Why I Left Facebook

Is anybody here?  I recently deactivated my Facebook account for the 4^th time in the past two years.  As you probably can tell, the last three tries didn’t go as planned and I reactivated my account shortly afterwards.  Who knows how long I can last with this latest try – if I last a month it will be an astounding success.  It's sad to see such an innovative medium with so much potential die a relatively quick death right in front of your eyes.

I don’t believe that Facebook will be around in 3 years.  At its beginning, Facebook was a revolutionary way to socially connect with others.  For pure communication and sharing of ideas and images, it still is.  The easiest way for me to connect with my friends and family quickly and efficiently is the use of Facebook group messages.  It's even more of a positive for me when my heavy disdain for talking on the phone is taken into consideration.  Facebook is still a great way to connect.  However, I feel that these positives are far being outweighed by many negatives. 

Remember those late ‘90s chain letters sent in emails? “Forward this to 100 people in the next 5 minutes and you will fall madly in love within a week”.  Yeah those ones.  You never fell in love after emailing those 100 people, you just continued to forward similar emails while shoving Swiss Cake Rolls down your throat.  Those emails were almost always accompanied by a Trojan virus and opening them instantly took 2 years off your computer's life.  Now that every middle-aged housewife and grandma in America is on Facebook, these types of messages have seen a resurgence.  I could only take so many “I will donate $100,000 to the Battered Wives’ Club of Barberton if this post gets 10,000 likes”.  These posts were flooding my feed and made me want to bite my nose off my face.

Even worse than chain posts?  Any meme ever posted on Facebook.  Like I said, the glory days of Facebook revolutionized the way that people communicated with each other.  Truly innovative.  Today’s Facebook revolutionizes the 100 different ways to say “Happy Friday” and “Oh No, Not Another Monday”.  Throw in a cute kitten for Friday posts and an angry baby for Monday posts and you have a winner – that is, if your description of a winner is something that makes me gouge my eyes out.

Perhaps the most egregious of them all is the monetization of the platform and how this affects user experience.  Almost every new and innovative program eventually falls victim.  I am holding out hope for Spotify, but I know that the quest for maximizing profitability will ultimately lead to its demise.  Privacy policies go by the wayside once advertisers demand more information for deeper market segmentation.  What was once easier to read than a Little Golden Book, Facebook’s privacy policy is now as ambiguous as Congress’ Affordable Care Act.  The focus is no longer on offering an engaging online experience, but monetizing every aspect of the platform.

I ultimately gave up when sponsored posts started to appear in my news feed.  Companies can now pay to promote posts within an individual’s feed, further blurring the line of how far advertisers will go to reach their audience.  As a Marketing guy, I know I may sound like a hypocrite here.  However, nobody wants promotions and offers shouted in their face.  If I was selling a product or service at a seminar or trade show, I would not interrupt conversation to shout “Hey - this product/service will change your life – you need to buy this now!” and then walk out of the room.  No, I would get to know my prospect/client and start to create a relationship built on trust that may ultimately lead to not only a purchase, but greater customer loyalty.  I see these sponsored posts as the shouting method.  I drew the line when in between Sandy Hook Elementary posts on the afternoon of December 14th, there were sponsored posts for HBO’s The Wire and monogrammed golf balls.  The whole point of Facebook was to give users a place to talk about what they are passionate about and communicate with friends and family.  Now, it has turned into yet another medium to try to turn a profit.

So I am trying to quit for good.  This will be hard for me, and especially for this blog, as the majority of everybody who reads this access it from Facebook.  I will still promote this blog through Twitter and Instagram, but my audience has been cut drastically.  So is anybody here?  If a blog post is written and not shared on Facebook, is it a blog post at all?  I will soon find out.  If you do like this post, please share with your friends on Facebook, as no matter how much I say I don’t care who reads this, you know I really don’t mean it.  If you do not share, that’s okay too.  But please don’t post anything today about Happy Friday.  Thanks.

The Greatest Album Review Of All Time - Ballroom Boxer

What do you get when you drop the Great Gatsby, Johnnie Walker, & fireworks in a blender?  The answer is a need for a new blender, as that combo will probably ruin the motor pretty quickly.  Good news is that you can find plenty of them at Bed, Bath & Beyond this holiday season, which is my preferred castle for everything home.  Oh yeah, you also get Ballroom Boxer, a staple in the Chicago music scene and my favorite Spotify obsession.  Over the years, the critically acclaimed rockers have opened for national acts such as Velvet Revolver, Buckcherry, and The Gaslight Anthem; but their finest achievement to date is this album review that you are reading at this very moment. 

The group, formed by brothers Mike and Dave Altier, Jared Cummans, and Tom Wood, came together from different areas of the country, including Chicago, Tennessee, and Akron, Ohio.  When asked about how the band emerged from these distinctly different regions, lead singer Mike Altier stated that each area’s awful football teams and really shitty quarterbacks were the inspiration. Might As Well Be a Bullseye, the pounding closing track on their debut EP Summer Mixes & Backseat Dreams, was written about Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and the less than stellar play of his left tackle.  Altier has a knack for drawing inspiration out of the deepest of despair.  The track is just one of the heart-pounding, soul-shaking moments on the band’s well-built debut.

Jukebox Romeo

 The band’s inventive sound really shines on its strongest track, Lost in Someday, an energized song soaked with whiskey and Ecto Cooler.  A gritty tone with a pop-like feel, Altier’s vocals reminisce of vintage souls such as Springsteen, Petty, and Zach Morris from that one episode where Zach Attack takes over The Max and shreds on their #1 smash, Friends Forever.  Ballroom Boxer, or any band for that matter, cannot top this heartfelt tune about friends, but I’ll be damned if they don’t try their hardest.  Hearts Are Wild, the band’s most poppy effort, grooves on in the middle of the EP and is a great summer song for males to bop around the beach in short jeans shorts to.  There is nothing that the band holds back. Last Cig, with its raunchy guitar and pounding drums is probably a good song; I haven’t listened to it yet.  I would definitely recommend it though, I think.  

Ballroom Boxer combines tight drums, driving guitar, catchy hooks, and acute alcoholism into one thrilling package that I cannot get enough of.  Overall, the band has crafted the perfect feel-good summer splashed EP that leaves you yearning for a follow-up, which they are currently recording in studio.  For more heartache, redemption, and wild times, check Ballroom Boxer out at their blog page, http://ballroomboxer.tumblr.com/, Twitter @ballroomboxer, or facebook.com/ballroomboxer.  

The Key to Geniune Messaging - Be Yourself

When I started this blog, I thought that it would be a great outlet to become a better writer. I have found out that the best way to accomplish this is to write, keep writing, and when you finally think you are done and sick of writing, write some more. The main reason for this blog is to help me in my professional life. I have a pretty decent creative mind and have a certain knack for identifying issues and finding simplistic, yet impactful creative solutions. I am always trying to stay on top of the latest trends in photography, music, social, and creative design. I find this essential to becoming a well-rounded marketer. My biggest weakness is in my creative writing ability. Anybody reading this out there that is a copywriter - God bless you. Many people overlook the importance of this role, but it is one of the most essential in the creative process. And I suck at it.

As I have been writing these posts, what I have found is that it is really easy to write about myself. Some of my favorite posts (and easiest ones to write) include stories of personal experience, opinion and self-deprecation. I shine in the latter, as you will soon find out in a future post. The reason these come to me so effortlessly is because I am being myself and writing about what I know. I am my own audience. I use this space primarily to improve a known weakness and hope to make people like me laugh along the way (which is highly debatable). It is a really simple process because I am just being me.

This made me think about my professional life and my struggles with writing, as well as other companies that offer lackluster content. As a company, the message that you convey to your core-audience should be a reflection of who you are and what you stand for. Being genuine and real counts. Many corporations and small businesses feel like they need to be everything to everyone. I say that if you’re not alienating some portion of the population that you’re doing it wrong. Would you rather have a core base of crazy fanatics of your brand, while isolating some groups, or have a homogenous fan base that will switch brand allegiance unhesitatingly? I’d rather have the former, even at the expense of potential market share and other blah blah business talk that investors and people in suits worry about.

This is why companies that are real have an easier time engaging their customers. Be yourself. Just like it is easier for me to write about my life, the same holds true in business. Companies that aren't afraid to be who they are come across more genuine to their audience. It's really noticeable when you try to fake it. Listing customer service as a company pillar on the "About Us" section on your website means absolutely nothing. They are empty words if not truly embodied every single day. But having a passion and caring for genuine customer service is instantly noticeable. You don't even have to list it on your website. People don't need websites to tell them how to think or feel about a company. In an unofficial survey that I just made up in my head and have absolutely no research to back up, 98% of customers appreciate genuine customer service. The other 2% are jerks that complain about everything. The key to becoming a better writer and getting people to notice you or your company as genuine? Be yourself. 

All Nostalgic and Stuff

Yesterday was a big day at work – a landmark day if you will.  No, Jo-Ann Fabrics did not eclipse record sales numbers, I didn’t get promoted, nor did I succeed in anything of particular importance.  Yesterday, the Marketing department got new color copier/printers.  Long gone are the days of walking down a narrow hallway to fetch 11x17 copies, I now can walk 30 feet to my printer.  I know…groundbreaking stuff.  What is of real importance in this non-story was the nostalgia I experienced while walking up to that printer for the first time.  It had that “new electronics” smell, which instantly brought me back to my childhood.  I can’t quite explain the smell in words, but it is the same smell that is present whenever you open up a new video game console.  Being a self-described geek, this smell instantly kick started my morning, along with the 64 oz. of coffee that I routinely chug without coming up for air.  That video game console smell got me thinking about my youth.

Mr. Webster, in all of his wisdom, defines nostalgia as, a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.  It’s never a good sign when there is a word in a definition that you don’t know the definition of.  In this case, I also had to look up the word wistful, a word that I’ve certainly heard before, but have never used.  To make things simpler, I have defined nostalgia as, awesome crap that I may or may not have remembered from the past.  Much easier to remember, and no other words need to be defined.  Perfect.  Nostalgia hits people both consciously and subconsciously. The song I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters recalls a memory that I am very aware of.  Of course, I’m talking about Jessie Spano’s addition to caffeine pills.  You did not want to be near Miss Spano when she was off of her highly addictive caffeine pills.  Man, what a bitch.  I will always remember the line, “I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m so scared”.  Ahhh, nostalgia.  It is a one-to-one relationship.  When I hear the song, it’s all I think about.  However, instantly associating the smell of a new copier/printer to the feeling of un-boxing a new video game console is a little different and unexpected.  That feeling really got me thinking of my youth.  I spent the day taking a look back and reminiscing on the simpler times.



There's no time - there's never any time!

 The majority of my youthful memories fall between the ages of 9 and 14.  In a previous post, I dubbed this portion of my life, The DJ From Roseanne Years.  Yes, I bore a striking resemblance to DJ Conner when I was young and haven’t really had a celebrity look-alike since.  Some people have cool celebrity look-alikes, I have some young asshole from a 90s sitcom.  Sexy.  Oh well, I guess it could be worse, I could look like Rachel Maddow.  I have plenty of other memories outside of this age range, but the hard-core nostalgic stuff always falls back into this timeframe.  Eventually high school and college stuff will start to creep in, but I think that at least 15-20 years need to pass by before full-fledged nostalgia starts to kick in. 



What a little jerk.



My youth was dominated, (in no particular order) by; Nintendo, The Bad News Bears, The Sandlot, WWF Wrestling, trading cards, sports, Saved By The Bell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Ghostbusters.  In the summer months, give me a basketball and a hoop and I could entertain myself for hours.  Every day, I was Mark Price and the Cavs, while at the same time playing as Michael Jordan and the Bulls.  I tried a little harder to make the shots when Mark Price was at the helm and purposefully tripped over myself, throwing the ball out of bounds while I was Michael Jordan.  Any on-looker watching me play basketball by myself would think I was schizophrenic.  Oh nothing to see here, just a 10 year-old kid screaming at himself, trying to psych himself out during the last 10 seconds of a fake basketball game.  Of course, the Cavs almost always won, except for the times when I would purposefully try to miss the game winning shot as Jordan, and the ball would inexplicably carom off the backboard, around the rim, and through the net.  Those were the worst moments ever.  Just a little kid ashamed of himself for having the Bulls defeat the Cavs.  Without a reset button to hit in my driveway, I was relegated to defeat.

The same went with wrestling.  Do you know how many times Hulk Hogan (umm…me, duh), would defeat Randy Macho Man Savage (the old pillow)?  That answer would be a lot, and always during the winter months and rainy days, when I couldn’t be outside staging a full 16-team NBA playoff bracket by myself.  Whereas the basketball would sometimes go through the hoop by accident on an opposing team’s last shot, there is no real explanation as to why I sometimes let a pillow pin me for the WWF Championship belt. I guess it’s because I would never have had the chance to win the belt.  Any fake pillow wrestler worth his weight in gold knows that it’s better to win the championship belt, rather than to constantly defend it.  I wanted a little realism and didn’t want to win every time.  Unlike DJ from Roseanne, I didn’t want to be a little jerk to my pillow opponents.

I would of killed to have one of these - I had to be imaginative and use a plain old pillow

After thinking hard for 15 straight minutes, I cannot come up with a single other memory of my youth that didn’t involve those topics listed above.  Music didn’t enter my life until high school.  Same with the Cleveland Browns thanks to Dead Art Modell.  My guitars and foolish blind love and support for the Browns are my other real loves that I hold from my past.  I guess the reason those two don’t make me as nostalgic is because I am still obsessed about them. As you grow older, you have to let go of some of your youth from the past, or you start to become a weirdo.  Would I love to still have an awesome baseball card collection?  Yeah, but the older you get, it’s just strange to have that interest.  Any hobby that a 9 year-old kid and 40 year-old man share is just creepy.  Same goes for watching wrestling on a weekly basis.  I would be willing to be that great majorities of the card collecting creeps are de facto wrestling fans – I just have that hunch.

So these were the thoughts that were running through my head all day after printing out marketing plans for Martha Stewart paper crafting supplies.  It all started with that smell (Ooooo that smellllll).  Sorry, my music obsessive-ness coming through once more.  You never know where nostalgia will bring you.  I’ve since watched YouTube videos on Zack Attack, Don West QVC trading card infomercials, old Ninja Turtle clips and of course, mid-90s WWF footage.  These bring me back to a simpler time of no marketing strategy meetings, no mortgages, no real stresses other than being concerned with how fake Craig Ehlo could go through a scoring drought at the worst possible time in fake NBA games.  It’s great to look back, but even better to look forward to the days where I will get the chance to push all of this on to my kid one day.  Oh God help me if I have a girl.

Stone Cold E.T. and White Castle Cheeseburgers

What do E.T., White Castle cheeseburgers and Stone Cold Steve Austin have in common?  Absolutely nothing, and that's what makes Stone Cold E.T. the perfect viral video.  It makes no sense and shouldn’t be funny, but throw all three together with a video camera and you get comedy gold.  I’ll admit that you need to know a little wrestling to really get the nuances in this video; but even for those who have no wrestling interest, the ridiculousness of the combo is what makes it so hilarious.

Stone Cold E.T. instantly catapulted itself into my top 3 favorite YouTube videos of all-time and joins the likes of Crying Wrestling Fan and GI Joe Pork Chop Sandwiches.  As of the writing of this post, Stone Cold ET has 471,000 views on YouTube, which blows my mind.  This thing deserves to be in the millions - it really is the bees knees.  I gauge the success of a viral video on how quickly I want to share it with everybody I know.  Within one minute of seeing Stone Cold E.T., I was forwarding the link on to all of my social contacts online.  Over the past week, anybody that enters my home must first watch the video before even saying hi.  You might be coming over to share that you got that huge promotion or that you and your wife are expecting your first child, but before sharing the big news you will be sat down and forced to see Stone Cold E.T. order a couple of White Castles to go…and maybe a drink. 

Every company wants to get their content to go viral and some even try to manufacture buzz on their own.  What most companies don't understand is that you cannot set out and just create a viral video.  Unfortunately, the Internet decides what is going to go viral, not the companies themselves.  You cannot simply create buzz, otherwise there would be a ton of Viral Video Specialists and experts out there.  Oh wait, what was that?  There are people that claim to be viral video experts?  If anybody guarantees that they can make your video viral, please run as far as you can in the opposite direction in a Usain Bolt-like fashion.  These are the same people that love QR codes and push full-page newspaper ads even though newspaper readership is at an all-time low.  The best of the best sell a full page ROP with QR codes included, these people are what I like to call, out of touch.  The best viral content starts conversations, for both the good and the bad, and as a company, you must be ready to take part in this conversation.

Stone Cold E.T. likes whoopin' ass

White Castle is clearly the winner here due to the exposure that Stone Cold E.T. brings.  In a video like this, it is rare that the company being pranked is not cast in a negative light.  The drive thru staff showed extreme patience throughout the entire video and offered no reason to dislike White Castle. So far, 471,000 people have been exposed to the White Castle brand (which apparently stands for excellent service and crappy hamburgers). The company has a real opportunity to build upon this buzz.  If I ran White Castle’s social media team, I would link this video to Facebook and Twitter to try to gain momentum.  Obviously, current licensing agreements with Universal Pictures and WWE would instantly prohibit White Castle from officially promoting use of these characters in advertisements, but a couple of retweets and Facebook links should be within the realm of possibility.  There is a chance to stand out and be special and acknowledge that as a company, you can be real.  Of course this video is flying around White Castle coporate, it should be flying around their social media channels as well.

The good companies monitor what is being said about their brand, both good and bad.  Sometimes a little nugget like Stone Cold E.T. makes its way into pop culture and could catapult a brand into cult status.  Will this happen with White Castle?  Probably not. Their sliders taste like dog food on a tiny bun.  I haven’t had White Castle in over 10 years, but I might have to give them a curious chance, something I never would of done before this video. I’ve talked about this video and have showed it to everybody I know, exposing my small group to their brand.  This is what a good viral video can do for a company, even if they did not originate the content.  On the flip side, a viral video can be at the detriment of some companies, as was the case with United Airlines when their baggage carriers damaged a $1,200 guitar.  United Breaks Guitars has now been viewed over 12.5 million times. The next natural phase of this video is the sure-fire follow-up, which won’t be half as funny as the original (because you can’t manufacture viral).  If nothing else, Stone Cold E.T. has firmly cemented itself as a personal first-ballot YouTube hall-of-fame candidate, a video that I will view for years to come.  White Castle has a chance to build on this – all they have to do now is make an edible burger.

Obama, Romney & Rage Against The Machine

Coke & Pepsi, Android & Apple, Hoarders & Hoarding: Buried Alive, Obama & Romney.  America is crammed with choices.  With November 6th just 34 days away, everybody is talking politics.  I'm not one for missing out on a conversation, so I thought I would weigh in on the political landscape as well.  Both candidates are touting this as the most important election of our lifetime. That is until 2016.  Pretty sure that by the time the next election rolls around, we won't be hearing "The second most important election of our lifetime", or "Hey, remember that last one?  Yeah, well we lied.  This one is actually wayyy more important”.  Clearly, with the historical importance of this election people are more divided than ever.

Two choices.  Out of 311 million people in this country, we whittle it down to two people.  Half of the country thinks that their candidate is completely capable and ready to lead his country while thinking that the other is a total and utter dunce.  Of course, America is a diverse melting pot of humanity with dissimilar cultures so we should have some uniqueness in our candidates.  This diversity is what helps make the United States the greatest country in the world.  But what are the chances, that out of the 311 million, the last men standing are named Mitt and Barack, two names in which almost nobody else shares in the country?  These are the things I wonder about when election time rolls around.  George, Bill, Ronald, Jimmy, Gerald, Richard, John.  Sounds like a sandlot team from the late 60s.  Barack and Mitt? Sounds like a morning zoo radio show.  What are the chances?  Has to be less than 1% that these two are paired up, right?

Now before you move forward, if you must know, I am fairly conservative leaning.  I know, big shock if you are familiar with me.  Raised by a family who owns a small business, I went to Catholic grade school, high school, and graduate school for 16 out of 20 years, recognize the benefits of competition and hard work (not saying that this is mutually exclusive to conservative values), and married into the family of Brian Flannery (there are exactly 5 people reading who understands this last point).  So my political views can’t be that surprising.  However, there are many social conservative views that I disagree with so I’m a little more moderate than most.  Nobody will ever take me as a political savant. I don’t claim to be an expert, not even close, but I do go out of my way to read both sides before making an informed decision on an issue; which I can only hope the rest of the country does as well, no matter which candidate they support.  But, much like the Summer Olympics, most of the country only pays attention every 4 years.  It’s ironic that the Olympics and the Presidential election occur in the same year.  Just as I don’t watch the Synchronized Diving World Championships every summer, most people don’t watch live CSPAN House Chamber coverage to form a more rounded political opinion in a non-election year.  I certainly don't.

If I'm voting on magnetism alone, I'm voting for Obama.  He wins in a landslide.  I’m sure that even the most conservative of Republicans would agree that they need a candidate with a little more charisma.  Romney totally lost me in the personality department when he performed an impromptu a cappella rendition of America the Beautiful while on the campaign trail in Florida.  Although this was certainly chill worthy, it doesn’t hold a candle to John Kerry’s first line of the 2004 Democratic National Convention speech in which he declared, “I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty”, while raising his hand in a salute fashion.  Most politicians do not understand how to talk and act normally to the American people because they have been put on a pedestal and need to almost be robotic to navigate through the political waters up to that point.  



Maybe it’s because of the incredible stress they’re under, or maybe it’s due to what’s on the line.  I do understand why politicians need to appeal to everybody, but they do so in a way that is so insincere.  Did you know when asked, Paul Ryan's favorite band is Rage Against the Machine?  However, Ryan says that he doesn't enjoy the songs based on their lyrics (which radically lean left), but rather for their musicianship.  Are you kidding me?  Every vote is precious, so of course even something as little as a favorite band must have some sort of asterisk.  This is solely due to the round the clock coverage in today’s connected world.  One slip up, and the 24-hour news networks report, Tweet, and have panel discussion on what this means to the American people. Ever since I heard that Rage Against the Machine is Paul Ryan’s favorite, I cannot stop picturing him running a 2 hour marathon listening to Killing in the Name Of while shouting, “Eff you, I won’t do what you tell me”.  Joking aside, much like the last election, I feel that Ryan reaches the American people in a way that Romney just can't connect to.  When it comes to newspapers and magazines, I hope he reads “umm…all of them”.  Wouldn’t want an uninformed VP now would we?

In preparation for the debates, I've been studying up on the issues of most importance.  And by that, I mean I'm not fast-forwarding through the commercials when I DVR something.  I can’t believe that there is still another whole month of political ads.  The positive to living in Ohio is that my vote actually means something.  Try being an Obama supporter in Houston, TX, or a Romney voter in Cupertino, CA.  Might as well not even show up to the polls.  But Ohio's votes count.  Unfortunately, we have to deal with all of the campaign commercials bashing the other candidate.  There are millions of potential voters forming their opinions on these commercials alone, it’s kind of scary.  But, as long as these replace the Aaron Rodgers State Farm Discount Double-Check commercials, then I am a-okay.

There are so many reasons to be down on the Presidential election process, from the absurdness of only having two candidates, to 24-hour news coverage, to political campaign commercials, to the Electoral College (I think they even beat the University of Akron in football last year). But just think, we could be living in the Middle East or in a faux democratic state where there is there is no true choice .  Or even better,  we could be texting the word VOTE to POTUS-02 after each live debate with Ryan Seacrest moderating.  Yes, there are some minor flaws; but overall, it is the best process in the world. Whichever candidate you are supporting, please get out and vote on November 6^th.  You know, it is the most important election of our lifetime after all.

New York City Serenade - Part Two

This is part two of the recap of my trip to New York City.  To read part one in all of its glory, click here. As mentioned earlier, my first day in New York was exhausting (both physically and emotionally). Akron to Manhattan is quite the adjustment and what usually took 2-3 days to adjust to in my prior visits, happened within the first hour of day one – so I was more than ready for day two.

We woke up early Friday morning and walked over to Starbucks.  This was the morning ritual for the next four days.  I’ll be damned if the Pumpkin Spice Latte isn’t the tastiest treat known to man.  If you’ve never had it, try it.  If you have had it, then you know what I’m talking about.  I don’t know who is in charge of marketing pumpkins to food and beverage companies, but they are getting into everything this year.  After Starbucks we jumped on the subway to Columbus Circle and then had a nice walk through Central Park, eventually ending up at the Natural History Museum.  New York has so many sensational museums, but Eileen and I chose the Natural History Museum over all of them due to our love of history and science.  MOMA, The Met, and the Guggenheim may be more impressive, but there is no way in hell that I could possibly appreciate the art inside of these buildings.  Checking out an authentic Tyrannosaurs Rex skull from millions of years ago?  Yeah, I can appreciate that; I’ve seen Jurassic Park.

After the Natural History Museum, we took the subway back to Midtown for lunch at Mario Batali’s Italian market, Eataly.  For those of you reading this that are planning on visiting the city, this is a must stop.  It’s DeVitis Market on steroids – however, it doesn’t have an answer to Nick Alexander’s awesome mustache, so it’s still second fiddle to me.  Our lunch consisted of wine, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and a salami and mortadella salad.  The food was everything I expected and the atmosphere was nice, although it was a little too crowded for my liking.   

One quick side story on mortadella - A few years back I was eating dinner at the Terrace Club at Jacob’s Field before an Indians game.  I walked up to the sandwich bar and asked for a mortadella and provolone on Italian.  The young girl stared at me as if I just asked her to explain the theory of relativity.  When she asked me to repeat myself, I just pointed at the mortadella in front of her and said that I want that meat and provolone on Italian bread.  She responded back, “That?  That ain’t mortadella, that is bologna with little pieces of cream cheese in it”.  I am still perplexed to this day how that girl got through the job interview process.

At this point, we were three hours from the start of the Bruce Springsteen concert.  After stuffing our faces at Eataly, we decided to forgo dinner and just grab some drinks before the show.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, traveling to Jersey to see a Springsteen show was top on my bucket list.  There is nothing that could have happened to dampen my mood before this show – I was that pumped.  We hopped on the Port Authority bus and arrived at MetLife Stadium two hours before the show began.  Why so early you ask?  Because the ticket said 7:30 and I wanted to get there an hour before that to ensure that we were in our seats at 7:30.  2 hours early!  My transformation is almost complete.  I am now two old curmudgeon merit badges away from being a full-fledged old guy.  Younger Ryan would have NEVER arrived at a show in which he had assigned seats one hour before the time on the ticket, because he would of known that nobody in the history of music has ever hit the stage as the ticket stated.  My thinking?  I’m not going to drive all the way from Akron, Ohio to trust that the New Jersey Transit Authority and Port Authority will get me somewhere on time.  So I earned my Get There Realllly Early badge.  I’m well on my way to my Bald Before I’m 35 badge and the Talk Like I’m 60 badge.  Oh heavens yes.

House lights on only means one thing...Born To Run.

The show was epic.  It was my 7^th Springsteen show in 10 years and it certainly did not disappoint.  The highlight of the entire concert for me was Incident On 57^th Street with Rosalita played right afterwards.  This is a rare occurrence at a Bruce show; he almost never plays these two back-to-back.  It’s kinda like the song Jaded from Green Day’s album Insomniac.  Yeah, it’s good by itself - but it just doesn’t feel right if it’s not played after Brain Stew.  Some songs are just meant to be played together, and hearing those two live was pretty special.  Eileen kick-started this Bruce obsession while we were dating when she bought me the Greatest Hits album for high school graduation.  Exactly 10 years later, we were together in Jersey after being married for 4 years.  Pretty sure I wouldn’t have guessed this while I was a senior in high school.  To sound really corny – before we even had a mutual love for each other, we first had a mutual love for Springsteen…..and late night Taco Bell.  As he does with most shows on the past few tours, Bruce closed with American Land.  During the song, fireworks erupted from the top of the stadium as if we were at the Super Bowl.  This was ho hum to the Giants fans in attendance, but as a Browns fan, this will be the closest I will ever get to that Super Bowl feeling, so I had to take it in.

Fireworks during the closing song, American Land.  A fitting song to hear with a trip to Ellis Island the next morning.

Our last day in the city was Saturday and we took the entire morning to do the tourist thing.  Neither of us has been to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island so this was a must on our list.  My grandfather who immigrated to the United States from Italy in the 1940s did not go through Ellis Island, but did come through New York City.  To see the Statue of Liberty from New York Harbor, just as he did when sailing in to the United States as a teenager was special.  After our tours, we hit Katz Delicatessen on the Lower East Side for lunch.  Ridiculous food, crazy crowded (even at 2:30pm), and a great local atmosphere. 



They come across the water a thousand miles from home
With nothing in their bellies but the fire down below

Katz Deli - an institution.

Our last day concluded by shopping 5^th Avenue and going into stores that we had no business walking into.  We started off at Hermes, a luxurious Paris brand.  I knew of their handbags, ummmm, I mean Eileen knew of their handbags and we she wanted to see them up close.  We walked over to the men’s cashmere sweaters priced at $1,250.  I pretend to look interested when the salesperson approaches me, but fail miserably and just focus on the price tag.  She assures me that they have more colors to choose from in the back.  Lady, it wasn’t the lack of colors that was preventing me from purchasing the sweater, it is the fact that I use coupons from the newspaper to pay for a haircut in a strip mall. 

We then headed over to the handbags and I took out my phone to take a picture of the bag that costs more than a Honda Civic.  I was immediately told to put my phone away by the large man working the door.  I apologized to him while he opened the door for us to leave.  We were pretty much ushered out of the store for taking pictures.  It was quite humiliating.  The only way I would have felt more embarrassed is if I tried on the $1250 sweater and then danced Gangnam Style through the sales floor.  In fact, that would of made me more awesome, not more embarrassed – crap.

Thankfully, Eileen saved me from even more humiliation at Louis Vuitton, our next stop.  Clueless as can be, I somehow managed to wander behind the counter without anybody noticing.  I went to grab a purse, solely to look at the price tag to see what I could compare it to in my life.  Just as I was thinking, “Hey Eileen, can you believe that this purse cost more than our entire living room?”, Eileen grabbed me from behind and said, “Hey what the hell? You can’t be back there!”  Thankfully nobody else noticed, although if I would have grabbed the purse, I’m pretty sure security would have been all over me.  I don’t know what happens to people that go behind the counter and walk up and grab $2,000 purses, but I’m pretty sure it’s not good.  Looking back, walking into stores that we couldn’t afford to buy a pair of socks at wasn’t the most effective use of our time that evening, but it was fun to go into all of the luxury spots in the city that you can’t see in Akron.

We left the city on Sunday to go back to Jersey and begin our trip home.  The weekend was exhausting, but well worth it.  Obviously, Springsteen was the highlight of our three days, but it was enjoyable seeing other parts of the city we haven’t seen before.  There were so many other stories, but I don’t want to bore you anymore than I already have.  I was finally able to acclimate myself to New York, but as always, I was happy to be home.  I start to miss Akron anytime I am away for more than three days, even if I’m on vacation.  Maybe it’s because I’m so routine-driven, but more likely it’s that I just like the comfort and familiarity of home.  We had a blast.  I’m looking forward to next year’s anniversary trip even more…Napa.

New York City Serenade - Part One

New York City and I haven’t had the best relationship over the years.  The first few dates that we went on were rocky to say the least.  I’m fairly laid back, but need structure and an itinerary in such an atmosphere.  The first two times I visited the city, my group walked around aimlessly and rarely left Times Square.  If we ever did venture out, it was only to Canal Street in Chinatown to buy knock-off purses or over to Little Italy to eat.  To say that my stays in the city were stressed would be an understatement.  There is soooo much to see in the city and wandering around tourist traps is not the way to see it.  However, I’m happy to say that my trip last weekend was a huge bounce-back and that the city and I are on good terms again.

The trip started off with a bang when I pulled into Starbucks on the morning we left.  When I drove up to the window to pay, the barista informed me that the lady in the car ahead of me had already paid for my coffee.  Sweet.  Although, I inexplicably ordered a tall bold at the drive-thru (I always order a venti bold), so I didn’t get much coffee that morning.  Alas, it was free, and the awesome lady in the silver Accord made my day, so I would of looked like the biggest jerk asking to switch my order to a larger size.  It was a perfect start to my mini vacation, although I still had to get through a half-day of work.  The plan was to drive to Jersey, stay with family, and then take a train into the city the next morning.

After my half-day at work, I picked up Eileen and our trip was on like Donkey Kong.  It was a rather non-descript car ride, until we stopped at a Sheetz in central Pennsylvania.  Inside the restroom, there was a grown man in furry slippers wearing Superman pajama pants.  He greeted every person walking in by saying “Hi Bob”, and then by taking his 72 oz fountain drink and splashing it on the person.  Yeah, he had something wrong with him.  And yeah, it was hilarious. Like an elusive running back, I weaved in between Superman Pants and the stall door to quickly wash my hands without getting splashed – no time for drying.  Dodged a bullet with that one.  After that incident, the ride was relatively uneventful.  Eileen and I had a great time on the road with each other and before we knew it, we were in Westfield, NJ.  It was great spending time with my aunt and uncle, as we normally only get to see them once a year.  After dinner and six glasses of wine (not recommended when catching an early train the next morning), we finally went to sleep.

The next morning, the three of us arrived at the Westfield train station to catch an early train into the city.  This is an excellent part of this story to stop and introduce our third member of the trip, our suitcase.  To my amazement, the New Jersey Transit Authority did not make us pay for a third ticket for our suitcase.  It was that big.  Like, 75 lbs big.  Oh, did I mention that we were only staying in the city for 3 nights?  I saw a 6^th grader on the train that weighed less than this thing.  Navigating the city with our suitcase would be the first test of my nerves, as subway stairs and train transfers would be tricky. 

My favorite part of day one involved our 75lb friend.  On our train ride into Manhattan, I had to place the suitcase on the bench opposite of Eileen and I due to its size.  A few minutes later, a man in a suit on his way into work noticed the large bag sitting on the bench alone.  He sat down on the bench in front of the bag and had a very concerned look on his face.  He did a quick scan of the train car (looking for suspicious people, I gather), and then high-tailed it to another train.  In a post 9/11 world, everybody is fearful of another terrorist attack.  Naturally, it is widely speculated that mass public transit would be a possible venue for such an attack.  I don’t blame the man for leaving the train in fear, but I just wish he knew that he inconvenienced his day because two Midwesterners couldn’t decide if they should bring summer clothes or fall clothes, so they packed both.

Who brings something this big for 3 days?

After checking in to our hotel, Eileen and I made our way to Rockefeller Center.  Coming into the trip, Eileen’s main goal was to be on the Today Show.  Conversely, my main goal was to convince her that this was the worst idea ever.  Thankfully, I persuaded her that getting up Friday morning to stand outside and hold signs with all of the other yokels was not in her best interest, as I would not be cooperative.  So as we walked into the NBC Store later that morning, we noticed security clearing out a path.  Just then, a star of the Today Show walked over from the studio across the street to film a segment.  Eileen freaked out and yelled at me, “Hey Ry, look….there’s Kathie Lee Griffin, let’s follow her”.  Ohhh, her lack of knowledge of pop culture NEVER gets old.  So we followed Kathie Lee GIFFORD upstairs to where she was hosting a mini-segment on Emmy’s Trivia.  And who got on the Today Show?  Yes, Eileen.  Speaking of Bucket Lists (my last post), this one was on Eileen’s.  Although it was only 30 seconds, she loved every minute of it.  So it was a win-win.  Eileen got on TV (albeit in the background), and I didn’t have to ruin the next day by bitching incessantly that I don’t wait to stand outside in the plaza next to Becky from Idaho.

Eileen to the left of Miss Griffin.  

While Eileen’s focus was getting on TV, my focus from this point forward was seeing where Ghostbusters was filmed.  I must have watched that movie twice a week during my childhood, so I had to at least see something.  We walked down to the New York Public Library to check out the location from the first scene in the movie.  The building is spectacular.  Built in 1897, the building is a National Historic Landmark.  The Rose Main Reading Room, with a 50-foot high ceiling featuring intricate designs and paintings, is the crown jewel of the library.  While Eileen was marveling at the architecture and design of the ceiling, I was hitting her, saying, “Hey – look at those doors.  That’s where the Ghostbusters go to get the ghost out of the basement”.  I think it sunk in with her at this exact moment that this will not be an overly romantic trip.  In a room filled with history and design, I was amazed at the double doors where three fictional characters attempted to contain a fake ghost.

You're right...no human being would stack books like this.

Next on the agenda was a trip down to Ground Zero.  I’ve been to New York 4 times since 2001, and this area has looked dramatically different each time.  We reserved tickets to visit the memorial and it was worth every second.  It’s amazing that in the busiest city in the world how quiet people are at the memorial.  Unfortunately, the museum is still under construction and won’t open for another year.  There was a small store around the corner that had some memorabilia and artifacts from the day.  I nearly lost it emotionally, and this is in the store that sold NYPD pencils and coffee mugs.  I can’t imagine what it will be like visiting the museum once it opens next year.  It’s crazy how fast 11 years goes by, and even crazier hearing the stories of the survivors in the city.  I can’t imagine ever visiting the city without heading down to Ground Zero to reflect on the day.

This picture does not do it justice.

There is a Marriott near Ground Zero that we took a break at to sit down and use the restroom shortly after the memorial.  While in the Marriott lobby, we spotted a lady walking her yellow lab.  We looked at each other and ran, (yes, literally ran) out the doors to go see the dog.  People don’t react that way when De Niro or Jay-Z walks by, let alone a dog.  I wish that this was the most ridiculous moment of the weekend, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.  More to come on this one later.

To close out the evening of the first day in the city, we went to a nice pizzeria for a low-key dinner.  Not much to mention, other than the pizza was delicious.  That concludes our first day/night in New York.  I warmed up to the city and it warmed up to me.  For the first time, I was completely comfortable in New York.  For the rest of the trip, stay tuned for part two of this post – I’ll get to it sometime later this week.  The Springsteen concert was the next night – Epic.  Ciao for now.

Things I Want To Do Before I Die

To begin, I do not like the term "Bucket List".  I love the idea of having such a list.  There are too many examples of lives cut un-expectantly short to not appreciate the present.  But couldn't there be a better name to this list?  "The Things I Want To Do Before I Die List" would be perfectly suitable.  However, it doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same, so Bucket List caught on and will have to do for now I guess.

My TTIWTDBIDL as it stands today is incredibly short.  I say "as it stands today", because this list is dynamic and often changes with maturity.  For example, if asked what was on my list when I was 5, my response would probably be, to "Eat ice cream and then immediately drink a can of Coke".  At that age, that was pretty much the only thing I ever focused on, next to defeating Bowser in his castle. Thankfully, my list has evolved.  Don't get me wrong, the ice cream, Coke, video games combo is still a weekly occurrence, I have just added a bit more to my wish list.  

I divide my life thus far into 3 distinct sections.  The DJ from Roseanne Years (1988-1998),  The High School and College Years (1998-2006), and Adulthood (2006-present).  There were distinctly different Bucket Lists during these years, but from the time I graduated college to now, my list has stayed the same.  Just 3 things.  Listed below is a COMPLETE rundown (counting backwards), of my entire Bucket List during my adult life:

3) Vacation in Hawaii

2) Attend a game at Fenway Park

1) See Bruce Springsteen perform in Giants Stadium

That's it.  That is the entire list.  I'm a pretty simple guy - some of the best times I have had in my life are when I am hanging around family and friends on the weekends.  I don't really need an extravagant list of activities, because I am quite happy just being me and being around the people I love.  I got my wish for #3 when Eileen and I honeymooned in Maui after our wedding in October of 2008. It was everything you would guess Maui to be and totally worthy of being on my list. Snorkeling, waterfall hikes in the mountains, exquisite dining, watching the World Series at 2pm.... Maui did not disappoint, even if we did pay over $30 for a large Pizza Hut pizza on one very low-key night.

The next year, Eileen surprised me with #2 (I have to point out that I laughed out loud while writing "surprised me with #2".  I will never grow up), with tickets to see the Indians play the Red Sox in Fenway Park for our one-year anniversary.  There are so many reasons why I love her, but to have her sacrifice the typical one-year anniversary romantic get-away to take me to see a baseball game is right up there with the rest.  Fenway Park is filled with so much history.  I am now so lucky to be able to say that I watched a game in person on the same field that Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Alvaro Espinoza played.

Which brings me to #1.  For those of you that know me well, it is no surprise that this tops the list.  I hate to think that I am obsessed; but the posters, t-shirts, box sets, and pint glasses that I have in my home say differently.  I have Eileen to thank for starting this obsession, as her gift to me for my high school graduation was a Bruce Springsteen Greatest Hits album and a flask (perfectly fitting if you knew Eileen in high school).  That was in 2002.  Ten years later, for an early anniversary vacation, Eileen and I are finally traveling to see Bruce Springsteen play Giants Stadium in New Jersey (actually Met Life Stadium, but I'm pretty sure nobody calls it that).  She comes through in the clutch again with an awesome anniversary vacation.  First Fenway Park, now Bruce.  I know that I will have to repay this debt throughout my life going to boring plays and other things that women like to do on anniversaries (I could only think of boring plays), but it will be totally worth it.  If there is an equivalent to experiencing that childhood Christmas morning feeling again, this is it.

So in 6 years, I have completed my Bucket List as it stands today.  As I grow older, I'm sure my list will expand to events or activities that I have absolutely no interest in today.  Once I have kids - all bets are off.  Having children will undoubtedly change me for the better in the future, but thinking that a Disney vacation will be my ultimate wish at this moment seems crazy.  Somebody I will relish in those kinds of moments, but for now,  I am looking forward to finally closing out my current Bucket List.  The hard part will be to find more things to add.  I'm not planning on going anywhere for a while.

Why I Love My Wife

To begin, this isn't what you think it is. Why I Love My Wife. Sounds all American Greetingsy right? I could surely write for days on how she is my soulmate, a loving and caring woman that sees me for who I am and keeps me laughing when times get toughest. And if this was a schmaltzy blog, then I certainly would do that. But it isn't. My wife Eileen is one of a kind. About the "keeps me laughing" part I just talked about? She knows absolutely nothing about current pop culture, and for that...she is hilarious.

Oh where to start? Well, movies would be perfect actually. I mentioned to Eileen a while back that I wanted to go see Ted in the theater. She asked who was in the movie and I said Mark Wahlberg. She blankly stared at me as if I just name dropped an extra from a 50s movie. Oh Lord, she doesn't know who Mark Whalberg is. I said, "You know, Boogie Nights, The Fighter, The Departed, Four Brothers"? No clue. Then she said, in only the way she could say it, "Oh yeah, isn't he the Marky Mark guy that wears his underpants too low"? All these years of success and Oscar nominations and she only knows the name in that context. Like some sort of memory lapse from a sci-fi movie, Eileen's pop culture knowledge stopped around 1993. Case in point. Ask her to name two of her favorite actresses and you'll hear Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates. "Oh, I lovvvve Kathy Bates - you know, that lady can just flat out act". Perfectly fine for a middle aged woman, not so much for somebody in their mid twenties.

Speaking of movies, Eileen cannot stay awake through a movie if she absolutely needed to. She gets upset that I don't want to watch romances, but every time I end up watching the last hour by myself. When she wakes up with 10 minutes left, I am then left trying to explain to her that the guy that slept around with the entire East Coast really isn't a jerk and that he finally settled down once he found his inner love. To be fair, she actually has watched three movies in a row without falling asleep, which is DiMaggio like. Two of the three had Ryan Gosling in them. One of which featured him shirtless for 20 straight minutes. So to recap, she either needs Kathy Bates, or a nude Ryan Gosling to stay awake.

               One of the greatest actresses of our times, and by that I mean pre-1995

Oh, but its not just movies. Earlier this spring, we were sitting on our deck with my sisters discussing music. Somehow, The Village People came up in discussion and of course...we had to explain to Eileen who they were. A bit frustrated at my unrelentless cracks at her pop culture knowledge, she asked me to ask her a pop culture question. This was going to be fun. I took it easy, asking her to name the six main characters from Saved By The Bell. She responds, "Zach, AC, Screech, Jessie, Kelly, and...shoooot. Oh yeah...Lisa Turtle"! I started laughing at the joy of her victory, and then she uttered out the best words I've ever heard come out of her mouth other than "Yes", and "I do". "See...I know old stuff"! Of course...1993, why would'nt she know. That's her sweet spot.

Eileen has no clue who Sammi Sweetheart, Mike Sorrentino, Scott Disik, Kris Jenner, or anybody in that world is. I guarantee if I mention Mike Sorrentino then she thinks its either somebody I work with or went to high school with. I've never seen a second of the Jersey Shore or Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and I have her to thanks. Maybe more than any other reason, this is why I love her the most. Nikki Minaj? Maybe. Calvin Harris, FUN, David Guetta? Not a chance. Eileen classifies her favorites as Oldies But Goodies. She enjoys the musical stylings of Bruce Springsteen, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, and anybody else holding an AARP card. Can't say that I blame her - that stuff is awesome. I begrudgingly know today's artists based on their popularity alone. As I creep towards 30, I have always been afraid of not being in the know. Between entertainment and technology, I never want to lose sight on what is Now.

Eileen on the other hand, she proudly ignores everything Now, including technology, save for a few contemporary country artists and Facebook. My all-time favorite moment during our marriage is our trip last February to Verizon to get new cell phones. Of course, I opted for the smart phone variety, because A) It help keeps me connected, and B) I no longer had to waste 3 reams of paper a week printing out ESPN articles to read in the bathroom at work. See, I was making an environmentally conscience decision. However, Eileen went up to the Thinks He Is Important Because He Is Wearing A Tie salesman and asked him where the hot new flip phones were located. To reiterate, this was February, 2011. Verizon Douche went to the back and literally brought out an old shoebox filled with 30 flip phones that looked so old that Michael Douglas could of been holding it in Wall Street. Anyways, Eileen ended up settling on a slide out keyboard phone. Her excitement was unbridled. She absolute loved her new purchase. Probably even more than the new smart phone that I bought at the same time.

Sometimes I think the world moves too fast. I can't be alone for two seconds without checking my phone and wondering what is happening around the world. If we are in a restaurant and Eileen leaves the table to use the restroom, then I am pulling out my phone to check Twitter. Which is one of the reasons I know so much about crap I shouldn't. I love Eileen because she is different from most. For the first time, she can now text without using T9 and that is enough for her. In a time when people can't get away from Twitter or Facebook and need to constantly be connected, Eileen gets by just fine.

Why I Needed LeBron to Win

I didn't want this to consume my life.  I thought I was a bigger man.  It's only sports. These are the things that were going through my mind last night as my wife and I were pulling out of the grocery store at 9pm.  In fact, I didn't even know that game 5 of the NBA Finals was just getting ready to tip off.  I was almost there.  If I did not check Twitter as we were waiting in line to check out - I would of went home, cracked open a Cherry Coke, and played a fake game of basketball on Playstation til 1am.  You know, because that's what regular 28 year-old married guys do....as well as 12 year-olds.  Oh the joy that playing a game with a virtual Michael Jordan brings me.  However, I did check Twitter, saw the game was on, and had to make a major decision at that time.  

I tried to fight it so hard.  I tried to not care.  I got home, carried in the groceries, and immediately turned on the TV to see what the score was.  Heat up by ten.  Shit.  The last two years of my life have led me to this night.  It was inevitable.  LeBron James is one of the ten greatest players to ever step on a basketball court.  To think that he would never win a NBA Championship is ridiculous.  However, I rooted as hard against LeBron as I have ever rooted for him, hoping that this would never happen.  It is hard enough to deal with all that comes with being a diehard Cleveland sports fan.  I've been kicked in the balls so many times that they are pretty much non-existent.  And I'm only 28.  My Dad, 53, has no balls left to be kicked.  To be honest, rooting this hard against somebody else while trying to maintain some sort of sanity with Cleveland sports as well was just growing to be too much.  Which is why I followed up my first Tweet with this:

In some sort of bizarro world, I was rooting for LeBron James to win this game.  Not to be joyous in seeing him succeed.  Trust me, if LeBron would of pulled a Joe Theisman at center court, I would of been the first person cheering in delight at the sight of the stretcher.  I needed LeBron to win so I could regain my sanity.  In a world of so much negativity, I don't need any more.  I need to focus on the positives that are going on in my life and in the Cleveland/Akron area.  Say what you want about the historical statistics of casinos and poverty, but The Horseshoe has seemed to bring a new life to Cleveland.  The city needs to ride this thing as far as it will take it.  You know what I saw the other night while walking to the Indians game?  A new retail store!  Yes, these do exist in Cleveland outside the dollar stores that have taken over Tower City.  

So there is so much positive out there. That doesn't mean that I forget or forgive what LeBron did on Thursday, July 8th, 2010.  Yes, I know that date by heart.  There are only a handful of times that I can remember crying as an adult.  Watching Eileen walk down the aisle on our wedding day, my grandfather's death, Eileen's family's funerals, the closing credits of the Nicholas Cage 9/11 movie, the last chapter of Scott Raab's book The Whore of Akron, and on July 8th, 2010.  Two of the six involve LeBron James directly.  It's stupid.  It's just sports. It doesn't matter...until it does.   

Which is why I need to move toward total apathy for the LeBron situation.  I know that people are tired of hearing his name, reading about his every move, reading Facebook posts and Tweets.  I may never get to apathy, but last night was a step in the right direction.  I can now stop focusing on rooting against one player to lose at every turn and start rooting with complete passion for our Cleveland teams.  I know one day, I'll be dancing around and look as happy as LeBron did on the bench with his teammates as the clock was winding down.  The sun came up this morning.  As it does every morning. But it shined a little less over downtown today.  Because God hates Cleveland.  Eff you LeBron.  Welp....so much for the positivity.