Panic is crippling.
I don't normally gush about people or events I find fascinating. For those closest to me, you KNOW that one person I can gush consistently about is David Tennant and not feel an ounce of embarrassment in the world. He's a gentleman and a scholar--oh, and a damn good actor.
That's not what this post is about, though. This post is about a Dark Horse. OK, so on the poker circuit, he's certainly not a dark horse among peers, but he's a Dark Horse in my book.
From 2005-2009, I went to school with Joe McKeehen. Joe McKeehen is a professional poker player from North Wales, which is not far from where we went to high school at LaSalle. There was 250-something kids in our graduating class, and, before I go any further, I will not claim that we were some kind of butt-buddy friends, because we weren't. That said, we generally sat at the same lunch-table with a cavalcade of other mutual friends.
As far as me and Joe go: We laughed about dumb things. We argued about even dumber things. Generally, though, we maintained a decent acquaintanceship through our high school years, and we continued that acquaintanceship in the following years--though our contact definitely dwindled.
It wasn't until some time last year, just as summer was approaching, that I noticed his Twitter/Facebook posts detailing that he had a final table on an off-shoot tournament at the WSOP (World Series of Poker) in Las Vegas and that it would be featured live on the internet with play-by-play analysts and everything. Another mutual friend of ours from high school, Matt, had also heard about this and saw that I showed interest in watching from commenting on one of Joe's final table-related posts.
Matt and I watched Joe as closely as a teenage girl would watch a pit-level Backstreet Boys concert from back in the 90's. Joe's demeanor stayed firm and steady the whole time while he slowly chipped away at the 8-man final table to make it to heads-up (final 2) play. Meanwhile, Matt and I were freaking.
"Joe should look for a hand he KNOWS he can push in on," I said acting like a junior poker analyst.
"Oh! Baited him into the bet!" Matt retorted.
"He's reeling in the fish! Yes, Joe! HERE COMES THE TRAIN!" Analogies about just about everything would fly to my fingertips as I typed to Matt. All of them were stupid. But all emotionally charged analogies from a tired student watching poker into the wee-hours of the morning will be. As my high school Trig teacher Mr. Rad would say, "It's the nature of the beast."
Joe ended up losing that night, but he was a major winner in our book. Poker--we're talking Texas Hold'em, here--is far from an easy game. There's a type and a ridiculous amount of mental, emotional, and sometimes even physical fortitude it takes to play hour after hour without bleeding money. Joe. Did not. Panic. There were times Joe made it look like a walk in the park; an ice cream cone on a hot day; a piece of cake, and other terribly cliched analogies.
So, why am I considering Joe a Dark Horse? It's simple: The journey.
Think about this for a moment: Joe, for all intents and purposes, graduated high school, and then pursued a career in professional poker almost immediately--while he went to college!! Do you have ANY idea how ridiculously difficult it is to do that? To fund yourself as a poker player coming from ANY time in life, you have to win to keep going or else your career is ridiculously short-lived. For that, Joe is a Dark Horse, but don't expect his competition to look at him that way.
Ultimately, Matt and I watched greatness unfold (fold, check, bet, raise, and re-raise) a year ago. And now, the world is witnessing Joe's greatness.
Today, Joe is the big stack going into the WSOP Main Event Final Table--the November 9, they're called. The last 9 people in a poker tournament that started with thousands of people. Anything can happen. In the last 7 years, only 1 person with the Big Stack going into the final table came out on top.
To Joe: I don't care if you win or lose. Right now, you're on top of the poker world, and all the greats are recognizing. You are now among them. Even if you lose, they will know for the rest of their careers that you are not someone to take lightly. I wish you luck. I wish you the same mental and emotional strength that you have shown thus far at the final table. And overall I'm ridiculously proud of you and could not be happier for you.
I look forward to watching you in November, and I hope I can get you a few more supporters with this.
All the best,
PatInTheHat
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
...of a Quest (An Abundance of Katherines)
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!
It is time for me to start a quest. This quest will involve/need the support of many many many people, but as difficult as the proposition seems at its current state, I refuse to believe that the prospects are impossible.
I am a fan of John Green's. I'm sure I mentioned him in previous blogs, but in case you forget, or for some reason have not discovered him yet, he is an author, vlogger, Nerdfighter, etc. He has written (in their entirety) 4 books. His books are: An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and The Fault In Our Stars--there are others he has co-authored as well. You may have heard of at least one of those titles as TFIOS is a movie that came out a couple years ago, and Paper Towns is a movie that is coming out this July. Looking for Alaska has just been given the green-light to be turned into a film as well, leaving the only book John Green has written that is not (and may never be) a film to this point at An Abundance of Katherines.
As you can probably infer from the previous paragraph, my quest is to ensure that An Abundance of Katherines becomes a full-length featured film.
Where this is all coming from:
John Green was recently asked in a Q&A about AAOK on whether it will become a film. Without ruining the story for those that might want to read the story after reading this post, his main issue with the story is that it's not written in 1st person. The entirety of the book is written in a third person narrative. Now, John Green, for me, is a great writer, and I consider him a pretty brilliant individual, especially as it comes to this book AAOK. That said, I find it strange that he would so easily write off the story simply because it's in third person. Like, as if there are no ways around that. As if you can't create the film in first person in the eyes of the main character. Hollywood tends to have the ability, and writers, to do pretty awesome stuff. That's all I'll say about this for now.
For those who have not read this book, please read it! I'll preface by saying that John Green is basically a young-adult romance writer. For the life of me, I've never been into the romantic genre at all, but John Green has done well to stitch a series of pages together that don't make you feel like any of it is too much/over-the-top. In fact, in each of his books (I have yet to read Looking for Alaska, but it's on my to-do list. So aside from that...) there are other parts of the plot-line that make the characters considerably more intriguing than just the potential for a love-affair. In particular, I think AAOK does the best at this (though I'll admit TFIOS is a close second), because the main character is...Well, OK, I won't give away what's special about the main character, but I feel like the uniqueness of the main character is reason enough to create a story around him. The thought process behind the creation of this book in particular had to be most arduous, as there are references to complexities that make the way he wrote the book particularly difficult.
In this particular regard, I feel that people need to see the genius of John Green more than just, "He's the guy that wrote TFIOS and does a silly Vlog with his brother." I mean, hey, you could think he's brilliant for those things, too, and I think he is! But AAOK is in a different realm than the majority of other works out there in my humble opinion.
So, PLEASE HELP! Spread the word like wild-fire! Share this! Get other people to read the book especially if you found the book intriguing ultimately!
This is the first step of many. I plan to eventually create a FB page to figure out the total interest level. If that goes well, I'll move on to creating a vlog of my own dedicated to making mentions of the book (maybe even fielding questions from other interested parties) and I'll hope to get the attention of Mr. Green in the process. It's a tall order for someone as ridiculously busy as he is, but I feel like if there's a Will, then there's a PatInTheHat ;)
- PatInTheHat
It is time for me to start a quest. This quest will involve/need the support of many many many people, but as difficult as the proposition seems at its current state, I refuse to believe that the prospects are impossible.
I am a fan of John Green's. I'm sure I mentioned him in previous blogs, but in case you forget, or for some reason have not discovered him yet, he is an author, vlogger, Nerdfighter, etc. He has written (in their entirety) 4 books. His books are: An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and The Fault In Our Stars--there are others he has co-authored as well. You may have heard of at least one of those titles as TFIOS is a movie that came out a couple years ago, and Paper Towns is a movie that is coming out this July. Looking for Alaska has just been given the green-light to be turned into a film as well, leaving the only book John Green has written that is not (and may never be) a film to this point at An Abundance of Katherines.
As you can probably infer from the previous paragraph, my quest is to ensure that An Abundance of Katherines becomes a full-length featured film.
Where this is all coming from:
John Green was recently asked in a Q&A about AAOK on whether it will become a film. Without ruining the story for those that might want to read the story after reading this post, his main issue with the story is that it's not written in 1st person. The entirety of the book is written in a third person narrative. Now, John Green, for me, is a great writer, and I consider him a pretty brilliant individual, especially as it comes to this book AAOK. That said, I find it strange that he would so easily write off the story simply because it's in third person. Like, as if there are no ways around that. As if you can't create the film in first person in the eyes of the main character. Hollywood tends to have the ability, and writers, to do pretty awesome stuff. That's all I'll say about this for now.
For those who have not read this book, please read it! I'll preface by saying that John Green is basically a young-adult romance writer. For the life of me, I've never been into the romantic genre at all, but John Green has done well to stitch a series of pages together that don't make you feel like any of it is too much/over-the-top. In fact, in each of his books (I have yet to read Looking for Alaska, but it's on my to-do list. So aside from that...) there are other parts of the plot-line that make the characters considerably more intriguing than just the potential for a love-affair. In particular, I think AAOK does the best at this (though I'll admit TFIOS is a close second), because the main character is...Well, OK, I won't give away what's special about the main character, but I feel like the uniqueness of the main character is reason enough to create a story around him. The thought process behind the creation of this book in particular had to be most arduous, as there are references to complexities that make the way he wrote the book particularly difficult.
In this particular regard, I feel that people need to see the genius of John Green more than just, "He's the guy that wrote TFIOS and does a silly Vlog with his brother." I mean, hey, you could think he's brilliant for those things, too, and I think he is! But AAOK is in a different realm than the majority of other works out there in my humble opinion.
So, PLEASE HELP! Spread the word like wild-fire! Share this! Get other people to read the book especially if you found the book intriguing ultimately!
This is the first step of many. I plan to eventually create a FB page to figure out the total interest level. If that goes well, I'll move on to creating a vlog of my own dedicated to making mentions of the book (maybe even fielding questions from other interested parties) and I'll hope to get the attention of Mr. Green in the process. It's a tall order for someone as ridiculously busy as he is, but I feel like if there's a Will, then there's a PatInTheHat ;)
- PatInTheHat
Friday, July 10, 2015
Stone Glass Pt. 1
Wading through her underwear drawer, she materialized a flashlight. The power went out just after the sun set on a Friday evening, and eighteen-year-old, five-foot six-inch Maggie Marlot was home, half-naked after just taking a shower, and alone. Her parents were out celebrating their wedding anniversary at a local Northeast Philly bar owned by a friend of theirs, and Merlot--that's what I call her--was losing her mind.
-------
It was one of the more beautiful days of the year. It was early May. Spring, although it technically started in late March, had finally sprung after an ungodly long winter, and my allergies were killing me.
"Gemstone!" My mother called from the downstairs kitchen. I'm 5"5' brown hair, green-eyed, slender Jennifer. My friends call me Jenny. My brother's name is Ben, which makes our names hard to distinguish when we're being summoned by our parental overlords. My parents were never traditionalists--they never did all the popular things that everyone else did. So, ya know, no diamond rings, no gold anything, strange-colored interior wall-paint, no simply calling me Jenny, like my friends, or Jennifer like my actual name, etc. The wedding ring my mom does have is a custom-made copper ring with an Amethyst gem. I was born in February; Amethyst is my birthstone; thus, my nickname: Gemstone.
"Come get breakfast! Eggs today! Getting burrrrrr!" My mom loves substituting words for sound-effects even though neither of her children have been 3 years old in 12 years.
I sneeze, "Ughhh, JUST BRING IT TO ME. My FACE is exPLOding."
My mom was already upstairs. Part of her morning ritual is leaving her keys up in her room and realizing that fact right after she already closed the front door behind her. She passed by my room.
"It's 7:30am and you're already whining about something? I'm not a very go..."
"Not a very good lapidary." I cut her off, "Yeah, I know, mom, but today I'm your beautifully polished, splendiforous Gemstone who needs your love...and mostly the eggs you made." I put my hands on my cheeks. "My FACE is exPLOding!"
"Sorry, honey, late for work! Allergies again? Just get Ben to help you!" She screams as she runs down the hall to her bedroom.
Before I could even scream "Ben," a flying saucer in the form of a plate with eggs and bacon within its real estate came into my room and hovered at the foot of my bed. It was being flown by a well-manufactured toy-helicopter my brother made last Christmas. He's exceptionally crafty, and even custom-attached a type of grill above the rotor so it could carry objects. He stood at my bedroom doorway.
"Ben! You're the best!" I exclaim. My fifteen-year-old brother Ben stands a couple inches taller than me with straight brown hair and glasses. He sort of looks like a rocker who is also a nerd. Ya know, if you kept up with all of the stereotypes of the world. He's actually just a big dork.
"Just for today Germstone. Just. For. Today." he says with a sardonic smile and dramatic inflection.
I took the plate, ate as fast as I could, since my nose was so stuffed the food was practically tasteless, got changed, and headed out the door to school with Ben sluggishly moving behind me. The one good thing about where my parents lived is that we were in walking distance to me and Ben's high school. Other than that, the Morrel area of the city, designated as such due to a winding road called Morrel Avenue that connects to two major roadways, was pretty boring. Ben and I never walk together so I don't mind that he's sluggish today. It's normally the other way around, and with my face near critical mass, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with him. I turn around.
"Ben! Wait. Ben?" He's not behind me. I immediately feel like he's about to pull a prank on me and start feeling a slight jolt of adrenaline enter my bloodstream. The positive is that my nose isn't as stuffy because of the nerves.
I get to school, and Ben never appears, so for the moment I stop worrying and proceed with my day. He's a smart teenager that does all sorts of weird teenager things nowadays, so I'm not concerned. I look for Merlot.
-------
It was one of the more beautiful days of the year. It was early May. Spring, although it technically started in late March, had finally sprung after an ungodly long winter, and my allergies were killing me.
"Gemstone!" My mother called from the downstairs kitchen. I'm 5"5' brown hair, green-eyed, slender Jennifer. My friends call me Jenny. My brother's name is Ben, which makes our names hard to distinguish when we're being summoned by our parental overlords. My parents were never traditionalists--they never did all the popular things that everyone else did. So, ya know, no diamond rings, no gold anything, strange-colored interior wall-paint, no simply calling me Jenny, like my friends, or Jennifer like my actual name, etc. The wedding ring my mom does have is a custom-made copper ring with an Amethyst gem. I was born in February; Amethyst is my birthstone; thus, my nickname: Gemstone.
"Come get breakfast! Eggs today! Getting burrrrrr!" My mom loves substituting words for sound-effects even though neither of her children have been 3 years old in 12 years.
I sneeze, "Ughhh, JUST BRING IT TO ME. My FACE is exPLOding."
My mom was already upstairs. Part of her morning ritual is leaving her keys up in her room and realizing that fact right after she already closed the front door behind her. She passed by my room.
"It's 7:30am and you're already whining about something? I'm not a very go..."
"Not a very good lapidary." I cut her off, "Yeah, I know, mom, but today I'm your beautifully polished, splendiforous Gemstone who needs your love...and mostly the eggs you made." I put my hands on my cheeks. "My FACE is exPLOding!"
"Sorry, honey, late for work! Allergies again? Just get Ben to help you!" She screams as she runs down the hall to her bedroom.
Before I could even scream "Ben," a flying saucer in the form of a plate with eggs and bacon within its real estate came into my room and hovered at the foot of my bed. It was being flown by a well-manufactured toy-helicopter my brother made last Christmas. He's exceptionally crafty, and even custom-attached a type of grill above the rotor so it could carry objects. He stood at my bedroom doorway.
"Ben! You're the best!" I exclaim. My fifteen-year-old brother Ben stands a couple inches taller than me with straight brown hair and glasses. He sort of looks like a rocker who is also a nerd. Ya know, if you kept up with all of the stereotypes of the world. He's actually just a big dork.
"Just for today Germstone. Just. For. Today." he says with a sardonic smile and dramatic inflection.
I took the plate, ate as fast as I could, since my nose was so stuffed the food was practically tasteless, got changed, and headed out the door to school with Ben sluggishly moving behind me. The one good thing about where my parents lived is that we were in walking distance to me and Ben's high school. Other than that, the Morrel area of the city, designated as such due to a winding road called Morrel Avenue that connects to two major roadways, was pretty boring. Ben and I never walk together so I don't mind that he's sluggish today. It's normally the other way around, and with my face near critical mass, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with him. I turn around.
"Ben! Wait. Ben?" He's not behind me. I immediately feel like he's about to pull a prank on me and start feeling a slight jolt of adrenaline enter my bloodstream. The positive is that my nose isn't as stuffy because of the nerves.
I get to school, and Ben never appears, so for the moment I stop worrying and proceed with my day. He's a smart teenager that does all sorts of weird teenager things nowadays, so I'm not concerned. I look for Merlot.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Breaking Out of the Mold
Marching to the beat of your own drum in this world is not an easy thing to do, but it's what we're judged on by our peers.
Try not to pretend that other people don't influence you, because that's ridiculous. Every single person you meet from the time you're a child influences you in some way whether you like it or not. Hell, even people you've never met that you see on the news/on TV, i.e. the President(s), perhaps Donald Trump, perhaps Muhammad Ali, etc.
Some people have more of an influence on you than others because of the way you were raised. Some influences are absolutely disastrous while others are progressive--these people have the society as a whole in mind when they make decisions. I could get all psychoanalytic about how you like a particular sport, a particular political party, a particular vacation destination, and that you like particular people based on how your parents raised you, but I won't. I'm sure that sounds common-sensical at it's core, but there are people out there that we all follow no matter how wrong they might be based on cognitive moments in our lives.
Oh, right, I said I wouldn't get psychoanalytic...
So then how do we become unique enough to get noticed? Well, that's a great question, and there are varying answers.
More than anything, though, if you can out-creative someone, that's generally your "in." What makes that idea baffeling is that there are people out there in the limelight that emphasize the opposite. Ya know, that we should be working Americans. But that's not how THEY got in the limelight. They didn't get there by simply working. They got there because they created an idea that no one else ever created. They got noticed for whatever that was, and then continued to stay in the limelight. As someone in a band, I'll admit how hard it is to get INTO the limelight even if you have talent or good idea, but I've noticed that it's even harder to get OUT of the limelight once you're in. Take Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes as examples.
If I were to give one amazing example of a person who just understood what it meant to be famous--actually I'll name 2--Arnold Schwarzenegger first comes to mind. Talk about a guy who just kept reinventing himself, right? First a body-builder, then an actor, then a governor(?!), then back to an actor. It's like, Jesus hell. If you could wrap success in a box with a bow, it would be Arnold's life.
The other person I had in mind to how someone handles fame is John Green. Don't know who John Green is, yet? That's ok, I'll give you some background from my standpoint. Years ago I found John Green making vlogs with his brother Hank on YouTube--and they're coincidentally called the Vlog Brothers. They're both hysterical with their witty bantering back and forth. Unbeknownst to me at the time, John Green is also an author. he wrote some notable novels that I'm sure you heard of, because it looks like all of his books are becoming movies: The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and my personal favorite that may never even become a movie--An Abundance of Katherines. He handles fame like he handled his life before he became this well-known author. He still makes Vlogs, and he's super personal with his fans by holding Q&As about his books often.
All of this said, and the reason I'm posting this, I believe that if you can't be yourself and be creative, then you missed the entire point.
This past weekend I got to meet Vinny from Vinesauce--a YouTube channel that displays video game walk-throughs and corruptions among other things--at the Too Many Games Convention in Oaks, PA. I was fortunate to go with someone who knew him, so meeting him was as easy as walking up to him and saying "hi." As you can imagine, he was a super down-to-Earth guy who just so happened to be relatively famous. You might not know who he is, but he's the gaming community's version of Mark Wahlberg. He only ever had seconds to breathe before he was whisked away by his crew for interviews and other convention-type events. (He even had his own crew, kinda like Entourage.)
If you can't be you and stand out. Go back to the drawing board. Like way back.
- PatInTheHat
Try not to pretend that other people don't influence you, because that's ridiculous. Every single person you meet from the time you're a child influences you in some way whether you like it or not. Hell, even people you've never met that you see on the news/on TV, i.e. the President(s), perhaps Donald Trump, perhaps Muhammad Ali, etc.
Some people have more of an influence on you than others because of the way you were raised. Some influences are absolutely disastrous while others are progressive--these people have the society as a whole in mind when they make decisions. I could get all psychoanalytic about how you like a particular sport, a particular political party, a particular vacation destination, and that you like particular people based on how your parents raised you, but I won't. I'm sure that sounds common-sensical at it's core, but there are people out there that we all follow no matter how wrong they might be based on cognitive moments in our lives.
Oh, right, I said I wouldn't get psychoanalytic...
So then how do we become unique enough to get noticed? Well, that's a great question, and there are varying answers.
More than anything, though, if you can out-creative someone, that's generally your "in." What makes that idea baffeling is that there are people out there in the limelight that emphasize the opposite. Ya know, that we should be working Americans. But that's not how THEY got in the limelight. They didn't get there by simply working. They got there because they created an idea that no one else ever created. They got noticed for whatever that was, and then continued to stay in the limelight. As someone in a band, I'll admit how hard it is to get INTO the limelight even if you have talent or good idea, but I've noticed that it's even harder to get OUT of the limelight once you're in. Take Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes as examples.
If I were to give one amazing example of a person who just understood what it meant to be famous--actually I'll name 2--Arnold Schwarzenegger first comes to mind. Talk about a guy who just kept reinventing himself, right? First a body-builder, then an actor, then a governor(?!), then back to an actor. It's like, Jesus hell. If you could wrap success in a box with a bow, it would be Arnold's life.
The other person I had in mind to how someone handles fame is John Green. Don't know who John Green is, yet? That's ok, I'll give you some background from my standpoint. Years ago I found John Green making vlogs with his brother Hank on YouTube--and they're coincidentally called the Vlog Brothers. They're both hysterical with their witty bantering back and forth. Unbeknownst to me at the time, John Green is also an author. he wrote some notable novels that I'm sure you heard of, because it looks like all of his books are becoming movies: The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and my personal favorite that may never even become a movie--An Abundance of Katherines. He handles fame like he handled his life before he became this well-known author. He still makes Vlogs, and he's super personal with his fans by holding Q&As about his books often.
All of this said, and the reason I'm posting this, I believe that if you can't be yourself and be creative, then you missed the entire point.
This past weekend I got to meet Vinny from Vinesauce--a YouTube channel that displays video game walk-throughs and corruptions among other things--at the Too Many Games Convention in Oaks, PA. I was fortunate to go with someone who knew him, so meeting him was as easy as walking up to him and saying "hi." As you can imagine, he was a super down-to-Earth guy who just so happened to be relatively famous. You might not know who he is, but he's the gaming community's version of Mark Wahlberg. He only ever had seconds to breathe before he was whisked away by his crew for interviews and other convention-type events. (He even had his own crew, kinda like Entourage.)
If you can't be you and stand out. Go back to the drawing board. Like way back.
- PatInTheHat
Monday, June 15, 2015
Ghosts, Ghouls, and....Hyenas?
The path is dark, filled with patrons as far as the eye can see. Unbeknownst to them, villains lurk along the seemingly unpopulated road ready to take...pictures?
All of this might sound like the beginning of a strange horror-comedy film, unless, that is, you've experienced Disney's Tower of Terror 10-miler.
If you love Disney as much as I do, and you're a casual runner who enjoys fun-runs, then this race/run is for you! The Tower of Terror 10-miler starts just outside of the Hollywood Studios theme park in Disney World, Orlando, Florida, and ends inside of Hollywood Studios. Along the way ghosts, ghouls, and your favorite villainous Disney characters, such as: the hyenas from Lion King, Jafar from Alladin, and others stand by to take a photo with you if you're OK with stopping during your run.
Even if you're not trying to take a picture with your favorite villains, your picture WILL BE TAKEN! Photographers are everywhere, so make sure you put on your best smile as you pass by.
Although the race starts at 10pm, the route couldn't have been more scenic. A turn-around occurs right around Animal Kingdom Lodge, and from there, you venture into Disney's Wide World of Sports, where a part of the race is run inside of the Atlanta Braves spring training stadium!
The last half-mile is run completely inside Hollywood Studios. There, hundreds of fans cheer you on as you make your way to the home-stretch. One of the neater parts of the race is right before the finish line where commentators, sitting up in a lofted booth, call out your name and where you're from in front of tons of people, so make sure you save just enough in the tank to sprint home (unlike me, who started having leg cramps a couple miles before the end of the race...whoops)! After crossing the finish line there is fruit, water, and Gatorade as far as the eye can see so you can rehydrate right away. There are also trainers by the finish line that will assist you with any pains you might have post-race by applying cooling gel to affected areas!
Now, you might be asking, "What could possibly make this race experience any more awesome?!" Well, that's a great question! The answer: You get to go on as many rides as you want after the race until the park closes at 2am! So, if Hollywood Studios is your favorite Disney World park, and you're not too keen on long lines, then take full advantage of this perk by taking part in the run!
All-in-all, the Tower of Terror 10-miler is a must-do for race aficionados like myself, and it is sure to be one of the most memorable parts of your Disney World vacation.
As for my number one rule going into this race/run? Just make sure you have fun!
- PatInTheHat
Friday, June 12, 2015
Hank
You've probably noticed that I don't generally talk about work or the people I work with very often. the truth is, even stuff like this, I don't really like talking about, because the tasks I perform would probably bore you to sleep. Also, the people I meet, talk to, befriend, you'll never meet, so what's the point?
Well, I'm breaking that trend today to a degree to talk about a guy I met from Payroll.
Hank comes across as an average guy. Four years my father's junior, which makes him 53, and he has a personality that is as infectious as anyone you would meet at any age. Very personable, very funny, and since I had a few lunches with him, very NOT average.
Hank always complains about the Phillies. I enjoy his complaints, because it makes me feel less whiney when I complain about Philly sports teams, even if in actuality I'm not.
"I came to this side of the building to find the Phillies' win streak and I can't find it. I'll keep looking!" he'd say in passing. "Leave a light on in the basement, because we're gonna be down there a while."
Some of his silly dad-joke-esque complaints about the Phillies would always put me in a better mood.
At work, we have a system where anyone who is logged on to Business Chat can talk to each other. Needless to say, any time the Phillies were doing well or otherwise I'd message Hank.
"Did you see that win last night, Hank!? KEEP THE BASEMENT DOOR OPEN, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING OUT!" I'd exclaim. And then he'd make some let's-come-back-down-from-that-high remark of, "Well, we're gonna need to break the lock, but it's possible!"
Eventually, I decided we should get some lunch together from the cafe downstairs. His story, for me, is pretty incredible.
He was in the Gulf War from the 80's to the 90's. He was in some pretty horrific battles, and came out alive! He somehow manages to tell these stories with a grin as if he's completely unscathed mentally by it all. He has a wife that he put through school after they got married to become a biologist, and now she's about to start researching with one of the best cancer researchers in the country! He lives by a rule that encompasses his care for other people before himself. He's a gentleman; a scholar in his own right. And now, after only getting to know him over the last couple months, he's leaving. not for just any silly reason either--he's leaving because his wife needs to move out to Kentucky to do that cancer research I mentioned. His wife is a biproduct of his will to make sure other people felt good around him BECAUSE of him.
Today is his last day, and I can't help but feel a little saddened. I hardly knew the guy in actuality, but there's something about people we meet in our lives that make us feel good in stressful moments that make us hope they'll be around for a long time. I know that sounds a bit selfish, and if you've read this far--a sap story in all--you should also know that I'm really happy for him and I've learned a lot from him in the short time that I knew him.
Enough to write a silly blog, anyway.
The point of this: I think it's important to not take advantage of the little connections that we make in our lives. Over the last few years, introspectively, I believe I've done a much better job at this. And a lot of learning has come of it. I also think it's taught me a lot about how I might come across to people I'm hardly around, which makes it that much more important to give them your best, so that they give their best to others! Perhaps a lynch-pin of global change?
Maybe that's a touch too optimistic. *shrugs* But that won't stop be from trying.
- PatInTheHat
Monday, June 8, 2015
Sports Apathy
Forgive me for sportsing for a moment--I really haven't sportsed on here very often--so if you feel so inclined to not read this because of sportsing, then by all means: Don't.
If you appreciate my opinion on sports, then you'll likely appreciate what I have to say about the NBA finals that are currently taking place between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. So far, only two games have taken place, but a lot has happened in those two games that is probably making the betting public go insane. That's more of an objective point of view. What you may be seeing on ESPN and other sports avenues is considerably more of a subjective point of view that get people, who probably haven't watched much of the series at all, talking about the series like they know how the game is being played. Before I continue, I want to point out that I have not watched ESPN in a couple years. I got really sick of it. With that said, I became very used to how it tells sports news, so I'm going to do my best at making pretend I know how they construed the games (kinda just like they do). So, without further adieu, let me shed some light on the series to this point, since I have watched all 106 minutes of game play thus far:
1. Game 1: What ESPN (probably) said: A relative back and forth battle. Lebron was terrible down the stretch. If not for that missed shot at the end of the game Kyrie Irving would have never been hurt, and the Cavs would have a chance to win. Curry and Thompson shined in OT, and the Warriors defense shut the Cavs down.
What I'm saying: Lebron James scored 44 pts. Yes, he did miss a buzzer beater at the end of the 4th quarter--the attempt was pretty awful, too--but he actually played pretty great throughout the game. The loss should not be blamed on him. His team could have performed better in front of him. Kyrie Irving getting hurt had little to do with the Cavs losing. The Warriors wanted it more, and the Warriors took it, because they're the Warriors. Overall, great playoff basketball from both teams. The better team won.
2. Game 2 Preview (Days Leading Up): What ESPN (probably) said: There's no way the Cavs win the series now. Without Kyrie Irving, this Cavs team is super vulnerable. Lebron James will have to be stupendous, and his team will have to give the ball to "The King" the whole game, because, well, he's "The King." Oh, and the Warrios will be playing with their whole roster, so they should win. in 4 or 5 games.
What I was saying (in conversation wit my dad):
Me (about our bets we made on Golden State winning in 6 or 7): Well, it's looking like trouble for us. Definitely a catastrophic loss to the Cavs now that they're down Irving.
Dad: Yeah, it's not looking good at all. The good news is that Owners want their teams to keep playing.
Me: What do you mean?
Dad: Well, the more games they play, the more revenue the owners get for their stadiums and teams, and the more jobs they're able to keep on for a little longer.
Me: Hmm, I never thought of it like that. You don't think a team would intentionally throw a game in the finals for those reasons, do you?
Dad: I would hope not, but I really wouldn't put it past them.
Me: Yeah, I see your point. After all, this is the entertainment industry.
3. (Me now watching the pre-game show)
Basically, everyone expects the Golden State Warriors to win this game and for the Cavs to win 1 game at home the rest of the way, with the Warriors eventually winning the series in 5. I agreed with almost all of their analysis from D-Wade to Collins. Barring some crazy injury to the Warriors, the Cavs were done for.
4. Watching game 2: This is the worst professional basketball I have seen in a long time. Golden State doesn't even look like they're trying, and yet they're still in striking distance. I guess they made Clay Thompson the designated scorer for this game. Steph Curry wants to keep throwing up circus shots like this is an And1 tournament. And I know FOR A FACT that is NOT how he has played THIS WHOLE SEASON.
The commentators are constantly talking about Lebron as if he's the next coming of Christ, and yet his team is hanging on by the skin of their teeth. "DID YOU SEE THAT PASS?!" Guys, it was a pass. Let's not forget the 3 pointer that was sunk on the other end of it by Shephard.
Oh, hey, look at that. With 3 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter, the Warriors decided that they all want to play. They storm back from 11 points down--easily, might I add--to send the game into OT. It seems inevitable now that the Cavs lose.
Welp, I'm wrong again, the Warriors come out flat looking like they did in the first half, and lose OT. It got exciting there again with about 2 minutes left in the OT as Thompson for the Warriors sank some m ore 3s. Cavs win. The better team DID NOT win this game. The Warriors GAVE the Cavs that game. Looks like my dad was right about them throwing games.
If you or anyone thinks that Lebron James and the Cavs are going to win this series, then you must also still believe in Fairytales and Santa Claus. You're disillusioned.
That said, it would be great if the Warriors could give the Cavs just one more game. Just one more. Is that so much to ask?
-PatInTheHat
If you appreciate my opinion on sports, then you'll likely appreciate what I have to say about the NBA finals that are currently taking place between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. So far, only two games have taken place, but a lot has happened in those two games that is probably making the betting public go insane. That's more of an objective point of view. What you may be seeing on ESPN and other sports avenues is considerably more of a subjective point of view that get people, who probably haven't watched much of the series at all, talking about the series like they know how the game is being played. Before I continue, I want to point out that I have not watched ESPN in a couple years. I got really sick of it. With that said, I became very used to how it tells sports news, so I'm going to do my best at making pretend I know how they construed the games (kinda just like they do). So, without further adieu, let me shed some light on the series to this point, since I have watched all 106 minutes of game play thus far:
1. Game 1: What ESPN (probably) said: A relative back and forth battle. Lebron was terrible down the stretch. If not for that missed shot at the end of the game Kyrie Irving would have never been hurt, and the Cavs would have a chance to win. Curry and Thompson shined in OT, and the Warriors defense shut the Cavs down.
What I'm saying: Lebron James scored 44 pts. Yes, he did miss a buzzer beater at the end of the 4th quarter--the attempt was pretty awful, too--but he actually played pretty great throughout the game. The loss should not be blamed on him. His team could have performed better in front of him. Kyrie Irving getting hurt had little to do with the Cavs losing. The Warriors wanted it more, and the Warriors took it, because they're the Warriors. Overall, great playoff basketball from both teams. The better team won.
2. Game 2 Preview (Days Leading Up): What ESPN (probably) said: There's no way the Cavs win the series now. Without Kyrie Irving, this Cavs team is super vulnerable. Lebron James will have to be stupendous, and his team will have to give the ball to "The King" the whole game, because, well, he's "The King." Oh, and the Warrios will be playing with their whole roster, so they should win. in 4 or 5 games.
What I was saying (in conversation wit my dad):
Me (about our bets we made on Golden State winning in 6 or 7): Well, it's looking like trouble for us. Definitely a catastrophic loss to the Cavs now that they're down Irving.
Dad: Yeah, it's not looking good at all. The good news is that Owners want their teams to keep playing.
Me: What do you mean?
Dad: Well, the more games they play, the more revenue the owners get for their stadiums and teams, and the more jobs they're able to keep on for a little longer.
Me: Hmm, I never thought of it like that. You don't think a team would intentionally throw a game in the finals for those reasons, do you?
Dad: I would hope not, but I really wouldn't put it past them.
Me: Yeah, I see your point. After all, this is the entertainment industry.
3. (Me now watching the pre-game show)
Basically, everyone expects the Golden State Warriors to win this game and for the Cavs to win 1 game at home the rest of the way, with the Warriors eventually winning the series in 5. I agreed with almost all of their analysis from D-Wade to Collins. Barring some crazy injury to the Warriors, the Cavs were done for.
4. Watching game 2: This is the worst professional basketball I have seen in a long time. Golden State doesn't even look like they're trying, and yet they're still in striking distance. I guess they made Clay Thompson the designated scorer for this game. Steph Curry wants to keep throwing up circus shots like this is an And1 tournament. And I know FOR A FACT that is NOT how he has played THIS WHOLE SEASON.
The commentators are constantly talking about Lebron as if he's the next coming of Christ, and yet his team is hanging on by the skin of their teeth. "DID YOU SEE THAT PASS?!" Guys, it was a pass. Let's not forget the 3 pointer that was sunk on the other end of it by Shephard.
Oh, hey, look at that. With 3 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter, the Warriors decided that they all want to play. They storm back from 11 points down--easily, might I add--to send the game into OT. It seems inevitable now that the Cavs lose.
Welp, I'm wrong again, the Warriors come out flat looking like they did in the first half, and lose OT. It got exciting there again with about 2 minutes left in the OT as Thompson for the Warriors sank some m ore 3s. Cavs win. The better team DID NOT win this game. The Warriors GAVE the Cavs that game. Looks like my dad was right about them throwing games.
If you or anyone thinks that Lebron James and the Cavs are going to win this series, then you must also still believe in Fairytales and Santa Claus. You're disillusioned.
That said, it would be great if the Warriors could give the Cavs just one more game. Just one more. Is that so much to ask?
-PatInTheHat
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