It's Official - Vandy v. Boston College in Music City Bowl

Hot off the presses!

Did I say Liberty? I mean't Music City!

Okay, mark me down for one mistake at least. I forgot about Kentucky!

With only eight SEC teams qualified for the post season and one SEC practically assured of playing for the national title (I still think there is a risk Florida won't make it with a victory over Alabama but I hope I'm wrong), the Memphis Liberty Bowl and the Nashville Music Bowl will be select from the last two SEC teams.

Each of these two bowls submit their list of preferences and the SEC decides who will go where. If The principal motivating factor for a bowl is to make money, which means selling tickets and hotel rooms. Kentucky has a large and proven fan base and has played in the Music City Bowl for the last two years in a row. Vanderbilt is the smallest school in the SEC and hasn't been to a bowl in 26 years. In other words, smaller fan base and unknown post-season turnout.

I would expect the Liberty folks and the SEC to want Kentucky to go Memphis. It would be a new venue for Kentucky fans to visit while still close to its home state (important in these tough economic times!).

The Nashville media's take is that a Music City bowl bid is a bad thing for Vanderbilt and Nashville. I completely disagree for the following reasons:

• It's a Vanderbilt bowl - The old adage of beggars can't be choosers applies here. I'd be happy with the Joe the Plumber Bowl. I think most Vandy fans are just excited its happening at all.
  
• Vandy alumni are nationwide & global - I don't have the statistics handy, but its safe to say that Vanderbilt has the lowest percentage of local state residents of any SEC school. This means more hotel rooms sold to visiting Vandy fans.
  
• Tough economic times - With the financial markets in turmoil, home foreclosures, and massive layoffs, people don't have as much (if any) disposable income, especially this time of year of gift giving. So the college bowls are also facing the same beggars can't be choosers adage. One has to ask the question if a more distant school is selected that enough people would travel to make a difference for hotel rooms.
  
• Grow the local fan base - If Vanderbilt is going to grow its fan base, it will have to win over Middle Tennessee. Many UT fans are also part-time Vandy fans. But the last twenty years has produced little on the field for these fans to get excited about. With UT down and changing coaches, Vandy has a great opportunity to enthuse these part-time fans over the coming seasons. A local bowl game will help that.
  
• Other bowls are doing it - Even with only a few bowl announcements prior to this final weekend of games, we already know that Rice will be at home in Houston for the Texas Bowl and Georgia Tech will be playing in the Chick-Fil-A bowl which is less than three miles from their own campus!

Vandy Likely for Liberty Bowl

When the season began, my expectations were not very high:

I would expect wins against Rice and Duke, and possible victories against Miami(OH) and maybe Ole Miss. After that things get more dicey with Mississippi State (who went to a bowl last season) and perhaps Kentucky or Wake Forest. I'll be happy with a four win season or a signature upset win, such as against Auburn (we haven't beaten them since 1955) or Florida (last win 1988) or Tennessee (how sweet that victory would be).

Who would have predicted a 5-0 start, another victory over South Carolina, a first win over Auburn in over half a century, and a visit to College Gameday to Vanderbilt campus. There was the inevitable tailspin of four straight losses including the weaker teams of Mississippi State and Duke. There were also the disappointing losses against Tennessee and Wake Forest. However, the glory of victory against Kentucky clinched our first bowl eligible season in a quarter-century.

Here are my prediction on bowl games if Bama wins the SEC Championship:

• National - Alabama
• Sugar - Florida
• Capital One - Ole Miss
• Cotton - LSU
• Outback - Georgia
• Chick-Fil-A - South Carolina
• Liberty - Vandy

If Florida wins the SEC Championship, I'm afraid there is a good chance they won't play for the national title thanks to the BCS B.S. In this case, I see the bowls shaking out this way:

• Sugar - Florida
• Capital One - Alabama
• Cotton - Ole Miss
• Outback - Georgia
• Chick-Fil-A - LSU
• Liberty - Vandy
• Music City - South Carolina

In either case, it looks like the Liberty Bowl will go for Vanderbilt. The Chick-Fil-A bowl people said they would only consider the 'Dores if they could beat both Tennessee and Wake Forest, which obviously did not happen. Considering this, it is doubtful would get any better consideration with the higher ranked bowls.

While it would be convenient to play in the Music City bowl, there is a concern that not as many hotel rooms would be sold by selecting a local team. It may not be up them anyway since the Liberty Bowl selects first and there are a shortage of bowl eligible SEC teams this year.

Holy Schniky! Vandy is Bowl Eligible!

Vandy beats Kentucky with a big help from D.J. Moore - his first two receptions were both touchdowns plus an interception. We are now bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years. This will be the first time that both Kentucky and Vandy are bowl eligible in the same season. UK has played in the Music City bowl for the past two years.

A Truly Historic Win

With ESPN College Gameday on campus, on national television, the Commodores continued their amazing season with a victory over the Auburn Tigers. Here is why this win is such an incredible accomplishment:

• The first 5-0 start since 1943 (the season was only five games long due to WWII)
• The first victory over Auburn since 1955
• The win keeps Vandy in sole possession of the SEC East lead
• This is the first time of having three straight SEC victories since 1982
• The first game against a ranked opponent when Vanderbilt was also ranked since 1947
• Despite losing 13 games in a row against Auburn, the series is now tied 20-20-1
  
• Representatives from the Capital One bowl (Orlando, the top non-BCS bowl for the SEC), Liberty Bowl (Memphis), and the PapaJohns.Com Bowl (Birmingham) were in attendance last night.

Here are my favorite signs from Gameday:

• Please move you are blocking the library
• The geeks shall inherit the turf
• The three-finger VU sign done by the entire Gameday crew

If you want to read more about it, try these links:

http://www.insidevandy.com/drupal/node/8187

http://www.conquerandprevail.com/

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200810040072

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=859023

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081005/SPORTS0602/810050409/1002/SPORTS

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sec?tag=nashville%200806

13 Auburn vs. 19 Vanderbilt

Merciful Father in heaven. We won. We won...

ESPN Gameday Coming to Vandy campus!

Thanks to Vanderbilt's onfield performance and a series of upsets last weekend, ESPN announced Sunday that their signature television show, College Gameday, will be broadcast from Vanderbilt campus for the first time ever!

With USC, Florida, Georgia, and Wisconsin all losing and idle Vanderbilt moving up two spots in the rankings thanks to attrition, the 'Dores upcoming contest has suddenly become one of the most interesting match-ups in the country for this weekend.

The game will be No. 19 Vanderbilt taking on No. 13 Auburn. This will be the first game for Vanderbilt to be playing as a ranked team in over twenty years! The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 6pm Eastern this Saturday. Auburn is currently favored by 3.5 despite its anemic offensive production so far this season. They beat Mississippi State by a score of 3-2. Yes, 3-2! They are facing a must-win situation with the emergence of Alabama as a sudden national power and LSU continues to dominate the SEC.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has another opportunity to prove on national television that this is not the "Same Ole Vandy" - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The pundits dubbed the 2008 season for the Commodores as a rebuilding year due to the losses of all-time SEC receiver Earl Bennett and defensive stars Goff and Williams. Yet here Vandy stands in October with a 2-0 SEC record and leading the SEC East all by itself.

As for this Vandy fan, I'm trying to just enjoy the moment and hope the national spotlight helps Coach Johnson's recruiting efforts for years to come. Like I said before the South Carolina game on ESPN last month, I just hope they keep it close and make a good game of it. You have to do that when your team has had so many heartbreaking losses. But I do believe we can win!

Here are some other facts: Vanderbilt has not been ranked for three consecutive weeks since 1956. We haven't beaten Auburn since 1955.

UPDATE: ESPN will be broadcasting from the new Commons on Peabody campus. Watch them set-up live with Vanderbilt's web cam!

Vandy Ranked In Top 25!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vanderbilt is now ranked for the first time since 1984!

They are 24th in USA Today coaches' poll and an amazing 21st in the AP poll!

According to the AP, we are ranked higher than Illinois, East Carolina, TCU and Fresno State.
According to the coaches poll, we are higher than East Carolina, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State.

There are now six SEC teams ranked in the top 25: Georgia, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and now ole Vandy.

This was after a big victory over Ole Miss at Oxford last night.

Way to go 'Dores! Woo Hoo!

Why USC Doesn't Deserve the Praise

I am sick and tired of all these sports commentators saying that USC has an incredible football team that is hands-down the best in the nation. Here are reasons why they don't deserve that level of praise:

1. They have only played two games
   Here we are in mid-September with most other teams having logged twice that many games. They had two weeks to prepare for their allegedly biggest challenge - Ohio State. Too bad the Buckeyes didn't have that chance.
   
2. Their victories are less impressive
   Now that the pre-season is over (no more cupcake opponents), we are starting to see how good or bad these football teams *really* are. USC blew out a mediocre Virgina team from the mediocre ACC. They blew out an Ohio State team that led Troy by a measely field goal until the fourth quarter. A Sunbelt conference team! Wake me up when they have a real opponent. That will be sometime next year, unless USC is pampered with another less-than-challenging schedule...
   
3. Their schedule is a cakewalk
   There is only one other ranked team in the PAC-10, being Oregon. This team just lost to Boise State of the WACC. This is their only ranked opponent on USC's schedule. If they can't run the table, they don't deserve to be ranked at all, let alone number one.

So while USC is surfing the waves of mediocre opponents in the California sun, the SEC powerhouses are beating each other up. Half of the top ten are SEC teams. HALF! It's too bad that LSU and Auburn had to play each other and force one out of the top ten (sorry Auburn). Whoever survives the SEC season deserves a shot at the national title against the annointed USC. I hope whoever it is kicks their tail.

This is what stinks about not have a championship playoff system. It favors the teams that can dominate their own conference while avoiding any real challeneges outside. Margin-of-victory can help offset a lower strength of schedule.

Vandy #26!

The 'Dores received 63 votes last week in the Associated Press poll, which is the most for any team outside of the top 25. This was thanks to a 3-0 start after beating Rice this past weekend. We haven't been ranked since 1984 when we reached 19th place.

If we can get a victory over Ole Miss this coming weekend, we should hopefully make the top 25. Of course, nothing should ever be taken for granted as a Vanderbilt fan. But all we need is a chance...

Oh, and how about Jay Cutler throwing a TD and making the 2-point conversion to beat San Diego and take the Broncos to 2-0 yesterday?!

Woooooooo Hoooooooo !!!!!!!

Vandy Beats South Carolina!

...on national TV - ESPN

...first win in Nashville over ranked opponent since 1992.

Go 'Dores!!!!!!!!!

Also, please note the grammatical error on the Yahoo homepage picture above. What is it about adverbs and the sports media?

Random Thought of the Day

If you are ever bored waiting in a line, here is something you can do to pass the time:

Another Vandy Football Season

It is not easy being a Vanderbilt football fan. While my wife prepares to see her Georgia Bulldogs defend their number one preseason ranking and some of my in-laws wonder if their Florida Gators can get another championship and it Tebow can repeat as the Heisman trophy, I wonder if this will finally be the season where we get to a bowl game.

It has now been over a quarter of a century since the 1982 Hall of Fame bowl. The good news is that we've been closer than ever under Coach Bobby Johnson. In 2007 we were only one play away from beating both Georgia and Tennessee. I'd say that is pretty darn impressive for a small private school going up against tax-payer funded powerhouses of the SEC. Each of the past three season have had a signature upset win: at South Carolina in 2007, at Georgia in 2006, and at Tennessee in 2005.

Unfortunately, 2008 will be a rebuilding year for my Commodores. We lost SEC star WR Earl Bennett to the NFL draft (selected in the third round by Chicago) along with other defensive players. We also don't have a definitive starting quarterback since neither Nickson nor Adams won the job permanently last season.

Also, the schedule will be tougher this year. I would expect wins against Rice and Duke, and possible victories against Miami (OH) and maybe Ole Miss. After that things get more dicey with Mississippi State (who went to a bowl last season) and perhaps Kentucky or Wake Forest. I'll be happy with a four win season or a signature upset win, such as against Auburn (we haven't beaten them since 1955) or Florida (last win 1988) or Tennessee (how sweet that victory would be).

I also hope that DB D.J. Moore, first team all-SEC, will have an outstanding season. The experts say we have one of the best secondaries in the country (our defense was ranked 16th nationally last year). It would be nice of that could continue. The key to our future is to continue having Vandy players drafted in early rounds of the NFL. Cutler and Williams going in the first round over past three seasons has certainly helped our visibility!

I Have To Laugh!

Last weekend NASCAR ran its race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, dubbed the Brickyard. In case you missed it, the Goodyear tires couldn't handle the race. Teams were forced to change their tires every ten laps. Yes, you read it right, TEN LAPS! I'm glad I didn't bother watching that race.

Also consider that a couple of years ago, the Formula One series ran at the same racetrack with another tire problem. Apparrently the Michelin tires were not capable of running safe only the track. The teams with Michelin tires demanded that a chicane (modification of the track course) be put in. Of course all the teams with Bridgestone tires ran just fine. In a huff, all the Michelin teams pulled out of the race when they couldn't get their way.

So, what are the only tires to run without problems at Indy? Bridgestone (F1) and Firestone (IRL). I rest my case!

Tire Problems Dredge Up Bad Memories for Indy Fans
NASCAR Apologizes for Indianapolis Tire Fiasco
Michelin blames tire design flaw

Clone Wars & IndyCar

How could I not be a Marco Andretti fan now? During the Indy 500, Marco had his race car all decked out in Indiana Jones ads to promote Indy IV. He even wore a fedora hat when they had the driver introductions prior to the race. Now he will do it again with another Lucas film franchise: Star Wars!

He will run this car at the Infinion Raceway in California over the weekend of August 22-24. Considering that he has crashed in about as many races as he has finished, let's hope he can keep from messing up this car!

I really like the Asajj Ventress (a new villian in the Clone Wars movie) placement at the nose of the IndyCar:

Clone Wars Launch

Well, I finally got my computer to reboot and get onto my blog. I just got back from the midnight madness sale to celebrate the product launch of all the new Star Wars toys, books, etc. The special midnight sale was available only at Toys'R'Us.

I've never been to a midnight product launch (such as Harry Potter or any of the previous Star Wars launches) and I figured this may be my last chance, and my son's only chance, to be at a pre-movie Star Wars midnight sale. So we headed down with my sister to the local (and only) TRU.

It was our first time seeing the 501st in person. They are an organization dedicated to homemade but highly detailed costuming of Star Wars characters. They are also a charity group that supports causes like the Make A Wish Foundation and also do activities like visit sick children (fully costumed) in the hospital. There were 15 members in all for the late night event: six clone troopers, Jango & Boba Fett, Padme, Chewbacca ("life-sized", which was amazing to see!), ROTS Anakin, TPM Anakin, plus a Jawa and an Ewok. My son was both nervous and excited about seeing these people up close. I had to hold him for a little while as he got used to them.

When the doors opened, people were assertive but also respectful. There were about 30 or more people at the event and the racks were cleared out in fairly short order. However, I think everyone had a fair shot at getting everything they wanted. The 501st were inside as well, taking time to chat and have pictures taken. Considering how late it was, how long they had already been in costume, and that a rain earlier tonight raised the humidity in the night time heat to a saturation point, they were practically saints!

We had so much fun that I will definitely do this again if another major Star Wars event like this comes along in the future!

Cool Site: Graph Jam

It has been awhile since I've come across a Web site that offered something truely unique. The one I found tonight is Graph Jam. I won't describe what it is here; it's better that you see it for yourself. Scroll down on my blog to the "Important Graphs" section to see what I mean.

Here is the link to the Web site:
http://www.graphjam.com/

Top 20 Geek Novels

I came across this list of the Top 20 Geek Novels of all time. I've actually read most of them, so I thought I'd offer up my own comments:

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
No surprise why this is number one. I saw the TV show version as a kid and loved it. The novels are obviously even better. It is very British humor and great fun. The movie that came out a few years ago is a faithful representation of the late Adams work. Even my sci-fi-hating wife enjoyed it!

2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell
A fascinating yet depressing view of the future. I started my leanings to the political right after reading this book.

3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
Yet another classic of a dystopian future. I read this many years ago, when cloning really was just science fiction. It is sadly even more relevant today.

4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick
I was a huge PKD fan growing up. I've read pretty much all of his novels and short stories. I think the only reason people pick this as a top novel is that it is the basis (loosely) of the movie, Blade Runner. I actually think it is one of his weaker books. My top pick is also the first one I ever read by him - Eye in the Sky.

5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
This is a fantastic book. It introduced me to the whole cyberpunk culture and provides a glimpse of what the Internet might be some years from now.

6. Dune -- Frank Herbert
I developed my passion for reading after this novel. It is the Lord of the Rings of science fiction. It touches on so many themes ranging from science, politics, religion, ethics, and military. The movie from the 1980s did spoil it somewhat for me. The books are so much better. I've heard that SciFi Channel's mini-series treats this book better. I'll have to check it out sometime.

11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
Another of the cyberpunk books. I remember really enjoying it but can't think of the details. Corporate sponsorship and control was an overarching theme here.

13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson
This is an amazing sci-fi / historical novel about the code-breakers of WWII combined with a present day storyline. These two story arcs intertwine despite the fifty plus years separating the events. It's a long book but worth savoring every page.

16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
Here is another PKD novel (not like I am complaining!). This one is popular because its plot line starts with the question, what if the Allies had lost WWII? The U.S. is split between Japan and Germany. Not my favorite, but I did like it better than Androids.

19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
This is a very strange book, steeped in multi-layered conspiracy theories and sci-fi themes. Not something I'd be interested in reading again.

7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
I love Asmiov's writing, but am ashamed to say I only started Foundation and have never read I, Robot. I do want to someday. Foundation was going great when I started it many years ago, but I think I got burned out on sci-fi at the time and have yet to return to it.

15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein
This seems to be Heinlein's most popular work. I started reading it but could not get into it. Many have recommended The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The only book I've read of his is Starship Troopers, which was much better than the movie.

9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett
This is next on my reading list. I've heard the name, but have never read any of his stuff.

10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
20. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham
Stand on Zanzibar - John Brunner
The Shockwave Rider - John Brunner
I haven't read these other books. I'll have to learn more about them sometime...

Speaking of geek - If you are a child of the 1980s, be sure to take this quiz:
http://mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=335

June 21st Update
Some very astute readers of my blog pointed out the glaring absence of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is a book that would definitely be in the Top Five of my own list. It is so good that even my anti-sci-fi wife read it and loved it! Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the sequel and never finished it. I would like to say I hope they make a movie of it, but I'm afraid we'd get another "Starship Troopers".

Kung Fu Panda Kicks Tail!

We saw Kung Fu Panda last weekend and loved it. I am a Pixar partisan when it comes to animation, but I must admit this film is the closest yet to reaching the standards of the Disney animation unit. It is the story of a clumsy and food-loving panda who works in his father's noodle shop but dreams of being a Kung Fu warrior. One day he is "accidentally" chosen as the Dragon Warrior; the only one who can defeat the evil Tai Lung.

I am a sucker for Kung Fu movies, so when I saw the trailer and learned that it was a family friendly PG rating, I knew I'd see it, along with my wife and young son. There are so many great things about this movie. I'll try to summarize quickly.

First, I like how it paid homage to the genre. It had all your classic elements of Kung Fu (the neophyte training with an old master, legendary weapons and stories, ancient locations, etc.) but also some interesting twists to keep it from being predictable. When Master Shifu says he doesn't know how to train Po (the panda) to be a Kung Fu fighter, let alone the dragon warrior, I felt the same way! The dumpling duel was the highlight of the movie for me. I also love how all the characters are animals with matching Kung Fu styles (Tigress's aggressiveness, Crane's fluid and graceful movements, Tai Lung (Leopard)'s power from massive upper body strength, etc).

The movie was also happily free of pop culture references. That is my biggest pet peeve with animated movies that one commonly finds with non-Pixar animation studios. I guess these companies think they need to put in such references for fear that kids won't get into the story. That is why I am not a fan of the Shrek movies. If the story is good, like this one, you don't need such devices.

Lastly, the movie has a good message while not being preachy. While it obviously hints at Eastern religion, it is dealt more as a mythical story than one of pushing a certain world view or agenda. Teachers will see this as a treatise on differentiated learning (I learned that term from my wife, who has a master's degree in education). Go see this movie (and the website). You won't be disappointed!

My rankings of CGI movies from Dreamworks Animation:

1. Kung Fu Panda


2. Flushed Away


3. Over the Hedge


4. Madagascar


5. Shrek 2


6. Shrek the Third
   
   The following ones I don't want to ever see again


7. Shrek


8. Bee Movie


9. Shark Tale

Who Is Abraham Baldwin?

He is a person that arguably played one of the most meaningful roles in the history of our country and yet is practically unknown. He was a Yale College tutor who had recently moved to Georgia, which was still in its infancy as a state. He was selected as one of the two delegates sent to Philadelphia in 1787 to discuss revisions to the Articles of Confederation. This convention moved far beyond that pre-text to become the genesis of the Constitution.

One of the first major disagreements among the state delegates at the convention was the power of larger states over smaller states. James Madison and his Virginia Plan favored the larger states by giving them more votes that the smaller ones. The New Jersey Plan was proposed and supported by the smaller states to have the same number of votes for each state. The debate lasted almost the entire month of June and became so contentious that the convention was close to being disbanded.

Roger Sherman, one of the delegates from Connecticut, proposed a compromise (now called the Connecticut Compromise) wherein the national government would consist of two houses, one with representation based on state size and one with representation of two people for every state. This was a reasonable compromise, but it had to be voted upon by the convention. Five voted in favor of the compromise (CT, NJ, DE, MD, and NY) while five voted against it (VA, PA, MA, NC, SC). It was down to Georgia to provide the tie-breaker since neither New Hampshire or Rhode Island chose to send delegates to the convention.

One Georgia delegate voted against the measure and so it was down to Abraham Baldwin to make the final decision. If he voted against the measure, it was likely the convention would end (and with no Constitution ever created!). If he voted for the measure, the vote would be deadlocked and a method to resolve the issue would have to be decided. But he would face the possible stigma of having negated the voice of the state he was representing. Baldwin voted in favor of the measure. The committee later appointed (of which he was a member) determined to pass the measure by reasoning that the two small non-attending states would have voted for the measure.

So why should you care about this little moment in history? Well, I'm sure this will interest some of my blog readers because Abraham Baldwin, the man who arguably saved the Constitution, was also the founder of the first state-chartered school of higher learning - the University of Georgia.

Check Out Mental Floss

If you are a knowledge junkie like me, you need to check out the magazine (and Web site) called Mental Floss. It has a great collection of assorted trivia, from country profiles to history lessons to top 10 lists. You can even take various quizzes on the Web site like the one below.

Check out the site and subscribe to the magazine like I do!

The '80s Music Video Quiz Score: 80% (8 out of 10)

Skin Disease or Dungeons and Dragons Character? Score: 88% (14 out of 16)

Happy Birthday, George!

Today, May 14th is the birthday of "the Maker" as Star Wars fans refer to him - George Lucas. To celebrate, you should watch a Star Wars or Indiana Jones movie (a die-hard fan can watch Howard the Duck...).

http://www.rebelscum.com/toys2008/hayford_LucasBday.jpg

No Easy Answers

I'm currently on an American history kick right now. I guess it is due to the historic primary race between Clinton and Obama and also that it is an election year. I'm reading three different books simultaneously: 1776 by David McCullough, Young Patriots by Charles Cerami, and now a book I got for my birthday - Andrew Jackson by Sean Wilentz. I need to discipline myself and focus on one and get it finished! I'm also listening to a great series of lectures available free as a podcast ("Teaching American History"). The sound quality is bad, but the content is superb.

Anyway, here are some various thoughts that I've had recently:

Who is the first president of the United States?
You'd think that would be an easy one - George Washington, right? Well, actually you would be wrong. Our first president was actually John Hanson. You see, when our nation made its Declaration of Independence and launched into a war with Britain, we needed a national government to coordinate our actions. This national entity was not the constitutional republic we know so well. It was a confederation of the states created by the Articles of Confederation in 1777. John Hanson was unanimously elected to serve as the newborn nation's first president. His actions set precedents for the future presidents as did the other men who served after him. It wasn't until 1789 that the Constitution officially replaced the Articles of Confederation and George Washington, our eighth president but first under the Constitution, began his first term.

How many US presidents have their been (under the US Constitution)?
Okay, here is another trick question. After a little thinking (or research) you would know that George W. Bush is our 43rd president. But if you counted up the list of names of US Presidents, you would only get 42. This is because of Grover Cleveland. He was our 22nd and our 24th president - the only one to serve two non-consecutive terms in office.

Why do I like the Electoral College?
For the past two presidential elections, much has been made about the popular vote versus the electoral college vote. The current thinking among many Americans is that the popular vote is the supposedly true will of the people and that we should do away with the "confusing" and "archaic" system created by the founders of our country. In my view, just because something is simpler does not mean that it is better. The reason why we have the Electoral College is to avoid the tyranny of the majority. To become president, one must win a majority of majorities. I'll write more on this some other time.

"Every nation has the government it deserves"
I just found this quote from the French political philosopher, Joseph de Maistre, and I love it! I am concerned with how our Constitution is being abused and how populism continues to overtake reasoned thought. If we continue to abdicate our sovereignty to foreign entities and allow an activist Supreme Court to twist or disregard the Constitution for sectarian political agendas, we truly will get what we deserve.

My Phenomenon Song

I blame it all on one of the shows I watched as a child. For now and for ever, whenever I read or hear the word phenomenon I can't help but think of this song.

Follow the link to this You Tube video to see what I am talking about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YevYBsShxNs

Disney's Strategy

I read an interesting interview in Fortune magazine with Disney's CEO, Bob Iger. I like what he had to say and has made me enthusiastic about the future of the Mouse House. Here are my thoughts on the article:

One of my biggest complaints against Disney in the waning months of former CEO Michael Eisner's tenure was the legion of direct to video/DVD sequels. It all started with Return of Jafar and devolved into Cinderella II and III, Pocahontas II, Lion King 1.5, and even the Fox and the Hound II. Not only was the quality a mere shadow of its respective progenitor, but it also tarnished the original by association and cluttered retail shelves with a bunch of filler.

Unfortunately for me, it made a lot of money for Disney and Eisner clearly was not concerned with the impact on the Disney brand and what it represents. When Walt's brother and financial leader Roy decided to re-release Snow White in theaters to make money on the demand to see the movie again, Walt criticized him for getting into the sequel business. Walt was always looking to the future.

In the Fortune article, Iger echoed my own belief by saying that low quality and too much product is a deadly combination. Last year he pulled the plug on the sequel machine, so Cinderella III thankfully marked the end of that!

However, I do think that an occasional sequel is not a bad thing. I think that Toy Story 2 was superior to the original. It should be noted that Toy Story 2 was originally intended to be a direct to video release but after test screenings and positive response, they decided to release it in theaters instead. The domestic box office for Toy Story 2 was $246 million, 28% more than the original. Toy Story 3 is planned for a 2010 release and I can't wait to see it!

Iger's approach is to treat franchises like Toy Story and Cars as their own brands. Cars 2 is also being planned. It was interesting to note that not every animated film is considered a franchise by Iger. He explicitly named Ratatouille as one such film. It is a great movie, but we won't see Remy-themed attractions at the parks or sequels.

I think one of the biggest challenges is how to manage the Mickey Mouse brand. It is obviously nostalgic for the baby boomer generation, but the younger generations don't have much of a connection to Mickey unless you count the toddlers who love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The other challenge is reviving Disney's own animation unit. In my opinion, the last decent hit was 2002's Lilo & Stitch. Hopefully the fact that a traditionally animated short now precedes major Disney movie releases, such as Ratatouille and National Treasure 2, they can rediscover the magic.

Watch This Sugarland Video

This is such a simple yet powerful music video by the band Sugarland. I challenge anyone to not be moved by this. Is there any doubt that Jennifer Nettles is one of the best country singers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIyxkZod2cM

National Treasure 2 is a Gem

Who knows who you should believe? The critics loved Ratatouille but the box office didn't live up to the high standards of a Pixar release. Then along comes National Treasure 2 that was
panned by most critics, and yet it still holds the number one spot in the box office for the third weekend in a row.

Fortunately, I loved both of them. I really liked the original National Treasure too. Think of it as Indiana Jones in America. The movie takes historical facts, mixes them with a few conspiracy theories and a pinch of wishful thinking to make a highly entertaining film. After seeing the sequel (twice in the theaters so far), I hit the Internet when I got home to learn more about particular Confederate generals, the Statue of Liberty, and more. The casting is excellent and you get the feeling they are having as much fun as you are.

Best of all, it is family friendly (at least compared to what else is out there). Although be warned that the beginning shows the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the murder of another character. Fortunately, both scenes are brief and not graphic at all. If you are looking for an adventure flick with plenty of humor thrown in, be sure to check out National Treasure 2!

Oh and be sure to not be late to the show. Just like the old days, there is a cartoon short before the feature. It is a brand new Goofy cartoon about installing a home theater system. The style is the same as those old How To Ride a Horse, and Hot to Play Football cartoons from the 1950s and 1960s. This is a fantastic idea!