Hello and welcome to my latest set of random thoughts. I'm finally back on my regular schedule again so I'm ready to go here. With that in mind, enjoy.
- I'm calling this particular edition the "antithesis" edition. Antithesis implies a contrast or a diametric opposite to something. As low and down and out as I have been for a while now, this past week has been an antithesis or contrast to that for me. Things are improving in different areas...not all of them but some. On top of that, my mood has been elevated a bit and I'm feeling a bit better overall. Nice change of pace, if I do say so myself. I've also noticed some antithetical things this week, some of which I'll note later on in the blog.
- Summer is gone now and autumn is here. I actually had to do something that I haven't had to since around May...I had to break out a jacket. I got so used to not having to wear one that doing so came as a shock. I wasn't ready for summer to leave just yet, but alas, fall is here so I guess I'd better get used to it...at least until next year.
- One of those antithetical contrasts from this past week happened earlier in the Browns-Bengals match-up. The Browns looked pretty good out there even though they lost a heartbreaker at the end of overtime. Today they came to play and it looked like for a while that they might take it. Given that they played poorly the past few weeks, this was definitely a good change of pace and I hope they keep it up for next week and beyond.
- Speaking of next week, if you live in the Columbus OH area, the Browns-Bills matchup will not be televised in the area because Channel 10 will be airing the Bengals-Ravens game instead. That means to watch the game people in the area will have to go to a sports bar or restaurant to watch it. Jimmy V's in uptown Westerville WILL HAVE the Browns-Bills game on next week, so for you Columbus folks looking for a spot to watch you can join me and the rest of the Westerville Browns Backers at Jimmy V's next Sunday. It's a 1:00 PM game, so you might want to get up there early to grab a seat. We had a decent crowd today and we are expecting a big one for this upcoming game.
- I watched the Buckeyes last night and they looked pretty good out there. I haven't really watched them since the USC game, but I'm glad I caught it yesterday. I was impressed with them against Indiana. Let's hope the rest of the season is just as good.
- Keeping with the football motif, the upstart United Football League kicks off this upcoming Thursday night on the channel "Versus." The first game will have the Las Vegas Locomotives (Locos for short...probably means their crazy nuts) versus the California Redwoods at about 9:00 PM EST. This is the first attempt at a pro league since the failed XFL, but with former NFL personnel running things it may have a better shot at survival. Also with a potential NFL lockout in a couple of years, this may be the only pro league playing in 2011...or maybe even 2010 if NFL owners don't want to deal with an uncapped year.
- Another antithesis I found was something I watched on the Today Show last Wednesday morning. It's a veggie burger topped with strips of bacon called the "Hypocrite Burger." Pretty big contrast in my view.
- Hulu finally got the anime "Robotech" on it's site, starting with all the episodes of the Macross Saga. If Hulu puts up the Southern Cross and Invid Invasion seasons on there, I'll be a happy camper.
- In the Columbus Dispatch today there was a story about "Olde North Columbus" which the city of Columbus is trying to promote as a historic district. It is bounded by North St./Arcadia Ave. to the north, Lane Ave. to the south, the Olentangy River to the west, and the railroad tracks east of 4th St. to the east. Two arches are being erected on High Street, one just south of North St. and one just north of Lane Ave., that will publicly designate the area in a manner that the city hopes will happen like it did in the Short North. Two major reasons are cited as to why it is so historic. One is that the district once included a Union camp during the Civil War where soldiers were once settled. The other is that a mill once graced North St. next to the Olentangy River where the agricultural business surrounding that mill led to the founding of what we know now as "The Ohio State University." I guess I can see where the city wants to go with this, but I don't really know if it will measure up to the Short North. Time will tell.
- With the 2016 Summer Games going to Rio de Janiero, maybe it's time to get Columbus in contention for the 2020 Summer Olympics. We have three major arenas, a big stadium that could be converted for Olympic use, a soccer-specific stadium, and folks from all over the world coming here to work and live. I guess it depends on how much the city might want to fight for this. It would be a huge boon to Ohio with how the economy has sucked and it might make high-speed rail more certain to be realized. I think it might be something good and grand to aim for.
- Song on repeat: "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West. A change of pace from the past few songs on repeat, this has truly been listened to a lot by me over the last week or so. I must admit that there really isn't anything too special about it other that I enjoyed listening to it.
- SLP to the following: Aunt Susie, Rita D., Steve, and my Westerville Browns Backers.
I hope the good stuff keeps coming or keeps up (depending on the stuff), especially after all I've been through in the past year. I'm more realistically optimistic about things than I have been in a while and it's a good feeling to have. I've got to go now, but I will be back next week with another set of random thoughts. Until next time. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
