Semi-random ramblings from the ethereal edge of...ahh forget it.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Jared's top 100 songs...

I was really bored tonight, so I decided to sit down to do what I do best--making lists. And so, what follows is my top 100 songs of all-time.

1.) About a Girl by Nirvana (From Unplugged)
2.) Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
3.) Fix You by Coldplay
4.) Still Fighting It by Ben Folds Five
5.) Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
6.) Dreams by The Cranberries
7.) Amsterdam (Live) by Coldplay
8.) Time Makes Two by Robert Cray
9.) The Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley
10.)King's Crossing by Elliott Smith
11.) I Feel Home by O.A.R.
12.) See You Soon (Live) by Coldplay
13.) Near You Always by Jewel
14.) Fade to Grey by Jars of Clay
15.) You Remind Me of Home by Ben Gibbard
16.) Sleeping In by The Postal Service
17.) One by U2
18.) Everything's Not Lost (Live) by Coldplay
19.) Two Step (Live) by Dave Matthews Band
20.) Say Hello, Wave Goodbye by David Gray
21.) 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins
22.) Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum
23.) All Over Again by B.B. King
24.) Jenny was a Friend of Mine by The Killers
25.) If You Could Only See by Tonic
26.) Reading Stones by Oh My God
27.) Get Rhythmn by Johnny Cash
28.) Sweet Home Chicago by Robert Johnson (performed by Buddy Guy)
29.) California Love by Dr. Dre and 2Pac
30.) Superstitious by Steve Wonder
31.) In the Garden (Hymn) performed by Alan Jackson
32.) Dante Symphony by Franz Liszt
33.) Lake of Fire by Nirvana (Unplugged)
34.) Consider the Cost by Steve Camp
35.) White Shadows by Coldplay
36.) Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
37.) No Rain by Blind Melon
38.) Satellite by P.O.D.
39.) Boy on a String by Jars of Clay
40.) Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R.
41.) February 14th by Oh My God
42.) Angel Standing By by Jewel
43.) A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
44.) Angel From Montgomery by Susan Tedeschi
45.) City of Blinding Lights by U2
46.) The Rach by Rachmaninoff
47.) Go Rest High on that Mountain by Vince Gill
48.) June by Pete Yorn
49.) Above All by Michael W. Smith
50.) Sixteen by No Doubt
51.) Bourgeois Blues by Leadbelly
52.) My Redeemer Lives by Nicole Mullen
53.) Losing My Religion by R.E.M.
54.) Burn by Usher
55.) Tears of Joy by Robert Randolph and the Family Band
56.) Southside by Moby
57.) Light My Fire by the Doors
58.) The Rock that was Rolled Away by Clay Crosse
59.) Thunderstruck by ACDC
60.) The Warmth by Incubus
61.) Spoken by Spooky Tuesday
62.) Run by Snow Patrol
63.) The Killing Floor Blues by Howlin' Wolf (performed by Robert Cray)
64.) No One Loves Me Like You by Jars of Clay
65.) Touch, Peel and Stand by Days of the New
66.) Wonderwall by Oasis
67.) Miss Misery by Elliott Smith
68.) Pie Jesu by Charlotte Church
69.) Am I High? by N.E.R.D.
70.) Paying the Cost to be the Boss by B.B. King
71.) All Nereids Beware by Chiodos
72.) The Seed by The Roots
73.) Everything is Good by Oh My God
74.) Boom, Boom by John Lee Hooker
75.) Fistful of Steel by Rage Against the Machine
76.) Fit But You Know It by The Streets
77.) Get By by Talib Kweli
78.) Devil Got My Woman by Skip James
79.) Where'd You Go? by Fort Minor
80.) #41 by Dave Matthews Band
81.) Cocaine by Eric Clapton
82.) The Kids Aren't Alright by Offspring
83.) Israel's Son by Silverchair
84.) Sweet Surrender by Sarah McLachlan
85.) Broken Heart by Dashboard Confessionals
86.) Shot in the Arm by Wilco
87.) I Miss the Way by Michael W. Smith
88.) Liebestraum by Franz Liszt
89.) Rank Strangers to Me by Ralph Stanley
90.) People Are Strange by The Doors
91.) Tiny Dancer by Elton John (performed by Ben Folds)
92.) The Way We Ball by Lil Flip
93.) Red House by Jimi Hendrix
94.) Falling Away From Me by Korn
95.) Plush by Stone Temple Pilots
96.) Glycerine by Bush
97.) Earthquakes by Moxy Fruvous
98.) Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix
99.) Cotton Field by Charlie Pride
100.) The Soul of a Man by Blind Willie Johnson

Monday, June 25, 2007

Welcome to Americus


So, what exactly are those? Cheesy grits and collard greens you say? Forget it.

My broiled chicken and dinner roll should suffice.


I spent this past weekend down in Georgia where I had the opportunity to interview for a media position with Habitat for Humanity International, one of the world's most respected NGOs.

I flew to Atlanta Friday afternoon, picked up my Nissan Stanza from Enterprise and descended south down US-19 for a little less than two hours before arriving in a quaint little town on the edge of the south Georgia highlands--Americus.

I already knew quite a bit about Americus before I got there. I knew about its historical significance to the American civil rights movement; I knew about King Cotton and the Windsor Hotel; I knew about the recent tornadoes and, of course, the bats.

What I didn't know, however, was the most important thing: Could I live in small town America? Could I live in a hotbox? Could I give up all the conveniences of living in a city?

The answer, it seems, is a resounding maybe.

The people in Americus are wonderful. It put me in mind of something my good friend Mike always tells me about southern charm: "They're just better people."

Habitat for Humanity International is a great, not just good, organization and I would be lucky to be a part of it. And, downtown Americus is beautiful to boot!

Sonic is still overrated, but there's something to be said about being able to eat in a historic hotel that has been certified as haunted.

I drove around Americus--it didn't take long-- Thursday night. It was my way of feeling the place out. I visited a few of the HHI work sites and popped in at Southwestern Georgia State University. I finished the night off with dinner at Sonic (overrated).

Habitat had arranged for me to stay across the street from the Rylander Building, their international headquarters, at a restored country-style white house. I loved the place. It had a big front porch that was outfitted with a swing and a rocking chair. Before hitting the sack, I read a couple chapters of "Middlesex" on the porch.

I was in heaven.

The next morning, I woke up at 7:00 to get ready for my interviews. I had the normal butterflys, but it wasn't long before I felt as cool as a cucumber.

Everyone I interviewed with, and there were a lot of folks in six hours, was absolutely great. No one tried to paint me into a corner; no one tried to pick me apart. It was clear that they were more interested in me as a person--my character--more than anything else.

The best part of the experience for me on Friday was meeting Rosemary on the trip through HHI's Global Village. Rosemary was born in Zimbabwe to British parents and is an absolute joy.

After my trip through the Village, I went back to the old white house to gather my things before heading out to Atlanta for the baseball game between the Braves and Tigers.

I spent the night at the Midtown Baymont on Piedmont in Atlanta and left in the morning to fly out of Hartsfield. (Before I left for the airport, I drove north on Piedmont and found myself smack-dab in the middle of Atlanta's gay pride festival. I was disgusted by the protestors I saw on the streets castigating everyone participating in the festival. The signs read: "God Abhors You" and "God hates fags." They will be judged harshly for their hate.)

On the flight to Detroit, I was charged with the care of two brothers--C.J., 8, and Austin, 7. The two boys were flying by themselves to grandma's house in Michigan. In spite of the five separate trips to the bathroom during the 90-minute flight, it was a real treat.

The Pros and Cons of living in Americus

(Someone told me I should do this...)

Pros

Workplace: I would be a part of an organization committed to serving those in need. I wouldn't have to feel guilty around the Marxists anymore.

Weather: While it is hotter than the sixth ring of hell in the summer, I could golf year-round in South Georgia.

Southern charm: It's just a different way of living and I like it.

College: Americus, like Flint, is a college town. There's nothing wrong with that.

Sports: I would be close enough to Tallahassee, Florida, to see the Seminoles and Auburn to see the Tigers.

Time: At least in the interim, I would have a lot of downtime to start writing that book I've been putting off.

Roads: Without the freeze/thaw cycle of the north, roads in the south are second to none.

COL: The cost of living in Americus is very low.

Proximity: I will be half-again closer to Charlotte, where my baby niece lives.

Cons

Friends: Making new friends is great, but my friends are a big part of my life.

Job: I kind of like being a sports writer...sometimes.

Family: My whole family lives in Michigan.

My team: I will have to entrust the basketball club I started to someone else.

My site: I will have to entrust the basketball publication I started to someone else.

My church: Ok, so I was thinking about leaving my church anyways...I would miss that youth group, though.

Basketball: Basketball is king in Michigan. Georgia is all about football--but that's not all bad.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Down Carolina way--again

I spent this past week in North Carolina visiting my new niece, Jaedyn. She's only just a month old and she's already walking and talking.

In fact, when before I left she told me, quite plainly, to "take the 501 bypass in Myrtle Beach" because US-17 is "like a parking lot most of the time."

I'm kidding, of course, but there is a method to my madness.

Babies all develop differently, they all respond to stimulae differently, and they all adapt to different environments. So, why all the competition amongst new parents?

It's like the two boys on the playground arguing about their dads. It's like a game of can-you-top-that?

When your kid learns how to walk and talk probably has no bearing on his or her level of overall aptitude. It has more to do with less quantifiable things.

So, when I hear parents talking about their kid as opposed to someone else's kid I start to get squeamish.

Do I think my niece is going to be smarter or in any way better than someone else's kid? Of course not. I'm not programmed to think of things in this way.

And, in any event, every infant is super smart and talented. Every infant is cute. And none of them ever cry.

Just ask their parents.

But, I digress...

The Trip

Since I can't ever do anything the orthodox way, I flew from Detroit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to get to Charlotte, North Carolina. I spent the night in Myrtle Beach, a tourist trap on cattle steroids, and left the next morning for Charlotte. It turned out to be a four hour drive through the wildwwod of the Carolinas. I enjoyed it, however, as it was the first time I'd taken a long trip without using an expressway.

Driving through the Old South I was always intrigued by each city's favorite son our daughter. From L.L. Polk and Randy Travis to Jesse Helms and Dizzy Gillespie, each town boasted one of its own. In truth, the only reason I paid any attention to this is because I noticed the sign in North Myrtle Beach before I left that said "the home of Vanna White."

Wow. I guess that's the best you can do, eh NMB?

I finally made it to Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon and I had a great time visiting my sister, brother-in-law, Jaedyn and my old girlfriend Beth. Still, I have a mind of to wander and I didn't sit around a whole lot.

Sites Seen

The Billy Graham Library: Located off Billy Graham Parkway in south Charlotte, the library had just opened the day prior to my visit. It was hotter than the blazes that day, but it was worth the short drive down 77. It's a purely evangelical operation, that much is clear, but it's also a fitting tribute to a truly great man.

Kannapolis, NC: I had to visit K-Town this time around to witnesses one of the most spectacular construction projects currently underway in the United States. The entire face of the city is being changed by the construction of an enormous research park (sponsored by UNC, Duke and NC State amongst others). The project will encompass the entire downtown area including the old Cannon Mills factory for which the city was named. By the way, NMB, K-town has Dale Earnhardt and George Clinton.

Mooresville, NC: This is the home of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. The headquarters of DEI is just on the south end of town and is free for visitors. To get there, just take NC-3 (named for Dale Earnhardt after his death) north from Kannapolis. Many other racing teams are quartered in Mooresville, but who really cares?

Davidson, NC: Davidson is home to, you guessed it, Davidson College. The prestigious college is situated near Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake in North Carolina. Davidson is nothing without the college, but the college is beautiful.

Concord, NC: Home of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord is a racing town through and through. Nascar fans (and even non-fans like myself) can snoop around the track and even find a way in during time trials. It is a great racing facility in a great location.

Darlington, SC: Darlington, on the other hand, isn't. This is Boondock racing at its very best. You can scarcely compare the two tracks. Darlington is old and very ill looking. The city is small, and I can hardly imagine what it must be like on race day. The Charlotte track looks like a colossus, Darlington looks like Auto City after a year's worth of deep-fried twinkies.

Florence, SC: Don't be fooled by what you've heard about this quaint little southern city. It's a dump.

There you have it.