Been Too Long!!

What's up everybody?? It's been a real long time since my last post, I know, but I wanted to try to get back in the game with this new post.

Since I wrote last, I've been experiencing what it is that people call "First Year Law School." Man, I was expecting a lot of challenging work, but I never expected anything like this. My study habits have done a complete 180 since college. Don't get me wrong, I got done what I had to get done in college, but that kind of approach just doesn't cut it in law school. My day usually starts around 7am when I wake up and get ready to head into town. I try to get to school around 8am when the library opens and I can usually spend a good 2-3 hours studying before my first class which is typically at 11 or 12. My day is usually over by 4:15 at the latest and then I hit the gym real quick before catching a ride home with Momma Lemmons.

I have grown accustomed to spending every extra hour I have doing some kind of school work and I usually dedicate Saturdays to the library. Now before you judge me, the only reason I devote Saturdays to the library is so I can do nothing on Sundays except watch football all day and night....it's a beautiful thing.

Another development in my life is that I enrolled in the "Pro Bono Program" at Suffolk Law and through that program I was set up with an internship at the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC). Pro Bono is basically community service in a legal field. Because it is community service it is an unpaid internship but even though I started about 3 weeks ago, I have already gotten a great deal of valuable insight. MHLAC is a sub-committee of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court charged with protecting the interests of those afflicted with mental health diagnoses and promoting awareness in the community at large about how mental health affects many people in our society.

My job at MHLAC is to help manage the intake line. Intake at MHLAC is an open hotline where people with mental health diagnoses can call in with their legal problems. Most of what I do is getting information from the people regarding their legal issues, which range from guardianship and housing issues to issues regarding negligent treatment by mental hospital workers and claims about discrimination. The invaluable experience of talking directly with clients and trying to wade through their stories (which are usually very long and scattered) to spot the key issues and critical facts is really going to help me out down the road.

Besides the schoolwork and internship, I am starting to meet some really cool kids in my section. Our 1L class is divided into 4 sections of about 80 students per section and we take all of them same classes. I am in Section 1D and so we have all of our classes together. The six classes I am taking now (they are mandatory, 1Ls don't choose their schedule) are Contracts, Criminal Law, Torts, Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Practice Skills (LPS). These are all full year courses except for Criminal Law which is just a one semester class, and we pick up Constitutional Law in it's place in the Spring. The first week or two nobody really talked to each other but it's been nice to see the kids in our section start to ease up a little and become friends. I really look forward to getting to know all of them better as the year goes on (we see plenty of each other!)

My beautiful sister Shayla started pre-K this past September also. I spoke with my stepmom, Michelle, the other night and she told me that Shayla is really enjoying school and that she got her first progress report. The teachers say that she is a delight to have and that she is a little shy in school, which is SO hard to believe because her personality is huge. She really is a sweetheart though and I'm really proud of her. I went over to their house on the morning of her first day of school and she was so happy. Her little school uniform (navy sweats and a t shirt) is adorable and I love that she is happy.

I also got to talk to my other sister, Safiya, for a second on the phone and hearing her say "Hi Chris!" and "Bye Chris!" just warms me up. I am so lucky to have such beautiful sisters and my love for them is indescribable.

Whew! I know I must be forgetting things but I'll ease back into this, don't want the post to be too long. I am going to try to keep up with this much more as a way to communicate with people. My schedule is so busy that I just don't have the time to see or talk to all the people that I want to, but along with me keeping you updated on my life, I'd love to hear from everyone else about how things with you are going.

I hope everyone is well and hopefully I can keep this up.

Until next time...

It's All About the Benjamins!

Ah, what a beautiful Monday morning. Looks like the sun is going to be shining all day, and really how could I not be so positive after this past Saturday night??

For the first time, I went to Foxwoods Casino to try my luck on the blackjack table. A friend of mine from Colby and two of her friends from home made the trip down to Connecticut. We headed out around 11am and by the time we got back about 12 hours later, all of our moods were pretty high!

Since it was my first time really gambling at a casino I was nervous when we first got there. My limit for the day was the $100 that I got from the ATM that morning and once that was gone, I was just there to enjoy the scenery and flashing lights. I wanted to get a better hold of the smart way to play Blackjack so I watched while 2 of my friends played some hands. The minimum bet at the table (the lowest minimum at any table) was $10/hand, so with 10% of my chips on the line every hand I wanted to be sure that I knew what I was doing and didn't just blow my $100 away.

After about half an hour, I sat down at the table, placed five, twenty dollar bills on the table and felt my heart sink as the dealer swept them up and slid me 20 red chips ($5 each). Right away I started winning some hands, we all joked about beginner's luck, and everyone was having a great time. Slowly but surely, my stack of chips rose higher and higher until I had to split them into two stacks. Then the dealer asked if I could change some of my red ($5) chips in, in exchange for some green ($25) chips because the dealer was running low on red chips. I slid my stack of chips toward him and was thrilled when I got back 4 green chips and then still had a big stack of reds left over. Since it's bad luck to count your chips while you're playing, I held myself back but it was all I was thinking about. I had my original $100 in green chips and I had at least another hundred worth of red chips!

When we took a break to go get some dinner I had 2 black ($100) chips in my pocket, I was up $100! To make things better, I learned that there was a Hard Rock Cafe at Foxwoods, which is one of my favorite places to eat! To make a long story short, when I went to cash in my chips at the end of the night, the woman handed me 4 crisp $100 bills! Profit for the day = $300!!

It was such a fun day, even if I had lost my $100, but winning $300 and still getting to go was even better. Everyone that sat down to play out our table was really nice, we met some really cool people, the dealers were hilarious and we loved getting to talk to each other. My conclusion from all of this, besides the fact that I love blackjack, is that I can definitely see how some people could fall into the dangerous trap of gambling for profit rather than just putting a few dollars on the table, keeping their bets low, and trying to just have fun with friends. There are no clocks in the whole building and if I didn't have my watch, I wouldn't have been able to tell what time of day it was. Add free drinks circling around every 15-20 mins and you have the casino's perfect recipe for making money. But not this time! The picture above is an actual picture of all of the money that the 4 of us took home that night. Unreal.

All in all, another great experience! Makes me really wonder how crazy Vegas is... I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day.

Until next time...

Everybody Deserves A Second Chance

First off, just a quick "hi" to everyone who has continued to read, sorry for my posting absence the past week or so. I have been very busy with my prep course, but now it is all over and Orientation is looming!

So, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to write about how I feel about the huge news in the sports world right now: Michael Vick signing a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. For those of you who aren't in tune with the sports world, Vick was charged and convicted on federal and state counts of being involved in a dog fighting ring. Before I continue with my own opinion, it's important to say that I do believe his actions were horrible and I fully agreed with the punishments that were bestowed upon him.

Having said that, I love that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick. In fact, I wish that the New England Patriots had signed him. I understand that there are people who are still up in arms against the guy because of the terrible things that he was involved with, but frankly, let them be. They are only wasting energy in a futile attempt to hold this guy down for the rest of his life because of a mistake. He served his full sentence (approximately 2 years) in prison, and has since been taking a proactive approach to becoming involved in his community with organizations such as the Humane Society and other programs that promote animal welfare.

In short, he did the crime and served his time. Everybody deserves a second chance. Michael Vick is a tremendous athletic specimen and I knew it was just a matter of time before he got signed by an NFL team. I am very excited to see how Vick re-adjusts to life in the spotlight and the NFL way of life, and my only regret is that he is not doing so in a Patriots uniform.

Feel free to say what you will, but if you were him you would not only want a second chance, but you would expect one as well, so really the self-righteous stance against the signing of Michael Vick has little, if any, credibility or relevance. Here is a portion of the press conference Vick held after the news broke that he is now the newest member of the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles.



Until next time...

It has begun...

So, it has been awhile since I posted last so I just wanted to write real quick and fill you in on what I've been up to this last week or so...

I finally have my first taste of what law school is going to be like. I am participating in the Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) Summer Session at Suffolk which started this past Monday. The program runs Monday through Thursday this week and next from 6-9pm. Basically each night is divided into 3 sections.

In the first hour, the professor who is running the program, Jim Janda, lectures to us about a particular topic that has practical significance as we head into our first year of law school. On Monday night he taught us how to properly brief a case after we have read it so as to be as prepared as possible for class, and last night he starting talking to us about how to create outlines for our courses, which are the vital study tool in law school.

The second hour is devoted to going over the cases that we were assigned to read for class. Usually we have about 3-5 cases to read and brief for each class and Professor Janda really gives us a feel for what law school is like by "cold calling" on people, meaning he will state a question and then call on a student at random. This was definitely the aspect of law school that I was looking forward to the least (anyone who had class with me at Colby knows that I'm not real big on talking in front of the rest of class). Of course, I was called on the first night within the first 10 minutes of the second hour. Thankfully, I was prepared so I was able to answer the 3 questions that he asked me about the case we were reviewing. It really surprised me though how easy it really is. Having a simulated class like this has really showed me that as long as you come prepared there is really nothing to worry about. Everyone else in my classes will be just as nervous as I am so there is really nothing to be worried about.

The final 30-45 minutes (after we get a break) of each night is when we break up into our class sections. I am in section 1D this year, so that means that I will be taking all of my first year classes with the same 80 students (there are about 80 students per section). Since not everybody does the PMP Summer Session, the 1D group has about 10 kids in it and we meet with different "mentors" each night. Every mentor has completed their first year and is heading into their second year of law school, so we can ask them any kind of question that we may have and so far they have all been great about answering our questions and giving us advice and tips that I'm sure will help us through our first year.

Most of my time has been spent reading the cases for this class, and even though it may be a little bit of a bummer to be doing work while the weather is so nice, I know that taking this program is going to put me a step ahead of my other classmates who chose not to participate. I am going to be able to "hit the ground running" when classes officially start on August 24th and a large element of stress will be removed.

This past weekend I went down to my friend, LQ's house down on the Cape with a bunch of my friends from high school, and we had a great time. Sam, LQ, Eric, and Aaron were there (4 out of the 5 kids running the NYC Half-Marathon in a few weeks) and they wanted me to again say thank you for the donations that have been coming in to them that will go toward the American Cancer Society.

We spent the afternoon on a great beach, and for those of you who are wondering, yes I did go into the ocean. I don't know what came over me, but I was out in the ocean getting smashed by waves, and playing catch with a football and was able to keep my fear of the water in check. I think it was the fact that there were 6 of us out there in close proximity to each other so I figured that I had some form of protection! I went out to about waist deep and for anyone that knows me that is about twice as deep as I usually go...I immediately got out of the water though when my friends Sam and Eric, who had swam further out than the rest of us, came back to us and told us they had seen a seal pop its head out of the water about 15 feet from them. Now, I'm no nature expert, and they told me I was ridiculous for thinking this, but in my book: when there are seals around, there are sharks around. Simple math. No way around it. When they told us of that encounter, I promptly dropped the football and swiftly returned to the safe, sandy beach!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summers, I'll leave you with this video I saw last week that I thought was really funny. It's about 5 mins long but you don't have to watch the whole thing, it's pretty much the same thing for the whole video but I must admit, I wish I had dance moves like this kid...enjoy!

Until next time...

My Biggest Fear

Many of you who are close to me know that my biggest fear, without a doubt, is the ocean. I'm not going to lie, I just laughed after typing such a ridiculous sentence. But it is true, sadly. This seems like a really random thing to talk about but I just saw this commercial on TV and it sparked this train of thought.



Seriously, just watching that video makes my heart start beating faster. I have always been scared of the ocean, and through the years I have come up with a few theories for why it is that I am so scared of it. Here is my attempt to rationalize this fear:

Reason #1: The sheer enormity of the ocean. It always blows my mind when I think about how much land there is on earth. A 3 day road trip might cover half of our country. I can't even imagine how much land there is, and guess what? There is 3 times more water than land on Earth. The oceans are HUGE! Just the thought of floating in the middle of something that huge creeps me out.

Reason #2: Not being able to see what is around you. And just think, everything around you is actually underneath you, making you pretty vulnerable. The size of the things swimming around in the ocean are huge and you can't even see them coming!

Reason #3: In the ocean, every human is just completely out of their element. The analogy that I always give to friends who try to ease my fears about the ocean is this. A person floating in the middle of the ocean is just like a fish laying in the middle of a huge desert. Anything in that desert that was in it's element that wanted to eat the fish would do so easily. Same goes for the person in the middle of the water. All it takes is for something that lives in the ocean to want to eat you and then, see ya.

I find myself always defending and trying to rationalize this fear to my friends. It makes for some pretty funny conversations even though I couldn't be more serious. Anyways, very random thought but just wanted to get it up here. Everyone has at least one fear like this, post a comment and say what your biggest fear is...it'll spark some good conversation.

Also, my friends who are running the New York City Half-Marathon appreciate all the donations that they have been getting. They are now up to $3,793!

Until next time...

Kings of the Week

After a whirlwind week, I'm back in action. You may notice that the background color of the blog has changed and the idea came to me through Nick Planeta's blog about his father, Steve, who is heroically battling pancreatic cancer. Purple is the official color to promote awareness for pancreatic cancer so I have joined Nick in switching colors. To stay updated with Steve's progress, check in at http://www.steveplaneta.blogspot.com/, and continue to keep him and his family in your prayers.

So since the last time I posted I have had a few new experiences. The first and major one is that I went to a Elton John and Billy Joel concert last Saturday night at Gilette Stadium. When I was asked by a friend if I wanted to join her since she had an extra ticket, I must admit I was a little skeptical. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the music of Elton John and Billy Joel, but mostly only when I am in the car with my mom and their music comes on Magic 106.7. It would be a blatant lie to say that I have ever been an adamant fan of either musician. I did end up going however, (in a gigantic stretch Escalade limo, pictures will be posted soon) and the concert was a blast. The two performed on stage at the same time and their pianos faced each other as they played each other's music and kept a great show going for about 3 hours. I never realized just how many songs of theirs that I am familiar with, but they played hit songs the whole concert, which was great. The traffic leaving Gilette was not so great though, as it took us about 3 hours to get home, but hey, when you're in an Escalade limo, traffic isn't necessarily the worst thing! It was a great experience, one that I am very happy I didn't pass up.

And now time to announce this week's "King of the Week," and this week we have a group of people who will share the title. Five very good friends of mine from high school, Eric Wilson, Ryan Littman-Quinn, Eric Forsythe (not pictured above), Aaron "King Ed" Edelman, and Sam Shoolman (in order from left to right in picture above) are going to run the New York City Half-Marathon on August 16th. This feat would be impressive enough by itself, but they are also running it for the second straight year in order to benefit the American Cancer Society. Last year, they were able to raise over $1,300 in donations to the ACS and this year their goal is to raise $5,500. Last I checked, they have raised $3,143 which shatters their mark from last year and is over half of their desired goal for this year. If you would like to make a donation, please visit their team page at: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/CRFY09Eastern?team_id=516442&pg=team&fr_id=19033&fl=en_US&et=tjPWhwVU-0gv5HinbnBShg..&s_tafId=317828. Any donation at all will help them to reach their goal and, more broadly, help the ACS continue to drive forward in its cancer research that is inexplicably important.

Also, I found a picture of exactly what my sister Shayla's billboard looks like. It is right off 93 heading into Boston and when you drive by it you can't miss it. She loves being a celebrity!

Until next time...

LATE ADDITION* I just saw this video on one of the funny blogs I check everyday and had to put it up here. I have never seen anything like this, pretty funny...hope you like it...

Pictures From This Past Weekend

Yesterday was a great day. I went to play softball with the law firm where I have worked the past 3 summers, Bromberg and Sunstein. They have a company softball team that I was a part of while I worked there and they invited me to join them yesterday and it was a great time. I got to see some co-workers of mine that are less of co-workers and more of friends.

I am very excited tonight to see a good group of friends from Colby. Everyone is getting together to welcome our friend who is moving to Boston to attend grad school. I love how my group of friends has succeeded in keeping in touch with each other and trying to get together as much as possible, they are some really great friends and I'm sure the night will be great.

As promised, here are some pictures from this past weekend. Some are of the U.S.-Haiti soccer match and one of my sister Shayla. I hope the weather stays this nice and everyone has a happy and safe weekend. Also, please continue to keep the Planeta family in your thoughts and prayers.

Until next time...

To The Planeta Family

Earlier this week, I got some news that at first made my heart drop. My college basketball coach e-mailed the team, relaying the information that one of our teammates, Nick Planeta, had heard that his father (pictured above) was recently diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer that spread to his liver and lungs. Over the past four years, Steve Planeta had become an icon of our team, somewhat of a hero. Whenever you would see him after a game he would greet you as if you were family and ask you about how everything was going. Nick told us stories about his dad and we all came to love him through these many encounters and anecdotes.

Steve definitely passed his character and demeanor onto his son, as I can easily say that Nick is the most heartfelt and genuinely kind individual that I have ever met. I first met Nick at Colby basketball camp the summer before our freshman year at Colby. We were both counselors and as his huge 6'7'' frame came toward me I was a little intimidated, but that didn't last very long as I soon came to realize that he didn't have a mean bone in his body. Nick was also my roommate sophomore year and then again senior year and we became very close friends. When I started thinking more about the unexpected news, the more I came to realize that my heart had no need to drop. Of course it is very hard to hear news like that, but Steve and the rest of the Planeta's have a sense of optimism that cannot be matched.

I am no doctor, but I feel sure in saying that with a positive attitude and a good deal of support from family and friends, cancer can be beaten. I have spoken with Nick on a few occasions since hearing the news and he has told me that Steve is in very high spirits and that "most of the time he is around his father, he can't even tell that the man is sick." Steve Planeta is a fighter, there is no doubt about that...just look at the picture above and tell me that that powerful, "I mean business" mustache combined with his history of martial arts training does not easily qualify him as such.

Along with his own personal high spirits and will to fight, I know that Steve has countless people supporting him. It has been a beautiful thing over the past week to see my team members band together and offer their support and prayers to the Planeta family. In my four years at Colby, I certainly felt as though Colby Men's Basketball was a family within the larger Colby community, but being an alumni of the basketball family has really given me a new perspective on just how special of a group these young men are. It really and truly is like another family that you can always depend and rely upon through thick and thin, no matter what.

And of course the Planeta's themselves. Nick's mom, Kathy, is a truly special woman as well. Their unbelievable kindness must have been one of the things that brought Kathy and Steve together, because just being in the presence of the Planeta's puts people at ease and you can't help but to think to yourself "man, what if everyone was as nice as them" when you walk away from an encounter with them. I have only met Nick's sister, Kasey, a few times but something tells me that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Steve has all the tools he needs to put up a strong fight and beat his cancer, but most importantly he has the love and admiration of countless people that will help him through this trying time.

Nick started a blog in order to make it easier for people to stay up-to-date with Steve's progress, whether you have met him or not, definitely check out this blog and you will undoubtedly began to know him through his son's words: http://www.steveplaneta.blogspot.com.

To Steve and the rest of the Planeta family, speaking on behalf of the Colby Men's Basketball family, our thoughts and prayers will most certainly be with you and most importantly, so will our unrelenting and optimistic faith in you. God Bless and we love you.

Until next time...

Great Weekend with Sun Ahead

Wow, what a great weekend! Not only did the weather hold up for the most part, it was also full of first time experiences that were a lot of fun. One of my best friends from high school managed to get some tickets to the U.S. versus Haiti Gold Cup soccer match held at Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots). The match didn't start until 7, but we thought it would be fun to grab some food and some beverages and get there early for some tailgating. We got there around 4 and ate, drank and played some parking lot soccer in the beautiful sun. After the U.S. Haiti game, Honduras was playing Grenada so the parking lot was full of fans for all four teams (well actually, only 3 teams...Grenada fans were nowhere to be seen). People were draped in their countries colors and a group of Honduran fans that were pretty close to us had a HUGE grill set up and brought many instruments including some hand drums and some plastic horns and whistles. Needless to say it was great being close to them because of the spirit that they had and they actually made some pretty good music together as a makeshift band.

We headed inside for the game and our seats were close to the field, and basically right behind one of the goals. The U.S. scored first and the U.S. fan section erupted! We were at the end of the U.S. fan section with some Haitian fans right next to us and all they could do was sit in silence as we celebrated our country's first goal. Right after halftime, the Haitians came out on fire, scoring 2 goals of their own in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Haitian fans next to us went absolutely crazy. The rest of the game was very tense as Haiti held the lead into stoppage time at the end of regulation when the U.S. scored in the very last minute to salvage a tie. I used a whistle that I had purchased in the parking lot and joined in with the rest of the U.S. fan celebration jumping up and down and celebrating while the Haitian section immediately took their seats and planted their faces in their hands in disbelief.

That was the first ever professional soccer game that I attended live and to all the people who have already asked me how it was, I told them that it was the most fun I have ever had at any professional sporting event. No exaggeration, it was awesome. People were so passionate and at the same time I felt a camaraderie between our friends and the Haitian fans sitting close by. I can't really explain where this feeling came from but it was definitely there. I never thought soccer would become a mainstream sport in the United States, but after going to that game, I know it will become huge. It is just 1 or 2 American-born superstars (someone like a LeBron James of soccer) away from catapulting into the spotlight. I would strongly encourage everyone to try to get to a game if you haven't been and experience it for yourself, you will love it.

Yesterday held another first time experience in store for me. For the first time, I got to spend some one-on-one time with my sister Shayla (outgoing Queen of the Week). I picked her up and we went to go see Ice Age 3 together. Shayla is just so adorable. When I got to the house she could not stop running around and wanted her mom to finish doing her hair as fast as possible so we could get our movie trip underway. She practically jumped into her car seat and kept me entertained the entire drive to the movies with stories about daycare and telling me how excited she was to be starting school in the fall. She sat through the whole movie (just one trip to the bathroom) and didn't make a peep, she was so cute and well-behaved. I could not have been a more proud brother as we walked to the car holding hands. She loves her brother and her brother loves her very very much, I can't wait to spend some more time with her as she continues to get older.

It was a great weekend, and I will post some pictures once I get them on my computer. Also, I know I have been doing this a lot, but thank you again to the people who read my blog and offer their feedback to me. It is always great to hear that someone has been reading what you are writing and appreciates or is inspired by it. A few people have told me that they want to start their own blog but don't think they could keep it going for very long. It may sound corny but writing this has really inspired me to try new things and see new places. My posts aren't daily anymore, but in between posts I am always trying to find things I could write about and it really has made me realize not only how lucky I am to have the opportunities that I do, but also how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many people who love and care about me. The soccer game would not have been nearly as fun if I hadn't got to enjoy it with some really close friends of mine and Ice Age 3 just wouldn't have been the same without the company of my sister. So again, thank you very much for your feedback and I hope I can keep coming up with interesting things to write about! Any experiences that you would like to share, just let me know and I will definitely put them up here.

Out to enjoy this sunny, 80 degree weather!

Until next time...

Success!

Just returned from a little impromptu fishing trip to Maine yesterday and I can now officially call myself a fisherman! I went to visit my friend Mac who lives in Casco, Maine and we set out on a canoe to a new spot on the lake that he found where he had a lot of success earlier in the week. Within my first 5 casts I felt a bite, set the hook and reeled in a pickerel. I was very happy to have caught my first fish, but I really wanted to catch my first bass. Another 5 casts and there it was! As you can see it wasn't a huge one, but a bass nonetheless. I ended up catching one more bass before we headed back to shore and Mac pulled in about 7 bass altogether, including one that was pretty big, about 3 pounds. It was a great day with beautiful weather, a good friend and my first fish!

Also, my plan to take a road trip is starting to materialize and Mac said he thinks he can join me. We only have two definite stops as of now, New York City and Chicago. If anyone has suggestions for places to go, I would love to hear them.

Tomorrow, I am heading to Gilette Stadium to watch the Gold Cup soccer match between the U.S. and Haiti. I have never been to a professional soccer game before so I am really excited and the fact that I am going with a bunch of high school friends of mine makes it even better.

I am off to start working on my first law school assignment that I received in the mail yesterday, I can't believe I am going to be starting so soon. I am very nervous about starting but a good kind of nervous, let's call it nervous excitement. I will be sure to take some pictures at the game tomorrow and share them on here when I get the chance.

Until next time...

Let's Go, Cel-tics! Let's Go, Cel-tics!!

Yes!! The Celtics made their first big move of the offseason yesterday when they agreed in principle to a two year deal with none other than...Rasheed Wallace! Here is the ESPN video that will get you up to speed on the situation: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4307909

'Sheed is all but ours unless he pulls a "Hedo Turkoglu" on us and decides to unexpectedly sign with another team after agreeing to sign with us in principle. Hedo Turkoglu (formerly of the 2009 Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic) agreed in principle to a deal with the Portland Trailblazers, who were desperately seeking a big-time scorer who can create his own shots to work alongside the young core of strong players that they have in Brandon Roy, Greg Oden (whenever he's not injured) and LaMarcus Aldridge. At the last minute, however, Turkoglu re-negged on the deal and instead decided to sign of the Toronto Raptors.

The Turkoglu incident kicked off this year's offseason into fifth gear and the Celtics did not disappoint with aggressively pursuing and signing the 4-time NBA All-Star, Rasheed Wallace (his last all-star appearance coming in 2008). I am really excited about this move which seems to up the ante to the Lakers who just signed the explosive Ron Artest. Rasheed Wallace, who is known for his short temper (often a league leader in technical fouls), also comes with many years experience and playoff success with the Detroit Pistons. I really believe that 'Sheed will tone it down with the help of KG, The Truth and Ray Ray. 'Sheed's passion for winning will be a great addition to the Celtics next season, I can't wait to march back to the NBA Finals and take down the Lakers...their fans are starting to rival Yankees fans in my mind. Enough said.

So before I go, I wanted to show you some pictures of 'Sheed that will definitely fire you up if you consider yourself a C's fan.

And 'Sheed's alma-mater: The University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Until next time...

Fenway Tonight!

So right before I left to go fishing I hear from my friend Adam Choice, whose new blog I told you about in my earlier post today: http://princeofnpt.blogspot.com/. He told me he had an extra seat to the Sox game tonight, so it looks like I'll be catching the Sox live at the ballpark for the first time in this hopeful 2009 season. Thanks a lot, Choice and I'm starting to believe more in Karma...

...and no, I didn't catch anything today.

Until next time...

Seize the Day!

I hope this morning's sunshine is a reliable indicator of what the rest of this weekend is going to be like. So, remember last week when I told you I got my first ever fishing rod and I was hoping that I could do some serious work with it? Yeah, well I haven't caught any fish with it yet and it's really starting to get to me. I have been fishing Spot Pond in Stoneham, Mass., but today I am going to switch it up and head over to the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, Mass (shown above). As you can see there are 3 places that I can fish at this reservation. I think I am going to start of at the medium sized body of water in the middle, Silver Lake. I have read a few reviews of the fishing at this location and apparently there are bass (largemouth and smallmouth) to be had. I might try some new lures as well, but what it comes down to is the fact that today, I need to catch a fish. I mean, skills like this may come in handy real soon, since the constant rain seems to be signaling some sort of apocalypse. When that time comes, and if I survive, I'm going to need to know how to catch myself some dinner!

In other news, I have recently become addicted to the TV show, Lost. I have heard a lot of great reviews of the show from friends and since being stuck inside, have watched my share of movies so I figured this would be a welcomed change of pace. After watching the first episode, I was hooked. I really like the way there are multiple flashbacks and flash-forwards in the show which not only keep me engaged and interested in the unfolding, mysterious plot, but also each flashback tends to shed light on the personal history of a single character, what their life was like before the plane crash and what kind of personal baggage they have brought with them to the island. I am 5 episodes into the First Season and cannot wait to continue watching. If you have never seen this show, check it out on the next rainy day (probably later tonight...I'm not kidding, more thunderstorms in the forecast). You can watch full episodes for FREE, at: http://abc.go.com/, just click on "Free Episodes" and then "Lost," you can even watch them in HD!

Now, I have to post this video that I saw on another blog, that seriously had me laughing for quite some time. Watching this video once simply does not do it justice, you should watch it a few times to really appreciate how funny this man is and the hilarity of the dance moves that this guy is not only trying to pull off but successfully pulls off as he goes forward at a church service to give his offering.



My favorite parts of this video are his entrance to the front of the congregation, which is just simply magical. Also, starting at 0:09 seconds (you will definitely be able to pick out the part I am referring to) and then his extended exit back to the end of the line which starts at 0:44 seconds (when he finally deposits his offertory envelope) and continues until the end of the video. Black churches seem to always be the target of social mockery because of the preaching voices of their ministers and the verbal interaction that the congregation has with God as they participate in their service, but seriously what church would you rather go to? I'm not making any sweeping religious statements here at all, but I think most of us would rather go to a church that provided some kind of entertainment rather than just sitting the pews with our hands folded politely in our laps. This is what being happy to be alive is all about! Anyways, I just really enjoyed that video and thought I'd share it with you all.

Off to the great outdoors for me, but I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend and the weather can hold up for tomorrow, our great country's birthday. And before I go, another one of my good friends just started up his own blog recently so check it out: http://princeofnpt.blogspot.com! Adam and I played basketball at Colby together for the last 3 years and we played against each other in high school as well. He is a very talented basketball player and also a very bright individual.

Until next time...

Queen of the Week

This week's queen of the week is none other than....my beautiful little sister, Shayla. The picture to the right was taken from (www.challiance.org/locations/som_pedi.shtml) and is one of two pictures of Shayla that the company is using in a new advertising campaign. Another of Shayla's pictures is on display on a billboard in Inman Square in Somerville, Mass.

Shayla, who is 4 and a half years old, has always been a fan of the camera. Ever since she was little, she loved to have her picture taken and totally loves the attention. I remember when she was littler and I would aim a camera at her, even the camera on my phone and she would stop whatever it was she was doing and pose for a picture with her big, wide smile. She definitely knows that she is cute and hams it up whenever an opportune moment to be photographed strikes. My other little sister Safiya (pictured to the left), who just turned 2 this past March, was supposed to be in the picture with Shayla but didn't find the camera to be as intriguing as her older sister found it to be.

It has been very funny and interesting to watch Shayla and Safiya's relationship as sisters to grow into what it is today. When the news came that she would soon have a little sister, Shayla was very delighted and would always ask in excited anticipation when her new sister was coming. Shayla has been very good about sharing the spotlight, which she loved to have all to herself, and the two of them are inseperable. It is so funny how Safiya will do everything Shayla does no matter what. If Shayla takes of running, Safiya takes off behind her and although she is much slower, still runs as fast as she can, laughing the entire way to reach her sister.

Now that I am living back in Mass., I have gotten to go over to my Dad's house and see them much more often, which has been great. Shayla is getting to the age now where I can take her out to the movies and get to spend some quality time with her. Whenever I am around her, I cannot help but smile because she is just so cute and has brought a light into my life and continues to bring a great amount of joy to my life every day. I can't wait for the day when I can take both her and Safiya out for a day of fun, just the three of us. It warms my heart to know how much Shayla asks about me and how happy she is to see me every time we get to see each other. When I visited them on Father's Day, Shayla and Safiya ran over to the front door when they could sense that I was about to leave and sat in front of the door, refusing to let me go.

So this week's Queen of the Week is my sister, Shayla and I know in her 'thank you' speech she would mention her little sister, Safiya, as the "honorary Queen of the Week." I have gotten a view nominations for this weekly feature and I appreciate them very much, I already have the King/Queen of the week lined up for next week and it is a great one, for sure! Another quick 'thank you' for all of the positive feedback I have been receiving. It is always great to find out that one of my posts really hit home for somebody and that they appreciated it. Keep reading and tell your friends!

And, I'm sorry Red Sox Nation but I have to post this video, before I end this post. I stopped watching the game last night after the Sox were up 4-0 and looked like they had the game in complete control. I was sadly, sadly mistaken. The only reason I am posting this is because today the Sox had a comeback win of their own of the Orioles, beating them 6-5 in 11 innings. Helps to ease the pain, just a little.

Until next time...

Rest in Peace, Ian Andrew Greenblatt

Today, instead of writing a traditional post, I would like to take the opportunity to publicly pay tribute to one of my dear friends who is no longer with us.

Yesterday, June 28th marked the 5-year anniversary of one of the saddest days of my life. On June 28th, 2004, Ian Andrew Greenblatt (pictured above) was killed in a car accident in New York City. Ian had just graduated from my high school, The Rivers School, with the Class of 2004. I played soccer with Ian for 3 years while at Rivers, and year after year we grew closer as friends. I always viewed Ian as somewhat of a mentor. Not only was Ian a year older than I was, but he embodied many personal traits that I myself wanted to make a part of my character. Ian's personality blended selflessness, integrity, compassion, humor, honesty, and genuine kindness. I have memories of Ian making our whole team laugh with his hilarious stories, and I also remember more serious moments in which he would give me advice about anything from girls to school to general life lessons. Ian carried himself with the utmost dignity and pride and his character was a magnetic one that people just gravitated toward. Ian's smile and laugh would light up an entire room and it was simply impossible not to laugh after hearing him explode into fits of laughter that sometimes would last what felt like forever.

It blows my mind that it has been 5 years since Ian passed, it seems like it was just yesterday that we were running around on the soccer field together with the rest of the team. Not a day goes by when I don't think about Ian. He was a simply extraordinary person who had a great impact on my life and his memory continues to leave its lasting impression on me each and every day. He affected so many people's lives in a positive way while he was with us and has changed the way that I live my life today. I appreciate every day that I have on this earth now more than ever, and know that he is looking down on us all with his glowing smile. I love you Ian, and miss you every day. May you continue to rest in peace.

Until next time...

Happy Weekend

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I just bought my first fishing rod today and hopefully it gets to see some action while the weather is nice today. On Monday I will be posting the next "King of the Week" if I am able to obtain certain videos that I am in the process of rounding up. The next "King of the Week" feature will be a very funny one, so make sure to check out Life of Lemmons, I promise it will get your week off to an uplifting start!

Also, just wanted to extend a quick "thank you" to the people who have given me feedback so far, it is really helpful and very encouraging to hear that people enjoy what I am writing.

Until next time...

Second Chances

Yesterday evening when I saw the breaking news about the shocking and unexpected death of "The King of Pop," Michael Jackson, I headed to my computer to write an impromptu post and share my thoughts and feelings on the late breaking news. Instead, I decided to wait until this morning in order to sort out all of my thoughts and hopefully be able to express my views more clearly. Compared to all the other reactions I have been hearing, I must say that mine is a bit unorthodox, and even though I might get some flak for this, it is my honest perspective.

In order to fully understand the perspective that I have on this issue, please keep in mind that I was born in 1986, and even though I am obviously familiar with Michael Jackson's incredible body of work as a musical artist, he was essentially not an artist of my time. I did not "grow up" on his music. As one more precautionary foreword, I want to just say upfront that I do feel for his family and the people in his life who were close to him. He truly did revolutionize music and in doing so captured the ears and hearts and dancing feet of countless millions across the globe. While thinking about his suprising death at the age of 50, I started thinking about its implications on a larger scale.

To all the Jackson faithful, I apologize in advance but I simply cannot bring myself to ignore the fact that the latter stages of "The King of Pop's," life were mired with despicable events such as allegations of child molestation. In December 2003, Jackson was charged with 7 counts of child molestation and 2 counts of "administering a toxic agent for the purpose of committing a felony." Since I honestly can't say that I am extremely knowledgeable about all of the legal actions that surrounded him, I don't want to dwell on this fact, but his latter life does prove two things in my mind.

First, for my generation and all of the following that did not grow up seeing Jackson in the mainstream, contemporary media as a positive musical icon, his character and celebrity will be forever tainted. I don't care what anybody says, it takes a twisted individual to even be accused of the crimes that he was charged with committing. No matter how innovative and industry-changing his music was, in my mind (and I'm sure many others) the first thing that I will think about when I hear the name Michael Jackson is a man who became involved in lewd conduct and sexual relations with young boys. I know everyone loves the guy, and this fact seems sad to me even as I write it, but I hope you understand where I am coming from. Yes, I appreciate his music. Yes, he was loved and will still be loved by his millions of fans worldwide. Yes, he will forever be the "King of Pop." But I will never be able to seperate the struggles in his personal life from his achievements as an entertainer. None of you built this character. He made his own mistakes. Repeatedly.

This brings me to my second point. We clearly live in a society that values the "second chance." It must be very hard to live in the national and international spotlight, just think of all of the celebrities and athletes who engaged in scandalous affairs. I won't go into their individual stories but here are a view that come to mind for me:

Kobe Bryant holding a press conference after allegations that he sexually assaulted a 19 year-old hotel worker. His case was settled outside of court, but he did admit to adultery. Maybe that is why he bought his wife a $4 million dollar diamond ring in light of the allegations?

Barry Bonds' career and many of his records have been under close scrutiny after suspicions that Bonds took performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) toward the end of his career in order to stay healthy and increase physical strength. Bonds currently holds the all-time home-run record in Major League Baseball, one of the most coveted and revered records in all of sports.

After committing adultery with a 22 year-old intern, Monica Lewinsky, Clinton was formally impeached on the grounds of perjury after he lied about his affair in court by adamantly denying the allegations.

Michael Vick, the uber athletic Atlanta Falcons quarterback, was charged with running an interstate dog-fighting ring. Vick was recently released from prison after serving his term and is currently working to be re-instated into the National Football League by hard-nosed commissioner, Roger Goodell who is known for his staunch stance as a committed disciplinarian.

I'm sure you can think of many more people who crumbled before our eyes in the bright light of the public spotlight. It is interesting to me who gets a second chance, a chance for redemption in the public eye and who is forever outcast. It is important to remember that these people are human beings, just like us. So it would lead me to infer that the actions that we take everyday affect the image and character that the people around us build of us.

In closing, I just want to say that I feel sorrow for the loss of such a public icon. He taught so many people so many things and even in his death taught me (or at least re-emphasized) that our personal character and integrity are two of the only things in our lives that we have complete control of and therefore must be regarded as having the utmost personal importance.

Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson 1958-2009.

Until next time...

Is That?...No, Couldn't Be!...The Sun?!

For the first time in about two weeks, Bostonians woke from their slumbers and were greeted not by the pitter patter of rain hitting their bedroom windows but instead by glimmers of sunshine that passed through the hazy clouds above. Listen, it may not be a perfect day, but what we have today is a start. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

So before I dive into my first ever movie review here on "The Life of Lemmons" I wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to the U.S. Men's Soccer team. Yesterday, the U.S. team faced the number 1 ranked team in the world, Spain, in a semi-final match of the FIFA Confederations Cup. The United States limped into the semi-final match after barely making it out of pool play after losing to Italy and Brazil. Spain was not the number 1 ranked team in the world by any mistake and their position atop the world's soccer kingdom caused no controversy. Before yesterday's 2-0 loss to the U.S., Spain had been unbeaten in their last 35 matches, their last lost coming in 2006. Nineteen year-old, Jozy Altidore scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the 25th minute, and veteran striker, Clint Dempsey added an insurance goal in the 73rd minute of the contest. The U.S. team will move onto the Confederations Cup Final and face the winner of the match between South Africa and Brazil that will be on ESPN today at 2:25pm (Eastern time).

Now, I would be lying to you if I told you that I am an avid follower of soccer in general, but I have been following the FIFA Confederations Cup and definitely watch the World Cup. No matter how much soccer you watch, even if you don't like soccer at all, this is the kind of victory that should make us all proud. Spain did not play poorly and therefore lose the game to the U.S. yesterday. The U.S. outplayed, out-worked, and executed better than Spain. The U.S. players were wearing their hearts on their sleeves and the determination they showed was truly remarkable. Good Luck to the U.S. team in the Final match against either Brazil or South Africa this coming Sunday afternoon.

Last night I got to go see Transformers with some friends of mine. I have been itching to see this movie since the first time I saw the trailer which was back in the late winter/early spring. We went to the Boston Common movie theater, and our tickets were for the 8:30 show. Deciding to be on the safe side, we got there around 7:30 and were told to wait in the line. We were one of the first groups of people in line and as it got closer to showtime the line got huge, or as a true Bostonian would say: "wicked long!" This was one of those amusement park lines that snakes back and forth and once that was full, the line extended past the snack bar and almost out the side door. We managed to get great seats, right in the middle and then watched as the entire theater filled up, a sell-out. It was clear the anticipation was high...

This 2 and half hour movie held my attention for the entire duration. I can't count the number of explosions, battles, chase scenes, and majestic panoramic shots of some of the world's most beautiful places. What the movie lacks in substance, it more than makes up with unbelievable special effects. There was also a good amount of comedic content in the film that had the whole theater laughing out loud in various points in the movie. If you are like me and you go into the movie just looking to be entertained and not really expecting a real storyline or substantive plot, you will be very satisfied. If you are looking for a deep plot and an intricate storyline, why would you be going to see Transformers in the first place, right? Oh, and did you really think I wasn't going to seize this opportunity to put another picture of Megan Fox in here? This is a screenshot from the new movie and you will just have to see it for yourself in order to get some context. Who am I kidding? there is no context... just enjoy (Sorry, Mom).

Overall, I give Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you appreciate great special effects and the occasional laugh, but don't mind just sitting back and mindlessly consuming the images on screen, this movie is for you! If any of you see it, post a comment and let me know what you thought of it.

I hope everyone has a chance to get outside and enjoy some of this real summer weather today.

Until next time...

Finding Inspiration

Not even worth saying what the weather is like today. The only thing worth repeating on this topic is that this is just ridiculous. It's June. C'mon, Mother Nature, throw us a bone here.

Today, I got around to watching the movie 3:10 to Yuma. It's a pretty entertaining Western re-make starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Honestly, I didn't love the movie, but about 45 minutes into the movie, one of the characters said something that stood out for me and caused me to start thinking. One of the less important characters, Glen Hollander, says: "Sometimes a man has to be big enough to see how small he is." This is the perfect example of how sometimes in life it is possible to receive inspiration from strange places.

I believe that since we are all different people, we interpret everything we encounter in life differently. This quote may mean something totally different for two different people. I have always found this truth to be fascinating. For me, this quote stresses the importance of certain values and moral ideals that we should all strive to uphold. The first value I feel this quote promotes is humility. At certain times in our lives it becomes easy to get caught up in the events occuring in our own personal bubble and when this happens we tend to forget our true place in the world we live in. Think about how much more of a pleasant place our world would be if instead of putting our own goals and agendas in the forefront of our minds, we took the time to take a step back and begin to think about what would be best for the greater good. Individually, we all may just be tiny pieces of the puzzle, but together, can't you just imagine the world we could be living in?

The second layer of meaning that this quote possesses for me is actually found in challenging the objective statement that is being made and thinking about the other side of the argument. Yes, we are all relatively small, and it is healthy to be able to admit this fact, but when you take the time to think about how much each of us are actually capable of contributing to society in so many different ways, we as individuals and the potential impact of our actions do not seem quite so small. A personal anecdote that is relative to this thought is that this summer I have taken up running as a way of exercising and continuing to engage in my love for athletic activities. Another item on my "bucket list" for this summer is to run a road race on behalf of a charitable organization. I haven't done much research into which race I would like to run or for what charity I will be running it for, but I think this is both a reasonable and rewarding goal that I can strive for.

That is the one thing that always amazed me about the student population at Colby. For the most part, the kids at Colby really cared about the communities that they lived in and realized the value of giving back to those communities. Whether it be by participating in the Colby Cares About Kids (CCAK) program, the Colby Volunteer Center, the Colby Environmental Coalition or the annual Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society, kids found a way to actively participate in their community and contribute in a positive manner to the greater good. Their work not only directly helped countless individuals, but also indirectly inspired countless others to get involved.

On a lighter note, I have 2 great videos to show you guys today. The first, I knew I had to put up on my blog the second I opened my eyes this morning. I can't quite remember what my dream was about last night, but I know it was about basketball and this play was the first conscious thought that was processed by my mind when I woke up. The video shows Allen Iverson executing his infamous crossover dribble move during his rookie year against the best player of all time, Michael Jordan. In order to avoid the consequences that will surely come from this blasphemous video, I will be sure to post my favorite Michael Jordan moment on the blog tomorrow. But in the mean time, enjoy!:




The second video I wanted to post today is the trailer for the new movie that I am dying to see, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Besides the simple fact that Megan Fox is starring in this movie, (here she is if you are not familiar with her. Her looks are simply unfair):

I loved the first Transformers movie and by the looks of this trailer, the second installment will surely not disappoint. I could not embed the trailer in the blog, but here is the link to the video on Youtube. Make sure you enjoy it in High Quality and Fullscreen in order to get the full effect! Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCHdvJyDlS0


Until next time...

Blame It On The Rain

In honor of yet another dreary, rainy day here in Boston, and because the Red Sox have the day off today and we all need to get our daily Red Sox fix somehow, here is a video from the 2008 season. If you haven't seen it before, it is a re-make of Milli Vanilli's "Blame it on the Rain" performed by Red Sox Closer Jonathan Papelbon and hometown favorite relief pitcher, Manny Delcarmen. This video was shown on the huge television in center field at Fenway during a rain delay between the Sox and the Cardinals last season and became a rain delay tradition for the remainder of the season. Funny video, yet another reason why I love the Red Sox.

Today was a pretty uneventful one for me. I woke up at 5am because my best friend, Sean, needed a ride to Logan airport. I have gotten the chance to see Sean a lot so far this summer, which has been awesome. Sean, along with many of my other friends from high school, have been around the city this summer and it has been nice to get to see all of them on a regular basis now that we all have four years of college in different places under our belts. I'm sure we will continue to hang out this summer and I can't wait for all of the funny new stories and experiences that we will share together.

One thing I have my mind set on this summer is to go on a road trip. I don't have a particular destination in mind, but I really want to just get in the car with some friends and head out to do some exploring. If any of you have gone on a road trip before, please contact me and give me some ideas for places to venture to. Road trip destinations and stories are both welcome, and if I get a good response I will post some of the stories here on the blog for everyone else to read (you can remain anonymous if you would like!)

I did hear some good news today coming from the "make some money" front. Starting immediately I am going to be promoting parties for NoNameNightlife/Top Shelf Entertainment. The first party that I will be promoting is taking place this Friday night at Hurricane O'Reilly's. Hurricane O'Reilly's is located on Canal St, a stone's throw away from the TD Banknorth Garden and a short walk from Faneuil Hall. The cover to get in is $10, but if you contact me before Friday night, I can put you on my guest list and you will be able to get in for $5 before 11:30. The best part about the job is that once I submit my guest list for the night, I am free to party and hang out with whoever shows up, so it's a win-win for everyone! More details are sure to come and I will keep updating this post as I get them, please don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested in attending so I can get your name on the list.

One addition that I would really like to make to my blog is more dialogue between both myself and the readers as well between readers. What better way to stimulate some conversation than a "Would You Rather" question?! Please, vote in the poll and add a comment to this post defending why you chose the option you did. Vote on today's question using the poll located on the right hand side of the blog!

Lastly, here are some good tracks that I have been playing a good deal for the past few days:

Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling

Rick Ross feat. The Dream- All I Really Want

The Alchemist- Hold You Down

Until next time...

First Day of Summer

Don't let the weather fool you, today is officially the first day of summer. I love everything about summer. Grilled food, basketball shorts, Red Sox baseball, long days at the beach, warm breezy nights, outdoor adventures and of course, coronas with limes.

What makes summer really special for me though, is the feeling of Boston during these warm months. Boston is dear to my heart year-round, but something about the summer months brings out the best in Bostonians. The weather clearly contributes to the fact that everyone is seemingly in a much better mood than at any other time in the year, but the energy that I feel walking around in Boston on summer days is truly uncanny and frankly, I don't have the words to adequately convey the city's spirit.

Today is also Father's Day (hope you guys remembered)! This holiday has always been a bittersweet one in my life because of my personal history, but this year's Father's Day came with some personal revelations. No matter what relationship we have with our fathers, whether we have known them and been close to them our entire lives, are in the process of building a strong relationship with them, do not have a father figure in our lives at all, or have had a father pass away, it is important to keep everything in perspective and be thankful for what it is that we do have. If you have lived your whole life with a father alongside, be thankful for the special relationship that you share with him. If you are in the process of mending a not-so-smooth relationship with your father, be thankful that life has given you this opportunity to make up for lost time. If you have never known or been close to your father, be thankful for the other people in your life who have helped guide you through troubled times, congratulate you on your successes, pick you up after your defeats, encourage you in your ambitions, and ultimately play a large role in influencing the personal character that you embody. If your father has passed on beyond this life, take today to remember your father. All the good times you shared together, all the smiles and tears that you have shared, and all of the lessons that he taught you, which you still hold dear to your heart. Remember him with happiness and joy. All of our life experiences are different, but what we all have in common on this day is someone to be thankful for. Make sure they know how important they are in your life, because chances are you are just as important in theirs.

On a completely unrelated note, I hope that whoever has been reading this new blog of mine has taken my advice and listened to some of the music of Rumorz, this week's King of the Week. Remember, please let me know if you would like to nominate anyone for next week's feature. Either e-mail me at clemmons@colby.edu or call/text/facebook message me with your nomination.

Before I go, here's another blog for you guys to check out: http://natureslastson.blogspot.com/. This is the blog, written by a best friend and roommate of mine for the past three years, is the one that inspired me to begin writing my own blog. His blog is especially fitting for today, the first day of summer, because it focuses on the beauties of nature, especially those that can be enjoyed as summer has finally come back around.

Until next time...

King of the Week

Goodmorning, everyone! Rain has been in the forecast for about the past week, but the first thing I saw this morning when I came downstairs to get a cup of coffee was the sun shining brightly into our family room, let's hope it stays out and we get a summer day for once!

Today is one of those days that you go to bed the night before already excited to wake up the next morning. You've all had those, or at least I hope you have. Later this afternoon I am going to a graduation party for one of my good friends from Colby. There are going to be lots of people there, many of whom I have become very close with over the past four years and this will be the first time I have seen them since graduation. Really, it will be the first time I've seen them since Senior Week since graduation was such a whirlwind I'm sure for everybody. Her friends from her hometown will also be there and I look forward to meeting them and having a great time tonight, which I know will be the case. I will post pictures of the party (PG ones, of course...maybe PG-13 if they are funny enough) sometime next week when I get a hold of them.

Today on my blog, I want to introduce a weekly feature that I will be putting in my blog from now on called "King of the Week" or "Queen of the Week." This person will be someone who I feel deserves to be featured for any reason. This person could be someone I know personally or somebody that I do not know personally. Feel free to contact me throughout the week with nominations for people who you think should be considered for my weekly feature, this could be a fun way to meet and learn about all kinds of interesting people, so please contribute!

This week's King of the Week is a friend of mine who I met many summers ago (can't even remember how old we were but I want to say around 8th grade). Greg Perry, also known as Rumorz, has been recording his music for years and his set of musical and lyrical skills are truly remarkable. Rumorz released his first album entitled: The Whisper Campaign in 2006 and has just recently released his second mainstream album called: Crocodile Tears.

Rumorz is a Boston born and raised rapper and his lyrics are truly astonishing. The way he incorporates metaphors, important political messages, and funny jabs in his lyrics is revolutionary and his sound stays true to the core elements of hip-hop music. I can talk about Rumorz all I want, but what you really need to do is check out his music for yourself. You can listen to his new album Crocodile Tears on his blog page: http://souledoutshow.blogspot.com/. You can also check out his Myspace page to learn more about Rumorz and the type of music that influences his work at: http://www.myspace.com/RumorzMusic. His first album, The Whisper Campaign is available in it's entirety on iTunes, just search for Rumorz. The album is $9.99 and I promise you that you will not be disappointed. The album features club tracks like "If You Wanna Ride" and "Bouncin'." He also displays his amazing skill on the track "Game Set Match" and ends the album with my personal favorite, "My Thoughts" which infuses his soul with a catchy beat and incredible lyrics.

Congratulations to the first King of the Week, Rumorz! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check him out. One more bit of homework: if any of you know someone who has a special talent or you feel should be considered for this weekly feature contact me and fill me in, I would love to hear!

From my favorite Rumorz track, "My Thoughts":

"Listen when I serve this: how you gonna tell me, that I
dont deserve this? That
I didn't earn this? My flow's not burnin or chillin'
in a furnace? Sh*t's
not smokin' like freshly popped burnas? I'm just bein'
honest, high off the
ganja, all I got's my honor, Rumorz in the drama,
Rumorz is a monsta,
similar to Loch Ness, I got this, locked, and you
couldn't have it locked less."
Rumorz, The Whisper Campaign.

Until next time...