Eclectic Adventures, Misadventures, and Musings

"Ron Mexico" was just the beginning...

2007-08-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

Many of my friends know of Jason Whitlock from reading his columns in the KC Star. This recent column really made me consider how media, public perception, and a persons reality are all inimately linked. Read the article below and ask yourself where you stand on the Michael Vick issue. I've posted past blogs touting his football skill and I've neglected posting my disgust over his killing of dogs and gambling. Reading this article made me think twice about condemning him, despite his crimes.

Jason Whitlock
FOXSports.com,
Real Talk: Michael Vick is going to prison. He's going to lose millions. So once he's out, Jason Whitlock says he deserves a chance."

I agree with the president of Atlanta's NAACP. The NFL should welcome Michael Vick back to its league once he has finished serving jail time for his involvement in dog fighting.
"As a society, we should aid in (Vick's) rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football," R.L. White said on Wednesday. "We further ask the NFL, Falcons and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

Again, I concur with Mr. White. Michael Vick and every other convicted felon deserve an opportunity to re-enter society and earn an honest living. Now that Vick has acknowledged his wrongdoing, offered an apology through his attorney and is prepared to accept his fate, we should treat him with compassion, and support his rehabilitation efforts.
I also hope that our modern-day civil-rights leaders stake out a consistent position on compassion. We can't demand it for Michael Vick and deny it to those we don't like, especially when it comes to high-profile public figures such as Don Imus.

You see, this is the problem when every misdeed or slip of the tongue by a broadcaster, celebrity, athlete is turned into a major political issue worthy of protest and calls for dismissal.
Vick and Imus are both flawed individuals. They made gigantic mistakes from which they should be allowed to rebound.
"Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he had killed a human being," White said.
He's right. Imus' defenders would probably say the same thing, and they would add that Imus didn't kill anything (human being or otherwise).

We have to put an end to the political game of "racial gotcha." It's backfiring on everybody. We no longer seek understanding. We seek vigilante justice. We want high-profile people to serve as examples of the kind of harsh punishment America is willing to dole out if you make a mistake. We think if Vick and Imus lose their jobs and are totally disgraced, their demise will make the world a more civil place.

I'm not so sure. I think we're becoming more bitter. We look for chances to screw the "other" guy.

Maybe I'm pro-second and third chances because I've had them throughout my life. I've been outspoken, flip and irreverent my entire life. I've crossed lines. A decade ago, I got in a taunting exchange with New England Patriots fans and cracked an inappropriate joke. People wanted me fired. They thought one public lapse in judgment said all there was to know about me.
I know there's more to Michael Vick than dogfighting. He can learn from this. He can evolve. We need to give him room to do it. When he is freed from incarceration, I hope PETA and other groups concerned about animal welfare reach out to Vick and make him part of a solution, not a target of harassment.

I have the same wish for Imus. He's going to return to radio. I hope he's learned a lesson and reserves his harshest barbs for legitimate public figures, not college girls. I hope people allow Imus to work in peace. He's been punished. He's been used as an example. Now we have to demonstrate that we will allow people to recover from their mistakes.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been aggressively trying to police the behavior of his athletes. He wants to change the growing negative image of NFL players. There will be a lot of public pressure on Goodell to ban Vick for a year or more after he's been released. I think that's a mistake.

Vick is likely to receive 12 to 24 months of prison time. The Falcons are likely to demand the return of a large portion of his signing bonus and void the remaining years of his contract. Vick is going to receive a very stiff penalty.

If he hasn't been scared straight by now, he's unsalvageable. Having him sit out of the league once he's freed will not be a deterrent, aid his rehabilitation or do the NFL any good.
Rather than slap Vick with a suspension, Goodell should slap him with a host of stipulations regarding his return to the league. Require Vick to work with animals, speak to kids about his troubles, etc. Treat Vick better than he treated his pit bulls.

The Economist is my favorite magazine! (I mean newspaper?)

2007-08-23T12:45:00.000-05:00

About 5 years ago while sleeping in Charles de Gaulle airport, which should never be recommended by anyone who has a 9 hour layover in Paris, I stumbled upon a gem of intellectual entertainment and culture. Many people might think I found an iPod or the latest John Grisham novel, but what I encountered was much more influential...THE ECONOMIST! No, not Alan Greenspan I'm talking about the magazine, er newspaper, that is circulated weekly on a global scale. Here in the States it may not be the mag that's at the top of your junk mail advertisments, but it should be! In that cover to cover reading at CDG I learned about more politics, culture, news, economics, and social theory than in 4 months of my Current Political Theory class at KU (sorry; Rock Chalk). Yes, it's a little dry; yes, it's quite wordy; and yes, I like to think I know it all...but this magazine really opened my eyes to 'fair and balanced' journalism.

Give it a chance...instead of flipping onto the 'fair and balanced' or '#1' news sources on TV ;-)

Read a little ECONOMIST history below:

It is not only The Economist's name that people find baffling. Here are some other common questions.

First, why does it call itself a newspaper? Even when The Economist incorporated the Bankers' Gazette and Railway Monitor from 1845 to 1932, it also described itself as "a political, literary and general newspaper".

It still does so because, in addition to offering analysis and opinion, it tries in each issue to cover the main events—business and political—of the week. It goes to press on Thursdays and, printed simultaneously in six countries, is available in most of the world's main cities the following day or soon after.

Readers everywhere get the same editorial matter. The advertisements differ. The running order of the sections, and sometimes the cover, also differ. But the words are the same, except that each week readers in Britain get a few extra pages devoted to British news.
Why is it anonymous? Many hands write The Economist, but it speaks with a collective voice. Leaders are discussed, often disputed, each week in meetings that are open to all members of the editorial staff. Journalists often co-operate on articles. And some articles are heavily edited. The main reason for anonymity, however, is a belief that what is written is more important than who writes it. As Geoffrey Crowther, editor from 1938 to 1956, put it, anonymity keeps the editor "not the master but the servant of something far greater than himself. You can call that ancestor-worship if you wish, but it gives to the paper an astonishing momentum of thought and principle."

What, besides free trade and free markets, does The Economist believe in? "It is to the Radicals that The Economist still likes to think of itself as belonging. The extreme centre is the paper's historical position." That is as true today as when Crowther said it in 1955. The Economist considers itself the enemy of privilege, pomposity and predictability. It has backed conservatives such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. It has supported the Americans in Vietnam. But it has also endorsed Harold Wilson and Bill Clinton, and espoused a variety of liberal causes: opposing capital punishment from its earliest days, while favouring penal reform and decolonisation, as well as—more recently—gun control and gay marriage.

Lastly, The Economist believes in plain language. Walter Bagehot, our most famous 19th-century editor, tried "to be conversational, to put things in the most direct and picturesque manner, as people would talk to each other in common speech, to remember and use expressive colloquialisms". That remains the style of the paper today.

Or delve into one of my favorite online features of the ECONOMIST the correspondents diary: http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=7933598&story_id=9639422

Thanks for your attention!

Hobie "The Cat" Snyder

2007-08-20T17:49:00.001-05:00

Please welcome Hobie "The Cat" Snyder.

She is a short-haired domestic/Tiger kitten who is approximately 3 months old. We adopted her from the Huron Valley Animal Shelter last week and now that she's adjusted to home, she does little napping as the picture shows! She's quite friendly and curious about my eating habbits and Kendra's pajamas! Currently she weighs 2.5 pounds, up 0.5 pounds from last week. We'll be sure to keep you updated with all the adorable and cute things she does!

June/July BOM: Alaskan Pale

2007-07-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

Alaskan PaleStyle:Golden Ale. A blonde, lighter bodied beer with a floral aroma and a crisp, hoppy finish that's not bitter. The hop character of Alaskan Pale is due to dry hopping by hand during the fermentation process.

Flavor Profile:A clean, softly malted body with a hint of citrus overtones, followed by a hop-accented dry, crisp finish.

History:Alaskan Pale became the Brewery's second year-round product in 1988.

Ingredients:Water, malt, hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field. The color and body of the beer are derived from a delicate blend of premium two-row Pale and Munich malts. An infusion of Tettnanager, Willamette and Chinook hops contributes aroma and bitterness.

Recommendations:Complements light flavors such as prawns, crab and halibut. Also a good accompaniment to spicy ethnic food. This is a particularly thirst quenching beer on a hot day.

Specifications:Original Gravity: 1.047, ABW 3.7%, ABV 4.65%, Bitterness: 24 IBU, Color: 8.5 SRM

June in Review

2007-07-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

This was quite a busy month for our household. We were traveling quite a bit within the state and beyond. The great thing about our busy schedule is we've had the opportunity to see friends, family, and spend some quality time together. However, it was quite exhausting to be rushing to the highway, airport, and ticket counter each Friday. Here's a brief summary in pictures and words of June 2007.

June started with the Dexter-Ann Arbor run. The Running Fools were not at full strength with Dave and Kendra side-lined with injuries. It was up to me to carry the torch and tackle the tough 10k. The race is best known for the 1/2 marathon, but I had just run the Lake Shore the week prior and didn't feel like beating up my body. However, I did just enough 'carbing-up' on beer the night before the race to damage my time;-) I finished in 45:52 which is a 7:23/min mile pace.

The next weekend we attended a lovely wedding in Bad Axe, MI. It was my first trip to the Thumb which actually reminds me a lot of Kansas. Here's the happy couple and some a party photo.

Our next big activity in June was our trip to Moundridge, KS to visit our friends Trent and Cathy and their new baby boy, Andrew.

And like a good Dad he's starting his boy young ;-) We had a great time visiting the Wichita Zoo, exploring Moundridge, and visiting the new business Block 32. It was also fairly close to Trent and Kendra's birthdays, so Cathy and I planned a little surprise! Too bad Kendra's present turned her finger green! We can't wait to travel with our friends again and see how their family grows.

The following weekend I left my beautiful wife for a quick weekend trip home for my high school reunion. Topeka West Hight School 10 year reunion was actually quite a blast. I saw people I literally hadn't seen since I graduated in May of 1997. And you know after a couple of beverages you can talk about any thing from German class to professional degrees like you'd just seen them last week. It was great to see some of my close high school buddies and know that we can still chat like we were hanging out in the Kwik Shop parking lot on a Friday night! Oh Topeka!

The final weekend in June took Kendra away from Ann Arbor to a family member's wedding shower. She got this great picture on her way back from Indiana...need I say Go Blue...yes that's the ND stadium in the background...okay it's kind of hard to see but I swear they're sporting the maize and blue in Irish-land.
So the guys got to hang out in Ann Arbor and take part in a lovely wine tasting for charity. I highly enjoyed tasting the French and Ausse/Kiwi wines. From what I remember it was a blast, I even got to stop grapes...sorry no pics...regardless, check out the place we imbibed.

Some recent pictures...

2007-06-03T19:49:00.000-05:00

Below are some recent pictures from my parents' visit to Detroit and Ann Arbor. They were here a couple of weeks ago but I neglected to take any pictures, so I had to wait for my Dad's dial-up account to upload his photos ;-)

We had a great time hanging out, working on the condo, and watching the Tigers.

Memorial Day Weekend...Run, Run, Run!

2007-05-30T19:41:00.000-05:00

My weekend started on a whirlwind. I rushed home from work in Livonia to a surprise. Kendra and I were being chaufferred by plane to our half-marathon by her Dad, our fellow 'running fool.' The weather had been pretty bad for the past couple of days, so we didn't think that we'd be able to fly to Traverse City, MI, but it broke just enough to allow us to fly north. Dad flys a Piper Comanche (seen below with optional wing-tip tanks) which was able to cut our 4 hour drive down to about an hour!!!
Traverse City is quite unique and beautiful. It is definately a tourist town, but not so over blown that it loses its natural beauty at the base of Traverse Bay. Our run in the Bayshore Marathon occurred on the Old Mission penninsula that is home to million dollar 'cabins' and unique farms and vineyards...yes they make a decent bottle of wine in Michigan! After we landed we decided to 'carb-up' at Sleder's, a local family restaurant known for it's burgers and local seafood. The place even has a famous moose for you to kiss on your way out to win a t-shirt...we decided to pass not wanting to contract the moose-flu before the race. We needed our rest for the big rest early the next morning!!!

The morning of the race was quite chilly, about 39 degrees at 5:30AM when we boarded the bus to ride north up the penninsula. Our race route would go south along the bayshore for 13.1 miles and consisted of about 900 runners. The marathoners would start at the bottom of the penninsula and turn around at our starting point. Dad, Kendra and I had all trained for several months for this, but I would be lying if I knew what to expect. I knew I could finish, but had no idea how my pace would hold up. Kendra and Dad are more natural runners, so I knew they would be strong as well. You can see our results below...it ranks the place in our age group, age, overall place, time from the gun, time from the electronic chip, total time, and average mile pace...WE WERE AWESOME!

33 Kendra Snyder Ann Arbor MI 27 398 2:03:29.30 2:04:37.00 01:07.70 9:26/M

8 Corey Snyder Ann Arbor MI 28 83 1:40:25.25 1:40:38.50 00:13.25 7:40/M

9 David Huiskens Bay City MI 58 196 1:49:39.85 1:50:47.65 01:07.80 8:22/M

Fortunately we recovered quickly and were able to make the flight back to Bay City, MI for the rest of the holiday weekend. I enjoyed napping, barbecuing, and working around the beach on Saginaw Bay. I am truly blessed to have a great family here in Michigan and 'home' in Kansas.

Back to work...

Disc Golf Shot of the Day!

2007-05-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

http://www.discgolftv.com/dgtv/209/2/10

One of my new favorite websites...along with PDGA.com It's a great learning tool for beginner golfers to study shot technique from amateurs and pros. Have fun!!!

Why can't there be more stories like this...

2007-05-12T17:41:00.000-05:00

Well occasionally the media does provide some insightful and inspiring stories amongst the doom and gloom of politics, scandals, and local violent crimes. This story struck a cord with me and really made me appreciate how fortunate many of us are in the United States. Often tragedies like Hurricane Katrina and the Greensburg Tornado don't seem real to many of us because they are glorified on the news. In reality, we should all be driving to help, donating money, or writing letters to keep raising the spirits of these 'forgotten' people.

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- South Korea's Mi Hyun Kim announcedTuesday that she will donate $100,000 of her winnings from theSemGroup Championship to benefit Kansans affected by a deadlytornado last week.The donation to the United Way Greensburg Disaster Fund amountsto nearly half of the $210,000 Kim won by defeating Hall of FamerJuli Inkster in a playoff Sunday at the LPGA tournament at CedarRidge Country Club. The tornado destroyed Greensburg, Kan., onFriday night and has claimed at least 11 lives."I was just happy that I won the tournament," Kim said."Sunday and during the week, the tornadoes came out of the middleof nowhere. I felt like I needed to do something for them. Winninga tournament on its own was a good thing, but I just decided todonate some money."Kim, 30, has won eight LPGA events and her career earnings onthe tour total more than $6.5 million since 1999."Honestly, I made a lot of money in the United States on theLPGA Tour," Kim said. "Most of time, I get the money here anddonate to South Korea. But, I want to help people here, too."

Week in Review: April 29-May 6

2007-05-08T11:36:00.000-05:00

Home improvement
Kendra and I decided this week to perform a little home improvement. As some of you know we've painted virtually the whole condo, with the exception of the garage which is my next project. So now we wanted to install a ceiling fan and some lamps over the bar area in the kitchen. After much deliberation, we've hired some local contractors to do the work. There was some unanticipated surprises due to the construction of our condo, but it all worked out in the end...unfortunately we've got to wipe down the whole place due to the drywall dust from cutting into the ceiling...yuk!

Golf/Disc Golf
My golf lesson this week was very interesting. I've developed a pre-shot routein which has helped me with my aim. I've also figured out how to properly use my wrists to gain power for my distance shots. I still need lots of practice, but hopefully after these lessons wrap up I'll have more time to play 9 or 18.

In disc golf, I met a couple of club members and tried not to embarass myself. I haven't been playing so great lately and after bogeying the first three holes I found my game! I ended up hitting three birdies following that and parred my way onto the back 9. I was steady with pars and a few bogeys to end up 3 over on the Hudson-Mills course. Not bad for only my 2nd time playing the Original course.

Fast forward a bit...Arick and I got to play a very unique course in rural Georgia on a family farm. It was about an hour drive into what can only be described as the 'backwoods.' The course accepted a 2 dollar donation per person and had many friendly dogs that followed us around as we played. Amazingly none of them stole our discs! Arick started off bad losing a disc in the rough, but he was solid off the tee and put me to shame. My putting was pretty bad on this day and left me in the trees too many times to catch Arick. In the end, both of us shot amazing scores under par, but Arick had me by at least 6 strokes. Soooooo...if you happend to be driving through rural Northern Georgia look for the disc golf course on a farm!

ATL travels
Kendra and I finally got to get back to Atlanta to visit some friends and hang out. Thursday after flying in Arick picked us up at the airport and immediately challenged me to a game of Nintendo Wii while Kendra relaxed. It's an interesting game console and I can see why the user interface can cause frustration and injury. Later in the evening we got to visit Katie, Mark, Colin, and Gage, the family Kendra nannied for last summer. IT was great to see them again and catch up on life in Atlanta from the past year. Finally, we joined Aaron, Jeff, Katie, Summer, and Mechelle at the Treehouse for dinner and cocktails. Friends are truly what I miss about Atlanta and I really enjoyed spending even those brief moments with our peeps!

Wedding...I'll let the pictures tell the story...
We traveled to the North Georgia/Alabama mountains for Andrea's and LJ's wedding. It was far more driving and car time than any of us anticipated. It was beautiful, but everything took and hour to get somewhere...probably our lack of familiarity with the area...anyways it was beautiful and a great trip!

May BOM: Langunitas Maximus IPA

2007-05-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone and welcome back to the May edition of Beer of the Month (BOM). This month's inspiration came from a wedding Kendra and I attended on Lookout Mountain in Georgia. I was first in shock when I saw that the wedding we were at was serving my "local" brew of Boulevard Wheat. For those that know me this was my first true micro-brew that I ever drank. While I've come a long way in that time, the Boulevard is a winner in taste in my book...perhaps I'll review it seperately in the future.

Anyhow...This month's selection is from the Lagunitas Brewery...This beer was truly a treat and showed some depth from nose to finish. It wasn't too overpowering in the hops department and was nicely paired with the fajiitas and salsa at Andrea and LJ's Cinco de Mayo wedding. What really impressed me with this drink was the malty sweet undertones that kept you coming back for more...read on below for some info from Lagunitas Brewery.

IPA Maximus
At the height of the heat in the heart of the summer, we felt the only cure was a raging mouthful of fresh Hops and Malt. Caution: May remove enamel from teeth.

Alcohol 7.5% by volume

Even Kendra loved the Langunitas!!!

Year of the Wedding!

2007-04-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

This is the first of many wedding pics to be posted to my blog. This one encompasses two weddings Beth and Charlie in Jacksonville, FL and Kevin and Michelle in Houston, TX. Enjoy!

Week in Review April 16-23, 2007

2007-04-23T19:46:00.000-05:00

The United States suffered a big shock on 4.16.07 when a lone gunmen took the innocent lives of 32 fellow students at Virginia Tech University. My thoughts and prayers went out to the students, faculty, friends, and families of the victims. Unfortunately, the media coverage of the event highlighted more and more of what is wrong with our society. The glorification of violence, the avoidance of politicians to agree on gun laws, and need for news organizations to "own" stories.

I was appalled with the way many people and mostly the media reacted to the shooting. Detailing times, places, number of shots, etc. in stead of highlighting what the Blacksburg, VA community was doing to cope. Very few stories about churches, student groups, police, doctors all working together to try to heal the wounded and identify those in need of support. I found this article from the Economist very helpful in describing one perspective post-tragedy.

Wednesday of last week I took my first official golf lesson. My father and brother have given me tips and lessons to this point in my life...somewhat successfully I might say. I can hit the ball with regularity and know the rules of the game, but I would say I mostly relied on my athletic skills to get by. Most of my golf experience grew out of playing baseball and the similarities in the swings. Boy was I wrong!!! My first lesson I learned so much about the golf swing that made sense physiologically and practically compared to what I had been doing with my baseball-golf swing. I will say I was a little disappointed in the teaching method since I spent one hour with the golf pro, took 100 swings, and never held a golf club. We'll see how it works this week on the driving range.

Friday! TGIF! Kendra and I celebrated the end of the week with a trip to Home Depot to rent a stairway ladder to finish painting our condo. I'll post some pictures soon, but now we have an accent wall to compliment the decorations on our stairway...very HGTV and unique. Kendra has an eye for these things that I'm learning to appreciate ;-) Anyhow, we also purchased fixtures for our cabinets, so I'll have some more domestic installation to do in the coming weeks.

The weather in Michigan has finally warmed up and Saturday and Sunday here were absolutely gorgeous. 70-80 degrees and sunny with a light breeze! Kendra and I both got outside for some running, disc golf, and relaxation. Kendra threw her first disc golf shots at my portable disc target and I nearly hit a 250 foot ace into a strong breeze. I fired up my new grill for some ostrich burgers and veggies Sunday night before watching some TV. It was nearly a perfect weekend...

Something to cogitate on...

2007-04-12T16:26:00.001-05:00

This is a commentary from one of my favorite sports columnists on the latest media blitz...Don Imus and racially inflammatory comments. Whatever your opinion is, it's a good read!

COMMENTARY
Imus isn’t the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.

By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.
You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.
You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.
Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.
The bigots win again.
While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.
I ain’t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.
It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.
Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.
It’s embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.
I’m no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.
But, in my view, he didn’t do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That should’ve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, it’s only the beginning. It’s an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.
I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.
Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.
But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.
In the grand scheme, Don Imus is no threat to us in general and no threat to black women in particular. If his words are so powerful and so destructive and must be rebuked so forcefully, then what should we do about the idiot rappers on BET, MTV and every black-owned radio station in the country who use words much more powerful and much more destructive?
I don’t listen or watch Imus’ show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that it’s cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that they’re suckers for pursuing education and that they’re selling out their race if they do?
When Imus does any of that, call me and I’ll get upset. Until then, he is what he is — a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when you’re not looking to be made a victim.
No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. There’s no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.

www.kcstar.com

BOM: Dogfish Head's Red & White

2007-04-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Trust me on this one boys and girls this is one of the most pleasant Belgian-style's I've had in months. New in 2007, this ale went great paired with my first firing-up of the grill with some BBQ chicken and strawberry salad. It has a complexity not often seen in a 'big' Belgian. I enjoyed how sweet it finished even with a hoppy-nose and palate. See the website's description below...

A big, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels, and another fraction is aged on oak staves. The beer is blended together before packaging.

This has been one of our most popular Limited Edition beers at both our Rehoboth Beach, DE brewpub and at festivals. It successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a bold red wine.
10% abv

Time to move on...

2007-04-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well I want to say thank you to all those friends, family, and acquaintances that have called to say 'sorry' and 'we were rooting for your team' over the last couple of weeks. THANK YOU!

Yes, my beloved Kansas Jayhawks Basketball team lost again this year in the NCAA tournament. The had an amazing year with 33 victories, a Big 12 Conference Title, Tournament Championship, and an Elite Eight birth. IN the end it just wasn't enough to make it to the coveted Final Four.

Am I disappointed? Sure, but you know the older I get the more I appreciate the ride. A saying good ol' Roy Williams used to say about his tournament disappointments at season's end. This team had everything many of his teams didn't in regards of talent, defense, explosiveness, and teamwork. I feel if they would have gotten past UCLA, we might have had a different national champion. KU did beat Florida earlier this year and the lack of tournament experience is likely what separated the two squads.

The off-season has been busy around the country with coaching changes and shocking defections from the college ranks to the NBA. More shocking today was Julian Wright's declaration from KU to the NBA Draft...not even Kevin Durant and Greg Oden have declared yet! Regardless, I think the constant change of coaches, players, and funding will only hurt the game in the long run. Look at how beneficial the addition of potential NBA draft high schooler's was for the college game. Fans will suffer with roller coaster programs that gain highly rated recruits and then lose the bank only to reload in a couple of years. Coaches will have to be more crafty in how they present themselves to recruits and families to keep their jobs through the 'thin' times.

Despite all my cynicism I still think college basketball and specifically the NCAA Tournament/Final Four is the greatest sports spectacle out there due to the parody and truth behind a playoff among amateurs.

March: BOM - Goose Island: Matilda

2007-03-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

Got a chance to sample this when Chris brought it over from Illinois. We enjoyed it with some spicy Thai food, but is definately an early Spring drinker. Good malty taste and smooth finish...enjoy if you can find it!

7.0% ABV, 32 IBU, limited availablity in bottle and draft.

While traveling in Belgium, we visited an abbey that was surrounded by great legends and folklore. We were lucky enough to hear their story and enjoy the great beer they brew. We wanted to share what we’d heard and tasted, so we created Matilda. Matilda is made with a rare yeast that suggests a fruity and spicy flavor. There is complex maltiness balanced with a profuse amount of hops making it a great beer to enjoy with a plate of fresh mussels.

NCAA Tourney-Dreamin'

2007-03-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

Hey there sports fans. This is by far one of the most exciting times of year, even for the passive observers. March is when hockey heats up, baseball is brewing, and NCAA Men's College Basketball is booming with excitement.

If you're a Kansas Jayhawks fan, it's the time of year where your dreams of a National Title are running through your head day and night. The last Title came in 1988 when Danny Manning and the Miracles overcame a sixth seed in the tournament to win the title from rival Oklahoma. This year Kansas is poised for a top seed and pending a victory today over Texas may be ranked first in their region.

NCAA tournament pools are another fun aspect of the March Madness phenomenon. Many people will fill out brackets, lose work hours, and track seemingly insignificant statistics and games to gain an edge in winning cold hard cash. Gambling...no, it's almost indoctronated as a right of passage for Americans...it's fun! But in recent years I've limited myself to one BRACKET of TRUTH, in the hopes of eliminating my biases and trying to retract my losses by playing multiple pools. We'll see what happens this year as I'm going to be traveling to Vegas for the 1st round...more to come!

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

Day off...Disc Golf...

2007-03-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

Recently one of my good friends (Chris) came into town for a couple of days. We had a lot to catch up on. The last time I saw him was at Kendra and my wedding in September. We're notorious for our beer tasting, but our friendship covers the scope of topics from music to politics. Having the same profession in physical therapy keeps the conversations going as well...

Our goals for this trip besides conversation was to try our hand and disc golf in the winter! We're both amateur players who get at least 4 or 5 rounds in a month during the summer, but playing in the snows of Michigan was new to both of us. We played at Hudson-Mills Metropark north of Ann Arbor. (Another good resource to learn more about disc golf is the Professional Disc Golf Association website www.pdga.org) We had a great time...check out the pics!

Once again I was victorious...

My brother's home...

2007-02-25T07:38:00.000-05:00

Kansas will always be our home.

But for the last year and a half, my brother has called Lebodoti, Suriname home. Suriname, officially the Republiek Suriname, is a country in northern South America. Other common names are Surinam or Sranang. It was formerly known as Nederlands Guyana, Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana. It lies in between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The most southern parts of the borders with Guyana and French Guiana are disputed (upper Corantijn and Marowijne rivers; the map shows the Guyana and French Guiana versions of the border). The country is the smallest soverign state in terms of area and population in South America.

Wikipedia has a good synopsis of the area.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit him. If anyone out there wants to donate $ for a plane ticket there, please e-mail me. Anyhow, it seems like an exotic and interesting place. My brother says everyone is quite friendly and accepting of travelers. He has done some extensive volunteer work for the Peace Corps which has included irrigation, building homes, day care, afterschool programs, and fundraising for water projects.

KU MUSING...is it March yet???

2007-02-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

Yeah this news article by an OSU grad who can't dress himself might be a bit suspect. However, the philosophy about my beloved Kansas Jayhawks is right on. They are playing better than ranked, better than advertised, but hey...don't tell anyone! We'll be laughing as we cut the nets down in Atlanta in March...Fine with me if we stay ranked even lower than 3...a solid 2 seed in the tournament is going to be better off in the long run. BUT WAIT, let's not get too excited. KU still needs to win the Big 12 conference and tournament!

Doug Gottlieb

1. Florida2. UCLA3. Kansas4. North Carolina5. Wisconsin6. Texas A&M7. Ohio State8. Washington State9. Memphis10. Nevada11. Georgetown12. Pitt13. Southern Illinois14. Texas15. Duke16. Winthrop
Kansas might seem a bit high to some, but look closer at what the Jayhawks have done and you can see my logic. Yes, they lost to A&M at home, but if we think back to that game, we remember that the Jayhawks dominated for 36 minutes before Acie Law put them to sleep. A&M has been incredibly impressive for the most part, but KU has won its five games since that loss by an average of 27.2 ppg and KU's out-of-conference performances are far superior to that of A&M's.

Shangri-bye-bye...

2007-02-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

So those that know me may realize I have this strange facination with Tibet. Maybe it's the mountains, perhaps it's Shangri-la, or maybe its the sadness I feel for the attrocities that have occured there in the past 100 years. Whether you call it "Western China" or "Tibet" we all should be worried about the exploitation of land, resources, and a fragile environment. The glacial water and river systems of this country supply much of 'lower' Asia.

Well, I won't ramble here...just read for yourself.

China mines Tibet's rich resources
The railway link to Tibet now appears to have been part of a broader plan to exploit vast deposits of metals in the disputed region, explains Fortune's Abrahm Lustgarten.

By Abrahm Lustgarten, Fortune reporter
February 21 2007: 2:18 PM EST
(Fortune) -- When China opened its controversial new railway to Tibet last July, international critics howled at the prospect that the region's culture and environment would be ravaged in search of resources. China repeated a solemn refrain, its officials insisting that the $4 billion project was aimed not at plundering the disputed territory but at bringing prosperity and economic development to Tibetan society.
So much for that. Now China's Ministry of Land and Resources is disclosing monumental new resource discoveries all across Tibet, and it turns out the findings are the culmination of a secret seven-year, $44 million survey project which preceded the railway construction in the first place.
Next stop, Lhasa
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In 1999 more than 1000 researchers divided into 24 separate regiments and fanned out across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, geologically mapping an area the size of California, Texas and Montana for the first time ever. Their findings: 16 major new deposits of copper, iron, lead, zinc and other minerals worth an estimated $128 billion, according to articles published last week on the website of the China Tibet Information Center, a government-run portal.
"Lack of resources has been a bottleneck for the economy," Meng Xianlai, director of the China Geological Survey, said in the statements. The discoveries in Tibet are prompting China to re-evaluate its potential domestic resources, and "will alleviate the mounting resources pressure China is facing."
In fact, if proven, the new reserves make Tibet one of the richest regions in China's territory and could shift the country's reliance on imports of copper and iron altogether, affecting international commodity markets way beyond China. Altogether Tibet is now said to hold as much as 40 million tons of copper - one third of China's total - 40 million tons of lead and zinc, and more than a billion tons of high-grade iron.
The announcement comes at a time when Tibetans are struggling to adjust to an astronomical increase in the number of tourists and Chinese settlers traveling on the 710-mile railway extention. In Lhasa last fall hotels were booked to capacity, the city's streets were clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic, and a gold-rush mentality pervaded among newly-arrived entrepreneurs seeking at least a small-scale piece of the mineral riches.
One Chengdu-based hotelier blithely bragged he had invested $2 million to startup a private iron mining operation six hour's drive from Lhasa. At least six major Canadian and Australian mining companies also have stakes in Chinese consortiums set up to operate on the plateau. China is the world's largest importer of iron ore - 326 million tons last year - much of which feeds its insatiable steel mills and in turn its ballooning construction and auto industries.
High-grade iron prices have more than tripled in the last two years, driving up development costs world-wide, at least partially because of China's demand. Among the Tibet discoveries is China's first substantial rich-iron supply, a seam called Nyixung, which alone is expected to contain as much as 500 million tons.
Wind power blows through China
That's enough to put an expected 20% of Chinese iron importers out of business this year and, according to China Geological Survey's vice director Zhang Hongtao, "may relieve the country's three-decade long dependency on iron imports."
The new copper reserves are no less substantial. A 250-mile seam of the metal has been found along Tibet's environmentally cherished Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge. One mine there called Yulong, already described as the second-largest reserve in China, is now estimated to hold as much as 18 million tons according to the government news site Xinhua and could soon become the largest copper mine in the country, helping to feed China's hyper-charged metabolism for the metal used for electrical wiring and generation.
In all, three new Tibetan copper finds increase China's total copper reserves by a third, according to the international mining industry website Mineweb, and, once production comes online, will decrease imports by the same amount. China, which until now has imported much of its copper from Chile, is estimated to hold 5.6% of the world's copper and is its seventh largest producer.
While transportation development continues - a fresh set of satellite images on Google shows a large increase in road construction branching off the new railway route - education and health care spending in Tibet continue to lag far behind the rest of China, provoking the ire of human rights advocates.
"Clearly China's leaders have never intended the railway to benefit Tibetans," says Matt Whitticase at the London-based organization Free Tibet Campaign. And future development priorities do little to alter that image. Last March China announced - among the national priorities listed in its 11th Ten-Year Plan - an extension of the railway from its present terminal in Lhasa to the western city of Shigatze, and beyond.
What's there? According to the Geological Survey's hopeful Zhang, "super-large" crude oil and gas reserves in Tibet's far-western Qiangtang Basin, as well as large quantities of oil shale deposits in areas west of the new train line

Fun-filled Weekend!

2007-02-18T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! This weekend was full of activities around central Michigan. Kendra and I drove north on Saturday to visit our good friends Sarah and Jeff in Saginaw. We dined on fondue (dinner and dessert) and play some exciting board games, Cranium and Catch-Phrase. First of all, if you don't own your own fondue I highly recommend going out to your local Melting Pot for a refresher on the 'options' one might have for dining with the hot pot. We don't own one, but after seeing how enjoyable the home fondue experience can be we're going to have to get one soon. I especially liked the rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate! Not so good for my running figure, but hey its fondue! The board game portion of the evening was truly entertaining. Jeff and I mopped up the ladies on the Cranium board with our solid, rational, and creative approach. Later, the ladies whooped us boys in Catch-Phrase due to their subtle psychic connection and ability to say words that no one else would ever think of.

Sunday was off to Caberfae Peaks near Cadillac, Michigan. Temperatures ranged from 0 - 15 degrees and at least 2 inches of fresh powder fell throughout our ski excursion. It was one of the more pretty drives I've had here in Michigan with white powder caked to the evergreens for most of the drive. Kendra, Dad, and I tackled some blues and greens with only a couple of spills. I even finished 3 black runs for the first time in my life. Hey, it's no Steamboat but you'd be surprised how steep a Michigan hill can be!!!

February BOM: Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2006

2007-02-08T12:21:00.000-05:00

Sooooo...being African-American History Month, Valentine's Day (soon), and freezing cold outside I thought I'd put a plug in for Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2006.

It's the type of Belgian-style beer that will make you scream for more. Hints of chocolate, spices, and berries keep this beer flowing all night long! Beware, it has a high alcohol content 9.8%, so don't drink too much in one sitting. I settled in after a hard day of painting to watch some TV with my little lady and sipped on this full-bodied beer. Be sure to serve it in a snifter to get that lovely aroma from the creamy head. Trader Joe's bottle helps keep things chilled even if you're a slow sipper like me.

Dont' have any bottle pics this time around (cause I couldn't snatch them from the web). But check out the website and drive to your local Trader Joe's today for a taste!

Snow daze...

2007-02-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Michigan!

This past weekend Kendra and I went to visit the Huisken's clan in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Actually we were in Ada to be specific, which is a suburb of Grand Rapids to the east. We undertook our trip despite the warnings of the weather channel and public radio about the cold conditions and snow. Michigan is still realitively new to me, so I had never seen a lake effect snow storm and was confident about our drive over from Ann Arbor. The weather those few days ranged from -5 degrees F to -22 degrees F with the windchill. I don't know exact snow totals either but depending on the part of town you were in you had 1 to 2 feet...no measuring in inches here! The snow was beautiful, but dangerous and I was amazed that it could snow sideways. I guess I'd seen that before, but only in windy western Kansas. Road conditions weren't terrible, as I'd driven through some big storms in Kansas, but they definately weren't ideal. The family was doing well. I think we all enjoyed our time together despite the weather, illnesses, and lack of outdoor activity. The weekends always seem to fly by when we're together!

Now Kendra and I are experiencing more fun from the Michigan winter...frozen pipes!!! Yuk...oh the joys of home ownership!

See ya' soon!

Rock Chalk! Don't panic!

2007-01-26T10:56:00.001-05:00

Kansas Jayhawks (17-3)There's no disputing that the Jayhawks are one of the nation's better defensive teams; they rank fourth in the country in defensive efficiency through Tuesday. They're a phenomenal shot-blocking team, too, ranking second in the nation in block percentage (at 20.2). So why did they lose at Texas Tech last Saturday? Perhaps because -- and this is an insult one rarely hears -- they're a terrible layup team. KU missed 11 bunnies against the Red Raiders. "We've been a poor layup team all year long," coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star. "We have to take advantage of them, because we work too hard to get them." The solution, according to freshman Darrell Arthur, is simple: "The easiest way to fix it is just to dunk it." Next three: 1/27 vs. Colorado, 1/29 at Nebraska, 2/3 vs. Texas A&M.

Source: www.si.com

Condo upgrades...Take that HGTV!

2007-01-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

Kendra and I have been working hard the past couple of months getting the condo ready for guests. She has some great decorating ideas and has been quite inspired. I must say that I would have liked the mirror ball and disco dance floor in the living room, but was voted down on that one. There's still hope for the wine cellar ;-) Anyhow we've had a great time, despite the multiple trips to Home Depot, Meijers, and ACE Hardware to pick up the paint supplies. There's still more to do and we'll post some more pics as the work is completed. Personally, I'm eagerly awaiting my spring project...the garage!

Book Review: River of Doubt

2007-01-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

River of Doubt by Candice Millard

I just finished an intriguing book regarding the post-political life of Theodore Roosevelt called the River of Doubt. In the winter of 1913-1914, Theodore Roosevelt began his now-famous expedition of the Brazilian wilderness, joining a small, but enthusiastic group of North and South American naturalists as they ventured deep into the uncharted Amazon watershed. The purpose of the journey was to map the course of an unknown river and to collect specimens for the American Museum of Natural History. Their journey was filled with excitement. Roosevelt's team found evidence of native tribes along the way and met with wild animals no one had ever seen before. They overcame difficult detours and daunting rapids, several canoe wrecks, hunger, conflicts among the members of the expedition, huge insects, illness, injury, and even death. Roosevelt said it was his "last chance to be a boy," but the trip was much more than he had ever expected. He survived to see the River of Doubt renamed in his honor, but he never fully recovered from the strain of the expedition. He died prematurely less than five years later, at age 60.

The Onion: Area Man Guesses He'll Learn The Difference Between Shiites And Sunnis

2007-01-19T11:51:00.000-05:00

PORTLAND, OR—Nearly four years into the war in Iraq, local sales representative Howard Morrison finally conceded that it was probably time to just pick up a newspaper and figure out what distinguishes Sunni Muslims from Shiite Muslims. "At first I really thought this whole thing would work itself out, and there was no need to figure out who was who," said Morrision, adding that it used to be enough to know the difference between Iraq and Iran. "But this is turning out to be pretty complicated and I should at least learn which side are the insurgents. I know one of them's Islamic." Morrison said he would have time for the new subject since giving up trying to learn the difference between trans fats and regular fats last week.

I LOVE THIS WEBSITE...SOMETIMES CRUDE...BUT EXCELLENT PARODIES ON CURRENT EVENTS...ENJOY! WWW.THEONION.COM

Physical Therapy for you, me and the Presidents!

2007-01-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

AS FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH RECUPERATES FROM HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY, PHYSICAL THERAPY WILL PLAY KEY ROLE IN RECOVERY
Muscle Strength, Mobility and Balance are Crucial for Patients to Resume Normal Activities
ALEXANDRIA, VA, January 11, 2007 — As former President George H. W. Bush recovers from last week's surgery at the Mayo Clinic to replace his right hip, periodic and progressive physical therapy will play a key role in his successful rehabilitation, says the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
"Following hip replacement surgery, physical therapy is routinely used, either in a home health, out-patient, or a rehabilitation setting," says Dale Avers, PT, DPT, PhD, a professor in physical therapy at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Avers, who has been conducting research regarding exercise for aging adults, including those with hip replacements, warns that residual weakness, which can include balance impairment, may become evident even years following hip replacement surgery if not properly addressed.
"Physical therapy, not necessarily on a continuous basis, is now recommended for patients with hip replacements," says Avers. "Starting around 4 months, physical therapy, which includes strength training, mobility and balance exercises, is recommended for optimal results."
The leading indicator for hip replacement is pain and impaired mobility, not age, notes Avers, very often associated with osteoarthritis. Physical therapists can improve mobility and decrease pain through manual therapy and strengthening exercises. Hip replacement surgery is recommended as a last resort, when the pain becomes unbearable and interferes with mobility.
For President Bush, Senator Elizabeth Dole, and other patients with hip replacements, physical therapy starts immediately in the hospital following surgery, beginning with gentle mobility exercises and activities, says Avers. Gradually, the exercises are progressed as healing takes place. Avers said that once the immediate post-op rehabilitation is complete, patients should return to physical therapy for continued strength and balance training. "As healing progresses, they need the guidance of a physical therapist to achieve optimal results and to return to full function in the activities they enjoy," Avers said.
"Successful hip replacement surgery is the first step in President Bush's recovery and to enjoying his normal activities," says Avers. "Physical therapy is the finishing touch."
The American Physical Therapy Association (www.apta.org) is a national organization representing nearly 70,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students nationwide. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapist education, practice, and research. Consumers can access "Find a PT" to find a physical therapist in their area, as well as other physical therapy news and information at www.apta.org/consumer.

BOM: Janurary- Tui

2007-01-10T11:53:00.000-05:00

This New Year's selection of Beer of the Month for January 2007 is a Kiwi delight!

Tui, an East Indian Pale Ale, which hails from our friends in New Zealand. As the legend has it, early in 1889, entrepreneur Henry Wagstaff stopped for a cup of tea at the banks of the Mangatainoka River. He found the water made the finest cuppa he'd ever tasted and decided this would be the ideal place to build a brewery.

In that same year he bought land by the river and established Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka. His dream was to supply "export quality brews to beer drinkers around the colony" and his ales quickly earned a reputation for excellence, with the cry "Make mine a Wagstaff" heard throughout the taverns in and around Pahiatua in the Wairarapa.

Despite being loved by the locals Tui remained pretty much a Wairarapa-Hawke's Bay secret until the 1990s, when Massey University Students adopted Tui as their preferred drop. This led to the expansion firstly through the lower North Island, then through the rest of the country. Today Tui is popular throughout the country with those who like nothing more than to sink a few beers and the chance to take-the-piss with their mates. Doing a Uni assignment on Tui? Well, why not pass for a change with our in-depth history and marketing.

Tui is a smooth drinking IPA, which is slightly different in it's hop intensity/bitterness from other IPAs here in the States. It has a 4.0% abv rating and is best enjoyed with a warm cup of soup or just for the heck of it after a long day hiking in the South Island. I haven't found the beer here (US) yet, so most of my experience with it comes from my honeymoon in NZ!

Quote of the Week

2007-01-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

In response to the courtside illness of Detroit-Mercy assistant coach Garland Mance. Kansas forward Brandon Rush said: "I watched him. He just bent over and threw up. I've never seen someone too lazy to get up and go to the trash can."

KU beat Detroit 63-43.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

Local Comedy

2007-01-03T10:32:00.001-05:00

The true T-towner's

will understand...

2006 Fitness Stats

2007-01-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

The following stats are recorded April to December 2006. I'm shooting for 500 miles running in 2007. I wish you all well in your fitness and life endeavors.

Running: 263.7 miles
Time: 1 day, 14h 36m 13s
Avg. Pace: 8:47/mile

Cycling: 69.2 miles
Time: 3h 58m 00s
Avg. Pace: 3:26/mile

Weight Lifting- 262 hours

Eliptical Trainer: 78.4 miles
Time: 14h 27m 16s
Avg. Pace: 11:04/mile

Stair Stepper: 2.8 miles
Time: 45m 00s
Avg. Pace: 16:22/mile

PERSONAL BESTS 2006:

5k: 22:23 UM KINESIOLOGY 5K

10K: 42:17 TOBICO TURKEY TROT

Top 5 Lists of 2006...

2006-12-31T08:21:00.000-05:00

So last year I made this huge effort to post my musings on a variety of topics. I had top lists for music, movies, events, etc. Well I'd have to say this year was far to busy personally to rank anything. Getting married, moving (twice), travelling to the Carribean and Southern Hemisphere, buying cars/condos, starting new jobs, meeting new friends, joining a new family, saying goodbye to some friends, going to friends weddings, Kendra graduating, and just trying to have some fun...2006 has been BUSY!!!!!!!!! I feel very blessed to have been apart of so much and yeah I am lucky to have such a supportive wife, family and friends to participate in the madness.

So without further babbling here are some of my abbreviate Top Lists!!!

Music: Corey's Top 5
1. Beck - Information
2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
3. Rogue Wave - Decended Like Vultures
4. Tool - 10000 Days
5. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Movies: Corey's Top 5 (this one is pathetic cause I saw fewer movies this year than ever in the past and ranked only as the one's I've seen)
1. Borat
2. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Casino Royale
4. Nacho Libre
5. V for Vendetta

Beer Discoveries: Corey's Top 5 (based on beer I've consumed).
1. Founders Centenial IPA
2. Arbor Brewing Company's Sacred Cow IPA
3. Westmaalle - Dubel
4. Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest
5. Jolly Pumpkin's - Farmhouse Ale

Moments in Politics/World Events: Corey's Top 5
1. Iraq/Afghanistan
2. Gerald Ford has Hail to the Victors played as his funeral march.
3. Democrats win some elections.
4. Pluto demoted as a planet
5. KU loses again in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Drunk dial quotes (my own or others): Corey's Top 5
1. "Sorry Miss Jackson...oooohhhh" - Corey to Brent
2. "I have a math equation for you. Mario Chalmers plus Julien Wright
equals Rock Chalk Jayhawk Bitches!!!" - Brent to Corey after KU beat Florida
3. "Wake up Sonny and have shot with me." - Chris to Corey
4. "I can't believe they're in the world series." - Trent to Corey (okay, he was probably sober for this one) talking about the Tigers
5. "I don't think you want to go to the Braves game." -Corey to some stranger trying to enter Turner Field

#1 EVENT of 2006 : Snyder/Huiskens Wedding...this picture say it all...

Honeymoon Travel-blog (pt.3)...WE are KIWI !

2006-12-31T08:14:00.000-05:00

PHOTO:

KENDRA AND COREY ON

CORONET PEAK

SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

On to our third and final leg of the Snyder Honeymoon. It was sad to be leaving

the mellochinos, cheap beer, and wildlife of Australia, but with the incessant mini-

cyclone hovering around the Queensland coast we were ready to fly south! I'm not

sure if I mentioned previously the fun and excitment of driving in Australia/New

Zealand. Kendra and I had rented a Toyota Camry to get around and it was quite

an adventure driving on the left side of the road. Not only did we both frequently

try to get in the wrong side of the car, I also had a problem starting our journeys

driving on the right. By the time we got to NZ it was much easier, but we had some

close calls. The othe unique aspect of Commonwealth driving is the traffic circles,

which are very efficient and a time saver if there's not much congestion.

Our flight to Christchurch was eventful only from the aspect of how easy it was to

clear customs and how friendly everyone in the airport treated us. I'm not sure

if everyone new we were Americans, but they definately weren't believing my

Aussie accent.

Christchurch is an absolutely gorgeous city of 300,000 plus people. It is known for

its beautiful tree-lined Avon river, bountiful park system, friendly people, public

transportation, and Canterbury Cathedral Square. (see below)

We arrived late into Christchurch and by the time we dropped all of our local

passengers off from the airport shuttle it was nearly midnight. We had a nice room

without much of a view at the Millenium Hotel. Fortunately we traded the view for

good service, close proximity to the city centre, and a much needed comfy bed.

Our first day in the city involved a pre-planned whirlwind tour of the city's "Top

Four" attractions the International Antartic Center, the Willowbank Wildlife

Reserve, City Gondola, and Historic City Tram Ride. This was a great way to see

more of the city without having to hire a cab all over town. We also had the
flexibility of staying as long or as short as we wished at all of the sites. Overall, our

experience on the tour was highlighted by the Wildlife Reserve and Antarctic Center.

But without a doubt, I'll always remember walking with my new wife around the streets

of Christchurch. It is truly a unique city that I think we both would consider moving

to if we had the opportunity...

Following our Christchurch experience we rented a Ford Territory and drove down the eastern coast of the South Island before heading west into the Southern Alps. Our destination was Lake Tekapo and a small bed and breakfast known as the Luxury Lodge. The drive to Tekapo was quite remote full of sheep, stunning landscapes, and lots of rainbows. Kendra was not fond of the small winding roads and felt carsick, while I enjoyed

the white-knuckle driving! We settled in for a romantic and frozen evening after enjoying

a local delicacy...pizza and wine!

The Church of the Good Shepherd and Mount Cook are featured in the photos above.

Many of the scenes from the Lord of the Rings were filmed near Tekapo and our

next destination Queenstown!

Quote from Bill Clinton while visiting in Queenstown: 2000 ."Let me say from the bottom of my heart, this has been a magical trip. I think every person, when he or she is young, dreams of finding some enchanting place, of beautiful mountains and breathtaking coastlines and clear lakes and amazing wildlife, and most people give up on it because they never get to New Zealand. This has been an amazing thing for me and for all of us".

We loved Queenstown!!! It's about 20,000 people located in the heart of the Southern Alps on Lake Wakatipu. Words can't really describe the beauty day or night, sun or snow, hot or cold, it is a dream! We had a great time walking the cozy streets window shopping, wine tasting, and sampling the eclectic foods. Queenstown is known for adventure sports (bungee, skiing, jet boating, etc.) and wild night life. At this point on our 2-1/2 week excursion we didn't have much energy for the club scene, but did manage to make it out for some of the more touristy bars, restaurants, and sights. We rode the gondola to the top of a nearby mountain for the views and a buffet dinner. We went skiing at Coronet Peak (see above). I went disc golfing in the beautiful Queenstown Gardens...we both dreamed of moving there to open a PT clinic...well let's just say it was sad to leave.

Back to the States!!!

BOM: December - Delirium NOEL

2006-12-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

Greetings Beer of the Month Fans! Our December selection is a variation of my personal top three beers Delirium Tremmens. It is a Belgian Tripple Golden Style Ale that has hints of spices, cinnamon, fruit and roasted malt. It is a very smooth drink for the holidays, but not as 'light' in style as its cousin Tremmens. It is a bit stronger than some more common Belgians like DUVEL and LEFFE, so use caution if you're drinking without an appetizer. I found it quite delectable with smoked gouda cheese and crackers...Also of note is the collectable bottle, each with a slightly different label featuring the classic pink elephant in a holiday/Christmas scene. (Six different by my count)

Happy Holidays!!!

1st Annual Tobico Turkey Trot!

2006-11-21T11:25:00.000-05:00

Check out Kendra's blog for the latest on our sponsorship of the Tobico Turkey Trot in Bay City, Michigan this Thursday...Thanksgiving morning at 9AM at Tobico Beach. There will be a 10k run, 10k bike and 2 mile fun walk. Shirts are available for those wanting them...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Love, Corey and Kendra

Honeymoon Travel-blog (pt. 2)...The not-so-Sunshine Coast

2006-11-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Leaving breezy Brisbane was bittersweet, as we had tasted fine wines, had a few Aussie Starbucks drinks, and got to dine on Moreton Bay bugs. But we had come this far to have some quiet, stroll the beaches, and explore the Aussie hinterland north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast is a vast stretch of coastal towns, beaches, and rocky hiking villages that are much less travelled and famous than the Gold Coast south of Brisbane. I had planned to go north to take advantage of the proximity to wineries, camel excursions, unpopulated beaches, and the world heritage site at Frasier Island. The average temperatures in coastal Queensland are in the mid-70s and September is traditionally the driest month in a state going through a 10 year drought.

Oh how wrong that proved to be...Of the seven days we stayed in the Sunshine Coast only one day was completely rain free. Two days were a total wash out with cold driving winds described on the not-very-informative 2 minute weather forecasts as a "mini-cyclone". Being a bit more of an optimist than Kendra I'd have to say we did well to enjoy the few hours between showers with sun and exploration. Unfortunately, most of our beach walks and tanning sessions were cut short due to cold breezes or showers. We did have a few memorable moments getting lost while running through town, sea kayaking around Birbie Island, watching the little Aussie kids have lifeguard lessons, and finding exquisite coffee (especially the mello-chinos).

Caloundra is a bit of a tourist trap, but so is most of the Aussie coast surrounding Brisbane. There are some spectacular views, long untouched beaches, and mostly dangerous surf. Coming off the death of Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin we were a bit tentative to get in the water. Later finding out on our kayak excursion that the waters around Caloundra are teeming with smaller sting-rays!!! Kendra had a blast chasing the giant pelicans in the waters off Birbie Island in her kayak.

In my opinion, our best rainy day activity was a drive into the Glass House Mountains to taste wines at the Malaney Winery. We nearly brought the limit home after visiting just one winery!!! We also dodged showers and drove north of Caloundra to Noosa and the Noosa Heads. This community is slightly more 'upscale' than Caloundra and has a host of boutiques, resorts, and activities a stone's throw from the small but blustery Noosa Beach. Think of it as more of a seen and bee seen beach versus that isolated paradise.

Our excursion to Fraser Island was long, starting at 5:45 in the morning and ending around 7PM. We had lots of driving to do, but overall I'd say it was worth the unique experience. Fraser is a World Heritage Site and has been designated the worlds largest sand island. It has a variety of wildlife, mostly birds, but we did catch this picutre of a wild dingo. It was a very windy and sometimes rainy day on our trip there, but it didn't stop us from getting some great pictures and marvelling at the 20 foot plus waves on the eastern shore...we just drove right down the beach!!!

Hands down Kendra's favorite activity (and one we almost got rained out) was riding camels on the beaches near Noosa. We played phone tag with our guide for several days, but ended up arranging a one-hour ride with some other folks near Noosa. The camels are quite tempermental, but don't spit I learned! We managed to be stifiling hot while riding through the bush to the beach and then freezing cold once we hit the coast line. All in all it was worth it in pictures!!!

A new season...a new hope!

2006-11-15T11:02:00.000-05:00

Living in Michigan poses a lot of challenges for people. The economy is slow, the weather can be cold (but not horrible), and the lack of quality college basketball is disturbing! Sure there are the Pistons and those Spartans that occasionally have streaks of brilliance. And I suppose there are a few that have cued up the Wolverines 89 title run and some old Fab Five highlights...but if you're looking for real basketball you've got to tune in the Kansas Jayhawks!

The preseason rankings have the Jayhawks ranked anywhere from 1 to 3, but as we all know it really doesn't matter where you're ranked initially as long as you're cutting down the nets in the ATL in March/April. The pre-season and first game started strong for KU with the returning sophomores and incoming freshmen bearing a lot of the scoring load. There have been some flashes of briliance and there is no doubt we are talented and quick. However, much of that talent will be wasted if they do not play solid defense and spend too much time reading the press clippings...Case in point a home loss in November to Oral Roberts! Over the last decade November losses have been a irregularity, but now KU has had two in the last two years. Maybe it's a good motivational point for the team, but we'll have to wait and see how Coach Self reacts.

Honeymoon Travel-blog (part 1)

2006-11-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

This is the long overdue travel-blog about our (Kendra and Corey)
honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand. Just to remind those keeping
track that our trip was a complete secret to Kendra. She did want me
to plan the whole trip and wait to tell her until we arrived at the airport.
The planning was quite extensive and I changed plans multiple times,
but I finally settled on a three week excursion to Queensland
(Australia) and the South Island (New Zealand).

The trip began at the Detroit airport. We stayed at the Westin hotel
at the airport. This was an excellent experience and we highly recommend
the stay if you are ever stuck in the Detroit airport. I still hadn't revealed
the final honeymoon destination, but Kendra was aware that we were
flying to L.A. This of course cuts down the possibilities, but we could have
been travelling anywhere from Alaska to the Galapagos from L.A.
Fortunately, the NWA flight attendants did not go on strike and we
were off to L.A. without a hitch. Upon arriving and gathering our ton of
luggage, we checked in on Air New Zealand.

Our long wait at the dark and extremely dirty LAX airport was more
tolerable as we purchased day passes to the World Perks Lounge. Free
drinks and stale pretzels (used as poker chips) made the evening pass
a little faster. We flew from L.A. overnight 12 hours to Auckland, NZ and
then connected to Brisbane, AU. Yes, it was quite a long day, actually two
days as we crossed the international date line in the process to arrive
8AM on 9.7.06.

Our accomodations for the first portion of our trip was at the
Conrad Brisbane Treasury Hotel. This hotel was the former Ministry
of the Treasury and located in the city center of Brisbane (aka Brizzy).
The hotel featured a gorgeous suite and equally nice fitness room despite
the rather extravagant decorations. Brisbane is a lovely city and was quite
temperate and windy during our 3 day stay there. We were close to
shopping, cultural museums, public transport (bus, subway, and citycat
ferries) to wisk us away to local sights.

One of the first activities we did
was visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in suburban Brisbane. We got
to interact with koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and giant constricitg pythons.
See some of the pictures below...

We also went on an amazing tour of the Story Bridge. One of three bridges in the

world that you can climb, the others being in Sydney and Cincinnati.

Unfortunately, due to climbing restrictions you can't carry cameras on

the bridge, but we did get several pictures of the skyline...

In the end, I can say that Brisbane is one of my favorite international cities due to the
ease of travel and eclectic Western/Asian cuisine. We dined on Moreton Bay Bugs (think Lobsters without the giant front claws), had tradtional fish and chips, and sampled
Australian Starbucks. We also survived some severe jet lag, an awkward moment with
massage therapist, and made friends with the hotel concierge.

Stay tuned for part 2 as we explore areas north of Brizzy on the Sunshine Coast of
Queensland.

Post-election hopes...PURPLE

2006-11-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

Much of the newspaper, television, and internet coverage of the most
recent local and national elections is winding down. So I thought I would
give my perspectives on what ocurred and what may be coming in the
months ahead. Those that know me know my passion for politics stems
my relationship with my grandfather. Some of my fondest memories of
our time together was sitting in his living room in front of his two televisions.
We would simultaneouslly be cheering for the Braves (in their hapless late
80's slump years) on TBS and yelling at a bunch of white guys in suits
speaking at podiums in Washington D.C. on CSPAN.

I thought about those times just yesterday while working out on the
treadmill at the athletic club. President Bush was on one station taking
one for the team, with some humor and class I might add, while the
other television debated the hottest free agent commodities in MLB. Not
often in November am I in heaven with so much positive to say about
American politics. Don't misconstrue my comments as being anti-Republican
at first glance. I happen to agree with many of the 'values' that the 'red-side'
represents. However, the past 18 months has been utterly horrible for
them due to a lack of foresight and slow-footed responses in foreign policy,
domestic issues, and ethical decisionmaking. I probably lean a little
Democratic, but consider myself a pragmatist and independent and
hope that this election shows both 'red' and 'blue' that we need collaboration,
cooperation, and consideration to achieve our goals...ie, turn things PURPLE.

So much legislation has been tabled, passed-on, or pork-barrelled into
other bills that it's all been meaningless in the last several years. Sure
I appreciate the economy's impact on our society, but what if Medicare
falls, Social Security fails, and our educational system continues to run
in shambles. 10 years from now we could be in much worse shape than
the after-effects of 9/11. I don't want terrorist attacks here, but we
also need reasonable leadership to deal with the hard problems instead
of debating who offended a particular group or political philosophy. My
hope is that the Democratic leadership in Washington and locally here
in Lansing, get the big picture and don't take vengance on the
neo-conservative force that blindly led us all astray. Work together...
come together...sing kumbaya for all I care, just get some work done
in the next two years. (Which will really be more like 12 months because
the Presidential electoral process will ramp up late next summer.)

"Just play the percentages and we can score more runs..."
- Baseball philosphy

Conceptionmoon...no not mine ;-)

2006-11-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned in my previous e-mail my good friends Trent and
Cathy are expecting. They've nicknamed the little one Roo in honor
of their conceptionmoon to Australia. What is a conceptionmoon you
ask? Well the following story will fill you in on the latest trend in
vacatoining and babymaking
( http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB116303279504017969-lMyQjAxMDE2NjAzOTAwMzkyWj.html ).

Congrats Cathy on making the Wall Street Journal! Also, congrats to
Trent, Cathy, and little Roo. Perhaps their next conceptionmoon will
be to the beautiful and exotic destination of northern Michigan?

See the stars from here!

2006-11-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Trent and Cathy Guyer of Moundridge, KS have recently become
internet and local television superstars. Their employer Moridge -
Grasshopper Mowers (www.grasshoppermower.com) and new
restaurant Block 32 are now featured on Wichita's KSN TV
station's look at Kansas towns. Check out the KSN website( http://www.ksn.com/news/local/4586451.html ) to learn about
life in small town Kansas and glimpse at the mowers that make
John Deere look like a Model-T.

On a more personal note, if you've met Trent and Cathy they
are expecting!!! www.littleguyer.com has all the updated
information on how the 'Roo' is growing. Please continue to
vote Corey as baby Guyer's name...it's a great baseball name ;-)

BOM - November: Sacred Cow I.P.A.

2006-11-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and happy November! It's time for the rich fall and winter drinking seasons to really kick in. It's the time of year that many of us yearn for something full-bodied, spicy, and dark. Perhaps to drown the sorrows of the weather or maybe it's to pick up your spirits for the holidays...whatever the occasion I highly suggest you try this local Ann Arbor (A2) favorite.

The Arbor Brewing Company's Sacred Cow I.P.A. (cask conditioned). A West-coast style India Pale Ale with an over-the-top cascade hop presence that gives it a spicy nose, citrusy ruby-red grapefruit palate, and a dry, floral, hoppy finish. I.P.A.s are big strong ales, heavy on both the alcohol and the hops. Unlike conventional ales which go from fermenter to serving tank fully carbonated and under pressure, cask ales leave the fermenter flat, and are transferred to a cask along with unfermented malt. In the cask, the ale goes through a secondary fermentation which leaves it gently carbonated. Stored and hand pulled at cellar temperature (53 - 58 degrees). 6% ABV.

I highly recommend this complex beer. It's best in my opinion out of the hand-pumped tap at ABC, but you can also grab a growler to go or find it bottled at Hiller's Market and other local stores in SE Michigan.

New Ride, New Crib...

2006-11-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

So I'm posting a little out of order, but I promise all my loyal readers I'll get to the honeymoon pics soon. We have at least 500 pictures and tons of stories to share, so I"m going to have to make a scrapbook or something. IN the meantime, let me update you on some domestic issues around A2. Kendra and I have recently purchased a new SUV and condo. Yeah, things are getting serious with us...first a wedding, now a car and home...will a dog be on the horizon??? :-)

I think the new digs will be an improvement on the sorry state of apartment dwellings I have been used to over the last 3-5 years. I will always miss the murphy bed in Birmingham, the scary room with no windows in Houston, and the apartment with no central air or heat in Atlanta. Ah, home sweet home...www.balmoralparkcondos.com

Yes, Kendra is sporting a new Smooth Utility Vehicle courtesy of http://www.nissanusa.com Been a busy month so far!!!

Beer of the Month October: Farmhouse Ale

2006-10-31T20:59:00.000-05:00

Greetings beer fans I'm back to report on yet another Michigan ale. This one's rated in the top 25 beers by Men's Journal. It's brewed just down the road from my house in Ann Arbor in the town of Dexter, Michigan. It's an artisan farmhouse ale that is golden, naturally cloudy, bottle conditioned and dry hopped for a perfectly refreshing balance of spicy malts, hops and yeast.

The initial taste of this ale was unimpressive and rather bland. But the second and third sips really improved, leaving me speechless. It's a solid ale that I recommend drinking with a fish or chicken dinner.

Year round production4.5% Alc./Vol.12 ounce bottles - six packs / 24 case

The End of the Wedding Night

2006-10-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Retrospective: Our Wedding 9.3.06

2006-10-08T16:19:00.000-05:00

"It's like rain on your wedding day..." Not sure why that's ironic, but it did rain on the morning of my wedding to the beautiful Kendra Marie Huiskens. Our wedding was not just a one-day celebration, it was a full weekend of friends, family, and parties. It's amazing how quickly the time passed and how many wonderful memories were made for Kendra and myself as well as family and friends.

The weekend started with the Saturday morning wedding rehearsal at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bay City, MI. Kendra and I signed the wedding license and practiced our moves up and down the altar and aisle hoping for a flawless ceremony the next day. Our wedding party was a great help and were very patient with the large number of instructions needed for the proceedings. Thank you to: Sarah, Nate, Brent, Heather, Kevin, Kelly, Trent, Cathy, Chris, Katie, Haven, Matt, Chris Z., Beef, Eric, and Delaney!!! Let's not forget the musical performances of Julie Zann, and the Winningham Trio of Dave, Ryan, and Patrick.

We adjourned from the rehearsal for our BBQ luncheon at the Tobico Beach house of Kendra's parents David and Carol. We had quite a turn out of around 100 for the dinner and open house. Pulled pork and chicken were the main dishes cooked on the Po'John smokers. Kendra's Groom's Cake was a unique creation and best of all Michigan won their football game. (Although the beach football game of Kansas v. Michigan natives was won by the Jayhawkers!) Thank you Craig, Jan and Nate for spoinsoring the party!

The wedding day was beyond description in this brief synopsis, but hopefully these pictures will suffice. A big thank you to my family and Arick for keeping me on task and sane leading up to the big ceremony. Kendra was gorgeous and brought up a few tears as she glided down the aisle. It was all a blur from there, but fortunately no one passed out! I can say it was one of the happiest moments ofmy life to look into Kendra's eyes and pledge my heart and love to her. The rings were exchanged with some fumbling, but we made it work and the crowd roared!!! ;-)

All I can say about the wedding reception is that Kendra and I are blessed with some of the most amazing friends and family. People who never met before acted like old friends and family members who couldn't dance tore up the floor. It was a fabulous party...just look how it ended.

Thank you everyone...

BACK IN ACTION: Beer of the Month - Schmohz Hopknocker IPA

2006-09-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone, I'm back, the blog is back, and BOM is back!!! Yes a lot has changed in the last several months since I've last posted. Atlanta is history, I've gotten married, traveled to the Virgin Islands, moved to Michigan, started a new job, and honeymooned in Australia/New Zealand...not in that particular order. ;-)

Soooo...I thought I'd give everyone a taste of my new home MICHIGAN"S own SCHMOHZ Brewery. And a solid entry into my IPA catalog...the Hopknocker IPA.

Originally developed in the late 1700's, British breweries would send beer via sail to the troops and British ex-pats in Inidia. With a whopping hop aroma and finish, married to dry but full maltiness this "hopknocker" will remind you of those traditional ales. The copper color, East Kent Golding's hops and modereate carbonation add to its authenticity.

I enjoyed this beer first on a Michigan football game day. However, I began to appreciate it more once dined over a homemade cornmeal veggie pizza and light Italian salad. The dressing was intensified by the spicy hops and the thick crust helped soak up a bit of the strong 6.2% ABV from the beer. I highly recommend checking out this Grand Rapids' brewery.

Beer of the Month: Septemeber 2006

The last Atlanta weekends...

2006-05-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

Below are some images of my last several events in Atlanta...Kendra's Graduation from Emory, Delaney's 1st Birthday, Parents and future Parent-in-laws visiting...Stay tuned for pictures from my pending trip to the Virgin Islands!!!

May: Beer of the Month - Urthel

2006-05-05T16:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope everyone has a safe and exciting Mexican holiday. Try celebrating with the following beer...Urthel. No Mexican beers here. Not that there aren't some drinkable selections from our neighbor from the south, but I just can't rate one as high as beer of the month.

I ran across this beer while shopping for tea at Whole Foods. The bottle attracted me first, but having had an Urthel Tripple in the past I new the selection promising hops would be excellent. It recieves an 88 from beeradvocate.com (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1339/26159) and has some interesting reviews. I found it to be smooth for a strong hop filled ale with hints of fruit and sugary mint. It is strong in alcohol content (10%) but not so much that it takes away from the taste. It may be difficult to find as I don't see it in most major specialty stores. Enjoy!!!

Happy Birthday Brother!

2006-05-04T05:43:00.000-05:00

My Brother Nathan has a birthday today...Send him a note or give him a call!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

It's official: We're moving!

2006-04-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

Greetings friends, family, and strangers! I've accepted a new position with the University of Michigan MedSport program in Livonia. I'll be moving from the ATL in a 6 weeks and Kendra will follow in the next few months. We're very excited to be moving north to start a new chapter in our lives. We're also very sad to be leaving our friends, patients, and second families behind. My new practice starts June 12th and Kendra has already recieved some phone interviews in the Ann Arbor area, where we plan to live.

Stay tuned for my Goodbye Atlanta series of blogs featuring places, faces, and good-bye celebrations!

Favorite Albums: Radiohead - OK Computer

2006-04-28T16:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, where to start with this amazing disc of thrilling guitar solos and
monotone lyrical darkness. Radiohead's OK COMPUTER was released
in 1997 with much critical fanfare and excitement. It was hearalded as
a "promise of rock to come" by some Rolling Stone reviewers. While
that may not have held true for Radiohead's contemporaries it doesn't
diminish the impact of this album.

My favorite part of this album is the intricate exploration of the guitar
and electric distortions mixed over the music. Thom Yorke's lyrics
hauntingly describe a decade of arrogance and the beleagured experiences
of Western society...don't understand, just read the following from
NO SURPRISES:

A heart that's full up like a landfill,
a job that slowly kills you,
bruises that won't heal.
You look so tired-unhappy,
bring down the government,
they don't, they don't speak for us.
I'll take a quiet life,
a handshake of carbon monoxide,

with no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
Silent silence.

This is my final fit,my final bellyache,
with no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises please.

Such a pretty house
and such a pretty garden.
No alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises please

IF you haven't listened to it and IF alternative rock is not your style,
I encourage you to listen to it for artistic value. Then turn on the radio
today and hear what others are still trying to copy.

April: Beer of the Month - Cru d'Or

2006-04-21T07:09:00.000-05:00

North Coast Brewing Company: "Cru d'Or, a Belgian Triple Ale, is an homage to the magic of Belgian yeasts, legendary for their fruity flavor and floral bouquet. The result is a world-class beer, lush and profoundly aromatic with a warming finish. It too is organic, brewed with the same reverence for pure ingredients accorded the Abbey and Farmhouse ales of the past. Delicious. ABV is 8.0%. "

I thoroughly enjoyed this brew as it danced across my tastebuds and cooled my esophagus. It was paired with some cajun salmon and steamed asparagus and enhanced the spice with its lemon finish. Sold exclusively at Whole Foods you'll have to go hunting for this one! However, stay tuned for NCBC's upcoming brew Brother Thelonious named for Thelonious Monk the jazz pianist www.monkinstitute.org Sounds interesting!!!

It's been a while...

2006-04-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

So I've been rather distracted from the internet in general lately. Too many hours in the clinic, travelling north, and trying to have some fun!!! I've also been experimenting in another blog-site on myspace.com. You can also find some fun info about me there www.myspace.com/csnyderdpt

Kendra just posted a great summary of our weekend in the North Georgia mountains. Trent and Cathy flew all the way from Kansas to visit and attend our friend Thad and Malia's wedding. Check out the pics at: www.browneyedbio.blogspot.com

Stay tuned for Beer of the Month!

Maybe next year...

2006-03-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Well there really isn't too much to say about KU's basketball catastrophy on St. Patrick's Day. Too young, too inexperienced, too many turnovers, too much wasted talent...Perhaps next year with all the potential recruits and a year more of experience will yield a better NCAA tourney result. All I know is next year I am going to VEGAS to watch ;-)

More non-basketball related news to come...

ROCK CHALK CHAMPS!!! (Don't Mess with Kansas)

2006-03-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

Tourney time has arrived basketball fans and if you are a Jayhawk things are very sweet right now! Not even Vince Young could have stopped the Jayhawks on the basketball court this afternoon as they played quicker and smarter than the 'NBA' talent on the Longhorns team. KU was victorious 80-66 and lifted the Big 12 trophy they were robbed from hoisting during the regular season...Hook who Horns?

www.espn.com is a great resource for those interested in tracking
NCAA brackets. KU came out as a #4 seed this year, which they probably deserved based on their start, but could argue a #3 based on their finish. Just like last year, I think all the brackets are very tough to pick. UConn seems like the overall favorite and I'm sure the Vegas line will agree. However, it is interesting to see the 2, 3, and 4 seeds all in position to make runs to the Final Four. My biggest complaint of all is the confusing nature of the brackets now that they have done away with the East, North, South, West titles in favor of the city regional titles. KU is in the Oakaland (West) bracket and playing in Detroit first. Makes little sense, but I'm sure it comes down to $$$$$$$$$$. (Let's just hope Wolverine luck doesn't rub off on KU).

Stay tuned for my photo diary of the game next Friday/Saturday!

The countdown begins...

2006-03-12T14:02:00.000-05:00

About 4 hours or so until the NCAA tournament brackets are released...The anticipation is building. Before that is the Kansas v. Texas basketball rematch. Gotta love this time of year. Look forward to my preview of the brackets soon!!!

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

March: Beer of the Month

2006-03-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

Well I'm not sure if anyone has actually taken any of my advice on beer of the month, but I'm going to keep posting anyway!

Greetings beer fans! The weather is warming up and the snow is melting. This time of year has me feeling a little more mellow and less in your face as the previous BoM posts. My selection this month is: RIGGWELTER YORKSHIRE ALE

This beer hales from a young brewery outside of the Yorkshire Dales in England. Specifically, Masham which seems like a sleepy old factory town in the English countryside. This is a brown and dark ale with a strong aroma that doesn't overpower you in taste. It is mild, nutty, and has hints of chocolate with the finish. I can only imagine it tastes best with a hot battered fish and some chips (although I drank it with spicy chicken salad). I am also enamored with the way their website spells "favourite."

www.eurobeers.com is another link to search if you are having trouble getting a distributor to ship the beer to your area. Good luck!!! Happy Drinking!!!

Yes Texas won...still tied for first???

2006-03-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

I agree and thank you Thom for pointing out I never did a post-game wrap of Kansas vs. Texas. I've had a lot on my mind lately and unfortunately couldn't respond to the pathetic way KU took the floor against Texas.

OUT hustled, OUT rebounded, OUT shot, OUT right whooped!!!!

OUT of first place...NOT QUITE...

Yep, the mighty Longhorns that smacked KU lost to lowly Texas A & M (who KU crushed on their home floor) last night 46-43. That puts KU in another tie with Texas for first place! Yes, the Longhorns hold a tie-breaker, but in the Big 12 that only applies for the tournament conference seedings. This same thing happend to KU last year sharing the title with Oklahoma. It all comes down to rivalry weekend where KU plays KSU in Allen Fieldhouse-west (KSU's home floor), where KU hasn't lost to KSU since it was built in 1989. Texas faces Oklahoma in the Red River shootout and hopes to hold on to a piece of the Big 12 title.

For those non-KU fans one must appreciate this tid-bit of KU history. Max Falkenstein retired from broadcasting last night after 60 years as KU's announcer. See the attached story for more details.
(http://www2.kusports.com/news/2006/mar/02/falkenstien_
has_jersey_unfurled/?max) I've had dinner with the man and can say he is one of the most unique people I've met. Congrats on 60 years!!!

"Do Good. Make a Difference" - Grandpa Tuley

2006-03-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

EFFINGHAM – John Arthur “Art” Tuley, 88, of Effingham, passed away Thursday, February 23, 2006 at the Jackson County Nursing Home in Holton.
He was born January 8, 1918 at Huron, the son of Alfred and Sarah “Sadie” Tuley. He was a 1936 graduate of ACCHS. He farmed near the Arrington and Huron communities before moving to Effingham in 1957. He worked for the high school and then later in the “caves” in Atchison for Page Airways and Day & Zimmerman. He also worked as a skilled carpenter and used those skills in support of many projects in the Effingham community. He was an avid outdoorsman.
He married Agnes H. Rafaelson on March 22, 1942. She preceded him in death January 2, 2005. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Mary Etta Williams and one granddaughter, Christy Tuley.
Arthur is survived by his children, Sara Tuley Piland and husband, Lowell, Bennett, CO, Dean Tuley and wife, Peggy, Holton, and Janet Tuley Snyder and husband, Craig, Topeka; six grandchildren, Kristen Piland Kellogg, and Kimberly Piland, both of Denver, Taige Tuley Gilliland, Indianapolis, Taren Tuley, Omaha, Corey Snyder, Atlanta, and Nathan Snyder, Suriname, South America; a great granddaughter, Tuley Grace Gilliland, and a sister, Helen Money, Fergus Falls, MN.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday, February 27th at the Effingham Union Church. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery at Effingham. Mr. Tuley will lie in state Sunday and until 10:00 a.m. Monday at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Holton, and from noon until service time at the church. Memorials are suggested to Atchison County Rescue II, of Effingham, and may be sent in care of the Denison State Bank, P. O. Box 71, Holton, KS 66436.

Game of the Year?

2006-02-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday.
February.
25th.
2006.
9PM Eastern Time.

The University of Kansas at The University of Texas Men's Basketball.

Battle for 1st Place in the Big 12 Conference.

Will you be watching...

Keys to the Game for Kansas:
Pressure defense on the perimiter
Continue playing #1 defense in the country, especially in the paint
Smart 3 point shots
Limit Turnovers

Keys to the Game for Texas:
Get drunk at Matthew McConaughey's house...

That fish looks a lot like a child!!!

2006-02-19T19:53:00.000-05:00

Notice the lone visitor to the World's Largest Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium! Well, I can guarantee that your upcoming visit to the Big Fish Show will include the guy in the photo plus 3 to 4000 other people. That's what Shane, Jennifer, Kendra and I experienced today.

Now I know we should have realized it was a weekend holiday. And we should have questioned the logic that Sunday morning would be slower due to church and late-sleepers. But we were shocked to see the masses that braved the chilly Atlanta temperatures to see the Aquarium. It was definately an impressive display of nature and an amazing facility. However, it was also more than disappointing due to the overcrowded exhibits, narrow and cramped passageways, and the endless number of kiddies trying to climb onto the glass. Hey, I'm all for having some fun with the fish, but does Billy Bob Jr. really need to sit in the bubble glass cubbie hole for 20 minutes obscuring the view for everyone else???

On a lighter note, the Ocean Voyager and Cold Water exhibits by far were my favorite. It's amazing to see the whale sharks and how big they are for being "babies." Also, the otters, belugas, and sea lions were entertaining. When I go back I'm anxious to try the "touch pools" to see what live shark skin feels like. I'm sure the octopus would have been too, but we were only able to hear about it from the crowd standing in front of us.

February: Beer of the Month

2006-02-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

Greetings loyal readers and beer drinkers. February's selection for beer of the month hails from the State of California. I was first exposed to this special brew in Houston, Texas at a pub called Kelvin Arms. The initial draught knocked me off my feet...or at least kept me glued to my bar stool.

Arrogant Bastard Strong Ale is brewed by Stone Brewing Company of North San Diego County.
The brewers describe the Ale as an aggressive beer with quality and depth. I whole-heartedly agree, as this beer has all the strong hops and only a mild bitterness that makes you crave a second serving. The brew establishes its dominance by being most commonly found in an intimidating 22 oz. bottle. Who can argue with a "taste-Gargoyle" guarding over your brew while you sit at the bar next to a tiny bottle of American lager.

"Fizzy Yellow Beer is for Wuzzies"

Cost of living: ATL

2006-01-27T17:48:00.000-05:00

ATLanta, The Capitol of the South, Hot-lanta, The ATL, Terminus, are some of the many names of Atlanta, GA. Marketing ploys and nicknames aside, the city has become quite a beacon of growth in the last ten years. I have contributed to the growth by moving here in 2001 when the population was around 3 million. Current estimates have put the metro-Atlanta area at 4.5 million and expecting to hit 8 by 2015. The city limits of Atlanta are much smaller population wise than the suburbs, but recent developments and urban renewal are changing that.

Being from the Midwest I was used to a very low cost of living. Since I've moved to Atlanta, my monthly rental rate has varied from 590 to 800 dollars. Shopping around for potential new apartments today made me realize how growth of the city has affecting housing costs. Every one or two bedroom Kendra and I looked at today ranged from 900 - 1400 dollars depending on size and location. A Google-search revealed an interesting site to compare your city to Atlanta's cost of living: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0883960.html

Sure it's not as expensive as New York or San Francisco, but the job salary strucutre has not increased to balance out the cost of living in the South. Just some thoughts...

Weekend Wrap-up.

2006-01-23T21:48:00.000-05:00

Well this will be short because I didn't get to bed until 3AM last night due to a flight delay. It was a fun and productive weekend in Michigan. Got some wedding planning done, saw the family, and drank a couple of Hofbrauhaus Brews. Here are some pics from the trip!!!

Strange German Lederhosen-man "Fritz" (above).

Corey and Kendra (below).

Snyder and Huiskens' at the Bavarian Inn.

MLK Day...home sick from work.

2006-01-16T12:07:00.000-05:00

Greetings and Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Over the past few days I've been watching and listening to some very powerful documentaries of his life. The History Channel www.historychannel.com and www.npr.org are my favorite site selections. I think what I appreciate most about MLK is the depth and timelessness of his words. Each speech can be related problems in this decade and the ongoing struggle of many for personal and spiritual freedom.

Moving from the serious to the personally depressing, I had to miss my first day of work due to illness today. The MD says its sinusitis, which is a mild inflammation of the sinus cavity that affects the membranous tissue. My symptoms include headaches, dizziness, shooting pains upon changing positions, loss of hearing in right ear, low grade fever, and lots of expectorant (mucus). I'm now on prescription strength decongestants and an anti-biotic. Die bacteria, die!!!

Kansas Jayhawks: Mid-season Report

2006-01-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

Ups and downs...ups and downs...

The Kansas Jayhawks Men's Basketball team have seen a fair share of heartbreak and inconsistency in the first two months of the season. The opening few games were disappointing with losses to Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada, and St. Josephs. Thankfully all those teams are in the RPI top 5o http://collegerpi.com/ and will help the Jayhawks down the road should they be on the bubble to make the NCAA tournament.

Since the rough start Kansas has played some tough games against mid-level opponents with success, but not resounding acclaim. However on January 7, 2006 the Jayhawks put a whipping on SEC powerhouse Kentucky. Not only the the country's all-time winningest program get embarrassed on the Phog Allen Court, they suffered the worst loss in Coach Tubby Smith's tenure at Kentucky. They shot a miserable 24% against a stingy KU defense while the Jayhawks shot 50% from the field.

The upper eschalon of college basketball is probably not shaking in their boots yet, but if the Jayhawks continue to gel, they will be a formidable foe come March. KU needs at least a 2nd or 3rd place finish in the Big 12 to guarantee themselves a place in the NCAA tournament. That means going undefeated at home and beating Texas and or Oklahoma to prove the selection committee the worth of these kids...www.espn.com Bracketolgy now lists K-state ahead of KU...we shall see...

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

January: Beer of the Month

2006-01-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

The second installment in the Beer of the Month is from an outstanding regional brewery with national recognition. The New Belgium brewery grew commercially in 1991 and has been well known for its flagship brew, Fat Tire. However in these colder winter months I like to fall back on something a little darker to warm the blood. 1554, ENJOY!!!

Read the following about 1554 from the New Belgium website. Other than being dark in color, 1554 has little in common with Porters or Stouts. The beer is fermented at relatively high temperatures using a European lager yeast that imparts a refreshing, zesty acidity. Chocolate and coffee tones in the nose give way to a surprisingly clean finish. With 1554 our staff hoped to create a beer similar to what folks enjoyed nearly five-hundred years ago without ignoring five-hundred years of technological innovation. We hope you’ll agree that 1554 is the delicious result of a lot of well-spent library time.

Just not the same...

2006-01-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

Maybe I am getting old, but the way the bowl games are strung out is becoming more apparent. Some of my favorite memories growing up were sitting on the couch in the basement flipping channels with my Dad and brother trying to find the best game to watch. Now, no flipping is necessary since all the games (big bowls at least) occur on different days or different times. To me it takes away from the mystique of the New Year's bowls. Dollar signs have too much power over tradition these days. At least there is a clear-cut national champion now, right?

I am excited about the USC v. UT game on January 4th. It is an interesting match up, despite all the ESPN hype over USC. However, here is a link to a very interesting article about the BCS championship: http://www.slate.com/id/2133477/?nav=ais

Happy New Year!!!

Wasting away the moments...

2005-12-31T22:33:00.000-05:00

The seconds are slipping away for 2005. There is even a leap second this year which will extend all of our memories for one more moment. But as the big shinny ball of light falls in New York or the strange looking peach drops in Atlanta, I can't help but think of how this past year's events will transcend 2005 for many years to come. Engagements, births, deaths, travels, new careers, and each day new knowledge.

I feel very fortunate to have shared some great moments with family, friends, and patients in the last 364 days. For all the difficult times, suffering, and pain of so many in this world, I feel very fortunate to have learned how to live to the fullest and never be satisfied. There is too much to see, too much to learn, too much to experience to just watch from the sidelines and not be involved.

2006 is going to be a year full of events and I hope I can slow down enough to enjoy the journey. So now as I open this beer and kick back with my girl, I leave you with a portion of one of my favorite poems...Happy New Year!
Live in Joy
Live in Joy, In love,
Even among those who hate.
Live in joy, In health,
Even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, In peace,
Even among the troubled.
Look within. Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of living in the way.
-from the Dhamapada

Christmas-week Photos (pt.2)

2005-12-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

Part one of the events of the last week didn't format too well, but they
were entertaining all the same. Happy New Year countdown has begun...

Delaney and Morgan showing off, smile ladies.

Christmas Table...just look at the polish job on the brass!

Corey eyeing the FAT TIRE bike at Bullfrog's in Topeka.

Kendra and Alana at Topeka's popular hang-out...Bullfrog's Live.

Corey and Kevin reunited and it feels so good!

Corey and Mutton-chops Snyder, I think he's talking about his banana.

Kendra's first KU Basketball game.

Brent and Renee representing North Cack-a-lacka.

Snyder family (and Kendra) with Baby Tuley.

Memorable pictures: Christmas-week 2005

2005-12-31T10:39:00.000-05:00

Too many special pictures this year to narrow it down to one or two so I'm attempting to pick my favorites. If you want to see more, please e-mail and I will forward the multiple albums from the Christmas events. Eric and Kelly win with the largest volume of pictures, way to go Lil' D!!!

Christmas Cookies by Dave and Kendra.
Yes 80 DOZEN!!! The new beach mansion in progress in Michigan!!!

Baby Brennan Donner of Minnesota,
born to happy parents Scott and Erika.

The Snyder Brothers with

Grandma Snyder

and Great Aunt Geesie. (left)

Un-Corey with Lil'D...Go Jayhawks!

Mochi getting

ready for the

2006 weddings!

Delaney and Dave getting tipsy?

Tad and Delaney, True Friends!

MORE TO COME SOON!!!

Frantic Rush to End 2005

2005-12-30T23:33:00.000-05:00

This will be one of several posts in the next 24 hours to sum up my
thoughts and observations of 2005 and the fun events of the past week.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Chaunnakah, Kwanza, etc.
Be safe on New Year's Eve but celebrate in style!!!

So the mighty Kansas Jayhawks football team celebrated their first winning
season in 10 years last week with the Fort Worth Bowl victory over Houston.
Their last winning season was in 1995, finishing 8th in the AP poll. All before
Glen "Two Face" Mason left the Jayhawks high and dry in the recruiting
department and left for Georgia/Minnesota. I digress...but a great link to
view on the bowl game:
http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/sets/ku_sports_football/

This victory then raised an interesting question in my family. If KU beat
Nebraska this year in football. And Nebraska beat Michigan. KU therefore
must be better than Michigan in football. The premise of the argument: if
A betters B, and B betters C, than A must better C. While this logic might
work well for Aristotle in the explanation of the virtues in his philisophical
writings, I do not think it applies to the world of football...at least for now.

Corey and Kendra at Michigan v. Ohio State game.

Top 10 Movies of 2005

2005-12-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

So I am a huge movie buff...or at least I was until this year. I didn't have the time to see as many movies in the theater this year. While I agree with most critics that this was a down year for movies, there were a few diamonds in the rough. Netflix, www.netflix.com, made up for a lack of my theater time. What a great concept for home entertainment delivered to your mailbox!!! Anyhow, here are my picks for 2005 with two qualifiers, I had to see the movie and the movie had to be released before 12/1/05. (So I can't include the recent rush of movies I haven't seen yet!)

The Constant Gardener
Batman Begins
Murderball
Cinderella Man
40-Year Old Virgin
War of the Worlds
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
Wedding Crashers
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Hitch

Corey's BEST CD's 2005

2005-12-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

Those who know me know I have very eclectic musical tastes ranging from hip-hop to rock to classical and jazz. Good music is just good music...respect it! So with that said, I wanted to give my top albums of the year. Remember these are albums not songs or popular dittys. In this fast-paced world, taking time to enjoy all the songs an artist performs is rare but to me the only way to judge their work. I hope to hear a little debate and friendly banter after these postings.

Jem - Finally Woken
Beck -Guero
Maroon 5 - Songs about Jane
Coldplay - X & Y
Trey Anistasio - Shine
The Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kanye West - Late Registration
Sugarland - Twice the Speed of Life
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Bob Dylan:No Direction Home - Soundtrack
Common - Be
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Herbie Hancock - Possibilities
Green Day - American Idiot
My Morning Jacket - Z
The Killers - Hot Fuss
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
Dave Matthews Band - Stand Up
The Secret Machines - The Secret Machines
The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack: Complete Recordings
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Gwen Stefani - Love. Angel. Music. Baby
Shakira - Oral Fixation
Brenda Benson - Alternative to Love

1st Best of 2005 Posting...sort of.

2005-12-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of www.avclub.com subsidiary of the www.theonion.com

Worst Band Names Encountered This Year
Public Display Of Funk
Well Hungarians
Test-Icicles
Snatches Of Pink
Goblin Cock
Swollen Members
Clitastrophy
Libido Funk Circus
Cunninlynguists
Assbaboons Of Venus

December: Beer of the Month

2005-12-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

This will be the first installment of a monthly feature on my blog...Dr. Corleone's Beer of the Month! My beer tastes are most eclectic, just like my music, but I tend to lean toward rich, hoppy, and robust ales. My most favorite beer memories tend to be from the beer tasting events I've had with friends or imbibing brew at The Brick Store (http://www.brickstorepub.com/beer.asp) or Old Chicago (http://www.oldchicago.com/RockBottomWeb/OC/Home.aspx).

This will likely not be the last you hear from the Sweetwater gang. Since my move to Atlanta, this brewery has been a favorite and has increasingly grown better each year. One day a year, Sweetwater creates a distinctively tasty seasonal brew. Making it more special is the limited quantities available. Only bottle 7200 liters, 3800 12 oz. cases, and a handful of kegs, so get it while you can!!!

What I love about this selection for Dr. Corleone's Beer of the Month is the high gravity kick (8.6% alcohol) balanced by the sweet and almost chocolate finish. Purely drinkable and utterly dangerous in the liter version if you try it alone. Go now my friends and find yourself a brew for the holidays!!!

World Cup Draws...U.S needs to get to work!

2005-12-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

The draws are out!!!

So those who know me know I love soccer and even more the World Cup!
I even had a special savings account to travel to World Cup 2006 in Germany
(before I got engaged). So instead of Germany this year, I've made it one
of my 2006 New Year's resolutions to get the masses hyped-up for the
tournament. I am really excited about this year's draws, as there are
a ton of great early round match-ups...and of course I'm looking forward
to sitting in the pub with some friends...can anyone say bachelor party? ;-)

Heidi Klum and this stooge participated in the
today's drawing of the 32 team field. Brazil is
the defending champion and Germany is the host
country.

The full listing of the draw can be found here:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/worldcup/wallchart?cc=5901

The United States has a very tough draw, but not the

toughest which likely belongs to Group C. The U.S. is

in Group E with Ghana, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Ghana to my

knowledge has never been to the World Cup, but has the potential to

be a very dangerous team. Italy and the Czech Republic are powerhouse

teams that play completely different styles, but are both can make strong

runs into the quarterfinals. Stay tuned...

Non-political commentary on homeland security.

2005-12-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

Where does the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spend thier money? If you have been confused about how FEMA under the DHS has allocated funds after Hurricane Katrina, check out where DHS funds go for anti-terrorism.

(Terror risk factor 1=minimal, 6=maximum)

Top Three States Per Capita

1. Wyoming $27.80 per person (13.9 million total) Risk 1

2. Alaska $24.83 per person (14.9 million total) Risk 1

3. Vermont $23.83 per person (14.3 million total) Risk 1

Highest Risk States Per Capita

1. California $8.05 per person (282.7 million) Risk 6

2. Illinois $8.13 per person (102.5 million) Risk 6

3. New York $15.54 per person (298.3 million) Risk 6

Who is this guy and why does he think salt and bananas helps constipation?

2005-12-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

Anyone understand this picture? Does he need ex-lax?

Well if you're not frequenting fantasy sports websites, you probably have no idea that this is Mr. Salty Bananas. Also known as the "commish"; "Snods"; "B-sides"; and "Captain smelly-sack". He has a unique knack for dominating fantasy sports and gonz0-style party photography. He represents Rock Chalk and bleeds Crimson and Blue.

Check out my cousin's blog at: http://www.brentsnyder19.blogspot.com/

Intellectually stimulating parody on motivational posters!!!

2005-12-04T19:57:00.000-05:00

This is an example of a really creative website and small business. www.despair.com
It is a parody on those annoying inspirational posters that hang in offices, clinics, and schools around the country. I am a big fan of the dry and very sarcastic style. I'll try to post more in the future when I'm not distracted by the KU basketball game and our ridiculously horrible free throw shooting!

Initial musings of my Kansas Jayhawks

2005-12-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

Anyone that knows me understands my passion for Kansas basketball. I grew up a Jayhawk and will always love the crimson and blue. The basketball program has a storied history that you can explore at the following sites.
www.rockchalk.com
http://www.kusports.com/basketball/history/history_index.html
http://www.ku.edu/heritage/graphics/people/naismith.html

I thought I'd take the time today to share my initial impressions of the 2005-06 Kansas Men's Basketball team. As of this publishing, the Jayhawks are less than one month into the season, so I feel I can adequately talk about the positive and negative aspects of what I always hope to be a title run. Unfortunately, the team is 2-3 and struggling to find an offensive ideentity and consistent play. Additionally, the sportswire has transmitted another uncomfortable headline of unsportsmanlike conduct of someone associated with the KU program.

First, KU fans have unrealistic expectcations every year basketball season comes around. I sometimes am one of these fans and being a native Kansan have reason to cheer and cherish basketball season. This year looking at the experience and talent level there is NO reason that Kansas should worry about not making the NCAA tournament. However, that said I think this year is all the more reason that KU have to worry, this is by far the most signifcant influence Bill Self will have on the transition of the KU program. Four superb freshman will be making contributions to the team, but unfortunately that will also be the hinderance to the progress of the team as he will rely on too many "experienced" players early on stunting the development of the freshmen. I suggest he take the approach of Steve Fischer at Michigan and play the FOUR all the tiem wiht no subs.

Second, watching the current KU lineup it is painfully evident that KU lacks a scoring threat. I think CJ and Sasha are a HUGE scoring tandem, but unfortunately we lack a ball handler that can feed the big men. SO, we have to insert the best shooter possible into the line-up to draw defenders away fromt he basket. Even if the results are poor at the defensive end...So, please BILL play MR. DOWNS as a starter and the defense will shift to a widespread zone or extended man D to compensate. This will help CJ and Sasha carry the load scoring wise.

Finally, Bill Self will build a dynasty here at Kansas much like he left the healthy recruits at Illinois. Give him time and give him a season or two to get in gear. Unfortunately, he is battling 14 seasons of Roy Williams type recruiting, expectations, and players. The best result Kansas fans can hope for for 2005-06 is that the 'fab four' and the 'sensational sophomores' will gel for a Big 12 tournament and NCAA run that will impress the critics. I am looking forward to watching it all.... ROCK CHALK Jayhawk!!!

Turkey-Day 2005

2005-12-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite holidays of the year is Thanksgiving. Not only is it a day off in the middle of the work week, it's a celebration of family, friends, brew, and FOOD! This Turkey-Day was especially significant as it was the meeting of the SNYDER and HUISKENS families.

Snyder's: Corey (me), Craig (my father), and Jan (my mother);
Huiskens': Kendra (my fiance'), Dave (Kendra's father), Carol (Kendra's mother), Eric (Kendra's brother), Kelly (Kendra's sister-in-law), Delaney aka Lil'D (Kendra's niece - seen below)

Every year the Snyder family celebrates the end of the Thanksgiving meal by awarding the biggest eater, which is traditionally signified by the most turkey eaten, the coveted TURKEY HAT. The hat was made by my cousin Kristen's kindergarten class and has been an ongoing prize for at least 5-6 years.

This year despite a lot of debate and critism of the rules, Eric won the Turkey Hat, beating me out because he fed most of his turkey to the dog (Morgan). No I'm not bitter, I'll win the title next year! Thanks for the fun memories: golf, Moe's, Play that Funky Music, Ted's, spilled coffee, and wedding talk. Until next time...

Your Help is Needed!!!

2005-11-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Picture courtesy of www.apta.org

As a health care provider and health insurance policy holder I have a unique position of appreciation for the cost of professional health services. It goes without saying that costs across the health professions are spiraling out of control. (Probably why it is referred to as an industry now with a focus on numbers and technology, but that is another blog debate) In the past, the U.S. Congress has made efforts to control Medicare costs for which we all pay into in some way. 1999's Balanced Budget Act was one example of how lawmakers controlled costs for the Medicare programs. Unfortunately, one bad side-effect of balancing the budget was the restraining cap on rehabilitation services. The cap in 1999 was set at 1500 dollars per year. If anyone has been through physical therapy for an extended period in outpatient or inpatient, this may not satisfy your health needs.

The following article and links are information for you to consider. As a physical therapist and health professional I would like you to contact your Congress-person on this issue. Be honest about your opinions, but please consider that many elderly and destitute patients may go without rehabilitation services if the cap goes in place.

Unless Congress takes action this fall, Medicare enrollees will once again face having their physical therapy benefits arbitrarily capped beginning January 1, 2006, regardless of their medical condition or rehabilitation needs. Legislation to repeal the Medicare therapy cap has been introduced – the "Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act" (H.R. 916/S. 438) has strong bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. In the current budget environment it may prove impossible to repeal the cap entirely – but it is crucial that Congress pass legislation in the coming weeks to protect Medicare beneficiaries' access to essential rehabilitation care.

http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Therapy_Cap&Template=/TaggedPage/\TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=188&ContentID=18639

News update on Medicare cap from 11.09.05
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Practice_and_Service_Awards

&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=26792

It was a good birthday!

2005-11-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

November 9, 1978 is the day my Mother brought me into this world. It is an interesting day in history and hopefully it will be remembered by more than just a popular day in German history. Being that the Snyder family is mostly of German descent, Snyder or Schneider means 'tailor' in the German language, I thought it fitting to identify interesting historical events related to Germany and my birthday.

If you trace the attached link to the Encarta webpage, you'll find that from a very Euro-centric view, the Germans were quite busy on the 9th. The end of the first World War began as Kaiser Wilhelm II was desposed as Emporer of Germany/King of Prussia on the 9th of 1918. Hitler was apparently fond of taking over governments, specifically the Bavarian capitol of Munich (Munchen). Later in his horrific rule the beginning of the Holocaust starting with Krystallnacht ocurred on my birthday. Not desireable acts to have your special day paired in history.

However, one particular German historical event that I do recall was the falling of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. In fact I remember having a poster of the event hanging in my room as I was growing up. The following link describes the jubilation of the day.

FAST FORWARD TO 2005

I spent my 27th birthday with my fiance' after a long 10 hour day at work. She treated me to a night out on the town at the Atlanta Thrashers game. www.atlantathrashers.com My birthday dinner consisted of a pretzel (very German), Bruster's ice cream, and a beer. (not all in that order) We had great seats at Phillips Arena, which is a great place for a hockey game, but not to watch basketball. Trust me I've seen the Hawks play at Phillips and it's not just because the Hawks are possibly the worst franchise in NBA history. The outcome of the Thrashers game was 3-0 over the Pittsburg Penguins. I was quite impressed to see Mario Lemiuex and Sidney Crosby (the next Wayne Gretzky) playing on the same line. Too bad they couldn't score on the ATL that night...it was a good game...

Also, my day was highlighted by multiple phone calls, e-mails, and packages that arrived from friends and family. Thank you to all who sent me well wishes. It was great to hear from my brother too, all the way from Suriname via satellite phone.

Last night Kendra and I went to the Funny Farm in Roswell, GA .http://www.funnyfarmcomedyclub.com/atlanta/index.asp We went to see Tracy Morgan, famous from Saturday Night Live, Half Baked, and his short-lived sitcom on NBC. It was my first comedy show in several years and Kendra's first ever. We had a great time and laughed pretty hard, but I must say I was a little disappointed his theme only revolved around sex. Not that sex isn't funny, but given his range of characters and jokes on SNL I expected a little more.

Until next time...

Let's Get it Started!

2005-10-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the ATL! After much introspection and inspiration
from friends and acquaintances, I decided to publish a weblog. The
objectives for my blind step into blogging are as follows: 1. Provide
perspectives on the exciting things in life; 2. Provide commentary on
the quirky things in life; 3. Document my journey and existence; and,
4. Post obligatory links to other random, disturbing, or hilarious
content on the expanse of the web.

I will attempt to publish content at least weekly. I look forward to

your commentary more than my attempts to entertain. What we

learn from others is far more powerful than self-generated

knowledge...so leave some comments, yo!

The inaugural topic for this blog is Michael 'Mike" Vick. Sure there

are many more intriguing and burning questions in the universe, but

having spent the last twenty minutes sucked into Monday Night Football

I'll defer the deeper thoughts for later.

By far Number 7 is the most exciting player in the NFL. But why is he
referred to as "overhyped" and "overrated." He isn't the best passer in
the league. This measure is typically a sign of pass accuracy, passing
yards, and passing touchdowns all of which Vick does not excel. His
build is not that of a prototypical NFL quarterback, being slightly shorter
and lighter than the average. Despite all of the negative attributes he
wins > 70% of the games he starts at quarterback. He forces defenses
to play the other players on the field differently. He leads the league in
rushing by a quarterback and rushing touchdowns. Also, he may have
the strongest arm in the league to go with the fastest legs.

Hey I'm not Vick's number one fan, but you have to appreciate what

talent he brings to the game of football. He may not be consistent or

win a string of statistical titles, but eventually like Steve Young and

John Elway, Vick's team will win a Super Bowl. At one time both those

quarterbacks were criticized for scrambling too much and making

"too much" out of nothing. Wisdom and having some receivers made

them exceptional late in their careers. We'll see...you can always find

the latest ranting on Vick at http://www.ajc.com

A side note. Monday Night Football sucks on the east coast. ABC is

killing me with these 9PM start times!!!