"A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world."

13 September, 2010

Changes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEnoW7xhf4Q


So on this, the anniversary of Tupac's death, I figured I'd start this remix with 'pac and one of the greatest rappers of our era, Snoop. And to announce that I'll be making some changes to this blog.

While I'm still working out the details, some time within the next week or so I'll be revamping this blog by starting a new one. Blogger has been a great starting point, but I feel like I'm comfortable enough in this world to branch out and create a new one from scratch, with some help from the tech wizards at Friction. I'll definitely be keeping the name This Kid, His World, because it succinctly sums up what I'm all about (and because I've given birth to two micro-blogs with similar titles now too =P shout outs to My World According to Me and All My Friends Have Worlds, Mine Is Just Different, the two n00bs still trying to figure this whole blogging thing out).

Like I said, I hafta work out the details, but I'm going to try to work out a system where I repost an older post and then post a new post, at least for a little while. That'll give all y'all something old school to mull over, and then something new to chew on for a little while.

But like I said, its a work in progress, and we'll see how it shakes out. Don't jump ship just yet, but don't expect anything new right away either. Thanks for the patience guys! Appreciate it! Keep it real.

09 September, 2010

What Women Want (And How Guys Don't Give It To Them)

This blog is entitled "This Kid, His World." I've had the good fortune to be close enough with some of my friends to allow them to talk with me about particular issues, most notably with the most important rite of passage in Western civilization, dating. I've noticed some flaws with the perceptions of men amongst the females and I'm going to attempt to voice the opinion of a male looking at a situation and understanding the processing behind it. Try to follow me, I'll be as brief as I can! Just remember, if I didn't feel it was worth posting, I wouldn't post it! :)

There are two main differences in guys and how they interact with women. One lies in their emotional maturity, and the other lies in their personality type. Social and technological influences also play into it, try to follow along.

 Emotional maturity is, like most forms of maturity, a process that requires time and particular experiences to define particular emotions and familiarize oneself with them. It is a relatively well-known fact that girls mature faster than guys do. For instance, an 18 year old girl might have the maturity of what a 19 or 20 year old guy can have. We've all had that class where the teacher is going on and on about a particular topic, only to realize that the subject being covered is way over your head. Sometimes talking to a girlfriend with a greater emotional capacity means entering a realm that girls have explored, or at least are ready to explore, while guys are not quite there yet. It is often in this exploration that an emotional maturation occurs, but this doesn't mean that being forced to step up your emotional game because you can't keep up with your girlfriend is any fun.

This is partly what gives/has given rise to the well-known groan of all guys, talking about feelings. For most guys, being forced to go deep down inside of yourself and discuss what you find there is not just unpleasant, but it just plain sucks. Words don't come easy, it's hard trying to understand feelings, you might be called awkward (of which you're painfully aware. Ladies, patience, soul-searching is never easy and takes time, time that means you might have to wait for an awkward pause to pass. Or, better yet, tell him you want to talk to him in a few hours, this will give him time to mull over what you said and make it mesh with what he feels. But please please please never call us awkward. The phone is hard, and we're way too aware of that, no need to underline a fault of ours. But I digress.)

A key part of emotional maturity means an understanding of symbolic gestures. Consider it for a second. How physical is a hug and a kiss? The two things you guys shovel food into all day, locked together? It's awkward that way.... So where does kissing get it's power? Emotions. The emotional symbolism of a kiss is one of the most basic expressions of love in the Western civilization. Consider that for a sec. Awesome, right?

But as we discussed above, the emotional maturity of guys can often be considerably lower than girls. For guys, kissing may initially mean nothing more than a prelude to more... But girls like kissing as something more, as a reassurance of one's love and fidelity. Kisses make them feel good about you, and about your relationship. They can be overdone, but most guys don't usually hafta worry about that if they can wrap their head around the emotional bit.

The second piece of the emotional equation lies not just in their maturity level, but also in their personality type. I don't know how popular it is, but in high school we took the "True Colors" personality test, and I'll try to get something up about it, but the simple fact is that not just guys, but everyone functions differently. For some, there are people who are very good with emotions, working with people, etc. These are called "Blue." More analytic, scientific types are called "Green". "Gold" are known for their high respect for authority and the rules. Finally an "Orange" has the highest amount of energy and smallest attention span.

In our respect, the biggest clash lies in Blue and Green. Experience and the current state of affairs tells us two things: girls are typically more likely to be Blue than Green, while guys are the opposite: more like to be Green than Blue. Looking at it that, a more emotionally-active female Blue up against a scientific, analytical Green. It's not that being Green means being socially deficient, it simply means that Greens function differently, and that they see the world differently than Blues do.

So now, ladies, not only am I telling you that your man may be less emotionally mature than you are, but I'm also telling you that his brain processes the world through a different lens than you do. Tough news, I know, but this is designed to help you get inside a guy's head.

I would like to address this next part to every hopeless romantic out there, already worrying about never finding "Mr. Right" at the age of 20. The next time you feel yourself only staying with your boyfriend for fear that he's "the best I'll ever have" listen up. Think of the first kid who ever told you that he loved you, you probably remember his name, underneath the jungle-gym at recess one day. Maybe he gave you a peck on the cheek, or a dandelion.

Is kindergarten love and 8th grade love the same? How about 8th grade and senior year in high school? Or senior year of high school and freshman year at college, which is a period of huge emotional maturity? Now consider what not only 4 years of college can do, but what a year or two of real life can do. Huge emotional maturation as one becomes an adult. Now, does the love you felt with your boyfriend, is that going to be the same love you feel in another 4 or 6 years? Probably not, unless you're already very emotionally advanced, or if you stay stunted. You haven't met Mr. Right yet because you're not ready for him. Just think about that the next time fear keeps you trapped.

So, in conclusion, girlfriends, or girls in general for that matter, should always take into consideration the emotional capacity of their boyfriends. Some boys are naturally just more emotional than others, and that's fine, just make sure you account for it. Don't expect too much, because that just means that you end up being disappointed in the end. Just go with the flow. Have fun. Enjoy.

(P.S. thanks to everybody who helped me with this. You know who y'all are.)

27 August, 2010

The Sum of 'Some'

Wuddup y'all, sorry for the lengthy delay, I've been busy learning how to be responsible. I'm an RA this year at St Mike's, and I'll be looking out for 22 freshman.

We started off RA Training by watching the video of Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie describing her life and her work and how it all interacts with the way she views her life. Numerous things stood out to me, but none more striking than her description of stereotypes not as wrong but merely as "incomplete." In my experience it's never been that stereotypes are totally wrong, as most people can attest to the fact that most are in fact grounded in some nugget of truth, but they only tell one single story. 

And so I've arrived at the center of my thesis, and in an unnaturally brief amount of time, especially for me. The defeat of discrimination comes not at the hands of civil rights activists or in legal protection. The defeat of discriminatory statements lies merely in the acknowledgement of stereotypes as only allowing one particular portion to tell their story, or the root of all unfairness.


So try this on for size. The next time you find yourself judging a person, based on whatever characteristic you may so choose, take a step back for a second and bask in the awesome power of a single four-letter word. That word is 'some.' The use of 'some' denotes an ability to see past the single story of a person or group of people and to acknowledge that any particular group you may so choose can not be viewed as simply a group made up of commonalities, but instead a group made up of many and varied differences. For instance, not all Africans are destitute survivors of a genocide, merely some. Not all white people dress like preppy A&F models, merely some. Not all African-Americans enjoy fried chicken, merely some. And indeed, not all college kids are interested in getting hammered before a big dance, merely some. But not this one. Peace.

18 August, 2010

Mosque at Ground Zero @ Friction

I recently appeared as a Guest Author at FrictionOnline, a local blog about philanthropy. I've included the beginning with a link to the rest of it. Check it out! And enjoy.

It’s Mid-August two years into the four year term of a President, which means that across the country politicians are cleaning off ye olde axes and sharpening their pitchforks in anticipation of the mid-term elections, which the minority party always hopes to take away from the President, in an effort to curb some of his power.

However, right after Faisal Shazad’s 1993 Nissan Pathfinder was discovered to be smoking, and then found to be crudely rigged for an explosion, a property was to be cleared by a local community board for some renovations which would make it into a community center for the local Muslim population. This center would include a mosque. From there, Republicans have dubbed this house of worship (and it will hardly be so) as a “monument to terrorism” that is shameful, provocative, insensitive, irresponsible.

What those pundits don’t know is that not only are they simply showing off their complete and total ignorence of other cultures and arrogance to refuse to try to educate themselves about it, but they are also fighting one of the best counter-terror devices at our disposal. This says nothing of the rights of a private citizen to utilize his private property as a house of worship, not to mention renovate such a space, when their only grievances are that they ascribe to a faith some feel has tenets that aren’t kosher (pun totally intended).

Read the Rest At FrictionOnline.

09 August, 2010

Ya Gotta Love America....

In Sunday's Boston Globe, Laurie Goodstein describes how "Plans for new mosques drawing protests across the US". We're not talking about just Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists crashed two of four hijacked planes into the World Trade Centers on 9-11 and killed nearly 3,000 people. We're not talking about just the Bible-thumping South, where Christian conservatives mete out bigotry while quoting relevant scripture. No, this article cites California and Wisconsin, as well as Tennessee and NYC.


It always amazes me when American bigotry is on display. I give plenty of credit to Mrs. Goodstein for writing this article, but even the best reporters don't change the facts on the ground. Listen to this:

In late June, in Temecula, Calif., organizers with a local Tea Party group took dogs and picket signs to Friday prayers at a mosque that is seeking to build a new worship center on a vacant lot nearby.
 Dogs?! When's the last time you saw white people "protesting" a dark-skinned people with dogs? Oh right, here:

02 August, 2010

Foray Into Citizen Reporting

So anyone who watched the news tonight knows it was a big night for Cape Cod Aviation. Two plans went down today, one in the afternoon and the other this evening around dinner time. The first plane went down in Mashpee, specifically on South Cape Beach, and the other one went down at the West End of the Canal, near Buzzard's Bay.

Watch this video for more information.

I'm pretty close to South Cape (watch the video, you'll see them Google Map South Cape, and I'm right on Waquoit Bay), so right after dinner I snagged my camera, hopped in our 17ft Cape Craft, and snapped a few pictures. Here's my first foray into the world of citizen reporting:






29 July, 2010

Muslim Women: Chinese Empowerment?

I subscribe to the Foreign Dispatch podcast of National Public Radio. It's stated aim is as a "weekly podcast of the biggest news and best stories as covered by National Public Radio's Foreign correspondents from around the world." I find this to be true, and really enjoy listening to the three or four stories each week brings. Occasionally, they'll compile double that number about a particular story and package them all together as a "Special Report." You can find their website here, and I strongly encourage you to subscribe if you're serious about the goings-on in today's world.

Anyways, that's my plug. The latest edition, dated 23 July, goes from discussing a new law giving Russia's FSB more leverage to control the populace, to discussing female Imams in Central China, to discussing marriage rituals in Sudan. It is this middle topic I wish to consider for just a moment.

Muslim women being allowed to teach the Qur'an? Yes, it's true: in the world's most populous nation, about 2% of the population are Muslims. This breaks down to about 21 million people, mostly centered around central China, the provinces of Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai making up the informal "Quran Belt". The podcast takes us to one of these provinces, where 16 all-female mosques are located, roughly 1/3 of the number of male mosques. Female imams perform the same roles as men, except they are not allowed to handle male corpses nor lead funeral processions. They teach the Qur'an to female students, and lead prayers in all-female mosques.

While the podcast alludes to resistance near the Chinese borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, it appears that this hostility is doing nothing to deter these all-women mosques from spreading. In fact, NPR reports that the establishment of all-female mosques is spreading to Northern China, even as attendance at these houses of worship wane.

My "Big Question" is alluded to in the podcast by a male member of the Islamic Association of China. He hopes that with the Chinese rise in economic power, that China will soon be viewed as a Muslim powerhouse as well. My Big Question is, Would China, big, atheist China, ever link their foreign aid to religious practices and, potentially, work to expand the role of women in Islam?

Imagine in five or ten years, China taking (mostly African and Asian, some Middle Eastern) women and educating them in some of their all-female mosques. With another 10 years of economic growth, another 10 years to fully take the reigns in the international arena, and maybe, just maybe, to even implement some democratic reforms. As the podcast indicates, these institutions are still fully-functioning and actively seeking pupils. With China beginning to reach out to developing nations, and its aid-for-oil in Africa has been well-documented in recent years, I believe that, should China choose to seize the opportunity, it can create a new generation of cosmopolitan women imams, empowered by an Islamic education. Just imagine this as a reaction to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and even the extremists of Al-Qaeda, all of whom promote misogyny as part of their Islamic culture.

23 July, 2010

The Social Tendencies of People Who Smoke Varying Degrees of Weed, aka Kush on Campus: The Stoner Steps.

The Social Tendencies of People Who Smoke Varying Degrees of Smoking Weed,
aka Kush on Campus: The Stoner Steps.

So this past semester I took Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, which, although being taught by a rash Communist, made me do some thinking. This wasn't hard, it was an interesting subject, but one thing I took away from it was the science behind it. The best way to view a specific group of people is to live in, with, and amongst them. Whether its a tribe of indigenous peoples in South America or your own team, business, place of worship, street corner, dentist, you name it. It's all about seeing where you live, what's around you, who else is there.

I took this idea, of just watching my surroundings, to heart. I've truly been thinking about who I'm with, how what I know about their past fits with their behavior, stuff like that. So, here it is: The Different Social Tendencies of Varying Marijuana Users, or as I like to call it, Kush on Campus: Stoner Steps. After a semester of college, I've witnessed particular tendencies amongst the stoner community. I've seen kids from "Never will I ever ever ever smoke!" To taking an occasional hit. Kids who smoked a little in high school now smoked a lot. Kids who smoked a lot….. Smoked more. Or maybe they stopped. Different people reacted differently to the more freedom found in college. What brought about this change? What’s next? What are the varying degrees of smoking? And so, my first anthropological piece. About smoking weed. In college. Alright!

The following is my own personal account of how one is influenced to join a growing culture in the United States today. By some accounts, up to 41% of Americans have admitted to trying marijuana, more than double the percentage of people who smoke tobacco. What would convince 2/5ths of all Americans to break the law, and smoke this tropical herb? I have tried to come up with a social account, speaking from the observed experiences of various college kids. I have friends that fit into each one of the following categories, and, while some have indeed become notorious “stoner burnouts,” far more have gone on to lead exceedingly normal lives. Read on!

Note: I highly recommend seeing both “The Union” and “Drugs, Inc: Marijuana” before reading. Both of these will give you valuable insight into the reasoning and science behind the status of marijuana today, and its history in the United States.

The Never-Ever

o In a negative connotation : They were probably scared stiff of their middle school D.A.R.E officer, can often be close-minded, or has had a bad personal experience with a friend or relative ruining their life with marijuana or other drugs. Refuses to have anything to do with it, and flips a shit on Mary-Jane jokes. Not fun for neither the user nor the “nevee”. Often can resort to proselytizing to attempt to convince the others of the herb’s evil.

o No Opinion/Willing to accept it : These people are willing to accept being around it, but this often comes only after being extremely comfortable within a particular group. Can morph into a possible willingness to try it, especially as a bond within a particular group is strengthened over time.

• The First Time: Often viewed in the context of a group smoking together and wishing to join in, sometimes with soft peer pressure, especially if the person’s acquiescence and/or willingness is well-known. Can be alcohol-induced, which means their night will end shortly as mixing is often reserved for habitual users (too many new substances, donchakno). Often their comfort level in a group and/or athlete status can hinder their entrance into the marijuana arena.

• Special Occasions – After the first time, many first-timers may decide that it is not for them. However, with soft peer pressure, many may choose to only smoke for concerts or other experiences in which marijuana is most often associated. Often can be as little as once every few months, often this user can count the number of times smoked on one hand. Always very situational-dependent. For athletes, their off-season is when this will most likely occur.

• Habits Form – This bracket is defined by their frequency. Smoking up to once a night once a week is not uncommon. Frequency can increase slowly, and over time, especially as techniques become more refined. Mastering both the breathing techniques and the use of a “rush” or “carb” on a smoking piece are signs of one’s ability to begin smoking successfully. This is generally the “noobish” phrase of smoking.

• The First Buy – Often the need is felt to repay their comrades for numerous smoke-ups. Their first buy might be indirect, when a person is given the money to buy a little extra for said person. Shows flexibility in smoking, often with different people or in different scenarios. Different from throwing a person some money for smoking them up, it shows an independence from the mentor, a willingness to smoke with people other than the original mentor.

• Buying in Bulk – From the first buy, frequency and amount smoked can increase. Smoking socially is the norm, with between 3 and 6 in on a bowl. Stress or celebrating particular events can bring the number smoking to 2, but this is rare. For the most part social bowls, typically after all the work of the day is complete, will be the norm.

o A note on amounts: An eighth of an ounce, or 3.5 grams (sometimes called “slices”) are the norm for buying. A slice can vary in price from anywhere between $35 to $60 depending on the quality of the bud. Cheaper smokers frequently buy only $10 worth of weed, commonly called a “dime bag”, but obviously the amount received of this will vary. Amounts are typically described in relation to an ounce, i.e. an eighth (3.5g), a quarter (7g), a half (14g), even up to a full ounce, which is typically viewed as, legally, the largest amount a person would have on them for personal use. Anything after that is legally viewed as being held with an intention to sell.

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

That last step is the most common one amongst college smokers. For many, they enjoy any one of the various aspects of smoking marijuana. Everything from being social and bringing people together, to experience the effects, or even to merely blend in with a crowd of other musicians or hippies. For lack of a better term, I will call that “harmless” smoking. Now we delve into those kids who have been irresponsible (I don’t use the term lightly) with marijuana.

• Smoking Alone – As with the first smoke and the first buy, the first smoke alone is significant as it reflects a change in one’s attitude towards the use of marijuana. This shift is often one of an emotional nature and represents a break from the social norms established in the prior levels. Humans are naturally pack animals, and doing anything by oneself is often seen as abnormal. The reasons behind smoking alone are many: everything from simple boredom to depression to a feeling of reward after the completion of a difficult task. Sometimes people smoke because it makes them feel more able to cope with a difficult situation. Perhaps boredom is the most significant: it represents a lack of both something productive to do with one’s time, and also the lack of any particular reason to stay sober. This itself can lead to smoking to cope.

o NOTE: The only time smoking by oneself is okay, in my humble opinion, is as an enhancement smoker. According to both Urban Dictionary and the classic stoner flick Half Baked, an enhancement smoker is defined as:

" A person who smokes cannabis primarily to enhance other experiences (rather than simply for the "high" itself). Such individuals are less likely to enjoy merely smoking and sitting around doing nothing."
An enhancement smoker, therefore, seeks to use the high to their own benefit, whether this means philosophizing, watching movies, or other activities.

• Slippery Slope – However, besides an enhancement smoker, smoking by oneself is often a sign of an emotional attachment to marijuana. Frequency of usage can go from once a day to multiple times a day, all smoked alone. In some cases, even whole paychecks will be put towards a large order of bud to be smoked in one day all by oneself. Quite often buying in such large quantities will make dealing an option. Academically, the grades will begin to fall (if they have not already), but with doses of Riddlin, Adderall or other such prescription ADD drugs, the steady fall will plateau. Often, when life requires sobriety, but a mental addiction has been built up already, these individuals can turn to other substances. Mushrooms are always a favored substitute as drug tests can not pick up their main active ingredients, psilcybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. Proscription pills are also an option, but can be detected by most drug tests.

On being a gateway drug: In today’s modern drug world, the marijuana game is removed from what are typically described as “hard” drugs. Today, the most notorious drugs are cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and prescription pills, not to mention alcohol, the most deadly of all mind-altering drugs. With the exception of alcohol, often because of the illegality of these drugs requires the supplier is to have contacts with the underground world of the illicit drug trade, which more often than not, means having ties to organized crime. Today, a supplier of marijuana can be as simple as a person growing a plant in their closet. Weed as a drug is relatively simple: it’s a plant, so all you really need to grow your own is a knowledge of horticulture and patience. In British Columbia, Canada, it is estimated that 1 in every 100 dwellings is being used to grow marijuana. With growing happening on this scale, people now do not have to resort to criminals to buy drugs. The chain of supply is drastically shortened. Now, a person could be no more than two links away from the original grower, growing it in their basement. This decentralizes the marijuana trade, making it a lot less likely to run into hard drugs.

Of course, the more intense smokers require their dealers to handle larger orders, and if one gets into dealing, then these orders only increase in size and scale. This puts them in a more likely position to encounter these hard drugs, or to know someone who is able to lay their hands on them. Lucky is the stoner who knows somebody who grows massive amounts of weed, for this insulates them from hard drugs.

Speaking physiologically, weed itself does force the user to move onto harder drugs in search of that “first high,” a common reason behind an addiction to crack cocaine. In fact, as a drug, it is the theory of this blogger that each strain of THC has such different characteristics that this keeps a tolerance level low. Add to that the difference such factors such as movement, thought, environment, and company can all have on one’s “high” and this experience can differ dramatically, even from bowl to bowl. With that said, marijuana becomes a gateway drug only due to the fact that one can come in contact with people with, at times significant, ties to the criminal underworld where other illicit drugs can be found.

And so, after months of research, my conclusions are that the amount of marijuana a person smokes can be broken down into different categories. Those categories each can be fairly well defined based on numerous factors, from the number of times smoking to the frequency of use to amounts they buy at a time. Each of these clearly demonstrates a particular characteristic about their marijuana habits. For them, they are merely just taking part in Kush on Campus: The Stoner Steps.

14 July, 2010

Now, usually I don't do this....

Yes, that is the opening line from R.Kelly's "Ignition Remix." Just figured I'd let you know, but sometimes you can't say a line without singing it in your head, yanno?

But anyways, I've got something big in the works, and I would really appreciate it if my loyal readership would do me a favor. To fully grasp the context of what I'm going to post (and yeah, this is kind of a spoiler, oops) but try to watch both The Union and Drugs, Inc: Part 4: Marijuana. This will help you grasp a little bit of what I'm going to be writing about (hopefully sometime next week).

As a college kid in Vermont, I think the subject of my next big entry is self-evident. So do yourself (and the world) a favor.... see those two movies. It'll help you grasp my message. Thanks!

28 June, 2010

This Whole Reader Thing....

Trying to get people to read this thing lol started an account on Technorati because I'm told that's a good way to do it.... Here's the code I'm supposed to paste: CVD97B239NDB so just bare with me! hahaha thanks

27 June, 2010

Philosophization after a Weekend of Beachin' Revelry

After spending a night with some interesting folks (who shall remain nameless), we've come up with an interesting array of philosophical thoughts:

-Sublimity is the overwhelming nature of nature. That said, what happens when someone views the ocean for the first time? How do people in the Midwest react to it, for instance?

-Fair skinned Irish people only get tanned when all their freckles band together.

-Abortion can be wiped out by remaking the adoption system, making it easier to give up a child for adoption, while also making it easier to adopt. However, for that to change, it needs to be okay for a girl to be pregnant in the first place, and not be ashamed, as is so prevalent in today's world. Think Juno, but in real life.

-Being an illegal immigrant means more than just working in this country without pay, it means not becoming subservient to a government that won't respect your needs whether you're a citizen or not. It also means being able to keep more money for yourself b.c you don't have to pay taxes, but that's more or less beside the point.

-Affirmative action is a way to make the ends justify the means. The only way to do away with affirmative action is to consolidate the funding of schools, especially inner-city schools. Level the playing field for middle- and high-schools, force states and towns to work together to come up with a plan to cover the funding for educating our future leaders.

-The biggest difference between being in the military and being able to drink (as the two are often compared) is responsibility. In the military, you are instilled with a sense of responsibility not just for your own welfare, but for the safety of those around you. This comes about in boot camp, where you're constantly supervised, round the clock, 24/7. This is in stark contrast to drinking, especially underage, where there is hardly ever any supervision, and where one's opinions of responsibility change with the more you drink. Besides, the good doctors tell us you're brains are still developing at the lowly age of 18, just sayin'.

25 June, 2010

Sports and Politics: The Great Divide

Howdy y'all, or whoever actually reads this. Just saw Toy Story 3 so I'm feeling pretty deep atm, and reading this article on FP made me start wondering, albeit in a totally different direction, about the relationship between Americans and Sports. Basically the article (read it first, and correct me if I'm wrong) says that the rest of the world holds up sporting events as a canvas thru which they view the state of their nation. The writer doesn't want to see that (amongst other things) happen here in the U.S., and fair enough, I agree with him.

But at the same time, the U.S. views their sports differently than most of the world. In the worldwide world of sports, most countries have one major sport, sometimes two. This can be soccer/football/futbol, rugby, cricket, whatever. The U.S. has 4, baseball, basketball, (American) football and hockey. That's a lot of passions to keep in check, and a lot of teams over which to spread out all your passion. When's the last time there was a sports riot in the United States? I'm talking actual riots here people, just because theres a mass of people and some numbskull decides to climb a streetlight does not make it a riot. I'm talking cars and buildings torched, people trampled, cops out in full riot gear, shields, maybe water hoses, hardcore RealTV shit. It's been awhile since that's happened, thankfully.

Normal occurrence in the rest of the world, where hooligans have so much invested in their one team that any failure at all is a huge emotional upset.

Tony Kornheiser (really not a huge fan, but this just occurred to me) said it best. He was talking about the fallout of the Tiger Woods scandal on PTI. Or maybe this was on SportsNation (when I actually watched it once or twice before saying "oh wow cool" and moving on), Regardless, someone on ESPN said this:

Americans are good at compartmentalizing. They can separate the man from the sport he plays, and say, for example, that you can respect (insert professional athlete here) as an athlete, but loathe him as a man/human being/female, whatever.

My point being thus: sports are on one side, politics are on the other. True, Obama might go to a Cubs/White Sox game when they play the Nationals, sure W. owned the Rangers at one point, but that's about as close as politics and sports ever get to mixing.

Except in September, 2001. September 17th, 2001, saw the return of baseball to Yankee Stadium, and helped heal a nation. Through sports, a nation began to heal. Here are some pictures from that day.

15 June, 2010

Bonnaroo Recap -- Part One: The Journey

Okay, so I'm back. I landed in Westford at like 6:30 this morning, and by the time I had gotten most of the grime (to get 100% clean will take quite awhile) it was 7:30, and I slept until.... 2:00.... go figure, but it was a long ass ride home.
I figured I'd do things a little different for this post, since Bonnaroo itself is a little different. For us especially, the biggest factor is the car ride. Luckily, we cut back the ride home to about 20.5 hours, but still, all told thats 44.5 hours in a car.... yikes. SO before I talk music, I wanna tell you about the ride.

  • CT - It really is a blend of both Mass and NY. It's mostly suburbia, but without any major cities? (C'mon, Hartford? West Haven? Sorry guys, not when your competing with Boston and NYC). We knew we were back in New England when we saw 3 cars swerving around eachother like typical Massholes lol
Addendum: CT also wins the "Most Patriotic Road Names" Contest. Each highway is named after "Sgt This" or "Lt That" or even after whole Units. Way to be, CT.
Sunrise in CT
  • NY - Always a great state to drive thru, this year we really did it right and hit the tappen zee bridge at nite with no traffic, it worked out well.
The Tappen Zee Bridge, Early Morning
  • NJ - Fuck. THE worst. every thing is dirty. the highways are huge. the neighborhoods arent nice. it sucks getting lost. they close important exits without detours. fuck you jersey, you need to get your act together. the garden state? more like the garbage state.
  • PE - After the mess that is Jersey, Pennsylvania is like a breath of fresh air. Even the frickin road signs are polite, telling you to make sure you don't tailgate! and watch out for heavy truck traffic! Def my favorite state on our trip. No trip would be complete without a stop at Hershey right as the sun was rising, it's pretty awesome. Some early morning frisbee on the lawn of the Hershey hotel, then just watch the sun rise.
Sunrise in Hershey, PA
  • MD/WV - the last two states in the Union before we hit the south, we're in both of them about 20 minutes total. WV has the nicest rest area, probably because 84 is the only highway that actually gets out of staters so they try to make them stay as long as possible.... Nice try West Virginia, but I know what you're up to.
  • VA - quite possibly the worst state to drive thru. Our route takes us along 84, which goes along the entire spine of VA, most of it in the Shenandoah valley. AKA we're in this state, on this one highway, in this one valley, with zero change of scenery, for 6 hours. it sucks. its a nice state, and u actually get to hear legit southern accents, but once you hit Tennessee you think you're in the home stretch.
Flipping off VA
  • TN - But you're not. It'll be at least another 5 hours before you hit Manchester, where Bonnaroo is at. On the ride home, our route took us all the way down into Georgia before going back north to come home, annoying. Found the cheapest gas here too, $2.35/gal. Booyah.
For an important state, you would think we had a gotten a better picture....
  • GA - At least I got to experience it, even if it was for 5 mins. Now I can say that except for the Carolinas and Delaware, I've been up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
You're pretty cool, Georgia. I'll be back again sometime.

08 June, 2010

Bonnarooooo! & Traffic Wisdom

Welp, I'm off for a hippie fest for a week. Bonnaroo 2010 is gunna be even better than last year, with a totally different dynamic. Three better prepared guys, vs. seven total noobs. I'll probs try to hit this thing up, spouting some wisdom, but more than likely I'll just lay on all the Enlightenment after this crazy, crazy week.

In honor of this 24 hour roadtrip, two little things to ponder the next time you're driving:
  1. The real winner out of this past recession has been the road paint companies. Think about it. Every time theres new paving, they get to redo all the lines, both yellow and white, but also all the dotted lines too. With any luck, there'll be a lane shift or a lane split, meaning whole new sets of lines that won't last anymore than a few months.
  2. You know those big flashing signs that'll say like "PAVING BEGINS 3/17 -- SEEK ALT'N ROUTE" etc and so forth? Those things really just evolved out of road signs, right? But have you seen how many roadsigns we still use today? Think about how much bank some companies made when they innovated the normal road sign into something that flashes whole messages!? And now these things are so important there are even whole companies just type in messages and place these things where the highway dept want 'em! Strange, to say the least.
Anywho, I'm off to see the Wizard. Peace and love Cubscouts.

18 May, 2010

Robin Hood Revamped

Saw Robin Hood tonight, and for what it's worth, I thought it was everything I expected it to be: a Gladiator/Braveheart mix, but without all the fluff and empathy of Disney's classic animated Robin Hood. Idk, it was alright. (And yes, I do spoil the movie, so go see it and then read this, or just keep reading and see if you actually wanna see it after, just a heads-up.)

Set right before the classic Robin Hood tale of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, Russell Crowe plays Robin Hood, fresh from the Crusades and bound by a blood pact to return a sword to a kindly old lord in Nottingham. When the King is betrayed, it is Robin Hood who rallies the people around the Magna Carta to demand their rights, in return for fighting for the king. Anyone with any sense of European history knows the tale from here, how King John was forced to sign it at sword-point, then tore it up once the emergency passed.

All in all, I found the film amusing. As a fan of Gladiator, Russell Crowe was truly in his element: trained for battle, Robin Hood (or was it Maximus Decimus? Can't really tell at points....) is forced to deal with a psychotic king, but in Hood he fights for him, not against him. Braveheart occurred barely 50 years later, so the tactics and style of warfare are pretty similar to Robin Hood, but more than that, Robin Hood has been graced with a style of oration from another mysterious elder, his father (even though he never knew him, but his adopted father did? wth?), which Uncle Argyle taught young William the ways of the world. Small world, huh?

To wrap it up, this aint your classic disney Robin Hood. Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott combine to tell the tale of how Robin Longstride went Hood, how his defense of the rights of commoners became important, and even how he got mixed up with Friar Tuck. Expect the story, with a quick dose of pre-Enlightenment-era political theory, set against old-school medieval warfare, oh, and I forgot to mention, an amphibious assault that could use a little coaching from the guys who put together either Saving Private Ryan or Troy. Worth it if you're into this type of thing, but not worth it if you're not.

13 May, 2010

On Love

Love is such an awesome thing. Just as the Eskimos have 20 words for snow, so too do I wish we had 20 words for love. Love has reduced me to tears twice in my life: way back when I learned I was to be entrusted with the spiritual supervision of a child as his Godfather, and again on a Leap retreat this past November. Love is what kept my hall at SMC together, what keeps Kev Muench coming back to visit, what reunites my high school friends. Love is how I know my parents will always care for me, no matter how bad I fuck shit up. I can feel love in the warm fur of my dog, and in the warmth of a grill cooking steamers we just picked up in front of the Cape house. I find loev in the warmth of my bed on a cold winter night, but also in the warmth of a batch of Grammy's cookies, fresh from the oven. Love is why you care for a friend, puking, late on a Saturday night, and love is what unites friends around a meal in the cafeteria the morning after to laugh about that Saturday night. Love is being given much, and seeking to give it all back to those less fortunate. Love is caring about someone you've never met, but would do anything for. Lose is patient, love is kind. Love is sympathy, love is mercy. Love is simple, love is complicated, love is unknowable, yet constantly known. Such is love.

10 May, 2010

On War

I just watched the 9th and almost final (whats the word for second to last? anyone have Mr. Gurrall should know this.....) and it changed the war I've thought about the human aspect of war. Sure it's grueling, a dark, difficult aspect of life, but it's been complicated in this past century. World War I saw the rise of the "Hun," a notorious, baby-bayoneting savage. World War II saw the "Jap" rise as a slant-eyed monkey of untold brutality. Vietnam saw the faceless "Charlie" rise out of the paddies to hit the Americans wherever they were. In the past two decades, "towel-heads" "A-rags" and a whole host of other defamities have risen to beat down those who oppose us on the battlefield.

War is about dehumanizing your opponent to make them kill-able.

But last Sunday's episode changed the way I viewed humanity in the context of war. True, one must dehumanize the enemy, but in the process, one must not lose their own humanity. For every man, there is a human. For ever human, there is a body. In life, to seek death on another man is unnatural, and to kill is to strike at the very soul of yourself, to threaten your own humanity. To survive a war, yes, you must dehumanize your opponent, but at the same time, you must not lose touch with your own humanity.

End the eloquence. Begin speculation.

The types of wars conducted today are unlike any the world has seen in it's history. Man no longer finds his opponent lined up in rows to be mowed down, but hiding, burying bombs in the roads and waiting, watching for the moment to strike. Man no longer has an enemy to shoot at, to dehumanize, as every person you see could be a potential insurgent. In those God-forsaken areas I can only read about, those areas I see muzzle-mounted videos of and pray for the protection of those soldiers, those areas so awash with weapons that their mere presence is routine and non-incriminating.... It is these areas that we fight in. Every farmer, every herder, every civil servant can be a potential spy, a potential fighter. You can't sort through them. You don't even know who they are.

This new type of warfare is even more savage in that the escape of the insurgent occurs more often than your own ability to shoot at them. The frustrations that occur, the inability to shoot back, compounds the difficulty of war. The more difficult war becomes, the greater the ability to sacrifice one's humanity in its exploits.

This is the world we live in, and this is the world we will have to deal with. One in which countless young men come back as a shell of their former selves, dealing with what we dub "post-traumatic stress disorder," the latest in the line of soldier diseases that have dulled their humanity. If, by chance, any soldier, former soldier, or future soldier reads this, just know that from the very depths of my heart, I appreciate the sacrifices you've made for this country. Godspeed, and God bless.

02 February, 2010

Violence Rocks Suburbia..... Again


I don't know how many of you know, but there has been a second violent outburst in my hometown of Westford, Mass., in a month now.....

The first time happened when I was moving back to school after Christmas break. Some guy was with his wife in his car when he shot her, then tried to set the car on fire, with himself in it.

The second time happened last night. A family was having marital/money issues so the dad shot and killed his daughter, shot his wife, then committed suicide. The wife is in critical condition and might not make it. His daughter, Olivia, was killed while she was on the phone with police. She was 17, a Senior at WA who was going to go to UVM next year..... It's that last part that really got me. (P.S.: Can read about it here)

I didn't know her, but she's a senior in high school. If there's any other time in a young person's life that is most geared towards the future, it's senior year. We've all been there, talking about schools we're going to attend, and options for majors, sports, extracurriculars and the like... And now she won't be able to go to a Catamount's game, see Battle for Burlington, trek around the city party hopping..... She doesn't even know what she's going to miss. Maybe that's why I'm so moved by this. It's not just a random act of violence, its a random act of violence that I can connect with. I was in her shoes once. All of the UVM class of 2014 is in her shoes now. All of them, except one....

R.I.P Olivia Marchand
Another Life Cut Too Short