Escape velocity

This past weekend was not a good one for me as a football fan. Both my college team, Cal, and my NFL team, the Denver Broncos, lost crucial games. Cal fell to USC and the Broncos lost to the Chargers. Both teams blew 2nd half leads. A victory for Cal would have meant a trip to the Rose Bowl for the first time in nearly 50 years, while Denver’s loss gave rival San Diego the AFC West lead and made the Broncos’ playoff run that much harder.

Disappointment is an inevitable part of being a sports fan. Mine isn’t even the kind which plagues fans of perennial losers, such as the Arizona Cardinals or Colorado Rockies. My teams have actually done pretty well most of the season. But their relative success only creates false hopes of championships, which are ultimately replaced by the stark realization that they just aren’t quite good enough to reach that level.

It reminds me of that great scene in one of my favorite movies, The Right Stuff: Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) pushes his test jet to the limit, climbing all the way into the upper stratosphere. Just as he catches a glimpse of outer space, the plane’s engines suffocate and die, sending him plummeting back to earth like a modern-day Icarus. What lifts a spacecraft beyond the pull of gravity is escape velocity. Yeager didn’t have it, and this year, at least, neither does Cal or Denver. All three glimpsed the glory of that next level, only to reach their limits and fall short.

I realize this is all somewhat overblown. It overlooks the teams’ accomplishments and, after all, it’s only football. But if my emotions didn’t swing with my teams’ fortunes, I wouldn’t be much of a fan. In the end, all I can do is keep rooting for my teams, hoping one day they will find enough thrust to slip the surly bonds of gravity and catch up with our championship dreams.

Tourists in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico 017

Originally uploaded by claudezilla.

Ashley and me standing in front of a landmark in Old San Juan.  More photos from the trip available to view here.

Hole 16 green

Hole 16 green

Originally uploaded by claudezilla.

This is the view I played the Ocean Course for.

If you like Pina Coladas…

I stepped off the plane and was instantly smothered by the heavy, humid air.  This was Puerto Rico.  It reminded me of Hawaii, with a Spanish twist.  My lovely wife, Ashley, was here to attend a conference, while I was here to play golf and drink rum, maybe even simultaneously.  While Ashley had to sit through mind-numbing sessions, I hacked my way through one of the hotel’s two golf courses, picking up an atrocious score and a slight sunburn.  At night, we had receptions and a banquet, drank pina coladas and mojitos, and mingled with her industry colleagues.

On our last full day there, we were able to visit Old San Juan and do a little requisite tourist shopping and sightseeing.  We stopped for lunch at a place called Barrachina, where I had a random celebrity sighting: porn legend Ron Jeremy.  He walked over to me and said, “Hey, good to see you again.  When are you going to unretire?  We miss you.”  Okay, that didn’t happen.  But it sure would’ve freaked the hell out of my wife.

Toasty vote

My polling place was changed just a few days before the election… to the local Quiznos. I guess Hooters would’ve been too much to wish for. FYI, I voted the straight smoked turkey ticket. And I recommend everyone get their ballots toasted. Makes all the difference in the world.

Uptight Citizen’s Tirade

“A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.” – Bill Vaughan

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” – George Jean Nathan

I’ve never taken the issue of citizenship, abstract or practical, for granted. I’ve voted in every major election since I turned 18. In fact, I worked as a vounteer on a presidential campaign at 18. I majored in Political Science and have been a political junkie my entire adult life. Although I didn’t pursue a career in politics or government, I still believe in the potential nobility of public service.

As citizens living in a free, democratic society, we not only have the right to make our voices heard, but the duty, as well. Democracy is not a free ride, much as we’d like to think it is. It’s not a hazy, abstract concept to throw around like a cheap marketing term. Democracy is organic, interactive and extraordinarily real. Our fundamental rights and freedoms we take for granted can be taken away by our government, or, worse, given away by us through neglect and ignorance. This isn’t just hypothetical; it’s happening right now.

Many people feel they can’t be bothered with politics when they’re already busy with their daily lives, or are turned off by what they see and read in the news. They say, “Why bother?” My answer is, by abstaining from the democratic process, you let someone else make decisions that directly affect your life. And I don’t know about you, but I’ll be damned if I let some stranger make decisions about my life for me.

So, I hope that my fellow citizens exercise their constitutional right on Election Day and make their voices heard. But remember, if you don’t vote, one right you definitely lose is the right to complain about anything that happens next.

I’m Claude, and I approve this message.