Watch the Lamb
02.24.2009 8:45PM
I know it may be hard to believe, but its once again that special time here at Beavers and Ducks. That, of course, is Watch the Lamb season. This year marks the 6th Annual Watch the Lamb season as it had its start back with the original Beavers and Ducks.(Yesterday marked the 6th Anniversary of Beavers and Ducks!) The goal of Watch the Lamb season is to listen/watch Watch the Lamb at least once a day for the entirety of Lent. Clearly the more times a day you can listen/watch the better. So I'll get you started with the first one, but don't let this be the last.
Excised
02.22.2009 3:30PM
Prior to today the last time the Fight Illini won at Ohio State was my freshman year, back in 2004. You may recall that in 2005 on their way to a perfect regular season, the Illini stumbled in their final game at Ohio State. You probably remember the story. Well it was that game I wore a new orange shirt. I never wore orange up to that day and haven't since but it was a special occasion. Nothing was going to stop the Illini, well except my orange shirt.Let it be known that today the demons from that day have now been excised. Wearing my new Illini t-shirt (gray with blue lettering, of course) the Illini beat the Buckeyes in Columbus 70-68 and the new shirt moved to 3-0 on the season. Not even the new shirt could've saved the Illini in their 38-33 (yep you read that right) loss to Penn State on Wednesday. The Illini are now 22-6 on the season and poised to grab a #4, 5, or 6 seed in the Big Dance. It's quite the turn around from last year's 16-19 season (a record that was 13-18 before a miracle run to the Big Ten tourney finals) and its a year early.So as frustrating as this season has been (a one point home loss to Clemson, a 16 point blow out victory against now #10 ranked Missouri) and as many times that I've claimed this year's team will "kill me", its nice to have exciting basketball to watch again. This team isn't going to wow you with offense (though they have an assist on nearly 75% of all their baskets) but rather with lock down defense. In due time the offense will come around (particularly next year when the Illini welcome in a handful of blue chippers) but for now I'll take a team that wins ugly with efficient offense and physical defense. I'm just glad Illini basketball is worth watching again. Oh yeah, be sure to check in on me after an Illini game because they may still very well kill me.
Great Pyramids vs. Machu Picchu
02.09.2009 8:00PM
It's been more than a few people since returning from Peru who have asked me if the Great Pyramids of Giza or Machu Picchu was "better", whatever that means. I honestly hadn't really thought about it until the first person asked me about a possible comparison or ranking. But why stop there, what about the Parthenon? Well actually its easy to separate that landmark from the aforementioned wonders. It doesn't even compare. But its not so easy for the Pyramids and Machu Picchu.My initial reaction is to go with Machu Picchu, but on second thought I quickly choose the Great Pyramids. Maybe its the recent nature of my trip to Machu Picchu (just 1 month as compared to 4.5 years for the Great Pyramids) that triggers that response. I don't think I'm going to settle this "debate" (and really does it matter? They are both freaking amazing) but for shits and giggles lets see how I can argue this.Without a doubt the journey to Machu Picchu plays into the experience. It's not as though I took the easy way out in visiting the Pyramids, but really the only way to arrive at the site is by taxi and then just a short through the desert. Obviously that doesn't compare to the 4-day trek to Machu Picchu. So in a landslide Machu Picchu takes this criterion.But like I said, this is close. And the Pyramids make up considerable ground when one considers they've withstood the test of time for over 4000 years. Machu Picchu on the other hand just a mere 550 years. Not a length of time to sneeze at, but still nothing lasts for 4000 years, well except for the Great Pyramids.And we're tied. The means of their construction is both amazing and still not entirely known or understood. One lies in the middle of a vast desert the other in a thick jungle and ragged cliffs. So you can see what I'm getting at and its essentially there is no way to say one is better than the other. They are both unique and remarkable monuments to the achievement of man. There is no way to knock them. While I can't choose between Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids, I can say despite wanting to travel to Egypt from the time I was 6 years old, I enjoyed my experience in Peru just a smidgen better. Who am I kidding? If you have the opportunity to go to Peru and Egypt do BOTH!
Check out Last Month
02.01.2009 12:00AM
Check out last month at Beavers and Ducks, while you wait for a new post for February. December 2008
Gregory 'Jesus' Dowell
Muncie, IN
- I'm currently in my second and final year of Ball State University's Master of Architecture program. Over the summer I completed an internship for The Estopinal Group and prior to that I interned seven months for Rath, Raths & Johnson. I'm currently deciding what the future holds. All that and more will be explored right here at Beavers and Ducks.
