Archive for September, 2013

When Will Georgia Tech Ditch Paul Johnson And The Triple-Option Offense?

Last week the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets faced off against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

This was the first real test for the Yellow Jackets against a decent team.  After destroying Elon in week number one, GA Tech easily beat Duke in their second game, but they had a hard time winning their third game against the North Carolina Tar Heels.  The game against VA Tech would help indicate whether or not GA Tech really had a good team this season.

The same test could also have been said for Virginia Tech.  VA Tech lost their opening game against Alabama, they easily beat Western Carolina, but they had a hard time beating East Carolina and Marshall.  The Virginia Tech teams from just a couple of years ago would have given Bama a run for its money and then destroyed everybody else.  But apparently things are different this year.

Go Jackets!

The game itself between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech was mostly a stalemate.  Neither team looked that great on the playing field, and when the Yellow Jackets were down by seven points in the fourth quarter, that sealed their doom.  The Yellow Jackets had NO PASSING GAME at all.  It was hilariously bad when they tried to throw the ball and move down the field late in the fourth quarter.  A major fault in the triple-option offense was again exposed, and Georgia Tech lost the game.

This is one of the reasons why you don’t see the triple-option offense at this level in football.  It may work in the FCS and lower programs when you’re playing against slower and weaker defenses, but in the FBS and NFL it’s a different story.  The defenses become progressively harder and they’ll continually expose the flaws in the offense.

Could the triple-option offense work for a school like Georgia Tech?

I believe it could work if they had the right quarterback.  You need a tough guy who can read the defense, know when to pitch the ball or carry it himself, and somebody who can throw accurate passes when it’s needed.  That last part is critical when you’re behind in the game and don’t have ten minutes on the game clock to slowly march down the field.  Sadly, that last part is also one of the areas where Georgia Tech has been severely lacking for many years now.  In the era of Paul Johnson, how many passing quarterbacks are going to want to play in his system knowing that he’ll be running mostly running plays?

Honestly, when was the last time that Georgia Tech had a quarterback who was consistently accurate at throwing passes? Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Sahara”

Sahara is the eleventh book written by Clive Cussler in his main series of novels.

Although this is the next sequential book after Dragon, a few of Sahara‘s previous references point back to Treasure.  The connections are mainly vague references, and it’s not really necessary to read both of those books before reading Sahara.

Sahara begins on April 2, 1865 as the Confederacy is about to lose the Civil War.  Sitting at a dock on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, is the Texas, an ironclad warship about to depart on a secret mission.  The Texas is loaded with Confederate gold, and just before it departs, a secret passenger is loaded onto the ship.  If the ship’s mission is successful, then the Confederacy will be restored.

The Texas cruises down the James River and slips past the Union blockade.  By the time that the Union sailors recognize the Confederate ship, it’s too late.  The Confederate ship reaches the harbor and faces a line of Union ships blocking access to the Atlantic Ocean.  The Texas comes under fire and is almost sunk until the ship’s mysterious passenger makes an appearance on the upper deck.  When the Union sailors see the passenger they immediately stop firing.  They cannot believe their eyes.  The sailors can only watch as the Texas sails past the Union’s line of ships and reaches the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fast forward to October 10, 1931.

Australia’s aviation ace Kitty Mannock is flying one final long-distance flight from London, England to Cape Town, South Africa when she experiences problems over the southwestern part of the Sahara.  She was trying to follow the Trans-Sahara motor track when she became disoriented when flying through a sandstorm.  Worse, the sandstorm damaged one of the cylinders in her Fairchild FC-2W’s engine.  The aircraft is losing power and Kitty is forced to make an emergency landing before night arrives in the desert.

Kitty makes a smooth landing in the Sahara until the aircraft suddenly plunges into a small ravine.  The impact seriously injures Kitty, and the woman is left to survive in the harsh and unforgiving elements of the world’s largest desert.  Search parties attempt to find the missing woman when she’s reported as overdue, but no traces of Kitty Mannock or her aircraft are found.

Sahara‘s main story begins in May of 1996.

An expedition carrying tourists through the Sahara desert stops at the small town of Asselar in Mali.  What should be a routine stop at the oasis town turns into a nightmare when the town’s residents, or what’s left of them, have gone crazy and brutally attack the tourists.  The tourists are all killed and some of them are actually eaten by the crazy residents.  The expedition’s leader escapes from the carnage, but he’s later captured and essentially silenced to cover up the massacre in the desert.

Over in Alexandria, Egypt, Dr. Eva Rojas, a biologist with the World Health Organization, is suddenly attacked by some men while she’s relaxing on a beach.  The men grab her and try to strangle the woman to death.  Before she passes out, a mysterious man fights off the attackers and saves Eva’s life.  That mystery man turns out to be Dirk Pitt, the Special Projects Director for NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency). Read more…

Happiness At The Cost Of Death

Three years ago was the absolute worst day of my life.

It started with the discovery.  That lead to the phone calls and then funeral arraignments.  This was for not only my brother but my best friend.  He was a person who was successful at his work, was making a lot of money, had a large group of friends, attended all of the Georgia Tech home football games, and somebody who had finally found a long-term girlfriend.

Life was great for him.  The only thing that could go wrong did go wrong.

That tragic event occurred three years ago.  Nobody heard from him for a day, and my father and I went to his house to check on him.  By that point it was too late.

According to the medical examiner, whatever took his life was a natural cause, most likely something related to the cardio system.  Unfortunately, most of those tests cannot be performed once a person is deceased.  You really need a beating heart to see if it is performing correctly.  Heart problems do run on my mom’s side of the family, and I’ve been diagnosed with a minor cardio ailment.

It was the death of my brother that actually led me to my girlfriend / future wife.  I was still looking for people who knew him from the past, her name popped into my mind, and we started talking again.  One thing led to another and here we are, thrilled that we’re back in each other’s life.

My girlfriend’s mother likes to say that all things happen for a reason.

I’d like to believe that, but in our case, the death of my brother led to my girlfriend and I being together.

How do you discuss that scenario when talking about fate? Read more…

*Another* Porn Star Is Diagnosed With HIV

It’s been recently announced that Rod Daily has tested positive for HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.

For those of you keeping track, that makes it less than two weeks since another porn star, Cameron Bay, has also tested positive for the deadly disease.

It’s time to bring new laws and regulations to the porn industry!  We need to protect those actors and actresses before more of them come in contact with HIV!  Right?

That’s how many of the people are commenting on stories like this.  Apparently laws need to be created and enforced so that people can continue working in a risky profession without worrying about catching the big one.  Coincidentally, such a practice can also help prevent the spreading of STDs.

Better protecting porn stars would basically require the usage of condoms.  The problem is that I’m guessing most people who pay to watch pornography don’t want to see people wearing condoms.  They want to see porn stars fulfilling whatever fetishes or fantasies the viewer desires.  This normally means raunchy situations and not wearing any visible form of protection.

Last time I checked, it’s VOLUNTARY to work in the porn industry.  Unfortunately, diseases are part of the risk of working in the porn industry, whether you’re a video star, an escort or a prostitute.  But it’s ultimately up to the person to decide whether or not to use protection in the end.

Don’t like a contract that insists on not using protection?  Don’t sign it!

Don’t like it that a director or producer insists on not using protection?  Don’t agree to work for them!

Don’t like it that your profession may expose you to nasty STDs or even HIV?  Get the hell out of that profession!

See a pattern here?  Nobody is forcing people to expose themselves and perform unprotected sex acts on camera.  The actors and actresses all choose to not use protection and take a risk that their partner(s) is/are not carrying or transmitting any diseases.  Those decisions are commonly made with the help of frequent medical screenings, but as we’ve seen, sometimes cases slip through the screening process. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy Returns (2001)

In the summer of 1999, Universal Pictures brought the classic movie monster of The Mummy back to life in an action-adventure film set in Egypt.

While The Mummy wasn’t a contender for top film awards, the movie itself was fun, full of action and adventure, and it successfully brought back to life one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters.  As The Mummy earned a large revenue in the theaters, Universal Pictures began working immediately on a sequel.

Released in May of 2001, The Mummy Returns brought almost all of the previous cast back for another adventure in the Egyptian desert.  This time around we’re introduced to the Scorpion King, a warrior who used divine powers to conquer the known world 5,000 years ago.

Written and directed by Stephen Sommers, The Mummy Returns features music composed by Alan Silvestri.  Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz star in their previous roles of Rick O’Connell and Evelyn Caranahan O’Connell.  John Hannah returns in his role as Jonathan Caranahan, Evelyn’s brother, and Oded Fehr reprises his role as Ardeth Bey.  Both Arnold Vosloo and Patricia Velasquez have returned in their roles of Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun.

New actors in this film include Freddie Boath in the role of Alex, Rick and Evelyn’s young son, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the Scorpion King.

The Mummy Returns (2001) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Mummy Returns begins back in 3067 BC as the Scorpion King (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) leads an army and tries to take over the known world.  At the end of a brutal seven-year campaign, the Scorpion King’s army was defeated and forced to march across a long desert.  The heat of the desert killed all but the Scorpion King.  The Scorpion King made a deal with Anubis, vowing to give the god his soul in exchange for the power to defeat his enemies.  Anubis accepted and created the oasis of Ahm Shere.  Anubis also gave the Scorpion King the power of his army, a legion of undead humanoid jackal creatures.

The Scorpion King lead the Army of Anubis across Egypt and destroyed everything in their path.  Once the enemies were defeated, Anubis claimed the Scorpion King’s soul as well as his unstoppable army. Read more…

Amazon Kindle Fire HD FreeTime Commercial — It’s Okay To Be A Lousy Parent

Is it just me, or am I not getting the right message from a recent TV advertisement for Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD tablet?

Amazon Kindle Fire HD with Kindle FreeTime commercial

Let’s take a closer look at the advertising and review a few areas that might be questionable.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD with FreeTime commercial

The TV commercial begins by showing a kid running up and grabbing what I assume to be his family’s Kindle Fire HD tablet.  The boy grabs it and goes running off with the tablet.  Keep in mind that the price for Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD starts at $199.

Apparently the cost of the electronic device means nothing to this family as the young boy is allowed to not only handle such a device, but also use it whenever and however he pleases.  The next scene shows the daughter using a tablet while sitting sideways in a chair.  It’s not indicated whether the two children have their own tablets, or if they have to share with others in the family.

Regardless, the message here is that apparently kids love tablet.  Kids also love getting dirty, having messy fingers, and generally having little to no respect towards expensive gadgets.  Does a child have a true understanding of money when their parents gladly purchase them expensive gifts?  Is that same child going to know how to behave properly around such a device?  Not if the parents teach them.  Best of luck with that happening in today’s society. Read more…

August 2013 Exercise Results

Another month has passed and I’ve been continuing with my workout routine.

My workout equipment consists of an exercise bike along with a Total Bodyworks 5000 strength training machine.  Normally I’ll use both machines for several days in a row and then take a day or two off as a break.  I need to slightly change my routine to allow for more frequent breaks to allow my muscles to recover, but I tend to time my breaks to be on my girlfriend’s days off of work.

Anyway, I didn’t hit the number of sessions in August that I would have preferred.  On some days I was just tired, and on others I wasn’t feeling well.  I don’t like making excuses though when it comes to not fulfilling my personal goals of sticking with an exercise program.

The good news is that my averages have increased from the previous two months, and I’m still getting great workouts.

August of 2013 exercise totals:

In the month of August I set a new personal distance record for my 45-minute bike ride.  In July of 2013 my record was 10.6 miles in 45 minutes, and in August I reached 10.7 miles in the same period of time.  It’s a small increase but it’s still a new personal record.

Exercise bike totals (cardio) – 12 sessions:

– 495 minutes (8.25 hours)

– 115.8 miles

– 5,810 calories burned

Total Bodyworks 5000 totals (strength):

– 10 sessions; ~ 20 minutes each

When riding my exercise bike, my average time was 41.25 minutes, a distance of 9.65 miles, and it burned an average of 484.2 calories.  The main reason why my averages are so much higher compared to the month of July is that I had more 45-minute workout sessions in August.  The month of July had more of the shorter, 30-minute sessions, hence the lower average numbers.

We’re in September now and it’s time to continue with this workout program.

Let’s get going!

General Updates – August 2013

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the month of September.

For me, it’s also somewhat surprising that I basically went an entire month without adding new posts to this website.  I need to keep adding articles here, even if they’re small and fairly simple.

Throughout the month of August I’ve been working overtime on both my Florida Project and Chamber of Reviews website.  Unfortunately, all of my updates on both of those websites are very time consuming.

Right now I’m working on adding more photos at Florida Project.  I literally have over 50,000 photos from the Disney and Universal theme parks and probably about 80 or so hours of video content in my overall collection.  The main problem is that it takes a while to sort the photos down to the highlights and then place all of them in a meaningful order.  I don’t just add random photos in each section of the website.  All of the pictures are in order of how you would walk through an area of the park and also how you would experience a ride or show.  The catch is that for some of the areas and attractions, simply organizing the photos can take a couple of hours.  Add in more time for editing the photos and then creating a page for them on the website.  The final product looks great, but it’s very time consuming.

My review pages at Chamber of Reviews are also very time consuming.

When it comes to the movie reviews, the average review consists of fifteen to twenty pictures and over 3,000 words.  Depending on how well I know the film and the characters, it’ll take anywhere from two to six hours to write a single review.  Like with Florida Project, the objective here is attention-to-detail.  When I review a movie I want to get the details correct.  Some websites like Wikipedia are a great help when it comes to reviewing films, but the synopsis is frequently lacking information and it places events out of order.  As a result, I need to keep referring back to said film while writing its review, making sure that I get the characters, details and sequence of events correct and maintain my credibility. Read more…