12/14/07
I probably should start writing royalty checks to Scott, because yet another conversation of ours has made its way to my blog. So Scott, once again, I thank you.
During lunch yesterday, we were talking about relationships and women (being the self proclaimed experts that we are) and at one point, Scott uttered to me two words that no man ever wants to face:
Friend Zone.
The friend zone is without questions the last place any guy wants to end up in with a member of the opposite sex.
The friend zone is like your grandparents house. Its a nice, warm inviting place, yet you absolutely never want to be there because you realize theres absolutely nothing you can get out of being there.
Of course more times than not, the friend zone is where most guys end up. Like it or not, many of us have reserved front row seats in the friend zone, and equipped it with comfortable recliners because guys know that once they've entered the friend zone, they aren't leaving anytime soon.
Now there are different degrees of the friend zone.
There is the situation where you meet somebody, you can see yourself getting romantic with this person, yet upon showing the slightest bit of interest you're sent packing to the friend zone as though you were caught roaming the hallway without a pass.
That friend zone, while hardly an enjoyable place to be, is not as bad the the friend zone you are actually given the option of after breaking up with somebody.
Except spending time in that friend zone becomes impossible because getting demoted from boyfriend to friend is a transition thats generally not worth making. It's also a friend zone I myself want to be in about as much as I want a hole in my head.
I guess there is also the friend zone we choose to put ourselves in. This friend zone is with people we know right off the bat we have absolutely no interest in romantically, or have no chance with romantically.
And by placing ourselves in those friend zones, we are secretly hopeful that we can find a friend of the friend who may not be as quick to sentence us to a stay in the zone. Always need to be proactive- write that down.
When its all said and done, the friend zone is about as useful a place to be as trunk of a car. You're locked in with nowhere to go. Its tough, and yet its where we spend the majority of our time.
Now for the most part, I am referring of course to guys ending up in the friend zone. Girls are the ones who send us there, having all the power and knowing how to use it to their advantage.
It isn't often that guys send girls to the friend zone, unless of course they already have a girl and use the friend zone as a "in case of emergency/get out of jail free" spot.
Bottom line- the friend zone ends up being the place we never want to go, but find ourselves calling home.
And while the benefit of owning as many homes as I do would equate to some serious real estate money, the only thing I continue to sell is myself...
...as one hell of a friend.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Tragedy That Is the New York Knicks
12/12/07
I was having lunch with the one and only Scott Spinelli this afternoon and he pointed out that I haven't spoken about sports in a while.
I was actually holding out some hope that the sports would would have given me something positive to write about. The Mets were trying to make a trade for a big time starting pitcher, while the Knicks were playing themselves out of contention and importance...in December (the regular season ends in April). And I was figuring with the Knicks losing that the Great Isiah would once and for all be shown the door.
And yet as of now, the Mets are in my opinion a less impressive team than the one that pulled off that historic collapse last season, while the more the Knicks lose, the firmer a grasp on his job Isiah Thomas seems to have.
And if that were not enough, when it rains in my sports life, it pours.
Syracuse decided two weeks to keep our head football coach after winning a combined 7 games in his first 3 seasons (coupled with 28 losses).
But thats ok, because Syracuse will always have its basketball program with Jimmy Boeheim. Don't we?
Well, since winning the National Championship in 2003 thanks to 'Melo and Gerry, Syracuse has won 2 NCAA tournament games, both of which were the following year. Since then we not only have yet to win another tourney game, but we flat out got exiled from it last season.
Add to that the fact we already have lost two...TWO non-conference games at home to UMASS and URI, we appear to be heading to another NIT birth, if we're lucky.
The Jets? Is it even worth bringing them up? 3-10 to this point, and this weekend we play god's team...no, not the Dallas Cowboys- they're America's team. I'm referring of course to the undefeated New England Patriots, who at 13-0, at home, are 24 point favorites to win.
And so while I am still waiting for the right time to unleash my off-season New York Mets rant...and when it comes, (to quote Terrell Owens) get your popcorn ready.
So right now, I'll spare them, the Jets, and Syracuse. The object of my wrath therefore will be the New York Knickerbockers.
It's really hard to believe that it was less than 10 years ago the Knicks were not only relevant in the sports world, but they were a winning franchise who had New York City in the palm of its hand.
They were well coached and constantly overachieving despite a lack in pure talent, playing intense defense behind Jeff Van Gundy.
1999 saw them make an improbable push as an 8 seed to the NBA finals against the Spurs.
The Knicks would lose in 5 games, playing without the injured big fella....
AT CENTER, 7 FEET FROM GEORGETOWN, NUMBER 33, CO-CAPTAIN
PA-TRICK EWING
...sorry I was a having a Knicks starting lineup moment
And so after their failed attempt at getting big Pat his ring, the team slowly began to deteriorate.
Just 2 seasons late, JVG quit 20 games into the season, realizing his team was going nowhere and being unable to coach in the environment that was Madison Square Garden, run by the anti-Christ that is James Dolan. And I don't blame him.
Patrick was traded to Seattle, ending a long run in New York that never produced a title, and saw one of best athletes to play in New York go under-appreciated and unfairly scapegoated for never hoisting a trophy.
The Knicks went on to be eliminated int he first round in 2001, and the losing ways began.
Fast forward to the winter of 2003, and what looking back now can be considered one of the darkest days in Franchise history. Hell, you could call it one of the darkest days in the history of New York City sports.
On December 22nd, 2003, Isiah Thomas was hired as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks.
And among the events which have taken place since his hiring are the following:
Sure, the arguments have been made that Isiah drafts well, which could be useful for trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, as true as that is, his deficiencies outweigh his (very limited) abilities as a head coach and general manager.
He cannot coach his way out a bag and cannot run a business, team or league (the CBA) worth a damn.
So aside from the terrible personnel moves he has made. And aside from the fact that hes gone through more head coaches, including himself (4) than playoff games won (0) or winning seasons (0), and aside from the fact that he was convicted of a crime which cost his boss almost 12 million dollars..
Isiah Thomas remains the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the New York Knicks.
Lets face it. The man is about as untouchable as you can be in the professional world. Find me another person who can be as bad at his job as he has been, added to that the fact he was convicted of sexual harassment, has been given more job security the Isiah Thomas.
Now I have only been watching Knicks basketball since I was 9, meaning that my 11 years do not come close to the Knicks fan who suffered through the late 70's and early (pre-Patrick Ewing) 1980's.
It also means that I was not able to experience the years between 1987 and 2001 where they never once missed the playoffs, with the exception of the last 4 or 5, of which I was too young to really appreciate a lot of.
I can assure you, the Knicks were not always this bad, and not always this pathetic.
Yet one of the problems I see, and I've been told this from a number of people, that as long as people, like myself, continue to show up at the world's most famous arena, Dolan will continue to keep things status quo. Which means more Stephon Marbury, more Isiah Thomas, and more losing.
Sadly, the NBA is a better league when the Knicks are good. They are a marquee team in a league that can be carried by its premier franchises, be it the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, etc.
It has gotten to the point where I can't figure out what will be a better result for this team on a nightly basis.
If and when they actually win a game, it gives fans a false sense of hope that things are not as bad as they really are.
Yet when they lose, not only do the fans (myself included) still show up and watch the games, but Isiah seems to get another vote of confidence.
Its mind-boggling.
So what now?
I wish I had the answer. Firing Isiah Thomas has been the first answer for over a year now, yet that just doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. Trading Stephon or anybody else on this roster is going to be difficult because of how undesirable these players are.
The best thing at this point would to be for Knicks fan to simply stop caring, if only to prove a point that what is going on is simply unacceptable for a team as historically significant as the Knicks. When we stop going to games and putting more money in the pockets of James Dolan, maybe he will be given a sufficient reason to make the necessary changes.
My message to Knicks fans is that in order for things to get better, we have to turn our backs on our beloved boys in Orange and Blue and let them rot without an audience.
The sooner that happens, the sooner we may be able to once again watch them compete and be more meaningful on the back pages for what they do on the court than they have become on the front pages for what they do off the court.
Until then, I will continue to think about the better times, when Allan Houston was hitting running jumpers over Miami and Larry Johnson was completing 4 point plays against Indiana.
When The names Starks, Oakley, Harper and Mason were worthy of the price of admission.
Until then, I will continue to wait and hope for the days where getting a ticket to a Knicks game is harder than finding members of Al Queda.
To think it will be like this forever is crazy, and knowing that all of this misery will at some point come to an end could be considered the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, it may be a long time until that light gets any brighter.
I was having lunch with the one and only Scott Spinelli this afternoon and he pointed out that I haven't spoken about sports in a while.
I was actually holding out some hope that the sports would would have given me something positive to write about. The Mets were trying to make a trade for a big time starting pitcher, while the Knicks were playing themselves out of contention and importance...in December (the regular season ends in April). And I was figuring with the Knicks losing that the Great Isiah would once and for all be shown the door.
And yet as of now, the Mets are in my opinion a less impressive team than the one that pulled off that historic collapse last season, while the more the Knicks lose, the firmer a grasp on his job Isiah Thomas seems to have.
And if that were not enough, when it rains in my sports life, it pours.
Syracuse decided two weeks to keep our head football coach after winning a combined 7 games in his first 3 seasons (coupled with 28 losses).
But thats ok, because Syracuse will always have its basketball program with Jimmy Boeheim. Don't we?
Well, since winning the National Championship in 2003 thanks to 'Melo and Gerry, Syracuse has won 2 NCAA tournament games, both of which were the following year. Since then we not only have yet to win another tourney game, but we flat out got exiled from it last season.
Add to that the fact we already have lost two...TWO non-conference games at home to UMASS and URI, we appear to be heading to another NIT birth, if we're lucky.
The Jets? Is it even worth bringing them up? 3-10 to this point, and this weekend we play god's team...no, not the Dallas Cowboys- they're America's team. I'm referring of course to the undefeated New England Patriots, who at 13-0, at home, are 24 point favorites to win.
And so while I am still waiting for the right time to unleash my off-season New York Mets rant...and when it comes, (to quote Terrell Owens) get your popcorn ready.
So right now, I'll spare them, the Jets, and Syracuse. The object of my wrath therefore will be the New York Knickerbockers.
It's really hard to believe that it was less than 10 years ago the Knicks were not only relevant in the sports world, but they were a winning franchise who had New York City in the palm of its hand.
They were well coached and constantly overachieving despite a lack in pure talent, playing intense defense behind Jeff Van Gundy.
1999 saw them make an improbable push as an 8 seed to the NBA finals against the Spurs.
The Knicks would lose in 5 games, playing without the injured big fella....
AT CENTER, 7 FEET FROM GEORGETOWN, NUMBER 33, CO-CAPTAIN
PA-TRICK EWING
...sorry I was a having a Knicks starting lineup moment
And so after their failed attempt at getting big Pat his ring, the team slowly began to deteriorate.
Just 2 seasons late, JVG quit 20 games into the season, realizing his team was going nowhere and being unable to coach in the environment that was Madison Square Garden, run by the anti-Christ that is James Dolan. And I don't blame him.
Patrick was traded to Seattle, ending a long run in New York that never produced a title, and saw one of best athletes to play in New York go under-appreciated and unfairly scapegoated for never hoisting a trophy.
The Knicks went on to be eliminated int he first round in 2001, and the losing ways began.
Fast forward to the winter of 2003, and what looking back now can be considered one of the darkest days in Franchise history. Hell, you could call it one of the darkest days in the history of New York City sports.
On December 22nd, 2003, Isiah Thomas was hired as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks.
And among the events which have taken place since his hiring are the following:
- Traded for Stephon Marbury
- Hired Lenny Wilkins to coach, replacing the fired Don Chaney
- Grossly overpaid for Jerome James (has avergaed fewer than 3.0 points per game) and Jared Jefferies (defensive specialist who seems incapable of stopping anybody)
- Had Lenny Wilkins "resign"
- Hired Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown
- Fired Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown after one disasterous 23-59 season
- Traded for the overpaid and over-the-hill Steve Francis
- Named himself Head Coach, despite saying upon his arrival doing both jobs would be too much for one person
- Has seen his team go more than 100 games below .500 since arriving.
- Traded for Zach Randolph, who has a history of arrests and poor behavior, not to mention being known as a selfish player who plays no defense (which we have learned to be true.
- Was accused and convicted of Sexual Harassment this summer, resulting in a settlement of 11.5 million dollars being awarded to the plaintiff.
Sure, the arguments have been made that Isiah drafts well, which could be useful for trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, as true as that is, his deficiencies outweigh his (very limited) abilities as a head coach and general manager.
He cannot coach his way out a bag and cannot run a business, team or league (the CBA) worth a damn.
So aside from the terrible personnel moves he has made. And aside from the fact that hes gone through more head coaches, including himself (4) than playoff games won (0) or winning seasons (0), and aside from the fact that he was convicted of a crime which cost his boss almost 12 million dollars..
Isiah Thomas remains the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the New York Knicks.
Lets face it. The man is about as untouchable as you can be in the professional world. Find me another person who can be as bad at his job as he has been, added to that the fact he was convicted of sexual harassment, has been given more job security the Isiah Thomas.
Now I have only been watching Knicks basketball since I was 9, meaning that my 11 years do not come close to the Knicks fan who suffered through the late 70's and early (pre-Patrick Ewing) 1980's.
It also means that I was not able to experience the years between 1987 and 2001 where they never once missed the playoffs, with the exception of the last 4 or 5, of which I was too young to really appreciate a lot of.
I can assure you, the Knicks were not always this bad, and not always this pathetic.
Yet one of the problems I see, and I've been told this from a number of people, that as long as people, like myself, continue to show up at the world's most famous arena, Dolan will continue to keep things status quo. Which means more Stephon Marbury, more Isiah Thomas, and more losing.
Sadly, the NBA is a better league when the Knicks are good. They are a marquee team in a league that can be carried by its premier franchises, be it the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, etc.
It has gotten to the point where I can't figure out what will be a better result for this team on a nightly basis.
If and when they actually win a game, it gives fans a false sense of hope that things are not as bad as they really are.
Yet when they lose, not only do the fans (myself included) still show up and watch the games, but Isiah seems to get another vote of confidence.
Its mind-boggling.
So what now?
I wish I had the answer. Firing Isiah Thomas has been the first answer for over a year now, yet that just doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. Trading Stephon or anybody else on this roster is going to be difficult because of how undesirable these players are.
The best thing at this point would to be for Knicks fan to simply stop caring, if only to prove a point that what is going on is simply unacceptable for a team as historically significant as the Knicks. When we stop going to games and putting more money in the pockets of James Dolan, maybe he will be given a sufficient reason to make the necessary changes.
My message to Knicks fans is that in order for things to get better, we have to turn our backs on our beloved boys in Orange and Blue and let them rot without an audience.
The sooner that happens, the sooner we may be able to once again watch them compete and be more meaningful on the back pages for what they do on the court than they have become on the front pages for what they do off the court.
Until then, I will continue to think about the better times, when Allan Houston was hitting running jumpers over Miami and Larry Johnson was completing 4 point plays against Indiana.
When The names Starks, Oakley, Harper and Mason were worthy of the price of admission.
Until then, I will continue to wait and hope for the days where getting a ticket to a Knicks game is harder than finding members of Al Queda.
To think it will be like this forever is crazy, and knowing that all of this misery will at some point come to an end could be considered the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, it may be a long time until that light gets any brighter.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Least Wonderful Time of the Year
12/11/07
'Twas the night before finals and all through my suit
I wanted to study, but did nothing but eat.
So I'll end my pathetic attempt to rhyme there, but Finals week and the end of the semester is quite possibly the most miserable time of the year. All that stands between you and a month of absolutely nothing are final exams.
You worked hard (or hard enough) to get to this point, yet you know that all it takes is one bad stretch of 2 hours with one of the stupid blue books and grades are changed.
I actually got off relatively easy this semester, as I only had 2 finals which mattered. And I can say at this point, having taken both, that the feeling you get after completing a final doesn't really make up for the anxiety and stress it puts you through before you actually take it.
And is it just me, or in the moments right before the exam is placed in front you everything you managed to cram into that throbbing head of yours is forgotten faster than you can say pencils down. If your lucky everything you studied comes back to you, and if your me enough of it is remembered to get the B I was striving for.
Finals week is pretty strange around campus. Your schedule is different so when you go to take your exams, you see people walking around you have never seen before. The plus side of course is watching how ridiculous some of these people look either knowing they are on their way to take an exam or have just finished failing one.
I don't know, I no longer have to worry about finals this semester, yet I feel no sense of relief. Maybe its knowing that I still have 3 more days before I can go home. Maybe its because I still have some work to do for my never ending Education class (although I doubt it, because we all know how little I care about my schoolwork).
Its probably because I know that come next May, I'll be sitting here with the exact same feeling, all over again.
And for my suffering, i get rewarded by having to go through this all 2 more times next year.
You'll have to excuse me for being so overwhelmed with joy.
Then again, this is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.
Agree to disagree.
'Twas the night before finals and all through my suit
I wanted to study, but did nothing but eat.
So I'll end my pathetic attempt to rhyme there, but Finals week and the end of the semester is quite possibly the most miserable time of the year. All that stands between you and a month of absolutely nothing are final exams.
You worked hard (or hard enough) to get to this point, yet you know that all it takes is one bad stretch of 2 hours with one of the stupid blue books and grades are changed.
I actually got off relatively easy this semester, as I only had 2 finals which mattered. And I can say at this point, having taken both, that the feeling you get after completing a final doesn't really make up for the anxiety and stress it puts you through before you actually take it.
And is it just me, or in the moments right before the exam is placed in front you everything you managed to cram into that throbbing head of yours is forgotten faster than you can say pencils down. If your lucky everything you studied comes back to you, and if your me enough of it is remembered to get the B I was striving for.
Finals week is pretty strange around campus. Your schedule is different so when you go to take your exams, you see people walking around you have never seen before. The plus side of course is watching how ridiculous some of these people look either knowing they are on their way to take an exam or have just finished failing one.
I don't know, I no longer have to worry about finals this semester, yet I feel no sense of relief. Maybe its knowing that I still have 3 more days before I can go home. Maybe its because I still have some work to do for my never ending Education class (although I doubt it, because we all know how little I care about my schoolwork).
Its probably because I know that come next May, I'll be sitting here with the exact same feeling, all over again.
And for my suffering, i get rewarded by having to go through this all 2 more times next year.
You'll have to excuse me for being so overwhelmed with joy.
Then again, this is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.
Agree to disagree.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Whats your favorite Vegatable?
12/7/07
Probably wondering whats up with the title of this post. I can explain. I was in the car with my roommates and our gender-challenged friend Shawn (love you buddy, and happy birthday) and Matt, one of my roommates wanted to tell us a joke he heard in class. I take abslutely zero credit for this, although once you hear it you probably wouldnt want to be associated with having told it.
That being said, this must have been one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. Matt was in a class of his and when the teach stepped out he says that somehow a bunch of the kids in class started discussin vegetables. And this was how the conversation played out:
Person 1- Hey, whats your favorite find of vegetable?
Person 2- well, other than Terri Schiavo, I would have to say carrots.
I might have messed up on the actual vegetable mentioned, but trust me, hearing that out of the blue had me laughing as hard as Ive laughed at anything in a long time.
Alright so most if not all of you probably didn't find that as amusing as I did, but even now im still laughing.
And I needed the laugh, as I pulled off something that managed to impress...well...myself.
For the last 6 weeks, I have known about by big Unit Plan project for my education class. It consists of me creating five 80 minute lesson plans for a middle school history class. The plans needed to be very detailed with annotated sources and all that good stuff. 6 weeks I knew about, and when did I start? Yesterday. When was it due?
Earlier this afternoon at 5.
Here is some of what went through my head yesterday. I got out of my last class of the day early, at around 2:30 (usually ends at 3:20) so I figured that when I got back to my room I would relax until 3:30 and work for a solid 4 hours on this plan. And 3:15 rolled around, and I laid down only to pass out until about 5:30. Alright, still early, still have all night. If i start working now and I get 4 or 5 hours of work done tonight I can still get to bed by midnight.
In addition to this project being due, I had to wake up this morning for a 10 oclock review session. I normally would have had no reason to wake up at such an early hour on a Friday, but such was the case. As long as I got to bed at a reasonable time I would be fine.
5:30 became 7, which turned into 8 and then 9 and 10, and I had gotten very little done. Alright, well if I get started at 10, go to bed by 2, I can wake up around 9 and still get my 7 hours of sleep. Perfect.
But before I knew it, It was past midnight and I had gotten maybe a combined half hour of work done. And this is when the fun began, because I knew there was no way I could have missed the review session.
Between the hours of 2 and 6...6 am that is....I managed to complete a majority of my work, however still falling short of finishing it. Review session is in 4 hours, I need sleep, yet im strangely wide awake.
While part of the reason i was so wired at such an ungodly hour was I was kept company online with a few people, however I had this energy I just needed to get rid of.
Finally around 6:35...AM....I went to bed, for a a whole 2 hours and 40 minues. Woke up, showered, still had all this energy and made it to my review session only 5 minutes late.
And to this point, running on less than 3 hours of sleep, I'm still wide awake, and i wish i knew why.
The good news is that i did finally get my Unit Plan done around 2:30 this afternoon, and dropped it off hopefully never to see the thing again.
And now its about 8 o'clock, all I want to do is sleep, yet between the Knicks being on (no, I cant tell you why im watching) and the fact that somebody must have slipped some speed in my water, I'm as awake as ever.
Still laughing at the vegetable joke, not gonna lie. Too soon though?
Nah.
Probably wondering whats up with the title of this post. I can explain. I was in the car with my roommates and our gender-challenged friend Shawn (love you buddy, and happy birthday) and Matt, one of my roommates wanted to tell us a joke he heard in class. I take abslutely zero credit for this, although once you hear it you probably wouldnt want to be associated with having told it.
That being said, this must have been one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. Matt was in a class of his and when the teach stepped out he says that somehow a bunch of the kids in class started discussin vegetables. And this was how the conversation played out:
Person 1- Hey, whats your favorite find of vegetable?
Person 2- well, other than Terri Schiavo, I would have to say carrots.
I might have messed up on the actual vegetable mentioned, but trust me, hearing that out of the blue had me laughing as hard as Ive laughed at anything in a long time.
Alright so most if not all of you probably didn't find that as amusing as I did, but even now im still laughing.
And I needed the laugh, as I pulled off something that managed to impress...well...myself.
For the last 6 weeks, I have known about by big Unit Plan project for my education class. It consists of me creating five 80 minute lesson plans for a middle school history class. The plans needed to be very detailed with annotated sources and all that good stuff. 6 weeks I knew about, and when did I start? Yesterday. When was it due?
Earlier this afternoon at 5.
Here is some of what went through my head yesterday. I got out of my last class of the day early, at around 2:30 (usually ends at 3:20) so I figured that when I got back to my room I would relax until 3:30 and work for a solid 4 hours on this plan. And 3:15 rolled around, and I laid down only to pass out until about 5:30. Alright, still early, still have all night. If i start working now and I get 4 or 5 hours of work done tonight I can still get to bed by midnight.
In addition to this project being due, I had to wake up this morning for a 10 oclock review session. I normally would have had no reason to wake up at such an early hour on a Friday, but such was the case. As long as I got to bed at a reasonable time I would be fine.
5:30 became 7, which turned into 8 and then 9 and 10, and I had gotten very little done. Alright, well if I get started at 10, go to bed by 2, I can wake up around 9 and still get my 7 hours of sleep. Perfect.
But before I knew it, It was past midnight and I had gotten maybe a combined half hour of work done. And this is when the fun began, because I knew there was no way I could have missed the review session.
Between the hours of 2 and 6...6 am that is....I managed to complete a majority of my work, however still falling short of finishing it. Review session is in 4 hours, I need sleep, yet im strangely wide awake.
While part of the reason i was so wired at such an ungodly hour was I was kept company online with a few people, however I had this energy I just needed to get rid of.
Finally around 6:35...AM....I went to bed, for a a whole 2 hours and 40 minues. Woke up, showered, still had all this energy and made it to my review session only 5 minutes late.
And to this point, running on less than 3 hours of sleep, I'm still wide awake, and i wish i knew why.
The good news is that i did finally get my Unit Plan done around 2:30 this afternoon, and dropped it off hopefully never to see the thing again.
And now its about 8 o'clock, all I want to do is sleep, yet between the Knicks being on (no, I cant tell you why im watching) and the fact that somebody must have slipped some speed in my water, I'm as awake as ever.
Still laughing at the vegetable joke, not gonna lie. Too soon though?
Nah.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
There is Really Something Wrong With Me
12/5/07
Let me just describe my night, and you be the judge as to whether or not I have a problem.
I have a big project due Friday for my education class, which requires that I create 5- 80 minute lesson plans, all of which need to be incredibly detailed. This will easily take up the majority of the next 48 hours, yet tonight I sat in my room, with lots of free time giving myself a really opportunity to make a dent.
But then I took a look at my only true friend in this world, my television.
Sitting there, just giving me a blank stare (get it?) begging me to turn it on and push off the school work for a later time.
And so began my night of television. And what a night it was..
7:30- Syracuse is visiting Virginia in need a big road victory. We are wearing are road Orange uniforms which we have yet to a win a game in since they were introduced last spring at the Garden in the Big East Tournament.
7:40- The Knicks made the long trip across the river and are playing the Nets, minus Stephon Marbury (father passed away Sunday) and Eddy Curry (sprained ankle...during morning shoot around...only the Knicks) while the Nets missing future Hall of Fame point guard and wife beater Jason Kidd. The Knicks are coming off a loss to the Suns, and could really use a win to lift their sprirts, although any real Knick fans knows that the wins are as meaningless as the losses these days.
8:20 (approx) Halftime in Virginia, with Syracuse trailing. We looked good for a lot of the first half but turnovers and some shotty defense allowed Virginia to take the lead.
8:45 (approx) Halftime at newly renamed Izod Arena, as the Knicks are actually leading the Nets behind strong play by....
wait...who gives a shit...
9:30- Syracuse manages to pull off a win on the road, helped out by the fact that one of Virginia's best players was apparently suffering from strep throat. Maybe its just me, but if I'm playing against a guy with strep (which is very contagious) I would be running my ass out of the gym. But The Orange got the W, and it will certainly ease some of the frustration still lingering from the UMass loss last week.
10:04- KNICKS WIN! KNICKS WIN! Jamal Crawford hits a big three to stretch a 5 point lead to 8, and the Knicks pick up worthless win numero 6 on this season which despite being not yet 20 games old, could end tomorrow without anybody caring.
Now lets see, Its a Wed. night, after 10...whats wrong with this picture?
"Well Adam, you missed Gossip Girl!"
I would have, however thanks to the great technology that is DVR - thats right, I DVR'ed Gossip Girl- I was able to watch it commercial free. And whoa, what an episode huh?
Serena's grandmother is some kind of "C U Next Tuesday" isnt she? Trying to sabatoge Serena and Dan...(not Daniel...stupid bitch)
Chuck and Blair and Nate...the love triangle that everybody loves to hate and hates to love...
watching Chuck leave...despite how huge an ass he is...was a big time bummer as I think hes the best character on the show
Rufus and Lilly's phone call there at the end? You know it brought it a smile to your face, as it did mine.
And props to the writers for actually putting in some legimately witty lines, such as
"Spotted! Chuck losing something nobody ever knew he had...his heart"
Touche Gossip Girl, Touche.
And so here I am, its 11:30 and I have barely touched my work, with the clock running down and still lots to be done.
But that wont bring me down, because I got 3 victories tonight..
The Knicks
Syracuse
...and Dan and Serena survived their mini-fight and ended up back in each others arm.
...that show is really growing on me...meaning there really must be something wrong in this head of mine
until next time...
xoxo,
Adam
...cmon thats funny
Let me just describe my night, and you be the judge as to whether or not I have a problem.
I have a big project due Friday for my education class, which requires that I create 5- 80 minute lesson plans, all of which need to be incredibly detailed. This will easily take up the majority of the next 48 hours, yet tonight I sat in my room, with lots of free time giving myself a really opportunity to make a dent.
But then I took a look at my only true friend in this world, my television.
Sitting there, just giving me a blank stare (get it?) begging me to turn it on and push off the school work for a later time.
And so began my night of television. And what a night it was..
7:30- Syracuse is visiting Virginia in need a big road victory. We are wearing are road Orange uniforms which we have yet to a win a game in since they were introduced last spring at the Garden in the Big East Tournament.
7:40- The Knicks made the long trip across the river and are playing the Nets, minus Stephon Marbury (father passed away Sunday) and Eddy Curry (sprained ankle...during morning shoot around...only the Knicks) while the Nets missing future Hall of Fame point guard and wife beater Jason Kidd. The Knicks are coming off a loss to the Suns, and could really use a win to lift their sprirts, although any real Knick fans knows that the wins are as meaningless as the losses these days.
8:20 (approx) Halftime in Virginia, with Syracuse trailing. We looked good for a lot of the first half but turnovers and some shotty defense allowed Virginia to take the lead.
8:45 (approx) Halftime at newly renamed Izod Arena, as the Knicks are actually leading the Nets behind strong play by....
wait...who gives a shit...
9:30- Syracuse manages to pull off a win on the road, helped out by the fact that one of Virginia's best players was apparently suffering from strep throat. Maybe its just me, but if I'm playing against a guy with strep (which is very contagious) I would be running my ass out of the gym. But The Orange got the W, and it will certainly ease some of the frustration still lingering from the UMass loss last week.
10:04- KNICKS WIN! KNICKS WIN! Jamal Crawford hits a big three to stretch a 5 point lead to 8, and the Knicks pick up worthless win numero 6 on this season which despite being not yet 20 games old, could end tomorrow without anybody caring.
Now lets see, Its a Wed. night, after 10...whats wrong with this picture?
"Well Adam, you missed Gossip Girl!"
I would have, however thanks to the great technology that is DVR - thats right, I DVR'ed Gossip Girl- I was able to watch it commercial free. And whoa, what an episode huh?
Serena's grandmother is some kind of "C U Next Tuesday" isnt she? Trying to sabatoge Serena and Dan...(not Daniel...stupid bitch)
Chuck and Blair and Nate...the love triangle that everybody loves to hate and hates to love...
watching Chuck leave...despite how huge an ass he is...was a big time bummer as I think hes the best character on the show
Rufus and Lilly's phone call there at the end? You know it brought it a smile to your face, as it did mine.
And props to the writers for actually putting in some legimately witty lines, such as
"Spotted! Chuck losing something nobody ever knew he had...his heart"
Touche Gossip Girl, Touche.
And so here I am, its 11:30 and I have barely touched my work, with the clock running down and still lots to be done.
But that wont bring me down, because I got 3 victories tonight..
The Knicks
Syracuse
...and Dan and Serena survived their mini-fight and ended up back in each others arm.
...that show is really growing on me...meaning there really must be something wrong in this head of mine
until next time...
xoxo,
Adam
...cmon thats funny
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Dear Syracuse...
12/5/07
An open letter to Syracuse University
*note* This letter would have been written to our Chancellor Nancy Cantor, however I don't think highly enough of her to give her the satisfaction of making it into my blog.
Ok, so shes not getting the satisfaction of a second mention.
Dear Syracuse University,
We've been seeing each other now for almost 2 and a half years officially (we won't count our secret tryst when I visited back in the Summer before my senior year) and I gotta say, after all this time there have been a lot of things which have taken place which have both had me coming back for more while at the same time wondering who you really are. For instance...
How could you lead me on that first winter? Giving me the one of the mildest winters in recent memory did nothing but get my hopes that the winter months would be easy on me.
A foot of snow last April...APRIL!... left me feeling betrayed.
The food you offer in the dining halls seemed to decent (for lack of a better word) that first year. It was new and exciting. There was the Quesadilla bar was always reliable and the fact that the pizza you served was Sparro's was a pleasant surprise. Of course nothing beat Wednesday, because it meant that stir fry was on the menu.
However the honeymoon didn't last long, as the food became repetitive...both in selection and on my digestive system...and so it has gotten to the point where I plan on depriving you of the nearly 2 grand my parents pay for my meal plan.
The Athletics- once again, Freshman year seemed to be the peak of our basketball team, with the magical run in the Big East tournament on the back of Gerry McNamara and a trip to the big dance. The party was short lived with a first round loss, followed up by an utterly disappointing season last year when 24 wins were not enough to be selected by the tournament committee.
And the football team? Freshman year all we heard about was a new coach, a new offense and new hope? How did that work out?
3 season later, 7 combined wins. 28 losses. Way to go Daryl Gross (our inept athletic director).
Freshman year I could not believe how big and spacious campus was. I would go weeks at a time without really seeing the same face twice- although that may have been because it would be sometimes weeks between the classes I attended- and with 13,000 undergrads thats how it should have been.
But then my girlfriend broke up with me, and for the following 2 months I seemed to run into her more times on campus than I could count? And then when I figured a new year would change things, I got housing in the dorm directly next to hers.
Of course that became a blessing in disguise when we got back together and actually managed to survive all of sophomore year. But while you and I are stuck with each other for 4 whole years, she and I met our demise after only 3.
Alright, so it hasn't been all bad. In fact the trend actually reversed when it came to roommates.
Freshman year I was roomed with 3 other guys in one big open room, only to end up really being able to coexist with one of them.
Last year I chose my roommate, who seemed like an ideal choice- nice, quiet, didn't party much- but oh how wrong I was. While being all of those things, he had the sleeping habits of an owl, and chose to stay up until 7 in the morning doing his work, and then going to bed during the middle of the afternoon.
However the best thing that came out of that was meeting my roommates this year, who I can honestly say are two of the greatest people you'll come across- and Ross Kohan, who apparently is my long lost hetero-homo (take your pick, both apply) life mate. And next year Rossy and I (for those unaware, we have pet names for each other, and while his is rather unoriginal, he calls me Pookie, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy) will be living together off campus in a beautiful house all to ourselves.
And so after 5 semesters, I really am not sure what to think about you Syracuse. Things started off so well yet all of those seemingly great things freshman year quickly went away as the years have progressed.
Even my grades have followed suit, with a 3.3 first semester going as low as a 2.7 last year. And for those of you wondering, its currently at a 3.011...and sinking (damn you CSD 212)
But all in all, I always come back to reminding myself how much I really do love it here, and for all the shortcomings, I wouldn't want to be going to school anywhere else.
For better or worse, I know that everytime I drive back up here, I get off 81, i drive up East Adams street (oh the irony) and I get this feeling like- wow I really do love it here.
So I look forward to another year and a half of whatever you plan on throwing my way.
Thankfully it wont include stir fry anymore.
Love Always,
Adam
An open letter to Syracuse University
*note* This letter would have been written to our Chancellor Nancy Cantor, however I don't think highly enough of her to give her the satisfaction of making it into my blog.
Ok, so shes not getting the satisfaction of a second mention.
Dear Syracuse University,
We've been seeing each other now for almost 2 and a half years officially (we won't count our secret tryst when I visited back in the Summer before my senior year) and I gotta say, after all this time there have been a lot of things which have taken place which have both had me coming back for more while at the same time wondering who you really are. For instance...
How could you lead me on that first winter? Giving me the one of the mildest winters in recent memory did nothing but get my hopes that the winter months would be easy on me.
A foot of snow last April...APRIL!... left me feeling betrayed.
The food you offer in the dining halls seemed to decent (for lack of a better word) that first year. It was new and exciting. There was the Quesadilla bar was always reliable and the fact that the pizza you served was Sparro's was a pleasant surprise. Of course nothing beat Wednesday, because it meant that stir fry was on the menu.
However the honeymoon didn't last long, as the food became repetitive...both in selection and on my digestive system...and so it has gotten to the point where I plan on depriving you of the nearly 2 grand my parents pay for my meal plan.
The Athletics- once again, Freshman year seemed to be the peak of our basketball team, with the magical run in the Big East tournament on the back of Gerry McNamara and a trip to the big dance. The party was short lived with a first round loss, followed up by an utterly disappointing season last year when 24 wins were not enough to be selected by the tournament committee.
And the football team? Freshman year all we heard about was a new coach, a new offense and new hope? How did that work out?
3 season later, 7 combined wins. 28 losses. Way to go Daryl Gross (our inept athletic director).
Freshman year I could not believe how big and spacious campus was. I would go weeks at a time without really seeing the same face twice- although that may have been because it would be sometimes weeks between the classes I attended- and with 13,000 undergrads thats how it should have been.
But then my girlfriend broke up with me, and for the following 2 months I seemed to run into her more times on campus than I could count? And then when I figured a new year would change things, I got housing in the dorm directly next to hers.
Of course that became a blessing in disguise when we got back together and actually managed to survive all of sophomore year. But while you and I are stuck with each other for 4 whole years, she and I met our demise after only 3.
Alright, so it hasn't been all bad. In fact the trend actually reversed when it came to roommates.
Freshman year I was roomed with 3 other guys in one big open room, only to end up really being able to coexist with one of them.
Last year I chose my roommate, who seemed like an ideal choice- nice, quiet, didn't party much- but oh how wrong I was. While being all of those things, he had the sleeping habits of an owl, and chose to stay up until 7 in the morning doing his work, and then going to bed during the middle of the afternoon.
However the best thing that came out of that was meeting my roommates this year, who I can honestly say are two of the greatest people you'll come across- and Ross Kohan, who apparently is my long lost hetero-homo (take your pick, both apply) life mate. And next year Rossy and I (for those unaware, we have pet names for each other, and while his is rather unoriginal, he calls me Pookie, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy) will be living together off campus in a beautiful house all to ourselves.
And so after 5 semesters, I really am not sure what to think about you Syracuse. Things started off so well yet all of those seemingly great things freshman year quickly went away as the years have progressed.
Even my grades have followed suit, with a 3.3 first semester going as low as a 2.7 last year. And for those of you wondering, its currently at a 3.011...and sinking (damn you CSD 212)
But all in all, I always come back to reminding myself how much I really do love it here, and for all the shortcomings, I wouldn't want to be going to school anywhere else.
For better or worse, I know that everytime I drive back up here, I get off 81, i drive up East Adams street (oh the irony) and I get this feeling like- wow I really do love it here.
So I look forward to another year and a half of whatever you plan on throwing my way.
Thankfully it wont include stir fry anymore.
Love Always,
Adam
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Baby Its Cold Outside
12/2/07
First and foremost, even though I doubt he has ever read my blog, Happy Birthday to my hetero life partner (most of the time) Jason.
Now as I was saying in my last post, this time of year brings us the Holidays, which for the most part annoy the hell out of me. However the one aspect of this time of year which really makes me suffer like no other is the cold weather. And going to Syracuse is (short of the Univeristy of Alaska or North Pole State) is among the worst places I could be for somebody with zero patience for cold weather.
Did you ever think about how cold weather, and I'm not talking chilly with temperatures in the 40's, really impacts the way your day will play out?
Last night in Syracuse, it was 11 degrees outside. 11 degrees. Thats 21 degrees below freezing. If I had to describe how cold it was outside at any point during the day yesterday or last night, I couldn't- because I never left my room. If the temperature outside is a number lower than the number of the Knicks expected win total (which is probably 30, with 35 being generous), I keep myself inside.
And the cold weather really changes the way I function, from the time I wake up, throughout my entire day, and even when and how I fall asleep.
Starting with waking up, the first thing I do is check the temperature outside. My willingness to attend class is low to begin with as many of you know, yet if its not at least 40 degrees outside, the chances of me making it out the front door are slim and none.
If its say 30 degrees outside at the time I wake up- which on a good day is at around 10:15 (yea, be jealous for now until I'm up every morning at 6:30 when i start student teaching), I will have probably already made up my mind on the day is going to play out.
I will take a hotter than normal shower, not because my room is colder than usual- which it is- but because when looking outside the window in the shower at the people in their heavy coats, I am legitimately petrified of joining them. So with the hot water keeping me sane, I usually wind up spending an extra 15-20 minutes in the shower for the mere reason that getting out will return me to the reality that is winter in Syracuse.
So by the time I'm out of the shower, not only are my hands pruined out to death, but I have now put myself in a situation where I wouldn't be able to make it to my 11 oclock class on time anyway. Score a point for me.
So instead of going to class, I now have an entire day to get stuff done. Maybe some school work, maybe some studying for an upcoming exam or a head start on a paper.
Seriously?
I put on sweat pants and a sweat shirt and get my ass right back into bed, blanket covering me and the TV goes on from roughly 11 in the morning until the time I go to bed more than 12 hours later. Using my computer is sometimes off limits because of how close it is to the window.
Last night was another example of how the cold weather changes how I function. Syracuse was at home playing Tulane- a game which going into I had a pretty good idea we would win (which we did), yet the idea of making the walk to and from the Carrier Dome (does anybody see the irony in our sports venue bearing the name of an air-conditioning company...in a city with some of the coldest winters around?) and so watching it on TV was far more appealing.
Then after the game, I had intended to go out and do something, if nothing else just to get out of the room which i had held myself hostage in all day. Maybe even just to get something to eat.
Nope.
I ordered pita pit (if you've never been to Syracuse and have no idea what I'm talking about, you're not missing much) but after not one, but two grilled chicken pitas with lettuce, onions, green peppers, hot sauce and hummus, I was able to give myself yet another reason not to step foot outside.
And the night played out exactly that way. I never did step foot outside. I havn't seen the sun or felt a breeze since Friday night. And because its December in Syracuse, thats the way I like it.
Now of all the things about Winter in Syracuse i hate, the thing which tops them all is of course the snow.
I hate snow about as much as I hate anything else. The Yankees, Bill Bellicheck, Buy One Get One Free Sales, Car Washes where you cant sit in your car- throw snow up there.
Snow is so utterly useless. Yea some people say its pretty, yet talk to me after snow has been sitting around for a week and becomes brown. And unlike rain, which I would prefer any day of the week, snow disrupts your routine in far too many ways.
Starting with having to wear additional articles of clothing, which comes in second to having dig your car out and shovel. And the insult of it all is that by the time youre dont shoveling out your car, you have built up such a sweat that all you want to do is take off the 7 layers of clothes suffocating you. You can't wear sneakers, although for the girls the adjustment to having to throw on a pair of uggs probably doesn't case such a panic. Wait...what adjustment? Driving becomes even more dangerous if the roads havn't been salted enough, and then the salt gets all over the sides of your car which require you to have it washed twice as regularly to avoid ruining the finish.
The worst thing now is that its only the second day of December, which means its just under three weeks away until the official beginning of winter.
Then again if you know anything about Syracuse, winter begins here even earlier than the Hallmark stores start prepping for Christmas. And while winter starts early it ends late- we got a foot of snow during the second week in April last year.
Oh Syracuse, I wish I could enjoy you more this time of year, but baby- its cold outside.
First and foremost, even though I doubt he has ever read my blog, Happy Birthday to my hetero life partner (most of the time) Jason.
Now as I was saying in my last post, this time of year brings us the Holidays, which for the most part annoy the hell out of me. However the one aspect of this time of year which really makes me suffer like no other is the cold weather. And going to Syracuse is (short of the Univeristy of Alaska or North Pole State) is among the worst places I could be for somebody with zero patience for cold weather.
Did you ever think about how cold weather, and I'm not talking chilly with temperatures in the 40's, really impacts the way your day will play out?
Last night in Syracuse, it was 11 degrees outside. 11 degrees. Thats 21 degrees below freezing. If I had to describe how cold it was outside at any point during the day yesterday or last night, I couldn't- because I never left my room. If the temperature outside is a number lower than the number of the Knicks expected win total (which is probably 30, with 35 being generous), I keep myself inside.
And the cold weather really changes the way I function, from the time I wake up, throughout my entire day, and even when and how I fall asleep.
Starting with waking up, the first thing I do is check the temperature outside. My willingness to attend class is low to begin with as many of you know, yet if its not at least 40 degrees outside, the chances of me making it out the front door are slim and none.
If its say 30 degrees outside at the time I wake up- which on a good day is at around 10:15 (yea, be jealous for now until I'm up every morning at 6:30 when i start student teaching), I will have probably already made up my mind on the day is going to play out.
I will take a hotter than normal shower, not because my room is colder than usual- which it is- but because when looking outside the window in the shower at the people in their heavy coats, I am legitimately petrified of joining them. So with the hot water keeping me sane, I usually wind up spending an extra 15-20 minutes in the shower for the mere reason that getting out will return me to the reality that is winter in Syracuse.
So by the time I'm out of the shower, not only are my hands pruined out to death, but I have now put myself in a situation where I wouldn't be able to make it to my 11 oclock class on time anyway. Score a point for me.
So instead of going to class, I now have an entire day to get stuff done. Maybe some school work, maybe some studying for an upcoming exam or a head start on a paper.
Seriously?
I put on sweat pants and a sweat shirt and get my ass right back into bed, blanket covering me and the TV goes on from roughly 11 in the morning until the time I go to bed more than 12 hours later. Using my computer is sometimes off limits because of how close it is to the window.
Last night was another example of how the cold weather changes how I function. Syracuse was at home playing Tulane- a game which going into I had a pretty good idea we would win (which we did), yet the idea of making the walk to and from the Carrier Dome (does anybody see the irony in our sports venue bearing the name of an air-conditioning company...in a city with some of the coldest winters around?) and so watching it on TV was far more appealing.
Then after the game, I had intended to go out and do something, if nothing else just to get out of the room which i had held myself hostage in all day. Maybe even just to get something to eat.
Nope.
I ordered pita pit (if you've never been to Syracuse and have no idea what I'm talking about, you're not missing much) but after not one, but two grilled chicken pitas with lettuce, onions, green peppers, hot sauce and hummus, I was able to give myself yet another reason not to step foot outside.
And the night played out exactly that way. I never did step foot outside. I havn't seen the sun or felt a breeze since Friday night. And because its December in Syracuse, thats the way I like it.
Now of all the things about Winter in Syracuse i hate, the thing which tops them all is of course the snow.
I hate snow about as much as I hate anything else. The Yankees, Bill Bellicheck, Buy One Get One Free Sales, Car Washes where you cant sit in your car- throw snow up there.
Snow is so utterly useless. Yea some people say its pretty, yet talk to me after snow has been sitting around for a week and becomes brown. And unlike rain, which I would prefer any day of the week, snow disrupts your routine in far too many ways.
Starting with having to wear additional articles of clothing, which comes in second to having dig your car out and shovel. And the insult of it all is that by the time youre dont shoveling out your car, you have built up such a sweat that all you want to do is take off the 7 layers of clothes suffocating you. You can't wear sneakers, although for the girls the adjustment to having to throw on a pair of uggs probably doesn't case such a panic. Wait...what adjustment? Driving becomes even more dangerous if the roads havn't been salted enough, and then the salt gets all over the sides of your car which require you to have it washed twice as regularly to avoid ruining the finish.
The worst thing now is that its only the second day of December, which means its just under three weeks away until the official beginning of winter.
Then again if you know anything about Syracuse, winter begins here even earlier than the Hallmark stores start prepping for Christmas. And while winter starts early it ends late- we got a foot of snow during the second week in April last year.
Oh Syracuse, I wish I could enjoy you more this time of year, but baby- its cold outside.
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