Monday, September 24, 2007
Can you guess what all these phases mean?...hint...they all mean the same thing...
Afrikaans---- EK het jou life
Albanian---- Te dua
Arabic---- Ana behibek
Armenian---- Yes kez sirumen
Bulgarian---- Obicham te
Cantonese/Chinese---- Ngo oiy ney a
Creol---- Mi aime jou
Danish---- Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch---- ik hou van jou
Finnish---- Mina rakastan sinua
German---- Ich liebe dich
Hawaiian---- Aloha wau ia oi
Hebrew---- Ani ohev otah
Hindi---- Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hai
Irish---- Taim I’ ngra leat
Japanese---- Aishiteru
Korean---- Sarang Heyo
Mandarin---- Wo ai ni
Mohawk---- Kanbhik
Nepali---- Ma Timilai Maya Garchhu
Norwegian---- Jeg Elsker Deg
Pig Latin---- lay ovlay ouyay
Sioux---- Techihhila
Swedish---- Jag alskar dig
Taiwanese---- Wag a ei li
Thai---- Phom rak khun
Yiddish---- ikh hob dikh
Welsh---- Rwy’n dy garu
Afrikaans---- EK het jou life
Albanian---- Te dua
Arabic---- Ana behibek
Armenian---- Yes kez sirumen
Bulgarian---- Obicham te
Cantonese/Chinese---- Ngo oiy ney a
Creol---- Mi aime jou
Danish---- Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch---- ik hou van jou
Finnish---- Mina rakastan sinua
German---- Ich liebe dich
Hawaiian---- Aloha wau ia oi
Hebrew---- Ani ohev otah
Hindi---- Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hai
Irish---- Taim I’ ngra leat
Japanese---- Aishiteru
Korean---- Sarang Heyo
Mandarin---- Wo ai ni
Mohawk---- Kanbhik
Nepali---- Ma Timilai Maya Garchhu
Norwegian---- Jeg Elsker Deg
Pig Latin---- lay ovlay ouyay
Sioux---- Techihhila
Swedish---- Jag alskar dig
Taiwanese---- Wag a ei li
Thai---- Phom rak khun
Yiddish---- ikh hob dikh
Welsh---- Rwy’n dy garu
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The warrior inside of us helps us speak out and to fight for what nourishes our minds, our hearts, and our souls, and to vanquish those things that sap and deplete the human spirit by speaking the truth about them and refusing to accept them or to allow them into our lives…The warrior teaches us to claim our power and assert our identity in the world…and assert that we have the right to be alive…the warrior inside refuses to give up on anyone and anything…warriors learn to trust their own judgment about what is harmful and, perhaps most important, they develop the courage to fight for what they want or believe in, even when doing so requires great risk—the loss of job, a mate, friends, social regard, or even their very lives…but…warriors often become burned out because they live life as a struggle against others and against parts of themselves that they regard as unworthy…stoic warriors sacrifice everything else to become performance machines. I sometimes think that men who die from heart attacks induced by work related stress can be seen as dying from hearts broken by believing that on one cares how they feel as long as they make money for the company and the family....The Hero Within, Carol Pearson
Back on Track?
I haven't posted anything for the past week because I couldn't figure how to access my pictures on my Photobucket account. For some strange reason I couldn't send any pictures to this blog. Finally, I gave up and opened up an account with Picasa. I have used Picasa in the past but I had problems so I switched over to Photobucket. If anyone reading this blog entry has a suggestion on any other websites that will allow me to post my pictures to my blog I am all ears. In the meantime I use Picasa until I can find a better mousetrap....
Saturday, September 15, 2007
It's early Saturday morning and I have a lot to do today but I hope to watch some college football later today. I probably won't sit down and watch any game in it's entirety except for the USC/Nebraska game later this evening. There are some interesting and important games on tap today and here are my predictions....
Notre Dame at Michigan:
Michigan beats Notre Dame 17-10. It will be an ugly game for two ugly teams. No tears will be shed on my end of the things if both teams lose the rest of their games because I don't care for either team...especially Notre Dame...would you expect anything else from a USC fan???
Tennessee at Florida:
Florida beats Tennessee 31-20. I am giving the edge to Florida because the game is at Florida and Tennessee doesn't generally play up to expectations in big games...with that said....this could be a trap game for Florida because they have whopped up on a couple of pansies and they might be overrated and overconfident and Tennessee will come into the swamp with a chip on their shoulder...So, if there is a upset special this week, this could be the game.
Ohio State at Washington:
Ohio State beats Washington 21-14.The pundits are leaning towards a Washington upset but I don't see it. The Big Ten has taken its lumps the past two weeks but Ohio State will demonstrate that the Big Ten is not going to roll over. Ohio State will rise up and say enough is enough. Washington has a hot freshmen quarterback and they have won their two first games but Ohio State is too solid on defense and Washington will be reminded they still have a long way to go before they are a top ten team.
USC at Nebraska:
USC beats Nebraska 31-10. This is the biggest game in Nebraska in a long, long, time and the fans are hyped out of their minds. While the stadium will be a sea of red on Saturday the Cornhusker players will be seeing stars by the fourth quarter. I predict the hype will work against Nebraska because USC knows how to come up big in big games. They are 57-4 over the past six years and the only big game USC has lost was to Texas...and...they should have won that game. USC is too big, too fast, and too deep. Hostile environment or not Booty will calmly pick apart the Nebraska defense and the stable of Trojan runners will have their way by the second half. Over the past two weeks LSU and Oklahoma have received a lot of loving from the media but USC will demonstrate later today why they have been the most dominant college football program in the past six years.... Nebraska fans...Have fun at the tailgate party and the pre-game warm-ups...and enjoy your few moments in the sun in the early part of the game, while USC rubs off a bit of rust, but get out the crying towels at halftime because it isn't going to be a happy ending for Big Red machine. I know this isn't what you want to hear but you need to face the truth. A Cornhusker isn't in the same league as a Greek Warrior.
Notre Dame at Michigan:
Michigan beats Notre Dame 17-10. It will be an ugly game for two ugly teams. No tears will be shed on my end of the things if both teams lose the rest of their games because I don't care for either team...especially Notre Dame...would you expect anything else from a USC fan???
Tennessee at Florida:
Florida beats Tennessee 31-20. I am giving the edge to Florida because the game is at Florida and Tennessee doesn't generally play up to expectations in big games...with that said....this could be a trap game for Florida because they have whopped up on a couple of pansies and they might be overrated and overconfident and Tennessee will come into the swamp with a chip on their shoulder...So, if there is a upset special this week, this could be the game.
Ohio State at Washington:
Ohio State beats Washington 21-14.The pundits are leaning towards a Washington upset but I don't see it. The Big Ten has taken its lumps the past two weeks but Ohio State will demonstrate that the Big Ten is not going to roll over. Ohio State will rise up and say enough is enough. Washington has a hot freshmen quarterback and they have won their two first games but Ohio State is too solid on defense and Washington will be reminded they still have a long way to go before they are a top ten team.
USC at Nebraska:
USC beats Nebraska 31-10. This is the biggest game in Nebraska in a long, long, time and the fans are hyped out of their minds. While the stadium will be a sea of red on Saturday the Cornhusker players will be seeing stars by the fourth quarter. I predict the hype will work against Nebraska because USC knows how to come up big in big games. They are 57-4 over the past six years and the only big game USC has lost was to Texas...and...they should have won that game. USC is too big, too fast, and too deep. Hostile environment or not Booty will calmly pick apart the Nebraska defense and the stable of Trojan runners will have their way by the second half. Over the past two weeks LSU and Oklahoma have received a lot of loving from the media but USC will demonstrate later today why they have been the most dominant college football program in the past six years.... Nebraska fans...Have fun at the tailgate party and the pre-game warm-ups...and enjoy your few moments in the sun in the early part of the game, while USC rubs off a bit of rust, but get out the crying towels at halftime because it isn't going to be a happy ending for Big Red machine. I know this isn't what you want to hear but you need to face the truth. A Cornhusker isn't in the same league as a Greek Warrior.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
1. I don't care if my students tuck their shirts in...damn dress code...
2. I don't care who which team wins the Big Ten this year...The Pac-10
representative is going to whack whoever comes out west.
3. I don't care who wins the Republican presidential nominee. I am not going to vote
for any of them...I may not vote for the Democrat presidential nominee either.
4. I don't care about the opinions of radio talk show hosts...There all are a bunch
of losers in my opinion.
5. I don't care about what people think about me anymore...except...for the people
who really care about me.
6. I don't care if the projected Wal-mart Superstore near my house ever gets built.
I prefer Costco. They pay their workers 40% more and their top C.E.O. only makes
350,000 a year.
7. I don't care what George Bush does any more. He is going to do what he wants
and neither public opinion or reality is going to penetrate his armor of
self assurance and certainty.
8. I don't care if the housing market collapses. It may be the only way I can
ever afford a house...I do care about the people who have lost their homes to
foreclosures but I have almost no sympathy for all the speculators and others
who drove up the market to make a quick buck..
9. I don't care if my friends and colleagues poke fun at me for liking Desperate
Housewives. It's my life and I might care a little if they actually took time
to watch the show before jumping to conclusions about what the show is about.
10. I don't care if USC wins the national championship or not. It's just a silly
game...just kidding...my emotional well being depends on it.
2. I don't care who which team wins the Big Ten this year...The Pac-10
representative is going to whack whoever comes out west.
3. I don't care who wins the Republican presidential nominee. I am not going to vote
for any of them...I may not vote for the Democrat presidential nominee either.
4. I don't care about the opinions of radio talk show hosts...There all are a bunch
of losers in my opinion.
5. I don't care about what people think about me anymore...except...for the people
who really care about me.
6. I don't care if the projected Wal-mart Superstore near my house ever gets built.
I prefer Costco. They pay their workers 40% more and their top C.E.O. only makes
350,000 a year.
7. I don't care what George Bush does any more. He is going to do what he wants
and neither public opinion or reality is going to penetrate his armor of
self assurance and certainty.
8. I don't care if the housing market collapses. It may be the only way I can
ever afford a house...I do care about the people who have lost their homes to
foreclosures but I have almost no sympathy for all the speculators and others
who drove up the market to make a quick buck..
9. I don't care if my friends and colleagues poke fun at me for liking Desperate
Housewives. It's my life and I might care a little if they actually took time
to watch the show before jumping to conclusions about what the show is about.
10. I don't care if USC wins the national championship or not. It's just a silly
game...just kidding...my emotional well being depends on it.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Bakersfield newspaper headlines read, "Lawmen cleared in incident"...Yesterday 11 local police and sheriff officers were cleared of a killing a lone 24 year gunmen in Bakersfield who refused to drop his weapon. The Bakersfield Police Department's shooting review board determined the police officers were acting in self defense and within the state and federal guidelines. Apparently the officers were being questioned regarding whether they used excessive force in the killing...Now the rest of the story...Apparently the officers were responding to reports of shots being fired in a neighborhood. The officers arrived at the scene to find the suspect hiding underneath a camper shell in the backyard. The officers attempted to get the suspect to surrender his weapon and when he refused, the officers shot and killed the suspect....Now some of the details. While the suspect did refuse to give up his weapon he did not shoot at the police officers, although it reported he waved his weapon in their direction. There is also no evidence the suspect shot at anyone else prior to the arrival of the police officers...and now the outrage...The police officers shot over 100 rounds at the suspect...The corner recovered 35 bullets from the suspect...and...now the worst of it. The police chief testified that the police officers showed incredible restraint before the shooting began...and now, I can't believe what I am hearing....According to the police report the officers spent 4 minutes trying to get the suspect to surrender his weapon before the barrage of bullets ended the suspects life....I confess I may not know all the details but if these facts are true I can't questioning what the hell is going on!!!!
This is not the first time the Bakersfield police department has been publicly scrutinized. Over the years they have gained a reputation of shooting first and asking questions later...and...statistics appear to support this perception since Bakersfield has the highest number of suspects killed by police officers in the state, if not the country. So when does a four minute conversation amount to using incredible restraint?..Couldn't they have given him a couple of more minutes...Couldn't they have used tear gas??? Asked a family member to get him to surrender???? I can think of numerous other things they could have done....Couldn't they have made a couple of shots and then try again?....This sounds like a senseless killing to me and undermines the faith people are supposed to have in our local law enforcement agency....I smell an outside investigation brewing and a potential lawsuit against the Bakersfield Police department.....I don't mean to jump to conclusions but I sure as hell hope I don't get pulled over by the local police in the near future....
This is not the first time the Bakersfield police department has been publicly scrutinized. Over the years they have gained a reputation of shooting first and asking questions later...and...statistics appear to support this perception since Bakersfield has the highest number of suspects killed by police officers in the state, if not the country. So when does a four minute conversation amount to using incredible restraint?..Couldn't they have given him a couple of more minutes...Couldn't they have used tear gas??? Asked a family member to get him to surrender???? I can think of numerous other things they could have done....Couldn't they have made a couple of shots and then try again?....This sounds like a senseless killing to me and undermines the faith people are supposed to have in our local law enforcement agency....I smell an outside investigation brewing and a potential lawsuit against the Bakersfield Police department.....I don't mean to jump to conclusions but I sure as hell hope I don't get pulled over by the local police in the near future....
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Apparently a lot of people are bent out of shape about the recent revelations of Mother Teresa's lack of faith regarding her personal "experiences of God". Personally, after some reflection, I am not surprised and here is why...
From what I can gather about the life of Mother Teresa she lived a life of severe personal deprivation
on numerous levels. She took a vow of poverty and sexual abstinence,
for starters...and...I suspect that during her years as a nun in
Calcutta she probably didn't take too many relaxing vacations or eat
at too many nice restaurants...and...I wonder if she ever received a
soothing massage...or...relax on a beach and feel the cool ocean
air...or...walk through a quiet forest and enjoy the sound of
silence...and...I wonder who took care of Mother Teresa?...Did anyone
cook her a nice meal on a regular basis?...Did anyone ever give her
any money and encourage her to spend the day doing what "she" wanted
and pampering herself?....I doubt it...As far as I can gather she
lived a life where she was deprived of many of the creature comforts
we often take for granted...Personally, upon further reflection I am
not surprised Mother Teresa didn't feel the presence of God
"whatsoever" for apparently much of her adult life. Who would, under
such severe circumstances? Personally, I think it is impossible to
separate our experience of God from the world and our surroundings. We
live in a beautiful world teaming with life and beauty where the birds
sing, the sky is blue, and enchantment abounds for those who know what
to look for...From what I know of Mother Teresa, and it isn't much,
she apparently spent the vast majority of her time helping people who
were themselves deprived of the basic needs of life...food, shelter,
and someone who cared about them and in many ways her own deprivation
was probably as great as those who she served.
So Mother Teresa apparently wore a mask much of the time hiding deep
seated doubts about the presence of God in her personal life.
Personally, I feel sad for Mother Teresa because I can't help
wondering why any institution would allow their people to live a life
of such deprivation for an "ideal" of what it means to be spiritual. I
am not suggesting or implying we should not help the poor or make
personal sacrifices but from where I sit, I don't, for the life of me,
understand, how such personal deprivation, for such a long period,
can result in anything but doubt about the presence of God...
unless... one believes God is not present in nature and every other
aspect of the world we live in...Yes Mother Teresa made her choice to
live the life she did but if I were deprived for much of my life of
being able to hike along a trail where I could see snow capped
peaks...and...I never went to a movie...or had a good meal...or
experienced the healing touch of others on my body...or bought myself
something I wanted and desired from time to time...."I" know I would
be depressed and wonder where is God...For me, in some ways, Mother
Teresa's life may have been a tragedy...No one should live a life of
such deprivation...and...I am not sure if it is Mother Teresa's
apparent lack of faith one should question...or the religious "ideal"
that has been established and apparently wasn't all what it was
cracked up to be for, at least, one person who devoted their life to
the ideal...
From what I can gather about the life of Mother Teresa she lived a life of severe personal deprivation
on numerous levels. She took a vow of poverty and sexual abstinence,
for starters...and...I suspect that during her years as a nun in
Calcutta she probably didn't take too many relaxing vacations or eat
at too many nice restaurants...and...I wonder if she ever received a
soothing massage...or...relax on a beach and feel the cool ocean
air...or...walk through a quiet forest and enjoy the sound of
silence...and...I wonder who took care of Mother Teresa?...Did anyone
cook her a nice meal on a regular basis?...Did anyone ever give her
any money and encourage her to spend the day doing what "she" wanted
and pampering herself?....I doubt it...As far as I can gather she
lived a life where she was deprived of many of the creature comforts
we often take for granted...Personally, upon further reflection I am
not surprised Mother Teresa didn't feel the presence of God
"whatsoever" for apparently much of her adult life. Who would, under
such severe circumstances? Personally, I think it is impossible to
separate our experience of God from the world and our surroundings. We
live in a beautiful world teaming with life and beauty where the birds
sing, the sky is blue, and enchantment abounds for those who know what
to look for...From what I know of Mother Teresa, and it isn't much,
she apparently spent the vast majority of her time helping people who
were themselves deprived of the basic needs of life...food, shelter,
and someone who cared about them and in many ways her own deprivation
was probably as great as those who she served.
So Mother Teresa apparently wore a mask much of the time hiding deep
seated doubts about the presence of God in her personal life.
Personally, I feel sad for Mother Teresa because I can't help
wondering why any institution would allow their people to live a life
of such deprivation for an "ideal" of what it means to be spiritual. I
am not suggesting or implying we should not help the poor or make
personal sacrifices but from where I sit, I don't, for the life of me,
understand, how such personal deprivation, for such a long period,
can result in anything but doubt about the presence of God...
unless... one believes God is not present in nature and every other
aspect of the world we live in...Yes Mother Teresa made her choice to
live the life she did but if I were deprived for much of my life of
being able to hike along a trail where I could see snow capped
peaks...and...I never went to a movie...or had a good meal...or
experienced the healing touch of others on my body...or bought myself
something I wanted and desired from time to time...."I" know I would
be depressed and wonder where is God...For me, in some ways, Mother
Teresa's life may have been a tragedy...No one should live a life of
such deprivation...and...I am not sure if it is Mother Teresa's
apparent lack of faith one should question...or the religious "ideal"
that has been established and apparently wasn't all what it was
cracked up to be for, at least, one person who devoted their life to
the ideal...
Friday, August 24, 2007
"Myth is an initiative story, an experience of the emotions and the imagination in which we make a significant shift from one level of awareness to another"
Thomas Moore
During the summer of 1987 I read the Lord of the Rings triology and this marked the beginning of my interest in mythology, fantasy, and fairy tales. After reading the LOTR's I went on to read the Chronicles of Narnia, Norse Mthology, and the writings of Scottish Victorian author George MacDonald, the father of Christian fantasy. Along the way I also became interested in the subject of fantasy and myth and gradually began to suspect that myth and fantasy were misunderstood especially among Christians. In fact, many Christians feel threatened by fantasy and go bonkers when someone even, suggests for consideration, that some of the Biblical stories may by mythical rather than literal history. I suspect myth is threatening to many Christians because they associate mythology with "falsehood and irrelevance" rather than understanding or interpreting myth as potentially "life-shaping, sacred, and instrumental in helping individuals and societies establish their identity, values, and find meaning in the cosmos."
I understand that fantasy/myth is not everyone's cup of tea but I do believe it is a powerful potential "source for tracing the patterns life takes at a very deep level", and it is unfortunate, imo, that so many people miss out on what myths have to offer simply because they have fallen under the spell of the modern myth that asserts that relevancy must be quantified in numbers and literal is better than fantasy...This summer while I was layed up with my back injury I watched season two of the television hit show Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives is pure fantasy but after watching both seasons one and two I have concluded there is more truth found in this fantasy series about the nature of relationships and the struggle of day to day life than most of the relationship classes and seminars I attended earlier in my life. But how could this be, one might ask?...I think it has to do with understanding one the purposes of mythology.
Thomas Moore says,.... "Mythology is a special tool for enchantment..Mythology keeps our imagination at a level where emotion and meaning have a home but where rational analysis has no entry. One of the purposes of mythology is to transport our imagination to a level beyond the factual, giving full articulation to matters that can't be measured---things like love, hate, death, fear, and evil...mythology leads us deeper into the complexities of our emotions and personalities... Myth gives a person the sense of living in a meaningful story, the feeling that one's life makes sense and has value, and these sensations are the basis for self-confidence and stability, purpose and poise. Without myth, life has to be proven valuable every day and is lived from profound anxiety; but with the awareness that one's life is grounded in eternal stories and motifs, one's own personal story begins to feel enchanted, and this feeling gives rise to a love of one's own life that is the cure for narcissism, insecurity, and self doubt"
Thomas Moore
During the summer of 1987 I read the Lord of the Rings triology and this marked the beginning of my interest in mythology, fantasy, and fairy tales. After reading the LOTR's I went on to read the Chronicles of Narnia, Norse Mthology, and the writings of Scottish Victorian author George MacDonald, the father of Christian fantasy. Along the way I also became interested in the subject of fantasy and myth and gradually began to suspect that myth and fantasy were misunderstood especially among Christians. In fact, many Christians feel threatened by fantasy and go bonkers when someone even, suggests for consideration, that some of the Biblical stories may by mythical rather than literal history. I suspect myth is threatening to many Christians because they associate mythology with "falsehood and irrelevance" rather than understanding or interpreting myth as potentially "life-shaping, sacred, and instrumental in helping individuals and societies establish their identity, values, and find meaning in the cosmos."
I understand that fantasy/myth is not everyone's cup of tea but I do believe it is a powerful potential "source for tracing the patterns life takes at a very deep level", and it is unfortunate, imo, that so many people miss out on what myths have to offer simply because they have fallen under the spell of the modern myth that asserts that relevancy must be quantified in numbers and literal is better than fantasy...This summer while I was layed up with my back injury I watched season two of the television hit show Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives is pure fantasy but after watching both seasons one and two I have concluded there is more truth found in this fantasy series about the nature of relationships and the struggle of day to day life than most of the relationship classes and seminars I attended earlier in my life. But how could this be, one might ask?...I think it has to do with understanding one the purposes of mythology.
Thomas Moore says,.... "Mythology is a special tool for enchantment..Mythology keeps our imagination at a level where emotion and meaning have a home but where rational analysis has no entry. One of the purposes of mythology is to transport our imagination to a level beyond the factual, giving full articulation to matters that can't be measured---things like love, hate, death, fear, and evil...mythology leads us deeper into the complexities of our emotions and personalities... Myth gives a person the sense of living in a meaningful story, the feeling that one's life makes sense and has value, and these sensations are the basis for self-confidence and stability, purpose and poise. Without myth, life has to be proven valuable every day and is lived from profound anxiety; but with the awareness that one's life is grounded in eternal stories and motifs, one's own personal story begins to feel enchanted, and this feeling gives rise to a love of one's own life that is the cure for narcissism, insecurity, and self doubt"
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
These are the things I wonder about from time to time?
1. Is our economy going to collapse sometime in the next five years?
2. Are my sons going to find their niche in life?
3. Why is it so hot on the west coast where I live?...I live about a 100 miles from
the ocean?
4. Why do so many people fight over theological "particulars"?
5. Why do so many people want to impose either their religious doctrine or their
secular ideology on everyone else?
6. Why don't people have more sex?...It is free...and it feels good!...
7. How do so many incompetent people end up in leadership positions?
8. Why do I make some of the same mistakes over and over again?
9. Does God really care if we believe in the virgin birth story?
10. Will I ever be able to afford a house again in my lifetime?
11. Why aren't more people really pissed off at what is happening in Iraq, the state
of health care, and what is happening in the real estate market?
12. Why are there so many different kinds of insects?
13. Why did God create grasshoppers?
14. Why do interpersonal relationships require so much effort to get it right?
15. Why are so many people in this country afraid?
16. Why aren't more people concerned about the growing national and personal debt
problem in this country?
17. Why are test scores more important in education than creativity and imagination?
18. Why don't more people take time to relax and chill?
19. Why are their planets and stars?
20. Why did God create Dinosaurs and then allow them to become extinct?
21. Why do so many people feel threatened by non-conformists?
22. Is Bree, from Desperate Housewives going to ever reconcile with her son?
23. Why don't more people live in Washington and Oregon? They are incredibly
beautiful states.
24. Why are so many churches behind the times?
25. Does Bigfoot really exist?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Twelve more days until the College football season starts and I am stoked...because...USC is the favorite to win it all this year. The AP poll came out earlier today and USC received 62 of the 65 first place votes with LSU receiving the other three. On paper this is a potentially great USC team...but...privately I am going to try to remain cautious and am going to refrain from making any bold predictions about another national championship. College football in the last six or seven years is littered with pre-season powerhouses who bit the dust. Note, Ohio State loss to the Gator's last year, USC's loss to Texas, Oklahoma getting annihilated by USC and Ohio State victory over the mighty Hurricane's of Miami....On the bright side...USC has been a juggernaut over the past five years and they have crushed all comers except Texas... and... they should have won that game...All their losses in the past five years have come at the hands of Pac-10 opponents and all those games went down to the wire...To put it another way...no one...has taken SC to the woodshed for a good ole fashion whopping in over five years...The strength of USC is their defense this year. Nine starters back and their front seven are monsters. Their big, fast, and they will knock your socks off. Their linebackers are some of the best in recent college football history....and...their deep...Offense is the only question mark but they are loaded with high school all Americans, especially at tailback....but they are inexperienced...USC's road schedule is brutal which is why they might not make it to the big dance... but... I don't expect them to lose...unless...they become overconfident...sustain an injury to the quarterback...or have an access of turnovers on the road...anything is possible and it's tough to run the table but if you don't come with your A game when playing the "Men of Troy" this year you're going to get trampled by a juggernaut that has been running at peak speed for the past five years...just ask Michigan twice, Arkansas twice, Nebraska, Cal three times running, Oklahoma, Iowa, Notre Dame four times running, and Auburn...Recently the coach of LSU questioned that the toughness of the Pac-10 conference. LSU just better hope they don't have to face USC in the championship because SC has outscored the last 4 SEC opponents by 119 points. That comes out to almost 30 points a game... So much for the SEC...and...don't forget the macho talk of Oklahoma two years ago when the Sooner players and coaches implied that the Pac-10 was a pretty face finesse conference and USC hadn't played the kind of teams in the rugged Big 12 conference...and...last but not least...Michigan was supposed to out muscle the Trojans last year but SC, which was in a rebuilding year crushed the Wolverines in the second half...So much for size and toughness over finesse and quickness, speed... Remember...Speed kills...and...this version of the Trojans is not only fast but they are plenty big to handle anything from the SEC, Big 12, or the Big Ten...so...Men of Troy...go out and fullfill your destiny and make us west coast fans proud!!!!!!!
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