Two Weeks

Only two weeks remain in my first semester of college and my first semester in Wilmington.  All in all it has been a fabulous time ever since I got here.  Wilmington has gotten better every day and I am enjoying myself quite thoroughly.  Except for the fact that the Flyers lost to the Penguins last night for the third time, leaving the flyers in a do or die situation, and man I hope they do it.  I haven't been able to watch my team play much this season and I am hoping they will stage an epic come back and beat the Penguins in seven games.  Then I will be able to watch them play when I am home in early may.

In other Philadelphia sports the Phillies won last night by a score of 11 to 5 with Utley doing work in the fifth and all around.  Thanks to Jamie Moyer as well who got his second win of the season on the mound.

So with just two weeks left of school including exams, and the weather being the way it is I think it will be hard to put in the time to prepare for my exams.  But I need to do well on them and I will force myself to study no matter how good the weather is...I hope.

Go FLYERS!!!

Flyers, and "the big egg"

The Flyers lost tonight in their playoff opener in Pittsburg PA.  The Penguins started out hot eventually taking the victory in game one of the eastern conference quarter finals.  I have good expectations for the Flyers this post season and I do not want to lose in the first round thats for sure.  In other Philadelphia sports the the Phillies game tonight was rained out, Joe Blanton will be on the mound tomorrow against the Nationals.  

On to another subject, finding one of the money eggs.  I just finished talking with my cousin Sophie, who was back on the farm for easter.  Apparently she got lucky in finding the fifty dollar egg.  She said she just stumbled upon it and boom fifty bucks in the pocket...so after Soph got the fifty, Hal, my grandfather sent all the kids after the big egg with a hund spot in it.  Then a rocket was launched from an undisclosed location, next thing she knew the egg was parachuting down over a mob of crazed children.  Some non family member always gets the big egg on easter, so ive decided next year its mine and I can't wait to find it!

On Easter Sunday among the tall Georgia pines on one of the most prestigious golf courses in the country Angel Cabrera overcame all the obstacles that Augusta and his fellow competitors presented.  Cabrera held off the competition winning on the second playoff hole and claiming his first green jacket.  

In other sports news the Flyers are set to play the Pittsburg Penguins in the first round of the 2009 playoffs.  Starting on sunday night the flyers will host PA rivals in what will be a physical series.  I believe the flyers have what it takes to beat Pittsburg and continue on for their quest for the cup.  Jeff Carter of the Flyers finished the season tied for second in goals scored leading the team points as well, but it's not only Carter that has contributed to the success of the team.  The flyers are the only team in the NHL to have six skaters with 25 or more goals, this will hopefully prove to be an advantage during the playoffs.

Hockey and golf aren't the most similar of sports but they are the two sports that fascinate me the most.  I don't play hockey, except for pond hockey which I played a lot of growing up, that is one of the reasons I love the game and going to Flyers games growing up.  Hockey games are the best to go to, in my opinion hockey has the most action and the sweetest goals.  Golf on the other hand I played a ton of growing up and I have even grown to enjoy watching it, although I would much rather play which I think is how most people think except most people do not like watching golf.  Playing golf is in my opinion the hardest sport and the most fun when you get good at it.  Being able to know where the ball is going, to know that the putt is going in, and to know no matter how hard you swing the ball isn't going to miss the fairway.  This is extremely rare even for proffesionals, but there has been a point in my life and that of most avid golfers when you are on fire so to speak, and you just can't miss, that feeling is what I strive for every time I go out and play and its that feeling of control and rythym that makes me love the sport so dam much.

Easter without the fam

I am sitting in my dorm room on the saturday before Easter and will be here for most of tomorrow as well.  I wanted nothing more than to go home to Pennsylvania for Easter, but I couldn't figure out a way to get up to East Carolina University where my cousin goes to catch a ride with her.  Easter is a pretty big holiday in my family, there is always a huge egg hunt on the farm with our family and friends.  There are different age groups who look for different eggs, and then everybody gets together after all the eggs are found, except the three big eggs that my grandfather with a little help from my uncle and cousin have hidden somewhere around the farm.  Then Hal my grandfather tell everyone where to start looking for the eggs and a bunch of crazy kids and teenagers start running around looking to find the jackpot.  The first of the two usually has a twenty dollar bill, the second a fifty and the third, a hundred dollar bill.  I have never been the one to find any big egg, but I do manage to have a great time no matter what the outcome is and thats one thing about hanging out with my family, I will always have a good time no matter what happens because I love everyone in my family and they all fell the exact same way.  After the egg hunt we go out to dinner with my other family on my dads side and have an amazing dinner at Greenville CC.  Easter is so much fun even though I won't be there for it this year I will be thinking about all my family and ill try and have a good time down here.

Animal Rights

I am writing a persuasive essay on animal rights, specifically on the essay titled Animal Research Saves Human Lives.  An essay that supports the use of laboratory animals in medical research, especially the animals that have played a critical role in bringing about the end of the polio epidemic and creating other vaccines and cures.  I believe the use of animals for the advancement of medical research is important because it may lead to a cure for the modern day diseases and viruses such as cancer, heart disease and AIDS.  The article focuses mainly on the polio virus and how the use of laboratory animals was key in finding a cure for the virus.  Polio was a devastating epidemic that struck the lives of children in the fifties.  A good entry point to write my paper on animal rights is the use of lab animals for medical research particularly that of the polio virus.  I will try and persuade the reader that the use of animals for research is not only ethical but was incredibly influential on the lives of countless children and their families.  The gratitude we owe to the animals who have helped advance medical research is immeasurable and I will explain why in my essay.

The World at Large

I just got back from the beach and I know realize how sweet it is to be going to school in Wilmington North Carolina.  For the first time all semester I have been to the beach when the weather was nice, except for one day in the beginning of February.  The beach is an incredible place, and people go their entire lives without seeing the ocean.  I can't even imagine what that would be like.  I have also met many people who have never seen snow, a bit different than never having seen the beach, but another crazy thing to me.  I personally grew up going to the beach in the summer an dto the mountains in the winter.  If only you could live in a place where you can get the best of both worlds.  There is such a place, in New Zealand you can snowboard in the morning and go surfing that afternoon.  That would be a dream come true for me, my cousin spent several months last summer and fall in New Zealand and the pictures he took were mind blowing.  It makes me wonder what is out there, and how much is still yet to be discovered, we live in a world full of mystery and phenomenon, and I can't wait to get out there and explore.

Sports over the weekend

Tiger Woods made a sixteen foot putt on the final hole on Sunday to take home the victory.  The Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida was Tiger's first win since his return from knee surgery.  After missing eight months due to his knee problem it was good to see him bounce back and get a win before the Masters in two weeks.  Tiger entered the final round on Sunday 5 strokes back of the leader, but being who he is regardless of the eight months away Tiger overcame the 5 stroke margin and won his sixth Arnold Palmer Invitational and for the second year in a row.  Tiger wasn't the only one who had a great weekend in sports.  The Villanova Wildcats advanced to the final four, and since they are a Philly team I have to root for them.  I do believe that they have what it takes to go all the way, especially after the finish they had against Pitt.  For the first time on over twenty years Nova is in the final four as well as North Carolina, Michigan State and Uconn.  Besides basketball and golf nothing too amazing happened besides the Flyers beating the New York Islanders on Saturday and losing to Boston on Sunday.  The Flyers are looking pretty solid heading into the playoffs this year with the most members of any team with 20 or more goals at 6,  the depth of the Fly guys is what will take them to the Finals this year and hopefully bring the cup back to Philly.

UNCW Football

There is talk about bringing football to UNCW but nothing serious is in the works.  There are many reasons why there should or shouldn't be a football team here.  Many students and staff want football at UNCW yet we still don't have it.  Although the cost would be high, it would be well worth it.  The cost for a stadium, coaching staff, and players would be imense, but having a football team would make UNCW that much better and more attractive.  I personally would love going to games and rooting for my home team.  Football brings more diversity to the school as well, not to mention the amount of students who would get to come to UNCW on a scholarship.  In the long run it would be a great investment for the school, the school's popularity would grow with the addition of a football team as well as its school spirit.  Football has the power to create die hard fans who would represent the school well for generations to come.  It would also expand our athletic department creating more jobs for people in a time when jobs are scarce.  In conclusion UNCW would greatly benefit from starting a football program.

Guitars and Live Music

I have been playing guitar on and off since I was in first grade.  I took acoustic guitar lessons for a year or so and decided I didn't have the passion for it.  Then in 8th grade I decided I wanted to learn how to play electric guitar, so I took some more lessons for about two years or so and still I wasn't passionate about it.  I pretty much stopped playing for about two years and then something really sweet happened, I heard a song that I really wanted to play so I picked up my guitar and started messing around with it and I realized how much fun it was and ever since then I have been playing a lot more and loving it.  I just learned an awesome new song and the best thing about a guitar is that there's never an end you can always get better.  Music is one of the best things in life.  Any chance I get to see live music I take because every show is unique and different.  I have seen all sorts of music live and I love it all.  I have a few concerts lined up for this summer and always looking for more.  I am also trying to make a trip to a festival at some point this summer.  I have never been to a festival but I am looking forward to it.

The weather, Spring and Summer

The weather is starting to feel more like spring and summer is right around the corner.  I am looking forward to a memorable spring since it is the first spring and really the first time I have been in Wilmington when the weather has been nice.  I am looking forward to a lot of beach time and am only hoping that I will still have the motivation to do school work.  I do believe that it won't effect my work ethic especially since I am already a big procrastinator.  I can't wait to learn how to surf, I have been looking forward to it ever since I got my acceptance letter.  Anyway the reason this is on my mind is because the weather right now is outstanding.  This summer I am going home even though there are many things that make me want to stay in Wilmington for the summer.  Back home the summers are splendid.  I plan on making some cash working for my uncle and my dad, jobs that I have had before and enjoy to an extent, but I get paid well and work with some really cool people.  So I am going to enjoy my spring in Wilmington and head back to PA in May for the summer.

I. Featured Film Comedy

A. Viewed largely in theatres then bought as DVD's

B. Comedy has plot and story line riddled with comedy

C. Full Length feature uses comedy as the underlining theme

D. Big names in Film do Movie Comedy

II. Television Show Comedy

A. Quick Jokes that are usually more stupid than funny

B. Stupid is the new funny

C. Animated shows have become popular in recent years

1. Family Guy is a favorite among kids and young adults

2. The Simpsons is another stupid yet funny TV Comedy

D. Shorter air time creates shorter episodes

E. Makes fun of current events around the world

Comedy

An idea for comparing cultural texts in an essay is comparing a movie to a TV show.  Not just any movie or TV show, more specifically in the genre of comedy, such as comparing the daily show to Wedding Crashers or Dave Chappelle to Pineapple Express.  Comedy has so much variety and covers such a broad range of ideas and themes that it is one of the most popular genres today.  I personally enjoy comedy over any other genre which is why I am writing about it.  Comedians can be found in every corner of the world and the best thing about comedy is anyone can be funny even stupid stuff is funny.  Comedy is so unique and special because it's all about making someone laugh, and laughter is one of the greatest things in the world, something that there isn't enough of and that's why I love comedy because it creates laughter and smiles which ultimately make you feel better.  When I make someone laugh I get that warm feeling in my stomach that makes me want more and I keep trying every day to do my part in making the world laugh more.  I am in a way looking forward to writing this paper, even though I don't really like writing, if I am writing about something I am passionate about I tend to get more involved and more interested in my topic which leads to a better piece of writing in the end.

Sunday in LA

Watching golf on TV is not very appealing to many people, but I enjoy it.  I am watching the final round of the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles California.  The third round leader Phil Mickelson has let his four shot lead disappear and is now currently one back, with six holes to play.  I am looking forward to next weekend where Tiger Woods is making his return after eight months away for knee surgery.  The golfing world will be on the edge of their seats as Tiger makes his return to the golfing world, we are all wondering if he will be the player who he was.  Anyway back to the Northern Trust Open and a great Sunday it is turning out to be.  Phil who shot 63 in the opening round, 72 on Friday, and 62 on Saturday started his final round with an eagle on the first hole to take a four shot lead.  After what looked to be a great start for Phil he has made several bogeys since his eagle start and has lost the lead.  Now down by one he is fighting to retake the lead and defend his title.  Phil makes a birdie on the seventeenth hole meanwhile the leader Steve Stricker just made bogey on the last hole.  Phil with a one shot lead going into the final hole held on to win the Northern Trust Open fort the second straight year.  

Sailing to Philadelphia

Sailing to Philadelphia is a song that I really got into last fall.  My cousin Jake put it on a mix for me before I went to Australia.  I fell in love with it the first time I heard it.  A song by Mark Knopfler that features James Taylor is an incredible piece of music.  It tells the tale of Jeromia Dixon and Charlie Mason sailing to Philadelphia to draw the Mason-Dixon line.  I listened to this song hundreds of times during my trip and every time it was awesome.  On the airplane, on the way to Kuranda to go pig hunting, on the long and dangerous drive up the tropical coast of Queensland Australia with my uncle, out on the purple water of the Northern Great Barrier Reef, and everywhere I was the song was with me.  My cousin Jake and I had a great connection with the song and everyone who I have put it on for loves it.  My dad is a huge fan of the tune as well and man it is such a good one.  Its a really cool feeling when you and a friend or a relative have the same taste in music, because it allows you to explore so much more than you would have just listening to your own music.  I get new music from my cousin all the time as well as my dad and in most cases I love it, and if not I know I just need to give it time to grow on me.

Kiting

I feel obliged to learn how to surf especially since I go to school ten minutes from the beach, but if I learn how to kite board I wont need to surf so I don't think I'm gonna bother with surfing and go straight to where the action is and learn how to kite board.  My friend Tripp lives on the beach in Florida, St. Pete to be exact and he is a nasty kite boarder who said he would teach me if I went to visit him.  I think I have to take him up on the offer, whether its over spring break or this summer I really gotta learn.  The thought of being able to wake board with no boat self propelling yourself and catching mad air just sounds so inviting!  To be able to rip across the water at your own discretion is awesome and I need to be doing that as soon as possible.

Philly Sports

The only sport where fighting is not only allowed but is one of the greatest aspects of the game.  There is no other sport that allows two players from opposing teams to brawl in the middle of the game only to get a five minute penalty then rejoin the game.  The fans love it and im sure the players do too.  If I feel like a game needs some action or something to get the fans back into it if their team is losing I think to myself we need to see a good fight.  A good fight can change the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye.  Hockey is one of those sports where a momentum shift can mean two or three goals in a few minutes.  Last season my home team, the Philadelphia Flyers lost Simon Gagne for the season due to concussions,  the team lead by some young talents made it all the way to the eastern conference finals and almost to the Stanley Cup but they lost to Pittsburg Penguins.  This year with Gagne back in the lineup the Flyers are going to have an even better chance to win the Cup.  Playoff hockey is a great thing to experience first hand, going to a playoff hockey game will change your life, especially a Flyers playoff game.  Philadelphia fans are the best in the world, we are the only fans who boo our own players, even Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins who was league MVP got booed mid-way through the season only to carry the team to the World Series and win it!  Philadelphia fans are like family to me and I love em all!!!

The Brandywine Conservancy

The historic town of Chadds Ford Pennsylvania located just north of Delaware and about forty miles west of Philadelphia is a small town known for its beautiful farm land.  I grew up on an old dairy farm that is now used for growing produce, my uncle is famous for his sweet corn and tomatoes among heaps of other delectable veggies.  There are also roughly a dozen and a half horses that roam the fields of Hill Girt Farm.  All the land on and around the farm is protected by the Brandywine Conservancy.  Founded in the 1960's by a group of local residents who decided to purchase endangered land at auction to protect it from mass development.  The Conservancy has had an incredibly positive impact on the area, in 1971 they opened The Brandywine River Museum which is home to over 3,000 works of art by numerous artists.  The River Museum holds hundreds of works by the famous Wyeth family.  The Brandywine Conservancy has been instrumental in the protection of over 43,000 acres of land.  The goals of this organization are direct and simple, protect the natural and cultural resources of the Brandywine watershed, and other selected areas.  They communicate these goals with admiration and pride, their effort will preserve the land for generations to come.

Citizen Cope

As I was getting a breakfast sandwich after class this morning I saw a poster advertising a Citizen Cope concert in the Trask in April.  I have seen Cope twice and am excited to see him again, if you don't know his music look him up, he's awesome!

A little of this and a little of that

As I sit at my desk recounting the past month I realize how quickly it flew by!  It seems as if it were only yesterday when I arrived.  My cousin Jake just spent a night with me on his way down to Boca Grande Florida.  Eight hours of driving got him to Wilmington, and twelve left for today.  Not the most enjoyable car ride but he's doing it for Hal our grandfather who is flying down to Florida to see his lady friend.  Boca Grande is one of the most beautiful places in Florida and in general.  I haven't been to Boca in many years, but would love to go back and play golf at Gasparilla and Lemon Bay, two phenomenal courses that I played when I was younger.  

For spring break this year I am planning a trip to St. Pete Florida where my friend lives and goes to school.  Tripp one of buddies from home invited me to come down and learn how to kite board.  I am figuring out the details, but I am pretty sure I'm going, because I live at the beach I have to learn how to kite, what better time than now, first semester of college.  And what a great start to my college experience, I have made tons of friends and am looking forward to a few more years.  Once it gets warm it will be even better, now that I have my golf clubs I am going to be out on the course a lot more and hopefully ripping it up.

Sailing On Ice

There's something about skating on a pond that doesn't compare to anything else in the world.  Maybe it's the setting or the people or the sport or maybe it's the feeling you get once you get out on the ice.  What an amazing feeling it is to be sailing across the placid surface of a pond in the heart of winter when the ice is thick as a brick.  To be with friends and family enjoying nature and embracing the opportunity to play a bit of pond hockey. 

Last January, my grandmother passed away.  She was an amazing person that brought so much love and happiness to the our little corner of the world, part of her lives on in me and everyone who knew her.  She could put a smile on your face even on the worst of days.  She had a way about her that made you smile and appreciate the good things in life.  Even in her last days she was still cracking jokes just to get a laugh, or even a smile.  It's hard to believe she's been gone for over a year, she is missed by everyone and will live on in everyone who knew her.

Back to the subject of pond hockey last January after the funeral a bunch of us including friends, cousins, aunts and uncles went out on the pond to enjoy some five on five old fashioned pond hockey.  That was one of those days that was full of emotion, some happy, some sad but it was full of love.  I realize how fortunate I am to have such an amazing family and there is no place i'd rather be than with them.  I'm writing about this because back home in PA my eleven year old brother and his friends are out on that ice, and I can't begin to describe how jealous I am.  

So Close

I just got back from seeing another shitty horror movie,  "my bloody valentine in 3D" was just plain terrible, the acting was so bad it was funny and the 3D glasses were ridiculous!  Not the best way to spend seven dollars but whatever.  The rest of my weekend was a lot more enjoyable.  I convinced my roommate to drive up to ECU to visit my cousin Molly.  We had a great time even though there were way too many dudes at that school it was still fun hanging out with Mollz.  When we got back I watched the Eagles make an incredible come back only to see them lose the NFC Championship to the Arizona Cardinals.  

Jake the Snake

Jake one of 19 grandchildren on my moms side has lived a pretty awesome life so far.  After graduating from Brown he learned how to speak chinese and went to live in China.  While he was in Bejing, and during my freshman year in high school I took two weeks off from school to visit him.  While in China I hiked part of the Great Wall, went to many temples and gardens, and ate incredible meals for less than two dollars per person.  Traveling to a third world country is an amazing experience that I will never forget.  Once Jake returned from China he began work on the carrot project and blogging.  He writes on two blogs about his life and his work.  They are interesting and meaningful and I look forward to having  an interesting and meaningful blog of my own, this is it.

Transition

After seven months of working and traveling I begin my college career in Wilmington North Carolina at UNCW.  I spent four months working for my dad's company in PA and two months for my uncles in Australia.  When I was accepted to UNCW spring semester I decided to travel to the other side of the world. I went to stay with my uncle in the Australian rainforest in a small town on the coast three hours of dirt roads north of Cairns.  Upon arrival in Cairns my uncle Jamie, a firefighter picked me up from the airport and drove me to his place in Cairns where we watched the Phillies win game one of the World Series.  I then proceeded to go pig hunting with my cousin Quanna in Kuranda at a friends farm that afternoon.   Kuranda, a suburb of Cairns is about a thirty minute drive over mountains into the rainforest.  Pig hunting involves chasing dogs through the bush and not much of anything else but if you ever have the chance, do it, it's awesome!  After a night in Cairns my uncle and I drove up to Bloomfield where my other uncle Kim has the second largest mangosteen orchord in Australia.  Mangosteens are just one of the dozens of tropical fruit my uncle grows.  The mangosteen season was to start in about ten days which allowed us to go on a seven day fishing trip on the great barrier reef.  After a week of fishing, snorkeling, spearfishing, and having the time of my life it was back to Bloomfield for the mangosteen season.  For the next six weeks I spent most of my time picking "the queen of all fruit" the purple mangosteen.  Eating fresh seafood caught on the reef and fresh fruit picked daily it was difficult to come home.  When I boarded my flight from Sydney to LA I thought about what an incredible time I had in an amazing part of the world.  I can't wait to go back, hopefully accompanied by my cousin Jake who has been to Australia many times, been out on the reef and picked mangosteens.  Jake who is 27 and without a doubt the coolest guy I know he currently lives on the farm that I grew up on located in Pennsylvania about a minute north of the Delaware state line.  Jake has two blogs and is working on a website called the carrot project, check it out it's really sweet!  Over the past several months Jake and I have become great friends even more like brothers and his blogs inspire me to write and blog myself. 

I start off my blogging career with a quote to live by...

"Rule number 76 no excuses play like a champion"