New Jersey - Ethnic Minorities

This map is from the latest NJEA (New Jersey Educator's Association) magazine showing the counties of our great Garden State by ethnic minority percentage. Surprising numbers.

Welcome Back!

We are the New York Knicks! We are the New York Knicks! Say “Go New York, Go New York, Go!” “Go New York, Go New York, Go!”

Ok, enough of that song, but what a difference a year makes. I feel bad about bashing the Knicks all pre-season and stating that I was going to leave them. This may be presumptuous, especially with the Celtics and Heat coming to town, but it looks like the Knicks have turned things around. The Knicks are currently 16-9 and have won 13 out of their last 14 and are on an eight game winning streak. The Knicks are currently tied for 5th place in the eastern conference. Granted, the Knicks have had the easiest strength of schedule in the league thus far, but it’s still an accomplishment. So, all former Knick fans that have been in hidings the past 10 years, it’s safe to return. Let’s examine why the Knicks are finally a basketball team again and all the pleasant surprises thus far.

Amare Stoudamire! Need I say more? Ok, I will. For those who haven’t noticed, he’s had eight 30 plus point games which breaks a franchise record. Before coming to the Knicks I thought Amare was a one dimensional player. A great finisher and not much else. I didn’t know if he was a max-contract guy. I really didn’t know Amare was so versatile, but he really can create his own shot. I don’t know if Amare was always this good, or if he has matured. The main thing Amare gives the Knicks is leadership. The Knicks finally have a likeable vocal leader for the team and he’s the real deal. He really is worth all the hype.

They have a real point guard. I didn’t know much about Raymond Felton at the start of the season. I figured he was a mediocre point guard. But, Felton is good. Felton can break down defenses and controls the pace of the game. Felton is averaging 18.4 points 8.7 assists and 2 steals per night.

Also, Wilson Chandler is showing healthy development and proving to be legit scorer averaging 17.3 per game. He also grabs 6 rebounds a night. He has increased his scoring every year in the league. Chandler is way ahead of most of his peers in his development being in his 3rd year.

But, the biggest surprise has been Landry Fields. You don’t normally expect much out of a mid second-round rookie, especially in a mediocre draft class, but Fields is proving the teams that passed him over wrong. He is a great rebounder from the 2 position and is leading the league in that department at 7.6 per night. Also, since Amare has been starting at center, it helps to have a 2 that can rebound. Plus, he can score, averaging 10.2. Fields does the little things that help you win games. I would feel comfortable saying he will be on the all-rookie team.

Now, we should point out the not so positives. Gallinari has been solid, but has not shown mass improvement since last season. Sure, he is getting to the line more and making more foul shots, but he really has not found his role yet. Also, Anthony Randolph has not been integrated into the team at all. Mozgov has not proven to be a diamond in the rough yet, but he still has plenty of time.

But, all the negatives aside, Knicks fans can smile again. I don’t think any Knicks fans can say that they are competing for a title yet, but the foundation is there. Also, Melo recently stated that he will only sign a contract extension with NY. Imagine this same team plus Melo. In addition to all these positives, Eddy “Sandman” Curry is finally coming off the books at the end of the season. Thank god! The future looks bright after ten years wandering around a dark tunnel. So, if any Knicks fans see Isiah Thomas hanging around the Garden, run him out of town. Walsh and D’Antoni have assembled a respectable team, and for many, you can turn on MSG again and not get sick to your stomach watching basketball.

Can I Have My Vote Back?

In case you’re living under a rock and haven’t heard, Obama sold out again! Obama is agreeing to the Bush-tax-cuts for the wealthy. In essence, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell just bent Obama like he was Marcellus Wallace and they were the two hicks in the basement of that music store. In related news, right now, Obama’s doing a re-enactment of that scene in Animal House when Kevin Bacon is being paddled and asking, “Thank you sir, may I have another?”

I know some Democrats are going to say, “Well this was the only way to extend middle class tax cuts, and unemployment benefits.” If that is your position, need I remind of Obama’s 2008 platform? Obama used the sound bite, “The bush’s tax cuts only benefit the top 1% of Americans” one million times. I agreed with Obama that the tax cuts were ridiculous but even I got sick of hearing it over and over. Not only was Obama opposed to tax cuts for the wealthy, but it was his entire platform to get into office. Now, he extended those cuts, for two more years!

I really can’t get over this. I guess since Obama has been in office he is trying to win over some Republicans. Well Mr. President, if that is your position let me let you on a secret; the Republicans are never going to accept you. No matter your position on an issue, they will take the opposite side. We know Obama doesn’t support their position on this issue, as he admitted that he “regretfully agrees” to this. He caves on his beliefs like always to a side that will never accept him. If this was Bush and Cheney, and they had Obama’s beliefs, you can bet your ass they would never have agreed to this tax plan.

Obama has to be the worst negotiator in history. He starts with a position; let’s say for example, a single payer option for health care. He meets with the other side and they say things that are completely ridiculous like, “You’re going to create death panels.” You know, shit they pull right out of their ass. Obama then asks them what they want. Obama then gives into the most reasonable position on their side. Then, when there is backlash, they blame Obama for the plan and he accepts the criticism. You know that in 2012, the Republicans are going to blame Obama for having a bad tax plan, despite that plan being theirs and he will take the “L” on it.

Like Chris Rock said about Michael Jackson “I’m handing in my glove!” I hope the Dems put up somebody decent in 2012 to vote for, because this is it. This is the straw that broke my back. Oh Howard Dean, where art thou?

The Amazing Flying Rat

I hate birds! And for those who know me, you know I hate the pigeon more than any other bird. This hatred stems from a traumatic childhood experience, and to this day I have a hatred and fear of pigeons, which extends to all birds. I don’t see any difference between the pigeon and the rat; expect the pigeon can fly, making them worse than rats. Now that I’ve stated my bias, I have to throw this thought out there. I can not fathom why anybody feeds wild pigeons!

I have seen many people in Boston, New York, and other areas feeding wild pigeons on the street. I see people typically feeding bread crumbs, but in some instances other food, to pigeons. I’m trying to understand why someone would buy food and feed it to a wild animal, especially an animal that is dirty and carries disease. I see the activity of buying bread, standing outside, and throwing the food around equivalent to buying a bag of chips, and then standing in my alley and throwing them towards are a group of rats. If I fed rats, most people would call me crazy because I would be supporting a population of a dirty, disease carrying pest. So, why do people view the act of feeding pigeons differently?

Pigeons are dirty, smell bad, and carry disease. If you don’t believe me, read this. Plus, no one can dispute that pigeons shit all over the place.

So why would anyone want to encourage and support a population of disease ridden, shit taking, disgusting animals? What does one gain by standing outside and throwing bread crumbs or food to pigeons? This action of feeding the birds causes the birds to flock to where the food is thrown, fight over the food, and then fly overhead, at which time you run the risk of one of them shitting on you. The best case scenario of feeding a pigeon is you don’t get shit on. The worst case, a pigeon flies on you, you get a terrible disease and die.

Unless you’re crazy, you should not feed pigeons. If someone is genuinely crazy it may be understandable that they would feed pigeons, if they are not able to reason. But, if you are not crazy, and have the ability to reason, there is no rational justification one can provide to feeding pigeons. If you’re not concerned about the disease the birds carry, think about the rest of us who are concerned.

I’m employing all of you who read this blog to spread the word… Stop feeding the fucking pigeons!

I Can’t Figure Them Out!

The Giants crushed The Redskins last night 31-7. The G-Men now stand at 8-4 tied with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC East. The season has been strange for the G-Men. The Giants have ridden a roller coaster this season, and I can’t figure out if this team is for real.

The expectation prior to the start of this season was not great. Most power ranking had the Giants at the middle of the pack and most people predicted the G-Men finishing around 8-8. I agreed with that prediction. The season started out bad. After two losses in the second and third week the Giants feel to 1-2. Many were calling for Coughlin’s head and questions began about who would be in the Giants locker-room at the end of the season. Jacobs got so frustrated during a game that he threw his helmet in the stands!

Then, the Giants figured things out. They rattled off five straight wins. Analysts and announcers were hailing the Giants as the best in the NFC and perhaps the best in the NFL. Ahmad Bradshaw was emerging as a premiere running back in the league. But, I think it was the Giants D, particularly the pass rush that was so great during this winning streak. The Giants were knocking out Quarterbacks like Mike Tyson at the beginning of his career. Two great knockouts were when the Giants knocked out Cutler, and then took out Romo for the season. Simply stated, the Giants D seemed scary.

But, then came two bad Divisional losses. The first loss was terrible! The Giants got pounded by a 1-7 Cowboys team after a coaching change. Then, the Giants lost another close Divisional game to the Eagles. Bradshaw seemed to be fumbling the ball every other play and looked like Tiki Barber early is his career. The defensive was not imposing and the Giants looked like they were exposed as frauds. The Giants were 6-4.

Now, the past two weeks the Giants look great again. The Giants beat the Jaguars and trounced the Redskins.

It’s been a strange season in that there don’t appear to be any dominant teams, especially in the NFC. The Eagles looks tough but certainly beatable. The Falcons have the NFC’s best record but most are not sold on them. The Bears are 9-3 but have looked bad at various points in the season. The Saints look good but great. At this time last season the Saints and Colts were both on the verge of undefeated seasons. The Saints were easily the class of the NFC and the Colts the AFC. This season, who knows? Because of the uncertainty of who’s top dog, I would not be surprised about anything that happens for the remainder of the season. I could see the G-Men getting housed coming down the stretch of the season and not making the playoffs. I could just as easily see the G-Men making a magical run to the Super Bowl. I hope it’s the latter.

Gold Speaks

This YouTube clip was recently unearthed by BotG, profilic blogger of Hobo Con Queso.

This is friend-of-the-blog Gold speaking at Harvest Fest in Wisconsin about marijuana policy reform some time ago.  Gold has pushed for reform in this area for a long time, and I believe I speak for the co-authors when I say that we endorse Gold's views in this area.  Listen to Gold speak below:

UPDATE (12/7/2010): You can also see two more views of his speech! (Thanks, BotG) - Here and here

Losing Touch with Maynod

Ok, so Maynod is just an alias for an old friend of mine, and all eight people who read this blog will figure out quickly who Maynod is. Maynod Nailcub, was a good friend of mine and my college roommate at Rutgers. We were very close, and now, we don’t talk at all. People come and go, in and out of your life, but losing touch with Maynod was very strange for me. Losing touch with Maynod has been very complex.

I met Maynod my first semester at Rutgers. Maynod did not blow me away in my first meeting with him. My first semester at Rutgers I lived with Maynod, my brother Walt Clyde, and a friend/acquaintance of Walt. Maynod, Walt and I met in the New Brunswick area prior to the beginning of the semester to get to know each other, and also talk about living together. I guess at the time, I was a little overwhelmed with moving away from home for the first time, so in my meeting with Maynod, I had more anxiety about being away from home, than I was concerned about connecting or getting to know Maynod.

My initial impression was that Maynod seemed a little strange, a Kramer (from Seinfeld) type. Maynod was Middle Eastern and had a bizarre appearance to me. He introduced himself by his nickname, and then quickly explained that his nickname was not connected to his male anatomy at all. Maynod seemed very eager, full of life, and borderline hyperactive. I was little concerned that we would not connect well, coming from two different backgrounds and personality styles.

However, when I started living with Maynod, we clicked right away. My brother Walt was very involved with his soon to be wife, and it wasn’t long after living with Walt that he spent majority of his time and his future wife’s dorm room. Our other roommate was very strange, was into ballroom dancing, and also kid of a mooch. He didn’t have any money, and was always grubbing. Maynod and I bonded over our dislike for the other roommate.

I found that Maynod and I had similar interests. Maynod and I both liked playing the same video games and we both smoked at the time. Maynod and I became friends with the girls who lived across the hall. Maynod introduced me to his friends that he had met in previous semesters, like Little Danny and Solo. I latched onto this group and we all became friends. I maintained a close friendship with Maynod, my best friend at Rutgers, until I graduated.

Over my time at Rutgers with Maynod, I had introduced him to various friends and acquaintances from my hometown of Teaneck. Maynod became friends with my friends from home. Two friends that Maynod grew particularly close with were my best friend Gold and Notorious LJT from Where’s Luke fame. Maynod also grew pretty close with everyone from my family. Throughout our time at Rutgers, and after graduation Maynod would remark how he felt that there was a bond between us that made us like “brothers.”

Maynod is smart and has a gift for gab. I think it is fair to say Maynod is charismatic. Maynod was an engineering major and landed a job at a big construction company after graduation. I began working in social services for the State of New Jersey. My best friend from home, Gold, who went to school in Wisconsin, moved back to the tri-state area and was working for the Quakers. Not wanting to live at home for a long time, I suggested to Maynod and Gold that we live together. Maynod was dating one of the girls that we met at Rutgers who had lived across the hall. Maynod, Gold, and I moved to Hoboken in the fall of 2002.

While living in Hoboken, Maynod professed to me several times that he really enjoyed working for corporate America. Maynod stated that he loved the company he was working for, but desired “more” out of life than engineering. After doing research, Maynod stated that he was going to be back to school to get his M.B.A.

Maynod moved away to upstate New York in 2004 to get his M.B.A. This is when I first started to lose touch with Maynod. Maynod and I would talk sporadically and less frequently than we ever had. LJT and Maynod seemed to be growing somewhat closer. LJT and I visited Maynod at his graduate school. For the first time, I felt there was a disconnect between Maynod and I. Maynod was still dating the girl from home, but also had engaged in a new relationship at school. LJT and I remarked to each other that it didn’t appear kosher. Maynod also appeared more career driven than ever before.

Upon graduation from his M.B.A program, Maynod landed a good job at a big corporation. Maynod became even more distant from everybody except, perhaps, LJT. Despite our growing disconnect, Maynod joined me and my family at Cape Cod in the summer of 2006 and we attended Side Bar’s wedding at Cape Cod. Maynod and I hung out most of the night and it appeared that our friendship had picked up where we once left off. Maynod visited me at my new apartment in Hackensack for a card game several months after the wedding.

However, there was still a growing divide between Maynod and the Teaneck crew. Maynod did not return calls from me, Gold, LJT and also from several of my Rutgers friends. It appeared that Maynod was intentionally distancing himself from his old friends.

The big incident that changed than course of our friendship came in 2007. Maynod had met a girl at his job working for his new big corporation. Maynod professed that he was doing very well at work and becoming a major player. Maynod stated that the woman that he met was also a big player in the organization. Maynod got engaged shortly after meeting her. Although Maynod stated that he wanted all his friends to meet his new partner, and attend their wedding, there was something amiss. Then, I got a call from LJT that Maynod had sent him a wedding invitation, in Maynod’s home country in the Middle East. LJT called me to inquire as to whether I would attend the wedding. I informed LJT that I not received an invitation yet. And, as it turns out, I never did receive an invitation!

I was very hurt that not only did Maynod not invite me to his wedding, but had invited someone that I introduced him to. I speculated why Maynod did not invite me. I reflected and felt that perhaps Maynod felt closer to LJT, or maybe Maynod felt that LJT was a better business connection. In the end, I never got an answer.

I waited several months and then tried calling Maynod. Maynod did not return the call. Then, in 2008, after a night of heavy drinking with LJT, Gold and other people from Teaneck, we called Maynod. We took turns leaving him inappropriate and mean messages. I guess it was official that the Teaneck crew and Maynod were broken up at that point.

To this day I have not spoken with Maynod. I have spoken individually with LJT and Gold about showing up at Maynod’s place of residence and inquiring why he has not called anyone back in three years. Although we concluded that showing up at Maynod’s house is borderline stalkerish, we speculated as to Maynod’s reaction. Would he not answer the door? Would he try and weasel out an excuse like he lost his phone which included the contact information for everyone he knew? We also joked that we should go to Maynod’s house in disguise to surprise him, like a Groucho Marx fake nose and glasses.

In any event, like a bad breakup with a girlfriend, I still want to know what happened between Maynod and I. What changed for Maynod? Does he feel bad that he never invited me to his wedding and did not know how to handle the situation after that? Does he feel that to move up in the corporate world, he needs to only be friends with people who work for corporations? I’m still left with more questions than answers and don’t have any closure to my relationship with Maynod.