raising the threat level

I remember several folks back at Druid Hills talking about how the Bush administration were experts at using the "terror alert" scale to keep everyone constantly paranoid, raising the alert to modify our behavior and get us to return to our defensive tendencies. It's also one of the things that Michael Moore talked about in Fahrenheit 911, I believe.

Anyway, this week has kind of been like that for me. I don't think Amanda means to be making me paranoid, but she's doing a really good job. The cause is quite simple, actually: she's got a cough. Now normally that wouldn't be a source of paranoia, but consider this - one of her most utilized "shape up, boy" moves is to clear her throat. This typically creates an immediate tensing throughout my body, as I try to figure out what I've just done that caused offense (since I can pick it out 90% of the time upon reflection, but almost never ahead of time). If it happens a second time, I usually stop dead in my tracks and think quickly over my recent actions.

Well, this week, I've been second-guessing and feeling like I've done something wrong constantly. Every time she coughs, my shoulders scrunch up and I start to feel like the bottom's about to fall through (or something's gonna be thrown at me). Maybe there's something to this "changing the threat level creates paranoia" thing, since most of the day I felt like there was a throat-clearing just around the corner.

It probably didn't help much that Amanda's second-favorite signal that I did something dumb is breathing heavily in and out, which tends to happen in the doctor's office during check-ups and when someone is trying to make sure that they can breathe well.

Actually, this is probably just payback for those years and years in which I enjoyed getting Amanda to think that I was thinking about or doing something even when I wasn't, and then making her increasingly paranoid as she tried to figure out what I hadn't thought about before she accused me of thinking about it. Guess that's fair enough. Actually, who am I kidding, I did that last week. She's getting better at sniffing out when I'm shoveling it on, though, so that adds a degree of difficulty. Maybe I should grow up. Then again, you probably shouldn't hold your breath.

fun facts about our new coach

Jennifer Allen did a great job of weaving the following factoids (except for a few I found in other places) into a emotion-evoking piece. I swear they'll make a movie about Nick Saban's life after reading her story.

- Nick Saban and his wife Terry are from a small coal-mining town in West Virginia. They met at junior high science camp. He stood her up on their first date. He sometimes called her from the pay phone across the road from his parents' house if he talked too long on the family phone.

- Nick Saban's father coached his Pop Warner football team, even buying and driving a bus to carry the players to practice and games. The last time Nick Saban talked with his dad, he told his dad about his realizing that he wanted to coach football for the rest of his life.

- Nick Saban went back to West Virginia after his father died and wanted to help his mom run the family business, a service station and Dairy Queen, but his mom wanted him to continue pursuing his dream of coaching.

- Nick Saban eats Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies everyday for breakfast, and a few others during the day.

- Nick Saban used his $8000 bonus when an assistant at Cleveland to pay off his inlaw's mortgage.

- Nick Saban was a student at Kent State at the time of the Kent State Massacre and witnessed its aftermath.

Some of the info was from an article posted here or here or here

But perhaps the best factoid - the last time Alabama hired a head football coach who had already won an SEC championship? 1958

Roll Tide.

The End of the Coach Mike ____ Era

I hope Alabama never hires another man named Mike to be the head football coach. After DuBose, Price, and Shula, I think maybe we've learned it does not bode well. But you'd think we would have learned what a good name is. Paul. Paul is a good name. Don't you think it's time for another Paul? I mean that would make for a great ad campaign and really fire everyone up.

But you know, Mal Moore seems to be in another world, trying to go after a man still in the middle of a season. And I guess a man named Nick will do well if he ever takes the job.

To steal from the late President Ford, I just want "our long national nightmare" to be over. And yes, it has been national.