Shining Moment 10/29

At the Bowling Green stop off of Battery Park, I jumped on a 4 just about to leave the station happy as could be for my timing. Going to Brooklyn. I was trying to get to work. In Manhattan. Under the water, over a walkway, down to the 5 and I was back to where I started.

Burn After Reading- Just Burn The Movie

Worst. Movie. Ever. Okay, probably not, but it is one of the worst movies I've ever seen with such a cast that could have done so much more. Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brad Pitt. Just a word about Brad Pitt, and Brad, this is for you, either commit to a character or don't take the role. Last night, you sucked so bad it was hard to believe. You were half committed to convincing the audience that you were this dorky character–and the other half you were just detached the character. Man Up. It was a bad character, but either you play it all the way, or you don't at all. Don't be afraid to be not cool–look at what it did for that kid from Napolean Dynamite or the kid from Super Bad, it works.

Palin, Seriously?

I feel like I'm in a bad sitcom/Lifetime movie. Palin is not qualified to be Vice President or President of the United States nor is she qualified to be Governor of Alaska. And I am not a sexist for saying that, I'm a realist. Are we really buying this? I am just shocked, absolutely shocked that America, or rather the media that is spoon feeding it to America is buying this BS. But I don't think we really are buying–not all of us for that matter. I believe strongly in an America in which people are not so easily swayed by political rhetoric at a time when we have need an administration/party change more than ever.

She's Not Qualified. Say it with me.

Offering Up Your Seat

Everyone gives up their seat for a pregnant lady. That's just the way it goes. This is not even in question (and for those of you who don't give it up, and you know who you are, well you are just low, low, low).

But what if you're not sure that the woman you want to offer your seat to is actually pregnant? What if you make that terrible mistake of offending and embarrassing a woman in front of a subway car full of gawkers?

That was my dilemma this morning on my ride to work. I spotted a woman, who, at first look, I thought had a bun in the oven as they say, and as I was about to get up to offer her my seat, I stopped. I wasn't sure.

As a friend pointed out, I could have just gotten up and offered her the seat anyways, but the problem was she was about eight to ten feet away with about six people in between- all hungry for a seat.

So if I just got up to give her the seat- I couldn't just point to her and say please sit here and all those seat-hawks would have jumped the second I got up from my precious little spot. And tapping her was out of the question–she was too far away to do the light tap and face of concern, which means hey I want this seat, but you look like you need it more look.


So I just sat there and felt a little guilty, but very comfortable.

A few sayings I don't understand

waiting with baited breath

beating a dead horse- where did this come from? why would you even think to say this in the first place? really? a dead horse?

off like a dirty shirt

I am sure Amy will be able to educate all of us on these.

The Underdogs Prevailed, Now What?

Despite being the richest and most powerful nation in the world, Americans identify with the underdog in sports, politics and any high school homecoming.

We revel in the possibility of the underdog–maybe it goes back to the American Revolution, I'm not really sure, but what I am sure of is that the possibility we see in the underdog provides us with an unbridled hope.

One that we can and do become addicted to despite having our hearts broken season after season (ask a Cubs or Mets fan).

It's a twisted love with continual heart break, but we can't get enough.

As a Red Sox fan, I am torn. Now that we have won two World Series, the 'curse' has been broken (a lovely story that gave our losses the ultimate pain: the knowledge that we had caused our own heart ache).

What do you do when you're team has risen to the top?

Now you're rooting for the Goliath of the sport? That's not fun.

There's no sport in slaughtering your opponent.

It's like hunting rabbits in a pet store with a semi-automatic, where's the sport in that?

No, the Sox are no longer the underdogs of baseball.

I miss that unrequited hope, that bitter-sweet loss. Are they going to win? Can we actually make this work? Oh wait, that's right no, we can't. Because we're the underdogs. I was okay with that, knowing where we were, and there was respect from other fans for sticking with a team despite loss after loss.

So I've thought about some new teams:

I like the Mets because they tease their fans along, you think your team is on a winning–streak and then they blow it- BIG TIME- with loss after loss after loss. To the point where you're embarrassed when someone's reading about it in the sports section of the post on the train to work the next morning.

I also like the Cubs, but they're more of a sure-fire losing team so there's not really that much fun in that.

And that about ends my knowledge of baseball teams.

So, out of the three, I'm sticking with my guys, the sometimes unstoppable (every 86 years and then 2 years later) Red Sox.

Super Bowl 42

It would be easy for me to point out all of the nay-sayers, all of the football fans who thought it couldn't be done, and especially easy for me to point out all of the sad, sad Patriots fans (and not just because their faces are still stained with bitter tears of shock and resentment toward Brady).

It would be easy.

But that's the problem, it's just too easy.

It would be like pulling a chair from underneath a blind person and then laughing when they fall.

Of course it's an easy joke and that's why I am not going to do it.

No, I won't focus on the arrogant statements by Patriots players, fans and most of New England before the game.

I'm going to focus on the David in this contest that successfully served up a lovely platter of New England Patriots for sacrifice: The Giants.

The Giants were the underdogs of not only the Super Bowl, but for much of the year and the took on the undefeated punks of football.

The Patriots thought of the Giants as a last speed bump on their highway to the perfect season.

But as we all now know, they thought wrong. Really, really wrong.