STICK THIS IN YOUR HOPPER!

The End of Days: A Look Into My September Horoscope

2009-09-06T21:16:00.005-04:00

I'm not a big believer in horoscopes and astrology. My mother, on the other hand, has been a believer for ages. She is a big fan of Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado (pic to the right). My girlfriend just recently sent me a link to a different astrologer named Susan Miller. Apparently, Ms. Miller believes that September will be the month, for most, that the shit REALLY hits the fan!

Miller starts out my horoscope, I'm a Scorpio by the way, with this lovely message:
"This will be one of those crazy months, when Murphy's Law will prevail...You will need to check all your assumptions to be sure you are being realistic. Sometime during the month, you will be given information you did not have before, and when it comes it may shock or surprise you, but even so, it is the way the universe will work to protect you. You will also have an opportunity to help others, and it appears you will be more than ready to do so."

Part of the problem, as Ms. Miller states, is Mercury is in retrograde from September 7th to the 29th. After asking around, Mercury being in retrograde is a bad time for deals to be closed, electronics to be purchased, and other stuff. As Ms. Miller so eloquently puts it later in her blog, "If Mercury retrograde were the only glitch that happens with September, it would be fairly easy to navigate, but it is not." OH BOY!!!

She goes on to say, "Complications will crop up from September 15 to 23 due to some very turbulent planetary storms that are about to blow through all our lives...Usually aspects like these, taken individually, aren't so hard to deal with, but they will all come at each of us at once within one time period, September 15 to 23. It will be a somber time, when the universe will remind you several times that you need to stay objective and realistic in all things, but especially matters of love and friendship. That is never easy to do, for these are highly emotional areas of life."

Don't stop there Miller! LAY IT ON ME!!! "Your hardest day of the month - possibly of the year - will arrive September 17...a potentially depressing day, when you have to accept certain realities whether you want to or not. This will happen in your friendship house." Okay now! Let's not get too harsh! Let's take it back a little! Drop it down a couple notches, please!

"Concerning your career, you may be a bit frightened by what happens during this rocky week, especially near September 17." I thought I said let's turn the serious knob down a bit?!? "Even though you seem rocked by a professional episode that hits you broadside near this date of September 17, you seem to be able to make some excellent decisions about it, and recover quite nicely." Alrighty then! That's a little more like it!

Ms. Miller ends her missive by saying "As said earlier, this will be a month where reality is brought to each of us full force, only in different parts of our lives. It's a time to let go of false hopes and see things as they really are, dear Scorpio. In that sense, although September will have its moments, by month's end you'll be able to put your life on a firmer ground and to secure your future happiness."

To sum it up, from Sept. 15th - about the 23rd will be nothing but downers. I guess I should crawl under a rock and hide low for a week until this all blows over. This reminds me of a time when I was in a gang called the "Dapper Dukes." We got into a scrap with one of the other gangs "Dancing Nancies," and we ended up putting a hurt on one of their guys REAL BAD! Needless to say, we had to lay low for a couple weeks until it blew over. We took refuge in an old abandoned warehouse by the river. That warehouse is looking pretty good for the month of September!

You can check out my full horoscope, as well as yours, at Susan Miller's Astrology Zone

Anderson Cooper Vs. Dylan McDermott

2009-08-30T22:36:00.004-04:00

A friend of mine, Ethan, posted a blog sometime ago about the "10 Coolest Guys on the Planet." I agreed with some of his picks such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Clint Eastwood, but I couldn't help but disagree with #2 Dylan McDermott. I questioned Ethan about it asking him why he thought so highly of Mr. McDermott when he hasn't done anything of significant importance in his career besides playing Julia Roberts' love interest in "My Best Friend's Wedding." Ethan disagreed with me and so he chose to pay homage to McDermott on another one of his blogs: Dylan McDermott (How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Count The Ways)

I mentioned some other "cooler" guys on the planet such as Christian Bale or Anderson Cooper. Ethan chose to scoff at Anderson Cooper as a solid choice because he was unaware of Mr. Cooper's attributes. First off, Cooper is the lead anchor on CNN's primetime 10pm News show "Anderson Cooper 360." He was originally at he 7pm time slot which is the "bitch" time slot in Cable news. Cooper earned the premier 10pm time slot after his gripping coverage during Hurricane Katrina increased his ratings and his nationwide celebrity. He was not afraid to ask the tough questions to politicians as seen here:

He is the son of writer Wyatt Emery Cooper and famous designer Gloria Vanderbilt. Anderson has had his fair share of tragedy in his life as his father died when he was 10 years old. He also suffered another tragic loss at age 20 when his older brother Carter committed suicide. You would think that being the son of a Vanderbilt, Anderson would just lay back and live off the fortunes of his mother (much like the Hilton's), but Anderson didn't want to take that route. He wanted to earn his living! He wanted to get into news and couldn't get his foot in the door anywhere. He decided to make his own break and joined a small time news agency called "Channel One." Cooper was ever so ballsy back then wanting to report from the frontlines of such places such as Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda. To show you how determined he was to get a story, he one time forged a press pass to get into Myanmar and interviewed Burmese students fighting with the government.

You can check out the rest of his bio on Wikipedia:Anderson Cooper

When Anderson is not reporting on the news and other world affairs, he's commenting on entertainment while on his own show or while covering for Regis on "Live with Regis and Kelly."

And more recently, he's commented on so-called celebrity do-nothing Heidi Montag and her "performance" at the Miss Universe pageant.

All this, and I haven't even mentioned that men and women alike think Anderson is a "silver fox," which means he's a hottie with grey hair! Dylan McDermott is a thing of the past. Anderson Cooper is the present and future of male coolness!

Fall TV Doesn't Look Promising

2009-08-29T23:01:00.005-04:00

I was walking down the street in Manhattan the other day and couldn't help but notice a couple of ads for the Fall Television line-up. Most noticeably were one for ABC's "Cougartown" starring Courtney Cox Arquette, and the other being "NCIS: Los Angeles" starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J. Yeah, you read that right...LL COOL J!

I'll start with "Cougartown," which is supposed to be Courtney Cox Arquette's comeback after "Friends." She's getting back into comedy as an 40 something single mom looking for some action. ABC's sell is "Can a woman of a certain age be a mom, a successful career woman and still on the prowl? Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox) is about to give it a try in Cougar Town—the comedy that dares to tell the truth about dating after divorce.

Honestly, this show looks like it's gonna suck BIG TIME! It seems formulaic and trying to ride the coattails of "Sex and the City" mixed with being a cougar mom. I wouldn't be surprised if this was cancelled within the first four weeks.

Now let's get to NCIS: Los Angeles. If they were going to pick any two guys to head up this show they had to pick this guy:
And this guy:
I guess LL Cool J makes sense. Hey! If it worked for Ice-T on "Law and Order," it can work for LL. He can come across as a bad ass. I just think it's funny how the pitch meeting must have went down.

Exec #1: Okay, so here's the idea...we're gonna spin off NCIS just like CSI spun off into Miami and New York. We're gonna have it in Los Angeles. Who can we get that will be smart, bad ass, and witty?

Exec #2: Well, I just finished watching "The Bachelor" and I think Chris O'Donnell would be a great add to the show!

Exec #1: Yeah! I jus saw him in "Scent of a Woman" and thought that might be a good idea. Now what about his partner? We need someone who can draw the urban market and also look like the tough guy. I was thinking since Ice-T did such a great job in crossing over to TV, let's go with a rapper. How about Easy E?

Exec #2: He's dead.

Exec #1: Snoopy Dogg?

Exec #2: It's Snoop Dogg and he's committed to other things.

Exec #1: Like what!? This is CBS dammit!

Exec#2: Getting high.

Exec#1: Good point! How about LL Cool J?

Exec#2: PERFECT! It'll be the new Miami Vice only in Los Angeles!

I'm telling you that's probably how the pitch meeting went. Then they put a gun in O'Donnell's hand to make him look "tougher."

The shows that I'm looking forward to this season are Fox's "Fringe." If you haven't checked this show out last year, it's AWESOME! It's created by JJ Abrams and is about a group of investigators that try and look into paranormal crimes. If you watch the pilot alone, you're going to think it's rather cheesy, which at times it is, but it's good cheese! Joshua Jackson's dad is the best on the show! He best be nominated for an Emmy!

Besides my regular shows of interest, "24" and "Lost," I'm looking forward to seeing a new show on ABC called "FlashForward." The first episode of the series was written by David S. Goyer who has helped write some of the best comicbook movies in recent time such as the "Blade" series of movies, and most notably "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight." The plot is rather interesting and is right up there with recent sci-fi shows that like to leave a lot of questions unanswered.

Lastly, I'm hoping that NBC's "Heroes" can find it's way back to its roots because last season sucked BIG TIME! I didn't even care to watch the last couple of episodes because they build up was just not there for me.

Becoming a Father

2009-08-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

At around 10pm, I'm startled to find out that "it's time." My girlfriend Jorli tells me that she believes her water broke as she lays beside me on the couch. After taking some childbirth classes, we knew we had sometime to gather our things and take our time before heading to the hospital. What I didn't know was the emotions that would soon develop for the experience of childbirth and being a father.

As soon as I heard the news of Jorli's water breaking I became excited. More excited than when I first heard she was pregnant and more excited than seeing the first sonogram. I guess the eternal pessimist inside me didn't believe this could truly be happening until it actually WAS happening. As I spoke to Jor about our next steps in preparation for the hospital, I began to get lightheaded. I guess the excitement began to overtake me and I realized I needed to calm down as I was in no shape to drive Jorli to the hospital. I took two aspirins to settle me down and we continued getting ready. About 45 minutes after her water initially broke, we were already on our way to the hospital.

During our drive to the hospital, I began to think about the father I wanted to be. I thought about my father and all he did in bringing me up. I also thought about all the wrongdoings that my father still manages to accomplish. All in all, he did a good job of raising me, but there was always something that he could have done better. This led me to think about what I would possibly do in my child's life to let him down. I have a tendency of showing up late to things, would I be late to his little league games or a recital? Would I disappoint him by not going on a rollercoaster with him since I'm deathly afraid of them?

During labor and delivery, I was swept with another set of emotions. At the moment my baby boy, Mateo, was born, I had tears in my eyes. The thought that I had created life and now I get to shape his life was a great delight and joy for me to conceive. To have a product of love with a partner that you love and care for is a big deal. It was touching to see little Mateo healthy and happy in the arms of Jorli. It definitely goes without saying that children are definitely a gift from God!

I came to two conclusions after delivery. First, that I would probably find one way or another to disappoint him, but if found a way to keep those disappointments to a minimum, and continue to show him my love, things will come out alright. Secondly, there are different times in a man's life that define him, that you learn a life lesson, a moment in which you realize that you indeed have become a man. It took me 28 years and a child to finally come to the realization that I have huge responsibilities to myself and my loved ones; none of them more serious than taking care of my child, Mateo. Friends continuously ask me "you're a father now! How do you feel?" My answer to them is "excited, overjoyed and ready for life's next big lesson!"

Bear Stories: Cleveland Reporter Not Smarter Than Yellow-Yellow

2009-08-12T22:42:00.002-04:00

In my continuing series on what bears are smarter than some people, a reporter in Cleveland seemingly had nothing better to than make a mockery of journalism (or his own personal pitch attempt to be on "The Onion News") by reporting on a bear sighting in a local neighborhood.

Check it out here:
WJW Fox 8 Cleveland Does a Ridiculous Story on a Bear in a Lady's Backyard

I STILL want to hire Yellow-Yellow...to maul people like this!

Town Hall Crazies: A Glimpse at Old Age

2009-08-12T22:21:00.002-04:00

With all the recent news about Town Hall's across America being held over the new healthcare debate, it's dawned upon me how mentally unstable old people are. I knew that senility was something that came along with old age, but I didn't expect it to come down to shouting and screaming about things that are probably inventions of a 6 year old.

If you don't know what I'm talking about or have been out of touch with this debate, catch up here:
"Jon Stewart Vs. Town Hall Crazies"

If you think that the "Huffington Post" and "The Daily Show" are a bit too "left-wing" for your tastes and need something a little more "neutral," feel free to YouTube videos of these Town Halls yo-yos! They make crazy look bad! They make up things like our government has become a socialist state, or claiming that tactics of this regime rival those of Nazi Germany. I've heard Glenn Beck say that Obama is looking for "reparations." This is completely nonsensical and I would only hope that actual elderly people across the country don't believe this is actually the case.

While some of this is funny, it is this type of right-wing propaganda that is tearing America apart, NOT healthcare reform!

I Want to Hire Yellow-Yellow!

2009-08-02T21:54:00.001-04:00

Recently, I was told about a news story regarding a "smarter than your average" bear in the Adirondacks. Now I've never been camping in the wilderness and have no idea that there are real life "Yogi Bear's" out there. Apparently, cannisters have been created to keep bears from breaking into cars or sneaking into tents to steal food. No other bears can break into them, except for a female bear named "Yellow-Yellow." Named after the two yellow marking tags on its ears, Yellow-Yellow is the only bear genius to break into these cans and steal food.

Now some think that she's figured out how to break into these cans to get food to her cubs. I have to admit, THAT'S SOME MOTIVATION! Most of the people I know wouldn't even bother trying to put up a fight with things of this nature, just like all the other bears in the wilderness. Think about yourselves at work and ask yourself if you have this type of motivation to say "FUCK YOU CAN! I'M GONNA TAKE THIS FOOD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!"

I think Yellow-Yellow is the best motivational guru evAr!

Check out the full story here:
Real-Life Yogi Bear Stealing From Hikers

Fun Facts About Tattoos

2009-06-14T00:25:00.000-04:00

Check this page out from Cracked.com

TATTOOS

It's some hilarious fun facts about Tattoos. ENJOY!

We're Not Laughing at You Anymore, Lindsay

2009-04-15T22:12:00.000-04:00

I used to criticize celebrities like Lindsay Lohan for living their lives in front of the tabloids as recklessly as they do. Sure, some celebrities don't have a choice regarding who follows them, or the frequency in which they are followed. This is the downside of being in the public eye. There are some celebrities that have a level of privacy by staying away from the limelight. You don't see Maggie Gyllenhaal or Matt Damon followed by the paparazzi like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears are. It's because they choose to live a more demure lifestyle. Can these modest celebrities hide from the camera's lens? Not really, but you just don't see them all over US Weekly like LiLo.

With that said, I can't help but feel sorry for Lindsay Lohan. I walked by the newsstand the other day and saw her on the cover with the headline "I Am So Alone." She's gone from public punching bag and punchline for all her gallivanting with her girlfriend, DJing, dalliances with boys, and trouble on-set to extremely troublesome and sad. One thing is to make fun of her for her stupidity and naivete regarding her life in the tabloids, but when her trainwreck of a life is now the leading story, it stops being entertaining, and starts being tragic. She's so confused about life and it's no help that her enabling mother doesn't care enough about her to set her straight. All mom sees is a meal-ticket, just like LiLo's pops.

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

A year or two ago, this video would have been funny. Now it's just sad. It's sad because the punchlines have become true and the joke's not on Lindsay's reckless ways, as much as it's about Lindsay's wrecked life. It's blatantly obvious that she needs to seek professional therapy. Not the kind that you see on VH1 with Dr. Drew, but the serious kind that happens behind closed doors. She also needs to get a grip on her life, as Britney began doing so a little over a year ago. The night's of clubbing and lounge-hopping need to be put to rest. Once she's of sound mind, Hollywood studios will be willing to take a chance on her and she can begin her comeback. I really hope she gets her shit together!

Lindsay, my prayers are with you!

The One Thing The Mets Are Missing

2009-04-14T14:46:00.000-04:00

As a Mets fan, it has become increasing frustrating that my favorite baseball team can't seem to win the games they need to. For the last two seasons, I, along with other stressed-out and heartbroken Mets fans, have witnessed the team collapse in September. It has come down to one game. ONE GAME!!! The last two years have come down to one game. I cannot stress this enough! If the Mets had turned one "L" into a "W," they would've been in the playoffs.

This brings me to Monday night's CitiField Home Opener. All the fans ask is for the team to bring it together to win one important game. Personally, I know that Opening Day is just one game in 162, but it is THE game that instills the most hope for the upcoming season amongst all the Mets fans in sold out CitiField, and around the world. For the Mets, it could have been the game to start on the long road of forgetting the last two years of break-downs and busts. Did they deliver? Nope. They fell short due to sloppy defense and a balk. We beat ourselves just as we have been the last two years. We continue being our own worst enemy!

In contrast, the Phillies lost their beloved, long-time announcer Harry Kalas on Monday before their game with the Nationals. I'm sure that they played with heavy hearts, and even they were able to deliver a win to their fans in time of grief and loss. Now I know what you're going to say, they played the lowly Nationals. Sure, they beat the only winless team in baseball, but the fact of the matter is they were still able to come together to deliver their fans a win. The Mets faced the lowly Nationals and Marlins for the past two September's and were unable to deliver playoff berths!

The bottom line is that the Mets can't continue playing the way they do. They need to play more like the "cardiac kids" they were in 2006. They need to play like no deficit was big enough for them to overcome! To quote Tug McGraw, they gotta believe! The Mets are missing the clutch performances necessary to deliver in must-win games! It has to start with being more aggressive and putting pressure on the opposition, and needs to continue throughout the year with believing that they are just as good, if not better, than the team they were in 2006.

You might not hear it on ESPN or on sports-talk radio, but every game the Mets are close to winning and lose due to sloppy play and failed execution, is a "must-win" game. Friday's game with the Marlins, in which they lost because they couldn't convert 14 runners LOB into runs, was a "must-win." Sunday and Monday's games, in which Murphy and Church caused errors that tilted the game into a Mets loss, were "must-win's." All I can think about is we fell short for two years in a row by ONE GAME. That's why these close games are all "must-wins" for the New York Mets!

Top 25 Worst Game Endings of All Time

2009-04-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Have you ever played a video game that you are so invested in that you've dedicated several hours of your life to completing? Have you ever played these games for days on end only to reach the end and then get disappointed with their epic-fail of an ending? I found this website, thanks to Digg, that puts most of these very forgettable game endings into one big list. While I don't necessarily agree with all of them, I do find it amusing.

See where your favorites landed here:
Top 25 Worst Game Endings of All Time

For more chuckles, I suggest reading the message board entries on the bottom of the page.

Enjoy!

Are You "In Treatment?"

2009-04-13T16:20:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a fresh show to watch that will drag you by the collar and take you on an intense ride of emotions, "In Treatment" on HBO is the show for you! "In Treatment" is a show that follows Dr. Paul Weston, a psychotherapist, as he treats four of his patients, and then attend his own therapy session. Paul is masterfully played by Gabriel Byrne, who helps deliver a strong, yet heavily flawed character to life. What I like about the show is that you see the parallel between the therapist/patient relationship through strong screenplay writing and powerful acting. The show is capable of drawing your interest within a matter of minutes through it's captivating cavalcade of characters and their emotions as they discover the true meaning behind their issues.

"In Treatment" is based upon the Israeli television show "Betipul." In fact, Season One is almost scene for scene the exact replica of the Israeli version. The American version is produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, the son of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The first season covered nine weeks of sessions on a Monday through Friday basis. Forty Eight episodes in total, with each day covering each character's session during the week. A unique and refreshing way of watching a dramatic series nowadays! The second season squeezes two episodes on Sunday and three on Monday.

Sunday we are introduced to Mia, who was formerly Paul's patient and blames him for her being single, and April, who is an architecture student at Pratt that recently discovered she has Stage 3 Lymphoma. On Monday's we meet Oliver, who is a 12 year old coping with the separation of his parents (who sometimes attend his therapy sessions), and Walter, a high powered CEO who is in control of his company yet losing control of his life. On Monday's we also get to sit in on Paul's own therapy sessions with his close friend and therapist, Gina, played by Dianne Wiest.

I can't say how great this show is! I highly recommend it if you are a fan of drama, great acting, and great writing! You can catch up with Season One of "In Treatment" on DVD, or you can jump right into Season Two currently showing on HBO Sunday and Monday nights.

Tony Hawk's Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-12T13:06:00.000-04:00

Check this link out:
Shred of Die Blog: Tony's Easter Egg Hunt

I think it's rather cool for Tony Hawk to do this, especially around the world!

Starscream Was Always a Dick!

2009-04-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Growing up on the "Transformers" cartoon, you get your first glimpse of one of the many real-life pricks that you will most likely encounter in your adult life. You might know someone that is self-absorbed, conniving, and untrustworthy. In "Transformers," I'm talking about none other than Starscream. For countless episodes, he's been trying to defeat the Autobots, but at the same time trying to one-up Megatron.

This blog, which was sent to me by a friend, drives this point home with classic examples from the classic "Transformers" cartoon:
Five Reasons Megatron Should Have Fired Starscream Years Ago

Enjoy!

A "Hills" Conundrum

2009-03-31T15:43:00.000-04:00

I can't stand watching "The Hills." It's a fact of life! The show is like no other because when I watch it, I feel like my life is withering away. Do I get entertainment because Audrina isn't sure about JustinBobby or whatever that tool's name is? Nope. Do I really care if Lauren and Heidi mend their friendship? Not really. It must be said that I've only watched two episodes, mostly in part because my girlfriend enjoys it. The other reason I know about it is from clip show's like "The Soup." My conundrum is based upon two characters. Lauren Conrad is the face of "The Hills" and therefore a main cause for my major loathing of this show. Spencer Pratt is the show's tool of all tools with his creepy, flesh colored beard (Thanks Soup!) and douchebag ways. Now here's my problem. I hate Lauren. Spencer hates Lauren. Does that make me cool with Spencer? No, not exactly because I hate his ass too!

I recently decided to follow Heidi and Spencer on Twitter (@heidimontag and @spencerpratt, respectively) because I just thought it'd be fun to see what type of lame shit they'd be up to and comment on it on my own Twitter account (@bigdaddycool). My first finding was one of Heidi's tweets regarding her flight plans. I shouldn't have been so surprised that she mentioned God so much because on the "Bio" part of her Twitter profiles she states "I Love Jesus!" Riggggghhhhtttt! Here's one of her tweets:

"yah my flight just got canceled!! guess its God's will to stay home and keep recording this album!!!!!!! im half way through"
- 8:41 PM Mar 22nd from web

My witty analysis of her situation:
"Heidi's flight was cancelled. She sez its God telling her to work on her album. I say its God planning her trip to 'Lost' island!"
- 10:22 PM Mar 22nd from txt

A couple day's later she wanted to know:
"what movie should i watch?"
- 12:34 AM Mar 28th from web

I decided to reply to Miss Heidi:
"@heidimontag You should watch a snuff film!"
- 12:54 AM Mar 28th from mobile web

Much to my chagrin, she did not reply to my retort. Alas, I will have to wait for another day to speak to her. Back to my problem!

So Lauren is practically the spokesperson of this lame show and Spencer is a tool. Who am I supposed to side with? Maybe I don't need to side with any of them! Maybe I just need to continue mocking all of them and continue hating all "Hills" fans. That's another thing I don't understand. Where they find so many fans? I turned on MTV this morning and to my surprise, they were running reruns of last nights "Hills Launch Party." For the couple of minutes I tuned in, I saw two unknown jackasses interview Lauren about Spencer Pratt. They asked her if she thinks Spencer is growing up. She said that all she knows is that he's growing a beard. I didn't think that was funny at all, in fact I thought it was lame. The audience on the other hand, thought it was the greatest comeback in the history of talking trash! I've witnessed rap battles. I've heard trash talking. This ranks nowhere near in comparison to what I saw on MTV!

I don't understand the pandemonium regarding this show. Maybe it's because I'm a guy. Maybe it's because I'm nowhere near the lifestyle of the Hills. Until this show is off the air, wasting the time of millions, I will continue mocking these assholes! This is the only way I will get my time back!

I Hate Ticketmaster!!!

2009-03-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

Ticketmaster must die! I don't understand how a venue like Giants Stadium in NY/NJ can sell out within a matter of minutes...MINUTES! I tried to by U2 tickets at 10am on Monday and they were already sold out. I've had my fair share of BS from Ticketmaster.com, but thought I would at least be able to score four crappy seats in the nose-bleeds. I would have been okay with that. Was I able to do that??? NOOOOO!

I sign on at 10am and they tell me that it will take 15 minutes POSSIBLY find tickets. If I click the "Back" button or "Refresh," I will then "lose my place in line." As I'm waiting for my "possible" tickets in 15 minutes, the time begins to change. It claims that I only have to wait 5 minutes. That then jumps to 7 minutes, and then up to 15 minutes or more! What gives Ticketmaster?!?!?

Sure, I understand that there are a lot of people clogging up the bandwidth. I can understand that. What I don't understand is after waiting "in line" patiently, I can't even score TWO tickets in the cheap seats! I went from looking for four ducats to two just to see if I would be able to find some seats. I couldn't even do that. Mind you, by this time, only seven minutes have passed by. By fifteen minutes, I wore down and figured I'd try StubHub!

Ticketmaster, you need to stop raping the public! All I wanted to do was enjoy one of my favorite bands in concert, and I played by the rules. I got cheated. I hate you, Ticketmaster!

Cheeky Bastard

2009-03-01T19:26:00.001-05:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is one of the most well-known museums in the world. While visiting the museum this past Saturday, I noticed this one piece that I needed to share with you because of it's creepiness. I didn't take down the name of it, nor did I get it's painter, but it can be found in the "American Wing" of the museum.

It is a portrait of a little kid, who looks like a smarmy lil fucker, holding his pet...squirrel??? Really??? Guess that was the norm back in the days. You have to admit there is something incredibly creepy about oil on canvas portrait's of kids from the 1800s. Maybe it's their large heads on small bodies? Maybe it's the idea that they can see you and are going to jump off the canvas to strangle you, or like this cheeky bastard, possibly pants you.

Just wanted to share this with you. Hopefully you'll enjoy it and be mystified by it just as I was. Enjoy!

Observations of the Presidential Address

2009-02-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

President Obama gave a "State of the Union"-like address Tuesday night from the halls of Congress. Overall, I think the speech was good, but I don't think he delivered a stern enough message to the GOPers. I was following Twitter to see what the techy part of the nation had to say about the speech. My findings were quite astonishing! It's becoming obvious to me that many people don't understand the gravity of the economic situation we face today.

Banks are failing and people don't truly know what that means. They don't understand the immense juggernaut that this housing/credit collapse truly is. Maybe it's because they believe God will lead us to salvation. Maybe it's because they think the amount this government is spending is audacious. Conservatives, like one that Twitter'd me during the Presidential Address, believes the answer is to "cut unnecessary spending [like] entitlement programs, and increase revenue after the economy bounces back." Stop spending until things get better and then we can raise cash? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't a "conservative" President take a surplus and make it a world-wide economic crisis? Profit doesn't become debt without spending! Now, did Bush create it all himself? No, but he was steering the ship when it started going down! He could have started the initiatives that conservatives are pining for today. Did he? Nope.

The truth of the matter is that it's rather late for a "wait and see" attitude. As our history proves, during times like the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, The Great Depression, it is government involvement that helps advance us to become a stronger nation. We needed to do something and Obama has delivered a myriad of new plans to attempt to tackle this out of control tsunami that is our economy, starting with a stimulus package. Is the package flawless? No, of course not. Is there inadequate spending programs in it? Most likely, but that's what politicians, Republicans and Democrats, do. They advance their own agendas. The fact of the matter is this stimulus package is the best idea to come around to face this problem head-on. This is not a "let's see what happens" idea. This isn't irresponsible spending. Like President Obama mentioned in his speech, this is about doing something to stop this crisis from getting worse. The plan is to stop Americans from losing more jobs; to stop Americans from losing their homes.

The time now is not for partisanship and personal political agendas. The time now is for working together to solve this problem. Everyone has a vested interest in this. Whether you have a 401k or have seen your house get foreclosed, this crisis has effected everyone. If it hasn't affected you, wait until this creeps into your life. Whether it's through a loved one losing a job, crime going up in your neighborhood, or not being able to pay your college tuition, this will find it's way into your life and then you will truly understand that "wait and see" is not the viable solution to this. Drastic times call for drastic measures! We need to slow down the financial juggernaut before we think about raising funds through taxes, controlled spending, and budget cuts. This will take time and patience, but this is a start.

The sign that people in American don't understand the complete severity of this situation is proven by none other than the GOPs rebuttal to Obama by Governor Bobby Jindal. First off, I don't like someone telling me their life story like their some backwoods yokel talking to young kids on Main Street, or like some modern day Mr. Rogers. His story about "arrest me sheriff" failed to show that the GOP understands what is at stake here. If Jindal and Palin are the best Republicans can throw at the nation to show they're "in tune" with the times, then I fully understand why they haven't come up with any scary good ideas to solve this jigsaw puzzle of an economy. Jindal believes, "Americans can do anything." Right now Americans can't afford their mortgage. Americans can't hold a job. Americans can't pay their bills, including health care. Jindal recommends to increase education, increase energy efficiency, increase drilling, increase health care, but don't spend anything to do it. He says that "Americans can do anything!" Well Gov. Jindal, America isn't the state of Louisiana, and America can't "increase...increase...increase" by waving Harry Potter's wand. We need to spend money to make money, but this time we need to do it responsibly. One thing Jindal had right was his belief that "when we pull together, there's no challenge we can't overcome." That is, WHEN we pull together!

I must say my favorite moment of President Obama's address was his nod to Ty'sheoma Bethea from Dylan, South Carolina. He mentioned a letter that she wrote to Congress to help students out for the future. She said, "we are not quitters." Obama used this as a segue to emphasize the importance of looking beyond partisan politics and start to focus on something bigger...patriotism. We are all Americans and need to act selflessly to preserve our way of life. Not for richer or poorer; not for Democrat or Republican agendas; but, for America.

Personally, I think it is rather disheartening to see how many conservative "Americans" mocked and ridiculed an American President's endless ambition to do what he believes is best for our nation. To take the heed from Ty'sheoma, we cannot quit on each other. We need to believe in coming together on common ground to do what is best for this nation. Until we do, we will not see resolution to this matter any time soon.

Twitter

2009-02-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

If you aren't on Twitter, what's wrong with you? If you don't know what it is, it is technically a "micro-blog" website. Pretty much you can mass text friends and the world what you're doing, what you're watching (I like watching Fringe) and much more. You can send messages, or "tweets" through the Twitter website and applications at no charge whatsoever. It's great for finding other people into things you're doing.

I used it to check up on NY Comic Con news and used it during last year's debates to tweet friends what my thoughts were.

For more info check it out here:
Twitter (Wikipedia)

Here's another link if you are new to Twitter:
Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners

Check my Twitter feed out at:
Steve's Twitter Page

Dear A-Rod

2009-02-11T23:02:00.001-05:00

Dear Alex Rodriguez,

I've never been a fan of yours. I've never admired you. I've never wanted you on my baseball team because you have the reputation of being a pariah. Of being a virus in the clubhouse and sometimes the camaraderie you have in a clubhouse is the X-Factor that makes good teams great. In a matter of days you went from the savior of the steroid era to the poster-boy of it. You were supposed to be the "clean one." The one that surpassed Hank Aaron's homerun record in an honest way. Instead, the question will always be if you truly deserve all your accolades.

With all this said, hearing that you lied about taking steroids over this past weekend didn't surprise me one bit. I expected it in fact. It's part of your M.O. If you weren't a cheat, you would have never tried to slap the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove during the 2004 ALCS. If you had dignity, you wouldn't have tried, or fathomed, such a bush league play. So the fact that you lied about taking steroids is not all that shocking to me.

What I must say IS shocking to me is the way you came out to Peter Gammons on Monday night, and admitted your steroid use during the 2001-2003 seasons. Did you have to tell us that you were on the juice for all that time? Not really. You could have just admitted to using in 2003, like the Sports Illustrated first reported. You decided to take another road. A road you have failed to take in the past. The honest one.

I wanted to say that as fan of baseball, as fan of "America's pastime," I can admire your "honesty." In an era where Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmiero won't admit to their past indiscretions, you owned up to it. You came out with more information than you needed to all to clear up your history in the game that has taken you from Washington Heights to fame and fortune. I say "honesty" because there probably are things you are still not fully disclosing, but it's okay. At least you've come forward with a semblance of honesty in order to repair you're already damaged iconic status.

I wanted to thank you for stopping the lies. For coming out to the fans of the NY Yankees, the fans of the baseball world, the kids that look up to you, the people that buy your jersey's, and telling them the truth. Hopefully, now that you have gotten this beast off your back, you can get back to creating the aforementioned camaraderie that creates champions, and do so in a clean way.

Sincerely,
Steven Pena
"Mets Fan and Die-Hard Baseball Enthusiast"

This is the Stupidity I Have to Deal With EVERYDAY!

2009-02-03T22:51:00.000-05:00

Check this out:
Dirty Elmo

First, I can't believe this is news. Second, this is the stupid shit I have to deal with every fuckin' day as a retail manager. I get morons like this come into the store complaining about menial shit like this everyday! What I don't understand is if the parents have such a problem with the toy saying, what they believe is, "Let's Have Sex," why in the world do they decide to REPEAT IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR TWO YEAR OLD!!! So dumb!

This makes me want to throw a fit! Like this:
Christian Bale Flips Out!

Basketball Coach Fired for Running Up the Score

2009-01-29T22:49:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon this article online where a Texas High School basketball coach was fired for running up the score of a game. The final score of the game was 100 - 0 and afterwards he commented to a local newspaper that he was not going to apologize for the final score of the game because his "girls played with honor and integrity."

Personally, I don't think the coach should have been fired. I don't think there's anything wrong with running up the score in the game of basketball. I don't see how any self-respecting coach can tell his team to "play less hard" or "take it easy" on an opponent. Should a coach play his bench players and rest his starters when he knows the game is out of reach? Sure. Should they leave the starters in to beat the other team into submission? I personally think that if that is the case, then that is definitely unsportsmanlike.

The other interesting thing about this story is that the school that was responsible for the 100 point blowout was a Christian High School. The school let the coach go and claimed the game was "shameful and an embarrassment." A spokesperson for the school also added, "this clearly
does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition."

My problem with this is, there is no way that you can't continue scoring in a game like basketball? Did you want the players to fake the rest of the game out of pity to the other team? Isn't that more embarrassing? I honestly think that the REAL embarrassment of this entire story is that the opposing team couldn't even score a basket!

Check the story out for yourselves here:
"Winning Coach In 100-0 B-Ball Game Fired"

Let me know what you think!

More Than Just 8 Years In The Making

2008-11-04T22:44:00.000-05:00

Today is Election Day. Every four years we take to our polling centers to vote. It's a personal joy for me because I understand the importance of having that right. My mother was an immigrant from Colombia almost 35 years ago. She gained US citizenship about eight years ago and it is a very meaningful process for her to partake in. It is for this reason, and for the fact that too many have struggled, fought and died for their right to vote, that I vote! Today, history will be made. You will probably see voter turnout like never before. You will also see history in either the form of the first black president in US history, or the first female Vice President. This is pretty powerful progress! There are still some generations alive to have witnessed the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. Let's also not forget women had no right to vote either. This is why this election is monumental. All I want to say to you, my friends, is to do your civic duty, and take part in history, by voting. Whether it's a Republican or a Democrat you vote for, know that your vote counts! Your voice needs to be heard! Don't think that your candidate has this in the bag, or that your candidate is done for. Things of this nature can always turn out surprising, as the last four years have shown, and the four years before that. Take time today to vote. Be part of history. Represent your candidate and your beliefs in the future of this country! If not that, vote to cancel out your friend's or your parent's vote, or vote with them! Vote for those who can't and with those who can. Vote for change because God knows we need it! Vote because in sme countries, you might not have the luxury. Vote for what is best for the land we call America! The land we call the United States! Vote for the place you now call home! The bottom line is...JUST VOTE!

My Day With Stan Lee and ComicCon Fun!

2008-04-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

I've heard stories of celebrity primadonnas. Celebs that are not grateful to the business or the people, the fans that gave them their notority. After having the pleasure to meet Stan Lee at this year's New York ComicCon, I can honestly say he is not one of those celebrities.

While volunteering at ComicCon, I had the opportunity to hang and meet with some really cool people. None cooler than Mr. Stan Lee. For those who don't know, Stan created some of the biggest comic icons such as Spider-man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the Silver Surfer, just to name a few. The man is as cool as the other side of the pillow. He takes times to sign autographs, take pictures, and listen to fan stories with the brightest smile. You would think a person would get tired of doing such things after years, but Stan Lee is not one of them.

This is a man that truly understands his craft. During an interview he was asked why characters he created 30 and 40 years ago still resonate with today's generation. His answer, ''comic books are todays modern fairy tales. Stories that tell morals, and touch everyone in one way or another." Stan truly does get it!

It was an honor and a privilege to spend half a day with stan and escort him around the convention. He's a down to earth type a guy and it was just awesome to see all the joy he brings to all his fans. Comic book fans could not pick a better person to idolize!

The rest of ComicCon was fun. Granted, I was working for the majority of the show, but I still found some time to have fun here and there. The best part of the weekend was to see so many comic book fans in one place. There were people dressed up as Storm Troopers, Catwoman, Superman, Supergirl, and Spider-man (Jose!) just to name a few. These guys were crazy or ridiculed for their penchant for fanaticism. No, on the contrary! They were heralded for their great costumes. Seeing the smiles on the faces of children and adults alike was a great experience! I'm privileged to share the experience with so many of my brethren.

The best part was recounting stories with other volunteers of their first comic book experiences. I was surprised how many people recollected childhood memories about a mother or a father buying them their first comic book and sharing those bonding experiences with their family. It was very emotional memories and things I totally forgot about. It was the type of stories that made me remember to call my father later, to talk to him and thank him for spending that time with me, sharing interests with me, and above all else, love me for the comic book nut that I am!

Opening Day

2008-04-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

The feeling is one of a kind. Riding on the 7 train about two hours before the first pitch. You're surrounded by fans, just like you, who have anticipated opening day since the end of the baseball season last year. Fans with vintage jerseys, scorecards in hand, and all kinds Mets paraphenalia on. I purposely chose to take the train for this reason; to meet, greet, and be surrounded by not only Mets fans, but by true fans of the greatest sport of all time.

Bet Big or Go Home

2008-01-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

I went to Atlantic City recently to stay at the Borgata Hotel & Casino. I usually get a comp'd night, but since I haven't been there in quite some time, I had to pay $59 a night. Not bad since their regular rooms start out at $250 a night. It much to my surprise that when I arrived there with my girlfriend, the desk clerk upgraded us to a suite for free. HOLY SHIT! If the Borgata wasn't fancy enough, their suites are just that...FREAKIN' SUITE!!! Big and spacious, there was a sofa in the room and a jaccuzzi and a walk in shower! Like I said, SUITE!

I like playing roulette whenever I gamble. I know that the odds seem to be against my odds, but I've always found it to be a time killer and thoroughly entertaining. I can drop $100 bucks down and make them last for at least an hour or two. Sometimes I'll be up. Sometimes I'll be down. Bottom line, it's better than dropping a Hundy on a slot machine in five minutes. While I'm sitting at this roulette table, I'm starting to get into what I like to call "the zone," when this douchebag who looks like he'll be a perfect fit for the VH1 show "Tool Academy" walks up to the table. This guy was drunk as a skunk and stumbling all over the place. He drops a couple hundred down and then starts staggering his chips all over the table. This guy was such a fucking idiot that he was upset with the dealer when she took his chips off 11 because it she called "no more bets." Nevermind the fact that the ball fell on 4, oh no! This motherfucker had to start fighing with the dealer because he WANTED 11. SHE JUST SAVED YOU SOME MONEY YOU FUCKIN' DOUCHER!!!

After that, he had to start imparting his wisdom to the table. I'm notorious for sticking around a table for awhile because I don't really bet big. I drop a $1 or $2 down on a couple numbers on the board. This guy had to tell me "if you're not going to bet big, go home!" Ten minutes after that "advice" was dropped on me, he was bounced from the table becaue he ran out of luck and money! Meanwhile, I hung around for about another hour after he left AND I was up $150 when I left!!!

Thanks for your advice Tool Academy! I'll enjoy spending your money for the next couple days!

Time to Eat

2007-12-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

So I was out on Saturday night with a couple of friends. We welcomed back one of our old friends who moved to San Diego. Pictures are probably to come but, after we hung out I went to a diner to grab some food. I know many people go out about town to have a fun time with friends and after they go out to grab a bite.

While at the diner I saw this sign:

As I saw this sign, while waiting very patiently for my food to arrive, all I could think of was
"HELLZ YEAH, MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

A Look Into Retail Insanity: Black Friday

2007-11-26T22:35:00.000-05:00

This time of the year is always cathartic to me. The holidays are probably the only time where family gets together and everyone seems to put a stop to everything else in their world. No more school, no work, just being with family. It seems as if the world just stops to take a deep breath.

As I was driving to my own Thanksgiving festivities, I passed by a mall and noticed it was closed. As I read the sign "Mall is Closed Today," it brought an ease and peace to me. I happen to work in retail, which gives me the alternative perspective on situations such as being closed for a holiday, and the flip side, Black Friday.

It's kind of sad to me that people don't take National Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas to be with family and just rest. Instead of just stopping for a day, they decide they want to go shopping, then they get upset when they go to the mall or store and find it closed. With all the everyday hustle and bustle of work, school, and other activities that keep you stressed, I don't seem to understand why people would go out on a day to relax just to get five bucks off a sweater.

It does bring me solice that most people do take the day to settle down. I know it's a few people that just can't stay still on holidays and needs to go take a walk and probably give up a few Benjamins to get a jump start on Black Friday, which is another American ritual that I don't seem to understand. I don't see the point in "Hey let me wake up at 3am to stand in a line for four hours in the cold to save a couple bucks on a TV, only to get into the store half an hour after they open and find out they sold out of the TV."

I just don't get it. Maybe I'm weird. Maybe I'm the insane one for not standing out in the cold. I don't seem to have "going out on Black Friday to shop" as one of my top priorities. A couple of years ago I went into a Best Buy at 6am and was looking around for stuff to buy and couldn't find one damn thing that woudl warrant me to be up at 6am in the morning. $4 DVDs? Nope. $30 Microwave? Not interested. Just nothing garnered my interest.

I believe it's my perception on the entire process. Since I work in retail, I understand the maddness that goes into prepping the first two hours of maddness, after that its just business as usual. I guess that's why I'm turned off to the entire process. It's like looking behind the curtain to find there is no wizard. Nothing special, just a regular day at the store...only a lot more people.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

2007-11-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

"From all the shit I want, all I want is music."
- "Music is My Hot, Hot Sex" by CSS

For the past couple days I've had a ton of random thoughts, all of which I wanted to blog about, but I haven't had the time to break out in blog. I thought the best way to do it is to just throw it out there in random thoughts. So here I go...

Last week I was at the DMV and I thought this was the one of the very few places that everyone has to go to. By everyone I mean every man, woman, no matter if they are black, white, rich, poor, they all have to go to this horrible pit of mismanagement and suffer the same wait, anxiety and attitude as everyone else in the world. While I hate being at the DMV because I end up being treated like shit from the scum that works there, I find a solice in it because no one can pass the buck at the DMV. Everyone gets treated like shit, equally.

To those who know me, it isn't breaking news that I work in retail as a manager. Sometimes I refer to myself as a "Retail Psychologist" beacuse I have to deal with most of people's personal problems when they come to return crap they don't have a receipt for. A word to the wise...SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS! Since I work in retail, the holiday season means something different to me than any other person. Usually it means family, presents, fun, coming close together, for me, it means madness. I have to see the insanity of buying gifts and the troubles of people being last minute shoppers and missing out on the "hot" items at 10am on Black Friday when they could've bought the same shit a week before and actually gotten their hands on a "Tickle Me Elmo," "Disney Camcorder," "Coral Reef Dora the Explorer" or whatever suits their kids' fancy. Dealing with all the holiday madness for the last five years might have put a damper on my holiday spirit and made me a grinch but this morning I woke up to hoiday music and couldn't help but be surprised at the fact I didn't want to chuck a shoe at the stereo for playing "Holly Jolly Christmas" or "Jingle Bell Rock." I think this is in most part thanks to my lovely girlfriend Jorli who helps keep me in check with the positive side of the holidays. I've never been one to be crazy about Christmas because of what I do, but I have a strong feeling this season it might be different.

Speaking of Christmas, I was reading the newspaper the other day and saw that the Mets are offering fans a chance to be part of sports history by allowing them to buy and inscribe their own personal message on a brick that will be placed in the new Mets home, CitiField. For $250 or more, you can get your own brick that will have your name and message on it and it will stand the test of time, or until they build the next stadium. As a die hard Mets fan, I want to take part in this but I'm not sure what I want the message to say. I want something smart and funny, and I don't want anything that someone else might put like "Yankees Suck!" I'm leaning towards "Still Trying to Forget Sept 07" or something equally as smarmy. I'm open to suggestions!

I recently saw "30 Days of Night." While I don't think of myself as an avid horror fan, I can respect the genre and I must say that the movie kicked ass! My friend Myriam said it was much better than "Saw 4" which I don't want to see because I've seen it three times before and I've heard the new one sucks anyways.

I've been a big fan of the TV Show "Heroes" for a while and I just finished an article on EntertainmentWeekly.com that the show's creator Tim Kring wants to apologize for the second season sucking so much. Honestly, I don't think they sucked. I think more of a sophomore slump. The originial fans won't ever get the same feelings they had when the first jumped on board. I don't think any show can duplicate that. Sure, the second season has had its issues with being a bit slow, but I guess I can understand plot development as an amateur writer. People want suspense and action. Kring promises more of that for the future, that is if the Writers and Producers settle this whole work stoppage thing.

I'm pretty stoked after deciding to go to WrestleMania in March. It will be in Orlando this year at the Citrus Bowl. As a wrestling fan since 1988 (I was 8 years old) and never been able to go to the Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling, I am very excited to say the least. I'm planning on going with some friends from work. Haven't decided if we want to make it a road trip or just fly there. Maybe the it'll come soon to us.

That's pretty much it for right now. I'm sure I'll have more later. Adios for now!

Fiona for a Friend

2007-10-19T22:31:00.000-04:00

The early cars
Already are
Drawing deep breaths past my door
And last night's phrases
Sick with lack of basis
Are still writhing on my floor

And it doesn't seem fair
That your wicked words should work
In holding me down
No, it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round

Conversation once colored by esteem
Became dialogue as a diagram of a play for blood
Took a vacation, my palate got clean
Now I could taste your agenda
While you're spitting your cud

And it doesn't make sense
I should fall for the kingcraft of a meritless crown
No, it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round

This is not about love
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out

This is not about love
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache

What is this posture
I have to stare at
That's what he said when I'm sittin' up straight
Change the name of the game 'cause he lost
And he knew he was wrong but he knew it too late
But I'm not being fair
'Cause I chose to listen to that filthy mouth
But I'd like to choose right
Take all the things that I've said that he stole
Put 'em in a sack
Swing 'em over my shoulder
Turn on my heels
Step out of this sight
Try to live in a lovelier life

This is not about love
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I cant stop falling out

This is not about love
'Cause I am not in love
In fact i cant stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache

"Not About Love"
by Fiona Apple

MS Internet Explorer Sucks Ass!

2007-09-27T22:30:00.000-04:00

I am so pissed right now. I just wrapped up a nice blog about how 50 Cent vs. Kanye West moved an industry and solidified a new way of Music Marketing, but as I was putting the finishing touches on the fucking thing, Internet Explorer goes down and now none of it was saved and truly, I don't feel like writing the shit all over again.

Fuck you Bill Gates! Fuck IE! Go fuck a goat! Fuck Halo 3...YEAH I SAID IT!

Oh and while I'm at it. Fuck you Steve Jobs for coming up with that God awful iPhone! Like a thief in the night you fuckin robbed thousands! Thank you for the iPod touch, but you can still GO FUCK YOURSELF!

You know who else can fuck a goat? Mike and the Maddog! For those outside the New York area, Mike and the Maddog are a radio duo that talk about sports. They're poppin shit about the Mets and how they suck. Now I can't disagree with them at all because the Mets are SHITTING THE BED right now. What I have a disagreement with is their belief that just because Mets Manager Willie Randolph has been to 10 World Series' and took the Mets to the playoffs last year, it gives him a pass for fucking up this season. Let me make this PERFECTLY clear right now to all Baseball Fans...FUCK WILLIE RANDOLPH AND HIS LACK OF LEADERSHIP! If he blows this one, its his fuckin fault. Not Pedro, not Wright, Not Reyes, Not Beltran, Not Peterson, ONLY FUCKIN WILLIE "STILL WEARIN YANKEE PINSTRIPES" RANDOLPH.

Randolph...you can fuck a goat too!

Thank you for your time and may you all have a good day!

= - )

Steve-O Answers Womens Questions from iVillage

2007-08-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

The following question comes from an article on iVillage.com. If you want the REAL answers to the question, go there. Here's my version of it...

"If a guy calls me and I don't call him back within a few hours or the same day, will he think I'm not interested?"

FUCK YEAH! I know that if I tried calling a chick that I thought I was digging after a pretty awesome date or meeting up with her (at the library), and she didn't call me back that same day, she's probably not interested. Furthermore, I'm not the type to go chasing her because then you just look stalkerish. Now I have no problem looking stalkerish, (tell that story later) but with a chick that I barely know and want to get to know better...she best pickup the phone! I mean COME ON NOW! Why wouldn't you call back?

Some guys responded to this asinine question and here's what "Douchebag" from San Diego said:

"Guys are more relaxed on the timing thing and phone calls. As long as we get a call back within a "reasonable" amount of time (1-2 days), then it's cool."

YEAH! WHATEVER FUCK-O! This douche is probably at home with his hand lotion thinking about the chick he called five days ago and STILL waiting for her to call back! Keep waiting Fuck-O!!! Just don't hold your breath!

Ladies, don't fall for that "hard to get" shit. If you're into a guy, call him back!

Killing for Thrills?: Thoughts on the Harry Potter Series

2007-07-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

I must warn all of you now that I have not read ANY of the Harry Potter books, and even after I read them all, I'll probably feel the same way...
Also, there will be no spoilers in this blog. Spoiling things of this nature is for the unrighteous!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I've heard a lot about the new Harry Potter book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Most of what I've heard are about the shocking deaths that occur in the book. As a person from the outside looking in, my question is, are all these deaths necessary??? What's the point of throwing away beloved characters for the needless advancement of a character that is already well established?

It will be difficult to prove my point without the specifc examples (not given beacuse I'm no spoiler), but I hope Potter fans can follow along. Most of the deaths in all the Potter books are at the hands of the ""You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "The Dark Lord." From the first book, released in 1997, we get a good idea that he's pretty much one of the top villains in recent pop culture history. For the last ten years, author J.K. Rowling has shown us how evil this Voldemort actually is. From the first book where you find out he killed Harry's parents, to the recent one, where he just has no compassion or remorse for anyone...including...well...you know...

I've heard from Harry Potter fans that the last couple of books have been the most gruesome in terms of death count. The same people have told me that "Deathly Hallows" takes the cake. As a writer by hobby, I am very familiar with the idea of character development. This is the process of conveying information about a character, or characters, by their actions, dialect, and thoughts, as well as description. The information that we get about Lord Voldemort is that he has a penchant for the annihilation of good. He is the characterization of evil, as is implied by his willingness to strike down a defenseless baby Harry; which is an example of Indirect or Implicit Characterization. This is when the audience, or reader, must deduce for themselves what the character is like through the character's thoughts, actions, speech, looks, and most suiting for this thesis, interaction with other characters.

To get to the bottom line, and which is more of a question than a statement, was it really necessary for J.K. Rowling to serve up all those characters to keep grinding into the readers mind that Voldemort is an extremely diabolical character? Granted, the bigger the villain, the more heroic the protagonist will look once they have vanquished the beastly bad guy, but how many beloved characters need to kick the bucket to have you say "Okay, enough already, we get it!"

While there are several deaths in the series that are meaningful and significant to the character development of Harry Potter and other characters, I am mostly trying to make a point of the ones that continue to put Voldemort over as the biggest bastard since Darth Vader. So my question to you, the Harry Potter fans, are all of them justified, or are they for the sheer simplicity of shock value to prove that the author's villain was the most treacherous of all?

Aftermath of a Massacre

2007-04-19T22:21:00.000-04:00

This won't be a rant about how we should have seen the warning signs. This won't be a rant about gun control. This won't be a rant about the media's excessive and intrusive coverage of a tragedy. Rather, this will be nothing more than an observation of human nature and its capability of coming together through adversity and sadness.

33 lives.

Thirty three lives. All with different stories, all with a different past, but all with similarities that bring them together in our thoughts after the massacre that happened a couple days ago. From the oldest, a professor, remembered now only by his wife. He was a survivor of the holocaust whose passion was his family and his students. Many of the fallen share similarities to us all. In college, with the dream of fulfilling life, changing the world. The young spirit of many students throughout the world, taken early by the insanity of a madman.

The importance of all the aftermath is to remember what each of these lives meant to the people in their lives. To remember the spirit that caused them to touch the many lives that will now live on in the thoughts of those who they have touched. From Remas S. who was just 18 and loved to dance, she will be remembered by her friends who wrote:

"Reema, this is so hard to take in. You choreographed part of our bellydance. I'm glad I hugged you at our last practice..."

"Reema, save me adance up there..."

Ryan C.'s friends will remember him not only as a Resident Assistant, but as a hardworking student who knew how to have fun and think positive. He was known as Stack to those closest to him.

"Stack, you were the light in the lives of so many people. I can understand why God would want to have you in Heaven with Him..."

Matthew L. will be remembered for making his friends laugh. His friend Michelle F. remembers his charisma.

"He was wearing these Joe Cool sunglasses at night and one of our friends asked him why he wears sunglasses at night and his answer was the sun never sets on a badass."

There were so many others, so many other stories to tell. All full of spirit, energy, passion, and hope. All taken away from this world too early. In the aftermath of all this, it is important to remember those in our lives that make us laugh, smile, and remember the good times. Those that make us proud day in and day out.

For the family and friends of those taken, remember the good times. Don't live in hate. Remember each and every one of them as they would want you to remember them. For the mourners on campus, come together in unity. As a person who lived through the tradgedy of 9/11, I remember how important it was to heal together with friends, family, neighbors, and strangers about how one single, solitary event, can be a defining moment in one's history, and the history of human nature coming together in times of need.

Steve-O Answers Questions from Cosmo

2007-04-19T22:16:00.000-04:00

The other day I was rummaging through some magazines and came across a Cosmopolitan. I've been itching for something to blog about and I think that magazines like Cosmo give me much fodder for writing. After reading some of the articles, I've been motivated to say something in defense of men. Magazines like Cosmo and Marie Claire don't show all guys in the proper light. That is why I've decided to take it upon myself to answer women's questions about guys from Cosmo.

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What's the proper etiquette when it comes to paying on dates? My feeling is, the guy should pay for the first three dates, and then I'll pick up the tab on the fourth. Some of my friends think you should take turns. What do you think?

Well, as an old fashioned guy, I think the guy should pay on the first couple dates. If she wants to pay, she should say so or else I'm just going to pick up the bill. Now after a couple of times she doesn't offer, then you might have to think about what that means. Does she like being spoiled? Is she just not speaking up? Why not?

Personally, I don't try to think about it too much. I really haven't had much of a problem with this. Taking turns is cool too. I know in my last couple of dates, we've split movies and dinner or activities and the meal. It's just a matter of showing that you can be an individual and pick up the tab just as much as he can.

Cosmo asks some guy, or what I'm supposed to think is a dude and his answer is that he's old fashioned but asked some of his guy friends and how if they can't pick up the tab that might bruise their male ego. This might be true with some men, but the problem I have with this is that it's not most men.

"On the one hand, most guys like to spoil a girl. It makes them feel all-powerful and manly. On the other hand, they're forever on the lookout for potential gold diggers."

While I might be on the lookout for gold diggers, I in no way, shape, or form feel more manly by picking up a check or paying for a date. There's more things that I can do that will prove my manliness...like my stories from surviving a Banana Farm in the outskirts of Louisiana, and that one time I wound up in a cock fight in Tijuana. Those are other stories for other days, but to get back on topic, if the girl offers to pay and the guy accepts, it doesn't neccessarily mean he's a deadbeat. Sure, if he doesn't pay every single time you guys go out, then he's a deadbeat, but in these times, it might be just a show of courtesy.

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A Love Story on Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T22:14:00.000-05:00

The following story did not happen to me, but it could happen to any one of us.

The story is about a girl named Susanna. She's like any other girl next door from Long Island, very down to Earth and pretty, looks a lot like Jennifer Aniston. She was in a relationship with this guy named Scott. Scott was a guy that worked hard and was very dedicated to striving for more. He was very neat, prim and proper. Some of his friends would say he's rather anal retentive about keeping things in order. They had been going out for a couple years now, and really enjoyed each other's company. At times they would double date with Scott's roomate Mike and whichever girl he was going out with this week. Coincidentally, both Susanna and Mike worked for the same company, only in different departments.

One day, Scott was asked to move to upstate New York to take a promotion. While he was very ecstatic about the opportunity, he knew that he would have to leave certain things behind. He spoke to Susanna about the new developments in his life and she was very understanding of the situation. They felt that they could make a semi-long distance relationship work since they would only be two hours from each other. Susanna and Scott vowed to take trip's up and down, respectively, to see each other on the weekends. For several months, it was working pretty well for the couple. Susanna would be asked by her friends "why do you put yourself through all that trouble?" Her answer, "because I love him."

Now, since Scott moved upstate, his roommate and him kind of lost contact, but Mike never lost contact with Susanna. They would occassionally call each other to see how things are going with one another. Kept things real amicable, as any other friends should. Except one day when Mike called her he was acting a little strange. He told Susanna that he had something to to tell her. Whenever she'd ask him over the phone he'd either change the subject or act real coy about it. It wasn't until they met up for dinner one night that she finally got it out of him.

They met one night at a restaurant and she confronted him about what he had to say to her. "You've been acting really strange lately, what's up Mike?"

"Ahh...nothing," he replied.

"I don't believe you Mike," at this point the waitress comes in to take the drink order. Mike doesn't want anything but water but Susanna imposes and tells the waitress "he'll have a beer. He has something to tell me and he needs a couple in him to loosen him up."

"So, what's the deal?" she asks.

"I don't know how to tell you this but I'm just gonna go right out and say it..." he pauses hesitantly and looks around the restaurant.

"What is it Mi..."

"I'm in love with you Susanna," he says as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from his chest.

At first Susanna didn't know how to react. She starts laughing hysterically. She thinks Mike is playing a joke on her. It isn't until she looks deep within his light blue eyes that he's very serious. She stops laughing. "I...I don't know what to tell you Mike. I'm a one man type of woman and you know I'm with Scott. You know we're going to my cousin's wedding next weekend and..."

"I know you don't know what to make of this, but I just had to tell you this. I've felt this way about you for the past year. I don't think that I've ever met someone as special, as caring...as beautiful a person as you. I know Scott and I know he can never appreciate you like I can." he says.

"Mike, I..."

"Like I said Sue, I don't expect anything out of this. I just needed to tell you how I felt about you. How special I think you are," he finishes his thought and then reaches out to take a drink of his water.

The night continues for a couple more hours with a certain awkwardness in the air. They close the restaurant and say their goodbye's in the parking lot.

The following Friday Susanna is in the car with her mother and sister going upstate to get Scott to attend her cousin's wedding which is only a couple counties over from Scott's. She is twenty mintutes away from his place when she decides to call him. "Hey honey, what's up? Just calling to let you know that we're close by and that we're gonna drop our stuff at your place and head out for a bite to eat."

"You sure you don't wanna grab a bite to eat first? I can catch up with you guys afterwards," he says.

"Nah it's alright. We're kinda tired of lugging these packages and bags and just want to drop them off," she replies.

"Okay, if you say so hun."

Once she gets into Scott's place she notices the place is a wreck. The bed isn't made and to her surpise, there were a set of two plates and two wine glasses in the sink. One of which had lipstick on it. Susanna immediately realizes what's happened. She orders her mother and sister to jump back into the car and find a hotel room. They do as she waits for Scott to come home. Once he does, she confronts him about what she's discovered and he has no other choice but to admit to her what she had always feared, that he cheated on her. Susanna decides to break up with him. He pleads his case but she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

On the way back to meet with her family at the hotel, she gets a call from Mike. She tells Mike all that's happened and how hurt she is.

"...and furthermore, I can't believe this has happened to me twice now! This is the second time I have a function to go to and I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Now I'm gonna be there all alone, probably thinking about all this crap," she says with a certain disdained conviction.

"Well, I have a suit that I used for one of my sister's weddings a couple weeks ago and I can be up there in two hours if you want someone to go with."

"You'll do that? You'll come up here?" she says with glee in her voice.

"For you...yeah, I'd do that."

To make a long story short, they went to the wedding. Spent the weekend together, started dating, and within a few weeks Mike proposed to her. They are now married over two years with a lovely baby boy.

This is just a short story to go to show you how life works in mysterious ways. That there is such a thing called fate and destiny. I heard this story on Valentine's Day and decided to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoyed it and realize that anything you do can work your way. Don't take anything for granted and if things feel right, then act on it. Do something. Help Destiny happen!

Terrorized by LiteBrites

2007-02-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

It happened on a beautifully sunny day, just like it did in September of 2001. Did anyone know of this happening before hand? If not, how come? Who let this happen? We never thought that it could happen in our backyard again, and low and behold it almost did. The Boston Globe said it "paralyzed a city." The events of January 31, 2007 will go down in history. COMEDY history!

If you've been living under a rock for the past week, the city of Boston was put to a standstill because fear arose after multiple citizens called in what they thought was a bomb threat. This "bomb" turned out to be nothing more than one of the characters from the popular late night cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force drawn onto what can essentially be called a Lite Brite. The fear that has come out of Boston after this "promotional stunt gone wrong" has been completely insane and jaw-dropping.

Can you imagine that this is what the world has come to? We are five years removed from September 11th, and everyone want to react like it happened yesterday. By no means am I saying we should live in a guarded society, but the idea of living with such fear that a children's toy and a cartoon character can cripple a major city is completely moronic. We are in a sad state of affairs when we can let the paranoia of a few turn into a mass hysteria. Any fan of the show, like myself, would come to the conclusion that this was just some wacky stunt caused by a few of the show's crazy fans, or the show producers themselves.

As far as the guys at Williams Street (and parent company Turner Broadcasting) are concerned, they're probably sitting back having the laugh of a lifetime at this. I know I was laughing immensely hard when I found out the news. I mean how stupid is this?!? Did Boston overreact? I have to think so. If you've seen the thing on live TV you kinda put things together and know it looks like a children's toy. Turner/Williams Street had these contraptions placed all over different cities in the US including Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Did they flip out and shut down a city? Nope. Should we blame the powers that be in Boston or Turner Broadcasting?

In this day and age where "guerilla marketing" is a more powerful tool for getting the word out about a product, you can't really blame Turner. Plus, who would have thought that something as asinine as this would have happened? For the naysayers thinking that Turner KNEW that this was gonna happen, well you guys are just plain idiots. You might as well just run around fearing that the sky will fall. What the Boston PD should have done in this case is call Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad to foil the attempts of that dastardly Igniknok! That'll teach him to raise the middle finger at us!

The truth is no one wanted to create a bomb scare or a hoax. The plan was to post these light up signs all over the city and the fans would recognize them. For the people that didn't recognize them, it would raise intrigue. The word would get out about how cool that "cute lil guy is with his middle finger up" and buzz would spread. Simple as that right? Not if you're in the Twilight Zone that we've been accustomed to living in since Sept. 11.

Michael Moore was right about the fear that has gripped our country. We even have a phrase for it. We call it "living in a post 9/11 world." Washington would like to you believe that there is a constant threat to us. That way you now have a need for them. The need is for them to protect us. When push comes to shove, can they really? Did Bush do anything to stop the invasion of the Mooninites? Could he have? Should we all stop living in fear and live life? I think we should, then we can look back at shit like what happened in Boston and laugh about it.

WiFi'n It At Starbucks

2007-01-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

It's Steve-O here again reaching out to the masses from far off places. This time I'm coming to you from a Starbucks located by Astor Place. While that can sound like a pretty descript location, anyone who's been in NYC before can tell you that there's about fifty different Starbucks located in a five block radius.

This one is pretty hip. Very spacious. The customers here are of the assorted variety. They range from students, lovers, friends, hobos, and the many IBook users of NYC. I must ad mit that i do feel out of place here with my Dell laptop and not one of the many using an Apple IBook. Damn them for getting one of those! Now I feel like the slow kid in the advanced class.

This week, Starbucks seems to be pushing thier Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I have yet to venture out and try this new flavor of coffee because it probably tastes just like any other coffee except with Cinnamon, with a hint of EXTRA SUGAR that will probably have you go into cardiac arrest by the time you find a place to sit down.

I'm always fascinated by the way they write on the chalkboards here. LIke do they have to pass a chalkboard drawing exam before they get hired? I know they don't come from Seattle like that! Do they only hire people with artistic abilities? Like am I supposed to be one of the cast members of the TV Show "Heroes" to work here? Not that I'd want to work here. Seems too much trouble to handle peoples coffee. Some people are so serious about it. One of the many coffee nuts here was flippin out because she ordered a Grande Mocha Chocolate Frappe and only got it sans Chocolate, or Mocha. One of them! I dunno. Anyways, she was flippin out like they didn't give her coffee or some shit. I was sitting here wondering IF THAT's how she acts without coffee I REALLY WOULDN'T want to see her WITH the coffee inside her system.

There's a lot of people watching that can go on here. Especially here in the city. You can probably find a couple celebrities stoppin by to get coffee or chocolate or a bran muffin. The problem is who would really notice them if they come in? Everyone is wrapped up in their coffee, chai tea, or whatever concoction their pushin on you this month. If you take a couple steps back from it, you notice that Starbucks is like the modern day drug pusher. They're like on every block. Everyone loves it, like they're hooked. Some people just loaf around after they're done with it. I myself am inspired to write about it! Its like weed only without the parents telling you its bad for you.

Is that Jake Gyllenhaal?!?!? Oh no, that's just some hipster wannabe. There's a dime a dozen of those in here too!

I still find it amazing how anyone made this idea work. If you came to me with the idea of setting a place where people can chill while they drink they're coffee, I'd laugh at you. I always thought that people liked just loafing around in their house, and now I come to find that people like to half and half it by loafing around at a Starbucks. I bet people would show up in slippers and PJs if it wasn't for the unsanitary conditions of you just pretty much living and sleeping in a Starbucks.

And what's with the sizes?!?!? Why can't they just be normal and have Small, Medium, and Large. Instead they have to French it up by having Tall and Grande (which ironically are the smallest sizes), and finally, Venti. Where do these Seattle fuckers get the balls to say "hey, let's make the sizes french!" WHAT THE FUCK FOR!?!?!? I don't get it. Is that supposed to be hip? I bet that's it since some of the aforementioned hipsters think it's the "IN THING" to order they're latte in melodic form.

"What are you having?"

"OH, I'll have a ventTIcarAmelCHAIdolceMACCiaTO."

You don't see these people at McDonalds!

"Yeah..uh I'll have a bigMAcmeALwithchEEseandaCOke"

You do that shit at a McDonalds and they look at you sideways and tell you to take your Starbucks, melodic ordering ass the fuck out! Ronald McDonald will personally escort you out! I've seen it happen! Trust me! He grabs Hamburglar and Grimace to throw your ass out. And watch out for Grimace cuz he's a crotch grabber!

Nonetheless, I have to admit that I like chilling at Starbucks because everyone just leaves you alone. No waitress asking you what you're working on. No stangers asking you what you're up to. None of that. Everyone just kinda minds their business, except for that crackhead askin for change. GO AWAY CRACKY!

Much love from Starbucks!

"Smile for Me"

2007-01-07T22:05:00.000-05:00

I've seen you when you're smiling

A smile so radiating and infectious

It's capable of making my bad days disappear

This is your talent

One of your many unique traits

Which only draws me closer

I look at you from a distance

I can't help but notice your sorrow

Your painful expressions are like daggers to me

I wish there was something I could do

With a simple caress of your cheek

Just make the pain go away

There's nothing more I would like

Than to have the power to help you forget

Forget your troubles

Bring you back to the good times

Bring back your enchanting smile

So I could be one step closer to heaven

"Lost"

2006-12-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

I find myself in conversaion
I should have greater stakes involved
Truth is...I don't
She continues to talk
My mind wanders
She loses her audience

Am I lost in her words or in my head?
Does it even matter?
Maybe the interest is gone
Maybe the chase is over
Maybe I know that in the end
All of this means nothing...

Getting Over Heartbreak

2006-12-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

In life there is a balance. For every good, there is an evil. Where there is darkness, there will be light. When there is love, there is eventual heartbreak. Heartache happens to all of us, it just strikes us to different magnitudes. Some prepare for the worst, others get blindsided by it. Either way, it still has the habit of breaking us down in a way that nothing else can. It is for that reason that it is so difficult to overcome heartbreak...because we fear it.

With hearbreak comes pain. This pain comes from a variety of places. It can be the inability to understand why the breakup happened, the feeling of being unwanted, the sheer loss of a loved one, or the feeling of emptiness. This pain is the foundation of bad mistakes. We can make irrational decisions in order to make the pain go away. This can come in the form of wanting to get back together, moving on by overcompensating for time lost, or just surrounding yourself in sorrow and misery.

What needs to be taken into consideration is the idea of accepting the pain. It is from dealing with the pain where understanding, self-growth, and ultimately healing can be found. There is nothing to fear from facing the pain of your ordeal. The things you learn from this self exploration will make you a stronger person. The heartbroken need to keep this in mind if they ever plan to move on. They need to understand why they are upset, beyond the idea of just missing their significant other. They also need to come to the realization that they are worth more than they believe they are. We have the tendancy to blame ourselves when things go wrong, when it isn't entirely our fault. That is when we need to take a couple steps back and analyze our worth. Your worth to family, friends, future loved interests, and above all else, to yourself. Once acceptance and realization are acheived, you can start thinking about moving on.

Moving on does not neccesarily mean finding someone else. It just means moving past the emotional rut you've kept yourself in for a significant amount of time. Moving on requires more than just acceptance of the pain and a realization of your true worth. It also takes letting go of hope...hope that you will get back together; hope that you can fix what is broken. You have to remember, its called a breakup beacuse something is broken. Could some relationships be repaired? Sure, but unfortunately, most cannot. To quote Tom Cruise "Nothing ends nicely, that's why it ends." Letting go of hope also includes letting go of said significant heartbreak. Any contact, or memory of this love lost must be terminated. It will be hard, but it is for the best in the interim while you learn more about yourself.

Once you start understanding that it's okay to hurt, and it's okay to be angry, then you can begin to heal. Anger and pain are two of the many feelings that make you realize that you are alive. That you are truly human. They should be cherished just as much as feelings of love, passion, and adoration. From my own personal experiences, I've learned that you cannot let hate consume you. It will only make you bitter. There is no need for you to be bitter at anything, or anyone. I have learned to accept my anger and pain. I can say now that I truly understand where it came from. I could not come to this realization without letting go of the poison that is hope. Once I began to relinquish hope, I began to learn more and mroe about myself. In essence, I learned to accept my emotions, come to an understanding that things happen for a reason, and that I am more valuable than I initially thought. I consider myself a stronger, better person for surviving my ordeal. You will consider the same once you have overcome your deepest, darkest emotions only to move on to bigger and better things.

Why Do We Stay in Bad Relationships?

2006-11-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

During our lifetime, we run into our fair share of friends that have had their heart broken. Shattered into a million pieces. We try our best to console their souls, ease their pain. No matter how hard we try, it is nearly impossible to help them forget the one who did this to them. Even if it stems from a bad relationship, the hurt is still there. It lingers. Why? Why does it sting so bad? The relationship was no good to begin with, isn't it for the best? Why do we hold on to hope? Hold on to a belief that things will change, that things will get better. Common sense tells us it's for the best. Unfortuntately, for all of those heart broken souls, the heart does not understand common sense.

Quite a number of people that I've had the pleasure of meeting have either been in, or are still in, what some might consider a bad relationship. Personally, I consider any relationship "bad" if one, or both, parties feel disrespected to some degree. Whether that disrespect came from a long bout of feeling ignored, unloved, abused, helplessness, or cheating, the bottom line is that one of them feels hurt. Its not like it was in the beginning, where both of you had butterflies in your stomach, and you could find yourself spending endless amounts of time with that person. No, its different now. All you have to look forward to now is more hurt. The one thing that I find astonishing, is no matter how bad things gets, these people stay committed to this relationship. Even though the pain is enormous, and seemingly endless, they're still there.

For friendly bystanders of these relationships, we constantly wonder "why stay in such a painful situation?" For those on the outside, the answer is simple. They advise you, "Just get out. You can do better!" For those on the inside, its not as simple. They deal with emotional attachment to their loved one. This attachment is what keeps them committed; keeps them hopeful. For them, its not easy to break this emotional bond. They hope that things will get better. Some actually feel that they can make the change happen. "Just stick in it! Change will come!" they think to themselves. Unfortunately, for most, that change never comes.

Love is such a strong feeling. No matter how much a person can hurt you, if you're in love with them, you can't see them in a negative light. You try, but your heart doesn't make that distinction easily. I spoke to a friend that recently came out of a bad relationship. Although she knew she was in one, she stayed in it. She took verbal, physical, and mental abuse to an infinite degree, yet she stood by her man. She explained that while she did have hope that things would eventually get better, she also felt scared. For years, all she knew was the love of this man. She feared that if she left him, that she'd be alone. "Who WANTS to be alone?" she asked me.

Certainly, nobody ever wants to be alone, but at the same time, nobody wants to be emotionally abused and disrespected. To the sound minded, the idea of leaving a bad relationship is the right thing to do. Even if it does mean being alone. The rational way to look at it is that there are plenty of fish in the sea, and you can most definitely do better than this. The problem is that for people in these relationships, they don't think rationally all the time. They think with their heart. The love they continually feel for their significant other drives them to ignore the other possibilities. This is why they put up with the agony, abuse, frustration, and disrespect.

The idea of love, hope, and lonliness keeps these people from thinking rationally. It keeps them from realizing the truth; realizing they can do better. Its all a matter of staying committed to that ideal. Staying committed to the realization that being alone is better than the agony they've been enduring. They need to trade in the hope of things getting better for a hope that there is someone else out there. A person that can treat them with the dignity they deserve, and ultimately, the respect they've been missing out on for quite some time.

The Pickup

2006-11-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Imagine yourself in a trendy hotspot. The place is dimly lit. The music is pounding through your veins. You can feel the rhythm of the music. Everyone is out tonight. The girls are looking sexy. The guys are sharp. You're one of the many singles out there. You might be looking to pick someone up, or you just might be looking to be picked up. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a glance. Your eyes connect. Is it fate? Is it meant to be? Oh my God, are THEY kidding?!? These are some of the things we think of when we're out looking for someone. Everyone has their own set of steps, or rituals, that they go through to succeed in picking someone up.

There is no "set" way to picking someone up. No matter where you are, a club, a bar, a library, a cafe, it has to start with interest. Obviously, the pursuer is interested in the person they're chasing, but are they interested back. This is where it all begins. This is where looks and personality play a part in your ultimate success. If they find you attractive, you're one step closer. If they don't, you just have to be a little more charming in your approach. Of course, you might not know if they're interested from the start. You might glance and nod. They might do the same back. Some might just go over with a witty pickup line or joke.

Most feel that pickup lines don't work. They find it corny and an insult to their intelligence. Those who use them think they're icebreakers. An article I recently read online stated that the best pickup line wasn't even a pickup line, it was a simple question. It pertained to noticing if people who are looking to get picked up and going over to where they are and asking to join them. It was pretty simple and straightforward. Personally, I feel that if someone is interested in the slightest, they'll talk to you whether you have a witty comment, pickup line, or not. If they're not interested, don't waste your time. There are plenty other people to chase after that are potentially more interested. Of course, you do have those people that like the thrill of being chased and playing hard to get. I wouldn't waste my time on them, but to each their own.

Any way you can get some sort of positive sign of interest is good. After you've garnered some interest, try to spark a small conversation. When doing so, just be honest. People can see through most lies. Find something positive to say. You can always be straightforward. One thing that impresses people is confidence. If you exude confidence, you'll garner respect for your honesty and straightforwardness. Plus, let's not forget what's going on here. Both of you know you're not looking to just strike up a conversation on the weather. Just don't be too confident because then you might come across as cocky and that's not going to get you anywhere.

Like I said before, there is no "set" way to pick someone up. You just need to be prepared, and understand, that falling short will happen. Much like in the game of baseball, to be considered "good," you have to succeed two or three times out of ten. Sure, that will shatter confidence levels, but you must realize that the risk is worthwhile. It doesn't matter how you look. I've seen the best looking people get shut down or ignored. You can also have the most charming personality, and it won't get you anywhere. Its all a matter of what level of interest the person you're going after is at. If they're interested, they'll let you know. You'll see that coy smile, glow in their eye. If they're not interested, don't take it personal, just move on. Eventually, you'll find that someone that thinks your pretty cool, funny, attractive, whatever. After that, you need to start thinking about the next step...the date!

"No Atrevo"

2006-11-02T21:59:00.000-05:00

I want to talk to you
Get to know you
I just don't know where to start
Don't know how to
Don't want to make the wrong move

From the moment you captured my vision
I knew you were special...an angel
From your beautiful eyes
To your enchanting smile
Down your hypnotic curves

Te quiero hablar
Quiero darte una razon para sonrier
Para creer otra vez
Mostrate que no todos de los hombres somos malos
Contarte que eres bella y preciosa

Siento algo dentro de mi
Cuando miro sus pupilas
Que tu eres el angel que busco
Un aire fresco que respiro
La luz en la oscuridad

No me atrevo todavia
Until the time is right, I wait
Espero hasta el tiempo esta fijo
For the opening I've been desperately waiting for
Que me dejes dentrar a su vida

"Never"

2006-05-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

I wake up thinking where will you be
In my arms you no long exist, for you now belong to another
I pass my hands over the sheets like a streetlight shadow
There is nothing but a pure emptiness
A vastness similar to the one that now exists in my soul

I turn to the empty space and imagine your existence
Imagining your smile, caressing your hair, taking in your scent
I close my eyes and feel your warm kisses awakening my senses
I turn to you, our noses touch, our lips kiss ever so passionately
What once was a morning ritual of ecstacy is now an everlasting memory

I held your hand through all of these years, as you did mine
When you would cry, I would wipe away your tears
You were my rock, my strength, my focus
Now I am left to be only half the man I once was
You're still with me, even though I've been alone all along

As I lay lonely on this bed, your vision haunts me
A torment which gladly brings me happiness
I want to feel the warmth inside you
But it will only make me colder when its over
There will only be kisses on the cheek from now on

While I now find you with another
I know this for certain
he will never touch you like I do
he will never kiss you like I do
Because he will never love you like I do

The Rhythm and The Passion

2006-04-09T21:52:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of things you can tell about a person from the way they speak, laugh, cry, show affection, and most notably for me this weekend, dance. Saturday night I was invited by my friend Myriam to go to a Spanish dance club. Having nothing better to do and being Hispanic, I decided that I was intrigued enough to go along for the ride. What I discovered that night was not what I was looking for, but was something that sparked something inside me.

As I stood on the dance floor just taking in the views, the couples dancing, the dance moves I wish I had, the ones I didn't want, and of course, the beautiful women, I was taken aback by the older couples on the dance floor. Here are older couples, in their late 50s, probably 60s, dancing with each other. You could see that they had something special going. Their dance moves were different from the younger patrons of the establisment.

Don't get me wrong, the younger people dancing had some fancy footwork. Most were from a Spanish Dance Class that Myriam is currently in, so they definitely know what they're doing on the dancefloor, but something was missing. Something was different from when they danced and the older couples danced.

The moves weren't all that different. I mean, spins and dips are pretty much standard operating procedure, but it was a special something that was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it immediately, but then it came to me. As I was hypnotically lured by this one older couple dancing I finally understood.

The look in his eyes. The smile on her face. The moves weren't as much of being in synch with the rhythm as much as they were about being in synch with each other. You could see the emotion between the two lovers, but it just wasn't this one couple. It was all of the older couples. You could feel the passion, the emotion, the love between all of them.

That's when it hit me. Dancing isn't as much about knowing the steps. Its not about looking good on the dance floor. You can defintely tell that to most of the "players" that hit the floor with their sunglasses at night! Its not about the pomp and circumstance. Its about the feeling between two dancers that makes them good. Its about the passion that they have for one another. The rhythm that they share, not only with the music, but with each other.

Gloria Estefan said it best when she said "the rhythm is gonna get you." I'm just waiting to find the right dance partner to share that rhythm, and then some, with.