Ridiculous. It's one of many words that one could use to describe the recent comments made by Glenn Beck in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy that happened in Norway recently. The teenagers that were shot and killed were at camp sponsored by the left-leaning Labor Party of Norway. I'm sure that politics were one of many topics that the campers were in engaging in. Mr. Beck went as far as to compare this camp to the Hitler Youth. He went on stating, "Who does a camp for kids that's all about politics? Disturbing."
Funny, because when I was 17 years old I went to a camp all about politics. It was right here in the United States. It was called LeadAmerica. I learned about the U.S. campaign and election process, party politics, and visited the Capitol among other things. I met people my age from all around the country who, like me, were interested in politics and like to engage in a political forum. Given, LeadAmerica is not an organization that is sponsored by Republicans or Democrats, and many of the other National Youth Leadership organizations aren't either. But I definitely don't think that I was engaging in anything close to what the Hitler Youth were asked to do.
Besides, if the Democratic or Republican Party were to sponsor summer camps for teenagers to go to learn about government and the American political system, would that be such a bad thing? Would a camp even run by the Tea Party be damaging? I don't think that any of them would be. Yes, the teens would probably be given information that would have a slant that favored the party sponsoring the camp. But how is that different from someone listening to just Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity or Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow??
Glenn Beck's comments couldn't have been more insensitive. Norway is grieving from its worst national tragedy since World War II. The last thing they need is saying that their political system is troublesome and that they are corrupting their youth. Take a look around the country, Glenn, and you will see that we have political summer camps here too. Democrats and Republicans don't have their hands in them, but they are far from being 'disturbing.' Take it from someone who went to one not too long ago, and now has friends working at them. We turned out just fine.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Summer To Look Forward To
Summer has been relatively boring thus far. Not too much going on in terms of trips or going places. Mostly been just working and sleeping and lots of HBO during the day. However, it is not a life I am complaining about.
But now that it is June, summer is definitely going to start to get busy. I just started working as a Server at a small BYOB in Newtown (about 5 minutes from my house) called Palate. The food is DYNAMITE! Justin, the chef, has some really interesting dishes and uses really quality ingredients. Plus the staff there are really chill and easy going guys. Should be a great place to call work in the coming months.
Baseball is good. By that I mean that I have a plethora of games. Quality of those games... ehh... it's been hit and miss. Nevertheless, love to umpire and always love walking out on to the diamond every other day.
But the one thing that I am really looking forward to this summer is my vacation. First, taking a few days to go down to Sea Isle and stay with a buddy from college. That should be a blast. But the centerpiece is in August when I get to go on a Mediterranean cruise with the family. 12 nights equals pure awesomeness. Can't wait. I will be blogging every day from the ship so be on the lookout for those posts.
To end this unconventional blog post of mine, I leave you with some summer advice. Summer usually is the best time to travel, visit family, go to and host parties, and much more. Summers usually can get hectic to with all that running around. So whatever it is that you do this summer, set aside some time to just chill out and relax. Whether you are on the beach with a beer in your hand, out on the back porch with a bottle of red, or laying in a hammock with a good book, take that time to take in the pleasures of summer that you enjoy and create your own little paradise.
Happy Summer and Cheers!
But now that it is June, summer is definitely going to start to get busy. I just started working as a Server at a small BYOB in Newtown (about 5 minutes from my house) called Palate. The food is DYNAMITE! Justin, the chef, has some really interesting dishes and uses really quality ingredients. Plus the staff there are really chill and easy going guys. Should be a great place to call work in the coming months.
Baseball is good. By that I mean that I have a plethora of games. Quality of those games... ehh... it's been hit and miss. Nevertheless, love to umpire and always love walking out on to the diamond every other day.
But the one thing that I am really looking forward to this summer is my vacation. First, taking a few days to go down to Sea Isle and stay with a buddy from college. That should be a blast. But the centerpiece is in August when I get to go on a Mediterranean cruise with the family. 12 nights equals pure awesomeness. Can't wait. I will be blogging every day from the ship so be on the lookout for those posts.
To end this unconventional blog post of mine, I leave you with some summer advice. Summer usually is the best time to travel, visit family, go to and host parties, and much more. Summers usually can get hectic to with all that running around. So whatever it is that you do this summer, set aside some time to just chill out and relax. Whether you are on the beach with a beer in your hand, out on the back porch with a bottle of red, or laying in a hammock with a good book, take that time to take in the pleasures of summer that you enjoy and create your own little paradise.
Happy Summer and Cheers!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Four Great Years
Tomorrow will be two weeks since I graduated from college. During these past couple of weeks, I have had a lot of time to sit back and think about my four years of college. All the ups and all the downs, all of the great friends that I made, and all of the memories that I will have with me forever.
When I was preparing to leave to go to college almost four years ago, everyone kept telling me the same thing: "College is the best years of your life, treasure every moment of it." And boy were they right. From pulling all-nighters due to excessive procrastination, to getting loose on weekends with friends, there are some things that I will certainly miss about college.
Nothing compares to living on a college campus. It is a social environment that cannot be matched. For me personally, by my senior year I had about three close groups of friends. Each one of them was great in their own way and I always knew that I could hang out with them whenever. That friendly, welcoming spirit was one of the great things about Catholic University. And I can say with absolute certainty that I think the relationships I made with people will be what I miss most. I'm a social guy. I like being around people, I like hanging out, socializing, getting loose with buddies, and just enjoying a good laugh.
One of the greatest and most heartfelt speeches ever given was Jim Valvano's ESPY speech back in 1993. In that speech he said that you should know where you came from, where you are now, and where you're going in life. I can safely say that I am in a good place right now and I am prepared for my future and have goals in place, and it is all because of where I came from. From growing up and being raised by great parents, to spending four wonderful years with great people in a fantastic university community. To those people at Catholic University and to all of my CUA friends, thank you. You will all hold a special place when it comes time again in the future to look back and remember where I came from.
When I was preparing to leave to go to college almost four years ago, everyone kept telling me the same thing: "College is the best years of your life, treasure every moment of it." And boy were they right. From pulling all-nighters due to excessive procrastination, to getting loose on weekends with friends, there are some things that I will certainly miss about college.
Nothing compares to living on a college campus. It is a social environment that cannot be matched. For me personally, by my senior year I had about three close groups of friends. Each one of them was great in their own way and I always knew that I could hang out with them whenever. That friendly, welcoming spirit was one of the great things about Catholic University. And I can say with absolute certainty that I think the relationships I made with people will be what I miss most. I'm a social guy. I like being around people, I like hanging out, socializing, getting loose with buddies, and just enjoying a good laugh.
One of the greatest and most heartfelt speeches ever given was Jim Valvano's ESPY speech back in 1993. In that speech he said that you should know where you came from, where you are now, and where you're going in life. I can safely say that I am in a good place right now and I am prepared for my future and have goals in place, and it is all because of where I came from. From growing up and being raised by great parents, to spending four wonderful years with great people in a fantastic university community. To those people at Catholic University and to all of my CUA friends, thank you. You will all hold a special place when it comes time again in the future to look back and remember where I came from.
Monday, May 2, 2011
A Night I Will Never Forget
I saw that my friends were partying on campus and decided that I had to go be with everyone. I tried to get the DC Metro but it was closed. I found a few people I knew from school who were in Silver Spring at the time and we decided to hop a cab and go where everyone else was going: the White House. I got out of the cab on 16th St. about three blocks north of the White House and just ran to be in the crowds. I found my friends and dozens of other people from school who had made the journey to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The scene at the White House last night was one I will never forget. People were climbing light poles, waving American flags, sitting on each other's shoulders and cheering. I can't tell you how many times I sang God Bless America, The Star Spangled Banner, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, or chanted USA! USA! USA!. I pretty much lost my voice. But it was worth it to celebrate the triumph of the United States in finally killing someone who was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in America and throughout the world. Eventually the Secret Service broke up the crowd a little bit because some idiot thought it was a good idea to jump the White House fence. But other than that one incident, the impromptu rally was peaceful and everyone was just so overcome with joy and happiness. For some, I'm sure the moment was a bittersweet too.
Last night was yet another example of how great America is. Our military is the best in the world, our leaders are vigilant, and the American people are the best. Every day I am proud to be an American, and live in country where I know that I am free. But last night brought my American spirit to a whole new level, just being in that crowd. I will forever remember the night of May 1st and the early morning hours of May 2, 2011. I will remember singing, cheering, and relishing a tremendous moment. But most of all, I will remember being with close friends and celebrating what it means to live in this great country.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
First Game of the Year
First off, apologies to my loyal readers for not posting anything for quite a while. The last week and a half has been crazy busy.
Today was my first baseball game of the year... umpiring that it is. And boy did it feel great. And boy was it evident that I hadn't seen pitches in months.
Since it was my first game of the year, I really wanted to do the plate. I hate doing the bases in the first place, unless its 100 degrees outside, then I don't mind not wearing all the protective gear. Doing the plate, you have more control of the game. It allows you to establish a rhythm and it keeps you locked in the whole time. Even if its a blowout, you are locked in because the next pitch is just a few seconds away.
The game itself was terrible. It was a high school JV game between a team that can clearly play baseball and a team that doesn't care about playing baseball. After the first inning it was 10-0, 13-0 after 2, and 17-0 after 3. The game ended after 4 1/2 inning because of the 10-run rule. (Thank God...)
But for me it was good to finally strap on the mask and get back behind the plate again. I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be. My strike zone wasn't as consistent as I had hoped it would be. I rung up a kid on strike three on a pitch that was about 4 inches below his knee. I knew it as soon I called it a strike that I shouldn't have. Other than that I thought I was pretty good, all things considered. Need a few more games behind the plate to get to where I want to be. I was a little jumpy back there with balls in the dirt, partly because I hadn't seen pitches in months and it's hard to trust a JV catcher to protect you.
It was great to get back out on the field again. I have two games tomorrow, two on Saturday, and one more on Monday. Should be a great weekend. I just hope that I have some more competitive games than I did today. Umpiring a close game behind the plate just takes you to a whole other level of focus and intensity. That probably won't happen until the summer but it's certainly something to hope for this weekend.
Needless to say, I wish I didn't have to go back down to school on Tuesday.
Today was my first baseball game of the year... umpiring that it is. And boy did it feel great. And boy was it evident that I hadn't seen pitches in months.
Since it was my first game of the year, I really wanted to do the plate. I hate doing the bases in the first place, unless its 100 degrees outside, then I don't mind not wearing all the protective gear. Doing the plate, you have more control of the game. It allows you to establish a rhythm and it keeps you locked in the whole time. Even if its a blowout, you are locked in because the next pitch is just a few seconds away.
The game itself was terrible. It was a high school JV game between a team that can clearly play baseball and a team that doesn't care about playing baseball. After the first inning it was 10-0, 13-0 after 2, and 17-0 after 3. The game ended after 4 1/2 inning because of the 10-run rule. (Thank God...)
But for me it was good to finally strap on the mask and get back behind the plate again. I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be. My strike zone wasn't as consistent as I had hoped it would be. I rung up a kid on strike three on a pitch that was about 4 inches below his knee. I knew it as soon I called it a strike that I shouldn't have. Other than that I thought I was pretty good, all things considered. Need a few more games behind the plate to get to where I want to be. I was a little jumpy back there with balls in the dirt, partly because I hadn't seen pitches in months and it's hard to trust a JV catcher to protect you.
It was great to get back out on the field again. I have two games tomorrow, two on Saturday, and one more on Monday. Should be a great weekend. I just hope that I have some more competitive games than I did today. Umpiring a close game behind the plate just takes you to a whole other level of focus and intensity. That probably won't happen until the summer but it's certainly something to hope for this weekend.
Needless to say, I wish I didn't have to go back down to school on Tuesday.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I Walk For My Grandmother
Currently, I am at the Catholic University Relay For Life. For weeks, students all around campus have been raising money to help support research aimed at ending the terrible disease known as cancer.. I would say, for the most part, that everyone is walking the relay in honor of someone they know who lost their batter with cancer. As for me, I walk for my grandmother or as I call her, MomMom.
She lost her battle with cancer on December 25th, 2003. Yes, Christmas Day. There is not a worse feeling than waking up, opening presents with your family, and then getting a call around 10:30am from your Aunt with the dreadful news. My grandmother had been battling colon cancer for over a year and it was literally eating away at her both mentally and physically. She spent a great deal of time at my house and just watching her slow deterioration was painful for me. She was a fantastic woman, and it was awful to have her die on what she called "the most holy and sacred day of the year."
I have never participated in Relay For Life in my four years of college until tonight. I really wish I had. It is a fantastic time, there is plenty of fun to be had, and a great deal of my good friends are here. I wish I had raised more money in support of the cause. I walk for my grandmother because she was a fantastic grandmother and I still miss her dearly. I don't want cancer to take another loved one away from me. That is why we all walk in this relay. I walk for my grandmother, who are you walking for?
She lost her battle with cancer on December 25th, 2003. Yes, Christmas Day. There is not a worse feeling than waking up, opening presents with your family, and then getting a call around 10:30am from your Aunt with the dreadful news. My grandmother had been battling colon cancer for over a year and it was literally eating away at her both mentally and physically. She spent a great deal of time at my house and just watching her slow deterioration was painful for me. She was a fantastic woman, and it was awful to have her die on what she called "the most holy and sacred day of the year."
I have never participated in Relay For Life in my four years of college until tonight. I really wish I had. It is a fantastic time, there is plenty of fun to be had, and a great deal of my good friends are here. I wish I had raised more money in support of the cause. I walk for my grandmother because she was a fantastic grandmother and I still miss her dearly. I don't want cancer to take another loved one away from me. That is why we all walk in this relay. I walk for my grandmother, who are you walking for?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
My Take on the NCAA Tournament
My bracket was shot to hell after the first day. I had one Final Four team eliminated the first day. It was shocker after shocker. Last year, there were upsets galore. This year, there were even more! This is only the third time since the modern tournament format was adopted in 1979 that no Number 1 seeds made the Final Four (1980 and 2006). There are some people who are ripping this Final Four because it is some kind of fluke, that teams like VCU and Butler have made it and got lucky; and the Dukes, Kansas', and Ohio States of the world are not in the Final Four and should be because they are overall better teams. A lot of college basketball experts, talk show radio hosts, and other talking heads believe that this is bad for the tournament. I Disagree!
First off, let's look at each team in brief....
Kentucky: A nationally recognized perennial power, which is rooted in tons of basketball tradition and always has high expectations every year. Is it surprising to see them come out of the bracket they were in? Possibly, but it definitely wasn't a shock. They started playing well at the right time.
UConn: This is a team that no one thought would do anything this year. In the big, bad Big East, no one thought that they would compete like they had in previous seasons. People mostly thought this because of their youth. Then they won the Maui Tournament behind some guy named Kemba. Then they put a string of wins together during the season and absolutely RAN through the Big East tournament. Again, they did it behind that Kemba guy. I picked them to go to the Final Four when the brackets were released (the only Final Four team I got right). People should not be shocked by this team. They are legit.
Butler: No one really has a problem with the UConn/Kentucky side of the bracket. The hate is on the other side of the bracket. I don't know why people have a problem with Butler being in the Final Four. In case anyone forgot, they lost to Duke last year in the title game by the slimmest of margins. Sure Gordon Heyward left, but a lot of the pieces from that team last year are on the team again this year. I shouldn't have doubted them in the first round against ODU. Let's embrace the fact that Cinderella has come back to the dance.
VCU: This is the big one. No one, and I mean NO ONE thought VCU would make it this far. NO ONE. If you did, you are either a homer for VCU or you filled out your bracket while smoking the whacky tobacky. Many people thought they shouldn't even have been in the tournament. Then they just ran through the tournament and have won their games by an average of 12 points per game so far, including a beat down of one of the tournament favorites, Kansas. It's not often that we see two Cinderellas are dancing on nearly empty dance floor. VCU has that hardcore underdog mentality, which is the driving force behind their success in this tournament.
The question that everyone is asking is 'Is this good for college basketball?' I say aabsolutely. You are going to have either an 8 seed or an 11 seed in the National Championship going up against schools that have a great amount of tradition attached to them. David will play Goliath again and people will watch. Oh yes, people will watch. America loves the underdog and this year is no different. If Butler wins, then it will be the story of "The Comeback Kids," coming back for another shot. If VCU wins, it will be the story of "The Little Engine That Could," because no one thought that they could make it.
Enough prose, here are my predictions:
UConn over Kentucky
Butler over VCU
Butler over UConn.
Butler wins the National Championship because they can play defense and Brad Stevens has those guys incredibly focused. I think they will do just enough to slow down Kemba Walker.
Now, those predictions may be crazy, but isn't that what this tournament has been for the past two weeks? You really can't blame me.
First off, let's look at each team in brief....
Kentucky: A nationally recognized perennial power, which is rooted in tons of basketball tradition and always has high expectations every year. Is it surprising to see them come out of the bracket they were in? Possibly, but it definitely wasn't a shock. They started playing well at the right time.
UConn: This is a team that no one thought would do anything this year. In the big, bad Big East, no one thought that they would compete like they had in previous seasons. People mostly thought this because of their youth. Then they won the Maui Tournament behind some guy named Kemba. Then they put a string of wins together during the season and absolutely RAN through the Big East tournament. Again, they did it behind that Kemba guy. I picked them to go to the Final Four when the brackets were released (the only Final Four team I got right). People should not be shocked by this team. They are legit.
Butler: No one really has a problem with the UConn/Kentucky side of the bracket. The hate is on the other side of the bracket. I don't know why people have a problem with Butler being in the Final Four. In case anyone forgot, they lost to Duke last year in the title game by the slimmest of margins. Sure Gordon Heyward left, but a lot of the pieces from that team last year are on the team again this year. I shouldn't have doubted them in the first round against ODU. Let's embrace the fact that Cinderella has come back to the dance.
VCU: This is the big one. No one, and I mean NO ONE thought VCU would make it this far. NO ONE. If you did, you are either a homer for VCU or you filled out your bracket while smoking the whacky tobacky. Many people thought they shouldn't even have been in the tournament. Then they just ran through the tournament and have won their games by an average of 12 points per game so far, including a beat down of one of the tournament favorites, Kansas. It's not often that we see two Cinderellas are dancing on nearly empty dance floor. VCU has that hardcore underdog mentality, which is the driving force behind their success in this tournament.
The question that everyone is asking is 'Is this good for college basketball?' I say aabsolutely. You are going to have either an 8 seed or an 11 seed in the National Championship going up against schools that have a great amount of tradition attached to them. David will play Goliath again and people will watch. Oh yes, people will watch. America loves the underdog and this year is no different. If Butler wins, then it will be the story of "The Comeback Kids," coming back for another shot. If VCU wins, it will be the story of "The Little Engine That Could," because no one thought that they could make it.
Enough prose, here are my predictions:
UConn over Kentucky
Butler over VCU
Butler over UConn.
Butler wins the National Championship because they can play defense and Brad Stevens has those guys incredibly focused. I think they will do just enough to slow down Kemba Walker.
Now, those predictions may be crazy, but isn't that what this tournament has been for the past two weeks? You really can't blame me.
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