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"A Game of Golf" by Francis Ouimet

From DavesBookNook.com:

Francis Ouimet (1893–1967) was an awkward, relatively unknown twenty-year-old amateur and former caddy when he walked across the street from his modest home in Brookline, Massachusetts, and stunned the sports world by upsetting famed British golfers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 U.S. Open in a dramatic playoff at The Country Club (TCC). His spectacular victory made him America's first golf hero, drew new fans to the sport, and forever altered the image of golf as a stuffy, rich man's game dominated by British and Scottish players.

In this engaging memoir, first published in 1932, Ouimet fondly reminisces about his life in golf and gives sage advice on playing the game. With charm, wit, and a passion for the sport, he vividly chronicles his boyhood in Brookline, recalling how he scavenged for golf balls and clubs, learned to play on a homemade three-hole course in his backyard, and sometimes sneaked onto The Country Club's fairways to practice in the early morning hours. He recounts his caddying years, starting at age nine, the early amateur competitions, and the momentous 1913 U.S. Open tournament on his neighborhood course. Included is the legendary story of Ouimet turning down the offer of an experienced TCC member to carry his clubs in the playoff, sticking instead with his ten-year-old caddy, the self-assured Eddie Lowery. Ouimet's narrative then journeys through his illustrious amateur career, over the fairways of Hoylake, St. Andrews, Garden City, and Pebble Beach, and concludes with his great sentimental victory in the 1931 U.S. National Amateur at Beverly Hills in Chicago.

Brimming with exciting matches and such great players as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, these colorful yet humble reminiscences of a working-class kid who changed the game of golf will appeal to golf enthusiasts and general readers alike.

Cara being Jacob Marley...

Just when I think this kid can't get any cuter, she does this. Right now, her favorite thing to watch is Mickey's Christmas Carol. Goofy plays the part of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's dead partner. In this scene, he visits Scrooge to tell him, well, you'll see. She even makes excellent use of a slinky as a prop. See underneath the video for translation.

"Ooooooooh (ghost noises). Ebeneezer, remember when I was alive, I robbed the widows and swindled the poor? I was wrong! My punishment is to carry these heavy chains for eternity! Doomed! Doomed! And the same thing will happen to you."

Kaitlyn dancing to Wow Wow Wubbzy...

The title of this one is pretty self-explanatory. She really digs Wow Wow Wubbzy. Much like her sister.

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"The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen" by Howard Carter and AC Mace

From DavesBookNook.com:

This book captures the painstaking, step-by-step process of excavation, and the wonders of the treasure-filled inner chamber. 106 on-the-spot photographs depict the phases of the discovery and the scrupulous cataloging of the treasures.

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"I've got 99 Swing Thoughts but 'Hit the Ball' Ain't One" by Christopher Smith

From DavesBookNook.com:

A round of golf takes five hours to play, but only about three minutes are spent hitting the ball. The average golfer spends the other two hundred ninety-seven minutes thinking, rethinking, and overthinking, contemplating every aspect of his swing until the moment he finally hits the ball. Golf’s reputation as a thinking-man’s sport may have turned players into on-the-course philosophers, but all that navel-gazing hasn’t lowered anyone’s score. It may seem counterintuitive, but when you turn off your brain and play faster, you shoot lower scores. As one of the top-ranked speed golfers in the world, Christopher Smith knows this firsthand. He shot in the mid- 60s for eighteen holes on multiple occasions, playing for about forty-five minutes while using only six clubs. As a Northwest Section and Oregon Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year, he also knows how hard it is for players schooled in the tradition of the game’s great thinkers to get out of their heads. In I’ve Got 99 Swing Thoughts but “Hit the Ball” Ain’t One, Smith shows you how to make quick decisions, go with your gut, and get on with the game.

Greats like Jack Nicklaus, known for out-thinking his opponents, and Tiger Woods with his unbreakable concentration, know when to rely on their critical faculties and when to let the mind/body system take over. Every thought and movement they need to play well is embedded in their brains and muscles before the game begins. When you ride a bike or park your car in a tight spot, you’re using the same kind of “unconscious competency” these masters bring to their games. In this book, Smith helps you transfer that ease of movement to the golf course. Via a series of games that covers every part of the swing—from the grip and setup to getting out of sand traps—you’ll internalize the golf swing, leaving you free to get to the ball, see the shot in your mind, and execute it.

A top instructor and coach, Smith advocates finding your own unique fundamentals of the swing—plus the drills you need to turn them into second nature. The game-changing techniques in I’ve Got 99 Swing Thoughts but “Hit the Ball” Ain’t One will turn you into a free-wheeling, react-to-the- intended-target golfer who feels the game, plays faster and better, and, your mind free of paralyzing swing thoughts, gets on with the business of hitting the ball.

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"Facing Down Evil" by Clint Van Zandt

From DavesBookNook.com:

With more than twenty-five years of service in the FBI, Clint Van Zandt, one of the seminal figures in the formation of the FBI's Hostage Negotiation Program, has been party to such unsettling and high-profile conflicts as the Waco siege, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Unabomber case. His expertise-both as a crisis negotiator and as an FBI insider-has, since his retirement from the FBI, made him a fixture in the media; since his retirement from the FBI, he has been called upon more than three thousand times to provide insight and analysis when high-profile hostage situations arise. In Facing Down Evil Van Zandt recounts his most memorable cases-some televised in every living room across the country, and many others that took place beneath the radar of all but those individuals involved whose lives were permanently altered.

From blue-collar beginnings in the Midwest, Clinton Van Zandt fulfilled his childhood dream when he took an entry-level job in the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a clerk in J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, eventually playing a leading roll in the FBI's groundbreaking work in hostage negotiation. In the years that followed, Agent Van Zandt rose through the ranks, helping to form the FBI's Hostage rose through the ranks, helping to form the FBI's Hostage Negotiation and Behavioral Science Program, where he would encounter madmen like Timothy McVeigh, David Koresh, and Ted Kaczynski.

Van Zandt draws the reader into his private world of hostage negotiations, taking us inside the criminal mind, the impossibly high-stress situations, the ticking of the clock before SWAT is brought in, the art of calling a hostage-taker's bluff, and the despair over a botched operation or a nonnegotiable situation. It is both a gripping page-turner and a thoughtful examination of our nation's most powerful law enforcement agency through the eyes of someone on the front line of many of the FBI's most famous and infamous cases.

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"The Gathering Storm" by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

From DavesBookNook.com:

Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.The final volume of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordan’s editor---his wife, Harriet McDougal---to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will make up A Memory of Light. This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era.

In this epic novel, Robert Jordan’s international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward---wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders---his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.

Egwene al’Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower---and possibly the world itself.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Kaitlyn "walking"...

Well, she's started trying to walk in the last week or so. She takes about 3 or 4 steps here before she starts to fall and takes a few more, but that's about as much as she's taken at one time so far. Won't be long before she's running all around this place.

Now Reading...

"A History of the Devil" by Gerald Messadie

From DavesBookNook.com:

AN UNORTHODOX COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF RELIGION-FROM THE DARK SIDE-BY A BESTSELLING THEOLOGIAN

The biggest ruse of the devil is making us believe that he doesn't exist," claimed Baudelaire. On the contrary, argues bestselling historian and critic Gerald Messadie, the true evil lies in the fact that we believe in him at all. A History of the Devil is a provocative exploration of the personification of evil through the ages and across cultures. Messadie reveals that the Satan of Judeo-Christian mythology-the antithesis of God and good-was a concept unknown to the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Hindus, and Chinese. In fact, the devil was probably invented six centuries before the common era by Persian clergy eager to demonize their political adversaries. Ever since, the image of evil has been a useful tool of the powerful, both religious and secular, from the prosecutors of the Spanish Inquisition to the Cold Warriors of our own time. In seventeen absorbing chapters, Messadie researches the genealogy of the devil in the world's major civilizations, from Asia and Europe to Africa and North America. He examines the devil's role in each culture and the evolution of his various incarnations throughout history. Abundant in historical references and cultural analyses, A History of the Devil shows that it is precisely the belief in the devil that lies at the root of religious fanaticism around the world today.

Now reading...

"The Law of Nines" by Terry Goodkind

From DavesBookNook.com:

Bestseller Goodkind (Confessor) ventures into thriller territory with results sure to please fans of his fantasy fiction. In the opening pages, Alex Rahl, the book's unwitting hero, saves the beautiful Jax from being run down on the street in Orden, Neb., by a plumbing truck flying a pirate flag. Jax, who turns out to be from an alternate reality where evildoers are attempting to seize control of her civilization, has traveled to Nebraska to seek Alex's help in saving her people. In Jax's world, magic takes the place of technology, but on earth she's stripped of her powers and forced to fight armed with only her trusty dagger. The author takes his time setting all this up, but once the story gets rolling, it's a gripping ride as the bad guys whoosh in between their world, which remains unseen, and ours. Fantasy and thriller readers alike will find themselves swept along to the final confrontation and looking forward to the next installment.

Now reading...

"Brave Men" by Ernie Pyle

From DavesBookNook.com:

Europe was in the throes of World War II, and when America joined the fighting, Ernie Pyle went along. Long before television beamed daily images of combat into our living rooms, Pyle’s on-the-spot reporting gave the American public a firsthand view of what war was like for the boys on the front. Pyle followed the soldiers into the trenches, battlefields, field hospitals, and beleaguered cities of Europe. What he witnessed he described with a clarity, sympathy, and grit that gave the public back home an immediate sense of the foot soldier’s experience.

There were really two wars, John Steinbeck wrote in Time magazine: one of maps and logistics, campaigns, ballistics, divisions, and regiments and the other a "war of the homesick, weary, funny, violent, common men who wash their socks in their helmets, complain about the food, whistle at Arab girls, or any girls for that matter, and bring themselves through as dirty a business as the world has ever seen and do it with humor and dignity and courage—and that is Ernie Pyle’s war." This collection of Pyle’s columns detailing the fighting in Europe in 1943–44 brings that war—and the living, and dying, moments of history—home to us once again.

Now reading...

"The Spirit of St. Andrews" by Alister MacKenzie

From DavesBookNook.com:

Alister MacKenzie was one of golf's greatest architects. He designed his courses so that players of all skill levels could enjoy the game while still creating fantastic challenges for the most experienced players. Several of MacKenzie's courses, such as Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Pasatiempo, remain in the top 100 today. In his "lost" 1933 manuscript, published for the first time in 1995 and now finally available in paperback, MacKenzie leads you through the evolution of golf--from St. Andrews to the modern-day golf course--and shares his insight on great golf holes, the swing, technology and equipment, putting tips, the USGA, the Royal & Ancient, and more. With fascinating stories about Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and many others, The Spirit of St. Andrews gives valuable lessons for all golfers as well as an intimate portrait of Alister MacKenzie, a true legend of the game.

Cara singing, "On Top of Spaghetti"...

Here's another video of Cara singing, this time "On Top of Spaghetti". Don't mind her hair, she just had a shower. And apparently, she likes to sway when she sings. Here's hoping you don't get sick watching this.

Now reading...

**NEW FEATURE**

I know, you're hella excited. So basically, this new section will highlight whatever book I'm currently reading. Seems simple enough, right? Yeah, it probably is.

"The Forever War", by Joe Haldeman

From BarnesandNoble.com:

Private William Mandella is a hero in spite of himself -- a reluctant conscript drafted into an elite military unit, and propelled through space and time to fight in a distant thousand-year conflict. He never wanted to go to war, but the leaders on Earth have drawn a line in the interstellar sand -- despite the fact that their fierce alien enemy is unknowable, unconquerable, and very far away. So Mandella will perform his duties without rancor and even rise up through the military's ranks . . . if he survives. But the true test of his mettle will come when he returns to Earth. Because of the time dilation caused by space travel the loyal soldier is aging months, while his home planet is aging centuries -- and the difference will prove the saying: you never can go home. . .

Cara singing again...

This time, it's a selection from The Wonder Pets. Dedicated to my Mom, in case you couldn't tell.

Cara sings, "Zippity Doo Dah"...

I might be biased, but I think she's the cutest kid ever. She even has great manners.

Move over, music playing cell phone...

Well, it's official. I've become a member of a growing population of iSomething users. I now have an iTouch. Now, I've had it for less than a day now, but I can easily say it's one of the coolest things I've ever had. I don't have my wireless network set up at home yet, and I don't have access to one at work, so I haven't gotten to download any apps yet. But I've already got some music on it, and hope to get more, along with some pictures, on there in the next few days.

With iTunes, it's actually about a simple of a process as can be. You insert a CD into your computer. iTunes grabs the info off the CD. You plug the iTouch into the computer and away you go. No problemo. Between my new cell phone, new computer, DVR and now this, I'm running the risk of losing all eye and physical contact with other human beings. Luckily, I have a fussy baby with me every night to bring me crashing back to reality. Wait, lucky?

Special thanks go out to my Dad, who bought it for me. It was mighty generous of him. Or, he's just trying to blow through our inheritance. Personally, I hope it's the first one.

401(k) excitement...

Well, it only took until April 16, but for the first time in about a year and a half, my 401(k) is in the positive territory year-to-date! Huzzah! The economic recovery has well and truly begun. USA! USA! USA!

Oh crap, I probably just jinxed us pretty good there. Sell! Sell! Sell!

Evolution is no joke...

Anyone who doubts evolution is an idiot. There, I said it. Here's a good example: babies. You know why they're terribly cute? It's so you won't want to smush their faces in when they've been in your arms for 90 minutes crying the whole time. Just when you're ready to scream at the top of your lungs just to show them who is the screaming king and pull your hair out, they'll do something cute like smile and then you'll forget about everything else that pissed you off. That's evolution. Congrats, nature! You've done it again.

F*** you, Time Warner...

I hate Time Warner. Can't stand them. They are the biggest idiots out of any company I've ever done business over the phone with. Some recent examples of their stupidity:

* I got a messed up bill in December because someone didn't tell me they were going to start charging me for my second digital box after 1 year. Spoke with a supervisor who gave me free Showtime for a year because of it.

* Since I didn't want to pay for the second box that I really didn't need, I turned the box in.

* Got my next bill and second box had not yet been removed. Called customer service to have it removed.

* Called later to verify box had been removed. Turns out when box was removed by service rep, she started charging me for Showtime.

* When speaking with rep who was removing the charge for Showtime, she advised me my new bill would be higher because apparently, they raised my base rate. This was neither on any bill or mentioned to me at any time when I was making all these friggin' calls to the service and billing departments.

So now I'm going with WOW! for my cable and internet. Both combined will save me $20 per month and I won't have to deal with Time Warner anymore. And you better believe I'm going to tell them why I'm canceling when I call. Is WOW! any good? I have no idea, and frankly I don't care. I talked to them on the phone twice today, and they don't sound like a bunch of monkeys, so they're already WAY ahead of Time Warner in my book. And if you want to switch to WOW!, let me know and I'll give you a code where I can get $25. Cause I'm worth it.

Excuse me, sir?

I never intentioned this blog to have a lot to do with my job, but this situation screamed for a post. So forgive me for the journey I'm about to take you on. It'll be worth it, I promise.

Being a phones supervisor, I get to talk to a lot of crazy people. Crazy people are usually pissed, and pissed off people can let some language fly. As I covered in my last post, doing this will generally get you nowhere with me. But the guy I spoke to this morning took it to a whole different level.

I've been cussed at a lot in my 3+ years in this position. If there's a curse word that exists, I've heard it, and I've heard it applied as some sort of adjective to me. I've been called a Jehovah's Witness because I charged someone an installment fee (not sure how that works, since I am unfamiliar with the faith. apparently, Jehovah's like to charge for paper? never knew that.). But the guy I spoke with this morning called me the N-word. Not nice, not a ninny, not a nancy boy. The big N-word. Huck Finn traveling down the river with a guy named N-word Jim, N-word. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in a bit.

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Wrapped your mind around that yet? Didn't think so. Not only am I one of the whitest people you'll ever meet, how is that something you say on the phone, regardless of how pissed you are? So, as the post title suggests, I said, "excuse me, sir?". To which he replied, "whatever, go f-yourself". Clearly this gentleman was in rare form. However, this would be the end of the line for him. I told him that based on his language, I would be hanging up on him. When he started to talk again, I interrupted and let him know if he wanted, he could call back 24 hours a day. He kept on talking, so I told him to have a good day and hung up on him. Now there's a sweet feeling for you.

Calling Customer Service...

In case you didn't know, I am a supervisor at a call center for Progressive Insurance. A small portion of the calls I take regularly are people who are pissed about something and ask to speak to a supervisor. This is me. Now, when you call in and bitch about something on your policy, I can either do something for you or I can't. If I can't, there's no way you're getting what you want, whatever it is. Insurance is one of the most regulated businesses in the country. If it can't be done, it can't be done. Making you happy isn't worth my insurance license, or my job.

However, for some people, there are things I can do. I can give you what you're asking for or I can find a way to compromise so you at least get something, which makes you feel all warm inside because you feel like you won. This is generally based solely on my mood/willingness to be helpful at any given time. So here's a suggestion: whenever you call a company and request a supervisor, keep your language in check. If you start off the call by launching yourself into some profanity-laced tirade at me, you just lowered your chances of me doing something for you by about 50%. I understand you're upset. You wouldn't have asked for me if you weren't. But cursing, calling me names, etc, are not the way to go. Be polite. Ask for something like a civilized human being. Talk to me the way you would if we were face to face. Because you wouldn't start the cussing right away if we were face to face, trust me, I'm a big dude. And remember, frequent use of profanity just shows a lack of intelligence and language skills. I am not impressed that you can drop the F-bomb 4 times in one sentence. And you just made it a lot easier for me to tell you no.

Intro...

William Shakespeare seems like an ok guy. Some people debate whether or not he was one person, or a group of people that published works using that name. And that's fine. I'm not here to debate that. But I am borrowing generously from him with my new blog. In his play As You Like It, a character named Jaques is waxing on about how the world is a stage, and that people are merely living their lives as actors on that stage. Well, it seems nowadays, nearly everyone has a blog, so I'm diving right in. It will be a great place for me to things off my chest, get opinions from my soon-to-be faithful followers about all manner of issues, both important and non-sensical and to feel like a big shot by having a blog. Please feel free to sign up on the right to get updates whenever I post an update, or just check back whenever. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you're here to stay.