Jealous Bro?

Ah, the depths to which people will sink for revenge, even if it isn't particularly good revenge. Stories come up all the time about getting back at ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, but what if the ex is a world famous, gold medal-winning, popular skier? Make fun her new boyfriend, who just happens to be a world famous golfer.  Unless it was unclear, Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn are a couple. After Woods committed a bad drop on Friday, moving his ball a few feet from where it should have been, a television viewer at home called in to report what had happened. The Masters officials reviewed a tape and determined that a mistake had indeed been make, although no one had noticed it before. Woods was handed a two-stroke penalty, but not disqualified from the tournament. After seeing the punishment handed down  Vonn's ex-husband, Thomas Vonn then tweeted the following message: "No problem Masters tournament happy to call in and help. You always have to keep an eye on those cheaters ;)" Clearly, someone has a chip on his shoulder and probably a major case of jealously as well. The divorce between the Vonns was a rather messy one, and Mr. Vonn didn't want to discuss the problems they had that caused the split. I personally believe that Mr. Vonn needs to grow up and move on. Sure Lindsey Vonn is beautiful but come on man, there are other fish in the sea. In any case, it's childish to accuse one of the top golfers in the world of cheating, despite the mistakes that he may have made in the past. Woods has been somewhat of a redemptive story lately, and although he didn't win the tournament, he had previously regained his spot as the #1 golfer for the first time since his own messy scandal. Everyone deserves to be forgiven and bringing up old sins certainly won't make  Thomas Vonn any more liked. Come on guy, get over it.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/04/13/tiger-woods-lindsey-vonn-ex-husband/2081017/

"Dunk City" ready to take on King James

Typically, being seeded in the double digits for the men's NCAA tournament is a surefire way to get a quick exit from March Madness. Tell that to Florida Gulf Coast. The university that sounds more like a private resort was seeded 15th in the 2013 bracket, but unfazed, the team went on to do what only six other teams have ever done: send a 2nd seed packing in the first round with an impressive win over Georgetown. Then, proving to be much more than a one-hit wonder, FGCU beat San Diego State to become the first ever 15 seed to reach the sweet sixteen.

The team plays with a hugely athletic lineup; everyone on the floor for Florida Gulf Coast is capable of slamming down huge dunks, as demonstrated in both tournament games so far. The university has a typical "Cinderella" feel and has become popular all over the nation. FGCU is flying high right now, so lack of confidence isn't a problem, but star senior guard Sherwood Brown took it to a whole new level by saying that he would be willing to play against the Miami Heat, the current top NBA team. For those who are living under a rock or just not into sports, the Heat have won 27 games in a row, which is second most consecutive all time. Needless to say, they are playing hot basketball. (pun intended) LeBron James, the Heat's superstar forward was asked if he thought Florida Gulf Coast would beat Florida University on Friday. His response was, "Um...I don't know who will win." Oh LeBron. Probably thinking, "College ball? I'm not really into that stuff." Anyways, it will be exciting to see how Florida Gulf Cost will perform from here on out. Good luck to an unheralded team that rises to the occasion

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/03/25/florida-gulf-coast-ncaa-tournament-/2019899/

Carnival Cruise Catastrophe

How would you like to be lost at sea? For some it sounds like a wild adventure, others may think that sounds like a harrowing ordeal. For 3143 passengers on the Carnival cruise ship Triumph, being lost at sea is exactly what they are experiencing right now. When an engine fire broke out aboard the 102,000-ton ship, it was quickly extinguished, but it seriously damaged the engines, and this left the ship without propulsion. It is now operating on backup power. The passengers have been asked to stay out in the open air or public areas, and not go to their cabins. They are being well taken care of and get their regular meals each day plus refreshments. All passengers will receive a full refund for their voyage. The maintenance crew is working on the engine, and a tugboat has been dispatched. In an update, it has been released that the boat will be towed to Progresso, Mexico, and it is expected to arrive on Wednesday.

The frightening part of this incident is that a very similar thing happened two years ago on another Carnival cruise ship, the Splendor lost all power and was drifting for days. During that time, the passengers lost AC, and working toilets. That would have been even worse than the current incident because there was absolutely no power on board, where here there is at least the emergency power. That boat was towed to San Diego.

Personally, I think that this situation would be terrifying, but also exciting in a way. I have actually been on a Carnival cruise before and while we experienced no problems, I still had a blast playing pirate (I was only five). The passengers sound reasonably comfortable, they don't even have to pay for a cruise that they probably spent some serious dough on, and nobody has been reported to be hurt. Plus, it will be something to tell the grandchildren someday. Unfortunately for the people on the next cruise, they may not get to go because the boat has to be worked upon. The refund is nice, but the cruise would probably be nicer. So what do you think? Would you like to be lost at sea?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/02/10/carnival-triumph-cruise-fire/1907187/

Ray Lewis Goes Out with a Bang and a Sniffle

Now that the NFL season is over, we now know that Ray Lewis has managed to cap off his crazy run through the playoffs with a Super Bowl win. Regardless of what may or may have not happened in 2000, which ended with a murder trial, this man has been a leader and an inspiration. He has really turned his life around is a powerful man both on and off the field. He is not however, too proud to wear his heart on his sleeve. In fact, he is definitely not afraid to cry before the game, after the game, or anytime really. His mannerisms during the National Anthem of the AFC championship game drew lots of attention for his expression of pure love for his country. After every game he has thanked God for the win...while tears stream down his face. It's a wonderful thing to watch, but it becomes a bit much after a while. It needs to made fun of a little bit. Enter Saturday Night Live.

The skit in question features Kenan Thompson dressed up like Ray Lewis in the black skullcap and the #52 jersey. When asked if he is excited about the Super Bowl, "Ray" immediately breaks down into tears. He also gets very excited when asked what he will do if the Ravens win the Super Bowl. It's a very funny parody that can be viewed here.

When Ray Lewis viewed this skit, can anyone guess what he did? That's right he cried. It wasn't out of sadness or pure emotion though. It was mirth. According to Lewis, "I laughed so hard...I was in tears last night laughing about it." So just to set the record straight, Ray Lewis cried about  Thompson crying who was impersonating Lewis crying. That sounds like some sort of paradox straight from Inception. It's good to know that as serious as the world these days is, humor can still be found.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/28/ray-lewis-cry-saturday-night-live/1872843/?morestories=obinsite

JJ. Abrams takes on Star...Movies

Unfortunately for myself I had started off as having Star Wars: Episode I, be my first movie in the storied franchise. While I do enjoy Episodes I, II, and III, and don't think they deserve as much bad press as they get, there is no doubt in my or anybody else's mind that the original trilogy was much better. Lucas managed to create a great legacy with a boy named Luke and a mask named Darth Vader. Until the 2009 movie, I had never really been interested in Star Trek, despite my dad's fond remembrance of the old series. I loved the movie and even spent the better part of a month trying to get my fingers into Spock's "Live long and prosper" position. Now the sequel for that film has been announced ,the trailers have been released, the speculation has begun and the geeks are psyched. Older, but possibly even bigger news however is that Disney acquired Lucasfilms and will be making a new Star Wars movie, set to be released in 2015. JJ. Abrams will be the director of these upcoming movies. Can he do it? Can one man take on take on movies that are extremely similar, yet wonderfully different? I think he can. To put it simply, unite these two fanbases Abrams saved Star Trek. Interest in the series was waning and the numbers of people who could speak Klingon were disappearing. Now people will be lining up to see the new Star Trek movie, not only because of the old TV series, but mostly because of the 2009 film. On the other hand, there is the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars has never really been on a downhill slide, mostly because some of its fantastic video games. But it has lacked a spark that it had, really since the end of the original trilogy. Perhaps Abrams will provide that spark. Regardless of what the box office brings in (Episode I: The Phantom Menace was extremely productive, yet generally disliked by fans), Episode VII will have to set the tone for Star Wars from now on. I for one, know that I, along with many others, will be lining up to see whatever Abrams produces, if nothing else, for the legacy he is taking on. Please though Mr. Abrams, no Jar-Jar Binks.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/01/27/jj-abrams-star-wars-director/1865955/

Armstrong Admits

Back in October, the report accusing Lance Armstrong of doping came out, shocking many people around the United States and even around the world. Rumors had been thrown around for years of course, but the report directly accused the 7-time Tour de France winner of cheating so that he could win the biggest race in cycling. This accusation hit my family especially hard. My father is one of the few people to actually watch cycling on TV. He enjoys biking himself, and follows the sport avidly. I must admit that while it did get tiring at some times, he has passed on a love of cycling to me, even if I don't watch races. I had grown up hearing about some of the greats like Eddy Merckx and Armstrong. Naturally my dad and I defended Armstrong at first. He was a hero. He had survived cancer and come back to win the most Tour de Frances ever. Unfortunately for us and cycling fans everywhere, Armstrong's interview on Oprah in which he admitted to taking banned substances was a crushing blow. It depresses me to think that such a great athlete achieved most of his success through shady ways. The fact that he defended himself for so long really made many people stick by him, but by his own admittance, it was "one big lie". The article in USA Today summarized the interview that aired on Thursday, in which he admitted to doping, told exactly what he took to boost his performance, why he cheated, and various reactions, including the one from Livestrong. Livestrong is the cancer support group that Armstrong started following his own recovery. Aside from all the negativity, Armstrong is making a step in the right direction by admitting to cheating. Even more important, at least to me, is that while he has made some major mistakes, he did survive cancer, and he has contributed a lot to the world by starting Livestrong, which has inspired many people to fight their own battles against the disease. In the end, what will matter most is what Lance Armstrong does with the rest of his life. If he agrees to talk under oath about the doping he did, he may be forgiven. If he is rude and uncooperative, he will go down as a fraud and a jerk. For the sake of cycling fans and cancer patients everywhere, I hope he makes the right decision.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/cycling/2013/01/17/lance-armstrong-oprah-winfrey-confession/1843641/

My Life

Me, Ben Reckmeyer

Sometimes, everyone can just blend in with the crowd, and finding individuality is difficult, if not impossible in some cases. Individuality should be something that each person should value beyond measure because it allows him or her to identify with himself or herself, and know their own self better. I am glad that I am different than other people, but not so much that I can’t relate to anyone. My life started out pretty normally. I was born in Bellevue Nebraska, and lived there until the end of the second grade. I attended St. Mary’s School, which is where my mom went to school when she was a kid. I had a pretty good life. When I was in Pre-K, I found out that I would be getting a sister. However, my sister wasn’t gotten in the conventional way. My mom and Dad flew over to China to adopt a baby girl. Having an adopted sibling is uncommon, but as far as sisters go, I’m glad I have her. Moving ahead to second grade, near the end of the year, I found out that my dad had gotten a new job. However, this job didn’t just come with a new office and a pay raise. My family packed up and took a nine hour plane ride to Germany. This was probably one of the best experiences of my lives, especially in culture. We traveled a lot on vacations to the majority of the European countries. We lived in a great house and I went to a great school. When we decided to move back in the middle of sixth grade, I was sad, but I was also ready to be back in the U.S. for my middle and high school years. I went back to St. Mary’s where almost all of my old friends still attended, as well as some new friends. I stayed at St. Mary’s until graduation, and still fondly remember my days there. My parents had decided on sending me to Creighton Prep, and I am really glad that they chose this school for me. Freshman year was challenging because nobody I had graduated with in 8^th grade went to Prep, but I survived, and even excelled. Sophomore year has been even better.  One of my favorite pastimes is music. It has always been a huge influence on my life since my Grandpa on my dad’s side has been conducting and playing music for over 55 years, and everyone on that side of the family plays some form of instrument. I played piano for a while, but I started playing clarinet in sixth grade in Germany, and did very well. When we moved back to Nebraska, I was involved in a few bands in my middle school years before settling on taking private lessons. When entering Prep I got into the varsity band, but I was challenged musically for the first time. Since picking up the pace in my practicing, I have managed to do well at the high school level too. I think I have had  pretty good life so far, and hopefully, it will just keep getting better.