I have created a new blog on a new site and the link is...
http://dontfierme.wordpress.com/
It has all my old posts but includes some new features plus a much cleaner look.
This site will remain up for a while but I wont be posting anything new on it.
Thanks for all the support!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
My Potpourri
1/19/08
The first bit of exciting news I would like to point out is that my roommate and good friend Matt Bravmann admitted to me last night he occasionally dabbles in reading my blog. So while my other roommate Mike continues to be an unsupportive bastard, at least I got one of them hooked. And by hooked I mean mildly interested when he has absolutely nothing else to do with his time. Either way, I'll take it.
I got back to school last Sunday and with classes beginning for me at 8:25 Monday morning, there was no time for me to readjust. And so the week began with a 2 hour education class I have already deemed utterly worthless, as we are treated like 3rd graders by my professor who is downright out of her mind. In the 2 hours of class, we get 120 minutes of straight nonsense, without a break, and without anything meaningful being absorbed by anybody in the classroom.
In addition, we were treated with the standard first day ice breakers, and the ice breaker which I enjoyed the most was having a student pick a card out of a box with a random question on it. The three questions selected were:
-If you had one picture left on a camera and good take a picture of anything or anyone in the world, past or present, what would you take a picture of?
-If you were stranded on an island and could have only one book with you, what would it be?
-If you could meet and spend time with one person or a group of people, past or present, who would it be?
My way of dealing with these ridiculous attempts to have uninterested, half-sleeping 20 year olds get to know each other is by not taking the activity seriously and coming up with answers which if nothing else will get a few laughs from the audience. And with that in mind, these were my answers:
Picture- Gerry McNamara (most people chose things like their family or a picture from the top of Mount Everest while I chose a former Syracuse University basketball player)
Book- Goosebumps Night of the Living Dummy (most people again chose something like a bible, or catcher in the rye- noteworthy literature. I chose the first and only book I have read and enjoyed cover to cover)
Person- Jesus Christ. While some people in the class took my answer seriously, they clearly were unaware of my Jewish heritage and accompanying belief that Jesus means as much to me as keeping Kosher meant to Hitler. The other answers in the class ranged from famous musicians or people like the Pope or Mother Theresa.
It was a good time, and you had to be there to appreciate it.
The rest of my week as far as classes were concerned was more or less uneventful. I went to Math and was reminded why I dropped it a year ago. I was lost within the first 10 minutes, and despite taking notes and paying attention, asking me to tell you what I learned would be speechless. I have no idea what I learned, or how im pulling off a C in this class.
My schedule breaks down as such- 3 education classes and a math class (I dropped my history class after the first day because my professor was having us write a 3 page paper for every class we missed, regardless of reason. I also had 18 credits on my schedule, and with student teaching this semester I wasn't in the mood to work that hard for a class I didn't care about.
And speaking of student teaching, I went to my placement school and met the teacher I will be working with for 7 weeks, and he is a really nice, down to earth, laid back guy who seems to be exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. I'll stop short of hoping he becomes a sort of mentor of mine (yes, another Scrubs reference, get used to them) but he definitely has the style and demeanor I want to have, and the kids seemed to really like him.
The best part of student teaching is that while it is 5 days a week for 3 hours in the morning, it takes the place of my 8:25 class 3 days a week, and despite the extra 2 days a week, its a move I am ecstatic to make.
Overall being back at school has gone about as well as I could have hoped, so hopefully things continue to progress accordingly.
And just when you thought I was wrapping up this post, I'm just getting started.
The weather this week has been miserable, and while I realize I go to Syracuse, the cold weather and snow is difficult to get used to. Combine that with the fact that before i got back up here I had 2 weeks of temps anywhere from the high 30s to 60, having constant 20s with snow and wind has forced me back into hibernation mode.
The plus side to that is the additional TV I get to watch, but thanks to the ongoing writers strike that has taken a hit.
As i pointed out a few posts ago, 24 was supposed to have debuted last Sunday, but instead Fox premiered the Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is as appealing to me as eating cold stone without my lactaid pills. Yea, you do the math.
And while I was left without 24, I was reminded why Fox is still my go-to network in the spring, because the 7th season of American Idol started up this past week. And nobody was happier than I was, because over the past two years I have transformed into a complete die-hard Idol fan, and so getting 4 hours over 2 nights of Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon was music to my ears, literally and figuratively.
My early thoughts are that Simon seems to be in as good a mood as he has ever been, and the talent itself has yet to really blow me way. I think the judges feel some pressure after the Sanjaya debacle last year, then again with what they are making I doubt they honestly care. That being said, while the 2 nights provided the usual freaks and nut-jobs, not to mention a memorable performance by the Asian guy the 2nd night at the end singing to Simon about being Brothers forever (check it out on youtube if they have it), Idol seemed to lack the punch it has had in the past. Its only the first week, and I'm sure between now and the finale and June, there will be plenty to talk about.
At this point I know 24 wont be on for a long, long time and while shows like American Idol are unaffected, this writers strike continues to be a pain in the ass, and with new Scrubs episodes airing this Thursday, I am getting more and more concerned the final season of this show is going to be ruined somehow. It also shows you how dependent I am on television, as most people could probably care less when it comes to how long this strike will continue.
Has anybody else noticed the assortment of crap playing at the movies these days? At the top of my list is Cloverfield, which actually got a handful of good reviews looks absolutely dreadful, and after hearing the credits roll only just over 70 minutes in, the Godzilla-Independence Day combination of garbage that is Cloverfield is one movie I'll be missing out on. Elsewhere, 27 Dresses looked like it had potential after the first preview I saw, but the more I saw the more it looks like the most stereotypical romantic comedy with predictable dialogue and an ending we can all assume is happily ever after. Other movies out right now I wont be wasting my money on: One Missed Call (why was this movie made), First Sunday (I have nothing against a good black comedy- Barbershop was awesome- but this looks painfully bad), and even though its no longer age appropriate- Alvin and Chipmunks, which is certainly a questionable career choice for the very talented Jason Lee.
Finishing off with some random thoughts:
-doing laundry at school compared to having my mother do it for me at home is a harder transition than waking up at 7:30 in the morning.
-The Knicks actually won 3 games in a row
-I still don't care, and fans still need to stop showing up
-Dining hall food here at Syracuse might be the biggest rip off in the $40,000+ we pay to go here. The biggest insult is that I am being FORCED to pay for a 5 meal a week plan despite the fact I have a kitchen on my floor and no desire to step foot in another dining hall between now and the time I graduate.
-I spent last Sunday in the house I will be living in next year, and I am counting down the days until I can call it my own (even if its only for 10 months)
-Being an education major is a joke, and anybody capable of reading a textbook and writing the English language on a blackboard is qualified to teach.
Last but not least, my NFL Championship Sunday picks..
Through the first two rounds of the Playoffs, I have a combined record of 7-1. And while I am a Jets fan at heart, I am also biased towards the Giants and root for them game in, game out with the lone exception being the one time every 4 years the Jets and Giants meet.
That being said, I did not take my rooting interest into picking them 2 weeks in a row, and I will continue to pick according to my gut.
The Championship games come loaded with great story lines.
The first and biggest of course is the now 17-0 Patriots looking to continue their run of perfection into Super Sunday against a Chargers team who is coming off an upset of the Peyton Manning led Colts. The Chargers have been running their mouthes and talking a big game, but the status of starters Phillip Rivers and Ladanian Tomlinson is up in the air, although I would be shocked if both don't play.
The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field will be exactly that tomorrow, with Temperatures expected to be below zero. The crusty old veteran Brett Favre looks to continue his magically season with a 3rd Super Bowl appearance, while little bro Manning looks to match big bro's heroics last season. Eli, after all the criticism he has taken, has Big Blue on the verge of one of the more unlikely Super Bowl runs in history.
And so without further adieu, the picks:
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
SUNDAY 3:00, CBS
Pats over Chargers, final score 31-21
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NEW YORK GIANTS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS
SUNDAY 6:30, FOX
Packers over Giants, final score 17-14
I would be surprised if the Patriots don't take care of business, however anything can happen in negative 12 degree Green Bay, and with the Giants making it as far as they have, I hope my prediction is wrong, and Eli and the Giants get a second chance to put an end to New England's pursuit of perfection, while doing it on the biggest stage of them all.
Regardless of what happens, one way or the other, it should be a great day of football i'm sure will be one of the more memorable in recent history.
The first bit of exciting news I would like to point out is that my roommate and good friend Matt Bravmann admitted to me last night he occasionally dabbles in reading my blog. So while my other roommate Mike continues to be an unsupportive bastard, at least I got one of them hooked. And by hooked I mean mildly interested when he has absolutely nothing else to do with his time. Either way, I'll take it.
I got back to school last Sunday and with classes beginning for me at 8:25 Monday morning, there was no time for me to readjust. And so the week began with a 2 hour education class I have already deemed utterly worthless, as we are treated like 3rd graders by my professor who is downright out of her mind. In the 2 hours of class, we get 120 minutes of straight nonsense, without a break, and without anything meaningful being absorbed by anybody in the classroom.
In addition, we were treated with the standard first day ice breakers, and the ice breaker which I enjoyed the most was having a student pick a card out of a box with a random question on it. The three questions selected were:
-If you had one picture left on a camera and good take a picture of anything or anyone in the world, past or present, what would you take a picture of?
-If you were stranded on an island and could have only one book with you, what would it be?
-If you could meet and spend time with one person or a group of people, past or present, who would it be?
My way of dealing with these ridiculous attempts to have uninterested, half-sleeping 20 year olds get to know each other is by not taking the activity seriously and coming up with answers which if nothing else will get a few laughs from the audience. And with that in mind, these were my answers:
Picture- Gerry McNamara (most people chose things like their family or a picture from the top of Mount Everest while I chose a former Syracuse University basketball player)
Book- Goosebumps Night of the Living Dummy (most people again chose something like a bible, or catcher in the rye- noteworthy literature. I chose the first and only book I have read and enjoyed cover to cover)
Person- Jesus Christ. While some people in the class took my answer seriously, they clearly were unaware of my Jewish heritage and accompanying belief that Jesus means as much to me as keeping Kosher meant to Hitler. The other answers in the class ranged from famous musicians or people like the Pope or Mother Theresa.
It was a good time, and you had to be there to appreciate it.
The rest of my week as far as classes were concerned was more or less uneventful. I went to Math and was reminded why I dropped it a year ago. I was lost within the first 10 minutes, and despite taking notes and paying attention, asking me to tell you what I learned would be speechless. I have no idea what I learned, or how im pulling off a C in this class.
My schedule breaks down as such- 3 education classes and a math class (I dropped my history class after the first day because my professor was having us write a 3 page paper for every class we missed, regardless of reason. I also had 18 credits on my schedule, and with student teaching this semester I wasn't in the mood to work that hard for a class I didn't care about.
And speaking of student teaching, I went to my placement school and met the teacher I will be working with for 7 weeks, and he is a really nice, down to earth, laid back guy who seems to be exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. I'll stop short of hoping he becomes a sort of mentor of mine (yes, another Scrubs reference, get used to them) but he definitely has the style and demeanor I want to have, and the kids seemed to really like him.
The best part of student teaching is that while it is 5 days a week for 3 hours in the morning, it takes the place of my 8:25 class 3 days a week, and despite the extra 2 days a week, its a move I am ecstatic to make.
Overall being back at school has gone about as well as I could have hoped, so hopefully things continue to progress accordingly.
And just when you thought I was wrapping up this post, I'm just getting started.
The weather this week has been miserable, and while I realize I go to Syracuse, the cold weather and snow is difficult to get used to. Combine that with the fact that before i got back up here I had 2 weeks of temps anywhere from the high 30s to 60, having constant 20s with snow and wind has forced me back into hibernation mode.
The plus side to that is the additional TV I get to watch, but thanks to the ongoing writers strike that has taken a hit.
As i pointed out a few posts ago, 24 was supposed to have debuted last Sunday, but instead Fox premiered the Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is as appealing to me as eating cold stone without my lactaid pills. Yea, you do the math.
And while I was left without 24, I was reminded why Fox is still my go-to network in the spring, because the 7th season of American Idol started up this past week. And nobody was happier than I was, because over the past two years I have transformed into a complete die-hard Idol fan, and so getting 4 hours over 2 nights of Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon was music to my ears, literally and figuratively.
My early thoughts are that Simon seems to be in as good a mood as he has ever been, and the talent itself has yet to really blow me way. I think the judges feel some pressure after the Sanjaya debacle last year, then again with what they are making I doubt they honestly care. That being said, while the 2 nights provided the usual freaks and nut-jobs, not to mention a memorable performance by the Asian guy the 2nd night at the end singing to Simon about being Brothers forever (check it out on youtube if they have it), Idol seemed to lack the punch it has had in the past. Its only the first week, and I'm sure between now and the finale and June, there will be plenty to talk about.
At this point I know 24 wont be on for a long, long time and while shows like American Idol are unaffected, this writers strike continues to be a pain in the ass, and with new Scrubs episodes airing this Thursday, I am getting more and more concerned the final season of this show is going to be ruined somehow. It also shows you how dependent I am on television, as most people could probably care less when it comes to how long this strike will continue.
Has anybody else noticed the assortment of crap playing at the movies these days? At the top of my list is Cloverfield, which actually got a handful of good reviews looks absolutely dreadful, and after hearing the credits roll only just over 70 minutes in, the Godzilla-Independence Day combination of garbage that is Cloverfield is one movie I'll be missing out on. Elsewhere, 27 Dresses looked like it had potential after the first preview I saw, but the more I saw the more it looks like the most stereotypical romantic comedy with predictable dialogue and an ending we can all assume is happily ever after. Other movies out right now I wont be wasting my money on: One Missed Call (why was this movie made), First Sunday (I have nothing against a good black comedy- Barbershop was awesome- but this looks painfully bad), and even though its no longer age appropriate- Alvin and Chipmunks, which is certainly a questionable career choice for the very talented Jason Lee.
Finishing off with some random thoughts:
-doing laundry at school compared to having my mother do it for me at home is a harder transition than waking up at 7:30 in the morning.
-The Knicks actually won 3 games in a row
-I still don't care, and fans still need to stop showing up
-Dining hall food here at Syracuse might be the biggest rip off in the $40,000+ we pay to go here. The biggest insult is that I am being FORCED to pay for a 5 meal a week plan despite the fact I have a kitchen on my floor and no desire to step foot in another dining hall between now and the time I graduate.
-I spent last Sunday in the house I will be living in next year, and I am counting down the days until I can call it my own (even if its only for 10 months)
-Being an education major is a joke, and anybody capable of reading a textbook and writing the English language on a blackboard is qualified to teach.
Last but not least, my NFL Championship Sunday picks..
Through the first two rounds of the Playoffs, I have a combined record of 7-1. And while I am a Jets fan at heart, I am also biased towards the Giants and root for them game in, game out with the lone exception being the one time every 4 years the Jets and Giants meet.
That being said, I did not take my rooting interest into picking them 2 weeks in a row, and I will continue to pick according to my gut.
The Championship games come loaded with great story lines.
The first and biggest of course is the now 17-0 Patriots looking to continue their run of perfection into Super Sunday against a Chargers team who is coming off an upset of the Peyton Manning led Colts. The Chargers have been running their mouthes and talking a big game, but the status of starters Phillip Rivers and Ladanian Tomlinson is up in the air, although I would be shocked if both don't play.
The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field will be exactly that tomorrow, with Temperatures expected to be below zero. The crusty old veteran Brett Favre looks to continue his magically season with a 3rd Super Bowl appearance, while little bro Manning looks to match big bro's heroics last season. Eli, after all the criticism he has taken, has Big Blue on the verge of one of the more unlikely Super Bowl runs in history.
And so without further adieu, the picks:
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
SUNDAY 3:00, CBS
Pats over Chargers, final score 31-21
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NEW YORK GIANTS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS
SUNDAY 6:30, FOX
Packers over Giants, final score 17-14
I would be surprised if the Patriots don't take care of business, however anything can happen in negative 12 degree Green Bay, and with the Giants making it as far as they have, I hope my prediction is wrong, and Eli and the Giants get a second chance to put an end to New England's pursuit of perfection, while doing it on the biggest stage of them all.
Regardless of what happens, one way or the other, it should be a great day of football i'm sure will be one of the more memorable in recent history.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Good to be Back
1/14/08
Helllllllllllo and welcome back to school!!!!
Ok so I was saying that too myself, and I must say I couldn't be happier back here in chilly Syracuse.
Being at home turned out to be alright- not half as bad as I was anticipating, however thanks to not one but two colds I caught I spent most of two weeks in bed doing nothing but watching Scrubs (6 and a half seasons biotch), drinking orange juice and peeing 12 times a day.
Recapping the 4 weeks that was my winter recess, other than the time I was sick, I managed to fit in some pretty good times.
I was able to get into the city a few times to do some shopping and see a few Knicks games. And while the Knicks were hardly worth my money or my time, I was lucky enough to see them play the Lakers and Kobe Bryant.
I was also lucky enough to snag two tickets to the Giants-Patriots game during the final week of the NFL season, where the undefeated Pats withstood a valiant effort from the Giants to complete the first undefeated 16 game season in league history. Combined with a great pre-game BBQ, the game itself was exciting and with the Giants almost winning, they have since used the game as a springboard for back to back playoff wins on the road.
I had committed myself to getting to the gym in my building everyday, and for the first 12 days of being home I was able to go every day but one. And then I got sick, got better, went to the gym twice, got sick again and never got back.
Now while I wasn't able to go to the gym as often as I had hoped, I was able to eat relatively well, as as a result I actually got back up to school weighing a few pounds less than when I left for my vacation.
Without sharing specific numbers, because a lady never does so, since my heaviest point last summer I've lost more than 15 pounds. Some of that came off as the summer progressed and I spent all day in the sun running around, but between eating better and making some effort to exercise, I'm on the way to getting myself in shape.
Anywho, I was somehow lucky enough to be healthy for New Years, which was probably the high point of the break. I hosted a little shindig in my apartment, and the party seemed to go well. So well, that I invited a bunch of people back over 5 days later to polish off the leftover beverages.
My winter break was not really all that exciting, not that it ever is, however if you ignore the fact I had two pretty lousy weeks being sick, I actually was able to enjoy myself more than I expected to. I did some quality shopping, saw 2 Knicks game (and Kobe), an NFL team complete an undefeated season, threw two successful parties and even made time to lose some weight.
And so now I am back in Syracuse, where after two and half years I can actually say I feel more at home than I do in Queens.
I got my roommates plus the return of Rossy, making out little family up here complete again.
And we spent the first night together in style, watching the Giants beat Mike's Cowboys in the big, beautiful house Rossy and I will be sharing next semester, while downing Pizza Hut (and Diet Pepsi, to keep things honest with myself).
Then of course I was reminded why being at home was not worth complaining about it, as I had to wake up at 7:30 this morning for my first class at 8:25.
Just a side fact, last semester my first class of the week was not until 3:45 Monday afternoon, and my schedule also ended Thursday afternoon at 3:20.
This semester as I pointed out in a past post, Monday, Wednesday and Friday- thats right- for the first time since Freshman year I have class on Friday- my day begins with class at 8:25, and is 2 hours long.
The good news is that after 6 weeks, I start my student teaching, 5 days a week. I found out today that the school day at Henninger High School begins at 7:55, meaning I need to be there by 7:45. I also am driving to the school with somebody else, so if you do the math I'll most likely be waking up at 6:30 the latest.
Did I mention how happy I am to be back at school?
Helllllllllllo and welcome back to school!!!!
Ok so I was saying that too myself, and I must say I couldn't be happier back here in chilly Syracuse.
Being at home turned out to be alright- not half as bad as I was anticipating, however thanks to not one but two colds I caught I spent most of two weeks in bed doing nothing but watching Scrubs (6 and a half seasons biotch), drinking orange juice and peeing 12 times a day.
Recapping the 4 weeks that was my winter recess, other than the time I was sick, I managed to fit in some pretty good times.
I was able to get into the city a few times to do some shopping and see a few Knicks games. And while the Knicks were hardly worth my money or my time, I was lucky enough to see them play the Lakers and Kobe Bryant.
I was also lucky enough to snag two tickets to the Giants-Patriots game during the final week of the NFL season, where the undefeated Pats withstood a valiant effort from the Giants to complete the first undefeated 16 game season in league history. Combined with a great pre-game BBQ, the game itself was exciting and with the Giants almost winning, they have since used the game as a springboard for back to back playoff wins on the road.
I had committed myself to getting to the gym in my building everyday, and for the first 12 days of being home I was able to go every day but one. And then I got sick, got better, went to the gym twice, got sick again and never got back.
Now while I wasn't able to go to the gym as often as I had hoped, I was able to eat relatively well, as as a result I actually got back up to school weighing a few pounds less than when I left for my vacation.
Without sharing specific numbers, because a lady never does so, since my heaviest point last summer I've lost more than 15 pounds. Some of that came off as the summer progressed and I spent all day in the sun running around, but between eating better and making some effort to exercise, I'm on the way to getting myself in shape.
Anywho, I was somehow lucky enough to be healthy for New Years, which was probably the high point of the break. I hosted a little shindig in my apartment, and the party seemed to go well. So well, that I invited a bunch of people back over 5 days later to polish off the leftover beverages.
My winter break was not really all that exciting, not that it ever is, however if you ignore the fact I had two pretty lousy weeks being sick, I actually was able to enjoy myself more than I expected to. I did some quality shopping, saw 2 Knicks game (and Kobe), an NFL team complete an undefeated season, threw two successful parties and even made time to lose some weight.
And so now I am back in Syracuse, where after two and half years I can actually say I feel more at home than I do in Queens.
I got my roommates plus the return of Rossy, making out little family up here complete again.
And we spent the first night together in style, watching the Giants beat Mike's Cowboys in the big, beautiful house Rossy and I will be sharing next semester, while downing Pizza Hut (and Diet Pepsi, to keep things honest with myself).
Then of course I was reminded why being at home was not worth complaining about it, as I had to wake up at 7:30 this morning for my first class at 8:25.
Just a side fact, last semester my first class of the week was not until 3:45 Monday afternoon, and my schedule also ended Thursday afternoon at 3:20.
This semester as I pointed out in a past post, Monday, Wednesday and Friday- thats right- for the first time since Freshman year I have class on Friday- my day begins with class at 8:25, and is 2 hours long.
The good news is that after 6 weeks, I start my student teaching, 5 days a week. I found out today that the school day at Henninger High School begins at 7:55, meaning I need to be there by 7:45. I also am driving to the school with somebody else, so if you do the math I'll most likely be waking up at 6:30 the latest.
Did I mention how happy I am to be back at school?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
One Giant Leap for 'Mann'-kind
1/13/08
Believe it. The New York football Giants are going to the NFC championship game.
Those same New York Giants that lost their first two games of the season giving up a combined 80 points, and then narrowly escaping a third straight defeat with a last minute goal-line stand against the Redskins.
The Giants went into todays game against their division rivals in Dallas as 7.5 point underdogs, without anybody expecting much from Big Blue following two drubbings during the regular season when they went up against the Cowboys.
However they shocked the football world with a stunning 21-17 upset this afternoon, led by a very poised Eli Manning and just enough from a defense that seemed to bend without breaking against a highly potent Dallas offense.
Let the stories break about whether or not Dallas QB Tony Romo spent too much time with girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Mexico last week, however Romo was not the reason the Giants are heading to Green Bay next Sunday.
Eli was very efficient, and while he completed 12 of 18 passed with 2 touchdowns, the most important stat for him and his team was for the second consecutive week there were no turnovers committed. No interceptions, no fumbles, nothing.
The Giants defense, which in the first half was unable to stop Marion Barber and the Dallas running attack made the necessary adjustments and not only stopped the run game but was able to put enough pressure on Romo to disrupt the passing game as well.
Amazingly, the Giants, who played inconsistently all season, losing their first two games, winning their next 6, having a losing record at home while now going 9-1 on the road has all added up to the G-Men heading to their first NFC championship game since 2001, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 41-0 at home.
The most impressive aspects of this Giants team would have to be the resiliency they have shown following a mediocre second half of the season, which included losing Jeremy Shockey for the season with a broken leg.
Eli struggled up until the final game of the year when the Giants hosted the then 15-0 New England Patriots, however you could make the arguement that this team really turned a corner that Saturday night when the played the Pats as hard as any other team this season has, highlighted by Eli playing perhaps his best game as a pro, throwing 4 touchdowns.
The Giants rode the momentum wave into Tampa Bay and played very well in winning their first playoff game in 7 years.
Being underdogs in Dallas only served as motivation for a team that refused to lose for a third time this year to the Cowboys, who after a 13-3 regular season lost their 6th post-season game in a row, with their last playoff win coming back in 1996.
And so now, Tom Coughlin, who without a doubt has secured a nice contract extension, will lead Big Blue into Green Bay next Sunday against Brett Favre and the Packers, who took care of the Giants back in week 2, 35-13.
I would be lying if I said I really knew what I was talking about, however after 2 weeks my playoff picks have been pretty good with a record of 7-1.
I'll wait until Saturday to unveil my picks for next Sunday, however while one Manning was unable to sure up a spot against New England, the other was taking 'Giant' steps towards reaching the big game, where big brother found glory last season.
Believe it. The New York football Giants are going to the NFC championship game.
Those same New York Giants that lost their first two games of the season giving up a combined 80 points, and then narrowly escaping a third straight defeat with a last minute goal-line stand against the Redskins.
The Giants went into todays game against their division rivals in Dallas as 7.5 point underdogs, without anybody expecting much from Big Blue following two drubbings during the regular season when they went up against the Cowboys.
However they shocked the football world with a stunning 21-17 upset this afternoon, led by a very poised Eli Manning and just enough from a defense that seemed to bend without breaking against a highly potent Dallas offense.
Let the stories break about whether or not Dallas QB Tony Romo spent too much time with girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Mexico last week, however Romo was not the reason the Giants are heading to Green Bay next Sunday.
Eli was very efficient, and while he completed 12 of 18 passed with 2 touchdowns, the most important stat for him and his team was for the second consecutive week there were no turnovers committed. No interceptions, no fumbles, nothing.
The Giants defense, which in the first half was unable to stop Marion Barber and the Dallas running attack made the necessary adjustments and not only stopped the run game but was able to put enough pressure on Romo to disrupt the passing game as well.
Amazingly, the Giants, who played inconsistently all season, losing their first two games, winning their next 6, having a losing record at home while now going 9-1 on the road has all added up to the G-Men heading to their first NFC championship game since 2001, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 41-0 at home.
The most impressive aspects of this Giants team would have to be the resiliency they have shown following a mediocre second half of the season, which included losing Jeremy Shockey for the season with a broken leg.
Eli struggled up until the final game of the year when the Giants hosted the then 15-0 New England Patriots, however you could make the arguement that this team really turned a corner that Saturday night when the played the Pats as hard as any other team this season has, highlighted by Eli playing perhaps his best game as a pro, throwing 4 touchdowns.
The Giants rode the momentum wave into Tampa Bay and played very well in winning their first playoff game in 7 years.
Being underdogs in Dallas only served as motivation for a team that refused to lose for a third time this year to the Cowboys, who after a 13-3 regular season lost their 6th post-season game in a row, with their last playoff win coming back in 1996.
And so now, Tom Coughlin, who without a doubt has secured a nice contract extension, will lead Big Blue into Green Bay next Sunday against Brett Favre and the Packers, who took care of the Giants back in week 2, 35-13.
I would be lying if I said I really knew what I was talking about, however after 2 weeks my playoff picks have been pretty good with a record of 7-1.
I'll wait until Saturday to unveil my picks for next Sunday, however while one Manning was unable to sure up a spot against New England, the other was taking 'Giant' steps towards reaching the big game, where big brother found glory last season.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF PICKS
In what is probably one of the last great sports weekends until March Madness begins, this weekend features two days with 4 games, all with marquee teams, players and story lines.
-The immortal Brett Favre and the resurgent Green Bay Packers
-The 16-0 Pats taking on the red-hot Jags
-Peyton Manning and the Colts beginning their Title Defense against the Chargers
-Eli and the Giants playing against their division rivals in Dallas for the first time ever in post season play.
The Picks...
Packers over the Seahawks 24-20
Patriots over the Jaguars 33-17
Colts over the Chargers 27-20
GIANTS over the Cowboys 34-31 in OT
I was 4 for 4 last week so we'll see if I was a one-week-wonder or if I actually have half a clue.
-The immortal Brett Favre and the resurgent Green Bay Packers
-The 16-0 Pats taking on the red-hot Jags
-Peyton Manning and the Colts beginning their Title Defense against the Chargers
-Eli and the Giants playing against their division rivals in Dallas for the first time ever in post season play.
The Picks...
Packers over the Seahawks 24-20
Patriots over the Jaguars 33-17
Colts over the Chargers 27-20
GIANTS over the Cowboys 34-31 in OT
I was 4 for 4 last week so we'll see if I was a one-week-wonder or if I actually have half a clue.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
I <3 Heather Edlestein
1/10/08
There are several ways to get into my blog.
You could be a professional athlete on a losing team I regretfully root for or a low rate actor in a movie I overpaid to waste 90 minutes of life seeing.
Or you could ask me over dinner.
This one's for you Heather, who not only lives up the block from me but we share an common interest in Jack Bauer, Evan Karol and this blog.
Heather, I dedicate this post to you my dear- thanks for the support!
Well folks, my winter vacation is winding down, as Sunday is fast approaching meaning that come Monday morning it's back to class and back to reality.
However until then, there is still plenty to talk about, starting with the fact that for the second time in my 4 week break I am getting sick.
I have been trying to figure out and pin-point exactly why I have been getting sick, and two things have been consistent factors.
The first is that my body simply does not have the slightest clue as to how adjust to significant changes in temperature, and so when we were teased with a few days of spring in January my body was more confused than a pre-teen child with 2 dads.
The second is that every year, without fail, my body's immune system must be Christian, because every year during the week Christmas falls I get a bad cold, virus or flu. The sore throats, the stuffed nose and the inability to get any sleep were responsible for ruining a number of my week long vacations in middle school and high school.
And so here I am, sick again, for the second time this break, which has meant I've been waking up in the middle of the night on no less then 3 occasions, which is unfortunate because come Monday morning I'll be waking up at 8 in the morning for next 4 months.
One of the advantages of being sick (and there aren't many) is having a legitimate excuse to watch an endless amount of television, or in my case, the remaining episodes of Scrubs on DVD I had yet to get to. And sure enough, after owning them for 11 days, I have successfully watched all 6 seasons I purchased, along with the first 6 episodes of the seventh and current season, which also happens to be the series' last.
There has been talk that because of the writers strike Scrubs may only be air 6 of the final 12 episodes the producers had intended to air, which would cause a lot of problems for die hard fans (of which I now proclaim to be), so we'll have to keep an eye on that.
Another Writers Strike victim, Gossip Girl, aired its final episode of the season last night, and I can't help but feel disappointed.
There were some big time story lines the show had been running with, most notably the Blair-Nate-Chuck love triangle, the potential pregnancy and Dan and Serena's relationship winning out over the relationship of their single father and mother respectively.
Last night feel short of expectations in my opinion, mainly because nobody was pregnant, Nate and Chuck yelled at each other like- well- teen aged girls- and Rufus (Dan's father) got back out into the dating world.
And the worst part of all is that the only real cliff hanger the show could have left us with was crushed in the final scene, where Blair- who had been considering escaping to France- was convinced by BFF Serena to stick around and fight her for tarnished reputation.
Boring!
The vacation is just days away from ending, which means a recap is in order, and a look back at all that was winter-break 07-08 will be soon forthcoming.
I've also been giving a lot of thought as to how I can spice up the blog, and while adding some useless gadgets and pictures is a half-hearted start, I plan on trying to figure out a way to adding some music, more pictures, more links and some more insight into how Adam Fier views life. I also want to try and dedicate more time to sports (as demanded by Scott Spinelli), and with the NFL playoffs here, college basketball conference play now starting and believe it or not pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training right around the corner, there should be no shortage in that department.
In addition, I have reached an agreement (the professional jargon amuses me) with Scott Spinelli to post his weekly articles which appear in the Syracuse student publication 'The Daily Orange' on my blog. For those of you who do not know Scott, he is a senior communication major and aspiring stand up comic who has performed at the Laugh Factory in Times Square. Just something else to look forward to.
Finally...
After watching like 130 episodes of Scrubs and seeing how nicely J.D. is able to narrate his life and incorporate his experiences into some really meaningful lessons, I figured I would try and explain my life as well as the world as seen through my eyes as this semester I really take my first big steps into the real world as I do my first actual student teaching, given that its part time (I'll be blogging plenty about it) and I feel like it could be fun to not only chronicle all of things that happen during the 7 weeks I'm a part-time teacher, but to talk about the experiences and how they are impacting my perspective on life.
We'll save that for when I get back up to school and realize how much free time I'll have with a schedule including classes Monday and Friday from 8:30-10:30 (AND THATS IT), class Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-5:00 (that actually sucks big time ball sack) and Wednesday class from 8:30-10:30, and then also more class from 4:30-7:15 (gonna kill myself).
In closing, props to Heather for showing support and demanding a post be written about her (I did my best with an opening) and to everyone else for the compliments. If you have any suggestions or comments- positive or negative- please let me know and if you want to be really crazy and contribute it could be fun posting 'guest posts'. Apparently I am doing something right, because I've had literally dozens of people tell me they have checked out my blog, and a few people have even told me they want to create blogs of their own.
And so after scavenging the internet for some good Scrubs quotes (the show produces some dynamite quotes) I'll finish with this one, as I get ready to take a giant step forward...
"I usually don't like thinking about the future. I mean, let's face it, you can't predict what's gonna happen. But sometimes, the thing you don't expect is what you really wanted after all. Maybe the best thing to do is stop trying to figure out where you're going and enjoy where you're at.”
There are several ways to get into my blog.
You could be a professional athlete on a losing team I regretfully root for or a low rate actor in a movie I overpaid to waste 90 minutes of life seeing.
Or you could ask me over dinner.
This one's for you Heather, who not only lives up the block from me but we share an common interest in Jack Bauer, Evan Karol and this blog.
Heather, I dedicate this post to you my dear- thanks for the support!
Well folks, my winter vacation is winding down, as Sunday is fast approaching meaning that come Monday morning it's back to class and back to reality.
However until then, there is still plenty to talk about, starting with the fact that for the second time in my 4 week break I am getting sick.
I have been trying to figure out and pin-point exactly why I have been getting sick, and two things have been consistent factors.
The first is that my body simply does not have the slightest clue as to how adjust to significant changes in temperature, and so when we were teased with a few days of spring in January my body was more confused than a pre-teen child with 2 dads.
The second is that every year, without fail, my body's immune system must be Christian, because every year during the week Christmas falls I get a bad cold, virus or flu. The sore throats, the stuffed nose and the inability to get any sleep were responsible for ruining a number of my week long vacations in middle school and high school.
And so here I am, sick again, for the second time this break, which has meant I've been waking up in the middle of the night on no less then 3 occasions, which is unfortunate because come Monday morning I'll be waking up at 8 in the morning for next 4 months.
One of the advantages of being sick (and there aren't many) is having a legitimate excuse to watch an endless amount of television, or in my case, the remaining episodes of Scrubs on DVD I had yet to get to. And sure enough, after owning them for 11 days, I have successfully watched all 6 seasons I purchased, along with the first 6 episodes of the seventh and current season, which also happens to be the series' last.
There has been talk that because of the writers strike Scrubs may only be air 6 of the final 12 episodes the producers had intended to air, which would cause a lot of problems for die hard fans (of which I now proclaim to be), so we'll have to keep an eye on that.
Another Writers Strike victim, Gossip Girl, aired its final episode of the season last night, and I can't help but feel disappointed.
There were some big time story lines the show had been running with, most notably the Blair-Nate-Chuck love triangle, the potential pregnancy and Dan and Serena's relationship winning out over the relationship of their single father and mother respectively.
Last night feel short of expectations in my opinion, mainly because nobody was pregnant, Nate and Chuck yelled at each other like- well- teen aged girls- and Rufus (Dan's father) got back out into the dating world.
And the worst part of all is that the only real cliff hanger the show could have left us with was crushed in the final scene, where Blair- who had been considering escaping to France- was convinced by BFF Serena to stick around and fight her for tarnished reputation.
Boring!
The vacation is just days away from ending, which means a recap is in order, and a look back at all that was winter-break 07-08 will be soon forthcoming.
I've also been giving a lot of thought as to how I can spice up the blog, and while adding some useless gadgets and pictures is a half-hearted start, I plan on trying to figure out a way to adding some music, more pictures, more links and some more insight into how Adam Fier views life. I also want to try and dedicate more time to sports (as demanded by Scott Spinelli), and with the NFL playoffs here, college basketball conference play now starting and believe it or not pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training right around the corner, there should be no shortage in that department.
In addition, I have reached an agreement (the professional jargon amuses me) with Scott Spinelli to post his weekly articles which appear in the Syracuse student publication 'The Daily Orange' on my blog. For those of you who do not know Scott, he is a senior communication major and aspiring stand up comic who has performed at the Laugh Factory in Times Square. Just something else to look forward to.
Finally...
After watching like 130 episodes of Scrubs and seeing how nicely J.D. is able to narrate his life and incorporate his experiences into some really meaningful lessons, I figured I would try and explain my life as well as the world as seen through my eyes as this semester I really take my first big steps into the real world as I do my first actual student teaching, given that its part time (I'll be blogging plenty about it) and I feel like it could be fun to not only chronicle all of things that happen during the 7 weeks I'm a part-time teacher, but to talk about the experiences and how they are impacting my perspective on life.
We'll save that for when I get back up to school and realize how much free time I'll have with a schedule including classes Monday and Friday from 8:30-10:30 (AND THATS IT), class Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-5:00 (that actually sucks big time ball sack) and Wednesday class from 8:30-10:30, and then also more class from 4:30-7:15 (gonna kill myself).
In closing, props to Heather for showing support and demanding a post be written about her (I did my best with an opening) and to everyone else for the compliments. If you have any suggestions or comments- positive or negative- please let me know and if you want to be really crazy and contribute it could be fun posting 'guest posts'. Apparently I am doing something right, because I've had literally dozens of people tell me they have checked out my blog, and a few people have even told me they want to create blogs of their own.
And so after scavenging the internet for some good Scrubs quotes (the show produces some dynamite quotes) I'll finish with this one, as I get ready to take a giant step forward...
"I usually don't like thinking about the future. I mean, let's face it, you can't predict what's gonna happen. But sometimes, the thing you don't expect is what you really wanted after all. Maybe the best thing to do is stop trying to figure out where you're going and enjoy where you're at.”
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Un-Written
1/8/08
I am happy to report what while the current writers strike is ripping the entertainment industry a new tush-hole, the show goes on here at 'Fier Thy Words', mainly because I am not yet a member of the WGA...yet...but also because with many of your favorite shows either going into re-runs or biting the dust, you'll have extra time on your hands to check in with me here at the blog.
And so, the beat goes on...
Among the abundance of things that we take for granted everyday are the people who bring us the television and movies that give us that all too necessary escape from our everyday lives.
Specifically, I am referring to the writers who are currently on strike, causing some big time problems for a number of our favorite shows.
I did some research on Wikipedia (where else would I go for the most trusted information on the web) and first I was amazed to find out that this strike has been going on for 9 weeks (it started November 5th). The network shows we love to watch (I'm assuming of course you all watch as much network and cable television as I do) have been unaffected as of now, although if you go on TVguide.com you can get a complete listing of how many episodes of each show are going to be aired, and among the shows listed, there is a notable show of mine missing: 24.
Thats right, we will not be seeing Jack Bauer this season, which really is unfortunate because 24 had apparently undergone a massive face lift, which included the return of my favorite character in 24 history, Tony Almeida.
The 24 website says that season 7 will return in 2008, which leads me to believe that maybe 24 will air in the fall. We can only hope.
But this strike really has been pissing me off because as I have previously discussed, television runs my life and fills up all of my free time and then some.
This week for instance is the first real blow from the writers strike which hits me close to home.
A few months ago, I was invited to watch a new show which on the surface had absolutely no appeal to me, and even when I agreed to watch this show I was skeptical about whether or now it was worth wasting an hour of my week. The show I'm talking about, which this Wednesday night will air the final new episode until further notice?
Gossip Girl.
After only 11 episodes in it's inaugural season, Serena, Dan, Blair, Nate, Chuck and everyone else takes an extended vacation, leaving me with a huge void to fill at 9 o'clock on Wed. nights.
This is devastating because while I and the rest of my Gossip Girl die hards will most likely left with some big cliffhangers (apparently somebody is pregnant...uh ohhh), the show itself became a big hit, and now will fall 2 episodes even complete half-season.
Alright so no Jack Bauer, no Blair Waldorf.
While many are ready to assume that I may be on the verge of a mental breakdown, there is a glimmer of light which will serve as my saving grace over the next 5 months.
For all of the questionable television I insist on watching week after week, one program probably sticks out from the rest of the pack to people who think they know me.
About to enter it's 7th season, this show is unscripted, unpredictable and the unquestioned number one show on TV year after year.
No, I'm not talking about Ghost Whisperer (although we are big fans of J-Love-Hewitt), I am referring to American Idol.
Thats right, not only do I shamefully love Gossip Girl, but you could argue the one show from January until June that I cannot miss under any circumstances, is American Idol.
I used to watch Idol up until the actual competition began, as the William Hung's of the world kept me entertained as Simon, Randy and Paula came up with new ways to make these poor people walk away from their dreams and in all likelihood contemplate suicide.
But that all changed during season 5, when I became totally hooked watching the actual talent perform week after week. And much to my delight, being an unscripted show means AI will be unaffected, giving me my annual fix I cannot live without.
So I get to hold onto American Idol, but the bottom line is that this strike really is wrecking some serious havoc.
The last time the Writers Guild of American went on strike in 1988, is was estimated at 500,000,000 dollars of revenue was lost as a result in the entertainment industry.
Now the amount of money being lost is more or less completely irrelevant to me, but that strike lasted 21 weeks.
Mind you, thats almost half a year, meaning we could very well be losing the entire spring season of network television.
While there will be new episodes running for a few weeks, and reality shows going on uninterrupted, the big picture here is that from now until next fall, my school work may actually have to become a greater priority of mine. Imagine?
Some other quick thoughts about the writers strike-
The late night shows have been the subject of a lot of controversy, as all of them have returned to the air, most of which without their writers.
Now with the exception of the Daily Show and Colbert Report, the shows with their writers are not particularly funny. And while Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do a great job, the lack of writing leaves them having to fill time with clips and extended interviews, which are not the trademarks these shows live and die by.
The strike is causing a lot of shows to end their seasons early, including another of my favorite shows, Scrubs.
For anybody who watches the show as religiously as I have started to, there is a possibility the show will have cut its 7th and final season abruptly without giving fans the proper ending executive producer Bill Lawrence had in mind.
Thats bullshit, and not only is Scrubs likely going to be negatively impacted, the awkwardness on the late night shows and the complete cancellation of shows like 24 are showing how sever this strike really is. And even though this strike will eventually reach an end with an agreement being reached, there may be permanent damage done, which is unfair to the viewers who have supported these shows as intently as they have, myself included.
Until the strike is resolved, and it appears as though the end is not anywhere in sight (I hope I'm wrong), I'll have to give some serious thought into rearranging my focus from not missing my shows to not missing class.
As you can see, the urgency of reaching agreement extends beyond the entertainment world, as my education is now being brought into this mess.
For the sake of the loyal TV fans out there...
...and the continuation of my mediocre performance in school...
...we need those writers back as soon as possible...
...preferably before classes start on Monday.
I am happy to report what while the current writers strike is ripping the entertainment industry a new tush-hole, the show goes on here at 'Fier Thy Words', mainly because I am not yet a member of the WGA...yet...but also because with many of your favorite shows either going into re-runs or biting the dust, you'll have extra time on your hands to check in with me here at the blog.
And so, the beat goes on...
Among the abundance of things that we take for granted everyday are the people who bring us the television and movies that give us that all too necessary escape from our everyday lives.
Specifically, I am referring to the writers who are currently on strike, causing some big time problems for a number of our favorite shows.
I did some research on Wikipedia (where else would I go for the most trusted information on the web) and first I was amazed to find out that this strike has been going on for 9 weeks (it started November 5th). The network shows we love to watch (I'm assuming of course you all watch as much network and cable television as I do) have been unaffected as of now, although if you go on TVguide.com you can get a complete listing of how many episodes of each show are going to be aired, and among the shows listed, there is a notable show of mine missing: 24.
Thats right, we will not be seeing Jack Bauer this season, which really is unfortunate because 24 had apparently undergone a massive face lift, which included the return of my favorite character in 24 history, Tony Almeida.
The 24 website says that season 7 will return in 2008, which leads me to believe that maybe 24 will air in the fall. We can only hope.
But this strike really has been pissing me off because as I have previously discussed, television runs my life and fills up all of my free time and then some.
This week for instance is the first real blow from the writers strike which hits me close to home.
A few months ago, I was invited to watch a new show which on the surface had absolutely no appeal to me, and even when I agreed to watch this show I was skeptical about whether or now it was worth wasting an hour of my week. The show I'm talking about, which this Wednesday night will air the final new episode until further notice?
Gossip Girl.
After only 11 episodes in it's inaugural season, Serena, Dan, Blair, Nate, Chuck and everyone else takes an extended vacation, leaving me with a huge void to fill at 9 o'clock on Wed. nights.
This is devastating because while I and the rest of my Gossip Girl die hards will most likely left with some big cliffhangers (apparently somebody is pregnant...uh ohhh), the show itself became a big hit, and now will fall 2 episodes even complete half-season.
Alright so no Jack Bauer, no Blair Waldorf.
While many are ready to assume that I may be on the verge of a mental breakdown, there is a glimmer of light which will serve as my saving grace over the next 5 months.
For all of the questionable television I insist on watching week after week, one program probably sticks out from the rest of the pack to people who think they know me.
About to enter it's 7th season, this show is unscripted, unpredictable and the unquestioned number one show on TV year after year.
No, I'm not talking about Ghost Whisperer (although we are big fans of J-Love-Hewitt), I am referring to American Idol.
Thats right, not only do I shamefully love Gossip Girl, but you could argue the one show from January until June that I cannot miss under any circumstances, is American Idol.
I used to watch Idol up until the actual competition began, as the William Hung's of the world kept me entertained as Simon, Randy and Paula came up with new ways to make these poor people walk away from their dreams and in all likelihood contemplate suicide.
But that all changed during season 5, when I became totally hooked watching the actual talent perform week after week. And much to my delight, being an unscripted show means AI will be unaffected, giving me my annual fix I cannot live without.
So I get to hold onto American Idol, but the bottom line is that this strike really is wrecking some serious havoc.
The last time the Writers Guild of American went on strike in 1988, is was estimated at 500,000,000 dollars of revenue was lost as a result in the entertainment industry.
Now the amount of money being lost is more or less completely irrelevant to me, but that strike lasted 21 weeks.
Mind you, thats almost half a year, meaning we could very well be losing the entire spring season of network television.
While there will be new episodes running for a few weeks, and reality shows going on uninterrupted, the big picture here is that from now until next fall, my school work may actually have to become a greater priority of mine. Imagine?
Some other quick thoughts about the writers strike-
The late night shows have been the subject of a lot of controversy, as all of them have returned to the air, most of which without their writers.
Now with the exception of the Daily Show and Colbert Report, the shows with their writers are not particularly funny. And while Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do a great job, the lack of writing leaves them having to fill time with clips and extended interviews, which are not the trademarks these shows live and die by.
The strike is causing a lot of shows to end their seasons early, including another of my favorite shows, Scrubs.
For anybody who watches the show as religiously as I have started to, there is a possibility the show will have cut its 7th and final season abruptly without giving fans the proper ending executive producer Bill Lawrence had in mind.
Thats bullshit, and not only is Scrubs likely going to be negatively impacted, the awkwardness on the late night shows and the complete cancellation of shows like 24 are showing how sever this strike really is. And even though this strike will eventually reach an end with an agreement being reached, there may be permanent damage done, which is unfair to the viewers who have supported these shows as intently as they have, myself included.
Until the strike is resolved, and it appears as though the end is not anywhere in sight (I hope I'm wrong), I'll have to give some serious thought into rearranging my focus from not missing my shows to not missing class.
As you can see, the urgency of reaching agreement extends beyond the entertainment world, as my education is now being brought into this mess.
For the sake of the loyal TV fans out there...
...and the continuation of my mediocre performance in school...
...we need those writers back as soon as possible...
...preferably before classes start on Monday.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Hey Eli- Welcome To 'Mann'-hood
1/6/08
Before getting into my thoughts on Eli Manning, lets recap my NFL picks from this weekend.
I picked:
Jags over Steelers, final score 20-17
Seahawks over Redskins, final score 24-13
Giants over Bucs, final score 21-10
Chargers over Titans, final score 31-20
and the actual results were...
Jags over Steelers, final score 31-29
Seahawks over Redskins, final score 35-14
Giants over Bucs, final score 24-14
Chargers over Titans, final score 17-6
Thats correct folks. 4 picks, 4 correct choices.
The scores may have been off in a few of my predictions, but all in all I was not really far off with the exception being the points put up in the Charger game, yet I had them winning by 11 points, which they did.
I'll continue to see if I can impress myself next Friday with the games coming up this weekend, which all contain marquee matchups filled with great story lines.
Gotta love the NFL playoffs.
But onto the boy wonder...
Eli Manning has risen to the elite as far as most discussed athletes on New York talk radio.
Patrick Ewing, Mark Messier and Daryl Strawberry- all before my time- were the names which most frequently clogged up the airwaves, yet since being drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers and facilitating a draft day trade to the New York football Giants, Eli Manning has been the subject of the rants and roast relentlessly.
There was no shortage of Eli talk heading into the Giants first round playoff match up against the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Eli had been heavily criticized for his inconsistent play and lack of leadership, yet it quickly is forgotten that he has done enough to get his team into post season play 3 years in a row.
However in sports, and even more so in New York, there is and always will be a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' mentality as far as the fans here are concerned.
Simply put, getting to the playoffs is nothing to shrug your shoulders at, however the ultimate goal of course is start the following season with jewelry on your finger and a defending champion title before your team is introduced.
And as far as the Giants and Eli are concerned, not only have they fallen short in achieving that goal, but the team has been bounced from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, including a 23-0 embarrassment at home two years ago which I had a seat at Giants stadium for.
And so the spotlight was shining bright on Eli this afternoon as there was the pressure of two straight playoff disappoints riding on his shoulders.
However unlike the his previous playoff performances, Eli Manning stepped up and played the type of game Giants fans have been longing for since the day he was drafted.
After the offense did nothing for an entire quarter of football, Eli turned it on connected on passes to (well dressed) Amani Toomer, Plaxico Burress and Steve Smith, finishing off a drive with a screen pass to running back Brandon Jacobs for big blue's first touchdown of the game.
Eli would then lead the offense to 3 other scoring drives, the signature of the 3 being a 16 play drive eating up over 8 minutes of clock which resulted in a touchdown pass to Toomer, essentially wrapping up the Giants first playoff victory since 2000, when they won the NFC Championship game 41-0 over the Minnesota Vikings, a game I also was lucky enough to be at.
The bottom line today was that Eli Manning was in command from start to finish, and aside from the occasional short arm throws which drive any football fan crazy, he was efficient and avoided turning the ball over.
His stats were better than modest, as he was 20-27 for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He withstood the pressure applied from the Bucs defense, and his success can also be credited to a fine job by the Giants makeshift offensive line, working with a backup center and later in the game having to replace a dehydrated David Diehl.
And now the Giants head to Dallas following their first playoff triumph in 7 years, and will be facing America's team for the third time this season.
While the Giants can enjoy their victory for now, they know they have a lot of work to do in matching up against a team that has handled them in both prior meetings.
And while I'm sure the conversation this week will be as much about stopping the explosive Cowboy offense which the Giants have been unable to do, you better belive that Eli Manning will be an equally hot topic, as he has been for most of his tenure as a New York Giant.
Hopefully he will be able to continue to build upon the success he has had now in two consecutive starts (he played brilliantly against New England last weekend) and lead his team to further glory this season.
For now, today showed at the very least that when he wants to be,
Eli is the right 'Mann' for the job.
Before getting into my thoughts on Eli Manning, lets recap my NFL picks from this weekend.
I picked:
Jags over Steelers, final score 20-17
Seahawks over Redskins, final score 24-13
Giants over Bucs, final score 21-10
Chargers over Titans, final score 31-20
and the actual results were...
Jags over Steelers, final score 31-29
Seahawks over Redskins, final score 35-14
Giants over Bucs, final score 24-14
Chargers over Titans, final score 17-6
Thats correct folks. 4 picks, 4 correct choices.
The scores may have been off in a few of my predictions, but all in all I was not really far off with the exception being the points put up in the Charger game, yet I had them winning by 11 points, which they did.
I'll continue to see if I can impress myself next Friday with the games coming up this weekend, which all contain marquee matchups filled with great story lines.
Gotta love the NFL playoffs.
But onto the boy wonder...
Eli Manning has risen to the elite as far as most discussed athletes on New York talk radio.
Patrick Ewing, Mark Messier and Daryl Strawberry- all before my time- were the names which most frequently clogged up the airwaves, yet since being drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers and facilitating a draft day trade to the New York football Giants, Eli Manning has been the subject of the rants and roast relentlessly.
There was no shortage of Eli talk heading into the Giants first round playoff match up against the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Eli had been heavily criticized for his inconsistent play and lack of leadership, yet it quickly is forgotten that he has done enough to get his team into post season play 3 years in a row.
However in sports, and even more so in New York, there is and always will be a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' mentality as far as the fans here are concerned.
Simply put, getting to the playoffs is nothing to shrug your shoulders at, however the ultimate goal of course is start the following season with jewelry on your finger and a defending champion title before your team is introduced.
And as far as the Giants and Eli are concerned, not only have they fallen short in achieving that goal, but the team has been bounced from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, including a 23-0 embarrassment at home two years ago which I had a seat at Giants stadium for.
And so the spotlight was shining bright on Eli this afternoon as there was the pressure of two straight playoff disappoints riding on his shoulders.
However unlike the his previous playoff performances, Eli Manning stepped up and played the type of game Giants fans have been longing for since the day he was drafted.
After the offense did nothing for an entire quarter of football, Eli turned it on connected on passes to (well dressed) Amani Toomer, Plaxico Burress and Steve Smith, finishing off a drive with a screen pass to running back Brandon Jacobs for big blue's first touchdown of the game.
Eli would then lead the offense to 3 other scoring drives, the signature of the 3 being a 16 play drive eating up over 8 minutes of clock which resulted in a touchdown pass to Toomer, essentially wrapping up the Giants first playoff victory since 2000, when they won the NFC Championship game 41-0 over the Minnesota Vikings, a game I also was lucky enough to be at.
The bottom line today was that Eli Manning was in command from start to finish, and aside from the occasional short arm throws which drive any football fan crazy, he was efficient and avoided turning the ball over.
His stats were better than modest, as he was 20-27 for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He withstood the pressure applied from the Bucs defense, and his success can also be credited to a fine job by the Giants makeshift offensive line, working with a backup center and later in the game having to replace a dehydrated David Diehl.
And now the Giants head to Dallas following their first playoff triumph in 7 years, and will be facing America's team for the third time this season.
While the Giants can enjoy their victory for now, they know they have a lot of work to do in matching up against a team that has handled them in both prior meetings.
And while I'm sure the conversation this week will be as much about stopping the explosive Cowboy offense which the Giants have been unable to do, you better belive that Eli Manning will be an equally hot topic, as he has been for most of his tenure as a New York Giant.
Hopefully he will be able to continue to build upon the success he has had now in two consecutive starts (he played brilliantly against New England last weekend) and lead his team to further glory this season.
For now, today showed at the very least that when he wants to be,
Eli is the right 'Mann' for the job.
Friday, January 4, 2008
My Scrubs Diet
1/4/08
Recently I decided that the 3 hours a day Scrubs was on TV was not enough to really satisfy my craving for the staff at Sacred Heart so I picked up all 6 season on DVD (the 7th is currently in the process on NBC.
I actually had the DVD's sitting around for a few days debating whether or not I should wait until I get back up to school to watch them, however on Wednesday, after catching up on some of the sleep I lost New Year's Eve, while still feeling the effects of getting over a cold without sufficient rest, I popped season 1 in, and the journey began.
2 days later, I am mid way through the 3rd season (mind you, thats approximately 22 20 minute episodes, per season), and I realized that all the watching I was doing was cutting into the time I had been doing other things, including eating.
Thats right, I'll cal it my Scrubs diet for a few reasons.
First off, no I'm obviously not inhaling the 2 pairs of scrubs I own from my working in the hospital 2 summers ago. Although I would have to believe they don't contain a high calorie count.
I'll call it my Scrubs diet first because any legit fan of the show knows every episode is titled "My (fill in the blank)". The second and more logical reason is that watching scrubs has in fact reduced my food intake dramatically.
Today for instance, I woke up, showered, put in Scrubs and have not stopped since around 11:30. And what I have eaten today? 8 or 10 Hershey kisses.
Probably not part of your well balanced breakfast, however I get so wrapped in to these episodes that I actually lose the will to walk into my kitchen and make myself something. And when I do get off my bed and into the kitchen, the thought of taking the time to prepare a meal instead of watching another episode just doesn't cut it with me.
And so I have decided that a break was in order, so I can blog it up.
So before I lose my battle in fighting off the urge to hit the play button and resume my Scrubs conquest, theres some stuff I've been wanting to write down so here goes.
Firstly, I forgot to make New Year's resolutions.
I honestly cannot for the life of me understand how I forgot....
HOW I FORGOT TO LEAVE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS OFF OF MY RANT ABOUT NEW YEARS
Seriously people?
New Year's resolutions are an even bigger sham than Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy getting in on while the Easter Bunny watches and calls his friend Jesus to tell him that ITS ALL A CROCK OF SHIT.
Back in the day I definitely tried to make New Year's Resolutions however I never:
Stopped cursing (HA)
Watched less TV
Got to the GYM more
Stopped eating Cheeseburgers
Put my schoolwork before my sports teams
Gave up racist jokes
Saved more money
etc, etc, etc
And for anybody who actually is pathetic enough to make a New Year's resolution, find me somebody who was able to keep it until they were given another chance to make a new one a year later and I'll go leave Milk and Cookies out for the fat man next December 24th.
This year I simply forgot to remember that the concept of New Year's resolutions exist, and for that I am grateful.
And my resolution right now is to make sure I forget about resolutions each and every New Year for the rest of my life.
Moving on...
I was at the mall on Wednesday (yes I did break away from Scrubs for a few hours) and I could not believe how many kids were still not back at school, which was a big bummer because not only was I psyched to shop in an empty mall, but not seeing the high school kids would have reminded me how happy I am to finally be in college. Needless to say, there were brats all around, and I left the mall without any major purchases, as my shopping slump continues.
Yesterday proved that somebody is in fact watching over us...and if not us then definitely me because I have been bitching about how much I want to get back to Syracuse since the day i got home, and so yesterday Syracuse was brought to me.
The temperatures were below 20 degrees, and being outside was not anywhere to be found on my to-do list from yesterday.
I had to run out for a half hour to replace the broken mop in my apartment, and so when I did step foot outside, bundled up and prepared for an Alaskan winter, I sprinted as fast as I ever have from my front door, all the way to other side of the other tower where my car is located (a legit 2 full minute hike) hoping that between my layering and speed my body wouldn't get the chance to actually feel how cold it really was.
And after I made it to my car in under 30 seconds, I forgot that the inside of my car does not heat up as quickly as one would have hoped, causing me to give a big thank you to those above for reminding me why I should enjoy the next 10 days I still have here at home.
And for a movie review, last night I saw Juno with some of my friends. I went in with moderate expectations, as the reviews were very good and the things I had been hearing from other friend who had seen it were positive.
However I was left feeling, well, nothing at all.
Juno is a movie about a 16 year old girl (Ellen Page) who is impregnated by her best friend (played by Michael Cera from Knocked Up.
The movie was clever and witty and smart for sequences, yet it was drawn out and seemed to flat line midway through.
The movie, in my opinion, simply had no pulse and left me feeling as though I had just seen the most mediocre movie of all time.
I wouldn't go as far to say that it was a bad movie, because it wasn't, however it was average at best. There were some pretty worthy performances from Page, Allison Janney (The West Wing), who plays Juno's step mother, and J.K. Simmons (HBO's Oz) who plays her father.
Overall I was just very unimpressed with the story and how it developed, as this upscale couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) look to adopt the baby Juno is carrying, yet things get complicated when there are questions as to whether or not they are ready to bring a baby into their family.
I don't want to give anything away, but if you are looking to see it there are definitely some moments of intense awkwardness and uncomfortableness (made up word which fits better than discomfort).
In the end, I would have to give Juno and C+, although I would not be surprised if the female viewer leaves with a better feeling than the male viewer, not for any sexist reason but that seems to be the consensus I was getting.
And so the weekend is upon us, even though the college vacation in generally a 4 week long weekend, but the NFL playoffs start tomorrow, so my playoff picks cannot be left out of this blog.
Saturday
Seattle over Washington 24-13
Jacksonville over Pittsburgh 20-17
Sunday
Chargers over Titans 31-20
GIANTS over Bucs (sorry Scott) 21-10
Do I have no faith in these picsk? None what so ever.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry,
and Scrubs is waiting.
Recently I decided that the 3 hours a day Scrubs was on TV was not enough to really satisfy my craving for the staff at Sacred Heart so I picked up all 6 season on DVD (the 7th is currently in the process on NBC.
I actually had the DVD's sitting around for a few days debating whether or not I should wait until I get back up to school to watch them, however on Wednesday, after catching up on some of the sleep I lost New Year's Eve, while still feeling the effects of getting over a cold without sufficient rest, I popped season 1 in, and the journey began.
2 days later, I am mid way through the 3rd season (mind you, thats approximately 22 20 minute episodes, per season), and I realized that all the watching I was doing was cutting into the time I had been doing other things, including eating.
Thats right, I'll cal it my Scrubs diet for a few reasons.
First off, no I'm obviously not inhaling the 2 pairs of scrubs I own from my working in the hospital 2 summers ago. Although I would have to believe they don't contain a high calorie count.
I'll call it my Scrubs diet first because any legit fan of the show knows every episode is titled "My (fill in the blank)". The second and more logical reason is that watching scrubs has in fact reduced my food intake dramatically.
Today for instance, I woke up, showered, put in Scrubs and have not stopped since around 11:30. And what I have eaten today? 8 or 10 Hershey kisses.
Probably not part of your well balanced breakfast, however I get so wrapped in to these episodes that I actually lose the will to walk into my kitchen and make myself something. And when I do get off my bed and into the kitchen, the thought of taking the time to prepare a meal instead of watching another episode just doesn't cut it with me.
And so I have decided that a break was in order, so I can blog it up.
So before I lose my battle in fighting off the urge to hit the play button and resume my Scrubs conquest, theres some stuff I've been wanting to write down so here goes.
Firstly, I forgot to make New Year's resolutions.
I honestly cannot for the life of me understand how I forgot....
HOW I FORGOT TO LEAVE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS OFF OF MY RANT ABOUT NEW YEARS
Seriously people?
New Year's resolutions are an even bigger sham than Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy getting in on while the Easter Bunny watches and calls his friend Jesus to tell him that ITS ALL A CROCK OF SHIT.
Back in the day I definitely tried to make New Year's Resolutions however I never:
Stopped cursing (HA)
Watched less TV
Got to the GYM more
Stopped eating Cheeseburgers
Put my schoolwork before my sports teams
Gave up racist jokes
Saved more money
etc, etc, etc
And for anybody who actually is pathetic enough to make a New Year's resolution, find me somebody who was able to keep it until they were given another chance to make a new one a year later and I'll go leave Milk and Cookies out for the fat man next December 24th.
This year I simply forgot to remember that the concept of New Year's resolutions exist, and for that I am grateful.
And my resolution right now is to make sure I forget about resolutions each and every New Year for the rest of my life.
Moving on...
I was at the mall on Wednesday (yes I did break away from Scrubs for a few hours) and I could not believe how many kids were still not back at school, which was a big bummer because not only was I psyched to shop in an empty mall, but not seeing the high school kids would have reminded me how happy I am to finally be in college. Needless to say, there were brats all around, and I left the mall without any major purchases, as my shopping slump continues.
Yesterday proved that somebody is in fact watching over us...and if not us then definitely me because I have been bitching about how much I want to get back to Syracuse since the day i got home, and so yesterday Syracuse was brought to me.
The temperatures were below 20 degrees, and being outside was not anywhere to be found on my to-do list from yesterday.
I had to run out for a half hour to replace the broken mop in my apartment, and so when I did step foot outside, bundled up and prepared for an Alaskan winter, I sprinted as fast as I ever have from my front door, all the way to other side of the other tower where my car is located (a legit 2 full minute hike) hoping that between my layering and speed my body wouldn't get the chance to actually feel how cold it really was.
And after I made it to my car in under 30 seconds, I forgot that the inside of my car does not heat up as quickly as one would have hoped, causing me to give a big thank you to those above for reminding me why I should enjoy the next 10 days I still have here at home.
And for a movie review, last night I saw Juno with some of my friends. I went in with moderate expectations, as the reviews were very good and the things I had been hearing from other friend who had seen it were positive.
However I was left feeling, well, nothing at all.
Juno is a movie about a 16 year old girl (Ellen Page) who is impregnated by her best friend (played by Michael Cera from Knocked Up.
The movie was clever and witty and smart for sequences, yet it was drawn out and seemed to flat line midway through.
The movie, in my opinion, simply had no pulse and left me feeling as though I had just seen the most mediocre movie of all time.
I wouldn't go as far to say that it was a bad movie, because it wasn't, however it was average at best. There were some pretty worthy performances from Page, Allison Janney (The West Wing), who plays Juno's step mother, and J.K. Simmons (HBO's Oz) who plays her father.
Overall I was just very unimpressed with the story and how it developed, as this upscale couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) look to adopt the baby Juno is carrying, yet things get complicated when there are questions as to whether or not they are ready to bring a baby into their family.
I don't want to give anything away, but if you are looking to see it there are definitely some moments of intense awkwardness and uncomfortableness (made up word which fits better than discomfort).
In the end, I would have to give Juno and C+, although I would not be surprised if the female viewer leaves with a better feeling than the male viewer, not for any sexist reason but that seems to be the consensus I was getting.
And so the weekend is upon us, even though the college vacation in generally a 4 week long weekend, but the NFL playoffs start tomorrow, so my playoff picks cannot be left out of this blog.
Saturday
Seattle over Washington 24-13
Jacksonville over Pittsburgh 20-17
Sunday
Chargers over Titans 31-20
GIANTS over Bucs (sorry Scott) 21-10
Do I have no faith in these picsk? None what so ever.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry,
and Scrubs is waiting.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
And to you 2008, I say Welcome
1/2/08
Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that everybody enjoyed their New Year's Eve festivities as much as I enjoyed mine.
And before I even get into that, New Year's is a pretty popular holiday, which means one thing. I have some big time issues with it.
What exactly does the phrase Happy New Year mean? For a birthday, I can understand Happy Birthday because you are telling somebody to enjoy celebrating the day they were born. But it lasts a day. Should we be saying Happy New Year 365 times until December 31st rolls around again? Or by January 2nd is the New Year and Old Year already? If thats the case then New Years to me is blown completely out of proportion.
I was having a conversation with "Fier Thy Words" contributer Scott Spinelli (although he does not know I consider him a contributer) about New Years and how its really a rather depressing occasion that is ridiculously over-hyped. Think about it logically. Every December 31st, another year of our lives has come and gone, and 365 days later, we can do it all again, another year older. Why are we celebrating to such a degree the fact that our youth has pretty much come and gone, and for adults the realization that they are getting another year older is something they typically despise celebrating on their birthday.
I know its a big excuse to throw awesome parties (which I did) so in that regard I can't complain, however in theory, it's just like any other day of the year, except that it requires us going out and buying new calendars. My mom bought one with little kittens on it. I kinda like it.
My point is that New Years, for all the hype surrounding it, passes me buy in terms of significance. That being said, I easily has a New Years Eve to remember.
The majority of my friends here at home were planning to go upstate to Binghamton to ring in the New Year, which was a plan I had zero interest in taking part in.
However, those plans all seemed to crumble at the last second, partially because I had proposed alternative plans which involved celebrating in my parent-less apartment, but partially because among the 14 people going up, there was not unanimous excitement about the long drives and such.
So, essentitally 24 hours before the ball dropped, plans were finalized to host a Welcome 2008 party (which is how I'm going to refer to New Years from now on) in my Bay Club Apartment.
15 people turned into 20 people, which by nights end turned into 26 people, all comfortably hanging out in my place.
I was really skeptical about a number of things, mainly that because the Binghamton plans fell through people were going to be let down by having to stay home in an apartment. I was afraid that people were not going to have the great time they were looking for, so I wanted to do everything I could to give those who cared a memorable New Years.
And memorable it was, at least for anybody who didnt drink enough to lose the memories.
After spending upwards of 300 dollars on liquor and i would imagine another 100 on beer and 100 on food, plates and cups, my quiet little 2 bedroom was turned into a pretty wild time.
Beer Pong games in the dining room area which was conveniently located right next to my makeshift bar which had something like 10 bottles of liquor and 50 cans of beer on it. My dining room table, hardly regulation size, proved to be big enough to some good old competitive beer pong which everybody seemed to enjoy.
The living room was cleared out and became filled with snack trays of food, whether it was chips, shrimp or pita and hummus (my favorite), and thanks to 3 people bringing their iPods, along with the speakers from my computer, we had music going all night.
My bedroom was also available for use if anybody wanted to get away from the music, and both my living room and bedroom had big screen HDTV's which were on all night. I didn't expect the living room TV to have Tila Tequila playing for 2 hours, however when midnight rolled around, all 26 of us squeezed into the living room to watch the ball drop.
You can add the ball dropping to my list of complaints with New Years, as i really dont understand how some glass ball costing thousands and thousands of dollars mechainally dropping 30 feet is supposed to be the representation of the New Year.
But either way, watching it drop is essential, and so when it did, 2007 was finally put 6 feet under.
The party really ended up being a huge success, and if you want to see what went down, my facebook profile has tons of pictures to give you a better idea of what went down.
People hung around until around 3 if I can remember correctly, and I want to once again say thank you to everybody for doing such a great job behaving and helping me clean up.
All in all, while I really hate getting caught up in New Year's, I would be lying if i told you 2008 could not have gotten off to a better start.
And here is to hoping that 2008 truly is a Happy New Year.
Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that everybody enjoyed their New Year's Eve festivities as much as I enjoyed mine.
And before I even get into that, New Year's is a pretty popular holiday, which means one thing. I have some big time issues with it.
What exactly does the phrase Happy New Year mean? For a birthday, I can understand Happy Birthday because you are telling somebody to enjoy celebrating the day they were born. But it lasts a day. Should we be saying Happy New Year 365 times until December 31st rolls around again? Or by January 2nd is the New Year and Old Year already? If thats the case then New Years to me is blown completely out of proportion.
I was having a conversation with "Fier Thy Words" contributer Scott Spinelli (although he does not know I consider him a contributer) about New Years and how its really a rather depressing occasion that is ridiculously over-hyped. Think about it logically. Every December 31st, another year of our lives has come and gone, and 365 days later, we can do it all again, another year older. Why are we celebrating to such a degree the fact that our youth has pretty much come and gone, and for adults the realization that they are getting another year older is something they typically despise celebrating on their birthday.
I know its a big excuse to throw awesome parties (which I did) so in that regard I can't complain, however in theory, it's just like any other day of the year, except that it requires us going out and buying new calendars. My mom bought one with little kittens on it. I kinda like it.
My point is that New Years, for all the hype surrounding it, passes me buy in terms of significance. That being said, I easily has a New Years Eve to remember.
The majority of my friends here at home were planning to go upstate to Binghamton to ring in the New Year, which was a plan I had zero interest in taking part in.
However, those plans all seemed to crumble at the last second, partially because I had proposed alternative plans which involved celebrating in my parent-less apartment, but partially because among the 14 people going up, there was not unanimous excitement about the long drives and such.
So, essentitally 24 hours before the ball dropped, plans were finalized to host a Welcome 2008 party (which is how I'm going to refer to New Years from now on) in my Bay Club Apartment.
15 people turned into 20 people, which by nights end turned into 26 people, all comfortably hanging out in my place.
I was really skeptical about a number of things, mainly that because the Binghamton plans fell through people were going to be let down by having to stay home in an apartment. I was afraid that people were not going to have the great time they were looking for, so I wanted to do everything I could to give those who cared a memorable New Years.
And memorable it was, at least for anybody who didnt drink enough to lose the memories.
After spending upwards of 300 dollars on liquor and i would imagine another 100 on beer and 100 on food, plates and cups, my quiet little 2 bedroom was turned into a pretty wild time.
Beer Pong games in the dining room area which was conveniently located right next to my makeshift bar which had something like 10 bottles of liquor and 50 cans of beer on it. My dining room table, hardly regulation size, proved to be big enough to some good old competitive beer pong which everybody seemed to enjoy.
The living room was cleared out and became filled with snack trays of food, whether it was chips, shrimp or pita and hummus (my favorite), and thanks to 3 people bringing their iPods, along with the speakers from my computer, we had music going all night.
My bedroom was also available for use if anybody wanted to get away from the music, and both my living room and bedroom had big screen HDTV's which were on all night. I didn't expect the living room TV to have Tila Tequila playing for 2 hours, however when midnight rolled around, all 26 of us squeezed into the living room to watch the ball drop.
You can add the ball dropping to my list of complaints with New Years, as i really dont understand how some glass ball costing thousands and thousands of dollars mechainally dropping 30 feet is supposed to be the representation of the New Year.
But either way, watching it drop is essential, and so when it did, 2007 was finally put 6 feet under.
The party really ended up being a huge success, and if you want to see what went down, my facebook profile has tons of pictures to give you a better idea of what went down.
People hung around until around 3 if I can remember correctly, and I want to once again say thank you to everybody for doing such a great job behaving and helping me clean up.
All in all, while I really hate getting caught up in New Year's, I would be lying if i told you 2008 could not have gotten off to a better start.
And here is to hoping that 2008 truly is a Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
A "Perfect" Night
12/30/07
What a night.
There are plenty of times I can recall going into something with high expectations and having the experience fall short.
Tonight however not only met expectations but far exceeded them.
As mentioned earlier, the adventure to Giants Stadium began at 2:30 in the afternoon when we left.
Paul and I went to go pick up Ian down the block, and traveled into the city to pick up Paul's brother Louis.
The 4 of us arrived at the stadium around 3:30, which for those of you keeping track means we had almost 5 full hours of time to kill in the parking lot.
After throwing around the football for a little while, the food came out and the grill was prepared to make dinner.
Chips of all kinds, salsa, pita and hummus, peanuts, drinks, shrimp cocktail- plenty to go around.
The steaks were marinated for 3 days in italian dressing and was absolutely out of this world.
The best part of tailgating at football games is that before the game begins, there is so much fun to be had in the simplicity of eating, sitting around and talking, which is exactly what we did.
There were 10 of us in all before the game just hanging out, bullshitting about the game and this and that. Sounds boring, but combined with 55 degree weather on December 29th, its tough to beat.
Finally 7:30 rolls around and its time to go inside, so Ian and I make our way upstairs to our seats up in the boondocks.
Much to my surprise, not only were the seats terrific, but the Patriots owners box was directly above us, giving us a great view of Robert Kraft (Pats owner). After initially waving and staring in awe, it wasn't long before middle fingers were being thrown his way.
It was our way of welcoming him.
The game itself was as entertaining as any I have ever been to, as the 15-0 Patriots went up against the 10-5 Giants, who had already locked up a playoff spot with a win last week in Buffalo.
And after coming off a very ugly performance, nobody knew for sure how the Giants would show up against the NFL's best team.
But the Giants answered the bell, and came out punching, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive.
In fact the Giants offense, led by (Sh)Eli Manning was very potent putting up 35 points (including 4 Manning TD passes) against a fierce Patriots defense.
The defense also looked strong in the first half, playing a bend-but-don't-break style holding the Pats to field-goals on three of their four first half possessions.
The Giants led at half 21-16, and opened up a 28-16 lead in the third quarter, giving their fans plenty of hope that 16-0 would be nothing more than a pipe-dream.
However like the great teams always seem to do, the Pats responded with 22 consecutive points highlighted by a Tom Brady bomb to Randy Moss for a 65 yard TD which put the pats up 31-28.
I went into the game feeling neutral and simply wanting to get my money's worth, however just prior to going in the stadium my New England hatred surfaced and I put on my giants fan face and got really into the game, really hoping for the upset.
The best part was I had nothing to lose because when indeed the Patriots did hold off the late Giants rally, securing the first ever 16-0 perfect season in NFL history, I was very content realizing how historically significant an event it was, while also being able to appreciate how great an athlete Tom Brady is.
And truth be told, the game was fun. It was high scoring, featured some big plays such as the kickoff return for a TD by Dominick Hixon- who happens to be the former Denver Bronco that on opening day collided with Bills Tight End Kevin Everett, nearly paralyzing him. Safe to say his season ended far better than it started.
The game was everything I probably could have asked for, and while I would have loved seeing the Patriots stumble at the finish line in their quest for a perfect season, the great tailgate before combined with a really great game made the night, well, perfect.
What a night.
There are plenty of times I can recall going into something with high expectations and having the experience fall short.
Tonight however not only met expectations but far exceeded them.
As mentioned earlier, the adventure to Giants Stadium began at 2:30 in the afternoon when we left.
Paul and I went to go pick up Ian down the block, and traveled into the city to pick up Paul's brother Louis.
The 4 of us arrived at the stadium around 3:30, which for those of you keeping track means we had almost 5 full hours of time to kill in the parking lot.
After throwing around the football for a little while, the food came out and the grill was prepared to make dinner.
Chips of all kinds, salsa, pita and hummus, peanuts, drinks, shrimp cocktail- plenty to go around.
The steaks were marinated for 3 days in italian dressing and was absolutely out of this world.
The best part of tailgating at football games is that before the game begins, there is so much fun to be had in the simplicity of eating, sitting around and talking, which is exactly what we did.
There were 10 of us in all before the game just hanging out, bullshitting about the game and this and that. Sounds boring, but combined with 55 degree weather on December 29th, its tough to beat.
Finally 7:30 rolls around and its time to go inside, so Ian and I make our way upstairs to our seats up in the boondocks.
Much to my surprise, not only were the seats terrific, but the Patriots owners box was directly above us, giving us a great view of Robert Kraft (Pats owner). After initially waving and staring in awe, it wasn't long before middle fingers were being thrown his way.
It was our way of welcoming him.
The game itself was as entertaining as any I have ever been to, as the 15-0 Patriots went up against the 10-5 Giants, who had already locked up a playoff spot with a win last week in Buffalo.
And after coming off a very ugly performance, nobody knew for sure how the Giants would show up against the NFL's best team.
But the Giants answered the bell, and came out punching, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive.
In fact the Giants offense, led by (Sh)Eli Manning was very potent putting up 35 points (including 4 Manning TD passes) against a fierce Patriots defense.
The defense also looked strong in the first half, playing a bend-but-don't-break style holding the Pats to field-goals on three of their four first half possessions.
The Giants led at half 21-16, and opened up a 28-16 lead in the third quarter, giving their fans plenty of hope that 16-0 would be nothing more than a pipe-dream.
However like the great teams always seem to do, the Pats responded with 22 consecutive points highlighted by a Tom Brady bomb to Randy Moss for a 65 yard TD which put the pats up 31-28.
I went into the game feeling neutral and simply wanting to get my money's worth, however just prior to going in the stadium my New England hatred surfaced and I put on my giants fan face and got really into the game, really hoping for the upset.
The best part was I had nothing to lose because when indeed the Patriots did hold off the late Giants rally, securing the first ever 16-0 perfect season in NFL history, I was very content realizing how historically significant an event it was, while also being able to appreciate how great an athlete Tom Brady is.
And truth be told, the game was fun. It was high scoring, featured some big plays such as the kickoff return for a TD by Dominick Hixon- who happens to be the former Denver Bronco that on opening day collided with Bills Tight End Kevin Everett, nearly paralyzing him. Safe to say his season ended far better than it started.
The game was everything I probably could have asked for, and while I would have loved seeing the Patriots stumble at the finish line in their quest for a perfect season, the great tailgate before combined with a really great game made the night, well, perfect.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Catching Up
12/29/07
Sorry for the disappearing act, but I've caught my annual Christmas week cold.
This is no exaggeration, I have gotten sick- be it the flu or a virus or a bad cold every year right before, during or just after Christmas, without fail.
And this year was no exception, as Sunday night and more so Monday morning I could feel it coming, and by the time I went to sleep Tuesday there it was like a lump of coal in my Stocking, straight from Santa himself. Thanks fat ass.
Anyway, I have not really been doing much these last few days, as my cold was kept me from running since when I last was at the gym on Wednesday (big mistake) I was having a lot of trouble breathing during and after the run, so I figured a few days off couldn't hurt.
In the meantime, I was fortunate enough to hit the jackpot on Thursday when I went shopping with my mother and Joe. Our quest was for a new TV for the master bedroom in my apartment, as my mother finally realized what the rest of the world has, which is that HDTV is not something you should have, but something you must have.
And so we took a trip to P.C. Richard and Son and started browsing the big screen TV's when I pulled off something truly remarkable.
I have been known to scheme and negotiate my way into getting some really nice stuff even if might not necessarily need it- for example last winter a Playstation 3, last spring a new cell phone and at least once or twice a year a new authentic jersey. However what I was able to do Thursday belongs in the record books.
I suggested to my mother that instead of buying herself a new TV, we instead shop for an even bigger TV that I can put in the living room of my house next year in school.
And so we went from the 26 and 32 inch TV's over to the 37 inch models and there it was, sitting there with my name on it.
An LG, 37 inch full 1080p HDTV. Now some of you may not have the slightest idea as to what that means, but essentially its a a big, beautiful television with the best picture quality available right now.
And the best part was it was on sale, which for those of you who don't know my mother, takes the place of me needing to convince her something is worth purchasing.
In exchange of course I now will be giving her the 26 inch Sony HDTV I have at school, but in turn I am the beneficiary of a far nicer and far bigger TV for next year and beyond.
The sad part was last winter when I actually saved up and paid for most of that TV, it ended up costing even more than the new TV, which goes to show you that good things come to those who wait but better things come to those smart enough to realize a opportunity and pounce on it.
So as if next year wasn't going to great enough living with one of my closest friends (Rossy) in a big, gorgeous house, but now we added the centerpiece to to our living experience.
Aside from that accomplishment, some of the other things which took place over the last few days were that I received my grades for this semester.
And for the most the part the grades were exactly what I expected them to be:
Modern American History (1917-1960): B+
American Environmental History: B+
Literacy Across the Curriculum (Education class): B
Modern American Comedy: B
Communication Sciences and Disorders: C
All comes out to 2.93 semester GPA leaving me with a 2.996 GPA.
Could the grades have been better? Of course they could have been, however I have been known to historically underachieve in school, and college has been no different than high school in that regard.
Hopefully I can finish my last 3 semesters stronger than I have my first 5.
If you have been stalking my away messages not only do you know I've been feeling pretty lousy the last few days but I've used my time resting to watch even more television than I normally would. Which is difficult for me to pull off.
And of course that means even more Scrubs, along with episodes of Home Improvement, King of Queens, That 70's Show, Gilmore Girls, Family Matters and Full House.
Am I proud of watching some of these shows? You bet your ass I am.
The other real bitch about being sick is the lack of sleep I've been getting, causing me to stay up later than I want while waking up earlier than I want.
Yesterday I was up and out of bed at 8:30. Realize I only woke up that early when I had to do classroom observations once a week at school, meaning that the last time I woke up that early without having to be was probably before I was Bar Mitzvahed.
And so even though I am still not 100% (although I finally like I may be getting there), tonight I will be at Giants Stadium, watching the G-Men try and stand in the way of the Patriots Perfect Season.
Game starts at 8, which means that we will be leaving around 2:30, giving us plenty of time to get there early and tailgate.
The menu for today included skirt steak marinated in Italian dressing, grilled chicken, hot dogs, burgers and enough snacks to feed half the parking lot.
I am sorta torn because as a Jets fan who has nothing against the Giants- I really hate the Pats and Bill Belichick and so on any other night I would be wanting nothing more than to see them lose.
However tonight there is history on the line, as the Patriots, with a victory, would be come the first team ever to go undefeated in the NFL's modern 16 game season.
Being the sports nut I am, I would be lying if I told you a big part of me is hoping New England takes care of business as sports does not often give fans a story like this.
That being said, the Jets fan inside of me knows that should the Giants pull off the unthinkable and actually upset the Pats, it will be satisfying on an entirely different level.
One way or the other, the game should be exciting, and win or lose, something pretty special is going to go down tonight in East Rutherford.
And I'll be among those lucky enough to witness it.
Sorry for the disappearing act, but I've caught my annual Christmas week cold.
This is no exaggeration, I have gotten sick- be it the flu or a virus or a bad cold every year right before, during or just after Christmas, without fail.
And this year was no exception, as Sunday night and more so Monday morning I could feel it coming, and by the time I went to sleep Tuesday there it was like a lump of coal in my Stocking, straight from Santa himself. Thanks fat ass.
Anyway, I have not really been doing much these last few days, as my cold was kept me from running since when I last was at the gym on Wednesday (big mistake) I was having a lot of trouble breathing during and after the run, so I figured a few days off couldn't hurt.
In the meantime, I was fortunate enough to hit the jackpot on Thursday when I went shopping with my mother and Joe. Our quest was for a new TV for the master bedroom in my apartment, as my mother finally realized what the rest of the world has, which is that HDTV is not something you should have, but something you must have.
And so we took a trip to P.C. Richard and Son and started browsing the big screen TV's when I pulled off something truly remarkable.
I have been known to scheme and negotiate my way into getting some really nice stuff even if might not necessarily need it- for example last winter a Playstation 3, last spring a new cell phone and at least once or twice a year a new authentic jersey. However what I was able to do Thursday belongs in the record books.
I suggested to my mother that instead of buying herself a new TV, we instead shop for an even bigger TV that I can put in the living room of my house next year in school.
And so we went from the 26 and 32 inch TV's over to the 37 inch models and there it was, sitting there with my name on it.
An LG, 37 inch full 1080p HDTV. Now some of you may not have the slightest idea as to what that means, but essentially its a a big, beautiful television with the best picture quality available right now.
And the best part was it was on sale, which for those of you who don't know my mother, takes the place of me needing to convince her something is worth purchasing.
In exchange of course I now will be giving her the 26 inch Sony HDTV I have at school, but in turn I am the beneficiary of a far nicer and far bigger TV for next year and beyond.
The sad part was last winter when I actually saved up and paid for most of that TV, it ended up costing even more than the new TV, which goes to show you that good things come to those who wait but better things come to those smart enough to realize a opportunity and pounce on it.
So as if next year wasn't going to great enough living with one of my closest friends (Rossy) in a big, gorgeous house, but now we added the centerpiece to to our living experience.
Aside from that accomplishment, some of the other things which took place over the last few days were that I received my grades for this semester.
And for the most the part the grades were exactly what I expected them to be:
Modern American History (1917-1960): B+
American Environmental History: B+
Literacy Across the Curriculum (Education class): B
Modern American Comedy: B
Communication Sciences and Disorders: C
All comes out to 2.93 semester GPA leaving me with a 2.996 GPA.
Could the grades have been better? Of course they could have been, however I have been known to historically underachieve in school, and college has been no different than high school in that regard.
Hopefully I can finish my last 3 semesters stronger than I have my first 5.
If you have been stalking my away messages not only do you know I've been feeling pretty lousy the last few days but I've used my time resting to watch even more television than I normally would. Which is difficult for me to pull off.
And of course that means even more Scrubs, along with episodes of Home Improvement, King of Queens, That 70's Show, Gilmore Girls, Family Matters and Full House.
Am I proud of watching some of these shows? You bet your ass I am.
The other real bitch about being sick is the lack of sleep I've been getting, causing me to stay up later than I want while waking up earlier than I want.
Yesterday I was up and out of bed at 8:30. Realize I only woke up that early when I had to do classroom observations once a week at school, meaning that the last time I woke up that early without having to be was probably before I was Bar Mitzvahed.
And so even though I am still not 100% (although I finally like I may be getting there), tonight I will be at Giants Stadium, watching the G-Men try and stand in the way of the Patriots Perfect Season.
Game starts at 8, which means that we will be leaving around 2:30, giving us plenty of time to get there early and tailgate.
The menu for today included skirt steak marinated in Italian dressing, grilled chicken, hot dogs, burgers and enough snacks to feed half the parking lot.
I am sorta torn because as a Jets fan who has nothing against the Giants- I really hate the Pats and Bill Belichick and so on any other night I would be wanting nothing more than to see them lose.
However tonight there is history on the line, as the Patriots, with a victory, would be come the first team ever to go undefeated in the NFL's modern 16 game season.
Being the sports nut I am, I would be lying if I told you a big part of me is hoping New England takes care of business as sports does not often give fans a story like this.
That being said, the Jets fan inside of me knows that should the Giants pull off the unthinkable and actually upset the Pats, it will be satisfying on an entirely different level.
One way or the other, the game should be exciting, and win or lose, something pretty special is going to go down tonight in East Rutherford.
And I'll be among those lucky enough to witness it.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
My Jewish Christmas
12/26/07
Christmas might be the one day of the year which comes and goes faster than any other day on the Calendar. And yesterday was really no exception.
Waking up at 10, because the combination of my body not getting along with my bed here at home and the fact my internal clock refuses to accept the fact that I don't have an 11am class I can't skip, gave me a chance to get an early start to my day.
And not having to worry about looking under some undersized tree for overpriced gifts was a relief, because the odds of Santa getting me what I wanted this year came and went between 10 and 15 years ago when I decided I wanted to commit my life to rooting for the teams I root for.
But never the less, I was able to get back to the gym after a two day break, and 4 miles and 3 episodes of Scrubs later, I then was feeling good and played another 30 minutes of basketball by myself in the snazzy new Knicks shooting shirt I bought myself at the Garden on Sunday.
After my second shower of the day it was time to head into the city for a movie.
The city was surprisingly busy, despite the fact I had seen the unusual sight of stores in the middle of Times Square closed.
The Movie theater was absolutely mobbed, mostly with J's. And its not like these were your more typical Jewish people with noticeably large noses, heavy appetites and light wallets, but I'm talking about yarmulke wearing, men and women on separate sides of the theater J's.
Lunch consisted of a very nutritious dirty water dog with mustard, sour kraut and onions, which was then pushed further down in my stomach by the M&M's I treated myself to.
After waiting 10 minutes to purchase said snacks, we got finally made our way up 4 escalators to our theater, only to find that there were no seats together anywhere other than the very front row.
Forgetting to bring a pillow and recliner, I was in no mood to sit up there, but splitting up was not really a fun option, so we sat with knowledge that by the end of the movie our heads would be permanently looking upwards.
But onto the movie itself.
Coming close to seeing Charlie Wilson's War, the final decision ended up being The Bucket List, with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
Eventually my goal is to expand this blog to include a much bigger emphasis on movies, but until then I'll start here by giving my own review on The Bucket List.
Before even seeing it, a movie with actors of the caliber of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman screams out that even an awful script and terrible plot could be turned into gold with the two of them sharing the screen.
And they did not disappoint, as the movie mixed in a terrific combination of humor and sentiment. It was a feel good movie which featured two strangers who meet on their respective death beds- figuratively and literally speaking- and decide to come up with a list of things they want to do before they both "kick the bucket".
There was great chemistry which at no point seemed forced or fake between Jack and Freeman, which took a average movie and made it above average in my opinion.
Another plus was the length of the film. I went in expected at least two hours when i was treated to a very neatly packaged hour and a half. It was quick but not rushed. There were more than enough laughs, and although the audience becomes fully aware that these two men are entering the finals months of their lives, it never takes away from the things they do and the relationship they develop.
While seeing Freeman in a dramatic role is hardly something rarely seen, the softer emotional side of Jack Nicholson in the character he plays was really pretty special to watch.
I myself was able to refrain from crying (I have absolutely no shame in admitting I've cried during many a movies) but this movie had me right on the edge of shedding some tears.
I don't want to give thumbs up or stars, as me and my roommate Matt like to rely on the letter grade system, and this movie to me was a very, very solid B+.
Now to give you and idea of the scale I use (and I'll get more specific when I finally start to incorporate movies more into the blog) but The Departed was an A- while Walk Hard was an equally solid D-.
The Bucket List was very satisfying, and has a few really great messages you can take away from it, mainly that there aren't a lot of things more important than just getting as much joy out of your life as possible, while also trying to give other as much joy as you can possibly dish out.
Bottom line is I would recommend seeing the movie when it comes out in wide release January 11th.
Getting back to my day, and staying on the topic of the movies, a few things which caught my attention when it comes to the movie-going experience.
-Movie ticket prices. I know it was Christmas day, and I know I was in Times Square. But two tickets cost over 23 dollars, and thats just outrageous. Of course if they wanted, movie theaters could charge 15 dollars a ticket and people would still show up today. And for that matter, ticket prices will continue to rise because the theaters know that people have a never ending desire to be entertained, and as a result will show up at the movies as long they exist.
-The Previews. I have mixed feelings about previews. On one hand, sometimes previews are worth the price of admission, as they end up being more entertaining than the movie you actually paid to see. Plus for those of you like me, who get a rush out of seeing things and getting things before the majority of the general public, previews at the movies give you a chance to get a sneak peak months in advance. The flip side is that a lot of these previews give away too much of the movie. It has become increasingly harder for movies to stay unpredictable when the previews leave you with enough of the plot to figure out enough possible endings to avoid seeing the movie all together.
-Clapping after the movie is over. Whats up with that? We are not seeing a live performance, meaning that after the credits rolls there wont be anyone taking a bow and waving to you. The movie industry is happy enough you paid your 12 dollars to see the film, only to then pay another 20 when the DVD comes out. Hearing people applaud at the end of a movie just comes across as stupid in my opinion, and makes me laugh every time I hear it (as today was once again one of those occasions). I am not saying that the movie may not be worthy of an applaud, but the fact is its a movie, not a sporting event.
All that being said, I love going to the movies, and nothing I mentioned will deter me from continuing to do so, because I- like most other Americans, love overpaying for 90 minutes of distraction.
After getting home from the movie, I capped off the traditional Jewish Christmas Day by ordering Chinese food, which was delicious.
Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, pork fried rice and steamed dumplings really screamed out Merry Christmas to me in a way not many other things could have.
And so Christmas has come and gone, and hopefully without the door hitting on the ass on the way out. While most of the world will miss it, I can safely close the door on the Christmas spirit with this to say:
Good Riddance.
Christmas might be the one day of the year which comes and goes faster than any other day on the Calendar. And yesterday was really no exception.
Waking up at 10, because the combination of my body not getting along with my bed here at home and the fact my internal clock refuses to accept the fact that I don't have an 11am class I can't skip, gave me a chance to get an early start to my day.
And not having to worry about looking under some undersized tree for overpriced gifts was a relief, because the odds of Santa getting me what I wanted this year came and went between 10 and 15 years ago when I decided I wanted to commit my life to rooting for the teams I root for.
But never the less, I was able to get back to the gym after a two day break, and 4 miles and 3 episodes of Scrubs later, I then was feeling good and played another 30 minutes of basketball by myself in the snazzy new Knicks shooting shirt I bought myself at the Garden on Sunday.
After my second shower of the day it was time to head into the city for a movie.
The city was surprisingly busy, despite the fact I had seen the unusual sight of stores in the middle of Times Square closed.
The Movie theater was absolutely mobbed, mostly with J's. And its not like these were your more typical Jewish people with noticeably large noses, heavy appetites and light wallets, but I'm talking about yarmulke wearing, men and women on separate sides of the theater J's.
Lunch consisted of a very nutritious dirty water dog with mustard, sour kraut and onions, which was then pushed further down in my stomach by the M&M's I treated myself to.
After waiting 10 minutes to purchase said snacks, we got finally made our way up 4 escalators to our theater, only to find that there were no seats together anywhere other than the very front row.
Forgetting to bring a pillow and recliner, I was in no mood to sit up there, but splitting up was not really a fun option, so we sat with knowledge that by the end of the movie our heads would be permanently looking upwards.
But onto the movie itself.
Coming close to seeing Charlie Wilson's War, the final decision ended up being The Bucket List, with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
Eventually my goal is to expand this blog to include a much bigger emphasis on movies, but until then I'll start here by giving my own review on The Bucket List.
Before even seeing it, a movie with actors of the caliber of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman screams out that even an awful script and terrible plot could be turned into gold with the two of them sharing the screen.
And they did not disappoint, as the movie mixed in a terrific combination of humor and sentiment. It was a feel good movie which featured two strangers who meet on their respective death beds- figuratively and literally speaking- and decide to come up with a list of things they want to do before they both "kick the bucket".
There was great chemistry which at no point seemed forced or fake between Jack and Freeman, which took a average movie and made it above average in my opinion.
Another plus was the length of the film. I went in expected at least two hours when i was treated to a very neatly packaged hour and a half. It was quick but not rushed. There were more than enough laughs, and although the audience becomes fully aware that these two men are entering the finals months of their lives, it never takes away from the things they do and the relationship they develop.
While seeing Freeman in a dramatic role is hardly something rarely seen, the softer emotional side of Jack Nicholson in the character he plays was really pretty special to watch.
I myself was able to refrain from crying (I have absolutely no shame in admitting I've cried during many a movies) but this movie had me right on the edge of shedding some tears.
I don't want to give thumbs up or stars, as me and my roommate Matt like to rely on the letter grade system, and this movie to me was a very, very solid B+.
Now to give you and idea of the scale I use (and I'll get more specific when I finally start to incorporate movies more into the blog) but The Departed was an A- while Walk Hard was an equally solid D-.
The Bucket List was very satisfying, and has a few really great messages you can take away from it, mainly that there aren't a lot of things more important than just getting as much joy out of your life as possible, while also trying to give other as much joy as you can possibly dish out.
Bottom line is I would recommend seeing the movie when it comes out in wide release January 11th.
Getting back to my day, and staying on the topic of the movies, a few things which caught my attention when it comes to the movie-going experience.
-Movie ticket prices. I know it was Christmas day, and I know I was in Times Square. But two tickets cost over 23 dollars, and thats just outrageous. Of course if they wanted, movie theaters could charge 15 dollars a ticket and people would still show up today. And for that matter, ticket prices will continue to rise because the theaters know that people have a never ending desire to be entertained, and as a result will show up at the movies as long they exist.
-The Previews. I have mixed feelings about previews. On one hand, sometimes previews are worth the price of admission, as they end up being more entertaining than the movie you actually paid to see. Plus for those of you like me, who get a rush out of seeing things and getting things before the majority of the general public, previews at the movies give you a chance to get a sneak peak months in advance. The flip side is that a lot of these previews give away too much of the movie. It has become increasingly harder for movies to stay unpredictable when the previews leave you with enough of the plot to figure out enough possible endings to avoid seeing the movie all together.
-Clapping after the movie is over. Whats up with that? We are not seeing a live performance, meaning that after the credits rolls there wont be anyone taking a bow and waving to you. The movie industry is happy enough you paid your 12 dollars to see the film, only to then pay another 20 when the DVD comes out. Hearing people applaud at the end of a movie just comes across as stupid in my opinion, and makes me laugh every time I hear it (as today was once again one of those occasions). I am not saying that the movie may not be worthy of an applaud, but the fact is its a movie, not a sporting event.
All that being said, I love going to the movies, and nothing I mentioned will deter me from continuing to do so, because I- like most other Americans, love overpaying for 90 minutes of distraction.
After getting home from the movie, I capped off the traditional Jewish Christmas Day by ordering Chinese food, which was delicious.
Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, pork fried rice and steamed dumplings really screamed out Merry Christmas to me in a way not many other things could have.
And so Christmas has come and gone, and hopefully without the door hitting on the ass on the way out. While most of the world will miss it, I can safely close the door on the Christmas spirit with this to say:
Good Riddance.
Where Do I Begin
12/25/07
Feliz Navidad to all you gentiles out there.
Being Jewish however, I don't know where to begin with my issues with Christmas.
Maybe it comes down to a simple case of jealousy for not being able to take part in the lights and the gifts and the feast and the fat man.
But I seriously doubt it.
Christmas is without question one of the greatest commercial successes in history, as the holiness of the holiday has been buried deep beneath the sales and songs the green and red have to offer.
I previously ranted about how utterly meaningless Hanukkah is, however the more I think about it, Christmas might not be quite as irrelevant, however it annoys me twice as much.
First of all, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ (correct me if I'm wrong Christian friends of mine). And the last time I checked, Jesus was- thats right- Jewish.
It makes me wonder if its worth offering the Christians some of our other more notable tribe members to create a holiday in honor of- Albert Einstein? Jerry Seinfeld? How about Ralph Lauren?
Next on my list is the fucking lights. Yeah, they look nice but a lot of people go over the top, creating a sight not only visable from space, but I can only imagine the warm feelings of the neighbors of these schmucks.
And did you ever wonder why Jewish people don't decorate their homes with blue and white lights?
Two words: Electric bill.
Moving on, we come to Big Red. Santa Claus, by far, one of the five people, real or fictional, I absolutely have zero patience for.
Find SC for me in the Bible and maybe I'll have some respect for him.
And maybe one of these years he uses the 364 days a year he isn't working to hit the gym. Those poor reindeer probably have back conditions schelping his fat ass around all night.
I would write something witty about Christmas music, however to be blunt, It's about as appealing to my ears as dog shit is to my nose.
Maybe if I only had to hear it on the radio for a few days, maybe a week, but from Thanksgiving until today? Too much.
Then you have the yule log, which I can't imagine anybody celebrating Christmas is proud of. Staring at a lump of shit caught on fire to the tunes of silent night strikes me as something even Santa might find irritating. Then again roast some marshmallows over it and he's parking his ass right next to it.
Whats up with the Tree? More lights, red and green ceramics and figurines of your favorite star trek characters? Group it over there with the lights as something that really serves no purpose beyond aesthetics. Then again like almost every holiday, the true meaning of Christmas (if you choose to believe in such myths- which I do only because the tooth fairy insisted so when I woke up one night catching her stiffing me on the third tooth I lost- 1 dollar for a tooth? ill keep the tooth...)
Theres also the awkwardness which ensues upon somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas when I clearly advertise my jewness on the front of my face- right under my eyes, between my ears and above my mouth).
If only it were socially acceptable to give this answer to somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas:
No thanks, I'd rather honor the 6 million of my people murdered- because that ACTUALLY happened (unless you're talking to Mel Gibson's dad of course, so I would have no choice but to accept a seasons greetings from him)
Alright so that's a bit harsh, I'll leave it at no thank you.
I can't knock the gift giving, but thats because Hannukah brings with it 8 nights of gift giving, compared to one morning.
Of course the worst part of Christmas is that it proves Jews really don't rule the world, because EVERYTHING short of the movies and Chinese restaurants is closed, which of course is where the Jewish Christmas Day Tradition of Movies and Moo Shoo comes from.
Christmas eve isn't any better, as everything closes ridiculously early (for instance, the gym in my predominantly Jewish building closed at 2 in the afternoon yesterday, yet will be open from 12-5 today).
Christians, i ask of you to pick one. You can't take away an entire evening followed by an entire day.
As for this Jew will be spending his Christmas?
After I utilize the generosity of my gym for being opened today, I'll be heading into the city to see a movie, followed by dinner at the Szechuan Inn.
Only thing at this point left to say?
Merry Christmas everyone.
Feliz Navidad to all you gentiles out there.
Being Jewish however, I don't know where to begin with my issues with Christmas.
Maybe it comes down to a simple case of jealousy for not being able to take part in the lights and the gifts and the feast and the fat man.
But I seriously doubt it.
Christmas is without question one of the greatest commercial successes in history, as the holiness of the holiday has been buried deep beneath the sales and songs the green and red have to offer.
I previously ranted about how utterly meaningless Hanukkah is, however the more I think about it, Christmas might not be quite as irrelevant, however it annoys me twice as much.
First of all, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ (correct me if I'm wrong Christian friends of mine). And the last time I checked, Jesus was- thats right- Jewish.
It makes me wonder if its worth offering the Christians some of our other more notable tribe members to create a holiday in honor of- Albert Einstein? Jerry Seinfeld? How about Ralph Lauren?
Next on my list is the fucking lights. Yeah, they look nice but a lot of people go over the top, creating a sight not only visable from space, but I can only imagine the warm feelings of the neighbors of these schmucks.
And did you ever wonder why Jewish people don't decorate their homes with blue and white lights?
Two words: Electric bill.
Moving on, we come to Big Red. Santa Claus, by far, one of the five people, real or fictional, I absolutely have zero patience for.
Find SC for me in the Bible and maybe I'll have some respect for him.
And maybe one of these years he uses the 364 days a year he isn't working to hit the gym. Those poor reindeer probably have back conditions schelping his fat ass around all night.
I would write something witty about Christmas music, however to be blunt, It's about as appealing to my ears as dog shit is to my nose.
Maybe if I only had to hear it on the radio for a few days, maybe a week, but from Thanksgiving until today? Too much.
Then you have the yule log, which I can't imagine anybody celebrating Christmas is proud of. Staring at a lump of shit caught on fire to the tunes of silent night strikes me as something even Santa might find irritating. Then again roast some marshmallows over it and he's parking his ass right next to it.
Whats up with the Tree? More lights, red and green ceramics and figurines of your favorite star trek characters? Group it over there with the lights as something that really serves no purpose beyond aesthetics. Then again like almost every holiday, the true meaning of Christmas (if you choose to believe in such myths- which I do only because the tooth fairy insisted so when I woke up one night catching her stiffing me on the third tooth I lost- 1 dollar for a tooth? ill keep the tooth...)
Theres also the awkwardness which ensues upon somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas when I clearly advertise my jewness on the front of my face- right under my eyes, between my ears and above my mouth).
If only it were socially acceptable to give this answer to somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas:
No thanks, I'd rather honor the 6 million of my people murdered- because that ACTUALLY happened (unless you're talking to Mel Gibson's dad of course, so I would have no choice but to accept a seasons greetings from him)
Alright so that's a bit harsh, I'll leave it at no thank you.
I can't knock the gift giving, but thats because Hannukah brings with it 8 nights of gift giving, compared to one morning.
Of course the worst part of Christmas is that it proves Jews really don't rule the world, because EVERYTHING short of the movies and Chinese restaurants is closed, which of course is where the Jewish Christmas Day Tradition of Movies and Moo Shoo comes from.
Christmas eve isn't any better, as everything closes ridiculously early (for instance, the gym in my predominantly Jewish building closed at 2 in the afternoon yesterday, yet will be open from 12-5 today).
Christians, i ask of you to pick one. You can't take away an entire evening followed by an entire day.
As for this Jew will be spending his Christmas?
After I utilize the generosity of my gym for being opened today, I'll be heading into the city to see a movie, followed by dinner at the Szechuan Inn.
Only thing at this point left to say?
Merry Christmas everyone.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Yeah, He's That Good
12/24/07
I've been following sports, both watching them and attending them for almost 15 years now, which incredibly accounts for 3/4 of my life to this point. And throughout the years, while I have consistently cheered for my favorite teams, there are athletes who almost transcend the sport they play.
The obvious first name that comes to mind is Michael Jordan. I had the privilege of getting to see His Airness play at the very first professional basketball game I went to, which was a playoff game between the Knicks and Bulls in 1996. Not bad for an introduction to the NBA huh?
At the time I was only 9, and a little too young to really appreciate that fact that I was getting to watch one of the greatest athletes and most famous people in history before my eyes, and as a result I made it a point to get to the Garden again when he came back a few years ago to play with Washington.
It does not seem like much, but imagine seeing your favorite singer or band live in concert. The thrill you get is so great that you struggle to even describe it. And some performers, whether they be pro athletes or musicians or actors are just worth the price of admission.
This weekend I went against everything I have decided to stand for which is to boycott Knicks games, because Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were making their only trip to New York.
Now nobody will say that Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are at the same level of paying a ridiculous amount of money to watch in person, however in the professional sports scene of 2007, Kobe is (in my opinion) the closest thing to MJ that the NBA has.
You can say what you want about Kobe, the fact he was accused of rape, cheated on his wife, demanded trades, supposedly caused the break-up of his marriage with Shaq ending the Laker dynasty of the early 2000's. All are valid.
But plain and simple, the guy is worth showing up for.
There are few examples in sports and entertainment where you can witness something in person and just feel the greatness that accompanies it.
To me, Kobe Bryant falls under that category.
And yesterday he did not disappoint.
He scored 39 points, along way passing the 20,000 career point plateau, making himself the youngest person in NBA history to do so. He was younger than Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and yes, Michael Jordan.
And while the Knicks lost yet another meaningless game (surprise there), leaving the game yesterday in spite of the fact my team lost did not seem to matter, as I had a rare sense of delight walking out of the world's most famous arena, because I realized I had just gotten a chance to see something pretty special in person.
Now all that being said, I here-by declare that I have been to Madison Square Garden for the last time in support of the Knicks. The team continues to play without any passion, and when they do turn the light switch on and show signs of life, they ultimately end up disappointing, as they did yesterday.
At least for one afternoon, a Knicks game was worth attending, even if it was only because of the guy on the other team putting them out of their misery.
Like Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller before him, Kobe still found a way to get the New York crowd's respect.
Mine included.
I've been following sports, both watching them and attending them for almost 15 years now, which incredibly accounts for 3/4 of my life to this point. And throughout the years, while I have consistently cheered for my favorite teams, there are athletes who almost transcend the sport they play.
The obvious first name that comes to mind is Michael Jordan. I had the privilege of getting to see His Airness play at the very first professional basketball game I went to, which was a playoff game between the Knicks and Bulls in 1996. Not bad for an introduction to the NBA huh?
At the time I was only 9, and a little too young to really appreciate that fact that I was getting to watch one of the greatest athletes and most famous people in history before my eyes, and as a result I made it a point to get to the Garden again when he came back a few years ago to play with Washington.
It does not seem like much, but imagine seeing your favorite singer or band live in concert. The thrill you get is so great that you struggle to even describe it. And some performers, whether they be pro athletes or musicians or actors are just worth the price of admission.
This weekend I went against everything I have decided to stand for which is to boycott Knicks games, because Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were making their only trip to New York.
Now nobody will say that Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are at the same level of paying a ridiculous amount of money to watch in person, however in the professional sports scene of 2007, Kobe is (in my opinion) the closest thing to MJ that the NBA has.
You can say what you want about Kobe, the fact he was accused of rape, cheated on his wife, demanded trades, supposedly caused the break-up of his marriage with Shaq ending the Laker dynasty of the early 2000's. All are valid.
But plain and simple, the guy is worth showing up for.
There are few examples in sports and entertainment where you can witness something in person and just feel the greatness that accompanies it.
To me, Kobe Bryant falls under that category.
And yesterday he did not disappoint.
He scored 39 points, along way passing the 20,000 career point plateau, making himself the youngest person in NBA history to do so. He was younger than Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and yes, Michael Jordan.
And while the Knicks lost yet another meaningless game (surprise there), leaving the game yesterday in spite of the fact my team lost did not seem to matter, as I had a rare sense of delight walking out of the world's most famous arena, because I realized I had just gotten a chance to see something pretty special in person.
Now all that being said, I here-by declare that I have been to Madison Square Garden for the last time in support of the Knicks. The team continues to play without any passion, and when they do turn the light switch on and show signs of life, they ultimately end up disappointing, as they did yesterday.
At least for one afternoon, a Knicks game was worth attending, even if it was only because of the guy on the other team putting them out of their misery.
Like Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller before him, Kobe still found a way to get the New York crowd's respect.
Mine included.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Tale of Two Days
12/20/07
Oh what a difference a day makes.
Yesterday was one of the more productive days I've had in a while, which was followed up by one of the least today.
Before yesterday even started the productivity started early on Tuesday night.
After getting home from the city, I went to the gym and did my 4 miles on the treadmill. After showering, I went out with a mission. And that mission was find an electric razor, because after years of blade, it was time to make the switch.
Two targets, circuit city, best buy and a cvs later, I had found a beautiful braun with my name on it. Along the way I also managed to find a new pair of headphones and under armour to run in, because 4 miles in boxers is just a mess you want to know nothing about.
And so I woke up yesterday ready to put my new toy to work. I had never used an electric razor before, so you can imagine my anxiety. And when i say anxiety, I really mean terrified state of mind only comparable to the time I went walking through one of the haunted houses where the people jump out at you, during which my mothers friend shouted out my name which resulted in these rejects in masks running out and screaming my name at me- not the most memorable experience for an 8 year old...but back to shaving...
No shaving cream, no washing the face...just razor to face action...and I wish I could say it was a glorious occasion, however Beauty and Braun my experience was not.
Wondering why I couldn't get every last hair on my face, I thought that maybe I was not using enough force, and so I jabbed the thing into the side of my neck and now have a pretty looking razor burn as a memoir.
Never the less, the job got done and I can only hope that the next time I go to battle with the bastard, I can cleanly remove the hair on my face that comes back in (I would say all of my face, however I still have those patchy spots Ive been considering using rogaine on said spots. I'll keep you posted.
Alright so showered and shaved...other "S" completed as well (smiled?), it was off to see daddy to buy some nice new clothes for student teaching.
And what did the trip to the store bring me?
6 gorgeous new button down shirts (white, gray, 2 blue and 2 pink-1 with blue stripes...its nicee) and 2 snazzy looking sports coats (navy blue and gray). I still need pants and ties, but another trip next week with Paul should take care of that.
The middle of the day also had me taking my dad out to lunch with some of the (not so) hard earned Hanukkah dough. The hot pastrami sandwich was delish- thank you matty for introducing me- and it was nice to spend some catch up time with my old man
After shopping and going back home, it was time for only 60 minutes I'll probably spend with my mother this entire break, which was dinner at the chinese place a few blocks away. And since I was in a giving mood, I treated her to dinner as well.
Thats right, I took dad out to lunch, and mom out to dinner.
Baller.
But the icing on the cake was the 60 minutes spent between 9 and 10, when Gossip Girl was on. Even better than the episode itself- WHICH WAS INSANE- I got to watch with Leah over the internet, gossiping- ironic?- about the show during commercials.
So that capped off Wednesday. Jam packed and highly productive.
And then came today.
After another lousy night of sleep, I woke up before 10 and after aimlessly walking around my empty apartment for a half hour, i went down to the gym for my daily 4 miles. Today i changed it up, and downloaded 2 episodes of scrubs and an episode of family guy to my ipod and that took up the hour and made it fly by. 400 calories burned. Boo-yah.
And then I sat around, laid in my bed, occasionally checked my computer and watched hour after hour pass by.
I managed to find time to fit in a bowl of frosted flakes for lunch (saving room for outback in a few minutes) and then went back to the tube.
Well I can't think of a better way to top off a wasted day with a wasted night...which I now have to depart to.
unti next time ya'll
xoxo
..sorry but i had to
Oh what a difference a day makes.
Yesterday was one of the more productive days I've had in a while, which was followed up by one of the least today.
Before yesterday even started the productivity started early on Tuesday night.
After getting home from the city, I went to the gym and did my 4 miles on the treadmill. After showering, I went out with a mission. And that mission was find an electric razor, because after years of blade, it was time to make the switch.
Two targets, circuit city, best buy and a cvs later, I had found a beautiful braun with my name on it. Along the way I also managed to find a new pair of headphones and under armour to run in, because 4 miles in boxers is just a mess you want to know nothing about.
And so I woke up yesterday ready to put my new toy to work. I had never used an electric razor before, so you can imagine my anxiety. And when i say anxiety, I really mean terrified state of mind only comparable to the time I went walking through one of the haunted houses where the people jump out at you, during which my mothers friend shouted out my name which resulted in these rejects in masks running out and screaming my name at me- not the most memorable experience for an 8 year old...but back to shaving...
No shaving cream, no washing the face...just razor to face action...and I wish I could say it was a glorious occasion, however Beauty and Braun my experience was not.
Wondering why I couldn't get every last hair on my face, I thought that maybe I was not using enough force, and so I jabbed the thing into the side of my neck and now have a pretty looking razor burn as a memoir.
Never the less, the job got done and I can only hope that the next time I go to battle with the bastard, I can cleanly remove the hair on my face that comes back in (I would say all of my face, however I still have those patchy spots Ive been considering using rogaine on said spots. I'll keep you posted.
Alright so showered and shaved...other "S" completed as well (smiled?), it was off to see daddy to buy some nice new clothes for student teaching.
And what did the trip to the store bring me?
6 gorgeous new button down shirts (white, gray, 2 blue and 2 pink-1 with blue stripes...its nicee) and 2 snazzy looking sports coats (navy blue and gray). I still need pants and ties, but another trip next week with Paul should take care of that.
The middle of the day also had me taking my dad out to lunch with some of the (not so) hard earned Hanukkah dough. The hot pastrami sandwich was delish- thank you matty for introducing me- and it was nice to spend some catch up time with my old man
After shopping and going back home, it was time for only 60 minutes I'll probably spend with my mother this entire break, which was dinner at the chinese place a few blocks away. And since I was in a giving mood, I treated her to dinner as well.
Thats right, I took dad out to lunch, and mom out to dinner.
Baller.
But the icing on the cake was the 60 minutes spent between 9 and 10, when Gossip Girl was on. Even better than the episode itself- WHICH WAS INSANE- I got to watch with Leah over the internet, gossiping- ironic?- about the show during commercials.
So that capped off Wednesday. Jam packed and highly productive.
And then came today.
After another lousy night of sleep, I woke up before 10 and after aimlessly walking around my empty apartment for a half hour, i went down to the gym for my daily 4 miles. Today i changed it up, and downloaded 2 episodes of scrubs and an episode of family guy to my ipod and that took up the hour and made it fly by. 400 calories burned. Boo-yah.
And then I sat around, laid in my bed, occasionally checked my computer and watched hour after hour pass by.
I managed to find time to fit in a bowl of frosted flakes for lunch (saving room for outback in a few minutes) and then went back to the tube.
Well I can't think of a better way to top off a wasted day with a wasted night...which I now have to depart to.
unti next time ya'll
xoxo
..sorry but i had to
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Off To A Good Start
12/18/07
I was probably a bit too harsh on the outlook of my winter break, however the last 2 days have given me a slight (but in all likelihood false) sense of hope.
The Knicks might have lost by nearly 30 points last night, however when you go expecting to lose, leaving with an ass kicking that bad sure as heck beats losing at the last second.
Throw in a solid pre game meal with Matty as well as a long overdue hot dog at half time, one could look past a losing team losing another meaningless game.
After the game I decided to turn myself into an uptown girl, as I rendezvoused with Ross on the upper east side where his grandparents have a sweet apartment which was fully equipped with not one but two gorgeous HDTV's.
And the best news of the night was that me and the big fella got to share a bedroom (separate beds, relax).
So after not seeing Ross for 4 months, I got to get a second dose of him in 3 days, giving us some quality catch up time, which included everything from watching Monday Night Football to baking cookies. Yea, deal with it. We bake.
Today was the icing on the cake, as we went to Pete's, the oldest original bar in the city, which his uncle operates, and as a result we were treated to lunch on the house. Never has a cheeseburger tasted so good.
Then after getting home this afternoon, I impressed myself by making it to the gym for the third day in a row.
And heres the really shocking part:
My fat ass was able to spend an hour on the treadmill, running and walking a combined 4 miles.
And so for those of you unaware, I have officially undertaken my mission to get into shape make myself a healthier person.
The cheese steak and hot dog last night combined with the cookies and cheeseburger today set me back a bit, however I am proud to say I have not had a sip of soda since before going back to school at the end of the Thanksgiving break.
I'm trying folks. I'm without question the laziest person I know, and after way too long of not caring about what I eat or getting off the couch, I figured enough is enough, and so the race is on.
I have a gym 5 floors below me and so despite the fact that at this moment my feet are throbbing and my legs are soar, I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and get right back to it.
The best part is I also have an indoor basketball (half) court- which is almost always available, giving me something else to do. Always a plus.
The downside? No Pita Pit. And those grilled chicken pitas with lettuce, green peppers, onions and hot sauce became a 3 or 4 times a week meal which had taken the place of a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich or a McDonald's 2 cheeseburger meal. Oh how I miss both of them.
So I can happily report that both my winter break and diet have gotten off to surprisingly positive starts.
Lets see how long both last.
I was probably a bit too harsh on the outlook of my winter break, however the last 2 days have given me a slight (but in all likelihood false) sense of hope.
The Knicks might have lost by nearly 30 points last night, however when you go expecting to lose, leaving with an ass kicking that bad sure as heck beats losing at the last second.
Throw in a solid pre game meal with Matty as well as a long overdue hot dog at half time, one could look past a losing team losing another meaningless game.
After the game I decided to turn myself into an uptown girl, as I rendezvoused with Ross on the upper east side where his grandparents have a sweet apartment which was fully equipped with not one but two gorgeous HDTV's.
And the best news of the night was that me and the big fella got to share a bedroom (separate beds, relax).
So after not seeing Ross for 4 months, I got to get a second dose of him in 3 days, giving us some quality catch up time, which included everything from watching Monday Night Football to baking cookies. Yea, deal with it. We bake.
Today was the icing on the cake, as we went to Pete's, the oldest original bar in the city, which his uncle operates, and as a result we were treated to lunch on the house. Never has a cheeseburger tasted so good.
Then after getting home this afternoon, I impressed myself by making it to the gym for the third day in a row.
And heres the really shocking part:
My fat ass was able to spend an hour on the treadmill, running and walking a combined 4 miles.
And so for those of you unaware, I have officially undertaken my mission to get into shape make myself a healthier person.
The cheese steak and hot dog last night combined with the cookies and cheeseburger today set me back a bit, however I am proud to say I have not had a sip of soda since before going back to school at the end of the Thanksgiving break.
I'm trying folks. I'm without question the laziest person I know, and after way too long of not caring about what I eat or getting off the couch, I figured enough is enough, and so the race is on.
I have a gym 5 floors below me and so despite the fact that at this moment my feet are throbbing and my legs are soar, I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and get right back to it.
The best part is I also have an indoor basketball (half) court- which is almost always available, giving me something else to do. Always a plus.
The downside? No Pita Pit. And those grilled chicken pitas with lettuce, green peppers, onions and hot sauce became a 3 or 4 times a week meal which had taken the place of a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich or a McDonald's 2 cheeseburger meal. Oh how I miss both of them.
So I can happily report that both my winter break and diet have gotten off to surprisingly positive starts.
Lets see how long both last.
Monday, December 17, 2007
A Fun Night Awaits
12/17/07
So all I have been doing is bitching and moaning about how miserable it has been being home, and how the break cant fly by fast enough, blah blah blah.
And while I still hold onto to those feelings, tonight should be a lot a fun, as I'm going into the city with Matty (roommate) to see Knicks-Pacers at the garden.
Once again, I am going against everything I wrote about in bashing the Knicks, mainly that the solution to the Knicks problem is staying as far away from the team as possible.
However, between being home, and Matty being a big time Pacers fan, the opportunity to watch our two teams play head to head was too tantalizing to pass up.
And as an added bonus, I found out that my Rossy is also going to be in the city, so he'll be joining us at the game, which should be a lot of fun.
After the game, I finally get what any woman would want the most (something one girl already has), which is a night alone with Rossy in his grandparents place on the east side.
And then I get to come home by train tomorrow and return to the very listless life I have been complaining about, which tomorrow will probably consist of me going to the gym, sitting around until Jason gets home, and wasting away the night in his basement watching Sopranos.
I don't know, while tonight is an example of how my winter break might not be so bad after all, I cant help but feel like I'm just wasting time for an entire month doing a whole lot of nothing.
At least when I'm school I'm doing nothing but without parents around and with 12,000 other kids doing the exact same thing.
I have two awesome roommates who are always around, plus food at my disposal almost 24 hours a day.
I get so bored and hungry (not to mention pathetic) that I go to campusfood.com and stare at all of the Syracuse places which i'm pretty sure wont deliver to an off campus apartment 5 hours away.
Which is sad, because not having Pita Pit 10 minutes away has been killing me.
Its gotten so bad I might have to resort to the deli downstairs, getting myself grilled chicken salads.
Anyway, 27 more days until I can get back up to school, which means 27 more days of trying to remember the names of the different day-time talk shows and soap operas which clog up the television between 10 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon.
Until tomorrow...
So all I have been doing is bitching and moaning about how miserable it has been being home, and how the break cant fly by fast enough, blah blah blah.
And while I still hold onto to those feelings, tonight should be a lot a fun, as I'm going into the city with Matty (roommate) to see Knicks-Pacers at the garden.
Once again, I am going against everything I wrote about in bashing the Knicks, mainly that the solution to the Knicks problem is staying as far away from the team as possible.
However, between being home, and Matty being a big time Pacers fan, the opportunity to watch our two teams play head to head was too tantalizing to pass up.
And as an added bonus, I found out that my Rossy is also going to be in the city, so he'll be joining us at the game, which should be a lot of fun.
After the game, I finally get what any woman would want the most (something one girl already has), which is a night alone with Rossy in his grandparents place on the east side.
And then I get to come home by train tomorrow and return to the very listless life I have been complaining about, which tomorrow will probably consist of me going to the gym, sitting around until Jason gets home, and wasting away the night in his basement watching Sopranos.
I don't know, while tonight is an example of how my winter break might not be so bad after all, I cant help but feel like I'm just wasting time for an entire month doing a whole lot of nothing.
At least when I'm school I'm doing nothing but without parents around and with 12,000 other kids doing the exact same thing.
I have two awesome roommates who are always around, plus food at my disposal almost 24 hours a day.
I get so bored and hungry (not to mention pathetic) that I go to campusfood.com and stare at all of the Syracuse places which i'm pretty sure wont deliver to an off campus apartment 5 hours away.
Which is sad, because not having Pita Pit 10 minutes away has been killing me.
Its gotten so bad I might have to resort to the deli downstairs, getting myself grilled chicken salads.
Anyway, 27 more days until I can get back up to school, which means 27 more days of trying to remember the names of the different day-time talk shows and soap operas which clog up the television between 10 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, December 16, 2007
DEVO-stating
12/16/07
A bonus blog for today, and it comes on the hearing the news that Syracuse basketball junior guard Eric Devendorf tore his ACL last night in the Orange's 125-75 win over Eastern Tennessee State.
I had been angry enough at hearing we gave up 75 points to another shitty non-conference team, along with the fact that we turned the ball over 26 times.
But now to find out that we lose Devo for the season is just crippling.
And so continues the trend of sports teams I root for just absolutely finding more and more ways to disappoint me.
Cuse was going to have enough trouble getting into the NCAA tournament with the non-conference losses AT HOME to UMASS and URI, but now we have to hope our Big East schedule can be handled without Andy Rautins and now Devendorf.
Add those two losses to the fact we have 5 freshman and our only senior- Josh Wright- decided to quit the team (we'll see if he comes running back with a starting job now potentially available) and this team is just going nowhere fast.
So just a recap of how my year has gone in terms of sports...
-The Mets completed the biggest regular season collapse in the history of baseball, missing the playoffs after coming a basehit shy of going to the World Series in 2006.
-The Jets, after an impressive 10-6 season, are 3-11, and have had a miserable season.
-Notre Dame (football) was 3-9, which including getting beat by Navy for the first time in 42 years.
-Syracuse basketball did not get an invitation to last season NCAA tournament, losing in the quarterfinals of the NIT. That was followed up this season with the above mentioned.
-The Knicks- if you havn't read my rant about the catastrophe that is the New York Knickerbockers, check it out a few posts down. But in short- they are probably further away from success than all of the other teams.
-The Rangers are playing alright, however they have been horribly inconsistent this season despite some big name off season pickups.
I usually start getting really excited for spring training right after new years, however at this point the Mets opening up another season can wait while I suffer through the shortcomings of all of other teams I root for.
Heres a fun fact, want to guess how many times (in the nearly 15 years I have cared enough about sports) I have experienced winning a championship?
Zero.
**(Syracuse won the National Championship 2 years before I started going, and at the time I was not a big time Cuse fan...go figure)
Heres to another 15 years of failure and disappointment.
A bonus blog for today, and it comes on the hearing the news that Syracuse basketball junior guard Eric Devendorf tore his ACL last night in the Orange's 125-75 win over Eastern Tennessee State.
I had been angry enough at hearing we gave up 75 points to another shitty non-conference team, along with the fact that we turned the ball over 26 times.
But now to find out that we lose Devo for the season is just crippling.
And so continues the trend of sports teams I root for just absolutely finding more and more ways to disappoint me.
Cuse was going to have enough trouble getting into the NCAA tournament with the non-conference losses AT HOME to UMASS and URI, but now we have to hope our Big East schedule can be handled without Andy Rautins and now Devendorf.
Add those two losses to the fact we have 5 freshman and our only senior- Josh Wright- decided to quit the team (we'll see if he comes running back with a starting job now potentially available) and this team is just going nowhere fast.
So just a recap of how my year has gone in terms of sports...
-The Mets completed the biggest regular season collapse in the history of baseball, missing the playoffs after coming a basehit shy of going to the World Series in 2006.
-The Jets, after an impressive 10-6 season, are 3-11, and have had a miserable season.
-Notre Dame (football) was 3-9, which including getting beat by Navy for the first time in 42 years.
-Syracuse basketball did not get an invitation to last season NCAA tournament, losing in the quarterfinals of the NIT. That was followed up this season with the above mentioned.
-The Knicks- if you havn't read my rant about the catastrophe that is the New York Knickerbockers, check it out a few posts down. But in short- they are probably further away from success than all of the other teams.
-The Rangers are playing alright, however they have been horribly inconsistent this season despite some big name off season pickups.
I usually start getting really excited for spring training right after new years, however at this point the Mets opening up another season can wait while I suffer through the shortcomings of all of other teams I root for.
Heres a fun fact, want to guess how many times (in the nearly 15 years I have cared enough about sports) I have experienced winning a championship?
Zero.
**(Syracuse won the National Championship 2 years before I started going, and at the time I was not a big time Cuse fan...go figure)
Heres to another 15 years of failure and disappointment.
It's Too Late Too Apologize
12/16/07
Here's to you Andy Pettitte. You came clean and admitted that you did indeed use HGH back in 2002 in an effort to try and heal faster in the hopes of helping your club win.
Pettitte is getting mixed reviews from people about his apology and admittance to using a performance enhancing substance, however he will not be getting a high five from me.
The only thing I can thank Andy for is essentially throwing his good buddy Roger Clemens under the bus, because by admitting he used this stuff, it will make it that much harder for Clemens to deny the claims.
And it sucks to be him, because Roger Clemens, for as great as a pitcher as I thought he was, the man lost all of my respect back in 2000 when he threw a ball at Mike Pizza's head, only to one-up himself by throwing a bat at Mikey during the World Series, claiming he "thought it was the ball". Last time I checked Rog- you throw the ball to first, not at the runner. This isn't day camp kickball.
So while his head continued to grow, whatever was in it clearly wasn't getting the same benefits.
But back to Andy Pettitte. Here is a guy who, as a Mets fan, actually had a lot of respect for Andy. He seemed like a good guy who played hard and never gave me reason to dislike him other than the one or two times a year he would pitch against the Mets.
However like just about everybody else linked to steroids- and that includes former favorites of mine Todd Hundley, Matt Franco, Todd Pratt and Paul Lo Duca (interestingly all catchers), Pettitte has completely lost my respect.
And he did not gain a shred of it back with his statement yesterday, which he released through his agent.
First off, if this is a sincere act of remorse, get yourself in front of a Camera. I don't mind if you feel the need to show your family next to you, but give us the decency of saying this yourself, for everybody to see. Shed a few tears if you have to. Fake it. Something a little bit more genuine would have been better.
Secondly, you said that you used the stuff for two days, and that we as fans should not take those two days out of context when considering your entire career.
Are you serious?
You could have used this stuff one time, and you would have lost my respect. And that being said, I find it hard to believe you only used the stuff on two days, but without any other evidence, I can't hold that against you.
I understand you were hurt and wanted to help your team, but you weren't the first player in history to sustain an injury. It happens to EVERYONE. They get hurt, they sit out, get better and come back. Thats how it works. Was in unfortunate that you got hurt- absolutely. But being hurt is no excuse to commit one of the most frowned upon acts in sports, equal to if not just below gambling on the sport.
And then you say "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize,"
"IF"??????
That would be like OJ finally admitting to killing his wife, and apologizing for making a questionable decision in doing so.
Alright so its not quite that dramatic, but you get the idea.
Are you better off than the other players because you stepped forward and took responsibility?
Yes.
But only marginally. The bottom line is that while I have no doubt tens and hundreds of more players were and still are using this garbage, you managed to get your name in the Mitchell Report, and then given a chance to come clean, you did so in a half-hearted attempt.
And the whole thing with Andy Pettitte, maybe more so than some of the other players is sad because of the kind of person we all thought he was, along with the recognizable name he has.
The fact that he needed to resort to this stuff, for one use, two days of use or however long- just shows that the game of baseball is unquestionably going through the darkest period in its history.
The real unfortunate part is that as bad as this whole mess has gotten, a guy like Andy Pettitte now represents the lows the game has sunk to.
And thats a shame.
Here's to you Andy Pettitte. You came clean and admitted that you did indeed use HGH back in 2002 in an effort to try and heal faster in the hopes of helping your club win.
Pettitte is getting mixed reviews from people about his apology and admittance to using a performance enhancing substance, however he will not be getting a high five from me.
The only thing I can thank Andy for is essentially throwing his good buddy Roger Clemens under the bus, because by admitting he used this stuff, it will make it that much harder for Clemens to deny the claims.
And it sucks to be him, because Roger Clemens, for as great as a pitcher as I thought he was, the man lost all of my respect back in 2000 when he threw a ball at Mike Pizza's head, only to one-up himself by throwing a bat at Mikey during the World Series, claiming he "thought it was the ball". Last time I checked Rog- you throw the ball to first, not at the runner. This isn't day camp kickball.
So while his head continued to grow, whatever was in it clearly wasn't getting the same benefits.
But back to Andy Pettitte. Here is a guy who, as a Mets fan, actually had a lot of respect for Andy. He seemed like a good guy who played hard and never gave me reason to dislike him other than the one or two times a year he would pitch against the Mets.
However like just about everybody else linked to steroids- and that includes former favorites of mine Todd Hundley, Matt Franco, Todd Pratt and Paul Lo Duca (interestingly all catchers), Pettitte has completely lost my respect.
And he did not gain a shred of it back with his statement yesterday, which he released through his agent.
First off, if this is a sincere act of remorse, get yourself in front of a Camera. I don't mind if you feel the need to show your family next to you, but give us the decency of saying this yourself, for everybody to see. Shed a few tears if you have to. Fake it. Something a little bit more genuine would have been better.
Secondly, you said that you used the stuff for two days, and that we as fans should not take those two days out of context when considering your entire career.
Are you serious?
You could have used this stuff one time, and you would have lost my respect. And that being said, I find it hard to believe you only used the stuff on two days, but without any other evidence, I can't hold that against you.
I understand you were hurt and wanted to help your team, but you weren't the first player in history to sustain an injury. It happens to EVERYONE. They get hurt, they sit out, get better and come back. Thats how it works. Was in unfortunate that you got hurt- absolutely. But being hurt is no excuse to commit one of the most frowned upon acts in sports, equal to if not just below gambling on the sport.
And then you say "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize,"
"IF"??????
That would be like OJ finally admitting to killing his wife, and apologizing for making a questionable decision in doing so.
Alright so its not quite that dramatic, but you get the idea.
Are you better off than the other players because you stepped forward and took responsibility?
Yes.
But only marginally. The bottom line is that while I have no doubt tens and hundreds of more players were and still are using this garbage, you managed to get your name in the Mitchell Report, and then given a chance to come clean, you did so in a half-hearted attempt.
And the whole thing with Andy Pettitte, maybe more so than some of the other players is sad because of the kind of person we all thought he was, along with the recognizable name he has.
The fact that he needed to resort to this stuff, for one use, two days of use or however long- just shows that the game of baseball is unquestionably going through the darkest period in its history.
The real unfortunate part is that as bad as this whole mess has gotten, a guy like Andy Pettitte now represents the lows the game has sunk to.
And thats a shame.
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