I Was Hit By A Car

Yes. This happened. Last Sunday.

First things first, I am completely unhurt.

Lucky is what I am.

After the miserable weather of Saturday, I decided that for my Sunday workout I would run to our gym - 1 mile from our house - to enjoy the sun and fresh air, work out and then run home. Diane had a slightly different schedule for her workout as she was attending a class at the gym and, therefore, drove.

Well, all was fine and going to plan as I finished my workout at the gym and headed back down to the street for the one mile run home. As I exited the doors, I spied Diane about a half a block away, getting into our 4Runner. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hitch a ride home or not, but I definitely wanted to run down there to catch her before she drove back to our house. So I did.

Part of the sidewalk along this stretch also is the exit for a parking garage used by gym patrons, shoppers at nearby Trader Joe's and - on Sundays - throngs of people flocking to the Mars Hill church across the street.

Well, as I ran along the sidewalk - as I have done in this location many times before - a car came zooming out of the garage without slowing down or stopping to see if anyone was on the sidewalk. Apparently the driver was not concerned with this possibility, not did she bother to check the round mirror that's mounted to give drivers a look around the corner for just such a possibility.

Nope. She and her Subaru just came cruising on out onto the sidewalk and hit me as I crossed in front of the garage exit.

Luckily for me, I had a few things going in my favor:

• I was already moving - I wasn't' stationary nor walking...I was running.
• I was not running right up next to the wall of the building, but rather a bit out on the sidewalk.
• The car was not going very fast...after all, she was exiting a garage, not driving on the street.
• I reacted well and quickly sprung sideways and forward when I quickly realized what was happening.
• The driver did, indeed, stop after hitting me.

All of these things, in my opinion, combined in one moment, so that the car...while technically "hitting me"...more like aggressively bumped me and I was out the other side unhurt. The only part of my body that contacted the car were my upper thy and my hand as I balanced and pushed off the hood to propel past the car.

Once I cleared the car, I quickly checked myself...not hurt. Not at all. I looked at the driver, yelled out something lame like "What the Hell lady!" Some guy walking by said something like, "that was lucky."

I ran over to Diane and asked her if she'd seen what just happened. She hadn't.

Oh, and by the way...the driver? Didn't get out of her car. Didn't say "I'm sorry." Didn't ask me if I was OK. Nothing. She looked at me, raiser her hands with her palms up and kinda dismissed the whole thing...and then drove away. But that's people for you. She's probably not a bad person or anything, but in any case she decided her best move was to say nothing, do nothing and then drive away.

After that, I decided it was probably best to catch a ride home with Diane.

All and all, I'll take this little episode as yet another sign of, you think you know what's going to happen to you in daily life - or life in general - but you don't know.

What We Learned - Week Nine in Pac-10 Football

Oregon (8-0 overall, 5-0 in Pac-10 play) defeated USC (5-3, 2-3) by the score of 53-32 in Los Angeles. We learned that charges by pundits and opponents saying that Oregon runs a "gimmick" offense, fields a "fraud" deffense, has played a "soft" schedule and hasn't "proved it" on the road are, in fact, completely false.

For indeed, Saturday we definitively learned that the inverse of all of those things is what is true. Lets break it down for those still doubting:

• Oregon is a power offense. The proof is in the stats - 311 on the ground and 288 in the air - and the number of points scored (52). Think that's gimmicky? Think they somehow "manufactured" that out of thin air? No. They ran through USC, and then threw it over the top of them on the way to an excellent day. 
• Oregon fields a legit defense. OK, they did give up some yards and some points. But hey, isn't USC's offense supposed to be among the best in the conference if not the nation? And how about 3 turnovers they nabbed Saturday. Does it get any more legit than beating USC by three touchdowns...on the road?
• Oregon plays a difficult schedule and beats good teams...even on the road. To date, the Ducks have beaten then #9 Stanford (now #12) at home and #23 USC on the road. Throw in quality road wins against Arizona State (first league road game) and Tennessee (second week of the season and down in SEC territory) and I think talk of weak schedule can be put to rest.

We also learned that Oregon, if it can take care of business against its remaining schedule, will certainly earn a spot in the big national title game in January.

Stanford (7-1, 4-1) beat Washington (3-5, 2-3) by the score of 41-0 in Seattle. We learned that UW is nowhere near where it wants to be or thought it was as a football program entering this season. "Rock bottom" is the description of the team's own coach after the game when describing his squad. UW has to win three of its final four games to be considered for a bowl game. Yes, they have to figure out a way to beat Oregon in Eugene, Cal in Seattle, UCLA in Seattle and WSU in Pullman. Based on yesterday's evidence, none of those games are a "gimmie" - even against WSU. Meanwhile, we learned that Stanford continues to be the real deal...a very good second-best team in the league.

ASU (4-4, 2-3) beat WSU (1-8, 0-6) by the score of 42-0. We learned that my prediction of the Cougs finally putting it together were, well, WAY too optimistic. Oh well. We learned that ASU can come back from a nasty defeat and could be a spoiler for others still on their schedule.

Oregon State (4-3, 3-1) beat Cal (4-4, 2-3) by the score of 35-7 in Corvallis. We learned again that Cal just 'aint the same team on the road as they are at home...by a long shot. We learned that Oregon State is still on track to give Oregon trouble in the Civil War game in early December.

Arizona (7-1, 4-1) beat UCLA (3-5, 2-4) by the score of 29-21 in Los Angeles. Not much learned here. The Arizona backup QB is good. Arizona is better team than UCLA. They are on the march to an epic showdown with Oregon on Nov. 26 in Eugene. Meanwhile, we learned that the Bruins can bounce back, but are done for the year. That's about it.

Week Nine Pac-10 Football Predictions

Week nine predictions for Pac-10 football...

Oregon will trounce USC by the score of 48-24. I've been conservative in my Duck predictions this year - even predicting a loss to Stanford earlier. Each time I've been proven wrong and the Ducks have rolled. This week, convential wisdom and the pundits will say that this is a trap for the Ducks and that USC is good and improving...so, the chances of them upsetting Oregon are very good to, well, they will upset Oregon. I will go the other direction and say that, no, in fact the Ducks are up to the challenge, highly motivated, and the same things than have carried them through all of their other games this season (hyper offensive pace, spectacular running game, timely passing and running by the QB and a "bend but don't break" defense also adept at creating turnovers) will do so again. Sure, USC will score points, but they won't outlast or outscore the Ducks. Que the big Duck jinx simply because I have published this prediction.

Stanford will beat Wasthington by the score of 28-17. Stanford is just too good not to come out of this game against the Dawgs with a win. Their strengths line up with the UW weaknesses and I just don't see how UW wins this one...maybe a binge of turnovers by Stanford? That's about all I can think of, and I doubt that happens.

Arizona will beat UCLA by the score of 42-10. Arizona will roll over the reeling Bruins. It doesn't matter that this one is in L.A. The better team wins by a lot.

WSU will beat ASU by a score of 24-21. You see that correctly. I'm calling for an upset here. ASU is whipped and demoralized with little to play for. WSU isn't winning, but they are getting better every week. I think they get it done this time.

OSU will beat Cal by the score of 31-21. Cal is a strong team at home and a pretty poor one on the road. This game is in Corvallis. Enough said. Beavs win.

Tea Party Horrors

Here are a couple really interesting posts that give you some insight into the anger and mindset of Tea Party members and their ilk:

Teabaggers = Constitutional Hypocrites. Tea Partiers like to talk about their devotion to the Constitution. This article points out how hypocritical they really are. Click HERE to read.

Teabaggers Are Mad...Now. So much crap happened over the last 10 years, where was the anger through all that? What could have changed in 2008 that made people previously unwilling to express their anger to flip out? Hmmm. Click HERE to read.

UO Basketball - Rebuilding But Will Have GREAT Arena

University of Oregon mens basketball may be going through some challenges after long-time coach Ernie Kent departed along with several key players, but one thing they will have in the upcoming season is...

...the most modern, high tech and impressive stadium to play in.

Check out the Matt Knight Arena by clicking HERE.

Here's what it looked like under construction this summer...

It's Never A Good Idea To Link Yourself to WWII Germany

Political pundits sometimes throw out how certain people or policy positions compare with - in their minds - those of Nazi German or what Hitler did or "would have" supported. The translation of any such argument is that the person saying these things is calling their opponent "a Nazi" or "Hitler" and implying that they harbor the associated racism, hate, anti-Semitism and responsibility for the deaths of millions of people that goes with that accusation.

This never works as an effective way of discrediting an opponent because it comes across as desperate, mean spirited or out-of-touch...even if the assertion happens to be technically correct on some level. And, no matter what the issue is, the public isn't going to believe that whatever political issue or hypothetical argument that's being discussed on TV in the U.S. in 2010 is as bad as what actually happened in Europe because of the Germans before and during World War II (because it's not).

OK, so it's clear that it's not effective to try and link an adversary to WWII Germany. But, FOR SURE you should not link yourself or your own organization to them.

As evidence, this week the University of Tennessee head football coach tried to explain the mindset and status of his team by saying they were "like the Germans in World War II." He went to explain how his team is like the defenders of the D-Day beaches. Really? That's the comparison you want to make? That your student athletes are akin to German soldiers in World War II trying to kill Americans, Brits, Canadians and others as they try and liberate Europe?

The coach is probably a big WWII buff and knows well how the Allies successfully invaded France in 1944 - starting with D-Day on June 6. So, he probably was trying to make a point along the lines of...so complete was the Allies plan and execution of the D-Day invasion that it totally confused and completely defeated the Germans defending the coastline, and that's how our team feels right now. We're young, beat up and overwhelmed.

Two problems with that analogy:

1. Whatever your intentions, you just aligned yourself, your school and your team with the Nazis. Virtually nobody will get the comparison you were trying to make, but they definiately will conclude that you are an idiot who just associated their beloved school and team with "Nazis." 
2. The Germans went on to lose World War II - badly. If you ARE going to use a war analogy, is that the side you want to compare yourself to when talking to your team, fans and supporters? I think not. For free, I'll give you an appropriate WWII analogy - even though I'm against using them in business, politics or sports because war is horrific and whatever "sacrifices" your team or company is making they are nothing compared to what real soldiers in a real war sacrificed. OK, so you could say that your team is like the Americans at the outset of the Battle of the Bulge - surprised, overwhelmed and confused. But, like those American soldiers, the team will rebound, re-double efforts, fight hard and in the end emerge victorious. There. Everybody is happy. Your analogy is aligned with the right side and your (feeble) point is made.

So the big sum up is...when making an argument or an analogy, never bring in references to the Nazis, Hitler or the Germans in WWII. Just don't. You're more than likely wrong, you look desperate and you greatly undermine your own credibility rather than making your point.

The Secret Prehistory of the Beatles

The Beatles. Lovable mop tops with a groundbreaking new sound, boundary pushing musicians, teenage girl scream inducing Fab Four idols, and psychedelic pioneers. They were all those things and more. And indeed, most people remember them as as such - beginning in 1963 and running through until their breakup in 1970.

Except that beginning that everybody remembers wasn't the beginning at all.

Indeed, prior to the release of Love Me Do in 1963 and the ensuing Beatlemania that swept the UK, the USA and then the world in the following years, the Beatles existed - and thrived - as an animal of a different type. First in the lowly clubs of Liverpool, and then more spectacularly in the seedy nightclubs of Hamburg, Germany, the Beatles were a rough and ready, hard rocking band playing revved up and loud songs at breakneck speed. And, it wasn't just the music. Their look was completely different than what they later projected. Leather jackets and pants, slicked back hair, wild stage antics...hey, these Beatles were more like 1970s punk than 1960 pop.

There are books and web sites that tell of this Beatles pre-history, and its fascinating stuff to read about how the band came together in those days, gigged hard and eventually jettisoned bassist Stu Sutcliff and drummer Pete Best in favor of Ringo Starr. But, pictures also tell a 1,000 words.

Check these out...

Is this George, Paul and John or is it Strummer, Jones and Simonon?

Is this the Beatles or the Damned on stage?