Year In Review

I normally do a "Year In Review" video but I decided to change it up this year. I thought I would write about my 2011, so here it goes...

First, the bad. Experiencing death in your family is the worst feeling possible. It was doubly tough for my family as we lost my grandma (mom's mom) in February and then my grandpa (dad's dad) eight months later. It was tough as I've never experienced losing two family members in a short amount of time but I know they're in a better place.

Now that we have the bad stuff out of the way, we can move on to the good. I got through my first full year and, now, first sophomore semester at NC State. I've passed all my classes so far and have a good GPA, which is always a blessing in college! I've continued working summer camp at Grey Stone which has its challenges but will give me some good working experience for later in life. Oh, and I (finally) got a Facebook, haha!

2011 also brought some firsts. I went to my first ever UNC/Duke men's basketball game. And took my first ever trip to Nashville where I got to see my favorite band, Rascal Flatts, get inducted into the Grand Ole Opry! Another first (and highlight of 2011) for me was seeing President Obama at NC State. I'll always remember standing in line at the crack of dawn to get a ticket and then to get into Reynolds Coliseum. It's one thing for the President to be somewhere near you but another for him to be right at your school!

Another highlight for me was going to the "American Idol" Concert at the RBC Center. As you all probably know, I got to meet most of the "Idol" finalists including: James Durbin, Casey Abrams, Pia Toscano, Lauren Alaina, and...Scotty McCreery. They were all nice and really cool to be around. It was awesome knowing that you were hanging out with people you saw on national TV just a month or two ago!

The year 2011 had it's up and downs but, when I look back, it was a pretty good year for me! I'm so blessed to have great family, friends, and church family! You guys are awesome! And I couldn't write my last post of 2011 without mentioning you, my readers! When I started "Reflections" I didn't really expect too much out of it, other than to express my opinions. But thanks to you, my blog is being read worldwide and reached a record 1,000+ pageviews in a month; making a total pageview count of almost 10,000! Thank you so much for reading and be sure to continue to read my blog. 2012 will be filled with even more opinions, rants, great stories, and more!

Bowl Bust

I've got two Oops Awards for you guys. Both come from the 2011 Independence Bowl where UNC faced Missouri. The first award is for the lack of fans at the game. If you watched it on TV, you could probably see the multitude of empty seats in the stadium. I would say there was about 25,000-30,000 fans at the most. I know this is one of the "smaller" bowl games but that was just pathetic. The second award goes to UNC for their lackluster play (at best). They started off with a quick touchdown strike but just went south from that point on. I finally turned my TV when Missouri made it 31-17 but not before I saw this play that capped off a horrific performance for the Heels...

I don't know if it was the weather in Louisiana or an after-Christmas hangover but it seemed like Carolina didn't even want to play in the bowl game. I mean, what does Coach Withers care? He's going to Ohio State and will probably win a national title within a couple years (if that). I now know why I'm a college basketball fan because this game wasn't even worth watching!

Merry Christmas

I wanted to take some time and wish you all a Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with fun, laughter, and memories with family and friends. I'm so thankful to have a great family, awesome friends, and an amazing church family (you know who you are)! So, from my family to yours, Merry Christmas and remember Jesus is the reason for the season! 

Christmas Oops

As I did last year, I've posted a video filled with some Christmas Oops. Hope you enjoy!

Compiled By: Chris White
Video Clips: "America's Funniest Home Videos" and Break.com
Music: "We Need A Little Christmas" by Johnny Mathis © 1993, Jon Mat Records, Inc.

No Cell Phones?

An article on CNN.com has reported that the NTSB is proposing a ban on all cell phone use in cars while driving. This would also apply to headset and other devices. The ban would not apply to devices installed in cars by their manufacturers (like SYNC in Ford cars, which is what I have). According to the article, 3,092 fatalities last year involved distracted drivers, which is too much for the NTSB. They say that cell phone use while driving has become the "new DUI" and "an epidemic" in our country.

I agree that it really has become a problem, but I have a problem with this myself. First off, it doesn't matter what laws are in place, people are going to break them. I mean, having a ban in place doesn't mean every single driver in the nation will stop using their cell phones while driving. They'll always find a way around it. Second, what about other distractions: makeup, radio, eating? They would also have to find a way to "ban" these because they're just as distracting and dangerous while driving as using your cell phone. Finally, if they're going to ban cell phones for us, why not ban the use of laptops while driving for police officers? I get so ticked off when I see some officers cruising down the road (while speeding of course) and using that laptop. Uh, at last check, they're just as human as we are. And, contrary to the government's belief, they can just as easily get into an accident as we can!

I think the NTSB is trying to do something good here but, until they realize that it works both ways and that cops are just as vulnerable as we are in this respect, I will not support this ban. 

Great Gift Ideas

Ok, if you're like me, you may still be stuck on finding that perfect Christmas gift for someone. Well, fear not because I'm here to give you my countdown of five "great" Christmas gift ideas. Before I begin, all the gifts featured here are real!

First, for all the science buffs in your household...

5. Giant Plush Microbes

Nothing says a good night's sleep like curling up next to your favorite bacteria! Yep that's right and they're apparently selling like hotcakes too.

This next gift is surely one to please the kids...

4. Screaming Monkey Slingshot

Fling this guy around and he'll never stop wailing! The harder you throw, the louder his scream is. This is probably one of those gifts you'll regret giving as a parent or hate a relative for buying.

Know of someone that has trouble getting out of bed in the morning? Well you may want to get this...

3. Twist Equation Alarm Clock

Hitting the snooze button won't stop this clock. No, in order to stop the alarm you have to solve an equation. So, if you ever want to annoy your entire household, I recommend this one!

This one's for all the couch potatoes (and/or Harry Potter fans) in your family...

2. Magic Wand Programmable TV Remote

Add a little spice to changing the TV with this programmable remote wand. You "teach" the wand any command you want, program a movement to go along with that command, and alakazam! You have a brand new way of watching TV.

And now the "best" for last...

1. Sushi Panic Game

Want to add a little international flavor to your Christmas gifts? Well, now you can with this game from, of all places, Japan. Players take turns drawing cards and placing sushi on the table. If your piece makes the table pop and send the sushi flying, you lose. Sounds harmless, right? Well, given the recent earthquakes in Japan, I don't know if this would be the right gift to give.

Well, there you have it! See anything you like? Probably not but, if you do, all items were found on ThinkGeek.com. Merry Christmas!

Welcome Coach Fedora!

Chuck Cook/US PRESSWIRE

After months of searching, UNC has a new football coach. Larry Fedora, who is fresh off leading Southern Miss. to a C-USA Championship, will become the new coach. Athletic Director Bubba Cunnigham knew Fedora from his time as a C-USA Athletic Director (Tulsa) and many others have given nothing but praise for the coach.

Before becoming a head coach, Fedora spent time as Offensive Coordinator at Florida from 2002-2004 under Ron Zook. In 2005, Fedora joined Mike Gundy's staff at Oklahoma State, becoming one of the top paid offensive coordinators in the country. After being a candidate for head coching positions at multiple schools, including Baylor, Fedora accepted the job at Southern Miss. in 2007.

Coach Fedora has done very well at Southern Miss. both in recruiting as well as overall gameplay. In his first recruiting year, Fedora was able to grab five star prospect, DeAndre Brown, who also considered schools like LSU, Ole Miss, and Auburn. Fedora led his Southern Miss. team to an 11-2 record, the C-USA Championship, and the #21 ranking in the nation. His playing style is very aggressive on defense and special teams while being fast paced on offense.

At first, I wasn't so sure about Fedora coming to UNC. He's led his Southern Miss. team to the conference championship, but it's C-USA and not a "big name" conference such as the SEC, Big 12, etc. However, after getting more information about him and watching his press conference, I'm very excited about having him as Carolina's new coach! He's very tough minded but, at the same time, cares for his players and holds them accountable. I think that's exactly the kind of coach the Heels need. Plus, with his list of mentors/friends including: Ron Zook, Mike Gundy, and Mack Brown, I hope he'll be able to lead Carolina to new heights.

Coach Fedora info gathered from Wikipedia.org 

A Wish Come True

It's crazy that there are only two weeks left until Christmas! I saw this story on WRAL that will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!

Great Week!

It's the start of another week and only three finals separate me from Christmas Break! You know, it seems like the semester has really flown by. It's amazing to think that I'm basically half-way through my sophomore year! If you guys remember from one of my previous posts I told you I had a busy week last week. Well, although it was very busy (I basically commuted back and forth between State and Durham) it was still a lot of fun!

First, I'll tell you about the QDR Concert for the Kids. It was awesome! The lineup of performers included: Jason Michael Carroll, Jerrod Niemann, David Nail, Scotty McCreery, and Brantley Gilbert. As you know, I've seen David Nail and Scotty McCreery in concert before but it was cool to get to see the other artists as well! And, if that wasn't enough, in celebration of the DPAC's 3rd Birthday, we were greeted with some free birthday cake! Proceeds from ticket sales of the sold out show went to the NC Children's Hospital and they were able to raise over $1 million. 

Then, the Living Christmas Tree. We had two practices Monday and Tuesday and we did six shows in just four days, starting last Thursday. Although we had some technical glitches during the first couple shows, we always end up pulling it off...and we did! The last show is always special because you never know what's going to happen! I can go on and on about the crazy stuff that happened last night but I'll just say there was a lot of "snow" at the end. So much, it took me forever to finally get it all off of me (no thanks to some of the kids)! I also got to hang out with some of my church fam after the last show, which was awesome! 

We ended up having thirty-five people come to faith in Christ through the Tree which was more than last year! That's the whole purpose of doing these shows. Although we have so much fun before, during, and after, the main purpose is to lead people to Christ and I'm so happy we did that once again this year! Everyone did such a great job and I think our hard work paid off!

Here's To You

I may be taking this whole 1,000 pageview thing a bit too far but I want to give another Weekly Salute to you my faithful readers. When I started this blog, I didn't know what to expect. In fact, hardly anyone read it back in the day. But now, thanks to my readers (and with a little help from Facebook/Twitter) my blog is booming! Like I mentioned before, my readership extends across the U.S. and even outside its borders, including: Canada, Thailand, New Zealand, The U.K., Japan, and even South Korea and Croatia! Whether you like or dislike my posts, you still have been taking the time to read them and I'm very grateful for that!

One big reason I decided to start a blog was because I knew that I wanted to get into journalism. I'm also a very opinionated person; so I knew I could use a blog to work on my writing skills as well as post my opinions and viewpoints on different things. So far, it has really worked out and I hope for continued success in the future! So, I salute you guys, my readers. Thanks for taking time out of your lives to read my blog!

The Rumor Mill

I know we still have quite a few games to go until the end of the college football season but the rumor mill is going strong with potential coaches UNC is looking at. According to a friend of mine (and many other reports online) Boise State's coach, Chris Petersen, is at the top of AD Bubba Cunnigham's wish list. Granted, Petersen is probably at the top of all the wishlists of teams in search of a coach, but it's still worth noting.

Carolina's main competition seems to be UCLA who just fired its coach, Rick Neuheisel. According to many sources, Petersen is supposed to visit Chapel Hill sometime this month and some are even reporting that the contract will contain many things including a $3 million/year salary. The reports also said that Carolina has Kevin Sumlin (Houston) and Skip Holtz (South Florida) on its wishlist, among others. 

Of course, you have to take all of this with a grain of salt. A lot of these rumor mill reports contain facts that are either exaggerated or completely untrue. There are so many rumors about this circulating around that something must be true. Cunningham is known for his coach hires but, with possible sanctions coming down the pipe, it may be hard for the Heels to land Petersen.

UPDATE: ESPN is reporting that Kevin Sumlin has been offered the coaching job at Arizona State. They also report that people close to Sumlin denied that it was a "done deal" but UNC may be crossing him off the list pretty soon.