One Week to go!

As I sit here on this beautiful fall Sunday evening I can't help but wonder about how I will feel this same time next week. For those of you who are unaware next Sunday will be Marathon Sunday and my five months of training and commitmentwill be coming to a head.

I am not sure how this crazy journey started, all I now is that I have been telling Mrs Green for about ten years that i was going to run the Marathon and now it is finally here. I guess the time was never right before or I just wasn't willing to make the commitment before. Whatever the reasons were they are all past and for some reason the stars all lined up in my favor this year. maybe I needed this race to keep me sane from other stuff that was going on or maybe I needed it to do it for Nate, the bottom line is who cares why? I am ready and I am going to try to accomplish one of those thing I always said I will do before I die, but never thought I would.

As my months of training wind down the only way I can describe my mind set as complete focus. I don't ever recall being so consumed by one thing in my entire life. I don't look as this as simply as a race, I am looking at this day as a spiritual journey. To me this is not about putting one foot in front of the other or finishing time, this is all about finding out what I am made of. Some people talk about runner's high and I have always been skeptical, but after these past five months I definitely know what they are talking about. There have been times on the road when I have felt myself getting emotional for no apparent reason. While it is true there are scientific reason involving endorphins, etc. I can only explain it as pride oozing out of your system. I understand it sounds corny, but I am telling it goes deeper than science.

No one knows what is going to happen tomorrow, yet alone a week from now. Good things will happen to some bad things to others all I know is that come around 2 P.M. you can be sure that yours truly will be coming around the finish line at Tavern on the Green and all of you being there will make it that much sweeter.

As a postscript I am still trying to raise money for teamcontinuum.net, so all of you who haven't made donations can so by clicking here and typing in Maver under last name. Thanks to all who have made donations and for those who haven't you better get over there now bastards. It really is a great cause. I am sure everyone will be sick of hearing about this by the end of the week, but hey too bad. Updates to follow!

Rule Changes Needed for Football!

As far as I, as well as probably about half the other people who may have had monetary interest in Saturday's Florida-Kentucky there must be a close look taken at one rule during the off season. The rule in question is wet her or not an extra point should be kicked after a Touchdown with no time remaining on the clock. Ironically the same exact thing happened during the Cincy-Jets game on Sunday afternoon. Now my understanding is that the extra point is just a continuation of the touchdown that preceded it. How else can you explain that no time is taken off the clock when an extra point is kicked? If it was it's own play wouldn't you have to run the clock?

This travesty of justice ruined what was an otherwise completely entertaining game between two top twentyfive ranked teams. Held in Kentucky's Commonwealth Stadium before a sellout crowd minus Ashley Judd unfortunately the game was like an old school boxing slug fest with the two teams going back and forth. Although Florida took an early lead Kentucky staged one of it's typical gutsy second half comebacks, which in this reporter's opinion was one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen on a ball field. OK so I am lying, never the less it was a good game, that is until the final two minutes anyway. With the Florida leading 38-31 the always greedy Urban Meyer was not happy just running out the clock, but rather had to sneak it a cheap TD with just under a minute left putting the Gators up 14. Of course I figured Kentucky would just mail it in. I was wrong underestimating this gutsy group of Wildcats as not only didn't they give up, but they marched right back down the field with a tremendous drive culminating in a touchdown as time expired. The score is now 45-37, but do they let them kick the extra point, of course not, because of this bullshit rule that does not allow the team to complete the previous play. I truly hope that both NCAA officials and NFL guys take a serious look at this obvious injustice to those teams that never say die. By the way did I mention I had Kentucky minus seven! God, I feel so violated. I hope the bookie buys this argument,but I have a bad feeling about this one.

Bud Light: Real Men of Genius - Hopeless Notre Dame Fan

Pretty Funny Notre Dame Video

The Black Hole of Sports!

There is nothing worse for a huge sports fan than October when when your baseball team has completely disappointed you by not even getting to the playoffs in my case the Mets and your football team is an absolute disgrace (Dolphins) at 0-6 with a starting quarterback named Cleo Lemon and no prospects of a win on the horizon. Meanwhile third rate cities such as Cleveland and Denver are enjoying great runs in baseball and in Cleveland's case a surprisingly decent football team. What about hockey and basketball you ask? Well I have never been into hockey or mullets and while I used to be into basketball it just isn't the same anymore. Gone are the days of Magic, Bird and Jordan replaced by sub par slam dunk contests and eight guys standing around while two guys play one on one for an hour. A good game these days consists of 25 points while shooting 10 of 25 from the floor and 5 of 12 from the free throw line. While it is true I still get into the playoff the regular season is way too long. Yep, I guess the best option these days is the ol' EPL(English Premier League) for you non soccer fans. By the way, while I am at it USF ranked number two in the BCS? What the hell has happened to college football?

Now for a quick NFL roundup for those football fans out there. The Dolphins are easily the worst team in the league, while the Jets are just happy Miami is in the league. Chad Pennington couldn't reach your front steps from the sidewalk if he was your paper boy. Meanwhile the Bengals are falling apart at the seams, ravaged by off season suspensions and a complete lack of defense while it seems the Chargers and Saints may have turned a corner yesterday and iIwould expect good things from both teams for the rest of the season. The Packers also got a huge win yesterday while a new star named Adrian Peterson emerged in Minnesota with a game of over 200 yards rushing and 3 TD's, he also happens to be on my fantasy team.

The key match up of the day was definetly the Cowboys and Pats, which was supposed to be a possible preview of the Super Bowl. While it kills me to say it no team in this league is even close to touching the Pats. It seemed as if they were almost toying with the Cowboys yesterday until they were ready to put the game away. They play terrific team defense and Bill Belichick is just an absolute genius. Who is could turn resident bad boy Randy Moss into a no nonsense hustler who never complains. I even saw him wearing a shirt and tie at the post game press conference yesterday while giving articulate and thoughtful answers. Simply insane! Still though the straw that sirs this drink is no doubt Tom Brady. The guy is almost absolutely perfect on the field. He almost never throws an interception while always seeming to make the right decision. The most impressive thing about Brady is that
somehow he manages to concentrate on football even though he has Victoria Secrets model Giselle Bundchen waiting for home. he is probably the only guy who can knock up one model and leave her while she is pregnant for a hotter model and still come out of the whole thing smelling like a rose. manning may have all the endorsements and commercials, but for money Brady still has the better deal. That's all for this sunny Monday morning, everyone have a good day

Congratulations Cleveland!

Hats off to Paul Byrd and the rest of the Cleveland Indians who won one for the little guys tonight. I don't write this post as the bitter Mets fan that I am, but rather as a fan of baseball in general and of all those little teams that no one gave a chance. Cleveland a mid-market team with a modest payroll of about 60 million has shown as all that with a little work and some toughness you can overcome any obstacles in your way even if it is the vicious two headed dragon of Alex "Mr August"Rodriguez and Derek "Double Play" Jeter.



As for Paul Byrd, who despite being the consummate professional with a more than respectable 15-8 record this past season was undeservedly put down and given absolute no chance by any local sports reporter. So what does Byrd do you ask? He goes out on the mound and turns in an absolute gem. So what if he doesn't throw over 90 mph or have a cool personality with lots of flair, all I know is the man knows how to win and win he did. thanks to Byrd and his teammates Yankee Stadium has fallen silent again in early October. Kenny Lofton has made sure that we will not have to sit through one more night of ridiculous over the top John Sterling calls or look at Shelly "Sloth" Duncan's awful mug again until at least next March.

Does Cleveland has what it takes to win the World Series? I am not sure, but what I do know is for a few nights in October of 2007 they were a better team than the Yankees. So tonight as the city that never sleeps naps and 55,000 sad souls walk out of Yankee Stadium and take their lives in their hands on those dark Bronx streets just remember that in Cleveland the streets will be flowing with probably some of the cheapest champagne you can find and Joe Torre's blood. All that is left to say is good night and make sure the guillotine is nice and sharp for tomorrow morning. It is with great joy that on this warm Monday night at 11:40 p.m. I can go to bed with happy thoughts!

The Heroin Diaries

Hats off to one of my childhood idols Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue on a truly outstanding book called The Heroin Diaries. This book is an absolute sick read and must be picked up by anyway who was into Motley Crue like me and most of my friends. The book is exactly what the title says. Over the course of a year of journal writings which started in December of 1987 and went through December of 1988 Nikki Sixx tells his readers all about the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows associated with being one of the biggest rock stars in the world.

The idea for the book came when Nikki was cleaning out a storage bin and came across an old box with the journals and scraps of paper containing the details of what went on that year. After going through the books not even remembering that he wrote Nikki couldn't believe what he wrote. The first thing anybody asks when they read the book is, "How the hell is this guy alive?" the second thing that goes through every body's mind is, "How the hell is this guy not dead?"

The thing that is crazy about this book is that I remember we used to think that these guys had the world by the balls and all they cared about was having a good time. However after reading the book I came to learn that not only were Motley Crue pretty arrogant pricks, but Nikki Sixx was nothing more than a lonely depressed broken down heroin addict. Instead of being out at the clubs and roaming topless bars most time Sixx ended up in his closet naked with a shotgun and having cocaine induced hallucinations all the while having his veins collapse and being forced to shoot heroin into his neck and dick. I really do have to give Sixx credit though, Nikki could have went through and censored some of the stories, but instead he really let it all hang out. The other cool thing the book does and get the different perspectives from the people that Nikki talks about in the book. They range everywhere from his mother to band mates to Vanity who is now a Born-A.gain Christan.

Anyway the book is a great read and go pick it up!

Back with a Vengeance!

When life imitates art what can you do but sit back and try to remember how that problem was solved. Whether it be your favorite TV show or a bedtime story the whole point of these stories is that no matter how stupid they may be the most important thing is to try and learn a lesson from them regardless, which is where my story begins and I my life became an episode of that childhood favorite Fraggle Rock.

You see much like the Doozers in Fraggle Rock I have always thought of myself as a little hardworking guy just trying to go about my business and build my little projects and houses. This way of life seemed to be going fine for me until one day those darn Fraggle's came around and in an instant ate up all of the hard work I had done on my project just like those poor little doozers. However do not fear for me, for you very own Moe Green has stepped up and built his new castle stronger and better than ever just like those feisty little Doozers.

While it is true that life is filled with all kind of people like Doozers, Fraggles, and Gorgs, there is always a wise trash heap or Gobo's Uncle Matt that you must talk to and find out what is best for you. In the end it doesn't matter if you have all the toys in the world or just the clothes on your back what matters is you can you look in the mirror everyday and be happy with what you have done with your life.

Those of you who know me best will know what I am talking about, those who don't will probably think I have taken some good acid and completely lost my mind. Just remember it was Tyler Durdin who said, "The things you own end up owning you!" It is with this mindset that I am glad to tell everybody I am back with a vengeance!

Be Back in a few!

Life under construction,be back in a few weeks!

moe.down promo 2006

Headed to moe.down for the weekend, see everyone Tuesday. By the way this is all the fun you will be missing!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Although my Father is no longer with us I would like to take this opportunity to wish him a Happy Birthday wherever he may be and let him now that those of us who knew him best still miss and love him as much as we ever did, as well as let everyone else know a little about him. He would have been 64 today, however he was gone a few months before he turned 59 and as anyone will tell you that is far too early.

Since he has been gone I have been married, two more grandchildren have been born between my brother and myself and countless moments of everyday life have been missed, however the one thing that his stayed consistent are the lessons of life that he taught me while he was here. It is funny, because although he is no longer with me I feel I have learned more from him since he has been gone in the last five years than I did during the other 25 I spent with him. That is not to discredit the job that he did raising me, but rather praise him for it. Anyone can teach someone how to drive a stick shift or how to throw a football, but to me it takes a real man to teach somebody how to raise a family and conduct yourself with respect and treat other people with the same respect that you feel you deserve. It is these life lessons that I continue to learn from everyday and often find myself thinking back to things my Father told me when I was younger but just didn't understand yet.

I am sure that some of the learning experiences just come from getting older and starting a family myself, but is from the way that my Father raised me that I will try to raise my son. As a said during his eulogy when I was younger I didn't know about bills or stresses at work all I knew was when my Father walked through that door home from work I was the happiest kid on Earth. I don't think he even had a chance to put to his coat down before I was jumping on him and dragging him back outside to kick around a soccer ball or shoot some hoops and the crazy thing is not one time did he ever tell me no. Sure he had his faults like everyone does, but when it came to his family there is nothing that he wouldn't do, between coaching sports, driving us all over place or just wrestling on the floor he always made sure he had a smile on his face even though I now realize in the back of his mind he was probably like, "Jesus Christ, give me a minute." I can even remember in high school calling him up late night and having him pick us up from the loft a few times where I am sure he could get drunk just from our breath and never did he utter a word to my Mother about it. The next day we would always talk and he would tell me to be careful, but he never sold me out or yelled at me. In fact during the whole course of my whole life my Father never raised a hand or even his voice at me once. Most people find that hard to believe even me, but I swear to you it is the truth. It is with that kind of patience and love that I hope to raise my kids.

As time goes on you get used to important people not being around anymore, but I don't think you ever really get over it. You kind of become numb to things the good times aren't quite as happy and the bad times aren't quite as bad, you've been through the worst and know you can deal with anything. Anyway I would just like to wish my Dad a Happy Birthday and let him know we all miss him.

Breaking Twenty!

Of course I am not referring to breaking a twenty dollar bill, but rather breaking the twenty mile mark for the first time yesterday and I must admit I am pretty damn proud of myself. Although I knew the day would come when I would have to run twenty miles if I am to complete the marathon in November, however mentally I have been dreading it for a couple weeks and doubting myself whether or not I could actually do it. Well I am pleased to announce that day came and went yesterday and I was able to complete the task it just a little over three hours.

Having mapped out the course the day before in the car with Nate and my constant companion
Wilson. I left from my house and headed down Belleville Ave and up the Belleville Pike until Kearny Ave then headed down by West Hudson Hospital, after turning around I mad my way through North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Rutherford before heading around the circle. From there I went into East Rutherford, Carlstadt and Wallington before making my way home through Clifton and Nutley. Wow, now that I look at it I must say it does look like an epic.

I was actually surprised at how it was actually more mentally tough than physically. While I will admit that the last five miles were anything but fun, it was the idea that I can't do this that loomed larger than anything. I think it was somewhere in Carlstadt for those of you familiar with the area when I was like "Holy Shit" I can actually do this and from then on once I cleared the mental hump it wasn't that bad.

If it is anything that running has taught me it is how positive thinking really is a powerful force. While I have always considered myself a realist I am now realizing that it you really put your mind to it and bury that little bit of self doubt that we all have we really can will ourselves through situations that we thought we otherwise impossible. I don't mean to sound like am preaching here, but this training regiment has really been a mental breakthrough for me. While in the past I have always kind of just floated around and went where life has taken me I now realize that we take so many things for granted and we really should try to make the most of everyday and thrust ourselves into life. I think the reason for this is the many hours I have spent on the road with only my thoughts to keep me occupied over the last few months. The mind is a powerful thing and I find myself thinking of everything from what my son will be like when he gets older to thoughts of my father and I how much I miss him and how quickly the time went by when he was here and how much quicker the time goes by that he is not here.

I have always been against organized religion, but I am starting to feel that while it may sound kind of hokey this quest has kind of opened me up to my spiritual side. Ultramarthoner James Bonnett once said "You find yourself out there." while referring to the Western States Endurance Run and I think I am really starting to understand what he means. Make sure you watch the video E50 under Dean.

Wow, I just realized this blog just took a serious turn, but hey that's how I am feeling this morning, it must be the endorphins or runner's high. I have two more runs of twenty miles before the Marathon, but I must say after yesterday I feel more confident than ever that I will complete this goal. Happy Monday to all or at least to me since I am on another two weeks of vacation. Unions, America at their best! That one's for you big Tim!

Freakshows, Bigfoot and Bush!

Do you remember when you were a little kid and got to go to your first carnival and fair? Here in North Jersey the big fair was and still is the New Jersey State Fair at the Meadowlands. I will always remember being blown away by the rides and all the craziness that went with being there. I will also always remember how pissed off I was the first time I paid money to go into one of the freak shows to see a girl with two heads or the infamous snake lady. While visions of freaks and the like filled my young mind I was greeted with bitter disappointment as the tent was filled with nothing but black and white grainy photographs and bad plastic dolls in glass cases.

Fast forward a couple of years I am promised proof of Bigfoot that will change the course of history. As the show dragged on for an hour with coming attractions looking better and better with the proof just around the corner. Again by the end of the hour I was greeted with nothing but disappointment and anger as there never was any proof but just a shitty picture of a guy that looks like he just stepped off the set of Harry and the Hendersons!

Where the hell am I going with this, you may ask? I will tell you where I am going with, as I people get older and hopefully a little wiser we tend to fall for less and less scams. Sure, I still go the same shitty fair, but there is no way the creepy felon working the sideshow tent is getting any of my hard earned money these days. However lately I have been experiencing that same bad feeling when we have been promised celebrity nudity and have been greeted with nothing but bitter disappointment. First there was the Paris Hilton sex tape, which turned out to be just a complete disaster from start to finish highlighted by Paris in night vision lighting babbling along.

Next was the Britney Spears pantyless pictures. Once you got past the c-section scar and Sunny Crocket scruff you were left with something that might resemble what someone might eat if they were on the Atkins diet and ordered a ham sandwich from a bodega in the South Bronx.

Now comes the latest disappointment, who is none other than Vanessa Minillo who is famous for being Nick Lachey's girlfriend and I am not sure quite what else. Anyway, while I would have to admit right from the start that i think she is definitely a step down from Jessica Simpson I still thought she was pretty hot until the latest pictures of her came out. Apparently while vacationing in Hawaii, Vanessa and Nick decided to get a little frisky in a hot cub and as usual a member of the paparazzi was there to catch it all on film. While floating around online I just happen to stumble across these pics and check them out as any good red-blooded American male would do. Lo and behold what to find in these pics, one of the biggest bushes you will find this side of 1973! It looks like she is walking around with a toupee glued to her nether regions. Those of you interested can check out the photos here! While they appear to be censored on the first page, if you click on the thumbnails they will pop up uncensored. Again a another complete disappointment. I feel it my responsibility to take all my donations from Team Continuum "Like the cheap plug, huh?" and donate it to Vanessa for a good ol' fashioned waxing. I must say what a step down for Mr. Lachey. Well that's it for now, until the next disappointment! Keep your pants, because you never know who's watching!

Fantasy Football League!

I have started an ESPN Fantasy football league and would like to try and get all of our friends in it. It is going to be a no money league for fun with the only prizes being bragging rights and a trophy that will be purchased by me and presented to the winner at the end of the season. Anyone interested please give me a call and I will give you the details. Again i would like to try to keep this amongst us, but i also realize not everyone reads the blogs so let Jack, Danny and company know about. It is set up for a live draft this Thursday night at 7:15. I know it is last minute, but i figured it might be some fun.

Bellagio water show

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Rhain Davis the Whiz Kids join Manchester United

Manchester United signs Nine year old!

NYC Nike Half-Marathon

Hat's off to both the New York Road Runners and Nike on one of the best races I have ever been part of. As most of you know I was lucky enough to be one of the almost ten thousand people who finished the NYC Half-Marathon this past Sunday, 3,495th overall with a personal best of 1:54 with those of you scoring at home.

I figured that this many people running I was due for a day of frustration and unorganization, but boy was I wrong. The race was completely organized from the the very beginning all the way to the end, with plenty of water stations and bathrooms available throughout the race. It really was the best experience of my brief running career and I just can't say enough good things about it.

As for the course it consisted started on the east side and consisted of one full loop around Central Parks outer loop which is just around six miles plus another mile to make it a total of about seven miles in the park. The next part of the route was leaving Central Park and running down Seventh Ave, which was closed off for the race with a ton of spectators on both sides. It was during this part that I really got a taste of what running the marathon must be all about. As I made my urn onto Seventh and heard all the people cheering I couldn't help but get goosebumps all over my body, especially that tingly feeling you get in your head. I knew that from this moment on it was going to be smooth sailing. The course followed seventh ave all the way down to Time's Square, which was another awesome moment. I mean think about how many times are you going to have the ability to run through Time's Square without any cars honking and really just soak it all in, it really was an incredible experience. I kind of felt like Tom Cruise in the Beginning of Vanilla Sky! As I mad my way to Forty Second street I made a right turn and headed for the West Side Highway and the mile Ten marker. I should also know that all along the route there was different bands playing all kinds of music from rock to salsa, a little bit for everybody. The West Side Highway was smooth and flat and I really felt in cruise control at this point, I think there may have been a cruise ship in and sun was just starting to rise and made for a beautiful setting. I was able to finish the last three miles pretty strong and was greeted at the finish line with a commemorative medal and a kiss from the wife, even though she bitched I was all sweaty and smelly.

This was my fourth half of this year, but known of the other really compared to it in terms of atmosphere. I must say it really was a rewarding experience and I was particularly proud of myself, especially since I had told to wife I was determined to beat two hours and I was not only able to but also beat my previous best time by more than three minutes. It really makes me feel like all my training for the Marathon is starting to pay off and I am really gaining confidence heading towards November!

On a personal note I also want to thank Danielle as well as my in-laws and Nathaniel for coming in to cheer me on that end, as well as everybody at the party and all asked how I did and seemed really happy for me, it really felt good to know that people did care and were rooting for me. By the way here is pic for you CD.

Also don't forget that, I know I am starting to sound like a whore here, but the whole point of me running the marathon is to raise money for cancer patients. Thanks again to everybody who has already helped out, for those who haven't all you have to do is go here and type in Maver in the upper right hand corner and follow the instructions. Plus don't be afraid to e-mail our friends since I don't have everybody's e-mail I could use some help. Thanks again and I can't wait to see everybody in November!

Happy B'Day Appetite!

It's hard to believe but true Guns N' Roses released Appetite for Destruction twenty years ago this past July. While it is scary to think I remember this album when it first came out, which makes me feel old it is even scarier that a great rock record has not been made since. It' s not that some albums haven't been good it is just that no album has come out since where everybody is like "Holy Shit" there is not one bad song on that album. Some of the Loft Boys would argue that Life of Agony's debut "River Runs Red" is similar, myself included however for some reason they never achieved any type of mainstream success.

Not to sound old, but I am going to anyway, I just don't think the generation of today understand the importance of great albums with the invention of i tunes and the ability to download only the songs you here on the radio rather then being pumped up by one song, but deciding to listen to the whole album anyway. Appetite is a great example of this. While it is true that no one will ever forget the first time they heard the screeching of the beginning of "Welcome to the Jungle", it was the catchy phrases of "Paradise City" and "Night train" that really made us love this album.

The sad part is because of egos, drug problems and Lord know what else Guns N' Roses reigned kings for a brief four year period by unlike most bands for that four year period they were untouchable. They were our heroes the way kids today worship Lebron, we worshipped GN'R. They were bad asses and made no apologies for it. They reveled in groupies and drugs and not necessarily in that order.

On a personal note when you think about it Guns N' Roses and the other bands of that era kind of changed all of our lives forever. It is because of bands like Gn'R, Motley Crue and Metallica that most of us started hanging out and still hang out almost fifteen years later. I still remember hanging out as a Sophomore in religion with DZ, when he noticed I had Motley Crue written on my notebook and the rest as they say is history! Since then a lot of things have changed Axl Rose has become a recluse, Izzy disappeared and Slash and Duff now play with the guy from STP, on the other hand half of the "Loft Boys" are married some of us even have kids and a good Friday night is having the Mets' win and the baby sleep until 9 am.

While it is true that a lot of things are different two things remain the same: Appetite for Destruction is still one of the top ten rock albums ever made and the "Loft Boys" are still the best groups of friends on earth. While it is true not everyone is able to get together to get drunk on a random Friday night, if there is a wedding or baby's christening you can bet that you can still find us all in the corner of the room sneaking a shot together!

P.S. There is a great story in this weeks Rolling Stone about how during a late night session recording the moaning in "Rocket Queen", Axl was disappointed in the realism of the moaning so he decided to fuck Steven Adler's girlfriend in the studio to make it seem more realistic. Now that's a man on a mission!

P.P.S. To quote the Golden Girls, "Thank you for being a friend!" Now that's talent, Bea Arthur and Axl Rose in the same blog!

P.P.P.S. Forgive me if I sound nostalgic, it is late night and I have been drinking Scotch solo!

For the Fellas!

This one is for the fellas. I found it on Collegehumor.com and though it was hilarious. That's right I am a 30 year old married father and still enjoy college humor! Click here for the video.

Honoring Lindsay Lohan!

In honor of Lindsay Lohan, your man Moe Green is glad to announce that he too will be sporting an alcohol monitoring bracelet for the next week. The bracelet will be wired to a central monitoring department that will notify all local bars when my blood alcohol level either drops under.01 or is dangerously close to dropping under.01. That's right, it's not a misprint I am wearing my bracelet to make sure I can stay over .01 for an entire week. I like to think of it as a dual homage to both Ms. Lohan and the movie Speed. Much like the how the bus in the movie would explode if it went under 60 MPH I am going to act as if my body will explode it my BAC drops under the legal limit. I look forward to this tough challenge.



In a other Hollywood news the two actors playing Billy Martin's ears in the ESPN miniseries the Bronx is Burning were involved in an altercation outside of the Las Vegas nightclub Tryst with several patrons after a long night of celebrating their recent success. Although details are sketchy at this time it is believed that the two actors who were struggling until recently were demanding a certain table that high rollers were already at and one thing led to another. Calls to both actors representatives went unanswered, but as soon as any more details are released I will let you know.

Shaq's Big Challenge!

I don't know if anybody has been watching this show on ABC, but I have to give Shaq all the credit in the world for trying to pull this off. I agree most of reality tv is crap, but if you can get past all the wife swapping and English nannies coming to the rescue of bad parents once in a while you can find a diamond in the ruff such as Shaq's Big Challenge.

Just to give you a little background the show is focused on six kids in middle school who are morbidly obese and thrust into a program where they are provided with dietitians personal trainers and a swift kick in the ass from the big man once in a while. The kids original weight ranges from anywhere near three hundred pounds to about two twenty with the average body fat percentage in the mid thirties. Scary stuff!

The crazy part as you watch the show is not the weight of just these kids, but how many other fat kids there are in the school. I can remember being in middle school and having maybe one or two fat kids running around, now it looks like about fifty percent of the kids are obese. Some of these kids can't even do one push up.

The good part of the show is that not only is Shaq trying to help these kids, but also trying to change the way the entire state of Florida deals with their physical education requirements. I really have to give him credit, because it is not like he just lent his name to a tv show and is trying to make a quick buck, he really seems interested in helping the kids and has been on the show throughout the season visiting homes and meeting with school officials. In addition to to try to make gym a required subject which it is currently not, Shaq and his team are also trying to redo the lunch menu to incorporate healthy foods rather than hot dogs, tater tots and a whole assortment of deep fried and fattening foods.

I don't think we realize just how much of a problem childhood obesity is becoming a problem and how not only is going to affect these kids lives but it also is going to affect our nations health care system as a whole as the kids get older and develop more and more health problems. My hat is off to Shaq for really putting his money where his mouth is and starting up a good cause. Although they started off with six kids they had about 40 kids voluntarily working out after school. Good job again Shaq and us Laker fans miss you big time. By the way the show can be seen on ABC on Tuesday's at 9 pm.

Long Time Coming!

I always keep making the same promise to myself that I am going to keep up with this blog and then it just never happens. So with two weeks off for vacation and some good events I hope to stick to my promise this time. Here are the events that have been capturing my eye in the the past few weeks in no particular order:

Crooked NBA Ref:

This past week 13 year veteran NBA ref Tim Donaghy was named as having possibly shaved points in the NBA due to overheard wiretap conversations among Gambino crime family members. While it comes to no surprise to me that this happened, what does come to a surprise to me is that NBA officials had knowledge that Donaghy was betting big money on football games and gave him a stern warning. No pun intended on "Stern"! Why in the name of God would the NBA put themselves in this position? Anyone with any knowledge of gamblers knows that it is only a matter of time before this man gets in a big enough hole that the sharks are going to eat him up and make him use his job to help pay back his debt. Shame on Mr. Donaghy, however I think the NBA is getting off too easy here. Let me share everybody the trouble and tell you how the story will end. Donaghy turns rat to save his own ass, cries publicly and apologizes, bad men got to jail, Donaghy takes up residence in small town outside Madison, Wi. On a personal note I would like to find Mr. Donaghy, for I am sure he owes me at least a couple of hundred bucks.

Hillary, Obama and Fundraising:

While I do not claim to be a political genius at all, in fact in recent years I have been finding my self less interested in politics than ever before as we are fed the same crap by these clones that all sound the same. I do have feel we need to change the way are politicians run their campaigns and how and more how much money they spend to reach these powerful positions. I recently read in the paper that during the second quarter Obama and Clinton have raised 34 and 33 million dollars respectfully for each of their campaigns. Now what is troubling to me is over the course of the next 17 months or so we are going to be bombarded with bad commercials urging us to vote for the candidate who will do the most for the public, while the whole time they are wasting hundreds of millions telling us why they are better. I just can't see how this country can sit back and let this happen. Not while we still are no closer to rebuilding the gulf coast, poor people are dying over simple curable diseases, children are hungry and soldiers are coming back missing limbs and broke.

Call me an idealist, but what I think we should do is cap the limit a candidate can spend on a campaign much the same way several sports organizations have the salary cap. I fell we can kill two birds with one stone with this solution. First it will cut down the amount of candidates who get elected using money given to them by big corporations and then spend the next four years pushing through bad legislation that will keep those same companies happy and help the politicians pay off their debts. Remember there is no money in politics only greed and power. Second maybe we can allow donations to still come in, however you just donate to the government and not a specific candidate, this way the money can be used to help feed children and other good causes such as better health care for vets and rebuilding the gulf coast. How nice would it be to have one candidate with balls stand up and say this is my plan this is my goal we will have three debates and no bad commercials.

Team Continuum:

Once again I would like to let everyone know I am going to be running this years ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4 as part of Team Continuum. For those of you who don't know Team Continuum is an organization that donates money to cancer patients and their families to help pay some bills. I would like to thank those of you who have already donated and remind those who didn't you can make your donation here by typing in "Maver" in the upper right hand corner. I am trying to raise $2,500 and would appreciate any support. Also if you have already donated don't forget to tell anybody else who you think me be interested in the cause. I am glad to report my training is going great and I am sure I will be reading to go come November. It is a bit of a sacrafice and tough on the body, but I really do believe this is a great cause.

See everybody again later this week and thanks to all the family and friends who shared Nathaniel's christening with us this past Sunday. We hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did!

ING New York City Marathon

Well it is official I will be running this years New York City Marathon and I am hoping that all of my friends and family will be able to make the trip out to route me on. Lord knows, I am probably going to need all the hope I can get. In addition to running the marathon for myself I have decided to try and run for a cause too. I joined the Team Continuum team, which is an organization that helps cancer patients and their families by paying off any mortgage payments or basic bills that they may have fallen behind on from being out of work. Anyway as part of my deal I am trying to raise $2,500 for this great charity and would appreciate any donations that anyone can make in my name. There is no minimum and every little bit helps me towards reaching my goal. All you have to do is go their website here and go to donate now on the upper right hand corner and type in my last name, which is Maver. I would like to personally thank everyone in advance and please let everyone you know about the site and lets try to keep the donations coming in. Also as a plus the organization will e-mail you a letter regarding your donations to be used during tax time for deductions. Thanks once again and I hope to see everyone at the finish line!

F Roger Clemens and the Yankees!

Yesterday the Yankees made one of the most nauseating signings in all of sports by signing Roger "The Rocket" Clemens to a ridiculous contract of 28 million over the next seven months. Widely considered the most storied sports franchises and class organizations in sports even by such Yankee haters as myself, the Yankees threw away 100 years worth of that reputation by signing this selfish prick.

I am sure many people will think I am just spewing because of sour grapes, but I assure you I am not. While it is true I have a tremendous disdain for Clemens I have always respected what he did on the field up until a few years ago when he started this mid season signing crap. As Yankee fans like my buddy K. Rove celebrate this pathetic signing of desperation and welcome back Roger "No road trips" Clemens let me just remind you of a little history of this guy.

First he started off playing for your deeply hated Red Sox and actually was the face of Boston and it's inability to win a championship prior to 2005. Ooh, you were so close Roger in 1986, but being the weasel that you are you asked out of game six and allowed Bob Stanley of Kearny, NJ to come in and blow the game for you. Next while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays I heard Yankee fans call him every name in the book as he plucked perennial plate hugger Derek Jeter. With screams of hatred and outrage they slammed Clemens and everything he stood for. People cursed him, his children, mother and anyone who has ever known him.

Fast forward a couple of years a pathetic Clemens still without a ring makes a desperate move and signs with an already well established team to mooch a ring off his old ex-rivals. Hey, whatever it takes Rog! This is not the worst part of the story though, the worst part of it are the Yankee fans now welcome him with open arms. With quotes like, "Rog is the best!" and "Boy, Clemens knows how to work the inside part of the plate." outsiders we left bewildered and shaking their heads. The best part is that with your newly beloved boy making his way through what was supposed to be his final season the Yankees and their fans celebrate his entire career with presentations, gifts and standing o's. What does the selfish prick do you ask? He shoves up the Yankees ass by signing with Houston the next year to be with resident butt buddy Andy Pettitte. Pathetic!

Pathetic I say unless you compare it with the way the Yankees announced the signing the signing yesterday. Hard to believe such a storied franchise like to the Yankees would create a circus in the middle of the game and have Clemens announce he will be back with them during the seventh inning stretch. Little Andy looked like he just got asked to the prom by the starting quarterback. Hell, they should have made Clemens and steroid laced body and enormous head fly from in from center field and land on that guys stupid glove like the eagle usually does. Why not make it a real party?

Be proud Yankee fans, be proud!

Beverly Hills 90210

It what may be my most pathetic post I bring to you Beverly Hills 90210. During the early part of the 90's I have to admit I was a huge 90210 fan who never missed an episode. However the saddest part of the story is unlike most people I did not give up on the show, but rather continued watching as the gang made their way through college. Anyway recently while on my vacation from work and taking care of the baby as I flipped through channels i was pumped to find out that the Soap Network plays reruns of 90210 everyday at 5 and 6P.M. for those of us who have nothing better to do. The only bad part of this story is that I didn't find these reruns until the day before I went back to work. Thank God for Tivo. So anyway if you are a fan check out the show and relive the good ol'days and don't worry the show is as cheesy as ever. The soap network also runs reruns of Melrose Place as well right before if you are interested. Well gotta go enjoy a lavender bath and cosmo now, chow!

Nathaniel Thomas

First off let me just say my lack of post over the past month have been a disgrace and I apologize to all. Between working crazy opera hours and having my wife, who had blood pressure problems the last month of her pregnancy which resulted in bed rest and finally for a lack of a better term an emergency "c" section, which takes me to the good news. Although he is almost two weeks old I am pleased to announce the birth of our first child Nathaniel Thomas weighing in at 8lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. It seems like a lifetime ago when I first posted that grainy sonogram picture, but alas here he is in the flesh.

You know it's funny how quickly you're life can get turned around. Even when my DM was pregnant you still had the choice to go out to dinner and run to the store real quick or basically do whatever you wanted to whenever you wanted. Not so anymore. Basically our entire lives revolve around this little guy. Not to say that is a bad thing, just in the short few weeks he has been here he has already brought more joy to my life than I could've ever possibly imagined.

During the nine months that we were eagerly awaiting his arrival I would often find myself daydreaming about him and wonder what kind of man he would be. Being a sports fan I always envisioned him being a professional athlete of some kind at first or even an actor, something that would bring him great riches and success. Now when I look at him as a person I realize I don't need those things for him to be a success al I need and want for him is to be happy with who he is. That's what fatherhood does to you it makes you soft and caring. You are no longer the selfish bastard that complains every time he has to get up early or is slightly inconvenient by a favor that someone may need from you. Overnight you become that guy who gets up at 4 a.m. to change a diaper and is almost happy about. While it may suck that my sleep which I cherish so much is being rudely interrupted nevertheless I get up and do it, b/c I know that is what will make my little guy happy and since the minute he was conceived that has become my main purpose in life.

I often look back on my own childhood with great memories of my father and now realize how much he sacrificed to make my brother and me happy. I can't recall a single time where he really raised his voice to me and I know for a fact that he never laid a finger on me. A lot of old school people will tell you that a good beating goes a long way, but not me. As I grew up I didn't disrespect my father because he never hit me in fact I think I showed him more respect for it. My only regret is that Nate will not get to know the man my father was like I know. As for myself when my son grows up I only hope he looks back on me and thinks that I am half the father to him that his grandfather was to me.

On a less serious note, I already owe Nate one. Thanks to the great timing on his birth for the first time since college I have been able to catch all the opening day games of the NCAA Tournament since I am currently on vacation. Nothing makes me happier than planting my ass on the couch on that Thursday and watching college b ball all day, even if I am constantly interrupted by feedings and what have you. Thanks buddy I already owe you one.

I also want to thank everybody who came by the hospital and house. Your warm wishes and thoughts make this special event just that much more special. Thanks again to all our friends!

Two Down, Three to Go!

Well fresh off the heels of running my first half-marathon less than a month ago I am pleased to announce today I conquered the Bronx as my second one. This leaves me with Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens to still go. I have to admit I was much better prepared this time and improved my time from 2:09 to 1:53, of course I didn't have an ounce of alcohol in me last night. I've learned that lesson already. Again the course was very hilly and a lot tougher that I anticipated it would be, but never the less and I am proud of my performance. Gotta go ice my whole body now, later!

Top Ten Movies of all Time!

We were having an argument at work the other day about what the top ten movies of all time are and what you can tell about a person based on their movies. Anyway I thought it would be fun to list mine and have everyone else list theirs as well. Here are mine in no particular order:

The Godfather I and II: I will list them as one movie. No explanation needed.

Caddyshack: Probably one of the best comedies ever written. Brilliant performances by Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Pretty much everyone I know can rattle off one liners from this movie like there is no tomorrow. "Hey Wang, it's a parking lot!"

Shawshank Redemption: This one has it all murder, prison rape, hope and the never dying spirit of human will. Besides you can never go wrong with Morgan Freeman narrating any film.

Goodfellas: This was our generation Godfather. While the Godfather was filled with old school tough guys and men who would rather die, this one showed the new gangster who loves to gamble, drink and rat on their friends when they get in a pinch. Again almost everyone can rattle of lines all day off of this one. Unbelievable cast of Pesci, DeNiro and Liotta.

Jaws: Wasn't around to really experience the terror that surrounded going into the water when this masterpiece was first released, but remember being scared shitless many years later, nonetheless. Nothing like a twenty-five foot man eating fish to make a kid beg his parents to put up a swimming pool in the backyard.

Platoon: If you weren't afraid of going to war before you walked into the theater you sure as hell were when you came out. This movie stripped away the old time vision of the proud soldier and show them for what they really were. Kids, just like you and me scared as hell and just trying to make it out of the jungle alive. Tom Beringer gives the performance of his life as Lt. Barnes.

National Lampoons Vacation: From the opening cords of Lindsey Buckinghams "Holiday Road" to the arrest and subsequent release of the Griswolds at Wally World this movies is an absolute pisser. They are very few dull moments at all as the Clark and co. weave their way from Chicago to sunny Cali. Great bit roles by Eugene Levy and John Candy make this great movie just that much better.

Pulp Fiction: I don't think anybody will ever look at a man in a leather outfit the same again and watching this movie. Anymovie written by Quentin Tarantino and starring Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as a gun wielding "bad motherfucker" is an instant classic as far as I am concerned. I still get goosebumps everytime I hear Jules read that passage from the bible.

Seven: Probably one of the darkest movies ever mad, not to mention one of the rainiest. Brilliant story with an ending that is definitely not your typical Hollywood ending. Kevin Spacey is tremendous as John Doe as well as Brad Pitt who finally finds out what's in the box. Again you can't go wrong with Morgan Freeman.

The Sixth Sense: Debated a while over this one, but in the end had to include it. I know it is only good for one watch, but try to tell me one person who didn't say: " Holy shit, that fuckers dead too!" Anyone who tells you they had it figured out are full of shit. Unbelievably well written and original screenplay by the unknown M. Knight.

Honorable Mention: American Pie, Naked Gun, Raging Bull, Star Wars, Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Wall Street, Casino, Boogie Nights, Fight Club.

P.S. Coming soon, "Best Movie quotes!"

Good Steak and My First Half-Marathon

I was going to start this blog off with a review of Angelo's and Maxies Steakhouse, which was the sight of this years annual Loft Boys Dinner, however K.Rove beat me to it and pretty much hit it right on the money. So if you want to find out about the place please feel free to click the link. On a side note, I would like like to extend another thank you to Ricky who put together the dinner this year and did a great job, thanks again.

Now to me, as some of you may or may not know, over the last year I have started to take running pretty seriously with the ultimate goal being to run in The New York City Marathon this November and on Sunday I took another step closer to that goal and I must say I am pretty damn proud of myself.

The big goal wasn't to run the race, but rather figure out how the hell I was going to get up at 6:45 a.m on Sunday morning after doing shots of Jameson until about 2:00 a.m, which gave me a solid four hours to rest. How's that for some training? Anyway I somehow dragged myself out of bed slammed down two gatorades and a banana and headed off to the starting line with a slight headache and six pounds of raw seafood and steak in my gut. Not to mention some Johnnie Black, wine and a few Amstels.

Needless to say I raced into the city with no traffic and was able to make it for the 8:30 a.m start. The course consisted of two full laps around Central Park's outer loop and was quite hilly to say the least. Overall I was pretty pleased with my perfomance and really didn't hit the wall until mile 11 when everything below my waist seemed to stop working (Please keep jokes to minimum after that comment). I finished up with a time of 2:09 and will hope to build upon that next month when I will my next half-marathon in the Bronx. You see as part of the qualifying races for the marathon The New York Road Runners Club holds various races throughout the year as well as a half-marathon in each of the five boroughs. As the weather gets warmer these races will continue and I hope some of you will come out to give me a cheer. Also as part of my marathon experience, I am probably going to be running for one of the sponsored charities. As far as the details are concerned I will let everyone know in February, but just be ready I will probably be coming towards you will an open hand and I expect some heavy donations.

So that is all for now. I just needed to do a little bragging about myself, no one else was around on this 20 degree January morning to tell about my great slaying of the half-marathon.

What Happens if You Chug a Bottle of Vodka in 20 Seconds!

This video reminded me of our old days as the Los Prados Boys back at the loft. Complete with the Russian heavy metal music in the background. Check out video.

Peter Luger: Simply the Best

Last night I had the pleasure of once again having dinner at Peter Luger's In Brooklyn and all I can say is that place is the best, no ifs ands or butts about it. I 've heard people complain it's overrated, the servers are rude, etc., but when it comes to steak they are second to none.

After enduring an awful two hour ride over to Brooklyn and missing our reservation, we were forced to wait and enjoy a few cocktails at the bar. By the way they also make a mean drink, where else can you get a Dewars and water in a glass that is about the size of a pint glass. After about an hour wait we finally got to sit down and the feast was on. The best thing about Luger's is you don't even need a menu. You either get the standards such as shrimp cocktail tomato and onion and the bacon or the waiter tells you you are going to be having the shrimp cocktail tomato and onion and the bacon. The bacon by the way is almost as good as the steak and is served as an appetizer. It is basically just a huge slice of bacon that is cooked to perfection and goes great with the equally delicious Peter Luger steak sauce.

Next came the steak, which is also served in a cool manner. Basically if you have six people at the table you order a steak for six, then have it come your table all cut up already with just a little sizzle and ready to go. As for the sides you can't go wrong with the always reliable hash browns and creamed spinach. Hmmmm, Delicious! After this meal you won't need to eat for about the next week.

So no matter how many haters or imitators out there there may be when it comes to staekhouses there are two kinds. Peter Luger and rest. Although I hear good things about Angelo's and Maxie and will have a full review on Sunday after our annual Loft Boys Holiday Dinner Spectacular. By the way a heartfelt thanks goes out to our boy Ricky for putting the dinner together this year.