US and A

The hallowed Ryder Cup matches conclude today. The US has a 9 to 7 lead over the Europeans. The US hasn't brought the cup home since their monumental run in 1999 at Brookline CC. If you aren't familiar, Justin Leonard made like a 45' putt to win his match and lead the US to victory. This year, the US is competing without Tiger Woods. Having struggled the past two Ryder Cups with Tiger, commentators said the US wouldn't have a chance to beat the Euros especially with Padraig Harrington, a hot player in 2008, playing for the Euro team. Currently, if they win the matches they are leading, the cup will return to the US.

This is golf's most exciting tournament. It's not about money. It's all about bragging rights, national pride and raw competition. I would recommend tuning in (NBC) if you think golf is a boring sport.

7 Years Ago....

Currently, I am watching a show on the History channel taking witness, home video accounts of 9/11. After traveling to NYC, seeing what used to be the grounds for the Two Towers leaves me in utter shock after seeing it when it actually happened. Being able to gauge the scale of how widespread the effect was throughout the city is unexplainable. Seeing the huge buildings on either side of you walking down the street and imagining one of them, well two of them could possibly collapse. What are you going to do? Seeing the people frantically running throughout the streets is shocking and sickening. Imagining a rushing wave of thick, heavy dust, about to wrap itself around you and through you would be utterly frightening. Thinking about the families of people that died that day is devastating. Trying to grasp the amount of courage and commitment to service the firefighters, police officers, and other aid teams demonstrated is beyond words. Realizing the ripple effect that disaster caused is unfathomable. Seeing it year after year I understand more about the world, and more about the effects this day, September 11, 2001 had on the rest of the world.

And I am left speechless.


**This is a shot I took looking through a blocked fence at ground zero. Construction for the memorial and the new tower are underway.