Monkey's rampage. Baseball superstars take performance enhancing drugs. Haiku for you, and me too. Can we really bail out the auto industry, again? No - no we can not, they too must fail now. What if the stimulus doesn't work? Well, what if? Here's what if. We didn't have it last week and Friday still came. Pelosi didn't put an earmark about mice in there and Reid IS riding a train from Disney Land to Vegas. As far as I'm concerned, increasing ways to get to Las Vegas is always a good thing. Who the hell wants to own a chimp anyways? The NY Post cartoon was way off base, but if you believe for a second that a newspaper such as the post would intentionally degrade the President of the United States, than you are probably wrong...or maybe you're right. Isn't the power of a free press kind of cool? Derek Jeter is cool. Alex Rodriguez is a fool, and there isn't a chance in hell Big Papi is on steroids. Unless, of course, steroids are in corndogs. Why don't steroids exist more in the Northeast? The Carbon footprint of Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3 for those from the old school) is something beyond reproach. It has to be there with the worst coal fired plant in America...who the hell still uses coal? February is the shortest month in days, but I'll be damned if it doesn't feel like the longest month in time. Lost needs to start providing some answers...seriously. The show with the nerds is damn funny, which is ironic for me and my total lack of understanding of math, science or NYC. Bring back Mike Wallace, Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow and get rid of that feel-good crap 60minutes is running...whatever happened to the real reporting? Real news is lost, forever stolen by the world of the blog, providing an avenue for every tool with a keyboard, an Internet connection and a lucid - or not - thought they believe the world wants to read. Wait, I'm guilty.
CV
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Hockey Outdoors - But, First...
It's a cold, windy New Year's Day in surprisingly sunny Hartford, Connecticut. With not much to do, me, the laptop, a good book (The Last Campaign: Robert Kennedy and 82 Days that Inspired America) and the 2008 purchase: 42-HDTV are relaxing. I actually had the earplugs in, listening to some Gordon Lightfoot and writing a letter for work when I glanced up and noticed the NHL Winter Classic is on...a couple of notes:
1. Outdoor hockey at Wrigley Field looks pretty cool;
2. I'm not a big fan of NHL Hockey - I think it has a place in American sports, I just think it's marketed poorly and it doesn't focus on it's strengths but tries to be all things to all people
3. My first job out of college was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a real life NHL team, but even without that, I'm well aware that the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Chicago Blackhawks is a good rivalry and a good game to watch...anyways, more entertaining than Michigan State and Georgia at Bowl Game to be named later.
However, what I saw a minute ago really raised my ire, caused me to take out my ear phones, turn up the television and pay close attention: the singing of the National Anthem and the crowds reaction.
As some gentleman I've never seen before, or heard before, began singing (quite nicely I might add - very operatic) I noticed the crowd was clapping, singing, dancing and cheering the entire time. Waving the flag and generally celebrating the National Anthem --- almost to a Man. It was an absolutely tremendous sight, and then it dawned on me...yes!! Celebrate the National Anthem! Do you think Francis Scott Key was stoic while watching the "bombs...in air"? Hell no, he was happy as shit that his ass wasn't blowing up too - and - you can be damn sure when it was all said and done and he penned the now famous poem, that he was celebrating quite significantly, not being stoic.
It's possible to be reflective and loudly emotional at the same time. I will admit, watching the crowd react that way gave me chills and caused my eyes to well-up. What a tremendous thought -- celebrate with your whole being for the 2 1/2 minutes that song plays out of the pride and tremendous joy of being an American, or being in America, who, in spite of all of her frailty, is still the greatest country on earth.
Happy New Year
1. Outdoor hockey at Wrigley Field looks pretty cool;
2. I'm not a big fan of NHL Hockey - I think it has a place in American sports, I just think it's marketed poorly and it doesn't focus on it's strengths but tries to be all things to all people
3. My first job out of college was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a real life NHL team, but even without that, I'm well aware that the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Chicago Blackhawks is a good rivalry and a good game to watch...anyways, more entertaining than Michigan State and Georgia at Bowl Game to be named later.
However, what I saw a minute ago really raised my ire, caused me to take out my ear phones, turn up the television and pay close attention: the singing of the National Anthem and the crowds reaction.
As some gentleman I've never seen before, or heard before, began singing (quite nicely I might add - very operatic) I noticed the crowd was clapping, singing, dancing and cheering the entire time. Waving the flag and generally celebrating the National Anthem --- almost to a Man. It was an absolutely tremendous sight, and then it dawned on me...yes!! Celebrate the National Anthem! Do you think Francis Scott Key was stoic while watching the "bombs...in air"? Hell no, he was happy as shit that his ass wasn't blowing up too - and - you can be damn sure when it was all said and done and he penned the now famous poem, that he was celebrating quite significantly, not being stoic.
It's possible to be reflective and loudly emotional at the same time. I will admit, watching the crowd react that way gave me chills and caused my eyes to well-up. What a tremendous thought -- celebrate with your whole being for the 2 1/2 minutes that song plays out of the pride and tremendous joy of being an American, or being in America, who, in spite of all of her frailty, is still the greatest country on earth.
Happy New Year
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