General Update

Just a few things to keep you up to date on the Jacksons.

-Dana started her job this week.  She has her own office, new computer (with 2 monitors so she can look at two blogs at once), and a new understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment because of the video she's required to watch.  So that's good.

-I've made it to the mid-way point of the semester with an A average in all my classes.  It sounds awesome, but really it's not based on much more than a few things and very subject to change.  But I do feel a little smarter and am speaking in more than sentence fragments now.

-One of the things I am most excited about is coming up on May 9th:  

The Inaugural Jamboe Cup.  This is the brainchild of my buddy Mike and myself.  We are going to divide up around 20 of our friends into to two large teams, and have a Ryder-Cup style Jamboe (also known as "cornhole") competition.  It will have individual awards to be handed out at the conclusion of the day, and of course the award of the Jamboe Cup to travel between the houses of the winning team.  

-Grits is struggling a little with her arthritis and only goes to the park with me and Pistol occasionally.  This is because when she does go, by the end of our jaunt, she's usually dragging behind by quite a ways.  That coupled with the fact that she tries to attack every dog she sees really adds to my stress which is what I'm trying to relieve by going in the first place.

-I am enjoying a few songs right now at a high level:

Ryan Adams - Mockingbird, and The Rescue Blues

Radiohead - 15 step and Everything in its Right Place

David Gray - Last Boat to America

Ben Folds - Still Fighting It

Dana told me she's loving "The Bear" by My Morning Jacket which of course is a not-so-subtle nod to the great football coach from Alabama.

-In the annual Oscar pick-em, I whipped Dana with a score of 12 for 15 to her 9 for 15.  

And this brings me to a short commentary:  Really, Academy?!  You couldn't have nominated Bruce Springsteen's song from The Wrestler?  Jai Ho and that other crap was sooo much better?  Come on!  

Hugh Jackman was a good host, although no the musical is not "back."

I would give more commentary, but I'm busy reflecting on the positions of those who are shaming themselves in the eyes of their unborn grandchildren while thanking Sean Penn for bringing it to my attention.

Commentary over.  

Moments where Dana teared up during the ceremony:

1. any time they showed Kate Winslett, and especially when she called out to her dad and mum.

2. almost every time there was choreographed dancing and singing (a given).

3. any time the showed the little kids from Slumdog.

4. during the Heath Ledger family speech (of course)

5.  when Queen Latifah sung. It is unclear whether it was over the people who died this year or the performance itself.

Between now and next time, discuss whether Danny Gokey is an inspirational story or a shameless guy using a tragedy to gain votes to win a singing contest.  I prefer the first one (I'm an optimist), but even I thought it was sorry when they put that picture up on screen last time.  Stay tuned.

TGIW

Thank goodness it's Wednesday! Although Wednesdays don't typically have much going on, they now equal LOST, which is a great part of the week! I spoke briefly about this in my "25 Facts" post, but work is slow this morning, so I'll expound.

I literally thank Kent for making me watch this show and tell him it's one of the best things he's ever done for me. Before you judge me for loving TV too much, I don't care. It's true. I went into the show kicking and screaming because (1) I'm scared of flying and the plot centered on a plane crash....not good. (2) It bordered on science-fiction...weird. (3) It was too involved and I didn't feel like devoting myself to yet another show.

It only took one episode, and I was hooked. Blame it on the good-looking castaways, the mystery, the clever flashback device, the weekly revelations on character, and allusions to books and philosophy, but the show is genius. If you don't watch it...start! But you have to start from the beginning, or you won't like it. Sure, it's a lot to take on, so maybe wait until the summer TV slump. You'll thank me :)

Top 5 Movie Speeches

I took this one pretty serious.  I think it is because when you hear a good speech in a movie, it gives you goosebumps, and when something gives you goosebumps, you know it's special...or cold.  I thought about just throwing out 5 of these randomly that were good, but they need more organization than that.  A good dramatic speech comes in a few predictable forms: 

-before the big game in a sports movie (Hoosiers), "I love you guys...TEAM!"

-before a big battle in a war/military movie (Braveheart), "They'll never take our freedom!"

-in a classroom setting from a rogue teacher (Dead Poets Society), "Carpe Diem, boys"

-in a courtroom (A Time To Kill), "...Now imagine she's white."

-in a boy gets the girl back scene (Jerry Maguire), "You complete me." 

-a stock broker/sales movie where the boss rallies the subordinates to action (Wall Street), "Greed is Good, greed is right."

-Political speech in any movie about politics (The American President) "My name is Andrew Shepard and I AM the president."

-or just any Al Pacino movie because he's the king of this category as you'll see. "I'll show you out of order!"

As you can see, the categories outnumber the slots so I'll have to let others (are you ladies alive, or just fundamentally opposed to the top 5?) fill in their faves.  These are in no particular order.  And watch out for the language, sorry.

5.  The speech at the beginning of Patton by George C. Scott.  The movie is good, but that speech is the apex of the movie and it comes in the first 5 minutes.  Tell someone your dad's age that you know this movie and they will be your best friend and spend the next 20 minutes quoting it and talking about it.

 4.  Coffee is for Closers in Glengarry Glen Ross.  Not exactly inspiring, but pretty awesome nonetheless.  I find it interesting that we haven't seen Alec Baldwin as anything but comic relief in years when he's got the ability to do things like this.  Also, I once read that Ben Affleck was the new Alec Baldwin.  At first I dismissed this, but I keep coming across examples of where he blatantly rips Baldwin off (Boiler Room speech is a poor man's version).  Also, in what universe is Baldwin superior to Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, and Jack Lemon?

  

3.  The "inch by inch" speech in Any Given Sunday.  The movie is average at best but this speech is worth the rental (or save the $4.50 and just watch it here).  Halftime of the championship game, and the team is predictably down a few points, bring in Al and he will rouse the team into a frenzy.  The last time I watched this speech, I got so pumped up I punched my aunt in the face.  Not really, but you can imagine what it would be like if I had...

2.  The big speech in Lean on Me before East Side High's students take their standardized tests.  Morgan Freeman had about 20 great speeches in this movie, and while this one isn't probably as good as the others on this list, the movie had too many good ones to not be included. 

 1.  Al's back, and this is his best.  Pacino is the Barack Obama of movie stars and always delivers the great speech no matter the caliber of movie.  Of course, this movie is just scene after scene of Pacino just killing it, culminating in this explosive speech.  Never tell Al that he's out of order.

happy valentine's day . . . a little early

February 14th is so much fun, especially when it's on a Saturday so there's no interference by work. This is our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, and I'm really looking forward to it. No pressure on Kent, but I'm simply looking forward to waking up together and hanging out all day, and maybe some chocolate :)

Happy Valentine's Day to all our friends! Hope you each have a lovely day.

Big news and another 5

Ok, this is probably Dana's announcement to make (and by probably, I mean definitely), but the combination of Dana's humility and inability to blog on a regular basis puts the task on her husband. So, here's the news: The Jacksons are going to Birmingham! Dana got a job as a proposal specialist for a company out of Birmingham and since they have schools there that offer Masters programs too, onward and upward! We are "pleased and excited" (a Sabanism) to say the least. For the time being, she'll commute, and when our lease is up (August), we're moving.

We've always thought of moving someday, and it's happening sooner than later (and that is good). Let me also, take a minute to brag a little on Dana. She found a job that she really wanted (not in development which she'd been pigeon-holed into), and did so in an impossible and historically bad job market. She did it all on her own, with no connections or favors called in. It's easy to talk about God's plan when things go right for you, but we've both marveled at the many "setbacks" that led to this perfect outcome. When faith in The Plan is fleeting, we will remember the good times and bad, and as John Locke (Lost, not the philosopher) said, "That pain led me where I am now, I wouldn't trade it."


Ok, Top 5 guys I'm not scared of in a big spot against my team(s).


I got to thinking about this last night while watching Kobe and the Lakers steal a game from the Celtics in the Gaaaahhhhden with the help of the unconscionably bad refereeing in the final 5 minutes of regulation and OT.


1. Alex Rodriguez: there is not a more un-clutch superstar anywhere who just doesn't get it. You know he wanted to be Matt Stairs for just one minute while watching the Series this year.


2. Kobe Bryant: a bit of a surprise considering what happened last night because he does hit big shots, but only 50% of the time and less than that against the Celtics. Remember that this is the same person who has famously disappeared in big games throughout his career. Does anyone really think MJ would have let the Bulls get beaten by 40 in the decisive game of the Finals or any playoff game for that matter? His fraudulence has shown up in 3 different playoff elimination games (2 Game 7s and last year's Game 6). And it was excruciating to have to cheer for him during the Olympics.



3. Carnell Williams: This is kind of a weird person to bring up, but I was never scared of him in the Iron Bowl. And that feeling was confirmed every November of his collegiate career. They (AU) may have beaten us in some of those games, but he came up small in every one of them, if he even played. And yes, his heir to the throne is Knowshon Moreno.



4. Ladanian Tomlinson: If I really had an NFL team, this would be more relevant, but he needs to be on this list because he's right alongside A-Rod in the media darlings who have no heart and come up small time and time again.


5. Lane Kiffin: I'll admit that he was the coach I didn't want UT to hire at the time. But after a few months, I could not be less scared of him. He's proving every time that he opens his mouth (without having coached a game yet, mind you) that he's not ready for this job or the stage he's on. The beauty of this is that all the UT fans are defending his every move and will be eating their words when Florida hangs 50 on them, and Bama beats them badly for the 3rd consecutive year. What a clown! I'll never have the disdain for him that I did for Fulmer because Fulmer actually beat us sometimes. Kiffin will go winless against his rivals which will be the gaping hole in his imitation of Spurrier.


The common thread among all of these guys is that they care too much about what the fans/teammates think of them instead of just ripping the other team's heart out and showing it to them. Give me the guys that enjoy the kill and relish the big moment (the only exception here would be Kobe, but again only 50% success rate). A-Rod hears the boos of the home fans all too well. Kiffin is too much of a people-pleaser to his own fans to focus on the task at hand. Carnell had the talent but lacked the killer instinct (and still does).

I suppose it would be good to give an example of someone who does scare me in a big spot. Hmmm.
Against Alabama, Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, and Houston Nutt.
Against the Celtics: LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Greg Popovich (who would absolutely dismantle Doc Rivers), Joe Johnson, and Chris Paul.
Against the Sox, always Jeter, Vlad, Evan Longoria, Manny if he ever gets the chance, and Grady Sizemore. Just off the top of my head.


Join us next time for another sports rant that only Kent cares about. Or make it your own and apply it to your teams.

a quick 5

The list idea got me thinking of another list exercise.  Participate if you'd like.  In the movie, High Fidelity, they are constantly doing these Top 5 lists.  I like the idea and use it to pass the time in the car with Dana when we have many miles to travel.  So here we go, Top 5 fringe characters on Seinfeld.

1.  Frank Costanza: Would you believe that when I was 14, I had a ssssssilver dollar collection?

2.  J. Peterman:  The very pants I was returning.

3.  David Putty:  High five.

4.  Mr. Bookman:  Let me tell you something, joy boy...

5.  Kenny Banya:  Gold, Jerry.  Gold!

Childish Games

I typically look down on these sort of things as silly, annoying things, but must admit that I enjoyed reading both Dana's and Lynn's enough that I feel that I should do one too.  It's like how I feel about Facebook: I don't like it, but in the Judd Nelson from Breakfast Club kind of way where you just rip it because you rip on everything.  Plus, I've held out this long...why cave at 27 when people my age are starting to quit on Facebook?  But I digress, I'll do the 25 things because I don't want to hold out just to hold out and be all Judd Nelson on you all (the 3 people that may or may not look at this thing).

1.  One of my favorite things to do is hide behind doors or walls and jump out and scare Dana.  Childish, yes.  Hilarious?  Without fail.

2.  When I do activities such as shaving, brushing my teeth, putting away a dish, etc...my off hand (usually my left) takes on a claw shape and is raised to stomach level unconsciously.  I can't tell you why, but Dana has noticed and takes a lot of pleasure in making fun of it.

3.  I love my dogs, especially Pistol.  He has the purest heart, and a somewhat slow brain.  He's an outside dog, which means he stinks.  Dana says this is why she won't snuggle him.

4.  My favorite movie is The Godfather.  And the difference between it and other classics is that it still stands up.  I won't even debate someone that this isn't the best movie of all time.

5.  My TV intake is getting out of control.  I'm ill right now that season 2 of Mad Men isn't available yet because I REALLY want to see it.  A week for our home isn't complete without Michael Scott, Desmond Hume, or the many sad, sad girls from The Bachelor.

6.  That's another thing, my intake of really girly shows has increased as expected by living with Dana.  But she doesn't seem to mind as I tear these women to shreds.  Side note, I know it's blasphemy to criticize reality show stars from Alabama, but this list must be made:

a) the old looking lady from this year's Bachelor is as creepy as I've ever seen.  I'm sorry about her husband, yes.  That said, her "sexy voice" makes me extremely uncomfortable, and she looks like an alien to me...a really old one.

b) Bo Bice? Really "heavy metal" of you to go on American Idol.  And by the way, thanks for that song that is still stuck in my head.

c) Taylor Hicks?  I didn't watch because of you.  An embarrassment.  

And yes, I acknowledge that I'm the only person in this state that feels this way, but come on!  We're the state of Hank Aaron, Bear Bryant, Bo Jackson, Harper Lee, et al.

We're a little better than this...kind of.

7.  I love my friends.  We're that group that stayed friends since we were kids like you'd see in a movie.  

8.  I knew Dana and I were right for each other when we went to a movie together the first time.  I sheepishly asked her if she wouldn't mind sneaking in some candy (and by 'some' I mean like 3 pounds worth) in her purse.  She not only agreed, but squealed with joy at the idea.  She, however, doesn't like the new development having to sneak in fountain drinks in her purse for me.

9.  I take my coffee like a complete sissy.  Sugar and cream until it looks like a white russian.

10.  My favorite band is Counting Crows, and this is usually met with either intense approval from a fellow fan or condescending "Didn't they put out that Shrek song?  They suck."  I won't apologize, they're combination of music, lyrics, and harmonizing is as good as it gets for me.  Listen to Anna Begins, and tell me your heart doesn't break, I dare you.

11.  This is about Dana, but she didn't tell you that her cooking show was called "Now We're Cooking" and I'm laughing as I type this.

12.  My name is Michael Kent Jackson which led to many anxious moments at the beginnings of class where I knew they would call role and everyone would laugh at the guy with the freakshow's name.  I've actually had nightmares about this.

13.  I can't help but love Michael Jackson's music though.  If I could see one music act in their prime, it would be him.

14.  I endured only one heartbreak (2003) as a Red Sox fan, making me a quasi-bandwagon Sox fan.

15.  I endured years of heartbreak as a Celtics fan, making me a beneficiary of their rebirth rather than a bandwagon fan.

16.  To Dana's irritation, nothing makes me angrier about pop culture than when an "average at best" woman is presented as a  "hot babe."  I'm talking about you, Sarah Jessica Parker.  Of course, the worst case of this in history is Serena Williams.  The mere sight of her makes me angry now...and scared she's going to attack me.

17.  As I've been studying Emerson, I'm finding myself to have a lot of common ground philosophically with him, and that is upsetting.  But we're both optimists, hopefully that is where it will end.  Because, you know, he was sort of a fruitcake.

18.    I still dine out on the fact that I was voted "Wittiest" in high school.  Graduating class of 45 people.  That's right.

19.  I am the only person in the world who does not care for Tina Fey.  

20.  My favorite group of minorities is Asians.  They are the most polite.  Even when most people would point to their difficulties in traffic, I say they aren't doing it on purpose.  Honk at them, and they give you a deferential head bow and hand wave.  That's all I ask.  Honk at any other group, and you may get a finger, a swerve into your lane, or end up in a fist fight.   

21.  A list of my heroes would include Vince Vaughn.  He's like Springsteen.  Not much range, but he's perfected what he does do.  

22.  I'm a flag football All American.  I feel funny about this, like I'm the best of all the non-athletes.  Do you brag about this?  

23.  Until there was Dana, I was terrible with women, and had no game at all.  We watch "The Pickup Artist," and while I wasn't as bad as them, I was/am just as clueless as some of them.  I still cringe when I think of my freshman year of college.

24.  My drink is Scotch and water.  

25.  Dana is my very best friend, and while I try not to talk too much about it and put people off, it is a fundamental truth of my life and direction in life for me.  Dana is the best thing I have, and I've got a lot of good stuff in my life.

I Was Tagged!

A couple of my friends tagged me to write 25 random things about myself on Facebook, but I didn't really want to put that on Facebook because (1) it would push me to actually blog on here, and (2) this way, only a few faithful friends will read it. Here goes . . .

1. I love cats, and my favorite pet ever was Kissyfur. I doubt she'll be replaced in that category. I've never really wanted a dog, but I've married into owning two big dogs--Pistol and Grits. I've never really warmed up to them, but Kent and I took them on a long walk today, and I felt some semblance of loving pet ownership. Big step.

2. I'm obsessed with the show LOST. It used to annoy me because everyone who watched it was so crazed. Then Kent and I rented all the DVDs and I've become that person who begs others to start watching it and counts down the days until Wednesday nights.

3. I've only been married for about 6 months, but it's the best. It's better than I even thought it would be, and I'm so glad. Kent is the best and we have so much fun just hanging out.

4. I've always wanted to be a writer, but I can't think of a single thing to write about. That may explain my trouble with this blog.

5. When I watch group performances, i.e. dancing, singing, or a combination of both, I either cry or get a huge lump in my throat.

6. Kent beats me ruthlessly at Scrabble 99% of the time...literally. I've had to stop playing for a while because it was making me angry.

7. I wish I had a career direction and an actual, specific job like nurse or lawyer or teacher. I'm beginning to see jobs as just a way to make money to avoid the pressures of finding the "perfect job." It eludes me.

8. I wear black a lot. Not on purpose to be gothic or something, but I just end up in it a lot. In high school, I had a friend who pointed this out to me, but I never really cared. I wore it today actually.

9. I've become a Food Network junkie. I wish I had a house with a constantly clean kitchen, filled with every kind of ingredient so I could make all the things I see on TV. Huge confession--when I was little, I talked out loud while I made cookies and stuff, pretending I was a TV chef. This makes Kent laugh....a lot.

10. I never get tired of watching Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or Troop Beverly Hills. They make me so happy.

11. I'm addicted to candy.

12. I've never had the chicken pox.

13. Since my maiden name was Garcia, everyone always thought I was of Mexican heritage. Actually, my great grandparents came from Spain.

14. I hate saying song titles aloud. Weird, I know, but it just sounds so awkward out of context of the music.

15. I miss the caf at Samford. Two words: frozen yogurt.

16. I love thunderstorms and prefer cloudy weather to sunny weather...unless I'm at the beach.

17. I love the ocean and wish I could go to the beach about once a month. I grew up going to a small town in Florida called Panacea for summer vacations, and it's one of my favorite places in the world. I miss it and vow to take Kent there someday soon.

18. My wedding day truly was the happiest day of my life.

19. I love Alabama football games. I'm already counting down to next season, and that's something I never thought I would say . . . about any team.

20. I was an obsessive student all through school, and I feel such relief every time I think about not ever having to take another test or write another paper. That being said, I probably need to go back to school.

21. I hate playing sports. Too much pressure and potential for disaster.

22. I'm an introvert...married to an extrovert.

23. I love mexican restaurants solely for the unlimited chips and salsa.

24. When I was little, I wished my parents would send me to boarding school. It always looked so romantic and fun.

25. I'm a homebody.

Ok, your turn. I tag Ashley, Lynn, Kent, Ellen, and Ann Wade.

Closing the Book on 2008

First of all, let me just say how nice it is to have Dana back on the team here at the blogspot.  Now if you'll allow me, I have to get a few things about the Sugar Bowl off my chest.

-I hated this match-up from the beginning because no matter what, you cannot motivate a team to play Utah unless that team is Boise St. or the like.  Granted, great teams motivate themselves no matter what, but I think that we showed we are not a great team, unless we have everything just so (meaning all of our pieces in place and run our gameplan just how we like it).  We are a good team, not a great team...by the way "great" is the most mis-used adjective in all sports media.  

-You can never overstate the importance of the offensive line.  UGA had a sub-standard season, given the hype coming in.  They also struggled in big games giving their quarterback time or their running back holes.  The reason:  their offensive line was mainly freshmen and sophomores.  Alabama by contrast had a terrific season because their quarterback was sacked only 12 times this season, and their running backs had large meadows of running room whenever they needed them.  We had three All-SEC linemen, one of which is going in the top 3 in April.  

The week of the game we lose our best lineman, shuffle things around, then lose our second best lineman in the first 5 minutes of the game...all of a sudden, we ain't the same team anymore and things are NOT just so.  JP got sacked 8 times, threw two picks, and fumbled once...sounds like 2007 to me.

It reminded me of that scene in Bloodsport where Chong Li throws the blinding powder into Frank's eyes and then just toys with him for the next 5 minutes. 

losing the linemen was the powder in our eyes...only we didn't train with blindfolds on and somehow sense where their punches were coming from.  That movie is bullcrap!

-Utah was better prepared and better coached during the prep period.  Score after 10 minutes of gameplay: 21-0 Utah.  hmmm.  Their fist drive was something like what I would do to the computer on "freshman" settings in College Football 2002 for Playstation 2.  And that had nothing to do with our O-line.  After the 1st quarter, we settled in and held them to just 10 more points, but when I say "just so," I don't include down three touchdowns in that.  Alabama fans have known all year that our style can not depend on quick scores to get us back...it was always about pounding the other guys into submission slowly and winning by 10-20 points.  

-Utah was definitely better than us on Friday.  I just wish that if we were going to lose, it would have been more like the Florida game where we had no real excuse except we weren't quite there yet.  But then I ask myself, "Are you really there yet if things have to be 'just so' for you to win?"  The answer is yes if you won 12 times by making things that way for yourself.  

-One last thing, losing to Utah tasted like Poo Sandwich.

Now for more real life things, 2008 saw us get married and move into a nice little house.  It took the dogs to a new home as well and they got a dog apartment that far beats any shelter they've had in the past...got em a space heater in Nov.  

It saw Dana and I both do some "career experimentation."  It gave us many firsts like Christmas and Thanksgiving together, houseguests for a weekend, a vacation alone, SEC championship game, and our first fight as a married couple which of course Dana won (she is much smarter than me).  

It is important to me to look at life and try to only focus on the good and positive things, and there have been more than enough of those this year.  I feel really lucky most days, and on the days that I don't, I just think about how differently things would be without the people around us who've invested themselves in us.  And how rewarding it can be to invest back in them.  

Without getting too corny, I feel like that is the best lesson I learned in 2008: to continue to invest in people.  It feels good to have people believe in you.  And it feels good to give that to someone else.

For those that don't know, I'm going back to school in a few days with the objective being to become a teacher.  Any thoughts and prayers for us during this time will be appreciated.  Mainly for my study habits and our bank account.  

Also, for 2009, I resolve to play more basketball (to get into shape), to be a good student, and to play a practical joke, videotape it and post it online, kind of like this one, beware the language:

My favorite prank in their series.

Our Famous Nephew

Only the pride of aunt-hood could force me back to blogging.  After being shamed and ridiculed by Kent, Lynn, and various other friends for refusing to write, it was little Grant that caused my change of heart.  

Grant is our new nephew.  He was born two seconds after midnight on January 1, 2009, making him the first baby born in the new year in Atlanta!  My brother Michael has always had amazing luck and a knack for winning things, so this should come as no surprise to the Garcia family.  But it was still very exciting!  They won free baby food for two years, free diapers for a year, and major news coverage in Atlanta.  

Little Grant joins our other nephew Joseph and niece Caroline, and we have another niece on the way...due in March!  Maybe she'll be born on St. Patrick's Day.   

Kent and I love spending time with all our nieces and nephews. Kent especially enjoys playing any and all sports with Joseph, and Caroline and I are beginning to bond over ballet steps and baby dolls.  We can't wait to get to know Grant and Carly (to be born in March).

Here's the link to an article and video interviewing my brother and sister-in-law.  Isn't it funny how we still get so excited to see someone we know on TV?  

click here

In other news, one of my New Year's resolutions is to contribute to the blog...we'll see how that goes.  I have hope!  

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!