The games last night couldn't have been any better (unless, of course, the Yanks won) ... They played out like movies. I wish I could find some video to post (especially because I'd like to see some replays of the last innings of the games) but there aren't any videos posted yet! Sad times ...
Oh well ... Just imagine that the Sox choked and gave away 2 to the Orioles in the last inning to lose by 1 ... and that the Yanks lost by 1 in the 12th inning to the Rays.
Don't let anyone say that it's just a game - for I've seen other teams and it's never the same. When you're born in Chicago, you're blessed and you're healed the first time you walk into Wrigley Field. Our heroes wear pinstripes. Heroes in blue. Give us the chance to feel like heroes too. Forever we'll win and if we should lose, we know someday we'll go all the way. Yeah, someday we'll go all the way. (All The Way, Eddie Vedder)
PS. This is my 100th blog post. Am I supposed to get a gift or something? ... I'd say yes.
NASA announced yesterday that the "Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)," which crashed into Earth a few days ago ... yep, that one! ... the one you thought was going to crash into you in your sleep ... actually crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
Photo c/o NASA
The satellite, which was launched back in 1991, has been in space for 20 years but was no longer being used by NASA. When the satellite entered the Earth's system, it broke up into smaller pieces and could be seen in the night sky as small glowing specs ... somewhat like stars.
Those pieces of space junk may wash up on the shores of Washington and California ... so look out West Coast ... You may find a piece of space on the sidewalk.
See I've got my eyes on the skies, the heavenly bodies up high. And if you're in the mood to take a ride, then strap on a suit and get inside. If you wanna fly, come and take a ride, take a space ride with the cowboy, baby. [Space Cowboy (Yippie-Yi-Yay), 'N Sync]
I was walking along today and you want to know what I saw?
A little bit of this.
And a little bit of that ...
And a few cases of this ...
People are consistently cutting themselves off from the world around them. They are disconnected and far off from humanity. It may be because people are increasingly more wary of society, in general ... Or maybe it's just because people have lost the ability to interact with each other --- at least in the face-to-face context because we all know that we are plenty connected via our cell phones and our email and our Facebooks! Heck, I know some people who talk to each other more via their xBox consoles than they do in person ... and it makes me kind of sad to know that.
Face-to-Face interaction is an important part of development for children and teens, as well as an important part of life for adults. We all need human contact and when we are walking around consistently cut off, with our headphones in and our cell phones on, we are not getting the chance to interact with people. I was walking to a new gym the other day (or let's say trying to get to the gym) because I couldn't find my way ... and there was basically nothing I could do. I WANTED to ask directions from someone along the way but I literally passed by three or four people who were making themselves unavailable to outsiders.
And then we all wonder why so many people are complaining about loneliness ... Well, maybe it's because we don't know how to meet people. I heard about one girl who went running every night with her iPod and the one night she forgot it, she stopped to look out on the waterfront, and it just so happened that a guy stopped too. They started talking and ....... No, sorry, no fairytale ending, but still ... At least they started talking and they were interacting with each other and they went out a few times.
Meeting people. Going out. Living life. That's what it's all about. That's what we need to be doing. We need to interact with each other to learn about each other. That's how we will grow as a country and as a nation. That's how we will learn to accept differences and make changes that need to be made. And to think it can all start with taking out the dang ear buds for a few minutes a day!
It's been awhile. I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting but I'm here now ... Oh, looks like we're alone now. You ain't gotta be scared, we're grown now. I'ma hit defrost on you. Let's get it blazin'. We can turn the heat up if you wanna. Turn the lights down low if you wanna. Just wanna move you but you're frozen. That's what I'm saying - Let me break the ice! (Break The Ice, Britney Spears)
This little girl is going to have trouble acclimating into society ... where there are not only little black girls and little black boys, but also Asian ones, and Hispanic ones, and even Native American ones (OH MY!)
I wonder if she'd be okay just riding a scooter instead of a bike because I hear you can do that if you magically turn black at four ... Or if she'd be okay turning like a green M&M instead of like a brown one? ...
SERIOUSLY ... I love the things this Dad is telling his three year old kid! Perfect breeding ground for the future racists of America.
And I told about equality, and it's true, either you're wrong or you're right. But if you're thinkin' about my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white. (Black or White, Michael Jackson)
10 years ago yesterday, the US saw the deadliest attack it has ever seen on her soil. It changed the way we see the world and it defined a generation. My generation.
Just like many people my age, I can remember exactly where I was when I heard/saw the news of that day ... It was an early Tuesday morning and I was in ninth grade biology class. We were in the middle of some random experiment dealing with dirt and bugs and other gross things that I did not want to deal with at that hour of the morning, when all of a sudden the TV in the classroom turned on (as did the rest in school as I would find out) and I saw smoke escaping the North Tower. At first, I think we all thought it was a movie ... but after a few minutes we realized the reality of it when teachers came rushing by asking for the TVs to be shut off ... But it was too late. We had already seen too much.
Growing up less than an hour from New York meant that many of our parents worked in and around the towers, including my father. He was actually heading into the city that day when he heard what had happened on the radio. He was turned around and sent back in the other direction when he got to a certain point. Many of my friends began to get calls from their parents checking in. A lot of students were picked up from school ... Some students had no idea what was going on.
Looking back on that day, I don't know if I could have predicted how the world would have changed in ten years. I think we have seen the best and the worst in people, in events, in everything.
Directly after the attacks, we saw people come out in droves to help with the recovery efforts but we also saw heinous hate crimes being committed against Muslims and Sikhs and Hindus (and Atheists and Christians and Jews who just looked like them). We have seen vigils held in honor of those killed in the attacks on our soil, but then we entered into wars with several countries and thousands of innocents lives - both American and foreign - have been lost in the process. Droughts and famine have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the Horn of Africa but people now know about the problems facing many of the regions in Africa, and are reaching out a helping hand.
Ten years later, the New York skyline may still look empty without the Towers hovering high in the sky but the world is still changing and will continue to change - I can only hope for the better.
You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a skyscraper. Like a skyscraper! (Skyscraper, Demi Lovato)
If you are ever having a bad day, just come on over and watch this video. It will either scar you ... or keep you you entirely entertained for 3 minutes and 35 seconds.
Part of me wants to feel bad for this kid ... When he grows up and realizes what his parents/older relatives have done to him, he is going to have major issues with them (and probably with himself) ... But the other part of me just wants to continuously press play over and over again and watch it for hours.
On the plus side, the kid has moves and so much facial expression. He is frickin' hilarious. He is officially my day-bringer-upper ... at least for now.
Bring the lights up, bust the doors down, dust yourself off, shake it up, shake it up. DJ, set it off. Take it up a notch. All together now, shake it up, shake it up ... Make a scene, make a scene nobody can ignore. Don't knock it 'til you rock it. We can't take it no more. (Shake It Up, Selena Gomez)
Seriously?! Seriously. Politicians are being PAID to show up at Ground Zero for the Tenth Anniversary Ceremony of 9/11 yet the first responders ... the police officers, the fire personnel, and the other rescue workers who RAN IN when others were RUNNING OUT ... are "not invited" because of lack of space? I find that to be a disgrace ... An absolute disgrace and a dishonor to them and their fallen brothers and sisters in uniform who died that day ... I cannot believe that city officials are actually using that as an excuse to get away with this.
Yes, I do believe that the victim's families have an absolute right to be there. Yes, I do believe that certain politicians need to be there [a total of 4 ... everyone else can stay home ... President Obama, Former President George W. Bush, Mayor Bloomberg (tsk tsk!!), and Former Mayor Giuliani], and, yes, clearly not every single responder can show up to the ceremony ... But telling emergency personnel that they are not invited and that there will be a separate ceremony for them on a different day. That is just disrespectful.
I don't even have anything else to say to this ... Besides, shame on you, New York, shame on you.
I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep and find I'm King of the Hill, Top of the List, Head of the Heap, King of the Hill ... These are little town blues. They have all melted away. I am about to make a brand new start of it, right there in old New York. (New York, New York, Frank Sinatra)
I don't know who has seen these wedding pictures but all I know is that Barbie is one lucky lady. She might have dumped Ken for a short while (let's face it, he was probably being a jerk ... Can you imagine all the ToyLand ladies who would want to get with him!? He does have some rock hard abs!) but she got back with him and they are living the dream ... I mean the couple must be making bank. She is a doctor, an astronaut, a veterinarian, a flight attendant, a teacher, a paratrooper ... just to name a few of her hats! (I'm not sure what Ken does ... I actually think he's the one in the couple who stands around and looks pretty, but that's cool because Mama's bringin' home the dough.)
Bottom line, Barbie and Ken are loaded ... and they could afford the wedding of a lifetime. And that's just what they got. And I am super jealous of them. And I never thought I'd sound crazy enough to say I was jealous of a doll/fictional couple. I've never even been jealous of those insane billion dollar shindigs on the Wedding channel.
Photographer Beatrice deGuigne shot the wedding and I was amazed at how she captured the details so intimately. How many times did you marry off Ken and Barbie as a child!? I know I must have done it a million times over ... Even if I didn't have a Ken doll. I filled him in with random G.I. Joe's and Little Green Army Men ... But no wedding was ever as romantic as this (and in the back of my mind Barbie was me ... and G.I. Joe was the future Mr. Me ... and I still didn't plan anything this good!).
Here are my fave shots of the wedding. To view the whole wedding ... go here.
"Here, bro. Let me help you with that."
"You guys are my best friends. I promise when Barbie says so, you can ride
in the pink Corvette ... when you're not working at Abercrombie."
"I wonder what Ken is doing right now?
I bet he's thinking about me."
"Oh Barbie! You make the most beautiful bride I've ever seen!
Some brides look so fake on their wedding day but not you!"
"Wanna go for a ride, Barbie?"
"Oh, I love you, Ken! ... I would go for that ride ...
but we need to get married right about now."
"WE DO!"
... Tonight's gonna be a good night ...
Picture Perfect Wedding!
I'm a Barbie Girl ... This is my Barbie World.
Isn't that an awesome wedding?! My favorite part is the first dance. The lighting is so pretty. I can just imagine the music in the background ... But lucky for you, you won't have to because I chose a wedding song just for Ken and Barbie! (It's been one of my favorites since I was about one or two years old ... It is soooo getting played at my wedding ... No questions asked.)
So this is love, so this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow, and now I know, the key to all Heaven is mine. My heart has wings and I can fly. I'll touch every star in the star. So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of - so this is love. (So This Is Love, James Ingram)
September 1, 2011... Started my first day of the third semester of grad school, so here I gooooo. I am sooooo super excited. I love school! I love college! I love it here. I love football games. I love Union Street. I love the grease trucks. I love Easton Ave. I love everything about my University. Anyone who knows me could tell you that I could go on and on and on and on for days about it ...
Oh wait. I just remembered. I'm not in college, anymore. OH SHITTTTTTTT. While other people are running around living the life ...
Strolling up and down Easton Ave. trying to find a party (do somethin' crazy, do somethin' crazy!), hangin' at the Grease Trucks 'til 2 am (FRESHMEN, FRESHMEN!), chillin' on their porches on Union Street, and registering for FREE UNDERGRADUATE football tickets ... I'm hatin' on them and thinking this ...
Why did I have to graduate? ... Ugh. Sad times.
R U. The college where dreams are made of. There's nothing we can't do 'cuz we're in RU. We will make you feel brand new. These Knights will inspire you. Let's hear it for RU, RU, RU. (Rutgers State of Mind, Deuce1s)
Side Note: I do not actually hate grad school and I would suggest to anyone considering a masters in Communication to check out the Rutgers MCIS Program. It really is an amazing program with amazing opportunities. I just really, really, really loved college ... and I really, really, really miss it a whole dang lot.
