“The Ruins” Blog: One Expensive Punch

November 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Wow!

Last night’s episode was pretty epic.

Let’s begin with the fight between Brad and Darrell: It was all Casey’s (and KellyAnne’s) fault.

You have to realize that these people have been in this house for many days and they can’t watch TV or listen to music. I don’t even think they’re allowed to use the Internet. All they have is each other and it’s easy to develop Cabin Fever.

Brad had every right to be upset with Casey and her shenanigans. Her value is nil. I’m completely baffled why she doesn’t just bow out of the game. She does realize that even if she makes the Finals, she’s so inept that her team will lose – decisively.

I was pretty shocked by the Brad/Darrell fight for a few reasons:

  1. Brad and Darrell was two of the more level-headed males in the house. They were there to win the money, flat out.
  2. Brad usually doesn’t ruffle people’s feathers. I thought that if someone were to fight him it would be one where someone provoked him or one of the guys was on a rampage and hitting whoever was in the vicinity and Brad just happened to be standing a few feet away.
  3. Darrell had the most money banked, by far. He had nothing to lose. He was going to the Finals and even if the Champions lost, he still would have been handsomely rewarded.

Well, that all changes when Brad gets really drunk and for some reason I forgot that on “RW: San Diego” Brad was arrested for Public Intoxication. Go figure. Brad and Darrell both eliminated from “The Ruins” was a lose/lose for all parties involved. The Challengers are down to one male, Dunbar, who could possibly be eliminated before the final challenge since he will have to go into the elimination. The Champions lose a proven winner in Darrell. Brad received one of the worst black eyes I have ever seen in the history of television and Darrell lost over $30,000 – he punched Brad about three times, so that equals $10,000 per punch. Ouch!

With the Challengers  squad in shambles, KellyAnne adds insult to injury and drunkenly accuses Dunbar of telling people that they slept together. For the rest of the episode she basically campaigns for Dunbar to get eliminated from the show, so there will only be the girls left on the Challengers team. What an idiot.

Susie, being the only girl left on the Champions, tried to convince the boys to let her choose Casey to go into the elimination with her. The boys shut her down and basically made her pick Kimberly as her opponent.

The episode ended in a “To Be Continued…” with Susie and Kim duking it out in the elimination.

So the next episode will feature the end of the elimination between Susie and Kim and the elimination between Dunbar and Johnny Bananas.

I really want the the Challengers to win, but without Brad and them still having Casey, there’s no shot for them to come out as the victors. Which means that the three stooges – Evan, Kenny and fill in the blank – will win again without having to show any real strength.

Stay tuned.

Filed Under: Blogs, Kamari Stevens, The Schoolboy's Musings Tagged With: , , , ,

Lady Pride extend win streak to four

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Lady Pride extended their winning streak to four after defeating Miami Middletown 61-55. Sophomore guard Chelcie Gullet (pictured) had 20 points and eight rebounds.

The Lady Pride extended their winning streak to four after defeating Miami Middletown 61-55. Sophomore guard Chelcie Gullet (pictured) had 20 points and eight rebounds.

In a sloppy game where both teams combined for 75 turnovers the Lady Pride edged out Miami Middletown 61-55, making their record to 4-0.
Before the game head coach Jeff Dillon said that hopefully he would see the squad take another step in the growing process.
“It’s a step-by-step process, but you can just see growth (in the team) every game,” Dillon said.
Sophomore guard Chelcie Gullet led the Lady Pride in scoring with 20 points. Forward Emily Frey logged a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Though the Lady Pride pulled out the victory, Dillon said the Lady Pride’s turnovers may have been from lack of focus.
“(Miami) wasn’t really pressuring us (with their defense) to make us toss it all over the place,” Dillon said. “I think we were here, but our heads weren’t right where they should be.
“We have to work on our passing and we have to make sure our offensive execution is sharp.”

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“The Ruins” Blog: The Final Straw

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Are you ready for another dose of “The Ruins” talk?
Well last week’s episode was more of a set up for what is going to happen on tonight’s show.

With both squads having seven players on each side, the Champions dominance over the Challengers was a lot of more visible. With a 5:3 ratio of men, favoring the Champions and the Challengers still having Casey on their squad, the Champions were at a clear advantage.

The Champions won another challenge, which basically meant that Casey was sticking around.

I feel like Casey should just leave. She’s not bringing anything to the table and even if she makes it to the final challenge, her presence almost guarantees that the Challengers will lose. She has no positive qualities that help the Challengers.

The Million Dollar Man, Cohutta, was finally taken down. He lost to Darrell, who is arguably the best man left on the show. Johanna was also sent home after losing the elimination to Sarah.

This is where things get juicy.

On the sneak preview at the end of the episode, they showed a lot of arguing going on in the house. Then, they show Darrell punching the crap out of someone. The guy who he’s punching is hard to see because Darrell is standing over him, but it is most likely Brad.

My question is what would provoke Darrell to fight anyone, let alone Brad. I’m not saying that Darrell is a pacifist, but at this point of the game – he has the most money banked – fighting someone should be last on his agenda. But, it looks like Darrell is definitely going home, which means he loses all the money he had won. Hopefully Brad didn’t fight back, because if he did the Challengers should just throw in the towel. Dunbar would be their only male and Casey is still on the squad which leaves them is a disarray.

This episode is sure to be one for the ages.

Stay tuned

Filed Under: Blogs, Kamari Stevens, The Schoolboy's Musings Tagged With: , , , ,

English Professor balances teaching and poetry

November 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sinclair Community College English professor Charles Freeland said that he has always written poetry, but it wasn’t until his time at the University of Arkansas that he became interested in prose poetry.

“I started exploring prose poetry in graduate school (at the University of Arkansas) when I was studying French writers and surrealists,” the Germantown native said.

Freeland released a full-length collection of poetry titled “Through the Funeral Mountains on a Burro” this year.

“I sort of combine the two fields – poetry and philosophy – in my work,” Freeland said. “Or, I try to.”

Freeland graduated from Valley View High School and attended Miami (OH) University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. He then went Arkansas to study writing.

During his time at Arkansas, he taught composition classes, where he realized that he loved teaching it.

In 1996 he returned to Dayton and applied to teach part time at Sinclair.

“I really wasn’t looking to be a composition teacher, but once I started, I knew that was what I loved more than anything else,” Freeland said.

Freeland said the students are his main reason for loving his job.

“People will joke with me that when they come by my office; there’s a line of students,” he said. “My favorite thing is (to) sit down with a student and talk.

“We talk, not just about the work they have, but we also talk about whatever else they are interested in.”

Freeland said what he wants students to get from his classes is that “education is not a traumatic experience.”

Freeland also said his philosophy professor at Miami, Stan Kane, was one of the influences on his teaching style.

“I observed him even before I knew I was going to be a teacher,” he said. “I observed his classes and how calm he was in the face of whatever was going on in class.”

As far as Freeland’s writing process, he said that he writes every day.

“I usually sit down (at the keyboard) with a completely blank mind,” he added.

Freeland said that he tries to wait sometimes weeks or months before looking over what he has written.

“If I fell in love with it when I first wrote it, I’m no longer in love with it to the point where I can’t chop it to pieces, because that’s what I think good writing comes from,” Freeland said.

If you are interested in finding out more about Freeland’s work visit his Web site at www.charlesfreelandpoetry.net

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NBA Game of the Night – Nov. 12

November 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Each night, the Clarion will choose the top game on the NBA calendar and select a winner. Keep checking out our pick every day, and let us know what you think in our comment section below.

Cleveland (5-3) at Miami (6-1), 8 p.m. on TNT

With talk of Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Heat guard Dwyane Wade potentially playing with each other next season, the two will face off tonight in what is sure to be an offensive affair.

Last year, the Cavs took the season series 3-1, but the Heat come into today’s match with a better record than the Cavs and Wade averaging close to 30 points a game.

Cavs guard Delonte West was inactive for last night’s game against the Magic. It hasn’t been announced whether he will be available for tonight, but if so, his intensity on both ends of the floor will surely tip the scales in the Cavs favor.

Cleveland 108, Miami 96

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“The Ruins” Blog: Cutting the Fat

November 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Okay, I lied.

But I’ll make it up tonight.

Picking up where I left off, the challenge was one that could’ve gone to either team. But, the Champions took it.

Veronica was thrown into the elimination against KellyAnne, while Syrus chose Cohutta as his opponent. For the second elimination in a row, the Challengers sent both Champions packing. Cohutta’s target doubled in size as his bank notched to 16,000.

With tonight’s episode, the Challengers desperately need a win. Cohutta will be targeted each elimination until he loses and he won’t keep getting eliminations that don’t exploit his weakness – which is his size. Every guy on the Champions’ squad is for lack of better word, huge.

The other reason the Challengers have to win is to try to get rid of Casey. That’s the only way she’ll be put into the elimination. If she wins, then her worth improves, if she loses then you get addition by subtraction.

The Champions’ squad is down to seven players – five guys, two girls – which makes them a lot more dangerous than before. They have cut down all the fat from their team. The biggest problem for the Challengers will be preparing their team for the final challenge. If they can get rid of Casey then I think their chances of upsetting the Champions will greatly improve. The Challengers girls are stronger than the Champions and Dunbar and Brad aren’t too bad either. Cohutta has proven that he belongs in the game, taking down heavyweight Wes and Syrus.

There’s not too many episodes left and with the teams getting down to their final players, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

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