It's the most wonderful time of the year! (I was singing that, in case you couldn't tell from the sterile emotions that a keyboard elicits - yes, I was singing the Christmas tune). Woooooooooo! It's March! This is the best month of the year, as you would know if you read my rankings of the months, which was on this blog but I am too lazy to link to right now. Oh March 2009, how I love thee; let me count the ways!
1. The Weather - I'm no fan of winter. I don't like cold. I resolved back in May that I wouldn't allow the weather to dictate my happiness, and I've been pretty good on that, but still...nobody likes winter. You are lying if you say you do. March is when the pattern finally breaks; when we are reminded that there are things other than snow, frost, frozen nostrils, and seeing your breath. There are still remnants of the winter (see: this morning), but that is what makes March great: it has such a personality. It's a little like Jekyll and Hyde, which is how I see myself...which might help to explain why I feel its such a glorious month.
2. The Basketball - Oh, the basketball! It's such a simple game, and I know there are people out there who don't like it; I don't know how they don't like it, I just know they don't. Consider the basketball schedule for every week and weekend this March.
First week (Mar 2-8) - Final week of the regular season. Many things are decided here in the major conferences like the Big East. Where will my Panthers end up seeding-wise for the Big East tourney? As a fan, I have dual rooting interests here. I root for the regular season conference championship, obviously, because that's what you play for: championships. However, the #1 seed plays a noon game in the Big East tourney. I work...therefore, I don't mind if they get the #2 or #3 seed, which play at 7 and 9 pm respectively (but I'm getting ahead of myself). That is all to be decided this week, when the Panthers play top 15 Marquette and #1 UConn, both at home. Quick question: what has two thumbs and will be at both of these games? Answer: THIS GUY! (Quick realization: that doesn't work over the computer). Also in this first week of March, the smaller conferences begin their conference tournaments. These are the most fun. I have made it a life goal of mine to see all 31 conference tournaments in person. So far, I have seen I think 4: Big East, America East, Patriot League, Ohio Valley. I am going over to Robert Morris for a game or two of the Northeast Conference Tournament, which will be#5. These tournaments are so sweet because you see teams that are legitimately excited to win, and you always get teams that come from nowhere to steal an automatic bid from the NCAA tournament. When those teams do the March Madness dance on the court...I get tears.
Second week (Mar 9-15) - This is when the Big Boys come out to play. All of the major conference tournaments start between Tuesday and Thursday of this week. The basketball is at a major high. In fact, if I'm being honest, Championship Week is probably my favorite week of the year. So much at stake, so much good basketball. I really try not to leave my house during March. It's just a bad idea. The week culminates at 6pm on a Sunday (one of the only things ever known to make a Sunday night bearable): the NCAA selection show. Who's in? Who's out? Who are the one seeds? Who's playing where? It's probably the most fun administrative show that's ever been created. Literally the best hour of the year. EVERY YEAR.
Third week (Mar 16-22) - Now we get to the nitty gritty. Everybody is in a daze Sunday night, but Monday morning, everyone is back in form. Brackets are printed out en masse, and people start analyzing every matchup.
"Well, Cornell is a smart team...but they are playing the only other smart team in the tournament, Stanford. Plus playing in California is a bonus for the Cardinal; Cornell travels across the country."
"I like Long Beach as a sleeper. They can really shoot the three, and Vandy has trouble defending. I like the 49ers in the upset!"
"Memphis, I don't trust them as a #1 seed. I think they could lose to McNeese State!"
Seriously, from Sunday night until Thursday morning I will probably have 15 conversations and spend about 5 hours dissecting the field with friends like Keith, Colin, Greg, Chris, Luke, etc. This doesn't include the seemingly countless emails that will be sent. We will all make arguments for why we have X going to the Sweet 16 (and by X, I mean fill in the blank, not Xavier). Then, on Thursday, the fun starts. As two days go, Thursday and Friday of the tournament are unbelievable. I will always in my work life save two vacation days for these two days, because I just won't be able to work knowing that Coppin State is in the process of upsetting a 2 seed like South Carolina. I just can't do it. The first weekend of the NCAA tournament...continues the trend of the month.
Final week (Mar 23-29) - Now is when the big boys play, again. The Sweet 16 matchups pit great teams against each other, seeing which comes out on top. Hopefully this will be the year when my favorite team advances beyond this round.
If you couldn't tell, I ran out of energy talking about basketball there. It's mentally exhausting!
One more reason why I love March before I go:
3. Spring training - baseball starts, and I love baseball. In fact, it's hard for me to pick what I like more, basketball or baseball. I would guess I love whatever season it is more. Anyway, hope springs eternal in March for all teams, even the Pirates.
Well, that was an uneven analysis of why I love March. There are many other reasons, but I think this is enough! March Madness baby! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Calhoun Rant
This is only semi-sports related. After his team's victory over South Florida last Saturday, UConn coach Jim Calhoun sat at his press conference, ready to ask questions. The first question came from a political activist acting as a reporter, and from there it got ugly. It began innocuously enough, with the guy asking about his salary. Calhoun attempted humor (he's a very caustic individual) by saying he's not giving a dime back and that he wants to retire someday. It quickly escalated, with the "reporter" talking about the budget crisis and Calhoun's high salary. After attempting humor again with his "I make a lot more than that" remark (that admittedly some could find off-putting), he became angry and started citing his statistics. The UConn men's basketball team makes the university $12million a year, according to Calhoun, and that's from where his salary is generated. It ended with him screaming at the guy to come back at him when he gets his facts straight. The "reporter" also angered the real reporters in the room by making a comment along the lines of "if you guys covered this, I wouldn't have to", for which he was roundly booed.
The fallout from this incident has been severe. He has been on every Sportscenter episode since, talking about the reaction to his comments. The governor of Connecticut spoke out and said that she is sure that Calhoun regrets the "embarrassing" incident. Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio have been discussing it all week. It reached its nadir for me this morning when I flipped on Good Morning America and it was the topic of discussion. Obviously, people are heated about this question.
So, I am jumping into the ring. It may or may not surprise you, but I side firmly with Jim Calhoun on this one. There are many problems with the "reporter" and his line of questioning. First of all was his timing. The press conference came about 15 minutes after the victory. This is no time to catch people in a trap, unless you are trying to set him up to look bad by catching him off guard. I think its important to note that Calhoun's victory over South Florida was the 799th of his career. With his win at Marquette last night, he became only the 7th coach in college basketball history with 800 career wins. It seems disrespectful to me to ask about his salary in wake of his momentous personal achievement.
Secondly is whether the question is right to ask at all. I will say this: I don't have a problem with the discussion taking place. Is $1.6 million (or more if you believe Calhoun) too much for a state employee to be making during a tight budget (not to mention a possible budget deficit)? Mike and Mike said that they had state workers from Connecticut calling in all week saying that they were being forced to take a reduction in salary, so why shouldn't he? This gets back to a pet peeve of mine with Americans. We have this tendency to want everybody to have it as bad as we have, when in my opinion we need to focus on getting everybody to have it as good as Calhoun has it. Why hate on someone who's worked hard and gotten to the pinnacle of his profession and is now being rewarded for it?
Lastly, there is the question of markets dictating the going rate. Obviously if Connecticut cut his salary, Calhoun could find approximately 324 schools that would fire their guy to hire him in a second. He's been loyal to UConn and built that program by himself, so it seems like he wouldn't do that. If he did, however? He'd be lambasted and hated in New England. That just doesn't seem right to me.
So, on this question, I fall decidedly into Camp Calhoun. I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but I think he's dead right about this. And, he speaks out on a lot of issues surrounding college athletics, and I think he's usually right. I just don't like his whiny press conferences after his teams get manhandled by my Panthers. Where do you fall on this issue?
Here's the link to the Youtube clip, if you haven't seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdz05ql-j_E
The fallout from this incident has been severe. He has been on every Sportscenter episode since, talking about the reaction to his comments. The governor of Connecticut spoke out and said that she is sure that Calhoun regrets the "embarrassing" incident. Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio have been discussing it all week. It reached its nadir for me this morning when I flipped on Good Morning America and it was the topic of discussion. Obviously, people are heated about this question.
So, I am jumping into the ring. It may or may not surprise you, but I side firmly with Jim Calhoun on this one. There are many problems with the "reporter" and his line of questioning. First of all was his timing. The press conference came about 15 minutes after the victory. This is no time to catch people in a trap, unless you are trying to set him up to look bad by catching him off guard. I think its important to note that Calhoun's victory over South Florida was the 799th of his career. With his win at Marquette last night, he became only the 7th coach in college basketball history with 800 career wins. It seems disrespectful to me to ask about his salary in wake of his momentous personal achievement.
Secondly is whether the question is right to ask at all. I will say this: I don't have a problem with the discussion taking place. Is $1.6 million (or more if you believe Calhoun) too much for a state employee to be making during a tight budget (not to mention a possible budget deficit)? Mike and Mike said that they had state workers from Connecticut calling in all week saying that they were being forced to take a reduction in salary, so why shouldn't he? This gets back to a pet peeve of mine with Americans. We have this tendency to want everybody to have it as bad as we have, when in my opinion we need to focus on getting everybody to have it as good as Calhoun has it. Why hate on someone who's worked hard and gotten to the pinnacle of his profession and is now being rewarded for it?
Lastly, there is the question of markets dictating the going rate. Obviously if Connecticut cut his salary, Calhoun could find approximately 324 schools that would fire their guy to hire him in a second. He's been loyal to UConn and built that program by himself, so it seems like he wouldn't do that. If he did, however? He'd be lambasted and hated in New England. That just doesn't seem right to me.
So, on this question, I fall decidedly into Camp Calhoun. I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but I think he's dead right about this. And, he speaks out on a lot of issues surrounding college athletics, and I think he's usually right. I just don't like his whiny press conferences after his teams get manhandled by my Panthers. Where do you fall on this issue?
Here's the link to the Youtube clip, if you haven't seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdz05ql-j_E
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A New Pirate Generation
So, I don't know if you know this, but in January I became a first time Pittsburgh Pirates season ticket holder. Sure, there were a few seasons (maybe 2 or 3) back around the turn of the century when my dad split a 40 game package with Shrec (that was just to ensure our seats at the newly built PNC Park). But I don't count that, because at that time, I went to those games on my dad's dime. This January, I made the decision to become a season ticket holder by myself and for myself.
I bought one seat. Left field bleachers, section 135, row B seat 17. I'm basically in the good part of left field, not down the line but not too much down the center; probably right where a good left fielder would normally position himself. Here's the kicker: I bought the full season plan. Yes, that's right, 81 games!
Now, the nice thing about the plan is that it's more like 81 tickets than 81 games. What do I mean by this? I mean that I have 81 tickets for people to go to games. I'm hoping to go to somewhere between 40-50 myself. For the games I don't go to, I can trade them in ahead of time and get another ticket to a certain game. So say Patty calls me up and wants to go to the game tomorrow. I can take my Sunday ticket (just as an example, but I probably don't plan on going to too many Sunday games) and trade it in for a ticket next to me, for my mother. It's really a first class operation - which lends credence to the fact that the Pirates are first class all the way, right up until the product they put onto the field.
So this past Saturday was the season ticket holder open house at the ballpark. I scheduled an appointment with my account rep (Kevin - a nice guy). I met him at 12:30 and he took me on a tour of the park. I went into the locker room and saw the weight room, batting cages, film room, etc. We went down the tunnel and up the stairs into the dugout. I stood on the dugout steps, looking out at the view of both the most beautiful ballpark and the most beautiful city in the country. I went to see my seats, which I knew were good, but it was cool just to be there anyway.
Kevin was telling me about all of the perks of being a season ticketholder. They will have a few battice practice sessions for us, so before games I'll go down into the batting cages and take some cuts against the machine (the machine knows every pitcher in the game and can pitch like it; same arm angles, same pitches, everything. I will stand in against a 98 MPH fastball from Randy Johnson, or maybe Mariano Rivera's devasting cutter). Then after the season, they have a "field day" for us, where we go out ONTO THE FIELD and take BP and shag some flies. My dad is very concerned about my performance on this day. I think he's ready with my medical insurance card and an ambulence - luckily AGH is a few blocks away.
Anyway, it really is a new Pirate generation for me. I've always been a fan but this year I am taking it to another extreme. I'll be looking for people to go to games with; let me know if you are interested!
I bought one seat. Left field bleachers, section 135, row B seat 17. I'm basically in the good part of left field, not down the line but not too much down the center; probably right where a good left fielder would normally position himself. Here's the kicker: I bought the full season plan. Yes, that's right, 81 games!
Now, the nice thing about the plan is that it's more like 81 tickets than 81 games. What do I mean by this? I mean that I have 81 tickets for people to go to games. I'm hoping to go to somewhere between 40-50 myself. For the games I don't go to, I can trade them in ahead of time and get another ticket to a certain game. So say Patty calls me up and wants to go to the game tomorrow. I can take my Sunday ticket (just as an example, but I probably don't plan on going to too many Sunday games) and trade it in for a ticket next to me, for my mother. It's really a first class operation - which lends credence to the fact that the Pirates are first class all the way, right up until the product they put onto the field.
So this past Saturday was the season ticket holder open house at the ballpark. I scheduled an appointment with my account rep (Kevin - a nice guy). I met him at 12:30 and he took me on a tour of the park. I went into the locker room and saw the weight room, batting cages, film room, etc. We went down the tunnel and up the stairs into the dugout. I stood on the dugout steps, looking out at the view of both the most beautiful ballpark and the most beautiful city in the country. I went to see my seats, which I knew were good, but it was cool just to be there anyway.
Kevin was telling me about all of the perks of being a season ticketholder. They will have a few battice practice sessions for us, so before games I'll go down into the batting cages and take some cuts against the machine (the machine knows every pitcher in the game and can pitch like it; same arm angles, same pitches, everything. I will stand in against a 98 MPH fastball from Randy Johnson, or maybe Mariano Rivera's devasting cutter). Then after the season, they have a "field day" for us, where we go out ONTO THE FIELD and take BP and shag some flies. My dad is very concerned about my performance on this day. I think he's ready with my medical insurance card and an ambulence - luckily AGH is a few blocks away.
Anyway, it really is a new Pirate generation for me. I've always been a fan but this year I am taking it to another extreme. I'll be looking for people to go to games with; let me know if you are interested!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
My Pittsburgh Problem
Well, I will respond to Blake's desire to have another blog from me. I've had a bunch in the hopper recently (like when I met the comic Larry Miller...)but I find that after spending 8 hours a day at work in front of a computer, the last thing I want to do when I get home is type more. I started a new shift at work this week, working from 8:30-4:30, so I have to catch the 7:27 bus to make it on time. This means that I'm at work between 7:45 and 8...so maybe I'll have time to blog in the mornings.
Anyway, I've been living on Mt. Washington for almost 8 months now; in fact, my lease runs out at the end of June at my current place. Recently I've been thinking of whether I want to move or stay where I am, and I'm thinking of moving for many reasons, the least of which is I can save some money. It's like an artificial raise; I pay X for my apartment, then I move somewhere that's, say, $50 cheaper a month. All of a sudden, I'm paying X-50 and saving $600/year...that's a raise! So this is one consideration. The most important consideration, though, is what is referenced ominously in the blog title. It's not what you think though. My Pittsburgh problem is that I love this city so much, and I love so many areas of it, and I think that so many places would be fun to live for various different reasons. So, when looking at apartments, I have a hard time deciding where I want to look and I end up looking at all of them. I could see myself living in at least 7 different Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Let's look at the list:
1. Mt. Washington - obviously my current place of residence. I love the commute from up here, at least to work, having the choice of a bus that is 20 yards from my door, or the incline. The views are great, and its centrally located - I can get to the airport, Monroeville, Gibsonia, Cranberry, and down 51 all pretty quickly. On the downside, it's a tough place to live in the snow when the roads get bad. Ultimately, if I stayed on Mt Washington, I think I'd strongly consider moving to the other side.
2. Northside - There are various neighborhoods over here that I would consider but I'll place them under the "northside" umbrella. I love this idea because it's walking distance to PNC Park (I'm a first time Pirates season ticket holder this year) and it could be walking distance to work as well, at least when its nice out. The bad part is that the Northside is maybe the most "dangerous" neighborhood I'm considering (dangerous for Pittsburgh, that is).
3. Southside - It's probably tied for the most expensive place that I'm looking. However, when I imagine city living, Carson Street is what I imagine. I think of waking up on Saturday mornings and walking down to the corner to get breakfast or coffee and a paper. I imagine going out on Friday night, being able to walk to bars and clubs, and being able to come and go as I please. I imagine being able to get all different types of ethnic foods in a matter of minutes. I love the Southside and would love to live here.
4. Squirrel Hill - The other expensive place I am looking at. Murray Avenue has the same sort of feel as Carson St, without all of the young people. Still, it's a cool neighborhood with many of the things I'm looking for. Downside is that I don't want to move to the east of downtown, it's by far the worst way to get where I need to go. Of course, I'd take the bus, but still...
5. Brookline - The "T" (subway) has a line through Brookline, which is one of the main reasons I like it. It has the feel of the suburbs while being in the city, which is a good and bad thing.
6. Beechview - Another neighborhood that has a "T" line running through it. That's really the only reason I'm considering it.
7. Bloomfield/Lawrenceville - While these are two distinct neighborhoods, I will condense them because they are beside each other. Lawrenceville has the reputation of being where all the artists are moving, so I'd like to stay away from there. But I love Bloomfield, Pittsburgh's Little Italy. It has a great "Carson St" street that runs through it, the section of Liberty Ave. When I originally thought of living in the city, Bloomfield is what I had my heart set on. I will continue to look here as one of my primary options.
So those are my choices right now. I have started the process. Any feedback? What am I forgetting to consider? I know one thing I didn't originally consider was the title of my blog... Josh in Brookline doesn't have the same ring. Anyway, I welcome any thoughts that you may have.
Anyway, I've been living on Mt. Washington for almost 8 months now; in fact, my lease runs out at the end of June at my current place. Recently I've been thinking of whether I want to move or stay where I am, and I'm thinking of moving for many reasons, the least of which is I can save some money. It's like an artificial raise; I pay X for my apartment, then I move somewhere that's, say, $50 cheaper a month. All of a sudden, I'm paying X-50 and saving $600/year...that's a raise! So this is one consideration. The most important consideration, though, is what is referenced ominously in the blog title. It's not what you think though. My Pittsburgh problem is that I love this city so much, and I love so many areas of it, and I think that so many places would be fun to live for various different reasons. So, when looking at apartments, I have a hard time deciding where I want to look and I end up looking at all of them. I could see myself living in at least 7 different Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Let's look at the list:
1. Mt. Washington - obviously my current place of residence. I love the commute from up here, at least to work, having the choice of a bus that is 20 yards from my door, or the incline. The views are great, and its centrally located - I can get to the airport, Monroeville, Gibsonia, Cranberry, and down 51 all pretty quickly. On the downside, it's a tough place to live in the snow when the roads get bad. Ultimately, if I stayed on Mt Washington, I think I'd strongly consider moving to the other side.
2. Northside - There are various neighborhoods over here that I would consider but I'll place them under the "northside" umbrella. I love this idea because it's walking distance to PNC Park (I'm a first time Pirates season ticket holder this year) and it could be walking distance to work as well, at least when its nice out. The bad part is that the Northside is maybe the most "dangerous" neighborhood I'm considering (dangerous for Pittsburgh, that is).
3. Southside - It's probably tied for the most expensive place that I'm looking. However, when I imagine city living, Carson Street is what I imagine. I think of waking up on Saturday mornings and walking down to the corner to get breakfast or coffee and a paper. I imagine going out on Friday night, being able to walk to bars and clubs, and being able to come and go as I please. I imagine being able to get all different types of ethnic foods in a matter of minutes. I love the Southside and would love to live here.
4. Squirrel Hill - The other expensive place I am looking at. Murray Avenue has the same sort of feel as Carson St, without all of the young people. Still, it's a cool neighborhood with many of the things I'm looking for. Downside is that I don't want to move to the east of downtown, it's by far the worst way to get where I need to go. Of course, I'd take the bus, but still...
5. Brookline - The "T" (subway) has a line through Brookline, which is one of the main reasons I like it. It has the feel of the suburbs while being in the city, which is a good and bad thing.
6. Beechview - Another neighborhood that has a "T" line running through it. That's really the only reason I'm considering it.
7. Bloomfield/Lawrenceville - While these are two distinct neighborhoods, I will condense them because they are beside each other. Lawrenceville has the reputation of being where all the artists are moving, so I'd like to stay away from there. But I love Bloomfield, Pittsburgh's Little Italy. It has a great "Carson St" street that runs through it, the section of Liberty Ave. When I originally thought of living in the city, Bloomfield is what I had my heart set on. I will continue to look here as one of my primary options.
So those are my choices right now. I have started the process. Any feedback? What am I forgetting to consider? I know one thing I didn't originally consider was the title of my blog... Josh in Brookline doesn't have the same ring. Anyway, I welcome any thoughts that you may have.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Super Steelers
Well, in honor of our six time Super Bowl champs, I will offer six thoughts on the big game:
1. I am the original Santonio fan in Pittsburgh. Draft day 2006, I lived in Knoxville. I was watching while writing a paper, and the Giants were on the clock with the 25th pick. I called Keith and said "Dude, I have a feeling we're trading up here to take Santonio." As we were on the phone, Tags went to the podium and said, "With the 25th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Giants..." and I started to say the words with Tags..."trade the pick to the Steelers. The Steelers select..."and by now I'm shouting..."Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State". I was ecstatic. I hate Ohio State, but I loved this guy, and one thing said all I needed to know. They showed Santonio in his living room, and somebody there busted out a Terrible Towel and started waiving it, and he was genuinely thrilled to be a Stiller. He had a rough rookie year (remember when he fumbled punts seemingly every week?) but ended that year with a long TD catch to keep the Bengals out of the playoffs, and he's been pretty good ever since. Breakout star waiting to happen.
2. Ben is very, very, VERY underrated. People talk about his ability to keep plays alive, and he's fantastic at that. But he has become great in the pocket, making his reads, checking down when he has to. He hasn't even reached his prime yet.
3. I love Coach Mike. I was very skeptical at first, and I still don't think he's reached his potential as an X's and O's guy or a game manager. There were lots of mistakes in the game yesterday that a more seasoned guy I hope wouldn't make (the admission that he would take a safety scared me - that's the wrong call there). Still, he pushes the right buttons and guys respond to him. He seems to have a great relationship with Ben, and that's important. And it said it all when Willie complained about running, and Mike responded: "I walk past 5 Lombardi's, not 5 rushing titles." Eat it, Willie.
4. Larry Fitzgerald is a man among boys. He's my favorite player in the league, bar none. Of course, he starred collegiately at Pitt, and that's why I love him. I started loving the Cardinals when they drafted him, and then obviously the Cards became Pittsburgh West. He's still the best in my book, and it was a Steeler/Pitt fans dream yesterday with Larry having a huge game, but the Steelers still winning. I have to admit, I wasn't crushed when he scored to go ahead with 2:30 left in the game.
5. It's not enough to win a Super Bowl anymore. You have to do it in an historic way. The 2005 Steelers became the first 6 seed ever to win the game. This years' team has a few marks in history. First of all, they overcame the hardest schedule in league history, with opponents winning percentage just below 60%. Second, the defense was impenetrable for most of the year. They got All Pro seasons from Polamalu and Harrison, but other guys stepped up so well too. Woodley was a terror on the edge. Aaron Smith remains one of the most underrated DEs in the game. Casey is a huge bowling ball in the middle. Timmons, Farrior, and Foote held the middle down. However, the most important aspect to me this season was the coverage skills of the DBs. This was the best defensive backfield that the Steelers have had since 1992. They had legitimately 7 DBs that could cover (Ike, Deshea, McFadden, Willie Gay, Polamalu, Carter, Clark). That allowed LeBeau to sit back and let the 3 or 4 rushers do their job, which they were able to do a lot of the time. The third historical factor is in our QB. Ben will end up in the HOF if he continues this pace.
6. The Boss was good at halftime. Not nearly as good as Prince in the (purple!) rain in Miami in 2007. But Bruce was still good. I was hoping for Glory Days, it's my favorite Bruce song, probably because I remember it as a 7 yr old, and I was pumped when he and Little Stevie introduced it ("It's Boss time!"). Who could possibly play the halftime show next year? I have no idea.
Well, that's enough from me. What did you think of the Super Bowl?
1. I am the original Santonio fan in Pittsburgh. Draft day 2006, I lived in Knoxville. I was watching while writing a paper, and the Giants were on the clock with the 25th pick. I called Keith and said "Dude, I have a feeling we're trading up here to take Santonio." As we were on the phone, Tags went to the podium and said, "With the 25th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Giants..." and I started to say the words with Tags..."trade the pick to the Steelers. The Steelers select..."and by now I'm shouting..."Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State". I was ecstatic. I hate Ohio State, but I loved this guy, and one thing said all I needed to know. They showed Santonio in his living room, and somebody there busted out a Terrible Towel and started waiving it, and he was genuinely thrilled to be a Stiller. He had a rough rookie year (remember when he fumbled punts seemingly every week?) but ended that year with a long TD catch to keep the Bengals out of the playoffs, and he's been pretty good ever since. Breakout star waiting to happen.
2. Ben is very, very, VERY underrated. People talk about his ability to keep plays alive, and he's fantastic at that. But he has become great in the pocket, making his reads, checking down when he has to. He hasn't even reached his prime yet.
3. I love Coach Mike. I was very skeptical at first, and I still don't think he's reached his potential as an X's and O's guy or a game manager. There were lots of mistakes in the game yesterday that a more seasoned guy I hope wouldn't make (the admission that he would take a safety scared me - that's the wrong call there). Still, he pushes the right buttons and guys respond to him. He seems to have a great relationship with Ben, and that's important. And it said it all when Willie complained about running, and Mike responded: "I walk past 5 Lombardi's, not 5 rushing titles." Eat it, Willie.
4. Larry Fitzgerald is a man among boys. He's my favorite player in the league, bar none. Of course, he starred collegiately at Pitt, and that's why I love him. I started loving the Cardinals when they drafted him, and then obviously the Cards became Pittsburgh West. He's still the best in my book, and it was a Steeler/Pitt fans dream yesterday with Larry having a huge game, but the Steelers still winning. I have to admit, I wasn't crushed when he scored to go ahead with 2:30 left in the game.
5. It's not enough to win a Super Bowl anymore. You have to do it in an historic way. The 2005 Steelers became the first 6 seed ever to win the game. This years' team has a few marks in history. First of all, they overcame the hardest schedule in league history, with opponents winning percentage just below 60%. Second, the defense was impenetrable for most of the year. They got All Pro seasons from Polamalu and Harrison, but other guys stepped up so well too. Woodley was a terror on the edge. Aaron Smith remains one of the most underrated DEs in the game. Casey is a huge bowling ball in the middle. Timmons, Farrior, and Foote held the middle down. However, the most important aspect to me this season was the coverage skills of the DBs. This was the best defensive backfield that the Steelers have had since 1992. They had legitimately 7 DBs that could cover (Ike, Deshea, McFadden, Willie Gay, Polamalu, Carter, Clark). That allowed LeBeau to sit back and let the 3 or 4 rushers do their job, which they were able to do a lot of the time. The third historical factor is in our QB. Ben will end up in the HOF if he continues this pace.
6. The Boss was good at halftime. Not nearly as good as Prince in the (purple!) rain in Miami in 2007. But Bruce was still good. I was hoping for Glory Days, it's my favorite Bruce song, probably because I remember it as a 7 yr old, and I was pumped when he and Little Stevie introduced it ("It's Boss time!"). Who could possibly play the halftime show next year? I have no idea.
Well, that's enough from me. What did you think of the Super Bowl?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Emerging from my January Coma
So seriously people...to find out that people want me to blog, I have to log onto my mothers blog? I'm a "words of affirmation" type of love language person; I need to hear that I'm wanted in order to feel wanted.
So anyway, I hate this month, it's the worst month of the year, and all this snow has been pretty depressing. What has been going on this month while I've failed to blog?
1. Steelers - I was at the AFC Championship game, and it was a blast. One of the best moments at a sporting event that I can remember was when "Here We Go" was playing and 65,000 people in unison were singing "Pittsburgh's goin to da Super Bowl". You could even heard the Pixburgh accent in the chorus. It was awesome. And, I think I blacked out during the Polamalu interception. My buddy Colin went with me to the game, and when he intercepted it and crossed the endzone, Colin squeezed me so hard in a hug, and I had tears of joy streaming down my face...then I don't remember anything for about 40 seconds. What a moment!
2. Cavs game - I went with Dave, Keith, and Luke to the Cavs game the other night. The weather was frightful on the way home and it made for a bad commute. At Cavs games, the fans are so lame that they have to flash hated teams logos on the Jumbotron while the opposition is shooting free throws, in the hopes of getting the fans to boo. So they flash teams like Michigan, the Yankees and Red Sox, the Celtics and Pistons, and the Ravens and Steelers. They did the Steelers more often than most. So the last time they do it, with about 4 minutes left, it got real quiet, and I just shouted: "Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" I was immediately booed, and I got a couple of people who screamed an "f--- you!" to me from the section next to us. Everyone around us was laughing real hard though.
3. Idol - well, the auditions rounds have kind of sucked. I'm afraid that America might not have any talent that is unmined anymore. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I do love the Hollywood rounds; they start next week.
4. TV - so the sound on my TV stopped working and I took it to Best Buy to get fixed. They ship it out and I pick it up three weeks later (last night)...only to find that its not fixed! I took it back tonight, it will take another week or two before it's back. Argh!
5. Pitt hoops - thinking of the 'nova game is just going to make me angry. Jer and I went to Morgantown, first time I'd ever been there for a hoops game. It was sweet, we played well and killed them, and all those dumb WVU fans...well, they just looked dumb.
6. Bachelor - I like the way the show is shaping up. I think I favor Melissa. I'm still waiting for someone to nominate me for the Bachelor. My mom won't do it, and dates like the one that they had last week in the tent aren't going to make her nominating me any more likely. So if someone else wants to volunteer, let me know.
Fortunately, this month is almost over.
So anyway, I hate this month, it's the worst month of the year, and all this snow has been pretty depressing. What has been going on this month while I've failed to blog?
1. Steelers - I was at the AFC Championship game, and it was a blast. One of the best moments at a sporting event that I can remember was when "Here We Go" was playing and 65,000 people in unison were singing "Pittsburgh's goin to da Super Bowl". You could even heard the Pixburgh accent in the chorus. It was awesome. And, I think I blacked out during the Polamalu interception. My buddy Colin went with me to the game, and when he intercepted it and crossed the endzone, Colin squeezed me so hard in a hug, and I had tears of joy streaming down my face...then I don't remember anything for about 40 seconds. What a moment!
2. Cavs game - I went with Dave, Keith, and Luke to the Cavs game the other night. The weather was frightful on the way home and it made for a bad commute. At Cavs games, the fans are so lame that they have to flash hated teams logos on the Jumbotron while the opposition is shooting free throws, in the hopes of getting the fans to boo. So they flash teams like Michigan, the Yankees and Red Sox, the Celtics and Pistons, and the Ravens and Steelers. They did the Steelers more often than most. So the last time they do it, with about 4 minutes left, it got real quiet, and I just shouted: "Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" I was immediately booed, and I got a couple of people who screamed an "f--- you!" to me from the section next to us. Everyone around us was laughing real hard though.
3. Idol - well, the auditions rounds have kind of sucked. I'm afraid that America might not have any talent that is unmined anymore. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I do love the Hollywood rounds; they start next week.
4. TV - so the sound on my TV stopped working and I took it to Best Buy to get fixed. They ship it out and I pick it up three weeks later (last night)...only to find that its not fixed! I took it back tonight, it will take another week or two before it's back. Argh!
5. Pitt hoops - thinking of the 'nova game is just going to make me angry. Jer and I went to Morgantown, first time I'd ever been there for a hoops game. It was sweet, we played well and killed them, and all those dumb WVU fans...well, they just looked dumb.
6. Bachelor - I like the way the show is shaping up. I think I favor Melissa. I'm still waiting for someone to nominate me for the Bachelor. My mom won't do it, and dates like the one that they had last week in the tent aren't going to make her nominating me any more likely. So if someone else wants to volunteer, let me know.
Fortunately, this month is almost over.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Favorite Things: American Idol Edition
Well, the season 8 premiere just finished, and I have to admit, I will be hooked again to this show for at least the next 6 weeks or so. This favorite things edition precedes my favorite things about winter. You may ask this question: why? Well, I just can't come up with many things I like about winter. I mean, consider this: $200 gas bills to heat your apartment to 55 degrees, standing at the bus stop in 20 degrees, cold/flu season, cold floors with no socks in the morning, frozen nose hairs, having to warm up your car for 8 minutes...what is there to like? I suppose a few things. One of them is American Idol, which led me to this, the favorite things of Idol.
1. The auditions - I love the first few episodes because of the great mix of hysterical performers and good performers. There are certainly things you could get annoyed about, like how it seems the producers pick out their favorites and push them every year. Just let the cards fall! But, I like to see the start of the journey; therefore, I like the audition rounds.
2. Hollywood Week - this is the best part of the show. I love the drama that the pressure creates. I love the teenage girls that get into catfights because they are divas and prima donnas and they don't want other people screwing it up for them.
3. The Room Selection - I don't think they even did this last year, but by this I'm referring to the fact that they put Hollywooders into four hotel rooms and select entire rooms to continue on in the process. Who doesn't love to sit there and say, well this room is going home because of X, or that room...how did A and B end up in the same room?
4. Democracy - nobody can ever complain about who wins this contest, because you can influence it. OK, like most democracy, it's not pure; the producer problem discussed earlier comes to mind with this (they influence the "election" process, they are the media of the show). But, lots of people cast lots of votes for Idol; I am not ashamed to say that I have cast many votes before (usually for the cute girls).
5. The Sex Appeal - C'mon, we need more hot girls to look at every year. I need the sex appeal factor to be way up there this year. Need more Kellie Pickler's and fewer Gina Glocksen's.
6. Mike Slezak's reviews on EW.com - So Slezak reviews every show and he does a great job, DVR-ing, catching names and places, making sure to watch and re-watch...it's a great review. I don't have exactly the tastes that he has, but that's ok.
7. Elliott Yamin - still the best singer to be on the show since I've paid attention. I also was a big fan of Blake Lewis and his creativity.
8. The Opening - This...is American Idol. Classic. Gives me goosebumps, especially like tonight during the season opener.
9. Feel good stories - there are always people whose parents have died, or have cancer, or whatever else (kids involved is a plus). Tonight we saw the blind guy. Of course I'm rooting for Blind Guy; I love Blind Guy.
10. The Weirdos - For those who have ever been to a Curry family function, you'll understand. I like the confirmation that there are weirder people out there than my family, and I think this is universal. Like tonight, the Deep Voice Guy. High comedy at its finest.
11. Seacrest - My friend Colin swears he's gay; he points to tonight, when Bikini Girl wanted to make out with him and he was reticent. I think he's not gay, just very professional. He's a great host, I love his corny jokes, and I love his hilarious jokes. He gets good zingers in on Cowell too.
Well, those are some of my favorite things about the show. What are some of yours? Do you even watch?
1. The auditions - I love the first few episodes because of the great mix of hysterical performers and good performers. There are certainly things you could get annoyed about, like how it seems the producers pick out their favorites and push them every year. Just let the cards fall! But, I like to see the start of the journey; therefore, I like the audition rounds.
2. Hollywood Week - this is the best part of the show. I love the drama that the pressure creates. I love the teenage girls that get into catfights because they are divas and prima donnas and they don't want other people screwing it up for them.
3. The Room Selection - I don't think they even did this last year, but by this I'm referring to the fact that they put Hollywooders into four hotel rooms and select entire rooms to continue on in the process. Who doesn't love to sit there and say, well this room is going home because of X, or that room...how did A and B end up in the same room?
4. Democracy - nobody can ever complain about who wins this contest, because you can influence it. OK, like most democracy, it's not pure; the producer problem discussed earlier comes to mind with this (they influence the "election" process, they are the media of the show). But, lots of people cast lots of votes for Idol; I am not ashamed to say that I have cast many votes before (usually for the cute girls).
5. The Sex Appeal - C'mon, we need more hot girls to look at every year. I need the sex appeal factor to be way up there this year. Need more Kellie Pickler's and fewer Gina Glocksen's.
6. Mike Slezak's reviews on EW.com - So Slezak reviews every show and he does a great job, DVR-ing, catching names and places, making sure to watch and re-watch...it's a great review. I don't have exactly the tastes that he has, but that's ok.
7. Elliott Yamin - still the best singer to be on the show since I've paid attention. I also was a big fan of Blake Lewis and his creativity.
8. The Opening - This...is American Idol. Classic. Gives me goosebumps, especially like tonight during the season opener.
9. Feel good stories - there are always people whose parents have died, or have cancer, or whatever else (kids involved is a plus). Tonight we saw the blind guy. Of course I'm rooting for Blind Guy; I love Blind Guy.
10. The Weirdos - For those who have ever been to a Curry family function, you'll understand. I like the confirmation that there are weirder people out there than my family, and I think this is universal. Like tonight, the Deep Voice Guy. High comedy at its finest.
11. Seacrest - My friend Colin swears he's gay; he points to tonight, when Bikini Girl wanted to make out with him and he was reticent. I think he's not gay, just very professional. He's a great host, I love his corny jokes, and I love his hilarious jokes. He gets good zingers in on Cowell too.
Well, those are some of my favorite things about the show. What are some of yours? Do you even watch?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Gran Torino and Assorted Notes
So this morning I braved the elements to head down to the South Side Works to see the new Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. I've been looking forward to this movie for a couple of weeks; without further ado, my review:
It was astounding.
More? OK. Fantastic. Marvelous. Magnificent. Get the picture? Maybe the best movie I've seen in the theaters since The Last King of Scotland.
Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet who's racist, anti-religion, old and stubborn, and he's just lost his wife, and you can see throughout the movie that she was really his world. He's a retired laborer in the Detroit Ford plant, and he lives in a neighborhood of Detroit that is becoming "overrun" with minorities in his opinion. His sons and their families are spoiled and embarrassing to him. He rejects the attempts of the local priest to discuss the death of his wife. He's alone in the world except for his dog Daisy and his '72 Gran Torino.
Living in this section of the city, he is confronted by his racist tendencies every day, sometimes often. What transpires through the movie is a changing of attitudes through a series of events. I think that this movie is what the stupid movie Crash was trying to be four years ago. You may recall Crash, the movie that Sandra Bullock told you determined whether you were racist yourself. It took a bunch of people of differing colors and ethnicities and made them interract with each other in insipid ways, and forced you to believe that this was possible, and said "racism is bad." Well, Gran Torino is a much more believable and relatable discussion of prejudices and self-exploration. It was just very well done. I would say that you need to see this movie right away.
A couple of other notes from the weekend:
1. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the #1 basketball team in the land, my Pitt Panthers! Sure, they'll lose a few games, probably won't win the National Championship this season, but it's a big step for us (it's the first time in school history). I can't wait to watch them take on the Johnnies tomorrow at noon as the top team in the land.
2. I have found out a few times recently the perils of living on Mt. Washington when it snows...
I think that's it. Go Steelers!
It was astounding.
More? OK. Fantastic. Marvelous. Magnificent. Get the picture? Maybe the best movie I've seen in the theaters since The Last King of Scotland.
Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet who's racist, anti-religion, old and stubborn, and he's just lost his wife, and you can see throughout the movie that she was really his world. He's a retired laborer in the Detroit Ford plant, and he lives in a neighborhood of Detroit that is becoming "overrun" with minorities in his opinion. His sons and their families are spoiled and embarrassing to him. He rejects the attempts of the local priest to discuss the death of his wife. He's alone in the world except for his dog Daisy and his '72 Gran Torino.
Living in this section of the city, he is confronted by his racist tendencies every day, sometimes often. What transpires through the movie is a changing of attitudes through a series of events. I think that this movie is what the stupid movie Crash was trying to be four years ago. You may recall Crash, the movie that Sandra Bullock told you determined whether you were racist yourself. It took a bunch of people of differing colors and ethnicities and made them interract with each other in insipid ways, and forced you to believe that this was possible, and said "racism is bad." Well, Gran Torino is a much more believable and relatable discussion of prejudices and self-exploration. It was just very well done. I would say that you need to see this movie right away.
A couple of other notes from the weekend:
1. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the #1 basketball team in the land, my Pitt Panthers! Sure, they'll lose a few games, probably won't win the National Championship this season, but it's a big step for us (it's the first time in school history). I can't wait to watch them take on the Johnnies tomorrow at noon as the top team in the land.
2. I have found out a few times recently the perils of living on Mt. Washington when it snows...
I think that's it. Go Steelers!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Resolutions for New Year
So, this year I am making some New Years resolutions so that I can track myself on how successful I do regarding these.
1. Less fast food – I eat too much fast food. It’s unhealthy. I am resolving to eat fast food only once a week, if that. Fast food is defined as anything like Arby’s, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Sonic, etc. I don’t include places like Subway or Jimmy John’s, because otherwise I’d starve during the day at work.
2. No soda – Soda is expensive and bad for you, even when you drink diet soda almost exclusively, as I do. Instead I am drinking tea and water.
3. Working out – I’m currently in the process of looking for some exercise mechanism, like a treadmill or a punching bag. I am going to work out to lose some weight.
4. Hobbies – my new hobby is going to be writing a screenplay. I am going to get a rough draft written this year, with Keith, my writing partner. We have an idea, and I purchased software, so now we have to get going.
5. Church shopping – I am going to find a new church where I am comfortable in the next few months. I am wary of putting a timeline on it, because I don’t want to force myself anywhere. But my church search was lackadaisical in 2008; in 2009 it will be more focused.
6. Time in the Word – I will be spending more time reading the Bible this year. Also, I am going to make a concerted effort to read more books on theology this year. I am going to get into Christian Apologetics this year; it has long been an interest of mine.
These are my resolutions for the new year. Help me stay faithful to these! For example, if we are out to lunch somewhere (Mom), remind me that I don’t drink soda anymore!
1. Less fast food – I eat too much fast food. It’s unhealthy. I am resolving to eat fast food only once a week, if that. Fast food is defined as anything like Arby’s, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Sonic, etc. I don’t include places like Subway or Jimmy John’s, because otherwise I’d starve during the day at work.
2. No soda – Soda is expensive and bad for you, even when you drink diet soda almost exclusively, as I do. Instead I am drinking tea and water.
3. Working out – I’m currently in the process of looking for some exercise mechanism, like a treadmill or a punching bag. I am going to work out to lose some weight.
4. Hobbies – my new hobby is going to be writing a screenplay. I am going to get a rough draft written this year, with Keith, my writing partner. We have an idea, and I purchased software, so now we have to get going.
5. Church shopping – I am going to find a new church where I am comfortable in the next few months. I am wary of putting a timeline on it, because I don’t want to force myself anywhere. But my church search was lackadaisical in 2008; in 2009 it will be more focused.
6. Time in the Word – I will be spending more time reading the Bible this year. Also, I am going to make a concerted effort to read more books on theology this year. I am going to get into Christian Apologetics this year; it has long been an interest of mine.
These are my resolutions for the new year. Help me stay faithful to these! For example, if we are out to lunch somewhere (Mom), remind me that I don’t drink soda anymore!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Slumdog Millionaire
So, I saw this movie Sunday afternoon, after the Steeler game. This movie has been hyped as the Oscar favorite for Best Picture, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
The movie is adapted from a novel written by an Indian author. It takes place in Mumbai, and it's basically built around a man's attempt at the Hindi verson of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". He gets to the last question before the show runs out for the day, and they doubt that he would be able to answer 19 questions correctly before getting to the 20million rupee question, so they take him into custody for questioning, thinking he's cheating. The first 3/4 of the movie is spent telling his life story, and demonstrating how he knows all of these answers based on events in his life. The last quarter is when he attempts the final question and everything going down. (All of this still really hasn't ruined the plot for you).
I have to say, this movie reminds me a lot of the movie "Crash". It's probably better than Crash (I actually hated "Crash" - worst best picture winner of my lifetime, and that's an incredible feat to be worse than "Titanic"). It's just implausible to believe that 19 questions he's asked on a gameshow he knows because of events in his life. I've been delaying this post because I've been trying to think of an example of how to show this from my life, and I just can't because it's too stupid. For example, one of the questions he answers is: "What is in the right hand of the God Rama?" He knew this because of some event in his life. This would be like me going on "Millionaire" and being asked: "What are the four symbols in the CMA church's logo?" Obviously I'd be able to answer this because I have attended this denomination my whole life. Ask my Presbyterian friends, even someone like Dave, and the chances that they'd know this are slim, I think. (Answer: cross representing salvation, laver representing sanctification, pitcher representing physical healing, crown representing the Coming King; these are the four pillars upon which the CMA is built, to my knowledge).
Anyway, the movie is just a highly implausible love story but it is touching. This movie I wouldn't recommend either way. If you were going to see it, you should, but if you were undecided, you'd have to look elsewhere for advice.
The movie is adapted from a novel written by an Indian author. It takes place in Mumbai, and it's basically built around a man's attempt at the Hindi verson of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". He gets to the last question before the show runs out for the day, and they doubt that he would be able to answer 19 questions correctly before getting to the 20million rupee question, so they take him into custody for questioning, thinking he's cheating. The first 3/4 of the movie is spent telling his life story, and demonstrating how he knows all of these answers based on events in his life. The last quarter is when he attempts the final question and everything going down. (All of this still really hasn't ruined the plot for you).
I have to say, this movie reminds me a lot of the movie "Crash". It's probably better than Crash (I actually hated "Crash" - worst best picture winner of my lifetime, and that's an incredible feat to be worse than "Titanic"). It's just implausible to believe that 19 questions he's asked on a gameshow he knows because of events in his life. I've been delaying this post because I've been trying to think of an example of how to show this from my life, and I just can't because it's too stupid. For example, one of the questions he answers is: "What is in the right hand of the God Rama?" He knew this because of some event in his life. This would be like me going on "Millionaire" and being asked: "What are the four symbols in the CMA church's logo?" Obviously I'd be able to answer this because I have attended this denomination my whole life. Ask my Presbyterian friends, even someone like Dave, and the chances that they'd know this are slim, I think. (Answer: cross representing salvation, laver representing sanctification, pitcher representing physical healing, crown representing the Coming King; these are the four pillars upon which the CMA is built, to my knowledge).
Anyway, the movie is just a highly implausible love story but it is touching. This movie I wouldn't recommend either way. If you were going to see it, you should, but if you were undecided, you'd have to look elsewhere for advice.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Frost/Nixon
Basically there are three movie seasons: summer movies, holiday movies, and everything else. Summer movies are the fun "popcorn" movies; they are blockbusters, usually action films or franchises that have a built in audience and make a lot of money. Holiday movies can be these blockbusters but also is the time where the arty Oscar films are released. That's why the holiday season is tied for my favorite movie season.
One of the Oscar-type films this season is called "Frost/Nixon". It's based on the play that has been running on Broadway for a couple of years now. The play is based on the series of interviews that was performed in 1977 between British talk show host David Frost and the disgraced 37th President of the US, Richard M. Nixon. Going deeper than just the interviews, the movie delves into the process of getting the interview set up, as well as the psyche of both Frost and Nixon, to show what each man had riding on these historic interviews. Here are my thoughts on this movie:
1. It's a fascinating subject. I think too often in movies, people just assume "Nixon" as a subject (as an example) and make a movie about him. I think I find that what makes movies and people more interesting are singular events that are told in great detail. That's what this movie is. Obviously we could see Oliver Stone's "Nixon" or watch something like "All the President's Men" to hear about Watergate. This movie is original in its singular focus.
2. Frank Langella plays Nixon. He is getting Oscar buzz for his role, and with good reason. He reprised the role that he played on Broadway, opposite Michael Sheen, who plays David Frost. Michael Sheen, it has to be noted, was excellent in "The Queen", which was a movie that was similar to this one, where it examined the nascent stages of Tony Blair's time as Prime Minister and his relationship with the Queen, which coincided with the death of Princess Diana. Both actors are brilliant in this movie. Langella gets to the psychology of Nixon with gusto. He nails his paranoia, his sixth sense of cheapness, his hatred of people, and his feeling of inferiority.
Well, really, those are my only thoughts on the movie. Go see it. But here are more holiday movie season thoughts:
3. I love going to the movies, but I really hate that most people don't know theater etiquette anymore. Here are a few hard and fast rules: (a) When you enter a theater, get a seat as far away from everyone else as possible. Do not sit directly behind someone. If you are sitting in the row behind them, sit a couple of seats to the right or left; (b) do not kick the seat in front of you. I repeat: DO NOT KICK THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU. If you are old enough to leave the house and go to the movies, you are old enough to mind your feet the entire time. There is nothing more annoying that having your seat kicked throughout an entire movie.
4. Here are other movies that I am looking forward to before the Oscars on February 22:
-The Wrester: Mickey Rourke is garnering a lot of Oscar buzz.
-Gran Torino: I'm not an Eastwood guy, but this movie looks thrilling.
-Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway is getting major props for her role as a recovering addict.
-Slumdog Millionaire: Getting a lot of hype as the Best Picture.
-Doubt: an intriguing tale of racism in the Catholic church in the Bronx
-Revolutionary Road: Leo and Kate together for the first time since Titanic, which I refuse to see
-Ben Button: It might be too long though.
I may be forgetting some others. What are you looking forward to seeing?
One of the Oscar-type films this season is called "Frost/Nixon". It's based on the play that has been running on Broadway for a couple of years now. The play is based on the series of interviews that was performed in 1977 between British talk show host David Frost and the disgraced 37th President of the US, Richard M. Nixon. Going deeper than just the interviews, the movie delves into the process of getting the interview set up, as well as the psyche of both Frost and Nixon, to show what each man had riding on these historic interviews. Here are my thoughts on this movie:
1. It's a fascinating subject. I think too often in movies, people just assume "Nixon" as a subject (as an example) and make a movie about him. I think I find that what makes movies and people more interesting are singular events that are told in great detail. That's what this movie is. Obviously we could see Oliver Stone's "Nixon" or watch something like "All the President's Men" to hear about Watergate. This movie is original in its singular focus.
2. Frank Langella plays Nixon. He is getting Oscar buzz for his role, and with good reason. He reprised the role that he played on Broadway, opposite Michael Sheen, who plays David Frost. Michael Sheen, it has to be noted, was excellent in "The Queen", which was a movie that was similar to this one, where it examined the nascent stages of Tony Blair's time as Prime Minister and his relationship with the Queen, which coincided with the death of Princess Diana. Both actors are brilliant in this movie. Langella gets to the psychology of Nixon with gusto. He nails his paranoia, his sixth sense of cheapness, his hatred of people, and his feeling of inferiority.
Well, really, those are my only thoughts on the movie. Go see it. But here are more holiday movie season thoughts:
3. I love going to the movies, but I really hate that most people don't know theater etiquette anymore. Here are a few hard and fast rules: (a) When you enter a theater, get a seat as far away from everyone else as possible. Do not sit directly behind someone. If you are sitting in the row behind them, sit a couple of seats to the right or left; (b) do not kick the seat in front of you. I repeat: DO NOT KICK THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU. If you are old enough to leave the house and go to the movies, you are old enough to mind your feet the entire time. There is nothing more annoying that having your seat kicked throughout an entire movie.
4. Here are other movies that I am looking forward to before the Oscars on February 22:
-The Wrester: Mickey Rourke is garnering a lot of Oscar buzz.
-Gran Torino: I'm not an Eastwood guy, but this movie looks thrilling.
-Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway is getting major props for her role as a recovering addict.
-Slumdog Millionaire: Getting a lot of hype as the Best Picture.
-Doubt: an intriguing tale of racism in the Catholic church in the Bronx
-Revolutionary Road: Leo and Kate together for the first time since Titanic, which I refuse to see
-Ben Button: It might be too long though.
I may be forgetting some others. What are you looking forward to seeing?
Monday, December 22, 2008
Ten Years Ago Today
It is with a heavy heart that I blog about this topic.
It's kind of cliched in our world; a senior in high school with lots of promise is tragically killed in some type of accident. Ten years ago today, December 23, 1998, this cliche came to life for my senior class. Our friend Jim Kennedy was killed in a car accident. Jim was in my class, we were seniors, and he was a great guy. He was popular, funny, sarcastic, friendly, and loyal. He was a star soccer player, becoming the school's alltime leader in assists.
He was someone who I had known since I was 9 years old; we played baseball together. When we were 10, my dad was the manager of our team. It was Dad's first year managing, and he didn't know too much about the players that were my age. I remember the night that he came home from the draft. He showed me the roster; one of the 10 year olds on our team was Jimmy. My dad recalled that when he drafted Jimmy, not knowing anything about him, another manager (Mr. Molnar) winced in agony; he was hoping to get Jimmy as a steal later in the draft.
I remember the events of December 23, 1998 very vividly. It was the last day of school before Christmas break, and it was a Wednesday. It was a half day of school. I was in the library during 9th period study hall with two friends, Joe Gramc and Justin Bonus. We were hanging out, counting the minutes until school would be left out. About 10 minutes before the day ended, Joe's older brother Matt came into the library with a grim look on his face and told Joe that he had to go. I didn't think too much about it at the time.
I went home from school, and I honestly don't remember who called me a few hours later. All I remember is that I called Bonus. He was taking a nap, and his mom answered the phone. I told her that she probably should wake Justin up for this. He came to the phone, and I broke the news to him: Jim had died in a car accident that morning. Justin was incredulous; I could hear the agony in his voice as he didn't want to believe it.
There was a big group grieving session at the house of Jim's girlfriend, Ali. She was in the car with him, and walked away; she was wearing a seatbelt, he was not. I can't remember who all was there; I just remember that it seemed like our entire class was there. We were grieving together.
Jim's viewing was on Saturday, which was the same day as our family Christmas party, which was at our house. I had to dress up and leave the family party early in order to see Jim in his wake. It was a horrible experience. His funeral was three days later. It was at Northway Christian Community, which is a huge church, and it was packed to the gills. I remember Meghan Ott singing "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLaughlin; to this day, I prefer not to listen to McLaughlin songs because they remind me of Jim's funeral. The pastor that day, Scott McCabe, told a story about Jim being at the Rams' hockey game the Sunday night just three days before his death. According to Pastor McCabe, he had a conversation with Jim about his faith, and Jim was saved that night - a clear sign of God's divine plan.
As a senior class, we grieved for most of the rest of the school year. There was a basketball tournament at the high school for the holidays the week of Christmas break. At the first game, we had a moment of silence for Jim. We also began the tradition that week of preserving Jim's parking space. He was particular about this space; parked there every day. Our class decided to save his space for the remainder of the year. We spray painted our farewell messages to him on this space, and for the rest of the year kept people from parking there. At the holiday basketball tournament, someone parked in his space, and about 30-40 students walked outside to physically move the car of the person parked in the space. They lifted it and moved it to another space (I was not involved, as I was the PA announcer for the tournament).
I remember that earlier that fall, I had gone to the football game at Hampton with Jim and a couple other friends. We were parked up by the high school, and walking to the football field, when some kids in a Mustang drove down the street. In my estimation, they were driving way too fast, and I yelled at them to let them know that. They stopped, and invited me to talk with them in not so many nice words. We were yelling at each other, and they wanted to fight. Jim stepped in, told them they were being stupid, and got them to get going on their way.
These are just a few of my memories of Jim. I can't believe that it was ten years ago today that he passed. Ten years ago today, we were sitting in the middle of a living room in Treesdale, consoling each other over the loss of one of our best friends. Ten years ago today that Jim's life was cut tragically short. The only thing that gives me comfort to this day is the fact that, someday, I will see him in Heaven.
It's kind of cliched in our world; a senior in high school with lots of promise is tragically killed in some type of accident. Ten years ago today, December 23, 1998, this cliche came to life for my senior class. Our friend Jim Kennedy was killed in a car accident. Jim was in my class, we were seniors, and he was a great guy. He was popular, funny, sarcastic, friendly, and loyal. He was a star soccer player, becoming the school's alltime leader in assists.
He was someone who I had known since I was 9 years old; we played baseball together. When we were 10, my dad was the manager of our team. It was Dad's first year managing, and he didn't know too much about the players that were my age. I remember the night that he came home from the draft. He showed me the roster; one of the 10 year olds on our team was Jimmy. My dad recalled that when he drafted Jimmy, not knowing anything about him, another manager (Mr. Molnar) winced in agony; he was hoping to get Jimmy as a steal later in the draft.
I remember the events of December 23, 1998 very vividly. It was the last day of school before Christmas break, and it was a Wednesday. It was a half day of school. I was in the library during 9th period study hall with two friends, Joe Gramc and Justin Bonus. We were hanging out, counting the minutes until school would be left out. About 10 minutes before the day ended, Joe's older brother Matt came into the library with a grim look on his face and told Joe that he had to go. I didn't think too much about it at the time.
I went home from school, and I honestly don't remember who called me a few hours later. All I remember is that I called Bonus. He was taking a nap, and his mom answered the phone. I told her that she probably should wake Justin up for this. He came to the phone, and I broke the news to him: Jim had died in a car accident that morning. Justin was incredulous; I could hear the agony in his voice as he didn't want to believe it.
There was a big group grieving session at the house of Jim's girlfriend, Ali. She was in the car with him, and walked away; she was wearing a seatbelt, he was not. I can't remember who all was there; I just remember that it seemed like our entire class was there. We were grieving together.
Jim's viewing was on Saturday, which was the same day as our family Christmas party, which was at our house. I had to dress up and leave the family party early in order to see Jim in his wake. It was a horrible experience. His funeral was three days later. It was at Northway Christian Community, which is a huge church, and it was packed to the gills. I remember Meghan Ott singing "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLaughlin; to this day, I prefer not to listen to McLaughlin songs because they remind me of Jim's funeral. The pastor that day, Scott McCabe, told a story about Jim being at the Rams' hockey game the Sunday night just three days before his death. According to Pastor McCabe, he had a conversation with Jim about his faith, and Jim was saved that night - a clear sign of God's divine plan.
As a senior class, we grieved for most of the rest of the school year. There was a basketball tournament at the high school for the holidays the week of Christmas break. At the first game, we had a moment of silence for Jim. We also began the tradition that week of preserving Jim's parking space. He was particular about this space; parked there every day. Our class decided to save his space for the remainder of the year. We spray painted our farewell messages to him on this space, and for the rest of the year kept people from parking there. At the holiday basketball tournament, someone parked in his space, and about 30-40 students walked outside to physically move the car of the person parked in the space. They lifted it and moved it to another space (I was not involved, as I was the PA announcer for the tournament).
I remember that earlier that fall, I had gone to the football game at Hampton with Jim and a couple other friends. We were parked up by the high school, and walking to the football field, when some kids in a Mustang drove down the street. In my estimation, they were driving way too fast, and I yelled at them to let them know that. They stopped, and invited me to talk with them in not so many nice words. We were yelling at each other, and they wanted to fight. Jim stepped in, told them they were being stupid, and got them to get going on their way.
These are just a few of my memories of Jim. I can't believe that it was ten years ago today that he passed. Ten years ago today, we were sitting in the middle of a living room in Treesdale, consoling each other over the loss of one of our best friends. Ten years ago today that Jim's life was cut tragically short. The only thing that gives me comfort to this day is the fact that, someday, I will see him in Heaven.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Most Quotable Movies
So, Keith and I were discussing this today. I was making the argument that "Dumb and Dumber" is the funniest movie of our generation, and I think this is true because of its endearing quotability. He disagrees; he says he doesn't find himself quoting this movie often. So, I've been pondering this, and hereby offer my list. One caveat: Seinfeld is the most quotable piece of media ever, but is not a movie, so it's not here obviously. In no particular order:
1. Dumb and Dumber - the story of Lloyd, Harry, and a briefcase is the funniest movie of my generation, I will always make this claim. How many quotable lines from this movie? Well, offhand: no food, no jobs; how do they know I got gas?; soup du jour; eat up and we'll tell ya; how's your burger; totally redeem yourself; big gulp; nice hooters...this is just off the top of my head. Now, of course, some of these would never have relevance in everyday life. I'm not going to say the "nice set of hooters you got there" to just anybody for any situation. But, a lot of these lines fit any situation. It's as close to a fact as you can get that this is the funniest movie of my lifetime.
2. Tommy Boy - this is the runner up to the funniest movie of my lifetime. Some great lines in this movie. A particular favorite of mine: "I've got a fridge. You can put six packs of b...soda in there, candy bars in the freezer...anything, you wanna keep cold, Tommy!"
3. Grease - probably the most quotable movie musical. Obviously I sing all of the songs, but some great lines in this movie exist. A personal favorite: "A hickie from Kenicke is like a Hallmark card. We care enough to send our very best." Or, how about Danny: "I didn't go with her, I just went with her."
4. Rounders - one of the most quotable non-dumb and dumber characters in John Malkovich's KGB. He uses a horrible Russian accent, but his quotes helped facilitate the poker boom that we've experienced in the last 10 years.
5. Karate Kid - my buddy Quattro's favorite movie. My favorite line? Probably: "Put him in a bodybag, yeah!"
6. Father of the Bride - this one would have been higher on the list, even though its not in any particular order, except that I just remembered it and I'm too lazy to go back and change the order. Some examples of my favorite lines: the exchange about the cake (a cake, Franc, is flour and water!); "I don't think you want the word 'pit' on a wedding invitation, George"; the George rant at the supermarket about wieners and buns; the opening monologue.
7. The Wedding Singer - full of 80s jokes, this movie has lots of great lines. "See, Billy Idol gets it!" "The best man! The better man!" Any Glen Guliya lines. A treasure trove of great quotable lines.
8. Home Alone - "Look what you did, you little jerk!" "You're what the French call 'les incompetents'!" "Yeah, we did, but it's all gone, so somebody's gonna have to barf it up!"
Well, this is my list for starters. What are your favorite lines from these movies? What other movies would you add to the list?
1. Dumb and Dumber - the story of Lloyd, Harry, and a briefcase is the funniest movie of my generation, I will always make this claim. How many quotable lines from this movie? Well, offhand: no food, no jobs; how do they know I got gas?; soup du jour; eat up and we'll tell ya; how's your burger; totally redeem yourself; big gulp; nice hooters...this is just off the top of my head. Now, of course, some of these would never have relevance in everyday life. I'm not going to say the "nice set of hooters you got there" to just anybody for any situation. But, a lot of these lines fit any situation. It's as close to a fact as you can get that this is the funniest movie of my lifetime.
2. Tommy Boy - this is the runner up to the funniest movie of my lifetime. Some great lines in this movie. A particular favorite of mine: "I've got a fridge. You can put six packs of b...soda in there, candy bars in the freezer...anything, you wanna keep cold, Tommy!"
3. Grease - probably the most quotable movie musical. Obviously I sing all of the songs, but some great lines in this movie exist. A personal favorite: "A hickie from Kenicke is like a Hallmark card. We care enough to send our very best." Or, how about Danny: "I didn't go with her, I just went with her."
4. Rounders - one of the most quotable non-dumb and dumber characters in John Malkovich's KGB. He uses a horrible Russian accent, but his quotes helped facilitate the poker boom that we've experienced in the last 10 years.
5. Karate Kid - my buddy Quattro's favorite movie. My favorite line? Probably: "Put him in a bodybag, yeah!"
6. Father of the Bride - this one would have been higher on the list, even though its not in any particular order, except that I just remembered it and I'm too lazy to go back and change the order. Some examples of my favorite lines: the exchange about the cake (a cake, Franc, is flour and water!); "I don't think you want the word 'pit' on a wedding invitation, George"; the George rant at the supermarket about wieners and buns; the opening monologue.
7. The Wedding Singer - full of 80s jokes, this movie has lots of great lines. "See, Billy Idol gets it!" "The best man! The better man!" Any Glen Guliya lines. A treasure trove of great quotable lines.
8. Home Alone - "Look what you did, you little jerk!" "You're what the French call 'les incompetents'!" "Yeah, we did, but it's all gone, so somebody's gonna have to barf it up!"
Well, this is my list for starters. What are your favorite lines from these movies? What other movies would you add to the list?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Favorite Things – Holiday Edition
So, I can’t do favorite winter things yet, because it’s not winter until December 21 or so. That’s also the shortest day of the year, and one of my favorite, because the sun sets at approximately 2:30 pm. It’s like we are living in Alaska for a day!
So, here’s a list of my favorite holiday things. Feel free to blog about your own favorites!
1. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” – hands down, the best song of the holidays. I don’t officially consider it Christmas season until I hear this song. I love singing it, it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. She has such a great range (8 octaves!) and it really is in use on this song. A magical part of the Christmas season.
2. Christmas Eve service – as a child, this was one of the worst parts of the season. It just seemed like church would last forever (when it reality I don’t think it was ever more than 1.5 hours – we did have some interesting “special visitors” but that’s for another time). As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to have a better appreciation for what this service means. It is a favorite moment of mine when our church makes a circle around the sanctuary, lighting candles and singing “Silent Night”.
3. Family Christmas party – Mom’s side of the fam has a party on a Saturday before or after Christmas every year. The best part about this party is the “Card Game”. It is a simple game of deception. You need two decks of cards, 5-6 gifts/objects to “win”, and a memory. You hand out the cards to everybody, then call out the cards from the second deck. When your card is called, you select a prize. Then, once the prizes are all in circulation, you have to request the prize from another person. It leads to a lot of laughter when people are made to look stupid because they don’t remember who has the prize they requested. They all have specific names, like “green package with red bow” and if you don’t call it that, you are wrong and don’t get the prize. So yes, I love the card game.
4. Gift opening traditions – in our family, we open presents from the kids Christmas Eve and from Santa Christmas morning. It’s always fun to race home from church and get excited to open gifts. Then, we always beg (to this day, even!) to open more gifts until we are reminded that Santa hasn’t come yet (for the kids, of course).
5. Waking up early – I still, as a 27 year old, cannot sleep on Christmas Eve. It’s not as bad as it once was, but I wake up at 7 am. I’m like my father in this way; he and I are the ones that make everyone else get up early. This has caused a lot of consternation with Beth, because if you know her, she’s not really a “morning” person, at least not that early.
6. Old Videos – I remember when Dad and Mom used to videotape our opening of gifts. One of my favorite memories is when Jer was a young lad, maybe 3 or 4, and he would open a gift and scream (in his other-worldly low voice for a kid), “hey mom, I got this!”
7. Gifts gone awry – no, this does not refer to Moulin Rouge; instead, it revolves around my penchant for asking for things that I don’t really use much. Past items include a telescope and an acoustic guitar. I’m sure my family can chime in with other gifts that I have wasted.
8. Christmas cereals – when you grow up in a family with three kids, there are bound to be disagreements about stupid things. Two of our most vehement disagreements were over fast food (Jer always wanted McDonalds, I wanted Burger King) and cereal. As a treat, mom would buy each one of us a box of cereal that we wanted for Christmas. It stopped probably when I was in high school but it is a fond memory of mine.
9. Christmas music – I’ve already covered Mariah, but there are a plethora of other great songs that we hear for approximately 6 weeks a year, both secular and Christian. It was an even bigger joy to know that Jer enjoys Christmas music a lot.
10. New Years Day – New Years Eve is consistently the most disappointing day of the year (except for this year—Brut Sun Bowl!) but NYD is awesome. Memories of our family going to breakfast (not at Bob Evans) and then going to the mall are very fresh. Then we get home and watch football all day. One of my favorite traditions is ordering grilled cheese from Eat n Park at 9am on New Years Day.
Well, I originally intended this post to center on the whole holiday season, but was able to come up with a lot about Christmas exclusively! I love Thanksgiving as well, but I guess you’ll have to wait to hear about it until next year.
So, here’s a list of my favorite holiday things. Feel free to blog about your own favorites!
1. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” – hands down, the best song of the holidays. I don’t officially consider it Christmas season until I hear this song. I love singing it, it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. She has such a great range (8 octaves!) and it really is in use on this song. A magical part of the Christmas season.
2. Christmas Eve service – as a child, this was one of the worst parts of the season. It just seemed like church would last forever (when it reality I don’t think it was ever more than 1.5 hours – we did have some interesting “special visitors” but that’s for another time). As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to have a better appreciation for what this service means. It is a favorite moment of mine when our church makes a circle around the sanctuary, lighting candles and singing “Silent Night”.
3. Family Christmas party – Mom’s side of the fam has a party on a Saturday before or after Christmas every year. The best part about this party is the “Card Game”. It is a simple game of deception. You need two decks of cards, 5-6 gifts/objects to “win”, and a memory. You hand out the cards to everybody, then call out the cards from the second deck. When your card is called, you select a prize. Then, once the prizes are all in circulation, you have to request the prize from another person. It leads to a lot of laughter when people are made to look stupid because they don’t remember who has the prize they requested. They all have specific names, like “green package with red bow” and if you don’t call it that, you are wrong and don’t get the prize. So yes, I love the card game.
4. Gift opening traditions – in our family, we open presents from the kids Christmas Eve and from Santa Christmas morning. It’s always fun to race home from church and get excited to open gifts. Then, we always beg (to this day, even!) to open more gifts until we are reminded that Santa hasn’t come yet (for the kids, of course).
5. Waking up early – I still, as a 27 year old, cannot sleep on Christmas Eve. It’s not as bad as it once was, but I wake up at 7 am. I’m like my father in this way; he and I are the ones that make everyone else get up early. This has caused a lot of consternation with Beth, because if you know her, she’s not really a “morning” person, at least not that early.
6. Old Videos – I remember when Dad and Mom used to videotape our opening of gifts. One of my favorite memories is when Jer was a young lad, maybe 3 or 4, and he would open a gift and scream (in his other-worldly low voice for a kid), “hey mom, I got this!”
7. Gifts gone awry – no, this does not refer to Moulin Rouge; instead, it revolves around my penchant for asking for things that I don’t really use much. Past items include a telescope and an acoustic guitar. I’m sure my family can chime in with other gifts that I have wasted.
8. Christmas cereals – when you grow up in a family with three kids, there are bound to be disagreements about stupid things. Two of our most vehement disagreements were over fast food (Jer always wanted McDonalds, I wanted Burger King) and cereal. As a treat, mom would buy each one of us a box of cereal that we wanted for Christmas. It stopped probably when I was in high school but it is a fond memory of mine.
9. Christmas music – I’ve already covered Mariah, but there are a plethora of other great songs that we hear for approximately 6 weeks a year, both secular and Christian. It was an even bigger joy to know that Jer enjoys Christmas music a lot.
10. New Years Day – New Years Eve is consistently the most disappointing day of the year (except for this year—Brut Sun Bowl!) but NYD is awesome. Memories of our family going to breakfast (not at Bob Evans) and then going to the mall are very fresh. Then we get home and watch football all day. One of my favorite traditions is ordering grilled cheese from Eat n Park at 9am on New Years Day.
Well, I originally intended this post to center on the whole holiday season, but was able to come up with a lot about Christmas exclusively! I love Thanksgiving as well, but I guess you’ll have to wait to hear about it until next year.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Catching Up
Well, I've been gone from the blogging world for awhile. I spent last Wednesday and Thursday in Harrisburg, then was home Friday after work but went up to Grove City all day Saturday, then headed back to Harrisburg yesterday and got back today. For some reason, my internet wasn't working all weekend, but I fixed it today (and by "I fixed it", I mean that it came to work through its own volition). So, here are some thoughts:
1. I was in Harrisburg for staff meetings last week, then yesterday had to go back for our State Nurses 2nd step grievance meetings. In our state contract, the nurses file grievances at their facility, and if it is denied, they can appeal to the 2nd step procedure. The 2nd step meetings are every 3 months, and there is a panel of 3 management and 3 union people listening to the cases. I acted as a sort of attorney for the three cases. I was able to settle all three, I am happy with 2 of the settlements for sure. It was a good experience and I will go back in February.
2. It's a good time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Steelers are playing well, Pitt football is going to the prestigious Sun Bowl, and the Pitt hoops team is #3 in the nation. I can't help but feel that this won't be complete until the Pirates contend for their division...
3. OK, I'll stop dreaming now.
4. Tomorrow I am attending a meeting in Oakland of people who are trying to start up the Pittsburgh chapter of PA Pro Life. I will let you know how it goes.
5. These gas prices are great! It is nice to fill up an empty tank and not spend $20. However, gas is about $.35 cheaper in Carlisle than Pittsburgh. How is this possible?
6. I will be posting my Favorite Things: Holiday Edition pretty soon. Look for it!
7. Small group is venturing down to the Mount next Monday night! I need to do some cleaning before then, although I generally keep a pretty clean apartment.
8. Gossip Girl is the best show on TV right now. And it stinks that Dirty Sexy Money's best episode aired the week after it was announced that it was canceled.
9. Beth only skims my blog. She probably won't even see this!
10. Well, that's about all I have!
1. I was in Harrisburg for staff meetings last week, then yesterday had to go back for our State Nurses 2nd step grievance meetings. In our state contract, the nurses file grievances at their facility, and if it is denied, they can appeal to the 2nd step procedure. The 2nd step meetings are every 3 months, and there is a panel of 3 management and 3 union people listening to the cases. I acted as a sort of attorney for the three cases. I was able to settle all three, I am happy with 2 of the settlements for sure. It was a good experience and I will go back in February.
2. It's a good time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Steelers are playing well, Pitt football is going to the prestigious Sun Bowl, and the Pitt hoops team is #3 in the nation. I can't help but feel that this won't be complete until the Pirates contend for their division...
3. OK, I'll stop dreaming now.
4. Tomorrow I am attending a meeting in Oakland of people who are trying to start up the Pittsburgh chapter of PA Pro Life. I will let you know how it goes.
5. These gas prices are great! It is nice to fill up an empty tank and not spend $20. However, gas is about $.35 cheaper in Carlisle than Pittsburgh. How is this possible?
6. I will be posting my Favorite Things: Holiday Edition pretty soon. Look for it!
7. Small group is venturing down to the Mount next Monday night! I need to do some cleaning before then, although I generally keep a pretty clean apartment.
8. Gossip Girl is the best show on TV right now. And it stinks that Dirty Sexy Money's best episode aired the week after it was announced that it was canceled.
9. Beth only skims my blog. She probably won't even see this!
10. Well, that's about all I have!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Love these easy posts!
1) Song that encourages you?
Getting Better - the Beatles
2) Song that you'd encourage others with?
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
3) Song that always makes you smile/happy?
Kiss by Prince - it's my favorite song
4) Song that always makes you cry/sad?
Purple Rain - Prince; it's just such a beautiful song
5) Song when you're angry?
Probably Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine, or other Rage songs
6) Song when you're frustrated?
Mr. Brownstone - OK, not seriously (it's a song about heroin for those who don't know)
7) Break up song?
I'll steal from Beth on Since U Been Gone; that song still rocks!
Also, Tuesday Heartbreak by Stevie Wonder and I Used to Love Her by GnR
8) Song that describes your love life right now?
The Waiting is the Hardest Part by Tom Petty
9) First dance song (does this mean slow or fast?)
Hey Macarena - Los Del Rio (obv fast)
Slow - Let's Stay Together (Al Green) or Adore (Prince)
10) Mother-son dance song?
My Girl - Temptations
11) Song that best describes your life in general right now?
Today Was a Good Day - Ice Cube
12) Contemplative song?
Against the Wind - Bob Seger (I don't appreciate songwriting)
13) Writing song?
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
14) Dance song?
well, Electric Slide, Chicken Dance, and the Macarena
15) Road trip song?
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
16) Most meaningful song?
Meaningful to what? there are lots of songs that have lots of meanings
17) Most memorable song?
I can't name just one or ten
18) If you play an instrument or sing, song you were most proud of learning?
Piano Man on the Harmonica
19) Favorite worship song?
One Name
Enough by Jeremy Camp
20) Song you think about when you think of family?
Beth - Ghetto Superstar
Jer - probably Lord Tariq and Peter Guns
Mom - My Girl, It's My Party, Leader of the Pack
Dad - anything where you can substitute our names in, e.g. I Fought the Law (ex. "The Grubbs' fought the school and the Grubbs won!")
21) Song you think about when you think of friends?
In no particular friend order:
Jarv - very many, probably Big Poppa and Yesterdays mostly
Jig - Mid the Pines (the Grove City College alma mater), I Wanna Be Ur Lover
Weng - AC/DC like Thunderstruck
Greg - I Jus' Wanna Luv Ya (Jay Z)
Quattro - Bruckner's 9th
Kif - Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (when we karaoke'd this song...he was Ma$e, I was Puffy)
Luke - Jump Around
Colin - Say It Right (Nelly Furtado)
Tim - Return of the Mack, anything Weird Al (seriously Tim is the biggest Weird Al fan in the world, although he didn't call off sick from work to go to his show in Gatlinburg!)
Moz - Lose Yourself
Getting Better - the Beatles
2) Song that you'd encourage others with?
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
3) Song that always makes you smile/happy?
Kiss by Prince - it's my favorite song
4) Song that always makes you cry/sad?
Purple Rain - Prince; it's just such a beautiful song
5) Song when you're angry?
Probably Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine, or other Rage songs
6) Song when you're frustrated?
Mr. Brownstone - OK, not seriously (it's a song about heroin for those who don't know)
7) Break up song?
I'll steal from Beth on Since U Been Gone; that song still rocks!
Also, Tuesday Heartbreak by Stevie Wonder and I Used to Love Her by GnR
8) Song that describes your love life right now?
The Waiting is the Hardest Part by Tom Petty
9) First dance song (does this mean slow or fast?)
Hey Macarena - Los Del Rio (obv fast)
Slow - Let's Stay Together (Al Green) or Adore (Prince)
10) Mother-son dance song?
My Girl - Temptations
11) Song that best describes your life in general right now?
Today Was a Good Day - Ice Cube
12) Contemplative song?
Against the Wind - Bob Seger (I don't appreciate songwriting)
13) Writing song?
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
14) Dance song?
well, Electric Slide, Chicken Dance, and the Macarena
15) Road trip song?
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
16) Most meaningful song?
Meaningful to what? there are lots of songs that have lots of meanings
17) Most memorable song?
I can't name just one or ten
18) If you play an instrument or sing, song you were most proud of learning?
Piano Man on the Harmonica
19) Favorite worship song?
One Name
Enough by Jeremy Camp
20) Song you think about when you think of family?
Beth - Ghetto Superstar
Jer - probably Lord Tariq and Peter Guns
Mom - My Girl, It's My Party, Leader of the Pack
Dad - anything where you can substitute our names in, e.g. I Fought the Law (ex. "The Grubbs' fought the school and the Grubbs won!")
21) Song you think about when you think of friends?
In no particular friend order:
Jarv - very many, probably Big Poppa and Yesterdays mostly
Jig - Mid the Pines (the Grove City College alma mater), I Wanna Be Ur Lover
Weng - AC/DC like Thunderstruck
Greg - I Jus' Wanna Luv Ya (Jay Z)
Quattro - Bruckner's 9th
Kif - Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (when we karaoke'd this song...he was Ma$e, I was Puffy)
Luke - Jump Around
Colin - Say It Right (Nelly Furtado)
Tim - Return of the Mack, anything Weird Al (seriously Tim is the biggest Weird Al fan in the world, although he didn't call off sick from work to go to his show in Gatlinburg!)
Moz - Lose Yourself
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Stolen from Jaim'
Although I am adding my own comments to some (what I've done is bolded):
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (does Disney World count? I say yes).
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (this was in Jamaica, although we were in the Caribbean and then took our trunks off. But I'm counting it.)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (both Kickball and IM Softball)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Il regazzo mangio le pizza!)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke (obviously I'm a star)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (assuming McDonalds counts)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (also in Jamaica plus probably other places)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (well only the second level, but I'm counting it because the top was closed)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (three words - Grubbs Detective Agency)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I guess I'd have to have a daughter to do this?)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (can't, I'm iron deficient, or at least my mom is and I think I am by extension)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Santa's going to bring me a...GI JOE!)
85. Read the entire Bible (shame, thou name is Josh)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (and a hornet--7 times--at church!)
100. Read an entire book in one day
Some of these things, frankly, I do not want to do.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (does Disney World count? I say yes).
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (this was in Jamaica, although we were in the Caribbean and then took our trunks off. But I'm counting it.)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (both Kickball and IM Softball)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Il regazzo mangio le pizza!)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke (obviously I'm a star)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (assuming McDonalds counts)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (also in Jamaica plus probably other places)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (well only the second level, but I'm counting it because the top was closed)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (three words - Grubbs Detective Agency)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I guess I'd have to have a daughter to do this?)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (can't, I'm iron deficient, or at least my mom is and I think I am by extension)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Santa's going to bring me a...GI JOE!)
85. Read the entire Bible (shame, thou name is Josh)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (and a hornet--7 times--at church!)
100. Read an entire book in one day
Some of these things, frankly, I do not want to do.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Celebrating Chinese Democracy!
No, not the country, but the album! This album has been in one of the longest gestation periods known to man. It has been in the works for 15 years! Think back to 1993. Guns n Roses were the biggest band in the world, Appetite for Destruction ruled the late 80s, they had put out Use Your Illusion 1 and 2, which were epic masterpieces. Then...nothing. For a long time. Axl goes into hiding. Words leaks that he's working on a new masterpiece, called Chinese Democracy. He fires most of the original Guns members, hires new people, fires them, becomes more of a recluse. Eventually he returns, overweight, at the 2001 MTV VMAs. He has trouble making it around the stage because he's out of shape. That same year, Michael Jackson's long awaited studio album Invincible came out, leaving Axl as the sole writer of the world's most anticipated album. There are rumours that Chinese Democracy will come out in 2002, then again in 2004, and 2005. When there were rumours of it coming out this year, it was too hard to believe. Then, in late September, they announced that Chinese Democracy would indeed be coming out, and it came out today, November 23, 2008, 15 years to the day that Use Your Illusion 2 came out.
Sebastian Bach (of 80s hair band Skid Row) called the tracks that Axl had written for this album "f---ing epic" a few years ago. After listening to the album all afternoon, I have to concur. This is just a fabulous record. The title track is menacing, there are at least two November Rain style ballads in Catcher in the Rye and Street of Dreams, the guitars are classic soaring GnR, and Axl's trademark wail is still in full force. While I'm disappointed that years of Chinese Democracy jokes will now be forgotten (Josh, will you take the trash out? Sure, once Chinese Democracy comes out!), it surely was worth the wait.
Other news and notes:
1. Justin Timberlake is the man. He is so prolific. His latest endeavor was to take over SNL when Paul Rudd hosted last week. He is a staple of SNL, whether it's the Color Me Badd style music videos, or the Barry Gibb talk show, or his impressions that he does so well. He's the best guest host, the best guest musician, and a guy who generally takes himself lightly at all times. That is the key to being a good SNL host. Mark me down as a Timberlake fan.
2. I finally talked to the girl on the bus last Friday afternoon; of course, this was after I sat next to her on the morning bus and didn't say a word to her. I asked her her name (Mandy) and told her that she had a beautiful smile, which of course went over real well (but it is the truth). I was going to leave the ball in her court, and a minute later she asked me about where I work and we engaged in a conversation while the bus went up the mountain. We'll see if she remembers my name tomorrow.
3. I also had a date on Friday night. This girl's name is Melissa, she lives in Washington, PA. She's a teacher (as Jer noted, a good wife job). We hit it off really well. We went to Buca di Beppo in Robinson, and sat there and talked for three hours. Since it's a family style restaurant, we shared the salmon (bonus, she likes salmon!). It went well enough that I have scored a second date; we're going out Wednesday night. I have a few ideas what I'd like to do; dinner and a movie (always a classic), maybe ice skating at PPG Place, maybe bowling...I'm soliciting any other ideas that people have.
Well, that's about it for me.
Sebastian Bach (of 80s hair band Skid Row) called the tracks that Axl had written for this album "f---ing epic" a few years ago. After listening to the album all afternoon, I have to concur. This is just a fabulous record. The title track is menacing, there are at least two November Rain style ballads in Catcher in the Rye and Street of Dreams, the guitars are classic soaring GnR, and Axl's trademark wail is still in full force. While I'm disappointed that years of Chinese Democracy jokes will now be forgotten (Josh, will you take the trash out? Sure, once Chinese Democracy comes out!), it surely was worth the wait.
Other news and notes:
1. Justin Timberlake is the man. He is so prolific. His latest endeavor was to take over SNL when Paul Rudd hosted last week. He is a staple of SNL, whether it's the Color Me Badd style music videos, or the Barry Gibb talk show, or his impressions that he does so well. He's the best guest host, the best guest musician, and a guy who generally takes himself lightly at all times. That is the key to being a good SNL host. Mark me down as a Timberlake fan.
2. I finally talked to the girl on the bus last Friday afternoon; of course, this was after I sat next to her on the morning bus and didn't say a word to her. I asked her her name (Mandy) and told her that she had a beautiful smile, which of course went over real well (but it is the truth). I was going to leave the ball in her court, and a minute later she asked me about where I work and we engaged in a conversation while the bus went up the mountain. We'll see if she remembers my name tomorrow.
3. I also had a date on Friday night. This girl's name is Melissa, she lives in Washington, PA. She's a teacher (as Jer noted, a good wife job). We hit it off really well. We went to Buca di Beppo in Robinson, and sat there and talked for three hours. Since it's a family style restaurant, we shared the salmon (bonus, she likes salmon!). It went well enough that I have scored a second date; we're going out Wednesday night. I have a few ideas what I'd like to do; dinner and a movie (always a classic), maybe ice skating at PPG Place, maybe bowling...I'm soliciting any other ideas that people have.
Well, that's about it for me.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I Love Me Some Me!
So, I figured I would do this as well. I will bare my soul to yinz.
1.. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I think I was named after the son of the pastor that married mom and dad. Is this right?
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Well, I usually cry at stupid points during movies and tv shows.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
my handwriting is wonderful if I take my time
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
chicken breast, unless bacon counts
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
nah
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
probably. I like sports, and I like guys that like sports, so I would like me
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
yes
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
yes, i really want to bungee jump
10. WHAT IS YOUR favorite CEREAL?
probably cinnamon toast crunch but I like a lot of cereals
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
nah
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
no
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I'm not really an ice cream person; something peanut buttery?
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE
dudes, probably nothing, chicks, their smile
15. RED OR PINK?
pink...errr, ummm...
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I have a big mouth and it gets me in trouble
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my grandmother Carolyn
18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
socks--black
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
red grapes
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW ?
well, in my CD player is Futuresex/Lovesounds
21.IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
vegas gold baby!
22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
freshly cut grass, vanilla, clean linens
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Jer via text
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Pitt Basketball or the Pirates
25. HAIR COLOR?
dark brown, almost black
26. EYE COLOR?
blue
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes
28. FAVORITE FOOD?
Green peppers, peaches, pineapple
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
there is a time and place for both
30. LAST MOVIE WATCHED?
Stranger than Fiction
31 WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Orange (Vols sweatshirt)
32. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer
33. HUGS OR KISSES?
nah
34. FAVORITE DESSERT?
dutch apple pie with caramel sauce
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
just finished a Feinstein book, trying once again to read Moby Dick but I'm never successful, and people made me read "The Shack"
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
I have a regular schedule; last night was 90210, the new one. I also watched a DVR'd Gossip Girl.
38. FAVORITE SOUND?
Prince
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
There is no question it's the Beatles
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Paris
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
My mom says I'm a catch.
1.. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I think I was named after the son of the pastor that married mom and dad. Is this right?
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Well, I usually cry at stupid points during movies and tv shows.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
my handwriting is wonderful if I take my time
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
chicken breast, unless bacon counts
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
nah
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
probably. I like sports, and I like guys that like sports, so I would like me
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
yes
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
yes, i really want to bungee jump
10. WHAT IS YOUR favorite CEREAL?
probably cinnamon toast crunch but I like a lot of cereals
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
nah
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
no
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I'm not really an ice cream person; something peanut buttery?
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE
dudes, probably nothing, chicks, their smile
15. RED OR PINK?
pink...errr, ummm...
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I have a big mouth and it gets me in trouble
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my grandmother Carolyn
18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
socks--black
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
red grapes
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW ?
well, in my CD player is Futuresex/Lovesounds
21.IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
vegas gold baby!
22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
freshly cut grass, vanilla, clean linens
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Jer via text
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Pitt Basketball or the Pirates
25. HAIR COLOR?
dark brown, almost black
26. EYE COLOR?
blue
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes
28. FAVORITE FOOD?
Green peppers, peaches, pineapple
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
there is a time and place for both
30. LAST MOVIE WATCHED?
Stranger than Fiction
31 WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Orange (Vols sweatshirt)
32. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer
33. HUGS OR KISSES?
nah
34. FAVORITE DESSERT?
dutch apple pie with caramel sauce
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
just finished a Feinstein book, trying once again to read Moby Dick but I'm never successful, and people made me read "The Shack"
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
I have a regular schedule; last night was 90210, the new one. I also watched a DVR'd Gossip Girl.
38. FAVORITE SOUND?
Prince
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
There is no question it's the Beatles
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Paris
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
My mom says I'm a catch.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Considering the 44th American Presidency
So, this is question that I've been pondering recently. I know I will be able to give this President-elect a chance at governing. The question is, what does he have to accomplish in his (first) four years in order for me to consider his administration a success. I will choose three things that I want to be done:
1. Getting us out of Iraq - I'm not anti-war, and I will admit that I was for this war at the beginning. However, the conduct of the war has been embarrassing; it's the overriding reason that this current President is hated as much as he is. We need to get out of Iraq; there really isn't debate about this. Now, of course we want to "win", although I'm not sure how that's measured. Anyway, in four years we need to be out of Iraq and the world needs to be a safer place. President-elect Obama originally planned on having our troops pulled in 16 months; I'll give him 48.
2. Health coverage for all - another reason that he was successful in beating John McCain was because of his willingness to discuss the horrible situation our healthcare industry is in. He wants to nationalize insurance coverage, which to me is different than socializing medicine. Nationalizing coverage means that every citizen will be enrolled in some type of insurance program. If you get it through work, great! Not much will change. If you don't, you can get it through the government. The beauty of a government run system is twofold: it cuts down on the overhead and red-tape that exists in the current private insurance system, and it eliminates the "pre-existing condition" that keeps many from receiving the care that they need. Isn't it strange that a government run health insurance program would cut down on red tape? It's true, though you conservatives may not want to believe it. Do some real research about the situation in Canada, and you will see this as one conclusion that can be drawn about a nationalized insurance system.
3. Expansion of the middle class - This is a catchall that encompasses everything that needs to be done to grow the middle class. Healthcare is a part of this, as is better energy, lower taxes on the middle class, more fairness in the union election process, and many other issues. The middle class has been shrinking and struggling for a long time in the U.S., through both Democratic and Republican presidents. It's time that the middle class started to be the focus of the White House and Congress. I have hope that this will happen under this administration.
So, those are my three things. Now, I will open it up to you to list the three things that you'd like to see this President do in order to be successful in your mind. One caveat, there can be no discussion of the life issue. He's not on our side on the issue of life, and we know this. Broaden your mind to get past this. Coming later this week, I am going to post an outline of my perception of where the life movement needs to head during the next four years with what will be a hostile administration to our cause. For now, consider this question without the issue of life in its context.
1. Getting us out of Iraq - I'm not anti-war, and I will admit that I was for this war at the beginning. However, the conduct of the war has been embarrassing; it's the overriding reason that this current President is hated as much as he is. We need to get out of Iraq; there really isn't debate about this. Now, of course we want to "win", although I'm not sure how that's measured. Anyway, in four years we need to be out of Iraq and the world needs to be a safer place. President-elect Obama originally planned on having our troops pulled in 16 months; I'll give him 48.
2. Health coverage for all - another reason that he was successful in beating John McCain was because of his willingness to discuss the horrible situation our healthcare industry is in. He wants to nationalize insurance coverage, which to me is different than socializing medicine. Nationalizing coverage means that every citizen will be enrolled in some type of insurance program. If you get it through work, great! Not much will change. If you don't, you can get it through the government. The beauty of a government run system is twofold: it cuts down on the overhead and red-tape that exists in the current private insurance system, and it eliminates the "pre-existing condition" that keeps many from receiving the care that they need. Isn't it strange that a government run health insurance program would cut down on red tape? It's true, though you conservatives may not want to believe it. Do some real research about the situation in Canada, and you will see this as one conclusion that can be drawn about a nationalized insurance system.
3. Expansion of the middle class - This is a catchall that encompasses everything that needs to be done to grow the middle class. Healthcare is a part of this, as is better energy, lower taxes on the middle class, more fairness in the union election process, and many other issues. The middle class has been shrinking and struggling for a long time in the U.S., through both Democratic and Republican presidents. It's time that the middle class started to be the focus of the White House and Congress. I have hope that this will happen under this administration.
So, those are my three things. Now, I will open it up to you to list the three things that you'd like to see this President do in order to be successful in your mind. One caveat, there can be no discussion of the life issue. He's not on our side on the issue of life, and we know this. Broaden your mind to get past this. Coming later this week, I am going to post an outline of my perception of where the life movement needs to head during the next four years with what will be a hostile administration to our cause. For now, consider this question without the issue of life in its context.
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