Metro Madness

Three college hoops teams have the Washington, D.C. Metro-area buzzing as March Madness approaches. George Washington University, George Mason University, and Georgetown University have all excelled in their conferences and will likely all head to the 65-team tournament in March.

Since the MCI Center is one host for the Sweet-16 and Elite-8 rounds, it's not that far-fetched that one of these schools could be playing in front of a home crowd while they try to get to the Final Four.

Who's #1 in D.C.??

The George Washington Colonials are an amazing 24-1 with an unblemished mark in the Atlantic-10. They are ranked #6 in the nation. Led by Pops Mensah-Bonsu, they have their sights on a top 3 seed and could definitely do some damage in the NCAAs.

The George Mason Patriots are the surprise team in the area with a 22-6 record and 15-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They recently dropped out of the Top 25 after being ranked #25 last week.

The Georgetown Hoyas have excelled in the new-look Big East tallying 19 wins to their 7 losses. They are currently ranked #20 in the nation. They also handed the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils their only loss of the year in a stunning 87-84 upset win at the MCI Center.

With all the success these DC area teams have had, you'd think that rivalries would be intensified or started. Unfortunately, they're not. These schools don't even play each other!

It's absolutely absurd that with so many quality D1 programs in a small area like DC there aren't annual head-to-head matchups.

Can you imagine a 5-team round robin tournament held annually in the Metro area? It would be insane!

Take the three previously mentioned teams, throw in powerhouse University of Maryland and perfectly located American University, and you'd have some SICK games that would rival Philadelphia's Big 5 in terms of excitement. Northwest, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, College Park, and Fairfax would be hopping.


How come this isn't already in place? Could you imagine the bragging rights and quality games that would be going on?

It's no wonder that the DC area is going crazy with basketball fever. Unfortunately it probably won't last. After Pops goes to the NBA and coach Karl Hobbs moves on to bigger and better things, GW will drop back down to earth. Likewise, George Mason's magic will run out eventually, and G'Town will have its ups and downs. On the flip side, the Terps will rise again to prominance and American couldn't possibly be a doormat forever.

That's when the tournament would really mean something. When there's nothing to play for but ruining an opponent's chance at an at-large bid, that's when rivalries mean the most.

Let's see if these schools can get their acts together and make it happen.

New England Bores

I never understood why every company or organization needed a website viewable to the entire world. Obviously webdesign has become simple over the years and anyone can do it, but should they?

One example of a company that doesn't need a website is the New England Brewing Co. Now, I respect the hell out of this company. They were built on the basis of good beer in an original format. They are also the only microbrew in the entire world to still brew their beer in cans, rather than bottles. (Any time someone sticks their neck out, I'll give 'em respect.)

That being said, the look on this site is atrocious. NEBC could really stand to hire a web designer to tidy things up.

The banner is nice, but the two taps and cans could (and should) be links to those types of beers. The sidebar is awful. Even with a can as a backdrop, the links don't stand out because there are lines between them. WTF? The page that lists all the places that carry the beer should have links to their websites if the have them.

The content on this site is really good. Although there isn't too much to say, we get really good stories on the founding of the company and different types of beer. I'd say there is almost too much text.

Overall, the idea was nice, but the execution was poor. Despite the site's good content, I can't really think of any thing nice to say about it, which is a shame. For such a nice beer deserves a nice website.

NOT COOL

Thought this commericial was funny...


I found this video at youtube.com .

New Additions!

You may notice a lot of changes to my blog!

I changed the name of the blog to better fit the tone of my blog. I also centered the title with simple HTML to make it more visually appealing.

I changed the color scheme to make it easier to read. I added some pictures to liven up the place and I revised posts to improve my content.

Let me know what you think of the new look!

Blogs of War

Ma Deuce Gunner, Thunder6, BlackFive, and Greyhawk. Although they might sound like your younger brother's screen names, these nicknames are those of military bloggers, or milbloggers.

In his article in WiReD Magazine, titled Blogs of War, by John Hockenberry outlines the important trend of people in the military keeping blogs of their day-to-day issues. From the soldiers on the frontline to doctors in the background, the milblogs out there cover the gamut of military issues.

The Government has been mostly quiet on the issue so far, and from the looks of things will not interfere with milblogs as long as they don't discuss strategy or casualties.

Fair enough. The snippets included in Hockenberry's article are extremey vivid in detail and absolutely mesmerizing. For the government to censor such works would be a shame.

As it says on the front page of The Mudville Gazette, milblogs are "free speech from those who make it possible."

These blogs provide a fascinating look into a world the majority of readers have no idea about.

The truth is out there... right?

The slogan on David Gudelunas' website reads, "Be Hip. Be Smart." Actually, David forgoes punctuation and the slogan reads, "be hip. be smart." That is so post-modern it makes my head hurt. David's slogan is the perfect mantra for aspiring bloggers if ever there was one. Right?

Why do people blog? What's the point? According to Fairfield University professor David Gudelunas (pictured below), the reason is to discover the truth, and nothing but the truth. Not the "Next on News Channel 4..." type of truth. We're talking straight from the horse's mouth truth. Or at least from some animal that was in the same barn.

The communication professor says blogs provide viewers with a different perspective on issues such as technology or politics. He used the example of a Mac user. Why would a Mac user give a hoot about technology regarding PCs? He or she wouldn't. That's why they would seek out a blog that covers their exact needs and interests. Simple, right?

Not when he uses words like bricolage and pastiche. All his fancy words made it more difficult than it should have been to understand his main ideas.

David's stance that blogs filter out unwanted information and bring together bits and pieces of information from other sources is spot-on. With all the conglomerates, corporations and other crap controlling mainstream media, we need to search further and wider to find news and truth that suit our interests.

Blogs bring all our interests together. That is why they are both embraced and popular. After all, if we stumble upon one that doesn't meet our needs, there are millions out there that will.

Right?

He-Said, Shme-Said

I've taken a lot of flack for writing the "He-Said" column for the Fairfield University student newspaper, The Mirror. When I learned that a professor bashed my column in his class the first week of school, I was actually a little flattered. I also respected the viewpoint of an alumnus that wrote to the paper to criticize my opinion on pre-marital intercourse.

I don't respect the most recent attempt to put me down, nor am I flattered. I always encourage feedback - both good and bad - on my articles, but if you're going to blast me, at least put some effort into it!

The other day I came across this blog, written by a classmate of mine that I have never met. Ryan DeLaurentis has taken offense to my article on the Super Bowl.

In the article, I praise the Super Bowl for being not just a sporting contest, but a celebration for (and of) men.

In his blog, Ryan states that he was "moved to the point of vomiting" after reading my article. Either Ryan is an overly sensitive person, or he has an EXTREMELY weak stomach.

Separated at birth?

Let's analyze some of his points, shall we?

"I mean, there is a limit when the 'early man' character is played out, and I was well over it by the second sentence of this column."

That doesn't even make sense. I assume that by "'early man' character" Ryan was insinuating that the behavior I detailed was similar to a caveman's. I also assume that by "played out" Ryan was using slang to say that I overused this behavior in the first few lines. I overused it so much that he was "well over it" by the second sentance. I won't even guess what he meant by "well over it." (Maybe it has something to do with his weak stomach.)

OK... Let me reprint the first two sentances of my article:

"Super Bowl Sunday is one of the greatest annual events for men because it is one of the few days of the year when everything is geared towards us. The Super Bowl is more than just another reason to throw some suds down the hatch."

Where in those two sentances do I make any reference to a caveman, "early man," or boorish person? Nowhere. Maybe Ryan should spend a little more time checking for accuracy.

Let's move on. Ryan says,

"I'm all for a nice day on the couch and feasting on buffalo wings, but I don't morph into some caveman who drags his woman around by her hair when the Super bowl comes around."

He adds:

"The fact remains that the majority of us aren't transformed into beer driven, buffalo addicts, with zero respect for women, on Super bowl Sunday, and I hope for Brian Lynch's sake, he isn't either."

Wow. I'm a beer driven buffalo addict with zero respect for women? Nowhere in my article did I suggest that putting down women was a consequence of celebrating manhood.

In fact, I mentioned women one time in the entire column. ONCE. And it had absolutely nothing to do with dragging them by their hair or forcing them to bring me beer. I don't know what Ryan was reading, but it sure sounds a lot more interesting than what I wrote.

You can't write a column such as mine for five months without developing some tough skin. I've heard some pretty nasty things said to my face (and behind my back) that have been both accurate and creative. Ryan's response was neither. He incorrectly inferred most of what he wrote about.

Ryan DeLaurentis' response to my article was clearly a half-assed attempt to fulfill a course assignment. He didn't take the time to properly back up his claims or even bother to get my name right until a professor pointed out his mistake. His "badly informed diatribe" deserves a re-write to correct his blatant errors and to clarify his dumfounding conclusions.

I'll be waiting anxiously to see his response.

Biz Stone's Blog Cabin Empire

Biz Stone is a genius. Sort of.

First, he named the first chapter of his book after a song by the band Pixies, "Where is My Mind?"

Secondly, he helped to create the blog environment that has helped change the internet.

After reading through parts his book, "Who Let the Blogs Out?", I can assure you that his work in creating blog communities has been revolutionary.

He gives many tips throughout the book for keeping blogs. Some of the best include,

1. "Links are the currency of the blogosphere. Every time another blogger links to you, your blog becomes more 'valuable'. If a blogger links to you, traffic to your blog will increase dramatically for a short time."
2. "Comments are a way for readers to attach their two cents to a particular bog entry. [...] In an ideal situation, reader comments are an extension of the original post - a conversation that takes place right on your site and ads value to your initial thought."
3. "Find an anonymous blogging provider such as Invisiblog."

All of these were helpful in my understanding of the blog world. His assertion that the blogosphere is a community where we MUST comment and link and interact is right on the money.

One question I had going in to this assignment was the 'safety' of the information on a blog. I don't intend to disclose too much information on this blog, but when I create one for strictly personal topics I will undoubtably pick an anonymous blooging site.

100 Slanted Nights

In a recent article in the Fairfield University newspaper, The Mirror, writer Alexandra Stewart wrote an article about the upcoming 100 Nights event for FU seniors. Her story, 100 Nights... but only for 250 Seniors, was well written and informative. She did miss the real story in her article, though.

While most students have been more than ecstatic of Fox's decision to take over the responsibility of a Fairfield senior tradition, some students have been upset with her lack of widespread advertising and promotion. "I'm just kind of clueless about the whole thing and I wish she had done more to get the word out earlier," said Jackie Acampora '06. Senior Jocelyn Collen agreed. "I had no idea what 100 Nights even was," she said. "I think she did horrible advertising."

Ouch.

By ending her story with this quote, Stewart left a bad taste not only in my mouth but in the mouths of every Mirror reader.

The real news in this story is not that only 250 seniors will get to attend, but that an event was put together in the first place.

This event has been carried out by ONE person. Since the school and Senior Council decided not to sponsor such an event, there has been NOTHING for seniors to look forward to. No Clam Jam, no Keg Races, no Mock Wedding, no 200 Nights, and even no Grape for the foreseeable future.

Aslee Fox should be commended for taking the huge risk on her shoulders and providing the FU Class of 2006 with at least something to look forward to. She should not be slammed for doing something no one else bothered to do.

Molly and Case, sitting in a tree...

In the novel Neuromancr, the two main characters Case and Molly have an obvious romantic interest in eachother. Since this is a work of science-fiction, Molly is naturally "highly desirable" as well as tough and agressive.

The reason for this is simply the type of audience that was reading this book back in the 1980's. The typical science-fiction fan was a nerdy high-school student whose dream girl must have looked a lot like Molly. Also, other interests of this demographic include sex and drugs which are alo present in the novel.

The tricky part is when Molly leaves at the end. This may have been done for two reasons. First, it leaves open the option of a continuing quest for Case. Second, it avoids the typical "Hollywood" ending that plagues most stories.

Nutmeg Blogs

In her New York Times article, "It's Another Day in Connecticut," writer Jane Gordon describes a handful of blogs from the Nutmeg State. Her article is interesting because it shows the popularity of blogs, but it also hits on the key problem with blogs: finding the good ones.

While searching for a blog to cover for this class, as well as searching for three others for my Interpersonal Communication class, I read through about 50 awful blogs. The fact that anyone can create their blog in a matter of seconds on a free website is both a blessing and a curse. In order to find a handful of good ones i had to wade through a truckful of bad ones.

In the articl, Gordon links to a weblog named "The Creeping Meatball" by Rich Hanley. Why this man has a blog in the first place is a mystery to me. All he does is briefly touch on a topic and then link to the source. After every post he writes, "To read more..." and then links to a news article. This isn't a blog I would read on a regular basis because it has no redeeming qualities or personal opinion.

Just as with the daily newspaper, where we need to flip through a couple pages to find an interesting article, we need to flip through a couple blogs to find one with meaning and importance. Hanley's blog, as well as Gordon's article, are evidence that people will read just about anything, even if it has no point.