Go Pats!!!
Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Patriots did pull out he victory against the Steelers. I've got to be honest, I was scared about this game. The Steelers were looking like bulldozer against all the teams they faced, and with the Patriots unable to do anything against Carolina last week...but that's all in the past. The Pats pulled it out in an ugly, tough game that should give them some momentum moving forward. Of course, losing Rodney Harrison, possibly for the season, was horrible, but the defense did really well except for two huge mistakes that turned into 14 points.
The Patriots aren't out of the badlands yet, though. There were still way too many penalties (10) and turnovers (3). Good teams find ways to overcome those, as the Patriots did, but they're not going to be able to do that in every game, it's just too much to ask. Hopefully they can start getting their act together and become the championship team we know they are.
Love this Stuff
So I try not to use this blog to recommend products to anyone, but I also feel the need to help people who may be suffering needlessly from anything at all. I happen to get a lot of cankers in my mouth, you know, those red sores that no one can seem to figure out the cause of? When I get them, I end up in a lot of pain for days, hopelessly using Listerine and lidocaine to try to wait until it goes away. A couple weeks ago I decided to look for something to help, and boy did I strike gold.
I came across the site for Canker-Rid, an all-natural treatment for cankers and other mouth sores. It's made from propolis (go to the Web site to read more) and works great. You just put a single drop on the sore, then wait for a few seconds while it stings (sometimes badly), but after about five seconds, it's dried and formed a protective coat over the top...and it's numb! The good thing is that, since it isn't medication, you can take it as often as you need to. When they get real bad, I use it once an hour for two days...and it was noticeably less red and painful. I'm telling you, if you get cankers a lot, or even infrequently, keep this stuff around!
NFL Grief
Yes, it's that time again. The time where I have a weekly rant about football, and more specifically, the Patriots. This week they lost to the Carolina Panthers, which I think is one of the most underrated teams in the NFL. They impressed me in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, and they still play with a lot of toughness. I was shocked when they lost to the Saints last week, but not so shocked that they beat the Patriots today.
One of the announcers said at the beginning of the game, "the Patriots will never beat themselves." That was an ironic foreshadowing of the game, as the Patriots proceeded to throw the game away every chance they got. I should be more specific: the offense and special teams gave the game away whenever they could, the defense played pretty well for the pressure they were under. The offense could never get started, with too many penalties negating a couple of good drives. The special teams let up way too many yards on kick returns. The defense was on the field so long that they were exhausted and more often than not in bad field position.
This game reminded me a lot of the Miami game from last year, where the Patriots just couldn't do anything right. But just like last year, I'm hoping that this is a wakeup call for the team, that no one is going to lay down for them and they always have to be at the top of their game. It's going to be tough the next few weeks with 3 out of 4 games on the road against playoff teams. Next week is Pittsburgh, which really worries me because they've been kickin' ass and takin' names the past two weeks. But hey, I'm not sure I can be disappointed in the Patriots anymore. Winning three championships in four years sort of buys you a lot around these parts.
What Just Happened?
So the company that gave my current employeer, VistaPrint, funding decided to have a barbeque and 3-on-3 basketball tournament. This was originally scheduled for the parking lot outside our building, but due to inclement weather, it was looking like it wouldn't happen. Next thing I know, we're being moved to the Boston Celtics training facility!
This place was amazing. We got to use the actual lockerroom to change, which was fully decked out with a huge entertainment center. Each "locker", which was really more like a closet, came complete with a high-back leather chair. All of the Celtics players equipment was there...the size of the sneakers was insane. Go over to the sink, it's up high. Now, I'm not a huge guy, but at around 6 feet tall I'm used to leaning over to wash my hands in bathrooms. In this place, I didn't have to lean at all because the sinks were up so high.
Then, we got to play the basketball tournament on the Celtics' practice court. All around the court are the original championship banners and the retired number banners (the ones in the Garden are replicas). As we were practicing, Danny Ainge (former Celtic great and current executive director of basketball operations) came by and said hi. Naturally I bricked a shot big time as he looked on. He said, "I thought the red team had a chance, but after that, I don't know." I got dissed by Danny Ainge!
How nuts is all of this? One day I'm typing up code behind a computer, next thing I know I'm in the Celtics training facility, in the lockerroom, and shaking hands with Danny Ainge. This was definitely a day to remember (and me without my camera, doh!).
Rudeness…
It's been a while since I last ranted, but now that the time has come! I have this theory, and those of you who know me well already know this, that people are rude because society has become too politically correct. Seems counter-intuitive, I know, but hear me out.
We are living in an era where people are taught to "mind their own business." We're so afraid of offending someone, that people stand by and watch guys beat up their girlfriends and step over homeless people in the streets. It's not my fault, I'm just minding my own business. Likewise, because they don't get involved, they also expect that when they do something, someone else won't get involved.
How often do you sit in a movie theater and grumble under your breath because the person behind you is kicking your chair or talking too loud? Why don't you say something? Certainly, it's not rude to ask them to please stop disrupting your experience. Yet you don't. Why?
My theory is also that if more people stood up and did something about everyday situations, we'd leave a much more respectful society behind. If the problem is that no one is telling people to stop doing certain things, then if we all start telling people that they're being rude, ignorant, or downright cruel, maybe things will change. This is why I am the one to turn around in the movie theater and ask people to be quiet, I am the one to stop and offer a hand if someone needs it.
So what brings on this rant? As I was pulling onto my street today, a woman was trying to cut across to get into Dunkin' Donuts. Since I was the only car coming down, and since traffic on the other side was backed up, it would have been fine for her to wait for me to go by. Instead, she starts to pull in front of me, then slams on her brakes and gives me the finger as I drive by. Now, this is a middle-aged woman, driving alone in her car giving me, a 27 year old male, the finger. Does that sound like the smartest thing to do? What if I was one of those psychos who hunts and chops up people who give him the finger? As it was, I just stopped my car and looked at her with a perplexed expression, trying to say "you know what, save that type of anger for something important." I'd never wish ill will on anyone, but sometimes I think it would be beneficial for certain people to have a run-in with psychos, if for no other reason than to scare them straight.
