tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100235722024-03-18T15:40:55.438-04:00Sean's RamblingsThoughts and comments by a guy named Sean.Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.comBlogger3343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-90179710432270479882024-03-18T12:52:00.001-04:002024-03-18T12:52:00.145-04:00Random Ramblings: March 2024<div>* Six-year-old Luigi is playing baseball for the first time this spring. While he is using his brothers' old helmet and bat, he got a brand new glove as well as a cup. He is completely fascinated by wearing a cup and keeps calling it his "penis cup." Fortunately, he is only using this name in the house.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Based on the Pittsburgh Steelers off-season acquisitions, I planned a blog post about the team's 2024 soundtrack. The post was going to start with two Wilson Pickett songs in honor of the Steelers quarterback combination of Russell Wilson and Kenny Pickett. Of course, the Steelers traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles making the entire post moot. I guess I need the Steelers to hire retired quarterback Philip Rivers as a member of the coaching staff or organization and sign wide receiver Phillip Dorsett from the Denver Broncos so that I can created a new playlist featuring this song:</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/uIbXvaE39wM?si=_v1Rn5CjrshaATln" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>* I haven't mentioned Lucy very much since we got her in September. She constantly wakes us up around 5:00 AM but waited until around 6:00 the first few days after we moved the clocks forward. That ended. We're back to her waking us up at 5:00 again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhX7JoASSqawKQFRVVJSJGszUVG0FaQ7Mg4XvGc0yLCPfaqkabDIk6HVftQDOjrZwm3taivmiDuuQDyz34dEP22w77-ZzKeJBSp_ifqaID4sYhX3jeChYsFJya9ppGDV5k1VzR60a4W2AQggwrTLVxq116EeHR-KtpwvkqOJ2IQ_4XMhn2AeU/s4032/IMG_4132.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhX7JoASSqawKQFRVVJSJGszUVG0FaQ7Mg4XvGc0yLCPfaqkabDIk6HVftQDOjrZwm3taivmiDuuQDyz34dEP22w77-ZzKeJBSp_ifqaID4sYhX3jeChYsFJya9ppGDV5k1VzR60a4W2AQggwrTLVxq116EeHR-KtpwvkqOJ2IQ_4XMhn2AeU/s320/IMG_4132.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>* I'm really happy for the Duquesne men's basketball team winning the Atlantic-10 tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977. The team hasn't been very good for most of my lifetime, so the Duquesne fans and graduates deserve to celebrate.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Fun fact: Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot's son Robbie Dambrot plays for the Loudoun United soccer team.</div><div><br /></div><div>* There is now a hawk living on our street. Oh, it's not Dominique Wilkins. I don't know when the hawk moved in, but our neighbor noticed him/her on Saturday. I'm now completely fascinated by this and really want to get some pictures and videos. This is my second attempt which isn't terrible. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywS9gvp05hY_gZKd27wW1tpPOlxnI3yxzAGvqFr2cLnndUxl0bbm54vLQiaDSQnFD2M5z97MK0_rtAcKnApwOvOBKdoiAwNx_6l7o9loPM1FqpXK4rUB98eLQeA8h8tm8LjIwFBxn3fhEsWp0_cXyvpgxiOv8ILasbfle5HwE_7SXt2u9wTg_/s4032/Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywS9gvp05hY_gZKd27wW1tpPOlxnI3yxzAGvqFr2cLnndUxl0bbm54vLQiaDSQnFD2M5z97MK0_rtAcKnApwOvOBKdoiAwNx_6l7o9loPM1FqpXK4rUB98eLQeA8h8tm8LjIwFBxn3fhEsWp0_cXyvpgxiOv8ILasbfle5HwE_7SXt2u9wTg_/s320/Hawk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>* The best view of the hawk would probably be from my kids' bedroom per the picture above of Lucy looking out the window. With the nice weather recently, the cherry blossoms have started to bloom <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/03/17/cherry-blossoms-dc-peak-bloom-climate/" target="_blank">almost earlier than ever</a> blocking any possible view of the nest. This is clearly a first-world problem since the cherry blossoms on my street are beautiful and don't last more than two weeks. </div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-20220450682267264772024-03-04T10:47:00.001-05:002024-03-04T10:47:00.149-05:00Sean Contacts Presidential Candidates<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Virginia's Presidential primary takes place on Tuesday, March 5th. Virginia has open primaries, meaning that you show up to your polling place and simply ask for a Democratic or Republican ballot. While this generally doesn't impact the overall results, it does make things interesting. For example, in 2008, I remember some Republicans saying they would vote for Barack Obama in the primary believing he would be easier to defeat in the general election than Hillary Clinton. (I'm not sure if this is true or not since John McCain only defeated Mike Huckabee by about 45,000 votes in the 2008 Republican primary and Obama defeated Clinton by almost 300,000 votes in the Democratic primary).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So that brings us to 2024. Here are your ballots for Tuesday's primary: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9DF6K_cvB-JIP9Nay7wuyUgWXBZspM6PrGxpo7eB0SK_5XdBsri0XOaaije7TFFjlCVPhXcPeCJf_p3vOQGtPVus3lIl-hXzdean9KKSacml7znARQM77uUtJF-WUnsAoGQP9nnb-JA7LRMy-ci4_Ev1UV3PpOkz2Ls__7Shonsn6LOyVQse/s742/Democratic%20Ballot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="742" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9DF6K_cvB-JIP9Nay7wuyUgWXBZspM6PrGxpo7eB0SK_5XdBsri0XOaaije7TFFjlCVPhXcPeCJf_p3vOQGtPVus3lIl-hXzdean9KKSacml7znARQM77uUtJF-WUnsAoGQP9nnb-JA7LRMy-ci4_Ev1UV3PpOkz2Ls__7Shonsn6LOyVQse/s320/Democratic%20Ballot.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlNLvqOA4K-u2ysYfuZGKaRfOiOCuPUqxODNBzbwrD4uGVEQ_IpSlJBdp-eprW_Mqz9EhxGT1dZ4N6hvRGnQ99VjnypbwPnCIFQhpvKVSl14Rr3qz8qKag8Fa5Nr-2YHG0rJaV4ppkzn3XXVh72CIbzuNhF8nNfwFpBf3dyYgwKVnXKggRS_7/s752/Republican%20Ballot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="752" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlNLvqOA4K-u2ysYfuZGKaRfOiOCuPUqxODNBzbwrD4uGVEQ_IpSlJBdp-eprW_Mqz9EhxGT1dZ4N6hvRGnQ99VjnypbwPnCIFQhpvKVSl14Rr3qz8qKag8Fa5Nr-2YHG0rJaV4ppkzn3XXVh72CIbzuNhF8nNfwFpBf3dyYgwKVnXKggRS_7/s320/Republican%20Ballot.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>I contacted the campaigns of everyone on both the Republican and Democratic primary ballots and asked one simple question: Why should Virginians vote for you? (Or if the candidate has withdrawn, who do you support and why?)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are the responses:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/17Jq0QqK4k0?si=FXtgt8cs5KxQf76Z" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nothing. No one replied. Actually, I take that back. I received a "Failure Notice" that the email account I tried to reach does not exist message from Vivek Ramaswamy. I appreciate the fact that his campaign completely ended and decided to stop paying for things like email addresses.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While Sean's Ramblings isn't CNN, <i>The Washington Post</i>, Fox News, or any of the local news stations in the Washington, Richmond, or Virginia Beach markets, this seems like a missed opportunity for candidates to communicate directly with voters on a smaller scale. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So where does this leave Virginia voters? My guess is that most Republicans will vote for Trump, most Democrats will vote for Biden, and others will vote for a candidate of the opposite party as a "protest" vote. And maybe candidates will want their voices heard on Sean's Ramblings in future elections! </span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-53608059315965043622024-02-23T09:47:00.001-05:002024-02-23T09:47:00.150-05:00A Taylor Swift Post That's Not About Taylor Swift<div style="text-align: left;">You may have heard of a singer named Taylor Swift. She is currently taking her talents to Australia as part of her Eras Tour. Singer Rita Ora, her husband filmmaker Taika Waititi, and singer (and Sean's Ramblings favorite) Katy Perry attended Swift's Sydney concert which took place yesterday/today/tomorrow (I don't know the time difference between Sydney and the Eastern time zone of the US). So why I am writing about this? Check out Rita Ora's hat for the show.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguceb7iwXNmPYNuMQ6idkh5hPoKjNTsqQpJCJk8LQ3RNaSWM3csjG4eEQKuSdgwS9ecHS1TEhiBkcay4lY2aL1Xs5KWwx1qvWup5iq1QwO0dFML9nCmClD-IcYYw0T3naIuXHJpz0H7T8sgdWFUkc_tjSywGNb3PdGRSdEPK4GQKkj3l3dNwLV/s1241/Taylor%20Rita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="1016" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguceb7iwXNmPYNuMQ6idkh5hPoKjNTsqQpJCJk8LQ3RNaSWM3csjG4eEQKuSdgwS9ecHS1TEhiBkcay4lY2aL1Xs5KWwx1qvWup5iq1QwO0dFML9nCmClD-IcYYw0T3naIuXHJpz0H7T8sgdWFUkc_tjSywGNb3PdGRSdEPK4GQKkj3l3dNwLV/s320/Taylor%20Rita.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ9Tl1oI-GzbmQ6LWKBBzlPoJbB6EiTgdx2J7jdlOzkdZoKJukGvEpeHza54W7G28iJnc5N9SFZtNN8wlwonuRwvj9MVAZ9TJUt6RCH0bQ5dfZidYglZouioT-nkrciqZc8e3UCCr0zi5KpMZnz1dp07kaey1Fj-CYwtH8y3l-dhufiO22PHW/s900/Rita%20Katy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="763" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ9Tl1oI-GzbmQ6LWKBBzlPoJbB6EiTgdx2J7jdlOzkdZoKJukGvEpeHza54W7G28iJnc5N9SFZtNN8wlwonuRwvj9MVAZ9TJUt6RCH0bQ5dfZidYglZouioT-nkrciqZc8e3UCCr0zi5KpMZnz1dp07kaey1Fj-CYwtH8y3l-dhufiO22PHW/s320/Rita%20Katy.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQYyOhoCAqBqepolQQMmT4C6lcIZ1HS7bZ9kI31AYPiONu7_XJ-HASKpOCGE_1pATbJ4JuzEzF4QvvC6MWP9QuyZaPLr08hcqreYDdGYOhyphenhyphenMOub12VRDSj0026Gfv0phS3mslztKtxKjEwJ8RC4-UdivhrnQu_mYh_faZhJ-PFS40u5wKXIuk/s831/Rita%20Travis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="585" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQYyOhoCAqBqepolQQMmT4C6lcIZ1HS7bZ9kI31AYPiONu7_XJ-HASKpOCGE_1pATbJ4JuzEzF4QvvC6MWP9QuyZaPLr08hcqreYDdGYOhyphenhyphenMOub12VRDSj0026Gfv0phS3mslztKtxKjEwJ8RC4-UdivhrnQu_mYh_faZhJ-PFS40u5wKXIuk/s320/Rita%20Travis.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBh66Cz3ie6G4azvSlAA1JWURV-MaTfcQFfJ4Cv-TfY9FMa5AOsawMOXSANfwj5k5eyjexs0PaeZKwiOfBfYrta1_1ntGzxd0iEGbSpNEfkUK6zWgGw-7rJiQw2W2kUIv4d0a5DG7sXLJpv3sxGf0PFe8bEhi5OMsoh1U4Ss0pgt-ln1Gygpp/s475/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20091639.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBh66Cz3ie6G4azvSlAA1JWURV-MaTfcQFfJ4Cv-TfY9FMa5AOsawMOXSANfwj5k5eyjexs0PaeZKwiOfBfYrta1_1ntGzxd0iEGbSpNEfkUK6zWgGw-7rJiQw2W2kUIv4d0a5DG7sXLJpv3sxGf0PFe8bEhi5OMsoh1U4Ss0pgt-ln1Gygpp/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20091639.png" width="267" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Clearly, Rita Ora is excited about the Pirates signing Mitch Keller to an extension!</div><div><br /></div><div>For more Celebrities in Pittsburgh Gear posts (this is my second this week!), please <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/search/label/Celebrities%20in%20Pittsburgh%20Gear" target="_blank">click here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Photos from The Era Tour Twitter page (<a href="https://twitter.com/TSTheErasTour/status/1761021386921795737" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TSTheErasTour/status/1761021761640857698" target="_blank">here</a>), the Taylor Swift Updates <a href="https://twitter.com/SwiftNYC/status/1761023728538767363" target="_blank">Twitter page</a>, and a screenshot of a brief video of Ora and Perry by <a href="https://twitter.com/Cooper0lsen/status/1760956904795513031" target="_blank">Cooper</a>.</div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-71014660954485261542024-02-20T10:32:00.001-05:002024-02-20T10:32:00.166-05:00Drake And J. Cole Support The Panthers<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a great time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Penguins lost on Jaromir Jagr's number retirement night and are looking to miss the playoffs for the second straight season. The Steelers appear to be an above average team. Good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl. That would be a dream for many teams, but this is unacceptable for many Steelers fans. While the Pirates have some potentially excellent young players, even the most optimistic fans acknowledge that reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2015 is doubtful. Any hope right now is with the University of Pittsburgh's men's basketball team. Under head coach Jeff Capel, the team reached the round of 32 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. After a slow start this season including losing 5 of its first 6 ACC games, Pitt is now 8-6 in conference play with wins at Duke and at Virginia. The team is definitely in the mix for a NCAA tournament spot. This has not gone unnoticed by some major players in the hip-hop world. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Pittsburgh last week, J Cole visited Pitt's basketball facilities. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GUX-iSfzhIjhwcBDxBIvIsMiElPL9KaZgCeJOa0H1bGWBJbLX5YZ_UfVeAIG4ScUMksQm7SafowAkgkdi89zkPFQSQTxUvCTgXvfoDUW7Co6jUsnVodPiFx0NiZrBKARbw2EfJ4s5XSmqO-XGzMRCG0zUpCA4VqY8FxWhjOXdmKvlncqMO63/s1200/J%20Cole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GUX-iSfzhIjhwcBDxBIvIsMiElPL9KaZgCeJOa0H1bGWBJbLX5YZ_UfVeAIG4ScUMksQm7SafowAkgkdi89zkPFQSQTxUvCTgXvfoDUW7Co6jUsnVodPiFx0NiZrBKARbw2EfJ4s5XSmqO-XGzMRCG0zUpCA4VqY8FxWhjOXdmKvlncqMO63/s320/J%20Cole.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, after rocking a <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2016/08/drake-wears-pens-jersey.html" target="_blank">Penguins jersey at a 2016 concert</a> (resulting in me getting a cease-and-desist email), Drake sported a Panthers football jersey.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuDhWPrVTSW3JBGhKwgImFs1_ViL76NmqxOsYkqeWWZCqrbSeydceaC3CqUkCdxwIKW149_hWDSImtBgeXcO0tsGvkVj0jZXjA5hx2LvAlFZCH6yi6gJ7x4W32OJsULkZ58n9E2FFXTC3bOY97AEV_xAObfcaLNbxgwcLcXPaSja1v7G7whyN/s1454/Drake%20Fridayy.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuDhWPrVTSW3JBGhKwgImFs1_ViL76NmqxOsYkqeWWZCqrbSeydceaC3CqUkCdxwIKW149_hWDSImtBgeXcO0tsGvkVj0jZXjA5hx2LvAlFZCH6yi6gJ7x4W32OJsULkZ58n9E2FFXTC3bOY97AEV_xAObfcaLNbxgwcLcXPaSja1v7G7whyN/s320/Drake%20Fridayy.webp" width="257" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Steelers' Cam Heyward also got to meet J. Cole</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuK6y4goV84m8bekKWPk-zl94S8TnANXWJrzqH8eA1wMNUz1pYpjUm_byCJ5uQhKS1PK8XpIkXrgMZFNONEn6cpglI6qM2LKr3KhQgPnTCoe4yhkNbf4nR03GiqK5wFibGMf_ZcvLDOEKrJjGtN-thz3OlBSPLZJhGLeYfxfFbRSwY6mfK7d7/s738/Cam%20J%20Cole.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="642" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuK6y4goV84m8bekKWPk-zl94S8TnANXWJrzqH8eA1wMNUz1pYpjUm_byCJ5uQhKS1PK8XpIkXrgMZFNONEn6cpglI6qM2LKr3KhQgPnTCoe4yhkNbf4nR03GiqK5wFibGMf_ZcvLDOEKrJjGtN-thz3OlBSPLZJhGLeYfxfFbRSwY6mfK7d7/s320/Cam%20J%20Cole.png" width="278" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hail to Pitt!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">J. Cole's picture at Pitt is from Pitt's men's basketball team's <a href="https://twitter.com/Pitt_MBB/status/1758577224146395556" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The photo of Drake with Fridayy is from DJ Akademiks on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3gfJbGLs4C/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cam-J. Cole picture is from Heyward's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ehxqOt0Ut/ " target="_blank">Instagram page</a>.</span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-52800890049740217702024-02-13T12:12:00.001-05:002024-02-13T12:12:00.132-05:00A Message For Anti-Taylor Swift Pittsburgh Sports Fans<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest current musician in the world. Travis Kelce is a future Hall-of Famer football player who just won his third Super Bowl in the last five years. Naturally, the relationship between these talented individuals has garnered some attention. Too much attention? Maybe. Is that the fault of Swift and Kelce? Again, maybe. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOgZbQV8NMCc9FR-va8MnACLm_NywMeVB7hW1PAyWxOT9dlkrYv11WlIAnjhptoXPXc1RTswx5XpsZlpb4LJKls0oarWOxxBERrK_8os4z6U8DnehRBxAC9Sg7VI8anpU6J-0-Igheypx-rAXbXCVmR1dT2nsFAh2C5WL7kVjecCbpD_pBAj0/s1000/Taylor%20Travis%20AFP%20via%20Getty%20Images.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOgZbQV8NMCc9FR-va8MnACLm_NywMeVB7hW1PAyWxOT9dlkrYv11WlIAnjhptoXPXc1RTswx5XpsZlpb4LJKls0oarWOxxBERrK_8os4z6U8DnehRBxAC9Sg7VI8anpU6J-0-Igheypx-rAXbXCVmR1dT2nsFAh2C5WL7kVjecCbpD_pBAj0/s320/Taylor%20Travis%20AFP%20via%20Getty%20Images.webp" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Surrounding the Super Bowl, I have seen numerous mentions of Taylor Swift from Pittsburgh sports fans critical of the attention she has received, and the amount of screen time she gets during football games. Swift ended up appearing on screen for 55 seconds during the Super Bowl. That's less than the amount of time that Tom Brady appeared on screen during commercials. While that number increased during the post-game celebration, 55 seconds of a 3+ hour telecast is insiginificant. So to those Pittsburgh sports fans mad about Swift, why are you upset? Do you think she takes attention from the game, or do you just want to admit that you don't like her?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now if a Pittsburgh sports fan says that they hate how the attention on Swift takes away from the game, they clearly forgot about the Cole Tucker-Vanessa Hudgens relationship. Maybe Hudgens didn't get much (or any) screen time during Pirates games, but that had more to do with Tucker only playing 43 games with the team after the relationship started.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdNd_LhPRJvcDXieXWS9V1UJG1Z1IDx4_BnZDtxHYB9OEkuY9vitHs2_Mf81J8D2QadaTbLfUGmoYnbumKuOfeC06N01ibLAbGkBJHChwDmOwVIWGpZvAff4W1x30R9tURIFmaKdee_fuylr56I6UdsqP5nsQLf5Ucinx4i1azJ1fPk7BLdzV/s750/Vanessa%20Cole.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdNd_LhPRJvcDXieXWS9V1UJG1Z1IDx4_BnZDtxHYB9OEkuY9vitHs2_Mf81J8D2QadaTbLfUGmoYnbumKuOfeC06N01ibLAbGkBJHChwDmOwVIWGpZvAff4W1x30R9tURIFmaKdee_fuylr56I6UdsqP5nsQLf5Ucinx4i1azJ1fPk7BLdzV/s320/Vanessa%20Cole.webp" width="320" /></a></div></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0in;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;">Maybe Hudgens-Tucker is a bad example. So what about all of the media coverage and camera shots of Evgeni Malkin's parents during the Penguins' Stanley Cup runs? Did you find that distracted you from the games? How dare the cameras cut to </span></span><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Geno's parents celebrating after he scored a big playoff goal! The focus needs to be on the game, right?</span></span></div><p></p>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;">Let's not act like Pittsburghers are immune from being starstruck. Joshua Axelrod of the <i>Post-Gazette</i>, who I like and enjoy his work, regularly writes about television and movies being filmed in Pittsburgh. My guess is these are some of his most-read pieces. There are countless stories about where Tom Hanks had dinner or what gym Emma Watson visited or Ed Sheeran making pizzas during their time in Pittsburgh.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></div>
<p style="margin: 0in;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The same people critical of the screen time Taylor Swift receives during football games didn't complain about Jay-Z attending a Pitt-Duke game at The Pete. They don't scream about in-game interviews of Steelers players attending Pirates or Penguins games. How many times did Ben Roethlisberger get on TV during Pens games? Where was the outrage then? What about the many celebrities (such as Wiz Khalifa and Michael Keaton) who throw out the first pitch of a Pirates game and then are shown during the telecast? The Pirates even had a <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2015/09/hyomin-throws-out-first-pitch-at.html" target="_blank">K-Pop superstar</a> throw out the first pitch of a 2015 game. Never seen any complaints about in-game interviews with or television shots of Joe Manganiello or Billy Gardell. I remember people celebrating Sofia Vergara becoming a Steelers fan after she started dating</span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;">Manganiello. </span></span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;">Admit it. You're mad about Taylor Swift. Maybe it's her politics or her music or the attention, but it’s about you not liking Swift. Now if you're consistent in your belief that players' significant others, parents, or kids or any other celebrity should never appear on screen during sporting events, feel free to share. Show me receipts as the kids say. (Do kids say this?) And if you don't have any, start now with the Pittsburgh Pirates. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-llHLDCLuODJbLBGwVUzmgWSutXzJMMBWut3VyCqmTwzOA5M8pgdHHLi6JxUlgEavh2jiWGB_Ooo4IS9wa7xIBzX6OW0hTJ4xWOwr6MkMkPsG7lqcYoCv-cwKJZzNesnhstG3Q3pCL7TvCK162wzXwBIorvnAPq095Cp7nK_a88Mc39_ze8I/s777/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20104007.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-llHLDCLuODJbLBGwVUzmgWSutXzJMMBWut3VyCqmTwzOA5M8pgdHHLi6JxUlgEavh2jiWGB_Ooo4IS9wa7xIBzX6OW0hTJ4xWOwr6MkMkPsG7lqcYoCv-cwKJZzNesnhstG3Q3pCL7TvCK162wzXwBIorvnAPq095Cp7nK_a88Mc39_ze8I/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20104007.png" width="263" /></a></div></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pitcher Paul Skenes was baseball's #1 draft pick in 2023. If he lives up to his potential, Skenes will be an all-star and one of the best pitchers in the National League. Assuming (and I know it's a big assumption) that the Pirates make the playoffs thanks to great performances by Skenes, Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, etc., Skenes' girlfriend Olivia "Livvy" Dunne might appear at playoff games. Although she doesn't sell out stadiums like Swift, Dunne is a big deal. She is a gymnast at LSU, appears in TV commercials and magazine covers, and has nearly 5 million followers on Instagram and more on other social media sites. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/-j-hfGuCcU8?si=7RNE1FFZ478v0ua3" width="480"></iframe></span></div>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If it’s not about Taylor Swift, start posting on social media everyday how you hope that Dunne is never shown during Pirates games. Start telling all your friends that any Pirates loss or Skenes bad start is because Dunne is a distraction. Let’s see the videos about how Dunne was hired by Pirates owner Bob Nutting to help Joe Biden get re-elected (or something). If the Pirates make the playoffs, please complain about how Dunne is attracting more people including young women to become Pirates fans. I’ll be here to read all about it! </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* Photo of Taylor and Travis from AFP via Getty Images. Not 100% certain, but I think it was taken by Patrick T. Fallon. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;">* <span style="color: #222222; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Photo of Vanessa and Cole from Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;">* Photo of Olivia and Paul from her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz2cDS2AKj6/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Instagram page</a>.</div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-79037887529251390672024-02-07T10:44:00.005-05:002024-02-07T12:21:12.041-05:00Random Ramblings<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* The Moose just started his second semester of 7th grade and is taking Family & Consumer Science. Part of this class is a cooking unit, and after watching the first two seasons of <i>The Bear</i>, I fully expect him to swear a lot and start yelling "Yes Chef" at all times. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* I started wearing contact lenses in 9th grade and while I don't wear them everyday like I used to in my teens and 20s, I still wear them more than my glasses. That ended recently. I started getting headaches if I wore them too long, so I haven't worn my contacts since January 1st. That needs to change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* While The Moose doesn't do this, there is a high percentage of middle schoolers (both boys and girls) that wear pajama pants to school. I don't get it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* We won at trivia a few weeks ago, and one of the prizes was the socks pictured below. Most of my socks are black or brown or your standard Nike or Adidas socks. I want to become a fun sock guy. These socks will start it all!<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEU9_4I2ntT2BFrshe-hUQaKSBP13TytEz9qReQXjpZ_vz99XK2MqeoDXH03PYQK4blKMb9nuG7418OUOLAUbIsuEQ6q1xGz2wP3v5Fl9lCiaRvNuif81_Oavb2rm2qeBxj9OrhwQGSal7Fd_bwdjjx0L56au5MC01PxsK-yyGs9BbWBCeASY/s4032/IMG_4045.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEU9_4I2ntT2BFrshe-hUQaKSBP13TytEz9qReQXjpZ_vz99XK2MqeoDXH03PYQK4blKMb9nuG7418OUOLAUbIsuEQ6q1xGz2wP3v5Fl9lCiaRvNuif81_Oavb2rm2qeBxj9OrhwQGSal7Fd_bwdjjx0L56au5MC01PxsK-yyGs9BbWBCeASY/s320/IMG_4045.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>* <span style="font-family: inherit;">When I look at myself in the mirror, I see only brown hair. I mean, I'm mostly bald at this point, but the hair that I have is brown. However, at a recent haircut, there seemed to be a lot of gray on the cape.I think (or at least hope) that all the gray is from my sideburns.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* I didn't shave for several days, and I only shaved my neck so I didn't look like former quarterback Kyle Orton. When I picked up Pedro Tulo and Luigi, the after-school teacher complimented me on my beard. While I already shaved and aren't planning on growing a beard soon, it's nice to know I can grow a good-looking beard almost instantly.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu_ttCCAV4lIJgIG9fDAUbG_rcH3363mk4q4FENUPJIc_9sUMMURJleN8U1xoxgqH4UcHV9qvMPKKqHUb7QP-4cZVQrEQy0y-s_2et2nK_eZj9H1BRDVL0hflT_sMOKndAswVg8DB9r47zvK_VEMVfepLZZkGFkzVtD2n741D_iBQjWe28RJt/s391/Kyle%20Orton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu_ttCCAV4lIJgIG9fDAUbG_rcH3363mk4q4FENUPJIc_9sUMMURJleN8U1xoxgqH4UcHV9qvMPKKqHUb7QP-4cZVQrEQy0y-s_2et2nK_eZj9H1BRDVL0hflT_sMOKndAswVg8DB9r47zvK_VEMVfepLZZkGFkzVtD2n741D_iBQjWe28RJt/s320/Kyle%20Orton.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* Over the last few months, I've binge-watched </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Yellowstone</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. While I'm almost done with season 4 and overall enjoyed the show, I'm getting a little tired of the messaging that cities, government, environmentalism, and in some cases education (for Jamie but not Beth) are bad and just living as a cowboy and vigilante justice solves everything.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* The other show I'm watching is <i>Only Murders In The Building</i>. I'm in the middle of season two and love it. So much fun!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* Finally, Pedro Tulo and Luigi wanted to watch the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, so I watched it with them. Anyone complaining about the amount of airtime Taylor Swift gets during Kansas City football games must also be going crazy about how much Peyton and Eli Manning appeared on the ESPN telecast. Yes, they were the coaches in the game, but ESPN showed one or both of them after <b>EVERY SINGLE PLAY</b> and sometimes even during the play on a split-screen. When they weren't on the screen, ESPN showed Ray Lewis instead. Would have been nice to spend more time with current players.</span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-41267125681642100602024-02-02T10:39:00.001-05:002024-02-02T10:39:00.307-05:00Unlikely Song Duets<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the biggest songs in pop chart history feature collaborations between artists. You probably know songs by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, and Beyonce and Jay-Z. All of these artists are superstars.* But what about songs where one artist is a star (or becomes one) and the other isn't quite on that level? That is the point of this post.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I share videos, there are a few rules. Both artists need to be listed in the credits. One of the obvious songs for this post would be “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. Although Michael Jackson sings the chorus, the song is credited only to Rockwell. Same with "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul. MC Skat Cat is wrongfully not listed.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/xweiQukBM_k?si=FrmKmUulJW92htrw" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm also only including songs that made an impact on the charts. Deep album cuts like a song by Taylor Swift featuring a random family member don't make a list. (I'm not aware of any song, but if there's a Taylor Swift-D'Andre Swift collaboration, it didn't make the cut.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko - <i>Stay</i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/JF8BRvqGCNs?si=n06N-fZxOILCVW48" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rihanna performed at last year’s Super Bowl, has sold about 250 million albums worldwide, and has over 30 top 10 hits. Mega star! While Mikky Ekko is a very successful music writer, his singing career is probably best (and maybe only) known for <i>Stay</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Coolio featuring L.V. - <i>Gangsta's Paradise</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/fPO76Jlnz6c?si=sn0322w7-Rzp0VqH" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The late Coolio won a Grammy for this song and sold nearly 5 million albums in the US. Plus, he performed the opening sequence to <i>Kenan & Kel </i>and has multiple television and film credits. Meanwhile, L.V. released five albums with one peaking at #59 on the R&B album chart, another reaching #100, and the remaining three not charting at all. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Elton John, Kiki Dee - <i>Don't Go Breaking My Heart</i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/z0qW9P-uYfM?si=x-gYEXL-J7tLzW7R" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto">I learned that Kiki Dee released 22 albums. 22!! While she's had plenty of success in the U.K. and reached #12 in the American chart with the 1974 song <i>I've Got the Music in Me</i>, it's not fair to compare her success with the resume of Sir Elton John.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b>Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis - <i>Just Dance</i></b></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/2Abk1jAONjw?si=iUb2Ej0yXOv-PhPh" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><i>Just Dance</i> is Lady Gaga's first song and with Colby O'Donis having some success with his own first single with Akon just prior to this song, perhaps she or someone at the studio thought a different voice would give the song a little extra attention. Two relatively new artists coming together. Of course, Lady Gaga followed this up with <i>Poker Face</i> and never looked back on her way to mega-stardom with Grammys, an Oscar, and a Super Bowl halftime show. Meanwhile, Colby O'Donis may or may not have hooked up with Hulk Hogan's daughter on the Hogan family reality show. I should also mention that <i>Just Dance</i> gave me the idea for this post. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b>Shaggy featuring RikRok - <i>It Wasn't Me</i></b></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/2g5Hz17C4is?si=JPdja2fXc7FIuuiN" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2g5Hz17C4is/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a smash hit. Shaggy has two Billboard Music Awards and </span>two Grammys, one for <i>It Wasn't Me</i> and another for his collaboration with Sting. He appeared on <i>The Masked Singer </i>in 2022 and toured with TLC, En Vogue, and Sean Kingston last year. Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent doesn't appear to have a Wikipedia page.</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sting featuring Cheb Mami - <i>Desert Rose</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/C3lWwBslWqg?si=pqLOdQMjGDnXbfNW" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div>Since I mentioned Sting, you may be familiar with his musical career. He also has an acting career including appearing in several episodes of <i>Only Murders in the Building</i> which I just started watching. When not being accused of murder on the show, he's done pretty well for himself. Born in Algeria, Cheb Mami released over a dozen albums between 1985 and 2006, though none appear to have significant sales in the United States. Is it fair to include someone with international success but not success in the US on this list? Maybe. For example, No Doubt won Grammys with Jamaican DJ/singers Bounty Killer on <i>Hey Baby</i> and Lady Saw on <i>Underneath It All</i> respectively. I should also mention that Cheb's music career seems to have ended after the 2006 album. He went to jail for doing some bad things in 2011 and later had to pay an artist for plagiarism.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Glenn Medeiros featuring Bobby Brown - <i>She Ain't Worth It</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/7-1vYnFHu2U?si=IdajGdZ0z_9wG2iQ" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>The Hawaiian singer had a #12 song with 1987's <i>Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You</i> and his collaboration with Bobby Brown went to #1. Medeiros had five other singles reach the lower ranks of the charts between 1987-1990, the highest charting song being <i>All I'm Missing Is You </i>featuring Ray Parker Jr. (hold that thought) at #32 and released several albums. Then, he turned to education becoming a teacher, principal, and professor and earning a doctorate. I'm sure at least one student told him that she ain't worth it during a meeting in the principal's office! After New Edition, Brown embarked on a successful solo career with 8 top 10 hits including <i>On Our Own </i>from <i>Ghostbusters II</i> in case you were waiting for that Ray Parker Jr. connection. Of course, Brown also received enormous attention with his sometimes turbulent marriage to Whitney Houston. And this gives me the perfect opportunity to share this video of Brown meeting The Dalai Lama and getting introduced as Whitney's husband.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ZpjAxP48SQU?si=9hjUGFb_mtNO7TGx" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZpjAxP48SQU/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Olly Murs featuring Flo Rida - <i>Troublemaker</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/4aQDOUbErNg?si=E-rx9dXJqsrKPPTh" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>This is another case of someone being successful internationally but not domestically. Olly Murs was on the UK version of <i>The X Factor</i> and has a string of hits there as well as numerous television appearances including as a judge on <i>The Voice UK</i>. His success hasn't transltaed to the United States where <i>Troublemaker</i> is his only top 40 song. Meanwhile, Flo Rida has so many songs over the last 15 years featured in films and commercials. You probably know a lot more of his songs than you think. </div><div><br /></div><div>A few others for your consideration:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Santana featuring Alex Band (from the band The Calling) - <i>Why Don't You & I</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/NGzs_dGFGM8?si=s80X6irsmdws2jtN" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Drake featuring Majid Jordan - <i>Hold On, We're Going Home</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/GxgqpCdOKak?si=wq1XCY20iTAVtdz0" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure that I've missed others. Please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">* While you probably wouldn't include Boyz II Men in this group, they won 4 Grammys and have 9 top 3 hits. Not too shabby!</span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-49244303674530669882024-01-23T11:22:00.001-05:002024-01-23T11:22:00.259-05:00State of the Ramblings: 19<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel like nearly every State of the Union address by a United States president includes the declaration that the state of the nation is strong. Well, I'm not going to write that here. Sean's Ramblings has certainly slowed down over the years. After writing 85-100 posts annually each year between 2017-2021 (well down from the number of posts I wrote for the first decade of this blog), I wrote 71 posts in 2022 and only 64 posts in 2023. I write when I feel like I have something to share and have the time to write, both of which seem to occur less frequently.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that this blog is 19, I understand why I’m probably one of the oldest blogs still around. Maybe 10-12 years ago, there was an explosion of “mommy” blogs/bloggers. I remember getting frustrated that much of their content was sponsored. The ones that focused on their kids and kid-related products aren’t around anymore. Maybe it's because the money went elsewhere (hello Instagram and TikTok). More likely, it’s easy to share stories and pictures about new foods for toddlers, diaper explosions (well, not pictures for this one), cool strollers, or activities for 5 year olds. It’s not as easy to write when your kids get to middle school or become teenagers. Your kids don’t want you to share their stories, or you don’t want to share their stories. I’m not going to write about Individual Educational Plans or how my kids are doing in school. Sure, I might write about my 7th grader's <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-dating-story.html" target="_blank">recent break-up</a> but that was because of the absurdity of the whole situation. If he was older and really in a significant relationship, that’s not something I would want to share or would be comfortable sharing. It’s not my story.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmRuLN3etm8xUAztHtrsfBvRrhcTG48USl1oXEqmM9rwDr5gLRbEnaMn8VZTe8URR0TLAufdZqvdjb4cyWZLNIP_RMtatE4Chu5HbdFCJZ4eTuC9m3423bMldFVj6SkMFK05SrS30oVM5Ie7U94w_0Vu8j0kAYgh7cTL3RqO_LVK6layIplHC/s800/Rutherford%20B%20Hayes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="800" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmRuLN3etm8xUAztHtrsfBvRrhcTG48USl1oXEqmM9rwDr5gLRbEnaMn8VZTe8URR0TLAufdZqvdjb4cyWZLNIP_RMtatE4Chu5HbdFCJZ4eTuC9m3423bMldFVj6SkMFK05SrS30oVM5Ie7U94w_0Vu8j0kAYgh7cTL3RqO_LVK6layIplHC/s320/Rutherford%20B%20Hayes.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So what’s next for Sean’s Ramblings? Nothing. I think my quest for a writing award is over after the 2023 </span><a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/09/its-not-blog.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Pittsburgh City Paper's Best of PGH</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/06/sean-professional-journalist.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Washington DC chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists contest</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> debacles. I’d still love to get media credentials for a sporting event or awards show, but even if I get selected to be on the red carpet for the Grammys, I don’t have time to travel to LA for it. So I’ll just continue to write what I want to write about and when I have time to write. No big goals or resolutions. Just keep going and becoming the only blog around to turn 20. And then maybe a big celebration for 20…or 21!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Any post about the number 19 must include a picture of the 19th US President, Rutherford B. Hayes. Did anyone ever call him Rutherford Hayes without the B? Or just Ruth? Photo from the <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/1600/presidents/rutherfordbhayes" target="_blank">White House website</a>.)</span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-60621367815520034932024-01-18T11:32:00.001-05:002024-01-18T11:32:00.321-05:00Seventh Grade Math<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">U<span style="color: #222222;">p until geometry in 8th or 9th grade, math was probably my favorite subject as it came easy to me. That's why working with The Moose on his math homework can be somewhat challenging and frustrating. I generally know the answer but have trouble explaining it. Let's take a look at this recent homework.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Laurel charges $85 to groom a dog. Tuesday is her slowest day, so she offers a 15% discount if you bring your dog in on a Tuesday. How much will you pay if you bring your dog in on Tuesday to get groomed?</i></span></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The instructions direct students to solve this program using the four-step proportion method. I have no idea what this means. My seventh grader insisted that the answer is $44.75. I tried to explain that this amount is nearly a 50% discount and that if you gave Laurel this amount, she would wait until you gave her more. While I knew the answer, I couldn't explain how to solve this using the four-step method. That's where the frustration comes in for both of us.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's take a look at one more question.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Kaden needs to buy a new screen for his iPhone. The screen sells for $164, and he has a coupon for 30% off. If Kaden received $100 for his birthday, how much more money does he need in order to buy the new screen for his iPhone?</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Several thoughts on this one. First, why not just have "phone" in the question? Did Apple give the person who wrote this question an iPhone so that their product would appear? That's some unique marketing. Next, what did Kaden do with the $100? Does he have all of the $100 or did he spend some of it on apps or lunch? That seems relevant to this question. </span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just for fun, feel free to solve these questions and put the answers in the comments section below. If you get them correct, you can get a gold star!</span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-91749716336184785492024-01-10T11:26:00.004-05:002024-01-10T11:26:00.249-05:00If You Can Dodge A Beer Can, You Can Dodge A Ball<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watching football recently, I saw this Bud Light commercial several times featuring NFL Hall-of Famers Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vMN8TJUbMWQ?si=uAdpeOVHfxcFKzNn" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At first glance, it’s nice that Peyton Manning bought a round of Bud Light cans for everyone. Seems rather convenient that the bar has cases of beer rather than kegs, but maybe cans work better for this particular establishment.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s my issue with the commercial. Smith and Manning are retired professional athletes and both (particularly Peyton) appear to have great arms. At the end of the commercial, they give each other a look. They aren’t going to gently distribute beers to the bar patrons. They are going to fire the cans like it’s a dodgeball game.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/peUyLXrgYZ0?si=5CUN-fbixN5jCurp" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look, I understand this is a commercial, but let's try a little experiment. Go to a bar with a friend and buy a round of Bud Light cans. Then, as hard as the two of you can, start throwing them at people or just anywhere around the place. Let's see how long it takes before someone fights you or the police get called!</span></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-60692381454772170202024-01-04T12:44:00.001-05:002024-01-04T12:44:00.130-05:00The Light Bulbs Journey<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">My second blog post in 2024 is about ordering light bulbs online
and the adventures in getting them delivered. This is the type of hard-hitting,
investigative post you expect from Sean's Ramblings! A few weeks ago, two
light bulbs in our dining room chandelier burned out. Yes, please feel free to
sing along to the chorus of the Sia song</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">. (Seriously, I want to try singing this at karaoke someday.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ILTZ8qZbNK0?si=5aeBWCEiAvT9Oihn" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ILTZ8qZbNK0/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">With it being the holiday season, it seemed much easier to purchase the light bulbs online instead of going to a store. I ordered the bulbs from Target on December 16th and figured they would arrive several days later. Since you’re reading a blog post about this, you know that they didn’t arrive several days later. Here’s the journey:</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Tucson, Arizona: December 17 at 3:38pm - Package is in transit to a UPS facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Tucson, Arizona: December 18 at 2:00pm – Your package was not received at the UPS facility as originally scheduled. There may be a delivery delay.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Goodyear, Arizona: December 18 at 2:27pm – Origin scan</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Goodyear, Arizona: December 18 at 9:57pm - Departed from facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Hodgkins, Illinois: December 21 at 5:10am – Arrived at facility.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Hodgkins, Illinois: December 21 at 12:32pm & 12:58pm –
Unload scan. Location represents a scan within a UPS facility.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chantilly, Virginia: December 22 at 2:29am – Arrived at facility.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chantilly, Virginia: December 22 at 8:15am – Processing at UPS facility</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><i>I live in Northern Virginia, so this seemed like a good sign.</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Springfield, Missouri: December 26 at 9:44am – Location represents a scan within a UPS facility. We’re sorry this package has experienced a sortation delay. The package has been rerouted to the correct destination.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><i>I live in Northern Virginia, so this did not seem like a good sign. I also learned the word sortation. I knew flotation but not sortation.</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY-PHwYkVjLu__7HLYfNXJopFXeLGt6Q6MAh80d9hCxZd44AyNqJBV3VjXRvw6hB2LzD3sHxGb4qLB-vfvmKxjYeOfn6Tvuc6FIenUGe1WeRmmHkxRIJQc5nOWnVlOc2kApJ3D_dzlGuk5kwYatDuTUxkeZyA55iCY_Rp7KrKPYmO11Dbta0G/s1440/Flotation%20Devices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY-PHwYkVjLu__7HLYfNXJopFXeLGt6Q6MAh80d9hCxZd44AyNqJBV3VjXRvw6hB2LzD3sHxGb4qLB-vfvmKxjYeOfn6Tvuc6FIenUGe1WeRmmHkxRIJQc5nOWnVlOc2kApJ3D_dzlGuk5kwYatDuTUxkeZyA55iCY_Rp7KrKPYmO11Dbta0G/s320/Flotation%20Devices.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Springfield, Missouri: December 26 at 9:02pm – Location represents a scan within a UPS facility. Revised delivery date.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Springfield, Missouri: December 26 at 9:50pm – Departed from facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Lenexa, Kansas: December 27 at 1:47am – Arrived at facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Lenexa, Kansas: December 27 at 4:23am – Departed from facility.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Earth City, Missouri: December 27 at 8:40am – Arrived at facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Earth City, Missouri: December 27 at 12:49pm – Departed from facility</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Louisville, Kentucky: December 27 at 5:36pm & 6:07pm – Arrived at facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Louisville, Kentucky: December 28 at 2:54am & 3:24am – Departed from facility</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Roanoke, Virginia: December 28 at 12:19pm – Arrived at facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Roanoke, Virginia: December 28 at 4:34pm – Departed from facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chantilly, Virginia: December 28 at 8:23pm – Arrived at facility.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chantilly, Virginia: December 29 at 6:34am – Destination scan.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chantilly, Virginia: December 29 at 7:41am – Loaded on delivery vehicle.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">After all of this, I received the light bulbs on December 29th and this was the result:</span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHCqjga7OYJpIKuydtxmacDn9q10Oxisrl9uSu2M_KpC22TMruSesNHbht9eC00xQ9dn0WwppeGWzJjGS31FK1JVSSwj8f94eINyMvABJ7fai1IKZcKoPyHp9rWLDpLfiFahqKGmb366pRbQoPleUN3_GMuNF6jRbZI4vRL3AwF3f3A1KAiDq/s4032/IMG_3971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHCqjga7OYJpIKuydtxmacDn9q10Oxisrl9uSu2M_KpC22TMruSesNHbht9eC00xQ9dn0WwppeGWzJjGS31FK1JVSSwj8f94eINyMvABJ7fai1IKZcKoPyHp9rWLDpLfiFahqKGmb366pRbQoPleUN3_GMuNF6jRbZI4vRL3AwF3f3A1KAiDq/s320/IMG_3971.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8Hf78eplIDiPyz8nHjIcUakadIzbjAECVa34mYSqGFuKkcmG-GxJeAeg5Vx2WA3iSsppFq2R9PKSS-8cI7BTd0YoZ1WcEXncqqIcMjpFJvPX3vNhIfe3R6BtJSjJsPq51G0-MfHZfRPCaNZAqm5axMg19z3J7fkeRiXI-NTd6au2pGPAvei7/s4032/IMG_3972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8Hf78eplIDiPyz8nHjIcUakadIzbjAECVa34mYSqGFuKkcmG-GxJeAeg5Vx2WA3iSsppFq2R9PKSS-8cI7BTd0YoZ1WcEXncqqIcMjpFJvPX3vNhIfe3R6BtJSjJsPq51G0-MfHZfRPCaNZAqm5axMg19z3J7fkeRiXI-NTd6au2pGPAvei7/s320/IMG_3972.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;">With the light bulbs traveling thousands of miles over nearly two weeks, I'm amazed that only one lightblub was broken!</div></span></span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-40974983778775496232024-01-01T10:52:00.002-05:002024-01-01T16:52:29.986-05:00Wayne Gretzky and Kenny Pickett<div style="text-align: left;">Happy 2024! To celebrate the new year, I'm bringing back PAWRA or Pittsburgh Athletes with World-Renowned Athletes. On Sunday, the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap/_/gameId/401547636" target="_blank">30-23 in Seattle</a>. After the game, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky met up with Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFECem5Gnve5-AdnAJ2YBSQMu5IUMu40MEUPvF4y8MUbRml7ygks4POa7LuATKXVG1KYwtA6hJa4LiXZd2VX-KfHnkqqENc_K08vHVtK2BLMW9uxY-M1v2bDCKnfCepzmz63cTY4EykdQhN9SvslunseK0oBxPCcHx-f6POLFU-aBgbRqmwz0z/s680/Pickett%20Gretzky%20Seattle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFECem5Gnve5-AdnAJ2YBSQMu5IUMu40MEUPvF4y8MUbRml7ygks4POa7LuATKXVG1KYwtA6hJa4LiXZd2VX-KfHnkqqENc_K08vHVtK2BLMW9uxY-M1v2bDCKnfCepzmz63cTY4EykdQhN9SvslunseK0oBxPCcHx-f6POLFU-aBgbRqmwz0z/s320/Pickett%20Gretzky%20Seattle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Gretzky is in Seattle for Monday's Winter Classic game between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Park, home of the Mariners baseball team. I actually had no idea the Winter Classic was taking place in Seattle until I looked up why Gretzky might be in Seattle. Apparently, Gretzky golfed with Kenny Pickett and his dad back in March. I guess that they enjoyed the round together enough for Gretzky to seek out Pickett after the Steelers win.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQhM5Sy4Y2BxhVr6B9VN91eRE-oIXioBfrHM6vZM6OjeMES_A36q66dNvqqKBXnaTx6hJCOU-JuxFY3lGD-01Kikh40ewyaiWOH9myf7uupHkghY3jUN-Y3GT01rKZpJ97rsrXE_Tl4Vp7hAciqe5Ub8oqfdOIrjfm_pJ7-n0Z24NPSvw48KA/s1080/Pickett%20Gretzky%20Golfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1080" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQhM5Sy4Y2BxhVr6B9VN91eRE-oIXioBfrHM6vZM6OjeMES_A36q66dNvqqKBXnaTx6hJCOU-JuxFY3lGD-01Kikh40ewyaiWOH9myf7uupHkghY3jUN-Y3GT01rKZpJ97rsrXE_Tl4Vp7hAciqe5Ub8oqfdOIrjfm_pJ7-n0Z24NPSvw48KA/s320/Pickett%20Gretzky%20Golfing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Have a happy and healthy year!</div><div><br /></div><div>Photos by Brooke Pryor <a href="https://twitter.com/bepryor/status/1741620791433904400" target="_blank">on Twitter</a> and the Steelers' <a href="https://www.facebook.com/steelers/posts/qb1-wayne-gretzky/770741341084037/" target="_blank">Facebook page.</a></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-53150503087599187042023-12-27T12:33:00.002-05:002023-12-31T14:08:55.981-05:00Best And Worst Of 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's time for my annual best and worst of the year in pop culture, entertainment, and more. As you'll see, there are not many "worst of" below. I have limited time, so I'm not watching or reading things I'm not interested in. Here we go:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best TV Show: <i>Shrinking</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved this Apple+ show. Jason Segal plays a therapist struggling with the loss of his wife. While I like the storylines of Segal with his patients and his relationship with daughter, what really makes the show are his colleagues, Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford. They are fantastic. It's fun watching Harrison Ford be funny. This scene was the best thing I saw all year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/URCeMWPD2_Y?si=jcmNX1YW6KEZcL_N" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Honorable mention: <i>Jury Duty</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">This was such a unique show. Everyone, meaning the lawyers, judge, jury members, etc. are actors...except for one jury member named Ronald who believes that this is a real case. Ronald is such a likable guy, and I don't think this show would work with a different lead. James Marsden playing a version of himself is also fun.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/L2bnYkvjdD0?si=Iz3wVhjDJmn_pO3g" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">For no apparent reason, I tracked every TV show I watched this year, and I feel like sharing this. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Better Call Saul </i>(last season)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Party Down </i>(original)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Chair</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Night Court</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>American Auto</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Not Dead Yet</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Quantum Leap</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Abbott Elementary</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Yellowjackets </i>(season 1)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ted Lasso </i>(season 3)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Sprung</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Welcome to Wrexham</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lucky Hank</i></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Big Door Prize</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Mrs. Maisel </i>(season 4)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Afterparty </i>(season 2)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Shrinking</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Jury Duty</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Wonder Years</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Miracle Workers</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Barry </i>(last season)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Succession </i>(part of last season)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Yellowstone </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lego Masters</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Bear </i>(season 1)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Songs: <i>HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?)</i> by Maneskin and <i>bad idea right?</i> by Olivia Rodrigo</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">All caps and no capital letters at all? Can we please work on this! While I'm way out of her target audience, I am an Olivia Rodrigo fan, particularly with her up-tempo songs. <i>bad idea right?</i> gives me a vibe of "Naked Eye" by Luscious Jackson. Oh, the song is definitely not suitable for work.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Dj9qJsJTsjQ?si=wTJoRz7-Y9cOAsQB" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, I think Maneskin has the best guitar riff of the year with <i>HONEY</i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/HZnNt9nnEhw?si=j6z079x9l4ChF1nq" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Worst Song: <i>Popular</i> by The Weeknd, Playboi Cardi, and Madonna</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking at my archives, I picked two songs by The Weeknd as the best of the year over the last few years. This is certainly not an anti The Weeknd post. While <i>Popular</i> isn't bad, I don't find it good either. It's repetitive and don't feel that Madonna adds anything to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/xnvkStb2jT0?si=ZfXC-rbKvbIXNAVs" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Movie: <i>Parasite</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Parasite</i> won the best picture Oscar a few years ago, so I'm a little late to this. The storyline is essentially a poor family scamming a rich family. I mean, there's definitely the message of class and the spoils of the rich. Definitely did not expect the ending.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/SEUXfv87Wpk?si=aTZuHl9XCSwusOlV" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SEUXfv87Wpk/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Most Interesting Movie: <i>The Menu</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't put this as the worst movie since it's just so different from anything I've seen. I watched <i>The Menu</i> on an airplane and remember leaving the plane thinking "What the heck was that?" I really want to see this again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/C_uTkUGcHv4?si=_o_hAYE4SZYVNTcz" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">And now, these are all of the movies I watched in 2023:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Menu</i></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Elvis</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rise</i> (A movie about Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Anchorman 2</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Logan Lucky</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Leo</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Elemental</i></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Parasite</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Family Switch</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">My New Year's Resolution for 2024 is to watch more movies. Almost all of these are movies for kids/families. There's no <i>Barbie</i> or <i>Oppenheimer</i>. I mean, how can I get a media credential for The Oscars with this list?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Sports Moment: Sheffield Wednesday</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sheffield Wednesday completed the biggest comeback in English Football League playoff history back in May. Down 4-0 after the first leg, the team battled back to tie the overall score at 4-4 in the 90+7th minute. Peterborough, their opponent, got a goal in extra time, but Wednesday tied it again before advancing in penalty kicks. By far the best sports moment of 2023. (More about this game is available from <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/05/sheffield-wednesday-wins-greatest.html" target="_blank">my May post</a>.)<br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Worst Sports Moment: Pittsburgh Sports</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although Pitt's men's basketball team returned to the NCAA tournament and the women's volleyball team is now a consistent power, the professional teams struggled. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season, the Steelers are an average NFL team, and the Pirates, though better in 2023 compared to 2022, still had a record under .500. While I don't have a specific moment for the worst sports moment, the Pirates were 20-8 after we attended the 16-1 victory over the Nationals, and several weeks later, the team's record was 35-42. Lots of losses. Actually, there is a worst moment. The Penguins, battling for a playoff spot in the next-to-last game of the season, lost at home to the worst team in the NHL.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/c4JUOQLC0Uw?si=cEtdRIM2YBwWFj9I" width="480"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Book: 12-way tie!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, this definitely isn't true. I just wanted to share that I read 12 books this year, by far the most since the pandemic started. I was part of a book club in 2023, and book clubs are stressful! It's like high school all over again trying to finish a book in time for the discussion or test. At least we have snacks for book club! Here's what I read this year:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Umpire Is Out</i> by Dale Scott</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>How to be Perfect</i> by Michael Schur</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Raise a Fist, Take a Knee: Race and the Illusion of Progress in Modern Sports</i> by John Feinstein</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill</i> by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Book of Lost Names</i> by Kristin Harmel</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Our Missing Hearts</i> by Celeste Ng</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Flying Solo</i> by Linda Holmes</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Housemaid</i> by Freida McFadden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Just Like You</i> by Nick Hornby</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Housemaid's Secret</i> by Freida McFadden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Neverwhere </i>by Neil Gaiman</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Why We Love Baseball </i>by Joe Posnanski</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Live Concert: Pink</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/08/pink.html" target="_blank">She's amazing</a>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Worst Live Concert: Bruce Springsteen</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before you freak out, this is the worst concert I attended because I didn't attend. Bruce postponed his concert from August to September and then to 2024. Hopefully he'll appear in my best live concert in my 2024 post.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Blog Post: Goodbye Ziggy</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In May, <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/05/goodbye-ziggy.html" target="_blank">we had to say goodbye</a> to our cat Ziggy. I still miss him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: inherit;">Worst Blog Post: Is Tim Tebow's Wife a Pirates Fan?</b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since she wore a hat with a "P," <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/03/is-tim-tebows-wife-pirates-fan.html" target="_blank">I immediately thought</a> it was a Pittsburgh Pirates hat. It was probably a Puma hat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div>While this may or may not be my last post of 2023, have a Happy New Year!</div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-19384026553926786022023-12-18T11:08:00.007-05:002023-12-18T11:38:11.959-05:00Wizards And Capitals Should Stay In Washington<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's get all of this out of the way before I start the point of this post. I live in Northern Virginia but not in Alexandria or particularly close to the proposed Potomac Yard site for a new arena for the Washington Capitals and Wizards. I've attended concerts, Wizards, Caps, and Georgetown basketball games over the 20+ years I've lived in the DC area, but I haven't been to the Capital One Arena in Washington since the pandemic started. So although the recent announcement about the Wizards and Caps moving from DC to Alexandria doesn't really impact me, why does it bother me so much?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEetcwLoGbEpDO8B6sHmqhgYaMTdQbyUqk5UEcr4-3qcbnejmtTuE5ow0eIphqDWG4C-A7LU6F5QfWHaAQBsz_Hnlx3_gT44gYjc9IjUpieY4Zn4rdH5QqIfLE0v34Fzx88ldjgokS5BrkSWj_eog3ShBPtQYzcf0fwOE0BRmbLRKesn0iJ5H/s2260/MONUMENTALWHERE-medium.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEetcwLoGbEpDO8B6sHmqhgYaMTdQbyUqk5UEcr4-3qcbnejmtTuE5ow0eIphqDWG4C-A7LU6F5QfWHaAQBsz_Hnlx3_gT44gYjc9IjUpieY4Zn4rdH5QqIfLE0v34Fzx88ldjgokS5BrkSWj_eog3ShBPtQYzcf0fwOE0BRmbLRKesn0iJ5H/s320/MONUMENTALWHERE-medium.jpg" width="181" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By all accounts, the Gallery Place/Chinatown area of DC was completely revitalized by the building of the Capital One Arena (previously the MCI Center and Verizon Center) in the late 1990s. Between home games for the Wizards and Caps along with Georgetown basketball games, concerts, monster truck shows, etc., there are probably about 150 events at the arena each year. Taking away the Wizards and Caps will be absolutely devastating to the businesses in that neighborhood. Meanwhile, state and local taxpayers are going to be on the hook for $1.35 billion for the building of the new arena and entertainment complex in Alexandria, Virginia. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/15/capitals-wizards-potomac-yard-arena-finances-virginia-dc/">This would be the largest public subsidy</a> of a project of this kind. There is not currently adequate infrastructure in the Potomac Yard area, so we're talking about a significant investment needed in roads, though it's not clear if that's part of the $1.35 billion. In any event, I don't see how this is a good deal for Virginia residents. That's A LOT of money. And it's not like we're going to get free tickets or free parking. Ticket and parking prices aren't going to be cheap. Now all of this is a great deal for Caps and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. This is a live look at Ted if this deal gets signed. </span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/aPX5mRSQ3pw?si=5Rg7v5Jln-skBUqm" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aPX5mRSQ3pw/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The model for Potomac Yard is The Battery area in Cobb County, Georgia. The Atlanta Braves moved about 10 miles outside the city to an area with a new stadium and entertainment district. It's really nice. Several years after opening though, I'd love to know the economic impact on Atlanta, Cobb County, and the Atlanta Braves. Cobb County (and its taxpayers) put significant money into the area. Curious what the return on investment has been. Plus, what's the impact for the city of Atlanta and the area that housed Turner Field? (I don't remember there being much to do before or after a game outside Turner Field which differs from the area outside Capital One.)</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, it just seems like the Wizards and Caps should play in Washington. Although Potomac Yard is only four miles from Capital One, it's a world away. </span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few more videos about this potential move.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/7W9vx1a_d_Y?si=roRgWapBna5RagNJ" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/y2kLYwlh3TY?si=3I0U2gtkMerPBb4W" width="480"></iframe></span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-955243777291171782023-12-15T10:22:00.001-05:002023-12-15T10:22:00.142-05:00Health Update<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I'm really terrible at post titles. I mean, starting with a title of "Health Update" sounds ominous. Is something wrong? Was something wrong but now there's good news? It's actually none of the above.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NxIKk4ZsJPc1EgFb4zCMHj4uxEBaR_xZRFEd9VxBjwhJhfnqmoHjtHBnCqFGHZFcVHSFmqx32DHFzY00M3wtJnSKQiUO8uKAoy8rDhD2HfAeeWgg7EX9ST52QfeaZwWEKsfhWk7znarKoJaNqtuoUWVsNV6fkkc8O1QA3EVumDlUhDdeHVHp/s529/Brewsters%20Millions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="529" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NxIKk4ZsJPc1EgFb4zCMHj4uxEBaR_xZRFEd9VxBjwhJhfnqmoHjtHBnCqFGHZFcVHSFmqx32DHFzY00M3wtJnSKQiUO8uKAoy8rDhD2HfAeeWgg7EX9ST52QfeaZwWEKsfhWk7znarKoJaNqtuoUWVsNV6fkkc8O1QA3EVumDlUhDdeHVHp/s320/Brewsters%20Millions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had my annual physical recently, and my doctor said I'm in great shape. In his follow-up report after receiving the blood test results, he wrote that I'm in "very good health" with my liver, kidneys, thyroid, etc. all normal and to come back in a year. This all sounds great, but I'm not completely convinced. First, my weight is up 6 pounds from last year. Now, I wouldn't recommend attending two holiday parties and a food testing event in the days before my physical, but I don't think that accounts for a 6-pound gain. Plus, while my total cholesterol (171) is in the okay range, my LDL, or bad cholesterol, is at 112 which falls into the high range. </span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I saw the results on the doctor's online portal before the medical assistant or physician assistant called me. He shared the note from the doctor about my good health, and I asked him about the LDL number. The PA/MA said that I need to exercise more, have more salad, and eat less chips and fried foods. How does he know about my eating habits? I mean, I'm helping the economy and saving money by buying chips/salty snacks that are on sale at Costco! </span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqqOHhk45Egi7V8XoQgdC4gJB44WnuLuRXKG1tXBFe-37X4AIxJcg7mr3oSWqQgScScY-WVtWbp85Ig8JEMrSLvcsrbRy7jNhzGGqzjP5pBwQ5yPRdeIiWTADlR9iMQQQbb_KekECt5ZJqbyn1Eg0SFSpYrlYAJTHVLtrEU53HdirdffeXkwr/s1349/Costco.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1349" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqqOHhk45Egi7V8XoQgdC4gJB44WnuLuRXKG1tXBFe-37X4AIxJcg7mr3oSWqQgScScY-WVtWbp85Ig8JEMrSLvcsrbRy7jNhzGGqzjP5pBwQ5yPRdeIiWTADlR9iMQQQbb_KekECt5ZJqbyn1Eg0SFSpYrlYAJTHVLtrEU53HdirdffeXkwr/s320/Costco.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fine. I'll start eating more celery. (Is celery with ranch or peanut butter okay?) I also just bought a pickleball racket, so I hope to hit the courts this winter since I definitely don't want to do any outdoor exercising. Stupid winter!</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photos are a screenshot of <i>Brewster's Millions</i> and from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurendebter/2021/12/16/how-costco-has-kept-its-113-million-members-hooked-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank">this <i>Forbes</i> article</a>.</span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-37737856239385292252023-12-06T10:47:00.001-05:002023-12-06T10:47:00.141-05:00What's Going On<div style="text-align: left;">Once again, I'm stealing <a href="https://www.thesteeltrap.net/" target="_blank">Heidi's idea</a> for a "Housekeeping" post to share what's going on in my life.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto">* Both The Moose and Pedro Tulo are playing basketball this winter. This is the first time Pedro Tulo (4th grade) has played organized basketball, and this is definitely a learning experience for him. I'm hoping that he becomes a defensive stopper this season since it's still difficult for him to shoot. The baskets are really high for a little guy. Meanwhile, this is the third season for The Moose (7th grade), and he has the same coach along with a few teammates from last season. The Moose seems to be all about taking outside shots. He doesn't seem eager to battle with the "trees" down low.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto">* Hanukkah starts at sundown on Thursday. As usual, I'm trying to promote the pickles at Hanukkah tradition which started in 1998. (<a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2020/11/pickles-at-chanukah.html" target="_blank">Here's the full story</a> about how the tradition started.) While I'm excited to host a pickle taste test at my synagogue as part of our Hanukkah party (per the picture below, the pickles have been purchased!), the main way I'm attempting to promote the pickle tradition this year is commenting on and liking somewhat random Hanukkah posts on Instagram and Facebook with the pickle accounts. Not sure of the effectiveness of this plan. By the way, please follow the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hanukkahpickles/" target="_blank">Hanukkah Pickles</a> account on Instagram and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChanukahPickles" target="_blank">Pickles at Chanukah</a> account on Facebook.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxW0sqZGZP-N8nH8-BM-T2ytQ-ejNKn50STrWxoT295Xjc5-K_FD3gVWpxGrOpcwlQrjk5wiaf_t1efidk-AsRwTZH9FiusRUwesKYUK3zRwTusYA7iO8UjeahWq8-JkqeWOaO0qzZ_BoMusNqu9KuB-KVQTbW77gX7YdYTi8rwDDjGI1BBeYl/s4032/Pickles%20for%20Tasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxW0sqZGZP-N8nH8-BM-T2ytQ-ejNKn50STrWxoT295Xjc5-K_FD3gVWpxGrOpcwlQrjk5wiaf_t1efidk-AsRwTZH9FiusRUwesKYUK3zRwTusYA7iO8UjeahWq8-JkqeWOaO0qzZ_BoMusNqu9KuB-KVQTbW77gX7YdYTi8rwDDjGI1BBeYl/s320/Pickles%20for%20Tasting.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>* With the temperatures regularly in the 40s, we’re now in dry-hand season. My hands look forward to March and April.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">* I’m very late to this, but I started watching <i>Yellowstone</i>. This show proves that I could never work on a ranch. Or get involved in Montana politics. What’s interesting is that I’m watching most episodes on CBS, and thanks to a Thanksgiving marathon, I recorded many episodes from the Paramount network, a station I didn’t know I had. It’s quite jarring watching a show without swear words transition to one with swear words. I think you’re used to one or the other and not characters “changing” their language part way through a show.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/jr32f0rnK1o?si=nveLSsWsPIavCpQl" width="480"></iframe></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">* I took Luigi to a birthday party of one of his first grade classmates a few weeks ago. Nothing makes my introverted side come out more than a trampoline park where I don’t know any of the parents and don’t even know which parents are part of my group since there are several parties going on at once.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">* My recent dentist appointment was a success. The receptionist at my dentist’s office noted that I’ve been a patient for 20 years now. This is now one of my longest relationships!</div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-14531156211319212802023-11-29T10:43:00.018-05:002023-11-29T10:43:00.132-05:00Three Games As A Soccer Referee<div style="text-align: left;">It's been a long time since I've shared stories about being a soccer referee. For those of you who don't know me very well (or know about this side of my life), I became a certified soccer referee in 1990. It was a great high school job since the pay was good, and I only worked on weekends giving me time to do homework and participate in activities during the week. I continued working as a referee when I returned home from college, and after taking a few years off, got recertified again around 2005. Before kids, I worked as a referee most weekends during the fall and spring seasons. In my mind, I get paid to exercise. Between all of the kids' activities, I don't work as much as I'd like, but I still try to get out when I can. I have two amazing primary assigners who I've known for years and understand my schedule. There are many times when I'll email them on Thursday to see if they have any availability for games on Sunday, and if they do, they slot me in. This post is about three games I worked this fall.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabLq-BLkLTkZPAUzopyuzpED836OiZPQCUKoqqtBOZCWdouO7gJ22OY_rEkMo9_fHMzmbLEKfP2kSRk7x0gj_DayU6Lbh3W08s520Jj1D3_WyAn7XRwmQ5pvNNN5HLaxAfNbOXU8YRyMJQPLGBFu4241BnueZJzoDrb0S1bqTNNhhzcZglwGs/s554/Referee%20Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabLq-BLkLTkZPAUzopyuzpED836OiZPQCUKoqqtBOZCWdouO7gJ22OY_rEkMo9_fHMzmbLEKfP2kSRk7x0gj_DayU6Lbh3W08s520Jj1D3_WyAn7XRwmQ5pvNNN5HLaxAfNbOXU8YRyMJQPLGBFu4241BnueZJzoDrb0S1bqTNNhhzcZglwGs/s320/Referee%20Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>(That's not me in the picture.)</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Game 1: Under 12 Girls</b></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto">While I stopped working adult games at least 4-5 years ago, I generally referee games for middle school and high school aged kids meaning that this recreational league game was slightly younger than I usually work. This game featured one team with girls that were a foot taller and probably 30-50 pounds heavier than their opponents. While I probably called more fouls against the “bigger” team since it was warranted, many times, I let the teams play simply because players on the “smaller” team just bounced off players from the “bigger” team and hit the ground. After the bigger team scored a late goal on a penalty kick, one of the parents yelled for me to call it both ways. Then, as I was leaving the field, I overheard the “smaller” team’s coach explain that soccer is a physical game and that the players need to play through it sometimes. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Most times, I forget a game as soon as it ends. This one stuck with me. Should I have called the game tighter based on the age and skill level? Would that have been unfair to the “bigger” team? I don't know, but both answers seem to be yes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Game 2: Under 9 Boys</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I gave my assigner very short notice about my availability, and while there was a U19 boys game that had an assistant referee (AR) opening , he really needed me to be an AR for a U10 girls game and then center a U9 boys game. He explained that this was the first ever game as a center for the teenage referee assigned to the U10 girls game, and he wanted me to be there as a mentor. The teenage referee did a great job, and I was able to give her some feedback both at halftime and then after the game. Then, I got to center a U9 game, and I loved it. Yes, I called fouls during the game and made sure that it kept moving, but I also explained fouls and helped kids understand the procedure for a goal kick and the proper way to do throw-ins. One of the team's coaches thanked me after the game, saying that although they try to teach this at practice, it's often better for the kids to get the real-time feedback during the game from someone other than them. I really enjoyed being able to teach the kids and be a mentor for a new referee.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Game 3: Under 11 Boys</b></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto">My final games this fall were for a local all-star recreational tournament. I was by myself (instead of a normal 3-person crew) for three games with 25-minute halves. The temperature was about 37 when I started, but I warmed up quickly from all of the running.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5xSPa4AsVQZ5RiS8rWo5zjwHvQLep6E-1im70_D0FVEvsw3e8O7AB3TeIPS_2w0N1IouWCUApqp_X_w3KLb50vgS_RcJF7P1AR3dnCmuXPamp3FOI7eqf0oqvqbmEHe-IPVMBEBE4CYDOpNEju-VSZVSJzm51bPq59NTsxNjv2CAqpHjPnLc/s2048/Snow%20Ref.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5xSPa4AsVQZ5RiS8rWo5zjwHvQLep6E-1im70_D0FVEvsw3e8O7AB3TeIPS_2w0N1IouWCUApqp_X_w3KLb50vgS_RcJF7P1AR3dnCmuXPamp3FOI7eqf0oqvqbmEHe-IPVMBEBE4CYDOpNEju-VSZVSJzm51bPq59NTsxNjv2CAqpHjPnLc/s320/Snow%20Ref.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto">(It wasn't actually as cold as it was from <a href="https://twitter.com/ussoccer_ref/status/1123392664127385601" target="_blank">this picture</a>.)</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Before I arrived at the field, I noticed on the schedule that no one signed up for the game after mine. In emailing with the tournament assigner, I wrote that I would stay if no one took the game. No one took the game. The game itself was unremarkable with one team winning 5-0. The losing team had some chances, but the winning team controlled the game. As I walked off the field, I heard one or two of the kids complaining about me as the reason they lost the game. There was one goal scored on what may have been offsides. It was close, but I thought the attacking player was fine. Of course, in a one-person system, I can't be even with the next-to-the-last defender on both sides at all times (and especially not in the fourth of four games). If the tournament wanted a 3-person system for all games (and increased costs for the teams), the AR would have been in perfect position to determine if a player was offsides. If it's close, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team. Plus, that one goal had minimal to no impact on the final result.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>Anyway, I packed up my bag and as I walked to my car, a player from the losing team asked how much the other team's coach paid me. I was a little stunned, so I didn't answer. The kid continued throwing out various amounts concluding with $1 million. </div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/EJR1H5tf5wE?si=SoewNe0bNABEUOiK" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I smiled and jokingly replied that I would certainly accept $1 million to help a team win an under-11 game. Do I make mistakes as a referee? Of course. There is constant action, and I miss things. However, I really don't appreciate anyone questioning my integrity. If it was a coach or maybe an older player, I would have given a post-game yellow card for dissent. For a 10 or 11 year-old, I just left the field and went home.</div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-7795442985866790632023-11-22T11:42:00.001-05:002023-11-22T11:42:00.131-05:00A Dating Story<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't really write much about my kids' personal lives because, well, they're personal. Plus, what juicy topics am I going to share about my first and fourth graders? Nothing. While there's really not much to share about my seventh grader either, I'm making an exception today for this story.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For
the start of middle school, we agreed to get The Moose a phone since he might
need it getting to and from school, or to let us know if he needs to stay after school. While I
still believe that he should have a phone with only calling and texting
functions, I understand that I lost this battle months ago. Although we try to
limit his screen time, and what he can watch and do on his phone, he managed to
create a Snapchat account. I don’t think he should have any social media
accounts, but the understanding with Snapchat is that his account is set to
private. Only his friends can see it.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few
weeks ago, The Moose declared that he had a girlfriend. When pressed about some
details of this new relationship, he shared that this was a friend of a
classmate of his. She goes to a different school, and he had never met her in
person. They only communicated through Snapchat. I clearly don’t understand the
middle school dating scene in the 2020s. Gone are the days where you get a
phone number, call the house, and then have an awkward conversation with a
parent before the person you are trying to call gets on the phone. Anyway, The Moose and his girlfriend never made plans to get together. I'm not sure if they ever talked on the phone.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently, The Moose announced that they broke up. I almost spit up the water I was
drinking at the kitchen table when he said this trying not to laugh. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/gYm1NacK8g8?si=RE9-eBaahmIh-XyI" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It turns out that she is a Cincinnati Bengals
fan and didn’t want to be in a relationship with a Steelers fan. In the name of
Kimo von Oelhoffen, I say good riddance! Although The Moose doesn't seem phased by the breakup, I hope his ex-girlfriend looks like this especially this Sunday when the Steelers face the Bengals:</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCEOs7TRt9klQVYr1whlv2ERJ-GMScATxMCujM7Edjbc_sfRcVQiJTRUh1YRIpb87bXU8AKusCxK9eeU_cdHxZ7zNFTezFb6qMiaVYC2nFAJJXx4BtjvsmqBNDAradDHqGxaSfDdBW16eiAq6yuLn_zxPWzQ1XjJjvIpwiZUp4lU_ikrgwZ09/s300/Crying%20Bengals%20Lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCEOs7TRt9klQVYr1whlv2ERJ-GMScATxMCujM7Edjbc_sfRcVQiJTRUh1YRIpb87bXU8AKusCxK9eeU_cdHxZ7zNFTezFb6qMiaVYC2nFAJJXx4BtjvsmqBNDAradDHqGxaSfDdBW16eiAq6yuLn_zxPWzQ1XjJjvIpwiZUp4lU_ikrgwZ09/s1600/Crying%20Bengals%20Lady.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-54622622719732954362023-11-15T10:09:00.032-05:002023-11-15T10:26:30.986-05:00March For Israel<div style="text-align: left;">I’m not really a rally or march guy. The older I get, the less I like being in big crowds and that was even before Covid. Plus, I’m busy. Between work and family activities, I don’t really have time to attend rallies or protests or anything like that. Tuesday’s March for Israel was different. First, it was held on the National Mall, so I only needed to travel a few extra Metro stops to get there. More importantly, I felt that I needed to be there to support the Jewish community and the Israeli-American relationship.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzIdRLQa8bZXJKzSIDRA71xA7b7JtrIL5-iUcor_6bej0itzN7uoLgQeTcVSGC5fz2gCOlRxqZafII9mCnmH_F1VNKZriRa-hWxdnNMESXlU_GR7DYjIILmhvQb9iiEdQAFxX_CxNKmkjJpP9a_2jAwRxq0y1sZMAHC_HcCk57TBKgXrCk9hQ/s4032/IMG_3840.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzIdRLQa8bZXJKzSIDRA71xA7b7JtrIL5-iUcor_6bej0itzN7uoLgQeTcVSGC5fz2gCOlRxqZafII9mCnmH_F1VNKZriRa-hWxdnNMESXlU_GR7DYjIILmhvQb9iiEdQAFxX_CxNKmkjJpP9a_2jAwRxq0y1sZMAHC_HcCk57TBKgXrCk9hQ/s320/IMG_3840.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Let’s go back a month. On October 7th, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally killed approximately 1,400 people and kidnapped 240 others. Children and the elderly were part of both groups. More Jews were killed on October 7th than on any other day since the Holocaust. <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2023/10/israel-update.html" target="_blank">While I shared my thoughts</a> about the aftermath of the terrorist attacks and Israel's response two weeks later, I didn't touch on what has happened and continues to happen in America. Anti-semitism and threats against Jews on college campuses (including <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/11/10/intruders-allegedly-vandalize-israeli-flags-more-at-ohio-state-osu-hillel-center-columbus-ohio/71529058007/" target="_blank">where I worked at Ohio State</a> for two years). Vandalism at Jewish institutions. The number of antisemitic incidents has skyrocketed. The March for Israel was an opportunity to let our voices be heard that we're not going to take it. (Feel free to sing the Twisted Sister song.) That we support Israel and its right to exist. And that we demand the release of the hostages.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>I arrived on the National Mall via the Smithsonian Metro station around 11:00. While I considered showing that I'm a local and asking people to stand on the right of the Metro escalator, I just took the stairs while many groups with matching shirts emerged from the subway. I followed my way toward the stage and got in line to enter the "front" area. I found myself next to a group who flew in from Minnesota and saw that they all had blue wristbands to get into this area. I didn't have a wristband, so I went back to the "general admission" section and stood in the grass approximately between the Smithsonian castle and the Natural History Museum. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSosPoOdkD9aUpy-NPs3gPuDVvmtQaCEIyVbSD4JyyQroJeWV0cd8cmFUtFazZuJEt5exoIMv3sWPpMmS4ihOAPqRpsUc8S4goNwUkcno0EEftm2S9I1E5Bn-fzJCw1ywyOaIR436qeWu0H1TVedk7epeNX45nYkxvw_ADZE-zHkkaXTSG0JA/s4032/IMG_3841.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSosPoOdkD9aUpy-NPs3gPuDVvmtQaCEIyVbSD4JyyQroJeWV0cd8cmFUtFazZuJEt5exoIMv3sWPpMmS4ihOAPqRpsUc8S4goNwUkcno0EEftm2S9I1E5Bn-fzJCw1ywyOaIR436qeWu0H1TVedk7epeNX45nYkxvw_ADZE-zHkkaXTSG0JA/s320/IMG_3841.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A pre-show rally for/by students started at 11:30 with various high school and college student speakers. Other speakers for the pre-show included Tik-Tok and Instagram star Montana Tucker (who I follow), actor Brett Gelman from <i>Stranger Things</i> and <i>Fleabag</i>, and Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York who I thought was fantastic. </div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Ol5cStRHpSQ?si=6Dv5uedKDPP3XIY1" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>There were also performances by Israeli musicians Ishay Ribo and Omer Adam. I wasn't familiar with either, though to be fair, most of the music I know from the last few years is what I hear on the SiriusXM channel Hits One. </div><div><br /></div><div>The "main event" started at 1:00. with speeches from actress Tova Feldshuh, CNN's Van Jones (more mixed reactions for him than anyone else), and former Soviet dissident and Israeli politician Natan Sharansky. Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke from the Western Wall, and there were speeches from other political figures like Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. To me, the most notable speakers during the rally were the Congressional leadership of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senator Joni Ernst. (I guess Senator Mitch McConnell was busy trying to figure out how the now 2-8 University of Pittsburgh football team handed the University of Louisville its only loss of the season thus far last month.) I really found the inclusion and words by Torres, Johnson, and Jeffries to be an important part of the event. These are non-Jewish allies sharing their support.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5an4a0xgJn9jJUbNqPZ-vh-J-kHYhDDXqlJH1vSJZtiIUAk9Tvg2dTgFZ7NUuwwXZ61jm7wfCXY1dxfhtdnGkD095dVvJUFawJwZl5UD7i72FqjwEjy3uBmJ40rdHze3XjF8Tkr9HzfOppSkDSBWCdr2nG92wPxQiHh4dW-Hx7te9MvyVjW8Q/s4032/IMG_3839.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5an4a0xgJn9jJUbNqPZ-vh-J-kHYhDDXqlJH1vSJZtiIUAk9Tvg2dTgFZ7NUuwwXZ61jm7wfCXY1dxfhtdnGkD095dVvJUFawJwZl5UD7i72FqjwEjy3uBmJ40rdHze3XjF8Tkr9HzfOppSkDSBWCdr2nG92wPxQiHh4dW-Hx7te9MvyVjW8Q/s320/IMG_3839.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Debra Messing was terrific.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/qJPA_gww57Q?si=y8_oYEhv-vT1Vp7O" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Matisyahu performed with the Maccabeats.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/9WSIw2v0ruA?si=0qXUtof36YsUf3n7" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>For years, I've joked about a rivalry between acapella groups the Maccabeats and Six13. While competition between these two groups is probably all in my head, I feel like the March for Israel should have been a time where they performed together. Sort of like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry coming together after years of feuding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although the event was scheduled to end at 3:00, it was still going strong at 3:20. After standing in one spot for about 5 hours, I was not still going strong and decided to head home. With the entrance to the Smithsonian Metro station packed, I walked about a mile away to the Farragut West station. Maybe it's because I left early, but I was surprised that the Metro wasn't crowded. I heard that buses parked at RFK, so maybe more people headed in the opposite direction. </div><div><br /></div><div>A few final notes:</div><div><br /></div><div>* Many speakers mentioned their support of the Palestinian people and shared their prayers or grief with innocent Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives. (I noticed this the most in Debra Messing's speech above.) </div><div><br /></div><div>* While I enjoyed the rally, I think I would have had a better time if I went with a group and/or with friends. </div><div><br /></div><div>* 13 years ago, I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear starring Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. 13 years later, there's still no cell phone reception on the National Mall when there's a large group of people. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I'm glad I attended. Hearing from several famililes of those kidnapped was powerful. More than anything, it was a sense of unity. Of coming together. Of knowing that we're not alone. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto">Here are a few more photos from the event:</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffusP6806_lXf1elPyPxdoWnIHo5W4KJdO_bYu9kDRbbiZX2gvM7p65vmEVOQYx9-HgUWikCbUvqv_cRPCMP74_WUjGJzI5PDS99fTBR6RdH-FMKwvNSJDv-N8LqoFInmJFXOM-u6BtJOWpuP_ZdYDXbHICEnKCiSe3Plc_TkGs2aD5s-boCd/s4032/IMG_3838.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffusP6806_lXf1elPyPxdoWnIHo5W4KJdO_bYu9kDRbbiZX2gvM7p65vmEVOQYx9-HgUWikCbUvqv_cRPCMP74_WUjGJzI5PDS99fTBR6RdH-FMKwvNSJDv-N8LqoFInmJFXOM-u6BtJOWpuP_ZdYDXbHICEnKCiSe3Plc_TkGs2aD5s-boCd/s320/IMG_3838.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbvEYya9B1Fu3oYzNXWBoGL1J1VImk06v3pUgFvxVoxR4m-CoUEPfKFiTqrPzq7Gqf42Rxp8oRMMscdLmVg1NY86Do2ocIDE9CJFTlr0raQCrGJVKrfA_MFHuJ1gCmzv7ehz70GEtdB1aAlVPEQC0vncq5DeTnzLVM1m5Qy_ihbXsQQNKVut2/s4032/IMG_3850.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbvEYya9B1Fu3oYzNXWBoGL1J1VImk06v3pUgFvxVoxR4m-CoUEPfKFiTqrPzq7Gqf42Rxp8oRMMscdLmVg1NY86Do2ocIDE9CJFTlr0raQCrGJVKrfA_MFHuJ1gCmzv7ehz70GEtdB1aAlVPEQC0vncq5DeTnzLVM1m5Qy_ihbXsQQNKVut2/s320/IMG_3850.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggRcl7DBBEn5zeiZjIwmYQJepRZs8Kaeq2tyt9PkXdDBN82YRRuR1GSmqiOQ5QF-9YyU-sg2OkASkreJGLBMNDyrzh0nPbHIhkgiAibKXFHkxGhAXvUr4hslRSWvmqRZm-l0_-W4w52yZNOWSbN1AGYjwZIyJ_fTaSHCCaiJH9DX1WrtPN4LW/s4032/IMG_3849.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggRcl7DBBEn5zeiZjIwmYQJepRZs8Kaeq2tyt9PkXdDBN82YRRuR1GSmqiOQ5QF-9YyU-sg2OkASkreJGLBMNDyrzh0nPbHIhkgiAibKXFHkxGhAXvUr4hslRSWvmqRZm-l0_-W4w52yZNOWSbN1AGYjwZIyJ_fTaSHCCaiJH9DX1WrtPN4LW/s320/IMG_3849.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx359nZRdDHatGWKeV75dhZf_P1A2jq9-Y3dASfGH4tPziy8lhUI2cgDjAHKXwvJCo_W_LRGZX7s2wgfj4_dmSnKHrPgpSrd6Cds-VtHzfWkP56rVVU0IgJtIimtHW6RUYjB5UNCzSf31lFbeR-UyEXm6WsCbfwsVoyiFKuQ5uzIKR1Q0n2fmL/s4032/IMG_3848.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx359nZRdDHatGWKeV75dhZf_P1A2jq9-Y3dASfGH4tPziy8lhUI2cgDjAHKXwvJCo_W_LRGZX7s2wgfj4_dmSnKHrPgpSrd6Cds-VtHzfWkP56rVVU0IgJtIimtHW6RUYjB5UNCzSf31lFbeR-UyEXm6WsCbfwsVoyiFKuQ5uzIKR1Q0n2fmL/s320/IMG_3848.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBafwRiMPB6gZj_m0xU8cBYoZsjbUjzOg7eLZkhYkE2epQt1Qc2ZUNEbP7P0Kedx2cF9fqboA_xRK6rDEeGScYt3cGH-SAUCODJ0guU_0DTO3wr72cvXt7T5flFsLPowuqTOmO4PkWxJo5zsqmIdeMOs3zXrYGpaV9IgZwVzfNpbTjqbgPI29/s4032/IMG_3847.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBafwRiMPB6gZj_m0xU8cBYoZsjbUjzOg7eLZkhYkE2epQt1Qc2ZUNEbP7P0Kedx2cF9fqboA_xRK6rDEeGScYt3cGH-SAUCODJ0guU_0DTO3wr72cvXt7T5flFsLPowuqTOmO4PkWxJo5zsqmIdeMOs3zXrYGpaV9IgZwVzfNpbTjqbgPI29/s320/IMG_3847.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukaXheXpyGzgtF0XhGC0mGcpCwcIM4WXOiGi2-MA4zkPvYlYy9E0PEvKNHhNDI_ryAYyRMwVNSnPpfywo9DuMDQoLXHAfQTKInU3SfrfoeDyqrUtUzlnZWQZIyLwHaVUZ_ycBZvMGU42lkD2Xq6_2qw8pqElXlsLrXPRB4t7yt-mi11IMaaCp/s3990/IMG_3845.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3990" data-original-width="3070" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukaXheXpyGzgtF0XhGC0mGcpCwcIM4WXOiGi2-MA4zkPvYlYy9E0PEvKNHhNDI_ryAYyRMwVNSnPpfywo9DuMDQoLXHAfQTKInU3SfrfoeDyqrUtUzlnZWQZIyLwHaVUZ_ycBZvMGU42lkD2Xq6_2qw8pqElXlsLrXPRB4t7yt-mi11IMaaCp/s320/IMG_3845.HEIC" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH6WqyBCxQjmCfpLBO9shueGrYi8dFjCOv1YzXiSniVJkkI5LFlAoFmfZJeBQq6Y-18BsgysMHeitCAAgUQHiO3v-bIp8v67Kfy1SWkk1TXHV9GGTlsHVzPTwGA4hWjExB-hbDlGLVYMDqiAU_uYen78oKjMyEDMhmeAqWvQwGEEn3Kbg6oEK/s4032/IMG_3846.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH6WqyBCxQjmCfpLBO9shueGrYi8dFjCOv1YzXiSniVJkkI5LFlAoFmfZJeBQq6Y-18BsgysMHeitCAAgUQHiO3v-bIp8v67Kfy1SWkk1TXHV9GGTlsHVzPTwGA4hWjExB-hbDlGLVYMDqiAU_uYen78oKjMyEDMhmeAqWvQwGEEn3Kbg6oEK/s320/IMG_3846.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm8zDJZ1waG6-0Ip74MK8cw5jwf0ElANlim1x1eXSjTpiSkLSmKQa_xomo1a8coHXVVMywIoU7PUNO-B8KMfstvWkyx8hqo9lWwtYet49AACNcCWWfkeONMNRaEQ6KtyqqZrQmHs0oAjX_9mq3gcWxsUIIqCgrmSkrOAdka9_SL78PrppxfG6/s8499/IMG_3844.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="8499" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm8zDJZ1waG6-0Ip74MK8cw5jwf0ElANlim1x1eXSjTpiSkLSmKQa_xomo1a8coHXVVMywIoU7PUNO-B8KMfstvWkyx8hqo9lWwtYet49AACNcCWWfkeONMNRaEQ6KtyqqZrQmHs0oAjX_9mq3gcWxsUIIqCgrmSkrOAdka9_SL78PrppxfG6/s320/IMG_3844.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Am Yisrael Chai!</div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-62866634545551823982023-11-14T10:12:00.001-05:002023-11-14T10:12:00.137-05:00George Mason-Austin Peay Recap<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I understand that writing a blog post about taking my kids to a George Mason University-Austin Peay University November men's college basketball game isn't going to go viral. And while some of this is about basketball, some of it's not. Please stay with me here. While I've never had season tickets, I've attended several George Mason men's basketball games each year since I moved to Virginia in 2001. The arena is easy to get to, tickets are reasonably priced, parking is free, and you get to see quality Division I basketball. This isn't Duke-North Carolina, and you won't watch future NBA players, but you'll see entertaining and competitive basketball. My kids love attending live sporting events, so when I asked if they wanted to go to Mason's second game of the season, they were all in.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrs29Nv75eNEEIuDFyUh7mBR0iouEYivi-yHWshceRRyAn15825NCtrIljUM6aNVjCffxWYxdxx49ZO2f0BROh8A3KOlic48aN1z_X-AlZ2XNpJmjWRClY0RcKvkrkQ5MXuw6-lQ1K34_WulSeULskTw0qkzBl_t5a8frNXlhzf46vaP7gYju/s4032/IMG_3824.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrs29Nv75eNEEIuDFyUh7mBR0iouEYivi-yHWshceRRyAn15825NCtrIljUM6aNVjCffxWYxdxx49ZO2f0BROh8A3KOlic48aN1z_X-AlZ2XNpJmjWRClY0RcKvkrkQ5MXuw6-lQ1K34_WulSeULskTw0qkzBl_t5a8frNXlhzf46vaP7gYju/s320/IMG_3824.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">George
Mason has a new coach this year in Tony Skinn. That name may sound familiar to
die-hard and even some general college basketball fans since Skinn was the
point guard on George Mason's amazing 2006 Final Four team. (Because Skinn was
suspended for the first game of the NCAA Tournament, I picked them to lose
against Michigan State. I mean, how would Mason defeat a Big 10 powerhouse
without one of their best players? Spoiler: They did and then beat North
Carolina, Wichita State, and UConn.) WIth a new coach, several graduates, and
the remarkable way students transfer between schools now, the Mason roster is
completely different from last year with only a few (maybe two?) holdovers.
That’s how college basketball works now. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">For
the game itself, George Mason had a commanding 42-15 lead at halftime and never
looked back on the way to a <a href="https://gomason.com/news/2023/11/10/mens-basketball-patriots-use-stout-defense-to-knock-off-austin-peay-67-45.aspx" target="_blank">67-45 victory</a>. They appear to have a balanced team
with multiple scoring options. While it’s way too early to predict how they’ll
play this season, I feel like Mason could finish in the top-half of the
Atlantic-10. They are certainly not going to be an easy win for
opponents. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Now
for the non-basketball parts of the post. Sort of. (Again, thanks for making it
this far.) In the second half, a player named Hansel Enmanuel entered the game
for Austin Peay. My 12 year-old, The Moose, quickly noticed that Enmanuel had
only one arm and questioned how he could play basketball. While I replied that
he was playing for a division I school so he must have some talent, I was
intrigued and became fixated on watching him. Enmanuel didn't do very much
offensively (he caught the ball several times and then passed to teammates)
though it seemed like Austin Peay's game plan was to give the ball to DeMarcus
Sharp and let him try to do something. Although Sharp finished with a game high
23 points, he went 8 for 24 shooting and most of his points came with the game
virtually over. Late in the game, Enmanuel got behind the Mason defense on a
fastbreak and finished with a thundering dunk. While the screenshot below isn't
great, I encourage you to check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Czg6OyAuhW8/?img_index=2" target="_blank">the video on Instagram</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEsn3fl4oa8AHJtVwCnar9YzCKhCOcQyqdDBAtjY5P99oF2mTG8T-QIsPjdIx1lwgDdQHqpfO8vH0cYYjuJDmoYAegz5AZHAz-yntvgWa0ZryGXJp0a5tzltabzGxz3bJXstNuVHWA84uo0Bp-bI89s_wugi6qgfb80ifUh2m6olSsW_fOQIh/s818/Dunk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEsn3fl4oa8AHJtVwCnar9YzCKhCOcQyqdDBAtjY5P99oF2mTG8T-QIsPjdIx1lwgDdQHqpfO8vH0cYYjuJDmoYAegz5AZHAz-yntvgWa0ZryGXJp0a5tzltabzGxz3bJXstNuVHWA84uo0Bp-bI89s_wugi6qgfb80ifUh2m6olSsW_fOQIh/s320/Dunk.png" width="260" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">When I got home, I
found out more about Enmanuel primarily through this ESPN story.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/aoGlTUcsXjU?si=UkuyqFHG5G-vOTps" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We
also got a halftime show featuring Christian and Scooby, who apparently
appeared on <i>America's Got Talent</i>. I guess you would call Christian a
gymnast or acrobat. The key to the performance is the dog Scooby who
climbs all over Christian while he conducts his balancing act. It was
impressive and fun to watch. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOcn1mXCyNadhNTMna3qPUx5yB0vbDU_b87GOhGsQYNn-q9beYejYVoQgxB_L3ZdVMjFWcUQ66zVuyR0dH2HsgLI14NOIe0BnLAkd6p6OB5xCuL6D6zoyMlrZXWamrzJ6VZB2KStTL_AshUx5QICzMFaYlK576t9aOx3YD5CuWxhvig9av3i3/s4032/IMG_3829.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOcn1mXCyNadhNTMna3qPUx5yB0vbDU_b87GOhGsQYNn-q9beYejYVoQgxB_L3ZdVMjFWcUQ66zVuyR0dH2HsgLI14NOIe0BnLAkd6p6OB5xCuL6D6zoyMlrZXWamrzJ6VZB2KStTL_AshUx5QICzMFaYlK576t9aOx3YD5CuWxhvig9av3i3/s320/IMG_3829.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This video from earlier this year at an Indiana
Fever basketball game is similar to what we got to see.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/UtNnIwEzcEk?si=eYNmM9KIYLe0j5wA" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, a fun night with the kids. Success!</div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-40029215922312798292023-11-06T11:50:00.001-05:002023-11-06T11:50:00.148-05:00Marshawn Lynch Visits Woodland Hills<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Anytime my high school is featured on national television (or international streaming in this case), I'm writing about it. During last week's Thursday Night Football broadcast, Amazon shared this video of retired NFL running back and current media personality Marshawn Lynch along with current Steelers running back Najee Harris visiting the Woodland Hills High School girls' flag football team.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/YGpl-H64i6Y?si=L_JSs166GXCQp7Mg" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apparently, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/northbraddocknetwork/posts/pfbid02VwUk1QrCBYcnrResVsMWTDVFnws9i3scYJVPxTNPnZfGxDjDUTK3H6hmqJ4ZhtHTl" target="_blank">this visit occurred in September</a> when it was much warmer in Pittsburgh, and that's why everyone is wearing shorts.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go Wolverines (not the cheating Michigan kind)!</span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-68247783751522209192023-10-27T10:54:00.001-04:002023-10-27T10:54:00.139-04:00GloRilla Meets Mike Tomlin<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My 12 year old told me recently that I don’t know anything about rap music since apparently I’m not familiar with songs from current artists. I could have replied with my knowledge of hip-hop legends of the 80s and 90s, but I let the conversation end as we just arrived home. The reason I mention this is because GloRilla visited the Steelers headquarters and got to meet Mike Tomlin earlier this week. I wasn’t familiar with GloRilla, but she was clearly excited about meeting Coach Tomlin and seems to be a long-time Steelers fan. I approve!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNftnMMvF9jHxy7Mi205G4BhEBRSua1kacjqQmlphaLxP4Or4_8xkUppOEg3DbnNezutv7Dcpx_FMzHIk3VkbFLA1mleYCGCMwNt5fWWTENKDqBnZyJUGDpwJqbOp5qiDdNTMC2eq9Lx8L5FLHMys7PNsXTjU30nwfwUvIiBcXJ9YcmlYR7qB1/s1080/Glorilla%20Tomlin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNftnMMvF9jHxy7Mi205G4BhEBRSua1kacjqQmlphaLxP4Or4_8xkUppOEg3DbnNezutv7Dcpx_FMzHIk3VkbFLA1mleYCGCMwNt5fWWTENKDqBnZyJUGDpwJqbOp5qiDdNTMC2eq9Lx8L5FLHMys7PNsXTjU30nwfwUvIiBcXJ9YcmlYR7qB1/s320/Glorilla%20Tomlin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ji-H8kCQKRo?si=Wp7yQmm1qu-7pkuU" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I included a video above, please check out the 30-second video the Steelers <a href="https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1717657933981626539" target="_blank">posted on Twitter</a> about the GloRilla-Tomlin encounter. My favorite part might be near the end where you see a guy in the background just trying to get work done during all the commotion outside his office.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TvuvjY6jm-wWRLc_J7eRT2YAzrOPSfnEXMnZ5HY-gQctP9dSqzVFVhUS9hK2TF61G6IyUNZI3zVM1il6sSpN7JcSZSKi0mJATGNqd1yTlpYlHVMXGssjIzcMAth5hX9VpYuZVDv3py2FEJyUgiXjQgXzk3157rkkMPsLfJo1iSb2bFfBigha/s1334/Glorilla.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TvuvjY6jm-wWRLc_J7eRT2YAzrOPSfnEXMnZ5HY-gQctP9dSqzVFVhUS9hK2TF61G6IyUNZI3zVM1il6sSpN7JcSZSKi0mJATGNqd1yTlpYlHVMXGssjIzcMAth5hX9VpYuZVDv3py2FEJyUgiXjQgXzk3157rkkMPsLfJo1iSb2bFfBigha/s320/Glorilla.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-77216887043190650272023-10-26T13:13:00.001-04:002023-10-26T13:13:00.169-04:00Itsy Bitsy Spiders<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Wednesday, I noticed a spider on the wall of my office bathroom. The spider definitely startled me since I didn’t expect seeing it next to the automatic door opener, but I didn’t think much of it after I left the restroom. The spider didn’t move as I continued using the bathroom throughout the day, so I thought maybe it was dead. So at the end of the day, I blew on it, and the very alive spider fell to the ground and scurried into a corner. I was back at the office on Friday and figured the spider left the bathroom one way or another. Nope. It moved on the ceiling.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GR6BJZnMbGJ7si7-pjdXd5siABRQoY5Ecm9q3jAhi4jjM7XmmcHEGkdAoUDCSPnIHB77O5YHpeQkMIEd3R85wWzbgGI4vm87EVuxOpFM8BVw2_4zSWJmhZp0pW-pnfsEKBl0GCpchxKzsRRjwwB0UcoKAhAOtJPseVx6Lk6_BoIW_fRe-NlP/s4032/IMG_3761.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GR6BJZnMbGJ7si7-pjdXd5siABRQoY5Ecm9q3jAhi4jjM7XmmcHEGkdAoUDCSPnIHB77O5YHpeQkMIEd3R85wWzbgGI4vm87EVuxOpFM8BVw2_4zSWJmhZp0pW-pnfsEKBl0GCpchxKzsRRjwwB0UcoKAhAOtJPseVx6Lk6_BoIW_fRe-NlP/s320/IMG_3761.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Tuesday, the spider was still in the same spot on the ceiling. Then on Wednesday, it moved back to the original location. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbD_N2KmquQSE0g-zjYrb0l4_6ggu_NrssQy6Qrg5FtGsghxyN1eiq163znE7DoqZplTC1dGsgLk-2Hqc2icbU07DuTZUMv_epFMsoOHcCwSqzik5qHP1O_5UVCxx8PkmOLjo-99MdqVCckIT5EaAoqrvw4oPIFDLQhfPbqKV6BBJzpD_pzaX/s4032/IMG_3771.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbD_N2KmquQSE0g-zjYrb0l4_6ggu_NrssQy6Qrg5FtGsghxyN1eiq163znE7DoqZplTC1dGsgLk-2Hqc2icbU07DuTZUMv_epFMsoOHcCwSqzik5qHP1O_5UVCxx8PkmOLjo-99MdqVCckIT5EaAoqrvw4oPIFDLQhfPbqKV6BBJzpD_pzaX/s320/IMG_3771.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br />While I don't understand how the spider got into the restroom or how it survives (What is is eating? Where is the web?), <span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m now hoping to see the spider each time I go in. It’s like my own Charlotte’s Web!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This reminded me of another spider story from last summer. There was a spider living behind my driver side window. Each morning, there was a web on my car, and the spider would hide behind the mirror when I opened the car door. Sometimes, it stayed outside for the ride. This lasted for several days until I believe it blew away.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KoDhyL6DDOhMUyi7MkNnnswtgNBaum4jEidSJPnRWIVO1CotyecbTcc59EPcTLkDOK4n_MK68rUwKtC8F_JPtNVb-4LEW1eCA-sXe7iyRGExMkKi5zZFOcJ5rm64sigwM4NnHY8uexCDBBILK5ubvI9qLSCzlhFOWXwecPnpNaBncmLtpwcj/s4032/IMG_1887.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KoDhyL6DDOhMUyi7MkNnnswtgNBaum4jEidSJPnRWIVO1CotyecbTcc59EPcTLkDOK4n_MK68rUwKtC8F_JPtNVb-4LEW1eCA-sXe7iyRGExMkKi5zZFOcJ5rm64sigwM4NnHY8uexCDBBILK5ubvI9qLSCzlhFOWXwecPnpNaBncmLtpwcj/s320/IMG_1887.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/xs_7dxN1K30?si=SQI4VWYim9ru4zFW" target="_blank">Here's a video</a> of this spider in action.<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please note that no water spouts were involved in these stories.</span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-36501694724199071322023-10-19T11:21:00.001-04:002023-10-19T11:21:00.136-04:00Israel Update<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Part of the reason that I haven’t posted much recently is because of the current situation in Israel. I’m spending a lot of time reading news updates, watching videos online, and following various discussions on social media. (While also working and running all over the place for my kids' activities.) It’s terribly sad reading about the people killed in the Hamas attack and those currently being held hostage. How can people take infants and toddlers hostage? That's barbaric.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Naturally, Israel couldn’t just say, “this is terrible and we really hope Hamas gives us back those who were kidnapped. Sure, the Hamas charter calls for the destruction of our country, but we’re sure that if we do nothing there will be a peaceful solution.” Unfortunately, innocent Palestinians are getting killed in retaliatory attacks. I’m like nearly everyone else in the world who truly wants the bloodshed to end and peace in the region. That's never going to happen as long as Hamas runs Gaza. </span><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqSSA0mAz2CqzyviqCuHM8g3P4zAqTqYRMXWpgxYckpQ5ijsGWjqWMA9ZEZM3qzY-UTJPiSvECi43WiCdXHnVDCEQzgrRqX5oWt6dbnLyt36YESAlyqa_xIgLSDGYiYvC03ndK0NKgs9B5bJNgDMa9kyTW6o7mbwTJcuM-1JBV1GJXVfovJmZ/s917/Israel%20Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqSSA0mAz2CqzyviqCuHM8g3P4zAqTqYRMXWpgxYckpQ5ijsGWjqWMA9ZEZM3qzY-UTJPiSvECi43WiCdXHnVDCEQzgrRqX5oWt6dbnLyt36YESAlyqa_xIgLSDGYiYvC03ndK0NKgs9B5bJNgDMa9kyTW6o7mbwTJcuM-1JBV1GJXVfovJmZ/s320/Israel%20Map.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Does Israel deserve criticism? Absolutely. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has gone on for decades, and Israel is certainly not blameless. But I'm also not sure what Israel can do when Hamas wants the country destroyed. Israel pulled out of Gaza nearly 20 years ago, and Hamas governs Gaza. What are they doing to improve the lives of its citizens? I'm sure that some will blame the Israeli-Egyptian blockade for all the ills of Gaza though again, the reason for this is to prevent weapons from getting into Gaza. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that Israel has been forced to respond, innocent people are being killed. I'm sure you saw the awful news that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/18/middleeast/gaza-hospital-explosion-israel-wwk-explainer-intl/index.html" target="_blank">hundreds of people were killed at a Gaza hospital</a>. The immediate story was that this was an Israeli attack, but according to President Biden per the National Security Council, the explosion was likely caused by an errant rocket or missile launch carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group that's not going to be considered for a Nobel Peace prize. Of course, that didn't stop people from blaming Israel and Jews in general. A historic (though defunct) synagogue in <a href="https://www.jta.org/2023/10/18/global/historic-synagogue-in-tunisia-heavily-damaged-in-rioting-tied-to-israel-gaza-war" target="_blank">Tunisia was destroyed</a>, and a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67145473" target="_blank">Berlin synagogue was bombed</a>. There is also increased security at my synagogue and others throughout the country. We have nothing to do with what's happening in Israel, but there are people out there looking for any excuse to target Jews. I'm tired of people online (and at least one member of Congress) refusing to blame Hamas for anything and criticizing Israel for everything. Most people truly want peace and for the Palestinian people to be successful. But that should be the same for Israel too. </span></div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023572.post-78500468900356174142023-10-16T12:09:00.001-04:002023-10-16T12:09:00.139-04:00Remnant Low Sean<div style="text-align: left;">There has been a lot of news in the last 10 days, so it's easy to miss any stories about Tropical Storm Sean. About a week ago, the National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Tropical Storm Sean in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. Over the next few days, Sean alternated between a Tropical Storm and Tropical Depression. It was a confusing time! It's not everyday that there is a storm named after me, so I asked Rico from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, someone who knows significantly more about hurricanes and weather than me, a few questions about Sean.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><b>It's mid-October. Isn’t this late in the year for a named storm?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Rico: It isn't late. Hurricane season lasts until Nov 30 but after mid October the frequency of tropical storms drops off. See <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#stca" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: #196ad4; outline: none;" target="_blank">https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#stca</a></div><div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;">Note there have been storms as late as Late December/early January. The 2005 hurricane season that had storms in December 2005/January 2006. The hurricane center started using the Greek alphabet to name storms then. See <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: #196ad4; outline: none;" target="_blank">https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/</a></div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp-_Xk5u5WRRcCo3_Pr6YK6qbAfTI0mKIV2qrYZR8_bggMRz9MgfGl5mV-XENQOa2BUomDKi28wbiCe4nqlnkS8yAM3GeV9XNbTO5eFMCJbqKB4BMUMXMA_wcItuPCt7bdvB60nc5GCpBi9h2vraFJwiM0sTF1UFE0X7fmfPmIaVyEMPWb5VP/s897/National%20Hurricane%20Center.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="897" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp-_Xk5u5WRRcCo3_Pr6YK6qbAfTI0mKIV2qrYZR8_bggMRz9MgfGl5mV-XENQOa2BUomDKi28wbiCe4nqlnkS8yAM3GeV9XNbTO5eFMCJbqKB4BMUMXMA_wcItuPCt7bdvB60nc5GCpBi9h2vraFJwiM0sTF1UFE0X7fmfPmIaVyEMPWb5VP/s320/National%20Hurricane%20Center.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="outline: none;"><br /></div><div style="outline: none;"><b>At least as of Thursday, Sean was switching back and forth between a Tropical Storm and a Tropical Depression? What’s the difference and why can’t Sean make up his mind?</b></div><div style="outline: none;"><br /></div><div style="outline: none;">Rico: The difference between a tropical storm and a depression is the maximum wind speeds in the storm. Once the maximum sustained wind speeds are >= 39mph, the depression becomes a tropical storm and it is given a name.</div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;">A couple of things are needed to maintain a tropical system.</div><div style="outline: none;"> 1) storms need warm waters (> 80F)</div><div style="outline: none;"> 2) low or no wind shear, wind shear is the change of wind speed and direction with height ( light winds are needed from the surface to high in the atmosphere)</div><div style="outline: none;"> 3) storms need to be surrounded by a moist air environment.</div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;">Sean's fickleness (from the limited amount of discussions I read from the hurricane center) was caused by wind shear and dry air intrusion.<br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;"><b>What is the current status of Sean and any potential impact on land?</b></div><div style="outline: none;"><br /></div><div style="outline: none;">Well as you are probably aware, Sean has dissipated. So no impacts whatsoever. Wind shear and dry air were the causes. <br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;"><br /></div><div style="outline: none;"><b>Finally, there was a <a href="https://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2011/11/tropical-storm-sean.html" target="_blank">storm named Sean in 2011</a>. Is that too soon for another Sean?</b></div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;">The hurricane center repeats lists of names every 6 years. So "Sean" was on the list back in 2017 but that year there was no storm named Sean. The number of storms failed to reach the "S' letter that year. If the storm was really destructive, the name is removed from being listed again.</div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="outline: none;">FYI, the hurricane center has a bunch of info at its web site. Check it out: <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: #196ad4; outline: none;" target="_blank">https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/</a></div><div style="outline: none;"><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; outline: none;" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW8bX-xTUrV1V72sTm1YBBImwuA79gjPKWg_xkAqMUXZQ4C5n6IGsmQYwFa6qp6pgSYjdyGrG9sKsdSO9BLJ_zn39GZYZxP-qozcJxVM7JpcJPoPGXETb6KSJFnvgW5ZG0bRxP_FxlAYRyAwAvHGLz8dUXFvvyV9reGN51n6xDt5v0nF7tI9I/s871/Screenshot%202023-10-16%20115648.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW8bX-xTUrV1V72sTm1YBBImwuA79gjPKWg_xkAqMUXZQ4C5n6IGsmQYwFa6qp6pgSYjdyGrG9sKsdSO9BLJ_zn39GZYZxP-qozcJxVM7JpcJPoPGXETb6KSJFnvgW5ZG0bRxP_FxlAYRyAwAvHGLz8dUXFvvyV9reGN51n6xDt5v0nF7tI9I/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-16%20115648.png" width="193" /></a></div><br /><div style="outline: none;">While I like having my name in the news, it's even better that Sean isn't going to cause any damage.</div></div>Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811858639259602946noreply@blogger.com0