End of the Road

Sadly on may 4 2008 the New York rangers playoff's came to an end. By losing in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins the series has ended and the rangers have been eliminated. it hurts because i have been following the rangers my entire life and i thought that this year could be the year we win it.

it also seems like 2 of our best players will be leaving the team. The active leading goal scorer and certain Hall of Famer Brenden Shanahan had said before the season he will retire at the end of the season. Also our captain and Second leading goal scorer among active players has not yet been given a new contract and their even has been rumors he has signed a contract with his old team in Europe. perhaps there will be hope for next season because i will still be watching.

My future plans

if blogging has taught me anything it is this, Its not easy to blog! i never realized that writing a blog twice a week about a random subject can be difficult. i thought it would be easy because all i had to do was write a interesting or funny story but i then had to find a story that was appropriate to talk about and i had to make it interesting to read and have it condensed into a short read in-order to keep my readers attention.

Even though this class is coming to an end i plan on continuing this blog. I look at this blog like a job and not an assignment. A writer once said that when he would compose a novel he would write a little each day and sift through what he thought was good enough to write. I like to think I use my blog in the same context.

Racing Tragedy

Saturday May 4 marked the anual kentucky derby. it is a race of the best horses in the country. This year the 5-2 favorite to win, Big Brown, bested the competition despite being inexperienced. Tragedy struck unfortunatly this year when the runner up Filly Eight Belles crossed the finish line, collapsed and broke both front ankles. The injures inevitably forced the owners to euthanize the horse on the spot. This was the first time since 1974 that a horse had to be put down on the track.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3380408&sportCat=horse

Year in Review

Now that the first year of my college days are coming to an end i cant help but reflect. I have met many new people and learned so many valuable lessons. While I'm glad i can say I've finished one full year i also see that i am not a freshmen any longer and i am not going to have the same amount of help that i would have gotten. I am however prepared to face these challenges with the same enthusiasm and effort i have always had up to this day.

Patriot Day

Yesterday in the City of Boston they held the annual holiday of Patriot Day. Every year they have the Boston Marathon. Since they have to shut down most of the city to hold this event they decided to give people the day off instead of causing congestion in the streets. This is a really smart idea and i believe the same should be done in new york on days the pope was here to avoid that traffic mess.

Wild Celebrations

Monday April 21st the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the First round of the NHL playoffs. After this victory the celebrating fans went out and started a riot. The resulting damage was unnecessary and costly. They left police cars burnt out and looted many stores for no reason. This is something that usually happens when there is some sort of injustice or even if there team loses. Either way it is unnecessary to do.

http://sports.aol.com/nhl/story/_a/police-cars-torched-after-canadiens-win/20080422082109990001?icid=100214839x1200522773x1200018698

Draft Day

This Saturday April 26th, the NFL has its annual draft. This is when all 32 teams get a chance and choosing players from college to play for them. Since my favorite team the New York Giants won the super bowl we get the last pick in the draft. Normally it would have been the 32nd pick but the nfl took away the patriots first pick because they were caught cheating this season. They however still got the 7th pick because of a trade they made last season. I think this is ridiculous and the patriots should have that pick taken away because of the way they cheated.

There are many predictions as to what the Dolphins with the first pick will take. The analysts predict they will take Offensive tackle Jake Long, son of retired football player Howie Long. I can never understand why a team would take a player at this position first when they have many more concerns in their roster then an Offensive Tackle.

Censorship

This week my Public Speaking class has to present a speech meant to persuade the audience. I chose to do an anti-censorship speech because it is something that affects me everyday. I believe we should not be censoring as much as we are because we become a fascist state if we pick and chose what we decide to show the public. I am am an adult and i think i should be allowed to see whatever i want and not have someone choose what is appropriate for me.

I found this blog that was a little extreme but has some of the basic things i believe.
http://junaman.wordpress.com/2006/08/19/censorship-what-is-it-good-for/

Legend Lost

Today April 6th 2008 legendary actor Charlton Heston died, he was 84. He died Saturday night in his Beverley hills home. The cause of death is still unknown. He was famous for his many great film roles including Ben-Hur in which he won an Oscar for. He was also the president of the NRA(National Rifle Association) for a period of time but stepped down after 5 years.

My personal favorite of his movies was the sci-fi classic The Planet of The Apes. It was this role that i believe will be his legacy based on the amount of people who know and have seen the movie. But choosing the best Charlton Heston movie is no easy task because of the sheer amount of classics he has been apart of.

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/charlton-heston-dies-at-84/20080406011709990001

April fools joke

10 years ago today the Opie and Anthony show went on the air and announced that the mayor of Boston Thomas Menino had died in a car crash. This of course was a joke meant for April fools day. Immediately after their announcement citizens of Boston had immediately began calling city hall to see if it was true. Since they had no time to immediately contact the mayor they did not know if he had in fact died. When Mayor Menino discovered this he filed a complaint with the FCC claiming that they knowingly broad casted false information and that was a punishable offense. They were subsequently fired but soon returned om New York city radio.

Bracketology

Since it is now the start of march madness i of course had to talk about the brackets. Brackets are the tournament's way of letting fans get involved and win prizes. Last year i entered my bracket on espn.com. out of over 3 million brackets mine got ranked to number 13 in the country. I was so shocked and excited because my name was on the espn leader boards for the best teams. i even saw my name on the espn chanel one day and it was so exciting. unfortunately in the end a few of my picks came out wrong and i fell off the leader boards. i have high hopes for this year and think i can match it

Selection Sunday

Sunday March 16 was the official begining of march madness. March madness is the time of this month when college basketballs tournament is in full swing and its best games played. The way the teams involved with this tournament are chosen is by a committe who review each team and decide.

While most picks were obvious choices i saw a few snubs that i think deserve a shot at the tournament. The biggest snub to me was Virginia tech . I watched their game against Top ranked team University Of North Carolina(UNC) was a well played game and showed that they can play with the best of the best. Even though they lost they had a strong lead for a good amount of time and could have won that game. I felt it was unfortunate for them to be left out.

One Sentence Story

It just seems like one think breaks and then everything else does too

One Sentence Story

It looks like the Yankees are going to have a suprising season.

My New Radio

Today i set up my brand new XM radio in my car. I love this and am planning on keeping it. I particularly like the amount of stations they have available. I bought it for The Opie and Anthony show but when their not one I'm going to listen to the music stations. There is a station for everyone and every taste in music. I would recommend this to anyone who drives their car a significant amount. The easy set up and crystal clear reception make it a valuable investment.

The new sins from the Pope

This week the Pope had annouced a new list of sins. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23557650/
This includes
1) Pollution
2) Mind altering drugs
3) social injustice
4) any form of birth control
5) contributing to the widening gap between the rich and poor.

i had a problem with the last sin because the vatican and the catholic church is one of the wealthiest institutions in the world. Their lavish spending on ceremonies for the pope and his garb could maybe be spent on contributing to the world's poverty.

Pest Attack

As you may or may not i am a huge fan of the Opie and Anthony show. Recently a radio show in cleveland called the Maxwell show attacked them and made fun of them. Since that day the "pests"(opie and anthony fans who bother enemies of the show) have been attacking his show. Since then he has had to delete his myspace page which was taken over by pests. Also he had to ignore his phones and emails because of the amount of spam we sent.
This is a video animated about some of the things he said from the show.

Opie and Anthony - Naaht Funny! from 92.3 K-Rock New York on Vimeo.

Concert Review

Last Thursday I went to see Linkin Park Live. This was an incredible concert, one that i will never forget. It was in Madison Square Garden and featured Chiodos and Coheed & Cabria as the opening acts. When Linkin Park came out the crowd went into a frenzy. The energy didnt stop until the show ended.

The biggest suprise of the night was when rapper Jay-Z came out for the second encore. it was a thorough shock for me and the entire crowd. It was done so well and i dont think i could ever experience something like this ever again.

New Evidence

Recently Dallas County district attorney Craig Watkins discovered documents in a safe relating to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Inside of this safe was a transcript between nightclub owner Jack Ruby and suspected assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, the leather holster that held the gun Ruby used to kill Oswald and a movie contract signed by the then District Attorney Henry Wade.

This transcript however has not been seen by experts and is not verified as being legitimate yet. It describes Ruby and Oswald's conversation relating to the murder. It claims that the mafia was behind this assassination.

I dont think this is real because it seems to far-fetched to be reality. Most conspiracy theories are fake and buying into every ridiculous claim wont solve anything.

Close Calls

On Sunday Panthers RW Richard Zednik was in an extreme and dangerous collision. His throat was severely cut when a teammates skate slid across his neck. Lucikly he survived and recieved emergency surgery intime to save his life. He is now in stable condition and doctors predict he will not have any long term brain damage.

While an accident like this is extremely rare it does happen. Another accident was in 1989 involving Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk. His artery was cut in a collision but luckily he was able to get off the ice in time to save his life. Doctors for Malarchuk said that he was only seconds away from death and was lucky that he was on the side of the ice that had the exit to the doctors room. I think this is an unfortunate accident that should be reviewed to see if it can be avoided. It is also unfotunate that despite the fan base and popularity of the sport, the only time it gets into the news is when something like this happens.

C-ash Wednesday

Today, February 6, is ash Wednesday. We spend this day remembering the dead, our sins and the necessity of changing our lives. My day job is a deliveryman for a pizzeria so today is a big day for me. Since people cannot eat any meat today, they order from me. This means for me increased tips which is the majority of the money i make each day. I don't view this day as just a chance to make money but to view the flaws in our faith.

On any other day most catholics including myself don't adhere perfectly to the bible and we think we do. So we use holy days as a way to make themselves feel that they are following jesus and his preachings. While im not trying to say i am a perfect Christian i believe if your going to advertise your faith you should follow it at all times and not when its convenient.

Imperfect Ending

Sunday February 3rd, the stage is set for the top 2 teams of the league to square off in a battle for league supremacy. The 18-0 Patriots came in 12 point favorites, poised to finish off their perfect season. The Giants came in nick-named "Road Warriors" because of their 10 game road winning streak, a NFL record. This game was predicted as a high scoring shootout between the Legendary Tom Brady and the improbable hero Eli Manning. It turned out to be a defensive chess match that lasted for 3 quarters until the game exploded in the final minutes.

In my opinion this was by far the greatest Giants victory in their storied history. Upsetting the perfect Patriots is the greatest ending to a season i could imagine. The catch by David Tyree for 33 yards that set up the game winning touchdown was the most important play of the whole game. It turned the tide on the game for good.