The Undecided Philosopher

My Blog is moving...

2009-09-02T10:52:00.003-04:00

Though I have only blog randomly over the last year or so, usually associated with some form of travel, I wanted to let everyone know that my future blog entries will be moving to my personal web space. If you would like to follow along with my occasional random thoughts, please join me at http://home.two-michaels.com and click on the link on the left-hand side to "Ben's Blog". Take care...I hope to see you all at my new web home.

A 5-hour tour....a 5-hour tour....

2009-03-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Each year during this event, Alcatel-Lucent plans a grand dinner party to entertain and impress the North American contingent. My first time in Paris, this dinner was held on the Eiffel Tower, which honestly I never thought could topped because, let's be honest, when looking at things on a grand scale, few are grander than the Eiffel Tower. This year our dinner was a 5-hour Yacht cruise on the river through the heart of the city. I must say this was a magnificent event. The food was excellent; the company was very enjoyable; and the views were beyond outstanding. My pictures certainly do not do the voyage justice, but I tried my best to capture a few of the spectacular moments. The highlight of the evening came as the captain of the ship rushed us back to the Eiffel Tower just in time to see its 11pm light show. I had never witnessed this show in person or from such an amazing perspective. From the river, the tower shined directly above us, its lights glimmering across the water. If nothing else, this view was worth all the effort of traveling to France.

My dinner party, minus Ando, who was behind the camera...

A view from the river...

Eiffel prior to the lights...

Eiffel in all her glory...

This pic is for Mom...see what a good influence you are....

Down to work in Paris...

2009-03-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

OK...I have been in Paris for several days and I have been to a few business dinners and events, but yesterday was the first real focused event for Alcatel-Lucent Forum. John and I attended what can best described as the highly produced and very dramatic opening Keynote for the Forum itself. The Chairman of Alcatel-Lucent spoke as well as Peter Sondergaard, the Senior VP of Research for Gartner. Both focused on the new environment in technological advancement in light of the current global economic crisis. The general focus of the entire presentation was the value of research and development of intellectual property when financial resources are limited by economic concerns. Tom Burns, President of Alcatel's Enterprise division also spoke, and from his and the other presentations, several thoughts were born. I found myself taking several pages of notes as I related open issues at KVAT to the content presented. It was a very valuable session and should bear fruit for the company.

The show floor opened immediately after the Keynote and I lost several hours searching booths and exploring several new Alcatel and partner products. All in all, this has been a good educational experience beyond just the influence of Alcatel-Lucent and its product line.

Just a fun shot from the night before exploring the city...

The Convention Center itself...Palais des Congres

Just the beginning of the presentation...that massive screen soon tripled in size!!

Strangeness arrives from a familiar device...

2009-03-03T10:37:00.001-05:00

I had such a strange experience this morning I decided it was worthy of its own small entry in the blog process for this trip. I do not consider myself an isolationist and I certainly understand that their are significant differences from country to country and culture to culture. Needless to say, I understand that the United States does not represent the only perspective on how to do things. Have a meal; order a coffee; take a cab anywhere outside of the US and you will soon realize there are numerous other ways to do things in this world; some better and some worse. I like to think I found an example today of the wrong way to do things. Selfishly I believe the US has it right.

In the interest of time and money, I decided not to renew my internet connection in the room this morning. It is 25 Euro per 24 hours, and i wanted to allow myself some overlap tonight and tomorrow so I decided to avoid the charge this morning and go up to the public business center to check my email via web browser and surf for a few things. The hotel has a few very nice Sony Vaio PCs running MS Vista, so I assumed it would be an easy task to jump online, check a few things, and take off for the morning. As I sat down and began to type, I quickly realized something was very, very wrong. It took me a few minutes to change the browser to support English, and that was to be expected. What I didn't expect was to find the keyboard a jumbled mess of letters and characters I didn't recognize or understand. I don't know why I didn't know that France, and I am in turn assuming other parts of Europe and the world, have different, non-QWERTY versions of computer keyboards. This particular keyboard had all the normal english letters and numbers I was accustomed to see, but they weren't where they were supposed to be. As I typed normally, M's became N's and the Q was a row down, taking the place of the A. The numbers across the top were not the primary keys. There were 3 characters per key and two different function keys to use them. It honestly took me 5 minutes to figure out how to type an @ symbol. I never did find a DELETE key. Frustration quickly ensued and I suffered through long enough to look at my email, realize there was nothing I had to act on immediately, and then turn and leave as quickly as possible.

I have worked with and around computers for nearly 20 years and never have I felt so inept and lost as I did this morning attempting to type on that computer. I think the only saving grace was that the mouse worked the same way. I suppose despite my self-perceived enlightened attitude, I am still an ignorant American, working under the assumption we are far superior in every way, at least when it comes to typing.

The evil keyboard in question....

A Day Exploring...

2009-03-02T13:13:00.001-05:00

Today John and I experienced the city of Paris the way I have always wanted to experience a great city. We simply picked a direction and started walking. We explored the length of the Champs Ellesse. We shopped through the heart of their retail district, going from Cartier to Louis Vuitton to Hugo Boss to Peugout. We took in the architecture and photographed anything that struck our fancy. We made our way along the river and came back up through the heart of the art district, tracing a portion of the Tour de France route. We stumbling onto a nice little Italian restaurant and had some phenomenal artisan pizza. We watched a French elementary school let its kids out for the day and we explored a little corner grocery store, picking up some of my beloved Red Bull. All in all, we got to see much of Paris from a Parisian perspective. The entire day was very un-tourist and quite pleasant.

I could get quite philospohical about the whole day, but I am going to skip all of that for now and simply share a few photographs and a few captions. Have fun.

Walking toward the Arch down the Champs...

The Arch de Triumph in the near Spring glory of the day...

The Arch and me...

John and the Arch....before the ascent...

The art of a truly monumental structure...

There are a few stairs to the top of the Arch...

The view from above the City....

Sacred Heart in the distance...

Eiffel in all her glory...

John and Eiffel in pose....

The heart of a new Paris in the distance....

The National Gallery...Paris has a lot of art...

More of the National Gallery campus....

Some very impressive portions of the Bridge...

More bridge column illuminated by the hand of God...

Me crossing the river...

I honestly have no idea what this is other than a beautiful woman and a golden sword...

Looking back against the Parisian skyline...

The Obellusk...you know I was going to share this...lol

Looking down the Champs Ellesse....

A beautiful portion of a random park in the heart of the city....

Post Breakfast - Pre Shopping in Paris...

2009-03-02T04:52:00.001-05:00

I thought I would get a quick entry into the blog before I set out for the day to do a little sight seeing and a little shopping. It is post breakfast time here in Paris. John and I grabbed a quick bite downstairs and went across the street to the Conference center and mall. I have learned thanks to the lovely lady at the Currency Exchange window that I am only 76% the consumer here in Paris as I am in the US. Though a little stronger than I expected, the US Dollar is still quite pathetic compared to the mighty Euro.

I am not quite sure what today will bring. All museums are closed in Paris on Monday so the Louvre is out. I am thinking it might be a good day to experience Notre Dame again and perhaps make the hike up the hillside to visit Sacre Heart. Of course there will also be some shopping. I personally want to find my way to the Shakespeare Bookstore and explore a few racks. John has promised his grandson that he will bring back a fire truck, a police car, and an ambulance, so I am sure I will visit a few toys stores along the way. This, of course, is good news for Michael David as well. I also have to consider the needs of the women in my life today. My sister and mother were quite specific in their needs and wants; others were much less specific. I might even look for a snow globe or two.

No pictures this morning in this entry, but the sun is currently out and the skies are blue, so hopefully I will have a few things to share later tonight. Talk to you all very soon.

I see London...I see France...I have seen way too many airports lately...

2009-03-01T18:10:00.003-05:00

OK...this is the danger of letting me travel abroad. Here I am with lots of free time, a camera, and a new journal to tote around. The result you might ask? Ben's random thoughts about everything including this trip. Let's start out with the bad. I honestly thought about heading home from Atlanta before even making the jump across the Atlantic after everything imaginable went wrong with my flight. After nearly 24 hours and 3 international airports, I finally arrived in my hotel in Paris. Now granted, this arrival came after visiting my friends the British for a a couple of hours and a long, heated discussion with the folks at Air France and Delta about my travel plans. Regardless, I am here. A couple of quick points...1st, apparently the British are a short people. I came to this conclusion after noticing every ceiling and sign in the majority of the airport was only about 6'6" off the ground. While I ran from Concourse to Concourse, I felt as if I was in a constant state of "duck". 2nd, I came to a serious conclusion about life as we know it, a few specific things in my own life, and this trip as the general inspiration. Though you often hate the process, never give up on the result. I sat in the airport in Atlanta hating the process, wanting to go home and crawl in my warm and cozy bed and forget the rest of the traveling world. Now I am in Paris, my mind swirling, my stomach full, and my heart ready to give this city another chance. Though I still think the person who coined the thought "Half the fun is getting there" is a blooming idiot, I now know I need to be willing to suffer through the rough parts to get to the great parts in the end. This can certainly apply to a ton of different scenarios in one's life. I know I wrote extensively about it in my journal. I can think of at least one or two situations I deal with each and every week where I need to cherish the end results, whatever they may be, instead of stressing the process and the unknowns that cause so much anguish. Ponder that and see if it works for you too.

I think I mentioned my stomach being full earlier. If I haven't mentioned it before, this is a city full of phenomenal food, so much so that John and I literally walked around for more than an hour debating where to have dinner. We stumbled across some other friends and settled in at a cozy little bistro as a boysterous party of 15. What ensued was 3 + hours of great food and great conversation. I am bursting at the seams from smoked salmon, beef filet, and molten chocolate perfiterals (I am sure I am slaughtering the spelling there, but you get the idea). Add on perfectly aged Champagne and red wine and you have a night to remember.

Now, let me be honest for a few seconds more. As I mentioned before, I have been traveling a long time the last couple of days. At last count I have been going for 36 hours with very little sleep. This entry will therefore be short...and probably a little incoherent. Please forgive. I am attaching a few photos from the room and tonight. Many more to come I hope...

Vegas 2007 Days 2 and 3

2007-05-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

OK, I am a couple of days removed from my first entry about this trip and time has flown by. Sunday was spent at Hoover Dam, The House of Blues, and my bed recovering. Jetlag finally caught up with me Sunday night. The trip to the Dam was awe-inspiring and left me at a loss for words. It is truly a monument to the American spirit of the 1930's. I am inserting several pictures to give you a better feel of my experience.

Monday was a day to register at the conference and explore the Legas Strip in the afternoon. We ended the evening with a quick dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. I must run now to a couple of meetings, but I hope to return soon with more photos and more thoughts.

Welcome to Vas Vegas!

2007-05-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

After yet another long absence from blogging, I am attempting to make my triumphant return to the written word, this time as a mechanism to chronicle my return to Las Vegas and Networld Interop. My story and my trip this year does not begin on the way to the airport or upon landing in Sin City, but instead at a windy soccer field in Bristol, Virginia. The day before I was to fly out of Knoxville to Nevada, I was spending the evening at my son’s soccer game, chatting with his grandmother and other parents, when my phone ran from an unknown number. On the other end of the phone was a woman identifying herself as an agent from my bank’s fraud protection center. Apparently, less than 24 hours before my departure for the bright lights of Las Vegas, someone decided to try to compromise my check card. Fortunately, the thieves were unsuccessful in getting to any money, but the bank was still preparing to suspend my check card as a precaution. This would of course leave me without a way to get cash for my trip, so I bent a few laws to get to an ATM and grabbed the legal limit from the machine to fund my trip. There is nothing like a little stress to get the ball rolling on an adventure to the west coast.

My actual travel day was largely uneventful. I am traveling with my friend and colleague Adam and his wife Sabrina. We drove to Knoxville and took a non-stop flight with Allegiant Air to Las Vegas. The flight was smooth, though a little frustrating, because we skipped dinner on the way out of Knoxville and the airline lacked any real food on the plane. Therefore, as we landed in Vegas around 9:00pm local time, our first priority after finding the hotel was to seek out some food. Of course, this is Vegas, so the world is still open and we grabbed a quick meal before crashing.

We are staying at the Excalibur, which is a first for me. On checking in, we were comp’ed a room upgrade because our reserved rooms with a view of the strip were unavailable. We are therefore staying in the newly remodeled Tower II which includes large plasma TV’s and new furnishings throughout. No complaints from this guest.

Saturday was largely a day of local exploration and grounding. Went spent most of the day wandering around Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay, eating occasionally and shopping a bit. We took a ride on the IMAX pyramid adventure and explored the replicated tome of King Tut. Both were fun and impressive, if not a bit brief for my taste.

After dinner, Adam and I decided to try a little sports gambling, with all of our faith in the favorite on the undercard of the Taylor-Spinks fight in Memphis. We had some dinner and settled in at the sports book with our tickets in hand. Alas it was not a night for the favorites and we quickly came off our gambling high as Miranda went down for good late in the fight to Pavlick. What did we learn from this experience you might ask? Never bet against an Irish guy from Idaho!

Sabrina, feeling great pity for us and noticing our heads held low as we licked our wounds, decided to treat us to a hydro-massage. For all those that have never given this a try, do it. I have never felt so relaxed and re-energized in my young life.

Today is a trip to Hover Dam with our friend Sanjay. It should produce some awe inspiring views and many, many impressive photos. Of course I will try and share those with you all on my return. I am off for now. More updates to come.

Some other photos from the day:

Odds and Ends, Fall Edition...

2006-10-24T21:12:00.000-04:00

First, allow me to apologize to all of you who have stopped by to read my day to day rants. It has been 20 + days since I have logged on and posted any thoughts, and for that I sincerely apologize. The life of the Undecided Philosopher has been unusually hectic, causing my windows to write and think to shrink and dwindle with each passing day. Rest assured that many, many rants have been thought through and outlined in my head as I drive through the Tri-Cities and parts in between; not to mention the inspirations that have been cataloged as I have absorbed much of the political fodder spewing from my TV over the past few weeks. I play on covering as many thought as possible in the coming days, especially leading up to November 7th.

Speaking of November 7th, while listening to/watching/fuming over the Tennessee-Alabama football game this past Saturday, more than one announcer and call-in guest referred to Alabama as the "Red Elephants" coming to Knoxville to wage war with my beloved Volunteers. By the end of Saturday night, Alabama had lost a hotly contested battle in Tennessee. "Red Elephants" losing a hard fought, somewhat dirty and poorly managed contest in Tennessee....hmmmm....premonition? You decide....

Another note of importance involving colors, though in no way related to politics....Last week I found myself driving to work via an alternate route. Instead of my usual sprint up Interstate 81 to Northern Abingdon, I wandered off the Interstate early and drove up Main Street, through the heart of Abingdon proper. I would like to say this journey was out of a sense of nostalgia or a respect for the wonders of a historic town, but, in all honesty, I had forgotten my dry cleaning the afternoon before and I was in dire need of an ironed shirt. That being said, before reaching the dry cleaners, I came to a red light at the bottom of a hill on Main Street just below the Washington County Courthouse, the road angle all but forcing me to stare upward. There before me was a beautiful palette of fall colors, with maples and dogwoods and all other manner of trees displaying their red and orange and yellow leafs. I was basically taken aback and humbled by the beauty and simplicity before me. Right then I was struck by the power of my surroundings and overcome with the sensation that I do not appreciate the area of the country in which I live. Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is saturated with natural beauty of an almost endless variety. From its mountains and valleys to its forests and rivers, this area is blessed with resources too numerous to mention and we as its inhabitants should be sincerely grateful for all this area provides us. I know at that moment I was. Take a moment this fall season to stop and look around wherever you are. Soak in some of the color and depth that fall in the Appalachians provides. You will be happy you did.

I have much more to say, but no more time to type this evening. Many more thoughts to come, so please keep visiting and reading and commenting as you have time. Until later my friends...

Mr. Fair and Balanced....

2006-10-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

I wish to send out my best wishes for a swift recovery to Bill O'Reilly and the staff at Fox News. Obviously, though nothing has been made public, there must have been some type of horrific accident in their studio facilities a couple of days ago resulting in massive head trauma for the entire staff including Mr. O'Reilly. What else could explain the blatant and repeated mis-labeling of Congressman Foley as a Democrat from the state of Florida. This screen tag was posted no less than four times during the initial live broadcast of the "No Spin Zone" on Tuesday evening. Apparently, the mistake was noticed and corrected by the re-airing of the show at 11:00pm that same night, after much of Fox's targeted audience was safely tucked away in their beds.

I normally choose to make no assumptions about motive or intention when issues like this arise because I recognize the natural flaws of humanity and realize that mistakes are made. That being said, the conspiracy theorist in me wants to look at this mistake on Tuesday and scream from the rooftops the obvious hypocrisy saturating the halls of the self-proclaimed "No Spin Zone". My minds eye can envision our Nation's Vice President on the phone with executives at Fox News making comments like "...mistakes happen...I am not asking you to lie, but imagine how helpful it would be if a little problem happened during primetime to muddy the waters..."

According to reports on MSNBC this morning, there have also been reported incidents of confusion in the headline "crawl" on Fox News in which the word "Dems" has replaced "Republicans" in obvious statements about the Foley scandal. I refuse to cast blame on an entire news organization because of the actions of a few individuals, but I do believe it is possible someone at a keyboard somewhere in the studio has been drinking a little too much of the Kool-Aid.

You Might Be Too Partisan...

2006-09-22T08:37:00.000-04:00

Most mornings during my daily commute, I have Don Imus on the radio in the background. Today was no exception. A conversation with Jeff Greenfield caught my attention and motivated me to turn up the volume and pay a little attention. For those of you that do not know, Jeff Greenfield is the Senior Political Analyst for CNN, an author of several books, and a generally good talking head. Mr. Greenfield was ranting this particular morning about the nature of political partisanship in the US, and more specifically, how Americans have become too partisan in their everyday lives. In many cases, Mr. Greenfield expounded, free thought and analysis has been replaced with partisan alignments. What caught my attention was his use of the phrase "...you might be too partisan" when referring to the blanket support of a White House initiative. With all respect and nods to another great Jeff (Foxworthy), that phrase tickled my funny bone and sent me down the path of creating several new editions to the "You might be..." joke reel. For those of you that might be interested, here goes:

"If you hate going to the circus because of all the elephants....You might be too partisan."

"If you plan the route of your summer vacation to include only the red states....You might be too partisan."

"If you use the death toll from the war on terror as a polling number....You might be too partisan."

"If the Fox News logo is burned into the corner of your TV....You might be too partisan."

"If you cast a write-in vote for Jed Bartlet in 2004....You might be too partisan."

"If you get a twisted sense of joy riding donkeys to the bottom of the Grand Canyon....You might be too partisan."

"If you stopped watching Law and Order because Fred Thompson's character was replaced....You might be too partisan."

"If the site of cowboy boots makes you queasy....You might be too partisan."

Suggestions are welcome. Try the prime rib. Tip your waitresses. I will be here all week.

Start Your Ivy League Education for Free!!

2006-09-21T10:47:00.000-04:00

In an article reported by Reuters and MSNBC, Yale University has announced it will be providing access to video lectures, syllabi, and transcripts to several 2007 classes via the Internet and free of charge. Yale's stated motivation is to make the school more accessible. Personally, I believe this program is outstanding for several reasons, including but limited to its ability to fuel the curiosity of old folks like me who miss the challenges of academic achievement. Oh yeah, it also helps other people like students and such, but lets focus on me and my needs.

Unfortunately, participation in these online classes does not count toward a degree at Yale - darn it. But it is still an excellent opportunity to peer through the academic window of an elite institution and see how you stack up intellectually. Also, it is important to note that at least one of the 7 classes is a classic - "Introduction to Political Philosophy". You cannot go wrong with a good philosophy class that embraces the intricacies of political theory at its most basic. Other classes include "Introduction to the Old Testament" and "Fundamentals of Physics". The latter may be a little difficult. I am not sure how you can pull off the lab work from home.

I will provide links to the classes in the future as they become available.

Buchanan Strikes Again...

2006-09-20T18:24:00.000-04:00

I realize that I am running a little behind the buzz on this particular post, but I felt it deserved attention regardless. Pat Buchanan has again made headlines concerning border security and the President, this time in an online post for WorldNetDaily. Once again, the most striking part of Mr. Buchanan's comments is his non-partisan tone. The following are some excerpts:

"A president like Teddy Roosevelt would have led the Army to the border years ago. And if Fox did not cooperate, T.R. would have gone on to Mexico City. Nor would Ike, who deported all illegal aliens in 1953, have stood still for this being done to the country he had defended in war. What are these Bush Republicans afraid of? Dirty looks from the help at the country club?"

"Not only have Richardson and Napolitano awakened Â they are on the front lines Â so, too, has Hillary Clinton, who has spoken out against illegal immigration with a forthrightness that makes Bush sound like a talking head for La Raza. Why is a Republican Congress permitting this president to persist in the dereliction of his sworn duty?"

"Twice, George Bush has taken an oath to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Article IV, Section 4 of that Constitution reads, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion.

Well, we are being invaded, and the president of the United States is not doing his duty to protect the states against that invasion. Some courageous Republican, to get the attention of this White House, should drop into the hopper a bill of impeachment, charging George W. Bush with a conscious refusal to uphold his oath and defend the states of the Union against "invasion."

Once again, I must force myself to applaud Mr. Buchanan and his willingness to paddle against the partisan stream to fight for something in which he believes.

So often in the last few weeks, the mainstream press has reported on the mid-term election trends and the Republicaresurgencece in the polls due to a shift in focus from Iraq to the overall "War on Terror". National political consensus states that Americans view Republicans as strong on Defense and terrorism. Yet, I believe nearly everyone is missing the point. The issue of immigration is a matter of defense and a matter of terrorism. Open and porous borders breed crime and injustice. They leave open doorways for criminals and potential terrorists to easily enter our country undetected. By endorsing plans that include amnesty and lack fences and safeguards at the borders, the President and his party, as well as the Democrats that come along, are exposing themselves as weak on defense and negligent in the defense of this country against terrorism. The Pollsters are missing the point.

The Disillusionment of the DNC...

2006-09-13T19:26:00.000-04:00

I have one question to pose to the DNC, the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, and to all the Democratic candidates running for office this November. "What is your plan?" It is time in this country - it has been time in this country for a long while now - for the Democratic Party to stand up and stop simply screaming that President and his party are wrong. Tell the American people how you would fix the problem. Throw out some ideas. Stick your necks out and actually suggest some changes, or even theories involving changes, beyond the simple idea of "Republican bad - Democrat good".

I am a life long moderate Democrat, and nothing frustrates me more than to see my country and my party dissolved down to the basic principle that change is a solution unto itself. Changing the party in power in this country means nothing. Putting a party in power with strong, clear, potentially new, exciting ideas and executable plans - now that means everything. The VolCon has posted an excellent opinion on the state of affairs in the RNC as they relate to the primary struggle and ultimate victory of Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island. Sadly, I can sympathize with his every word because the DNC created a very similar scenario in Connecticut this summer with its attacks on Senator Lieberman. Both parties are deevolving and we should all be concerned and ashamed.

As I posted with the VolCon, i have tried to write this post three different times and each time, I have gotten too angry to continue. This time is no different. Let me simply say that I encourage everyone to read Rob's post and understand the problems facing American politics on both sides of the aisle. Trust me when I say we are all facing a lose-lose situation.

An Insanely Good College Football Weekend...

2006-09-13T18:43:00.000-04:00

Normally my attention would not be focused on college football this early in the week, well, except for the pending Tennessee game, but, after looking at the schedule, this is a weekend made for the college football faithful. Just take a look at some of the scheduled matchups on Saturday:

3:30pm - #11 Michigan at #2 Notre Dame - NBC
3:30pm - #6 LSU at #3 Auburn - CBS
3:30pm - #17 Miami at #12 Louisville - ABC
3:30pm - #15 Oklahoma at #18 Oregon - ABC

5:30pm - #24 Texas Tech at #20 TCU - CSTV

8:00pm - #19 Nebraska at #4 USC - ABC
8:00pm - #7 Florida at #13 Tennessee - CBS

So much football and so few TV's! I will personally be at the Tennessee/Florida contest with the VolCon, the VolConWife, and Mom. This should be a hard fought game with a close score going into the 4th quarter. I am picking Tennessee, not just with my heart, but under the assumption that Tennessee plays its best football when backed into a corner and the close call against Air Force should add some fuel to an already tense rivalry game.

As for the other games, I think LSU/Auburn should be interesting early, though I expect Auburn to be much more aggressive and pull away late. Notre Dame/Michigan is another story. Michigan has looked interesting this year and could prove a tough challenge for Notre Dame at home. I am picking Michigan in the big upset of the day. Miami/Louisville has lost some of its luster with the loss of Louisville's running attack and Miami's loss to FSU. I predict Miami wins by 10. Oklahoma at Oregon is another interesting game, but not for the matchup or ranking. I think the Ducks have been sorely overlooked and expect them to make a huge statement in this game. Watch for Oregon to pull away early if they can keep Peterson under wraps.

I just cannot get excited about the 5:30pm game between TCU and Texas Tech. As I type I am flipping a coin. Looks like my nod goes to TCU.

Finally, Nebraska and USC should make for entertaining football early. I think the Huskers will fight hard through the middle of the third before USC takes control and wins by 17.

Granted, I am probably wrong in 60% of these calls, but it doesn't matter. It is a great weekend for college football, so turn on your TV's, watch me be proven wrong, and enjoy.

Saturday Night Recap...

2006-09-10T20:29:00.000-04:00

When I called Rob, the VolCon, to ask him where we would meet as we left the stadium, he simply answered his cell phone and said, "Well, at least you got to see an exciting game." Exciting indeed. Michael, David, and I were certainly treated to an exciting, if not nerve racking game, as the Tennessee Vols squeaked out a 31-30 victory over the US Air Force Academy. Confused by the variety and trickery of Air Force's triple option attack, Tennessee was unable to stop the Academy's offensive onslaught. Fortunately, Air Force's defense was as porous as its offense was effective, allowing the Volunteers to keep pace and carry a small lead into the fourth quarter. Late in the final minutes of the fourth, after recovering an onside kick, Air Force drove the ball 50 yards and scored the potential tying towndown. Opting to go for the win on the road with a two point conversion versus the tie with the extra point, Air Force attempted an option sweep that the Tennessee defense was finally able to stuff on the three yard line. Tennessee's victory was secure and we made our way out of the stadium relieved and a little embarrassed by the Vols defensive performance.

Now that you know how we ended the evening, let me tell you a little about how we got the day started. After arriving in Knoxville, David, Michael, Ryan, Rob, Angela, and I enjoyed some very good BBQ and a few early football games on TV. Afterward, we headed to the stadium to initiate David and Michael in the pre-game traditions of the Vol Nation. We found excellent positions to watch the VolWalk, a processional of all the Vol players and coaches as they head into the stadium. We then shifted over to the grassy hillside north of the stadium to watch the band march into view, playing "Rocky Top" for all to hear and cheer.

Finally we headed into the stadium and to our seats. On the way up the ramp to Section MM, I stopped by a Tennessee Traditions kiosk to grant Michael's only request of the night. He had to have a giant orange Tennessee #1 foam finger. That purchase turned out to make both of our nights as Michael cheered his beloved Vols on with his giant finger and I proudly sat along side and smiled. All and all, if you set aside the defensive struggle by the Vols, it was a wonderful night of football with friends and family. Next week, I will be heading back down to Knoxville for a traditional clash of titans as the Vols face off against the Florida Gators. Let us hope that next week's game is less close, but just as victorious for the Vols.

Game Day - Tennessee vs. Air Force

2006-09-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

I wanted to drop in a quick post before the Undecided Philosopher and son and former father-in-law head down to Knoxville for an evening of friends, food, and Tennessee football. The CRV is bathed in Orange for gameday travel and I am breaking in my new jersey. My son is sporting his hybrid Tennessee/Spongebob hat and a sharp new orange polo. The cooler is backed and orange shakers are at the ready. Today is a particularly special day as David, Michael's Grandfather, is joining us for what will be his first Tennessee football game. Adding to the fun of the day, David is also a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, so he will be enjoying his alma mater as well as his grandson.

Well it is time to head to Food City to pick up the traditional gaint UT cookie and start the trip to Knoxville. Go Vols!

Who Needs Enemies...

2006-09-07T21:44:00.000-04:00

As a professional geek, I am always trying to keep my finger on the pulse of technology and technology-related business. Imagine my surprise when I came across the following article in one of my favorite trade mags, ComputerWorld:

Intel, Communist Party Team on Open-source
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Intel Corp. has agreed to help Vietnam's Communist Party move its computers to open-source software. Under a memorandum of understanding, Intel will help the party's Central Committee for Science and Education set up a laboratory called OpenLab for developing and testing open-source technology. Over the next three years, the lab will oversee the installation of open-source software on about 27,000 PC's equipped with Intel processors, the chip maker said....

Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service

Now, I do not consider myself an authority on all things open-source, but it has always been my rough understanding that open-source code is based on the ideals of freedom of thought and free and inclusive work by the community. Now, the community aspect fits the Communist model extremely well, but the idea of free thought has never crossed the mind of a Vietnamese Communist leader, except in those situations where he is looking for a reason to dust off the firing squad. This move by Intel is but one in several recent examples in which American companies are bowing to the human rights' crushing standards of socialist Asia in an attempt to tap another rich marketplace. This particular example set me off a little more than usual because of the dripping irony surrounding the ideals of open-source technology. Let me know what you think...

Securing the borders in a different fashion...

2006-09-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

Former Iranian President Ayatollah Khatami has been granted a visa by the United States State Department to enter the United States and give a lecture on tollerance at Harvard University. He will be speaking on September 10th and remaining in the country through September 11th as a guest of the university. I mention this not out of my own sense of outrage, which is great, but instead to honor the decision of a man whom I rarely support and with whom I rarely agree. Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has informed the US State Department and stated publicly that he will not grant any resources from the state to secure or protect the former Iranian President. He will not receive security protection. He will not receive police escorts or traffic assistance in any form. He will not receive a state welcome at the airport. If he is to be escorted or protected, Governor Romney is leaving those duties for the US State Department and Harvard University to figure out. The following is a statement by Governor Romney on his decision and the decision to allow Ayatollah Khatami to enter the US to speak:

"I think it's an outrage that in this season of memory of those that lost their lives, that we would be inviting someone who is a terrorist to this country, and that in particular, this person would be invited to Harvard to come speak on the topic of tolerance. It's outrageous, and for that reason, I have instructed our state agencies, and particularly our executive office of public safety not to provide any support whatsoever for his visit. And that means not to provide the escort and security personnel which would normally be associated with a person of interest of this nature. And it may well lead to them reassessing whether they want to come to Harvard. I certainly hope so."

I honestly find the decision of Governor Romney patriotic, moral, and politically sound. Those are hard words for me to type, think, or even utter, simply because I tend to greatly disagree with the majority of the governor's stances; political, social, moral, or otherwise. I have never hesitated to state these disagreements in the past, nor will I hesitate in the future, but on this occasion I feel compelled to honor a firm stance against an obvious injustice. It is also important to note that Governor Romney is an alumnus of Harvard, making this stance even more impressive. I realize as a pragmatist that much of his motivation is political, possibly weaving neatly into his many trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, but regardless of his ultimate intentions, the decision itself is just and necessary. We as an organized society, local, state, and federal, should respect the sacrifices of those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom, or simply fell during an attack by our enemies. Respect is shown in many ways, and one such way is to cast aside associations with those who have actively sought to harm Americans through fighting against the principles of freedom and democracy and basic human rights. Ayatollah Khatami is one such person who has taken up arms, both figuratively and literally, against Americans and their allies throughout the world. By pulling back resources in his state, Governor Romney honors all those who stand for freedom and those who fell in its name.

And you thought Baby Suri was cute....

2006-09-07T13:44:00.000-04:00

Behold the latest pics of little Austin posing for the camera. Don't ask how I got these. The Undecided Philosopher has his ways...

A Quick Catch-up Post...

2006-09-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

Several things have been occupying my time over the past few days, preventing me from taking the time to post. Let me take a few moments and share a few thoughts about my Labor Day weekend:

- The Undecided Philosopher is moving. The process of selling my house, encompassing all the work, both paper and physical, has taken its toll on me physically and mentally. I spent the better part of the weekend cleaning, organizing, packing, and rearranging every nook and cranny of my home. When I wasn't filling trash bags with four years of collected junk, I was filtering through paperwork looking for mortgage information and utility costs (the latter of which was solved through a filtering of my Quicken records - where would we be without computerized accounting). After much labor and stress, pictures were taken, papers were signed, and a large sign was placed in my front yard, signifying several weeks of living in the fish bowl of a house for sale. If anyone wants a wonderfully charming Arts and Crafts style home in beautiful East Tennessee, drop me a note.

- The only significant break I took from the chore of preparing my home came at 5:30 pm on Saturday when the University of Tennessee took the field for the first time this year against the University of California. To my great surprise, my beloved Vols were easily victorious, destroying the spirit of the Cal Bears by the middle of the 3rd Quarter. I will not go into any further details, as my friend the VolCon has an excellent review of every aspect of the game. Needless to say, I am thoroughly excited about the prospect of the next two weekends of Tennessee football. I will be taking my spot in the stands to cheer on Tennessee as a proud member of the VolNation.

I have several other ideas and thoughts I want to share over the next few days as time permits. I want to discuss the anger and aggressiveness that surrounds the mid-term elections of 2006 and the constant debate of who will control the House and the Senate. I also want to touch on the paradox that is the White House's new position on the "War on Terror" and how that war in some way is supposed to justify, if not mask the failings that continue to plague our strategy in Iraq. The setbacks hindering US forces in Iraq, combined with the territorial losses of NATO in Afghanistan, set forth a foreboding precedent for our global strategy against radical Muslim fundamentalism. I hope to address each of these issues as time permits and I encourage feedback from anyone reading. Until then my friends...

Not Quite the End of an Era...

2006-09-01T08:59:00.000-04:00

For the record, i have been a tennis player for 22 of my 30 years on this Earth. And for most of those years, I have considered myself a tennis purist. I don't believe in the idea of "rock 'n' roll" tennis, I don't like to see players on the court in jean shorts and shirtless, and I believe all white at Wimbledon is still a great idea that will never fall behind the times (now equal pay is a different story, but not for this entry). So needless to say, I was not a big fan of Andre Agassi when he hit the tennis scene some 20 years ago. The idea of long hair and spandex on the tennis court, combined with the unrivaled egoism of "Image is Everything" was enough to keep this tennis fan from supporting the "Andre" movement in the 1980's. I found it completely fitting, yet totally ironic that Agassi was not able to win his first Grand Slam title until 1992, when stripped of his image and clad totally in white, he beat Goran Ivanisevic in an epic struggle at Wimbledon. Yet as a fan of tennis, and more specifically American tennis, I feel almost forced to applaude the rebirth of Andre Agassi over the last 8 years, and applaude the effort last night as yet another great moment in the twilight hours of a great career.

For those outside the tennis world, Andre Agassi announced at Wimbledon this year that the US Open would be his last tournament as a professional. He has since then spent much of the summer working to become healthy enough to even complete, suffering through a 20 minute needle treatment on his back just three days ago. After his mediocre performance in the first round of the Open, most thought last night's match with 8th seeded Marcos Baghdatis under the lights would be his last. What happened instead was a display of superior tennis from Agassi, overcoming a younger and more powerful Baghdatis in five sets. Agassi knew that the US Open would be his last great chance to do well in a tournament. He knew the crowds and the media would support him and the USTA would give him all the opportunities to shine under the lights each and every match. And so far his plan has worked out. Agassi faces a newcomer from Germany in the third round, Benjamin Becker (no relation to Boris). Becker is 139th in the world, and a prime target to be overwhelmed by the power of night tennis in Flushing Meadows.

If Andre survives his third round match, he sets up a possible primetime fourth round showdown with Andy Roddick, who is trying to regain his own form under the watchful eye of tennis legend Jimmy Connnors. To me, the outcome of that match does not matter. Last night was all the tennis from Andre Agassi I needed to see to know that this US Open has been special and Andre can consider it a successful farewell. After all the support and cheers he has received from the fans at the US Open and around the country, Andre Agassi decided to give something back. He gave all of us a wonderful night of tennis from an aging American tennis icon, and for that I am grateful.

Quick Updates from All Around...

2006-08-31T09:12:00.000-04:00

Please forgive the haste of this entry, but with all the fun surrounding our newest member of the family combined with my self-imposed stress from a potential house swap, things are a bit hectic in the land of the Undecided Philosopher. First, I draw your attention to the handsome picture of my son staring down at Austin Blake. Michael truly adores his new cousin and has become very protective and supportive of all of Austin's needs. In fact, he insisted that he read to Austin several books and short stories his first night at the hospital.

Aunt Wilma was more than willing to hold the baby while Michael read and turned the pages. This picture also brings to mind the mixing of the generations and the quickness in which life seems to grow and change before your eyes. Here is Michael, once the baby of the family, reading to the newest little one in the fold, and Aunt Wilma holding little Austin, just as she held both Michael and Yours Truly when I came into this world. I love my Aunt and she has always been great to me and to Michael, but now she is truly a "Great Aunt" twice over.

Not to be left out, Uncle Charlie was right there ready to enjoy all the fun and excitement that comes along with a new baby boy. He has always been a loving and nurturing Uncle to both me and Michael, and I am sure he is gearing up to extend his nurturing ways to encompass Austin Blake as well.

One more quick note before I head off for my next round of meetings - Congratulations to Rob, the VolCon, and his lovely wife Angela on their 4th wedding anniversary. I was there that swelteringly hot summer day, and I can bear witness to their unwavering love and devotion. Here's to many, many more wonderful years.

The Undecided Philosopher on the Road - Baby Watch 2006 Continued...

2006-08-29T14:51:00.000-04:00

We have a baby! I repeat - we have a baby! At exactly 10:28pm on August 28th, 2006, Sarah gave birth to Austin Blake. My new nephew is happy and healthy, with all his toes and fingers and such. Austin weighed in at a Lawson-appropriate 8lbs. 14oz. and was 20" long. He is not quite as big as his uncle was at his age, but he is definitely cuter. To follow are a few photos from yesterday including the new family superstar. Happy Birthday Austin from Uncle Ben.

A nice head shot from Papaw who, in his scrubs, managed to sneak in with a camera for Uncle Ben:

Another shot of the big man: