It's official. Sheltered Observations will be moving over to Tumblr.
http://clayjseal.tumblr.com/
It's an easier-to-use blogging interface that will make it a lot easier for me to post every day. I've always wanted to post more frequently, but Blogger isn't the greatest place to post different types of media.
I'll be posting more of everything that strikes my fancy. Music, funny YouTube videos, random blurbs. I hope you join me on the new site.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Path of Loneliness
My time here has ended
I move, but I do not move on
I've never been able to do that
I put my heart away that day to save it for you, its only right possessor
My wish was that our hearts were reading the same book, but maybe weren't on the same page just yet
If you've never been able to shake love for him, I wish that you never do
But, if you ever find yourself on the vague, underexposed path of loneliness
You'll find me, waiting for you
I move, but I do not move on
I've never been able to do that
I put my heart away that day to save it for you, its only right possessor
My wish was that our hearts were reading the same book, but maybe weren't on the same page just yet
If you've never been able to shake love for him, I wish that you never do
But, if you ever find yourself on the vague, underexposed path of loneliness
You'll find me, waiting for you
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Tennessee-Florida gallery
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on the field for the Vols' game against Florida and get some photos for TNJN.com, Tennessee's student news website. It was pretty cool being on the field, but it was a lot of work. I definitely like it better up in the press box writing the game stories (and being in air conditioning and eating free food).
I got a couple of really awesome pictures. The rest were nearly perfect, but were blurry due to the fact I've never shot a game as fast as football.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Love at first sight
The existence of love at first sight has been a topic of debate for centuries.
Western literature and poetry (as well as Hallmark commercials) have definitely helped popularize the notion. Countless movies feature it (Big Fish, when Edward first sees Sandra and time stands still), and with many of the stories assuming the couple lives happily ever after, it makes it a really nice idea for people to believe.
There are many people who don't like the idea of love at first sight (as well as the idea of soul mates). They believe that you can only love someone after deep emotional intimacy is achieved, which usually involves lots of time spent getting to know each other and building the relationship.
So, is there really love at first sight?
Yes.
It's real and I'll tell you how I know: I've had it happen to me...twice.
The only way I can explain the first time it happened is with sappy romantic cleches, but it's the best I can do
I was at freshman orientation for college and I was in line at the cafeteria for lunch. I was alone in a new place, and was questioning my college choice. I just wanted to go home. Then this girl next to me said, "I think I'm just going to hang out with you."
I was speechless. This beautiful girl, who was glowing like Lacey Chabert in Not Another Teen Movie, was talking to me. I thought I was getting pranked. Nevertheless, this irrational feeling that she was special took over me. She claimed that we had dabbled in brief small talk just a few minutes before, but I have no recollection of that.
As I got to know her during the year, she was definitely worth a love at first sight scene. We got along very well. She was the typical perfect girl: smart, funny, cute. The kind of girl that makes your heart skip every time you get a text message because it might be her. I definitely was in love with her, even though I eventually told her how I felt and she didn't feel the same way about me.
The other time it happened to me was more bizarre.
It was a girl that I have known since I was little. Our parents had been friends since before they had most of their children. We had been close family friends, but it had probably been 10 years since I had seen this girl in person.
I knew she was very pretty, I had seen her on facebook. I went to her graduation party, mingled with a few old friends, and then I saw her walk through the kitchen.
Once again, I was in shock. No filter/glow effect, but she was still amazing to me. The strange part was that right when I saw her I thought, I'm going to marry her. How messed up is that? I hadn't even talked to her since I was under five feet tall. How could I even think that?
I was so nervous that I waited about 45 minutes until I finally talked to her. I introduced myself because I didn't know if she'd even recognize me. She did. Wee hugged and talked for just a minute before we were interrupted. But I was in la-la land the whole time. Once again, I barely know anything about her, and vice versa.
Still, since then I haven't stopped thinking about this girl of which I have about 45 seconds of shared experience.
You might be thinking, Clay, you're just a hopeless romantic who's been too influenced by the media. You're only partially correct.
I think about girls a lot. Ever since I had my first crush in elementary school, I dreamed of getting married and starting a family. So it would make sense that I would see movies with two strangers falling in love and want my life to be like that.
The thing is that I'm constantly looking at the girls on campus (you know, because I'm a creep), and I think a lot of them are very good looking. I'm physically attracted to them. But love at first sight hasn't happened with any of them.
Another problem people have with love at first sight, is that their definition of love is different. Love is more of a commitment than a feeling to them, which I agree with. When you say you love your spouse, until death do you part, you are not just saying that you hope the lovey-dovey will last, but that you promise to care for each other and have each other's best interest at heart and never get divorced.
As well as people's different ideas of what love is, there are definitely different types of love. You love your family, friends and spouses all different ways, with each of those categories having different loves within them. This may explain why my two love at first sight experiences were different.
Finally, here's what I think.
For two people to be compatible enough to have a chance at a lifelong bond there has to be more than physical and emotional attraction. Something that separates friendship from something more. I have a few friends that I think are stunning, but I have no romantic interest in them whatsoever. This isn't to say that love at first sight has to happen, but there needs to be something more.
It's that extra, inexplicable and initial connection. Something that doesn't make any sense, which to some people, lessens its legitimacy. But a friend recently told me that the harder it is to explain, the more legitimate it is. I buy that.
To those who think that the idea of love at first sight is irrational, when is love ever rational?
Western literature and poetry (as well as Hallmark commercials) have definitely helped popularize the notion. Countless movies feature it (Big Fish, when Edward first sees Sandra and time stands still), and with many of the stories assuming the couple lives happily ever after, it makes it a really nice idea for people to believe.
There are many people who don't like the idea of love at first sight (as well as the idea of soul mates). They believe that you can only love someone after deep emotional intimacy is achieved, which usually involves lots of time spent getting to know each other and building the relationship.
So, is there really love at first sight?
Yes.
It's real and I'll tell you how I know: I've had it happen to me...twice.
The only way I can explain the first time it happened is with sappy romantic cleches, but it's the best I can do
I was at freshman orientation for college and I was in line at the cafeteria for lunch. I was alone in a new place, and was questioning my college choice. I just wanted to go home. Then this girl next to me said, "I think I'm just going to hang out with you."
I was speechless. This beautiful girl, who was glowing like Lacey Chabert in Not Another Teen Movie, was talking to me. I thought I was getting pranked. Nevertheless, this irrational feeling that she was special took over me. She claimed that we had dabbled in brief small talk just a few minutes before, but I have no recollection of that.
As I got to know her during the year, she was definitely worth a love at first sight scene. We got along very well. She was the typical perfect girl: smart, funny, cute. The kind of girl that makes your heart skip every time you get a text message because it might be her. I definitely was in love with her, even though I eventually told her how I felt and she didn't feel the same way about me.
The other time it happened to me was more bizarre.
It was a girl that I have known since I was little. Our parents had been friends since before they had most of their children. We had been close family friends, but it had probably been 10 years since I had seen this girl in person.
I knew she was very pretty, I had seen her on facebook. I went to her graduation party, mingled with a few old friends, and then I saw her walk through the kitchen.
Once again, I was in shock. No filter/glow effect, but she was still amazing to me. The strange part was that right when I saw her I thought, I'm going to marry her. How messed up is that? I hadn't even talked to her since I was under five feet tall. How could I even think that?
I was so nervous that I waited about 45 minutes until I finally talked to her. I introduced myself because I didn't know if she'd even recognize me. She did. Wee hugged and talked for just a minute before we were interrupted. But I was in la-la land the whole time. Once again, I barely know anything about her, and vice versa.
Still, since then I haven't stopped thinking about this girl of which I have about 45 seconds of shared experience.
You might be thinking, Clay, you're just a hopeless romantic who's been too influenced by the media. You're only partially correct.
I think about girls a lot. Ever since I had my first crush in elementary school, I dreamed of getting married and starting a family. So it would make sense that I would see movies with two strangers falling in love and want my life to be like that.
The thing is that I'm constantly looking at the girls on campus (you know, because I'm a creep), and I think a lot of them are very good looking. I'm physically attracted to them. But love at first sight hasn't happened with any of them.
Another problem people have with love at first sight, is that their definition of love is different. Love is more of a commitment than a feeling to them, which I agree with. When you say you love your spouse, until death do you part, you are not just saying that you hope the lovey-dovey will last, but that you promise to care for each other and have each other's best interest at heart and never get divorced.
As well as people's different ideas of what love is, there are definitely different types of love. You love your family, friends and spouses all different ways, with each of those categories having different loves within them. This may explain why my two love at first sight experiences were different.
Finally, here's what I think.
For two people to be compatible enough to have a chance at a lifelong bond there has to be more than physical and emotional attraction. Something that separates friendship from something more. I have a few friends that I think are stunning, but I have no romantic interest in them whatsoever. This isn't to say that love at first sight has to happen, but there needs to be something more.
It's that extra, inexplicable and initial connection. Something that doesn't make any sense, which to some people, lessens its legitimacy. But a friend recently told me that the harder it is to explain, the more legitimate it is. I buy that.
To those who think that the idea of love at first sight is irrational, when is love ever rational?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Cyclones' coach Weber moves on to Rochester, won't forget Cincinnati
This was a story I wrote for Channel 9 (WCPO.com) but was not published due to technical errors. Enjoy.
When Cincinnati Cyclones head coach Chuck Weber took the head coaching job for the Rochester Americans of the AHL July 27, one of his main concerns was setting up a working relationship between his new team and old one.
"That was a big thing for me moving on to the (Florida) Panthers organization," said Weber. "I said, 'Would you be willing to use Cincinnati as your primary (ECHL) affiliate?'"
His influence proved weighty, as the Panthers of the NHL, who already use Rochester as their AHL farm team, penned a minor league affilliation agreement with the Cyclones Aug. 4.
For Weber, the man who led Cincinnati to unprecedented success during his four seasons as head coach, the opportunity to move up the totem pole to the AHL while maintaining a strong connection to the team he built is very important.
"The Cyclones have such a great reputation in the hockey community for developing players and just a great winning environment," said Weber. "So, being able to continue that association was huge for me."
Even though his contract with the Cyclones has expired and he has a new job, Weber will remain in Cincinnati for about another month helping his former team prepare for the upcoming season.
"I want what's best for this organization," said Weber. "We were able to put hockey on the map back here in the past four years. We want to keep it going. We want the new coach to come in and hit the gorund running and be able to have an exceptional team on the ice again next year."
And "put hockey on the map" is an understatement.
Financial issues forced the franchise to suspend operations after the end of the 2003-2004 season and they did not compete again until the 2006-2007 season when Weber was hired on for his first gig as a head coach after serving as an assistant coach for seven seasons.
In four seasons he compiled a 177-92-19 record (.648 winning percentage) on his way to two Kelly Cup Championships, three American Conference finals appearances and two North Division titles.
During the Cyclones' first Kelly Cup campaign in 2007-2008, attendance rose 37 percent to lead all minor league hockey teams that season. Attendance rose 23 percent the next season and 25 percent last season. A total of 139,919 fans attended regular-season games at US Bank Arena in 2009-1010, breaking the former franchise record set in 2002-2003.
The team's success spoke for itself, but Weber's coaching accomplishments were more than noteworthy during his four-year stay in Cincinnati. Weber won the ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2008 after finishing second in voting the year before. His 177 wins are the third-most in for an ECHL coach in his first four years and his 45 playoff victories rank as the most by any ECHL coach in a five-year span (even though he did it in four years).
Those achievements allowed him to move on to Rochester, where the games are all televised and the team is maybe the second-most popular in the city behind the Buffalo Sabres.
Nevertheless, with the Cyclones' new deal with the Panthers, Weber is not leaving Cincinnati in the rear-view mirror. He still uses "we" to refer to his now former team.
"Everyone in the hockey community knows we do everything first class," Weber said. "For how we travel to the living arrangements...
"And just the fact, the growth of the fans. Guys love to play in front of people. They don't want to come to an arena that has 500 people in it. The growth that we've made allows us to become a premiere destination for guys if they're not getting National Hockey League contracts.
"They want to come to Cincinnati."
Five years ago there was literally no reason for professional hockey players to come to Cincinnati. But thanks to Weber, there are now plenty of reasons.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Appeal of liberalism
"Liberalism is easy. It doesn't solve diddly-squat. Liberalism makes things worse but, boy, it's easy to be liberal. It's easy to let somebody feed you. It's easy to let somebody pay you not to work. It's easy to be praised as caring because all you've got to do is look at suffering and say, "Oh, that's horrible." And you can even be more highly thought of if you say, "Let's take somebody else's money and give it to that person; it's not fair!" Oh, then you are a star liberal. See how easy that is?" - Rush Limbaugh
I don't care if you like him or not, Rush speaks the truth right here. The whole transcript from this part of his radio show a few days ago is the truth. No argument.
I don't care if you like him or not, Rush speaks the truth right here. The whole transcript from this part of his radio show a few days ago is the truth. No argument.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Pics from Bengals training camp check-ins
I have an internship with the sports team at Channel 9 (ABC) in Cincinnati this summer and they let me tag along to the check-ins July 28 for the Cincinnati Bengals training camp. I got a bunch of pictures of Chad Ochocinco, Carson Palmer, Marvin Lewis and a few other guys. Take a look at the photo album on flickr.
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