Giving praise + Presents + Prague.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah. — Clark Griswold

Hey all, your 3rd or 4th favorite blogger (depending on how Internet-savvy you may be) is back. I apologize for the long absence, but the holiday season has been a busy one, with trips all over the country and a few days breaking bread with the family, boozing, and busting open presents. The holidays are always a strange/wondrous/busy time, and this year was no exception. I arrived back from Atlanta on Christmas Eve, and I had just enough time to wrap my presents and get my suit steamed and pressed before it was time to go to Mass. (BTW – it was 60 degrees in Hotlanta – thank goodness I live in Boston, where the concept of a White Christmas exists not only in song but in reality). After Mass came a trip to Brighton where we were hosted by various family members that we haven’t seen since last Christmas. Good times, indeed.

The wake-up call came early the next morning, and I joined my family in opening a glorious pile of presents. I won’t bore you with what I got, but even if it is better to give than to receive, it was a very merry Christmas. The merriment continued with dinner at my grandmother’s house, where I saw the extended maternal family. A good time was had by all, but unfortunately, as soon as we left the house the post-holiday hangover began.

I don’t mean that in the hangover sense, even if I did have a few cocktails on the holiday. I mean it in the sense that the first few days after any big day (Christmas, birthday, graduation day, wedding day, etc.) seem like a huge letdown merely because they are relatively uneventful. Such has been life the last few days. I have spent quality time with several friends and friends of family members, and have enjoyed myself thoroughly, but nothing can compare to the high that comes on a big holiday. Everything else suffers by comparison.

Complicating this cocktail of emotion is the impending reality of Prague. As of writing this, I officially have slightly less than a week until I head to Central Europe for a period of indeterminable length. Am I freaking out? Well, that depends on your definition of “freaking out” is. It is clearly coming up fast, and yet, I have so much to do in the meantime, I have yet to really seriously contemplate the big changes in my life. I have to decide which jacket(s)/shirt(s)/pair of shoes/book(s) to bring with me, and which to leave behind to languish in my closet. Once I make those decisions, I have massive amounts of cleaning, organizing, packing, and laundry to do. I have to see many friends and family in the next few days. I have to decide whether to purchase the iPod classic or the iPod Touch. I have to book a train from Frankfurt to Prague. I have to figure out what I am doing for New Year’s Eve…any ideas that are cheap and fun? Well, you get the point – life is hectic, frantic, and exciting. But never fear, brave reader – no matter how crazy life gets, I will have time to share my thoughts and occasionally irrational viewpoints with the cyber community. Coming tomorrow or soon thereafter will be a wrap of the year in music, featuring my partial and probably completely irrational and arbitrary ranking of the Top 10 albums of the year. Enjoy the leftover eggnog, readers, and check back early and check back often.

P.S. Enjoy the falling snow – it’s my way of bringing the holiday spirit to the Internetz.  (Or at the least the microscopically small portion of the  Internet that reads my blog).   In any case, happy holidays, and best wishes for a happy and healthy  2008. 

More Ramblings

So today resolved nothing. More meetings, nothing definitive. Hopefully tomorrow will bring something in the way of a solution. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about…it doesn’t surprise me, since I haven’t told anyone. Just rest assured that I am in a tricky spot and need to get out of it in order for everything to work out in the long run.

Its still raining out in Amherst, but apparently, that is hardly unique to this area. Mom reports that it is pouring in Boston as well, but somehow family has a way of making weather irrelevant. I want to get home and start making some money for Europe. This is especially true since there isn’t a whole lot to do in Amherst right now. Im blogging while watching Dan and Mark run up the score in a game of MVP Baseball. Not exactly high on the stimulation charts. On the plus side, they do have one of those nice detachable shower heads. All the comforts of home, indeed.

So whats next on the agenda, you ask? I’m not sure. Tonight, an SGA powwow with beers and perhaps wings. After that, sleep, and then hopefully some helpful meetings. I will tell you more when I know more. Matter of fact, I will probably be on here later-so I will see you then.

Word Vomit!

I’m writing while watching President Bush address the nation:

So, apparently, the state of the union address has become one big group hug. It seemed that a standing ovation was due for everything.

Bush: “My tie is red, and it matches the American flag behind me.”

(Standing ovation)

Bush: “You’re all miserable sons of bitches.”

(Another standing ovation)

You get the picture. Dont get me wrong. This isnt about the politics or whatever. I’ll judge Bush when he is done in 4 years. Until then, I’m not going to join the lynch mob. But it does seem curious to me that such a controversial leader had such united applause. Now, I know that most of the people in that room were Republicans. But everyone was standing. Everyone. Lots of standing ovations.

There are some people who certainly deserve a standing ovation. The Norwood parents got one, and they deserve it. Their son died in the war. Again, I don’t give a shit about your politics. I’m not for the war. But anyone who dies doing something they believe in deserves our respect. Anyone who dies doing something they believe will truly protect their fellow citizens’ interests and dreams deserves much more. A posthumous standing ovation is the least we owe such men and women. I guess the love fest will last until tomorrow, when Kerry wakes up in the White House bedroom and realizes that Bush hasn’t cooked breakfast for him. That perceived slight will be cause for 4 more years of bitter partisan conflict. People in the SGA often seem to be emulating national politicians. The conflict is sadly, the most distinct characteristic the two bodies share.

Good quote to end the speech. Speaking of quotes, I learned something interesting today. The Gettysburg Address was given by Abraham Lincoln, as we all know. However, what I didn’t know was he wasnt the keynote speaker that day. Instead, that honor belonged to Edward Everett, a former Massachusetts congressman and the president of Harvard. He spoke for two hours. Next, Lincoln spoke for 2 minutes. And 140 years or so later, we remember those two minutes. Tough break, Everett. Whether you’re Bush or Everett, its hard to keep up with with the oratorical skills of Lincoln. However, I do have one nomination of an American president. Neatly enough, its regards another war, one that was slighly less controversial. Denis Murphy and Chris Blood will appreciate this. On the eve of D-Day, General Dwight Eisenhower delivered the following speech to his trooops as his Order of the Day:

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Sweet Jesus. What a way to go to battle. And that ends my little political thoughts for the day.

The First Day of Classes

So the first day of classes of my final semester as an undergraduate is tomorrow. Very strange day. It seems like just yesterday, I was moving into my room on the 4th floor of Webster. There’s something about that line of thought that has me tempted to run through the past few years for the highs and lows, the people who were there, and the fondest of memories. Yes children, that’s right, I am reminiscing. Dangerous times.

Freshman year. What a strange year. I lived in a learning community, so I feel like we did everything together. Classes, parties, and eating were all done en masse. It almost felt like we had all joined the same cult. I am fairly certain I am the only one to have ventured off my floor to discover who else lived in Webster. And its a good thing I did. There were some awfully cool people on the 4th floor. Granted, I dont much talk to them anymore. But for the first two years of UMass life, they were essential.

Memories: Snowboarding with Alexis and gambling school would be cancelled, playing hearts, Halloween, Dow and Moscardelli, Levi gone missing, driving home from the south shore, Tony Hawk, the Grayson class that I was already late to, a Christmas trip to NYC, and always seeing the crew team start their day.

Sophomore year is kind of the black hole of my college experience. Other than a stellar roommate, I’m not overly sure what I remember about it. Matt Brennan and I pretty much stayed up every night until 5 in the morning. Return to Castle Wolfenstein, I blame you for my sleep-deprivation. Thats about all there is to say.

Memories: Blah

Junior year was an interesting one. Joined a fraternity. Became an RA. It later turned out these werent so compatible, but that is a story yet to come. Met some cool new people in the class of 2006. Needless to say, most of them were on my floor, but there were also many others. Blood, Dignan, Dumbarge, Denis, Tina, Julia, and Kathleen, among others, all came in to UMass that year.

Memories: Sig Ep formal, hibachi hijinks, Mario Kart, writing up tons of kids, having my picture plastered all over my hallway, having my room to myself for the first time since HS, sorting out Dorothy, SGA nonsense.