So this it what it all comes down to. The brackets have thinned it down to the final two. Will it be the Captain who has blown out all his competition? Or will the surprising other member of the Cheerio family. Honey Nut has made it further than most expected but now they look to finish it off with the title “King of Breakfast.”

As always you can vote by emailing godiseverywhere@joncoder.com or by commenting below. By the way, just as a ps, I completely thought I had posted this a while back. I guess I just saved it. Alas, soon I’ll get that new Dell that actually does the work for me. That’ll be sweet.

 The King of Breakfast Final

9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles
    4. Captain Crunch                 4. Captain Crunch              ______________

3. Lucky Charms                   7. Honey Nut Cheerios
    7. Honey Nut Cheerios

We’re almost home. There are only four cereals remaining. The #1 seed fell at the hands of the pebble twin and the Captain pulled the narrowest of wins over Tony the Tiger.  I like the Cap to finish this thing out, but both Lucky Charms and Cheerios, of the honey nut variety, have shown they can put up the numbers needed to win the whole glass of milk.  I will post these winners and the Championship match up on Friday.

For those of you with NCAA brackets good luck this weekend. I hope you all finish strong. Actually that’s not true. I hope you finish strong if you have Michigan St, Memphis, Pitt and UNC in your final four. If you have something else I hope you fall on your face, and you see your brackets crumble like cheap packing peanuts. It’s not pretty and I’m not proud of it be that’s how it is around bracket time.

Thanks again to everyone who voted in first two rounds, and you can vote for the final four by either posting a comment or emailing godiseveywhere@joncoder.com.

Round 3 The Final Four

1. Cheerios
    9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles               9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles

4. Captain Crunch                      4. Captain Crunch             ____________
    5. Frosted Flakes

6. Frosted Mini Wheat
    3. Lucky Charms                      3. Lucky Charms                 ____________

7. Honey Nut Cheerios              7. Huney Nut Cheerios
   15. Cinn Toast Crunch

Well, my real NCAA bracket is still strong. I got 12 of the sweet 16 correct and all four of my final four are still in it. I can’t say the same for my breakfast bracket. I was stunned when my #2 Fruit Loops fell to Cinnamon Toast crunch. I was told Toucan Sam was inconsolable when he heard the news. Otherwise, it was a fairly uneventful 1^st round. Pebbles got the nod over Raisin Bran and Apple Jacks was within a couple of votes of pulling the major upset.

In round 2 I expect a few upsets. I think Pebbles will give Cheerios all it wants and more. Coming out of the first round the two hottest competitors are Captain Crunch and Frosted Flakes.  Both whom won their matches by taking over 95% of the votes. I expect this one to be very close and the winner could be the favorite to take it all. I guess that’s up to you the reader. I’ll post the winners and final four matchups on Wednesday.

Thanks to everyone who voted in round one, and you can vote for round 2 by either posting a comment or emailing godiseveywhere@joncoder.com.

Round 2 The Eatable 8

1. Cheerios
   16. Apple Jacks                 1. Cheerios

8. Raisin Bran                  9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles       ____________
    9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles

4. Captain Crunch
   13. Coco Puffs                  4. Captain Crunch              ____________

5. Frosted Flakes             5. Frosted Flakes
   12. Rice Crispy

6.  Frosted Mini Wheat
   11. Smacks                      6. Frosted Mini Wheat

3. Lucky Charms              3. Lucky Charms               _____________
   14. Kix

7. Honey Nut Cheerios
   10. Trix                           7. Honey Nut Cherrios        _____________

2. Fruit Loops                  15. Cinn Toast Crunch 
   15. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Today was suppose to be the second round of the breakfast bracket but since there are still a lot of votes coming in we’ll put round 2 off another day. You can vote by posting a comment or email godiseverywhere@joncoder.com.

In the meantime, its spring in Macon, GA and for many people that means it’s time to bring out all things pink for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Personally I have no problem most things pink.  I have even been known to rock the pink shirt from time to time, in a manly way of course (I have yet to delve into the arena of pink pants and I think we’d all agree that’s a good thing).  However I am quite disturbed by the lengths the pink is taken by some in our fair city.  Honestly if you’re not at least bothered by this picture of a ferocious pink poodle then you should see someone. How does that even come up as a good idea? Are two folks sitting around one evening, “I really excited about the Cherry Blossom Festival!” “Me too, I know let dye the dog pink!!!” Actually, a good indication that things have gotten out of hand is anytime dog dyeing is brought up. I could be wrong but I can’t think of anything that warrants the coloring of a canine.  Let’s think, child birth, marriage, graduation, the blooming of an indigenous plant?  No, I’ve got nothing. And let’s face it this dog looks none too happy.

Maybe it’s not about the pink. Perhaps it’s just an excuse for a party, some fair food and questionably assembled ride run by even more questionable personnel. Seriously, nothing says I’m qualified to handle heavy machinery quite like that unwashed staff t-shirt, and the beat up RV parked behind the ride. Where do I buy my tickets?

All in all though, we had a good time. There’s something about a turkey leg and $5 coke mixed with flashing lights and a funnel cake that even today can capture one’s imagination. Sitting with my daughter I think we were equally transfixed by the whole experience. For her it was all new and larger than life and for me not only could I remember those feelings but to see her experience it for the first time was special. We all need a time where we can suspend our cynicism and just enjoy those experiences that can unify all us in a sense of wonder. Of course, even at her young age I think intuitively C knew that there was something seriously wrong with that pink pooch.

So after yesterday’s post I got to thinking about my comment on a cereal bracket, and so today we’re going to setup my sweet 16 breakfast bracket.  I have talked with several folks today and I think we’ve put together a solid list.  (Just for full disclosure’s sake, earlier today I noticed on ESPN’s site that one of their radio personalities apparently made a similar cereal bracket comment.  I guess there will have to be room for two breakfast brackets)

Round 1 The Sweet 16

1. Cheerios
16. Apple Jacks

8. Raisin Bran
9. Coco/Fruity Pebbles

4. Captain Crunch
13. Coco Puffs

5. Frosted Flakes
12. Rice Crispy

6.  Frosted Mini Wheat
11. Smacks

3. Lucky Charms
14. Kix

7. Honey Nut Cheerios
10. Trix

2. Fruit Loops
15. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Here’s the breakdown as I see it.  Cheerios gets the 1 seed cause let’s face it Cheerios is good any way you cut it.  They’re healthy, tasty, and the perfect children’s snack.  In the 8/9 you’ve got a contrast in styles.  There is healthy Raisin Bran verse the Flintstone powered pebbles.  I’ll take the two scoops please.  Next, you may be kuku for Coco Puffs but the Captain will have him walk the plank.  And in the classic 5/12 faceoff Tony the tiger will take on Snap, Crackle, Mitch and Pop.  On the surface Frosted Flakes seems to be the favorite, but don’t sleep on the world’s most talkative cereal.  The Crispys are not only a strong cereal, but when added to marshmallows they become one of the best snacks of all time.  In the bottom half of the bracket the only tight match seems to be the 6/11.  Smacks, whether it is the honey or sugar verity will have a hard time topping the sweet and healthy mini wheat.  Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops should each move on easily, and finally Trix, being only for kids, will take on the second verity Cheerios on this list.  It’s not just the power of Cheerios but also it boasts the depth of both honey and nuts.

So there you have it.  There’s your first round and we’ll see who moves on.  Feel free to comment or e-mail your votes on the first round. 

Today is a day that our culture has designated acceptable to miss or duck out of work.  In fact missing work for the beginning of March Madness is almost a noble act.  I saw on ESPN.com where the President took time to fill in his bracket so who am I to argue with the leader of the free world (I think I have decided to steer away from political content at this time).  I however will not be missing work to watch any games.  Not out of a deep sense of commitment to my job, or some misguided idea that “it’s only a game,” will I be at work, but rather I am less than a huge college basketball fan.  As a matter of fact, I will likely watch very few NCAA tournament games.  I consider myself something of a sportscenter fan when it comes to most sports outside of football.  Why watch a two or three hour game when ESPN will happily distil it down to the essential 90 sec highlight, and I can mark my bracket and move on.

And yes I did fill in my bracket.  For anyone curious to see here it is.  I have North Carolina winning the whole thing, but even as I type this it sounds as though one of their best players is out with an injury.  I guess there goes my bracket.  I heard on the radio today that 3 billion dollars goes into tournament office pools every year.  That’s billion with a “B” all over school names on lines.

 I think it’s the brackets.  Brackets make everything much more interesting.  If I put breakfast cereals on a bracket people would jump to break down the match ups and give their learned outlook on matter at hand.  But alas I digress.  I’ll save the breakfast food faceoff for another day.

So, we’ll see how I do, and there will be no billions wagered on this bracket, but here’s a scary thought, in the president’s tourney pool do you think the winner gets to pass his/her legislation of choice? Just a thought.

That’s how the greatest of stories begin.  Let us start at the start shall we.  This blog is just small look at how I see life and whatever it is that is percolating in my head at any moment (this is a scary thought).  The name of this blog is, God is Everywhere.  It comes from a line in a song I wrote called The Laundry Song which was actually written as a joke among college friends.  Well the song became a kind of signature for me but the line has become much more. 

As silly as the song is it is one of my favorites, not only because I enjoy seeing others enjoy my songs (and thus buy my cds) but also “God is Everywhere” has become a way I approach life.  It is a phrase that embraces deep truths about omnipresence of God and God’s desire not only to be present but to be actively involved in my little affairs.  Moreover, it means that I am every day seeking, looking to find, God in every part of my life.  Romans 1.20 tells us that God is revealed in all of creation and we have no excuse not to see it.  “God is Everywhere” is finding the miraculous in the mundane and the sanctified in the simple. 

As we travel this steam of consciousness not very post here will drip with deep theological truth, in fact many posts will be downright ridiculous, but the truth of it all is that God is Everywhere.