A time for philosophy...tomorrow or a new year? What about TODAY?

The end of a year is really nothing more than just another day. Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. The calendar says today is the last day of 2011 and tomorrow will be the first day of 2012. For some reason significance is placed on the changing of a day, the turning of a page, the ending of one and the beginning of another. Lots of people will use the dawning of a new year as a marker to make new resolutions to change who they are or how they act, to do something they haven't been doing, to quit doing something they have been doing, to make themselves better in one way or another. To work out more, to eat less, to be nicer to others, turn a new page and leave behind bad habits formed in the past year or just to find strength in the perceived "new" beginning and make some sort of change. What a wonderful opportunity to find a time to make a change to make yourself into something new or better. The fact that tomorrow is a new YEAR is not really more important than tomorrow is SUNDAY. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, why do we wait for a new "year" to make a change...there are 355 tomorrows in a single year and so many people wait for just this one tomorrow to decide to make a change, after they spend tonight partying with friends, drinking and celebrating, tomorrow seems like a good time for a change.

I guess there is nothing wrong with deciding to do anything that will make yourself better, to improve yourself is some small way. But I keep getting stuck on the fact that a "new year" is the reason for such motivation. Shouldn't we be motivated by the fact that stopping a destructive habit or deciding that to make a change to improve for ourselves or for our spouse is a good thing. Tomorrow is always tomorrow, yesterday is a memory of things that I have already done or neglected to do...today is what we are given to work with. What I choose to do today is the important decision. Just the act of making a decision is enough motivation to create action to improve yourself. Make use of the energy created to make the decision and build it into a force for change. Let the momentum your create by forward progress propel you into greater things. If getting up a little earlier allows you to spend a little more time reading the bible and improving your faith, then get yourself out of bed and take advantage of the day you are given. There a no guarantees that you will be given another tomorrow, let alone another year.

How are you going about spending your days? Do you find yourself continually waiting for tomorrow to make a change, spending today dwelling upon things you know you should change but really don't want to until tomorrow? How productive are your thoughts? Is today just another stretch of hours that you find yourself grinding through, from break to break until you can get home? Do you find people in your life a bother, something to be tolerated? Is everything seeming to pile up on your plate, one problem after another, big or small at home or at work? How do you view each day when you open your eyes after a restless night of "sleep"?

Questions, questions, questions...most without a specific answer, but all with a general feeling of weight upon your spirit. When the details start becoming what you focus on, the big picture gets lost. It's not the problems your are presented with that are the issue, its the solutions that you should be focused on. Most of what each of us are trying to cope with are just the details of the daily grind. Given, these mundane tasks are necessary in today's society, but what is important is HOW we handle our day. Are you full of hope, faith and joy? Do you acknowledge the blessings large and small that your life is full of? When was the last time you picked up the bible in you house and spent any time in the word just reading? The answers are there, God is waiting and forever loving, patient and forgiving! Look to Jesus and you will find the answers to so much more than you ever imagined your where even questioning. This is where I could insert copious amounts of scripture to back up my thoughts and opinions, but if you've stayed with this to this point, I will save you the extra reading. It is all in the bible in whatever version you find palatable, I encourage you to take the effort and start reading today. The bottom line is that with God in your life and Jesus as your savior, today is an opportunity to grab a hold of and make the most of.

You are not guaranteed tomorrow, but you are guaranteed that by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior that heaven is your reward. The onus then becomes on you to improve yourself, to love your brother as yourself, the scripture is Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." It's not really more complicated than that! What is so difficult about loving one another? Try to take a little time to step back from situations that cause you to become angry and know that whatever it is, it is a LITTLE thing, its not important, it is a challenge to overcome and the test is not the situation or even the outcome, but HOW YOU HANDLE IT! The amazing thing is when you have a perspective like this, provided by God, knowing that through faith and hope that He provides all things will be taken care of and it will all work out!

I know, I know, problems still come up and they suck! It is hard to not have a job, to have bills you can't pay, to be dealing with problems that you think shouldn't be yours. The reality is that is life. The trials and tribulations are part of the big picture. Life isn't easy, but it is certainly worth living! Things happen and you have to deal with them, choose to handle them with  a positive attitude, asking God for guidance throughout your day, in good times and hard times. Being thankful for what you have and asking for strength times of strife. Now is the only time you have, it's part of today and you need to decide what kind of a day you are going to make. It doesn't help to put it off until tomorrow, because one - tomorrow NEVER comes and two - if your get to wake up in the morning today you have the same problems you had yesterday, but were too lazy to do anything about and you already know how yesterday went...do you want to relive yesterday over and over again!?

Tomorrow is a new year...well in 20 minutes a new calendar year starts...I am so thankful to God for the day He has blessed me with and I pray that I spent the day doing things that pleased God and made someone else's day just a little better! If I am blessed with another TODAY may I wake with a smile and find a way to show my love for my neighbor, do something positive in the lives of the people with whom I cross paths and make an effort to be a better me!  2012 is a new calendar year, today is a day to make a new me!

Thank you for loving me God, may I be a reflection of your love, your light, your passion, your joy, your enthusiasm for today and when troubles come my way I thank you for being there at my side to help guide me through, learning and gaining appreciation for experiences that make me better, make me recognize all of the blessing big and small that each day is filled. I am blessed so that I may be a blessing, Loved so that I may be able to love. Today is a gift to be cherished, I'm not waiting until tomorrow!!!!

The 40 point "mercy" rule...

After watching a great first half performance by the Puyallup Viking boys on Tuesday night I have been pondering the merits of the 40 point "mercy" rule instituted by the WIAA this year in boys and girls basketball. Yesterday I was decided to take some time and calm down a bit before I put my thoughts into words. I can see why someone thought it might be a good idea, I can even understand their reasoning behind wanting to implement such a rule change. But, did they really think it through? This type of mentality is a double edged sword. What kind of message does it send to the players on both sides of the score? How about those players who don't normally get lots of minutes in a game and spend their time watching from the bench in tight games? Does it really matter if a team loses by 40 or 60 points? The loss counts the same as if losing by 1. The standings are not influenced by the margin of win, only by the number of wins and losses. If we subscribe to giving up and just getting the game over with because one team is superior to the other team, then why play the game in the first place? Just save everybody the time, energy and money and give the dominant team the win and everyone the night off, isn't that pretty much what we are doing by running the clock and speeding up the end of the game? The running clock "mercy" rule makes a mockery of high school sports and takes away the opportunity for players to play.

What is the purpose of high school sports? To teach team play, sportsmanship, create a character building environment where young men and women can compete in a positive atmosphere, where everyone doesn't have to be the best athlete or the most gifted player to find a role to contribute to the success of their team. For each member of the team, players and coaches to do their best, regardless of the score or the opponent. Referees are told not to ref the scoreboard, but to call the game as it happens on the floor. Fans come to watch their team, students come to cheer and be with friends and build school spirit and pride, parents, grandparents and siblings come to watch their son, daughter, brother or sister out on the big floor playing their best for their school and teammates. Yes there are those games where there is a serious disparity between the abilities and skill levels of the teams matched up, but that is not a bad thing. A team needs to build its internal character and strength in those situations where they find themselves over matched. Sure the "mercy" rule only applies to the second half of the game, but if that's the case, why play the second half at all? Aren't we saying to the players on the floor, "nice try, but you're getting creamed out there, so we're gonna go through the motions until the clock runs out. Maybe next game we can let you play a real game if you can learn to score more points and play better defense. but, hey good game!"

Let me use Tuesday night as an example of what I mean. The Graham-Kapawosin team hasn't won a game all season, 0-17 currently. Now that is a hard season, they started out with a 2 point loss and have had two 1 point losses as well. The average amount they are getting beat by is 21 points per game. What does that mean? They have lost by more than 40 twice and by more than 30 five times and in at least 3 of those 7 games the clock has run on them taking away playing time from players on both teams. Puyallup got up early and really had their game dialed in, Jay Balmer ended the first half with 29 points, SEVEN 3 pointers and the Vikings on top by 35 54-19. Jay was on his way to possibly breaking a single game record for 3's, most points scored and who knows what else. But, because he started the second half much the way he did the game with back to back 3's the Vikings lead jumped to 41...bring in the "mercy" rule. Now the rules states that once the scores reaches 40 or more point differential the clock with run, except for time outs, free throws and injuries. The refs decided that the clock would actually run DURING free throws too, I mean why not, they get paid the same and get home early if the clock just keeps on ticking. Consequently, the players on the bench got less time on the floor, Jay was unable to finish what could have and should have been a career game for him. (Yes, he ended with 41 points which is awesome, but isn't it sad that it's a disappointing 41 instead of a joyous occasion?) G/K was able to keep the game around 30 the rest of the game which took less than 20 minutes of actual time to complete and lost by 33 in the end. Does it really matter if it was 33 or 53 or just 3? In the standings it is just another L. No asterix attached, no footnote saying the "mercy" rule was in effect, just one more L added to the loss column. There is no shame in losing a high school game.

Certainly, it is not fun to be on a team that can't catch a break and loses close games, it's even less fun to be on a team that gets beat bad night in and night out, but the comradery and bonding that goes on on a team like that is special. Every day those players are going to practice, working on the plays and drills the coach as spent his time and energy putting together. When game day comes around, the players are looking forward to getting to the gym, putting on their uniforms and doing their best out on the floor. Each game brings another opportunity for them to try and prove to themselves and everyone else that their hard work and efforts will be rewarded eventually. But someone decided that it would be best if the game was out of reach and the score got too much (40 points) to overcome then lets just hurry up and get the game over with. REALLY?!?! We are diluting the product and in the process diminishing the importance of standing strong in the face of adversity, building character when things are tough and allowing our young athletes to find out that in their heart, they are winners and they don't like to lose!

Is it fair to the players to do that to them? The starters on a team get to play every game, but the guys who sit on the bench who don't get on the floor very often, if ever, look forward to when the game gets to a point where the coach is willing to let them play. The high school level of play for most players is the first time where competition is meaningful, where wins and losses count and post season tournaments are contingent on the team doing well in the regular season. High school is also the highest level of competition for most players in their lives. A few will continue to play at the college level or maybe the pros, some in recreational leagues and others just for fun. But, the reality is that most athletes competitive careers begin and end in the three or four years they play during high school. So with that in mind, is it okay for the powers that be to take the game away from the end of the bench. The players who wouldn't get on the floor at all, unless the the score is out of hand. Sure they still get in, but the clock is running, a speeded up version of a real game. Eight minutes flies by when the clock just keeps going, 480 seconds to make something happen, the ball goes out of bounds and the clock ticks, a foul is called and the ref walks to mid court to make the call, the clock ticks, the players on the floor at this time of game usually aren't very efficient clock managers in the first place and now we put the game on fast forward. Why?

When I played in the early 80's that time of the game was lovingly referred to as "garbage" time. The starters could enjoy the last few minutes of a quarter or game and cheer on their teammates that were always cheering for them. This was the time when it didn't matter if you were on the floor and missed a shot or turned the ball over. The game was in hand one way or the other, the coaches had both emptied their benches and the players on the floor played hard and did their best with the minutes they got. But the fact was, it was still a real basketball game! The officials might be calling it a little looser, the fouls had to be committed a little harder, but the clock stopped when the ball went out of bounds, a foul was called or some one got injured. The score didn't really matter, what mattered was players who didn't normally play were getting their chance on both sides of the floor. For some of the younger players it was an opportunity to prove that they belonged, to show that their skills were worthy of the varsity game. To have the crowd cheer for them, let their parents see them playing and build some self esteem.

In my humble opinion, the 40 point "mercy" rule is wrong. The games don't take that long to play ordinarily and we shouldn't be speeding it up because someone felt that it would be better if the kids didn't have to be subject to a bad defeat. Well, that's just tough! You don't learn to be better if someone is always there saying," it's okay, we'll just pretend like it didn't happen, here's a cookie!" I sure if you asked the players, they don't like it either, (unless you talk to those kids with no inner fire, no heart, no will to win, but those kids aren't in the gym sweating and pounding on each other every day trying to get better.) Let the players play, let the coaches coach, let the referees do the job they are getting paid to do and let the game be played with the rules they were intended to be played with..."I'm Nic Beckman, Play Fair, Play Hard, Have Fun...Let's Play Basketball!!!!"

January 18, 2011...The day that was... A friend in need...

I heard a quote from Phyllis Diller (for those of you too young to know, she was a seriously funny lady a long time ago!) "if you ever want to make God laugh just tell Him your plans"

Well today I had all kinds of plans for how the day was to go. I got up and fed the dog, showered, flossed and brushed my teeth, took my vitamin and had my coffee. I got online to look for a job that my brother had told me might be available on the Boeing job website. I have been without full time employment for nearly two years now and it is ONLY through the grace of God that we have been able to make ends meet. Well God and the extremely creative bookkeeping and financial acrobatics that my wife makes happen that are keeping our two kids in college and a roof over our head.

Well back to my plan for the day, I had planned on getting some exercise, push-ups and some crunches mainly, but I wanted to get 100 0f each in...as I sit here at 11:35pm I did finish 40 push-ups and 50 crunches...it's a start but not what I had planned. In my planning, I wanted to get Champ up to the park to run and catch his frisbee for awhile, get my resume updated and apply for the Boeing position online, I wanted to take a couple of friends to see the new Green Hornet movie and then be home for my wife when she came home from work so that we could go together down the high school to work the boys basketball game. Then we could come home relax a bit and then snuggle down for a good nights sleep. Nice plan, didn't happen...

Well the first part of the day fell right into place, feed the dog, shower, floss and brush my teeth, vitamin, 20 push-ups, 30 crunches, a cup of coffee, then off to the park with the dog by 10am. Upon my return home and getting on the computer, I gotta admit, facebook was my first stop, got distracted with the silly dice game called yacht ( a modified version of yahtzee that I am somewhat addicted to ) so after a few rounds of that game, I finally got the the Boeing website and was scrolling through the job offerings there. As my AADD (adult attention deficit disorder) kicked in, I found myself looking at movie times at the local theater. My typical day when I do public address for the basketball games is to spend some quiet time not talking and sitting alone in a theater watching a movie and just being quiet. I wanted to take a couple of my friends to see the Green Hornet (I already saw it on Friday, but I know they both want to see it too), so I texted them to see if they were available today. Unfortunately, they were both busy, so back up plan B lead me to the Dilemma, Vince Vaughn's and Kevin James' new show. I have an in at the Regal Cinemas in my area as my sister is a manager and she is able to give me free passes to see movies, so I don't have to pay the $10 per show to see what is currently playing. Pretty nice for someone without a steady income! Yes, this is one of the blessings that I count every day! I was able to work it out that I could go to the Regal closest to my house to see the movie, so telling Champ I would be back soon, I went on my merry way to sit in the theater for a couple of hours and just chill.

This is when my day decided to take a turn and God put me in a situation to show who He was making me into and how far I had come (not to mention, how far I still have to go). About 40 minutes into the movie I received this text from a friend...

" Nick my 1 lung is collapsing. If i talk i get dizzy. Trying to get home"

First I am over the "k" being added to my name... second I totally started to freak out! My response was, can I come get you? where are you now? I can be right there

I waited for a few minutes, no response, so I went outside the theater and called him...still no response only voice mail....not knowing what to do I sent a text to a mutual friend asking if he as near or knew where our friend might be. I also forward the text I had received to him so he knew why I was being such a nutcase, his phone went directly to voicemail! Nearly 20 minutes later I got another text saying my friend was trying to get home and then to the hospital, but he wanted me to make a couple of calls for him . I responded that I could make the calls, but could I come get him and help in anyway to get him to the hospital? This was about 10 minutes to 2:00pm. At 2:05pm our mutual friend called and said he had been in contact and our friend was on his way home and should be there in 10-15 minutes and that I should try him again then. He was enroute to Seattle and wouldn't be able to head south for a couple of hours and that his phone battery was almost dead and he would be charging it, but it would be turned off for awhile, but he would be checking it. Not the news I was hoping for, but at least I had some kind of clue as to what was going on.

I went back into the movie to wait and see what developed, both with my friend and the plot line...

As far as the movie goes, it wasn't the comedy I thought it was going to be, although I have to admit I didn't get to see the last 30 minutes or so. I did enjoy what I watched and like both Kevin James and Vince Vaughn, free admission makes almost any movie tolerable.

I tried my friend at 2:25pm, no answer, just his voicemail...then he called back just a minute later...the voice on the other end was barely coherent and I could barely make out the words "home" and "hospital" before we were disconnected. I frantically tried calling back, to no avail. I hurriedly left the theater at a run to my car, trying to call our mutual friend as I headed for the parking lot. It went directly to his voicemail, so I knew his phone was off, I left a message letting him know that I was on my way to the house, but as I had only been there on one other occasion I was panicked as to getting there without getting lost. Not wanting to waste time I headed in the general direction with prayers to God to watch over my friend and give me the guidance I needed to get there in most expeditiously. A bolt from heaven struck my right in the forehead as I remembered that the one previous time I had been to his house I had put his address into my map application on my phone to help me find his place. Under the recent searches I found the address and was able to get directions via the navigate to location function! Certainly a blessing and insight from God!

At 2:52pm I received a call from my friends phone, again I could hardly understand a word, he was gasping and coughing so hard that his words made no sense. Then to my great relief a woman's voice came on and said that he was at home and wanted to know how close I was? I let her know I was less than 10 minutes away and would be there shortly. When I arrived, my friend was lying on his bed, gasping and shaking. I was at a loss. Inside I was literally freaking out! but externally, I was trying to be stoic and calm, getting him a clean shirt and fresh coat to wear to the hospital. Getting all the things he thought he might need if they admitted him overnight or for an extended stay (a certainty from my uneducated medical perspective). He could hardly sit up, but we got him dressed in the clean shirt and slipped his shoes on and out to the car we went.

As we were heading down I-5 to St. Joseph's hospital in downtown Tacoma, my friend was concerned about all kinds of mundane issues. He had me call his office and advise them of the status of a few of his business meetings, I let them know we were heading to the hospital (something he said he didn't want me to tell them?) and that he was having a hard time breathing and could barely talk at the moment. His phone is normally very busy, as luck would have it, his Mom called while we where driving and I let her know what was going on. She and I have never met and I tried to explain in brief while making sure she knew her son was going to be ok. As he said to me, "Don't worry I'm not going to die today". I was glad he knew that, I wasn't so sure as he was in extreme pain, breathing shallow and erratic and essentially having multiple seizures as we made our way through traffic.

Finally, after what seemed forever! I pulled into the emergency drive at St. Joe's, with my window rolled down I hollered to the person wearing the "valet" jacket that I needed a wheelchair and someone to help my friend. As I came to a stop at the curb next to the entry door, they were bringing out a wheelchair, I leaned across the car to pull the handle and open the door for him and snapped the latch right off! Yep, broke it right off in my hand with one quick pull! Stupid German car, plastic handle where it should be metal! frantically, I jumped out of the car, ran to the passenger side and helped him get out and into the emergency room. All the while he as saying how he hated the hospital and all the time he had spent there. The whole way to the hospital, he had been giving me instructions as to which Dr's names I should tell the emergency room nurses, where his files were kept and a myriad amount of other details that pretty much just washed over me as I steered my way through the traffic.

I must admit, I thought it would be more difficult to get him some attention, of course, having someone who can't breath and is shaking, convulsing and generally in terrible condition when you enter the emergency room, makes for quite an entrance. With minimal paperwork and a few choice nuggets of information, regarding his file and the specific doctors with knowledge of his pre-existing condition got him admitted rather quickly. My car was left at the curb and the woman working the valet came in and handed me a ticket saying that my car had been parked and to call when I wanted it back. I thanked her and made sure everything was being done to take care of my friend. After fielding a few calls from his phone and sending a few texts to those who needed to know and returning calls to those others, I was able to get a visitor pass from security and go find out how he was doing.

It was a little after 4pm by this time and I was running a little tight on time. Getting back to hallway C I found out that my friend had been taken to x-ray and would be back soon. As some of you might know, I do the public address for the Puyallup Vikings boys basketball games at Puyallup High School and the JV game starts at 5:30pm and I needed to be there by 5pm. I pretty much knew that wasn't going to happen as all of my equipment, computer, microphone, mixer and cables were all at home. After a couple of calls to my wife, she said she would be able to put everything together and bring it down for me and we could meet at the high school. My friend returned on his chauffeured adjustable bed with an IV hooked up, an oxygen tube in his nose looking much better than when I had last seen him, much to my relief! He told me to not worry that they probably wouldn't be keeping him and it would just be a bit before the let him go back home! In my humble opinion, NO WAY! ( I had just witnessed him convulsing and having seizures for the last half hour) I'm no doctor so I kept my opinion to myself and tried to cheer him up by taking a picture on his phone of his sorry ass sitting in the bed blowing on an inhaler! I let him know I was there for him, whatever I needed, thinking in the back of my mind that I really needed to leave about 20 minutes ago to be on time for the game. He is uncanny sometimes, as he asked me what I had going on tonight...I told him nothing important and I could get someone to cover for me, as I would stay until we knew what his situation and status was. He shook his head and said that I needed to go.

There of course were others who were enroute to the hospital as we were talking. He said there was no sense in me just standing around waiting for him and that he had been through this before (many times) and in his opinion, they would be sending him home within the next couple of hours. I told him I would be able to be back by 9pm about 4 hours away if he still needed anything and was still in the hospital to let me know. I sent a couple of update texts, called the valet to get my car and let my wife know that I was going to try and make it on time, this was about 4:40p. At 5:02p I was still waiting for my car and I was on the phone letting my wife know that I would NOT be there in time for the tip-off of the JV game, but I was making every effort to get there as soon as I could and to apologize to the others working who would have to cover for me.

The 12 miles or so from the hill top in Tacoma to downtown Puyallup is not a strenuous drive, but trying it at 5pm in the rain is another issue. 45 minutes later, I was in front of Paul Hanawalt Pavilion and unloading the gear from my trunk to connect my equipment to the PA system in the gym. With only a couple minutes left in the first quarter, I was surprised that there was so much game left. It took me a few minutes to get myself situated and ready to be on the microphone and halfway through the second quarter the mic was handed to me and I took my customary spot.

It is at these times that I sincerely thank GOD for blessing me in so many ways. The stress of the previous few hours was knotted up in my neck and under my shoulder blade, yes a small annoying pain compared to what I had just witnessed. Being on the mic and calling a basketball game is such a release for me. The calming sense washed over me as I settled into the game and the routine of being the public address announcer. It is kind of a contradiction for me, as I am in a crowd, speaking over the PA system with the loudest voice in the gym, yet I am really in a place all my own. I know it may be hard to understand what I am saying, being in a crowd and in a sense at the center of attention (not really me, but the game is the center of attention and no one really listens to me) but I am part of the whole, so you can kind of see where I'm coming from. Anyway, for all of that, I am in a place that is all my own and I am comfortable there.

Between games, my friend who was going to the hospital to take my place, came down to the gym to pick up our friends laptop, change of pants and work notes out of my car and said he would text me with an update once he got back to the hospital. Much to my relief, shortly before the start of the varsity game, I received a text letting me know our friend had indeed been released from the hospital, was on his way home, feeling better but extremely tired. With joy in my heart I went through the motions of calling the varsity game to the best of my ability with the gifts God has bestowed upon me. A hard fought game, ended with the Vikings on top 75-69 and me happy to be part of it.

Not the day I had planned...but through the grace of God I was able to help a friend in need and put a few things in my life into perspective. Tomorrow, I've got plans too, we'll see how much of it I will be able to accomplish, but I know for sure if I get a call from a friend in need, I will drop what I am doing and make every effort to make a difference and help in whatever way I can.

Thank you Lord for opening my heart and my eyes so that I can be a servant for good, in service for God! Let me be your tool, let your will be done in me and through me, may I be your humble and obedient servant in whatever service I can be of most effective use to bring love and light to those with whom I come in contact.

January 12, 2011 - A couple of movie reviews, Country Strong and Season of the Witch

Country Strong:

Just got home from watching Country Strong with my honey. First let me say, the we both enjoyed the movie. Gwenyth Paltrow and Tim Mcgraw do an excellent job in the lead roles, her as Kelly Cantor, a country singing star and him as James Cantor, her husband and manager. Tim Mcgraw coming of a great supporting role in The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock did an outstanding job playing a part I'm sure he was familiar with from his career as a country superstar. Gwenyth looked great and played her role wonderfully as a top performing country singer who is dealing with multiple life issues. The supporting cast of Garrett Hedlund, who plays Beau Hutton, an up and coming singer/song writer who is tied up in the life of Kelly and Leighton Meester, who plays Chiles Stanton a young beauty queen, looking for a career in country music. The soundtrack is great in this movie, the story line is complicated as a life of a celebrity. The ups and downs this movie takes will have you wishing you had brought more kleenex. It's will make you cry, make you smile and have you singing along. One piece of advice, go see this movie with someone you love that you can hold hands with while you are watching. Go see Country Strong, you'll be glad you did. If I was giving stars, this one would be a 4 out of 5

The Season of the Witch:

The setting is the middle ages, the crusades are in full swing, fighting and killing in the name of God are being directed by the church. Nicholas Cage plays a knight, a veteran of the crusading wars. His side kick Ron Perlman, of Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy fame among other movies, does a good job of playing the straight man for Cage's characters lines. The battle between good and evil rages on as the church and the country are besieged by a disfiguring plague blamed on a young woman, played by Claire Foy. I really wanted to enjoy this movie more than I actually did. When I walked out, I wasn't too disappointed, because I had gone in with little or no expectations at all. There were many slow parts and the action was all chopped up and hard to follow. I don't go into a movie looking for a socially redeeming message and the battle between good and evil is usually enough for me. I tend to lean toward liking Nicholas Cage and his various roles, I was looking forward to this movie on many different levels, unfortunately, it didn't deliver on but a few. if you're looking to burn a couple of hours and enjoy Nicholas Cage, you might want to rentGone in 60 seconds at least Angelina Jolie as a blonde gives you something to look forward to. Save your money and wait for it to be released at Red Box, its worth the $1. Stars on this one is only 2 of 5.

January 8, 2011 - Seattle wins!!!! (i'm tired)

What a day in the city of Seattle! The NFC West division champions the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks faced the defending Superbowl champions, the 11-5 New Orleans Saints, in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

bottom line Seahawks win 41-36, Huskies men's basketball time wins their 11th straight Pac 10 win over Oregon state 103-72 and are now 4-0 in the Pac 10 and are on top. Then the Seattle Mountaineers of the ABA put a show on as they destroyed the team from Oakland 166-105 in a up and down the floor affair where the men in orange finished the 1st half by doubling up the Oakland Showtime 94-47.

I'm tired, thought about writing a detail of my day, worked as stage manager for the FSN broadcast with Kevin Calabro and Lenny Wilkens at the UW basketball game, then went straight to Green River College and did the public address for the ABA game. A great day, kinda sorry that I missed working the Seahawks game and spending the day with my son, who worked in the Saints locker room and sideline, but I had to make a decision based on integrity and so I stayed with who had crewed me first and who needed me most.

After some sleep tonight, tomorrow I will be much more coherent and able to put my words together in some semblance of order that may even make sense to someone. Thank you Lord for blessing me with another wonderful day and by your mercy I will have another day tomorrow to find my way in Your light.

the story continues... (from Nov. 17, 2010)

So many people coming and going it was easy for her to blend into the bustling crowd. It wasn't a large town, but just like any rural community, people went about their business with an almost drone like quality. Going through the motions of their daily routines without hardly a notice to the world around them. The monotony and slow pace of the country lifestyle had a way of creating a comfortable rut for the folks in these parts. That suited her purposes better than anyone knew.

She was here to perform a specific task. For her it was more than just a job, more than the duty and responsibility bestowed upon each Reinsertion Facilitator, she handled each of her touched with the greatest care. Her concern and attention to the small details also made her one of the best at successful reinsertions and acceptance. Jessica drew on her own experience whenever she was handling a newly touched. Each RF was chosen from the group of touched within the boundaries from which they were recovered. Mental acuity, the ability to accept and process the experience and the adaptability to incorporate the heightened senses without mental overload were the key factors in being selected and trained as a Reinsertion Facilitator.

She was always amazed at the blessings she now could perceive all around her that other people were still blind to. She felt sorry for the multitudes of souls who would never gain the insight and inner peace that she knew was available to them, if they only chose to open their eyes to see. As an RF she was sent to guide and help lessen the shock that a newly touched invariably struggled to wrap their mind around. The human brain is such a complex and unique work of mastery from the Great Maker. Although the substance of the brain is identical from a physical make-up perspective, the thought patterns and emotional development of every man, woman and child on planet Earth created the their own signature. Not unlike at written autograph, each person on the planet, through their conscious actions create an energy that is uniquely their own. Just as a fingerprint is singular, an energy signature is also unable to impersonated or copied. On the contrary, a soul's energy signature was in a state of constant flux. For her it flowed around the touched in a visible cloud of color. The infinite diversity a testament to the awe inspiring greatness of the Great Maker.

His name was Douglas and he looked as if he was beginning to find his own way back. That was always preferable to her in the newly touched she handled. If one could emerge from the labyrinth of their own mind without a guide, then the odds where incredibly increased that a successful reinsertion could be achieve. Jessica had hoped that Douglas was as strong inside as she had felt upon his being brought to her attention. The process wasn't extravagant nor particularly secretive, it was just that society had chosen not to see her for what she had become.

Reading the local newspaper she kept an eye on him as he tried the coffee she had sent over to him and saw the grimace cloud his face. The waitress who was more in tune than most untouched, was also keeping an eye on him and responded quickly to his request for cream and sugar. Jessica saw the tension leave her shoulders and her energy signature shifted to a cooler, deeper blue of contentment. Jessica could hear what he said to her, but she brought him back cream and sugar for his coffee. For an instant their eyes locked and the connection was made, if he was strong enough and had the will power to force the new gifts into their rightful and proper place, Doug might be able to be recruited into the ranks of the RF's. But, that was jumping the gun, her primary objective was to make sure that he was stable, clear and focused on gaining his memory of the recent past. The more each touched was able to remember became another rock to build upon. Eventually, with enough information out there to draw from a "new normal" lifestyle for the touched would catch like wildfire.

She sipped her coffee and turned the page of the paper, there below the fold on page three was an article about a skier who had gone out of bounds in the back country of Snoqualmie and disappeared almost 4 days ago. The picture didn't do justice to the man sitting across the diner from her, it was a few years old, but it was for certain him. Jessica wasn't ready to make the first cc (conscious contact). It was crucial, almost mission critical for the first cc to be seen as a chance encounter. She wasn't sure, but she thought Doug might have been sand bagging it a bit while trying to get his mind clear to remember what he was doing in the diner and how he had gotten there.

Jessica stopped Wanda as she passed and said she would like to send over breakfast to the man across the bar, "Yes" she replied, "The same man I just sent the coffee to. Did he say anything to you about who he was or why he was here or where he came from?"

"No darlin," Wanda replied. " It was all he could do to lift his head and thank me for the coffee, I wasn't even sure he could talk, but he sure is cute now isn't her?" A little red rose to Wanda's cheeks as she spoke of Doug. She was a natural, untouched but in tune, more common in the rural areas and especially among the service oriented individuals. Still a very small percentage, but so startlingly refreshing, Jessica could draw reserves from them while also gearing herself up for what she prayed would not be a tragedy in the making.

She closed her eyes to bring herself into focus, when a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. The initial and unexpected contact nearly jolted her off her stool. She regained her composure quickly as she turned to see who was behind her. There stood Doug, tall, lean, muscular, his stance non-threatening and the look on his face searching. He was still trying to find his way she could tell, but the connection had been made and it was now up to her to bring him the rest of the way. She smiled at him. A smile that she knew carried power, that would put him at ease and allow her to coax from him a thread of energy she could begin weaving into their bond. Once the bond was established she would be able to really get down to the details of facilitating his reinsertion.

"Can I help you?" she asked as her smile penetrated his defenses. She could feel his wariness and realized that he had acted out of impulse rather than conscious action. His instincts were good and that boded well for the rest of their encounter. " You look like you could use some breakfast and someone to talk to. Will you sit down here and let me buy you something?"

"Do we know each other? I mean, I thought I recognized you when our eyes met, but know that I am here I'm not so sure. I didn't mean to scare you, but I really could use someone to talk to, you see I'm not sure who I am or how I got here?"

January 6, 2011 - Vikings vs Rams, a Puyallup tradition

My ears are still ringing, somewhere close to 1200 people in the house tonight as the Rams from the hill came into Paul Hanawalt Pavilion to play the Vikings in the first home game of the new year. I have been looking forward to this game since the season began. This is a game that you need to attend to really appreciate. If you're from the area you know what it's like to be in either gym when these two teams get together.

Back in the day I was a Ram and there was no greater rush of adrenaline than leading the team out on the floor as the band played and the crowd cheered. It still gives me goose bumps to remember back to those days as a player (a long time ago 1981 and '82). The pre-game warm ups were more to get the adrenaline under control and keep the fire stoked for the actual game action. To be a player in this game is something the players will remember for a long time, win or lose. The fact that it is a rivalry game makes the win/loss record for each team irrelevant. It doesn't matter who is favored or what people think, it comes down to who can control their game the best and channel the energy of a packed house into execution on offense and poise in the face of relentless defense. Both teams always bring their best game and it's about who can get the other out of rhythm and cause the most disruption that end up winning the game. When I was blessed to play if you didn't get into the gym before half-time of the jv game, it was usually sold out and the fire marshal wouldn't allow more tickets to be sold. Great times being a high school basketball player.

Tonight was really no different. A Huge shout out to the Viking student section for showing up early and doing a great job of cheering on their team. A full lower bowl and nearly full upper deck made for a very hot gym to play in. Sitting in my seat at half court at the scorer's table doing the public address gives me a unique perspective of the action on the floor. As I said, I have been looking forward to this game for a couple of months now and I was fired up and ready to go after the jv game where the Vikings won 61-51 and set the tone for the varsity. If you don't follow high school basketball in the South Puget Sound League, both teams came in tonight with identical records 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the division. Puyallup with a big win over #2 ranked Curtis before the Christmas break, were coming off a fairly easy 34 point win over Graham-Kapowsin. The Rams only division loss coming at the hands of Curtis in early December as they lost 69-67, were geared up as they were coming off a good home win over Federal Way by 15

Tuesday night.

The crowd was hyped, the band was jamming and the stage was set for a great head to head match-up. I'm having a little bit of a hard time bringing my emotions to task and not shouting out about my personal reaction to the night. Both teams started out with an over abundance of adrenaline flowing and it took a few minutes for the players to settle into the game. Puyallup had a hard time converting on the offensive end and finished the first quarter down by 5 as the Rams lead 15-10 behind the 6 points of Keylin Huddleston and the 5 from reserve Spencer Hanson. The Rams continued to maintain control of the game in the second quarter as they out scored the Viks 18-11 to lead by 12 at the half 33-21. The third was a back and forth affair as the Vikings came out and cut into the lead behind a couple of 3's from Dalton Daniels and another from Dom Holub, but when all was said and done with the 3rd quarter both teams had put up 17 points and the Rams held onto their 12 point lead 50-33. The energy in the gym was still high with the expectant Viking faithful cheering on their team and the guys responded with a 8-1 run to open the 4th quarter cutting the Ram lead to 3 and 48-51 Jay Balmer with a couple of clutch threes to really get the house rocking. Unfortunately, that was as close as it would get the Vikings failed to convert on 3 consecutive possessions and the Rams went back to their big junior Keylin Huddleston who was able to score 7 in the quarter. Huddleston finished with a game high 21 points. Dalton Daniels had a great game as he finished with 18 points 11 of those in the second half three field goals from beyond the arc and a couple of free throws. The Rams did a good job of defensing Balmer who wasn't able to really find his rhythm until late in the game when he put up 10 points in the fourth quarter, dropping a couple of rainbow threes, a nice left hand in the lane and a couple from the line. In the end the 12 point deficit was just too much for Puyallup to overcome, missed opportunities and untimely turnovers cost the Vikings down the stretch with the final score ending up 63-55.

From my public address position, the clinical description of the game and how it went down is pretty straight forward. As a fan of the game the Rams played hard and showed more poise in a hostile environment where it's difficult to come away with a win. Emotionally and personally, from my own selfish perspective I was deeply disappointed. Although for a few minutes in the 4th quarter the game came close to matching the energy in the gym, the 12 point margin by the home team made for a somewhat dry and difficult game to call. For regular season games at PHS the visiting teams get NO love from the public address announcer. Hence, when Huddleston was in front of the pack in the 4th quarter and scored on a two handed dunk, my call was just a plain "huddleston" no inflection, no enthusiasm and no love for the visiting team. It's hard for me to keep the excitement level at a peak when my home team is down and not playing very crisp. Unforced turnovers and missed lay-ins don't really lend themselves to much passion and enthusiasm from the PA guy.

Consequently, a great game and solid win for the Rams, coupled with a great crowd and come from behind effort from my Vikings made for me a disappointing night overall (that's an internal perspective, which I hope I was able to keep inside and was not apparent to those in attendance). The game is about the players and their efforts on the floor and I strive to always maintain that level of enthusiasm for their sake. In a general sense, I really or rarely care about the outcome of a game I am calling or who wins or loses. But from my selfish perspective, in a big regular season situation, I prefer a close game with my home team on top and ultimately winning.

Tonight will be a memory for a lifetime for the boys who played and it was awesome to be blessed to be on the mic and provide something to overall event. I am proud of the effort the Puyallup team put out on the floor and the Roger's team showed great discipline and deserved the win they went home with tonight. It's only a few short weeks before these two teams match up again to end the regular season at Rogers. Hopefully both teams with remain as solid as they were tonight and represent the SPSL South in the playoffs come early February. It's a tradition in Puyallup and if you have the time put it on your calendar to come watch the Rams and Vikings mix it up on the basketball floor!

Have I mentioned, I love high school basketball and Thank God daily for allowing me to be part of so many great games. Until the next game, " I'm Nic Beckman, play fair, play hard, have fun! Let's play Vikiiiiiiing basketbaaaaalllllll"