Happy New Year :D

Yes, my New Year greeting is a tad early for the timezone I currently reside in (Eastern -5 GMT), but as Mr. Fox from the famous Foxtrot cartoon said, "It is midnight somewhere".

Two of the biggest thrills from 2011 were befriending my Richmond pal and future Youtube sensation Winchester Red, and discovering that up and coming band from Nashville :D No, they are not the Predators; they are "The Nearly Deads"!
Other highlights include the CTFxC wedding of Charles & Alli Trippy, and becoming semi-compotent at playing the piano and guitar! I expect big things come 2012, and it would be awesome to share all the good times with you and all my blog readers and friends ^_^ Thanks again, and have an awesome New Year!

Being Girl Crazy and Other Tangents

If it wasn't for the Oakland Athletics trading away the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox, then today would be a good day for me >_< Meh, it is what it is (Phil throws Wii Remote at wall). What?

Am I Girl Crazy?

During the Christmas holidays, the lead singer for the music group The Nearly Deads, the band I follow on Twitter and sometimes talk about on this blog, considered dyeing her hair last week. Thankfully, TJ did not change her hair as her current shade is PLATINUM, and I like PLATINUM...a lot. PLATINUM takes blonde to a whole other level, drives me crazy, and makes me type the word as such: PLATINUM in all capital letters. I'm also a fan of blondes, redheads, and brunettes, and girls with black hair; all of these shades are tied for first with PLATINUM, but I don't capitalize those like I do PLATINUM. Does this make me weird or just wired differently?

I do notice other shades, which are not as prevalent and maybe rarer than PLATINUM. Violet or purple hair is making the rounds in my town, and was once a lyric in a Nickelback song years ago (Don't quote me on that o_O). Sidenote: Also making the rounds is the current fashion of shaving off the hair from one half of your head. I don't mind this practice because most hairstyles, if not all the ones I encountered in life, tend to grow on me and finish in a tie for first place (I sported the BALD cut in high school: Me being BALD was not fun). I do have two questions about the "Half-Style" (?): What does it mean, and who started it? Hayley Williams of Paramore posted her portrait on Twitter with this bizarre look, and I admit I liked it! Nevertheless, according to the Rock Band video game, she doesn't remember what her original hair colour was before she started dyeing her hair, so her air of mystery increases by one billion! o_O Was this the first time she did the "Half-Style"? Why am I drawn to the "Half-Style"? Who came up with the "Half-Style"? Will I ever do the "Half-Style?" Are you crazy? What kind of question is that? Who am I talking to? o_O Where was I?

No, I did not stare at this photo of
Taylor Swift for 25 minutes and 14 seconds! >_<

Oh yeah, am I weird? No, I'm not weird for believing all hair colours are tied for first place, and awarding all hairstyles with the gold medal ("Half-Style" included). No matter what hairstyle and hair colour my future wife currently sports, I will still find Taylor Swift, o_O I MEAN, that random, mysterious, and sparkling young lady to be all the more lovable with each passing day. As for being girl crazy, I could just be over-thinking the issue; yes, I am looking for someone, but I should keep my emotions in check so I'm not staring all over the place and creeping people out!

Speaking as a fan of TND, I can't really picture TJ with any other hair colour than PLATINUM. I associate her with that colour, the same way I picture Hayley Williams as a redhead, or Taylor Swift with blonde hair, or even Taylor Swift with blonde hair ^_^ (What? o_O). Anyway, the Nearly Deads' lead guitarist Steve Tobi, drummer Cory Walen, and new bassist Keith Lee are cool cats as well; their music is well worth a listen to ^_^ Note to self: Turn to The Nearly Deads for guidance in case of zombie infestation o_O I'll like whatever hair colour TJ decides to go with in the future, and I appreciate her letting all TND fans on Twitter know what she's up to ^_^
Speaking of new bands following me on Twitter, a band called Throwing Gravity is after me o_O Is this because of that Inversion trailer I clicked on a couple days ago?! I'll see what these guys are about, and tell you more about them later. Apparently, TG and TND share the same record producer, Jon King ^_^ Hooray for lightning quick research skills (Google)!

Greatest Day Ever ^_^

What is the difference between a regular day, and the Greatest Day Ever? What constitutes a bad day, and if some of the details about that day are not involved, would that day be just a regular day or a better day?

NFL quarterback Philip Rivers suffered his "worst day ever" following a loss this season. What is the makeup behind the "Greatest Day Ever" and why don't we feel that way everyday?

On the whole, all if not most would agree everyone should have a good day: In general, safety on the roads, gas in the tank, shoes on the feet, food on the table, et cetera. The reality, of course, is not everyone does; in the global sense, those reading this blog that have access to at least one of the previously listed 'reasons' are among the richest people in the world, according to the global standard of living. Where does all this come from?

Natural selection is not the answer to that question, because that is the crutch corruption would use to justify, if not continue or further, the current exploitation of the political, economic, or social structure(does that make sense? o_O). Do we have the rights to road safety, gasoline, and appropriation of goods and services? That is a more difficult question to answer; rights are won on a battlefield, whether on physical borders or through spiritual testing, yes? If so, then did we stop fighting and why? These are simplistic questions meant to generate discussion; I understand it is more complex than that, as I am just putting it out there. Nevertheless, the elements behind a good day or a bad day are at our fingertips, correct? No matter what occurs, our 'greatest day ever' hinges on how we feel and what happens, yes? Well, no...

Good times abound for Phil Kessel (right) & Co. in this picture. Now that the Leafs are slumping, do the good times continue for the Buds?

Someone I know used this phrase when I visiting a church many months ago, and it had a profound effect on how I view life on day-to-day basis. Of course, I'm not an expert and I don't have all the answers; isn't it obvious: I'm a Leafs fan, for crying out loud?! I don't know what is around EVERY corner, but whatever happens I know God went before me and checked it out. Whatever happens at each corner, so long as I turn my eyes toward Him, I will be alright. I try to keep this perspective wherever I am, and in whatever I'm doing, and saying like these help out a lot:

"You DESERVE Hell, but you are GOING to Heaven: You ARE having a good day." - Robbie Symons, Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Oakville.

The goal, therefore, is not to let horizontal blessings and hindrances dictate how one feels during the day, or if a day can be the 'greatest'. By understanding that vertical blessing, which God gave in all sovereignty, a person can have a "good day" in spite of everything that is happening around her (good and bad). No matter if you are Phil Wood, Phil Kessel, Philip Rivers, Movie Star Glasses Girl, or Steve Bartman, everyone heads toward and deserves the Worst Day Ever, which does not end, but each person can have a great day so long as they understand what God did for them before they thought of asking. It takes a humble heart, and faith to reach out and have that "good day" every day, and while things don't get easier, things get you less in a mess when put against the Big Picture ^_^

Additional references (People, who can say the same thing I just said, better with fewer words and more meaning)
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Philip Yancey, The Bible Jesus Read

^_^ Have a good day!

LIVE Blogging to Soccer o_O

I can't remember the last time I wrote about soccer, but I will try to write this while watching this replay of Newcastle United versus West Bromwich Albion from this previous round of games from the English Premier League (OH, LOOK AT THIS!).

Watching soccer games, and previously playing soccer games on my computer, can be a trying experience for other people in the same house. There is a lot of screaming (kick the ball away; don't play with your food, son), asking the television questions (where are you shooting?), and otherwise going bananas (That's not right! He should get a card; good, it's yellow).

Whether it's a Champions League group stage match or kids playing the park, it can be a joy to watch for those not caught up in the politics and cynicism from football federations, analysts and critics like me (That ball is up near Saturn now!). Albion won 3-2, how about that? (Albion players gone bananas, Albion fans gone bananas, Albion manager Hodgson...shaking hands and not smiling o_O)

Switching channels to another game: Manchester City versus Stoke City on Sportsnet. Right now the score is 3-0 to City o_O, Man City (Oh, look at this!). If you notice, there are words in parentheses; as I typed the regular words in this blog, I am saying something about the action on the television screen. Stoke City's manager is Tony Pulis; he likes to wear baseball caps when he is on the sidelines. You gotta respect a man that likes wearing hats; not off to the side, or tilted so the cap comes over the eye, and makes the wearer look like a pirate, but straight on. Dad says there are two ways to wear baseball caps, and the second one is when you are not wearing a baseball cap o_O That used to confuse me, too. In this replayed game, the hat is not a snapback, but a belt-back o_O, if there is such a thing (He's just dancing around the ball; just take it!). Speaking of hats, I received more Major League Baseball fitted hats last week: The new Blue Jays hat, which is actually BLUE this year, and the cartoony Orioles hats. I should post a video blog about my collection soon.

Oh wow, some guy on Stoke punched a dude from Man City in the face! It's not like taking an arrow in the knee, but it hurts like mad! At least the referee saw it, and elected to let play through; referees do that nowadays, don't you know. What do I mean? I mean they see things ^_^ LOL.

Korea On My Mind

I was correct when I thought it was awhile since I last wrote for "Just Phil". Right now, I have Utopia playing on iTunes, so forgive me for being detached or otherwise distracted when I started writing (Listening to the Utopia tune "Wildlife" from the "POV" Album ^_^; eventually, I turned off the music. Guess where I stopped the music; I think you will be pleasantly surprised)

On a serious note, however, there is mixed reaction to the news of embattled and controversial North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's passing. Scenes of mass mourning in the capital city of Pyongyang aired all over the world, from news media outlets to YouTube; the video was one of them:


Kim Jong-Il had numerous opponents, if not enemies, all over the world. The 38th parallel is the border that separates communist North Korea from the democratic South Korea; since the end (?) of the Korean War in 1953 the tension and uncertainty between the two nations grew with each passing year: North Korea and the United States signed the ceasefire agreement, but South Korea did not. Therefore, as a friend of mine visited the 38th parallel a year or so ago, you will see scenes like this:



This is not a rant or asking the question 'can you spot the actor?'. There are millions of people on the northern side of the 38th parallel, millions south of that border, and many more billions affected by what decisions the deceased's son and new North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un (?), his subordinates, and other allies/enemies. A prayer must go to Koreans of all stripes as their concerns about family, welfare, security, and the future need swift and positive answers. These are real people with major concerns and they need, first and foremost, our thoughts and prayers. Politics aside, I think all of Korea needs at least one moment of peace, and maybe more scenes like this:



Since I'm on Christmas vacation, I will try to be a little more active with this blog: Last week, I was in a hurry to finish my work before going on holidays, so I could only write a couple things on my hockey blog "Behind Blue Lines".

You know what is a great Utopia tune? The live "Midnight Special" version of "Freedom Fighters" ^_^

Tebow NEEDS to TEBOW

Since starting "Just Phil" or any of the sports blogs I also maintain, I refrained from commenting on the sport of American football. This, however, is more than a football story.

What is tebowing?

Since his first start of the 2011 NFL campaign against the Dolphins in Miami, Denver Broncos star quarterback Tim Tebow captured the hearts and minds of the football world from fantasy team pundits to little kids, from die-hard fans to occasional channel surfers, and from adults looking for something to believe and kids looking for heroesto believe in. After winning another epic, back-and-forth battle in Minnesota against the Vikings, the Broncos won six of their last seven games since Tebow became the starting quarterback. Coupled with the notoriety for winning football games by 'miraculous finishes' is the notoriety Tim Tebow receives for his public displays of his faith before, during, and after football games: Praying on the field.

Why is this a problem for so many people? For one hour on Sunday, Tim Tebow requires an extra amount from God, not to win the game, but to get through the day in one piece, so he kneels and prays. I'm not an expert or a mind reader, but from following him from his Heisman trophy, and national championship winning days at the University of Florida, I hope he is praying for the safety of all the players at the game, the fans in the stands, and all people who love football, in general.

Why does Tim Tebow pray on the field? Perhaps a better question requires a more compelling answer: What happens during that provokes Tim Tebow to pray on the field? Better still, what happened during the week leading up to the game that provokes Tim Tebow to pray on the field during a Broncos game? Let's start from the end of the Thursday night game against the New York Jets on November 17th.

1. Prayer huddle after the game with football players from both teams thanking God for the ability to play and for the safety of the players during the game.
2. Post-game on field interview with NFL Network broadcasters and former players.
3. Post-game interviews in locker room.
4. Drive back on clogged highways from the stadium.
5. Return to team facility to rehab.
6. Attend team meetings on Monday and Tuesday, possible discussion with coach John Fox, review game film.
7. Rehab minor injuries because tackling hurts o_O
8. Team practice with pads on Wednesday.
9. Press conference for quarterbacks across the NFL on Wednesday.
10. Review film on next week's opponent, which would the San Diego Chargers, on November 27th.
11. Memorize new set of plays from playbook for the San Diego game.
12. Improve on passing drills so not to be one-dimensional on the field.
13. Learn which teammates are out, questionable, or probable to play in the upcoming game.
14. Another interview with someone from NFL Network.
15. Team discussion about gameplan before flying to San Diego for the Sunday game.
16. Flight to San Diego.
17. Bus to hotel.
18. Fans of both teams waiting for Broncos bus at stadium; some are shouting words of encouragement, and others are shouting. o_O
19. Pre-game warmups and prayer.
20. Pre-game banter from Chargers fans talking about what the defense will do to Tim Tebow when he is on the field (I'm paraphrasing o_O).
21. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers wants to shake hands and say something before the game.
22. San Diego coach Norv Turner wants to shake hands and say something before the game.
23. The small defensive players Tebow analyzed on game film during the week look much bigger in person. o_O
24. On-field distractions (goofy mascot, fans with too much beer, fans with too much makeup, fans without shirts, fans without common sense, cheerleaders, etc.).
25. The national anthem, and final opportunity to prepare thoughts for game.
26. First offensive possession of the game for Denver Broncos.
27. First huddle and recall of opening play to start drive.
28. First look at defense before taking the snap.
29. Audible at the line?
30. HUT!

These are only thirty of the things Tim Tebow must deal with on an ongoing basis. To repeat this process week after week, and maintain that vertical perspective on life and ultimate dependence on God to stay up for one more day, one more game, and one more play requires not only faith, but intense courage as well. Tim Tebow doesn't want to pray during the game; Tim Tebow NEEDS to pray! WE NEED TIM TEBOW TO PRAY!

NFL critics and former players voted Colts quarterback Peyton Manning as the eighth greatest football player of all-time; that is eighth of about tens of thousands of players over ninety plus years of professional football. Manning's mental approach, passing prowess, physical ability, and leadership are valuable assets to any football team, and without him calling the plays on the field his Indianapolis Colts are without a win so far this season. Tim Tebow doesn't list very highly on a lot of football top tens, but he more than makes up for his ugly passes and scrambling ways with what you can't teach: Desire, determination, dedication, the ability to lower the shoulder and run through "Revis Island" for one more yard, or break containment and run for twenty yards on a last second touchdown, the know-how to throw a stiff arm to extend a play against a hostile defense hungry for victory in their stadium, and the belief in a 1-4 team to score 15 points with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter to TIE the game.

Tim Tebow has it, and whatever he lacks he...prays for, because it is not by his strength he does all those 'miraculous' things on the field, but only by 'His strength' alone. No doubt there are teammates and management types of the Denver Broncos, who do not share Tim Tebow's beliefs, but they are just as excited and willing to support Tebow on this improbable an unconventional journey.

Whatever the outcome, whether it is a Super Bowl, conference final, playoff game, or whatever, it defies convention, but it feels so right to be a part of ^_^

Yea, Tebow! ^_^

Board Games: The Blog Series (Part 3)

CHURCH GAMES

PIT: No one knew how it got there, but we knew why it left. It sat in the Youth Cabinet in my church for many months. Unopened and undisturbed at the back of the third shelf from the bottom behind to the table tennis racquets, Bibles, and various Sunday School papers. I noticed the small red box marked PIT in old-fashioned lettering, but because of its age I thought it wasn't a kids game (No, I thought it would be boring).

After many months of curious looks and using it as a divider to keep the table tennis balls from rolling off the shelf, and onto the floor, I decided to pull it from the bowels of the Youth Cabinet! With my arm still intact, I pulled out the box and managed to also drop a pair of table tennis balls on the floor -_- Inside, the box consisted of playing cards, rules, and a bell, which you could find at the front desk of many a hotel establishment. I read the rules, and then examine the cards listing items such as CORN and WHEAT and THE BULL o_O It wasn't long before I understood how to play, and reading the cards made me hungry for corn on the cob, bread, and beef ^_^

WOO HOO! Homer Simpson, what are you doing here? o_O

Weeks later, the church held a congregational meeting (pizza lunch; we like food ^_^). In an effort to find something fun to do, while our parents talked about church budgets and administrative updates, I got the guys together and pulled out the PIT card game from the Youth Cabinet. It took only three minutes to teach them how to play, but for the next thirty minutes to an hour all our parents heard from inside the Youth Room were words such as "TWO!", "FIVE!", "ROBIN, STOP CHEATING!", "NOT BARLEY?!", and "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BEAR CARD, YOU GOOF!" (Hi Robin; oh, and that last one was me...! o_O). It was amazing that such an old game could find a new life among teenagers, who never heard of PIT before! Yet, we had a ball playing a stock trading game in the church...wait, what?

The next week, we couldn't find PIT. We searched the whole of the Youth Cabinet, and the entire Youth Room for the red box and service bell; both disappeared. No one bothered with PIT for the months it was here, but after one raucous and enjoyable game it disappeared from the shelf inside the Youth Cabinet. I bought the PIT card game, and it sits in my collection of board and card games, but since that wonderful Sunday in March years ago I never played it. Nevertheless, PIT will always be one of my favourite games. ^_^