REPOST: September 11

The following was originally posted on September 11, 2009, and then posted again on the 10 year anniversary of the attack.  It's important to remember what happened that day, so I decided to repost it once again:

It's often said that the attacks on September 11, 2001 is our generation's JFK assassination. As in, you'll never forget where you were that day when you received the news. And in my case, that's true.

I was a sophomore at Rutgers and I went to class that morning just like any other day. As I was walking through the halls, I faintly overheard two teachers discussing the World Trade Center, and an attack. I didn't think much of it. I obliviously assumed that it was the anniversary of the 1993 bombing.

Class progressed as usual, until one student came in late -- probably more than halfway into the period. He reported the news that the South Tower had collapsed. Everybody was naturally shocked. After all, the Twin Towers is an American landmark -- just about as recognizable to New York City as the Empire State Building.

At the time I didn't have a computer in my dorm room, so I immediately rushed to the computer lab to find out what in the world was going on. It was still early in the morning -- before the North Tower collapsed -- so phones and Internet access hadn't yet flooded. As I sat there constantly refreshing the news page, I would quickly discover that the second tower had fallen. I was inundated with IM's (remember those?) as I read people's worried and depressing away messages.

Shortly thereafter classes were canceled and I returned to my room, where everybody continued to be in a state of shock. We would spend the next couple of days glued to the TV watching the news. Believe it or not, my freshman year roommate -- who lived on the fourth floor of our dorm building -- could see the billows of smoke coming from the city.

It's been eight years, and while I remember that day so vividly, it also feels like a lifetime ago.

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Ice Bucket Challenge #IceBucketChallenge

You may have heard a thing or two about this Ice Bucket Challenge trend.  Basically, somebody nominates you to either pour a bucket of ice cold water on your head within 24 hours of the challenge, or you donate $100 to the Pete Frates #3 Fund.  The intent is to raise money and awareness for the fight against ALS.  Well, anyway, yesterday I get a Facebook notification that I've been challenged by one of my co-workers.  Did I accept?  Check out the video to find out:



And for more information on the fight against ALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge, please visit:
Pete Frates #3 Fund
Ice Bucket Challenge goes Viral (ESPN.com)

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Trending Topics: Ariel Castro - [a case of the summer]

So the big news of today (other than John McCain playing poker) is that Ariel Castro -- the man who kidnapped and raped three women for over a decade -- committed suicide while imprisoned in a correctional facility in Ohio.  What I want to discuss, though, is a troubling interview I heard this morning with Castro's lawyer.

The lawyer stated -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- that Castro's family received the news of his death not from the correctional facility or any medical examiner, but rather from the media.  And Castro's lawyer called that "disturbing."  Yes, THAT'S the disturbing thing about this whole situation.

Listen, I get it.  You're the guy's lawyer and you have a legal and moral obligation to look out for his interests, even in death.  But certainly there's something to be said about common sense and general decorum.  This is a man who kidnapped three women and kept them imprisoned for over a decade.  During those ten plus years, he raped them and even murdered numerous unborn children.  He physically abused these women, to the extent that they sustained permanent damage.  How immensely distasteful for this lawyer to judgmentally voice his opinion on the actions of media and the correctional facility considering everything that his client had done.

I'm not saying two wrongs make a right.  But I do think that lawyer should have shown a bit more discretion when deciding how to respond to this circumstance.

Oh, and my thoughts on the media are aimed squarely at the fact that most of them don't seem to realize that it's "hanged," not "hung."

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Trending Topics: The end of a Rutgers tradition? - [a case of the summer]

Earlier today, the following story was posted on the New Brunswick Today website:

http://newbrunswicktoday.com/article/after-two-decades-same-location-grease-trucks-leave-rutgers-lot-august-15

The grease trucks are a thing of legend around Rutgers.  In fact, it is widely known about within colleges in and around all of New Jersey.  People who come to visit Rutgers consider getting a fat sandwich at the grease trucks a bit of a rite of passage.  Hell, Maxim Magazine even named the Fat Darrell the best sandwich in the country!  These grease trucks are a legitimate big deal!  Incidentally, there is a Fatty's chain which is inspired by the fat sandwiches, although I don't find them quite as tasty (I joke that it's probably because the utensils and stoves are clean).

And personally speaking, the grease trucks are one of my fondest memories from my four years at Rutgers.  Hell, if you recall, last year's Summer of Excitement had me leaving the #ZRvsDZ sticker on one of the grease trucks.  I had a favorite sandwich -- the Fat Mom (which was, prepare yourself for this, cheesesteak, bacon, eggs, french fries, lettuce, tomato, and ketchup....all one one sandwich) -- and as crazy as it might sound, my friends and I used to actually leave parties early in order to get to the trucks before they closed.

Yet, it seemed like every single year there was some sort of controversy that attempted to get them removed from the Rutgers campus.  One year it was noise issues.  Another year, health issues.  There were other reasons as well, like safety and pollution.  And yet, it seems that the thing that is finally getting them removed from their space -- a parking lot on the main campus -- is the fact that Rutgers wants to use the space for something else.

I do have several endearing memories regarding the grease trucks.  One time, my buddy and I (Masked Emotions, actually!) went to the grease truck after a party.  At the time, we were living on the Livingston campus.  It was the weekend, which meant that the buses only came, like, once an hour.  And since it was well after midnight, we weren't looking to miss the bus.  So I'm waiting for my sandwich to get ready, and the bus arrives.  Masked Emotions (bless his soul) actually held the bus open by keeping his foot in the door, until I received my sandwich and got on the bus.  I imagine that driver was pissed.  Another time, I was on line for one truck....and a lady from another truck yelled at me to come to her truck instead.  And finally, just last summer, I was visiting Rutgers with a friend and decided to stop at the trucks before going home.  While there, I noticed these cool "Save the Grease Truck" t-shirts.  On the back was a cartoon version of one of the trucks with "A Rutgers Tradition" written around it.  They were only $5 so I jumped at it.  I still wear the shirt fairly regularly.

While the article does note that the grease trucks will likely still exist in some form or fashion -- just not necessarily in its current form and at its current location -- the traditionalist in me still takes issue with the fact that a genuine institution is being displaced and redefined.  They were right smack in the middle of all the activity.  On one side of the street you had the university, for those of you coming from class, and on the other side you had all of the frat houses, off campus housing, and bars for people who were coming off of a night of drinking.  Moving it to some of those proposed areas disrupts that dynamic.  The news is certainly upsetting to me.

Rest assured, I will be visiting the grease trucks before August 15th.  Maybe that'll be that week's Summer of Excitement.

For more information on the Rutgers grease trucks, visit their Wikipedia page.

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Trending Topics: Alec Baldwin, GLAAD, and Senseless Violence - [a case of the summer]

So I tore apart a "celebrity" (generous title) in the first edition of Throwback Thursday, so why not discuss a super sensitive and somewhat controversial subject in the inaugural 2013 installment of Trending Topics?

TV Guide's website is reporting that Alec Baldwin apologized to GLAAD for the remarks he made on Twitter directed towards George Stark, the Daily Mail journalist who (seemingly erroneously) reported that Baldwin's wife was tweeting during James Gandolfini's funeral.  Here's what GLAAD had to say in response:

"Alec Baldwin is making it clear that the intent behind his tweets does not excuse his language, especially at a time when there were 11 incidents of violence against gay men in New York City just last month. As we all work to end such senseless acts of violence, allies like Baldwin are right to use these moments to reinforce support for the community and LGBT equality." - GLAAD's Vice President of Communications, Rich Ferraro

I certainly hope it goes without saying that bigotry of any sort is inexcusable.  And I want to be careful with how I phrase this, but does anybody else take issue with this response? 

Baldwin's original Twitter comment was, "I am gonna f%#@ you up. ... I'm gonna find you...you toxic little queen, and I'm gonna f——...you...up. ... I want all of my followers and beyond to straighten out this f---ing little bitch." Baldwin directed these threats to the reporter BY NAME.  I find it somewhat bothersome -- however understandable -- that somebody would even read that comment and be disturbed by the "queen" and "little bitch" portion.  I mean, the guy blatantly says he's going to FIND the reporter and mess him up.

And after making all of those comments, it's GLAAD that is owed the apology?  How so?  And for that matter, why would ANY organization go out and essentially say, "Well, that particular violent act wasn't directed at us, so all's good"? 

Again, bigotry is awful and I'm all for equal rights.  But an act of violence does not need to be a hate crime in order to qualify as being "senseless."

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My 2013-2014 TV viewing schedule remains unscathed!

Last night the major networks, for the most part, revealed which shows they're renewing and which ones they're canceling.  Thankfully, virtually every one of the shows I watch will be back next season.  The only show that won't is the one that we've known all season that this would be their last:  The Office.

On the other hand, Survivor, Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries, Once Upon A Time, Nashville, Family Guy, and American Dad will all be back next year!  We're also getting spinoffs of two of the aforementioned shows (The Originals and Once Upon A Time in Wonderland), both of which I'm willing to give a shot.

So, yeah, good news all around.  Sorry for all you Happy Endings fans....but at least Elisha Cuthbert will now be available for that proposed 24 revival.

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Boston Marathon Bombing

The observant visitor may have noticed that I occasionally alter the banner on my blog to commemorate something that is happening, whether it's a holiday or personal matter.  I've done it for Christmas and St. Patrick's Day, as well as when I've attended certain shows and sporting events.  Right now, it's been Boston-ified as a tribute and sign of solidarity towards those personally impacted by the recent tragedy during the Boston Marathon.  The banner will remain there through the end of the month.

I knew a few people who ran the race and several more who attended.  Thankfully, none of them were near the blast and avoided suffering any injuries.  For that, I am incredibly grateful.  Considering the extremely low death toll -- and I say that with complete respect and sympathy, as there's little in this world sadder than a young child losing their life -- I thought we were pretty lucky, all things considered.  I quickly realized things were much worse than it seemed.

Yes, only three people died, but many others suffered life changing injuries.  There is a married couple that is close friends with a friend of mine, and tragically both of them were near the explosion and they each had to have their left legs amputated.  And that made me realize that statistics don't adequately represent the horrifying nature of this event.  These two people -- both of whom have been showered with emotional and financial support -- will never be the same again.  Thankfully, their positive attitudes, as well as their invaluable support system, will get them through this massive hurdle.

If you'd like to assist the victims of this attack in any way, I encourage you to check out this link:

https://secure.onefundboston.org/page/-/donate5.html

And if you'd like to learn more about my friend's friends, who were victims as well, visit this Facebook support page:

https://www.facebook.com/ForPatrickAndJess

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[a case of the blog] Harlem Shake!

Some friends of mine at work decided to put together one of these videos, and I'm really glad with how it came out!  In fact, it MAY lead to the firm deciding to have each office put their own video together so that we can have a "Shake-off."  Let's see.  They still doing this at WrestleMania?

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Rest In Peace, Paul Bearer

http://www.wwe.com/inside/paul-bearer-passes-26096670

WWE has just announced that legendary manager Paul Bearer passed away earlier tonight.  Every long-time wrestling fan has memories of Paul Bearer.  His cartoonish mannerisms and high pitched voice are instantly recognizable.  This is an unfortunate day for wrestling fans -- and a truly devastating one for his family and friends.  The wrestling world lost a legend and a passionate performer.

For those of you who don't remember (or were never aware), last July I had a bit of a one way Twitter feud with Paul Bearer (READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE).  Quite honestly, I still don't know what the hell was wrong with Bearer that day, or why he blocked me, but I came to hear from other users that he was quite rude and disrespectful to them as well.  I won't pretend to understand or defend his actions, but after reading the news of Bearer's death I took it upon myself to check his Twitter page (as somebody used his Twitter handle while offering condolences), and I realized for the first time that I was now able to view his page.  Which means, in my head, that Bearer had unblocked me prior to his death.  Which, as far as I'm concerned, means that I should hold no ill will towards him.

Paul Bearer, you were an absolutely legendary performer (I was pretty shocked when Scott Keith indicated that he didn't think he was Hall of Fame worthy) and you absolutely played a crucial part in getting over perhaps the greatest gimmick in wrestling history.  Your contributions to this unusual form of entertainment we all enjoy are immeasurable.  I wish you peace and happiness in the afterlife.

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Twenty Thousands Leagues Under the Snow

Get it?  Because it's about the Nemo storm

Anyway, I live in Northern New Jersey -- about 20 or so miles from New York City -- and we got hit pretty hard.  I'd say about a foot or so.  Thankfully, the past few winters haven't been too bad.  We've gotten maybe one or two big snowfalls each winter, to the extent that I usually didn't even bother starting up our snow blower.  This time, however, that snow blower was going to be a necessity.

What resulted, in regards to the snow blower, was a combination of Murphy's Law and a comedy of errors.

I checked -- the thing had gas.  But for whatever reason, I couldn't get it started up.  I kept tugging and tugging the cord, until it happened:  The cord completely tore off.  I'm looking at this snow blower, now impossible to start, and then the driveway (which ended in a giant wall of snow, caused by the plows) and I wondered what the hell I would do.  And then I saw a message engraved on the top that read "Electrical Start Up."  I had never noticed it before, but upon inspection I noticed that there was indeed an electrical outlet on this thing.  How have I never noticed this before?  So I grabbed the extension cord, hooked this thing up, and after a couple tries got this thing started VERY easily.

So there I am, for about two hours, walking through the driveway and walkway with the snow blower attached to this giant extension cord.  I had the cord over my shoulders at certain points because when I'd go in reverse, I didn't want the blades to catch the cord.  After about two hours, I went a bit too far and the extension cord detached.  And that's when I discovered that you don't actually need to keep the blower hooked up -- it just needs to be plugged in for the actual start.  Boy, did I feel a bit foolish there.

Basically, I ended up learning two great lessons.  The first is that you can just plug the snow blower in and hit a button to get it started, instead of dealing with the insufferable pull cord (which is now no longer an option anyway).  And the second is that you can just unplug it once it's started, and walk around freely.  Suddenly, using the snow blower isn't even a hassle!

Unfortunately, though, my driveway gets absolutely no sun.  So while my neighbors across the street have beautifully clean driveways, there are still patches of snow and ice on mine.  That's unfortunate.  But I did reward myself after an entire morning of snow removal (and that's no exaggeration -- it took several hours even with the snow blower AND a few hired Middle School kids helping out) by having a cold beer in the snow:

I hope all of you stayed safe!

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The End of the World: 5 Things I Wish I Had Done

Hey, just in case the conspiracy theorists are right...

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31 Days in Pink

I had intended on posting this at the beginning of the month, but since I lost my Internet for a week due to Sandy, everything got kinda slowed up (I'm milking that excuse for everything I'm late with in my life), so I'm just releasing this now.  As you all likely know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which has become synonymous with wearing pink.  Many sports organizations have joined in on the craze, most famously the NFL and just recently the WWE.  I decided I would have fun with it as well, and so for 31 straight days I wore some article of pink.  Sometimes it was a shirt.  Other times a tie.  And on days I was feeling particularly sick of the color, just a silicon bracelet.

Of course, this was all tongue-in-cheek.  It means nothing if you don't do anything with the awareness.  As such, please be sure to visit this website.  And remember, this is important stuff for the other 11 months as well.

http://www.nbcam.org/

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Back from my Sandy Silence!

Sandy tried to silence me (and did a damn good job), but I'm back!

Truth be told, I'm INCREDIBLY fortunate given the circumstances.  I only lost power a handful of times during the worst part of the storm -- for about a minute each time -- but other than that I always had power. I did, however, lose cable late Monday/early Tuesday, and was without TV and Internet until very late Saturday night.  My office was closed all week, and I didn't want to drive much due to the gas shortage, so I was basically at home for nearly an entire week with absolutely nothing to do.  It was pretty torturous (in my ivory tower).

But like I said, I was extraordinarily lucky.  I don't think anybody anticipated that this storm would be as bad as it was.  I always joke that I'm like the villain in all the natural disaster movies, telling people they're panicking and that it won't be that bad.  Well, this time it was much, much worse.  There are at least five people I know that went without power from Monday all the way to this weekend (and some still don't have power even now).  And in New Jersey at least, it's been pretty damn cold.  Some of those people spent much of the day in bed just so they could stay warm.  And businesses in my town have been closed all week.  The entire downtown area is still out of power.  Only a select few that have generators have been open.

I also know more than a couple of people that lost pretty much everything.  Areas within the shore and Hoboken got hit extremely bad, with many homes and lower level apartments getting completely flooded, destroying everything from clothing to furniture to luggage.  There are a lot of people that won't be able to go home for the foreseeable future.  And my family vacations in Long Beach Island -- and we're not even sure if the house we rent is even standing any more.  Things got that bad.

And then there's the gas situation.  Never in my life did I ever think I would experience something like this.  Praise the Lord, I haven't had to fill up my tank yet (I have about half a tank left), but in my town alone about half of the gas stations don't have power, and then about half of the ones that do have power are completely out of gas.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that there have been lines for the gas station that have exceeded one mile.  People spend upwards of three hours on line for gas.  That is absolutely crazy.  I'm hoping to hold out until next week, when hopefully things calm down a bit.

I know many of my readers come from the tri-state area, and I genuinely hope all of you are safe and that you haven't suffered any losses (materialistic or otherwise) during this ordeal.  Feel free to leave a comment to let me know you're safe, or to share your own story.

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Happy Birthday America!

Hope you enjoyed the day!

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They're "hoodies," not "hoodlums"

So the big story of the week -- for good reason -- was the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. For those of you who don't know, Martin was killed on February 26 by crime-watch volunteer George Zimmerman (who claimed self defense and was not arrested). However, as the week came to a close, much of the discussion had shifted to Geraldo Rivera's highly controversial comments, stating that Trayvon Martin's decision to wear a hoodie had just as much to do with his death as the shooter.

Geraldo's stance was that Martin is a black teenager and that hoodies are stereotypical gang-related clothing. He also urged parents of minorities to discourage their children from wearing hoodies because of these stereotypes.

Listen, I'm not going to claim that Geraldo was blaming the victim here, but I do think that his comments are absolutely ludicrous. Is there ANY reason to believe, whatsoever, that Trayvon Martin would still be alive today if he decided not to wear a hoodie (a claim Geraldo boldly made)? And Geraldo's advice is terribly misguided and pretty offensive, as well. Instead of instructing children not to wear hoodies because of their gang-related connotations (which I think is somewhat unfounded....hoodies, in general, are a pretty popular article of clothing), why not teach people that a minority wearing hoodies are not necessarily gang members?

Since when is it okay to tell people to avoid unfair stereotypes instead of educating people on the ignorance of their stereotypical beliefs?

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Terra Nova Canceled

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fox-Cancels-Terra-Nova-Canceled-1044499.aspx

Not necessarily shocking news, but a bit disappointing nonetheless. Terra Nova always seemed like the type of show that needed a firm investment in order to succeed. That is to say, it needed a chance to grow, even if it didn't have a strong first year. Unfortunately, Fox isn't always the best place for that sort of thing.

News is that the show is searching for a new home, but does that ever really pan out? It seems to have a hefty price tag and honestly, I have nightmares of the immense decline Sliders took when it went from a powerhouse like Fox and moved to a smaller network like SyFy.

Let's see what happens, but you can always take a trip down memory lane and re-read my review of the finale:

http://acaseoftheblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/season-finale-thoughts-terra-nova.html

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Super Bowl Champions!

Whatta game!

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True or False #2 - With Santa & Jesus (Christmas Edition)

It's only the second edition of True and False and I'm already getting gimmicky! I apologize, but with today being Christmas Eve (which, for almost all of my childhood, I preferred over Christmas because I got gifts that night, and still had gifts to look forward to the next day), this seemed like an acceptable exception. So, using an online Ask Santa and Ask Jesus feature, I present to you a special Christmas edition of True or False, featuring the very representations of the holiday, Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

1. Between Santa and the Easter Bunny, Christians have an interesting way of celebrating the beginning and end of Jesus' life.

Santa: I think it looks very possible.

Jesus: "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." - John 15:2

2. You are the true representation and spirit of Christmas.

Santa: Are you sure you want to ask that question?

Jesus: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:10

3. The Jesus/Santa fight on South Park was better than the one on American Dad.

Santa: Mrs. Claus says yes.

Jesus: "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." - John 15:3

4. Beards, right?

Santa: Only with my Reindeer.

Jesus: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." - John 13:7

5. At least one person will find this True or False offensive.

Santa: Everyone at the North Pole thinks so.

Jesus: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:20

6. Most readers won't find this offensive, but they won't find it very funny either.

Santa: Well, it looks promising.

Jesus: "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. " - John 14:7


Of course, my intent here is not to upset anybody so I hope you were able to enjoy this with your tongue firmly in your cheek. And no matter what your religious beliefs are, this holiday season often allows us the opportunity to spend time with family, friends, and other loved ones. Take advantage of this time. I wish the best to all of my visitors. Happy Holidays!!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everybody enjoys the day and eats a lot of delicious food!

If you live in the New York City area, check out ABC news at 4:00 today. There MIGHT (big might) be a story on the firm I work at about our volunteer work this week.

Anyway, have a safe and happy day!

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Family Guy: Why last night's episode wasn't (too) controversial

If you were watching my tweets last night, you'll know that I found last night's episode of Family Guy absolutely hilarious. I absolutely LOVED seeing the sleek, high definition animation interact with the crude drawings from the pilot episode. The meta references were great as well, like Brian bringing up Stewie's early unusual manner of speaking and Stewie remarking that the TV wasn't even plugged in. Plus, the glimpse into how animation may look in a few years was fun as well. I thought it was great -- one of the rare moments where Family Guy clearly dominated against the usually stellar American Dad.

Yet when I came online today, I was shocked to see a mini-uproar over the references to 9/11 (unfortunately, even Inside Pulse joined in on the act). Why? Why was this a controversy? First and foremost, the jokes that were made were relatively tame compared to what we're used to seeing (I mean, c'mon, a song about somebody having AIDS?) Secondly, I really think that people are missing the point regarding the whole 9/11 thing -- both on a comedic and philosophical level.

On the comedic level, the fact that Stewie and Brian were high fiving about 9/11 happening IS the joke. They discovered that something far worse happened when they prevented 9/11 (millions of people, opposed to thousands, were killed in a Civil War). In order to prevent that catastrophe, they had to allow the original to happen. Within the context of the show, 9/11 was the lesser of two evils, so yes, they were happy about it. But to the viewer -- who knows that this future Civil War is fake -- the dark humor is seeing these two characters cheering for an awful thing that really happened.

On a philosophical level, it's worth noting that 9/11 was the one thing that they attempted to prevent. For all the discussion about them making light of what happened, how about the fact that it was the one event that, if given the ability to go back in time, they would try to stop from happening?

Make no mistake about it -- 9/11 was a tragic event and many, many people lost somebody dear to them. But I honestly don't believe last night's episode was ABOUT allowing 9/11 to happen. It just feels like people are trying to find controversy where there isn't one.

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