My Picks for ESPN's College Bowl Mania 2011-2012

Ah, yes. My other favorite collegiate postseason.

For twenty four days from mid-December through early January, college football pits 70 teams with winning records against in 35 bowl games. For players, the individual perks that come just for playing in such a game are extravagant, to say the least. For fans, the unique match-ups make for a great excuse to watch even more football as one year ends and another begins.

And what better way for a fan than to have a little fun guessing the winners of each game? That's where ESPN's College Bowl Mania comes in to bring some cheer (or bah humbugs) over the next three and a half weeks.

It's a very simple premise. You pick the winners of each game and, as added pressure, rate the confidence you have in that team to win from 1 to 35, with 35 points representing the most confidence in a team to win and 1 point being the least. The max point total is 630, and the objective, of course, is to score as many points by making the most correct picks. As such, here are my picks for every bowl game this season. Read 'em and weep. (You may have to click on the below image to fully read my picks.)



Let's make it happen!

Excerpt #2 from 'Second Chances'

Click here to read my first excerpt from this book.

(This is another short excerpt from my literary project titled Second Chances. It has been more than two years in the making, and I figure it'll take me a few more before this will eventually materialize into a full-length novel I can publish. In addition, this piece may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming edition. End disclaimer. Meanwhile, the following features a monologue by the protagonist's father, Arnold, talking to his son, Ronald, about his immediate future. I wrote this piece on Friday, December 9, 2011. Enjoy.)


Arnold began to walk away in disgust, stopping just before the front door and signaling for Ronald to come over from the dining room. He meekly made his way over.

"Do you see this door in front of you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well," Arnold said, "it's open for you to leave at any minute. I've tried all I could to get logical answers out of you, but all I've got in return is a bunch of smoke and mirrors. I don't know what the color of the sky is in your world, but on Earth, reasonable grown ups base their lives on fact, not whatever feels right in the here and now."

He sighed out of exasperation.

"If there's one thing I'll grant you, it's that you're now a legal adult with minimal restrictions. If you wanna play the lottery, have a smoke, or bang a coed, no one has the right to stop you. But with rights come responsibilities. It's the same deal with Duke. While you've certainly earned the right to attend that school, you've failed to take responsibility on how you're gonna pay for tuition, much less room and board and any other expenses. That, my son, is dangerous thinking.

"And know this, too. If you choose to walk out that door and leave for Durham by week's end, this is the last you'll ever hear from me. As much as I wanna knock some sense into you, I've come to realize that strategy will never work again. Y'know why?"

Ronald shook his head.

"Because you've officially, if not already, entered the age of accountability. I don't know how you can stand there with a straight face and say a timeless principle is 'irrational,' but you must live with your decisions and accept the consequences. If that means going there and getting straddled with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt in the name of higher education, don't even think of running back to me to help bail you out. Because I won't answer.

"I'm sorry, son. I can't, in good conscience, allow you to matriculate to Duke. The university may be ready for you, but you're not ready for the university.

"If you want, you can always start off with the local community college on the other side of town. They accept anyone who's got a high school diploma or a GED. Their academic standards may be less... rigorous, to put it mildly, but you'd be learning the same things there that you would at Duke. Plus, it's a whole lot less expensive and more convenient for you and I."

Again, he sighed.

"I don't know what else I can say to enlighten you, other than this little nugget for you to chew on. What would you rather do? Take a world-class eduation with bleak job prospects and no support of any kind, or swallow your pride and work your way back up with nothing to lose? The choice is yours."

Arnold left on that note out the door that had been ajar the whole time. Ronald quickly went back to his room to see his father head for his car and out for a drive. His eyes began to well up again as he sulked back through the hallway and toward the front entrance. He closed the door.

The Inside Story Behind The Charleston (S.C.) Waterfront Park

On the corner of Vendue Range and Concord Street in Charleston, South Carolina lay the north entrance to the Waterfront Park. Since the park was dedicated on May 11, 1990 and open for the public, the park has received near universal acclaim. Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who oversaw its whole production from 1977 to 1990, called the Waterfront Park "this generation's gift to the future." In 2007, the park won the Landmark Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Type in "Charleston Waterfront Park" on a search engine, and you'll be hard-pressed to find aggregate reviews under 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The park is simply that astounding.

But there's more to the park than twelve acres of natural landscape. It took a lot of politicking, and a failed attempt for a major airport hub, before the park was completed.

How do I know? My father was an elected official for the Charleston City Council during that time, and he rubbed shoulders with Mayor Riley to see this park through. What follows is his account on how one of Charleston's biggest tourist attractions came to be.

Rock On... the Psychological Effects of Bullying

Bullying is a no-win situation, especially for those who have been on the receiving end. It is a phenomenon most commonly associated with school, but bullying has also found its way into the workforce. From a psychological angle, victims of bullying tend to suffer from a number of issues which could drastically interfere with their normal functioning. However, most of the people who have endured the ordeal of bullying go on to lead rich, fulfilling lives. Through it all, those who do get bullied suffer the most but typically become more productive members of society from their experience(s).

Wherever there’s a chance for social interactions, the potential for bullying is present. In the psychological field, bullying is defined as “repeated aggression in which there is a power differential” between two people (Craig & Pepler 86). Generally speaking, bullying is typically associated with school-aged children from kindergarten all the way through high school. The rates for bullying here are alarmingly high, as anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of students either bully or are bullied; this percentage remains constant in many well-developed countries, including Australia, England, and the United States of America (Veenstra et al. 672). As upsetting as that sounds, victims of bullying can (and do) tragically seek revenge against those they deem responsible for their suffering. Since 1997, roughly two-thirds of all school shootings have been executed as a result of bullying (Comer 559). The most infamous instance occurred on April 20, 1999, when high school seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered twelve other students and a teacher before turning their guns on themselves in Littleton, Colorado. Heinous events, like the aforementioned Columbine massacre, carry the assumption that bullying takes place exclusively on school grounds. However, bullying can take place among grown men and women in the workforce. Those whose occupation involves “high job demands and low job resources” are most likely to be victimized (Tuckey et al. 217). This occurs because an individual’s livelihood is at stake if their performance is not up to par. In certain job settings where internal competition is regular, some people may resort to forceful techniques to get what they want, even at the expense of others. But regardless of the environment, the subtle trauma that bullying brings remains unequivocal.

For those who have been victimized, the psychological repercussions are plentiful. School children and teenagers who have been frequent targets of bullying most commonly report “anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints” (Craig & Pepler 87). Even more damning are their abrupt objections about school. Warning signs that children surreptitiously avoid bullies include a sudden loss of interest in academics, hesitation about going to school, and a dismal disposition about themselves (Plestina). If left untreated, children can suffer psychologically in the long term. Those who are frequently bullied in their childhood and adolescence “are at greater risk of suffering from depression and other mental health problems, including schizophrenia” when they hit adulthood (Plestina). However, adults who are bullied at their jobs are not immune from the psychological consequences, either. Those who have reported being bullied in the workforce experience greater anxiety, more physical health problems, less job satisfaction, higher job truancy, and a decreased responsibility to join organizational activities (Tuckey et. Al 215-216). When compared, neither group is at a disadvantage with each other. Fortunately for all bully victims, no matter the age, help is out there.

Despite the stigma bullying presents to its victims, many who have been bullied manage to persevere. Having a strong support system – may it be from family, church, school, and/or professional counselors – can help see bully victims see past their pain. For example, in schools where a bully prevention program was implemented, teachers “felt more positively about working with parents regarding bullying problems” (Craig & Pepler 89). Additionally, those who have been bullied mature faster from their experiences because they are forced to face their problems up front and come to the realization that bullies only act out of callow measures. Children, however, who continue to be victimized by bullies “become increasingly powerless and unable to defend themselves”, and if this persists, it can carry over into their adult lives, where they’ll have a harder time coping with peer-to-peer relationships (Craig & Pepler 86). But under certain circumstances, bullying may even be beneficial. For instance, bullying in the police force helps in “maintaining the pecking order and enforcing discipline within the hierarchy” of different ranking officers (Tuckey et. Al 226). This may be tolerated because being a police officer is a highly stressful job, and some intimidation by the higher ranked officers can help alleviate this omnipresent stress. Either way, bullying can be an effective technique to either learn or teach affected individuals that they are stronger than any derogatory actions pitted against them.

(Academic) Works Cited
[1] Comer, Ronald J. Abnormal Psychology: Seventh Edition. Worth Publishers, New York, 2010.

[2] Craig, Wendy M. & Debra J. Pepler. "Understanding bullying: From research to practice." Canadian Psychology, Vol. 48(2): 2007. Pp. 86-93.

[3] Plestina, John. "Bullies & Busses III - School Bullying Can Lead to Serious Adult Problems." Ely Times (NV), 31 Jul. 2008.

[4] Tuckey, Michelle R.; Maureen F. Dollard; Patrick J. Hosking; and Anthony H. Winefield. "Workplace bullying: The role of psychosocial work environment factors." International Journal of Stress Management, Vol. 16(3): 2009. Pp. 215-232.

[5] Veenstra, René; Siegwart Lindenberg; Albertine J. Oldehinkel; Andrea F. De Winter; Frank C. Verhulst; and Johan Ormel. "Bullying and victimization in elementary schools: A comparison of bullies, victims, bully/victims, and uninvolved preadolescents." Developmental Psychology, Vol. 41(4): 2005. Pp. 672-682.

A Dialogue Between My Head And My Heart: Can South Carolina Still Win The SEC East?

With their 44-28 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks on November 5, 2011, the South Carolina Gamecocks fell to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with three games still to play. For the garnet and black faithful, a seven win season in years past would be considered a success. After winning their first SEC East division title in 2010, anything short of a conference title game appearance or double digit wins is now a disappointment.

Heading into the 2011 college football season, South Carolina was the heavy favorite to repeat as SEC East champs again. But after a stunning conference loss to Auburn and a heartbreaker to Arkansas, the Gamecocks now find themselves half a game behind the surging Georgia Bulldogs (5-1 in the SEC), a team that started 0-2 and many left for dead.

But there is a caveat. Georgia's lone conference loss came against South Carolina, and a tie atop the SEC East would give South Carolina the edge by virtue of winning the head-to-head meeting. South Carolina has one more conference game left, a home game against Florida on November 12. Georgia still has to play Auburn at home on November 12 and Kentucky at home on November 19. A Gamecock win and a Bulldog loss in conference play would clinch the SEC East crown for South Carolina two years running.

Can it happen? Better yet, should it happen? It's something I've debated between myself with no closure in sight...

Rock On... the Schizophrenic Stereotype

Negative stereotypes are difficult to overcome, and those afflicted with schizophrenia struggle with this unnecessary label. Among others, schizophrenics are generally identified as dangerous and even violent. Prejudice of this nature persists because the public holds onto farfetched notions about this mental illness. Additionally, portrayals of schizophrenics in contemporary literature have a greater impact on the public at large than in psychological research literature. The only way to change this perception is to improve public competency towards this mental disorder and community health programs treating for schizophrenia. By addressing these faults and taking appropriate measures, the fear of schizophrenia will all but disappear.

Still Music To My Ears

On October 28, 2006, I bought my first album: Faith by George Michael. Five years and 172 albums later (as of this posting), music has given my life a definitive soundtrack for all time.

It has only been recently that my taste in music has been stimulated. In my younger years, I wasn't much of a fan of music. Sure, there were some catchy tunes I heard on the radio, but no one song convinced me to buy the artist's/band's albums and build a steady library. And to be honest, I was okay with that until two chance events happened in 2006.