Dr. Drew

Just saw Dr. Drew speak here at USC. I am so happy that I finally got to see him speak. He was funny and informative. It really is amazing how well he continues to connect with young people (but that shouldn't be too surprising considering the work he does). Hearing someone like Drew talk just reminds how strange and complex we are. 

To Anya...

Since I missed her birthday dinner and party last night I would like to use this post to say an official:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANYA!

Hope you had a great night last night. sorry I couldn't be there.

Talk to you soon.

Cant get rid of this cough

I thought I was done being sick. But I still cant get rid of the soreness I have in my throat and the cough that come along with it. Apparently the soreness and the cough are dating and have decided to move into my throat. Oh well, we will see what happens. Speaking of coughing.

The funniest thing I see on a consistent basis on the USC campus occurs at the gym. Or more accurately outside of it. Every time I leave the Lyon Center there is a group of about 3 to 6 people (always different folks) who have just finished their workout and decide to light up. Is there anymore strange combination of activities? That is the equivalent of me finishing a run on a treadmill or a bike ride and deciding, "you know what Frankie good job. You should go pour a liter of fudge down you throat!" Who exercises and the smokes? (I am looking at you Danny Bonaduche!)

OK, enough procrastination - back to all the crappy papers I have to write. I count at least 4!

Waiting in Line

I have noticed that there are two types of people who wait in long lines. The people who make the effort to make sure that they are going to get through the line in the shortest amount of time and the people who are causing the line to move slowly in the first place. Example one:

At an airport security makes it very clear while you are in line that laptops must be removed from any bags and placed in a separate bin before going through the x-ray machine. Some people, those of us who are intelligent take a few seconds to make sure that our laptop is out and ready to go in a separate bin when we get to 

the front of the line. THEN there are people who get to the line and are in complete shock that they have to put the laptop in a separate bin. These are the dummies who couldn't read the million signs throughout the line or somehow didn't hear the security staff repeatedly mention it. Now I have to wait for these people to rummage through their things pull out the laptop. Reorganize the stuff in their bag that they had to move around - meanwhile their are a dozen people who are ready to go just waiting behind them.

And its not just the laptops either. Take your fricking shoes off while you are in line. Why do you want to wait until you are in the front of the line to take off your shoes in order to get pass security. slip those puppies off while you are standing in line. And if you are walking around in sandals or flip flops and dont want to stand or walk around barefoot - TOO BAD!!! Join the rest of us in the twenty-first century and wear socks with shoes. This isn't biblical times anymore - get some up to date footwear!

p.s. this post also applies to people who write checks or pay with credit card and then rummage to find their ID. Have that crap ready people c'mon. Help the rest of us in line out by being prepared.

Legs are sore but I am cool with it...

So this weekend I participated in Relay For Life (which is 24 hour fundraiser/event) put on by various organizations through the American Cancer Society. I was the team captain for my residence hall and while I was looking forward to the event since it was first mentioned at the beginning of the year it took on a more personal perspective due to my grandfather. Just a couple of months ago he was diagnosed with throat cancer and just recently finished his last chemotherapy treatment. Walking and jogging as much as I did over the last 24 hours was a little difficult, some times tedious and because I hate to stretch left me a little sore. But it was worth it because I felt that in some way I was supporting my grandfather. I was doing something in honor of him. I remember watching him just a few weeks ago. He was weak and frail. Lying on his side, thinner then usual, with no energy. I remember talking to him and during a pause he got up to use the restroom. He struggled to get up but when he finally left the room the emotion came over me. The reality of the situation and the toll of this disease on him overwhelmed me. I began to tear up (in case you dont know I am a bit of a crier). I held it together and composed myself by helping my grandmother clean some of the house windows. Thankfully, he seems a lot better now. He is still thin. Still limited in what he ca he eat. But when I visited him today he was no longer confined to his bead. He was in his front yard watering and tending to his plants and flower. For a split second normalcy had been restored to my life, and more importantly his.
I am just happy that he is getting better and that I could do a little something to show my support to him and others.

I love this...

It made me cry when he talked about his family. Long live the Nature Boy. WOOOOOOO!

FAN?

The past week has been a reminder of what it means to be a fan. I have seen the best and the worst of “fans” and even had to ask myself if I am a fan. I went to three Dodger games in four days. Sitting behind a group of Red Sox fans on Friday was great. They were fun, they had energy and they weren’t rude or threatening when they were rooting against other people. Watching Red Sox fans sing Sweet Caroline in the middle of an inning or chanting “Wicked Awesome” were highlights of the night. In contrast the Dodger fans on Saturday were awful. That is not to indict all Dodger fans. Only the element that gets in peoples’ faces and yell things like “Fuck Boston”, or get into fights throughout the coliseum, or the one’s who are busying getting arrested for stealing flags while the owner of the Dodger’s thanks the fans and sings their praises.
The fan behavior was a million times better for opening day. I don’t know if that had to do with the people involved or the change of venue from the Coliseum to Dodger Stadium. All of it really made me think ‘what make s a good fan? How do you tow the line between booing or jeering and becoming an asshole? How do you craft a chant directed at a player or a team that doesn’t cross the line where people are being disrespectful or inappropriate?’

Not only that but what the hell would drive someone to get into a fight or do something so stupid that it is going to get them kicked out of the game. Should we just assume that the fans of that team are all a-holes. Should we blame the organization for not addressing the issue of fan behavior with their fans? Or is just that these people are idiots and every team has fans who are morons and are going to act a fool.
Being a fan is also about commitment and dedication. I love and am dedicated to the Dodgers and most people would also say that I am fan of pro wrestling. But I am really starting to doubt that I am still a fan of wrestling. This weekend marked the second straight Wrestlemania I haven’t watched. I missed the Hall of Fame ceremony too! I seriously was willing to say Monday morning that I was no longer a fan of wrestling.
And then for the first time in nearly a year I watched more than twenty minutes of wrestling. And I saw the retirement ceremony for one of the greatest wrestlers/performers of all time – The Nature Boy Ric Flair. And I had a smile on my face like a little kid the entire time. And even more important I cared about what was happening. I had an emotional investment about what was happening in the ring. So while I admit that I am not as big a fan I am still committed, I still care. I am fan.