trouble, which it's been doing a lot lately.
Enough site maintenance jargon for now.
I selected Globat after reading several reviews of the large web hosting sites and examining their pricing plan, which includes outstanding features at an amazing value.
For nearly the last year, the URL for SNN hasn't truly been snydernews.net. Instead, snydernews.net was forwarded to the blogspot server. This became irksome for three significant reasons.
1) The large and obtrusive google search bar on the bottom that was the trade-off for free URL forwarding
2) I often had trouble seeing the referrals to my site; almost all of the referrals came from the URL forwarding. Now when there's a referral, I know I won't miss it.
3) Maybe most importantly, I couldn't have email addresses under the previous plan. Now I think I have access to several hundred of them. DrewSnyder@snydernews.net is the site's temporary new email address; it'll shift to drew@snydernews.net by tomorrow afternoon.
Globat seems to have some really great options, and coincidentally, is the hosting company The Virginia Law Weekly uses, so I we begin revamping that site, I'll be working with the same hosting company, for better or for worse.
I've already gotten to used Globat's site statistic readings, a much more extensive report than Sitemeter provides. And with a MySQL database, I can make the leap to Movable Type or Word Press if Blogger continues to cause me trouble, which it's been doing a lot lately.
Enough site maintenance jargon for now.
Sunday, March 13
Steven Godfrey: Outpost of Tyranny
“Yeah, but can she do it live and twice nightly?”
by STEVEN GODFREY
Outpost of Tyranny
Published: March 13, 2005
A guy bust his ass all week and then gets Snyder chaffing him about deadlines. One of these days, Alice, straight to the damn moon…
First off, if you’re expecting chatter about the drunken coaching staff debacle, you’ll have to wait until my Gazette column on Wednesday (). Sorry, them’s the contractual breaks.
But on a much less important issues, I was lying comatose in front of conference basketball tournament play on Thursday afternoon between state tournament games in the great city of Jackson (specifically my family home on the Reservoir’s North Shore – we public school alums like to feel bourgeois, too) when I had an argument via the phone with Rehab Ashley as to whether or not I had a “thing” for chicks in journalism, specifically those on television. His argument was that I’m naturally drawn to the most high-maintenance, heavy-ego women around, and nowhere else can you find such a high concentration of those types than in journalism.
So I thought about it. And he was right.
Now, with all the sexist confidence that a single guy making under 30 grand a year can muster, I present the Top 5 women in sports broadcasting I’d bag in no particular order (Yes I’m poor, but dashing still). Why do this? Because I could never get away with this anywhere else, and the prospect of sullying my image to any halfway decent looking woman who reads this blog has already been done. I’ve also rated these women on relationship-viability. Yeah, ‘cuz that’s going to happen.
Viva misogyny:
Rachel Nichols (Field Reporter, ESPN SportsCenter) – She’s got it all: pouty lips, red hair, a stunted vocabulary and the verbal intonation of a head trauma patient. Clearly Ms. Nichols either screwed her way to the top or had a Daddy who did the same for her to land in such a coveted spot. Since her HORRIBLE debut covering the Lakers in the ’04 NBA Playoffs, Nichols’ inability to grasp the fundamentals of on-air cadence and basic sports knowledge has created a stalker-like obsession within me.
Watching her try and report (she has gotten a lot better, so much so that now I cheer her on like she’s in journalism therapy) has a train wreck quality, but her amazing looks make it all the more sinful. This is the lust equivalent to cookie dough ice cream: Is she going to flub a line? Did she forget a basic fact about a game? Will she be wearing a “I’m a big girl now” professional suit or something more ravishingly low cut?
It’s all so… delicious.
Girlfriend Material: Sure, but don’t expect any earth-shattering discussions of intellect, and I’m sure I’d have to spend weekends watching her critique her audition tape and scour the J. Crew catalog.
Summer Sanders (Host, Fox Sports’ Sports List) – There are certain types of women who will never, ever date you. Ever. This is my Summer Sanders fixation. The former Olympic swimmer and Nickelodeon host is the epitome of the “happy, healthy good-girl,” a genre of woman who avoids me like the plague. While I was drinking, smoking and swearing in college, she was in the gym and hitting the books.
Such candor and grace as Sanders’ can make a rather mundane clip show such as “List” watchable (her taunting outfits help too), but it also ensures that she’d have no business with a guy who’s on a first-name basis with town drunks, pool hustlers, drug dealers and tattoo artists. Which of course makes her all the more tempting.
If only she was a pale and flighty former high school outcast turned fine arts student with a penchant for writing clichéd poetry whilst listening to Tori Amos. I can’t seem to shake those types.
Girlfriend Material: Are you kidding? I would marry this woman.
Erin Andrews (Sideline Reporter, ESPN) - A bubbly, young go-getter with enough artificial enhancements to ensure the fact she won’t ever biodegrade (I’ve seen that chest, it ain’t real), Andrews provides Cheerleader good-looks to what’s actually a solid job of sideline reporting during college football seasons. Truth be told, Andrews is actually good at her job and seemingly knowledgeable of sports. But having worked alongside her (If you know what I’m saying, boy! Yeah! Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge! Okay, I’ll stop...) during the Auburn/Ole Miss game in ’04, I can tell she’s a status-seeker who’d be bopping a team’s G.M. a lot sooner than a schulb beat writer.
Girlfriend Material: Nope. I don’t own a Ferrari or a Chateau, so it would be restricted to f-buddy status. Which is just fine.
Dana Jacobsen (Anchor, ESPN SportsCenter) – Yeah, I know, she’s not anyone’s first pick for drop-dead good looks. But Jacobsen’s background, appearance, demeanor and lines of questioning almost guarantee the fact that she’s vehemently pro-women-in-sports, which means she’s probably some snide Yankee liberal, which means we’d have a barrage of things to argue about. And really, is there any better foreplay. Throw in the fact she’s tall (those of us well above six feet have to be choosey), and I’m sold.
Girlfriend Material: Yep, if only for the inevitable cutesy-poo disagreements over politics and what movie to rent. And she looks like a spooner.
Cindy Brunson (Anchor, ESPNews) – Broadcast journalism embraces the multi-cultural harmony ethos more than any other field in the world. Often times you can find TV personalities with Irish-Greek-Asian-Sweedish namesakes. Thus is the case with Brunson, who looks like the best of every ethno-centric sexual detail combined. And the glasses. Good God, the glasses…
Girlfriend Material: The glasses…the glasses…
Honorable Mention: For some damn reason, and I’d be hard pressed to get a rationale explanation on this one, those of us who live in the wasteland of Northeast Mississippi that own DirecTV get the WB station from Miami, Florida. I don’t why this is, but I’m grateful: their news at 10 p.m. is an “Entertainment Tonight” dumbing-down of who-shot-who in South Florida, and the one lead anchor with the blonde hair is smoking hot, although I can’t find her name.
But the fun of the show isn’t in the Hispanics shooting one another, it’s in guessing their country of origin. Venezeula? Cuba? Dominican Republic? Columbia? Oh, wait, never mind. It just looks like the Mexicans again. Drink one.
Steven Godfrey once entertained fully mature thoughts of coexisting with one heterosexual female in his age bracket under the laws of a Christian marriage. Then he actually spoke to a girl. Get your Steinem on at sgodfrey@olemiss.edu
This House: Stories of Shiloh
Saturday, March 12
Ole Miss Athlete
I feel guilty for not writing about Ole Miss women's athletics, so today I make amends.
This is Jenna Wix, Ole Miss's star pole vaulter (... don't even think about it)
UVA's Gillen Going, Going ......
Pete Gillen, the UVA basketball coach whose team's recent struggles have placed him on a hot seat so scalding that the word 'embattled' could be officially placed before his title of head coach, will likely be terminated in 48 hours.
Despite high expectations in the early season, Gillen's Cavaliers finished 14-15 and 10th in the ACC.
I'm not sure how this guy has stayed around so long. The Washington Post acknowledges it is time to pick up the pieces.
My choice for his replacement -- Arizona State's Rob Evans.
Friday, March 11
Stamos Returns to Television
Uncle Jessie is back, but he's not bringing Dave Coulier or The Olsen Twins with him.
Stamos, the ex-husband of a supermodel and the brother of the guy who couldn't hit the high F during the halftime of a South Park Cows game, plays a obsequious p.r. specialist in New York City.
The show received a surprisingly good review from The New York Times, an institution sparing in its praise of television, especially when a program's star has Full House as his previous most notable role.
Hunting Season Over, Wedding Season Begins
Since SNN is purpotedly a site about life in the quarter life and my ratings among women viewers age 18-35 is dismally low, I felt compelled to blog briefly about one of quarter-life's magnificient experiences, an especially common and particularly decadent ritual in the Deep South -- the wedding.
A few short years ago, wedding were extremely rare. But last summer, the marriage floodgates suddenly burst open and the realization of my fleeting youth came washing over me. These days, weddings of my high school classmates and college friends in the 22-25 age group are common weekend occurrences.
I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened. Like 25 minutes ago, it seemed like we were experiencing our first tastes of courtship at a JA 7th grade dance, huddled up with friends on one side of the cafeteria, mustering the courage to one of the girls to dance (if you call extending your arms 2 feet from your date and barely moving dancing). And now, these folks are walking down the aisle.
I thought marriage was for old people. But maybe my development was stunted at some point. Because as these couples take that eternal plunge into holy matrimony, with parenthood to follow in a few short years, I'll still have my mom making my bed and baking me chocolate chip cookies. Yet considering marriages are supposedly based on sacrifice, compromise, honesty, and all that complicated characteristics, I'd prefer the chocolate chip cookies.
And let me go ahead and refute the statement I know will follow on the comments board. All of you who say my future bride hasn't been born yet are wrong.
What kind of sleaze do you mistake me for?
My future wife is probably at least in the 3rd, maybe even 4th grade. (The 1st one at least) I kid ... I kid ...
Anyway, I found this list of upcoming weddings in an ad placed by Batte Furniture in The Clarion-Ledger.
3.12.2005
Carolyn Arnold / Warren Greenlee
Claire Dornbusch / Stephen Griner
3.19.2005
Jenna Grace / Lane Oswalt
Allison Lester / Russell Cauthen
04.02.2005
Jennifer Cramer / Will Overstreet
Lauren Snyder / Micah Mize
04.16.2005
Meagan Jeffries / Warner Cannada
04.23.2005
Barrie Neil / Guy Shoaf
Sarah Bisland Young / Bobby Biggers
04.30.2005
Meredith Gore / Bruce Warf
05.07.2005
Lexie Carroll / Josh Wren
Courtney Clayton / Chad Hosemann
Jennifer Germany / Bobby Croswell
Mary Linley Swaney / Jonathan Davis
05.21.2005
Amy Allison Edwards / Weston Russ
Jennifer Germany 2 / Andy Ostrenga
Jill Marie Montgomery / Joel Harris
Tatum Noblitt / Gray Goodman
05.28.2005
Lindsay Batte / Kelly McMullan
Kylee Familia / Brian Loveall
Elise Russell / Wes Ehrhardt
Carla Crosby / John Benjamin Ward
06.04.2005
Mary Chaney Arthur / Lee Spencer
Valerie Childress / Kevin Bailey
Blair Clayton / Cody Harrell
Kate Dyess / Frankie Fillingim
06.18.2005
Hillary Taylor / Chesley James
06.25.2005
Kyle Kimbrill / Matt Still
Alli Skelton / Anthony Sherman
07.02.2005
Catherine Russ / William Bell
Liza Thompson / Brian Sorgenfrei
07.09.2005
Jill Anthony / Trey Lamar
08.06.2005
Lauren Lacey / Casey Butts
08.27.2005
Brittney Smith / Derek Strong
I forgot the date of their wedding but will update it when i remember
Kate Patterson / Grant Griffin
Not Sure What The Date Is
Jill Luckett / Christopher Lay
By the numbers
7 people in the JA Class of '99 (counting Ehrhardt)
2 Jennifer Germanys
2 Chi Omegas Named Jennifer Germany
2 Jennifer Germanys marrying guys from Jackson who went to Ole Miss
2 Deactived Pledge Brothers (Sorgenfrei / Spencer)
3 Former ASB Cabinet Members
1 Former ASB Treasurer
1 11th Grade Homecoming Date
1 Older Sister of 12th Grade Homecoming Date
2 Dudes
1 Former Sigma Nu Model Pledge
1 Former Sigma Nu Lt. Commander
2 Siblings of Gigi Russ
8 Fraternity Brothers
1 Former NFL Defensive End
1 Sister of Jake Dornbush
1 Crusher
A few short years ago, wedding were extremely rare. But last summer, the marriage floodgates suddenly burst open and the realization of my fleeting youth came washing over me. These days, weddings of my high school classmates and college friends in the 22-25 age group are common weekend occurrences.
I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened. Like 25 minutes ago, it seemed like we were experiencing our first tastes of courtship at a JA 7th grade dance, huddled up with friends on one side of the cafeteria, mustering the courage to one of the girls to dance (if you call extending your arms 2 feet from your date and barely moving dancing). And now, these folks are walking down the aisle.
I thought marriage was for old people. But maybe my development was stunted at some point. Because as these couples take that eternal plunge into holy matrimony, with parenthood to follow in a few short years, I'll still have my mom making my bed and baking me chocolate chip cookies. Yet considering marriages are supposedly based on sacrifice, compromise, honesty, and all that complicated characteristics, I'd prefer the chocolate chip cookies.
And let me go ahead and refute the statement I know will follow on the comments board. All of you who say my future bride hasn't been born yet are wrong.
What kind of sleaze do you mistake me for?
My future wife is probably at least in the 3rd, maybe even 4th grade. (The 1st one at least) I kid ... I kid ...
Anyway, I found this list of upcoming weddings in an ad placed by Batte Furniture in The Clarion-Ledger.
3.12.2005
Carolyn Arnold / Warren Greenlee
Claire Dornbusch / Stephen Griner
3.19.2005
Jenna Grace / Lane Oswalt
Allison Lester / Russell Cauthen
04.02.2005
Jennifer Cramer / Will Overstreet
Lauren Snyder / Micah Mize
04.16.2005
Meagan Jeffries / Warner Cannada
04.23.2005
Barrie Neil / Guy Shoaf
Sarah Bisland Young / Bobby Biggers
04.30.2005
Meredith Gore / Bruce Warf
05.07.2005
Lexie Carroll / Josh Wren
Courtney Clayton / Chad Hosemann
Jennifer Germany / Bobby Croswell
Mary Linley Swaney / Jonathan Davis
05.21.2005
Amy Allison Edwards / Weston Russ
Jennifer Germany 2 / Andy Ostrenga
Jill Marie Montgomery / Joel Harris
Tatum Noblitt / Gray Goodman
05.28.2005
Lindsay Batte / Kelly McMullan
Kylee Familia / Brian Loveall
Elise Russell / Wes Ehrhardt
Carla Crosby / John Benjamin Ward
06.04.2005
Mary Chaney Arthur / Lee Spencer
Valerie Childress / Kevin Bailey
Blair Clayton / Cody Harrell
Kate Dyess / Frankie Fillingim
06.18.2005
Hillary Taylor / Chesley James
06.25.2005
Kyle Kimbrill / Matt Still
Alli Skelton / Anthony Sherman
07.02.2005
Catherine Russ / William Bell
Liza Thompson / Brian Sorgenfrei
07.09.2005
Jill Anthony / Trey Lamar
08.06.2005
Lauren Lacey / Casey Butts
08.27.2005
Brittney Smith / Derek Strong
I forgot the date of their wedding but will update it when i remember
Kate Patterson / Grant Griffin
Not Sure What The Date Is
Jill Luckett / Christopher Lay
By the numbers
7 people in the JA Class of '99 (counting Ehrhardt)
2 Jennifer Germanys
2 Chi Omegas Named Jennifer Germany
2 Jennifer Germanys marrying guys from Jackson who went to Ole Miss
2 Deactived Pledge Brothers (Sorgenfrei / Spencer)
3 Former ASB Cabinet Members
1 Former ASB Treasurer
1 11th Grade Homecoming Date
1 Older Sister of 12th Grade Homecoming Date
2 Dudes
1 Former Sigma Nu Model Pledge
1 Former Sigma Nu Lt. Commander
2 Siblings of Gigi Russ
8 Fraternity Brothers
1 Former NFL Defensive End
1 Sister of Jake Dornbush
1 Crusher
Ole Miss Coaches Getting Acclimated With Lafayette County Jail
All this bad news about the Ole Miss coaching staff is enough to drive a fan to drink. (though never enough to drive a fan to drive drunk)
New Ole Miss football coach Ed Orgeron brought in a diverse and experienced assistant coaching staff that had served time in the trenches. Now, two of them may be just serving time.
Joe Cullen, the Rebels' Defensive Line coach, was arrested for public drunkenness.
Cullen joins Charlie Camp, a former linebackers coach who left Ole Miss after being charged with a DUI during a recruiting visit, as the two coaches who have run afoul of the law in recent months.
Now, I'm not going to outright condemn Joe Cullen until I get additional information. Oxford has what could best be described as 'zealous' law enforcement, and their definition of public drunkenness is broader than yours, mine, and probably 99% of America. I once gotten threatened with a public drunk arrest by a member of the Oxford Police Department even though I hadn't been drinking. That's not to Cullen is the victim here, but just to say I'll be cautious before I rush to judgment on this guy.
People may have thought a few of Cutcliffe's assistant coaches were lousy, but as far we could tell, they were bright enough to follow the law. I'm very concerned that while Orgeron brings quite a track record, he brings a record too, and his assistants seem to be following suit. I know people said we wanted to be like Miami, but I don't think the renegade aspect was what they had in mind.
New Ole Miss football coach Ed Orgeron brought in a diverse and experienced assistant coaching staff that had served time in the trenches. Now, two of them may be just serving time.
Joe Cullen, the Rebels' Defensive Line coach, was arrested for public drunkenness.
Cullen joins Charlie Camp, a former linebackers coach who left Ole Miss after being charged with a DUI during a recruiting visit, as the two coaches who have run afoul of the law in recent months.
Now, I'm not going to outright condemn Joe Cullen until I get additional information. Oxford has what could best be described as 'zealous' law enforcement, and their definition of public drunkenness is broader than yours, mine, and probably 99% of America. I once gotten threatened with a public drunk arrest by a member of the Oxford Police Department even though I hadn't been drinking. That's not to Cullen is the victim here, but just to say I'll be cautious before I rush to judgment on this guy.
People may have thought a few of Cutcliffe's assistant coaches were lousy, but as far we could tell, they were bright enough to follow the law. I'm very concerned that while Orgeron brings quite a track record, he brings a record too, and his assistants seem to be following suit. I know people said we wanted to be like Miami, but I don't think the renegade aspect was what they had in mind.
Nissan Helping or Hurting Mississippi?
Ole Miss Economics Professor William Shughart contends that providing corporate giveaways to Nissan and other large companies actually hurts Mississippi financially more than it helps.
I would suggest reading this. People often grumbled about Nissan's impact when it arrived in Mississippi in 2001. But Mississippi won't be able to attract new enterprises to the state by hawking our weather and public school rankings. Without great cards to play, a lucrative cash rebate is the only way to bring the big players to Mississippi's economic table.
I would suggest reading this. People often grumbled about Nissan's impact when it arrived in Mississippi in 2001. But Mississippi won't be able to attract new enterprises to the state by hawking our weather and public school rankings. Without great cards to play, a lucrative cash rebate is the only way to bring the big players to Mississippi's economic table.
Since There is No Action, Here's Some Talk From AG Jim Hood
While Jim Hood's proposed solution to borrow $100 million dollars may or may not be feasible, the first-term Attorney General has landed some of the sharpest verbal punches of the legislative season on Governor Haley Barbour.
"We need to have public debate on this issue," Hood said, "but we don't need to be shutting down programs just because of politics."
"The governor has his foot on the throat of the Senate" where a recent tax on cigarettes died in committee.
Hood said if Medicaid is forced to shut down, people will die, "and those bodies are going to be at the feet of Haley Barbour and Alan Nunnelee."
"He won't let (the Senate) be the independent body it was supposed to be."
"There are a lot of senators who want to do the right thing, but Gov. Barbour won't let them. He needs to let that body do its work and quit being a bully."
"The governor has a release valve and he needs to pull it to stop this emergency."
"We need to have public debate on this issue," Hood said, "but we don't need to be shutting down programs just because of politics."
"The governor has his foot on the throat of the Senate" where a recent tax on cigarettes died in committee.
Hood said if Medicaid is forced to shut down, people will die, "and those bodies are going to be at the feet of Haley Barbour and Alan Nunnelee."
"He won't let (the Senate) be the independent body it was supposed to be."
"There are a lot of senators who want to do the right thing, but Gov. Barbour won't let them. He needs to let that body do its work and quit being a bully."
"The governor has a release valve and he needs to pull it to stop this emergency."
Chamber of Horrors
The House of Representative Fiddles While Mississippi Burns
The clock was ticking.
Less than 24 hours to go, and Mississippi was done to its final option. At stake: the health care benefits of 700,000 poor and elderly Mississippians.
It was going to take a total team effort to work against this clock, but these were elected representatives, men and women who had pounded the pavements for months campaigning for these posts, and had at one point had a plurality of support from voters in their districts. At least on paper, these folks are leaders.
So with their backs against the wall, with a Medicaid bomb about to blow if it wasn't defused immediately, The House of Representatives retreated. Bailed. Abandoned ship. They adjourned at 9:00 A.M. this morning, leaving Medicaid unfunded.
Only faith that the state will eventually act is keeping health care for 700,000 Mississippians. And these physicians and pharmacists are relying on promises made by Mississippi politicians. That's a quite shaky assurance.
The only outstanding performances are the one-liners from state officials. They're providing a great service for journalists looking to add an adversarial quote to Saturday's morning paper, but platitudes and grandstanding don't put money into what most agree is an essential public service.
People will often question the intelligence of the members of the legislature and our elected state officials. But intelligence, or lack thereof, is not the problem here. The Achilles' Heel of these state politicians is pride.
They've become so bogged down in the internal power struggle that they're not even governing.
People say they're worried about their future in political office when the next state elections roll around in 2007. But at the rate Mississippi is going, the state will be in such a financial quagmire a few years down the road that almost nobody would want to lead. (And it's not like many of them are leading already).
I'll try to concoct a more coherent piece about the legislature and the medicaid crisis when time permits.
The clock was ticking.
Less than 24 hours to go, and Mississippi was done to its final option. At stake: the health care benefits of 700,000 poor and elderly Mississippians.
It was going to take a total team effort to work against this clock, but these were elected representatives, men and women who had pounded the pavements for months campaigning for these posts, and had at one point had a plurality of support from voters in their districts. At least on paper, these folks are leaders.
So with their backs against the wall, with a Medicaid bomb about to blow if it wasn't defused immediately, The House of Representatives retreated. Bailed. Abandoned ship. They adjourned at 9:00 A.M. this morning, leaving Medicaid unfunded.
Only faith that the state will eventually act is keeping health care for 700,000 Mississippians. And these physicians and pharmacists are relying on promises made by Mississippi politicians. That's a quite shaky assurance.
The only outstanding performances are the one-liners from state officials. They're providing a great service for journalists looking to add an adversarial quote to Saturday's morning paper, but platitudes and grandstanding don't put money into what most agree is an essential public service.
People will often question the intelligence of the members of the legislature and our elected state officials. But intelligence, or lack thereof, is not the problem here. The Achilles' Heel of these state politicians is pride.
They've become so bogged down in the internal power struggle that they're not even governing.
People say they're worried about their future in political office when the next state elections roll around in 2007. But at the rate Mississippi is going, the state will be in such a financial quagmire a few years down the road that almost nobody would want to lead. (And it's not like many of them are leading already).
I'll try to concoct a more coherent piece about the legislature and the medicaid crisis when time permits.
Blogging Clicks With Colleges
Another article about blogging from The Washington Post
Wikis are extremely useful. I just set one up for The Law Weekly's managing board, and while I don't believe it will replace blogging, it will be extremely helpful in collaborative efforts, whether among co-workers or students.
First the Internet turned colleges upside down, extending classrooms and changing the way people learned. Next came Napster and other file-sharing tools, then Web logs. Now blogs are morphing into the next big thing on campus: wikis.
Wikis are extremely useful. I just set one up for The Law Weekly's managing board, and while I don't believe it will replace blogging, it will be extremely helpful in collaborative efforts, whether among co-workers or students.
Random Photo of the Day -- "Former Employees"
Thursday, March 10
Random Photo of the Day
Ole Miss Quarterback Tommy Luke
Wednesday, March 9
President Fellows, Alive and Well
Though his personal blog, Rants and Cravings, has been dormant for nearly a month, ASB President Gordon Fellows has not fallen victim to a coup attempt by duplicitous ASB senators.
I spotted the jolly and rambunctious student leader in Oxford on several occasions, and can report that he is alive and well. Any patron in Tequila's Sunday night (or anyone in a six mile radius with proper hearing) can vouch for me. I also saw him sitting in the Lyceum with President-Elect Rebecca Bertrand as the two waited to go into a transition meeting with one of the Vice-Chancellors.
Gordon's term in office expires in April, and he's told me that as Citizen Fellows, he will become a regular blogger. I basically deactivated SNN during my year in office, so I can surely empathize with Gordon's decision to blog with caution.
But, I'm already planning to make Gordon's final day as president an official Gordon Fellows Day on SNN. Expect the tribute to include many references to Gordon's favorite things: Republican politics, hockey jerseys, Sara Hart Rosenblatt, Tupelo, fancy neckties, professional wrestling, and of course, food.
I spotted the jolly and rambunctious student leader in Oxford on several occasions, and can report that he is alive and well. Any patron in Tequila's Sunday night (or anyone in a six mile radius with proper hearing) can vouch for me. I also saw him sitting in the Lyceum with President-Elect Rebecca Bertrand as the two waited to go into a transition meeting with one of the Vice-Chancellors.
Gordon's term in office expires in April, and he's told me that as Citizen Fellows, he will become a regular blogger. I basically deactivated SNN during my year in office, so I can surely empathize with Gordon's decision to blog with caution.
But, I'm already planning to make Gordon's final day as president an official Gordon Fellows Day on SNN. Expect the tribute to include many references to Gordon's favorite things: Republican politics, hockey jerseys, Sara Hart Rosenblatt, Tupelo, fancy neckties, professional wrestling, and of course, food.
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