tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670401850946729722024-02-19T20:50:21.310-08:00Blah, Blah, BlogJoe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-41535258496926631622011-02-22T10:07:00.001-08:002011-02-22T10:09:01.881-08:00Moving to WordpressHi everyone! I moved over to <a href="http://joesavastano.wordpress.com/">joesavastano.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />Meet me over there! Thanks!Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-34665900636575888792011-01-30T21:05:00.000-08:002011-01-30T21:51:22.729-08:00What's going on in the world?Alright, I'm tired of telling you guys what I'VE been up to. This is mainly because I'm not really up to much. I'm just out of college, unemployed, and I don't think you care much about the fact that I walked my dog today and nervously looked around as she peed on my neighbor's lawn.<br /><br />There are a ton of news stories that I want to discuss, a lot happening in the world. So let me break everything down for you the way <em>I </em>see it:<br /><br /><strong>Sports</strong><br />This Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will square off in Super Bowl XLV (or 45, for those of you who aren't fluent in Roman Numerals). One important thing to note here is that Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers' starting Quarterback, may or may not have (but definitely did) get away with the rape of a college student in a Georgia night club earlier in the year. He also may or may not have (but definitely did) get away with rape in Tahoe a few years ago. Besides that, I'm sure he's a real stand-up guy. You know, the kind of guy you'd want your daughter to date. Needless to say, I'll be rooting for Green Bay.<br /><br /><strong>Weather</strong><br />Most major cities in the Northeast have already doubled their average annual snowfall, but the even more unusual weather pattern I'm noticing is the extended bitter cold, with high temperatures rarely getting out of the 20s and the lows (with the wind chill) often below zero. This has inspired me to invent what is quickly becoming one of my favorite games: <em>"Where would you be right now if you were homeless?"</em><br /><br /><strong>Politics</strong><br />This week Congresswoman Michelle Bachman of Minnesota said that the founding fathers worked tirelessly to put an end to slavery. Shamefully, our founding fathers actually went to great lengths to <em>protect</em> slavery. The second most used word in the original constitution was, in fact, slavery. But I wouldn't expect Michelle Bachman to know that, or anything about anything. She probably thinks that Osama bin Laden worked tirelessly to prevent 9/11 from happening.<br /><br /><strong>Entertainment </strong><br />After hearing all the rave about Nicki Minaj's big butt for the past however-long-her-butt-has- been-famous, I finally saw it this week on <em>Saturday Night Live</em>. I can now confirm that yes, her butt is big.<br /><br /><strong>Odd News</strong><br />I read on <em>Yahoo! News </em>that a woman survived a suicide attempt after she jumped out of a 23rd story window and landed on a cab. This leads me to beg the question how much does a two ton hunk of metal cushion the blow of a 250 foot free-fall?Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-16558715241698566382011-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:32:00.951-08:00I'm getting too old for...everything...I'm back in Rhode Island! DC was awesome, but it's great to be home. Since being home, I've taken part in a few things that make me feel like I'm just a little bit over the hill:<br /><br />-<strong>Shoveling snow</strong>. Since being home we've accumulated about 30-40 inches of snow. That might not seem like a lot to those of you living in Siberia or Antarctica, but for us North American folks - especially the ones with long driveways - each inch of snow translates into about an hour or two of back pain. I'm not even a good sport about it either, just a grumpy old man. Every time I see my happy dog blissfully frolicking in the snow I just want to hand her a shovel and ruin her fun.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />-<strong>Sledding</strong>. I decided to try to enjoy myself in the snow because I was sick of resenting a weather pattern experienced by hundreds of millions of other people who don't seem to have any problem with it. So last week I went sledding with Josh and Jill (who, hilariously, "went up the hill" every time they wanted to sled back down). About 5 minutes into the ride to the sledding hill I asked if we might be getting too old for this. Jill candidly and rapidly responded with "definitely" as if she was expecting the question the whole time. Josh held out hope. Jill was right.<br /><br /><br />We got to the hill and for a second I thought we would be all alone. Then a car immediately pulled up behind us with a 7-year-old named Jeremy riding shotgun. I can only guess he was riding shotgun because he was the eldest of the two boys in the car, the other one being a tough 6-year-old named James. Jeremy and James were equipped with the latest sledding gear, including sleds that surely ran them a couple hundred bucks each and, get this, helmets. Josh, Jill and I were standing there with a pink circular plastic spool, a boogie board, and a yoga mat.<br /><br />To say I felt inferior when it came to equipment would be an understatement, but performance on the hill is where the difference between us really stood out. Though James and Jeremy were each at least 15 years my junior, they were doing tricks off of the hill that I've never dreamed of doing. Jumps, spins, flips, the whole 9.<br /><br />On our first run, Josh and I decided to be cool and "race" down the hill, but instead collided half way leaving me with my first bruise. Normally I would have packed it in then and there, but Jeremy and James calling me a girl in front of my friends as well as their mom motivated me to try again.<br /><br />This time I tried to go over a jump and really impress everyone. I dragged my feet on the way toward the jump and screamed like Sarah Michelle Gellar in "I Know What You Did Last Summer," making for a run as unimpressive, if not more so, than the first.<br /><br />After a couple more lackluster runs, long treks up the hill and heckling sessions from Evil Knievel's grandkids, I decided that I am officially retiring from sledding.<br /><br /><br /><br />-<strong>Video Games</strong>. I really haven't been into video games since the PlayStation 2 was popular in the early 2000s, but recently Josh got on Nintendo Wii a revamped version of my favorite Super Nintendo game from my childhood - Super Mario World.<br /><br /><br />Yesterday at about 2pm I went to Josh's to play Mario, you know, for old time's sake, for an hour at <strong>most</strong>. Luckily my mom called to ask if I was going to be home for dinner. I had been at Josh's trying to beat Bowser for FOUR HOURS. How did I not realize that it had gotten dark out in the time that I had been playing? I had neglected my poor dog, who was at this point certainly standing at home with her legs crossed and starving.<br /><br /><br />That game, like all video games, is way too addicting. And honestly, I'm a little too old to be playing. So I'm retiring from video games too. At least that's what I'm going to say publicly.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That's all for now, everyone! Thanks for reading! Check back soon!Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-7164788395629764122010-11-09T05:44:00.000-08:002010-11-16T11:09:46.264-08:00Wow! That's a long time in between posts!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWu_cQ2DiwhSYeYJkKfNPYRO9fssUjY49JzmbntnSIMG5VWxhxyxx4Fm2JTg_eGfkmAc3Yb8kIYpyOJcCJ3Gz4JCE-_QnxWa3bOu3KaUfHNpe6wayJhWsUdqB19YAJYQyrZnBbjYAVkU/s1600/Rick-Astley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540226795641966754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWu_cQ2DiwhSYeYJkKfNPYRO9fssUjY49JzmbntnSIMG5VWxhxyxx4Fm2JTg_eGfkmAc3Yb8kIYpyOJcCJ3Gz4JCE-_QnxWa3bOu3KaUfHNpe6wayJhWsUdqB19YAJYQyrZnBbjYAVkU/s320/Rick-Astley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Hey guys! I know, it's been a month or so since any post of substance and for that I do apoligize. I would tell you that I was too busy, but once you read my post about how long I tried to learn the Rick Astley dance from his 1985 hit <em>"Never Gonna Give You Up"</em> (just a few simple movements, but took me a few hours), you probably wouldn't believe me. Over the past few weeks I remember the following:<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>One night (probably about a month ago now), I decided to visit some friends in Alexandria. First I went to the liquor store down the street to pick up some delicious beverages. The liquor store is a really great, community oriented place: homeless people begging me outside, homeless people begging me inside, and bullet proof glass to protect the cashier from gun violence. That's Northeast DC for ya. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>After I dropped $17 on a 12-pack (gotta pay for that bullet-proof glass somehow!), I got hustled out of $5 by the homeless guy walking around outside with a megaphone. I know, I shouldn't have given in. But he was following me and screaming into it (and you could hear this megaphone like 5 blocks away) that I had pooped my pants. And I hadn't pooped my pants. I had to shut him up somehow. I couldn't have all the prostitutes and heroin junkies laughing at me. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>From there I walked to Union Station, where I'd catch the metro to Alexandria. I put my beer down (foreshadowing) to fish out my metro card, and headed through the turnstyle. I really like how the DC Metro has electronic boards that tell you when the next train was coming. I did not like how this one said 17 minutes until the next train. How am I supposed to kill such an awkward, painfully long amount of time? No service underground. Can't call anyone. Can't text anyone. What am I supposed to do? Read? Ha! </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>After pacing back and forth for sixteen minutes playing "step on a crack and you break your mother's back" with myself, singing the lyrics out loud and probably almost getting the cops called on me because the other waiting patrons were so weirded out, I looked up happy to see that there was only one minute left to wait! I could see the lights of the train coming. MAN was this gonna be great. I got all ready to get on the train, picked up my...<em>WHERE THE F%&! IS MY BEER!?</em> Panic time. The train's right there, and I have to RUN back to the turnstyles to get my beer (after all, it ran me a total of $22 if you count my bribe to the homeless guy with the megaphone). </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Somehow the beer was still there when I went back. But the train was already pulling away. I shrieked for the driver to stop the train as if my baby was on board (if the "step on a crack game" didn't draw police attention, this surely would). Unfortunately, the metro waits for no man, which by the way is weird because its sole purpose is to transport man from point A to point B. I missed the train. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The next train wasn't even listed on the board for the next 10 minutes. When it finally was listed, TWENTY TWO MINUTES! Come on. Angrily, I switched up my game from "step on a crack and you break your mother's back" to "step on a line and you break your mothers spine." For those of you who are wondering: same game, more graphic name. Don't worry, Mom, I never stepped on a crack or a line! Love you! </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><p>After an additional train transfer/wait and a long ride to boot, I arrived in Virginia. It was here that I met kids much more seasoned in the art of beer drinking than I. They taught me how to "shotgun" a beer which is a fun replacement word for the horrifying term "cut your tongue on a can and spill beer all over yourself" which is what I did. I will not be participating in this activity again. It was after a few beers that I thought to stand in front of the computer and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwnnSSs0kFA">learn how to move just like Rick Astley</a>, which I thought was a success but judging by the chuckles of my friends, it was not.</p><br /><p>Wow! That story was really long and, looking back, not so entertaining. I'll keep things condensed from here on out. </p><br /><p>Skipping ahead several weeks, one day in late October I played football with some friends on the National Mall. I like to think of myself as a pretty good player, but somehow I had to cover this Canadian machine who was just so fast and tireless. After a good three or four plays, I was finally hands on knees panting. It wasn't long before he was burning me for touchdown after touchdown. One of my teammates was like "JOE WHERE'S YOUR SPEED?!" It's in fucking High School, Kelsey, leave me alone! </p><br /><p>Throughout all of late October and early November there was this electile dysfunction, if you will, buzzing around Washington. Somewhere in there we had the Rally to Restore Sanity, which had a bunch of hooligans who were never sane at any point in their lives running around the city drunk and shirtless. And pantsless. I remember one guy who was clearly on acid actively and aggressively praying to a beer God, or whiskey God, or some sory of alcohol diety. Real creepy stuff. Not very sane. </p><br /><p>I feel like I really owed everyone this post. I kind of rushed through it because I've been real busy lately. I hope it was okay. There will be another one. No promises as to when. </p>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-67318452298464917852010-10-18T07:58:00.001-07:002010-10-18T08:05:29.827-07:00Could you be the 1,000th viewer?!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmQinhcAJ2oFnFjKVHE_GJ16HBb522k1aYcHN0on43Z7i5T_Am1ItKH-vF23aILEVevfWqWInOiE8TAlek041wjAL8pZXaA2soSAY7E01_gh678znKdhAP7E2C4RsMHxBaI9L-snM_G0/s1600/080617_APTOPIX_NBA_Finals_Basketba-x.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529401622909216498" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 230px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmQinhcAJ2oFnFjKVHE_GJ16HBb522k1aYcHN0on43Z7i5T_Am1ItKH-vF23aILEVevfWqWInOiE8TAlek041wjAL8pZXaA2soSAY7E01_gh678znKdhAP7E2C4RsMHxBaI9L-snM_G0/s320/080617_APTOPIX_NBA_Finals_Basketba-x.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUv5PCU8-oRO_RuHEQGMRxp9X6Fd_jNybY4vC42yK-j92eYv3U1bbQQGvfqKoXinFpvgNgn1bUhDqYbrTe0aNHHk1FuFUWHcmR2XUYRwhubcdm2uoYbGk2hFS2ncsyp1A0cF_YtWkwr8A/s1600/blogpost_1000-397x300.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529401006709817826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUv5PCU8-oRO_RuHEQGMRxp9X6Fd_jNybY4vC42yK-j92eYv3U1bbQQGvfqKoXinFpvgNgn1bUhDqYbrTe0aNHHk1FuFUWHcmR2XUYRwhubcdm2uoYbGk2hFS2ncsyp1A0cF_YtWkwr8A/s320/blogpost_1000-397x300.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Wow! Statistics show that by 6pm tonight (at the latest), this blog will have broken 1,000 total views! YOU could be the 1,000th viewer! If you are, you're going to get a very special prize...a GATORADE SHOWER! If you can't wait to have a bucket of this sticky liquid poured all over you while you wear a suit* definitely check the hits counter on the right hand side of the screen to see if you are indeed the winner! </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">*</span>Winner must be wearing a suit to qualify for gatorade shower. </span></div><div> </div><div>Real post coming very, very soon! </div><div> </div><div>Peace and love (and luck!),</div><div>Joe </div><div> </div></div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-34763183474863595462010-10-13T08:35:00.001-07:002010-10-13T08:40:59.802-07:00And we're walkin'...and we're walkin'...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmFF7O_edd6uAp7T_CrTzJZ6Ck1EH8Wp6wwsqkDIvf0XkkDKvrmxECY1MbvSwZhmM9QOr53HE1m9zsrqlrV_1yyXNMUbhruoMV12rzUFs8sSmkjQqZwm5wZPcu7oX2uMzHt5AY_qbyko/s1600/29yglc0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527555775038743250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmFF7O_edd6uAp7T_CrTzJZ6Ck1EH8Wp6wwsqkDIvf0XkkDKvrmxECY1MbvSwZhmM9QOr53HE1m9zsrqlrV_1yyXNMUbhruoMV12rzUFs8sSmkjQqZwm5wZPcu7oX2uMzHt5AY_qbyko/s320/29yglc0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Wow! I did a lot of walking this week. I'll add everything up at the end.<br /><br />Friday night (Saturday morning) at 2am, my best friends from home Ben and Josh arrived from Rhode Island. Immediately, I worried about where to find them a parking spot for the weekend. I thought you might be able to park on my street as a non-resident on the weekends, but I wasn't sure. So I jumped in the car with them and we drove down the road. Unfortunately this was a road you'd much rather be going "up" than "down," as in the 2nd road we turned onto we were going the wrong direction on a one-way.<br /><br />(lights & sirens)<br /><br />After the cop called us "dumbasses" and gave us a stern warning, we turned around and parked outside of a Greyhound station. Looked pretty legit.<br /><br />(lights & sirens)<br /><br />After the same cop ran Josh's license for both the previous violation and this one, he told us we couldn't park there. He said to go two blocks up and take a right, then park on that street if we "must park in this part of town." He did warn us, however, that "if you even have a penny showing on the floor of your car, they're gonna smash the windows and break in looking for shit."<br /><br />While I appreciated this cop "keeping it real" with us, throwing around the words "ass" and "shit" as if constipation was looming in the back of his mind, he didn't realize that the penny break-in spot he was referring to was EXACTLY WHERE I LIVE.<br /><br />Yes, folks, if you haven't figured it out, I live in a brand new, beautiful, multi-million dollar building. In the middle of the ghetto. As Chris Rock said, "Sure it feels safe inside, but what about all those people outside waiting with guns? They know you ain't got one."<br /><br />Luckily we made it back safe, and (SPOILER ALERT!), Ben's car made it through the weekend unticketed and without being broken into. Woo!<br /><br />We got back to the room, Ben and Josh had a "settling down beer" (3am at this point), I turned on the TV and luckily one of the finest love stories of our time (Jackass Number 2) happened to be playing. We watched that for about a half hour and then went to bed.<br /><br />We woke up the next morning at about 10:30am, which I thought was impressive considering we went to bed at about 3:30. I went to the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast, jokingly yelling behind me "You guys ready to start drinking?! hahah."<br /><br />(sound of a beer cracking behind me)<br /><br />"Does that answer your question?" asked Josh. Wow. They came to party.<br /><br />After breakfast, we were ready to take the metro to the monuments and memorials, about 3.5 miles away. Unfortunately, due to construction and the shooting of <em>Transformers 3</em>, the metro terminated at about half way where we needed to go. Damn you, Shia Labeouf.<br /><br />This is where the serious walking starts, but not where it ends. Definitely not where it ends.<br />After the 1.75 mile trek to the National Mall, and the additional 1.75 miles of walking on the mall, we were ready to eat. So we hoofed it an additional 2.5 miles (I got lost, okay?!) and settled on a place where I really thought my friends could get a true taste of DC (Quizno's).<br /><br />Later that night, we met up with some other friends from The Washington Center, had a few drinks and headed out for a great night. Since we didn't want to change trains three times (due to closures) to go somewhere 2 miles from our apartment, we sucked it up and walked. But we got lost, so it was more like 3 miles. All I did was complain the whole time, I felt really bad for everyone that had to listen to me. I must have said "I'M LOSING MY BUZZ!" about 20 times. Also, I shouldn't have really been complaining. I was wearing sneakers. The girls were wearing heels. Sucks to be them. Anyway, tack 3 miles onto the total.<br /><br />Finally, we arrived at our destination, a half dive bar half dance club type of place called Hawk & Dove. After Josh bought the guys a $57 round of drinks (welcome to DC, Joshy), we were ready to party.<br /><br />Throughout the night one of my guy friends ("Gerald" from the last post), kept borrowing my phone. I didn't know why he was borrowing it, because he never seemed to be making any calls. Later I found out he was hitting on all these different chicks and storing their numbers in my phone. The funny part is he didn't bother to learn their actual last names, but rather made their most defining characteristics their last names so they're in my phone as "Samantha Blackdress" "Ashley Slut" and "Name" (I guess he didn't even bother to get the first name on that one...she's gotta feel special). It was a great night overall, but there was still that 3-mile trek back. Gotta love walking.<br /><br />The next "morning" (around 1pm) when I woke up, my room looked like the wake-up scene from the hangover. I had to wake Josh and Ben up because Josh wanted to go to the bar to watch the Packers game, and I had to see if he still wanted to.<br /><br />Joe: "Josh, you awake man? You still wanna go to the bar for the game?"<br />Josh (extremely hungover): "I don't care."<br />Joe: "Okay, you wanna eat some breakfast?"<br />Josh (half dead): "I don't care."<br />Joe (scanning the disgusting room): "What the hell did you guys do in here after I went to bed last night?"<br />Josh (still out of it): "I don't care"<br /><br />So informative. So helpful.<br /><br />Eventually we did head out to watch the game. On the way back from the game, we decided to check out Georgetown. We took a train but, again, halfway there it terminated. <span style="font-size:130%;">DAMN YOU SHIA LABEOUF!</span> They got us all excited with this "free shuttle service" to Georgetown from where the train terminated, but the shuttle bus itself was like a half-mile walk from the train. Then there was brutal traffic once we got on the bus. SO CLOSE to a panic attack. After a half hour bus ride, we got out and walked a mile into Georgetown. Took the circulator (great bus) back, thank God, because my dogs were barkin' (my feet hurt).<br /><br />I had work the next day, so that night we just stayed in and kept the drinking to a minimum (Josh and Ben polished off an 18-pack). That was the last I ever saw of Ben and Josh. They didn't die or anything, they were just sleeping when I left for work and gone when I got back.<br /><br />Speaking of work, I just started to walk there! Not taking the metro saves money (pricey), avoids having to have a weird dude's armpit in my face as I strattle an old lady who enjoys it just a little too much (overcrowded), and is more efficient (see "Shia Labeouf, above). Although this is the first day I've done it, that'll add another 3.4 miles of walking (round trip) per day!<br /><br />I've also been on the treadmill twice this week, Monday to watch Monday Night Football and Tuesday - obviously for One Tree Hill. I've actually become pretty speedy on that thing and tacked on another 8 miles over the two nights.<br /><br />For those of you keeping score at home that's 22.7 miles since Friday.<br /><br />Now I'm no mathematician, but that's like the distance from DC to Miami.<br /><br />I hope everyone's having a great week. I will check back in as soon as possible!<br /><br />p.s. I saw a triple feature on Monday (paid for one, snuck into the next two). <em>Catfish</em> and <em>The Social Network</em> were really good. <em>Easy A</em>, not so much. See ya!</div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-90349297446022951102010-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:002010-10-12T12:50:37.847-07:00Week in Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gj7dMAPyK7Y3xFQugwp-277tJhRRVsj_AUHg4bt5Qj2FxJsS1_5s-rukQrC9Oc9OWRt0vfUGMXmeD6U-F_PyoBMZ54hW0g8TRL6eju1xZcr0UnLO48kD-nGTJcR626xKX3yKVMjxBbw/s1600/safeway.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524618623522845810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gj7dMAPyK7Y3xFQugwp-277tJhRRVsj_AUHg4bt5Qj2FxJsS1_5s-rukQrC9Oc9OWRt0vfUGMXmeD6U-F_PyoBMZ54hW0g8TRL6eju1xZcr0UnLO48kD-nGTJcR626xKX3yKVMjxBbw/s320/safeway.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Wow! It's been a good week. Again, didn't write anything down so I'm just kind of spit-balling random memories here:<br /><br />Thursday, I went to Mad Hatter which is a bar that offers $1 draughts on Thursday nights! What suckers, right?! Wrong. I'm the sucker. It was more like $1 sips of beer. The glasses were like 3 ounces each, max. What's worse - you couldn't sit down anywhere if you were drinking a $1 beer! You literally had to stand the ENTIRE time if you didn't order a full-price ($5) beer! Not only does that suck because I don't feel like being upright while I'm "relaxing" or "blowing off some steam," but you can pick out all the cheapskates in the room by looking around at who's standing! So as I'm standing there with my virtual "I'M CHEAP!" sign hanging off of me, my friend (let's call him Arnold), asks me to borrow money because he doesn't have enough cash on him.<br /><br />"Well," I say, "the beers are $1, so I'm guessing you don't have any cash on you, but sure, [Arnold], here's a five, grab me one too."<br /><br />So I'm thinking at least I've got a shot glass worth of beer and a couple bucks in change coming back to me, right? Wrong again! Arnold sees one of his friends at the bar (let's call him Gerald), AND the girl Gerald's currently trying to bang (let's call her Helga) at the bar, and decides to buy them BOTH beers on me! COME ON! Arnold said he'd pay me back, but I've yet to see the money. I know, I'm cheap right? Well, I also work for free. Don't judge me.<br /><br />Friday, I went to Georgetown with LC, LJ, LV (a lot of people's names start with L here), Louis (there's another one), Brandon, and Kate. I don't remember much of this night, but I remember saying "I neeeed this" a lot and was told that I kept welcoming everyone to Rosslyn, Virginia (even after we had left said town).<br /><br />Saturday, I went to Safeway which is the most ironically named grocery store of all time because it's neither safe nor on the way. To anywhere. Not sure why the shuttle from my building brings us past five beautiful, safe grocery stores that are on the way and instead drops us off in the hood on the other side of town at this place, but that's what they do. After speed shopping for 9 minutes and waiting in a 31-minute line, I barely made the next shuttle back (comes "every" 40 minutes though sometimes the driver will take an unannounced dump break and throw the schedule off by an hour on either end).<br /><br />Also on Saturday I did a lot of laundry. Four loads, to be exact (okay, it's not the roomiest washer/dryer combo). Then I had an epiphany. Maybe it was just the smell of the laundry detergent, or maybe I was getting high from the bleach I had accidentally just spilled all over my hands, but I got to thinking: you know how most driers have a "wrinkle guard" that you can turn either on or off, to prevent wrinkles or not? Well why the HELL do they even give you the option? Who's going to be like "Wrinkle guard? No fuck that. I want my clothes to be as wrinkly as possible!" Right? But I digress.<br /><br />Sunday was the proudest I've ever been of myself as far as being in shape goes. After eating a king-sized Kit-Kat bar, two Oreo Klondikes and an Italian Ice (not the proud part), I hit the treadmill for my usual Sunday afternoon football watching routine (see my last post and that will make more sense). But somewhere on my leisurely stroll, I decided to make like Emeril and kick it up a notch. To 5.5mph I go! But wait, that wasn't enough. Baby, I'm headed to 6 town! No, no, still not enough! I'm going 7. But I didn't roll one there (get it?!). I'm going to 8! And to 9! And 10! Wow! That's a fast treadmill! After continuing at this break-neck pace for a respectable 2 or 3 minutes, I realized I could not continue at this rate, but I <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">could</span> push myself beyond the usual 2.5-3mph I've been averaging. I kept it around 6 the rest of the time and got to 5 miles in 65 minutes! 13 minute miles for 5 miles! WOW! I spent the rest of Sunday on what I think they call a runner's high.<br /><br />Annnnnd then yesterday (Monday) I came crashing down to what I think they call a fatty's low. My calves burned, my hamstrings screamed, my back shut down completely. I was paralyzed. Of course, this is the day that I come limping (heavily) into work and my boss goes "Surprise field trip! We're going to a conference in Crystal City, I need you to bring this stuff down to my car (points to a collection of every heavy thing that has ever been in this entire 10,000 square foot office)!"<br /><br />Today the pain's even worse, but at least I get to sit down and write this blog entry. I'll check back in soon, people. Keep reading, keep telling your friends. You've gotten me to almost 1,000 views with readers in 9 different countries! No joke! You're the best!Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-85110427304733473432010-09-29T08:04:00.000-07:002010-09-29T09:37:24.539-07:00Big mistakes, gym for all the wrong reasons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7Ichz46z7NxEUINNRpUKirVbzk_nJaqjMSMroNy0vJsxh6asaGxXopZE1Gltjgau7oPLHaJThakTYyhyphenhyphenaMHkwSGBR9v3h6A0bpLS-4lexVbCin-xUfS9USgZmcjqarNl3NKA7925Kt4/s1600/fatty-in-gym.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522375467595174866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7Ichz46z7NxEUINNRpUKirVbzk_nJaqjMSMroNy0vJsxh6asaGxXopZE1Gltjgau7oPLHaJThakTYyhyphenhyphenaMHkwSGBR9v3h6A0bpLS-4lexVbCin-xUfS9USgZmcjqarNl3NKA7925Kt4/s320/fatty-in-gym.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Although I'm interning in DC, one of my bosses works from home in New Orleans. The main way we keep in touch is Google Talk, or "GChat." My girlfriend also has a GChat account so often times she'll IM when she's at work or in class too. My boss is okay with me GChatting with my girlfriend while at work, so it's not uncommon for me to have two conversations going at once, one with each of them. For most people having these two threads going at once wouldn't be a problem, but for those of us who can't walk and chew gum at the same time - or in my case, chew gum and chew gum at the same time - things can get weird. These are two direct quotes I've said to my boss, thinking she was my girlfriend:<br /><br />-"k. love you. hugaroo. byeeeee."<br /><br />-"be right back, gotta go number one."<br /><br />AWKWARD! Luckily my boss is cool, thought both of them were funny and laughed it off but OH MY GOD! Mortifying. Mortifying.<br /><br />I went to the gym last night! You might think that I like to "pump iron" or "work my pecs," but that's not really the case. The truth is I like to watch TV and sometimes it's too loud in my room, and the treadmills in the gym have pretty sweet TVs attached to them. So the two times I've gone to the gym (where most people go to not be a fatty), it was because I was trying to be a fatty in peace.<br /><br />So I'm plugging away on the treadmill at what I think is a brisk, respectable 2.4mph pace. Then I look over at the machine next to me and there's a fat girl with a knee brace going not twice, but almost thrice my speed at 7.1. Does she think she's better than me? Whatever, I'm not going to try to compete, I'm trying to watch my show. I wouldn't have told you what my show was because it makes me seem like even less of a man, but fatty knee brace girl told everyone anyway. She finished up her FIVE MILE RUN (my total WALKING distance for the night was 1.6 miles), looked at my screen, and as if she was speaking into a megaphone goes "ARE YOU WATCHING ONE TREE HILL!?!"<br /><br />(an eery silence falls over the room).<br /><br />Keep in mind this is 8:15pm - prime time for the gym - and the room is more packed than it's ever been. I looked at everyone looking at me. These 25+ people now know that I care if Quinn and Clay end up together forever. I'm trying to memorize their faces so I can avoid them in the hallway in the future, knowing they'll never look at me the same. Then I shrug and go back to my show because damnit, Clay's a good guy and he'll make Quinn happy.<br /><br />Yeah, so that's my awkward week (so far) in a nutshell. Hope it's going better for all of you! I'll check back in soon!</div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-77378915950162953142010-09-26T19:26:00.001-07:002010-09-29T10:55:06.758-07:00Weekend: too fun, too short, awkward ending...Wow! Just figured out how to track my page views! Can see how many people viewed my page, and even which countries it was viewed from! So what up to my peeps in the UK (God save the queen), Canada (I stand on guard for thee), Denmark (nice Legos), France (nice fries), and Singapore! Also, if any of my Singaporean fans could clue me in as to what you guys are famous for you'll get your own parentheses too!<br /><br />Wow! What a good weekend! I really have to start making notes while I'm doing stuff, because I always forget. Off the top of my head I remember eating great food, drinking delicious alcohol, and somewhere in there I learned how to Dougie.<br /><br />I actually wanted to let you know of one extremely awkward thing that happened to me this weekend so none of you will repeat the mistake this guy (keep reading) made:<br /><br />One of the two elevators in my building is broken, so there are approximately 450 people spread out over 7 floors sharing one elevator. The waits when you call for an elevator can get pretty long. So as I'm hitting the button yesterday (about 12:30pm) there's this girl and guy doing a joint walk of shame of sorts from what I'm assuming is his room back to what I'm assuming is hers, which happens to be DIRECTLY NEXT TO the elevator. I think "Oh man, they had a great Saturday." Then I think to myself "haha, good one Joe. Joe, you're hilarious. You're the best. You always make me laugh. You're probably my best friend in the whole world. I love you."<br /><br />Just as I was getting done grossly over-complimenting myself for the most mediocre, unoriginal joke I've ever thought of (and didn't even say), the guy drops a BOMB on the girl (but mostly me), and DUMPS HER! Now they haven't been together very long - I know (a) because we've only been in Washington for three weeks and (b) the kid didn't look like the "relationship" type - but still you could tell the girl was crushed.<br /><br />Get here already, elevator.<br /><br />The girl's trying to fight back tears and just saying "okay," "okay," while the guy is giving her every corny line in the book - "It's not you, it's me," "I'm just in a really shitty place right now," "We should still be friends." By the way, for those of you ladies keeping score out there, here are the translations: "I made a big mistake sleeping with you," "I wanna keep playing the field," "We'll probably never talk again after this moment."<br /><br />GET HERE ALREADY, ELEVATOR!<br /><br />What am I doing at this point? Rapidly pressing on the elevator call button with a look of intense desperation on my face. I'm starting to sweat, I can't help but glance over at this train wreck. They know I'm involuntarily eavesdropping, but they don't seem to care.<br /><br /><strong>GET HERE ALREADY, ELEVATOR!</strong><br /><br />He continues: "I think you're great" (Translation - "You're way more fun drunk"). Girl's sobbing at this point. This kid is NOT SMOOTHE AT ALL! Joran van der Sloot called and was like "Hey man, take it easy on her."<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>FINALLY THE ELEVATOR ARRIVES! </strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Jumping in that elevator (and I did leap) was such a good feeling. I don't have to go skydiving now. I already get it.<br /><br />Bottom line, guys, don't give girls the lines. They've already heard all of them. And if you're going to give her the lines, DON'T DO IT WHILE I'M WAITING FOR AN ELEVATOR!!!<br /><br />I don't think either of these people are Facebook friends with me or followers of my Blog, but if you guys are: To the girl - I'm sorry. To the guy - you're an asshole.Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-81952867850492649162010-09-23T20:16:00.001-07:002010-09-24T07:22:32.911-07:00Wow! That's a good day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuLyiZFpKsByfUPwaqO_UnAy0bjV0XPNpjBEKDJs5iNZa-gDkrDRgjIbiegso-ZFGToA2Vnv-Q3rHQvMzuMlm90PirVNbQD3Q_KSLCCckYjLeY564my-xYYEp-fwCU2Apo08yYXtv4e0/s1600/kerry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuLyiZFpKsByfUPwaqO_UnAy0bjV0XPNpjBEKDJs5iNZa-gDkrDRgjIbiegso-ZFGToA2Vnv-Q3rHQvMzuMlm90PirVNbQD3Q_KSLCCckYjLeY564my-xYYEp-fwCU2Apo08yYXtv4e0/s320/kerry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520484955371655938" border="0" /></a><br />What happened since my last blog post at about 10am this morning? You might think not a lot, right?<br /><br />Try a trip to the Capitol, rubbing elbows (literally) with two senators and three congressmen, crying at work, a pro baseball game, a bomb threat, and a walk through the projects. To take a line from one-hit wonder City High - I guess a whole <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">lot's</span> changed since I've seen you last.<br /><br />To take a line from multiple gun shot wound victim 50 Cent - let me break it down for you:<br /><br />So I had to go to this congressional meeting on Science and Math education. BORING! Or so I thought. Besides the 1.5 mile walk in the blistering heat (and a suit) from my office to the Capitol - I thought I was going to seize up and die en route due to dehydration - it was actually really interesting.<br /><br />After I was violated by security during their "routine" checks that all entrants must go through, I was instantly overcome with a feeling of nostalgia as I walked down to the meeting room through the same long hallway that I watched President Obama walk down prior to being sworn into office. Unfortunately I didn't get to go <em>all </em>the way down the hall before having to veer off to the right and enter room SC-6. Wow, SC-6. Sounds official, right? It was officially awkward:<br /><br />-Number of chairs in the room: 40<br />-Estimated maximum capacity (per DC fire code): 60<br />-Estimated number of attendees at this meeting: 150<br /><br />It was so crowded that a can of sardines texted me and made fun of how packed in there we were.<br /><br />Luckily, I didn't mind the guy next to me virtually sitting on my lap. Why? It was Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). He and three congressmen spoke about how effed we are in the education department. If you want specifics, I can intelligently elaborate for you in a private message, but I want my zero total readers to continue on and the details can be quite dry.<br /><br />So as I'm walking out of this meeting, feeling pretty great that I got my recording device through Capitol security and thus didn't have to take a single note, I saw JOHN KERRY (D-MA and 2004 Presidential Candidate) walking toward me. I was going to give him a high five, but for some reason thought better of it. Unfortunately, not too much better, because instead I opted to stand there open-mouthed and just muttered "celery." WHAT?! CELERY?! What was I thinking?! I don't even like celery. I hadn't thought about celery for probably months until that moment. What is wrong with me? I AM THE WORST! And yes, he did hear. And no, he did not say anything to make me feel better about it.<br /><br />As for the crying at work thing: Katie, a fellow intern, came over to my desk and told me in a very serious tone that she was e-mailing me a very important assignment. I got excited but kind of scared. Come to find out, it was a HILARIOUS forwarded e-mail about a missing cat (e-mail me for the forward), quite possibly the funniest e-mail I've ever seen. I was laughing so hard I cried. Yes, I was at work. Yes, the whole office could hear my unprofessional shrieks that I just couldn't hold in. God I'm impressive. First I tell a five-term Senator and former Presidential candidate the important news of "celery" and then I make a fool out of myself at work, tears streaming down my face over a cat e-mail.<br /><br />From work, it was on to the Nationals game over by the Navy Yard. Free tickets. Press club seats. Great time. When I got there it was the 6th inning and they trailed the Astros 2-1. When I left in the 8th, two homers later, it was 7-2 Nats. I think two innings is the perfect amount of time to stay at a baseball game. Nine innings is too boring? Your thoughts?<br /><br />My roommate James and I left for the metro as we taunted our other roommate, Oscar, for riding his bike home. What a sucker, right? That sucker got home in 15 minutes. Took me and James an hour. Why? Some a-hole just HAD to call in a bomb threat at the metro stop by my apartment. So not only did they close that stop, but the one before it as well.<br /><br />So we had to get off the metro in unchartered territory, no idea where we are. Keep in mind I'm still wearing a suit at this point. If I had to describe each of the first five people I saw on my new walk home in one word a piece: "homeless," "ghetto," "drunk," "high," and "knife." And a word to sum up the whole experience: "horrifying." Next time I'll spring for the $6 cab (including tip).<br /><br />Well that's it for a very eventful first day of "fall" in which it was "93 degrees" and I was wearing a "suit" and "sweating uncontrollably."<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, don't be afraid to comment and let me know! It encourages me to write more! If you hated it, tell me that too! It makes me die a little inside :)<br /><br />Good night friends!Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-25431396694983669142010-09-23T06:19:00.000-07:002010-09-23T06:39:03.286-07:00Two Updates in Two Days?! WHAT?!Since I had at least four readers of yesterday's post, I decided to try to keep it going here. Thanks for the "like" on Facebook Cataldo, thanks for the comments KJMay and LC, and thanks for the comment "Anonymous," who warned me off of Starbucks. I know a readership of four doesn't exactly make me the Washington Post, but gotta start somewhere, right?<br /><br />Anyway, I'm getting kind of worried because every day a homeless lady hangs outside of my office building and as I'm entering screams at me that I'm wanted by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Department of Watch Dogs. I would be worried if she didn't ask me for 10 dollars right after that, or if the Department of Watch Dogs existed. Still, I hope she's not right.<br /><br />I got free tickets to tonight's Nationals/Astros tilt at National's Park, but turns out it's actually this <span style="font-style: italic;">afternoon's</span> tilt, which is why the tickets were so readily available amongst interns who work 9-5:30. I was wondering why every intern in my building was giving tickets away, blindly took them with a smile on my face, then looked down at the ticket to find out the game was at 4:35. Looks like I'm gonna have to eat these, but for the price of free99, they're still delicious.<br /><br />Last night I went to bed at 10, and work up at 7. For those of you keeping score, that's a solid 9 hours of sleep. This is important because I had been averaging 5 hours of sleep the last three nights combine. Any time I can catch up - especially during the week - I'll take it.<br /><br />That's about all the interesting stuff that's happened in the last 24 hours! Talk to you soon if the demand is there!Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-86786270742248842622010-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:002010-09-24T07:02:22.755-07:00What happens when the internet's down at my internship?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q5Bmd7jLQAZY3TbhGlEH_hk4-kV6RvIm-UsLqvjBKhIsmNUaEJzdC0VBWT45r7RNkHRitRwc8w2UF1r3kPr7VSM9LN89ODCUz70HKlY2ybq_P6Ks_js_rpA5mlAuNdqvROA4r0O6fX4/s1600/mac-pc-commercial%5B1%5D-797859.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q5Bmd7jLQAZY3TbhGlEH_hk4-kV6RvIm-UsLqvjBKhIsmNUaEJzdC0VBWT45r7RNkHRitRwc8w2UF1r3kPr7VSM9LN89ODCUz70HKlY2ybq_P6Ks_js_rpA5mlAuNdqvROA4r0O6fX4/s320/mac-pc-commercial%5B1%5D-797859.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520480035268867954" border="0" /></a><br />I'm typing this on my phone right now, and the iPhone auto-corrects random words that it shouldn't. For example, the other day I was taking notes on it and I typed that networking was a "big part" of being an intern. Somehow the iPhone assumed that I meant "fart" where I put part. Why would I say that networking is a big fart of being an intern? Thanks iPhone. What I'm trying to say is that if you read something herein that doesn't make sense, it's not my fault.<br /><br />So why am I typing this on my phone and not a computer? The answer is two fold. One, I'm at work and the internet's down. Nearly 100% of my job involves using the internet. I would ask my boss what else I should be doing, but he's running 90 minutes (and counting) late. The IT guy is late too. SO glad I got up at 7 for this!<br /><br />In my downtime, I've fallen asleep at my desk twice, watched C-Span, gone to Starbucks to buy a butter croissant, ate said croissant, felt unsatisfied, bought another butter croissant, felt unsatisfied and now depressed about the inevitable weight gain, come back upstairs, tried to get service in my building so I could text (no dice), asked every single person in the office if they needed help with anything, politely got told to go screw myself by all of them, and untied and re-tied my shoes (just to make sure they were on tight!). Well nothing to do now but play with my phone!<br /><br />Even if I was at home, I'd be typing this on my phone because my laptop is broken. This time, I think it's better to retire the thing than pay the hundred bucks and wait three weeks to get it fixed. It's four years old; it had a real nice run for a PC, but I think it's time for a new computer.<br /><br />What do you guys think I should get? A Mac? A PC? A Mac will probably last longer and be more efficient, but it's twice the price! Even if I only get a year or two out of the PC, they're only like 500 bucks. Plus, I've always been a PC and, yes, windows 7 WAS my idea.<br /><br /><br /><br />Tomorrow, I'm going to the Capitol to take notes on some Congressional briefing. Should be pretty cool. If not, I can do my favorite thing to keep myself entertained! Whenever a meeting is really boring, I take sarcastically detailed notes for funsies. Here are a couple of excerpts from the last boring meeting I was at:<br /><br />-"Large-and-in-charge woman, feeling bad that she hasn't said anything the entire meeting, sneezes to make for her brightest contribution yet."<br />-"Bald, middle-aged guy scratches his upper-thigh region, hoping that the out-of-his-league, mildly attractive, yet a decade past her prime woman to his left won't notice. She doesn't, but I do. I do."<br /><br />Saw "The Towm" last night. Great movie. If bank robbers were really that smart and ruthless, you'd never want to go to a bank. I never really liked the bank anyway.<br /><br />Oh, yay, the IT guy is here. Gotta get back to work! My next post will be either 2 days or 6 months from now, depending on how well this one does. See ya in 6 months.Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-8638051008838136322010-01-09T09:07:00.001-08:002010-01-09T10:13:42.261-08:00Rhody Basketball - Dancing in 2010!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0locW7JcT4ecAT7ojYQ-Mo1LM6CAJ3S7u-1vgRPqdZ1zRsN33JQjnD6lyY3t9QMEgRfEQP04O8FWs05Na3f6N2TVVJmXJ39NyMBhFQ_d7cX43eLPZWim30VMAfGrSufjHvVJC3zbpa7g/s1600-h/21076_644818516504_14316945_37599546_5493166_n.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424804885446793170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0locW7JcT4ecAT7ojYQ-Mo1LM6CAJ3S7u-1vgRPqdZ1zRsN33JQjnD6lyY3t9QMEgRfEQP04O8FWs05Na3f6N2TVVJmXJ39NyMBhFQ_d7cX43eLPZWim30VMAfGrSufjHvVJC3zbpa7g/s200/21076_644818516504_14316945_37599546_5493166_n.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Okay, I've waited a long time to talk about this because I had to know if this team was for real. They are. URI Rams basketball is FINALLY back this year and in a big way.<br /><br />At 12-1 heading into Atlantic 10 conference play, the Rams are currently ranked 32nd in the Associated Press poll and 40th in the ESPN/Coaches Poll. They're projected by most "bracketologists" to be an NCAA tournament team for the first time in more than a decade (remember Lamar Odom?), and have all the talent and firepower that that famous 97-98 Rhody team did when they went to the elite eight behind the likes of future professional ballers Antonio Reynolds-Dean, Tyson Wheeler, and of course the 10-year NBA man Cuttino "Cat" Mobley.<br /><br />If it wasn't for a two-point loss at Virginia Commonwealth, this team would be unbeaten and in the top 25 of all polls. But as it is, they've put together some key Ws at home, on the road, and at neutral sites, too.<br /><br />The Rams' first really big win of the season came at home versus Providence, in the battle for state supremacy. They came back from 15 points down to win 86-82, putting a huge win against a Big East opponent on their resume in the early going. Providence now stands at 10-6 and are themselves a bubble team if they can put together a decent season in conference play. Every game they win makes the Rams look that much better.<br /><br />We didn't realize it at the time, but URI's very next game (and win) against Northeastern could prove huge as well. A perennial doormat, nobody expected this to be a tough contest. But the Huskies are tied atop the Colonial Athletic Conference and have an RPI of 63. This could prove to be another "key win" on URI's tournament resume if Northeastern continues to put together big wins in conference as they could themselves be a contender for that automatic bid out of the CAA.<br /><br />URI's next big win came on the road at Boston College. The Rams beat BC handily in their home arena by double digits. BC is 10-5 right now, and although their RPI is an unimpressive 111 they play a brutal ACC schedule and if they can upset some powerhouses like Clemson (who they play today at 4pm), Duke, or North Carolina, Rhody will be able to call this a resume-making win.<br /><br />URI's latest, greatest victory came against an Oklahoma State team on a neutral (haha) court, at Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville, CT. I don't feel bad calling this a neutral site even though it's 50 miles from Kingston and 2,550 from Stillwater, because the Rams played OK State in Oklahoma City last year which was also "neutral". Anyways, the Rams previled 63-59 over the 28th ranked Cowboys who many are still calling a tournament team even after the loss. Again, playing a big opponent from a big conference proves valuable for the Rams as Oklahoma State will now have the chance to play the likes of the #1 Kansas Jayhawks and the #11 Kansas State Wildcats in league play.<br /><br />Coach Jim Baron's willingness to play anyone, anywhere is not only admiriable, it's been enormous for Rhody's tournament resume.<br /><br />Tomorrow the Rams begin league play in a HUGE game in Kingston against the #21 Temple Owls. If they win this game, they'll be ranked in the top 25 for the first time in two years.<br /><br />In the past, URI has started off great in out-of-conference play and then struggled in the A-10, but the difference between this year's team and Rhody teams in the past is their ability to close out games. They used to get so close to beating a team in a key game (see Duke, Xavier games the last two years) and come up just short in the end. This year they've already won games by 1, 3, 4, 4, and 5 against quality opponents. Yes, they lost by 2 at VCU but to be 5-1 in games decided by 5 points or less is something the Rams are not used to. It will definitely help them with their confidence moving forward.<br /><br />URI is 4th in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), another key tool used by the NCAA selection committee in selecting candidates for the field of 65.<br /><br />Just to review the Rams' resume as it stands RIGHT NOW:<br />12-1 (0-0)<br />RPI: 4<br />Key Wins: at Boston College, Providence, Northeastern, Oklahoma St. (neutral)<br />Key Losses: None<br />Quality Losses: at VCU (9-4, RPI:50)<br />Listed in 26 of 28 brackets researched, including ESPN's "bracketology" who correctly picked 61 of the 65 teams in the field last year.<br />Average seed among mock brackets: 9.<br /><br />Stay tuned for more updates regarding URI!<br />Go Rams!</div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-16879677519616196782009-12-11T23:30:00.000-08:002009-12-12T00:58:42.605-08:00The Office - Background, Future, Favorites!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWTrTatvSW7kvMlrwQ9XLUjnV4mBZKYoctl99nPF2vG0yXZuHOXDOGLQvh6rbrgCb4uvkeP00dIc6Jc7qFr4Nw-28YBoqzMrCmF8ijUZ3uea0Bz47PP9oIZEk5cPg_T7gYVUaesFPUJs/s1600-h/michael+scott.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414271134616374834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWTrTatvSW7kvMlrwQ9XLUjnV4mBZKYoctl99nPF2vG0yXZuHOXDOGLQvh6rbrgCb4uvkeP00dIc6Jc7qFr4Nw-28YBoqzMrCmF8ijUZ3uea0Bz47PP9oIZEk5cPg_T7gYVUaesFPUJs/s200/michael+scott.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>What you will learn about me very quickly is that I am a television FANATIC! My favorite types of programs are sitcoms with NO laugh track (if it has one, I will not watch it), and serial dramas.<br /><br />The show that has replaced the ever-weakening <em>Scrubs</em> (now in its 9th season and losing five of its seven main cast members from last year) as my current favorite is NBC's "mockumentary" comedy <em>The Office. </em>The show is based in Scranton, PA, and follows the lives of 15 or so employees of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It boasts an ensemble, all-star cast including Steve Carell (<em>The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Anchorman, Get Smart) </em>as the shallow, incompetent boss Michael Scott; Rainn Wilson (<em>The Rocker) </em>as Dwight Schrute, a brown-nosing jarhead who adores Scott; and John Krasinski (<em>Leatherheads, Away We Go) </em>as Jim Halpert, an apathetic prankster salesman who often plays on his boss's idiocy.<br /><br />At the midway point of its sixth season, the show continues to get stronger. In fact, the last two weeks have produced two of my favorite episodes of all time. Angela Kinsey, who plays the conservative, uptight accountant Angela Martin, recently spoke at my school and said of the show's future prospects "I think all of [the actors] agree that we hit the jackpot. I don't see anyone wanting to stop right now." Good news for us fans. Carell, the lead, has reportedly signed on for at least two more seasons. Also good news for us fans. At the rate it's going, I hope the show lasts a full decade!<br /><br />The following lists are more for people who watch the show and can agree/disagree, but if you're new to it these episodes/characters would be good to focus on too!<br /><br />FAVORITE OFFICE CHARACTERS (first appearance is Pilot unless otherwise noted)<br />1) Andy Bernard (first appearance: "Gay Witch Hunt" S3E1)<br />2) Kevin Malone<br />3) Michael Scott<br />4) Dwight Schrute<br />5) Jim Halpert<br />6) Kelly Kapoor (first appearance: "Diversity Day" S1E2)<br />7) Darryl Philbin (first appearance: "The Alliance" S1E4)<br />8) Pam<br />9) Erin Hannon (first appearance: "Dream Team" S5E22)<br />10) Toby Flenderson (first appearance: "Diversity Day" S1E2)<br /><br />FAVORITE OFFICE EPISODES<br /><strong>1) Scott's Tots</strong> S6E12 - Michael made a promise 10 years ago to put then third-graders through college once they graduated high school. Now it's time to make good on a promise he most certainly can't keep.<br /><strong>2) Stress Relief</strong> S5E14 - Dwight's fire safety seminar goes awry, resulting in Stanley's heart attack. To relieve stress in the office, Michael decides to hold a roast in his honor.<br /><strong>3) Beach Games</strong> S3E23 - Michael is anxious to name his possible successor, resorting to a series of physical challenges to fill his white-collar position.<br /><strong>4) Goodbye, Toby</strong> S4E14 - Michael can barely contain his excitement as his nemesis, Toby, prepares to leave Dunder Mifflin forever. Meanwhile, Jim gets ready to propose to Pam but is upstaged when Andy unexpectedly pops the question to Angela.<br /><strong>5) Frame Toby </strong>S5E9 - Michael welcomes Toby back by trying several tactics to get him fired, including framing him for drug possession.<br /><strong>6) Fun Run</strong> S4E1 - Michael hits Meredith with his car, but takes credit for saving her life as it's discovered she may have Rabies at the hospital.<br /><strong>7) Casino Night</strong> S2E22 - Michael has two dates to Casino Night in the warehouse. Jim spills his guts to Pam.<br /><strong>8) Phyllis's Wedding</strong> S3E16 - Michael tries to make himself the center of attention on Phyllis's special day. Jim convinces Dwight that there are Wedding Crashers at the reception, and Dwight takes great pleasure in investigating.<br /><strong>9)The Injury</strong> S2E12 - A minor injury to Michael's foot is put on the backburner when Dwight gets a severe concussion. Pam befriends the "new" Dwight, to the surprise of Jim.<br /><strong>10) The Coup</strong> S3E3 - Dwight sees an opportunity to replace Michael and jumps at the chance, only to be caught and disciplined in a couple of creative ways.</div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767040185094672972.post-58591272123352578022009-12-11T23:10:00.001-08:002010-08-04T12:34:28.621-07:00Get ready for some blogging!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_k1-oBHuceCttEldEFM3cnGWXvHb1A9FZMIxS9ExBlRjMBcbpikVaZjkxqNrct9TEmAZN1SF77Uv6zdC7P1shwEbOtlmMdVl2uafdpf2h9YduhmGR37EBqWyv6K60mn2frLH8dN7eUM/s1600-h/como+estan.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 76px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414419831917269426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_k1-oBHuceCttEldEFM3cnGWXvHb1A9FZMIxS9ExBlRjMBcbpikVaZjkxqNrct9TEmAZN1SF77Uv6zdC7P1shwEbOtlmMdVl2uafdpf2h9YduhmGR37EBqWyv6K60mn2frLH8dN7eUM/s200/como+estan.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Woohoo! I started my own blog! By the time I got everything set up, I was way too tired to post anything! Anyways, click that you're a "follower," comment on all (haha) my posts, and tell all your friends! We're going to see if we can't get this thing up to 6 followers by the end of the year (Mom, Dad, sister, various cousin possibilities, girlfriend, miscellaneous friend that feels bad)!<br /><br />I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes - I am going to think of an EXPLOSIVE catch phrase to sign off with for future posts. Until then, a simple "peace out" will have to suffice. Peace out.</div>Joe Savastanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11321546583536808134noreply@blogger.com3