Summertime, and the living is ...
July 16th -- ... not so easy!  OK, so I recognized that the economy is tanking, average, decent jobs are being shipped out of the country, and I'm not living in a major metropolitan area.  But  seriously, job hunting in 2008 is brutal.  With the lines of mass communication more open today than ever before, one would think that it would streamline the process and allow for a more efficient and effective experience.  Wrong!  I have registered with every online career-related website, registered with every staffing or temporary agency, and scoured ever paper on the area and just getting to an interview seems to be a monumental task.  If I could just shower, dress and start knocking on doors I'd fell a lot better.  Unfortunately, that's not the way things are done today and getting someone, anyone, to even call you back is more difficult than getting Karl Rove to testify before Congress.  So, I'm pulling out all the stops before I grab the cardboard sign and head out to the overpass at I-95.  Anyone need a nanny?  How about a houseboy?  "Welcome to [name of fast food joint], may I take your order?"  Can you still do that in this country or are they taking your order over in India as well?  Happy days are here again!

College Football Season '08!
June 2nd -- I know, I know!  What in the world am I doing talking about college football.  Check that date again.  It's June, right?  Yes, but to real college football fans, it's always in season. Spring practice and games give us reason to get excited about the upcoming season.  In Gainesville, Tim Tebow looks to build on his Heisman (and Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Awards winner) season, making improvements on what was already one of the most dominant QB machines in the nation.  The Florida Gators will surround Superman with WR Pearcy Harvin and TE Cornelius Ingram among others and look to continue dominating both on the ground and in the air.  The offense looks to improve on Tebow's distinction in '07 of becoming the first NCAA quarterback to ever throw for 20 or more AND rush for 20 or more TD's in a single season.

On the defensive end, UF is another year older.  This is critical as the Gators fielded one of the youngest defensive units in the nation.  Top returners include DE Jermaine Cunningham and LB Brandon Spikes, among others.

Ever think about the 2006 National Championship team and where they might fit in on an all-time list?  ESPN's Mark Schlabach created a list of the top 10 BCS champions and put the 2001 Miami Hurricanes at the top.  Where do those mighty Gators fit on that list?  Check it out here for yourself!

Following up a banner, conference champion season, the Central Florida Knights look to improve outside the Conference USA.  And that's going to be no easy task.  Out of conference games this season include at Boston College and at Miami.  Also gone from the UCF sidelines is Kevin Smith, last season's national rushing leader and starting QB Kyle Israel.  Junior Mike Greco looks to have the hold on the QB position while Smith's backup last season, Phillip Smith, looks to be the best shot at creating havoc out of the backfield.  The defensive secondary and the linebacker set look to be very strong.  The defense returns nine starters from last year's squad.

Predators in the playoffs - again!
July 5th -- Well, they made it close, but the Orlando Predators couldn't advance past their 17th opening-round appearance in the Arena Football League playoffs.  They lost in Cleveland to the Gladiators, 69-66.  They made way too many mistakes and nearly pulled it off at the end, but it wasn't to be.  Now, can we get started with NCAA and NFL football?  Please?

June 24th -- Congratulations to the Orlando Predators as they make their way to the post-season for the 17th-consecutive season.  Although it was not one of their more stellar seasons, it's hard not to salute this accomplishment, one that is rare in professional sports.  For the Preds to make anything happen in the playoffs will require a far better effort than saw the Orlando Arena Football team lose five of its final eight regular season games.  Following the the team's inaugural season, they have made it to the playoffs each year since, a streak of 17-years which matches the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL as the best in pro sports history!

What's Happening ...
June 30th -- I finally made my way over to Universal Studios to check out the new Simpson's Ride.  It was the replacement for the old Back to the Future simulator-ride.  In fact, there was little to no changes in the actual structure of the attraction.  We worked our way through a newly painted queue area and into the same old preshow room.  The premise here is that Sideshow Bob has escaped from jail or the insane asylum and is running loose in Krustyland.  You board the same old simulator and travel through an animated theme park, under attack from Sideshow Bob throughout.  It's OK.  Nothing special.  But the main problem here for me is the problem that has always existed with Universal's simulator attractions and that's the design.  Unlike Disney's simulators, all one needs to do is look up, around, or to either side to brake the illusion.  Further more, we were in the back row of the car and most of the action took place towards the bottom of the screen, directly in front of the person sitting in front of me.  Which meant I missed most of the action and never really experienced the effects of a good simulation.  Simpsons fans will like it, the story-line is clever and the animation is terrific.  Now if they would just fix the simulator and ride system itself, maybe, just maybe...

June 8th -- Finally.  I'm a college graduate!  How long did it take me?  Uh, ... well ... never mind.  The point here is that I finished.  Let me say this: it is never too late to get this done.  Was it a challenge?  Of course.  Shouldn't earning a degree be a little bit of work?  Of course.  Is it doable?  Totally!  Was I ready to be done?  Absolutely!

The last semester was long and tedious.  The main focus was on the UCF Knightly News, a half-hour, weekly news program which was broadcast live across campus and tape-delayed in Central Florida on Brighthouse Networks.  We worked on news stories during the week, researching, shooting video, interviews, editing, and writing copy.  We focused on the different types of story packages and on camera/editing techniques.  Fortunately we were allowed to use the non-linear editing equipment, which in my case meant my laptop.  Imagine that.  Shooting video, dumping onto the laptop and editing it where ever it was convenient is an amazing thing.  And, living so far for campus, was a very time-saving process.  Even though I do not intend to go into the TV/Radio news business, that was my academic interest from the beginning and, being a Communication degree, chose to pursue that when I returned to school.  Most of my fellow students will be looking to nab jobs in the TV news industry.  Most will likely find work in what we call third-tier markets, where they will get their feet wet.  They'll bust their humps for very little money with the hope that they will hone their skills and parlay it into more lucrative positions, somewhere in the field of broadcast journalism.  For me, not being a traditional college student, I don't have the luxury of working my way up the ladder and "paying my dues".  And since I find it very difficult to find anyone doing anything remotely close to what I studied, anything that could be considered journalism, I'm afraid that I would have difficulty in selling my soul to the devil in the name of corporate profits.  Used to be a time when when relied solely upon a journalistic work ethic, but unless you satisfy the corporate giants who are gobbling up all of the news outlets, you'll likely be out of work.  Your journalistic integrity might remain in place, but you'll be out of work.  So, with Communication degree firmly in hand, I will proceed to the real world and hope that I can find something that satisfies both my desire for challenging and fulfilling work.  At least I know that nobody will ever look at me across a desk and tell me once again that while I might be the most qualified person for a job, I cannot even get an interview with a college degree.  Bring it on!

We went, we cruised, we had fun!  Well mostly!
June 27th -- Don't think that there's a difference between the major cruise lines?  You haven't been cruising.  And, unless the only cruiseline that you have experienced is Carnival, then you have nothing to compare it to and just might think that all cruises are the same.  I realize that I've become a bit of a cruise snob, having experienced several ventures on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but how in the world does the former ever get any return customers?  Or do they care?  It seems like they don't.  I've never been on a ship where just about anything and everything we asked for seemed like the greatest burden to every be imposed upon the crew member.  There were multiple instances of room service requests in which nobody bother to call or follow up, much less actually show up with food.  Asking for anything special in the dining room was like pulling teeth.  And the food was adequate at best!  As I said earlier, if you ave nothing to compare it to than you might not know any better.  That was definitely not the case for me and every single thing was glaring.  Fortunately, there was family and friends and some great ports of call.  And, at least I know for the future.  There really is a difference in cruiselines.

SERIOUSLY ALREADY!
July 14th -- All-Star break.  Phew!!  The Boston Red Sox pulled it off before the break and managed to get themselves back in to first place.  Just a half-game ahead  of those damned Tampa Bay Rays.  Six-games up on the Yankees.  Just in time for the break.  How weird is it going to be for New York fans watching so many Red Sox players and a Boston manager running things in the Bronx?  Let's go AL!  Home-field for the Series is on the line.  [79th MLB All-Star Game, 8 p.m. ET]

June 30th -- These 1-run losses are getting old.  The Boston Red Sox have manufactured more than I care to count, but perhaps it wouldn't be nearly so painful if they would come out on the winning side every now and then.  The series at Tampa Bay and then the Yankees.  It was brutal.  We usually win these games.

June 23rd -- It was a tough weekend for the AL East leading Boston Red Sox. The highly-anticipated series against the cross-league rival St. Louis Cardinals almost got out of hand if not for the late game heroics of the defending World Champs in the final of the three-game series. It took Kevin Youkilis' second homer of the game, this time a two-run shot in the 13th to put away the pesky Cardinals.  The Sox are just a game and a half ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.  But something is going to have to give with the bullpen.  Lots of questions and we haven't even made it to July.

Magic not quite good enough!
June 23rd -- Alright already!  Enough!  Let's get on with the Olympic Games already. It's time to see of the strategy change works in the American's favor.  No longer do the Dream-teamers believe they can win on the international stage with a dominate inside game.  So they've stacked the decks with shooters, which will hopefully open things up for Dwight Howard to dominate.  Basketball competition begins August 9th.

June 23rd -- Congratulations to Dwight Howard on being named to the US Olympic basketball team.  It was the right choice for a team that will be playing under a great deal of pressure to bring back the gold and return the United States to its place on top of the basketball globe.

May 14th -- Yes, the second round was a major improvement for the Orlando Magic over the last few years, but clearly falling to the Detroit Pistons in five games could not be considered anything but a disappointment.  Baby-steps my backside.  It was one of those series that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  You cannot get that feeling out of your system that the better team did not win.  What does playoff experience count for?  I think we all know now.  Combine the inconsistent play with the fact that the Pistons were playing way over their heads and you get the NBA Playoffs.  Detroit used an NBA playoff record three-turnovers to eliminate the hometown Magic 91-86.

So, it's back to the grind for coach Stan Van Gundy and his team as they figure out a way to get Orlando past this point and into the conference finals and beyond.  The way things are coming together for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, General Manager Otis Smith and the Magic organization will have their work cut out for them during this off-season.  Look for them to make some free-agent moves to surround Allstars Dwight Howard, Rasheed Lewis, and the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year, Hedo Turkoglu.