HubbleSite — Out of the ordinary…out of this world.

HubbleSite — Out of the ordinary…out of this world..

Check out the first images from Hubble’s upgraded imaging hardware.  Awesome.

Activists topple towers, claim dangers of AM radio waves – CNN.com

Activists topple towers, claim dangers of AM radio waves – CNN.com.

Really?  The further to the right or left you get in the political spectrum, the more crazy people get.  Objectivity goes out the window and a worldview of absolutes takes over.  Destruction and violence accomplishes nothing more than emphasizing a lack of understanding that drives fear, hatred, and anger.

Because I’m the motherflippin’

These guys do and say the things I would like to.

It’s Masters Week

Even if you don’t golf, you have probably at least heard of The Masters, an annual golf tournament held in Augusta, GA that is one of professional golf’s “majors”.  It also happens to be my favorite golf tournament.  I look forward to it the way that a football fan anticipates the Super Bowl or a college hoops fan salivates during March Madness.  However, it’s not just the golf.

No, it's not the Masters but it is Tiger Woods teeing off at the 2004 PGA Championship.

For me, it signifies the coming of spring and the beginning of the golf season in the Upper Midwest, where hardcore golfers go into a sort of hibernation during the cold, dark, golfless months of Winter.  I also find The Masters to instill feelings of family security and comfort in the same way that childhood foods that Mom made are comforting or in the way that those stop animation children’s Christmas specials give me that warm fuzzy of sitting in my parents basement in front of the fireplace, eating popcorn (our version of chestnuts on an open fire).  When you smell, taste, see, or hear them, they bring about excellent feelings of satisfaction; the dopamine starts flowing and you feel very content.  The musical theme of The Masters is my tomato soup and grilled cheese.  Yeah, it’s a little Yanni or John Tesh, but denying the feeling would be like denying that you dont still get emotional when you see Old Yeller (am I dating myself too much)?

Tiger teeing off on 18 at the 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Haven, WI.

The odd thing is that I never really golfed as a kid, I thought it was kind of a wimpy sport that wasn’t very physically challenging.  All of my friend were playing football, baseball, and basketball, so those were the sports I gravitated towards.  Sure, I banged the ball around the back yard as my Dad tried to encourage me to take up the game but I wasn’t interested.  I didn’t pick it up as a serious endeavor until I began my professional career and several co-workers of mine convinced me to join them on a weekly golf “league”, which I found to be code for, “go to the golf course and drink beer”.  I loved it.  What I didn’t expect was to also love so many other aspects of the game.  The traditions, the history, the etiquette, the competitiveness, the creativeness… …the difficulty.

Tiger putting during a practice round at the 2004 PGA Championships

Ah yes, the difficulty.

If you have golfed, you know what I am talking about; just go to your local driving range and you can see how difficult it is to get that little ball airborne.  If you haven’t, I would suggest giving it a try.  I have participated in many different sports at varying levels of competitiveness in my life but I can confidently say that golf is by far the most challenging and difficult sport that I have ever played.  It is both physically and mentally engaging in a way that I have not experienced in any other sport.  I don’t think most people appreciate what it’s like walking 18 holes (about 4 miles) in 90 degree heat with a 20 pound bag on your back on a course that has quite a bit of elevation change.  No, it’s not running a half marathon or shooting a peak in the Sierra Nevadas but it is definitely more physical than most people think (assuming you are not playing cart golf).  Add in the mental aspect of analyzing your shot options, which are far more complex than most novice/non-golfers ever imagine and the need for extreme mental focus (at least if you want to become good) and you have a challenge.

Tiger teeing off at a practice round of the 2004 PGA Championship.

I realize that I am not doing the game justice with my description but, suffice to say, if you haven’t tried it, don’t knock it; it’s a lot tougher than you think.  I will let legendary Indiana basketball coach and golf enthusiast Bobby Knight provide you with a “colorful” illustration.  Warning, if you are offended by Bobby Knight’s method of expressing his frustration (language), you will not want to watch this.