Half Way There

It was such a good Bon Jovi song and it fits well into my life right now. I have officially finished three of my 6 semesters of Seminary (Got the grades today, but finals were done Friday). It is actually surreal in that I can't believe it has been that long. The time has flown by, but I think that is because of the hectic pace of work here. It has been a bit more than I expected and took a good semester to get in the groove. Kind of similar to the idea on the ship that it took 4-6 months to really get comfortable with and know your job. I do kind of dig the breaks between semesters, too bad I schedule a bunch of stuff during them. I have to fly to LA this Friday for ordination interviews, come back on Tuesday for Christmas, off to Atlanta for the bowl game and then as a small group leader for a college conference then school starts. How the time flies.

A Day Which Will Live in Infamy

67 years ago today, the world changed forever, and PHNSY personnel actually did something on behalf of the sailors there. While we tend to rag on those who work at PHNSY for being lazy on that day they moved cranes into harms way to block planes and save ships from destruction. Many of them also lost their lives as well. On a clear Sunday morning, Pearl Harbor was attacked and everything America stood for was put to the test. On this day I just direct your attention to the following articles from the Raleigh News and Observer for a great description of how Pearl Harbor affected us and one regarding the way it affected one individual. The numbers of those who were there are rapidly dwindling and we need to listen to what they say and learn from their ideas. A heart felt thank you to those there that day and throughout WWII.

Why CBS needs to give up the Army-Navy Game

Again, CBS completely botched their coverage of the game. I do give them credit for actually having an announcer with knowledge--Boomer Esiason. And, they did actually show the singing of the alma mater after the game, but other than that, pretty poor performance. I would almost like to see NBC get the game because at least those announcers have seen Navy play once each season and know the players. I miss the days of ABC having the game and really focusing less on advertising and more on the traditions and reason behind the game. I especially miss the spirit spots that units from around the world, and at the academies, make for the game. Only 3 (for a total of about 90 seconds) in a 3 1/2 hour time slot. Gimme a break. Especially seeing how there are such creative spots on youtube that were submitted. I just hope it is the network denying the air time and not the powers that be at the academies.

So I have included a few of my favorites from a quick web search. Even being a Navy guy, the milkman spot by the Army that got broadcast was creative and funny. I would have included that one, but couldn't find it easily.

One from the Sub force (had to include that one):



This one is my favorite:




The next one is a few years old, but because it hearkens back to my childhood and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air I had to include it:



Despite the poor coverage, it was a great game to watch and see Navy completely dominate Army and win the 7th in a row. Plus they pitched the first shutout in 30 years. I just hope my Yellow Jackets can do that well in the Peach Bowl. (I refuse to call it the new name).

Football and Family

I know this is almost a week late in talking about Thanksgiving, but I was busy typing papers and such for the last few weeks of class and didn't have much time. I am constantly amazed by the sense of community and family in the military, especially the Navy. On Thanksgiving, my parents and I flew into Seattle for the weekend to visit my brother on Whidbey Island. When we arrived, he had arranged for us to have dinner with the family of another member of his squadron. We were welcomed with open arms and met that guy, his wife, his parents and two other P-3 types. There was no feeling of intrusion as it has been my experience that you truly look out for each other in the Navy. I remember hosting many open dinners on the holidays at my home when I was active duty and am glad that it is more than the submarine force that extends that kind of hospitality. It is something I have missed and am trying to model for others while here in seminary. The church seems to fail miserably in hospitality and is one thing of many they can learn from the military. (That might be a good dissertation topic for anyone interested in a PhD)

As for the football, it is nice to see my Yellow Jackets are going to a great bowl game this year. We finally benefited from the +/-1 win rule this year and got the best selection of the non-champions. Typically we fall all the way down and get stuck with some West Coast bowl game no one can get to. This time we are playing in Atlanta and I should be there rooting them on. I am assuming my ticket request gets through, especially seeing how I am tagging onto someone else's request who has higher priority than myself. Hopefully, they play fare better than the last few games, especially the narrow loss I witnessed in the Gator Bowl two seasons ago. It is nice to see them continually going to bowl games seeing how they went the two years before I attended, missed all four years of my school time and have not missed a bowl since I graduated. Coincidence? Probably.