The event: law students wasting loan money at the casino boats (Horseshoe Casino, in this case)
Pre-party: at the White Castle just south of the casino. It is a surreal experience being so close to Gary, Indiana dining at a White Castle staffed by elderly matronly workers while Jimmy Buffet plays overhead.
The action: The roulette wheel. The roulette wheel is gambling in its purest form. Will a small marble hit on any one of 36 numbers (38 with 0 and 00)? I was advised to "bet on black." Within 2 spins I had doubled my stake. I kept half of it on black and again doubled my stake. Now, at this point, wisdom would have dictated me to remove my money and walk away. I did not do it soon enough and walked away with nothing. The bigger benefit was watching how one of my buddy placed bets. He ended up $400 ahead for the evening through conservative betting and always removing his stakes. I know what to do when I go to Vegas-follow him around and bet as he does (although the one time I tried it last night, neither of us won).
Disheartened, I sat back and became an observer. The casino boats are nasty places, with a thick haze of stale cigarette smoke and blue collar people using their pay checks to buy gambling chips. At the same time, the action in the air was palpable, but the Horseshoe was not a favorite. Next time, the Majestic Star will be the destination if I can handle it.
Or maybe I will just be smart and not bet at all!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Another (typically) unremarkable Academy Award year
I love films. No-strike that-I love MOVIES. As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity can attest, I look forward to films like no one else does. I track my favorite productions and decide on whether they will be "opening night" necessities or Saturday morning movies. I watch a lot of movies every year, and I think that I can trace my love affair with movies to my senior year in high school. That summer brought the first "Batman" film, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Lethal Weapon 2", "Parenthood," and "License to Kill." The previous year's Academy Award winner for Best Film was "Rain Man," a film that I did not see until the May after the Awards season. I still remember being blown away by Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond.
My move to college brought an even greater love of film. I discovered the wonders of independent cinema at the Vinegar Hill Theater in Charlottesville. I remember seeing EVERYTHING when it came out, no matter how bad ("Wired") or how good ("Born on the Fourth of July") they were. 1990 was also the first year that I started watching the Academy Awards. I had reached an age where I could see the films before they were released (Mom and Dad never allowed my brother and me to watch "R" rated films, so I had to wait until I was 17-seriously), and "Born on the 4th" was a great film for a kid who had just started college.
It lost to "Driving Miss Daisy."
Now, don't get me wrong, "Driving Miss Daisy" is a perfectly good film, but BEST PICTURE? Sure, if you were voting on the movie of the week. Thus, my love-hate affair with the Academy voters began. There were years where their selections made perfect sense ("The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991, "Unforgiven" in 1992, "Schindler's List" in 1993, and "Forrest Gump" in 1994. Even "Braveheart" in 1995 was acceptable, as it is a film that still stands the test of time (with my only beef being how the film plays fast and loose with the facts on William Wallace).
1996, however...YUCK. See, 1996 was where the great campaigns of the Weinstein Brothers, then the heads of Miramax, first began. For the Weinsteins, the film was secondary to the marketing. If you could market the film in a way to convince everyone (even those who had not viewed the film) to vote the film Best Picture, it was worth a few million dollars at the box office. 1996 was the year "The English Patient" won Best Picture. Huh? Yup, this piece of tripe beat out "Fargo", the film that deserved Best Picture. I blame Harvey Weinstein.
1997 gave us "Titanic," and I think that the Academy really had their eye on the world's reaction to this film. The Awards show that year set ratings records as the millions of fans who made the film the highest grossing film of all time tuned in to see it clean up in awards..but no in any of the acting categories. That would have been ludicrous. Sadly, the film beat out both "L.A. Confidential" and "As Good as It Gets" for Best Picture. The other 2 nominees were "The Full Monty" and "Good Will Hunting", thereby establishing one sad fact-the weakest of the 5 films won that year.
1998 was the year the fit hit the shan. That was the year that "Shakespeare in Love" won Best Picture. I guess that Harvey figured that he lost on "Good Will Hunting" the previous year because he had not spent enough cash to buy the votes. Here, the Miramax machine pulled out all stops to make John Madden's film the winner. Once again, the weakest of the 5 films won. Spielberg, the director of the best film that year, "Saving Private Ryan," had to be content with winning Best Director. The other 3 films? Roberto Begnini's film "Life is Beautiful", "Elizabeth", and "The Thin Red Line." I put it to you that, of these 5 films, only "Saving Private Ryan" stands the test of time.
In 1999, the Academy got it right. "American Beauty" won. 'Nuff said.
What I noticed over the years is that the Academy ebbs and flows with its Best Picture winners. For every deserving winner ("The Return of the King"), we are faced with films that are utterly forgettable ("Million Dollar Baby"). While the films that win may be OK in their own right, not all rise to the level of "timeless classics". Does this mean that filmmaking quality is going down? Does it mean that we, as an audience, are satisfied with less?
I mean, look at what audiences in the late 1960s and early 1970s had as their choices for Best Picture:
1967:
Bonnie and Clyde
In the Heat of the Night
The Graduate
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Doctor Doolittle (OK, a weak one)
1971
The French Connection
A Clockwork Orange
The Last Picture Show
Fiddler on the Roof
Nicholas and Alexandra
1972
The Godfather
Cabaret
Deliverance
Sounder
The Emigrants
1974
Chinatown
The Conversation
The Godfather Part II
Lenny
The Towering Inferno (the only "huh?" movie of the bunch)
Do you see what I mean? Let us conclude this with 1975
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jaws
Nashville
Barry Lyndon
Dog Day Afternoon
In one year, you had Lumet, Kubrick, Spielberg, Altman and Forman as the directors of the best films. Wow. What happened to years like that, where all of the films were destined to become classics. I predict that within a few years, few people will remember "No Country for Old Men." it simply is not remarkable to the same level as a masterpiece like "Chinatown", a film that LOST the Best Picture award to another masterpiece, "The Godfather Part II." Maybe we will see a return to the days when masterpieces, those films that stand the test of time, will fill every slot for Best Picture. I hope so. There is a reason why this year's awards had such low ratings-people just did not care enough about the movies. Has Hollywood lost touch with the audience? Stay tuned...
Note, of the 5 films nominated for Best Picture, I saw 4 of them. I do not consider any of them classics, but I enjoyed "Juno", "There Will Be Blood", and "Michael Clayton". I recognize "No Country for Old Men" as a technically amazing film that is incredibly well acted, but I still think it fails due to a weak final act.
My move to college brought an even greater love of film. I discovered the wonders of independent cinema at the Vinegar Hill Theater in Charlottesville. I remember seeing EVERYTHING when it came out, no matter how bad ("Wired") or how good ("Born on the Fourth of July") they were. 1990 was also the first year that I started watching the Academy Awards. I had reached an age where I could see the films before they were released (Mom and Dad never allowed my brother and me to watch "R" rated films, so I had to wait until I was 17-seriously), and "Born on the 4th" was a great film for a kid who had just started college.
It lost to "Driving Miss Daisy."
Now, don't get me wrong, "Driving Miss Daisy" is a perfectly good film, but BEST PICTURE? Sure, if you were voting on the movie of the week. Thus, my love-hate affair with the Academy voters began. There were years where their selections made perfect sense ("The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991, "Unforgiven" in 1992, "Schindler's List" in 1993, and "Forrest Gump" in 1994. Even "Braveheart" in 1995 was acceptable, as it is a film that still stands the test of time (with my only beef being how the film plays fast and loose with the facts on William Wallace).
1996, however...YUCK. See, 1996 was where the great campaigns of the Weinstein Brothers, then the heads of Miramax, first began. For the Weinsteins, the film was secondary to the marketing. If you could market the film in a way to convince everyone (even those who had not viewed the film) to vote the film Best Picture, it was worth a few million dollars at the box office. 1996 was the year "The English Patient" won Best Picture. Huh? Yup, this piece of tripe beat out "Fargo", the film that deserved Best Picture. I blame Harvey Weinstein.
1997 gave us "Titanic," and I think that the Academy really had their eye on the world's reaction to this film. The Awards show that year set ratings records as the millions of fans who made the film the highest grossing film of all time tuned in to see it clean up in awards..but no in any of the acting categories. That would have been ludicrous. Sadly, the film beat out both "L.A. Confidential" and "As Good as It Gets" for Best Picture. The other 2 nominees were "The Full Monty" and "Good Will Hunting", thereby establishing one sad fact-the weakest of the 5 films won that year.
1998 was the year the fit hit the shan. That was the year that "Shakespeare in Love" won Best Picture. I guess that Harvey figured that he lost on "Good Will Hunting" the previous year because he had not spent enough cash to buy the votes. Here, the Miramax machine pulled out all stops to make John Madden's film the winner. Once again, the weakest of the 5 films won. Spielberg, the director of the best film that year, "Saving Private Ryan," had to be content with winning Best Director. The other 3 films? Roberto Begnini's film "Life is Beautiful", "Elizabeth", and "The Thin Red Line." I put it to you that, of these 5 films, only "Saving Private Ryan" stands the test of time.
In 1999, the Academy got it right. "American Beauty" won. 'Nuff said.
What I noticed over the years is that the Academy ebbs and flows with its Best Picture winners. For every deserving winner ("The Return of the King"), we are faced with films that are utterly forgettable ("Million Dollar Baby"). While the films that win may be OK in their own right, not all rise to the level of "timeless classics". Does this mean that filmmaking quality is going down? Does it mean that we, as an audience, are satisfied with less?
I mean, look at what audiences in the late 1960s and early 1970s had as their choices for Best Picture:
1967:
Bonnie and Clyde
In the Heat of the Night
The Graduate
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Doctor Doolittle (OK, a weak one)
1971
The French Connection
A Clockwork Orange
The Last Picture Show
Fiddler on the Roof
Nicholas and Alexandra
1972
The Godfather
Cabaret
Deliverance
Sounder
The Emigrants
1974
Chinatown
The Conversation
The Godfather Part II
Lenny
The Towering Inferno (the only "huh?" movie of the bunch)
Do you see what I mean? Let us conclude this with 1975
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jaws
Nashville
Barry Lyndon
Dog Day Afternoon
In one year, you had Lumet, Kubrick, Spielberg, Altman and Forman as the directors of the best films. Wow. What happened to years like that, where all of the films were destined to become classics. I predict that within a few years, few people will remember "No Country for Old Men." it simply is not remarkable to the same level as a masterpiece like "Chinatown", a film that LOST the Best Picture award to another masterpiece, "The Godfather Part II." Maybe we will see a return to the days when masterpieces, those films that stand the test of time, will fill every slot for Best Picture. I hope so. There is a reason why this year's awards had such low ratings-people just did not care enough about the movies. Has Hollywood lost touch with the audience? Stay tuned...
Note, of the 5 films nominated for Best Picture, I saw 4 of them. I do not consider any of them classics, but I enjoyed "Juno", "There Will Be Blood", and "Michael Clayton". I recognize "No Country for Old Men" as a technically amazing film that is incredibly well acted, but I still think it fails due to a weak final act.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Customer Service???
Whatever happened to excellent customer service? Is the failure of workers in service heavy industries more of an indictment of the industries or the servers themselves? When did it become OK for servers to demand tips for merely doing their jobs? I will regale you with 3 examples of what I consider good and bad customer service.
Part One: A Portrait of the Blogger as a Young(er) Man
When in graduate school, I was gainfully employed at Toys R Us. I worked there for 6 years, enough time to get vested in their 401 K plan! Employees at TRU at the time did not receive discounts, worked long hours, and exerted their efforts for pay that was close to minimum wage. We had to endure screaming kids, the parents who spoiled them and let them run wild in the store while they berated us, and piped-in music that seemed to repeat every 4 songs (if I heard "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" once during a shift, I would hear it 20 times..no exaggeration). The employees even turned off the speaker in the breakroom, as those fleeting moments were the only ones where we could enjoy a brief respite from the music.
Even then, the one thing that I would enjoy was trying to make a kid and/or their parent happy. It was not because there was a monetary reward for doing it and it was not because the parent or child was a friend of mine; it was a chance to see joy on someone else's face for a job well done. I was the guy who would crawl throughout the storeroom to find that last EZ Bake Oven during the holidays. I was the one who would counsel kids on which Star Trek figure to buy based on the difficulty of finding certain ones. I would counsel parents on which video games were appropriate and seek to educate myself on the games themselves in order to better serve them. The customers took notice of this, and soon they started seeking me out even on days where I was not on duty. They tended to buy more, and when we were out of stock they would actually wait until we were restocked in order to buy from our store. Everything was done with a smile, and never was there a tip taken (although numerous tips were offered). The reward was the knowledge that I was doing my job. There was no sense of entitlement, nor was there ever a feeling on my part that I was put upon. We all have choices; if we do not like our work, we should QUIT. No one is entitled to anything. During my time at TRU, I received numerous merit raises and customer service citation pins (keep in mind that I was only a part-time worker who was attending graduate school full time!). When I finally decided to quit, my manager sat me down and asked me what he could do to make me stay. I was flattered, but at the same time I was confused. I mean, everyone sees customer service as I do, right?
Part 2: Aaron's adventures with Best Buy
My friend Aaron loves his Xbox 360. something that I purchased for him a few years ago from my (then) favorite shopping outpost, Best Buy. Do you remember that Circuit City commercial? The one that starts off in a nameless parking lot with the wife telling the husband "we are only going in to get [batteries]. Nothing else, OK?" and the husband silently nods in agreement-only to start giggling like mad upon entering Circuit City and running down the aisles excitedly while the wife just shakes her head in exasperation? Well, that was me in Best Buy. When I bought the XBox for Aaron, I also purchased the replacement plan, which provides for an automatic replacement of your system at the store in the event something goes wrong with it. In retrospect, I was being pretty smart about it, as the "red rings of death" phenomenon (you Xbox owners know what I am talking about) was not yet widely known. Aaron's system died this past December, and he took it to his local Best Buy, the one located in North Olmsted, OH (do NOT shop there). He was informed that the systems were out of stock due to the holiday season. Aaron understood. For a solid month, he dutifully went there to try to get his system-only to be told each and every time that they were out of stock. But Artful, you may ask, why didn't they just hold one for him when they arrived? Because they told Aaron, a loyal BB customer, that it was against STORE POLICY to do this (nevermind that we had purchased the plan). At one point, he was told by an employee to return the system to Microsoft! WTF??? Were they going to refund the plan he had purchased? NO! The Microsoft return was the manufacturer's warranty that would result in 4 weeks without his system while it was being repaired, but he was entitled to a new system. The personnel never tried to special order a system for him nor were they able to offer suggestions. They refused to hold the systems when they were in stock, and they refused to call him when they arrived.
Last week, Aaron called other Best Buys and was told that there was one system left in the Parma store. He was in his car and at the store within 15 minutes. As he entered the store, someone was walking out of the store with the system tucked under his arm. WHAT? Aaron, my friend and pastor, and to his credit, lost it. He went in and raised heck with the manager, and the manager, to his credit, finally DID HIS JOB. HE called around to all Best Buys to find a system for Aaron and had it shipped directly to the store. My hope is that Aaron is playing with the system as we speak. Still-7 weeks to fix an issue, and the reason was that Best Buy's customer service, in general, has started to fail. A shame, really. They used to be so awesome. Where has customer service gone.
Part 3: Tip jars at service counters.
AAARGGH!!! What the heck is up with these? Fast efficient service with a smile is what these ppl (baristas, fast food clerks, etc) are paid salaries for. What is up with the tip jar? I hate the virtual "holding the hand out" that accompanies my visits to Starbucks. Truth be told, I would be more inclined to give tips where there was NO tip jar. I have also never witnessed anyone adding anything significant to the jar save a few pennies.
Customer service, people! We should demand it!
Now, excuse me while I place a coffee mug for tips on my desk....
Part One: A Portrait of the Blogger as a Young(er) Man
When in graduate school, I was gainfully employed at Toys R Us. I worked there for 6 years, enough time to get vested in their 401 K plan! Employees at TRU at the time did not receive discounts, worked long hours, and exerted their efforts for pay that was close to minimum wage. We had to endure screaming kids, the parents who spoiled them and let them run wild in the store while they berated us, and piped-in music that seemed to repeat every 4 songs (if I heard "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" once during a shift, I would hear it 20 times..no exaggeration). The employees even turned off the speaker in the breakroom, as those fleeting moments were the only ones where we could enjoy a brief respite from the music.
Even then, the one thing that I would enjoy was trying to make a kid and/or their parent happy. It was not because there was a monetary reward for doing it and it was not because the parent or child was a friend of mine; it was a chance to see joy on someone else's face for a job well done. I was the guy who would crawl throughout the storeroom to find that last EZ Bake Oven during the holidays. I was the one who would counsel kids on which Star Trek figure to buy based on the difficulty of finding certain ones. I would counsel parents on which video games were appropriate and seek to educate myself on the games themselves in order to better serve them. The customers took notice of this, and soon they started seeking me out even on days where I was not on duty. They tended to buy more, and when we were out of stock they would actually wait until we were restocked in order to buy from our store. Everything was done with a smile, and never was there a tip taken (although numerous tips were offered). The reward was the knowledge that I was doing my job. There was no sense of entitlement, nor was there ever a feeling on my part that I was put upon. We all have choices; if we do not like our work, we should QUIT. No one is entitled to anything. During my time at TRU, I received numerous merit raises and customer service citation pins (keep in mind that I was only a part-time worker who was attending graduate school full time!). When I finally decided to quit, my manager sat me down and asked me what he could do to make me stay. I was flattered, but at the same time I was confused. I mean, everyone sees customer service as I do, right?
Part 2: Aaron's adventures with Best Buy
My friend Aaron loves his Xbox 360. something that I purchased for him a few years ago from my (then) favorite shopping outpost, Best Buy. Do you remember that Circuit City commercial? The one that starts off in a nameless parking lot with the wife telling the husband "we are only going in to get [batteries]. Nothing else, OK?" and the husband silently nods in agreement-only to start giggling like mad upon entering Circuit City and running down the aisles excitedly while the wife just shakes her head in exasperation? Well, that was me in Best Buy. When I bought the XBox for Aaron, I also purchased the replacement plan, which provides for an automatic replacement of your system at the store in the event something goes wrong with it. In retrospect, I was being pretty smart about it, as the "red rings of death" phenomenon (you Xbox owners know what I am talking about) was not yet widely known. Aaron's system died this past December, and he took it to his local Best Buy, the one located in North Olmsted, OH (do NOT shop there). He was informed that the systems were out of stock due to the holiday season. Aaron understood. For a solid month, he dutifully went there to try to get his system-only to be told each and every time that they were out of stock. But Artful, you may ask, why didn't they just hold one for him when they arrived? Because they told Aaron, a loyal BB customer, that it was against STORE POLICY to do this (nevermind that we had purchased the plan). At one point, he was told by an employee to return the system to Microsoft! WTF??? Were they going to refund the plan he had purchased? NO! The Microsoft return was the manufacturer's warranty that would result in 4 weeks without his system while it was being repaired, but he was entitled to a new system. The personnel never tried to special order a system for him nor were they able to offer suggestions. They refused to hold the systems when they were in stock, and they refused to call him when they arrived.
Last week, Aaron called other Best Buys and was told that there was one system left in the Parma store. He was in his car and at the store within 15 minutes. As he entered the store, someone was walking out of the store with the system tucked under his arm. WHAT? Aaron, my friend and pastor, and to his credit, lost it. He went in and raised heck with the manager, and the manager, to his credit, finally DID HIS JOB. HE called around to all Best Buys to find a system for Aaron and had it shipped directly to the store. My hope is that Aaron is playing with the system as we speak. Still-7 weeks to fix an issue, and the reason was that Best Buy's customer service, in general, has started to fail. A shame, really. They used to be so awesome. Where has customer service gone.
Part 3: Tip jars at service counters.
AAARGGH!!! What the heck is up with these? Fast efficient service with a smile is what these ppl (baristas, fast food clerks, etc) are paid salaries for. What is up with the tip jar? I hate the virtual "holding the hand out" that accompanies my visits to Starbucks. Truth be told, I would be more inclined to give tips where there was NO tip jar. I have also never witnessed anyone adding anything significant to the jar save a few pennies.
Customer service, people! We should demand it!
Now, excuse me while I place a coffee mug for tips on my desk....
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Kids are Stupid
When I was young, I used to revel in the wonder that was winter. I looked forward to snow days, building snowmen in the yard with my parents, and that wonderful sensation of feeling bitterly cold while outside and then walking into the warmth of the heated kitchen, a cup of hot chocolate waiting for me on the table. My brother and I would get into snowball fights and try to maneuver our 10-speeds (God I am old) through the thick snow (1"-hey, we were in Southern VA) that covered our little cul-de-sac. Winters were great, I thought. So different from the bugs and mugginess of summer. I loved being able to "see my breath" because I could pretend I was smoking with none of the unhealthy aftereffects.
This morning, it took me 10 minutes to yank open my car door (frozen). I then had to put the car into first gear (manually) because of the ice under the car that had accumulated, and I still ended up rocking the car free for about 5 minutes. The interior windows of my car were crisscrossed with ice lines, and my interior did not warm up until I reached work, at which point I had to exit the car into subzero windchills. As I waited to cross the street, with the icy wind chilling me to the bone, I "saw my breath" and was reminded of happier times when, as a child, I thought winter was awesome!
Kids are stupid.
This morning, it took me 10 minutes to yank open my car door (frozen). I then had to put the car into first gear (manually) because of the ice under the car that had accumulated, and I still ended up rocking the car free for about 5 minutes. The interior windows of my car were crisscrossed with ice lines, and my interior did not warm up until I reached work, at which point I had to exit the car into subzero windchills. As I waited to cross the street, with the icy wind chilling me to the bone, I "saw my breath" and was reminded of happier times when, as a child, I thought winter was awesome!
Kids are stupid.
Friday, February 15, 2008
This must be meme week...
Hello all..wow, 2 posts in as many days. I must really have a lot of time on my hands, huh? Actually, I have been "tagged" by Daisy to participate in the meme. What is a meme? From what I can gather, it is like a chain letter for bloggers. The rules are:
The blogger must post about the meme and link back to the person who tagged them. The blogger must then peruse his or her archives and link to 5 favorite posts pertaining to 5 delineated topics.
Link One: must be about family
Link Two: must be about friends
Link Three: must be about yourself
Link Four: must be about something you love
Link Five: can be anything you choose.
Hmm..most of the best stories about my family deal with the misadventures my older brother and I had while growing up (2 brothers + small town = boredom). I think the best illustration of our adventures and the reactions of Mom and Dad can be found here.
As for my friends, I tend not to blog about their adventures too much. First of all, many of my friends are bloggers themselves, so the internet audience already gets a taste of our collective adventures. Secondly, many of my friends who do not blog happen to read the blog, so I rarely write for fear of violating "friend privacy." At the same time, I try to recognize my friends for their many acts of kindness on my behalf. First and foremost are my friends in Cleveland.
Something about me...well, I tend to be a bit of a bore, but I sometimes try to be insightful. I am not very good at self analysis. When I do try self analysis, what results is something that may overlap with the other categories herein. For example, this post...
Something that I love..well, that covers a lot of territory. I write about movies quite a bit on my blog, so this entry and the next will probably cover the same territory. For example, my Superman Returns review received quite a bit of attention but no comments (strange). It was my first attempt at combining my interests in comics and film, and what resulted was a piece that I edited several times before publishing. It remains my 2nd-most favorite entry. Even if you did not care for the movie or comics, you might like it.
My favorite post? Well, that would HAVE to be the post that received the most comments from those who are not within my circle of friends. This post combined my memories of family times, the development of my love for movies, and a movie review all in one. It is also an entry that I still re-read from time to time. You can find my favorite entry here.
Sadly, this part of Daisy's chain (heh heh) must end here, for all of my blogger friends have been tagged for this particular meme by others. I was thinking of tagging Lucy, but she has just started blogging. Consider this a plug for her site then!
Happy reading, all!
The blogger must post about the meme and link back to the person who tagged them. The blogger must then peruse his or her archives and link to 5 favorite posts pertaining to 5 delineated topics.
Link One: must be about family
Link Two: must be about friends
Link Three: must be about yourself
Link Four: must be about something you love
Link Five: can be anything you choose.
Hmm..most of the best stories about my family deal with the misadventures my older brother and I had while growing up (2 brothers + small town = boredom). I think the best illustration of our adventures and the reactions of Mom and Dad can be found here.
As for my friends, I tend not to blog about their adventures too much. First of all, many of my friends are bloggers themselves, so the internet audience already gets a taste of our collective adventures. Secondly, many of my friends who do not blog happen to read the blog, so I rarely write for fear of violating "friend privacy." At the same time, I try to recognize my friends for their many acts of kindness on my behalf. First and foremost are my friends in Cleveland.
Something about me...well, I tend to be a bit of a bore, but I sometimes try to be insightful. I am not very good at self analysis. When I do try self analysis, what results is something that may overlap with the other categories herein. For example, this post...
Something that I love..well, that covers a lot of territory. I write about movies quite a bit on my blog, so this entry and the next will probably cover the same territory. For example, my Superman Returns review received quite a bit of attention but no comments (strange). It was my first attempt at combining my interests in comics and film, and what resulted was a piece that I edited several times before publishing. It remains my 2nd-most favorite entry. Even if you did not care for the movie or comics, you might like it.
My favorite post? Well, that would HAVE to be the post that received the most comments from those who are not within my circle of friends. This post combined my memories of family times, the development of my love for movies, and a movie review all in one. It is also an entry that I still re-read from time to time. You can find my favorite entry here.
Sadly, this part of Daisy's chain (heh heh) must end here, for all of my blogger friends have been tagged for this particular meme by others. I was thinking of tagging Lucy, but she has just started blogging. Consider this a plug for her site then!
Happy reading, all!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A few of my blogging friends
With the addition of Legal Lucy to my list of fun blogs to read, I thought that I might use this opportunity to acquaint you all with some interesting blogs that might help you procrastinate-er-pass the time in between the long stretches where I have not blogged.
First of all, we have the queen of the blogosphere, Daisy from Legally Blonde Ambition. Daisy is a dear friend of mine who I met in law school. She has a great sense of humor and deals with every day issues with a sigh and a determination to make things better for herself and for those around her. She has a big heart, and her devotion to her friends is second to none. She is my movie going buddy during the summer, she works for a Big Professional Law Firm in Chicago, and she will be graduating law school with me this year. She and her friend Scarlett started their blog many moons ago, and while Scarlett has had to move away from blogging, Daisy has doggedly kept the blog going. She has devotees from New York to LA, and her entries are wonderful takes on the human condition and the little things in life that should, or should not, matter. I highly recommend her blog with your morning coffee.
Next, we have the Namby Pamby, Attorney-at-Law. The Namby Pamby is living the dream. He graduated from law school, passed the bar with flying colors, and is an attorney here in the city. I became acquainted with his blog site through Daisy's and had the opportunity to meet the man in person soon after. He is one of those guys who everyone wants at their get togethers. Great stories, great sense of humor, and insightful beyond his years. His blog entries are short observations on the absurdity of the human condition, and most of the time he is the one who is suffering from the absurdity. His blog is best enjoyed during the morning coffee break/in between classes, as it provides a much needed mid-morning pick-me-up.
Following the Namby Pamby, I must mention the Wayward Esquire. Like the Namby Pamby, the WE graduated law school, passed the bar with flying colors, and is living the dream as an attorney in Chicago. The WE is a devoted sports fan, an avid sailor (who has some amazing stories of his adventures), and a dude who always wants to learn and always wants to teach. I kind of think he would make a pretty darned good law professor some day. I met the WE during a dinner party last summer, and though I hardly see him, we have great conversations when I do. He is a pretty cool dude. His blog features stories that he has gathered from around the world wide web, thereby giving his blog a "ripples in the pond" effect. When you want some interesting insight on what is going on in our world, visit the Wayward Esquire.
My next goto blog is run by my friend and sometime dining companion Anonymous Hottie (Daisy coined the nickname, and who am I to change it?). Her thoughts can be found on Murphy's Law. Murphy is the name of AH's amazing black lab who has a fondness for Fat Tire. AH is the champion of the downtrodden, the one who looks out for those rights that we all take for granted. She a fellow law student and a non-radical feminist (meaning a feminist who does not frighten people but educates them). She has a bohemian outlook towards life, and she has a great "let me see where the day takes me" attitude about live. Usually, those days take her to her sofas in the evening, where she can be found watching reality TV while noshing on champagne and brie. Like Daisy, AH is a very attractive blonde who is not snooty about it. She can hang with the guys and the girls. While many of her blog entries are light and airy, a few of them deal with more serious issues. My recommendation is to make AH an evening read so that you can take in the serious nature of some of her blogs. When she features her "Song of the Day," it should be read in the morning right after Legally Blonde Ambition.
Through AH, I because acquainted with her friend Eddie. I do not know why, but I feel a certain sense of camaraderie with Eddie. I think it is because he and his wife live in Baltimore, my stomping grounds of most of the 1990s. When Eddie is regaling us with stories about the city streets, I can visualize those same streets. When AH visits Eddie, I am always loading her down with lists of restaurants where she and Eddie MUST dine. Eddie's blog entries, like mine, are more substantial than most, and they cover a whole litany of subjects. His blog, I feel, is best enjoyed in the evening as well or early in the morning to start the day (if for no other reason than to have the time needed to really take in the entry). He is a relative newcomer to the blogosphere, but I have already put him on my daily "must-read" list.
This brings me to the final member of my circle of blog friends, Legal Lucy. As with Daisy and AH, LL is (shockingly) an attractive blonde law student. I first met Lucy the fall of my first year of law school, but we did not become friends until the spring. I met Linus at that time too, and I must say that they make a wonderful couple. They balance each other out quite well, have many of the same interests, and have a wonderful outlook on life. Lucy is a great person who is just as comfortable hanging out with the guys watching the NBA (she is a Pistons NUT) as she is hanging out with the girls having cocktails. She is also quite intelligent, and if that Fortune 50 company she works for is smart, they will give her a permanent position soon. I am glad that she is blogging, as we have not hung out together as much as we used to. Her first blog entry was a winner, and I hope that she continues to blog.
Happy Reading!
First of all, we have the queen of the blogosphere, Daisy from Legally Blonde Ambition. Daisy is a dear friend of mine who I met in law school. She has a great sense of humor and deals with every day issues with a sigh and a determination to make things better for herself and for those around her. She has a big heart, and her devotion to her friends is second to none. She is my movie going buddy during the summer, she works for a Big Professional Law Firm in Chicago, and she will be graduating law school with me this year. She and her friend Scarlett started their blog many moons ago, and while Scarlett has had to move away from blogging, Daisy has doggedly kept the blog going. She has devotees from New York to LA, and her entries are wonderful takes on the human condition and the little things in life that should, or should not, matter. I highly recommend her blog with your morning coffee.
Next, we have the Namby Pamby, Attorney-at-Law. The Namby Pamby is living the dream. He graduated from law school, passed the bar with flying colors, and is an attorney here in the city. I became acquainted with his blog site through Daisy's and had the opportunity to meet the man in person soon after. He is one of those guys who everyone wants at their get togethers. Great stories, great sense of humor, and insightful beyond his years. His blog entries are short observations on the absurdity of the human condition, and most of the time he is the one who is suffering from the absurdity. His blog is best enjoyed during the morning coffee break/in between classes, as it provides a much needed mid-morning pick-me-up.
Following the Namby Pamby, I must mention the Wayward Esquire. Like the Namby Pamby, the WE graduated law school, passed the bar with flying colors, and is living the dream as an attorney in Chicago. The WE is a devoted sports fan, an avid sailor (who has some amazing stories of his adventures), and a dude who always wants to learn and always wants to teach. I kind of think he would make a pretty darned good law professor some day. I met the WE during a dinner party last summer, and though I hardly see him, we have great conversations when I do. He is a pretty cool dude. His blog features stories that he has gathered from around the world wide web, thereby giving his blog a "ripples in the pond" effect. When you want some interesting insight on what is going on in our world, visit the Wayward Esquire.
My next goto blog is run by my friend and sometime dining companion Anonymous Hottie (Daisy coined the nickname, and who am I to change it?). Her thoughts can be found on Murphy's Law. Murphy is the name of AH's amazing black lab who has a fondness for Fat Tire. AH is the champion of the downtrodden, the one who looks out for those rights that we all take for granted. She a fellow law student and a non-radical feminist (meaning a feminist who does not frighten people but educates them). She has a bohemian outlook towards life, and she has a great "let me see where the day takes me" attitude about live. Usually, those days take her to her sofas in the evening, where she can be found watching reality TV while noshing on champagne and brie. Like Daisy, AH is a very attractive blonde who is not snooty about it. She can hang with the guys and the girls. While many of her blog entries are light and airy, a few of them deal with more serious issues. My recommendation is to make AH an evening read so that you can take in the serious nature of some of her blogs. When she features her "Song of the Day," it should be read in the morning right after Legally Blonde Ambition.
Through AH, I because acquainted with her friend Eddie. I do not know why, but I feel a certain sense of camaraderie with Eddie. I think it is because he and his wife live in Baltimore, my stomping grounds of most of the 1990s. When Eddie is regaling us with stories about the city streets, I can visualize those same streets. When AH visits Eddie, I am always loading her down with lists of restaurants where she and Eddie MUST dine. Eddie's blog entries, like mine, are more substantial than most, and they cover a whole litany of subjects. His blog, I feel, is best enjoyed in the evening as well or early in the morning to start the day (if for no other reason than to have the time needed to really take in the entry). He is a relative newcomer to the blogosphere, but I have already put him on my daily "must-read" list.
This brings me to the final member of my circle of blog friends, Legal Lucy. As with Daisy and AH, LL is (shockingly) an attractive blonde law student. I first met Lucy the fall of my first year of law school, but we did not become friends until the spring. I met Linus at that time too, and I must say that they make a wonderful couple. They balance each other out quite well, have many of the same interests, and have a wonderful outlook on life. Lucy is a great person who is just as comfortable hanging out with the guys watching the NBA (she is a Pistons NUT) as she is hanging out with the girls having cocktails. She is also quite intelligent, and if that Fortune 50 company she works for is smart, they will give her a permanent position soon. I am glad that she is blogging, as we have not hung out together as much as we used to. Her first blog entry was a winner, and I hope that she continues to blog.
Happy Reading!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Super Bowl Observations
As with many people who reside outside of the Northeastern United States, I am not a fan of either team. For many people, this means that their Super Bowl viewing consists of watching the latest and greatest commercials rather than on focusing on the game at hand. Me? I try to root for a team with an intriguing storyline. My choices this year were the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
First of all, I analyzed reasons why I should root for the Patriots. Rooting for the Patriots in football has come to be synonymous with rooting for the Yankees in baseball. It is EASY to root for them because you kind of KNOW they are going to win. There is no danger of your heart being yanked out and pummeled so long as the coolly efficient Tom Brady is under center and Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and Kevin Faulk are on offense. The Patriots were 18-0 going into the Super Bowl, and when my father called me on Super Bowl Sunday, I told him that, though I was rooting for the underdog Giants, it looked to be an impossible task for those Giants to win. I told my father, confidently, that the Patriots would win. My father, on the other hand, an individual who does not follow football at all, opined that the Giants would prevail. I kind of dismissed his assertion, but I was most surprised by my own reaction. I had not realized until that moment that I was rooting for the Giants. All I knew was that a Patriots win would finally make Mercury Morris and the rest of the overrated undefeated 1972 Dolphins shut up-I mean, that would be worth it for the Patriots to go 19-0, right? The Giants were not that much of an underdog, were they?
Actually, they were. No team in the NFC had ever won 3 games on the road as a wild card to win the Super Bowl. No wildcard NFC team had EVER won a Super Bowl, as a matter of fact. These Giants lost their playmaking tight end, Jeremy Shockey, to a broken leg during the regular season and their all pro running back, Tiki Barber, to retirement at the end of last season. Michael Strahan, their marquee defensive end, was on the decline. Eli Manning was the younger brother of the best QB in the NFL and years away from seriously contending for a Super Bowl title. These Giants had lost 6 games in the regular season, many of those (including the season finale to these very same Patriots) at home.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the playoffs. The Giants defense started to play like the defense of the '85 Bears. Eli gained confidence and starting leading the team. Rather than just being told to minimize mistakes, Kevin Gilbride, the Giants offensive coordinator, started trusting Eli to make plays. Eli rediscovered Amani Toomer and renewed his productive relationship with Plaxico Burress. The Giants were eminently watchable during the playoffs. They played smart and dominating football. They defeated the best teams in the NFL on the road. They played like a team. Maybe getting Shockey and his "me first" mantra out of the locker room helped. Maybe removing the unmotivated and disinterested Tiki Barber helped. Maybe Tom Coughlin's change in coaching philosophy this season helped. Maybe the emergence of Bradshaw and Jacobs as a potent 1-2 rushing combination helped. Maybe the emergence of Boss as a goto tight end (who may just be better than Shockey) helped. Definitely the emergence of the defense as a suffocating force helped. I think that a combination of all of these aforementioned elements culminated in a perfect storm that started at 6:25 EST.
At game time, the Giants were 12 point underdogs. During the game, the Patriots came out tight and the Giants came out confident. Although the game remained at 7-3 for the longest time, in retrospect the outcome should never have been in doubt. What teams successfully held the Patriots to numerous 3 and outs during the regular season? None. What teams kept the Patriots to a single TD in a half (with that TD aided by a pass interference call)? None. Who knew that Eli Manning could rise above the New York media and rabid fan base to turn into the second coming of Peyton? I doubt that even Peyton could have scrambled as Eli did in completing that 35 yard bomb in the 4th quarter on 3rd and 5 (and Tyree deserves a LOT of credit for pinning that catch to his helmet on his way down to the turf).
In the end, the Patriots were a part of history. This is: the first time that 2 brothers have been Super Bowl MVPs, the first time that 2 brothers who were QBs were Super Bowl MVPS, and the first time one brother was a Super Bowl MVP the year after the second brother was a Super Bowl MVP. I guess that was a history the Patriots did not want any part of, but history is history.
Oh, and most 4 year olds are better losers than Bill Belichick. Grow up, dude.
First of all, I analyzed reasons why I should root for the Patriots. Rooting for the Patriots in football has come to be synonymous with rooting for the Yankees in baseball. It is EASY to root for them because you kind of KNOW they are going to win. There is no danger of your heart being yanked out and pummeled so long as the coolly efficient Tom Brady is under center and Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and Kevin Faulk are on offense. The Patriots were 18-0 going into the Super Bowl, and when my father called me on Super Bowl Sunday, I told him that, though I was rooting for the underdog Giants, it looked to be an impossible task for those Giants to win. I told my father, confidently, that the Patriots would win. My father, on the other hand, an individual who does not follow football at all, opined that the Giants would prevail. I kind of dismissed his assertion, but I was most surprised by my own reaction. I had not realized until that moment that I was rooting for the Giants. All I knew was that a Patriots win would finally make Mercury Morris and the rest of the overrated undefeated 1972 Dolphins shut up-I mean, that would be worth it for the Patriots to go 19-0, right? The Giants were not that much of an underdog, were they?
Actually, they were. No team in the NFC had ever won 3 games on the road as a wild card to win the Super Bowl. No wildcard NFC team had EVER won a Super Bowl, as a matter of fact. These Giants lost their playmaking tight end, Jeremy Shockey, to a broken leg during the regular season and their all pro running back, Tiki Barber, to retirement at the end of last season. Michael Strahan, their marquee defensive end, was on the decline. Eli Manning was the younger brother of the best QB in the NFL and years away from seriously contending for a Super Bowl title. These Giants had lost 6 games in the regular season, many of those (including the season finale to these very same Patriots) at home.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the playoffs. The Giants defense started to play like the defense of the '85 Bears. Eli gained confidence and starting leading the team. Rather than just being told to minimize mistakes, Kevin Gilbride, the Giants offensive coordinator, started trusting Eli to make plays. Eli rediscovered Amani Toomer and renewed his productive relationship with Plaxico Burress. The Giants were eminently watchable during the playoffs. They played smart and dominating football. They defeated the best teams in the NFL on the road. They played like a team. Maybe getting Shockey and his "me first" mantra out of the locker room helped. Maybe removing the unmotivated and disinterested Tiki Barber helped. Maybe Tom Coughlin's change in coaching philosophy this season helped. Maybe the emergence of Bradshaw and Jacobs as a potent 1-2 rushing combination helped. Maybe the emergence of Boss as a goto tight end (who may just be better than Shockey) helped. Definitely the emergence of the defense as a suffocating force helped. I think that a combination of all of these aforementioned elements culminated in a perfect storm that started at 6:25 EST.
At game time, the Giants were 12 point underdogs. During the game, the Patriots came out tight and the Giants came out confident. Although the game remained at 7-3 for the longest time, in retrospect the outcome should never have been in doubt. What teams successfully held the Patriots to numerous 3 and outs during the regular season? None. What teams kept the Patriots to a single TD in a half (with that TD aided by a pass interference call)? None. Who knew that Eli Manning could rise above the New York media and rabid fan base to turn into the second coming of Peyton? I doubt that even Peyton could have scrambled as Eli did in completing that 35 yard bomb in the 4th quarter on 3rd and 5 (and Tyree deserves a LOT of credit for pinning that catch to his helmet on his way down to the turf).
In the end, the Patriots were a part of history. This is: the first time that 2 brothers have been Super Bowl MVPs, the first time that 2 brothers who were QBs were Super Bowl MVPS, and the first time one brother was a Super Bowl MVP the year after the second brother was a Super Bowl MVP. I guess that was a history the Patriots did not want any part of, but history is history.
Oh, and most 4 year olds are better losers than Bill Belichick. Grow up, dude.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Random thoughts from a snowy walk to work in the Windy City
One feels a small sense of victory when one runs into freshly shoveled/blown sidewalks the morning after a 12" snowfall. At the same time, one curses those lazy people who did not get up at 6 AM to make your morning walk to the el a bit more manageable. For shame, people!...
Curses to the cab drivers in the city who continue to speed down side streets-regardless of the fact that such speeding sprays sludge on innocent pedestrians standing YARDS AWAY.
Tile sidewalks are slippery when wet.
Damn Starbucks! They are phasing out their awesome breakfast sandwiches.
In the future, when there is a major snowstorm and I have to sit in on a deposition in the morning, I will be sure to call the managing attorney to make sure that the dep is, in fact, actually happening. That would prevent me from lugging a garment bag through snowclogged streets and onto the El, irritating several El passengers because of my bulky bag, and changing in my office (just to keep the suit nice). Thanks, Rich!
I would much rather be home playing Stranglehold on the PS3.
Curses to the cab drivers in the city who continue to speed down side streets-regardless of the fact that such speeding sprays sludge on innocent pedestrians standing YARDS AWAY.
Tile sidewalks are slippery when wet.
Damn Starbucks! They are phasing out their awesome breakfast sandwiches.
In the future, when there is a major snowstorm and I have to sit in on a deposition in the morning, I will be sure to call the managing attorney to make sure that the dep is, in fact, actually happening. That would prevent me from lugging a garment bag through snowclogged streets and onto the El, irritating several El passengers because of my bulky bag, and changing in my office (just to keep the suit nice). Thanks, Rich!
I would much rather be home playing Stranglehold on the PS3.
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