C Twiggs Run

Brandon Censon sent in this link to an interesting article about potential changes at the Post Office.

Click Here for the Story

This may be Superbowl Sunday to everyone else, but in my world, the Hardrock 100-mile Endurance Run lottery is a much bigger deal. The results of this lottery determine my training plan for the next 5 months. To get a glimpse at what Hardrock is like, look back at the blog's archives to July when I ran the 2008 race. To find out how today went, check out the video below.

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Crystal May came across this interesting site discussing originality. It's an interesting read!

Read about it Here

This year the game actually lived up to the name Super Bowl, so I was paying attention to the football, but I have to admit, many years I tune out the game and pay attention only to the ads. Who won the ad war this year? Can you say gold toilet?

Read About it Here

I have to applaud the President for being willing to raise a tax on himself. I wonder if this will be the thing that finally gets him to quit smoking, or will he smoke more as a way of helping the children? Thanks to Jess Day for sending this in.

Read the Story Here

Unfortunately, pirates are not just Hollywood creations or historical characters. Piracy on the high seas is alive and well and no laughing matter. Thanks to Susan Conklin for this link.

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A Florida doctor has lost his medical license after falsifying documents and committing malpractice in the case of a live birth abortion that didn't go according to plan. A friend of mine who is quite involved in the pro-choice movement explained to me that she feels compelled to defend this type of abortion because allowing a ban on partial birth abortions would be "letting the nose of the camel inside the tent." More stories like these, though, and I can't see anyone defending this practice.

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The economic stimulus plan is the first big test of the Obama Presidency. How will this be remembered in 10 years? Thanks to Amanda Kiramarios for sending in this link.

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We all know to anticipate change under our new President, but no one can really tell what "change" will mean or what it will look like. Kuniko Barnett sent in this article about what one segment of the population is hoping.

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Ok, this seeing color in music thing sounds make believe to me. Anyone else? Thanks to Jessica Day for the link.

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Don't shoot the messenger here. In fact, Jessica Day brought this one to my attention. So, could Wall Street's woes be fixed with more women?

Click Here to Find Out

Amanda Kiramarios sent in this link with the encouraging? news that government is getting bigger - Yeah!

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Another Amanda Kiramarios submission. So what I want to know is where is the government getting all this money it's going to spend?

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If you are ever close enough to South Campus of FCCJ on a day when we hold the Socrates Cafe, I really encourage you to join us for an invigorating conversation. This week we discussed our recently fallen sports figures, Michael Phelps and A-Rod. I respect the opinion of some who have said these are cases of "everybody's doing it" so we should not judge them too harshly. I submit, however, that I want my boys to grow up admiring men who do the right thing no matter how many people are pushing the other way.

Thanks to Amanda Kiramarios for sending in another good link.
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We all hope for a happy ending to this story. Thanks to Susan Conklin for this link.

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Please join me this Valentine's weekend in praying for an end to breast cancer in our lifetime. I will be running 26.2 with Donna, The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, on Sunday, February 15th. If you are in Jacksonville and can come out to support the event, please do so. If you can't make it out, follow my "tweets" and those of a few of my friends, including Olympian Jeff Galloway, at http://tinyurl.com/bftpco. We will be posting updates while we run! After the link, click on View Race Updates. Watch the podcast to learn more.

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Marshall Butler was kind enough to post my last podcast on youtube to make it easier for folks to watch. Please watch the video then follow us online at http://tinyurl.com/bftpco

The New York Times yesterday ran this article that reminded me of a time I was rendered speechless. I was in Tennessee attending a conference a couple of months ago and a group of us were walking back to the hotel from dinner. We were talking about the things our students sometimes do that get under our skin. I mentioned texting in class, which really irks me. Our Executive Vice-President, Don Green, however, called me on this. "Couldn't the students be looking up material relevant to class?" he asked. I had no good answer then, and I still don't know where the fine line between nuisance and utility lies pertaining to smartphones.

Read the NYT article Here

Runners in 26.2 with Donna, The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, were surprised this weekend with a giant poster of the Patron Saint of Jacksonville Running, my dear friend, John TenBroeck. The absolute highlight of my run Sunday was a hug from John's wife, Angela. We miss you, John!

See the Photo Here

It's a common joke that owners and their dogs begin to look alike, but there are also indications that they act alike.

Thanks to Kuniko Barnett for sending in this link.
Read the Article Here

Last month I had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Bayard, author of The Black Tower. It was an interesting interview from the start due to the technological challenges of putting the interview together. Lou proved himself not only a great author but a good sport. Local discussions of his novel, our One Book One Community read for 2009, begin tonight in Fernandina Beach. All are welcome!

The link below may take a minute or so to load due to the length of the interview, just over an hour.

Click to Listen

The housing market, as we well know, is in a serious slump. If you're in the position of selling a home right now, you may find yourself lowering your price below your comfort zone just to get out. On the other hand, this is supposed to be a great time to finance or refinance a home loan, but is it really? Dominic Beard sent in this link to a Marketwatch article about new fees lurking behind the promise of low interest rates.

Read about it Here

Sometimes when it's been too long between podcasts, I just need to make time. I spend two hours a day commuting to and from work, so why not chat with my students during the drive? Don't worry, I drove safely :-)

Download the video file here or watch it through iTunes if you're subscribed to the feed.

In light of the huge new expenses our government has committed us to, is it mathematically possible to cut the deficit? Thanks to Susan Conklin for sending in this link.

Read about it Here

Our Attorney General says we're "a nation of cowards." That should strike fear into our enemies.
Thanks to Jess Day for sending in the link.

Click Here, if you're not too scared.