I thought it was quite ironic yesterday when I was walking to the Red Line Grand Station and was approached by a kid from the ACLU holding a petition. I am not going to mention what the petition was for because once again, this is not a political forum. But he walked up to me and asked if I have a few minutes. Of course I said yes because the first thing that came to mind was my post about protestors and how I could add to it. So here it is. He started asking me if I would be willing to sign his petition to help re-shape our governement because we are currently in a "in a swirl that is going to turn us into a Nazi or Communist-like facist state". So here is how the conversation went:
Me: Didn't the ACLU defend the Nazi party here in Illinois in the late 70's and then in Cincinnati earlier this year?
ACLU: That is true, we were protecting there freedom of speech.
Me: I am all for the freedom of speech. But I think that the ACLU stepped in just to get their name in the paper and get publicity rather then standing up for freedom of speech.
ACLU: The ACLU stood up because they wanted to defend the rights of people because that is ultimately what they are, people.
Me: But you were publically standing up for people that do not just want to remove the rights of others, but also wanting those people to no longer exist in our society.
ACLU: Thats not the issue here. The issue is removing "act to remain nameless" so we can restore balance in our government.
Me: Do you think you would still be standing here right now if someone else was president? I think this is coming up because your organization has it out for the current president. When the new president in put in office, is this petition even going to exist anymore?
ACLU: Its not a matter of who is president.
Me: For some reason I dont beleive that. What is your stance on the Michael Vick situation? Are you with the NAACP on this one?
ACLU: We currently do not have a stance on that situation.
Me: Why not? Animals not your thing?
ACLU: Sir, this really has nothing to do with this petition.
Me: But it has something to do with your organization. You see I can't just pick and choose on when to support an organization. I also can't defend everyone. If you defend everyone, then whats the point of even defending anyone?
ACLU: We defend those who's rights have been infringed upon.
Me: Like Nazis trying to hold a demonstration in Skokie where there are a lot of Holocaust victims living or a prodominantly black nieghborhood in Cincinatti? If I screamed fire in a crowded movie theatre and during the stampede people were hurt or killed. Would you defend my freedom of speech or does that fall under clear and present danger?
ACLU: Sir, would you like to sign my petition?
Me: You haven't told me a reason why I should. I will look into it on the website and if for some reason I decide I want to sign I will do it there, not here.
So needless to say, I was not impressed by his lack of knowledge. I think it is ridiculous for a person to be able to stand on a corner with a politcal message, asking me to participate and they have no idea what they are talking about. One of the biggest reasons that I won that battle is that I kept him busy for 20 minutes. While we talked about 100 people walked by and were not bothered by this guy. Thats right, I win.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
We're no longer allowed near Higgins Lake Pt 2
So we finally brave our way to South Higgins Lake State Park and wait in line to check-in. But we had to wreak some havoc on the way into the camp to let everyone know what our plans were for the weekend. Matt leaned out the window of my Grand Prix and Terry hung out the window of Dan's Impala throwing the football back and forth. In true fashion, Terry overshot Matt and banked the football off of the guy in front of us's camper. Hi, nice to meet up, don't worry that dent will pop right out, are you in the site next to us?
Wouldn't you know that Michigan meteorologists were finally right. They had predicted rain and they were correct. I had my tarp down and I was laying out my tent when the skies opened and it started to pour. Matt, Terry and Dan had there tents mostly set-up but for some reason my tent was not cooperating. The three of them finished and came over to try and help me out. But somehow when my brother used the tent the weekend before, the poles had gotten mixed up and it was impossible to put the tent up. By the time I had figured this out it was useless anyways. There was about three inches of rain on top of my tent and there would be no way to dry it out in time to use it during the trip. It just sat there looking like a two day old dead spider. The center portion trying to stay off the ground while the poles that were still in the tent tried to hold there share of the weight.
The fun never seemed to stop on Friday. After setting up camp, having a celebratory beer, taking a couple cannonballs out of a warm bottle of Jack and being completely soaked to the bone, we deciding to head into town. We went to a restaurant called Garrett's Place (GP) to have dinner. I liked it because it reminded me of the Gathering Place (GP) back home, but maybe a little more upscale. The food was great, other then the fact that Matt was ordering like a king and made the rest of us look like we were sitting at the kiddie table. But along with the big tip that we left for our waitress, were the four huge puddles that were now soaked into their booth. No longer welcome there.
We needed firewood so we started driving around looking for anywhere that would have dry wood for sale. We stopped at a gas station for smokes and asked the attendant if they had any dry firewood in the back the we could buy. She had seen us coming and was not in the mood to deal with us, she replied grumpily "NO". We asked if she knew anyone who would "NO". Then I will take a pack of Camel Wide Lights then. Terry wasn't so eager to shrug it off. He decided to take his frustration out on a stand-up ashtray that was outside the door of the gas station. Next thing I know, there is a huge pile of ash sitting right in front of the door and the ashtray was rolling around. Someone made a smart ass comment about Keith Richards coming to snort it up with his father's ashes and we hit the road again. No longer welcome there.
Maybe Wal-Mart has dry firewood. We once again announced ourselves through the parking lot and then into the store that we were on a mission and didn't give a shit. This was a pretty quick stop. "Excuse me ma'am, do you have firewood for sale? No, OK well fuck this place there are no hot chicks here anyways, lets go to Glens." No longer welcome.
After finally loading up on firewood, food and most importantly beer at Glens we heading back to the site. Sitting there, we started to finally get into camping mode. Sitting around a fire completely burning from chemicals and drinking a beer. It doesn't get much better. unless you were the campsite across the little road from us. These people looked like they were set up for the entire summer. We all sat around drinking and watching the fire and exactly when it got quiet for one minute all we heard from there site was "Know your role woman and get me another beer". We knew that we were going to get along with that guy.
The wood that we had bought was not exactly dry. So we had to use some more unorthodox methods to get the wood to light. A gallon of lantern lighter fluid should last about three years. We had used about half the can on Friday night to get that fire going. But it was worth it. We used the fire to dry out, except for my tent, and we called it a night.
Just remember that we were there for some of Friday, all of Saturday and Sunday morning. There is still 1.5 days to cover and it only gets better. I feel like I should be writing this in a book rather then a blog. Hopefully, I won't sway to far from your interest level.
Wouldn't you know that Michigan meteorologists were finally right. They had predicted rain and they were correct. I had my tarp down and I was laying out my tent when the skies opened and it started to pour. Matt, Terry and Dan had there tents mostly set-up but for some reason my tent was not cooperating. The three of them finished and came over to try and help me out. But somehow when my brother used the tent the weekend before, the poles had gotten mixed up and it was impossible to put the tent up. By the time I had figured this out it was useless anyways. There was about three inches of rain on top of my tent and there would be no way to dry it out in time to use it during the trip. It just sat there looking like a two day old dead spider. The center portion trying to stay off the ground while the poles that were still in the tent tried to hold there share of the weight.
The fun never seemed to stop on Friday. After setting up camp, having a celebratory beer, taking a couple cannonballs out of a warm bottle of Jack and being completely soaked to the bone, we deciding to head into town. We went to a restaurant called Garrett's Place (GP) to have dinner. I liked it because it reminded me of the Gathering Place (GP) back home, but maybe a little more upscale. The food was great, other then the fact that Matt was ordering like a king and made the rest of us look like we were sitting at the kiddie table. But along with the big tip that we left for our waitress, were the four huge puddles that were now soaked into their booth. No longer welcome there.
We needed firewood so we started driving around looking for anywhere that would have dry wood for sale. We stopped at a gas station for smokes and asked the attendant if they had any dry firewood in the back the we could buy. She had seen us coming and was not in the mood to deal with us, she replied grumpily "NO". We asked if she knew anyone who would "NO". Then I will take a pack of Camel Wide Lights then. Terry wasn't so eager to shrug it off. He decided to take his frustration out on a stand-up ashtray that was outside the door of the gas station. Next thing I know, there is a huge pile of ash sitting right in front of the door and the ashtray was rolling around. Someone made a smart ass comment about Keith Richards coming to snort it up with his father's ashes and we hit the road again. No longer welcome there.
Maybe Wal-Mart has dry firewood. We once again announced ourselves through the parking lot and then into the store that we were on a mission and didn't give a shit. This was a pretty quick stop. "Excuse me ma'am, do you have firewood for sale? No, OK well fuck this place there are no hot chicks here anyways, lets go to Glens." No longer welcome.
After finally loading up on firewood, food and most importantly beer at Glens we heading back to the site. Sitting there, we started to finally get into camping mode. Sitting around a fire completely burning from chemicals and drinking a beer. It doesn't get much better. unless you were the campsite across the little road from us. These people looked like they were set up for the entire summer. We all sat around drinking and watching the fire and exactly when it got quiet for one minute all we heard from there site was "Know your role woman and get me another beer". We knew that we were going to get along with that guy.
The wood that we had bought was not exactly dry. So we had to use some more unorthodox methods to get the wood to light. A gallon of lantern lighter fluid should last about three years. We had used about half the can on Friday night to get that fire going. But it was worth it. We used the fire to dry out, except for my tent, and we called it a night.
Just remember that we were there for some of Friday, all of Saturday and Sunday morning. There is still 1.5 days to cover and it only gets better. I feel like I should be writing this in a book rather then a blog. Hopefully, I won't sway to far from your interest level.
We're no longer allowed near Higgins Lake
Some friends of mine and I went camping this last weekend at Higgins Lake in Michigan. But unfortunately, I do not think that we will ever be allowed back. There was not any particular incident that will keep us from returning, there were about 25 incidents. Obviously I will not be able to post all of them today, my lunch hour is only one hour. But I will start with this post and finish over the next couple of days.
My trip started in true Hitman fashion, horribly. I left work a half hour early so that I could head to Union Station an hour before my train was scheduled to depart. About an hour before I was to leave for the Station, a huge storm rolled through Chicago. It knocked out power to the Red Line, blew trees onto the Blue Line, flooded the streets and sent people running from cabs. This helped me out needing to get to the Station. I was fortunate enough to have a cab driver stop and tell at least about 15 that the cab was taken. I arrived at the Station with about 20 minutes left before the train would leave, which meant I only had 15 minutes to get my ticket because they will not relinquish tickets within 5 minutes of departure. Needless to say I was in a hurry. There were about 16 people in line ahead of me and most of them were in line well over an hour before their train was scheduled to leave. But for some reason none of them wanted to help me out or the other guys in line that had trains leaving within 15 minutes. There is no such thing as common courtesy anymore. After about ten minutes, they finally started letting us ahead of them and I made it onto the train with about 1.5 minutes to spare. Little did I know that the storm that ripped through Chicago had headed east and hit every city on my train ride home knocking out signals and blowing trees and branches onto the tracks. A 5 and a half hour train ride quickly turned into an eight hour train ride. I didn't make it to the bar that night.
We took off the next morning and headed to Higgins Lake. but we needed to make a stop in Birch Run first to buy some stuff at the Coleman Outlet store there. Within 4 minutes of being in the store we were not welcome any more even though we were planning on buying there stuff. We were loud and crude from the minute we walked in the door. We were all stoked up and ready to go for the weekend and could not contain ourselves. We quickly gathered the things that we needed and headed to the register. This stop was topped by one single comment by my friend Terry. "Why can't they build an air mattress with a built in vibrator? I mean, you know, those back massage things. Fuck you guys, you know what I mean."
Driving across the parking lot, we noticed a Dairy Queen and decided to drop in. We were waiting in line being obnoxious and Terry started talking about how cold it was in the store. Something you need to know is that Terry is notorious for not wearing shirts with sleeves. In this particular situation, he was wearing shorts and a wife-beater. We had been tormenting him about his beater since we left Sterling Heights. One well placed comment and he grabbed his wallet and chucked it at us. The funniest part is that the cheap metal bottle opener that Marlboro had sent him for his birthday flew out of his wallet and nailed the glass doors at the entrance and made a huge bang. The only people in the DQ were a group of blue hairs and a couple little kids who all jumped out of their seats in fright. There seems to be something about my group of friends and the next comment after something like this when it happens. My friend Dan turned to the cashier girl, looked her in the eye and pleaded, "Please don't spit in my shake."
To Be Continued...........
My trip started in true Hitman fashion, horribly. I left work a half hour early so that I could head to Union Station an hour before my train was scheduled to depart. About an hour before I was to leave for the Station, a huge storm rolled through Chicago. It knocked out power to the Red Line, blew trees onto the Blue Line, flooded the streets and sent people running from cabs. This helped me out needing to get to the Station. I was fortunate enough to have a cab driver stop and tell at least about 15 that the cab was taken. I arrived at the Station with about 20 minutes left before the train would leave, which meant I only had 15 minutes to get my ticket because they will not relinquish tickets within 5 minutes of departure. Needless to say I was in a hurry. There were about 16 people in line ahead of me and most of them were in line well over an hour before their train was scheduled to leave. But for some reason none of them wanted to help me out or the other guys in line that had trains leaving within 15 minutes. There is no such thing as common courtesy anymore. After about ten minutes, they finally started letting us ahead of them and I made it onto the train with about 1.5 minutes to spare. Little did I know that the storm that ripped through Chicago had headed east and hit every city on my train ride home knocking out signals and blowing trees and branches onto the tracks. A 5 and a half hour train ride quickly turned into an eight hour train ride. I didn't make it to the bar that night.
We took off the next morning and headed to Higgins Lake. but we needed to make a stop in Birch Run first to buy some stuff at the Coleman Outlet store there. Within 4 minutes of being in the store we were not welcome any more even though we were planning on buying there stuff. We were loud and crude from the minute we walked in the door. We were all stoked up and ready to go for the weekend and could not contain ourselves. We quickly gathered the things that we needed and headed to the register. This stop was topped by one single comment by my friend Terry. "Why can't they build an air mattress with a built in vibrator? I mean, you know, those back massage things. Fuck you guys, you know what I mean."
Driving across the parking lot, we noticed a Dairy Queen and decided to drop in. We were waiting in line being obnoxious and Terry started talking about how cold it was in the store. Something you need to know is that Terry is notorious for not wearing shirts with sleeves. In this particular situation, he was wearing shorts and a wife-beater. We had been tormenting him about his beater since we left Sterling Heights. One well placed comment and he grabbed his wallet and chucked it at us. The funniest part is that the cheap metal bottle opener that Marlboro had sent him for his birthday flew out of his wallet and nailed the glass doors at the entrance and made a huge bang. The only people in the DQ were a group of blue hairs and a couple little kids who all jumped out of their seats in fright. There seems to be something about my group of friends and the next comment after something like this when it happens. My friend Dan turned to the cashier girl, looked her in the eye and pleaded, "Please don't spit in my shake."
To Be Continued...........
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
"We're Not Gonna Protest"
You'll understand that title if you have ever seen the 1994 film "PCU". I sincerely recommend this movie. Jeremy Piven is hilarious and a great example of a smartass.
The reason for this post is quite straight forward. I have become disgusted with protesters. In the digital age that we have entered in the last decade, there is no longer any reason to stand on a corner with a sign or peddle fliers. Why do people still think that this is a good way to try and get others to see their perspective? Yesterday I ended up working late. I finally got on the red line at about 7:30pm. By the time the train stopped at Fullerton, I was tired and hungry. This means that I was not in the mood for anything but a cigarette and a quick walk home with Pantera or Three Days Grace ringing in my ears. As soon as I walked out of the station, I am confronted by some jackass selling t-shirts. The t-shirt had the faces of President George W. Bush and his advisers and had large letters across the top that read "Wanted for Murder - The Bush Regime". I promptly side-stepped this asshole and headed down the block. Little did I know that they also had people selling them on the street corner. As I walked by, the guy held the t-shirt within 10 inches of my face. Not being in the mood for this behavior, I stopped, turned and looked him in the eye to reply, "Get a fucking job". Needless to say, neither of of us were very pleased with each other. But I still stand behind my statement. We all have opinions, I am not throwing my opinions in your face, so don't throw yours in mine.
The same goes for both sides of the abortion issue at the Dream Cruise in Michigan. If you have ever made it out to a Dream Cruise you will understand what I mean. Why do Pro-Life or Pro-Choice people think that they are going to be able to change the opinion of any one else by holding a sign? There are so many more positive things that you could be doing with your time. Educate yourself on the issues and organize a community group. This group will consist of other people who care about this issue and want to express their opinions. Or maybe you could spend time with your family and friends or start a website, blog or message board to exchange thoughts. Or maybe you should find ways to communicate with lobbyists and your local government to see if you could actually have some impact. I, personally, am not going to stop and talk to you on a street corner when I am trying to watch hundreds of classics cars drive by while drinking a beer. Please just get out of my face.
My whole point to this post is not to point a finger at either side of the political spectrum or any religious view. I simply want people to realize that when I am walking down the street or sitting on a train, I do not care what your opinions are. There is a reason I have my iPod on. I don't want to hear about how Cheney should be impeached, Bush is doing this or that, Congress blah blah blah, scientology, or any of this bullshit. There is a time and a place, and this isn't it. I am walking home from work, you know that place that people go to accomplish things, earn money and be a benefit to society.
And to use another movie quote that fits the ending of this post, "Go sell crazy somewhere else, because we're all stocked up here" (As Good as it Gets).
The reason for this post is quite straight forward. I have become disgusted with protesters. In the digital age that we have entered in the last decade, there is no longer any reason to stand on a corner with a sign or peddle fliers. Why do people still think that this is a good way to try and get others to see their perspective? Yesterday I ended up working late. I finally got on the red line at about 7:30pm. By the time the train stopped at Fullerton, I was tired and hungry. This means that I was not in the mood for anything but a cigarette and a quick walk home with Pantera or Three Days Grace ringing in my ears. As soon as I walked out of the station, I am confronted by some jackass selling t-shirts. The t-shirt had the faces of President George W. Bush and his advisers and had large letters across the top that read "Wanted for Murder - The Bush Regime". I promptly side-stepped this asshole and headed down the block. Little did I know that they also had people selling them on the street corner. As I walked by, the guy held the t-shirt within 10 inches of my face. Not being in the mood for this behavior, I stopped, turned and looked him in the eye to reply, "Get a fucking job". Needless to say, neither of of us were very pleased with each other. But I still stand behind my statement. We all have opinions, I am not throwing my opinions in your face, so don't throw yours in mine.
The same goes for both sides of the abortion issue at the Dream Cruise in Michigan. If you have ever made it out to a Dream Cruise you will understand what I mean. Why do Pro-Life or Pro-Choice people think that they are going to be able to change the opinion of any one else by holding a sign? There are so many more positive things that you could be doing with your time. Educate yourself on the issues and organize a community group. This group will consist of other people who care about this issue and want to express their opinions. Or maybe you could spend time with your family and friends or start a website, blog or message board to exchange thoughts. Or maybe you should find ways to communicate with lobbyists and your local government to see if you could actually have some impact. I, personally, am not going to stop and talk to you on a street corner when I am trying to watch hundreds of classics cars drive by while drinking a beer. Please just get out of my face.
My whole point to this post is not to point a finger at either side of the political spectrum or any religious view. I simply want people to realize that when I am walking down the street or sitting on a train, I do not care what your opinions are. There is a reason I have my iPod on. I don't want to hear about how Cheney should be impeached, Bush is doing this or that, Congress blah blah blah, scientology, or any of this bullshit. There is a time and a place, and this isn't it. I am walking home from work, you know that place that people go to accomplish things, earn money and be a benefit to society.
And to use another movie quote that fits the ending of this post, "Go sell crazy somewhere else, because we're all stocked up here" (As Good as it Gets).
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hey Buddy.....Your Collars Flipped Up
Can someone please explain to me why people flip their collars up. I am not a "trendy" person and that is on purpose. I am not a big fan of sporting the latest trends and making sure I know what all the douche bags in the world are up to. But at least most of the time I can kind of understand where someone is coming from or why they are portraying themselves as such a douche.
I know, you want an example. I can think back to when those braided belts were the thing to have. Oh yeah its great, you use it like a normal belt but you take the end and excess and curve it under the actual belt that you are using so it points down towards your feet. That was cool. Or how about rocking the "Skidz" pants. It doesn't really get much better then that. Wslking around wearing MC Hammer-esque pants that had the crazy designs that would through you into an epileptic seizure. Ok...last one. Sporting to longer hair that is split straight down the middle. I can remember tons of kids in grade school and high school that wore this style for years.
But I can not understand the "popped" collar. It makes no sense. You look like a tool. Especially the guys that will go out and buy the pastel blue and canary yellow polos with the alligator sewn on the front and wear them together, with both collars simultaneously "popped".
My friends and I were out on Saturday at a bar in Wicker Park. There was a group of douches that had decided to party at the same bar that night. One of which was actualy wearing that pastel blue polo mentioned earlier and anpther was wearing a blue bottom-down shirt with his "popped" as well. They looked like idiots, other then the fact that they obviously can't handle their beer. Among our group of friends that night were three very attractive young ladies. All of which were disusted by the "popped" display of these douches. One actually went over to the guy in the button-down and flipped his collar back for him. He acted as if he didn't even notice and just kind of acted as if she just wasn't there. But, within five minutes, the collar was back up and apparently ready for action.
So please, someone let me know why it seems to be the thing to make yourself look like a complete tool by displaying your collar in this fashion?
I know, you want an example. I can think back to when those braided belts were the thing to have. Oh yeah its great, you use it like a normal belt but you take the end and excess and curve it under the actual belt that you are using so it points down towards your feet. That was cool. Or how about rocking the "Skidz" pants. It doesn't really get much better then that. Wslking around wearing MC Hammer-esque pants that had the crazy designs that would through you into an epileptic seizure. Ok...last one. Sporting to longer hair that is split straight down the middle. I can remember tons of kids in grade school and high school that wore this style for years.
But I can not understand the "popped" collar. It makes no sense. You look like a tool. Especially the guys that will go out and buy the pastel blue and canary yellow polos with the alligator sewn on the front and wear them together, with both collars simultaneously "popped".
My friends and I were out on Saturday at a bar in Wicker Park. There was a group of douches that had decided to party at the same bar that night. One of which was actualy wearing that pastel blue polo mentioned earlier and anpther was wearing a blue bottom-down shirt with his "popped" as well. They looked like idiots, other then the fact that they obviously can't handle their beer. Among our group of friends that night were three very attractive young ladies. All of which were disusted by the "popped" display of these douches. One actually went over to the guy in the button-down and flipped his collar back for him. He acted as if he didn't even notice and just kind of acted as if she just wasn't there. But, within five minutes, the collar was back up and apparently ready for action.
So please, someone let me know why it seems to be the thing to make yourself look like a complete tool by displaying your collar in this fashion?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Looking for a good read?
There are a lot of exceptional authors and books out there for you to read. Some of my own personal favorites are the works of Donald Trump, Jeffrey Fox, Ben Tracy, Suze Orman, Dante, and Michael Lewis. But my most preferred author is Ben Mezrich.
I first was introduced to Ben Mezrich when I was sifting through discount books on amazon.com. I came across "Bringing Down The House" and decided to buy it. When it finally arrived at my house, I always get the free standard shipping by spending over $25, I cracked it open and started reading. There have not been many instances in my life when I could not put a book down, but this was one of those rare situations.
I was completely enthralled in the book. I have always been a fan of gambling, so I was immediately drawn into the high stakes, card counting atmosphere of this book.
But what really draws me to Ben's writing is the fact that he can make his way into these exclusive social circles. He writes from behind enemy lines and develops relationships with some of the most interestingly successful and manipulating people today. There are very few authors that can embrace these relationships and release a story that readers are dying to get their hands on. The closest comparison that I can think of would be Bob Woodward, who seems to be able to walk in to those hard to get political interviews.
I have read three of his books so far and I am going to purchase his latest after its upcoming release date. I would fully recommend all three, "Bringing Down The House" (not to be confused with that lame Queen Latifah movie), "Ugly Americans", and "Busting Vegas". I will have a post to let you know how "Rigged" turns out.
If you are interested in finding out more about Ben Mezrich, please check out his website.
http://www.benmezrich.com/
I first was introduced to Ben Mezrich when I was sifting through discount books on amazon.com. I came across "Bringing Down The House" and decided to buy it. When it finally arrived at my house, I always get the free standard shipping by spending over $25, I cracked it open and started reading. There have not been many instances in my life when I could not put a book down, but this was one of those rare situations.
I was completely enthralled in the book. I have always been a fan of gambling, so I was immediately drawn into the high stakes, card counting atmosphere of this book.
But what really draws me to Ben's writing is the fact that he can make his way into these exclusive social circles. He writes from behind enemy lines and develops relationships with some of the most interestingly successful and manipulating people today. There are very few authors that can embrace these relationships and release a story that readers are dying to get their hands on. The closest comparison that I can think of would be Bob Woodward, who seems to be able to walk in to those hard to get political interviews.
I have read three of his books so far and I am going to purchase his latest after its upcoming release date. I would fully recommend all three, "Bringing Down The House" (not to be confused with that lame Queen Latifah movie), "Ugly Americans", and "Busting Vegas". I will have a post to let you know how "Rigged" turns out.
If you are interested in finding out more about Ben Mezrich, please check out his website.
http://www.benmezrich.com/
Monday, August 13, 2007
Scratching that Itch
Yeah, its not what you think. Do you ever find yourself striving to get involved with projects or finding ways to scratch that creative itch? Kind of like starting a blog or creating a website. Using these tools to keep that creative edge sharp and your ambition alive.
I have been itching like crazy lately. That's one of the reasons that you will be reading a lot more posts on this blog soon. I have always enjoyed writing. But in the last few years, my writing was pretty much limited to work. Whether it was writing copy for a :30 spot for a new sponsor or writing a summary of a presentation for a conference. But this blog is truly re-kindling my love of writing. Even though I may just be writing about a drunk ass weekend or a crazy homeless guy on the train, it has shown me that I really appreciate being able to write.
But it doesn't seem to be enough anymore, even with the lack of posts lately. I seem to be striving to want to start a new side project. I have no idea what it is going to be. For some reason, I want to clutter up my day even more. It is not enough that I have a full-time job that I love. I need to have more outlets for creative thinking and to maximize the knowledge I have gained from college and from reading countless business books. It really could be anything. I have been wanting to write a book for a long time. I have also wanted to start a small business. My usual thoughts linger around starting a small online t-shirt company or eMagazine. Of course the thought of extra income doesn't hurt, but that's not what it is about.
I have had people tell me that I have accomplished a lot at the age of 24. I have graduated from college, gained valuable work experience from two great radio stations, found myself a new career focusing on my skills and talents and picked up and moved away from everything that I was comfortable with, and succeeded. But I think of my business icons and heroes. I think of the accomplishments of Donald Trump, Andrew Carnegie, and Jack Welch. These are men that strived to always do more while doing there current tasks better. This is what I am striving to do. I want to be dynamic, and ever expanding.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to shoot them my way.
"My experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren't so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more." Michael Gerber
I have been itching like crazy lately. That's one of the reasons that you will be reading a lot more posts on this blog soon. I have always enjoyed writing. But in the last few years, my writing was pretty much limited to work. Whether it was writing copy for a :30 spot for a new sponsor or writing a summary of a presentation for a conference. But this blog is truly re-kindling my love of writing. Even though I may just be writing about a drunk ass weekend or a crazy homeless guy on the train, it has shown me that I really appreciate being able to write.
But it doesn't seem to be enough anymore, even with the lack of posts lately. I seem to be striving to want to start a new side project. I have no idea what it is going to be. For some reason, I want to clutter up my day even more. It is not enough that I have a full-time job that I love. I need to have more outlets for creative thinking and to maximize the knowledge I have gained from college and from reading countless business books. It really could be anything. I have been wanting to write a book for a long time. I have also wanted to start a small business. My usual thoughts linger around starting a small online t-shirt company or eMagazine. Of course the thought of extra income doesn't hurt, but that's not what it is about.
I have had people tell me that I have accomplished a lot at the age of 24. I have graduated from college, gained valuable work experience from two great radio stations, found myself a new career focusing on my skills and talents and picked up and moved away from everything that I was comfortable with, and succeeded. But I think of my business icons and heroes. I think of the accomplishments of Donald Trump, Andrew Carnegie, and Jack Welch. These are men that strived to always do more while doing there current tasks better. This is what I am striving to do. I want to be dynamic, and ever expanding.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to shoot them my way.
"My experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren't so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more." Michael Gerber
Wrigley Field: An Inspiring Experience
A couple weeks ago I had mentioned that I was going to have my first ever experience walking into Wrigley Field and watching the Cubs play. I wanted to use the experience to compare the Cub's experience to the crazy experience I had at US Cellular. I was pleasantly surprised.
The main different between my two experiences was the amount of passion and tradition that is instilled in Cub's fans. There was something about the structure of the stadium and the fans that filled it. There seemed to be this ever present feeling of excitement and appreciation. There was much less vulgar blabbering by the fans and threats of violence. I sported my Tigers hat and American League Jersey from when the All Star game was in Detroit. I was not shot one malicious glance or word. I was accepted into the crowd as a fan of the game of baseball.
A prime example of acceptance was the Phillie's fan that was sitting in front of us. We cheered for the Cubs and he cheered for the Phillies. There was no booing or insults thrown either way. The game was a nail-biter and every pitch was important. And thats what seemed to really matter, The Game.
Off in the distance you saw displayed the number of years it has been since the Cubs won a World Series. And even though it has been 98 years, every fan sitting in the stadium was concentrating on the game and cheering for every good throw and play.
I was truly impressed with the behavior and passion of the Cubs' fans. It is impossible for me to change from having the Detroit Tigers be the number #1 baseball team that I cheer for. But I am certainly going to take on a secondary team. This secondary team, without question, will be the Chicago Cubs.
The main different between my two experiences was the amount of passion and tradition that is instilled in Cub's fans. There was something about the structure of the stadium and the fans that filled it. There seemed to be this ever present feeling of excitement and appreciation. There was much less vulgar blabbering by the fans and threats of violence. I sported my Tigers hat and American League Jersey from when the All Star game was in Detroit. I was not shot one malicious glance or word. I was accepted into the crowd as a fan of the game of baseball.
A prime example of acceptance was the Phillie's fan that was sitting in front of us. We cheered for the Cubs and he cheered for the Phillies. There was no booing or insults thrown either way. The game was a nail-biter and every pitch was important. And thats what seemed to really matter, The Game.
Off in the distance you saw displayed the number of years it has been since the Cubs won a World Series. And even though it has been 98 years, every fan sitting in the stadium was concentrating on the game and cheering for every good throw and play.
I was truly impressed with the behavior and passion of the Cubs' fans. It is impossible for me to change from having the Detroit Tigers be the number #1 baseball team that I cheer for. But I am certainly going to take on a secondary team. This secondary team, without question, will be the Chicago Cubs.
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