How Awkward Was It For Joe Buck

to read promos for the chevy malibu during last night's game?

In Appreciation Of The Phillie Phanatic

i am torn about this world series. on one hand, i DO NOT want to see the red sox win because i am sick (read: jealous) of boston and their sports success, but on the other hand, its not the red sox themselves that i hate, its the bostonians i have ire for. i also want to see BOTH the rockies AND their fans suffer as much as possible, so this puts me in a baseball conundrum: who do i root for? i should also add that as much as i hate red sox, and boston fans for that matter, i know that they are good fans...some of the best sports fans in the whole country, and i respect them for that. now i am really confused!

this summer i saw my fist baseball game at fenway park. for any baseball fan, visiting fenway park is like visiting a holy shrine. it was amazing to have seen a game there. it was an eye opening experience, not only into how baseball is played at fenway, but it was a new window into the pathology of the red sox fan. you people are nuts!!! but you are good sports fans, i gotta give you that.

seeing a game at fenway is like seeing a game nowhere else. seeing games at CBP is great. phillies fans are good baseball fans, but we aren't anywhere on the level of a game at fenway. sure, we are unique and have our own philly style which totally rocks and i wouldn't trade it for anything, but boston fans at a game in fenway are like nothing else. BUT, the one thing where we totally kick their ass is:

THE PHILLIE PHANATIC.

the phanatic rules. he is the best. no one can beat him. hell, no one can even touch him. the phillie phanatic is in a league all to his own. and he is ours! no one else may understand him, but we do. the phanatic is our fenway park. he is the totally unique thing you get when you see a philies game. that can't be manufactured (well, granted he is a mascot who was manufactured, but you know what i mean). you can't manufacture fenway and you can't manufacture the phanatic.

my thoughts turned to the phanatic this evening during the world series. somewhere around the 6th or 7th inning, fox cut to the crowd and there was some green blob (i am assuming he was some sort of "green monster") with his hand on some dude's shoulder trying to pump the crowd up. the only problem was, this dude had a look on his face that said "what is this...thing...and what is it doing with its hand on my shoulder?" when i saw that i thought to myself, "what, is this guy nuts? if the phanatic had his hand on MY shoulder at a pivotal part of a world series game, i would be going ape-shit! that would be the greatest honor one could bestow on me in CBP!" this is how much i love the phanatic: i want him at my funeral. i feel we are cut of the same mold, me and the phanatic. we share the same sense of humor me and him. i feel he is my intellectual equal :)

now, this MAY be because i had a phanatic growth chart in my room growing up, or it could just be a coincidence. you decide.

If You Have 30 Minutes Or So To Spare...

...check out the dark star from 8/27/72. there is something about the way this is filmed...i can't quite put my finger on what it is...but the music and the setting and the cinematography all seem to mesh into one. as one youtube commenter put it, "WOW! This is so tranquilo! It is in itself mood altering and the setting and nature are in harmony with the music".

I Thought You Would Be Stronger Than That, New York

so this weekend was the first cool, crisp weekend of fall. i like fall. i find the change in the weather energizing. i like being outside whent here is a little chill to the air. new york, however, does not seem to share my enthusiasm for cooler temperatures.

i was shocked to see some of the outfits i saw this weekend. down coats. ugg (ug!) boots. scarves. gloves. hats (well, i will let the hats slide. i wore wool hat this weekend, but with good reason. i have no hair and my head gets really, really cold. but a wool hat was all i needed. on saturday i went out in a t-shirt, blazer, and wool hat and was plenty warm. yes, i was wearing pants and shoes too.). my point is, if people act like it is overly cold now, when its not, how are they going to act when it actually gets cold? you need to prepare yourself people. cold is a state of mind. enjoy it.

i was also disappointed with the amount of people on the streets this weekend. again, it really wans't that cold. thea was sticking with he hibernation theory, which could explain it. i hope it was just an adjustment weekend. i hope that if it is a little chilly next weekend, people won't overreact, go out, and just take the season in stride. i hope.

i expect this kind of behavior from people in dc. i thought you were tougher than that, new york. maybe this city has lost its edge...

"The Wire" Is Back

HBO recently decided to add "the wire" to its list of shows being shown OnDemand as a way to lead up to its final season, season 5.

anyone who knows me in the slightest should be aware to the degree of admiration i hold for "the wire". i don't just think its the best show on TV, i think it is the best show on TV ever. no other show has even come close. "the sopranos" wishes it could be the wire.

"the wire also seems to have a strange effect on people. i recently read a comment on a blog that said:

The Wire is paradigmatic of a critical darling – few people watch it (at least in the numbers typical of commercial television), but it generates adoration and evangelism by nearly all who do. Television critics have taken it upon themselves to lobby their readers to give the show a chance, asking reluctant viewers to overlook its dark and cynical worldview to see the truth and beauty offered by its searing vision into the bleak heart of the American city. Thankfully for us scattered fans, HBO has allowed the show to continue for five seasons, even without a clear sense that the show’s dedicated fandom leads to overt profitability.

this statement couldn't be more true about "the wire". hardly anyone watches it, yet all who do come in contact with it are deeply effected to the point where we feel the need to evangelize about it to everyone we know. even bill simmons got into the act. he said:

Within 10 minutes, we were hooked. We ended up banging out three episodes the first night and another three the second night. Then our cable system switched to a new provider ... and all the Season 1 episodes disappeared into thin air. Now we were scrambling. None of the video stores around us had Season 1 in stock. I ended up ordering Season 1 online (two-day delivery courtesy of Amazon Prime), but we were so hooked on the show that when someone returned Season 1 to our video store, we rented the last three discs that same night. We banged out the last seven episodes in two nights before the DVD was even delivered. That's how hooked we were.

thats how i was when i discovered "the wire". i couldn't stop watching. and now that it is back OnDemand, i have started watching again, but this time in preparation for season 5. i want to watch it all again.

i watched season 1, episodes 1 & 2 again this week. from the moment we meet mcnulty in the opening scene talking about why boogie-snot was killed you are instantly drawn into the complex world of the bal'more city po-lice, the corner boys, and the game. it is attention to detail that makes "the wire" so spectacular. you notice things like each individual character's cadence and accent, the way they dress, how they act, what their job/role in society is, their moral shortcomings, and their strengths. you meet some truly interesting folk along the way, each character, no matter how small or large of a role they play is infinately complex. names like mcnulty, rawls, bubbles, avon, stringer, omar, kima, bodie, poot, wee-bay, daniels, and herc start to sound like family names. you don't even meet some of the main characters until halfway through sometimes. marlo doesn't come around until season 3. same for bunny colvin and carcetti. omar hasn't shown up yet through 2 episodes of season 1.

there is simply no way to describe the wire, its something you not only have to see, but to experience for yourself. fortunately, HBO is making this all possible. now through the end of the year you can catch up on seasons 1-4 before season 5 debuts. season 1 is showing now through the end of october. take a watch and tell me if you aren't hooked.

Is It Possible For One Man To Be This Wrong?

"I made my arguments and went down in flames. History will prove me right." -- Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush after voting against realignment and a new wild-card system during a Major League Baseball owners meeting in September 1993. Bush was the lone dissenter in a 27-1 vote (from espn.com).

seriously. this is where both al gore and john kerry missed the boat. had either of them run an ad attacking bush for this moronic statement, he would have lost in a landslide, which again raises the point, has bush ever been right about anything? lets not forget he is the guy who traded sammy sosa too.

what a moron.

The Good News?

i don't think the past, present and future MVP's (howard, rollins, and utley) will go a combined 0-11 with 8 strikeouts again.

ATTN: Phillies Fans Living In New York

if you are a phillies fan living in new york, wear your hats/t-shirts/jerseys with pride this week.

i also promise that every phillies fan i see on the street this week i will say hello to. this is a good time. lets enjoy it.

the phillies are in the playoffs!

This Is A Poetic Day For Philadelphia Sports

phils win.
mets lose.
eagles-giants.

the best thing is, though, NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE FOOTBALL GAME TONIGHT ON EITHER SIDE!!!! i say that not in jest, but in astute observation. who would have thought that the sports fortunes of both cities baseball teams would dictate the atmosphere of the football game? mets fans are crushed. phillies fans are elated and neither has thought about the football game all week.

but, you know what? now that the eagles and giants are playing i want to see the eagles kick their ass!! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

Now Its In Their Heads

crushing defeat for the mets tonight. just crushing. they fight back to tie the fish in the 9th, only to lose in the 10th. and they committed another error. and they only got 9 hits (tangent: however, only getting 9 hits and scoring 7 runs is pretty impressive, especially when the other team has no errors), and gave up 20.

the phillies, on the other hand, came back to beat the nats in 9. big win. huge. the only sad note is that the padres keep on winning. i think if i had to pick a team in the NL, besides the phillies, of course, it would be the padres. those guys just dont lose. its quite scary.

but as far as the mets go, i think a lot of this is psychological and if they dont get their act together, they are going to blow it big time. it'll be a more dramatic collapse than the '64 phillies (thank god!). i don't think it helps the mets either that the yankees, new york's true baseball team and true baseball love, is making an historic comeback on the red sox. the mets will always be second in this town. they might as well get used to finishing second in the division too. ha!

and don't just take my word for it. this is what jayson stark (someone who knows a little something about the phillies), my favorite baseball writer, has to say (from ESPN):

• It's shocking to listen to scouts and executives talk about the Mets these days. One scout on the Mets-Nationals series: "It was like the two teams changed uniforms." Here's another scout on the Phillies and Mets: "It's not about who's got the most talent. It's about how you play. The Phillies have a bunch of players who have got grit. I'm not sure the Mets have got anywhere near as many as they do." And here's one more review of the Mets from that sweep last weekend: "The Phillies were better prepared. The Phillies wanted it more. The Phillies had a plan, and they executed that plan. I don't think the Phillies are better. But the two guys in the middle of their infield [Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley] won't let them relax. They keep that team going every day."

• Whether the Phillies make it to the playoffs or not, one NL executive believes they have crossed a critical threshold this season: "Unlike in the past, they think they can win now," he said. "They absolutely think they can win, and I think there will definitely be a carryover next year with that group. That's a huge building block for those guys." Then again, a bigger building block might be assembling a pitching staff that can win, too.

If I Didn't Have Bad Luck...

...i'd have no luck at all!

or in the case of this guy, dumb luck.

Atlas Shrugged

yesterday the new york times ran a very interesting piece on "atlas shrugged", the famed ayn rand novel. i found it to be a very interesting read, and interestingly enough, it has whetted my interest to read both "atlas" and "the fountainhead". maybe its living in new york, the heart of capitalism, or my microeconomics class that is forcing me to re-evaltate my stance on capitalism and government interference in the economy, but i have found myself questioning my own beliefs and philosophy.

from what i can tell about "atlas shrugged" i think there are some good lessons that can be learned, which don't necessarily point in the same direction of the lessons learned by people like alan greenspan and the neocons. again, based on my limited knowledge of rand and her works, it seems like she writes about characters that are lost and searching for meaning in a society that increasingly does not share their values. she almost serves as a counterpoint to authors like kerouac and kesey who wrote about similar characters in similar situations, albeit from a different angle.

the thing that intrigues me the most about "atlas" and rand's personal philosophy is the concept that an individual's pursuit of his own self-interest is good for society, and i got to thinking about this concept this morning at breakfast. i was sitting in a diner, eating my lox, eggs, and onions, drinking my coffee and reading my newspaper when i overheard these two elderly gentleman talking about bank ATM fees. one of them commented about how he feels the banks can get away with anything they want (re: fees) and how the politicians aren't doing anything about it. his companion then commented that the only thing the politicians are interested in is getting reelected. now, i've heard this comment before, but this time it struck a different chord with me.

according to rand, of course the politician is only concerned with getting reelected, because he is acting in his own self interest. but how does a politician get elected? they do what the people want because it is the people who vote the politician in, or out, of office, so therefore, if the politician acts in his own self interest (to get reelected) he will also be serving the will of the people, and if ATM fees are something the people want dealt with, any politician acting in his own self interest would be wise to take action (that is, unless you are someone like joe biden, the senator from MBNA, but that is a different story).

my point is, rand's philosophy does make sense. there are also things that someone like myself can learn from rand, despite our seemingly, but not necessarily, opposite world views. one of the problems with our political culture today is that not enough people take the time to do this. it is so easy for us to only consume the political information that is comfortable; conservatives can only watch their fox news and the liberals can only read sites like dailykos, but that doesn't help anybody really. all it does is confirm what you already know, but in the quest for knowledge you will never find the answer you are looking for if you can only see what is right in front of you. i actually think robert hunter put it best (sung by jerry of course) when he wrote "once and a while you can get shown the light/in the strangest of places if you look at it right".

Its Been A While Since I Been Around These Parts

but poster is back!

its been a busy and overwhelming past few weeks with the start of school and all. i've been trying to figure out how to balance work, school, and play, and unfortunately just a bit outside has suffered because of it. but i am here now to say that i have not forgotten about the blog and i will do my best to make semi-regular posts.

Just In Case You Are A Visual Learner

here is a reenactment of the larry craig incident, courtesy of slate.

Just When I Thought I Was Out They Pull Me Back In

after the phillies crapped the bed against the padres last week, i was ready to call it quits. they looked done. their pitching, for lack of a better word, sucked. cole hammels was on the DL. chase utley and shane victorino were still on the DL. ryan howard was slumping. it just seemed like their goose was cooked. they had a golden opportunity to gain ground on the wild card leading padres and let it slip through their fingers. they were headed in the wrong direction with a 4 game series against the mets looming ahead of them. then...

...utley returns. howard hits. victorino is back. hamels feels good. even adam eaton pitched well! they won the last game of the padres series then rode that momentum to take the first two from the mets. they are only 4 out of the division. the team is feeling good.

i hate to admit it, but i was about to jump ship. with all the emotional energy i have invested in this team, it was a hard choice, but it seemed like the rational choice. i don't know how i would have dealt with another september of "almost". but, you know what, this team does have a chance now. they are fighting. they have overcome adversity. they have what it takes. utley is back. jimmy is still leading by example. ryan howard is willing them to victory. cole is on the hill. the pieces are there.

LETS GO PHILLIES!!!

I Shouldn't, But I Can't Resist

i do honestly feel bad for this girl. but, on the other hand, when someone says something this stupid and incoherent, i can't help but pile on.



i should also mention that mario lopez is now officially the greatest actor in the world. you can see that he wants to laugh, but somehow manages to hold it in. i don't have that kind of self control.

The Bubble Guy At Broadway And Spring

at the intersection of broadway and spring streets stands the wonder bubble gun salesman. his craft is not extraordinary by new york standards, but few can match his unbridled enthusiasm for his job, and the joy he brings to countless peoples lives can never be measured.

he always makes me smile, even if i am stuck inside my own thoughts. he creates a sense of wonder, mystery, and magic on his corner. bubbles are everywhere. it makes his corner special: this is the corner where the bubbles are. it breaks up the monotony and the hustle-and-bustle of the street. for a brief moment you are allowed to join in enjoy the excitement the bubbles create.

it makes me happy. it should make you happy too.

This Is Just Humorous

Scoring Summary			TEX	BAL
	1st	C Patterson singled to right, B Roberts scored, C Patterson to second on throwing error by right fielder N Cruz.	0	1
	3rd	N Markakis hit a ground rule double to deep left center, B Roberts scored.	0	2
	3rd	M Tejada singled to right, N Markakis scored, M Tejada to second advancing on throw.	0	3
	4th	J Saltalamacchia singled to center, M Byrd and J Botts scored, D Murphy to second.	2	3
	4th	R Vazquez homered to right, D Murphy and J Saltalamacchia scored.	5	3
	6th	J Saltalamacchia homered to left center.	6	3
	6th	M Byrd homered to left, F Catalanotto, I Kinsler and M Young scored.	10	3
	6th	J Saltalamacchia singled to left, N Cruz scored, D Murphy to second.	11	3
	6th	R Vazquez singled to left center, D Murphy scored, J Saltalamacchia to second.	12	3
	6th	F Catalanotto singled to left, J Saltalamacchia scored, R Vazquez to second.	13	3
	6th	I Kinsler singled to center, R Vazquez scored, F Catalanotto to third.	14	3
	8th	F Catalanotto singled to right, D Murphy scored, J Saltalamacchia to third, R Vazquez to second.	15	3
	8th	I Kinsler singled to left, J Saltalamacchia scored, R Vazquez to third, F Catalanotto to second.	16	3
	8th	T Metcalf homered to left, R Vazquez, F Catalanotto and I Kinsler scored.	20	3
	8th	D Murphy singled to right, M Byrd scored, N Cruz to third.	21	3
	8th	J Saltalamacchia homered to right center, N Cruz and D Murphy scored.	24	3
	9th	J Botts doubled to deep right, I Kinsler and T Metcalf scored, M Byrd to third.	26	3
	9th	D Murphy reached on infield single to second, M Byrd scored, J Botts to third.	27	3
	9th	R Vazquez homered to right, J Botts and D Murphy scored.	30	3

Mick And Keef And The Rest Of The Band

as you may know, a year or so ago the rolling stones played a few shows at new york city's beacon theater, one of which commemorated president bill clinton's 60th birthday. the concerts were also filmed by the legendary martin scorsese (the last waltz) who has just released the trailer for his rock-doc on the stones, "shine a light". click the link then click on the virtual ticket and the trailer will start playing. its worth your while.

fortunately for the stones, this documentary turns out slightly better than "gimme shelter" which chronicled the stones' experience at altamont.

it makes me think of that night in hershey when i saw the stones. it couldn't have been more perfect.

Sigh Of Relief

from the inky:

It's good news for Cole Hamels.

The Phillies' ace has no structural damage in his left elbow, after undergoing an MRI today. The ligament is fully intact.

The Phillies are calling it a "very mild" elbow strain and have placed him retroactively on the 15-day disabled list. Hamels said he believes he will miss just two starts and can be activated Sept. 1.

Fabio Castro will start Thursday afternoon against the Dodgers. The Phillies also activated Shane Victorino from the disabled list. He will bat sixth tonight and start in rightfield.

king cole is the one player the phillies absolutely cannot afford to lose right now. and welcome back shane, we missed ye.

I Have A Great Commute

here is my morning commute:

-leave my building, walk a block and a half to the downtown 6 train
-take the 6 3 stops to bleecker
-exit subway at corner of lafayette and houston
-cross lafayette and enter puck
-go to to second floor, sit down at desk
-total transit time: 12 minutes

yes, you read that right, it takes me 12 minutes from the time i leave my house until the time i sit down at my desk. how sweet is that?

Remember When Music Videos Were Awesome?

this is one of, if not the, coolest music videos i have ever seen.



thank you daft punk!

whoa, wait a minute here. i was reading some of the comments about this video on youtube and someone mentioned that each of the groups of people represent a different instrument in the song and their movements correspond to the notes being played by that particular instrument. notice how the tall dudes in the gray who spend most of their time running up and down the stairs move to the bass line. that is pretty outstanding.

here's thriller, just for fun ;) dang! embedding has been disabled for this video, so the link will have to do.

Sunday Baseball

since i can't watch the phillies on my TV, although i am thinking about getting the 1 month MLB TV package for september, i decided to do the next best thing: watch the little league world series. the little league world series is a blast to watch. the kids actually play an entertaining style of baseball and i am always amazed at the skill level of these 11 year old kids. i mean, some of them put up video game numbers. you always get a kid who bats .600 and hits a ton of homeruns or some pitcher who throws 3 no-hitters in a row while striking out 16 (its only a 6 inning game). and, did you see the catch that kid made the other night? that was stellar!

more impressive, in an odd sort of way, is the list of "favorite MLB players" as given by the walpole, ma team, the regional qualifier from the new england region:

Vlad Gurerro (3)
Derek Jeter (3)
Mike Lowell (1)
Jason Varitek (1)
Jonathan Papelbon (1)
Big Papi (1)
Albert Pujols (1)
Ryan Howard (1) - that kid rocks, by the way
David Wright (1)

notice anything interesting about those names? keep in mind, this is from the new england team, the one from walpole, ma, the geographic center of red sox nation. 3 kids said derek jeter? are you kidding me? what would bill simmons say about this? granted, (as i am typing this they just ran a clip of carlton fisk talking to the team and having some kid tell him jeter was his favorite player, but that the red sox were his favorite team...fisk has no idea how to respond...i think this kid should be worried about his safety when he returns to walpole, ma. he clearly has not taken his loyalty oath) the red sox were mentioned (4 mentions: lowell, varitek, papelbon, papi) more times than the yankees (3 mentions: jeter), but still. i just kinda find it amazing ANY yankee could be mentioned.

clearly, though, there is only 1 correct answer: ryan howard. congtrats, kid. you passed!

A Musing

i met my dad today at newark airport to welcome him home from 3 weeks in china. that means in the past 3 years my dad has been to vietnam, cuba, and china. don't think the CIA doesn't have a file on him!

but to meet him at the airport i took the njtransit from penn station to the newark airport stop to the airtrain to the terminal.

the airtrain is a neat little gizmo. its a monorail that connects the train station to the main airport (not underground, but outside). and its fully automated, as in, it has no driver. so why does it have windshield wipers?

I Hope I Am Not The Only One Thinking This

so barry bonds did it. #756. thats pretty crazy. more home runs than anyone in the majors. ever. impressive.

i dont want to get into a whole commentary about whether or not barry is a worthy home run king, but i felt that the ceremony was quite contrived. yes, the game was going to be stopped, but did they have to give him a microphone? the video from hammerin' hank? the willie mays appearance on the field? and what is the deal with that female pa announcer. now THAT is weird!

but back to the celebration. i remember there being a big to-do when big mac hit 62. i don't remember a video presentation or a speech either (i could be mistaken). i don't know what they did when bonds beat mcgwire either. and cal ripken CERTAINLY didnt make a speech on the field during the game (again, as far as i remember).
i think the ripken celebration is the gold standard to which all celebrations of personal milestones are judged. to me, at the time, everything seemed more organic. the game was delayed some 20 minutes because the crowd wouldn't let the game continue. they cheered and cheered and cheered until cal came out and took that victory lap. and it seemed truly spontaneous. same with the mcgwire #62. it was more, i don't know, wholesome.

barry's celebration felt contrived. it just didn't sit right with me. it was barry saying "yes, this is all about me". instead of the crowd honoring the player, it was the player honoring himself.

so i guess i have mixed emotions about barry being the home run champ. i guess i should start warming up to a-rod now, so by the time he breaks the record i'll be pulling for him.

and what the hell is the deal with the female pa announcer. how weird is that?

Taking Refuge In Churches

one of the cool things about living in one of the older cities like new york, philadelphia, or boston is looking at all the old buildings, especially the churches. its really cool to see the old churches exist side-by-side with modern skyscrapers and other buildings. another really cool thing about the old churches is that most of the time they have beautiful courtyards which provide a little bit of green space amidst the concrete and asphalt. and they are open to the public.

i like that. recently i have found myself going into these courtyards and sitting, using them as an escape from the busy, noisy, and busy city. its fantastic how you can escape into these places that are just a few yards off the street, yet make you feel like you are 100 miles away from everything else.

it would be even better if synagogues were designed in the same way. maybe i would actually go to them.

Cool Map

below is a very cool map from a very cool website called strange maps. the below map shows, by colorful representation, what baseball teams rule where. i agree with deadspin's critique that "the sections for the Royals, Nationals and Braves seem too large; the Orioles, Dodgers and Yankees too small", but overall, its a good map and its fun to look at.

(click to enlarge)

The Worlds Greatest Thrift Store

if you find yourself in northeastern alabama as often as i do, you might want to check out the unclaimed baggage center, better known as the place your luggage goes to when the airlines lose it. take a few minutes to browse the website. its worth it.

Advice For Chicago

learn what words mean.

i just saw some lady at the phillies-cubs game hold up a sign that read: Eliminate Spoiled Phillies Now (the first letters of each of the words spells ESPN, just in case you were wondering).

i have a big problem with this sign, or to put it more exactly, with the lady who wrote it. she used the word "spoiled" to define the phillies. you know, the same 10,000 loss phillies we talked about a few weeks ago? the same phillies who have 1 world series title in 125 years? that makes no sense. see, when you use the word spoiled. to me, the word spoiled implies that said person (or team, for that matter) is used to getting what they want, all the time, and will settle for nothing less. you all know someone you think is spoiled. you know what the word means. but the word, spoiled, DOES NOT APPLY TO THE PHILLIES. the phillies NEVER get what they want. the red sox do. the yankees do. those teams are spoiled. the phillies are not.

at least we don't blame some stupid goat for all our troubles. or a bartman. we accept responsibility for our failure.

Why Does The Empire State Building Dominate?

anyone who has been to new york has to notice the tall buildings. i mean, duh, they are everywhere, but there are two buildings on the new york skyline that i feel are more iconic than most: the empire state building and the chrysler building.

both were built at the exact same time. the chrysler building was finished first and for less than a year held the title of worlds tallest building at 1,046 feet (the chrysler building is also now tied with the new new york times building which was completed this year. i happen to find the new york times building horribly ugly, taboot). when the empire state was completed it took the title away from chrysler and topped it by 204 feet.

new york times building

there is one thing that is even more striking to me about those two (three) buildings: the empire state building is so much more dominant, not only on the skyline as a whole, but from inside the city itself. i was walking home from the west village tonight up 5th avenue and i was struck by how simply dominant the empire state was. it was everywhere. you can see it clearly from the village. and from union square. and from madison square park. from everywhere. but the chrysler building, in contrast, does not dominate its surroundings, despite its height advantage, like the empire state does. i noticed that yesterday when i was walking home from the upper east side. i think it has to do with the relative height of the buildings around each building. the empire state is relatively isolated from other tall buildings, but the chrysler is surrounded by them. i guess it all has to do with perception.

i'll take it either way though. i can see both buildings from the general area of my apartment. its rather nice.

holy mother of god

ryan howard has "it" again. i remember last season when ryan howard had "it". i remember last season when ryan howard was a living baseball god.

didn't it seem like ryan howard could do anything he wanted last year? well, he has that "it" to him again. that homer he hit last night against the nationals was howard pulling out his dick and saying "yeah, well mine is bigger than yours". it was monumental. earth shattering. he is amazing.

i remember watching him last year when he went off. i was at rfk when he surpassed mike schmidt for all time homer runs in one season with 49. he was amazing. couldn't be stopped. and he is in that zone again. it is a thing of beauty. baseball at its best. i am going to watch as much of ryan howard as i can over the next month.

here's to hoping they can pull it out.

note: i will post the video as soon as it comes available.

Little Italy Is Kind Of Disapointing

today's walkabout took me in the same general direction of past walking excursions: towards greenwich village, soho, and all the other places in that general direction. i actually had reason to go that way today; i went down to school to get my nyu id card ahead of the oncoming freshman rush, and once that had been accomplished, i figured i would spend the day (again) walking around down there.

as usual, i had a grand old time, looking at buildings, looking at people, window shopping, and discovering restaurants that i might have to check out again (hoomoos asli being #1 on the list). my adventures today also took me through little italy, a place i had been wanting to go to for a while, and i must say i was highly disappointed. first of all, little italy is just one street in the midst of the outskirts of chinatown (speaking of chinatown, the borders of chinatown don't really seem to be distinctly defined and it just kind of spills over wherever it wants). i wasn't impressed with the restaurants or the bakeries either. i just kind of got a "blah" feeling from the place. i would much prefer south philly and the italian market or boston's north end over little italy. i did have some good pistachio gelato, though.

i can now cross little italy off my list, for better or for worse. one of these days i am going to go uptown and see what there is to see up there.

caio.

Now Back To Regular Posting (For Real)

i am happy to report that i have finally landed in new york. it seems that my days as a homeless vagabond are over and i can comfortably kick my feet up and claim this tiny (and i mean tiny) piece of manhattan as my home.

over the past 3 days i think i have gotten a little bit of a lot of what new york has to offer: a birthday party on the lower east side, wondering from neighborhood to neighborhood, ordering takeout, eating pizza, more wondering from neighborhood to neighborhood, watching a bum take a dump on park avenue, looking at all the women, and, of course, more aimless wondering.

i still have a lot to learn about this place, but i feel very comfortable with the level of understanding i have at this point. i can get myself from point a to point b with relative ease. my knowledge of what subway lines go where is elementary, but its good enough for now. im sure i will pick it up in no time. socially, i have some work to do. i know enough people here, but they are all doing their own thing and are all at different points in their lives, so i think i will have to work a little harder at finding my social niche. its also difficult to be social in new york in the summer because most people go away on the weekends, so there is a good chance that most, if not all, of the few people i know here will be away on any given weekend. i am just going to have to try a little harder. other things to learn: what to look for in restaurants. there are so many restaurants to choose from here that it makes choosing one very difficult, so i want to come up with a checklist, so to speak, for me to use when i am deciding which japanese place or thai place or which diner to go to. along those lines, i need to learn which restaurants i should be going to and which ones i should avoid. that will take a while. there are lots of restaurants in this city.

but things are good. i love my apartment, my new roommates are great guys, and im in new york. what could be more fun than that?

Sirius Satellite Radio

on my trip to new england (someone please remind me to write a post on why i love new england) i had the pleasure of borrowing my brother's car which is equipped with sirius satellite radio. for those who have yet to experience the coolness that is sirius (and xm too, i suppose), i highly recommend it. i guess if you don't like lots of good music it wouldn't really turn you on, but for me, it was 100% awesome.

one of the coolest things about sirius is the amount of stations it has to offer. they have a station called "jam on" that plays jambands. they have a station called "first wave" that plays new wave music from the early '80s. there is a station dedicated to hair metal, one for garage rock, and even a jimmy buffett station for parrotheads. you can even set artist alerts and have the radio notify you whenever a particular artist comes on the air. i may or may not have set one for my not-so-secret guilty pleasure phil collins. all in all pretty cool stuff. the one station that surprised me the most, however, was first wave. they played some really good music on there including a healthy dose of early u2 (which i have been digging a lot of recently).

the good news is that even though i won't have a car in new york you can buy a sirius home unit, something i am considering doing. check it out. you might like it too.

I Need To Start Writing Again

its been way too long since i really wrote here. i like writing here. its a good outlet for me. i miss it. i hope those of you that read here will be able to stand my posts for the next month or so because they will all pretty much be about new york. i am apologizing in advance for that. see, i got excited for new york again tonight after watching "the devil wears prada" (yes, it does pain me to write that sentence, but it was a good movie).

one of the messages i got out of that movie was that art is always on the move in new york whether you notice it or not. i am more of a person that notices other aspects of new york's art like architecture, movies, and art art (paintings and stuff like that), but now i think i will pay a little closer attention to clothes and fashion as i make my way around the city. fashion is one thing that dc didn't do especially well.

also, meryl streep's character was pretty awesome. i think we have all had a boss like her at one point in their lives. i know i have. it was also fun to see vince (adrian grenier) in a role outside entourage.

one more thing...ladies, i need your help on this. is anne hathaway really a size 6 in that movie? because if she is, sign me up for a size 6, if you know what i mean! and while i'm on women's clothes, who the hell came up with how things are sized? i mean, i get how mens clothes are sized. pants come in a waist and length. shirts come in a collar and a sleeve. but womens clothes? one size. 6. what the hell? it makes no sense. even when i was working in retail i never understood it. can someone explain it please?

Back!

i'm back from vacation! i had a great time, first hanging out with the family in martha's vineyard, then hiking in new hampshire and maine. stories will come later this week. i am also planning on moving to new york at the end of the week. i guess that will be exciting too!

it was nice of the phillies to put off number 10,000 until i returned.

its good to be back.

Poster Is Going On Vacation

as you can tell from the title, i am going on vacation for a few weeks. as of tomorrow i will be on martha's vineyard for a week to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday and for the first part of july i will be hiking in new hampshire and maine. when i get back i am sure i will have some great stories to share with you all.

in the meantime, i am turning over blogging duties to just hip enough, who i can say is, in fact, just hip enough. i think you will enjoy some of the insight he can provide. also, if adam feels like it, he is welcome to start posting at anytime...

so, enjoy the next few weeks. i know i will be :)

Weighing in

I've been invited to post from time to time by posternutbag. Although I always think I have something to say, I don't always have something to write. The world is such an interesting place that the most I can add is an eclectic mix of curiousities, political insights, general outrage, and hopefully humor. Actually being "technologically adept " to do this once is enough for me now so I will bask in the afterglow of this brief publication until events or emotions move me to greater effort. Thanks for the invite.

When Art Immitates Art

ever find an album that you just can't put down and over a course of 2 weeks listen to the damn thing about 37 times? i'm in one of those phases right now with the album "stars of cctv" by hard-fi.

i first heard hard-fi a year or so ago through my friends dave, jemma, and thea (thanks for the tip!). for those who are unfamiliar with the band, they are a rock group from staines, england (staines is also the neighborhood used as the setting for the movie "ali g in da house") who combine rock, punk, new wave, beats, and other good sounding stuff to create a really good, energetic mix.

the first track on "stars of cctv" is a song called "cash machine". i love albums that start with a good, upbeat number to get you into the album. cash machine does this perfectly. its a good, rocking number with an interesting message. its about some guy who, despite his best efforts, can't get his shit together. he is broke. he can't buy a train ticket home. he knocks his girlfriend up. but despite all this, you can tell that he still wants to do good. he wonders, like all of us do from time to time, whether or not he can realize his full potential. he wonders if he can overcome the obstacles in his life. he is trying to keep his head above water. i like this guy. sure, he has some shit going on, but don't we all?

this song is also interesting because after listening to it a few (dozen) times, i got a vision in my head that this song is the perfect guy ritchie movie condensed into a 4 minute pop tune. i think the english accent might have pushed the issue a long, but the same things he is singing about are the same things you see in a guy ritchie movie. think "snatch" and "lock stock and two smoking barrels". i could see guy ritchie directing the video in his post-modern style. it just works. so, you can imagine, to my surprise, that when i checked out the video on youtube it has a guy ritchie-like quality to it. the video doesn't have all the camera moves that i would have put into it, but i think the guy who speaks in the beginning is a direct tip of the hat to guy ritchie. check it out for yourself:



there is also another video for this song that presents a more literal interpretation of the song. you can check that out here (why there is russian or some other slavic language at the bottom of the screen i have no idea):

Thank You Sarah Montana, Thank You

one of my most bestest and specialist of friends in washington, dc was the esteemed sarah montana. when thea left dc last summer i was very upset. thea and i had a almost weekly standing dinner date where we would go to a fun restaurant in dc and eat food and have a good time. but when she left i was left high and dry...fortunately for me not soon after thea left i met sarah montana and quickly sarah montana and i started a almost weekly standing dinner date and the void in my life left by the departure of thea was quickly filled (but thea, don't take this the wrong way, you could NEVER be replaced! it was just the void that was filled :). bottom line: both thea and sarah montana rock.

but sarah montana has a quality that not even the esteemed thea kruger possesses: sarah montana is the most rockinist and rollinist girl i know. she LOVES rock and roll. she loves rock and roll like i love rock and roll. the first time we really hung out together we went to a baseball game (the phillies were playing the nats at RFK and were in the playoff hunt...needless to say i was a total basket case...that also speaks to sarah montana;'s character, she was able to put up with me at a phillies game) and on the way to the stadium...she was driving...i heard the black keys for the first time. and the next time we hung out we went to bens chili bowl then to stetsons for pitchers of cheap-ass pitchers and a great rock and roll jukebox. we talked about rock and roll all night. it was fantastic. she introduced me to my morning jacket. we went to the MMJ show at the 930 club together. it was awesome. we saw tenacious d together. tenacious d! that is how rockin' she is. she saw tenacious d with me. i don't think i need to go on she rocks, if you get the picture).

the point of all this, yes. for my birthday, sarah got me the led zeppelin dvd "how the west was won" (there is no real concensus on the actual title of the dvd...amazon doesn't list it as such, but its my understanding that its the title even if it isn't on the box). now as i have previously explained, sarah montana is the most rockin' and rollinist chick i know, and she loves zeppelin, so i really appreciated the gift. it was very thoughtful. but i never watched the dvd. why, i don't know. but the time just wasn't right. i thought about watching it a number of times but never could bring myself to. i really don't know why. and, mind you, i love concert dvds. gimmie shelter. stop making sense. the grateful dead movie. festival express. they all rule. and you can watch them multiple times. great stuff. but i never watched this one. i also remember that when she gave this to me she told me this amazing story about when she bought it and the guy at the store couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was, but still i never watched it. until last night.

sarah, if you are reading this, that dvd is f**king awesome. amazing. blows your mind. face-melting. words cannot describe what i saw last night. jimmy page. holy s**t. robert plant. john paul jones. john f**king bonham. through all the stages of their career. this was rock and roll at its finest. if you like guitars, and anyone who knows me knows that i like guitars, if you like guitars, this movie is for you. if you like rock and roll, performed by the masters of rock and roll, this is for you. if you want to hear true masters at their craft, this is for you. it is the zeppelin equivalent of the phish bluegrass dvd (for all phishheads who have not yet seen this please go here...the 1992 MTV interview is great too). so sweet.

sarah montana, thank you. you are really the best.

I Don't Know How To Feel About This

president bush wears crocs. i wear crocs. is this the only similarity the two of us have?

I Don't Blog About DC Much Anymore, But...

...i cant resist a post about easterns motors.

those in the DC area should know easterns very well. not only do they have a song that should be in the honorary class of the local commercial hall of fame, but for some reason they are able to get all of these big-time professional athletes appear in their commercials. so, with that in mind, i bring you this tidbit, a behind the scenes look at the filming of the new easterns motors commercial (thanks to deadspin and the dc sports blog for the tip).

I Am Really Displeased With That Last Post

i am not the worlds best writer. for those of you who read my blog regularly (all three of you) probably realize that by now, but that last post was probably one of the biggest pieces of crap i have ever written. if i had a good mind, i would delete it from existence and start over, but for some reason i am not going to do that. maybe it will serve as a reminder to me to do a better job.

see, that last post could have been better. i could have thought it out more. i could have done multiple drafts (well, i did a first take but it was even worse than that one so i started over), but i didn't. to me, blogging is all about writing in the moment, almost a stream of consciousness kind of thing and when i have something to write that is complex and emotional, like the last post, my words and thoughts get all jumbled up and i have trouble saying what i am thinking and i have trouble thinking clearly enough to say what i want. you can see how that can become a problem. there were just too many things i wanted to write about and i didn't have a clear plan on how to say it.

i'll try and do better in the future. i don't want to let all three of you down.

The City Of Brotherly Love

to follow up on the post i made a few days ago: what is it that i like about philadelphia so much? its a complicated, mulitpart answer so i will attempt to do my best to answer it.

for starters, i grew up in the city. until i was 8 i lived at 22nd and green street which is located in the fairmount section of the city, right near the art museum. it was a very nice neighborhood to grow up in. it wasn't in center city but it was still plenty close to walk downtown to rittenhouse square and the franklin institute. i think thats where my love affair with the city started. back then, the city wasn't in the greatest of shape, but over the past 20 years A LOT has changed.

one of the things that has never changed about philadelphia is the residential nature of downtown. in my mind, successful cities have dense, livable downtowns. cities like new york, chicago, san francisco, and boston all fit this description, but one of the things that sets philadelphia apart is how dense its downtown is. downtown philadelphia, or center city as us locals call it, is defined by the area bordered on the east by the delaware river, on the west by the schuylkill river, market street on the north, and south street on the (duh) south. approximately 80,000 people live in this small area making downtown philadelphia the 3rd densest downtown in the US after new york and chicago. this density, combined with the amazing houses and buildings that you find in center city truly make philadelphia a wonderful place to be and walk around in.

the neighborhoods of center city are something to behold. from society hill and old city with their colonial housing to spruce street and rittenhouse square with their federal style houses and brownstones to fairmount and its rowhouses, philly has it all. and its all authentic. a lot of this stuff was built WAY back in the day. taking a walk around old city is like taking a walk in the philadelphia of ben franklin. walking in rittenhouse is like experiencing philadelphia at the peak of its might and wealth right before WWII.

and the centerpiece of philly? why, its city hall, of course! one of the grandest buildings ever built in these here united states. its just a magnificent piece of architecture and until 1987 was the tallest building in the city. but, despite buildings taller than billy penn's hat, city hall remains a true philadelphia icon.i could go on and on. i haven't even mentioned the ben franklin parkway, the art museum, franklin institute, the mudder museum of medical oddities, the reading terminal market, neighborhoods like bella vista, queen village, and northern liberties. bottom line: philadelphia is a wonderful place. i highly recommend a visit for those who have not experienced all the city has to offer. unfortunately, i can't write well enough tonight to accurately say all i want to say, so hopefully tomorrow i will be able, in more eloquent terms, describe my walk saturday night that took me from rittenhouse to old city and back.

good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.

There Are No Concerts I Want To See This Summer

check out the lineup for the tweeter center this summer (the camden one):

	Friday, 6/15/07	Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak
	Sunday, 6/17/07	Chicago and America
	Sunday, 6/24/07	The Fray with Mae and OK Go
	Tuesday, 6/26/07	Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band
	Friday, 7/6/07	Rush
	Saturday, 7/14/07	Def Leppard and Styx
	Friday, 7/20/07	BlackBerry Presents John Mayer with Ben Folds and James Morrison
	Sunday, 7/22/07	Big Dog Daddy Tour ft Toby Keith with Miranda Lambert and Flynnville Train
	Thursday, 8/2/07	Marilyn Manson and Slayer with Bleeding Through
	Friday, 8/3/07	Vans Warped Tour 2007
	Saturday, 8/4/07	Hershey's Presents Brad Paisley with Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram and Kellie Pickler	Pre Sale Fri, 6/15 at 10:00 am to Fri, 6/15 at 10:00 pm EDT Add to Outlook
	Sunday, 8/5/07	Family Values Tour ft. Evanescence and Korn with Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah, Trivium and Droid	Pre Sale Fri, 6/15 at 10:00 am to Fri, 6/15 at 10:00 pm EDT Add to Outlook
	Tuesday, 8/7/07	Dave Matthews Band with Xavier Rudd
	Wednesday, 8/8/07	Dave Matthews Band with Toots and The Maytals
	Friday, 8/17/07	The Allman Brothers Band and RatDog with special guest Keller Williams
	Saturday, 8/18/07	O.A.R. / OAR (Of a Revolution) with Augustana
	Wednesday, 8/22/07	Ozzy Osbourne, Lamb of God, Static X, Lordi, Hatebreed, Behemoth, Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator, Nile, Ankla, Circus Diablo, The Showdown, 3 Inches of Blood, Chthonic, Daath, In This Moment
	Saturday, 8/25/07	Projekt Revolution Tour ft Linkin Park with My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, Placebo, Julien-K, Mindless Self Indulgence, Saosin, The Bled, Styles of Beyond and Madina Lake
	Saturday, 9/15/07	Opie & Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour with Bob Saget, Louis C.K., Stephen Lynch, Frank Caliendo, Jim Norton, Rich Vos, Bob Kelly, Otto & George and Patrice O'Neal

can this be true? is that really their summer concert lineup? is there ANYONE in that roster that i have any interest in seeing, let alone spending money on? yes, i would go to the ABB/ratdog/keller show, but take a look at the date. that means i would have to wait until august to see a show. thats pathetic. either my taste in music is so far out of the mainstream that i can't appreciate these acts or the lineup is so ungodly awful that no one, in their right mind, would see any of these concerts. its one or the other, there is no middle ground. god help us.