I haven't posted on here in a very very long time. A bunch of cool stuff has happened though. A couple weeks ago I went to a big press event for Michael Bloomberg where he was launching a new Service initiative. I went with a couple of my friends on united student government, and it was cool to see Bloomberg up close. I got a picture of him as he walked by, but he didn't stop to talk because he had to drop his kids off at the pool, apparently. Caroline Kennedy was there, too, and so was Eliot Spitzer's far too loyal wife. I saw Lizzy Edwards on tv recently as well. What is it with all these wives who stick with husbands who have affairs with disgusting women that sometimes result in children? I dunno. Anyway, that same night, Newt Gingrich came to Fordham and spewed some pretty good conservative stuff and then some not so good neo-conservative fear-mongering, but it was awesome to see him. I asked him a question about the Fed causing the recession, though I was incredibly nervous and I stumbled all over myself, which is very unlike me. Anyway, he said unsustainably low interest rates defnitely contributed to recessions, which was good.
I've also been getting attention again for the newspaper, though this time it hasn't been bad. First, an article I wrote about our mascot beating up some kid who tried to beat him up ended up on a national sports blog (check it out: http://deadspin.com/5225053/mess-with-the-fordham-ram-you-get-the-horns) and then I beat up the school for not talking to the New York Times when they do bad things (here: http://www.theramonline.com/opinions/sorry-no-comment-is-not-enough-1.1737413) and then a report about the dean breaking up a party got me some street cred because I was shockingly objective (here: http://www.theramonline.com/news/spring-weekend-party-bust-1.1738792)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Angry Whopper
Today I conquered the Angry Whopper. Two burger patties. Jalapenos. Cheese. Angry, angry onions. So hot. So spicy. So good.
The Angry Whopper was merciful in defeat. However, I still await the Revenge of the Whopper. Just in case.
The Angry Whopper was merciful in defeat. However, I still await the Revenge of the Whopper. Just in case.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
let's try this
1. People need certain stuff, like food. They learn how to grow food and become pretty good at it.
2. Some people realize they're better at making clothes than food, and that other people make way better food than them. They start to focus on making clothes, and then trade some of the clothes for food.
3. The people who make clothes realize they also want an iPod. But the people who make iPods don't want the clothes, they want duct tape. The people with the clothes can't get any duct tape. But they find out that the people with the duct tape want French poetry books. They trade clothes for French poetry books, which they trade for iPods. Then the iPod people trade the French poetry books for the duct tape they want. Everybody is happy.
4. Eventually people realize that although French poetry is a very desired commodity, gold is easier to carry around and divide into smaller parts. People sell the things they make for gold, and then sell the gold for things they want.
5. Some people discover a new gold mine. All of a sudden, there is twice as much gold in the town (they have a town now) as before. Everyone doubles their prices because of all the new big spenders. At first, it's difficult or the people who didn't find the new gold, but eventually, through trade, it spreads around to everyone.
6. Everyone is really happy. They make things that they think other people in the town will want. They sell these things for gold. Then they sell the gold they got for their products for stuff they want.
7. Then something bad happens. The town is attacked by a group of wolves. The townspeople decide they need to provide for their common defence. They form a government to oversee it.
8. Unfortunately, the government cannot tax the people enough to support all of the expensive anti-wolf equipment it wants. It doesn't want the people to hate it and pick a different government, so it says the government should control the currency, in order to defend against the wolves. Then, it says all the gold will be stored, to protect it from the wolves, in a heavily guarded tent. The government gives out pieces of paper it says represent the gold.
9. The government decides that to afford the new anti-wolf moat it wants, it needs more money. Instead of taxing the people, it gives itself some new pieces of paper. The new paper doesn't exactly represent gold in the tent, but it's ok, because it represents a certain percentage.
10. The government starts to make a lot of paper that it uses as money to buy stuff. Prices in the town start to go up because the government has more money to spend, and it gives some of it to its favorite people in the town. The people who make things think that there are now more people who want more things that cost more, so they make those. They go to the bank to take out loans because they think that it will pay off later because of all the new spenders in the market.
11. The government realizes it can't keep making pieces of fake money, because prices are going up too much, and the people are starting to come to the tent to ask for their money back. They can't give them their money because they gave too much of it away to other towns when they spent the fake money. They stop giving away money to their friends.
12. All of a sudden, there are less people spending money. The producers who assumed that there would continue to be a lot of people spending money in the future cannot sell their new, more expensive products and can't pay back the loans they took out.
13. There are lots of people in debt, and the banks are wary of giving out loans for new investments because they are not sure if anyone can pay them back.
14. There is a depression.
I'm just experimenting, but I think this is exactly what always happens to the economy. Thoughts?
2. Some people realize they're better at making clothes than food, and that other people make way better food than them. They start to focus on making clothes, and then trade some of the clothes for food.
3. The people who make clothes realize they also want an iPod. But the people who make iPods don't want the clothes, they want duct tape. The people with the clothes can't get any duct tape. But they find out that the people with the duct tape want French poetry books. They trade clothes for French poetry books, which they trade for iPods. Then the iPod people trade the French poetry books for the duct tape they want. Everybody is happy.
4. Eventually people realize that although French poetry is a very desired commodity, gold is easier to carry around and divide into smaller parts. People sell the things they make for gold, and then sell the gold for things they want.
5. Some people discover a new gold mine. All of a sudden, there is twice as much gold in the town (they have a town now) as before. Everyone doubles their prices because of all the new big spenders. At first, it's difficult or the people who didn't find the new gold, but eventually, through trade, it spreads around to everyone.
6. Everyone is really happy. They make things that they think other people in the town will want. They sell these things for gold. Then they sell the gold they got for their products for stuff they want.
7. Then something bad happens. The town is attacked by a group of wolves. The townspeople decide they need to provide for their common defence. They form a government to oversee it.
8. Unfortunately, the government cannot tax the people enough to support all of the expensive anti-wolf equipment it wants. It doesn't want the people to hate it and pick a different government, so it says the government should control the currency, in order to defend against the wolves. Then, it says all the gold will be stored, to protect it from the wolves, in a heavily guarded tent. The government gives out pieces of paper it says represent the gold.
9. The government decides that to afford the new anti-wolf moat it wants, it needs more money. Instead of taxing the people, it gives itself some new pieces of paper. The new paper doesn't exactly represent gold in the tent, but it's ok, because it represents a certain percentage.
10. The government starts to make a lot of paper that it uses as money to buy stuff. Prices in the town start to go up because the government has more money to spend, and it gives some of it to its favorite people in the town. The people who make things think that there are now more people who want more things that cost more, so they make those. They go to the bank to take out loans because they think that it will pay off later because of all the new spenders in the market.
11. The government realizes it can't keep making pieces of fake money, because prices are going up too much, and the people are starting to come to the tent to ask for their money back. They can't give them their money because they gave too much of it away to other towns when they spent the fake money. They stop giving away money to their friends.
12. All of a sudden, there are less people spending money. The producers who assumed that there would continue to be a lot of people spending money in the future cannot sell their new, more expensive products and can't pay back the loans they took out.
13. There are lots of people in debt, and the banks are wary of giving out loans for new investments because they are not sure if anyone can pay them back.
14. There is a depression.
I'm just experimenting, but I think this is exactly what always happens to the economy. Thoughts?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
weekend
Last Friday we had our third Big Brother/Big Sisters event of the semester, a Thanksgiving reading day. About 15 community kids ended up coming, which isn't a bad turnout for a wintry inside day. Emily and I had bought decorations, including a big turkey poster, a "happy thanksgiving" sign and a happy scarecrow with crazy flailing arms and a mouse on his shoulder. Just like the pilgrims. One of the volunteers ended up being an expert at making animal balloons, and she made a lot of them for the kids, which was a big hit. If you doubt her expert ability, I quote her friend, upon finding a balloon-making book: "Oh look, a book about how to make cool animals. Now you won't have to watch instructional videos on youtube." She proceeded to make a balloon squirrel. Pretty awesome. The kids seemed to have a good time.
On Saturday we had interviews for next year's newspaper staff. It wasn't too bad, I just assured them that I would retain some level of objectivity in my news stories. I found out that I got News Editor last night, and I think they did a pretty fine job overall, it should be a good volume.
Oh yeah and the Jets beat the last undefeated team in football. Sweet.
On Saturday we had interviews for next year's newspaper staff. It wasn't too bad, I just assured them that I would retain some level of objectivity in my news stories. I found out that I got News Editor last night, and I think they did a pretty fine job overall, it should be a good volume.
Oh yeah and the Jets beat the last undefeated team in football. Sweet.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Yay Women!
Rams basketball improved to 1-3 on Wednesday night.
You're probably thinking, 'Rob you crazy kid, the Rams didn't play wednesday, and I just checked their record on espn.com because I don't trust anything you say and they're still 0-2.'
But I say to you, that indeed, MEN's basketball did not play wednesday, but WOMEN's basketball did.
Now you probably think I really lost it. Men's basketball has had its share of troubles, but the women never win. By which I mean they literally lost every game they played last year, and most of the games they played the year before. I think their record for the past two years was 3-56.
The best thing about the whole affair though, is the way Fordham Sports is covering the win. In the article, they pretend like it's the most incredible thing that ever happened that Fordham won a women's basketball game. You'd think winning was a regular occurrence from the article.
http://fordhamsports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/111908aaa.html
Gotta love FU
You're probably thinking, 'Rob you crazy kid, the Rams didn't play wednesday, and I just checked their record on espn.com because I don't trust anything you say and they're still 0-2.'
But I say to you, that indeed, MEN's basketball did not play wednesday, but WOMEN's basketball did.
Now you probably think I really lost it. Men's basketball has had its share of troubles, but the women never win. By which I mean they literally lost every game they played last year, and most of the games they played the year before. I think their record for the past two years was 3-56.
The best thing about the whole affair though, is the way Fordham Sports is covering the win. In the article, they pretend like it's the most incredible thing that ever happened that Fordham won a women's basketball game. You'd think winning was a regular occurrence from the article.
http://fordhamsports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/111908aaa.html
Gotta love FU
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Greatest Thursday Ever
I can't believe I didn't say something about this yet.
J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!
It's not often that Jets fans get to be in first place. Not at all actually since 2001. What a freaking win. This is why it pays off to be a jets fan. You wait so long, that it's so much sweeter when it finally happens. Gotta enjoy this while it lasts. Go Jets!
p.s. Leon Washington is the dude.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Rams basketball
I am a huge Fordham sports fan. I've been to almost every football game since freshman year, including several in the pouring rain when we were a terrible team, and even one at Columbia when we lost by 30. (I will unabashedly say "we") This might not seem like such a big deal. You might be saying to yourself, gee, when I went to school, everyone went to all the games. But it takes a lot to be a dedicated Ram fan. There is probably a consistent 15-man student section at football games, despite Fordham winning the Patriot League last year. This year we're nearly winless in the conference but you've got to remember the good times.
Basketball season is when sports at Fordham really kicks in. Whereas the football team is Div 1-B, Rams basketball competes in Div1 in the Atlantic 10 conference, not a major one, but its up there. You'll usually have 2-4 teams in the NCAA tournament (see: Xavier) and it's competitive. Fordham is not a traditionally good basketball school, but former NC State star Derrick Whittenburg has put teams with a lot of potential on the court each of my first two years.
Basketball games are always packed, and the student section is a lot of fun. Freshman year we would toss baby dolls into the air to distract opponents from making free throws until they were banned when someone threw a doll onto the court during an ESPN game against UMass. But we sing the fight song and do the traditional "FU" chant, and have a generally ballin' time. Plus, the Rams were pretty good.
Last year was a major disappointment though. We started 5 seniors and were picked to finish 4th in the league (of 14) and compete for a tournament spot. Instead, the seniors disappointed and we finished 12th and got bounced embarrassingly in the first round of the conference tournament. Now, our star inside man Bryant Dunston is playing for a pro team in South Korea, and all the other big guns are scattered in international b-leagues. Instead of starting 5 seniors, we're starting one (who was on academic probation last year), our junior captain, a junior and a sophomore who averaged about 5 minutes a game, and a freshman point guard. Even more frightening, fan favorite but universally recognized clumsy big white dude senior Luke Devine gets significant playing time. When he made a free throw on Friday it was his first point since freshman year.
Still, despite the fact that the Rams were picked to finish last in the A10, fans expected a decent team on the floor. Jio Fontan, the point guard, was our biggest recruit ever, and captain Brenton Butler had been a clutch player in the past. Everyone hoped that Fordham would go back to surprising a lot of teams and playing well like they did two years ago when they finished 5th in the conference.
Friday's game at home against Columbia showed that was not going to happen. Columbia graduated 6 seniors, one more than Fordham, and its best player was hurt. But the Rams played absolutely terribly. Butler got into early foul trouble, Fontan went 1 for 12 from the field and 0 for 7 from the free throw line, and the team got outrebounded 2 to 1. Still, they led the entire game until the final two minutes when Columbia scored on a layup. The Rams kept battling, but in a mind-boggling move, Coach Whitt decided to have Fontan take a potentially-game-tying three pointer at the end instead of team leader Butler or freshman sensation Trey Blue, who had already put up 24 points. We lost of course, and, needless to say, no one was happy about it. It's one thing to lose to nationally ranked Villanova (by 40 points on Monday), but its another thing to lose to a crappy, rookie Ivy league team at our own game. I don't care who graduated, you cannot lose to Columbia at home.
I'm very glad to have given up the basketball beat for the newspaper this year, because I don't even WANT a front row seat to watch this mess that has become Fordham basketball, nor can I find the adjectives to describe how pathetic the team is. It's going to be a long year.
Basketball season is when sports at Fordham really kicks in. Whereas the football team is Div 1-B, Rams basketball competes in Div1 in the Atlantic 10 conference, not a major one, but its up there. You'll usually have 2-4 teams in the NCAA tournament (see: Xavier) and it's competitive. Fordham is not a traditionally good basketball school, but former NC State star Derrick Whittenburg has put teams with a lot of potential on the court each of my first two years.
Basketball games are always packed, and the student section is a lot of fun. Freshman year we would toss baby dolls into the air to distract opponents from making free throws until they were banned when someone threw a doll onto the court during an ESPN game against UMass. But we sing the fight song and do the traditional "FU" chant, and have a generally ballin' time. Plus, the Rams were pretty good.
Last year was a major disappointment though. We started 5 seniors and were picked to finish 4th in the league (of 14) and compete for a tournament spot. Instead, the seniors disappointed and we finished 12th and got bounced embarrassingly in the first round of the conference tournament. Now, our star inside man Bryant Dunston is playing for a pro team in South Korea, and all the other big guns are scattered in international b-leagues. Instead of starting 5 seniors, we're starting one (who was on academic probation last year), our junior captain, a junior and a sophomore who averaged about 5 minutes a game, and a freshman point guard. Even more frightening, fan favorite but universally recognized clumsy big white dude senior Luke Devine gets significant playing time. When he made a free throw on Friday it was his first point since freshman year.
Still, despite the fact that the Rams were picked to finish last in the A10, fans expected a decent team on the floor. Jio Fontan, the point guard, was our biggest recruit ever, and captain Brenton Butler had been a clutch player in the past. Everyone hoped that Fordham would go back to surprising a lot of teams and playing well like they did two years ago when they finished 5th in the conference.
Friday's game at home against Columbia showed that was not going to happen. Columbia graduated 6 seniors, one more than Fordham, and its best player was hurt. But the Rams played absolutely terribly. Butler got into early foul trouble, Fontan went 1 for 12 from the field and 0 for 7 from the free throw line, and the team got outrebounded 2 to 1. Still, they led the entire game until the final two minutes when Columbia scored on a layup. The Rams kept battling, but in a mind-boggling move, Coach Whitt decided to have Fontan take a potentially-game-tying three pointer at the end instead of team leader Butler or freshman sensation Trey Blue, who had already put up 24 points. We lost of course, and, needless to say, no one was happy about it. It's one thing to lose to nationally ranked Villanova (by 40 points on Monday), but its another thing to lose to a crappy, rookie Ivy league team at our own game. I don't care who graduated, you cannot lose to Columbia at home.
I'm very glad to have given up the basketball beat for the newspaper this year, because I don't even WANT a front row seat to watch this mess that has become Fordham basketball, nor can I find the adjectives to describe how pathetic the team is. It's going to be a long year.
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