onemattDOTcom

I took some time recently to write up a short biography for my character within the game I play, which is LOTRO (The Lord of the Rings Online).  Here it is for your review and comment.

———————–

My name is Givias Aloysius, and I am a man who has seen the changes sweeping this land first hand. I was born to a captain of the Minas Tirith guard some 35 years ago. My mother was a simple tailor, and when my father was not captaining the guard, he was a prospector. As early as 6 years old, I began learning how to use a sword, a dagger, a bow. The bow was my favorite weapon. I loved the simplicity of the wood, the string, the arrow…the thrum of the arrow flying through the air straight to the target. I fell in love with that sound and it soon became my weapon of choice.

Being a captain’s son, I had to learn to use many different weapons. On the battlefield, you may find yourself without your own weapon and having to pick up the weapon of a fallen comrade, or enemy, and continue on with the battle. So I learned the spear, the axe, the mace, the hammer. I also learned that I could inflict greater damage in close range if I wielded two weapons at once. I became proficient with the crossbow, and even though it could inflict greater damage than my bow, I felt encumbered by its weight and the time needed to reload such a weapon. No matter what weapon I mastered, I always returned to my bow.

One reason I became a hunter was that I was a slighter build than my other brothers. Givian was the largest and oldest of the three brothers. He was born from my mother’s first marriage, and was adopted by my father after his father was killed in a battle at Osgiliath. Givian grew to be a hulk of a man, no doubt the spitting image of his father. But my father learned to love him as his own. Givian took up the sword and heavy shield as a guardian of the realm, but met an untimely end himself upon the blade of a particularly gruesome orc riding through the North Downs. I was greatly saddened by his loss.

Givric is the maverick of the brothers, and the youngest of the three…always going his own way. Givric learned to use the two-handed sword with great ferocity, and soon became a captain himself. He remains in Minas Tirith to this day, leading a unit of the Guard there. I do not speak much with Givric, as he and I do not see eye to eye on who should lead Gondor to future glory. He feels as if the Steward of Gondor should assume the mantle of leadership. I believe, as my ranger friends from the North believe, that the line of Kings extends to them, and it is their right to reclaim the throne of Gondor. Alas, because of this divide, conversations between Givric and myself remain terse.

Like my parents, I learned the trades of tailor and prospector in order to earn a living. I’ve become proficient in tailoring, refining materials, and gathering materials like ore and leather. And when I became of age, I wanted to make my mark upon the land and help rid it of the darkness that was ever approaching. One spring day, I was speaking to a friend who told me a tale of a once-proud group of soldiers and true men called the Osgiliath Guard. He said the Osgiliath Guard once stood as the last bastion of defense against the forces of Sauron in the Second Age. I gave it much thought, and after talking with my friend again, we decided to reform the Osgiliath Guard to combat the forces massing in the East.

Our ranks grew quickly and we became a formidable force. We had members reaching as far as Evendim and Lossoth, into Angmar where only the bravest of souls dare to tread. We were prospering and things were going so well…until…

I took a severe injury during a battle at Carn Dum. One of the many goblins there slipped through our defenses and pierced my side with his dagger, which was tipped in poison. I was able to extricate myself from the battle, only to find myself huddled against a mountain in Angmar in the middle of the night. I dragged myself to Gath Forthnir where a ranger there took pity on me and began to heal my wounds. I was in and out of consciousness for nearly three months.

When I had fully recovered, I return to the Guard’s house in Bree to discover that things had changed…dramatically. I had been supplanted as leader of the Guard, and the focus had changed. No longer was the Guard a group of like-minded free men who worked to defeat evil. Now, the membership was concerned with personal gain and personal achievement above defeating the ever-growing darkness. I did not recognize many of the members that walked the halls of our home, and they looked upon me with disdain. Many of my own friends, people I had relied on in battle, had departed in search of a group more closely linked to their own beliefs…the beliefs that had once been the foundation of the Osgiliath Guard.

Everything had changed. Dejected, I submitted my resignation to the new leader and left quietly in the night under the cover of darkness. Now I wander the lands of Eriador alone, searching for a band of free men and women who feel, like I do, that community and fellowship are the things that make us different from Sauron’s minions. It is the very soul that we possess that brings forth the light from the shadow.

Christy and I both would like to send our congratulations to our good friends, Katie and Hani, on the birth of their first born, a son, Lucas John!  He is absolutely adorable!  Mom, Dad and baby are all home safe and sound and things are going great!  Congrats guys!  You can check them out on their blog, which is www.katieandhani.com.

We are also preparing for our beach trip coming up next week!  That’s right, we’re under single digits on the Countdown clock for Beachapalooza 2008!  Yay!  I know that we cannot wait to get down to Seagrove with all our friends and just relax and take it easy.

Also, you will probably notice a design change (again).  Sorry, but I’m still trying to find one I like and that I want to stick with.  So forgive the new paint on the walls yet again.

It’s Monday, and a good Monday to all!

I recently added a new link to the list and I wanted to give it some personal attention.  Prescott Place is the online home of Owen & Jessica Prescott, recently married and friends of mine.  Jessica is a very close friend to my sister-in-law Lindsay, and as such, I’ve gotten to know Jessica by proxy for many years.

Jessica is new to the blogging scene, so hop on by her blog at http://prescottplace.blogspot.com/ and check out the goodness.

Less than 3 weeks away from Beachapalooza 2008!

Many of you know I’m a big MMO gamer…I have spent many hours over the past 16 months playing a game called the Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO for short).  Well, I’m also a big fan of this MMO gaming community website called MMORPG.com.  I recently became the Lord of the Rings Online in-game correspondent for MMORPG.com, and my first article for them has been posted!

You can check it out by going to http://mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/45/feature/2086.  I’d love any feedback you would like to provide!

Thanks.

In keeping with the updateing trend that’s happening on onemattDOTcom, let’s catch you up on the last few weeks.

Things are going great at the new job.  I’m really enjoying what I’m doing, and I think it has real potential.  Christy and I just got back from the beach with my folks and brother, which was big fun…outside of my experience at The Track in Gulf Shores where some punk kid rammed me from behind in my go-cart and caused my leg to slam into my steering wheel, causing a huge bruise to form on the inside of my leg.  But the rest of the trip was great.

Christy and I are leaving for Atlanta tomorrow afternoon.  We’ve got a George Michael concert we’re going to tomorrow night at Phillips Arena, then we’re going to see my beaten down Braves play on Friday night against Milwaukee.  Then we’re driving back Saturday morning in time for Christy to prepare things for my 80’s themed birthday party that night!

Gifts aren’t expected, but if you’d like to make a donation to the PayPal as a way to say thanks for all I’ve done to keep you hip this year, you can do so by donating to mattplanet@gmail.com.  I’ll personally thank you in a column next week if you donate!  What could be sweeter?!?

Anyway, that’s about it.  Thanks for checking out onemattDOTcom.  American Idol auditions are happening right now in preparation for the new season…I can’t wait!

One of the eternally upsetting things about reality TV in the 21st century is it’s hold on us.  We have to watch, even though we know it might either be completed staged or at least somewhat scripted.  I mean, on Survivor, someone other than the contestants choose the location of the show, someone other than the contestants choose the challenges…

Take last night’s new Bachelorette…it was Hometown Date week where DeAnna was to meet the families of all four men left in the competition (if that’s what it’s called).  For those who are watching the show regularly this summer, you all know how the relationship has been between DeAnna and Graham.

She is more attracted to him than any of the other contestants…and it was plainly evident she wanted more with him than with another other guy there.  So it comes down to the hometown date, and things are going well until the very end when two things happen…first, Graham’s mom reinforces with DeAnna how Graham has not be in many committed relationships and that he might not be ready for it because he’s scared.  And then when Graham gets alone with DeAnna after the family meeting, he clams up and just says nothing…and I mean nothing…when DeAnna is looking desperately for confirmation of his feelings for her.

In the end, as you probably already know, Graham got the boot.  He and DeAnna had a few moments at the end of the show where she poured her heart out to him and he seemed to finally understand how badly he had screwed things up.  He gave her some letter he’d written her for her to read after he leaves…for all the good that will do.  He didn’t get a rose!  He’s a goner!

Unless he has his phone number in there for when the relationship that DeAnna has with the guy she finally settles on is over, that letter was pretty pointless.

When the show was finally over, Christy said I had the same look on my face then as when the Braves blow a lead in a baseball game and lose the game…very similar feeling.  As my dad is apt to say, Graham had the world by the butt in a downhill drag and he blew his brains out.  It was his to win!  All he had to do was give DeAnna just a little bit of his heart and she would’ve fallen head over heels in love with him.

I guess it’s a good thing that it didn’t happen, because Graham obviously has a history of doing this to the women he dates…it’s a product of the lifestyle he leads (pro basketball players are notorious womanizers, you need look no further than Kobe Bryant for an example).

Even so…what a doofus.

Greetings readers…it’s been a while since I came and talked to you about what all has been going on in my life, so I thought it best if I took the time to do that today.

I recently accepted a new job working for a great company here in Birmingham called Travel Nurse Solutions as a Recruiter. Basically, I call on RNs across the country attempting to place them in contract jobs we have open. I’m doing pretty well so far. This is the end of my third week and I’ve got one nurse who has an offer, and two others that will be submitted on other jobs. I really enjoy this place! It’s a very progressive office, and the people I work with are all great…well, except one person, but I just ignore her.

As many of you know, I spent this past season of American Idol doing reviews, and while Christy and I have been watching some more shows I wanted to review, like The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance, I haven’t gotten around to the reviews yet. I think maybe I’m going to leave the Bachelorette reviews to IHateGreenBeans.com. If you haven’t been to this fantastic blog, you need to get your rear in gear and read up on her hilarious Bachelor and Bachelorette reviews.

The Las Vegas round of Dance was completed last night, so I intend on starting some sort of review next week as the Top 20 begin their performances. I’m not sure on how to go about it…it’s easier for me to critique singers since I have a good bit of experience in that area. I’m not much of a dancer, although I can definitely appreciate the talent and athleticism these dancers have.

Also, as many of you probably know, the 2008 Presidential Election is pretty much set to be Obama versus McCain. If you’re interested in keeping up with up-to-date polling information and commentary, without the bias of MSNBC or FOX News, check out a very cool blog called FiveThirtyEight.com. This blog is a fantastic place to get caught up on the latest polling data and get some great commentary on the process of how our officials are elected.

So I guess for now, that’s about it. I hope your summer’s are going great! Thanks for stopping by.

So in the course of human events, if you have to choose between Top Chef and the American Idol season finale…choose Idol.  Here’s why.

Last night, we had three shows taping on the DVR…one was the American Idol season finale (2 hours long from 7pm-9pm), the Boston Legal season finale (one hour long, 9pm-10pm) and the new episode of Top Chef (one hour long, also from 9pm-10pm).  Because of certain circumstances, we didn’t start watching Idol until around 7:35pm.  We figured we should be able to catch up with it before the show is actually over.

We didn’t.

We were still on DVR playback when Ryan had the envelope in his hand, saying the words “And the American Idol for 2008 is…” and I kid you not…the show stops!  It’s around 9:02pm at this time, so I know we’re only a few minutes behind live TV, but here’s the catch…we had two shows recording and couldn’t watch live TV without canceling one of the shows being recorded.  We were so stunned…well, we thought about stopping Top Chef, but we weren’t sure if they’d be re-airing that episode anytime soon…and we knew we couldn’t watch Boston Legal online (we tried about a month ago and for some reason, that show’s the only one ABC has that isn’t online right now).

So we were stymied…we just couldn’t believe it.  So we wait about 10 minutes and get online and what do you know, right there front and center on MSNBC.com is an article about who the winner is and we click that to find out that David Cook has pulled the upset (and by a WIDE margin) and won American Idol 2008!!

First off, some thoughts on the show…I thought most of the musical acts were outstanding.  It was good to see the duets featuring the Idol contestants playing with those music legends (I particularly enjoyed Graham Nash playing with Brooke White and George Michael with the Top 12).  I thought that all the contestants were in fine voice as well.  Could Amanda Overmyer look anymore disinterested?!?  How is she going to be on that tour this summer??

So onto the results…obviously I’m surprised.  The general consensus was that David Archuleta had the teeny-bopper vote, and that was enough to get him through as Champion.  Most media outlets were giving the title to Archuleta hands down…even Simon was giving it to him.  I guess it goes to show you that with four hours to vote and only two candidates to choose from, it really was anybody’s game.  I’m not entirely sure that David Cook was happy that he won or relieved that this thing was over…probably a little bit of both.

You know what will be interesting…where David Archuleta’s career goes from here.  Here’s why…other than a remarkably humble personality and a great voice, what all have we learned about David Archuleta this year?  Is he really a person and a performer that can be sold to audiences at this point?  I’m not entirely sure.  In the context of American Idol, he’s a great story, but beyond that…I’m just not sure.

To the winner go the spoils, and the $1 million contract.  Will Clive Davis and his record label force David Cook to go against his rocker roots and do a pop album?  I doubt it.  Beyond all other things, they are still about selling records and making money, and David Cook’s money shot is rock and roll music.  So expect his debut to be much like that of Daughtry’s debut, and probably just as successful.

So another season of Idol is at an end.  I have to say I was pretty impressed with how the last two shows turned out.  So what did YOU think, America?!?!?!

As soon as I saw the microphone descending from the rafters, I said out loud “Please don’t let Michael Buffer be at the end of that mic…” and apparently today is not my day for wish-granting. I have to admit though, instead of the pomp and circumstance of previous shows where all they wanted to do was try and build up the finale to some unreachable height, I thought the intro and the whole mood tonight was one of self-realization and I’m actually very proud of the Idol crew and stars tonight. I’m proud to say I’m a fan.

They’ve been taking “a lot of stick” as Simon put it, but they showed they don’t take themselves too seriously tonight, and put on one helluva finale. While it’s true that many of the aspects of the show have changed from it’s roots, the show still remains at heart a talent competition, and as Simon said, we have the two best singers on stage tonight, which proves (much like the BCS in college football) the system works.

So enough babbling right…? It’s time for the review. As most of you already know, the singers had to perform three songs tonight. One song was chosen by Clive Davis, the Godfather of American Idol and famous record producer. One song was chosen by the contestants from the top 10 in the songwriter’s competition, and the final song was chosen by the contestants again, but this time it could be anything at all, either sung or unsung up to this point (more on that in a bit).

So without further delay…let’s get to it!!

David Cook
So Mr. Cook leads off the night, meaning he’s got slots 1, 3 and 5. I guess they did a coin flip or something to determine who went first…if not, they definitely should. David’s first choice was perfect for him…”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was a great choice by Mr. Clive Davis and I thought David’s performance was great. You could really tell throughout the night that Mr. Cook was really enjoying his time in the spotlight. I’ve never had the honor to sing in front of that many people before so I don’t know what it’s like, but I can imagine. His second song wasn’t as strong but that wasn’t because of his performance. The song was just weak, and I think maybe it’s time to do away with the American Idol Songwriter competition. It doesn’t really add anything to it for me. Last, David chose to do a song he’d never done in the competition to this point by singing “The World I Know” by Collective Soul. Collective Soul is one of those underrated bands as it relates to songwriting, and I thought this was a great choice for Mr. Cook despite what Simon had to say. Sure, most contestants have traditionally chosen a song they did well in the previous weeks to perform here as a way of saying “See? Remember when I did this one so good??” but for me, I had to give David Cook some props for sticking to his artistic integrity and doing something new. For him, it just wouldn’t have do to sing a song he’d already sung.
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Dream Big” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“The World I Know” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 27.5 out of 30.0 Matties

David Archuleta
For all the talk about how American Idol is a competition to find the best singer, we all know it’s also a very big popularity contest. Simon himself said it earlier in the year, so it has to be true. David Archuleta has been at the top of many people’s list since very early in the competition, and his fanbase has never been stronger. His first choice was great for him (and personally one of my favorite Elton John songs)…”Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” was outstanding, and I loved the key in which he sang it. To me, it allowed him to showcase the strength in his lower range, and really showcase his big voice. His second song, a lot like David Cook’s, was mediocre, but not because of the singer but because of the songwriter. He did what he could with it, and Simon was right (although not by much) that David A. picked the better of the two songs, although to me that’s like trying to decide between broccoli and collard greens. On David’s third song, he decided to recapture some of that Beatles magic with singing “Imagine” again. To me, it wasn’t as good as his first time, but maybe I’m a bit jaded. The artist in me wanted to see him do a new song, to showcase his versatility. Maybe he’s just too young and inexperienced to learn three songs in a week. I don’t know. He did it well though, as he almost always does.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“In This Moment” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Imagine” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 28.0 out of 30.0 Matties

I know pretty much everyone reading this can tell who I think will win American Idol…David Archuleta has had one helluva run, and so has David Cook. But to me, tonight, David Archuleta was just slightly better. I think the real difference was how they did on their first songs…right out of the gate, David Archuleta was on point vocally and he really showcased his range and vocal power.

This is a popularity contest though, and anything can happen. The blogs are already buzzing about this, and with the four hour voting window (voting still going on as I write this btw), the vote could go either way. But I expect that at the end of tomorrow night’s finale, we are going to see the balloons and confetti and spotlights fall on David Archuleta as your 2007 American Idol winner.

It’s been my honor and privilege to bring you these American Idol reviews this year…and I hope you’ve enjoyed them. I’ll be back for one more review after tomorrow night’s finale, and then it’ll be onto more reviews! I hope you’ll stick around as I get into the summer shows of The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance.

Oh…I almost forgot…as if I have even have to ask this…but what do YOU think, America?!?!?!?

Friends are hard to come by.  True friends are really hard to come by.

So I preface this post with those somewhat ominous words.  But they are heartfelt and sincere.  Christy and I are really blessed to have a good many close friends here in Birmingham.  As most of you know, Rusty and Gina are very good friends of ours (and travel partners) and we were blessed to come across two more such wonderful people and friends this past fall when we embarked on our Mediterranean cruise.

Katie and Hani AbuGhazaleh live in Santa Barbara, CA, and we met them along with a few other couples on our trip.  We instantly bonded with them, and had a wonderful time getting to know them.  We sort of became attached to them more than the other couples on our cruise we hung out with, and vowed to stay in touch with each other after the trip.

Not only did we stay in touch with them (I talk to Katie through Gtalk 2-3 times a week and Hani through email about once or twice a month), but they invited us to come stay with them in Santa Barbara for a long weekend last month.  You don’t have to twist our arms to get us to go on vacation, but the opportunity to see Katie and Hani again was also a HUGE factor. 

We had a blast out in Santa Barbara!  We spent the first night just hanging around downtown, having dinner at this cool little Mexican cafe.  We spent our 1st full day in the Santa Ynez valley, famous for many great wineries.  We hit five wineries altogether, with 4-month pregnant Katie sweetly serving as Designated Driver (we have your back on your trip to ‘Bama, Katie…that I promise you!)  After hitting the wineries and having lunch at this amazing diner/cafe in Santa Ynez, we headed back to town and had dinner at this great Italian place downtown called Palazzio.  Christy and I had actually had dinner there once before as we had previously visited the Santa Ynez valley with our friends April and Ramey (who were living in California at the time).

Our Saturday was spent walking the boardwalk at the Santa Barbara pier, and having lunch at this awesome restaurant called Longboard’s.  You can check out a picture of me having one outstanding Bloody Mary on my Facebook page.  We drove a Surrey (a four-person bicycle) around the pier area for a while, got ice cream and then went to watch a movie (we were pretty pooped) at the theater downtown.  After the movie, we headed to Katie’s parents house for an old-fashioned BBQ (what we in the South call a cookout).  It was great!  Katie’s family was so incredibly inviting (much like Katie and Hani, now we know where they get it!), and we had a blast.  Sunday came quickly and we were on a plane back to Alabama.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to have friends like them, who are so inviting and fun to be around, but who are also so very real and genuine.  We are truly blessed.

Recently, Hani got one of his “honey-do’s” done by editing and posting their wedding video up on their site.  I highly encourage you to go to their blog at katieandhani.com and viewing the video when you get time.  You’ll get a glimpse into the couple they are and the great family and friends they are surrounded with.  My only regret is that we didn’t know them then or we’d be all over that video baby! 

And in case you didn’t get it so far…Katie and Hani, thanks for having us out to visit.  We can’t wait to return the favor and have you all visit us in the Dirty South!