Are you Ready for Some Replay???

All the excitement and action over in South Africa with the "kudzu's heard round the world" is the World Cup. Just in case you've been living in a cave for the past month, and don't know of such world-wide festivities. Yes, I know its not a kudzu, however, it's just as annoying. I have watched hours of soccer all with the volume turned down to level 2 so I don't have to listen to the horns buzzing like a bunch of bees!!!
The only thing slightly more annoying than thousands of exuberant fans blowing the horns for hours on end is FIFA (the governing body of International Soccer) turning a blind eye to the increasing problem of a "messy little thing" like infallible referees and botched calls.

The problems that are facing the screw-ups as far as this soccer fan and soccer Mom is concerned, is two-fold: FIFA hopes to ignore it and hope it goes away, and also that by not acknowledging the errors, they can in some way, lend more credibility to the "game". This is simply NOT helping things, and only making matters much worse. What began to get media attention during the USA's match, due to the totally mindless act by the referee. He was standing dead center in front of the goal. Chose to whistle and wave off the goal scored by the US team. The ref in fact, signaled there was an infraction (violation) by the Americans. To date, there has been no explanation of what any such infraction would be. I personally have watched the replay hundreds of times. It was argued that it could possibly be off-sides (when the offense gains advantage by running down-field before the ball has been kicked, or without the presence of a defender in the area). There was no such off-sides flag/violations raised. In fact, there were at a minimum of two possible defenders holding Americans in full-body holds (illegally) within an arms distance of the referee. So, if an infraction should have been called, it should have been made against the defenders. NOT the team that scored.

Which brings me to FIFA's reaction. They have stated publicly, the ref will not give a review of his call nor will the organization. They support their referee's and back them. Well. How lovely. But, people are human, as we all too well, know. FIFA has been under increasing scrutiny as more and more calls have been blown. In the England match, in a huge match for Argentina, in yet another USA match, and so on...and we're not talking just a "foul"-type call. These are goals missed. In matches where the score may likely be 1-0 or 0-0! How can they justify that?

So, what does FIFA do today? Announces they will no longer SHOW the "controversial" calls or plays inside the stadiums while the matches are going on. Say what? Ok. So, if we all stick OUR heads in the sand along side them, then we can pretend that the refs are right, too??? Jeez, no wonder these guys are considered a joke. I complain about the refs at high school soccer games, or local league games. I shouldn't be having to complain about it at the "Olympics-level" of soccer. This is so ridiculous.

Why can't they show instant replay TO THE REFS during the game on scoring points only? Or why can't each coach have 2 or 3 challenges, like in the NFL? Oh, well...maybe that's too high tech. When it comes down to the shear amount of money that's on the line for these fools, they need to get it right. Not have half the free world complaining about them. We should be cheering. I can't stand to even watch now. How sad. They're just worried about the $30 Million in prize money to the winning country, and $24 million to the finalist. That's some serious cha-ching.

What a wonderful world...

You know how it is when you never seem to find that one certain item you are looking for? Maybe its your car keys, your cell phone, your favorite book, whatever it may be. You spend an hour or more looking. Frustrated, you throw your hands up and stomp to the nearest chair and sit down. You think and retrace the steps you've been in your mind, going over and over everywhere you possibly could have placed the one item you've spent your entire morning looking for!


You stare aimlessly at the ceiling, thinking, 'why can't I fly up to the ceiling, then I could look down on the room, and get a different view, and maybe find out where I put my____? I am so stupid. I can't believe I lost it." You have now wasted half of your morning. Precious minutes tick by. Maybe it's your only day off. You are quite upset, and getting more upset by the minute. Growing increasingly more and more disturbed, you stomp into the kitchen for a glass of water, and just as you reach for the glass you spy the lost item there on the kitchen counter top. It had been hiding beside the loaf of bread all the time.


Not in the bedroom, the bathroom, the livingroom, the den, under the sofa, beside the dog, under the quilt, in my purse, in the truck, under the cushions or in the hall, but on the counter in the kitchen beside the bread??? Oh...what a wonderful world...

Game 7 Lakers v Celtics

Game 7



It is reported that Stubhub.com has advertised tickets for sale lower level for Game 7 NBA Lakers vs Celtics for a mere $82,500! Wow, and I thought some concert tickets were high? Anyone in the front office realize we have a little thing going on called a "recession"? That unemployment for some areas of the country is at 50 year highs? Some family's are forced to choose between filing bankruptcy and perhaps getting out with barely any funds for food or utilities.



Now, on Wednesday's (June 16, 2010) TMZ, Robert Kardashian stated to a TMZ camera person, "The NBA is rigged. Are you kidding? It was going to go to 7 like at the beginning of the year. It's all about money. It's guaranteed that it would go to 7. The Celtics and Lakers in 7." (this is Kim Kardashian's brother and Lamar Odom's brother-in-law).



Okay, so if you take young Mr. Kardashian's idea that "it's all about the money" and you take into consideration that such celebrities as Jack Nicholson sit courtside every Laker's home game ($82,500 estimate), suddenly everyone can see the light. Apparently there is a huge cost of living increase in pay for everyone out in California. I don't know very many people that could afford almost $100,000 per ticket per game, how about you? I mean, maybe Donald Trump? He's not one of my speed dial friends, not yet, anyway. Harvey from TMZ, certainly could snag a ticket or two, especially tooling around in his Porsche.



So, the long and short of this is, they are charging a ridiculous amount to watch something that yes, brings joy to some. In a dozen years, will anyone remember anything about the teams other than the winner? What about the fourth game of this series? How about the Lakers second game? The Cleveland versus Celtics series, anyone going to remember much of that, in five or ten years? So my point is this, that there's all this hideous amount of money riding on the NBA. Who are the benefactors of that money? That's not to say that money is bad, or the guys playing are bad. Maybe it's the management or the administration? I'd like to see the age a young man or woman can enter NBA be stricter, and the time on a college/university campus be longer. Greed is not a good thing.

Too old for Skinny Dipping?

Is one ever too old to go skinny dipping?

Recently this was the "good natured" discussion and ribbing among friends on a social networking website. Some encouraged a friend that they were never too old for such a thing, while other friends said the opposite. It was all in good fun. Perhaps this should be a poll? I think there are times in ones life that people long for carefree days and things that remind them of their youth. Lazy evenings at the lake, walking on the beach looking for guys/girls (whatever you would look for), watching stars from the roof of your home and lemonaide from the quarter stand down the street. So, perhaps that is why skinny dipping sounds like it would be more fun that it probably is (or was)?!

Welcome to my online home

Hello! I am a technical writer by day. That means that I write grants to pay bills. No, I can't get you a grant unless you are a non-profit! I get asked that all the time. I do enjoy helping people with grants. Please understand, by "people" I mean my clients. That usually means, fire departments, non-profits, local governments, small agencies, municipalities and such. They typically operate on small budgets and as non-profits. They can apply for grants for equipment, funds, and all sorts of things. However, many of my clients aren't experts in the field of writing or grants? Not many (thankfully, or I wouldn't have a job!).

I live in the middle of North Carolina (hence - stories from the stix), and enjoy very much traveling around the state and various other places. I am a soccer Mom and enjoy all sorts of other sports (football, fantasy football, basketball (ACC - UNC-Chapel Hill), Hockey and more!)Other adventure sports such as: white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking...I'm Mom to two amazing teenagers Collin & Avery and one great pup, Shaggy (the wonderdog), he was adopted from a local pound and thinks he is a person. He loves long walks in the park or backyard, chasing squirrels, lounging in the backyard by the pool and hanging out with our two almost grown outside cats. He loves to dance, loves treats, riding into town (and getting treats at the bank), homemade ice cream, hates baths, hates ticks and being brushed. He's a poodle/scottish terrier mix.

I hope you keep checking back for posts on anything and everything from sports recaps, political rants, family feuds and more! Photos coming soon...