What I've Been Up To Lately

Well it's been a while since I posted. Along the way I managed to turn 44, and on my birthday we decided to check out the new U23D movie. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that I am a U2 fan and I have been since I fiirst heard the "War" album as a high school senior in 1982. So yes, I am a fan, but even if I weren't, I would have been blown away by this film. The HD 3D visual effects were awesome, and the musical quality in HD audio was fantastic.

What was interesting to see was the demographic makeup of the crowd on the screen and in the audience. As we stood in line, most of the families looked like ours--adults in their 40s and their teenage/pre-teen kids. Together, all excited and enjoying the anticipation. On screen, the crowds in Argentina and other places were the usual 20-something concert crowds that most mega concerts would have.

The set list was mostly what you would expect in a greatest-hits type of set list, but the energy and intimacy of the film made even songs that were first performed live more than 20 years ago seem fresh and new. And, for kids like my daughter, that's exactly what they were. Somehow though I think the experience I have waking up every morning and hearing "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" blaring down the hall now is different from what my Dad had when he was hearing it from me 26 years ago.

It hasn't all been music and fun lately though. Last Friday the CDC published one of the outbreaks I worked on last year in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, about turtle associated salmonellosis in children. That investigation started with our discovery of a strange salmonella in two teenagers. By the end of the investigation, we had uncovered the largest reptile associated salmonella cluster ever documented in the United States. You can read all about at:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5703a3.htm

Thank Goodness That is Over

Well, that's finally over. Congratulations to the LSU Tigers on beating the Ohio State University. Gee, that was a shocker. No one saw that coming, right? How on earth did that happen?

So, John Swofford, the ACC Commissioner and new head of the BCS (sorry John) is already on record stating that the conferences will seriously evaluate a "plus one" format beginning this summer. His proposal is for the top four teams to be seeded with 1 playing 4, 2 playing 3, in two of the BCS Bowls, and then the two winners playing for the championship. It is a modest proposal that doesn't go far enough. But, you have to start somewhere, I guess. I'm only 43 years old, so maybe by the time I'm 60 years old we'll have an actual 8 or 16 team playoff system and a legitimate way to sort all this stuff out.

In order for that to happen, the 11 teams in the Big 10 conference, the Rose Bowl, and the Pac 10 teams need to get out of the way. One of the principles that I do believe is that if you aren't going to be part of the solution, you need to at least stop being part of the problem. The Big 10 and the Rose Bowl are the only serious obstacles that remain to a national playoff system. Eventually the Pac 10 will join the rest of the country and want a real playoff. In 1938 maybe it made sense for the nation to care about teams from those two conferences and judge the Rose Bowl as the most important of the Bowl games. In 2008, that doesn't make sense anymore. Clearly the best football in this century right now is being played in the SEC and Big 12. After the past two years, please, let's not have another Big 10 team show up in a title game any time soon. Please. Enough already.

Not that anyone out there really cares, but I did not watch the game. I caught the highlights on Sportscenter, and that was plenty. All any of us really need to do, actually, until they finally fix this mess.

Happy 2008

Happy New Year! I hope you and yours enjoyed your holidays back in December. For me, the year ended well and now we have reached one of my favorite times of any year: ACC Basketball is here. This year, the Tar Heels are enjoying their 3rd longest number of consecutive weeks ranked # 1, but it really doesn't matter now. It won't matter until April, except for helping determine the seeding for the NCAA tournament in March.

Do I like this UNC team? Absolutely. Last year with Freshmen guards, Carolina almost made the Final Four. This year Ellington and Lawson are Sophomores, and they have dramatically improved their playmaking and decisions. Lawson is scoring both inside and outside, Ellington is solid and improved defensively, and he is stronger. UNC lost a lot with Brandon Wright going to the NBA early, but Thompson and Stepheson are contributing, and Hansbrough is good enough to handle the post most of the time. Point guard depth is not a concern, because Quentin Thomas is a Senior and has played well late last year as well as so far this season.

The biggest challenge UNC will face in the ACC comes, as usual, from Duke. Duke is much improved from last season and have scoring threats all over the perimeter. It will be exciting to watch the UNC-Duke games this year, as always, but I do think the Heels still have a slight advantage there because Duke has a lot of young players, and not enough front court depth to handle the Carolina front court consistently.

NC State is playing well, but without a point guard that is proven, ACC play will be an adventure for the Wolfpack every game. Clemson is a solid team this season, and should easily make the NCAA. Virginia will eventually be good, but recently they have played inconsistently. Other than those teams, it is hard to see who will make the Dance.

As for college football, true to my convictions, I have boycotted all the bowl games. Until NCAA football adds a playoff system and a legitimate way to determine a champion, I just don't see the point of watching those games. I wish LSU well in their upcoming game, but just because the Big 10 is the biggest obstacle to a real playoff, so I always hope their teams lose. And, so far, most of them have lost their bowl games.