Happy Festivus!

The Ultimate Sacrifice (Part 2)

First Sergeant Thomas was definitely a hard ass. I knew that from the second I started boot camp. During drills, people tried to get around everything, and a few were sneaky enough to be successful. I didn't dare to try it, though. Thomas was a little bit harder on me because I was smaller than most of the other trainees. I got tired quickly, and wasn't built like the rest of them. I think Thomas knew I had potential though, and that's why he didn't leave me alone.

"Private Wallace! You're running double today!" I was pissed. What did I do to have to run longer than everyone else? I was stupid enough to ask. "Sergeant Thomas, why do I have to run longer? What did…?" He screamed before I finished. "You giving me lip? Are you undermining my authority? You better shut the f**k up Wallace, I'll make it triple…"

"Triple? I wasn't undermining you, I just wanted an explanation!" What a big mistake. "Damn it Wallace, you screwed yourself. This will teach you when to shut the hell up! You will run until I say enough is enough!" Well, that didn't seem to go too well, did it?

I'm a pretty holy person, and I wanted to tell him not to use my God's name in vain. I take that personally. But I thought about that and decided not to. Probably not the best decision, considering this man is already pissed at me for a reason that I couldn't understand, and that he was much stronger than me. And when I mean much stronger, I mean that he could probably end my life with one punch landed to the head.

I have to say, that day was the longest day of my life. I had no idea how long I ran. Thomas was on me all day, whenever I slowed down, he screamed in my face until I got back to speed. I threw up so many times that I was dry heaving for a full hour. I'll tell you, there was nothing left in my stomach that day, absolutely nothing at all.

When he told me I could stop, I collapsed. The guys had to take me back to our rooms because I couldn't walk. To this day, I don't know how long I ran, but I figured it had to be at least 6 hours. Though, I'm not good at estimating, so your guess is probably as good as mine. They gave me water, I was pretty dehydrated. I guess anyone would be when you're running that long in the heat. I thought about training camp for football, and I always wondered how guys that were in such good shape could get so tired, and it seemed so quickly. I understood now, it was hell. That's when I met Jeff Duncan. He was one of the guys that pulled me away. He kept asking me repeatedly, "What did you do?" I had one answer for him, "I don't know." We didn't speak much, but we quickly became friends. I think he felt bad for me, but didn't want to say anything about it and have Thomas listening. Would you want to run until you collapse? I don't blame him at all.

I have to say, boot camp was rough. Probably the toughest thing I will have gone through in my life. At the time, I absolutely despised it, and began to hate Thomas for all the garbage he put me through. Treated me like dirt, disrespected everything I stood for. When we graduated, Thomas came up to me, and shook my hand. "You still pissed about all the sh*t I gave you?" I just looked at him. "You've done well Wallace, I knew you would. I had to push you, because I knew you wouldn't push yourself. You didn't have that fire in you. I hope I created it in you, because I will be the first to tell you, that's the only way to survive in that goddamn jungle. You're ready Wallace, more ready than any of those guys. Good luck Wallace." I didn't know what to say, except, "Thanks Sergeant."

I never saw Thomas again. I wish I could have the opportunity to talk with him; I'd like to tell him about my experience also. I think he had helped me more than I could have ever known at the time, and I am truly grateful for it.

"You may be able to see him soon," the man said. "Continue your story, I am very interested."

The Ultimate Sacrifice (Part 1)

Well, I decided to write some of that story after all. Gives me something to do when I get sick of studying for exams, and I usually hate writing, but this story seems like a movie to me, so I don't mind it. Anyway, please comment and let me know what you think. You do not have to be signed up for this to comment, if you read it, just let me know. Thanks. By the way, I don't know how long it'll go, but hopefully I will finish it. And I can guarantee you it won't be too long, I'm not a writer... Anyway, here is the first part.

"Mike, are you all right? What happened?" A man was standing right next to me, yet I could not make out who he was. Everything was pretty much a blur to me at that moment, for I had just woken up. "Where am I?" I still wasn't sure who this man was, but from the way he spoke to me, I trusted in him and believed every word he said. "Don't worry, you are safe now. Just tell me what happened...."

".... all right."

I can remember that moment as if it were yesterday. At first, my parents did not agree with the idea. My mother thought it would be much too dangerous, and while my father would not come out and say it, I knew he was worried. "I am going to join the army," I told them. "What?!" My mother was stunned. "I have to. I just feel like I need to defend my country from these people. I have been thinking about it for a while, and I will get paid, and send the money back home. I just feel like I need to do this."

"Mike, I hope this isn't about money," my father piped in. "We don't need the money right now." "Dad, please don't worry about me," I replied. "I'll be all right." I knew my father was just saying that because he was worried. He knew as well as I knew that it wasn’t at all about the money. At that time, there wasn't much my parents could do. I was 18 years old, and ready to be on my own. As I thought about actually joining the military, I became frightened. But, I felt I had to do it. Those bastards attacked our country and killed thousands of innocent people. What else could I do to help? I figured that this was the best way. This country had given my family and I many opportunities, and I was extremely grateful. I wanted to give back to my country, and like the thousands and thousands of other people that feel the same way, I decided to join the military. At first, it was surreal, and seemed like a dream, until the day that I left. Because I knew what would happen. I was going to boot camp to train to become a soldier, and soon after, I was going to war.

Thank you, Joshua Sparling!

By Michelle Malkin - December 05, 2005 09:53 AM

Lots of readers watched Fox & Friends this morning and e-mailed about the disgusting greeting card a wounded soldier received while hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Hospital.

Thanks to reader Shari for taking these cell phone camera shots of the card displayed by co-host Brian Kilmeade.

The card front, decorated with patriotic and holiday stamps, was deceptively innocuous:



But take a look at what was inside:



Yes, that's right. It says "P.S. DIE" in the lower right-hand corner.

According to Kilmeade, who visited Walter Reed on Friday, a US Army soldier named Joshua Sparling received the death wish while recovering from a gunshot wound he received in Ramadi, Iraq. It's the only Christmas card he received. Fox & Friends is urging you to counter the hate by sending your thanks and good wishes to Sparling:

Joshua Sparling
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue
N.W.Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Some people are so sick, help this soldier out by sending him a card.

Scratch that idea

Forget the story, I'll do it when I have some more time.

Hmm...

I was thinking that I might write a small story for this blog. Don't know how far I will get or what I will do to it, but it's something else to write here. I'll see what I can do.

Best Hits

Check out these awesome NFL hits in a 3 minute video. The one with LT breaking Theismann's leg is at the end, not a sight for a weak stomach...

Wait the 45 seconds or whatever and then the file will become available for download.

Three more weeks

Three more weeks until winter break. I can't wait. I hate these last weeks of the semester, so much stress and pressure to finish essays and do well on final exams. I just want it to be over so that I can rest for a month.

Here's my final exam schedule:

Chemistry
Monday, December 12 (8-10 AM)

Philosophy
Tuesday, December 13 (12:30-2:30 PM)

Physics
Tuesday, December 13 (2:45-4:45 PM)

Population Biology
Friday, December 16 (2:45-4:45 PM)

Not too bad, wish Bio was earlier so I would be done, but at least I don't have tests on my birthday... The 8 AM one sucks though.

Check out this awesome video: Christmas Lights. This guy went all out with his lights, the song is catchy too.

Thanksgiving break was awesome. I probably should have done more work but it's so hard to work at home when basically nobody else is. Prison Break's fall finale is on today, that should be awesome. I barely watch TV shows, especially regularly, but this one is just an awesome show, reminds me of the movie Escape From Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood, which was a great movie. Gonna have to pick that one up for $10 at Walmart.

That's about it, time to get caught up in all the work.

Couple more days...

Just sitting here watching the Giants play the Eagles, and I figured I would write a blog post. Haven't really thought of much to put in here this last week, it's been a really exhausting week and I'm glad it's over. Only a few more days until Thanksgiving and I get 5 days off or so. It's a good break and I'm glad it's almost here.

Giants aren't playing well and I hope they can really get themselves together. The Eagles in general are not a very good football team. McNabb is out and McMahon is in, and he is not even close to as good as McNabb. I hope they win and stay tied for first place, it's looking like the Cowboys and the Redskins are both going to win.

Syracuse played Notre Dame yesterday and ND was favored to win by 42 points. They won 34-10 I think, so we beat the spread, which is good enough. It's a victory for our team...

Going to Tully's for dinner tonight. If you haven't been there, come to Cuse and go with me, it's awesome. The tenders are supposedly the best in the world, and I would say they are the best I have ever had, so as of now, for me, they are the best in the world.

That's about all for now, Giants are up 13-10 but it is not looking good...

George's Answering Machine (video clip, right click and Save As... and it should download)

A Men's Room Monologue (flash video)

The Final Inspection

My Dad sent me this in an e-mail, I thought it was great. Leave me a comment on what you think, you don't have to be registered...


"The Final Inspection"

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

- Author Unknown

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

It's the Soldier, not the reporter
who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,
who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians
that ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the Military, please pass this on and pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Obnoxious Fans

If you've ever been to a sporting event, you know the obnoxious fan. The one that's probably smashed, screaming and yelling and just making everyone around him angry. He's the one that screams at everyone when they tell him to sit down and shut the hell up. At the Syracuse vs. Bethune-Cookman game last night, we had that guy right behind us.

This guy was screaming every time Louie McCroskey stepped onto the court. "Louie, you suck! **** you Louie! Get him out of here, he's terrible! Why are you putting McCroskey in? He sucks!" I like Louie McCroskey, so I wasn't happy with this obnoxious moron. I think he's a good player. He hit a 3 pointer right at the beginning of the game, and when everyone was cheering, you hear this moron. "Wow, he actually made a shot! He's terrible! I still hate him, he sucks!" I'd like to see you do that in Division I basketball, you moron. If you don't like a player, keep it to yourself and stop pissing everyone else around you off. Especially a player on your own team. Someone told him to "shut the **** up!" This kid stares at him, looking like a deer in headlights, and then turns to his friend to say, "I'm not going to be quiet, he can't shut me up." I've got news for you kid, yes, he could shut you up. I wouldn't keep talking like that for much longer...

We weren't sitting in the bottom rows because we didn't get there very early, only about 30 minutes before the game started or so. One of my friends overheard him saying, "Why are we sitting here with all the casual fans? I want to be with the hardcore fans!" I guarantee you that we are much more "hardcore" fans than he is. He's probably a freshman, I'd actually bet money on it, and doesn't understand what a lot of college fans actually do to follow their teams. Last year, I waited outside for two and a half hours in February to get good seats for the nationally televised Notre Dame game. If you know Syracuse, you can imagine how pleasant it was to stand outside in snow, strong winds and below zero temperatures for that long. I sprinted around the Dome to get good seats, and ended up in the 5th row from the floor, which wasn't bad at all. Then we waited another two hours for the game to start. Four and a half hours of waiting, don't tell me about being "hardcore." I bet a lot of people around us were more "hardcore" than he is.

These are the people that don't deserve the opportunity to watch the team. Let others have the tickets and then we can filter out the idiots. You want to sit in the student section to scream profanities at your own player, every time he touches the ball? We don't need that crap in the student section. We also don't need the band taking up our seats, but that's a different story. You want to be an obnoxious, annoying fan? Go sit in the visitors section, you'd fit in well there, rooting against McCroskey. We sure don't want you with us, and sooner or later, someone is going to get angry and punch you in the face. So think about that next time, and do the smart thing... shut the hell up and watch the game, or leave.

Thank You Professional Athletes!

Professional athletes make millions of dollars to play a game that they love and are good at... is there a better life? Then there are people like us. People who are fans. We spend $70 for football tickets in the upper deck. We come to the stadium four hours early to tailgate and talk about our team's chances to win with other fans. We spend $75 on football jerseys that we wear to cheer on our teams, hundreds more on hats, sweatshirts, coats, blankets, towels. You name it, and a die-hard fan probably has it. For many fans, sports are a huge part of our lives.

You know what probably gets to us more than our teams having a winning percentage of .300 for 10 years in a row? Our favorite players totally blowing us off. Nothing is worse than going to training camp and trying to talk to one of your favorite players and having them ignore you and continue walking. Nothing is worse for a little kid who looks up to these athletes, thinks they are amazing, and asks for an autograph only to have the player continue walking without ever acknowledging his existance.

I went to Giants training camp to see what the team was going to look like in 2004, and maybe get a chance to meet some players. We went and checked out the practice, seeing Eli Manning for the first time in a Giants uniform, and the team looked pretty good. Had a good practice, and when it was almost over, people lined up near the rope, hoping to get some autographs. I was 18 years old, and wanted some autographs, but I was there more to be able to talk to these guys. Leave more of the autograph seeking to the little kids, it is much more exciting for them. There were some older guys pushing little kids out of the way to get an autogtaph, that makes me wanna just knock them on the head, but that can be another article for another time.

Anyway, it seems pretty cool, you get to talk with the people that you watch on TV every Sunday. Everybody was waiting for Eli Manning, who now is a favorite player to many Giants fans, to get his autograph and see what he's like. What did Eli do? He ran into the building, using another exit and totally avoiding the fans. Real nice. People were yelling for Jeremy Shockey to come over and sign an autograph for a little kid, and what does he do? Totally blows him off and keeps walking. A kid that came with me saw Michael Strahan in the parking lot and asks him if he would sign his football. Strahan told him that they weren't allowed to sign autographs in the parking lot, and kept walking.

If I were famous, I would try to sign for as many people as possible. Some people might tell me, "You don't know what it's like" or "Think about how many people you would have to sign for." Yes, I do know what it's like. Without us, the fans, these people would not make one cent of their money. We are the reason they are paid to play a game they love. Do they appreciate this? Some of them definitely do. However, there are many that do not. I can see that it could be very time consuming, but Kurt Warner didn't seem to have a problem with it. He signed until everyone that wanted an autograph had one. Ike Hilliard didn't make us fans seem like we were a waste of time. He too spent as much time as needed to cater to every fan who wanted an autograph, and even was talking to us while talking to a family member on his phone. Very classy people, and it's very nice to see that these people really care about their fans. It seems like these are the people that get released, as they did this season, but that's also another article for another time.

Tiki Barber came out and talked with us, took pictures, and signed autographs. David Tyree, Willie Ponder, Luke Pettigout, David Diehl, Chris Snee, Jesse Palmer, Tom Coughlin and others did the same. It really seems like these are people who appreciate their fans. They understand that we spend so much time and money on them, buying tickets, merchandise, and watching every game on TV. Buying the football package because sometimes games aren't televised. These are people that I want to root for. There are many people who like certain players because they have met them in real life, and said they were "nice people." I am one of these people. It is much nicer to root for someone who you have talked to and who was very nice to you, spending time to talk to you, and listening to what you have to say and replying without totally blowing you off.

For this, I thank these athletes. For all the players who sign autographs for little kids. For all the players who give touchdown balls and game balls to disabled people. For all the players who don't play for records. For all the players that donate time and money to charities. For all the players that aren't covered by ESPN because all they do is play football, and not cause 5 controversies per year. For all the players that respect their coaches and fans. Again, I thank these people.

And for all the selfish athletes who don't care about their fans... thanks a lot. We root for you as players because you are on our favorite teams. But as people, that's a whole different story.

Some people...

As I am sitting here in the library waiting to take my Chemistry test, there is this really annoying foreign guy sitting at the table next to me. His phone keeps ringing and he answers it. He talks on the phone in some other language for 10 minutes, and is pacing around the library when he's doing this. I am trying to study and get some homework done, and this guy is really pissing me off. He keeps getting these calls and his ringtone is terrible and loud. I'm sure others around him are getting pissed off too. Why don't people think of other people before they act? Show some consideration for others... You're in a library, where cell phones aren't supposed to be used. I should have grabbed his phone out of his hand and threw it out the window, but I could never do that, even if I wanted to. Just wanted to rant about this, the blog gives me somewhere to vent I guess. But... that damn phone better not ring again...

RIP

RIP Wellington Mara, you will be missed. :(

Calvin is crazy...

Saw this today, thought it was pretty funny... (click to enlarge)

Manning to Toomer with 0:05 left in the game to beat the 5-1 Broncos 24-23. I love it, what an amazing finish.

NFC East - Best division in the NFL:

Not the greatest day...

Yeah, today basically sucks. Giants aren't on TV, DirecTV at Goldstein doesn't work, the 2+ week rain is continuing in Cuse, and I have a bunch of homework to do. Giants are losing, hope they get it together... the referees suck too which never helps...

I was thinking, you know what really pisses me off? When people bash others without knowing them. Especially when they do it to a friend of mine. People judge them because of what they think they are like, but do not even know. Get to know a person before you go bashing them in front of a mass audience. Some people are just morons.

----------------------------------
Quotes
----------------------------------
"There is no substitute for victory."
- Douglas MacArthur

"I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures."
- Chief Justice Earl Warren

"Golf is a good walk spoiled."
- Mark Twain

"If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf."
- Bob Hope

Since Syracuse's football team sucks...

Hook 'em Horns!

Imagine this...

Taken from the New York Post (Weird But True section):

A 10-foot boa constrictor terrorized tenants at a posh apartment complex in Manchester, England — by popping its head out of their toilets.

The reptile, which has since been captured, was living in sewer pipes after being abandoned by an evicted tenant, occasionally coming up for air in bathrooms.

"Snake expert Jimmy Ratcliff said, "It has probably been eating rats in the sewer, where it appears to have been living quite happily."

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

How weird would that be? Going into your bathroom and seeing a giant snake popping it's head out of the toilet... and to think, some people are scared of flies... Thought this was funny, figured it was worth a post.

Two for the Money Review

Saw Two for the Money today, and it was just what I expected. An intense movie about a guy who gets involved in sports betting, which according to the movie, is a $200 billion business in America. I would say those numbers are pretty accurate too. It's a drama, so there isn't much action, but Pacino and McConaughey were very good, as was Rene Russo. The movie really got me involved in what was going on, and made me see exactly what it was like to have gambling problems and how people's lives can be ruined in an instant. Good movie to see, especially after going to Turning Stone last night, and seeing how much money people blow at those places too. Anyway, I would give Two for the Money an 8.5/10. Very good movie and I recommend it to anyone that really likes sports, or just an intense movie.

Big Time Yankee Fans

A History of Violence

Went to see A History of Violence today, which had Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris in it. I thought it was pretty good. Not tons of action but the action that it did have was awesome. Really graphic and very intense. There was lots of talking but that was good because we needed to understand exactly what was going on, and then to understand Tom Stall's past. I thought it was good, some might feel it was weird and different from other movies, but that's why I enjoyed it. Very short too, an hour and 36 minutes. I would give this movie an 8/10. Definitely worth a view, in my opinion.

This is what sports are all about...

Was looking at ESPN earlier, and I found this article. I hope you find it as awesome as I did. If you don't want to read it, which I really recommend you do, here's a summary:

Charlie Weis, the head coach at Notre Dame and the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots visited a boy who had a brain tumor and was on his death bed. Weis visited him, and agreed to let him call the first play of the Notre Dame/Washington game. Montana, who was named after the great QB Joe Montana, said he wanted them to do a "pass right." Weis then signed a football for Montana and wrote this on it: "Live for today for tomorrow is always another day."

Montana died Friday, and didn't get to see the game. But Weis stuck with his play, even though ND had the ball at the 1 yard line, and a pass is the worst thing to do in that situation. Brady Quinn, the ND QB asked Weis what to do.

When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, Mazurkiewicz wasn't sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady Quinn.

"He said 'What are we going to do?'" Weis said. "I said 'We have no choice. We're throwing it to the right.' "

And they threw it to the right, and the TE caught it for a 13 yard gain, leaping over defenders.

Why can't more people in sports be like this? Why do people like Warrick Dunn, who's a great person when it comes to helping charities and things like that, want the media to portray him as only a good player and not as a good person? Why does Tom Brady tell the media that he looks at pornography to get a certain "image," just because he looks like a pretty boy? This boy got his wish, and he is happy in heaven. Charlie Weis did a huge thing for him, and especially for the rest of his family, who had to overcome the fact that their son had died. Thank you Charlie Weis, and rest in peace Montana.

Free will

We were talking about this topic in my Philosophy class last week, and I figured it would be a good topic to write about. If you would like me to post an opinion of yours on this site, send me an e-mail at my Hotmail address, which I have listed on the side of this site.

Anyway, some people said that they believed that there was a path set for you, and no matter what you try to do, you will follow that path. I really don't think I agree with this theory. If you think about it, if there is a path that you have to follow as you live your life, then it's not even worth living. You have no say over what you will do, even if you think you do. If this is true, life really is not worth living, because you cannot control it at all.

Life is worth living, and I believe that we have choices that we can make. Why would God waste so much time planning a life out for people? Also, he would have to know exactly who is going to Heaven and who is going to Hell if this were true. We are supposed to act like Jesus did to be able to go to Heaven, and many people try to live this way. Does that mean that they are going to Hell because before they were born, they were supposed to? I just think that this theory is terrible and doesn't make any sense at all.

If you have an opinion, write it in the comment box or just e-mail me or something, and I'll post it on here.

We Will Never Forget

We will never forget the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11th. RIP to all of the victims, and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.

Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund

Please donate to the relief fund for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Ju and the tiger.... 

Terrible Owens... hate him? Definitely....

But, is this good for the Giants? I think so. I will explain that in a bit.

First of all, some people think that this dispute between Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles is a terrible thing. For football, yes, it is terrible. The media constantly shows pictures of Terrell Owens and his gimmicks, like playing basketball and lifting weights in his driveway, instead of showing what is going on in the different camps in the NFL. Nobody cares about seeing him and Drew Rosenhaus complaining that a 7 year, almost $50 million is not a big enough contract. For God sakes, he's a playing a game for a living, what better can you ask for?

Peyton Manning wants to see coverage of Eli and the Giants so he can see how he's doing, or coverage of the Colts because they never show these teams who are quiet and having successful camps. Ray Lewis wants to see more coverage of the Patriots because they won the Super Bowl and deserve it, unlike "T.O." and the Eagles.

I agree with these people, I want to see coverage of different teams and players around the NFL instead of seeing this overrated player. Yes, I said overrated. How many times has he won the Super Bowl, claiming to be the best? He doesn't help his team - he's talented... you can't take that away from him. But the baggage he brings along is not worth the garbage he pulls on the field and in the locker room. He kills team chemistry, and this is why none of the good teams want him.

So back to my original proposal. I was reading an article in the New York Daily News today, and it was about Owens, and how this fight between him, Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid will hurt the Eagles this year. It also brought up a good point... this will help the Giants take the NFC East this season. Most people think the Giants are terrible, which they were last season. But, they also had half of their team on IR, which really did not help. If they can stay healthy (and this is a big if), the Giants will be in contention for the NFC East title. The defense is looking good with new additions like LB Antonio Pierce, and the offense is looking good with Eli at the helm and WR Plaxico Burress teaming up with Amani Toomer as his wideouts. Of course, Tiki should have a great year and newcomer RB Brandon Jacobs is having a terrific preseason. I know preseason doesn't matter, but it does help to see a player's potential in the NFL, and after 1 game, he's showing a huge amount of potential. With the Eagles, Owens is tearing apart that locker room, and it's evident by the way some of his teammated speak with the media. This is great for the Giants, as well as the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. I don't really think they have what it takes to take the NFC East title from the Eagles, even with this problem. I really think the Giants have a shot. Even if I didn't, I would still believe they did, but now, I really think they have a chance at taking the throne that the Eagles have held for the past few years.

Hopefully, I will be correct. If not, I guess there's always next year, because it looks like Big Blue will only get better each year.

Who knows...

I don't even know what to think about tons of stuff anymore, I might as well just give up trying.

Giants training camp started, can't wait for the season.

I got flicked off the other day for no reason, that was pretty weird, but it was kind of funny. Stupid girls driving down the parkway and they just flicked us off for no apparent reason. I laugh in their faces.

All right, this is enough....

Well, I've been getting pretty pissed off fairly easily in the last week or so. Don't get me wrong, it's been an awesome week actually, but my temper is starting to escape and that's not a good thing.

What really just threw me over the edge was when I read the New York Post yesterday and saw that some terrorists in Egypt blew themselves up to kill at least 88 people in a hotel. These bastards need to be killed. If it was up to me, I'd bomb the piss out of them, because that's really the only way to kill them. You can't shoot them because if they get real close, they blow themselves up just to kill you. Really, they're just a bunch of cowards. They can't fight a fair war, and they think that by doing this, they're going to go to heaven. Well, I have something to say about that. How the hell do you think you're going to heaven when you blow yourself up to kill innocent people, just because they don't believe the same things you do? Goddamn wackos.

They should take one of their bombs and shove it up their ass, go into a field and blow themselves up. That would serve a good purpose. Get rid of the bastards without anyone else getting hurt, and let them blow themselves up.

Those people in Egypt did nothing wrong but go on vacation... and they had to die because some assholes don't agree with their religious beliefs? Stuff like that really pisses me off, and this is why I am not against this war. I pray that all of our soldiers come back all the time, and it pains me to see that we have lost great men in this war. But they know what they are fighting for, just as we should, and they know it needs to be done.

These terrorists need to be destroyed. They are sick, and are too dangerous because they give up their lives to kill others. Obviously, life isn't precious to these people, so I wish it would just be taken from them. I also don't know why they mess with the US, Britain and all of our allies. If we really used all the weapons we had, there wouldn't be a terrorist left to blow themselves up. Job would already be done for them. I got something for the terrorists:

A big su-fi to the bastards. I try not to swear in my posts, but this really pisses me off, and screw it, I can make an exemption.

A message to the terrorists: You dickheads aren't scaring anyone. You see how many people sit in their homes and are scared of you? Not too many, because you're just a bunch of cowards who will eventually die. We will prevail, because good always wins over evil. And you people are the PRIME example of evil.

That's it, I'm done. Comment if you want. If you're pissed that this isn't really "politically correct," too bad.

Yes, you have seen him, your eyes are not deceiving you... The real.... Peter Griffin. 

Just thought of something that pisses me off...

I really hate when people compare themselves to someone else. The worst is when it has to do with the amount of money or other things that they have. Like when someone is like, "I have a better car than you" or "My house is better than yours" or even smaller things, like computers, TVs, and dumb things like that. People do not deserve to be insulted like that, and people also do not have any reason to compare themselves with others. Certain people have different opportunities, and some have better ones than others. But that does not mean that you are a better person and have a right to compare all the things you have with that other person. While you may not have worked a day in your life and own a BMW, someone else may have worked two jobs every single day in their life, and can only afford something like a 1983 used sedan. Really, the only person who has any right to brag is the person who had worked their asses off to get what they need to get, but you know they won't.

If I ever become rich, I don't want people to know I am rich. I would want to drive a normal car, and live in a nice house, but not go all out making a mansion or something. I wouldn't want people thinking I'm a jackass and think I am better than everyone else, because no matter how much money I have, I know I am no different from another. It's one thing to enjoy what you have, and I think it's another to flaunt it. But oh well.

Kind of a pointless post but I was thinking about it for a while and just remembered to post, plus I haven't in about a week. All right, I'm out of here. Later.

Trip to the Adirondacks

Went to the Adirondacks with my Dad, Doty, and his Dad. Here's some pictures, will write about it later.

Pictures

Letter from an American being sent to Iraq

I received this in an e-mail, and I think it is very powerful. It is long, but worth it. Read it if you like, and please comment. If you don't want to read it, then don't. Everyone has different views and I really agree with this soldiers.

--------------------------------------
Source

July 2005

Today I leave for the war

Well it's time to go and do what I have been called to do. Today I head for to the war for the third time and I have some things to say. To me this is a blessing, a calling from God to do what I can to help our brave men and women in uniform. Also this post is for my family as some of them still don't understand why I am on my third trip to Iraq. First of all:

K, you have been the best sister a brother could ever have, you and I had some good fights when we were kids, but you were always there if I truly needed you. We don't see eye to eye on anything political, and you are one of those people calling for our troops to come home now. I love you, but you are wrong in this count, you have three boys and if we don't do this right, it will have to be done again and it could be your boys next time. When I'm in Iraq, I think about my three nephews and how I don't want to see them in DCU's in the next decade, I want to fight our enemies in their country until they either surrender or become so ineffective they aren't a threat to any of us. I don't want my nephews fighing a fight that I couldn't finish, I want them to go to college or play professional soccer, or be beach bums. However,if they choose to become soldiers I would be proud to be in the same chain that links all military personnel past present and future, the chain that holds America together. That being said I would prefer they not have to fight the war I have seen, I would prefer they not lose any friends like I have and I wish that they would never lose their innocence by having to kill another human being. War takes so much out of a person, it changes us in ways that are almost never positive and I would not want your boys to have to go through what I have. I hope one day you understand, that I don't do this for the money, that Bush is not Hitler, and that the people of Iraq deserve as much a chance at a better life as we were given. You and G and the boys will be on my mind the entire time I am in Kirkuk.

Mom, I was the baby of the family and I know you still view me as that little boy that wouldn't eat his green beans and only wanted peanut butter. I am still that little boy inside, but I am so much more now, I am a husband and a veteran, and now a successful man with my own family. I chose to go back to Iraq this time, because I believe in a better world. At 30 I am more of an idealist now than I was at 20, I believe one person can make a difference. I know you will worry about me the entire time I am gone, but you won't tell me how scared you are. I just wanted to say it's ok, I am on the path that brings me the greatest happiness. No matter what happens to me, I am doing what I believe is my destiny, I come from a family of warriors, your family and Dad's were all warriors, it's what they knew. I am a product of their collective service to nation, this isn't about adventure or money or some deathwish, it's about doing the right thing. The men and women and especially the children of Iraq are worth fighting for, when I see them I know that any sacrifice I can make is worth it. What kind of man would I be if I refused to help someone in need? How could I live my life knowing that someone was being tortured and I stood by and sipped my latte and refused to get off my ass? I don't know if you will ever understand what drives me Mom, just being able to help one Iraqi is worth my life. People on this planet are so hell bent on persecuting others, they are so concerned with appearing strong that they prey on the weak and the helpless. Mom, the people of Iraq were helpless and being crushed by a petty clone of Adolf Hitler, now they have hope where before they had none. Iraq is a mess, but it is a mess because freedom is messy, we had to fight a Civil War that nearly killed 500,000 of us just to make all men and women free. Iraq is already having to fight a soul searing conflict with itself to find itself. How could we abandon these people to this chaos? I will continue to support this cause until we win, we lose, or I am knocked out of commission. I cannot call myself a man and abandon the men, women and children of Iraq to brutal butchers, I've made my choice. You'll be in my heart everyday.

Dad, you are my hero, I don't know if I've ever told you that, but you are. You served in Vietnam and came back and made a life for yourself and your family. You did everything you could to provide for K and I, you worked extra hours to make sure we never went without. You never took sick time even though you were out in the elements everyday, you are the definition of what a man is, I hope one day I am half the man that you are. I think you understand what drives me and why I have to keep doing this job. When you were here in Hawaii to visit me and you told me you were proud of me was a moment I'll never forget. I can't let the people of Iraq suffer without doing something, I know I am only one person, but you were only one person and you did so many things in your life. I want to be like you, but I want to do so much more, I know I'm not going to "save the world", but everyday I can do a good deed, whether in Iraq or in Hawaii is a day that I feel like I have done my job as a man and an American. I know you understand!

Jan, my wife, my love, my life, this has got to be the hardest on you. This is the third time I have asked you to take a leap of faith and believe that no harm will come to me in Iraq. Three times I have left you and our puppies behind to pursue some quixotic belief that I can make the world a slightly better place. Three times I have left you behind to pay the bills, and manage the house and so many other things that no one should be forced to do by themselves. I have not been with you for 3 of our seven anniversary's because of my commitment to this. All I can say to you is thank you! I will always love you for your patience and your support of me and my ideals. I know that I make your life hard with these deployments, and for that I am sorry, I wish that it were easier to be away from you,but it's not. In fact, each deployment it gets harder and harder for me to say goodbye, I've lost friends now and had a few close calls myself, but I can't quit doing this. You know why, you more than anyone else understand why. You and I both believe it is our destiny to do whatever we can to make the world better. We are two tiny fish in the enormous universal ocean, but we both know one person can make a difference. When I am in Iraq I know you are in my heart at every moment and that our faith and love protects me. I firmly believe God has a plan for both of us, we are his instruments to do what we can to make the world better. So don't worry about me this time, I am doing what I was meant to do, and I have never been happier. So go and find my molly-molly and give her a scratch behind the ears.

For anyone that reads this; yes I am a 30 year old idealist, at 20 I was a cynic, but now I have a mission in life and a purpose. I found God, but I am far from a religious fanatic, I found a God that inspired me to do good deeds just for the sake of doing good. I can feel his prescence in everything around me, the sunset, the waves crashing on a Hawaiian beach and even in the evening breeze that is laced with plumeria. I would call myself a soldier of God, but not in any way that says he favors me or my cause. I am a soldier of our lord because I choose to serve the side of good, good is opening a door for a stranger, or helping your neighbor empty his trashcan, or going to Iraq because you want to help a people find their voice and feel what we feel when we think of our freedoms. The most fundamental question I ask myself everday is: If I have the chance to do good, even if there is a terrible price to pay, why wouldn't I? I wish more Americans would ask themselves this question, if you can do good, what on earth would stop you from following through?

Finally I just wanted to state one more time, Iraq is the whole bag of marbles, if our ideas win there, then militant islam will wither on the vine and eventually die. If we lose in Iraq, the world will become a much darker place where the evils of the past such as slavery and holy wars will become the norm. I ask the people of America this question; We are the last hope for this planet to realize its potential, the europeans are too weak to do it, what kind of world do we want for our children to live in? I made my choice, and now I leave to do what I believe is my duty. God bless my family, God bless our brave men and women in uniform, God bless all Americans and God bless America.

Caelestis

P.S. Love you my hummingbird

It's official...

I have finally come to a conclusion. I am never right.

Linkage

This won't be a post of anything that's happened, mainly because not much has happened lately... but I'll put some links and stuff to check out, just because I found some.

Poor bunny.... - Everyone else has had more sex than him, and for rabbits, you know how that is... a little older but it's still a good one.

The Llama Song! - Don't ask...

Ouch - A guy breaks his leg kickboxing, it's a pretty nasty break...

The End of the World - Old one but still definitely awesome.

Nice Try Mario... the Princess is in another castle.

What Goes Around Comes Around - This plane knows exactly where it's going...

That's about it for this one, hope you like some of these. Also, seeing that Mario flash animation made me want to play, but I didn't feel like hooking up my NES. If you want to play, download this emulator and unzip it. Then, download this ROM file, and open it with the emulator, and you're able to play Super Mario/Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet on Nintendo on your computer. I'm out of here.

Batman Begins

Saw this last night, thought it was a really good movie. The acting was good, and I'm glad that Christian Bale was Batman, instead of someone like George Clooney. The story was right on there with the rest of them, and we got to see how Batman came to be. I don't want to really say much about it because I do not want to give anything away, but I really thought that the ending was perfect for setting up the other movies. I'll give Batman Begins a 9/10. Definitely worth the money to see on the big screen.

Plus, Morgan Freeman is in it, and everyone knows he's the man.

It's been a while....

Well, it's been a while since I've been in a real crappy mood, and I have a feeling that this may last for a while. But oh well, I'm not here to complain, I just felt like saying that. Complaining never helped anyone, it's just annoying, so I won't be doing that...

Yankees won 9-0, about time they finally get a few things together. But don't hold your breath, they're still 31-32....

I'm in one of those moods where I just don't want to do anything for some reason, but when I'm not doing anything, I'm bored as hell. It's really weird...

Another short one...

Have you ever felt like you were totally screwed and that you can't do anything about it? I do, and some people know why, and some people don't. If you why, you know exactly what I am talking about, and if you don't, then well, you don't know what the hell I am getting at. But anyway, it sucks, and it sucks a lot. Don't ask about it though, I probably won't tell any more people than I already have. I'll have to deal with this somehow, I just need to think of a way first...

I think that someone is going to try to help me sort this situation, and if they can, I'll owe them... big time. If not, well, I haven't been able to do anything really, so I'll thank them for trying and keep thinking.

I know that most people that read this probably have no idea what the hell I am talking about, and that's good... I like to keep people thinking. Just don't think too hard, your head might explode. Unless you want that, then go ahead... I guess.

I need to get this thing to not be so plain, so I should pull out the digital camera and put pictures on here. Yeah, I say I will, but don't hold me to it. We'll see about that. I don't know why I am still writing, I'm pretty tired and I have work in the morning, so I think I'll end this post soon. This may have been the most confusing post I have ever had, but that will probably change in the near future. I have many confusing things to say. Like the Yankees and their superstar team not having a record over .500...

I don't want this entire post to be negative, so look at this. Dane Cook owns Tom Cruise, and he thinks that Katie Holmes knows it.

And this guy is definitely going to regret whatever he said, because he gets laid out. Sometimes I wish I could just knock someone out, depending on the person of course... it could be a good time.

It's got to be true...

You know that saying, "Nice guys finish last?"

It's definitely got to be true....

That's all I have to say for now.

Fire!

Tonight, me, Doty and Matt just hung around at Doty's house and built a fire in his pit in the backyard. I have to say, it was a great time. We haven't been able to sit around and just hang out for a while, with school, work and all of that getting in the way. We just hung around, planned our trip to 'Cuse tomorrow, and roasted hot dogs over the fire. It was a great time, we should definitely do it more often.

Well, so far, for the trip tomorrow, we're gonna leave in the morning and get there around lunch time. Hopefully around 11:45 or so. We want to go to Varsity on M Street, great place. Then we might check out Manny's and stuff, and then I want to show them the SU/ESF campus. Then, we'll probably head over to the Carousel Center and then on the way back, Matt wanted to show us Cortland, so we will do that too, I think. Should be a good trip, we're looking forward to it.

What else to write... not too much, got back from NYC today, that was a good trip... that's about all for now, later.

Ouch, that must have hurt...

Are they back? I'm thinking yes....

Yankees are back. Pitchers are playing great, bats are beginning to come alive, and people are even smashing into each other and making amazing plays. I think that the Yankees are once again playing like the Yankees. Even Kevin Brown only gave up a few runs tonight, and A-Rod is on pace for over 50 home runs and has 49 or 50 RBI already. 26+21 = 47, there's still 115 games left in the season, that is awesome. I don't have a ton to even say about it, I just think that they are getting their stuff together, and I'm hoping for a great season.

Going to NYC tomorrow, later to anyone who reads this thing....

Website in the making?

Well, since I don't have school for a few months and will have plenty of free time besides my job, I was thinking of making a simple website to host funny stuff, maybe movie reviews, things like that. It'll be really simple but it might be helpful or just something to check out every once in a while. Maybe I'll put some random flash movies up there or something, I don't know, but we'll see where it goes. I can always bash the Red Sox on there and just put tons of Yankee stuff on there, so even if my other idea doesn't work out too well, that should. :D

I can't stand these people....

You know who I really hate? Really stupid kids at Wal-Mart. When me and Doty went to Wal-Mart at like 12 am so I could re-buy MVP, there were these kids who looked like 14 or so, and they were riding around in those motorized cars for the handicapped (I don't know what you call them). Anyway, I am sure you know what I mean. These kids are just messing around, running into stuff and just making a mess for all of the people working there, including this guy who looked like Lil Jon. That guy was awesome, he looked just like this, but without the silver teeth:

So anyway, these guys followed these kids around the store and kicked them out finally, as me and Doty were leaving. So we're walking to the car and these kids think they are cool so they pull out some cigarettes and start smoking. Doty just made fun of them as we were walking, and I hope they heard us. Why can't these losers think about what other people have to go through when they act like asses? I don't know, it's just annoying, I feel bad for the workers there, I'm sure they put up with enough crap from the rednecks at 1 am anyway....

Ok end of rant. I'm done.

Grimm

A simple question

I have one question for anyone that reads this, I want to see what people think. Please leave your answer in the comments area, I enabled anonymous comments so if you read this, just answer the question.

Would you die for your country?

I have to say that I would, the USA has given me tons of opportunities and it's only right to give back, if I really had to, I would.

Final Exam Schedule

First off, check out this flash game that was made into a PS2 and GameCube game, it's called Alien Hominid. Pretty funny.

Here's my test schedule:

Thursday, May 5

American History: 12:30 - 2:30

Astronomy: 2:45 - 4:45

Friday, May 6

Biology: 10:15 - 12:15

Medieval History: 2:45 - 4:45

Tuesday, May 10

American Government and Politics (Political Science): 10:15 - 12:15

Crappy schedule, isn't it? 4 tests in 2 days. I can't wait until summer...

The Madness Starts.....

Well, May has begun and it's almost time for finals here at school. This is good because the year is almost over and I need a break, but bad because all I will be doing is studying, which royally sucks.

Last day of classes though, which is great because I am so sick of my horrible classes this semester. I can't wait to be able to relax for three and a half months, I really need it, as does every other college student.

That's about all for now, have to go to my last two classes of the year.

Yankee tickets.... nice

Found out that my Mom and Dad got Yankee tickets for the August 25th game against the Blue Jays, that'll be great. Third base line in the middle tier, which isn't bad at all. So that was some great news for the day.

Also found out I will be working with at a credit union this summer, so that's good too. 10-2 every week day, which is great hours.

Hmm, what else... school's almost over so I've been really busy with school work lately, finished my pig/plant projects and wrote 3 essays in about a week. Nothing much has been happening but this weekend will be a good break, though I will have to begin to study for some tests. Anyway, that's about it for now.

My dog Molly after getting her haircut. 

A Letter From the President (Received in E-Mail)

I got this in an e-mail, thought it was good, think about it.

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans:
As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.

Since Congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is now complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China.

To Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Yo, boys. Work out a peace deal now. Just note that Camp David is closed. Maybe all of you can go to Russia for negotiations. They have some great palaces there. Big tables, too. I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers, and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a l ot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darn tootin."

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought. Drop dead.

God bless America.
Thank you and good night.
(If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.)

Wow, that's real mature...

Read about this here, Frank had a great summary of it...

If you want to see the video, download it here.

Howard Dean is a joke.

Today's "Ju-ism"

Here's what Ju said to me today when he was talking about some girl cutting him off when he was walking to class:

Ju: And then she turned right near me.
Kevin: Wait, in a car or something?
Ju: No, but the girl was pretty big...

I dissected a fetal pig today, and thought it would be bad at first because of the smell, but it wasn't bad at all. Looks like this (don't look if you don't like organs and stuff like that...). A very non-eventful day really, but that's ok. Going to be studying tonight which blows but hopefully the Yankees will pull off a miracle and actually win today...

Dane Cook and Tourgasm

Dane Cook came, and I haven't laughed this hard since me and MVP were sitting right next to and talking to Ju on the phone, pretending to be a frat kid inviting him to a party, and having him believe it. It was great, the opening guys were funny as hell and the whole thing was just huge for SU. He did two sold out shows here, and this was the only place where he did two shows. Some really funny highlights, might not be exact quotes:

"The one kid that everyone hates in every group, and everyone makes fun of him, you know who he is. His name is Bryan, and not the one that has an 'i' in there, but the one that has a 'y!' Yeah, that's the kid!" (Bryan was going crazy after that one, the girl that everyone made fun of was named Karen...)

"Someone just sh!t on the coats!"

"I want to look through the painting in my dream house and just use those trap doors! BAM!"

"I walked over to the kid, hit his ice cream out of his hand and into his face, and yelled, 'Don't forget me!' He'll tell his family and friends, some guy ran over and hit the ice cream in my face and said 'Don't f*cking forget me!' Remember, he added the f*ck, I didn't say that originally..."

Check out the rest of the tour dates here. Awesome show, they filmed it too so it'll be on either Comedy Central, HBO or on a DVD, so check it out. That's about all for now, got an early day tomorrow. Later.

A tribute to the soldiers

Just found this online as a tribute to the soldiers fighting for us.

Lonestar - I'm Already There (Music Video, 56k'ers beware!)

Another E-Mail....

I got this in an e-mail, and I agree. Leave comments if you like.

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

No Longer Silent

Paul Harvey says, "I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.' I don't agree with Darwin,but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution. Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 0-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-1. So what would you expect - somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping-pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome. "But what about atheists?" is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.

If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of earplugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray, you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back. And we WILL WIN! God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, despite all her faults, she is still the greatest nation of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God."

May 2005 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. Keep looking up. IN GOD WE TRUST.

Another Monday has begun.....

Probably one of the coolest things I have ever heard of in sports.... check it out here.

Some girl was walking down the steps today with an iPod and was really blasting music pretty loud, and I heard it. I was laughing because I heard Numa Numa blasting in someone's ear...

Not an eventful day really, just scheduled my classes, and my schedule is so far looking like this. Not too bad, lots of science but I am probably going for Biology so I will need them, at least no Organic Chemistry until junior year.

That's about it, gotta write a paper for Wed, and I want to get it done since Dane Cook is coming tomorrow!!!

Later mengs.

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Thought that this comic was funny, check it out. Back to working on my essay :(

Nice Red Sox fan, nice.....

So you have to go and mess up a game that was going perfectly fine. Sure, the Yankees were losing, but I'd rather have the Yankees lose without any conflict then have this kind of crap going on the field. If I was Sheffield, I would have taken that ball and thrown it at your face, and hope that it would bash your nose right into your brain. Well, maybe not that bad, but my point is, the ball would be in your face. That kind of crap is uncalled for, if it was a Yankee fan that did it to a Red Sox player, I would be just as pissed. It's a game, nothing more, nothing less. You don't hit a guy in the face because you don't like the team. Lay off the booze and enjoy the game, don't act like an asshole.

Though I am a Yankee fan (obviously), this post isn't bashing anyone but that one asshole fan, who screwed it up for everyone. Good thing Sheff held back, I could see him severly hurting that guy. Boston's security was on the ball on this one, so nice job to them.

This stuff's gotta stop, I'm sure many agree, even Boston fans... it's baseball, not boxing.

Of course, this is what the media shows... thanks ESPN.


Caption: "Gary Sheffield takes a swipe at a Boston fan in the 8th inning."

That's it for now. Later.

Yankees 5, Red Sox 2

Thanks for the feedback Doty and Frank, I appreciate it.

Well, today was all right, not too extraordinary, but it was overall a good day. Yankees won, I got some of my scheduling figured out, kind of nervous about going with Biology because it will be hard, but I will try my best at it. I really would like to become a veteranarian, but we will see if I will be able to. I think if I put my mind to it, I can definitely do it, but time will tell. Can't wait for the weekend and then next Tuesday, because Dane Cook is coming! If you havent heard him, go to http://www.danecook.com and check him out. Really funny guy.

Hmm, nothing else to say. Check out Frank's new gaming blog: http://gamespace.blogspot.com/

Here's the Giants 2005 Schedule, God I can't wait for football to start... at least we have baseball and the NFL Draft to keep us going.

Topic of today: WAR

In US History today, we were talking about the Vietnam War, and also, about how many Americans did not approve of it. Basically, the war was fought to stop the spread of terrorism. It is considered a loss in history, though, we did stop the spread of communism, which was the goal, so isn't it a win? However, that's really besides the point. I want to discuss why people should support the troops, even if they do not support the war.

Think about this, there are people about my age, maybe your age, depending how old you are, that are over in the Middle East using machine guns and other weapons to kill terrorists. Now, imagine how hard it would be for a person to kill another person, assuming you are not insane. It must be very difficult. Now, imagine someone coming over to the country, and telling you, as a soldier, that people in the country you are fighting for do not support you (cough, Hillary Clinton, cough). So basically, you are in the Middle East, killing people to save your fellow countrymen, and then someone tells you that nobody likes you, and so now how do you feel? You are doing something that is extremely hard to do for no reason at all? These people did not choose to go to war, they did not choose to start killing people. Sure, they chose to go into the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc. But they did not choose to kill people. They chose to serve their fellow Americans, which is most likely, if you are reading this, you.

Now, you may not agree with this war, or you may agree with it, but let me get one thing straight. You should support the troops, who are giving their lives for you. People seem to be forgetting what happened on September 11, 2001. Sure, it was 3 and a half years ago, but look at some World War II veterans. Do they forget Pearl Harbor? Absolutely not. Do they forget the Battle of Normandy? Definitely not. Should we forget 9/11/01? No way. I am really sick of people always protesting this war in the way that they do. Protesting will not solve anything, and some people need to understand this. Sure, you may not like the reasons that we are in a war, and that is absolutely understandable. But you really need to support the young people that are fighting in it, without support, they will not survive. I always hear, "Bush is terrible because he went to war," and all this other stuff. You may not agree with this, other presidents went to war for other reasons, and they do not take half of the crap that Bush does. Look at Kennedy and his failed attempt to kill Castro, and everyone thinks he was the best President ever.

Basically, my point is, that Americans should really be behind the troops. The reason that I bring this up is around college campuses, since I am on one I can see, many people are always protesting the war, saying how bad Bush is, but never saying that they support the troops. You would think that when people were asked, "Do you support the war?" They would say something like "Yes, I do" or "No, I do not, but I do support the people that are in a foreign country that are fighting for us." Does it happen? Not much. This is why I wrote this in comparison to Vietnam, everyone treated those veterans so badly, and many of them are still traumatized because of it, even today. We do not want this happening again, and I don't think it will, but with some people, you never know. Well, that's all for now, I have to go to Astronomy.

If you see a soldier, do me and your fellow Americans a favor. Go up to him or her, shake their hand, and say "Thank you for your service." I bet that will brighten their day.

End of rant. ;)

Got this in an e-mail....

TRY THIS

- Enter MEXICO illegally. Never mind immigration quotas, visas, international law, or any of that nonsense.
- Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.
- Demand bilingual nurses and doctors.
- Demand free bilingual local government forms, bulletins, etc. Procreate abundantly.
- Deflect any criticism of this allegedly irresponsible reproductive behavior with, "It is a cultural U.S.A. thing. You would not understand, pal."
- Keep your American identity strong. Fly Old Glory from your rooftop, or proudly display it in your front window or on your car bumper.
- Speak only English at home and in public and insist that your children do likewise.
- Demand classes on American culture in the Mexican school system.
- Demand a local Mexican driver license. This will afford other legal rights and will go far to legitimize your unauthorized, illegal, presence in Mexico. Drive around with no liability insurance......and ignore local traffic laws.
- Insist that local Mexican law enforcement teach English to all its officers.

Good luck! You'll be demanding for the rest of time or soon dead. Because it will never happen. It will not happen in Mexico or any other country in the world... except right here in the United States... Land of the naive!

If you agree, pass it on. If you don't, go ahead and try the above in Mexico or Iraq.

Praying for the Pope

Right now, I am just praying for the Pope. I feel so sorry for him, he has been in so much pain for a long time. :(

Was it murder? I think so....

Well, I haven't updated this in a while, and I think it's due for an update.

Terri Schiavo died at the age of 41 today, after her feeding tube had been removed 13 days ago. If you don't know about this, read this: New York Post Article

As an American and a human being, I am pretty pissed off about what happened here. First of all, the husband wouldn't allow her parents to take care of her when he didn't have to do a thing, and he had a new family (I feel sorry for the new wife, what happens if something happens to her....). That tells something, maybe he tried to kill her, and that's why she lost oxygen to her brain in 1990. I wouldn't put it past him, the guy seems like a real prick. Since he's the guardian, he had the tube removed as she was yelling that she didn't want to die. Brain dead? Obviously not...

President Bush and Governor Bush tried to help this woman, when Congress and the President passed a bill in one day to bring this to the Supreme Court. They ruled that they would not re-insert the feeding tube. Nice, this is basically killing an innocent human being in one of the worst ways to do it, starvation. Some people say it's the easiest way to go, how the hell do they know? Have they went without food and water for 13 days? No. So they should shut the hell up about this stuff, it really pisses me off.

We basically killed this woman for being brain damaged, and her parents could do nothing about it. There's many brain damaged people in America, and they have the same rights as everyone else in the country, so why didn't she? What is wrong with society when they take the word of some moron that didn't speak up for years that she supposedly said she wanted to die? I know I'm not involved, but I feel that this country is partly responsible for letting this stuff happen, so I do feel involved.

That son of a bitch wouldn't even let her parents to be by her bedside as she passed on. I hope Michael Shiavo rots in Hell. I wish he was reading this, I would have a few things to say to him, and I'm sure many other Americans would also.

RIP Terri and please pray for her family.

That's all I have to say today, will update another time.

The Sweet 16 Was Amazing

That was awesome. Last night I went to watch the Syracuse Regional of the Sweet 16 with MVP. We had good seats too, high but at half court. Wisconsin beat North Carolina State, and UNC beat Villanova. The refs were terrible in that game though, I was looking forward to maybe seeing an overtime game there, but didn't. I have the video clip of that horrible call but it's hard to see since I am farther away. MVP also got winked at by this 50 year old man which was pretty funny. If you want to see some pictures that MVP took, go here: Webshots


Brent came yesterday and we hung out for a while which was cool. He didn't bring his ID though so we couldn't get into the dorm, but we hung around campus and Marshall St. and then went with MVP and Ju to Kimmel.

All right, this crap in Detroit is out of control. Bomb threats during basketball games? You have to be kidding me! It's a BASKETBALL GAME, that's it! Whoever threatens people's lives like this should be beat. It's really ridiculous.

Dwayne Wade is amazing.

Giants signed Plaxico Burress, WR from the Steelers, hopefully he can give Manning another good target.

Oh yeah, Duke lost. How awesome is that? Bye bye J.J. Redick!

My favorite in the NCAA tournament? West Virginia Mountaineers

I'd Like You To Meet.....

Justin. This is Justin.



We got Justin to buy Preparation H. He loves his Prep H. He didn't know what it was for, but now he does!





Justin has a sign above his bed. It says "N.G." Short for "No Gum."



He has another sign for you to see.



Here's Justin's hamper, his name is on it.



Here's Justin in his cool sunglasses and his awesome Syracuse work hat!



Here's Justin with his buddy, Sonic!



Here's Justin's "To Do List." Very helpful reminders for him.



Well, I hope you enjoyed meeting Justin! There's a video of his Preparation Press Conference, he was posing for pictures and looked like he was having a grand old time. I am glad you were able to meet the newest internet craze, Justin!

Too tired to update any more tonight, just study Justin's stuff and leave some comments...

First Day Back to 'Cuse

Well, today was my first day back, and it was good. We got Ju to buy Preparation H and told him it was for something else. I guess the girl selling it gave him a weird look, I don't blame her. I would too if I saw him coming in and buying cream for down there. Here's the lesson from this: READ THE LABEL BEFORE BUYING. It was so funny th0ugh.... He's like, "No wonder she gave me a disgusted look!"

Watched "Foolproof," and I thought it was a really good movie. Not predictable, which I like. Very good planning on these heists, these people were so smart. Definitely check it out if you have a chance, I would probably give it an 8 out of 10. That's a great rating, there's only a few movies I can think of that would get a 9 or higher. But anyway, I thought that "Foolproof" was an awesome movie.



Today's Grimmy comic is actually like the movie I watched today, pretty cool... Click the picture to go to the Mother Goose and Grimm website, it's a great comic. Anyway, that's about all for today, back to classes tomorrow..... greaaaaat.

(Picture) My backyard on March 19, 2005

End of Spring Break

Well, spring break had been going really well for me, up until yesterday. Syracuse lost to Vermont of all teams in the NCAA tournament. Yep, first round, they lose and are done for the year. What a way to end the year...

Today won't be fun, it's my last day and I have to start writing an essay on the most boring book that has ever been written. If you want me to prove it, find a book called The Book of Margery Kempe and start reading it. If that doesn't bore you, I don't know what will, and you must be extremely easy to amuse.

At least it's a nice day outside (check out the picture of my backyard... snow is melting!), it seems as though the weather is going to be better, I hope it is the same in Syracuse. I'll be going back tomorrow and I think my last day is May 6th, but I am still not positive. This summer I hope I'll get the full time job that I applied for, good money and I'll be outside working which will be nicer than sitting in some boring store trying to sell stuff.

I can't believe school is over for me in basically six weeks. This semester has royally sucked for me (work wise), and I hope next semester is a little more interesting.

Watched 'The Butterfly Effect' yesterday, and I thought it was a really good movie. Much different from others that I have seen recently, and I am glad that at the end of it, everything was resolved. I would give it probably an 8 out of 10.

Well, that's about it for today, will try to update this thing as much as possible.