Johnny Boy, Keep it Together.

First things first.

BTHO Ol' Miss.

Second,

Man, talk about a great start to the season - right? Oh, and everyone should watch this video:

Goosebumps, huh? Gets me all kinds of pumped up for today's game in Oxford, Mississippi.

Johnny Manziel or "Johnny Football" has done a great job in his past few games. But need us not forget - he is YOUNG. He's like, what? 19 years old, born in '92? He's still a kid! Remember his little episode a few months back at Northgate? Fake ID's, getting into fights, etc... It's what kids do! I just hope Johnny boy knows the line. I hope he's gotten 10x more responsible since then.

The rumor is that Johnny was a little punk back in high school - and to be honest, I completely believe that.

ESPN is just BLOWING him up in the news and and yeah, he's a great player with a GREAT team. The LAST thing I want to see is his head blow up the size of the state of Texas. I just have this gut feeling in my stomach that there's going to be a downfall somewhere. Overly successful quarterbacks early in their career tend to have a history of pretty dramatic downfalls.

And I hate his little nickname, "Johnny Football"... I bet he's a cocky little cupcake.

I do love ya Johnny, and I'm saying this because I care. Keep your head in the game and your nose out of the air. You've got outstanding talent, use it well. Take care of yourself. STAY OUT OF THE BARS.

And be that awesome, amazing 19-year-old quarterback we all like to rub in the face of our competitors.

Softly call the Muster...

Aggie Muster. Probably one of the largest and most renown traditions of Texas A&M University. 

What is Muster, you ask? Well, in the military it is defined as "a process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit" and being that Texas A&M was an all-military college for most of it's existence - you can expect that that's exactly what Aggie Muster is all about as well. Just replace the words "in a military unit" with "within the Aggie family." This message is going to be mainly an informative post for the kids who chose to go to "those other schools." And maybe for even a few future, current, or even former Aggie students who may not know the history behind our Aggie Muster.

Muster began on a hot June summer day in 1883 when Aggies gathered together to live over their college days...to live other the victories and the defeats upon both the drill field and inside the classroom. By 1903, this annual gathering had evolved into a celebration of Texas' independence on San Jacinto Day - April 21st. These meetings included field games and banquets for Aggies to reflect and celebrate their memories of Aggieland. "Let every alumni answer a roll call" wrote the former students.

The April 21st day of events did not, however, become official until 1922. Muster was born. The March 1923 Texas Aggie urged, "If there is an A&M man in one-hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.

By the year 1929, the meeting had grown worldwide. By 1942, Aggie Muster gained international recognition.

Twenty-Five men led by General George Moore '08 mustered during the Japanese Siege of the Philippine Island of Corregidor. Expecting Muster might soon be called for them - These Aggies symbolized the core of commitment, dedication, and friendship - otherwise known as the Aggie Spirit. This small group of Aggies on an outpost during World War II inspired what has developed into one of Texas A&M's greatest traditions.

Muster, today, is celebrated in more the four-hundred places worldwide. Yet, the largest ceremony residing on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, Texas. The ceremony brings together more Aggies, worldwide, on one occasion than any other event. 

The students in Aggieland put together this Campus Muster. Today, each campus muster is dedicated to a fifty-year reunion class. The entire day on each April 21st is spent participating in activities for students both present and past. Then, as the nightfall approaches, the Muster ceremony is celebrated with the address by a keynote speaker, the reading of poems, beautiful music (including by the Aggie Band), and last but not least - the Roll Call for the Absent.

The Roll Call honors Aggies that have fallen since the last Muster roll was read. As each name is read, friends and family members answer "Here," and a candle is lit to symbolize that whole those Aggies are not present in body - they will forever remain with us in Aggie Spirit.

Century-old roots establish the basis of Muster - though it has changed throughout the years. But what is felt today is not just the love of a fellow Aggie - it is the spirit of hundreds of thousands of Aggies who have gone before. Muster is how that Spirit is remembered and will continue to unite Texas A&M and the Aggie family. A&M may (unfortunately) change, but the Spirit never will.

There you have it, folks. Aggie Muster in a nutshell. Yes, this year especially, a lot has changed with Aggie Muster. This year, instead of called EVERY Aggie who has fallen in the past year...they implemented a new rule...calling only the Aggies who met a special criteria. Here it is:

-Students currently enrolled at Texas A&M University 
-Members of the 50-Year Reunion Class
-Former students who have an immediate family member* that is currently enrolled at Texas A&M University  
-Former students who lost their lives while deployed  serving on active military duty  within the past year 
-Texas A&M University faculty and staff of long tenure
*An immediate family member is defined as grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, sister, brother, son and daughter.
Some say "It has to be done," some say "It's going to happen sometime," but I say "Hell NO, EVERY Aggie should be called - no matter how long the ceremony takes."  As a good Ag would say, "It's tradition."

Now, according to this criteria, I'm more than likely not going to have my named called. Nor will a huge percentage of  the classes to follow.

I guess the reason this bothers me... is mostly because of my own personal symbolism that I relate with Aggie Muster. When one graduates, he or she is leaving the current Aggie student body association. He or She has their name called and they walk across the stage. I almost see Muster as being the "final graduation/roll call" within the Former Student association. It's the last step before per say "moving on..." Acknowledgement that he or she is "not present"physically. But I guess that's my own personal views.

"Roll Call for the Absent"

In many lands and climes this April day 

Proud sons of Texas A&M unite. 

Our loyalty to country, school, we pray, 

and seal our pact with bond of common might. 

We live again those happy days of yore 

on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill 

Fond memory brings a sigh –– but nothing more; 

Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill, 

On Corregidor sixty eight years ago today 

A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore, 

Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say: 

The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar. 

Before we part and go upon our way, 

We pause to honor those we knew so well; 

The old familiar faces we miss so much today 

Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster, 

Let comrade answer, “Here!” 

Their spirits hover ‘round us 

As if to bring us cheer! 

Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts. 

We’ll meet some other day 

There is no death, but life etern 

For our old friends such as they! 

Student Body Elections...< Begin Rant >

Student Body Elections were this week. And still ongoing.

We've got two big runoffs.
1. Senior Yell Leader
2. Student Body President.

As for Senior Yell Leader (three total), we've got one winner so far. Nelson Ingram.

Don't know too much about the lad. Good guy as far as I know. He's a political science major at A&M from Tuscola, TX, class of 2013, and has treated A&M well with his leadership and service as the Aggie's Jr. Yell Leader.


As for the other two Sr. Yell Leaders, there is a runoff. A four-way runoff between:
1. Drew Nelson
2. Hunter Skoog
3. Josh Light
4. Samantha Ketcham (Yes, a girl.)

Now, I've quite a little bit of a bias towards Mr. Nelson. He grew up right here alongside me in Bryan/College Station, TX and attended St. Joseph Catholic School. I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a sporting event affiliated with Texas A&M that he hasn't been to. Basketball, baseball, football, etc. It's no doubt that this kid is definitely the epitamy of a great Aggie.

Though, on my other hand, I'm one of those people that like to think that yell leaders should all be from the Corps. So this whole "5 for Yell" campaign seems very attractive to me. Yet, there are a lot of people who are AGAINST 5 for Yell because of various reasons.

One of the reasons being that one of the "5 for Yell" Sr. Yell candidates was charged with a minor in possession of alcohol last school year.

Big deal. And none of the other underage candidates consume alcohol either... Yeah. Right.

I bet they don't jaywalk on campus either. Or rip the "Don't Remove" tag off their mattress.

Just because he had one minor offense doesn't mean he can't motivate our aggies the way a good Yell Leader should. He still can represent the school swimmingly, I'm sure. Now, I don't know the guy personally. I am just saying that he's just as capable of leading and representing Texas A&M as any of the other candidates.

For God's sake - A freshman in 1907 "raided" a janitor's closet and stole a uniform to create the tradition today. I'm pretty sure that was frowned upon at that point in time.

And finally, Yes. A girl is running for Yell Leader for Texas A&M.

This may make a few people angry - But if a girl is elected to Yell Leader... I WILL, I repeat,  I WILL refuse to attend any sporting or spirited event that includes any affiliation of the Texas A&M Yell Leaders.


If you're interested, Here's the history of the Aggie Yell Leaders according to yell.tamu.edu

"When A&M was an all-male military college in 1907, students often invited ladies from Texas Women’s University to take the train to College Station to attend Aggie football games. Then as now, a certain amount of tickets were set aside for guests, and these would be handed out based on seniority, so freshmen were rarely able to bring guests to the games.

According to legend, during one football game the Aggies were being out-scored so badly that the ladies were threatening to leave the game from boredom.  Therefore, the upperclassmen ordered the freshmen, or “fish,” to find a way to entertain the bored ladies. The freshmen raided a janitor’s closet and changed into the white coveralls they found there, and began leading the crowd in yells from the track in front of the stands. The freshmen got so much attention from the ladies that it was decided that only upperclassmen would be allowed to participate in this entertainment in the future."

Here's my problem:

The Texas A&M Yell Leaders are known for, expected to, and do take pride in representing everything traditional about Texas A&M. It's part of the Yell Leaders job expectations to uphold and pay tribute to the tradtions of this wonderful and exceedingly unique University. Know what's NOT part of tradition? Female Yell Leaders. If a Yell Leader candidate is trying to completely reverse one of the most prominent, resectful, and well-known traditions - I find that completely and 100% controversial and ridiculously bass-ackwards.

What is she going to do when she has to explain to other people the history, tradition, and purpose of the very existence of Yell Leaders? Talk about how her position was created to entertain and amuse women folk at a football game in 1907?

I am sick and tired of seeing the traditions that we Aggies brag and boast about so much crumble before my very eyes. Most traditional school in Texas? Ha. Yeah, right. Try most liberal, most modern, and most malleable. Conservatism has gone out the window along with well over half of the traditions that created this school. I came to this school because of it's tradition and it's values. And so help me God, I will leave this school if it's tradition's and value's leave it as well.


"This 100-Year-Old Tradition Is Still One Of The Coolest In College Sports"
Click here to learn more about the tradition.


As far as Student Body President elections go, there is a runoff between Thomas McNutt and John Claybrook.
I know nothing about John, and barely know Thomas...but they're both handsome. So I don't really care.

< /End Rant >

Let's Get Serious for a Moment..

So I'm going to take a minute to step away from chatting about football, handsome corps men, and Texas politics...

A few weeks ago, I was driving to my animal science class at Blinn. I was coming from work, so I went down Wellborn towards Bryan and took a right on Villa Maria on down until turned left into the Blinn College parking lot. As you drive down Villa Maria, it forks off towards your left a few miles before you cross 29th street. After you take that fork, you pass a Must Be Heaven on your left, a St. Joseph's Medical clinic on your right, and then a dentist office on your left called Dr. Maliska's dentistry.

My mom used to work for Dr. Maliska until she moved to Dr. Kaiser's dentistry. She's been with Curtis Kaiser now for eleven or twelve years. My aunt Lori works for him now though, and my Nana just retired from his office as well.

Anyway, as soon as I veered left on the fork, I saw a white surburban-like vehicle driving beside me. I had my window down, it was an extremely pleasant day, and I like to people watch. I glanced to my left and saw a woman with voluminous chocolate swirls in her hair. Through the tint in her windows, her hair seemed more like dark chocolate rather than milk. I realized that she was Dr. Maliska's wife. She had fair skin, and brightly-tinted lips. She was a lot like my mother, the "Leaving the house without lipstick is a crime and always match your bra and panties" kind of woman. Of course, her hair was perfect, her clothes stylish, her lips colored, and her cheeks pink. Just like any other modern, fashionable woman.

Then I looked to my right. I saw another woman of similar fashion statement driving a surburan as well, but a smidge smaller in size. She had a little larger body size than what one considers "healthy" and I'm pretty sure the Mcdonald's To-Go bag in her passenger seat would agree. She was chatting on her cellphone, swerved a little to her left, and then turned into one of the medical clinics to the right.

I looked ahead. I could see the back of a man's head, sitting in the driver's seat. A blue Honda Civic. A briefcase across his middle console, I'm guessing. He was driving inexcusable slow and I was late to class, (imagine that.)

I looked in my rearview. A young girl. Maybe even a teenager. Long, straight unnaturally dark hair (so I could tell from her inexplicable roots.) She was chewing bubblegum smoking a camel, texting on her iphone, and singing what I could make out to be the same song by Katy Perry that I was listening to on Candy 95. She apparently wasn't too happy about the slow Honda in front of me - I'm pretty sure if I had tapped my breaks, her SUV would have been in my pickup bed.

Usually, I would have flicked the the fat lady off, cursed Grandpa Pokey-Joe in front, and shot an ugly, disgusted face at the little slut behind me.

But today I didn't.

I looked back at Mrs. Maliska.

And I prayed.

For fatty, for grandpa, and for Avril Lavigne.

Mrs. Maliska lost her seventeen year old son on February 28th, 2011. He was just shy of graduating that following May but had recieved his diploma only less than a week before his death. He lost his battle with cancer. After years of battling a cancer that the United States only knows of one other victim (in another country), Garrett told his mama that he didn't want to receive treatment anymore. Who is a mother to argue with her son who was dying of cancer?

Mrs. Maliska looked like an average, everyday well-off woman. But I knew more than her pretty, colored lips. But I bet that the driver on the other side of Mrs. Maliska didn't know about her son. I bet she judged her on other accounts whether it be her appearance, her vehicle's appearance, or her driving skills.  But if you looked close, reeeeally close, you could see the engraved lines underneath her eyes. You could feel the pain in her heart.


This is just a reminder. Think before you judge. What I realized that day, is that all people look alike. Beyond the skin color, the hair texture, the body type... people look all the same whether they are hurting or pain-free. I have no idea what the little teenage girl's story is like, nor the large woman chatting on her cell phone. For that matter, no one knows my story either. My closer aquaintances knows more about me - but just like everyone else, I have a story.

The next time you look at a person, really look at them. Think of your own story. Think about theirs.

In Memory of Garrett Maliska

June 30th, 1993 - February 28th, 2011

Hello, Twenty-Twelve.

Well, Hello there bowl win! How's it going? Haven't chatted in quite a while. Things in College Station? Going pretty smoothly. Hate to say it, but this may be the last time we converse in quite a while. But it was a good one, wasn't it?


and this is why we may miss you for a few years...

Our new "family." And we're like the red-headed stepchild.

But alas! Let us revel in the win that God has bestowed on us this glorious New Years Eve! It may have taken us exactly a decade, since December 28th, 2011, to accomplish a bowl win but I'm not complaining too much. Ryan Tannehill threw for 329 yards and a touchdown and Ben Malena ran for two more scores to lead Texas A&M to a 33-22 win over Northwestern on Saturday. Ryan completed 27 our of 40 (about 68%) and did manage to throw one interception.

Lord, who doesn't love an Aggie quarterback in a cowboy hat? Slap on some boots and I may need medical help.

Fuller won the game with his 29 yard reception on 3rd-and-6 with less than three minutes remaining in the game. He had seven catches for 119 yards and one touchdown. Uzoma Nwachukwu also had a big 21 yard catch on that drive. Ryan Swope led the Aggies with eight catches for 105 yards. 

The Aggie defensive line did a very good job against the run Northwestern only 1.4 yards per carry. Randy Bullock was perfect on three field goal attempts and three extra points. And it overall was a pretty decent and entertaining game. I'll Whoop to that.

Poor Dan Persa spent a lot of his final game on his back. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 213 yards, which is neither an amazing nor terrible total, but he was also sacked seven times for 55 yards. The SB Nation points out, "Seven different Aggies reached the quarterback, and for the game Northwestern averaged just 3.4 yards per pass attempt, including sacks. At that rate, it would have taken Northwestern 95 pass attempts to match the net total of 322 yards that A&M's Ryan Tannehill produced in just 41 attempts" Oh, and Northwestern (6-7) hasn't won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl, a span of nine losses. Coach Fitzgerald doesn't look too happy about this.

Texas A&M broke a five-game bowl losing streak in a win the team dedicated to fired coach Mike Sherman and offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio, who was killed in a car accident last week.


Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said the loud, heavily A&M crowd made things difficult for his offense.
"My ears are still ringing because of the noise," he said. "The roof was closed, so it went from a home game to a super home game. I thought we were prepared for it, but obviously, I didn't do a good enough job."


That's right, Coach Fitz. That's right. Welcome to Aggie Territory. Which is wherever the Aggies wave their towels and wherever the 12th Man stands tall. No matter the field.


Aside from football, what a wonderful New Year's it was. This is a rough idea of the view from the hotel window from which I watched.

The clock struck twelve, I got my New Years kiss, and 2012 started off with a bang. And lots of colors too.

Bring it on twenty-twelve. Bring on my 20th birthday, bring on the health my family is desperate for, bring on a nice pay raise, bring on the better grades in school, bring on the loss of twenty+ pounds, bring on love, bring on laughter, bring on prosperity, bring on life.

Santa, Baby.

This Christmas wasn't the best. Dad's been quite under the weather and, you know, it's just not like it used to be when Santa was real and so were the pine trees. Seems like the older you get, the less glitter and glitz come with Christmas morning. Whoever said they "couldn't wait to grow up" didn't think things through completely.

I think my glitter and glitz came in a different fashion though. Actually, there wasn't much glitter at all.

It had a few pretty lights though.

It was magic seeing both of my brothers and my father laugh together. There's not a diamond in the world I'd trade for such beauty. Yup, Dad got the only toy this Christmas, and it was certainly a blast! I think he enjoyed the army helicopter most out of all of us. Next project: Attaching BB shooters to the bottom of it.

Dad's not the only "child" who received a lovely new play thing from Santa.

***Disclaimer: The wooden toy in my hands is100% NOT a real (or anywhere near a real) firearm. It is a wooden rubber-band pop gun. And my finger is NOT on or above the plastic "trigger." It is below - safe and sound.***


This is actually my On-Site Manager's toy at my work...you could say "my boss," if you wanted. The past two days have been a rubber-banded battle rally at the office. Apparently, Santa forgot the target...and the office provided oodles of ammo. *Sigh*

Nonetheless...the tables have turned and I'm on my guard...with a drawer full of double-strung, extra strength, rubber bands. Muahaha.




Meanwhile, during all of our Holiday festivities, Texas is still trying to figure it's redistricting "winners" and "losers."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70903.html

The Real Redistricting Story

Once upon a time - there were two toddlers, Demetrius and Rupard.

Every afternoon when the boys arrived home from school, the two loved to spend time playing with their toys. They would sit in a BIG room full of action figures, toy cars, trains, airplanes, pop guns, pirate swords, stick horsies, etc. Everyday, Demetrius would play with the same variety of toys. Rupard, too, would always engage in his usual slection of games.

One day, Rupard decided he wanted to play with a different toy. He wanted to play with one of the action figures that Demetrius typically play with - So, he grabbed a Ninja Turtle from the toy chest. Demetrius didn't like that very much. He screamed, and kicked, and pitched a loud, violent tantrum.

Mom came in the room to see how the boys were. She found Demetrius in a hissy fit and ordered that Rupard give him back his toys - Then, Mom forced Rupard to give Demetrius some his OWN playthings because he had more toys then Demetrius had anyhow.

Rupard became very angry. He began to throw is own temper tantrum. Rupard ran into the living room, yanked on Daddy's arm, and demanded that he settle this dispute. Being that a new episode of "Two and a Half Men" was on - Dad swatted Rupard away and said to "leave all of the toys alone" and he would "attend to their problem as soon as the show was over."

Rupard, delighted in his minimal victory, returns to the play room to sit beside a nervous Demetrius and simply stare at the possible playthings the two are hopeful to snatch.

And so the waiting begins..."I got here first!" vs. "I don't have as many toys as you!"