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So.....my St. Patrick's Day was quite eventful and I must say that it was probably some of the greatest times I've had in a while. Anyways, I'll start from the very beginning of the day and talk in detail of what happened.
The original plan was for Pete and I to grab lunch and a few beers around noon and then I'd go over Justin's and then all of us would go downtown; to the lagerhouse, old shallaleagh, gaelic league...etc and I'd be there around 4pm.
So....and I don't know why, but I could not fall asleep until 9am. Seriously. I don't know why, I got into bed at 3am and tried to fall asleep and tried to fall asleep and then I got up and read to get tired and then tried again to sleep....etc. but it wasn't happening. Anyways, Pete calls and wakes me up around 1130am--which was the plan---and I get my tired ass up and get to Bailey's around noon. We actually go down to the basement, which I've never been down to the basement before, and it was quite nice and we had some food and a few beers and our waitress was very nice with a nice back tattoo and a nice belly button piercing....etc. But we're shifting from the point.....which is that we didn't leave Baileys' til around 2-230pm. I went to the store to see if there was any Irish stuff for me to buy, which there wasn't...and I got home around 300pm.
So...I'm planning on partying for another 11-12 hours on 2 hours of sleep. So I take the most effective and powerful super-refreshing nap I've ever had. Seriously, I threw my outfit from the washer to the dryer and ran upstairs, left Justin a voicemail that I'd be over at 5pm, and set my phone alarm for 4pm. Well, Boot calls me at around 330pm and then Pete calls me around 345pm....but I am beyond refreshed....more refreshed than I think I would have been with 6-7 hours of sleep....which is good, because usually when I take naps, they are drawn out 3,4 or 5 hour affairs.
Anyways, I wake up, take a shower, iron my shirt and pants and get into gear and drive to Dearborn. I get there, and not everyone is ready, so we get a random and quick poker game together, each person gets 15 chips, pays a dollar and whoever has the most chips when its time to go wins....needless to say I won 7 dollars....lol
So, I don't really want to drive down there, since I drive everywhere. There's a grand total of 9 of us...so somehow 2 cars need to be taken. I end up not driving, but 5 of us get into this tiny Jeep Wrangler....so around a 1000 pounds of guys get into this thing and I immediately begin to fear for my life and begin regretting not driving myself. We get onto the freeway and I my fears continue to grow....but we made it to where we needed to go and that's all that counts.
We went to the Lagerhouse first, which is the bar of Justin's girlfriend's cousin....and it wasn't anything special----it was pretty dead. The last time I was there it was full of people and pretty fun. We walk down to the Gaelic League and we got memberships in there for free.....and we hit the beer very very very very hard.
Like very hard. The time was 7pm.
So it's 7pm....and there's like 15-20 of us in the extended-group and there are seriously a thousand people in the building and in the tent behind the building. There's irish music playing, and beer and corned beef flowing. The night was so fun and camraderie based....that you would be pouring beer from your pitcher into someone that's walking by you and they would be doing the same, raising your cups in a toast and everything.
The time seems to be going by so slowly, and we're all getting destroyed....me included. The women there were amazing...and I know it's not the alcohol talking. People grabbing each other and dancing to music and more beer flowing and random toasts and hugs and holy shit.
Needless to say, I don't remember everything I did or did not do. I talked to Justin today and he says I was kissin' on 3 girls...and I thought I remembered 1 of them as being the cousin of one of our friends that was there....and he said dude---that wasn't her cousin. And I was like then who was she? lol It's not even 10pm yet, and I try to get some food in me because I know I'm fucked already. It's getting to 1am and I'm with one of the, I thought was, cousins but I guess not, and Tony is right next to me when we realized that everyone else left us. I'm not worried about it though, we go get another pitcher and drink that....then we decide to go back down to the Lagerhouse, which is where we thought everyone else was. I, thankfully, call Boot and ask him where they are.
Everyone is in Dearborn. They couldn't find us.
WTF. I'm not pissed.....I'm in such a good modd that I can't be.
There's a taxi right in front of the club, and Tony gets in and I get in. This is a fucked-up part. Anyways, he asks us where we're going and he starts driving and Tony realizes that his meter isn't on. He gets on the freeway and then quotes a ridiculous price for the cab ride, and that's when I get out of my drunk mode and into my cogent, legalese mode...Tony just starts cursing and calling the cab driver a terrorist and I guess you would have to be there. But needless to say, we ask the driver to return us to the Gaelic League, which he does after some argument and a potential deal where we would only pay him a dollar to take us to Dearborn...etc. I start taking down his info on my phone and he rips his license off the partition thingie. We don't pay him a thing. Tony begins surveying other cabs in front of the building trying to get fares, to his dissatisfaction. It was, on the whole, a hillariously wholesome affair. I finally think for a second and ask Boot to come back down and pick us up....so him and Rich come down and pick us up, thank goodness---and we go to Lafayette Coney Island for an after drunk meal, get home and that's that.
Wow. It was a solid night to say the least. I slept like a baby til around 4pm I was so tired.
Every day should be St. Patrick's Day.Current Mood:  happy Current Music: Fort Minor - Remember The Name |
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Final Four
1. Duke
vs.
3. Gonzaga
and
1. UConn
vs.
4. Boston College
UConn will defeat Duke 68-60
Upset Picks and Irsh's regional assessment
From the Atlanta Region:
In deference to my good friend Pete, I hate to pick Duke....but its a necessity. I feel like GW was robbed with an 8 seed. In my first bracket I picked Syracuse to beat LSU and Duke to make it to the Elite Eight but I think their momentum will slow down. I know West Virginia made the Elite 8 last year with basically the same team they have now...which makes me think they will go far, but Southern Illinois may also be a tough team and that could be a upset. Other than that---nothin' really major in this region.
From the Oakland Region:
This is one of the two really straight-forward not much of a chance of upset type region. The only thing I see happening is San Diego State beating an Indiana team that wants to get their season over with. I'm a big fan of Gonzaga, not so much about UCLA....and Kansas may quite possibly be able to challenge Memphis in the Sweet 16.
From the Washington DC Region:
This is the weird region. Lots of upsets in this bracket---which would not be good for me if they don't happen. Utah State will top Washington in the first round. I think Tennessee is way overrated at a 2 seed and will fall against Wichita State in the 2nd round. UNC will also lose to Michigan State in the 2nd round *that pains me to say*....
From the Minneapolis Region:
Nothin' really going on this region until the sweet 16 and Elite 8. Northern Iowa will beat Georgetown in the first round is about it for early upsets. Villinova and Ohio State will both lose to Boston College and Florida...with Boston College topping Florida in the Elite 8.
Thoughts? Comments? |
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Here are my NCAA predictions:
1. Michigan will not win
2. Michigan State will not win but will go surprsingly and sickeningly far
Breakdown by Region:
Atlanta Region
Round One winners:
1. Duke
8. George Washington
5. Syracuse
4. LSU
6. West Virginia....(this is one that I may change to Southern Illinois...I'll decide before I go to bed tonight)
3. Iowa
10 NC State
2. Texas
Round Two Winners:
1. Duke
4. LSU
6. West Virginia (see above)
2. Texas
Round Three Winners:
1. Duke
2. Texas
Winner of that: Duke
Oakland Region
Round One winners:
1. Memphis
9. Bucknell
5. Pitt
4. Kansas
11. San Diego State
3. Gonzaga
7. Marquette
2. UCLA
Round Two Winners:
1. Memphis
4. Kansas
3. Gonzaga
2. UCLA
Round Three Winners:
1. Memphis
3. Gonzaga
Winner of that: Gonzaga
Washington DC Region
Round One Winners:
1. UConn
8. Kentucky
12. Utah State
4. Illinois
6. Michigan State
3. North Carolina
7. Wichita State
2. Tennessee
Round Two Winners:
1. UConn
4. Illinois
6. Michigan State
7. Wichita State
Round Three Winners:
1. UConn
6. Michigan State
Winner of that: UConn
Minneapolis Region
Round One Winners:
1. Villinova
9. Wisconsin
5. Nevada
4. Boston College
6. Oklahoma
3. Florida
10. Northern Iowa
2. Ohio State
Round Two Winners:
1. Villinova
4. Boston College
3. Florida
2. Ohio State
Round Three Winners:
4.Boston College
2. Ohio State
Winner of that: Boston College
See above entry for Final Four picks and upset picks......... |
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I believe that it was very courageous of Senator Russ Feingold to formally seek a censure of Mr. Bush. Only one other President has been formally censured---which was Andrew Jackson in 1834 (I believe).
Anyways. It's a pretty compelling case. After all....Mr. Bush, "repeatedly misled the public prior to the public disclosure of the National Security Agency surveillance program by indicating his administration was relying on court orders to wiretap suspected terrorists inside the United States.", according to Senator Feingold.
Now....I do not know a ton about Senator Feingold--and he is a potential Presidential candidate in 2008 that may have gotten a little more attention from me (at least) due to this act.
I have a conservative friend who attacks my support of Chairman Howard Dean in the Presidential campaign of 2004, and after his withdraw...I supported the nominee of the Democratic Party Senator John Kerry. My conservative friend, to this day, consistently attacks my flip-flop of support during the 2004 campaign.
Well. I will take a stance of conviction over a stance of cowardice any day. What do I mean by that? I will likely support a 2008 Presidential candidate sometime in 2007. I remember my first donation to Governor Dean took place in June of 2003.
My prediction is this. I may choose to support Senator Feingold or Senator Clinton or someone else in this campaign....and that potential nominee may fail in his/her campaign for the Presidency. But I make this prediction....my conservative friend will not choose a Republican candidate to support until one of three things happen.
1. There is a clear front-runner in the polls
2. The Iowa Caucuses/ New Hampshire Primary occur or
3. The GOP convention occurs.
He will lack the courage to do so, and he will be paralized with fear that he may choose the wrong horse to back.
Speaking about being paralized with fear.....
Here is GOP presidential front-runner Senator Bill Frist---after winning the southern republican leadership presidential straw poll---in response to Senator Feingold's censure proposal.
"And as I was listening to it, I was hoping deep inside that that the leadership in Iran and other people who have the U.S. not in their best interest are not listening because of the terrible signal it sends.
In responding to the next question.....The Senator goes farther saying that "So the signal that it sends that there is in any way a lack of support for our Commander in Chief, who is leading us with a bold vision in a way that we know is making our homeland safer is wrong."
So....let's put things into perspective and compare things.
In 1998, President Clinton was impeached for lying about sex.
In the Bush Administration....Mr Bush lies and spies on American citizens without a court order
When Democrats bring up the prospect of censure during Mr. Bush's tenure---we are accused of giving comfort to our enemies by questioning our commander in chief....aka practicing Democracy.
But...when its Republicans on the hunt after a blow job or two.....nothing else matters.
After President Clinton exercised his authority as commander in chief to bomb Iraq, and after publicly outlining a strategy for ground troops in Kosovo....the SAME Senator Frist said this....in reference to impeachment proceedings.
"it should not be brought to a close quickly because the House should perform its constitutional duty."
So. in 8 short years....we went from performing our constiutional duties----to accusing those of trying to perform constitutional duties of treason and giving comfort to our enemies.
My friends......Senator Bill Frist, a leader of the republican party, frontrunner for the GOP Presidential nomination.....is the prime example of what a Republican is these days.
Scared.
PS.....
Republicans, like my fundamentalist anti-choice, anti-minimum wage, republican friend....cannot respond without saying the following words.
War on Terror
9/11
or any associated words attempting to draw a deep chasm between the times of prosperity in the 1990's and the times of desperation of the early 21st century...that attempts to invalidate my argument by saying that what President Clinton was wrong....but what Mr Bush is doing, although much, much, much, much worse---and much, much, much more impactful upon the American people is NOTHING compared to lying about sex.
My friend cannot present a cogent counter-argument without the politics of fear involved. Those that are scared----try to make their opposition even more scared. |
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Sometimes a perfect storm of people will help you look up to the sky and say what the hell.
What the hell.
I saw so many people that used to occupy spots in my life and perhaps places in my immature heart.
On Thursday night I saw Miss. Kristy Boland who was a good friend of mine and part of the same high school be-involved "clique". She was on prom court with me----no she was not the one that hit me in the head with a chair during our prom court skit....come to think of it....it was either Belal or Justin Maynard.
Anyways---she's engaged and has a wonderful child who smiled at me---which means he likes me.....and I'm happy for her.
During the rest of the weekend I saw Amber Trongo who I liked back in junior high school....and I remember hanging out with her in her basement. She's going to be a photographer. She's dating a guy that I was friend's with in elementary school. I saw Kristy Landenwitch---who is the younger sister of another high school good friend Terri, who was in the same high school be-involved "clique". I liked Kristy back in the day....I think everyone did at some point. I saw Ryan Krol, who I used to play tee ball with---he's gotten big (not fat big...big) since high school. I saw Aaron Weddel---who is the younger brother or Kristin---who I used to throw garbage cans at (plastic ones) back in the day when we were walking home from the bus stop because I may have liked her but we always argued too much. She's engaged too. Aaron used to give me shit all the time and he seems cool too....we made fun of one of my neighbors who was caught robbing other houses in our neighborhood----and was caught by the police at 2am walking down the street with a wheelbarrow of someone elses shit.
Ah----where your life can go if you make the wrong decisions.
What's the moral of the story? Well. Staying around the GC will definitely cause some accidental run-ins with people that you may miss---and may not miss, or may have just forgotten. Being happy with what you are is important, being happy with your life choices and decisions is important....because for some reason----people you went to school with can read through you better than your parents, or anyone that you may be friends with now. The thing of it is, is that---especially if your from Garden City you'll understand this---you always rail against the city, against the people....saying you're going to leave and never come back and never think of this place again....etc. But. It's hard. As much as I would love to move to Vegas or Chicago or DC.....I would still always be concerned with the GC----I would care that the Library may close....etc. So I understand why alot of people stay in GC---or go to Albert's or Frankie's or SV or wherever and see people you haven't seen in 5 years....And yes, it is weird...but it is GC.
PS.....I think I may start a MySpace thingie....if you have pictures of me---let me know.Current Mood: Still Sore Current Music: Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon |
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Yes. Read the subject. Tonight will be hard.
Why?
At 8pm....you have:
The West Wing
The Simpsons
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
ALL new episodes....
Likely winner: West Wing
At 9pm....you have:
Desperate Eva Longoria
The Sopranos
Family Guy
ALL new episodes.....
Likely winner: Desperate Eva Longoria......only because I don't have HBO...and if I go over to a friends house that has HBO I will miss the West Wing
At 10pm....you have:
Grey's Anatomy
12 Angry Men
Caddyshack
Likely winner: Grey's Anatomy....only because I have caddyshack on DVD and 12 Angry Men comes on like every week (I think)
I know there can't be many tougher issues that people will face in this world then the issue that I'm facing on this sunday night.
Ha.
Mar. 12th, 2006 @ 04:55 pm
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| » March version of current favorite songs |
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One of my friends always yells at me for having some of the same stuff on my designated cd everytime he gets into my car.
Oh well.
Here....in no particular order are my 20 favorite songs of right now....Feel free to compare them to the entry back in early early January.
1. U2----stuck in a moment, you can't get out of
2. Frank Sinatra----it was a very good year
3. Robin Thicke----i want to love you girl
4. James Blunt----you're beautiful
5. Toad the West Sprocket-----walk on the ocean
6. NeYo-----so sick
7. Kelly Clarkson-----Breakaway
8. Eminem ft. Nate Dogg----Shake it
9. Bubba Sparxxx----Deliverance
10. 2Pac------changes
11. Blank 182-----I miss you
12. Twista ft. Faith Evans----Hope
13. Sarah McLachlan----Sweet Surrender
14. Kanye West----hey mama
15. Everything but the girl ---- And I miss you (acoustic version)
16. Kanye West ---- Heard em Say
17. Kanye West ---- Golddigger
18. N'Sync------Gone
19. Vanessa Carlton----Ordinary Day
20. Rod Steward----forever young
Mar. 6th, 2006 @ 05:01 am
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| » Blogging |
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I have a friend, who looks down upon blogging and the potential for political influence, for political debate and discourse that comes with it.
My friend is a conservative, and he is stuck in his conservative 20th century ways, preferring to get his information from "reputable" news sources like "Faux news" and the Wall Street Journal. My conservative friend, in a reference to bloggers in a recent editorial to his school newspaper, refers to bloggers in many condecending ways---mentioning their need for giant exercise wheels and commenting on their lack of luck in meeting members of the opposite sex. My conservative friend also believes that bloggers help contribute to a warped reality.
What my friend doesn't remember though, is that conservative blogs helped beat back the bush national guard story (true or not---which won't be debated here), that could have served to provide as much damage to the Bush campaign as the swift boat story provided to the Kerry campaign. My friend doesn't remember Harriet Miers and the outrage from the conservative side of the blogosphere on her nomination to the supreme court, beginning the first attacks and ultimately contributing to her downfall.
The twenty-first century is a time of mastering new technologies and new media. The centralized methods of the twentieth century, the NBC, CBS, ABC world of most of the middle of our century, supplemented by the CNN's, Faux News and MSNBC's of the later half was the equivlent of a ford assembly line---mass producing news stories to the general American and worldwide audience---regardless of our taste or passion about those stories are becoming obsolete.
Why are they becoming obsolete?
Blogs are the perfect representation of Democracy. Blogs are more participatory and more transparent. Blogs can provide more honesty and provide personal debate----from a one on one basis or more. In this era of Ipods and Satellite Radio---people can choose where they get their news from, they can choose what the truth is, they can choose the debate and how that debate is shaped.
Blogs are led by regular people....they aren't run by the Bob Shrum's and Karl Rove's of the political world. This commonness, this lack of a hierarchy; where your ideas, your passion, your beliefs are what's heard---and not how many campaigns you've won helps endear people to blogs and to become suddenly active in the political debate.
In the 2004 election, partly because of blogs like DeanForAmerica, and then DemocracyForAmerica.....DailyKos, MyDD...etc., record numbers of people participated in politics, volunteered, contributed money and voted.
Now...as a conservative, I can look and understand why my friend doesn't like the idea of political blogs usurping the power that Faux News, the 700 club, the Wall Street Journal and his other conservative outlets of the media hold. For decades, conservatives have built a vast media network---designed to bombard Americans. The white rural conservative males listen to Rush Limbaugh, the evangelical conservatives flip on the 700 club, soccer moms turn on Bill O'Reilly. It is indeed a powerful network of influence.
Blogs change that. Blogs allow millions of new people, who had no idea how to join our political debate, to join the fight for their particular cause. The blogosphere mixes people, passion, creativity and innovation with debate back into our political discourse---many things that Conservatives inherently are against.
So----I guess I can understand why my conservative friend is so against blogs, attacking them with every verbal volley he can muster....they help represent the end to conservative domination of the messages that Americans get from the media.....and my conservative friend also knows---when it comes to the battle of blogs----those who stand for our nation and stand for liberal and democratic causes are winning. I reference this blog entry from the conservative redstate.org which sets alarms of how "the Kossacks (in reference to those at www.dailykos.com) have focused on the 2006 races like a laser beam. Their '06 diaries often feature detailed and finely grained analysis of the key races." While, in talking about themselves; "RS election diaries tend to focus more on 2008 (Mitt Romney's Mormonism being a recurring theme)."
I guess it would be frustrating to debate about a person's religion while the other side focuses all their energies on 2006. Prime examples of the paranoid conservative fears that America and Americans will slip away from the conservative media grasp.
Mar. 2nd, 2006 @ 04:45 pm
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| » If I had.......... |
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Tonight.......or this morning.....we shall dig deep into the abyss of something. Tonight....or this morning....we shall shed light on things that are shrouded in darkness.
Some people say that I'm at my best when I feel philosophical...when I feel emotional and when I write what I'm thinking down---translating the plethora of thoughts into written word creating an intimate portrait into my mind and easy access to my heart. Sometimes though, I feel burdened by my thoughtfulness.....I feel like I move in slow-motion, act in slow-motion and have fun in slow-motion. During my wonderful unemployment---there hare been times of light-heartedness and times of emotional burden---self inflicted and otherwise. I am beginning to believe that while it may look like I'm at my best when I'm thoughtful and emotional----I don't feel my best....I actually feel my best when I'm in situations where I don't care about love, I don't think about passions, I only think and live for the moment....the here and now.
These past few weeks have created a mini-burden inside of me----granted, its self inflicted.....but its still there. I think when and more importantly if I look back on this time, I will ultimately conclude that there wasn't much to conclude on or feel burdened about.
There are some that I know, that seek refuge and hide behind regrets. They believe in the excuses of the past as a reason for a failure to live in the present, or a willfull neglect at a potentially promising future. Regrets and excuses are two of the most popular things to be in possession of in this day in age; but what are they truly worth in the end? What kind of foundation for a promising and bright future can be built on regrets and excuses? What kind of stories and memories can regrets and excuses create?
I was talking to a friend tonight....and she actually hesitated when I asked her if she expected the best. When I speak about the best, it doesn't necessarily need to translate into Bentley's with Cristal. It doesn't need to translate into a 500 sheet thread count or marble floors with gold faucets. It can mean the best of intentions, the best of wishes, the best of passions, the best of memories.....it can mean whatever you want. The key is this: The key is to have the courage to expect the best. Those that may look down upon their perceived perches and snipe at you for expecting the best; calling you selfish, calling you greedy, calling you things that you don't deserve, don't actually deserve to be saying those things to you.....they are part of the group that fears expecting the best---for fear of receiving nothing. For those that have potentially created scars in your past, created sorrow and tears; certain events and certain choices can bring you to the allowance of your past defining your reality. Wherever you go, whatever you do----that past will haunt you, surround you and cloud your life. Why? Is that expecting the best? Is that giving yourself the best? Is that letting you live your life? If we each examine our lives, we could look at a billion little things we could have done differently if hindsight was 20-20. Geez....when I was in Vegas-----I should have put a thousand on the steelers to win the super bowl, and oh---put me down for a hundred on that coin toss. I'll also bet a million that I'll be single when I'm 24 and a half with no forseeable opportunities on the horizon.
Well.....
I would have enjoyed winning millions of dollars on shit like that. But do I let it keep me up at night? No. Do I care? No.
My friend is afraid of being alone. I am also afraid of being alone. For me, I can be alone. I have gone on vacation to Chicago for four days by myself, I spent significant time in Vegas with me, myself and I. Sometimes your best ideas, your best thoughts and deepest emotions can come out in the presence of nothing but your heartbeating, a good song or show and a nice bottle of wine. But do I like being alone? No. To me, I would take comfort in the fact that someone is snuggled in their warm bed, with the winter storm advisory going on outside, dreaming about me, thinking about me, waiting with anticipation at the next time they get to hear my voice, or kiss me or hug me or whatever. This is what I don't like about being alone---the thought that I'm the only person in the world that is out for me. Thinking of me. Caring about me.
It seems to me, that every woman that I've felt could take this feeling away for good- to throw it into the landfill of self-doubt, and it itself would be a long-forgotten memory of insecurities past hasn't worked out. Why? Regrets and Excuses.....not mine, but those of the women I seek.
I feel like sometimes, I get a quick glance forward in time---and I see myself at a dinner party when I'm 40, with happy couples surrounding the table and me.....and I look with sorrow and dread upon my future, like its already written.....my attempts at finding what others already have are futile and a waste of energy. It's quite hard to feel light-hearted and upbeat when you get visions of your future that look like that....and I wonder what kind of regrets and excuses will I have if I fail and end up being alone. When will I give up?
If I had.
You can finish that sentence with so many possibilities that you could construct a book.
If I had the ability to get rid of one of my emotions......what would it be?
Jealousy. Why? There are those that expect the best, and have gotten the best. There are those that have no regrets and excuses that have met others with no regrests and excuses.
If I had to do it all over again---what would I change?
I don't know.....because I don't know what I've done wrong.
Mar. 2nd, 2006 @ 05:22 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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Hey Toadie,
Nothin much is new....still havin' issues with the ladies...on the job hunt....etc.
Oh....and I'm being intellectually inconsistent....but that's nothing new...I guess public schools in Michigan will do that to ya.
Feb. 24th, 2006 @ 05:14 pm
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