You’re welcome.

Earlier this year, I mentioned how writing for a living has kind of dried up the old blog a bit. So, as I was looking through piles of unfinished blog drafts I realized that I’ve never posted anything I’ve written for work on my blog. So for all of you guys and gals who have thought, I wonder what that guy Chris does at work everyday, or the people who have scoffed when I told them I was a writer, get ready to have your mind BLOWN.

Sports affects global culture, author explains

by Christopher Kratzer
Air University Public Affairs

6/3/2011 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — The Air Command and Staff College and the Air Force Culture and Language Center Professional Development Program recently co-hosted a program featuring Dr. Andy Markovits, author and professor of comparative politics and German studies at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Markovits lectured about his new book, “Gaming the World: How Sports are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture.” The book looks at the common language of sports and how it affects both global and local culture.

“My books are very autobiographical. They aren’t about me, but they reflect concerns that I’ve had for most of my life. This book came about by my decades-long interest in sports and how sports in North America are very similar and yet very different from sports in Europe,” Dr. Markovits said. “It stems out of my larger interest in comparing the U.S. and Europe.”

Dr. Markovits also spoke at a roundtable discussion about his book, “Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America.” The book offers an in-depth analysis of rising anti-Americanism in Europe, while looking at the sentiment from a historic perspective.

“The point is, the United States is somehow inauthentic to Europeans, and because of that, they view the U.S. as inferior, but they also view them as immensely powerful, not only powerful but attractive,” he said. “It’s not only an issue of seeing the U.S. as a culturally inferior country, because it is a country that really matters; one that is, not only powerful, but powerful in its very being.”

Being brought up bi-continental gives Dr. Markovits a unique viewpoint on the U.S.-Europe relationship. These experiences influenced the subject matter of his writing. “As a young boy in Vienna, I saw how the European elites have consistently seen the United States as garish and uncultured,” he said.

Dr. Mary Hampton, associate dean for academics for the Air Command and Staff College resident program, is a personal friend of Dr. Markovits and coordinated his visit to Maxwell.

“It was a very successful visit, and I think he was able to reach a wide audience and address a number of pertinent issues for us at ACSC, the [Air Force Culture and Language Center] and around the schools,” Dr. Hampton said. “All in all, this visit accomplished the mission of bringing in a very well-known expert on topics relevant to culture and globalization, both of which are pertinent to out curriculum.”

Attendees were delighted with the program.

Lt. Col. Paul Hoffman, a professor at ACSC in the leadership and strategy department, was excited that the school was able to bring in such a distinguished speaker.

“It was great of Dr. Hampton to get Dr. Markovits here. With him coming from the University of Michigan, renowned in the field of political science, it was [beneficial] we could get that level of speaker here,” Colonel Hoffman said. “I was also excited to hear his thoughts on sports and how it bonds Europe and the United States. He had written on it previously in ‘Uncouth Nation,’ so it was pretty [interesting] seeing how we can advance that idea and tie the two together.”

I got married :)

This is her.

I know what you’re thinking.

Yes.

That is my real hair.

But seriously, I’m very thankful for the wonderful blessing God has bestowed upon me and I look forward to each new day with my wife by my side.

I found it more than a bit peculiar that I write, everyday, for a living, and yet I never have the words for this blog. hmm…

What really happened to the dinosaurs.

Say what you will about a local pizzeria opening when people can eat their fill at chain buffets (A la’ Stevie B’s and CiCi’s), but Sal’s, located in Midtown in the back of The Zelda Place shopping center, has really hit their stride.  Sal’s has actually been one of several restaurants that has flocked to Midtown since the opening of the new shopping center anchored by Wal-Mart and brought some much needed revitalization to the culinary scene south of the Eastern Boulevard.

Sal’s is casual dining at its best. The decor, the locale, the food, and the brews all combine to create the pizza place you always wish you had…you know, the one your crazy uncle from Brooklyn always tells you about.  While not quite as affordable as a chain restaurant, the quality of the ingredients and the experience definitely warrant the higher price tag.  Two adults can eat and drink for under $25, including tip.  The staff is friendly, if not a little young (so beer enthusiasts don’t expect the kind of knowledge base that the staff at El Rey’s has), but extremely attentive.  The interior is accommodating enough, although a poorly designed archway takes up what could be precious available seating, and the lighting is pleasant.  The decor is a hodge-podge of tables, chairs, and artwork that you could probably find in your grandma’s attic, but instead of feeling sloppy it feels very comfortable.  All of this is centered around a giant chalk board that is lovingly scrawled across with menu items and specials.  

The food is mouth-wateringly authentic, and it ought to be since the chef is a champion dough-thrower from Roma, Italy.  The menu boasts salads and sandwiches that are all delicious, but both pale in comparison to the main dish: pizza.   Papa John’s may boast “better ingredients, better pizza,” but I assure you he has missed out on the Daria at Sal’s.  The Daria is my personal favorite pie, boasting premium meats.  Not into meat though? How about caramelized onions, mushrooms, or any other veggies you can think of (most of them grown locally)?  Top all this off with a great selection of beers and ice cream made locally in Alabama, and you have a great place with great food at a fair price right in the heart of a re-surging Midtown.

The fruit of my labors for the past week.  

If Burt Reynolds had a Russian baby, this would be his band.