Howdy

Like others I have been using Facebook as a communication tool and that has really slowed down my blogging. I even got suckered into a religious discussion with a jackass who is a friend of a friend. Stupidest thing I've done in a while. I need to refer myself to this XKCD comic when I feel myself heading to that particular online abyss. Losing sleep over Bioshock is one thing, losing sleep because you are arguing with a fundamentalist Christian is another. Doing that makes playing Bioshock at midnight look like you are in a laboratory curing toenail fungus.

This unfounded and blatantly politically motivated fake hysteria over the Cordoba House in New York City is still pissing me off. At least people who truly understand how this country is supposed to work have been airing their intelligent and thoughtful opinions to the debate. Timothy Egan at the New York Times has a take on the current political climate which I like.

Golfing

Wednesday Brigham and I went to a golf course in Matthews, NC called Emerald Lake. Chris had been there before years ago and I hadn't played there yet and we are going back. For a public course that only charges $35-$40 dollars for eighteen holes it is a beautiful golf course. The fairways are impeccable and the rough consists of Bermuda grass that is just tall and thick enough to slow your club speed down and force you to club up and hope for the best. The course design also utilizes water real well. The par 5 fifth hole is especially notable for the way water is used. You have to drive the ball over water onto a wide and forgiving fairway that doglegs to the left. After that it's 150 to 200 yards to an island green. That was a fun hole. The greens need work and they are working on them. They did vary from soft and slow to hard and fast so I couldn't get a good read a few times. They were still better than other public courses I have played on.

This is Chris teeing up at, I believe the sixth tee. This is another nice hole with a blind tee shot into a dogleg left with an approach shot that goes over a creek.
"

I'm happy to report that my golf game has improved tremendously in the last year. I was really embarrassed by an outing in July of 2009 so I've been to the range a few times and that has really helped me out. A little practice goes a long way. My drives are consistently straighter although I still don't get the elevation I need and my midrange game is 100% better than it was. I'm finally keeping my head down and following through properly. I hit a shot from about 150 yards out over a grove of trees with my 9 iron that landed within ten feet of the hole. I was ecstatic. It's probably the best shot I have ever hit. Naturally, I missed the birdie put but I didn't care. I don't get very many real pars and I happily took that one. In fact, that's how I keep score. I give myself one point for a par and two points for a birdie. My score Wednesday was 2 which should show you how much of a duffer I am. Still, it's nice to walk off the golf course and feel good about how your day went instead of contemplating burning your clubs in your backyard.