Mr Rocky Top

REST IN PEACE, TERRI

Looks like this bunny had too much candy to eat during the Easter holiday. A little freaky, isn't it?! Click here to check out some more.

Imagine that people are put in prison because they endorsed a certain political position that went against what the state wanted to be said. Imagine a world were the government observes every online political statement is banned. Sounds like a communist state, doesn't it? Well, it could soon be coming to a democracy near you! People in Washington are wanting to get rid of the right of bloggers to express their political ideas online (aka support a certain candidate). I feel that this is entirely wrong and goes against the entire foundation of our country. A group of people from both the right and left have come together to form the Online Coalition. I urge to click here and sign this even if you are a blogger or not. These lawmakers are taking away our freedoms and something must be done about it!

This post has been removed for "security" reasons. If you would like to see it, I have it saved on my computer. Sorry for the inconvenience.

First let me apologize for the lack of posts recently. I have been loaded down with my studies and lots of homework. I have been going absolutely crazy! Well, anyway, I'm home now for Easter Break. I was previously looking forward to this, but I have since changed my mind. My teachers gave me a butt-load of work to do while on break (wasn't that nice of them?!) Sometimes I feel like my teachers are straight from Hades teaching at a Baptist college. Oh well. I wouldn't expect many posts over this weekend since I have so much work, and I probably won't have much time for relaxation, which I thought was the whole idea behind a break but I guess not. Well, in the mean time you can check out this hiliarious cartoon that involves a bunny and a rap song. Click here to check it out!

Photos from this historic, Tennessee moment.

Pat Summitt embracing her mother after the new title of the arena ("The Summitt") is revealed.


Fan cheering on their favorite coach.

Queen of the Court, that is an appropriate title for this great woman. The Lady Vols are once again victorious and are on their way to the Sweet 16. Last night's victory was very special, though. Pat Summitt won her 880th game, which is the most wins ever in NCAA women's basketball history! It was also announced at the game last night that Thompson-Boling Arena, where the UT plays bball, will be renamed in her honor to "The Summitt." Thank you, Pat, for making this great state victorious once again!

I have recently discovered that there has been some misconceptions regarding the purpose of blogs. Many people have something that they take part in to express themselves and release all of their feelings. Some people use art, some use photography, some use sports, some use drama, some even use coon huntin' to express their inner-self. I use my blog. This is what I use to express who I am, what I am, and what I feel. This is the basis of every blog, in my opinion. All blogs, from political to religious to pop culture to random posts, share this important characteristic: they express their feelings through the written word on the Internet. What is wrong with this? I feel that nothing is wrong with it. If people contain all of their emotions inside and never release, they would soon blow up from the pressure building from their lives. I started this blog in the hopes of sharing my emotions, and I believe that I have. Some people don't feel this way though; some feel that posts aught to be censored and that thoughts and emotions should be held back on the Internet. I feel that this is wrong since it eliminates the core values of blogs. I do not use my blog capitalize on readership or do not use "...friend's problems to fill space." I use it to express my emotions and things that affects my life. If you don't want to know what I feel or you don't want to know remotely anything that affects my life, you are more than likely at the wrong place because I'm not going to censor my thoughts and feelings for others. I do realize that sometimes things that affects my life also affects others. I will not hold back because this, but I will respect privacy. I try my best to not reveal other people's identities especially in situations where people would probably rather stay anonymous. If I have ever hurt someone or offended anyone, I am truly sorry; I never, ever intend to hurt anyone. However, this is my blog and this is who I am, and I plan to keep it that way.
(This post has been in response to a comment left on a previous post, "The End of a Revelation." I have since updated that post in response to the comment left there, click here to view the update.)

Someone left a comment on the St Patrick's Day post except they didn't leave their name. I miss you, too...I guess. I would like to know who misses me. :o) If you don't mind drop your name on the comment link. Thanks!

Yes, it is true that an earthquake has struck east Tennessee! I never thought that I would see the day! Right now, looting is at a minimum and the National Guard has been dispatched. Do not worry about my safety, though. I am locked up in my room with some candles and a year's supply of Pop Tarts. Fires are raging, people are going crazy, and pictures are falling. Yes, that is the damage from last night's Blount County earthquake: pictures falling off of walls. OH, THE HUMANITY! I can't believe people actually called 911 to report that. CNN says:

"Blount County Sheriff's Office dispatchers said callers reported hearing a loud boom followed by shaking and trembling. Some people called 911 to report pictures had fallen off their walls, they said."

EPISODE 3
I left the TV in shock after watching episode 3 of the Amazing Race. Unbelieveable! First, let me start off with a brief run down of what happened. Then, I will hit a few major points in the episode. The teams started out in Santiago, Chile, and made their way to Argentina by car. At the next stop, the teams had the option to yield a team and had to take part in the detour, paddle or pedal. Most teams got there quickly with the exception of Debbie & Bianca. They missed their exit and got side tracked a 2 hour's distance away. It was kind of funny because the other teams were enjoying the beautiful Argentine mountains while these lifelong friends were having fun at the beach. You should have saw the look of horror on their faces when they found out they were two hours away from were the should be. Evidently, they didn't grasp the clue that said "travel through the Andes Mountains." Every team picked paddle (where they had to white water raft for 7 miles) with the exception of Briand & Greg who suffered a flat tire when they had to peddle their bikes on a lengthy railtrack course. Here boyfriends Lynn & Alex surprising got into first place. After the detour, the teams had to go to the Roadblock and pounds of meat. After this task, the teams then had to go to the pit stop. The boyfriends were in a race with Uchenna & Joyce to be first with the boyfriends eventually placing first in this leg. Debbie & Bianca catched up very quickly to the other teams and were in tight race with Susan & Patrick to not be the last at the pit stop. They did not get their first, though, and these friends were eliminated.

SNEAKY SURVIVORS
Rob & Amber is a team that plays the game very well. Even though I believe they break the ideals of TAR and don't deserve to be in the race, they are an extremely strong team. They definitely know how to play the game to their advantage. They displayed this when they would pay people how to keep information secret and was able to get money from other teams in episode 2. Now, the story continues. Rob paid a taxi driver twice what Debbie & Bianca was going to and convinced him to be his taxi driver instead of the girls. He also played well in the Roadblock. He decided to not finish the task, which comes with a four hour penalty after the next team arrives. When the next team arrives, he convinces them to do the same, which guarentees Rob & Amber not getting eliminated since the other team will have to wait four hours after the next arrives. Sneaky, sneaky! I smell some game rules changing in the next season!

GAINING MOMENTUM
The boyfriends definitely showed a side of themselves that we haven't seen from them thus far; they are showing their strong side! I couldn't believe the amount that they accomplished in episode 3! They went from being in 5th place to being 1st (by the way, they haven't even dropped below the 5th place in any episode). They passed all the teams up in the detour when they did the paddle task and finished first. Shocker! When Alex had to eat that many pounds of meat, I didn't think he could do and would bow out like three other teams. He didn't though and finished the task. He even finished eating second right behind Uchenna. Another shocker! This team also had the best navigation skills since they left the Roadblock in second and ended up at the pit stop first. Big shocker! This team looks like it may be stronger than what many originally thought.

DISAPPOINTMENT
I continue to dislike the mother/son team Susan & Patrick. This team has a horrible attitude and can be very mean. Patrick was awful in this episode. He told his mom off during the Roadblock. She was talking to him and trying to comfort him and he responds by saying "this is when I need you to be quite!" with a hateful attitude. I was so disappointed when they arrived shortly before Debbie & Bianca at the pit stop! I don't seem this team surviving much longer, though. Besides from their great lead at the beginning of the race, they have lost it and continue to fall to back of the pack.

HAPPY ST

PATRICK'S

DAY!

Sorry for the delay on the sidebar update. Blogger had some issues last night on republishing blogs for some reason. No time to update right now on the episode, but I intend on discussing some things before we move on to episode 4. Sorry for the lack of an update: lots of work! Going crazy! Need prayer!

I'm now an official member of the Rocky Top Brigade (operated by South Knox Bubba). Be sure to check out other fellow bloggers from this great state. Don't miss the Constitution either!

A new study that released today shows that the media does indeed have a bias and lean toward Democrats. Wow, is this surprising?! This was a study on the 2004 Presidental election. Here is a what they had to say:

The annual report by a press watchdog that is affiliated with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism said that 36 percent of stories about Bush were negative compared to 12 percent about Kerry

Fox News was twice as likely to be positive as negative

Spring Break has finally come to an end. It was an alright time; I didn't do anything very exciting, but I at least didn't have any classes that I had to go to. There was one aspect of the break that I truly wish I hadn't experienced. In everyone's life there are special relationships that are formed that mold and shape the individual, either for the good or the bad. I have had a few of such relationships. Over the break, I learned that one of these realtionships is on the brink of falling completely a part. Already, it is almost nonexistent. Isn't this some great to discover on your vacation?! One of the greatest friendships that I have ever had is deteriorating right before my eyes and there is not much that I can do about it. I knew that something was going in November, but I thought things were being resolved. When I came home for Christmas, the parties involved seem to be alright with everything. Yes, things were a little different but there didn't seem to be any hard feelings. The story is completely different now. Now, I can't talk with one without being afraid of offending the other. One problem with this situation is that no one is willing to discuss the problem. I tried throughout the break to somehow get the problem out in the open and resolved, but no one really wanted to. This really hurt me. None of the people in this great friendship was willing to save it; they are willing to brush aside one of my life-changing friendships for petty reasons. This really disappointed me and put a huge damper on my week off. I went through much grief, sadness, and pain last week because of this. I thought I had this friendship to come home to, but I was severly disappointed to see it gone.

UPDATE (MAR 19)
I felt that I needed to update this post in response to a comment left earlier. I just want to make clear that this post does reflect my problem. This friendship includes me, too. This three-part friendship of mine does (believe or not) include me. This friendship, in combination with others, has been the basis of my development and growth over the last couple of years. Without this friendship, I would certianly not be the same person that I am today. If you feel that this friendship does not include me, I am sorry, but you are wrong. This tripartite relationship has been a fundamental part of my life and has been one that I have valued dearly since the beginning. Also, to read my ideas on what a blog is suppose to be and what it shouldn't, click here. I also want to thank the many others that have left comments of compassion and support; I truly do appreciate your kind words during hard times such as these. Thank you so much!

42

That's the number of member's that voted in our new Pastor. Only one voted against and two abstained. If you knew the history of our church, those numbers are pure miracles! I am so optimistic of what God is going to do at our church! I am so encouraged by the style of this new preacher. The one that we voted out last fall was entirely awful! I was afraid to laugh at a joke, say something out of place, look like I'm enjoying myself, or even talk to the man. Can you believe that? I was afraid! Afraid in church. I am a longstanding member in my church; I can only imagine what visitors would have felt! This one seems very different though. His style is great! He likes to have a good time (in stark contrast to the last one), he wants open communication, and preaches the word. Since this man has been preaching (even before being voted in as Pastor), Sunday morning attendance has gone way over 100, which hasn't happened in a very long time. I want to thank you all for your prayers and support! Please continue to remember us as we move on to serve the Lord.

Today, the future of my church is determined. As many of you know, the church body ousted our last Pastor because of his much neglect of the position's duties and abuse to the members. We have suffered much through many trials since we have been searching for a Pastor after the original one resigned. The one that voted out was basically a total nightmare for any church, and he definitely was for us. A preacher has come along that the church body seems to like. Much growth has taken place and church services have saw greater attendance since this man has been preaching. This is even before he has become Pastor. Tonight, we vote to see if the church will allow him to serve in this position. I'm having to take other people's word for granted because I haven't heard much from him since I have been away at college. I have only heard him preach 2 times. Just please pray for us that God's direction will be found tonight at the vote.

Yes, I finally have some more photos of myself and friends to share with the whole world! Last January, I went on a "youth retreat" (if you knew the situation you would understand the quotation marks). I finally uploaded the photos from the the short weekend trip to Pigeon Forge. You can view the pictures by clicking on the link under the photo albums header on the sidebar. If you have any problems viewing the pictures, please contact me. Enjoy!

EPISODE 2
The racers left the pit stop in early in the morning and in the pouring rain. The teams were instructed to go catch a bus and travel to the "white city" in Peru. At the bus stop some great drama takes place with Rob & Amber. The teams before them find the earliest bus that leaves. These teams inform Rob & Amber about this bus that leaves sometime around 6:30. Rob snoops around and talks to the security guard that is on duty. The guard tells Rob that the 7:00 bus with another company leaves later but is makes no stops while the other makes many. Rob pays the man to keep this information from the other racers. Rob informs Amber about this and tells her that he will only be sharing this information with a few other select teams. He tells the teams, they lie low, and act dumb. One of the members of the boyfriend team decides to walk around the bus station a little bit. He also encounters the security guard. He asks the man for information on the buses, but the guard replies by telling him that he has been paid not to give any information. Oh no, Rob & Amber caught in a tight spot. He accuses Rob of lying, but Rob replies by saying that he didn't lie about anything with a wink into the camera. All of the teams get onto the same bus that drove directly to the White City, which is the first equalizer of the leg. All the teams arrive in the city to encounter the Roadblock of the leg. I found myself giggling a bit during this challenge. In this task, one team member had to learn how to shine shoes. Then, the racer had to go onto the streets and shine five people's shoes for money. I found this task funny because I can only think what those people on the streets were thinking. These crazy Americans are lowering themselves to earn a few coins. The Peruvians must have felt great having these US travelers shining their shoes for them. The racer then had to go to the shoe shiner's union (who knew there was such a thing) to get their next clue. Joyce seemed to have a lot of problems trying to get some customers. She was yelling for people to come get their shoes shined, but no one seemed interested. She finally got done, surprisingly, before the other teams. Ron proved his team's strength in this task since he was one of the first to finish and got onto the early flight that left for Santiago, Chile. Joyce, however, was the first to get on the second, later flight. Either Lynn & Alex (I'm having trouble discerning who's who) had tremendous trouble getting through this task. No one wanted him to shine shoes. He finally found some women that wanted the shining done, but he was too late since his team was the last to get on the second flight. When the teams arrive in Santiago, they are to take an incline train to the large Virgin Mary statue high above the city. The teams pretty much stayed in the same order that they arrived in the city. Susan & Patrick did run into a little ruffle. As Gretchen yelled "all aboard!" to the mother/son duo, they realized that they didn't have enough Chile money to pay for the train fare since the attendant wouldn't accept American dollars. The train left without them and Meredith said "that's so sad." This retired grandparents team seems to be really nice to the other racers. Susan & Patrick run into this clueless American traveler and begs for some Chile money. He goes ahead and gives it to them. They finally make their way up the mountain. When the racers get to the top, they encounter the Detour, shop or schlep. In shop, the racers have to get a recipe and go shopping in the marketplace to find the ingredients. In schlep, the racers have to go get 180 books at a marked bookstore and cart the books through the streets to the Library in Congress (in Chile of course). The old people run into some problems when they do the shope detour. First, they don't have enough money to pay for the fish that they have to buy. They finally beg the attendants to allow them to get the "discounted rate." When they arrive back at the table, they find out that the fish isn't the right size. Many teams also run into this problem. During this task, Susan & Patrick continue to demonstrate their great begging abilities. They do not have enough money to pay for the fish so they go begging again. They sell picked flowers to dumb tourists to be able to get enough money. This might help them throughout the race; it certainly saved their butts in this leg. The boyfriends got into an argument with the fish men when they came back to get another fish. They got into a big argument with the entire fish market yelling, but they found some women that were willing to sell them the correct sized fish. The schlep task proves to be the fastest task only if they made one trip. Rob & Amber made one trip and finished quickly. In contrast, Ron & Kelly make a mistake and decide to make two trips. Ron was definitely not being smart when he made this decision. Mistakes like this might prove fatal in future legs. He should have listened to his wife. The end was another close one. Brian & Greg and Megan & Heidi were in their taxies when they see each other. Both teams jump out of the cars and start running towards the pit stop mat. Brian & Greg make it first though. It must have been luck from the strange toboggan that one of them were wearing. They were so sad to see the beauties Megan & Heidi leaving. They departed with sappy hugs and kisses.

Could President Bush actually be correct in his belief that Iraq will be a catalyst for democracy in the Middle East? Heaven forbid that Bush is right. It isn't possible, is it? Well, elections are taking place this much troubled region of the world. First, it started in Afghanistan. The people of that country are for the first time experienced for the first-time a true presidental election. Then, we all saw the great sights in Iraq. All over the country citizens were defying the terrorists and boldly displaying their purple fingers after voting in the country's democratic elections. To much surprise to the naysayers in America, the democratic reforms did not stop in those two countries. Country after country is announcing changes to their political structure. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has said that he will allow a contested presidental election. For years, the people of that country was stuck will only one person to vote on during national elections. Things will change now. The people of this country will have a voice in who they want to rule their land. In Palestine, the people are choosing their leadership. They no longer have to give in to the terrorists rulers that they have been stuck with for so long. The reforms don't stop there. In the kingdom of Saudia Arabia, the people are choosing the leaders for their "local councils." Most recently, huge crowds gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, to protest the pro-Syrian government in power and forced this power to resign. The people are no longer bowing to the puppet government in Lebanon that has long been controlled by Syria. The people of the Middle East are finally getting what they deserve--democracy. Bush told us that as the Iraqi and Afghan people start enjoying the great benefits of democracy that it would soon spread across this much oppressed region. A lot of people said that he was just making excuses for the wars that he got us into. Many doubted what he said. I must admit that I was not completely convinced by what Bush said. I was one of the naysayers that thought that these countries would be dictators until the end of the world came. I didn't see how changes in Iraq would cause others to also change. Now that I think about and see the events taking place in these countries, it makes total sense. Imagine if all of the countries in the Americas were ruled by years old dictators, and we were not accustom to the freedoms that we celebrate today. Now imagine that the dictator in Canada is overthrown. The people of Canada are celebrating democracy and enjoying the benefits of being able to choose their leaders. Once the news of this spread to America, wouldn't we want a taste of the pie? Wouldn't we desire the same freedoms that they enjoy? I truly think so, and I believe that this is occuring in the Middle East. The people are seeing the people of Afghanistan and Iraq enjoy this thing called democracy, and they are pushing for the same in their own countries. They are standing up to their dictators and saying "NO MORE!"

I am going to take the time to offer my thoughts on the various teams on The Amazing Race 7 that I think you should keep your eyes on.
DEBBIE & BIANCA
These two friends are definitely a competitive team and one that really don't like that much (sorry, Courtney). They definitely know how to play the game. Although they seem sweet and lovable, my initial reaction after episode 1 is that this team will do whatever it takes to whoever it is required. When Ron & Kelly arrived to get their plane ticket, Debbie & Bianaca told them take a certain pile contained the quickest flight, but they knew that they were wrong. They didn't have any real good reason to do this; they seem to do just because. Ron & Kelly didn't pose any major threat to them; they lied to them anyway. I expect much more of this along the race.

SUSAN & PATRICK
This is the first mother/son team in the race's history. This team despite their homey feel and sweet appearance, they seem to be evil personified. In their race intro, they admitted that they are there to win and will take down whoever they have to. They really don't enjoy the presence of Rob & Amber. Throughout episode 1, they seemed threatened by the Survivors by comparing where they were in the race in comparison to Rob & Amber. They said that they plan to align themselves with Rob & Amber just to cut them out. I expect them to go far in their evilness, but I don't envision them winning. Their obsession with Rob & Amber will ruin their focus and bring them down.

ROB & AMBER
I truly believe that these former Survivor stars do not belong on this race. They already have tons of money, and they really don't need more (at least from another reality show). They break the ideals of the race. What is great about TAR is that it features ordinary people who prove themselves by competing in a race around the world. These people are no longer "ordinary." Another thing that I don't like about them (especially Rob) is that they are really cocky. You could tell at the beginning of ep1 that they were slacking because they were way too confident. I see this trait hurting them in the long run and will lead to their elmination as long as Susan & Patrick don't get to them first.

LYNN & ALEX
This team will be great! They already have been so funny! I can't wait to see them some more. I hope that they stay for a while in the race because they certainly are the comic relieft among this much expected dead-heat race. I don't evision them going too far, though. They are really worried about their appearance and are afraid to take part in activities that hard work.

RAY & DEANA
This team absolutely scares me! This team looks and acts just like last season's Jonathan & Victoria. Both Ray & Deana has said that Ray is extremely competitive and demanding. Talk about scary! These are the same traits that embodied Jonathan last season, and we all know how that turned out. He has already displayed these qualities in episode 1 by telling Deana to "shut up" and "suck it up." I doubt he will be as bas as Jonathan, but it certainly won't be pretty.

UCHENNA & JOYCE
This team looks just like season 5's Chip & Kim. Could this be a preview of the end? I don't know. What I do know is that I like this team. This team has been through so much. They live in Houston, Texas, and the two worked for Enron & Worldcom. As we know both of these companies went bankrupt, and this married couple definitely went through a lot during the time of countless accounting scandals. So far they have played a clean game and there reason for the race is so heartfelt. These two have wanted to have a baby for so long but have been unsuccessful. They have tried in-vitro fertilization but have never been successful. They hope to use the million dollars, if they win, for more procedures.

RON & KELLY
This dating couple has immediately come to be my favorites. Both are from the South, and both have some great stories. Kelly is former Miss South Carolina, and Ron is a former Iraq POW. This relationship has to be a true fairy tale. A knight and shining armor came and got his princess. They seem to be really nice and will play a fair game. Ron even plans to use to money to help support an organization that helps wounded soldiers. Both of them are strong, and I could see them going far in the race.

EPISODE 1
The Amazing Race is back after a brief break from season 6 (which I must say what mighty disappointing). I am hoping for a much better race this turn around. In a TV Guide interview with host Phil Keoghan, he said that this was his favorite season so far (previously it was season 5). He said that there are new twists during the end of non-elimination legs and that there are a lot more neck-to-neck endings much like we saw during this first episode. After the team introductions, I dicovered a few teams that I already do not like. First off Ray & Deana. At first glance I am frightened because this team looks just like Jonathan & Victoria from season 6. The resemblence is so scary! They way they act was just like this horrible team from TAR6. Deana talks of Ray being demanding and forceful, and he agreed with her. Both of them don't ever look happy either. Another team I don't like is the first-ever mother/son team, Susan & Patrick. This team sounds horrible! They are extremely competitive. They said that they will "cut down whoever they have to." Wow, that sounds like a loving family! One team that I fell in love with from the start was Ron & Kelly. This sounds like a fairy-tale relationship. Ron is a former Iraq POW and Kelly is former Miss South Carolina. The racers started out in Long Beach, California. frightened Here the racers darted across the start line nearly knocking down Phil in the process. Here the teams were given instructions to go to the nearby airport and depart for Lima, Peru. Driving to the airport, the teams were forceful. One team almost wrecked while on the Interstate. They all eventually got there safely, though. Rob & Amber, however, were so far behind! They didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that there dragging up the rear end of the teams. They were just laughing and having a good time. This showed me that they were somewhat cocky and were too confident, which is not a good trait for the race. The teams were split up at the airport. Some took the American Airlines flight, which arrived sooner, while the other teams took the United flight that arrived one and a half hours later. When the teams arrived in Peru, all of them grabbed this drink that looked like some brownish, disgusting liquid. I thought it was odd that all the teams were grabbing this horrible looking drink. My friend Brittany had learned in Spanish that all Americans have to get this drink because it helps deter extreme sickness caused by being at such high elevations. What surprised me, though, was the main ingredient of the the drink: cocaine. Yes, you heard me right; the drink is basically water and cocaine mixed together. No wonder all the teams seemed so happy! I can't believe that cocaine is so freely distributed to American tourists. Seems like to me that would be a huge red flad to the US government. Well, they never did get sick, though. The teams made their way through Lima and, at the end of the day, they went to the beach to do a little digging. When each team arrived, they had to start digging in huge piles of sand. In each different pile there were different airplane departure times. If the team had got a ticket and saw that another had a sooner departure time, they could not change. Ron & Kelly got into trouble here with another team. Debbie & Bianca told the lovely team that the tickets that the 7:40 was the sooner flight because they had already gone through the process. Ron & Kelly trusted them and got their ticket for the 7:40 flight. Big mistake! One of the strategies that teams need to remember in the race is be careful with who you trust. A lot of people are willing to lie and cheat to victory, and the lifelong friends didn't mind doing this. Ron & Kelly certainly learned a lesson here. The next morning, teams got up to go get on their flights. There were three different flight times: 6:00, 7:00, and 7:40. The 6 o'clock team left at the scheduled time, but the 7am flight was not so lucky. Their flight was delayed by 40 minutes, which virtually eliminated their huge lead over the last group of teams. The teams then had to go to the top of this beautiful gorge in Cuzco, Peru. When the teams arrived here, they had to zip line across the gorge and then down a second zip line to the bottom. I thought it was crazy having the teams do this after being high on cocaine water, but they were no accidents. The most hiliarious moment is when the prouducers started playing hillbilly music when proud Southerners and best friends Ryan & Chuck try their turn at the zip line. One of the two said, "we will be the first to load test it." How funny! As the went down the line, their feet would scrape against the group when they were pushed off and people had to yell at them to "watch out for the cactuses" as they arrived at the end of the line. After this, the teams moved on to the detour, Rope a Llama or Rope a Basket. In Llama, the teams had to pull two llamas up a hill and put them in the their cages. This may sound easy but it sure isn't. Susan & Patrick picked this task (wrong choice!). You could tell that these two had never been on a farm before. The kept trying to pull and pull the llamas, but the animals didn't ever want to go. Recalling my sheep showing days, I kept yelling at them to go for the butts to get them going. They never listened to me, though. They finally got to the top with the llamas and got them in their cages after being covered with llama spit. In Basket, the teams just had to rope a basket filled with 35 pounds of alfalfa. Although this was physically demanding, it was the quickest option. This is where the Jonathan character jumped out of Ray. Deana was having a lot of trouble trying to carry the basket. She had the rope around her throat and was extremely uncomfortable. It looked like she was going to break down in tears. Jonathan, my mistake I mean Ray, just kept telling her to "shut up" and "suck it up." Very encouraging, isn't it? If this doesn't sound like another Jonathan, I don't know what does. I just hope this one does result in last season's horrible incident that took place in Berlin. After this the teams had to ride in the back of a delivery truck filled with Peruvians, chickens, and sheep. This gave us the most hilarious moment of this leg of the race. One member of the boyfriends team, Lynn & Alex, had a bandana wrapped around his forhead with his sunglasses on and in a random scene had a sheep up to his face and he kept making "baaaaa" sounds. It was so funny! When Susan & Patrick and Rob & Amber were in the truck, the mother/son team proved that they truly are horrible. Susan & Patrick made a deal to work together with the former survivors. Patrick then said in an aside to the audience, "We have every intention of aligning with Rob & Amber only to set the trap, because we would love to be personally responsible for their disposal in this Race." How awful! When the teams arrived at their destination, a local market, they had to find the clue. After finding this, the teams were to go to the first pit stop of the race, La Merced, a 325-year old church. The race to the finish line was dramatic and great for the first leg. The first placing was surprisingly dramatic. It was a race between lifelong friends Debbie & Bianca, mother/son Susan & Patrick, and former Survivors Rob & Amber. Eventually, the friends made it to the finish line first. I was surprised that Rob & Amber made it the top considering their obvious cockyness at the beginning of the leg. The last three teams were in the delivery truck and realized that one of them were going to be eliminated. These teams were roommates Megan & Heidi, best friends Ryan & Chuck, and dating couple Ron & Kelly. It was neck-to-neck the entire way to the pit stop. All of them convinced their cab drivers to pass the others, which turned into a constant game of passing one another. Megan & Heidi somehow arrived first. Then, the foot race was on between the couple and best friends. Ultimately, Ron & Kelly arrived just seconds before the best friends did. Ryan & Chuck, a team that added some great humor to the race, was eliminated. Chuck broke down in tears saying that he cherishes his friendship with Ryan so much and nothing will split them up.

The Amazing Race is coming back to TV after a brief hiatus, and I must say that I am excited! I don't know about you all, but last season was a dissappointment to me. It was filled with models and complainers. About the only hope last season was Gus & Hera and Jon & Kris, and we all know that those dreams were crushed. This season holds some promise. There seems to be some great teams. The best thing is that THERE ARE NO MODELS! I am so excited about this. It is finally time that the producers of TAR get the idea that we don't like seeing non-reality people competing in reality television, especially the Amazing Race. We want to see ordinary people racing around the world, not models that complain because Africa "won't stop reproducing." Some teams that look like they will be fun are Ron & Kelly (a former Iraq POW and a beauty queen), Ryan & Chuck (best friends that are also devoted Christians), and the infamous Rob & Amber from Survivor. I have also spotted some teams that look like they could cause some problems. These teams include Megan & Heidi (roommates from California) and Ray & Deana (a couple dating on and off and I think he looks just like Jonathan from season 6). This should be fun! I've also got some good news for devoted Amazing Race fans. Looks like the first season of the race might be finally coming to DVD, according to tvshowsondvd.com. Looks like it might be made available by June. Can't wait! Be sure to stay tuned to Mr Rocky Top for more of the Amazing Race (including our own to take place in April!).

This last weekend I continued the theme of having a woman's mind. Believe it or not, I watched the romantic musical Moulin Rouge this weekend (and yes I watched on my own free will and without a girl present in the room). I actually love this movie! I know that the laws of physics says that a straight male cannot enjoy watching a movie about love and the quest for it, but I defy the laws of the land! I know I risk losing all of my "man points," but I really don't care! This movie has a very special meaning to me. I have a great friend back home who I don't get to see very often. I love this friend with all my might. This person has been there for me through both the good and bad times. This person holds a very special place in my heart. I don't know if I could have survived high school without this sweet friend. When we were sophomores, we watched this movie together at her house. We both loved it, and every since then we have considered Moulin Rouge "our movie." When I watch this movie it brings back the sweet memories that we shared together. This movie also brings about certain emotions. A "bohemian storm is brewing" within me! Truth, beauty, freedom, and "above all" love are the beliefs of the bohemian moment of France. I want that love that is found at the Moulin Rouge. This is sincere love; a love that cannot be disputed or separated despite the circumstances. I want that love. This love is so beautiful that it brings tears to the eyes of babies. I hope God brings a love like that to me one day. I'm waiting patiently for that day.