363 days and counting

Hello all.  Been a little busy lately with student teaching and prepping for college football season.  Figured right now would be a good time for a blog.  Got a bunch of topics to whip out this week, so I'll go ahead and just throw this one at you.  If you didn't already know, I turned 25 two days ago.(I know stop traffic right)  Kind of a milestone birthday, in a way.  I could be a quarter through my life, but I doubt it.  I want to thank everyone for being so kind on my birthday.  Special shout out to Adam Yoe for having me at his cabin at pickwick this weekend.  I'd like to thank Wyge for icing me 7 times in a 6 hour span.(You rascal)  I want to thank my mom and sister for making me a delicious dinner last night.(Stuffed Bell Peppers/brussel sprouts/green beans/quiche/some fancy salad./and a baskin robbins ice cream cake)  I didn't receive any gifts like money, clothes or anything like that but I'm so blessed already that I'm thankful for what I have.  After all it's better to give than receive and I know my family has given me all that I could need in this life.  On to Good, Bad and Funny.
Birthdays

1. Good: Lets be honest, birthdays are good in that they make you feel a little more important for one day.  Your self-worth is magnified.  I've had a bunch of good birthdays.  To me, the best ones are when we were young.  Simple things were so much more important to us: like pool parties and sleepovers. Cd's, toys and just being around your close friends.  I feel it's important for every young child to have a birthday party.  I can't really explain why but it seems important.  Most importantly,(and I haven't always done this) I thank the Lord for giving me life on my first birthday.
2. Bad: I understand that I'm an adult now and when you have friends celebrating your birthday, there tends to be alcohol involved.  I'm just as guilty as the next of getting really drunk on my birthday on my friends dime, but as I grow older(really as of yesterday) I realize that I don't need to get wasted to have a good birthday.  It's kind of the norm now for friends to make sure that the birthday boy/girl get ridiculously drunk  I get it in a way, but what is the outcome of it?  I feel like I could have just as good of time without it.  This next point I'm going to make may make some people mad.  I do appreciate everyone sending me facebook wall posts on my birthday, but I do think it's just become protocol. Meaning: People just see that it's your birthday that day and they decide to say happy birthday.  Sounds innocent, but on a social networking site, how do you know how genuine that wish is?  Half the Happy Birthdays I got were from people I haven't spoken to in years.
3. Funny: Lastly, and I'll never understand this but why do girls seem to have a birthday for a week?  I remember once one of my sisters friends(in high school) had a dinner mid week, a party thursday, then a weekend getaway.  I mean your birthday is only one day right ladies?  

Link of the day: This is good

I won't get to revisit this topic for another year so I'm gonna enjoy it.
Thanks for reading,
Mckinley

So what's in a name?

Hello all, good to have my blogging fingers back on today.  I've got so many topics I want to write about. I could choose from my self evolution to my first day student teaching at mooreville to anything to more serious topics.  But todays blog is particularly dear to me because I find it fascinating.  Without any further filler, sit back, relax and read my blog on Names.  What are we without names? Just people? Just matter? In a weird way it's kind of our label.  I have 4 names(Derrick Stephen McKinley Holland). This has been a hassle because I've never stood my ground on any one name.  I've been called different names my whole life. I'm always called Derrick by teachers until I correct them(which I sometimes do). I've been called little Steve by people who know my dad(which I don't particularly care for). I've been called many variations of McKinley: President McKinley(in 3rd grade when everyone learned the presidents),  Mount McKinley(see before explanation), Mac (which is commonly used nickname for anyone that has a MC prefix and Mac really has a ton of nickname addons too)  mispronounced variations of McKinley(Mckenzie, Mckinney and my favorite Mckinzley mane). Btw way iphone users if  you ever had a way of incorporating mispronounced into words with friends then I'm sure that would end the game.  And of course my last name Holland. I've only been called that at tryouts and during roll sometimes. Enough with my name though. On to Good, Bad and Funny.
Names

1. Good: One quote I always found cool by Herb Brooks(1980 U.S. Men's hockey coach) was "The name on the front of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back."  I guess that could have probably gone into a teamwork blog but I felt its place was here.  This next piece of information might come as a shock to you but I am highly fond of names that roll off the tongue smoothly. Pretty much anything that ends in -veous or -dre I really like. The following are names of some players from Clemson and South Carolinas football teams over the years that I find for a lack of a better adjective awesome: Tymere Zimmerman, Demerick Chancellor, C.J. Spiller, Da'Quan Bowers, J.K Jay, Isaiah Battle....thats just Clemson. Also theres Ko Simpson, Johnathan Joseph, O.J. Murdock, Captain Munnerlyn, Jasper and Casper Brinkley, Akeem Auguste, Aramis Hillary, Devante Holloman, Ashlon Jeffrey....and to top that all the #1 high school football prospect in the country calls the Palmetto State home. His name you ask?...Jadaveon Clowney.  There's just gotta be something in the water down there.  Theres plenty more names like this but it took some time to compile the last list so just respect it please.
2. Bad:  I've never come in counter with any people that start their name with sir or lord and that is a good thing.  I think it's arrogant. I could be wrong but I think its for show.  Also, this is silly but I hated when we were kids and everyone at the lunch table had to get their name inserted into one of those name rhyming songs and the words didn't even rhyme. It would be like rhyming Chris and rich.  I thought that was so cheesy.  Lastly for what it's worth I never really like the song "My Name Is" by Eminem even though it was a hit in the late 90's on TRL.
3. Funny: My dad has an interesting take on names.  He says that you can use Wayne after any guys name and Sue Wayne after every girls name. Ex: He calls his handy man of 30 years Charles Wayne Frederick and it does sound funny. He calls his office manager Sissy Sue Wayne Evans.  This next bit won't be funny to those who don't know him but I'm convinced that Kirk Gatlin knows every female south of the Mason Dixon that has a double first name.  I can't explain why but I bet if you scrolled his phone book there would be eleven Mary Kathryns.  Lastly, I can't even explain this but some of the names that my close circle of friends(specifically Jared Koon) and I have created for no reason still make me laugh to this day.

Link of the day: This is appropriate.

Thanks for reading,
McKinzley Mane

Gold Jacket, Green Jacket who gives a ......

Not to steal a line from "Rounders", but blogging again makes me feel like Buckner walking back into Shea.  I feel like I've betrayed an old friend.  Anyhow, for some reason I think it's probably more difficult to blog during summertime than any other time, cause of lazy days and busy schedules.  I usually save mental notes in my phone when I think of a neat blog idea, but I got upgraded to Android v2.1 last week(which I'm crunk over because it's like having a whole new phone) and it erased everything but my media and contacts.  But anyway you slice it, I'm back in the saddle to blog again and hopefully more often.  Today I'll be blogging on the sport of Golf.  I actually have a tee time at 1:30.  I don't play much but today will be my third time to play in 7 days.  To say I'm good at it, would be like me saying the Miami Heat won't have a winning record next season...its just untrue.  I am however figuring out what I can and can't do with the clubs and am slowly falling back in love with the game.  I don't know if I'll play my whole life but I probably need another hobby for when I'm 60.  On to Good, Bad and Funny.
Golf

1. Good: In my humble opinion, this is the most difficult sport to play.  All you can rely on is your ability and what you have in the bag.  No teammates, just you.  The reason I say that in the good section is because I like a challenge.  I'm playing this game to get better at it, but I can get so sidetracked by a great shot.  I don't have many so when I do I get really excited.  Hitting one outstanding shot a round will make you want to come back the next day...at least for me.  I also like watching golf on tv.  I'm not a true fan but I really do enjoy watching the major tournaments.  The announcers are the best in the business.(The british ones)  On a sidenote, I've noticed with watching golf and the world cup that the british announcers always say the perfect statements and rarely mess up or jumble their words.  
2. Bad: Obviously the golf world was shown in a dim light last year after it's biggest superstar showed his true colors.  This is just a testament that no one is untouchable and karma will come back to bite you if you are not a good person.  I'm not going to get into that much, because if you've read my blogs I think you know how I feel about it.  On a personal level, the biggest thing I don't like about golf is the elitist status that comes with it.  I'm not a big country club guy and don't really agree with having to have a collared shirt to play.  The issue with that is why is the guy who has on cutter and buck gear's money to play any different that the guy who has on a cut off and jorts?  All of this I can put up with because I like playing but the thing that really irks me is when you are playing and a group behind you comes up and does everything but force you to let them play through.  I understand that I'm not very good and play a little slower than most, but don't come up to me like you shot skins with Tom Watson the day before.  I saw you hit your last shot and it was a buck ninety off the tee and in the deep rough.  Lastly, this game can be very frustrating if you let it.  I've played before and not hit a good shot all day and really wanted to throw all my clubs away.  You just have to battle through it, it's kinda like being on tilt in poker.
3. Funny: It might not be funny to serious golfers, but when I see someone or I myself hit a terrible shot or miss the ball entirely it is quite funny to me.  My boy Kirk hit a ball behind him the other day.  It's even funnier to me when someone gets mad about bad golf shots.  It just adds fuel to my laughing fire.  Speaking of which: Here's two golf clips from movies that I love: Click here, Here, Here and Here.

Link of the day: Even though I've lost a ton of respect for him this is one of the best shots I've ever seen.

It's good to be back blogging again.  Hopefully the wait for the next one won't be so long.
Thanks for reading,
McKinley