Jamaica - Jared and Dre's Wedding

First and foremost - I must congratulate Andrea Bergtraum (Dre) and Jared Margulies, two top-notch individuals and friends who got married this past weekend. As a couple, they compliment each other and are always an absolute pleasure to hang out with. I wish them a lifetime of health and happiness - which they certainly deserve!

Their wedding took place in Montego Bay, Jamaica - mostly to avoid random wedding attendees like "Jared's mom's neighbor" (direct quote from Rehearsal dinner) Amy and I certainly subscribe to that viewpoint and it was refreshing to hear that we're not alone. What was also refreshing was the crew who was part of our weekend experience. Hanging out was fun, easy, and memorable. The resort was great - especially the pool - and the weather (for the most part) behaved.

In Dave Letterman style, here is a Top 10 random thoughts from Jared and Dre's Jamaica weekend:

10) Hellers head-shaving coming out party was a big hit (Speaking of hits - quality job on the Pool Mix, the Chill mix, and Party mixes. Poker crew wants the Party mix CD sent to them please.)
9) "Ya Mon" can be trusted 50% of the time -- but expect it to take a while.
8) Danny Cohen is easily on my top 3 funniest people I've ever met list
7) Strow is the luckiest poker player I know (but as he says, Poker is 65% luck... so he's got that going for him ... which is nice)
6) White Chedder - the under-rated omelette cheese ... Great call JP!
5) Tuna Glantz is officially a metro-sexual (although this doesn't mean I love him any less)
4) In Jamaica, the bare ass is fully part (and a large focus of) the standard sweedish massage. I'm not complaining, just was something different...
3) Tequilla shots = drunken fun (Warning may cause black-outs and hangovers) (Great call Nicole and Tuna)
2) Rain during the outside wedding reception was actually a positive thing. It clearly took the night into a unique, unforgetable evening!
1) Fun and high quality people, in an exotic location, for a happy life event makes for an amazing time.

Congrats Jared and Dre and thanks for a memorable experience for not only yourselves, but for the peeps who've got love for you as well!

Can't-Stop - Won't Stop, Weekend

Like most summers, the weekends seem to "fill up" quicker than ever expected. July is wedding month for us, but this weekend we punched in for extra-time. Ally is on my moms side of the family, but her parents have also kept a friendship with my father, which meant that both my parents would be going to the same wedding for the first time since Jills. It also meant that they would both be up here for the same weekend, plus My Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin, add Steve's birthday, and Isabella's Christening - and you've got the "2006 BG-AT Can't Stop - Won't Stop Weekend." Check it...

Thursday
My cousin Snorin Lauren came into town for our cousin Ally's wedding. Lauren lives on the Left Coast and world travels as her day job (no joking), so it's not so often we get to see her. She landed on Thursday afternoon and so we met up for dinner with my sister and Fred. We went to a restaurant that opened 1 day earlier called Japonaise. (It comes by way of the Windy Cindy with a lot of hype) The overall atmosphere was pretty cool - and we were psyched that there was no "hype" drama. Amy got drunk on her 2nd martini and we all had a pretty good time. Food was touch and go and service was pretty bad - but- that is totally expected on day 2. (I'd go back there in a few months) JP came to meet us towards then end and we then went to Under Bar for a drink where my boys from high school (some visiting from FL) were randomly at. It was a great surprise - and was an overall great way to start off the weekend.

Friday
My friends from Florida were up this weekend mostly to hang with Steve - who celebrated his 30th bday on Friday. (As I told Steve Friday, he fits the saying "30 is the new 12) We started out by going to a small, family owned Italian joint for dinner. It was a great call - where the 14 of us were able to eat a good meal, hang out and celebrate Woodle's birthday. After dinner, we went to a GREAT FIND spot. Due to the desire to keep it under raps - let's just say this place was at The Nexus of the Universe. What I mean by "great find" is a cool, lounge spot that played great hip-hop, wasn't too crowded nor too empty, and had reasonably priced drinks. We partied and danced till 3 AM (Amy, Lauren, and I left before a few others, though). Overall was a great night! Pictures to prove it are available.

Saturday started the "Full Family wedding weekend" portion of the program. Brunch with my moms and Ron during the day, Amy-Lauren girly wedding preparation in the afternoon and then wedding at night. Another great time! (The Trifecta) Ally is a year older than me and went to Michigan - so - I happened to know a lot of people besides my family at the affair. Mix Free Booze, a reason to celebrate, and a bunch of friends/family - and that's why weddings are fun (versus the one's where you don't know anyone or aren't quite sure why you're there) . Of course, with our wedding planning in full-force (and having respect for Ally-Lee taste) Amy was on full detail-patrol. Well, I should say until she got her drink and dance on.... We ended up sweating most (but not all) of our liquor out by dancing (yes - i got down to some white music). Although I was talking a big game to go out afterwards (it was 2 AM), I was glad we went straight home -- I had a big Sunday planned that didn't include Home Depot or Bed, Bath, and Beyond....

Sunday
The first day that I woke up feeling a bit hung-over. (I had to decline brunch with my dad and about 9 others) A quick shower, cup of coffee and a bagel and Amy and I were off to Long Island. Isabella Danielle Fornaro got christened yesterday - which marked my first personal Christening experience (outside of TV and movies). Sure, there are times when I'm in a church when I obviously feel out-of-place, but for the families involved it is a very nice thing. Different from my experience with Catholic weddings, I was happily surprised with the 20 minute service (which encompassed 5 babies). From the church we went to The Elder's for eats and hanging out. It turned out to be a great day - although given how cute Isabella is - there really wasn't much time with her.... BUT ... Nic and Fab seemed very happy and that's why we were there. Turned out that Amy and I got some quality baby hangin time when we got back into the city to hang out with Syd Stern... She's cute everyday - but was extra cute yesterday with me finding a full-proof way to make her laugh! We hung out on the roof of my sisters building for about 4 hours (included ordering in pizza and salad) with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. After that - I was pooped... End of weekend....

Except - given all the plans, Amy and I were unable to really hang with my dad -- so we'll be doing that tonight...

After that - strict CHILL policy on the next 2 nights ... Gotta rest up for Dre and Jared's wedding in Jamaica..... Can't Stop, Won't Stop .....
(More pictures to come)

Guest Blogger - Jamie Brown - Please Seek the Truth

BG: From time-to-time, readers of this blog often say things like "I'd love to have a blog, I just don't have that much to say that often." In which my response is, "Well, you can always guest blog on mine if you ever are passionate enough on a topic." Well - Today will mark the first time someone has taken me up on the offer.

Below is Mrs. Jamie Brown's guest blog entry titled:
Please Seek the Truth

JB: My memory of last night should have been nothing but pleasant. I went to an adorable restaurant in the West Village with camp friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, enjoyed good food, and great sangria. I even got to my apartment 30 seconds, literally, before the thunderstorm began! All was good…until I turned on the television.

Earlier in the day, I had been switching between MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN in an effort to get the most comprehensive reporting on the crisis in the Middle East. I guess the last channel I had been watching was CNN because it was Anderson Cooper’s face I saw when I turned on the TV. I don’t watch Anderson Cooper enough to comment on his reporting style and/or bias. However, I do know the reputation of CNN among pro-Israeli organizations, and last night confirmed for me what substantiates that reputation.

There he was, Anderson Cooper being guided through Lebanese war-torn rubble by none other than the Hezbollah Press Officer. This terrorist (and that is EXACTLY what he is!*) was being featured on CNN at 10pm, just when Americans are catching up on the news before the go to sleep, ranting LIES about how Israel has targeted missiles at Lebanese civilians, has been ineffectual at destroying the Hezbollah infrastructure, and is too “cowardice” to come fight them on the ground!

My initial reaction was, “How much Sangria did I drink?! I can’t possibly be seeing the television straight!” But as the denial gave way to reality, the shock turned into anger, disgust, and sheer disappointment in the media. I get that the media has to air the crisis from both sides of the conflict, but since when are terrorist groups recognized as a legitimate entity in the world community? This segment was blatant contradiction to the message the U.S is trying to disseminate regarding terrorism. How can we say we don’t tolerate terrorism and then show the Hezbollah Press Officer in the spotlight at prime news watching hour spewing anti-Israel propaganda?! It is a joke, and a very dangerous and irresponsible one at that!

Naturally, what CNN horribly failed to mention in the segment was the TRUTH! They left out the fact that Israeli fighter planes dropped thousands of flyers on Lebanon, a nation which is split between those who blame Hezbollah for inciting this crisis by kidnapping the Israeli soldiers and the terrorist group’s supporters, warning civilians that if they go near Hezbollah installations it will be at their own risk. Which brings me back to the images... Anderson Cooper was airing of what appeared to be apartment buildings. For all anyone knows, and what is most likely the case, is that these seemingly benign residencies were the site of “Hezbollah installations.”

Israel has been very clear and transparent with the world regarding their strategy in this crisis- To destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure, which, contrary to the Press Officer’s claims, they have completed 50% of their mission, and safely return the Israeli soldiers to their families. Israel DOES NOT want to occupy territory or escalate this crisis. Israel is strategically executing its power in such a way to minimize casualties, both of Israeli soldiers and Lebanese civilians. This, of course, is the REAL reason for not sending in ground troops, not cowardice.

I could go on and on about the absurdity of what I saw last night on CNN, but I will leave you all with this last message. PLEASE, seek the TRUTH about what is going on in the Middle East and then engage friends, family, co-workers, even strangers in conversation about the seriousness of this crisis. Undermining the misleading images and biased accounts shown in media must be a grassroots effort. Don’t think this conflict is “their” problem, it is “our” problem and we should all do whatever we can to alleviate that problem.

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* According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Hezbollah, whose name means “party of God,” is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people.

Atlantic (Sh)city

This past weekend, I had a friends bachelor party. Although I didn't know many of the other 10 or so guys that attended, they all were cool and everyone got along just fine. Overall, the time had was good with no major complaints regarding typical bachelor party drama. My one major complaint is with the "destination" known as Atlantic City.

I've now been there more than 5 times (which gives me enough experience to make the following claim). The place is a terrible place to visit, vacation, and especially throw a bachelor party. Considering it as an option over to have a bachelor party over Las Vegas is like choosing who you want on your basketball team - ME or Dwayne Wade....

Why do I feel this way?
First, the place is an overall DUMP. I've been to atleast 3 hotels there, and they are all a small step above a Motel 6. Take out the Casinos - and that's what you have... (Note: I have yet to go to The Borgata). The hotel pools are nasty, the beaches are ghetto, and the streets don't really scream "walk here late at night" alone...

Secondly, the people in Vegas are young, vibrant, and all about having a good time (cuz we all know what happens there stays there). There are 2 kinds of people in Atlantic City - Retired folks (I lost count walkers and wheelchairs I had to pass while finding a craps table) and New Jerseys finest "meatheads." (You know the jacked dudes who wear the snap-in-the-crotch shirts that look like they have a half of inch of sleeves).

Thirdly, the entertainment options were better when I was 13 thanit is there (minus the casino). The clubs are awful (I've already discussed what the crows is like), the staff in the casinos had no personality, and the "adult entertainment" options are good for one thing - and that is as a penalty for losing a bet. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to have to pay unattractive smelly women to dance in bathing suits anywhere near me.

And finally, it's not like it is right around the corner from NYC. With NO traffic, it's 2.5 hours to get there. It took us 4 hours this weekend, and it took other guys 6 hours who left a little after us...

I am slated to go to Atlantic Shitty in 2 months for the World Championship of Fantasy Football draft. But after that -- I'm really going to make the attempt to never return...

Sydney Representin!

I have been an uncle for 6 months now, and all I can say is that my neice gets cuter every day. If you don't believe me, look below.

For those of you who tease me about "always promoting the busines in my atire" (ie wearing a lot of google gear), I wanted to let you know that I'm getting the whole family in the mix EARLY.

Answer Tones

I experienced my first answer tone yesterday. An anwer tone for those of you who aren't aware, is an alternate to the standard ring tone that all us CALLERS (rather than answerers) are used to hearing when we call people. Considering that my dad and step-mom have ring-tones (an alternate to ringing for ANSWERING calls), I'm assuming that most people know about these....

At first, the "answer tone" confused me. I called my friend and the next thing I knew I was listening to C.R.E.A.M by Wu-Tang -- for a full 10+ seconds. My first thought was that I called her while she was in the car listening to the radio and she just didn't know that the phone picked up, but once her voicemail came on I was very confused. Then I called back a little later and after about 4 seconds of the Wu-Tang joint, she picked up - and that's when I put it together.

I looked online for anwer tones for my phone, and was very tempted to buy one, but I don't want to make an impulse purchase that callers will find annoying after the first 3 times of calling me. Although I'd like to believe that I would be able to keep it fresh with different tones - we all know that reality will set-in and I'll keep the same answer tone for 4 months without even realizing.

I'm sure people will say it depends on what I pick - and there is a lot of variety. Music, Movie or TV quotes, or even voices (like a sexy woman moaning a guys name)...

So I'm still up in the air on this. The price isn't prohibitive ($0.99 monthly fee plus $1.99 per download), it is more a question of the caller experience. I mean - it won't effect me at all (other than potential drop calls).

And yes - it will be a little wierd for someone calling Brett Goffin (The Google employee) and instead of the expected ring, they hear Biggie saying "Who the hell is this.....paging me at 5:46 in the morning, crack of dawn..." (Yes - this is an available option that I'm considering)

So - I'm still on the fence, but I wanted to share. If you have strong opinions either way - I'm definitely looking for "user feedback"

Why I've fallen in and out of love with the World Cup

I've been meaning to write this post for a few days. Coincidentally, I saw that The Sports Guy wrote an article on the same topic, although I have yet to read his...

When the World Cup started a month ago, I was mesmerized. I was VERY into the US run 4 years ago, waking up at 2:30 AM to watch our team play, but this year was different. I actually enjoyed watching almost every match, regardless of who was playing. It was clear to me why the US has never been as good as the rest of the world, which in a way means I actually started to appreciate and understand what makes a good soccer team. (Much like solid defense and no turnovers wins Champions in both basketball and football).

Anyway - this love affair lasted about 10 days. There were just so many 0-0 tie games I could watch. And those games that actually featured a goal or two usually did so because someone completely FLOPPED and the ref bought it. Now, I have no idea if this has always been a part of the game, (as I'm a somewhat new "fan") but this is worse than the NBA officials drama that occured this past offseason. There is no consistancy in terms of when refs give out cards - which they NEVER seem to give to players who over-act. As I said in a previous post about the NBA, the only way players will stop doing this, is if there is a penalty in lieu of today's payoff.

Anyway... fast forward to this past weekend semi-finals, and I was back in love again. I had taken a break, and now was open to zero-zero games decided in the last 2 minutes of the 2nd overtime. I am very much looking forward to the finals and will be rooting for Italy. Not only did I think that Italians were nicer to me than the French when traveling abroad, but the US tied the Italians, which could give our players some needed confidence going into 2008. (FYI - I started the tourney rooting for the US and Argentina (por mis amigos Manu, Wendy y Lau).

Finally, I just learned this weekend that there is Fantasy World Cup. (I can't lie, I felt cheated somehow that I didn't know about this beforehand). Steve - seeing as if you're the resident soccer playa - I'm nominating you to coordinate this for 2008. Until then, back to my Fantasy Football research. ;)

Adult Nap Time -- A Business?

I was reading someone's squidoo page on sleeping that caught my eye and I wanted to share the info...

Basically, the guy has several stats about how adults almost always consider themselves tired, and hence should take power naps all day. Example data points included:

• The average adult sleeps under 7 hours a night during a work week.
• 40% of adults admit that the quality of their work suffers when they're sleepy.
• 19% report making mistakes and errors due to sleepiness.
• Sleepy drivers cause approximately 100,000 car crashes annually.
• 33% of adults surveyed would nap at work, if allowed.

What I found most interesting, though, was the fact that there is actually A BUSINESS (read as: a store) in New York City that caters to the "power nap needer!" It's called Metro Naps

"New York's New Craze: The first daytime sleeping salon in the U.S. Located on the 24th floor of New York City's Empire State Building, MetroNaps hopes to provide a quiet sanctuary where rundown corporate drones can recharge. MetroNaps has become a haven for the stressed cubicle dweller. For $14 a pop, the budding enterprise offers 20-minute naps that guarantee to leave the customer feeling rested."

Does anyone else find this really strange? I can maybe understand a massage or Yoga or something related, but paying $42/hour for a sleep cubicle? If someone actually goes to this or knows someone who does -- PLEASE let me know.

Printer Recommendation?

Amy and I are in the market for a home printer. It has to be small and doesn't need to do 25 fancy things. It would help if it was one that didn't have ink cartridge refills that didn't cost more than the printer itself and run out after 1 month....

Any Suggestions??

2006 NBA CHAMPS

I think a previous post (on attending Game 3) summed up a lot of my feelings about the Heat, but below are some quick feelings after the Heat have won their first NBA Championship!

-- After 18 years of hard luck – it feels AMAZING to know that the Heat will finally raise a Championship banner in their arena

-- It also feels great that almost instantaneously after the win, I received about 10 text messages from friends. I guess I’ve done a good job over the years of branding myself a die-hard Heat Fan. I feel like even some of my Knick fan friends are happy for me.

-- Big up to my boy Steve Pugliese, who has shared the 18 year run with me. We’ve both have had some roller-coaster feelings about the Dolphins over the years – but this had never been the case with the Heat. Since 1988 – we’ve been passionate, loyal fans who have always imagined last night happening. Small props to Colediggy who did attend the first game the Heat ever played in 1988 with me (against Dale Ellis and the Supersonics), but has been a Bulls fan over the years…

-- Big ups to my old man, PG. He has gotten season tickets for every year in some way, shape, or form. (The seats we shared with the Puglieses’ next to the old lady were my favorites… Cinnamon Almonds…Cashews…)

Now for the team:

-- Dwayne Wade is getting TONS of hype after his finals performance and he 100% deserves it. Heat fans have known he’s the man for 3 years – now the whole world is privy to that. As I said in my last post, he is officially my favorite NBA Player of all-time

-- Speaking of Dwayne Wade ….. where the hell has Converse been during these finals????? They FINALLY land a superstar that Nike, Reebok, or Adidas do not and they don’t scream this at the top of their lungs during the Finals? Who is running their marketing department?? (Note: Converse is officially owned by Nike, but operated as a seperate brand.Also, Reebok and Adidas are now the same company)

-- I won’t admit that I was wrong about Antoine Walker – but I have to say that he earned my respect. It will never be pretty to watch him in the game, but the guy played a role on this Championship team and for that I must respect him. Shimey all you want Twon …. You earned it.

-- Alonzo Mourning deserved a ring. A lot of people hate him because of his jumping around from different teams in that short spurt – or maybe because he was a little immature when he first got into the league …. But I’ve always loved Zo’s game. Yes, he has the “survivor” story through his kidney troubles – and he deserves every bit of praise for it…. But that’s not why I love Zo. Again – I love his game. He’s a hustler, a defensive force, a role player – does whatever the coach asks of him and doesn’t complain. Last night, possibly his final game in the NBA was a microcosm of all this. He was awesome and exactly what the Heat needed. He’s a class act (not to forget a Pimp dresser) and I’m above all happy that he has finally won a ring.

-- Dwayne Wade was the clear-cut MVP, but large props must go to James Posey who seemed to always be doing something positive for the team. Props also to Udonis Haslem who made All-NBA Dirk look like a Dirk who wouldn’t have made the All-Star team.

To sum up, being a loyal fan for so long, I definitely feel like I’ve won the Championship too. No, I’m not one of those psycho people who actually think they’ve won the ring too – but it just feels grea!. To me, it just proves that if you stick with something and you are loyal with it – that it is rewarded over time….. LET’S GO HEAT! (or should I say CHAMPS)!

Greatest Accomplishment?

Yesterday, Amy came home and told me a story of how she went to a luncheon that honored 2 people in her industry. At these types of events, they typically talk about all the good things they do both for their company, industry, and most importantly their community. Being the self-reflective person that Amy is, she came home and shared that she was a little sad that she didn't do anything for her community. (and hence wouldn't be honored at a luncheon anytime in the near future)...

Coincidentally, the next day (today) my company sent around an employee survey that asked 7 pages worth of questions - all multiple choice except the last one: "What has been your greatest accopmlishment to date?" .... Um......... Ah.......Um..... Did the answer of "2004 BigTime Fantasy Football Champion" really just pop into my head? And....It's not like "getting engaged to the woman I love" is really an "accomplishment" in the tense of a business survey.....

On the flip-side, to say I've had no true accomplishments is a lie. Graduating with a degree from the University of Michigan is certainly an accomplishment - but is it really "my greatest"? There is a lot of pressure to define your "GREATEST" of all accomplishments...It's almost saying "this is my ceiling"....

So what did I do? I answered "My greatest accomplishment has yet to be discovered."

I recognize this is a unbelievably corny cop-out, but I really couldn't think of any other somewhat satisfying answer. (and refused to spend more than 15 minutes on an internal questionaire)

Am alone here? To help answer this, I'm asking that all readers of this blog leave what they would have answered in that box within the comments section below. (and yes - I know how many people come to my blog each day, so when there are only 2 comments -- I'll know who chickened-out)

An In-Person Instant Classic

I had waited 18 years for last night... and I'm pretty sure it was well worth the wait.

The Miami Heat are far-and-away my favorite sports franchise of all-time. My father has had season tickets for the Miami Heat since 1988 - the team's inaugural season. I can name almost every player that's every worn a Heat jersey... I have battled through the cellar years (0-17 to start the season), the Knicks Rivalry (including being at "The Alan Houston shot" game), and everything else that has been the Miami Heat journey.

Last night was the franchise's first home NBA Finals game ever --- and I was there! Before the game even started - I turned to my dad and said, "I'm so glad I'm here right now" ... which in hind-sight was the under-statement of the evening...

As a quick overview -- the Heat have inspired me this play-off season by beating all of their prior three opponents in no more than 6 games...Since game 1 of the finals, however, they have been atrocious. They have lacked any sense of confidence and it this has been exposed by a very well-rounded and well-coached Dallas Mavericks team.

Now onto game 3 - In the first half, neither the Heat nor the Mavs looked very good - but the Heat was up by 9 at half-time, so I wasn't about to complain ... The third quarter was a big kick in the nuts ... Dallas outscored Miami by 18 points, flipping the 9 point lead to their advantage going into the 4th Quarter ... 10 minutes to go in the game, Dwayne Wade (already my favorite basketball player of all time after only 3 years in the league), gets his 5th personal foul... The Heat go down 13 ....
During a Heat time-out, my father looks at me and says "If Wade gets his 6th and this lead gets extended -- we're outta here" ... I felt like I got punched in the gut ... not by my dad's statement, but more because I started to feel like the Heat were really going to go down 3-0. But, I wasn't ready to give up ....So I turn to my dad and said "we're not leaving --- you gotta believe!! Do you believe??!!) .... And the rest is well documented in any sports journalism from today... Dwayne Wade was just as amazing as he has been all year .... Udonis Haslem and James Posey played some great defense .... Gary Payton reminds us that he's actually on the Heat... and a 90% Free Throw shooter misses a shot, when a 45% shooter makes two when it counts...

Regardless of what happens in this series -- I will never ever forget being at Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals. (Thanks Dad!) For those of you who know how passionate I am about the Heat -- you should know that this game certainly made that passion deeper (if that is possible). I'm an original Miami Heat fan - and will be one until I die...... LET'S GO HEAT!!!

The Duck Walk

People everywhere do everything in different ways ... Walking, talking, and acting are all unique character traits among individuals...It is with this thought that I feel compelled to bring up "the duck walk."

There are certain people out there who just seem lo lead with their inner thigh (rather than the quadricep or front thigh) and land their foot with a bit of an angle (rather than straight) when they walk...

Fundamentally, I don't have any issues with the walk itself (although I can't say that this wouldn't have been a potential "after first date critique" of someone had I dated them back in the day)
The walk appears to get people from point A to point B just like non-duck walkers.

What I am most curious about is if these "duck walkers" know and acknowledge that they walk differently...Kind of like -- do people with bad breathe usually know and acknowledge that they have bad breathe? No - right?

If anyone has any insight - please leave a comment or email me.

ATM Fees

When I verified a hunch a few weeks ago - I definitely felt stupid...

Since I began banking as an adult - there has always been a fee for "outside network" ATMs. (I am currently a Citibank customer) In my mind, this has always been the cost for using, say, a Chase ATM...

This is not the case, however. The real fee for Citibank customers using the Chase ATM is $3.00 - which breaks down as $1.50 from Chase (and even more sometimes -- it was $3.00 in Vegas this past week) and $1.50 from Citibank. Now it's pretty clear to me why these two competitors haven't gotten together and come up with a number they agree to split - but I guess I just assumed they had...

My Idol-Less Rationale

Can 35 Million Americans all be wrong? Probably not, but I just can'’t get into The American Idol Craze with everyone else. (and I'’ve definitely tried!)

It is the most popular TV show in the country and a major pop culture topic, which makes the fact that I do not watch almost a social hindrance. I recognize that I'm clearly in the minority.

This being said, I thought I would try and explain why I, personally, have not been able to get into the show. I want to be clear, though, that I do not intend to bash the show and call 95% of my fiends and family "“crazy" for watching.

Reason #1 --– The Format

- Being in the advertising business, I understand the concept of creating content that keeps an audience tuned in for the full 30, 60, or 90 minutes. This said, I cannot stand the format of the show. 10 minute review of what happened last week, followed by some BS clip of each contestant, a song, some banter with Seacrest, the phone number numerous times, then commercial. The format just doesn't grab me - even with the ability of a DVR.

Reason #2 -- The Judges

"Yo dawg, yo dawg .... Dawg... lemme tell you something dawg... I like your style" Gosh - it drives me nuts.... Randy Jackson is just a loser ..... Paula likes everyone and is just all-around strange (although the fact that she hooks up with contestants definitely ups her value in my book) and Simon clearly revels in the fact that he's an asshole. It's time to get new judges!! On the rare times that I've actually watched the show - I think I've changed channels 90% of the time when it's their turn to speak.

Reason #3 -- I am a bit of a music snob...

Meaning - I have limited knowledge or ability to relate with a lot of the songs that are sung. I like hip-hop and R&B music - mostly after 1995 - so it's rare that contestants are picking songs that I've actually proactively listened to more than a few times. Additionally, the guest artists that come on during the season are no doubt music icons - but very few are often in my personal "top 100 artists of all time" list

That's about it. Again - as the 5th season is officially completed - I still have yet to watch a good portion of one complete season. Maybe next year I'll have to try something else (like betting on contestant futures or something like that) (Sadly enough - I did enter into a small fantasy type American Idol pool with friends a few years ago -- but The Malester found a way to rig it like she does all the pools she runs...If someone has a good idea for next season -- let me know)

Amy - Will you Marry me?

(Hopefully most people reading this know that I did not ask Amy via a blogpost - but - come to think of it ... that woulda been awesome... -- Just kidding

So - Yes. I asked Amy to marry me last Thursday (May 25th) on the stoop where we shared our first kiss. 4th St between 1st and A - which is hands down the most unromantic block in the city - but, it is what Amy dubbed "our block" about 20 seconds before I went down on bended knee...

After asking (and Amy responding positively) we headed to Mo Pitkin's to celebrate with close friends, although Amy still thought we were going to see Andrew Fried do stand-up. The room upstairs was perfect for the event - and thanks to everyone who was able to make it! After Mo Pitkin's, we headed to The Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle. The hotel is really nice and was the perfect ending to a great night... We spent the next day at the hotel relaxing, capped off with massages at their spa.

Leading up to the night, anyone who knew was asking if I was nervous. It's a misleading question - because "nervous" is the wrong word. Nowadays, with most people I know, we ask the question being fairly confident in the answer - which means our nerves are now less focused on possible rejection - and more focused on making sure that everything goes as planned (as possible). In my case - I have to say that everything went even BETTER than I expected. Sure, I do enjoy patting myself on the back with a great strategic plan - but to play the part of Oscar winner -- it couldn't have gone off as smoothly without some help. So I'd like to thank the following people for the following things (and if I leave you out - don't think I don't appreciate your help and support -- I'm speaking mostly in terms of enabling the special night to go so smoothly).

Jessica Borstein - My Executive Jewelry consultant
Barb - My Jewelry Researcher
Andrew Fried - The best fake event email writer a guy could ask for
Jamie Brown - Fantastic performance of excitement for a fake event
Dirk and Jessica Borstein - Great performance of playing it cool while hangin out with us for 3 hours before it happened
Jill, Fred, and Dad - Thanks for taking care of the ring (and keeping it out of my possession until it was absolutely necessary)
Arie - For giving me permission and for keeping a secret for a while.

So - there you have it. For those that have been asking me "when I'm getting engaged" - I ask that you wait at least another month before the next round of questioning begins. Amy and I haven't picked a date yet; We are not sure where it's going to be; We have not registered yet; ETC. ;)

Thanks to all again - especially to Amy who said YES! I love you very much and cannot wait to marry you. ;)

“Have you seen ______ yet?”

As many of you already now, I’m a bit un-orthodox when it comes to knowing any details or insight about a TV show or Movie that I am interested in.

Moving forward, this is why I implore all of you to ask a simple question before you send a text or talk to someone about a certain program or movie: “Have you seen ____ yet?” This will work much better than me shouting “I haven’t watched 24 yet!!” as my first words into the phone greeting…

Speaking of 24….. Tonight I am flying to California during the 24 Season Finale. I really do not want to avoid my friends calls and texts altogether, but I fear I must. I don’t feel that all of my friends have grasped the concept of not always watching shows when everyone else does. (and thus possibly ruining the show before I see it). Not everyone falls under this classification, though, as I have seen great progress over the years as the DVR becomes more mainstream. There are a number of friends who fully comply with the rules of TV conversation engagement (Jared Margulies comes to mind).

This being said, I feel compelled to remind you all again that I will be on the plane (and not JetBlue) during the 24 season finale. Please do not talk to me about 24 until at the earliest later this week.

Thank you.

Cell Phone Only Life

I just read a report that said between 7 and 9 percent of Americans use their cell phone in place of the standard "home phone." To no surprise, about half of this group of people is under the age of 30 and over 70% are single.

A few years ago - I got fed up with my $65+ phone bill (in which taxes were about 30% of) and switched to Vonage. I have a few friends who've had a couple of hick-ups with them, but I thought it was great service for almost $50 cheaper per month! Was well worth it (plus i loved getting my voicemail messages emailed to me).

Since moving in with Amy, we haven't made the switch yet, but in thinking about it - we really don't have too many instances in which we NEED to use the "house phone." Yes - there are times when I forget to charge my cell or my Razr is cranky and doesn't want to have great reception.... But I definitely have wondered if I really need the home phone or I'm just used to having one. Do I really need it? I don't think so, but it seems as if only 8% of the population agrees with that statement. It will be interesting to see how quickly this percentage increases over the years...

Sporty Spice’s observations

(Weekend nickname given by Colediggy)

This weekend I had the fortune of attending 2 live pro sports events (thanks to Amy's dad): Heat-Nets Game 3 and the Saturday match-up between the Yankees and A’s. During each 3 to 4 hour experience – I observed a few things that I wanted to share:

- The prices of food and drinks at these events is straight-up robbery. $9 for a beer (more expensive than Manhattan). $5.00 for a hot dog (more than a pack of 8 raw hotdogs from a supermarket), $5 for ice cream to name a few. At least at the Yankee game, they allow people to bring in outside food as long as it’s in a clear bag. (No briefcases, coolers, bottles or containers) And for anyone trying to eat somewhat healthy – B.Y.O.F. is your only option.

- Leaving early. With 5 minutes to play on Friday night, the Heat were up by one….. New Jersey called time-out. Directly after this, the family sitting in front of me walks up together and leaves the game…. Does this make sense to anyone? Um … “I’m going to pay all this money to come to a game, but I don’t really care how it ends...” Who’s more concerned with beating the traffic???? Again - makes no sense to me. Sure –there are instances of severely lopsided games or prior engagements or someone not feeling well …. But how often does this happen? If beating the traffic is number one priority when coming to a game – I say stay home.

- The “production” – the attempt to keep the audience entertained every single minute at a game is something funny to watch. Music, promotions, the jumbo screen all helpful tools...My favorite are the Miami Heat "Golden Oldies" - which are a group of about 7-10 women (and 2 men) over the ago of 70 who put on a dance routine that without fail ends in some kind of "shake yo' ass booty music bounce." On a seperate note – Amy wants to know how the Yankees pick the songs for each player while they go from the on-deck circle to the plate. Does anyone know this? Do the players pick it themselves?

There are several other nuiances at live sports events, but those were some that caught my mind this weekend. I'm hoping to hit up some more baseball games this summer - so those of you with corporate tickets.... Holla when you are looking for people to fill the seats.

Google Trends

Just a quick post to let everyone know that for the first time, Google has provided a directional guide to users search queries. The tool is called Google Trends.

Beyond the seasonality of search queries - I think the coolest part is the ability to compare up to 5 queries to each other (separated by commas) and to see how various cities (and countries) differ. For example check out the trends of The Yankees and Red Sox. Interesting to see that the Red Sox are more popular in Canada, eh? I also thought it was interesting that chicken salad was far more popular than egg salad and tuna salad (I happen to be on a big egg salad kick these days).