I'm going to keep this brief, because let's face it, I've been posting a crapload recently. I'm going to give you some time to catch up as you quarantine yourself in the coming weeks to prevent swine flu infection.
Ry Fact: Ryan thinks he has one of the worst names ever. He has a memorable face with a forgettable name. What do the names Ron, Ralph, Greg, Kevin, Cracker and (the biggest one) Brian all have in common? They are all names that he has been called since he was of age to drive. One time at the grocery store, the bagger said, "Have a good day Craig!" as Ry walked out, brownie mix in hand. Ry wasn't sure whether he thought he knew him or whether he was playing the guess-the-name game to pass the time. Whatever the case, he certainly did not know Ry's glaring insecurities about the forgettable name he bears. Ry doesn't particularly think there's anything really normal about him outside of his name. He vows to one day name his child something that will never be forgotten.
Although Ry does like that his Uncle nicknamed him Ry-Bread....very cool guy, utilizing a very cool nickname.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Random Ry Story #1 AND 2009 NFL Draft Diary
Quick random Ry story before I get to the draft diary:
Ry used to work at a local pharmacy in his neighborhood. Everyone's heard the story about the place getting robbed and Ry getting a .45 to his noggin, and many other notable things happened at his place of employment for 4 years of his life. But here's a brief one...Ry used to be really smitten over this lady who was approximately 5 years his senior. She used to come in and get her prescriptions and a bottle of diet pepsi. She was dating an Aussie, who ended up breaking her heart (Ry knew this because the pharmacy was also the gossip-center of Fairmount so Ry got the dirt on everyone in town) Anyways conversation was kept somewhat to a minimum, strictly business, because well, Ry wasn't the eloquent mac-daddy that he is today. One Saturday afternoon, Ry was looking/feeling fresh and decided it was time to step it up.
"Hey, how you doing?" he asked Jen.
"I'm alright, and yourself?" she replied.
"Faaantastic, it's an absolutely gorgeous day outside."
"Yea it sure is, I'm definitely planning on enjoying it outdoors somehow."
"Somehow huh? Everyone's got a go-to activity when the weather's nice."
"Haha, well what's yours?"
"Probably rounding up whatever friends are free and going to the park for a game of touch-football," he said, setting himself up for the perfect transition to the invite.
"Oooh sounds fun," she said in a fashion that indicated she may give him the time of day.
(Then came the line that would live in infamy with he and his boy Shawn, who watched the plan get massacred as he worked beside Ry that Saturday afternoon)
"Yea, I just can't wait to get off today. We're like gargoyles in here, it's like we can't get any sunlight," Ry uttered, instantly realizing that any reference to a gargoyle may as well be synonymous with "famous last words" in the realm of courtship.
"Uh yea....well, see ya later," she said after a long confused pause, unsure of what to make of someone who used a word as awkward as "gargoyle" when talking to woman he may be attempting to get the digits of.
It's safe to say that Ry learned his lesson and never talked to girls about gargoyles after that experience. He remains awkward to this day, but believes that it's more in an endearing way and less of an uncomfortable one. Hopefully...
Anyways, let's talk pigskin, shall we?
(Apologies for this diary being a few days late, but as the cliche goes, "better late than never")
Hopefully, this will be the first of many, but it's very doubtful at this point. These things are difficult to put together. That and I feel like a thieving jerk for ripping off a Bill Simmons idea. But you know what, that lazy idiot would never do a draft diary for football, so I may as well carry this load on my own.
So yea, Jake and I went to the Stadium Grille in West Chester last Saturday so we could watch the Flyers completely fall apart after going up 3-0 early. That, and follow the NFL Draft, which I was not only diarying (that sounds remarkably like diarrheaing, although I don't think either one is a real word) but also doing my final project on for one of my classes. So I'm pretty much jotting down notes and frantically soaking up knowledge to the point I'm debating about even making the blog diary. But it had to be done. So here it is the first-ever 2009 Ry for Ry NFL Draft Diary.
3:45 - Jake and I get settled into a booth with a TV in it. Good food+good TV/restaurant set up= Good situation. I'm trying to get myself situated for writing this diary and my final project for my "Writing for Journalism" class.
Should be interesting.
3:56 - Our reporters for this event are Erin Andrews (YES!) and Rachel Nichols (Ehh)...Is that really fair to Nichols? She probably already gets an unfair amount of criticism as an ESPN worker for not being as attractive as Andrews, and now they're sharing the stage for the afternoon. I'm an average looking guy I suppose, but I'm not trying to work next to Tom Brady for a day with millions of females watching. That's definitely going to bring down the hunk-ratings for me.
4:04 - Matt Stafford gets a Donovan McNabb-like welcome to the NFL. I didn't think that many people even watched the Lions, let alone traveled to the Draft to have their voice heard after the pick was made.
4:07 - We're informed that the Manning brothers sent a text, Apparently it was a joint one, at which point Jake and I speculate whether it was sent from Eli or Peyton's phone. I argue Peyton, because as the older brother, he clearly gets the majority of out-of-network texts on their family plan. As a side note, I love the commercial they did for ESPN, fighting with each other as their parents get a tour of the studio setup. Classic...
4:14 - Jason Smith goes to the Rams. No shock there. 6'5" 309. Isn't 309 a liiittle thin if you're talking about a tall offensive lineman? He'll put on some lbs I'm sure.
4:21 - Herm Edwards is breaking down the Chiefs draft telling us they're going to go to the 3-4 defense. (Insert Simmons-like joke about last year they had a 3-4 defense too. They were giving up 3-4 rushing touchdowns a game) They should definitely take Aaron Curry in my humble opinion
4:25 - Tyson Jackson the D-end out of LSU goes to KC. Curry quietly laughs as if saying to himself, "that's why they're the Chiefs"
4:30 - Jake and I agree on liking ESPN analyst Michael Smith, though neither of have any particular reason outside of, "he just seems like a good guy." Glad we're on the same page as usual.
4:32 - Seahawks take Curry. "10-time Pro Bowler, lock it up!" exclaims Jake. I honestly can't tell if he's serious or just throwing out bold predictions to keep us entertained.
4:34 - Curry is looking really sharp in a 3-piece pewter suit, and a neon green Seahawks hat which I oddly find cool-looking. The attention quickly shifts however to his right where we see Erin Andrews ready to conduct an interview.
4:38 - Lionshead is a good brew. Jake and I both nail the riddle on my cap.
S-M-T-W-R-F-S (with an arrow pointing to the "F") + 13th...tough one
4:40 - Jets trade up for Mark Sanchez!!! I'm furious Washington couldn't have blown it's entire draft future to get this bum. Some Jets fans cheer while some cry and
shout angrily. If I'm a Jets fan, you can bet I'm in the latter group.
4:47 - Crosby puts one in net to tie the game. It's getting real quiet in here.
4:52 - Cincy takes Andre Smith out of 'Bama. Jake informs me that a report says that the Cards won't get a 1st round pick for Boldin. I continue to not understand how a top-5 receiver in the league (and probably the best in the league at getting YAC) is not worth a 1st and 3rd rounder which are complete question marks. Still, we don't know what Arizona really wants for him, I understand. And the truth of the matter is that they don't want to deal him.
4:56 - Darrius Heyward-Bey to Oakland!!! They don't go Maclin like every projection had. That's why projections don't mean a thing. Logic goes out the window when you're dealing with Al Davis.
4:59 - Our 46th camera shot in the last 3 minutes of a bewildered Michael Crabtree, who himself will end up being an average-good NFL receiver. Why? Cause Skip Bayless says so, that's why! Crabtree's sporting approximately 8 pounds of diamonds. That's situation's a little suspect
5:06 - Jags go O-Line and take Monroe out of Virginia. Mel Kiper thinks they avoided Crabtree after all their first round busts at wideout. Matt Jones, watching from home (or jail?) nods.
5:10 - Green Bay goes B.J. Raji. A rush defense that was 26th in the league drafting arguably the best DT in 09 class is a strong pick. I've only seen this kid play once, I think to myself. I realized how old I was and decided I now have the right to call players "kids"
5:11-6:12 - I get lazy and opt to put this up in one huge segment. In my defense, the draft is absurdly long and my other in-draft project is for a grade, so it's a little more important than my blog piece. Who am I kidding, we both know the blog comes before anything Temple-related, I'm just slacking off. Niners take Crabtree....Penn State product Maybin to Buffalo, as I instantly get a mental image of Boomer in his nittany lion hat and a Bills jersey....Knowshon to the Broncos, who apparently are going with a 7-back set. And everyone thought that it was only cause of Mike Shanahan that Denver never had a go-to back....Brian Orakpo to the Skins. Everyone either thinks this is the steal of the draft, or that the guy is going to be the number 1 bust of 2009. There's no in between that I've heard....San Diego surprises some people by going OLB Larry English with the 16th pick. I like it because if Merriman's healthy, sane, and steroid-free, the Chargers could have a top 3 pass rushing D in the league...Tampa trades up to get QB Josh Freeman out of Kansas St. Only time will tell, but I personally think this draft is a royal stinker for getting a QB in....creeping closer to the birds pick.....really creeping though....and theeeeen....
6:13 - Birds trade up 2 spots to Cleveland, and the excitement builds to see who they couldn't wait 2 picks for. Jeremy Maclin smiles wide, as apparently we got ourselves a wideout in the first round!
6:14 - WOW! I don't think one person alive saw this coming.
Maclin just started falling after Oakland threw in the towel for the 2009 season, and then BAM! He's wearing Eagle-green. I get a call from a confused Ben Caplan, and we agree to not really understanding the pick. Truth be told, we both wanted Boldin, it just didn't happen. It is definitely my own fault for getting high expectations for something that is very unlikely going to happen. Jake and I leave Stadium Grille, realizing we can make the drive back to H-Town and probably only miss 2 picks. Gotta love the NFL Draft!!!
FOLLOW UP: I had a dream 4 nights after the draft that Jake and I are watching a Birds game and Maclin makes a nice grab. Jake makes a smart comment and I start hurling stuff at him. This escalates to a full-blown street fight between the two of us in the middle of Manoa Road, and then I wake up. This scenario could very well play out in real life, so I will make the following statement in conclusion:
I really, really like what the Birds did in the draft. Getting Ellis Hobbs for a couple of 5's is phenomenal. And Jason Peters is a product of this draft for us. Even if none of the picks turn out, if Hobbs and Peters both are as good as advertised, it's an extremely productive draft. Shady McCoy was a guy they may have taken in the first, and having him drop into the second closely resembles what happened with DeSean Jackson last year.
Maclin was the right pick in my opinion. Clearly the best player at that particular point in the draft at a position they had a need in. I'm a little unsure of whether this team is trying to win now or later. They're trying to do both at the same time, but that ultimately may lead to decent teams now and in the future, but no championship-caliber teams in either time frame. People have speculated that Maclin was picked so Kolb can have a strong receiving core when he eventually gets the QB job. I have no idea, no one really does for that matter. It's all speculation. My problems with the Eagles are generally more problems with theory and less about personel. That said, I am excited for the 2009 season, and am disappointed that we couldn't bring the face of our franchise back to share in what should, and hopefully will be, another playoff run.
And how else could I possibly end this but with.....
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ry used to work at a local pharmacy in his neighborhood. Everyone's heard the story about the place getting robbed and Ry getting a .45 to his noggin, and many other notable things happened at his place of employment for 4 years of his life. But here's a brief one...Ry used to be really smitten over this lady who was approximately 5 years his senior. She used to come in and get her prescriptions and a bottle of diet pepsi. She was dating an Aussie, who ended up breaking her heart (Ry knew this because the pharmacy was also the gossip-center of Fairmount so Ry got the dirt on everyone in town) Anyways conversation was kept somewhat to a minimum, strictly business, because well, Ry wasn't the eloquent mac-daddy that he is today. One Saturday afternoon, Ry was looking/feeling fresh and decided it was time to step it up.
"Hey, how you doing?" he asked Jen.
"I'm alright, and yourself?" she replied.
"Faaantastic, it's an absolutely gorgeous day outside."
"Yea it sure is, I'm definitely planning on enjoying it outdoors somehow."
"Somehow huh? Everyone's got a go-to activity when the weather's nice."
"Haha, well what's yours?"
"Probably rounding up whatever friends are free and going to the park for a game of touch-football," he said, setting himself up for the perfect transition to the invite.
"Oooh sounds fun," she said in a fashion that indicated she may give him the time of day.
(Then came the line that would live in infamy with he and his boy Shawn, who watched the plan get massacred as he worked beside Ry that Saturday afternoon)
"Yea, I just can't wait to get off today. We're like gargoyles in here, it's like we can't get any sunlight," Ry uttered, instantly realizing that any reference to a gargoyle may as well be synonymous with "famous last words" in the realm of courtship.
"Uh yea....well, see ya later," she said after a long confused pause, unsure of what to make of someone who used a word as awkward as "gargoyle" when talking to woman he may be attempting to get the digits of.
It's safe to say that Ry learned his lesson and never talked to girls about gargoyles after that experience. He remains awkward to this day, but believes that it's more in an endearing way and less of an uncomfortable one. Hopefully...
Anyways, let's talk pigskin, shall we?
(Apologies for this diary being a few days late, but as the cliche goes, "better late than never")
Hopefully, this will be the first of many, but it's very doubtful at this point. These things are difficult to put together. That and I feel like a thieving jerk for ripping off a Bill Simmons idea. But you know what, that lazy idiot would never do a draft diary for football, so I may as well carry this load on my own.
So yea, Jake and I went to the Stadium Grille in West Chester last Saturday so we could watch the Flyers completely fall apart after going up 3-0 early. That, and follow the NFL Draft, which I was not only diarying (that sounds remarkably like diarrheaing, although I don't think either one is a real word) but also doing my final project on for one of my classes. So I'm pretty much jotting down notes and frantically soaking up knowledge to the point I'm debating about even making the blog diary. But it had to be done. So here it is the first-ever 2009 Ry for Ry NFL Draft Diary.
3:45 - Jake and I get settled into a booth with a TV in it. Good food+good TV/restaurant set up= Good situation. I'm trying to get myself situated for writing this diary and my final project for my "Writing for Journalism" class.
Should be interesting.3:56 - Our reporters for this event are Erin Andrews (YES!) and Rachel Nichols (Ehh)...Is that really fair to Nichols? She probably already gets an unfair amount of criticism as an ESPN worker for not being as attractive as Andrews, and now they're sharing the stage for the afternoon. I'm an average looking guy I suppose, but I'm not trying to work next to Tom Brady for a day with millions of females watching. That's definitely going to bring down the hunk-ratings for me.
4:04 - Matt Stafford gets a Donovan McNabb-like welcome to the NFL. I didn't think that many people even watched the Lions, let alone traveled to the Draft to have their voice heard after the pick was made.
4:07 - We're informed that the Manning brothers sent a text, Apparently it was a joint one, at which point Jake and I speculate whether it was sent from Eli or Peyton's phone. I argue Peyton, because as the older brother, he clearly gets the majority of out-of-network texts on their family plan. As a side note, I love the commercial they did for ESPN, fighting with each other as their parents get a tour of the studio setup. Classic...
4:14 - Jason Smith goes to the Rams. No shock there. 6'5" 309. Isn't 309 a liiittle thin if you're talking about a tall offensive lineman? He'll put on some lbs I'm sure.
4:21 - Herm Edwards is breaking down the Chiefs draft telling us they're going to go to the 3-4 defense. (Insert Simmons-like joke about last year they had a 3-4 defense too. They were giving up 3-4 rushing touchdowns a game) They should definitely take Aaron Curry in my humble opinion
4:25 - Tyson Jackson the D-end out of LSU goes to KC. Curry quietly laughs as if saying to himself, "that's why they're the Chiefs"
4:30 - Jake and I agree on liking ESPN analyst Michael Smith, though neither of have any particular reason outside of, "he just seems like a good guy." Glad we're on the same page as usual.
4:32 - Seahawks take Curry. "10-time Pro Bowler, lock it up!" exclaims Jake. I honestly can't tell if he's serious or just throwing out bold predictions to keep us entertained.
4:34 - Curry is looking really sharp in a 3-piece pewter suit, and a neon green Seahawks hat which I oddly find cool-looking. The attention quickly shifts however to his right where we see Erin Andrews ready to conduct an interview.
4:38 - Lionshead is a good brew. Jake and I both nail the riddle on my cap.
S-M-T-W-R-F-S (with an arrow pointing to the "F") + 13th...tough one
4:40 - Jets trade up for Mark Sanchez!!! I'm furious Washington couldn't have blown it's entire draft future to get this bum. Some Jets fans cheer while some cry and
shout angrily. If I'm a Jets fan, you can bet I'm in the latter group.4:47 - Crosby puts one in net to tie the game. It's getting real quiet in here.
4:52 - Cincy takes Andre Smith out of 'Bama. Jake informs me that a report says that the Cards won't get a 1st round pick for Boldin. I continue to not understand how a top-5 receiver in the league (and probably the best in the league at getting YAC) is not worth a 1st and 3rd rounder which are complete question marks. Still, we don't know what Arizona really wants for him, I understand. And the truth of the matter is that they don't want to deal him.
4:56 - Darrius Heyward-Bey to Oakland!!! They don't go Maclin like every projection had. That's why projections don't mean a thing. Logic goes out the window when you're dealing with Al Davis.
4:59 - Our 46th camera shot in the last 3 minutes of a bewildered Michael Crabtree, who himself will end up being an average-good NFL receiver. Why? Cause Skip Bayless says so, that's why! Crabtree's sporting approximately 8 pounds of diamonds. That's situation's a little suspect
5:06 - Jags go O-Line and take Monroe out of Virginia. Mel Kiper thinks they avoided Crabtree after all their first round busts at wideout. Matt Jones, watching from home (or jail?) nods.
5:10 - Green Bay goes B.J. Raji. A rush defense that was 26th in the league drafting arguably the best DT in 09 class is a strong pick. I've only seen this kid play once, I think to myself. I realized how old I was and decided I now have the right to call players "kids"
5:11-6:12 - I get lazy and opt to put this up in one huge segment. In my defense, the draft is absurdly long and my other in-draft project is for a grade, so it's a little more important than my blog piece. Who am I kidding, we both know the blog comes before anything Temple-related, I'm just slacking off. Niners take Crabtree....Penn State product Maybin to Buffalo, as I instantly get a mental image of Boomer in his nittany lion hat and a Bills jersey....Knowshon to the Broncos, who apparently are going with a 7-back set. And everyone thought that it was only cause of Mike Shanahan that Denver never had a go-to back....Brian Orakpo to the Skins. Everyone either thinks this is the steal of the draft, or that the guy is going to be the number 1 bust of 2009. There's no in between that I've heard....San Diego surprises some people by going OLB Larry English with the 16th pick. I like it because if Merriman's healthy, sane, and steroid-free, the Chargers could have a top 3 pass rushing D in the league...Tampa trades up to get QB Josh Freeman out of Kansas St. Only time will tell, but I personally think this draft is a royal stinker for getting a QB in....creeping closer to the birds pick.....really creeping though....and theeeeen....
6:13 - Birds trade up 2 spots to Cleveland, and the excitement builds to see who they couldn't wait 2 picks for. Jeremy Maclin smiles wide, as apparently we got ourselves a wideout in the first round!
6:14 - WOW! I don't think one person alive saw this coming.
Maclin just started falling after Oakland threw in the towel for the 2009 season, and then BAM! He's wearing Eagle-green. I get a call from a confused Ben Caplan, and we agree to not really understanding the pick. Truth be told, we both wanted Boldin, it just didn't happen. It is definitely my own fault for getting high expectations for something that is very unlikely going to happen. Jake and I leave Stadium Grille, realizing we can make the drive back to H-Town and probably only miss 2 picks. Gotta love the NFL Draft!!!FOLLOW UP: I had a dream 4 nights after the draft that Jake and I are watching a Birds game and Maclin makes a nice grab. Jake makes a smart comment and I start hurling stuff at him. This escalates to a full-blown street fight between the two of us in the middle of Manoa Road, and then I wake up. This scenario could very well play out in real life, so I will make the following statement in conclusion:
I really, really like what the Birds did in the draft. Getting Ellis Hobbs for a couple of 5's is phenomenal. And Jason Peters is a product of this draft for us. Even if none of the picks turn out, if Hobbs and Peters both are as good as advertised, it's an extremely productive draft. Shady McCoy was a guy they may have taken in the first, and having him drop into the second closely resembles what happened with DeSean Jackson last year.
Maclin was the right pick in my opinion. Clearly the best player at that particular point in the draft at a position they had a need in. I'm a little unsure of whether this team is trying to win now or later. They're trying to do both at the same time, but that ultimately may lead to decent teams now and in the future, but no championship-caliber teams in either time frame. People have speculated that Maclin was picked so Kolb can have a strong receiving core when he eventually gets the QB job. I have no idea, no one really does for that matter. It's all speculation. My problems with the Eagles are generally more problems with theory and less about personel. That said, I am excited for the 2009 season, and am disappointed that we couldn't bring the face of our franchise back to share in what should, and hopefully will be, another playoff run. And how else could I possibly end this but with.....
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
If You're Bored Then You're Boring
I'm going to try and keep this on the shorter side, but we'll see what happens. Easier said than done when on the verge of a rant...
The band Harvey Danger sings a song called "Flagpole Sitta" that I've heard 800 times on various alternative rock stations (753 of those times on Y100 back in the day). There's a line in this whiny, relatively mediocre song that says "but if you're bored than you're boring." I've been getting in this weird mode recently. Maybe it's because life is starting to get really busy (though it's clearly never busy enough to stay on top of my blog) or maybe I'm just trying to find new meaning in songs I've heard too much, but whatever the case, I've been really feeling this line.
There's no excuse for boredom short of sitting at an office job, but that doesn't even count because you're making bank there, so in theory you're at least attempting to be productive. I mean that I have no tolerance in this present day work-crazed, constantly multi-tasking society for anyone who says they're bored. I probably have as much, if not more free-time than the majority of people I know and I have zero problems filling it.
There's always something to do. And there's a good deal to do that doesn't involve spending money, so you can't use that as an excuse. I am relatively certain that if I had a pen in my hand and both legs functional I could stay occupied, and furthermore entertained, for a very long period of time. Give me a musical instrument or a ball, and that amount of time would increase even more.
Creativity is a dying virtue in society today. People are turning into TV zombies and spending a day on their computer for every 1 hour they spend outdoors...and that might be a generous estimation. I've been in the process of weening myself off these things, or at least drastically cutting back on them, for the last month or so. We've turned into this "information" crazed society, when really the vast majority of the stuff we get from our "information" sources is ultimately of no lasting value. I'm not anti-Al Gore's-internet, just think it's good in moderation.
One could argue that this blog is contributing to the aforementioned downfall of society. I would like to think, however, that by these writings I am flexing my creative muscles and ideally inspiring others to do the same, or at the very least begin to think about getting into the gym. But anyway, that metaphor's all used up so...
Maybe these ramblings can offer you a few moments in the day which you categorize as "not-boring"...but hey, if you are bored, as Harvey Danger is my witness, I'm not liable.
The band Harvey Danger sings a song called "Flagpole Sitta" that I've heard 800 times on various alternative rock stations (753 of those times on Y100 back in the day). There's a line in this whiny, relatively mediocre song that says "but if you're bored than you're boring." I've been getting in this weird mode recently. Maybe it's because life is starting to get really busy (though it's clearly never busy enough to stay on top of my blog) or maybe I'm just trying to find new meaning in songs I've heard too much, but whatever the case, I've been really feeling this line.
There's no excuse for boredom short of sitting at an office job, but that doesn't even count because you're making bank there, so in theory you're at least attempting to be productive. I mean that I have no tolerance in this present day work-crazed, constantly multi-tasking society for anyone who says they're bored. I probably have as much, if not more free-time than the majority of people I know and I have zero problems filling it.
There's always something to do. And there's a good deal to do that doesn't involve spending money, so you can't use that as an excuse. I am relatively certain that if I had a pen in my hand and both legs functional I could stay occupied, and furthermore entertained, for a very long period of time. Give me a musical instrument or a ball, and that amount of time would increase even more.
Creativity is a dying virtue in society today. People are turning into TV zombies and spending a day on their computer for every 1 hour they spend outdoors...and that might be a generous estimation. I've been in the process of weening myself off these things, or at least drastically cutting back on them, for the last month or so. We've turned into this "information" crazed society, when really the vast majority of the stuff we get from our "information" sources is ultimately of no lasting value. I'm not anti-Al Gore's-internet, just think it's good in moderation.
One could argue that this blog is contributing to the aforementioned downfall of society. I would like to think, however, that by these writings I am flexing my creative muscles and ideally inspiring others to do the same, or at the very least begin to think about getting into the gym. But anyway, that metaphor's all used up so...
Maybe these ramblings can offer you a few moments in the day which you categorize as "not-boring"...but hey, if you are bored, as Harvey Danger is my witness, I'm not liable.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Seasonal Switcheroo
I did it today. I had to. It was time to go from hot to iced in the coffee department. It's in the 90s this week, way too extreme to be dabbling with the hot version. When did iced coffee become such a delicacy? Thank goodness it's not fueling my car, cause I'd be paying well over $100 per tank at this point. It's in the $2.50 range for a large. Back when I was a high schooler, (and on occasion a "high scholar") I could snag a breakfast sammich and a large I.C. for around 4 bones. By the time I elope and have a young'n, that poor soul's gonna be paying that much just for his/her daily dose of caffeine. It's a cruel world we live in.
I think I'm going to start busting out random facts and stories concerning myself, ya know, so people can get to know "The Real Ryan" haha. In fitting with my writing style, these little about-the-author tasty tidbits will be sprinkled into my posts at random. I think I'm going to refer to myself in the third person in these segments for a couple reasons. First off, because I'm that pretentious (just kidding, hopefully) Secondly, I just think it's both amusing and fun to have some aspect of life in which you refer to yourself in the third person. Anyways...
FACT: Ry thinks Anne Hathaway is a total babe, and she has held the top spot on his list of celebrity crushes for awhile now. He's not exactly sure what it is about her but he digs it. And he's not really into the celebrity-obsession thing, but for her, he definitely is making an exception.
Alright, I promised myself I would cut back on the posting, since I do actually have schoolwork to complete...Sound like somebody's got a case of the Mondays...
I think I'm going to start busting out random facts and stories concerning myself, ya know, so people can get to know "The Real Ryan" haha. In fitting with my writing style, these little about-the-author tasty tidbits will be sprinkled into my posts at random. I think I'm going to refer to myself in the third person in these segments for a couple reasons. First off, because I'm that pretentious (just kidding, hopefully) Secondly, I just think it's both amusing and fun to have some aspect of life in which you refer to yourself in the third person. Anyways...
FACT: Ry thinks Anne Hathaway is a total babe, and she has held the top spot on his list of celebrity crushes for awhile now. He's not exactly sure what it is about her but he digs it. And he's not really into the celebrity-obsession thing, but for her, he definitely is making an exception.
Alright, I promised myself I would cut back on the posting, since I do actually have schoolwork to complete...Sound like somebody's got a case of the Mondays...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday Sweaty Sunday
Consider this my version of the U2 song. I actually don't like U2 at all, so consider this my way of trivializing one of their "classics" while simultaneously getting my point across. That point, in case you didn't already know, is that it was really hot today. And when the hotter months roll around, it means one thing for plentiful perspirers like myself: Sweat Season has arrived.
Even though sweating is a natural process, often times it's frowned upon in today's society. Everyone sweats at one point or another, but if you happen to be a heavier sweater than most, well, consider yourself an active participant in the loser parade. I heard that there's a pitcher in the Phillies minor league system that literally boosted attendence because of his unique ability to sweat inexplicable amounts. People were curious about it and came out to the ballpark. I wish I could increase my own marketability in such a way, but alas, this is not the case.
I've tried to convince myself that this problem is just due to poor conditioning, but I've learned that's not the case either. You see I'm a finely tuned machine in the summer months, at the height of the epidemic. I bust out 3-mile runs and countless sets of pushups on a regular basis. I hit my Jack LaLanne-like workout groove as hard as I hit my car dance groove when "Work That" by Mary J Blige is on. So there's not always a direct coorelation between physical shape and the amount you sweat. Different people get it in different places too. Feet, pits, back. The brow is bad for me, but we're going to take a step back awaaaaaay from the specifics.
One major problem with being real sweaty is that you can't just ignore it once you feel the original beads begin to form on the skin's surface. You start thinking about it, which only makes it worse. You may try to subtely wipe your brow (or other affected region) in an attempt to calm the storm. Not gonna happen my friend. Take it from me, a quick wipe is like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. You may as well just do it overtly so as not to look like more of a fool. And God forbid you're around one of those miscreants who thinks it's a good idea to point it out to you in public. "Man you're really sweating there." Thank you, I was not aware that my pores were opening to the extent that I felt like I just stepped out of the shower. I think you drawing more attention to it will summon a cool breeze to flow past, completely refreshing me. Flawless logic. Over time, you figure out who these soulless creatures are and learn to avoid them during the worst of summer months and all other random heat waves.
As each brutally humid Philly summer passes, I become more versed in handling these sticky situations. Support from friends and acquaintances who share my affliction has also aided the process. And far be it from me to ever put myself in a place of secretion-induced seclusion. I'm gonna enjoy the summer as much as the next guy, but trust me, I'll have my moments here and there where staying in the air conditioning sounds far more appealing then venturing out into sweat-inducing terrain. Comprende? Glad we're on the same page.
A few Sunday ramblings before we part ways:
I was contemplating starting a niche-blog filled with DC Alum stories/gossip, like a Delco Christian Us Weekly. I had a few name ideas in mind, but my favorite was "Knights out at the Bars".....Is a grilled chicken caesar salad a healthy dinner option? I'd like to convince myself that it is, although I fear that I'm just pulling the wool over my own eyes in an attempt to masquerade as a moderately healthy eater.....I always have poetry floating through my head, and it's a welcome change in writing-style from the normal rant-format I follow methodically. Maybe I'll start incorporating a poem a week into this blog.....Speaking of poetry/songs/the Foo Fighters/random stuff. Lately, my favorite random thing to do is to take anything ending in an "eee" sound. Lee, knee, tree, sea etc. When one of these words come into conversation I burst into singing "Big Me" by Foo Fighters, only replacing the "me" with the other word in convo. For instance, if you told me, "ya know what, I'm gonna go make myself a cup of tea, you want one?" I would ignore your thoughtful question and burst into song, "BIG TEA, TO TALK ABOUT IT, I COULD STAND TO PROVE!!!!" Wow, I don't think anyone truly understands the full extent of my randomness.....I've been getting really into Seinfeld recently. I'm not sure what it is, but I think that with certain shows, there's a comfort level that is the backbone for your enjoyment of them. They've just been around for so long, something about them feels natural. Not taking anything away from the show's entertainment value, which is clearly high enough to be the sole reason for my recent addiction to it..... It's my last week of school!!!! The feeling a person gets when classes end for the summer is indescribable. This is why the idea of summer courses will always be an egregious one to me.
Enjoy your week fam, and of course I have to say, try not to sweat the small stuff...
Even though sweating is a natural process, often times it's frowned upon in today's society. Everyone sweats at one point or another, but if you happen to be a heavier sweater than most, well, consider yourself an active participant in the loser parade. I heard that there's a pitcher in the Phillies minor league system that literally boosted attendence because of his unique ability to sweat inexplicable amounts. People were curious about it and came out to the ballpark. I wish I could increase my own marketability in such a way, but alas, this is not the case.
I've tried to convince myself that this problem is just due to poor conditioning, but I've learned that's not the case either. You see I'm a finely tuned machine in the summer months, at the height of the epidemic. I bust out 3-mile runs and countless sets of pushups on a regular basis. I hit my Jack LaLanne-like workout groove as hard as I hit my car dance groove when "Work That" by Mary J Blige is on. So there's not always a direct coorelation between physical shape and the amount you sweat. Different people get it in different places too. Feet, pits, back. The brow is bad for me, but we're going to take a step back awaaaaaay from the specifics.
One major problem with being real sweaty is that you can't just ignore it once you feel the original beads begin to form on the skin's surface. You start thinking about it, which only makes it worse. You may try to subtely wipe your brow (or other affected region) in an attempt to calm the storm. Not gonna happen my friend. Take it from me, a quick wipe is like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. You may as well just do it overtly so as not to look like more of a fool. And God forbid you're around one of those miscreants who thinks it's a good idea to point it out to you in public. "Man you're really sweating there." Thank you, I was not aware that my pores were opening to the extent that I felt like I just stepped out of the shower. I think you drawing more attention to it will summon a cool breeze to flow past, completely refreshing me. Flawless logic. Over time, you figure out who these soulless creatures are and learn to avoid them during the worst of summer months and all other random heat waves.
As each brutally humid Philly summer passes, I become more versed in handling these sticky situations. Support from friends and acquaintances who share my affliction has also aided the process. And far be it from me to ever put myself in a place of secretion-induced seclusion. I'm gonna enjoy the summer as much as the next guy, but trust me, I'll have my moments here and there where staying in the air conditioning sounds far more appealing then venturing out into sweat-inducing terrain. Comprende? Glad we're on the same page.
A few Sunday ramblings before we part ways:
I was contemplating starting a niche-blog filled with DC Alum stories/gossip, like a Delco Christian Us Weekly. I had a few name ideas in mind, but my favorite was "Knights out at the Bars".....Is a grilled chicken caesar salad a healthy dinner option? I'd like to convince myself that it is, although I fear that I'm just pulling the wool over my own eyes in an attempt to masquerade as a moderately healthy eater.....I always have poetry floating through my head, and it's a welcome change in writing-style from the normal rant-format I follow methodically. Maybe I'll start incorporating a poem a week into this blog.....Speaking of poetry/songs/the Foo Fighters/random stuff. Lately, my favorite random thing to do is to take anything ending in an "eee" sound. Lee, knee, tree, sea etc. When one of these words come into conversation I burst into singing "Big Me" by Foo Fighters, only replacing the "me" with the other word in convo. For instance, if you told me, "ya know what, I'm gonna go make myself a cup of tea, you want one?" I would ignore your thoughtful question and burst into song, "BIG TEA, TO TALK ABOUT IT, I COULD STAND TO PROVE!!!!" Wow, I don't think anyone truly understands the full extent of my randomness.....I've been getting really into Seinfeld recently. I'm not sure what it is, but I think that with certain shows, there's a comfort level that is the backbone for your enjoyment of them. They've just been around for so long, something about them feels natural. Not taking anything away from the show's entertainment value, which is clearly high enough to be the sole reason for my recent addiction to it..... It's my last week of school!!!! The feeling a person gets when classes end for the summer is indescribable. This is why the idea of summer courses will always be an egregious one to me.
Enjoy your week fam, and of course I have to say, try not to sweat the small stuff...
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Psalm of an Insomniac
Wise words of men
Say that the pen
Has more might than the sword
Yet wiser think
Inspired ink
Finds power in the Lord
So when I'm caught
In empty thought
When hours of sleep are few
I pray that He
Replenish me
To write a love song new
But not a tune
For ear to swoon
And man to be impressed
Instead I sing
To conquering king
For by Him I am blessed
And through all pain
My sufferings gain
This reason to rejoice
An unclean mind
Through fire refined
That when I lift my voice
Salvation's cry
Will soon belie
That which Satan has done
All lies he told
Could not withhold
The hope within God's Son
So Lord I raise
This humble praise
A newborn psalmist's rhyme
So that I may
Now as I lay
Find rest in this short time
Say that the pen
Has more might than the sword
Yet wiser think
Inspired ink
Finds power in the Lord
So when I'm caught
In empty thought
When hours of sleep are few
I pray that He
Replenish me
To write a love song new
But not a tune
For ear to swoon
And man to be impressed
Instead I sing
To conquering king
For by Him I am blessed
And through all pain
My sufferings gain
This reason to rejoice
An unclean mind
Through fire refined
That when I lift my voice
Salvation's cry
Will soon belie
That which Satan has done
All lies he told
Could not withhold
The hope within God's Son
So Lord I raise
This humble praise
A newborn psalmist's rhyme
So that I may
Now as I lay
Find rest in this short time
Thursday, April 23, 2009
An Early Look at Santa's Lists
So I've been up at the North Pole during some of my off hours this semester helping Mr.Clause put his lists together and I figured I would give people a sneak peek at what to expect around Christmas time.
NICE List:
--The Rain....The rain gets an early nod on the "nice" list after coming through in the clutch for me numerous times this semester. There were only a few days that were sunny enough to draw the masses outside to crowd my saunter from class to class. The rain prevented me from feeling self-conscious about my absurdly anti-social campus self, and gave me some pretty nice evenings for guitar jamming on my front porch.
--My Physics Professor....I don't know how it happened in a class of 150 or so people, the teacher really seems to dig on me. She's always smiling at me and making eye contact in a way that says, "Hey Ryan, is there anything I can do to make complicated science subjects easier for you to handle?" I do sit front row, taking extensive notes and making very thoughtfully studious glances in her direction. That could be part of it. But I rarely say anything in class, and instead give nods of approval and half-hearted laughs that meet the ear as whole-hearted ones. Maybe she overheard me talking about how young I look? Or maybe my campus-face looks so terribly angry that she feels the need to try and cheer me up so I don't go haywire. Either way, she's on the nice list.
--My Youth Pastor and soon-to-be Head Church Pastor....Great friend, great guy, great Bible teacher, great witness of Christ to others. It's amazing some of the people in your life you take for granted sometimes, and it's equally eye-opening when start to prioritize certain relationships over others and how they fit into the big picture. Wow that sounded pretty vague...the point is that this brother in Christ has been an unbelievable example to me through my whole life, and stuck with me through countless spiritual highs and lows. Also he's exemplifies a lifestyle that is actively involved in the church without giving off that church-person persona that turns so many off to the Truth of the Gospel. I can't imagine where I would be without his influence.
--The Mid-day Show on 610WIP....Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow are the dynamic duo of sports talk radio today. They're always entertaining and have a great mix of guests and callers that both do alot for the program. The pair has been on of the MVPs of my semester, and I'd like to thank them with an early heads-up to Santa that they clearly should be going coal-less this December.
NAUGHTY List:
--My IPod tape adaptor....For some reason, I have issues with these things constantly not working. It's especially frustrating given the brilliant catelog of jams I have amassed over my marriage with my Pod. My inability to effectively and consistently listen to the masterpieces in my Itunes library due to continous second-rate performances from my car tape adaptor makes it easy for me to add it to the "naughty" list.
--The Outspoken Sorority Girl in my PR class....Tuesday Night, to close out a semester full of insightful comments, she announced, "I really have no idea how to buy stamps." She had, however, heard of a post office. Interesting. And by interesting, I do mean embarrassing. It's okay though, she redeemed herself. When asked if she knew how much she was paying in rent every month for her place, she replied, "I don't really pay rent. Well maybe my parents might. I thiiink." Well you see, much like the tooth fairy, there's a rent fairy. She comes down just for members of sorority EZ and makes sure that no little girls from affluent backgrounds have to worry about silly little things like rent payments and cell phone bills. Temple University: We may not have the highest educational standards, but we do give you material for your blog!
--Everyone else in my PR class....I know, I probably sound like a grumpy old geezer constantly complaining about the people from this class, but I really feel less intelligent by being in a room for that many hours with that many utterly ridiculous and thought-subduing conversations happening. Also, I'd like to nominate my professor for the naughty list while we're here. For starters, she gets the nod for not only letting this conversation happen in her class, but encouraging it to. Secondly, I am not a fan of teachers who go out of their way to humiliate students. I don't think it's appropriate, especially if the professor is on an ego-trip of sorts to begin with, and seems to derive some cheap thrill in being the center of attention. I wasn't even on the receiving end of one of these verbal lashings and was outraged it was actually occuring.
--Most of my fellow blog friends....Now there are certainly exceptions to this rule but for the most part my partners in web-logging crime are dropping the web-logging ball. I was leaning on these people to throw me a bone in the "good-read" department for awhile, thereby easing my transition to life on a computer post-facebook. I've got to say folks, maybe I had my expectations too high. haha I love you all, and if you never wrote a word again my feelings wouldn't change. (To quote J-Lo, "My love don't cost blog-ging") Still, I'm throwing you bloggy-deadbeats under-the-sled with the fat man in the red and white jumpsuit.
--Me....I'm telling S.C. I don't need a thing this Christmas, and that's that. I've gotten far more than I deserve in one lifetime, not to mention I am an incredible pain-in-the-butt to all who have to deal with me year round, so I think it all works itself out to be even in the end. Not to mention I continue to destroy the brain cells of others through this webpage. Stocking coal it is!
NICE List:
--The Rain....The rain gets an early nod on the "nice" list after coming through in the clutch for me numerous times this semester. There were only a few days that were sunny enough to draw the masses outside to crowd my saunter from class to class. The rain prevented me from feeling self-conscious about my absurdly anti-social campus self, and gave me some pretty nice evenings for guitar jamming on my front porch.
--My Physics Professor....I don't know how it happened in a class of 150 or so people, the teacher really seems to dig on me. She's always smiling at me and making eye contact in a way that says, "Hey Ryan, is there anything I can do to make complicated science subjects easier for you to handle?" I do sit front row, taking extensive notes and making very thoughtfully studious glances in her direction. That could be part of it. But I rarely say anything in class, and instead give nods of approval and half-hearted laughs that meet the ear as whole-hearted ones. Maybe she overheard me talking about how young I look? Or maybe my campus-face looks so terribly angry that she feels the need to try and cheer me up so I don't go haywire. Either way, she's on the nice list.
--My Youth Pastor and soon-to-be Head Church Pastor....Great friend, great guy, great Bible teacher, great witness of Christ to others. It's amazing some of the people in your life you take for granted sometimes, and it's equally eye-opening when start to prioritize certain relationships over others and how they fit into the big picture. Wow that sounded pretty vague...the point is that this brother in Christ has been an unbelievable example to me through my whole life, and stuck with me through countless spiritual highs and lows. Also he's exemplifies a lifestyle that is actively involved in the church without giving off that church-person persona that turns so many off to the Truth of the Gospel. I can't imagine where I would be without his influence.
--The Mid-day Show on 610WIP....Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow are the dynamic duo of sports talk radio today. They're always entertaining and have a great mix of guests and callers that both do alot for the program. The pair has been on of the MVPs of my semester, and I'd like to thank them with an early heads-up to Santa that they clearly should be going coal-less this December.
NAUGHTY List:
--My IPod tape adaptor....For some reason, I have issues with these things constantly not working. It's especially frustrating given the brilliant catelog of jams I have amassed over my marriage with my Pod. My inability to effectively and consistently listen to the masterpieces in my Itunes library due to continous second-rate performances from my car tape adaptor makes it easy for me to add it to the "naughty" list.
--The Outspoken Sorority Girl in my PR class....Tuesday Night, to close out a semester full of insightful comments, she announced, "I really have no idea how to buy stamps." She had, however, heard of a post office. Interesting. And by interesting, I do mean embarrassing. It's okay though, she redeemed herself. When asked if she knew how much she was paying in rent every month for her place, she replied, "I don't really pay rent. Well maybe my parents might. I thiiink." Well you see, much like the tooth fairy, there's a rent fairy. She comes down just for members of sorority EZ and makes sure that no little girls from affluent backgrounds have to worry about silly little things like rent payments and cell phone bills. Temple University: We may not have the highest educational standards, but we do give you material for your blog!
--Everyone else in my PR class....I know, I probably sound like a grumpy old geezer constantly complaining about the people from this class, but I really feel less intelligent by being in a room for that many hours with that many utterly ridiculous and thought-subduing conversations happening. Also, I'd like to nominate my professor for the naughty list while we're here. For starters, she gets the nod for not only letting this conversation happen in her class, but encouraging it to. Secondly, I am not a fan of teachers who go out of their way to humiliate students. I don't think it's appropriate, especially if the professor is on an ego-trip of sorts to begin with, and seems to derive some cheap thrill in being the center of attention. I wasn't even on the receiving end of one of these verbal lashings and was outraged it was actually occuring.
--Most of my fellow blog friends....Now there are certainly exceptions to this rule but for the most part my partners in web-logging crime are dropping the web-logging ball. I was leaning on these people to throw me a bone in the "good-read" department for awhile, thereby easing my transition to life on a computer post-facebook. I've got to say folks, maybe I had my expectations too high. haha I love you all, and if you never wrote a word again my feelings wouldn't change. (To quote J-Lo, "My love don't cost blog-ging") Still, I'm throwing you bloggy-deadbeats under-the-sled with the fat man in the red and white jumpsuit.
--Me....I'm telling S.C. I don't need a thing this Christmas, and that's that. I've gotten far more than I deserve in one lifetime, not to mention I am an incredible pain-in-the-butt to all who have to deal with me year round, so I think it all works itself out to be even in the end. Not to mention I continue to destroy the brain cells of others through this webpage. Stocking coal it is!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Price is ALWAYS Right Boo
(Reader Warning: BE ADVISED: One of my most illegible posts ever, and that's saying something since the words are being typed)
I'm not sure that I've met anyone who does not enjoy The Price is Right. This fact could not surprise me less, because well, it's game show gold. I'd like to list a few of my favorite things about TPIR and why these things have added to its folklore over the 35+ years it's been on air.
First off, I don't think many would disagree that Bob Barker will always be the face of the show. Drew Carey may be his replacement as host, but in our hearts, Bob made the show what it is today. The man is a legend, and in addition to being the best game show host ever, he probably would be the only senior citizen I'd be legitimately scared to leave a girlfriend around, cause I have no doubts his game is second to none. Still, he retired, and as the old saying goes, the show must go on.
I don't think there's any non-sports television programming outside of TPIR that gets me legitimately excited. I route for and against contestants on the show and with a vigor that is only bested by that which I show during a big Philly sporting event.
I was watching the other morning, and there was a really boisterous, yet charming, woman who won the opportunity to drop a total of 5 chips down the Plinko board in an attempt to win cash. (If you don't know what Plinko is, you should get out from under the eco-friendly box you've been living in, stop "going green," and start studying up on TPIR) The woman got a 0 and $1,000 with her first two chips as the crowd and I awaited the drop of the third. She dropped it, and as it clanked around the plastic rungs, it built anticipation in the hearts of all who watched with a "drum-roll" like sound echoing through the Los Angeles Studio air. Then....bam! $10,000!!! I literally did a leaping fist pump in a room by myself and let out a shout, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!!" Then she doubled up on the 5th chip with another 10K. It goes without saying that I had another victorious fist pump to celebrate her $21,500 Plinko experience.
There are so many unbelievably creative pricing games that the show has thought up over the years. Like the golf game, where a contestant has to sink a put to win a car.
The kicker is that the distance of the put is based on the number of items that they can guess (with a hint) the prices of. Then there's the dice game, where a person rolls a huge die then has to determine the last 4 numbers of the price of a car based on whether they think it is higher or lower than the number they rolled. These games are magnificent. And I haven't even mentioned the gigantic showcase showdown wheel. (which weaklings struggle to get the full way-round, and military dudes give power-spins to) How have I not been a contestant on this show yet. I'm an embarrassment...
Another awesome moment on the show comes when the tension rises between the 4 contestants bidding on items to get up on stage. The bidder closest to the actual retain price of the item without going over wins the item and a shot at more. Say me, Billy, Johnny, and Mary Kate are all contestants (because apparently I'm on the redneck version of the show) bidding on items. The next item up for bids is "a faaaaabulous leather loooove seat." Billy bids $500, Johnny bids $650, and Mary Kate bids an Ashley Olsen-sized $1 (did I just take an accurate shot at a celebrity? Time to call it quits, life-wise) At this point I can tick Johnny off and bid $651 or face Mary Kate's evil stare if I bid $2. Bottom Line: If I think that sucker's in between $1 and $500, I'm going strategic on MK's sorry behind and yelling at Drew "TWO DOLLLLLLLLARS DREW," with the energy of a toddler-legion. If I think it's over $650, you better believe the smart option is taking Route 651 northbound to the stage where another prize awaits my keen pricing ability. Constant battles like this make (even a minor)addiction to TPIR unavoidable.
These are the moments that TPIR continually delivers. It never disappoints in the clutch, and always brings home the bacon, which incidentally is 3.99 if you're playing the grocery game.
There are sooo many more things that make TPIR the best game show ever. I could write about TPIR all day, but I already lost one reader who glanced at the size of the post and was already turned off (*cough*cough* Tricia *cough*) so I'll stop here in a shameless effort to keep the attention spans of the 4 of you that do glance at this. What a sellout move. I wouldn't sellout like that would I? Maybe....if the price is right...(*wickedly smiling at the intentionally off-the-charts cheesy level of my conclusion*)
Till your eyes play plinko with my words again sir or madam....
I'm not sure that I've met anyone who does not enjoy The Price is Right. This fact could not surprise me less, because well, it's game show gold. I'd like to list a few of my favorite things about TPIR and why these things have added to its folklore over the 35+ years it's been on air.
First off, I don't think many would disagree that Bob Barker will always be the face of the show. Drew Carey may be his replacement as host, but in our hearts, Bob made the show what it is today. The man is a legend, and in addition to being the best game show host ever, he probably would be the only senior citizen I'd be legitimately scared to leave a girlfriend around, cause I have no doubts his game is second to none. Still, he retired, and as the old saying goes, the show must go on.
I don't think there's any non-sports television programming outside of TPIR that gets me legitimately excited. I route for and against contestants on the show and with a vigor that is only bested by that which I show during a big Philly sporting event.
I was watching the other morning, and there was a really boisterous, yet charming, woman who won the opportunity to drop a total of 5 chips down the Plinko board in an attempt to win cash. (If you don't know what Plinko is, you should get out from under the eco-friendly box you've been living in, stop "going green," and start studying up on TPIR) The woman got a 0 and $1,000 with her first two chips as the crowd and I awaited the drop of the third. She dropped it, and as it clanked around the plastic rungs, it built anticipation in the hearts of all who watched with a "drum-roll" like sound echoing through the Los Angeles Studio air. Then....bam! $10,000!!! I literally did a leaping fist pump in a room by myself and let out a shout, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!!" Then she doubled up on the 5th chip with another 10K. It goes without saying that I had another victorious fist pump to celebrate her $21,500 Plinko experience. There are so many unbelievably creative pricing games that the show has thought up over the years. Like the golf game, where a contestant has to sink a put to win a car.
The kicker is that the distance of the put is based on the number of items that they can guess (with a hint) the prices of. Then there's the dice game, where a person rolls a huge die then has to determine the last 4 numbers of the price of a car based on whether they think it is higher or lower than the number they rolled. These games are magnificent. And I haven't even mentioned the gigantic showcase showdown wheel. (which weaklings struggle to get the full way-round, and military dudes give power-spins to) How have I not been a contestant on this show yet. I'm an embarrassment...Another awesome moment on the show comes when the tension rises between the 4 contestants bidding on items to get up on stage. The bidder closest to the actual retain price of the item without going over wins the item and a shot at more. Say me, Billy, Johnny, and Mary Kate are all contestants (because apparently I'm on the redneck version of the show) bidding on items. The next item up for bids is "a faaaaabulous leather loooove seat." Billy bids $500, Johnny bids $650, and Mary Kate bids an Ashley Olsen-sized $1 (did I just take an accurate shot at a celebrity? Time to call it quits, life-wise) At this point I can tick Johnny off and bid $651 or face Mary Kate's evil stare if I bid $2. Bottom Line: If I think that sucker's in between $1 and $500, I'm going strategic on MK's sorry behind and yelling at Drew "TWO DOLLLLLLLLARS DREW," with the energy of a toddler-legion. If I think it's over $650, you better believe the smart option is taking Route 651 northbound to the stage where another prize awaits my keen pricing ability. Constant battles like this make (even a minor)addiction to TPIR unavoidable.
These are the moments that TPIR continually delivers. It never disappoints in the clutch, and always brings home the bacon, which incidentally is 3.99 if you're playing the grocery game.
There are sooo many more things that make TPIR the best game show ever. I could write about TPIR all day, but I already lost one reader who glanced at the size of the post and was already turned off (*cough*cough* Tricia *cough*) so I'll stop here in a shameless effort to keep the attention spans of the 4 of you that do glance at this. What a sellout move. I wouldn't sellout like that would I? Maybe....if the price is right...(*wickedly smiling at the intentionally off-the-charts cheesy level of my conclusion*)
Till your eyes play plinko with my words again sir or madam....
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gettin Iggy Wit It
Come on now, it just sounds like it should be Andre Iguodala's catchphrase.
Now if only we could get Will Smith some cred with the other rappers. Frankly, I don't care what other MCs think, Big Willie Style is a fashion that's never out of season. But I'm getting away from the primary focus of this post: Mr. Inconsistent himself, Iggy.
How are you fair reader, on this rainy Monday? I myself, am superb, despite procrastinating on a great number of errands to write about a great Sunday in the Cheesesteak Capital of the World. Phillies, down 4-3 heading into the ninth inning, win on a walk-off 2-run dinger courtesy of Raul Ibanez. Ryan Howard decides to flash some leather, giving Phillie fans everywhere a glimpse of how good this guy can be if he continues to improve his defense. Flyers get the victory in the first "must win" situation of the series, and Claude "Who?" Giroux continues to make his case for most exciting Flyer to watch. This series could get really, really good if the Fly-guys can get take care of business tomorrow night. And the Birds traded for and signed Jason Peters this weekend, giving their O-Line the last piece it needed heading into the 2009 season. (Now if we could just get Sheldon Brown to stop crying about his contract...) And then, to cap the weekend, the 18 people who watched the Sixers erase an 18-point deficit, were gettin Iggy with it on Sunday Night.
Andre Iguodala is so inconsistent. One game he's shutting down the opponents biggest offensive threat, the next, he's turning the rock over 7 times.
Yesterday, the man missed 2 huge free throws, got bailed out by Donyell Ludacris Marshall's 3-pointer, then hit the game winning fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left over Hedo Turkoglu, who was defending him really well. I'm still unsure of what to think. Obviously I was thrilled when it happened, but after the dust settled I still think they're outmatched in this series. That said, I plan on going to a playoff game because they need someone in the crowd don't they?! And tickets are cheap, so if you're reading this and are free Friday night, I'll snag you a ticket as well. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt after what Tony DiLeo showed me with his incredible game plan last night. (Letting Dwight get his, but completely neutralizing Turk and Rashard) It's a fresh season to me, and hey, if Iggy continues to be the closer that he is and the Sixers are still in it late games, who knows what can happen.
Getting back off subject, "Gettin Jiggy Wit It" is a guilty pleasure of mine. If I'm being completely honest with myself, I really like a good deal of his stuff. It's pretty catchy. Everything from "Miami" to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's opening theme. ("Iiiiiiiiin West Philadelphia, born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days....") My buddy's Mom used to get really mad at him for putting down Will Smith's rhymes. She always used to go off about how he didn't like Will just because he didn't curse like all the other hip-hop favorites. This was certainly true, because a few years later, the masses loved it when Eminem would reference Big Willie's clean mouth in a memorable part of one of his biggest singles. Granted Eminem is one of the greatest lyricists of all time, but that's not to say he didn't take some cheap shots at class-acts like Will Smith and Christina Aguilera. Yea, you're right, the classy part only applies to the former.
Alright, let me start wrapping this up....but first,
A few Monday sidenotes:
Texting non-verizon people is a frustrating procedure, because if i go over the alotted 160 text-figures, the end of the message gets totally cut off rather than getting distributed in 2 texts......Scotty Yesner switching from Verizon to whatever Satan-network he's on now was especially devastating to my phone morale, and I don't think he fully understands the damage he did to me through this heartless gesture......speaking of the bff, why is he in my phone as Scottie with an "ie" but any other time I write it out it's Scotty with a "y"?.........i don't think people should sing loudly in public when they're not talented vocalists, but I'm going to give a pass to the girl who is belting lyrics as I type this because she's singing a praise song, and people who are openly pro-Jesus always make me happy......I think that I'm going to make a line of umbrella's that are impervious to wind damage and sell them infomercial-style, then use the millions I generate to establish a career out of my haphazard writing style. Seriously, I just don't get why we haven't come up with an umbrella-ella-aay-aay that really works in stormy conditions. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest, if this blog isn't a fantastic example of that, I don't know what is......
The morals of this blog post:
-Will Smith is a better MC than he gets credit for, and he has some catchy stuff.
-Andre Iguodala is an inconsistent player who should have the catch phrase "gettin iggy wit it" when he's hitting a good stretch of play
-The author of this blog continually will post his thoughts about the randomest aspects of life in a relatively unorganized fashion
-Big Willie Style = Always in fashion
-Will Smith > Andre Iguodala
Gettin Iggy Wit It na na na na na-na na, na na na na na-na.....
Now if only we could get Will Smith some cred with the other rappers. Frankly, I don't care what other MCs think, Big Willie Style is a fashion that's never out of season. But I'm getting away from the primary focus of this post: Mr. Inconsistent himself, Iggy.How are you fair reader, on this rainy Monday? I myself, am superb, despite procrastinating on a great number of errands to write about a great Sunday in the Cheesesteak Capital of the World. Phillies, down 4-3 heading into the ninth inning, win on a walk-off 2-run dinger courtesy of Raul Ibanez. Ryan Howard decides to flash some leather, giving Phillie fans everywhere a glimpse of how good this guy can be if he continues to improve his defense. Flyers get the victory in the first "must win" situation of the series, and Claude "Who?" Giroux continues to make his case for most exciting Flyer to watch. This series could get really, really good if the Fly-guys can get take care of business tomorrow night. And the Birds traded for and signed Jason Peters this weekend, giving their O-Line the last piece it needed heading into the 2009 season. (Now if we could just get Sheldon Brown to stop crying about his contract...) And then, to cap the weekend, the 18 people who watched the Sixers erase an 18-point deficit, were gettin Iggy with it on Sunday Night.
Andre Iguodala is so inconsistent. One game he's shutting down the opponents biggest offensive threat, the next, he's turning the rock over 7 times.
Yesterday, the man missed 2 huge free throws, got bailed out by Donyell Ludacris Marshall's 3-pointer, then hit the game winning fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left over Hedo Turkoglu, who was defending him really well. I'm still unsure of what to think. Obviously I was thrilled when it happened, but after the dust settled I still think they're outmatched in this series. That said, I plan on going to a playoff game because they need someone in the crowd don't they?! And tickets are cheap, so if you're reading this and are free Friday night, I'll snag you a ticket as well. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt after what Tony DiLeo showed me with his incredible game plan last night. (Letting Dwight get his, but completely neutralizing Turk and Rashard) It's a fresh season to me, and hey, if Iggy continues to be the closer that he is and the Sixers are still in it late games, who knows what can happen. Getting back off subject, "Gettin Jiggy Wit It" is a guilty pleasure of mine. If I'm being completely honest with myself, I really like a good deal of his stuff. It's pretty catchy. Everything from "Miami" to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's opening theme. ("Iiiiiiiiin West Philadelphia, born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days....") My buddy's Mom used to get really mad at him for putting down Will Smith's rhymes. She always used to go off about how he didn't like Will just because he didn't curse like all the other hip-hop favorites. This was certainly true, because a few years later, the masses loved it when Eminem would reference Big Willie's clean mouth in a memorable part of one of his biggest singles. Granted Eminem is one of the greatest lyricists of all time, but that's not to say he didn't take some cheap shots at class-acts like Will Smith and Christina Aguilera. Yea, you're right, the classy part only applies to the former.
Alright, let me start wrapping this up....but first,
A few Monday sidenotes:
Texting non-verizon people is a frustrating procedure, because if i go over the alotted 160 text-figures, the end of the message gets totally cut off rather than getting distributed in 2 texts......Scotty Yesner switching from Verizon to whatever Satan-network he's on now was especially devastating to my phone morale, and I don't think he fully understands the damage he did to me through this heartless gesture......speaking of the bff, why is he in my phone as Scottie with an "ie" but any other time I write it out it's Scotty with a "y"?.........i don't think people should sing loudly in public when they're not talented vocalists, but I'm going to give a pass to the girl who is belting lyrics as I type this because she's singing a praise song, and people who are openly pro-Jesus always make me happy......I think that I'm going to make a line of umbrella's that are impervious to wind damage and sell them infomercial-style, then use the millions I generate to establish a career out of my haphazard writing style. Seriously, I just don't get why we haven't come up with an umbrella-ella-aay-aay that really works in stormy conditions. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest, if this blog isn't a fantastic example of that, I don't know what is......
The morals of this blog post:
-Will Smith is a better MC than he gets credit for, and he has some catchy stuff.
-Andre Iguodala is an inconsistent player who should have the catch phrase "gettin iggy wit it" when he's hitting a good stretch of play
-The author of this blog continually will post his thoughts about the randomest aspects of life in a relatively unorganized fashion
-Big Willie Style = Always in fashion
-Will Smith > Andre Iguodala
Gettin Iggy Wit It na na na na na-na na, na na na na na-na.....
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Quotable Weekend Mumbo-Jumbo
"Marble, you look huge in those boxers!!"
--Jon Greenberg. Quite possibly the biggest, "wait, that didn't come out right" statement of all time. Apparently, the length of the undies I was wearing made me look really tall, but clearly Boomer was missing his girlfriend and felt that this was a decent way of expressing it. Oh Coop...
"You expletive expletive Pittsburgh expletive expletive expletive!!!!!!"
--DJ Lacey, who did not take the game 2 loss, or the plethora of Pens fans strutting around Happy Valley, very well at all. In D's defense, those fans are definitely top-5 most obnoxious in the world.
"I'm pissed I never got to get a drink with that kid"
--Dave Anglin, lamenting the fact he never had any intimate coversation-time with recently-deceased broadcaster Harry Kalas. Calling a 73-year-old legend "kid" is towing the appropriate-conduct line. If anyone can get away with it though, it's Daewoo. I completely knew where he was coming from, because I too was disappointed I never got to meet Harry after all the things that have been said in recent ceremonies to honor his life.
"I'm disgusted when people use baby-talk when speaking to dogs."
--Liz Wright. This prompted what could possibly be the funniest 4 and a half minutes of my life, watching Liz and Dave go back and forth doing their best baby-talk impressions while the other laughed hysterically. I think that they really pushed each other to impersonation excellence last night. It was a sight to see as each impression was even more over-the-top than the previous one, and at points it was an incomprehensible melting pot of giggles and goo-goo gaa-gaas.
"I'm really strange. You guys are the only people I can really be myself around."
--Ben Sommers. This kicks off the sentimental portion of the program, just to let everyone know. This comment wasn't made it a overtly serious vein. It was just a statement of fact that was such a telling one about the night. It's so rare these days, maybe a handful of times in a year anymore, that the crew can get together. And at a Proctor-bash nonetheless. That's an ever rarer occurrence. Chemistry is a huge part of any relationship, it doesn't strictly relate to courtship. Picking up where you left of with someone you haven't seen in months can be awkward. But when it's not, it a pretty spectacular event because you really cherish (NOTE: "cherish" has become such a hallmark word, I'm gonna try and avoid using it in the future) the time even more due to its infrequency.
"Dude, I'd go back to high school in a heartbeat."
--John Proto. This quote was followed up by nods of agreement from everyone who heard it. (You can read more nostaligia-filled writing by following the link listed, which will send you to the Artist formermly known as Dan Lacey's Blog...http://dj27.blogspot.com/2009/04/ruminations-on-krishna-nostalgia-and.html...RIP) The fact of the matter always remains, rearing its ugly head often: Growing up sucks. There's no getting around it. It's a sad fact of life that we all must come to terms with, but no one really wants to. All the high school drama in the world wouldn't be the tip of the iceberg for a person in their mid-twenties. Everything gets too serious to quick, and we're left with memories of a simpler time. But at one point last night, it hit me. Several hours of memory-sharing and laughing with people you love is what you need to stomach all the meloncholy sentiment that builds up inbetween those times. I feel revitalized going into a ridiculously busy stretch of life after this weekend. So thanks to all of you who helped in this process.
--Jon Greenberg. Quite possibly the biggest, "wait, that didn't come out right" statement of all time. Apparently, the length of the undies I was wearing made me look really tall, but clearly Boomer was missing his girlfriend and felt that this was a decent way of expressing it. Oh Coop...
"You expletive expletive Pittsburgh expletive expletive expletive!!!!!!"
--DJ Lacey, who did not take the game 2 loss, or the plethora of Pens fans strutting around Happy Valley, very well at all. In D's defense, those fans are definitely top-5 most obnoxious in the world.
"I'm pissed I never got to get a drink with that kid"
--Dave Anglin, lamenting the fact he never had any intimate coversation-time with recently-deceased broadcaster Harry Kalas. Calling a 73-year-old legend "kid" is towing the appropriate-conduct line. If anyone can get away with it though, it's Daewoo. I completely knew where he was coming from, because I too was disappointed I never got to meet Harry after all the things that have been said in recent ceremonies to honor his life.
"I'm disgusted when people use baby-talk when speaking to dogs."
--Liz Wright. This prompted what could possibly be the funniest 4 and a half minutes of my life, watching Liz and Dave go back and forth doing their best baby-talk impressions while the other laughed hysterically. I think that they really pushed each other to impersonation excellence last night. It was a sight to see as each impression was even more over-the-top than the previous one, and at points it was an incomprehensible melting pot of giggles and goo-goo gaa-gaas.
"I'm really strange. You guys are the only people I can really be myself around."
--Ben Sommers. This kicks off the sentimental portion of the program, just to let everyone know. This comment wasn't made it a overtly serious vein. It was just a statement of fact that was such a telling one about the night. It's so rare these days, maybe a handful of times in a year anymore, that the crew can get together. And at a Proctor-bash nonetheless. That's an ever rarer occurrence. Chemistry is a huge part of any relationship, it doesn't strictly relate to courtship. Picking up where you left of with someone you haven't seen in months can be awkward. But when it's not, it a pretty spectacular event because you really cherish (NOTE: "cherish" has become such a hallmark word, I'm gonna try and avoid using it in the future) the time even more due to its infrequency.
"Dude, I'd go back to high school in a heartbeat."
--John Proto. This quote was followed up by nods of agreement from everyone who heard it. (You can read more nostaligia-filled writing by following the link listed, which will send you to the Artist formermly known as Dan Lacey's Blog...http://dj27.blogspot.com/2009/04/ruminations-on-krishna-nostalgia-and.html...RIP) The fact of the matter always remains, rearing its ugly head often: Growing up sucks. There's no getting around it. It's a sad fact of life that we all must come to terms with, but no one really wants to. All the high school drama in the world wouldn't be the tip of the iceberg for a person in their mid-twenties. Everything gets too serious to quick, and we're left with memories of a simpler time. But at one point last night, it hit me. Several hours of memory-sharing and laughing with people you love is what you need to stomach all the meloncholy sentiment that builds up inbetween those times. I feel revitalized going into a ridiculously busy stretch of life after this weekend. So thanks to all of you who helped in this process.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Because I Love My Lil' Sis
Just like she would want, I didn't spell out "little." For those of you who don't know, my sister Kirsten is studying abroad this semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina till June. And for those of you who really are in the dark, I have a little sister. I was recently called out by her in an email for writing a ton on my blog while failing to bring half as much to the table in our E-correspondence. 
I'm bad at getting people caught up on my life, because well, not too much exciting stuff happens in the middle of a semester at school. Still, I'm not going to let this stop me from getting all the details for my younger sibling, so I've decided for the next few days to keep a running diary of my life. Why am I doing this publicly, you may be wondering? It's not because I think that me and Kir have the best, most lovey-dovey bro-sis relationship since Nick and Justine Hulbert. It's because this blog has become really good at getting my thoughtful juices flowing, so why not use it as a vehicle to promote good family relationships? (Note: that will, without question, be the last time you hear the phrase "thoughtful juices" in your life, and certainly on this blog) So hear it is, the first of many diaries I will post on this page. Feel free to take a cat nap instead of reading this. Meow...
4/14/09 (I know its a day late, but I got a pretty spectacular piece of writing up on Tuesday, so I saved this puppy for today. Woof...)
10:00AM - My alarm clock goes off. I slam the snooze button, again wondering if I actually got more than 3 hours of real sleep. Eventually my second alarm goes off on my cellphone across the room, assuring me I won't get suckered back into bed and have to rush my morning routine
11:14AM - I get to the Dunkin Donuts on Broad Street I always hit up for my morning coffee, the one I know Sis misses down in South America. Just a large black please. As usual I go through the morning debate about how many donuts I could eat if I were put to the test. Depends on what kind I had to scarf down obviously, but the number is generally somewhere in the baker's dozen range.
11:23AM - Park 2 blocks away from campus, and wonder what the point is of paying money to have a parking pass for a designated spot that's further away.
11:47AM - My friend Jaclyn (I talk to people in school this semester!) asks me if I decided yet how old I think our teacher is. She's one of those late 50s, early 60s dames that looks great for her age because she has that youthful vigor about her. Super!
12:53PM - Read the original email from Sis calling out my lazy Brotherness and make the decision to bore her, and everyone else who follows this blog, with the most mundane details of my day delivered in diary format. Well, it beats the heck out of repeatedly changing a facebook status.
2:13PM - My Journalism professor George, who is wildly popular (and he definitely is a good teacher) just dropped the f-bomb in class, followed by uproarious laughter, which prompted him to do it 2 more times.
As I've grown older, I've realized that certain people are only funny when they curse, and the context in which they use swear words. (My prof isn't one of these people all the time, he's definitely a legitimately funny guy, but still he occasionally resorts to this) Exhibit Number 1: Dane Cook--Most funny human being alive. Not. His method is making different voices, all slight variations of the same character, while strategically placing curses to get cheap chuckles from an audience who could've just payed one of my friends zero money for a real laugh...and he steals some of his material. But anyways, he stinks, and I've already disgraced my blog by posting his name on it, so I'll get back to the diary. Sorry Kir, this blog was supposed to be about you. No more hack-comedian rants! Done. Although I did attach a photo of the professor I was talking about before the rant got started. It's a weird picture, but it'll give you a face with a name.
2:17PM - I think about the scene in Wedding Crashers that my sis loves when I recreate. In it, Vince Vaughn is legitimately concerned that the crazy redhead's father got a poor impression of him because he was such a show-off on the dance floor. "Oh pleease, you and I both know I'm a phenomenal dancer."
4:20PM - Text-of-the-day award to Liz Wright, who decided to text me the word "ikeem" instead of "ice cream" in a casual text-convo, but here's the kicker: She didn't even know my history with saying ikeem. I have it in fantasy sports team names. Friends have almost pummeled me out of annoyance with the word. I have bonded with toddlers and infants and been hated on by many a Dairy Queen/Brusters worker for what I will call a vintage example of Ryan being Ryan.
5:15PM - Go through my weekly dose of small-talk with Elisha Chernoff, catching up on what's going on in our lives between Tuesdays. This week's chit chat involves her asking me what I got on my paper. "95," I respond. "And you?"..."96," she says as her voice trails off so as not to humiliate me. She's a sweet girl, and her subconscious probably kicked in when she noticed the awkward one-point-better situation. It was so subtle on her part, and the funny thing was, I probably would have done the exact same thing if the positions had been reversed. Something about doing one point better than another person is insulting. It would have been far better if I had gotten a 75 and she could've said, "well, at least one DC-grad is holding it down at Temple," as we shared a laugh. I'm not really sure if she realizes how much unintentional comedy has come about from us being in the same class. She makes my little Sis look old. And me and Kirst are definitely neck-and-neck in the race to the cap and gown ceremony.
----Extreme Side Note: I'm enamored with the Messianic Jewish community, specifically those tied to Congregation Beth Yeshua. I just love all of them. They're fantastic, and I couldn't possibly imagine life without them.
6:34PM - The girls in my PR class are in a competition currently to see which one can annoy me the most with completely irrelevant details about their life. (Kir, I literally was about to go on Dr. Cox's "Who Caresies" Award Show rant in the middle of class) One mentions, for the second week in a row, her trip to Mexico that she took in January, instead of early March during spring break. Another chimes in on the importance of a well-written press release by stating that her little sister has a picky appetite. Fascinating!
6:57PM - Runner up award for text-of-the-day to Scotty Yes. It was absurdly random. I love anything random. It was borderline inappropriate, and since he has to keep his stellar business image intact, I'd rather not risk repeating the contents. But yea, definitely a highlight.
8:43PM - Walk over to Philly Flavors with the Madre. I know you miss it sis. And it misses you. First stop when you get home on that hot summer day this June will be to Phiiiiiiilly Flaaaaaaav (as Robbie would say). On me of course. Actually, I still owe you money from ages ago that you will also receive upon returning.
9:05PM - Watch "Invincible" with Mom. Mom feels the need to say out loud the emotions that people are feeling as they happen. For instance, Mom sees Vince Papali aka Marky Mark Wahlberg, anxiously expecting a knock on the door from one of the Eagles coaches telling him he's been cut. While this is happening, she says "Oh, he's so nervous because he thinks he's not going to make the team." Only imagine insightful comments like that for nearly 2 hours. haha, it was unreal. I love Mom. Earlier in the night, she decided that she was going to call your Argentinian phone until she got through, because for some reason, the home owner decided the phone line was going to be either in-use or ignored completely for 2 weeks. Seriously the lady who's housing you is to hospitality what Michael Vick is to dog raising.
11:35PM - Normally around this time I would knock on your door, and pester you repeatedly asking "whatcha doin?" like an 8-year-old. Alas, I cannot. But I do begin to think about why I decided 3 years ago that whenever we were together I would revert to a child-like version of myself, and constantly berrate you with ridiculous ideas, questions, and nicknames. Like when I said "Kirsten, bah...it's more like Shmirsten" which I somehow got shortened to "Shmir" and now it may officially be the oddest nickname of all time. Wish you were here now so I could interrupt your show/phone or aim convo/coca cola binge/book and act like I'm the younger sibling.
12:39AM - Contemplate having 6 bowls of Frosted Flakes or just brushing my teeth and having a monstrous breakfast the next morning. I opt the latter.
1:30AM - I fire on Scrubs, which I haven't been watching much at all since you bounced to South America. It's the one where J.D. and Dr. Cox are going through the stages of grief with that hospital counselor. Highlights of the episode include:
-J.D. doing his patented 3-tap method before exploding an old root beer in Cox's Porsche.
-Kelso hitting Ted while he's on his bike and trying to bribe him with floor seats to the WNBA All-Star game
2:15AM - Get in the Word and seek the big guy out for some direction. Then I pray for you Sis, because the family that prays together, stays together!(hah, tell my that doesn't sound like something Ann Sharpe would say) But seriously, I send one up to heaven for your safety and that the next few months would fly for you, cause I miss the living crap out of you. Suddenly I get into an incredibly sentimental mood, yet am still writing in a public forum of sorts, so it's time to shut it down for now.
I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this not-so-brief synopsis of a-day-in-the-life of yours truly recently. I love you and will talk to you soon. However, if you don't subscribe to this blog and post a comment after it, I may revoke my phone call, and/or my love, just kidding. But do it!!
I'll end on this quote from my number one gal:
"I hope you die tonight!! Well, no, I don't....but I hope you have a really disappointing evening!!!"
I'm bad at getting people caught up on my life, because well, not too much exciting stuff happens in the middle of a semester at school. Still, I'm not going to let this stop me from getting all the details for my younger sibling, so I've decided for the next few days to keep a running diary of my life. Why am I doing this publicly, you may be wondering? It's not because I think that me and Kir have the best, most lovey-dovey bro-sis relationship since Nick and Justine Hulbert. It's because this blog has become really good at getting my thoughtful juices flowing, so why not use it as a vehicle to promote good family relationships? (Note: that will, without question, be the last time you hear the phrase "thoughtful juices" in your life, and certainly on this blog) So hear it is, the first of many diaries I will post on this page. Feel free to take a cat nap instead of reading this. Meow...4/14/09 (I know its a day late, but I got a pretty spectacular piece of writing up on Tuesday, so I saved this puppy for today. Woof...)
10:00AM - My alarm clock goes off. I slam the snooze button, again wondering if I actually got more than 3 hours of real sleep. Eventually my second alarm goes off on my cellphone across the room, assuring me I won't get suckered back into bed and have to rush my morning routine
11:14AM - I get to the Dunkin Donuts on Broad Street I always hit up for my morning coffee, the one I know Sis misses down in South America. Just a large black please. As usual I go through the morning debate about how many donuts I could eat if I were put to the test. Depends on what kind I had to scarf down obviously, but the number is generally somewhere in the baker's dozen range.
11:23AM - Park 2 blocks away from campus, and wonder what the point is of paying money to have a parking pass for a designated spot that's further away.
11:47AM - My friend Jaclyn (I talk to people in school this semester!) asks me if I decided yet how old I think our teacher is. She's one of those late 50s, early 60s dames that looks great for her age because she has that youthful vigor about her. Super!
12:53PM - Read the original email from Sis calling out my lazy Brotherness and make the decision to bore her, and everyone else who follows this blog, with the most mundane details of my day delivered in diary format. Well, it beats the heck out of repeatedly changing a facebook status.
2:13PM - My Journalism professor George, who is wildly popular (and he definitely is a good teacher) just dropped the f-bomb in class, followed by uproarious laughter, which prompted him to do it 2 more times.
As I've grown older, I've realized that certain people are only funny when they curse, and the context in which they use swear words. (My prof isn't one of these people all the time, he's definitely a legitimately funny guy, but still he occasionally resorts to this) Exhibit Number 1: Dane Cook--Most funny human being alive. Not. His method is making different voices, all slight variations of the same character, while strategically placing curses to get cheap chuckles from an audience who could've just payed one of my friends zero money for a real laugh...and he steals some of his material. But anyways, he stinks, and I've already disgraced my blog by posting his name on it, so I'll get back to the diary. Sorry Kir, this blog was supposed to be about you. No more hack-comedian rants! Done. Although I did attach a photo of the professor I was talking about before the rant got started. It's a weird picture, but it'll give you a face with a name. 2:17PM - I think about the scene in Wedding Crashers that my sis loves when I recreate. In it, Vince Vaughn is legitimately concerned that the crazy redhead's father got a poor impression of him because he was such a show-off on the dance floor. "Oh pleease, you and I both know I'm a phenomenal dancer."
4:20PM - Text-of-the-day award to Liz Wright, who decided to text me the word "ikeem" instead of "ice cream" in a casual text-convo, but here's the kicker: She didn't even know my history with saying ikeem. I have it in fantasy sports team names. Friends have almost pummeled me out of annoyance with the word. I have bonded with toddlers and infants and been hated on by many a Dairy Queen/Brusters worker for what I will call a vintage example of Ryan being Ryan.
5:15PM - Go through my weekly dose of small-talk with Elisha Chernoff, catching up on what's going on in our lives between Tuesdays. This week's chit chat involves her asking me what I got on my paper. "95," I respond. "And you?"..."96," she says as her voice trails off so as not to humiliate me. She's a sweet girl, and her subconscious probably kicked in when she noticed the awkward one-point-better situation. It was so subtle on her part, and the funny thing was, I probably would have done the exact same thing if the positions had been reversed. Something about doing one point better than another person is insulting. It would have been far better if I had gotten a 75 and she could've said, "well, at least one DC-grad is holding it down at Temple," as we shared a laugh. I'm not really sure if she realizes how much unintentional comedy has come about from us being in the same class. She makes my little Sis look old. And me and Kirst are definitely neck-and-neck in the race to the cap and gown ceremony.
----Extreme Side Note: I'm enamored with the Messianic Jewish community, specifically those tied to Congregation Beth Yeshua. I just love all of them. They're fantastic, and I couldn't possibly imagine life without them.
6:34PM - The girls in my PR class are in a competition currently to see which one can annoy me the most with completely irrelevant details about their life. (Kir, I literally was about to go on Dr. Cox's "Who Caresies" Award Show rant in the middle of class) One mentions, for the second week in a row, her trip to Mexico that she took in January, instead of early March during spring break. Another chimes in on the importance of a well-written press release by stating that her little sister has a picky appetite. Fascinating!
6:57PM - Runner up award for text-of-the-day to Scotty Yes. It was absurdly random. I love anything random. It was borderline inappropriate, and since he has to keep his stellar business image intact, I'd rather not risk repeating the contents. But yea, definitely a highlight.
8:43PM - Walk over to Philly Flavors with the Madre. I know you miss it sis. And it misses you. First stop when you get home on that hot summer day this June will be to Phiiiiiiilly Flaaaaaaav (as Robbie would say). On me of course. Actually, I still owe you money from ages ago that you will also receive upon returning.
9:05PM - Watch "Invincible" with Mom. Mom feels the need to say out loud the emotions that people are feeling as they happen. For instance, Mom sees Vince Papali aka Marky Mark Wahlberg, anxiously expecting a knock on the door from one of the Eagles coaches telling him he's been cut. While this is happening, she says "Oh, he's so nervous because he thinks he's not going to make the team." Only imagine insightful comments like that for nearly 2 hours. haha, it was unreal. I love Mom. Earlier in the night, she decided that she was going to call your Argentinian phone until she got through, because for some reason, the home owner decided the phone line was going to be either in-use or ignored completely for 2 weeks. Seriously the lady who's housing you is to hospitality what Michael Vick is to dog raising.
11:35PM - Normally around this time I would knock on your door, and pester you repeatedly asking "whatcha doin?" like an 8-year-old. Alas, I cannot. But I do begin to think about why I decided 3 years ago that whenever we were together I would revert to a child-like version of myself, and constantly berrate you with ridiculous ideas, questions, and nicknames. Like when I said "Kirsten, bah...it's more like Shmirsten" which I somehow got shortened to "Shmir" and now it may officially be the oddest nickname of all time. Wish you were here now so I could interrupt your show/phone or aim convo/coca cola binge/book and act like I'm the younger sibling.
12:39AM - Contemplate having 6 bowls of Frosted Flakes or just brushing my teeth and having a monstrous breakfast the next morning. I opt the latter.
1:30AM - I fire on Scrubs, which I haven't been watching much at all since you bounced to South America. It's the one where J.D. and Dr. Cox are going through the stages of grief with that hospital counselor. Highlights of the episode include:
-J.D. doing his patented 3-tap method before exploding an old root beer in Cox's Porsche.
-Kelso hitting Ted while he's on his bike and trying to bribe him with floor seats to the WNBA All-Star game
2:15AM - Get in the Word and seek the big guy out for some direction. Then I pray for you Sis, because the family that prays together, stays together!(hah, tell my that doesn't sound like something Ann Sharpe would say) But seriously, I send one up to heaven for your safety and that the next few months would fly for you, cause I miss the living crap out of you. Suddenly I get into an incredibly sentimental mood, yet am still writing in a public forum of sorts, so it's time to shut it down for now.
I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this not-so-brief synopsis of a-day-in-the-life of yours truly recently. I love you and will talk to you soon. However, if you don't subscribe to this blog and post a comment after it, I may revoke my phone call, and/or my love, just kidding. But do it!!
I'll end on this quote from my number one gal:
"I hope you die tonight!! Well, no, I don't....but I hope you have a really disappointing evening!!!"
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
My Holy War Against Intentional Acoustic Romanticism
Quick Aside before I get down to business: I hope you dig the somewhat new and improved look of the blog. My man Tyrone made that banner, so much love and thanks to him and his incredibly artistic eye. I really wanted to get a C.S. Lewis quote up here and I thought the one I picked fit the feel of the page most. Still, I wanted to share the other ones. I could write (and probably will write at some point in the future) a post on why Lewis is the greatest writer ever, but for now I'll just show you the other 2 quotes I was considering..."Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning."
"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world."
Wow, after those quotes, anything I write is going to sound trivial, and rightfully so. Maybe I'll just put a wildly obnoxious space in between them and my own subject matter out of principle....
There once was a series of Miller Lite commercials that featured football referees throwing penalty flags for various life-fouls. The point of the commercial was that a person would get a flag hurled their way if they were drinking something other than Miller Lite. But they occasionally would throw flags for other man-code violations, to set up their main point. In one such set-up, a group of people are around a campfire and one guy begins strumming his acoustic guitar and playing a cheesy love song that starts with the lyrics "the moonlight hits your eyes..." Before he can make it through the first couple lines, WHAM! The ref throws a flag hitting the guitar and promptly cutting off the painfully awkward love song. The penalty? "Intentional Acoustic Romanticism on the guy in the red shirt," yells the official, who afterward flags him for drinking a light beer that isn't a Miller.
This commercial peaked at a time when toolism (Webster's defines toolism as "The practice of making people want to drop-kick you off a balcony just for being alive")was prevalent in society. Scholars say that during this period fraternities reached record high admittance rates, and stores were selling out of beach-shell-necklaces quicker than beanie babies in the late 90s.(Note:Legit surfers invented the shell-necklace trend, but quickly discarded it when they saw what it became) It was during this age also, that Intentional Acoustic Romanticism was flourishing. Nitwits would pick up acoustic guitars and write "love" songs with contrived lyrics for the sole purpose of scoring broads who thought they were sensitive or had an ounce of actual musical talent. They would exploit public forums such as beaches or parks and play in such a way that drew unwarranted amounts of attention from passing females. It got so bad, that true lyricists who had something of worth to share resigned themselves to playing in solitude, so as not to be misconstrued as tools with ill intentions. Here's where I, the historian documenting the aforementioned era of toolism, come into play...
The acoustic guitar has become like a knife. They both were invented for practical use, the former to make music, the latter as a cutting device. Over the years however, man has corrupted these objects, the latter to murder/maim people,
the former to be promiscuous with girls who are foolish enough to get sucked in by contrived lyrics. I want to take back the acoustic guitar as a musical instrument, doggone it!!! I'm going to lead this revolution! I should be able to play a song on my front porch when it's nice out, singing audibly without feeling the need to hush my voice for chicks who think that my aim might be to woo them. And if you stand behind your lyrics/songs as creative and original, you should be able to play without fear also!So how do we start this revolution? I don't know exactly, but I've got some ideas. And I know it's not going to be easy. A collective effort from lyricists against I.A.R. needs to happen. I'm just one guy with a blog, an acoustic guitar, and a front porch that begs to be played on when this time of year (beautiful weather time) rolls around. Culture has to be eased out of this dark age. We can't just go out somewhere public right away and start playing "Brown Eyed Girl" or any John Mayer song ever written. No, no...we must begin with songs that have underlying themes that lie outside courtship, and those that are written by artists who the tools haven't already usurped ideas from. Discernment is the name of the game. It's going to take some time, but I have a vision. A vision of a world where I can take my guitar to wherever I so choose and start playing "Cupid" by Jack Johnson without feeling the least bit awkward. Someday friends, someday...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Outta Here On Top
There are certain things in life that are impossible to explain, because words just don't do them justice. The relationship that the city of Philadelphia had with their baseball team's play-by-play announcer, Harry Kalas, was one of them. 
The voice of the Phillies passed away today at 1:20 in the afternoon, preparing for a 3:00 game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. When I first heard the news that he had collapsed in the broadcast booth and was rushed to a local hospital, I was flustered. Expecting the worst, I wasn't any more surprised later when word of his death became official. I was surprised, however, with how I handled the news. Normally when someone dies who you don't have a close personal relationship with, your heart goes out to their family and loved ones, but you get over it relatively quickly. In the back of my head, I knew about Harry's age and heart issues, so one would think that it wouldn't be particularly unsettling when he passed on, as it is when someone like Nick Adenhart does (because of his youth and the cirumstances of his death). But this was different, because as I thought about it, I realized what a huge role he played in the lives of my friends and I, and all baseball fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
Baseball is by far the best sport to hear called by a broadcasting team. Whether you're on the front porch or stoop on a hot summer day, sipping a cold beverage with a friend or at a tailgate with the car speakers on, listening to a baseball game is as good as it gets. Having someone like Harry, who did play-by-play for both TV and radio over the years, makes a good thing even better.
His voice was so unique, his passion for the job so evident, his love for the game (this statement applied to Harry before it became cliche) and the fans of our fine city, simply overwhelming. It's because of these things Harry was one of us. He always made us feel at home, no matter where we were geographically. That unmistakable tone of his vocal chords emanated from many a summertime commonplace. I could run down my list of close friends who are sports fans and think of several times with each individual that Harry's voice was the backdrop for whatever we were doing. We could be intently following the game, or sharing a conversation with my tropicana radio on behind us, but we would always hear Harry's distinct sound reminding us it was baseball season. Numerous contests between friends over who could do the best Harry impression would arise. "Waaatch this baaby....ouuuuuutta heeere!!!" It was all in fun. That's what sports are supposed to be right? Harry was such a professional at his job, but never lost his laid-back tone, a constant reminder that what we were watching and listening to was the epitome of a fun time.
Today was a heavy-hearted day for this city. Hearing countless radio and TV sports personalities get really choked up was difficult to listen to. At the same time though, it verified the good things you always heard about Harry. There are so many surly people involved in the professional sports industry today, and from the response that the 73-year-old's death received, you knew he was not one of them. He was a hit with everyone, and genuinely cared about the team and the city. The last game he ever covered was a win, and today as the players mourned, they honored him with another victory. Both these pale in comparison to the final game of the 2008 season though, the last full year that Harry had as the voice of the team, and the most fitting one of all.
Harry Kalas was the voice we grew up listening to, and he was the voice that ultimately delivered the most memorable sports call of our lifetime. His legacy is representative of what sports means to us as a city. It's not just a game. It brings people together, we share the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Harry shared with us, and it's only fitting that he is outta here on top.
The voice of the Phillies passed away today at 1:20 in the afternoon, preparing for a 3:00 game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. When I first heard the news that he had collapsed in the broadcast booth and was rushed to a local hospital, I was flustered. Expecting the worst, I wasn't any more surprised later when word of his death became official. I was surprised, however, with how I handled the news. Normally when someone dies who you don't have a close personal relationship with, your heart goes out to their family and loved ones, but you get over it relatively quickly. In the back of my head, I knew about Harry's age and heart issues, so one would think that it wouldn't be particularly unsettling when he passed on, as it is when someone like Nick Adenhart does (because of his youth and the cirumstances of his death). But this was different, because as I thought about it, I realized what a huge role he played in the lives of my friends and I, and all baseball fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
Baseball is by far the best sport to hear called by a broadcasting team. Whether you're on the front porch or stoop on a hot summer day, sipping a cold beverage with a friend or at a tailgate with the car speakers on, listening to a baseball game is as good as it gets. Having someone like Harry, who did play-by-play for both TV and radio over the years, makes a good thing even better.
His voice was so unique, his passion for the job so evident, his love for the game (this statement applied to Harry before it became cliche) and the fans of our fine city, simply overwhelming. It's because of these things Harry was one of us. He always made us feel at home, no matter where we were geographically. That unmistakable tone of his vocal chords emanated from many a summertime commonplace. I could run down my list of close friends who are sports fans and think of several times with each individual that Harry's voice was the backdrop for whatever we were doing. We could be intently following the game, or sharing a conversation with my tropicana radio on behind us, but we would always hear Harry's distinct sound reminding us it was baseball season. Numerous contests between friends over who could do the best Harry impression would arise. "Waaatch this baaby....ouuuuuutta heeere!!!" It was all in fun. That's what sports are supposed to be right? Harry was such a professional at his job, but never lost his laid-back tone, a constant reminder that what we were watching and listening to was the epitome of a fun time. Today was a heavy-hearted day for this city. Hearing countless radio and TV sports personalities get really choked up was difficult to listen to. At the same time though, it verified the good things you always heard about Harry. There are so many surly people involved in the professional sports industry today, and from the response that the 73-year-old's death received, you knew he was not one of them. He was a hit with everyone, and genuinely cared about the team and the city. The last game he ever covered was a win, and today as the players mourned, they honored him with another victory. Both these pale in comparison to the final game of the 2008 season though, the last full year that Harry had as the voice of the team, and the most fitting one of all.
Harry Kalas was the voice we grew up listening to, and he was the voice that ultimately delivered the most memorable sports call of our lifetime. His legacy is representative of what sports means to us as a city. It's not just a game. It brings people together, we share the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Harry shared with us, and it's only fitting that he is outta here on top.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday Churchiness
First of all, let me start by saying Happy Easter, and thank all those who sent mass texts wishing me the same. I was touched that you went the extra mile to add my number to the list of 25 people you were messaging that extremely personal sentiment to. While I'm here, I also wanted to tell you that I was moved to the point of tears when I received your "Merry Christmas" version. You truly were the anti-grinch(which I guess is just Santa?)that day, and to follow up with today's text, well, it just overwhelms me with feelings of importance.
Alright, let's get to the meat of this bad boy shall we? Actually, this may just end up being a random exlosion of different thoughts, but you'll get your protein either way... It's really sad to see a culture losing respect for Christianity, and more specifically, discarding the meanings of Holidays that have their roots in the Gospel. I made a Santa Claus reference earlier in jest, but there are definitely those who don't acknowledge any religious ties to the holiday even though it has "Christ" directed planted in the name! It's been said that its symbolic of society to write "X-mas" so they can X Christ right out of Christmas. It sounds a little baptist-sermon-corny, sure, but what part of that can you really disagree with if you're a believer living in these days? It may have not been a conscious effort, but it's still a glaring symbol that sin is natural in this man's humble opinion.
My church is a really special place, there's no doubt about it. That's why this paragraph is about the "in between a rock and a hard place" position I'm in with it. The worship is awesome, the congregation is filled with the spirit (many of the people have played an indescribably gigantic role in my life), and the preaching is normally tremendous. I have been a member of Living Word Community Church on 17th street my whole life, and when I'm walking with the Lord, I feel truly blessed every Sunday I'm in attendance. Now on to the complicated part...
Since I'm the child of a church leader, I feel like I'm under the microscope. Truth-be-told, I'm not worried about anyones judgment on me, because Christians shouldn't be judging or interpreting other people's lives to begin with. God delivers the justice, not man, although some church folk forget this on occasion. But anyways, as I was saying it's not about feeling overly scrutinized. It's just the feeling of having eyes on me regarding such a personal issue (faith). I feel like I'm showering in public once and awhile at my church, at it impedes my ability to focus on the big guy upstairs, which is the entire reason I abandoned hours of sleep to come to a service. It wasn't to daydream, it was to worship and to get spritual nourishment. Ok, so that's one thing.
The other problem is the frustrating lack of people my age in the congregation. There are a handful of people, but not enough to build a group around. It's so important to have people who hold you accountable, and ideally you'd like those people to be in your regular place of fellowship. Also, it would be nice to have close friendships with believers who aren't stereotypical church people. Any christian is familiar with the people that turn Church into a cult, making a relationship with the Lord feel like an episode of Dawson's Creek-Jesus Version. People bring unnecessary drama to Salvation. There's enough spiritual drama in day-to-day life, with the forces of light and darkness constantly in an unseen war over souls. Yet people feel the need to bring extraneous drama, and over-the-top, emotion-centered spirtituality to liven things up. It's overkill, and its a serious issue within the Christian community that people don't talk about often. Sorry, I think I deviated from my point as I usually do but I'm getting back. I need real brothers in faith that are my age, not strangers asking me intimate questions like "How's your walk?" Well person-I've-talked-to-2-times-in-my-life, I have a bit of an outstep, that's how my walk is haha. And hey, I'm far from in a place to get serious with a girl, but it wouldn't hurt to be around more women of faith that could potentially, down the road, be longterm options.
I apologize if this sounded like I was harping on the negative. It's just so annoying to me because I love my church. This is why it's such a passionate issue, and it's going to be a difficult decision ultimately on staying or going.
Compleeeeeetely unrelated, what's the protocol for saying "God Bless You" to someone? (well not completely unrelated I guess since God is cited in the sentence)The girl near me has been having random spurts of sneezes, and I've been wondering for awhile what the proper amount of post-sneeze wishes you give someone without being excessive. Do you stop after the second sneeze? What if there are 30 minutes in between sneezing-fits? Does the person have to say "thank you" after every "gazoontite" you give? These are the big life-questions that need answering, the awkward situations in everyday life so plentiful that a book could and should be written concerning them.
Happy Resurrection Day people, I hope it was a blessed one!
Alright, let's get to the meat of this bad boy shall we? Actually, this may just end up being a random exlosion of different thoughts, but you'll get your protein either way... It's really sad to see a culture losing respect for Christianity, and more specifically, discarding the meanings of Holidays that have their roots in the Gospel. I made a Santa Claus reference earlier in jest, but there are definitely those who don't acknowledge any religious ties to the holiday even though it has "Christ" directed planted in the name! It's been said that its symbolic of society to write "X-mas" so they can X Christ right out of Christmas. It sounds a little baptist-sermon-corny, sure, but what part of that can you really disagree with if you're a believer living in these days? It may have not been a conscious effort, but it's still a glaring symbol that sin is natural in this man's humble opinion.
My church is a really special place, there's no doubt about it. That's why this paragraph is about the "in between a rock and a hard place" position I'm in with it. The worship is awesome, the congregation is filled with the spirit (many of the people have played an indescribably gigantic role in my life), and the preaching is normally tremendous. I have been a member of Living Word Community Church on 17th street my whole life, and when I'm walking with the Lord, I feel truly blessed every Sunday I'm in attendance. Now on to the complicated part...
Since I'm the child of a church leader, I feel like I'm under the microscope. Truth-be-told, I'm not worried about anyones judgment on me, because Christians shouldn't be judging or interpreting other people's lives to begin with. God delivers the justice, not man, although some church folk forget this on occasion. But anyways, as I was saying it's not about feeling overly scrutinized. It's just the feeling of having eyes on me regarding such a personal issue (faith). I feel like I'm showering in public once and awhile at my church, at it impedes my ability to focus on the big guy upstairs, which is the entire reason I abandoned hours of sleep to come to a service. It wasn't to daydream, it was to worship and to get spritual nourishment. Ok, so that's one thing.
The other problem is the frustrating lack of people my age in the congregation. There are a handful of people, but not enough to build a group around. It's so important to have people who hold you accountable, and ideally you'd like those people to be in your regular place of fellowship. Also, it would be nice to have close friendships with believers who aren't stereotypical church people. Any christian is familiar with the people that turn Church into a cult, making a relationship with the Lord feel like an episode of Dawson's Creek-Jesus Version. People bring unnecessary drama to Salvation. There's enough spiritual drama in day-to-day life, with the forces of light and darkness constantly in an unseen war over souls. Yet people feel the need to bring extraneous drama, and over-the-top, emotion-centered spirtituality to liven things up. It's overkill, and its a serious issue within the Christian community that people don't talk about often. Sorry, I think I deviated from my point as I usually do but I'm getting back. I need real brothers in faith that are my age, not strangers asking me intimate questions like "How's your walk?" Well person-I've-talked-to-2-times-in-my-life, I have a bit of an outstep, that's how my walk is haha. And hey, I'm far from in a place to get serious with a girl, but it wouldn't hurt to be around more women of faith that could potentially, down the road, be longterm options.
I apologize if this sounded like I was harping on the negative. It's just so annoying to me because I love my church. This is why it's such a passionate issue, and it's going to be a difficult decision ultimately on staying or going.
Compleeeeeetely unrelated, what's the protocol for saying "God Bless You" to someone? (well not completely unrelated I guess since God is cited in the sentence)The girl near me has been having random spurts of sneezes, and I've been wondering for awhile what the proper amount of post-sneeze wishes you give someone without being excessive. Do you stop after the second sneeze? What if there are 30 minutes in between sneezing-fits? Does the person have to say "thank you" after every "gazoontite" you give? These are the big life-questions that need answering, the awkward situations in everyday life so plentiful that a book could and should be written concerning them.
Happy Resurrection Day people, I hope it was a blessed one!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thoroughly Thoughtful Thursday, Thankfully
Here are some random thoughts and questions from what has already been a pretty thought-provoking day. And by thought-provoking, I think I just mean odd.
-The first thing that anyone said to me in this calendar day was "thank you" at 12:04 this morning. The second thing at 12:07..."Do you know where the vomit kit is?"...needless to say, I did not
-Later in the day I heard a girl yelling at her Dad, telling him to "shut up, because you don't know what the hell you're talking about." I am absolutely shocked to hear someone talk to a parent like this, regardless of what was going on (it was, in fact, a trivial matter as one might have guessed). Shut up? To a parent? I'm not sure I would tell my parents to shut up jokingly. You better believe if my kid told me to shut up, the funds that paid for her tuition would very hastily be shut down. But that's the problem with people these days-they just don't have respect. Spankings have become child abuse in our lawsuit-happy, undisciplined culture. I have two inches and 60 pounds on my Paps, but I personally think if I said something to him like that girl said to her Dad, he would smite me down with ease, using all of his righteous "Dad anger". I wouldn't even have a chance. And I would deserve it too. Man...craziness.
-For how big a fan of my blog Jon Greenberg is, I'm kind of bothered he's not a subscriber. It sets a bad example to other people who read this propaganda and yet can't muster the strength to make a click of the mouse to subscribe. Jon, I love you, but you know as well as I do that it's times like this that you put the Booooooo in Booooooomer. What's the issue?
-My favorite punctuation mark is by faaaaaar is the ellipsis, if you haven't noticed...I love it...I use it in text messages and in blogs...heck I even think out those little groupings of dots between my different daydreams...
-I love Scrubs. I have watched seasons 1-7 approximately 68 times.
My obsession with the show is at times irrational. I have forfeited important life experiences to watch mini marathons of the program by myself. It's bad. But this random fact is important for 2 reasons. 1)I have gone almost 2 weeks without watching a full episode, which literally has not happened since the day the show was introduced to me. 2)I wish that enough of the people who read this blog watched/knew the show as much as I do, so I could write entire posts about it. But alas, I have to write about other stuff. Maybe I'll start a second blog and never leave my room.
-Accents are funny. Since Temple thinks that 34% of their professors should be completely incomprehensible, they hire people who are not fluent in English for positions where it might come in handy to be such. Because of this fact, I have become awesome at getting messages through obstacles.
And while we're on the subject of people who talk differently....
-Is it possible to do an impression of a gay person through writing? *flicking wrist homosexually* "Thtop it thilly!! I soo do not thound like that! hehe"
And while we're on that subject....
-I literally put any future writing career I had in jeopardy by typing that last point. Nowadays, the homosexual community's power is getting out-of-hand. They are making moves to try and prevent people from speaking out against that lifestyle. Just speech against it. Hmm, well riddle me this...How can the same raging liberal population, that bring out first amendment rights as protection every other day, think it's not completely hypocritical to try and censor those who have differing views than them? Can't have it both ways...
Just some food for thought...but make sure to let it settle in your stomach. Apparently there's only one vomit kit, and I still have no idea where it is.
-The first thing that anyone said to me in this calendar day was "thank you" at 12:04 this morning. The second thing at 12:07..."Do you know where the vomit kit is?"...needless to say, I did not
-Later in the day I heard a girl yelling at her Dad, telling him to "shut up, because you don't know what the hell you're talking about." I am absolutely shocked to hear someone talk to a parent like this, regardless of what was going on (it was, in fact, a trivial matter as one might have guessed). Shut up? To a parent? I'm not sure I would tell my parents to shut up jokingly. You better believe if my kid told me to shut up, the funds that paid for her tuition would very hastily be shut down. But that's the problem with people these days-they just don't have respect. Spankings have become child abuse in our lawsuit-happy, undisciplined culture. I have two inches and 60 pounds on my Paps, but I personally think if I said something to him like that girl said to her Dad, he would smite me down with ease, using all of his righteous "Dad anger". I wouldn't even have a chance. And I would deserve it too. Man...craziness.
-For how big a fan of my blog Jon Greenberg is, I'm kind of bothered he's not a subscriber. It sets a bad example to other people who read this propaganda and yet can't muster the strength to make a click of the mouse to subscribe. Jon, I love you, but you know as well as I do that it's times like this that you put the Booooooo in Booooooomer. What's the issue?
-My favorite punctuation mark is by faaaaaar is the ellipsis, if you haven't noticed...I love it...I use it in text messages and in blogs...heck I even think out those little groupings of dots between my different daydreams...
-I love Scrubs. I have watched seasons 1-7 approximately 68 times.
My obsession with the show is at times irrational. I have forfeited important life experiences to watch mini marathons of the program by myself. It's bad. But this random fact is important for 2 reasons. 1)I have gone almost 2 weeks without watching a full episode, which literally has not happened since the day the show was introduced to me. 2)I wish that enough of the people who read this blog watched/knew the show as much as I do, so I could write entire posts about it. But alas, I have to write about other stuff. Maybe I'll start a second blog and never leave my room. -Accents are funny. Since Temple thinks that 34% of their professors should be completely incomprehensible, they hire people who are not fluent in English for positions where it might come in handy to be such. Because of this fact, I have become awesome at getting messages through obstacles.
And while we're on the subject of people who talk differently....
-Is it possible to do an impression of a gay person through writing? *flicking wrist homosexually* "Thtop it thilly!! I soo do not thound like that! hehe"
And while we're on that subject....
-I literally put any future writing career I had in jeopardy by typing that last point. Nowadays, the homosexual community's power is getting out-of-hand. They are making moves to try and prevent people from speaking out against that lifestyle. Just speech against it. Hmm, well riddle me this...How can the same raging liberal population, that bring out first amendment rights as protection every other day, think it's not completely hypocritical to try and censor those who have differing views than them? Can't have it both ways...
Just some food for thought...but make sure to let it settle in your stomach. Apparently there's only one vomit kit, and I still have no idea where it is.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Things White People Aren't Allowed to Say/Do (Part 1)
So I'm giving you 2 for the money today, which is a pretty darn good deal given this inner monologue that I am constantly transcribing is free to begin with.
Again I sit in the Computer Lab, monitoring a new wave of white Temple students who think they're skin has suddenly changed to a caramel tone because they now attend school in North Philly. I overhear certain things in conversation, and just shake my head, resigned to the fact that humans have such a hard time finding a stinkin' identity (myself included). And listen, we're all guilty of speaking differently on occasion around different groups of people. It's adaptation, and often times it's subconscious. The people who are getting called out are the ones who make a collective effort to speak differently, despite the fact it sounds absurd.
Instead of decapitating these idiots, I'm going to take the peaceful, more anger-management inclined road, and simply break down why I think that their patterns of speech are fatally flawed. So without further adieu-doo, I give you a new segment on Green Bleeding...Things that white people shouldn't say or do.
1) The N-Word
African Americans shouldn't even be saying this word. And obviously, white people shouldn't say it in a biggoted way. But the fact black people use it casually does not under any circumstances justify a white person using it while talking to one of his friends. Absolutely unacceptable. And yes, I do hear this happen way more than one might think. It is to the ear what beets are to the tastebuds. STOP SAYING THE N-WORD ALL YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!!!
2) Adding "yo" to the end of a sentence
This is verbal diarrhea in every circumstance except when making fun of someone else who is saying it in a serious manner. This was the thing that sparked this particular post from me tonight. Some kid was talking to his friend and said something to the affect of, "I think I did that assignment for tomorrow, yo." Well you know what, I think if your speech is an indicator of how you are going to do on the assignment you're turning in, the teacher may as well stamp "F...Moron" on it and save himself the time...yo.
3) Holla
Any girl with class probably won't appreciate being "holla'd" at, so pleeeease, don't say anything involving that broad holla'n at you. It sounds stupid regardless of skin color, but 10000 times worse when a corny little white boy starts saying it because he thinks that people in the suburbs can also live thug life. And trust me, I know I may be beating a dead horse with the "holla" thing, but I assure you it's needed, and I'm going to beat it till TU whities get the message or PETA gets in here, whichever comes first.
Wonderful, glad we cleared that up!
Till we meet again faithful reader...
Your eyes surveying my words are like carnival funnel cake when I have a sweet tooth on a mid-summer night.
Again I sit in the Computer Lab, monitoring a new wave of white Temple students who think they're skin has suddenly changed to a caramel tone because they now attend school in North Philly. I overhear certain things in conversation, and just shake my head, resigned to the fact that humans have such a hard time finding a stinkin' identity (myself included). And listen, we're all guilty of speaking differently on occasion around different groups of people. It's adaptation, and often times it's subconscious. The people who are getting called out are the ones who make a collective effort to speak differently, despite the fact it sounds absurd.
Instead of decapitating these idiots, I'm going to take the peaceful, more anger-management inclined road, and simply break down why I think that their patterns of speech are fatally flawed. So without further adieu-doo, I give you a new segment on Green Bleeding...Things that white people shouldn't say or do.
1) The N-Word
African Americans shouldn't even be saying this word. And obviously, white people shouldn't say it in a biggoted way. But the fact black people use it casually does not under any circumstances justify a white person using it while talking to one of his friends. Absolutely unacceptable. And yes, I do hear this happen way more than one might think. It is to the ear what beets are to the tastebuds. STOP SAYING THE N-WORD ALL YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!!!
2) Adding "yo" to the end of a sentence
This is verbal diarrhea in every circumstance except when making fun of someone else who is saying it in a serious manner. This was the thing that sparked this particular post from me tonight. Some kid was talking to his friend and said something to the affect of, "I think I did that assignment for tomorrow, yo." Well you know what, I think if your speech is an indicator of how you are going to do on the assignment you're turning in, the teacher may as well stamp "F...Moron" on it and save himself the time...yo.
3) Holla
Any girl with class probably won't appreciate being "holla'd" at, so pleeeease, don't say anything involving that broad holla'n at you. It sounds stupid regardless of skin color, but 10000 times worse when a corny little white boy starts saying it because he thinks that people in the suburbs can also live thug life. And trust me, I know I may be beating a dead horse with the "holla" thing, but I assure you it's needed, and I'm going to beat it till TU whities get the message or PETA gets in here, whichever comes first.
Wonderful, glad we cleared that up!
Till we meet again faithful reader...
Your eyes surveying my words are like carnival funnel cake when I have a sweet tooth on a mid-summer night.
Cereal Killer (One Box at a Time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vyi7dGyupw
I hope you followed the link above and watched the video to get you pumped for reading this blog entry. And if you're keeping score from home, that is the second link I have sent you to a youtube video featuring the "Milk and Cereal" song by my man G. Love. If you didn't peek at the clip, it's all good. Sometimes, you don't need anything to get you fired up for a good cereal read. It just comes naturally...
The ingenious "cereal draft" idea that you've heard floating around once was a dream. I am making it my personal goal for 2009 to make this dream a reality. One problem I faced was this: Once the draft is over, there's really no way to chart each team's cereal progress or statistical measure to have a clear-cut winner. Then it dawned on me...it's a cereal draft. Everyone is a winner!
I say we have this draft at a pub sometime during peak grain-harvesting season. Anyone who thinks that they're a breakfast aficionado can join the draft. The more variety of people we get in this draft, the better. Could you imagine a 55-year-old going off the board and taking All-Bran in the fifth round? Or maybe an 8-year-old taking Trix with the 4th overall pick? (Not sure why an 8-year-old would be at a pub with us, but throwing it at ya anyway) It would add another dimension completely.
This event would get pretty intense. Could you imagine if you were picking 7th and really wanted Rice Krispies, but the person picking 6th snap-crackle-popped those suckers from right under you? It would get really ugly. The arguments over who would have the best cereal team would also get heated, because really, we're making up the standards for squads as we go along. Me personally, I think I would draft a cereal team that was well rounded. For instance, if I had Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes, I may have to think about taking a healthier box in the third round, like Cheerios, to balance it out. (I'm not saying that Cheerios would go that late, just giving an example of a complimentary cereal in that particular draft position) I am salivating over the thought of making this draft happen, or maybe I'm just salivating at the thought of a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats.
I snagged a Cereal List off of wikipedia and did some editing. If you think I'm missing anything important, please chime in. We're only drafting cereals that are currently on the active rosters of companies like General Mills and Kellogg's. Actually, I take that back. Bonus points if you go historical on us and pull out a zinger like Quakers "Mr.T Cereal" (see below) Demonstrating to the public how savvy you are about cereal is never a bad thing.
Speaking of some classics, check out these monumental breakfast concoctions from a prehistoric era:
Banana Frosted Flakes? This is the breakfast of the outside-the-box thinker. Look's like Tony's done some growing up over the years too.
Product 19? Seriously? If this doesn't sound like some sort of PEC(Performance Enhancing Cereal), I really don't know what does. This has to be a banned substance in the majors, right?
This sounds delicious to me, and I have no idea why. It seems like a very mentally stimulating breakfast. I feel also that these would be great morning munchies for any Real Estate big wig. I could be overthinking this...
If we still had cereal like this around, the world would be a better place.
Yes, to answer your question, I did save the best for last. D&D Cereal? Are you for real?!?! I could drive around in a car shaped like a big doughnut with a Double Ds emblem on it and be happy as Pacman Jones in a strip joint. If only this cereal were around today, I'd probably carry a box with me wherever I went, like a security blankee or something. After all, D&D anything makes me feel safe.
And here's the Big List:
A
• All-Bran - Kellogg's (1916-Present)
• Alpha-Bits - Post Cereals (1958-present)
• Apple Cinnamon Cheerios - General Mills (1988-Present)
• Apple Jacks - Kellogg's (1965-Present)
B
• Banana Nut Crunch - Post Cereals (1993-Present)
• Berry Berry Kix - General Mills (1992-Present)
• Berry Krispies - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
• Berry Lucky Charms - General Mills (2006-Present) [1]
• Blueberry Morning - Post Cereals (1990s-Present)
• Body Buddies - General Mills (1980s)
• Boo Berry - General Mills (1973-Present)
• Bran Flakes - Kellogg's - (1915-Present)
C
• Cap'n Crunch - Quaker Oats (1963-Present)
• Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries - Quaker Oats (1967-Present)
• Cap'n Crunch's Oops! Choco Donuts - Quaker Oats (2003-2004)
• Captain Planet Cereal (1984)
• Cat in the Hat Cereal - Kellogg's (2003-2004)
• Ceccettio's - Italian localization of General Mills Cheerios.
• Cheerios - General Mills (1941-Present)
• Choco Crunch (Re-introduced Version) - Quaker Oats (2007-Present)
• Chocolate Lucky Charms - General Mills (2005-Present)
• Christmas Crunch - Quaker Oats (1988-Present)
• Cinnamon Life - Quaker Oats (1978-Present)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills (1984-Present)
• CoCo Wheats - Little Crow Foods (1930-Present)
• Coco Krispies - Kellogg's
• Cocoa Krispies Choconilla - Kellogg's (2007-Present)
• Cocoa Pebbles - Post Cereals (1970-Present)
• Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
• Cookie Crisp (1977-Present)
• Corn Chex
• Corn Pops - Kellogg's (1951-Present. Originally known as Sugar Pops.)
• Corn Flakes - Kellogg's (1907-Present)
• Count Chocula - General Mills (1971-present)
• Cracklin' Oat Bran Kellogg's
• Cream of Wheat
• Crispix - Kellogg's - (1980s-Present)
D-E
• Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp - General Mills (2006-Present)
• Eggo Cereal Cinnamon Toast - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
• Eggo Cereal Maple Syrup - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
F
• Franken Berry - General Mills (1971-Present)
• French Toast Crunch - General Mills (1995-Present)
• Froot Loops - Kellogg's (1964-Present)
• Frosted Cheerios - General Mills (1995-Present)
• Frosted Flakes - Kellogg's (1952-Present)
• Frosted Mini-Wheats (Various flavors) - Kellogg's
• Fruit Loops - Kellogg's (1963-Present)
• Fruity Cheerios - General Mills (2006-Present)
• Fruity Pebbles - Post Cereals (1970-Present)
G-L
• Golden Crisp (formerly known as Sugar Crisp) - Post Cereals (1949-Present)
• Golden Grahams - General Mills (1970s-Present)
• Grape-Nuts - Post Cereals
• Honey Bunches of Oats (1989-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches (2005-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries (2002-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate Clusters (2008-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Cinnamon Clusters (2006-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Clusters (2007-Present)
• Honeycomb - Post Cereals (1965-Present)
• Honey Nut Cheerios - General Mills
• Honey Nut Corn Flakes - Kellogg's - (1981-Present)
• Honey Rice Krispies - Kellogg's - (1996-Present)
• Kix - General Mills (1937-Present)
• Life - Quaker (1960s-Present)
• Lucky Charms - General Mills
M-Q
• Mini Swirlz Cinnamon Bun Cereal - Kellogg's - (2005-Present)
• Mueslix - Kellogg's (1980s-Present)
• Multi-Bran Chex
• Peanut Butter Crunch - Quaker Oats (1969-Present)
• Product 19 - Kellogg's (1967-Present)
R
• Raisin Bran - Kellogg's - (1950-Present)
• Raisin Bran Crunch - Kellogg's (1999-Present)
• Reese's Puffs - General Mills (1994-Present)
• Rice Chex - General Mills
• Rice Krispies - Kellogg's - (1929-Present)
• Rice Krispies Treats Cereal - Kellogg's (1993-Present)
S
• Shredded Wheat - Post Cereals
• Smacks - Kellogg's
• Special K - Kellogg's (1955-Present)
• Special K Red Berries - Kellogg's (2001-Present)
T-Z
• Total - General Mills (1961-present)
• Trix - General Mills (1954-Present)
• Uncle Sam Cereal - U.S. Mills (1908 - Present)
• Waffle Crisp - Post Cereals (1996-Present)
• Wheat Chex
• Wheaties - General Mills - "The Breakfast of Champions" - (1924-Present)
I hope you followed the link above and watched the video to get you pumped for reading this blog entry. And if you're keeping score from home, that is the second link I have sent you to a youtube video featuring the "Milk and Cereal" song by my man G. Love. If you didn't peek at the clip, it's all good. Sometimes, you don't need anything to get you fired up for a good cereal read. It just comes naturally...
The ingenious "cereal draft" idea that you've heard floating around once was a dream. I am making it my personal goal for 2009 to make this dream a reality. One problem I faced was this: Once the draft is over, there's really no way to chart each team's cereal progress or statistical measure to have a clear-cut winner. Then it dawned on me...it's a cereal draft. Everyone is a winner!
I say we have this draft at a pub sometime during peak grain-harvesting season. Anyone who thinks that they're a breakfast aficionado can join the draft. The more variety of people we get in this draft, the better. Could you imagine a 55-year-old going off the board and taking All-Bran in the fifth round? Or maybe an 8-year-old taking Trix with the 4th overall pick? (Not sure why an 8-year-old would be at a pub with us, but throwing it at ya anyway) It would add another dimension completely.
This event would get pretty intense. Could you imagine if you were picking 7th and really wanted Rice Krispies, but the person picking 6th snap-crackle-popped those suckers from right under you? It would get really ugly. The arguments over who would have the best cereal team would also get heated, because really, we're making up the standards for squads as we go along. Me personally, I think I would draft a cereal team that was well rounded. For instance, if I had Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes, I may have to think about taking a healthier box in the third round, like Cheerios, to balance it out. (I'm not saying that Cheerios would go that late, just giving an example of a complimentary cereal in that particular draft position) I am salivating over the thought of making this draft happen, or maybe I'm just salivating at the thought of a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats.
I snagged a Cereal List off of wikipedia and did some editing. If you think I'm missing anything important, please chime in. We're only drafting cereals that are currently on the active rosters of companies like General Mills and Kellogg's. Actually, I take that back. Bonus points if you go historical on us and pull out a zinger like Quakers "Mr.T Cereal" (see below) Demonstrating to the public how savvy you are about cereal is never a bad thing.
Speaking of some classics, check out these monumental breakfast concoctions from a prehistoric era:
Banana Frosted Flakes? This is the breakfast of the outside-the-box thinker. Look's like Tony's done some growing up over the years too.
Product 19? Seriously? If this doesn't sound like some sort of PEC(Performance Enhancing Cereal), I really don't know what does. This has to be a banned substance in the majors, right?
This sounds delicious to me, and I have no idea why. It seems like a very mentally stimulating breakfast. I feel also that these would be great morning munchies for any Real Estate big wig. I could be overthinking this...
If we still had cereal like this around, the world would be a better place.
Yes, to answer your question, I did save the best for last. D&D Cereal? Are you for real?!?! I could drive around in a car shaped like a big doughnut with a Double Ds emblem on it and be happy as Pacman Jones in a strip joint. If only this cereal were around today, I'd probably carry a box with me wherever I went, like a security blankee or something. After all, D&D anything makes me feel safe.
And here's the Big List:
A
• All-Bran - Kellogg's (1916-Present)
• Alpha-Bits - Post Cereals (1958-present)
• Apple Cinnamon Cheerios - General Mills (1988-Present)
• Apple Jacks - Kellogg's (1965-Present)
B
• Banana Nut Crunch - Post Cereals (1993-Present)
• Berry Berry Kix - General Mills (1992-Present)
• Berry Krispies - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
• Berry Lucky Charms - General Mills (2006-Present) [1]
• Blueberry Morning - Post Cereals (1990s-Present)
• Body Buddies - General Mills (1980s)
• Boo Berry - General Mills (1973-Present)
• Bran Flakes - Kellogg's - (1915-Present)
C
• Cap'n Crunch - Quaker Oats (1963-Present)
• Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries - Quaker Oats (1967-Present)
• Cap'n Crunch's Oops! Choco Donuts - Quaker Oats (2003-2004)
• Captain Planet Cereal (1984)
• Cat in the Hat Cereal - Kellogg's (2003-2004)
• Ceccettio's - Italian localization of General Mills Cheerios.
• Cheerios - General Mills (1941-Present)
• Choco Crunch (Re-introduced Version) - Quaker Oats (2007-Present)
• Chocolate Lucky Charms - General Mills (2005-Present)
• Christmas Crunch - Quaker Oats (1988-Present)
• Cinnamon Life - Quaker Oats (1978-Present)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills (1984-Present)
• CoCo Wheats - Little Crow Foods (1930-Present)
• Coco Krispies - Kellogg's
• Cocoa Krispies Choconilla - Kellogg's (2007-Present)
• Cocoa Pebbles - Post Cereals (1970-Present)
• Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
• Cookie Crisp (1977-Present)
• Corn Chex
• Corn Pops - Kellogg's (1951-Present. Originally known as Sugar Pops.)
• Corn Flakes - Kellogg's (1907-Present)
• Count Chocula - General Mills (1971-present)
• Cracklin' Oat Bran Kellogg's
• Cream of Wheat
• Crispix - Kellogg's - (1980s-Present)
D-E
• Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp - General Mills (2006-Present)
• Eggo Cereal Cinnamon Toast - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
• Eggo Cereal Maple Syrup - Kellogg's (2006-Present)
F
• Franken Berry - General Mills (1971-Present)
• French Toast Crunch - General Mills (1995-Present)
• Froot Loops - Kellogg's (1964-Present)
• Frosted Cheerios - General Mills (1995-Present)
• Frosted Flakes - Kellogg's (1952-Present)
• Frosted Mini-Wheats (Various flavors) - Kellogg's
• Fruit Loops - Kellogg's (1963-Present)
• Fruity Cheerios - General Mills (2006-Present)
• Fruity Pebbles - Post Cereals (1970-Present)
G-L
• Golden Crisp (formerly known as Sugar Crisp) - Post Cereals (1949-Present)
• Golden Grahams - General Mills (1970s-Present)
• Grape-Nuts - Post Cereals
• Honey Bunches of Oats (1989-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches (2005-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries (2002-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate Clusters (2008-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Cinnamon Clusters (2006-Present)
• Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Clusters (2007-Present)
• Honeycomb - Post Cereals (1965-Present)
• Honey Nut Cheerios - General Mills
• Honey Nut Corn Flakes - Kellogg's - (1981-Present)
• Honey Rice Krispies - Kellogg's - (1996-Present)
• Kix - General Mills (1937-Present)
• Life - Quaker (1960s-Present)
• Lucky Charms - General Mills
M-Q
• Mini Swirlz Cinnamon Bun Cereal - Kellogg's - (2005-Present)
• Mueslix - Kellogg's (1980s-Present)
• Multi-Bran Chex
• Peanut Butter Crunch - Quaker Oats (1969-Present)
• Product 19 - Kellogg's (1967-Present)
R
• Raisin Bran - Kellogg's - (1950-Present)
• Raisin Bran Crunch - Kellogg's (1999-Present)
• Reese's Puffs - General Mills (1994-Present)
• Rice Chex - General Mills
• Rice Krispies - Kellogg's - (1929-Present)
• Rice Krispies Treats Cereal - Kellogg's (1993-Present)
S
• Shredded Wheat - Post Cereals
• Smacks - Kellogg's
• Special K - Kellogg's (1955-Present)
• Special K Red Berries - Kellogg's (2001-Present)
T-Z
• Total - General Mills (1961-present)
• Trix - General Mills (1954-Present)
• Uncle Sam Cereal - U.S. Mills (1908 - Present)
• Waffle Crisp - Post Cereals (1996-Present)
• Wheat Chex
• Wheaties - General Mills - "The Breakfast of Champions" - (1924-Present)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
