GBsWorld

In 26 Years...

2011-09-06T15:53:00.005-04:00

I have:

- Been a brother, son and uncle
- Lived abroad
- Learned another language
- Saved a life
- Overcome a debilitating illness
- Had friends become family
- Been to 20 countries
- Fallen in love
- Created art
- Broken bones
- Grown a beard
- Learned to cook
- Owned a dog
- Visited 3 out of the 7 continents
- Had dreams crushed
- Made new ones come true
- Fought for something
- Excelled at sports
- Earned a scholarship
- Gone skydiving
- Lost a best friend
- Dunked a basketball
- Nominated for Academic All-American in 2 sports
- Worked with kids
- Never lost sight of the importance of family
- Become a professional
- Appeared on Television
- Failed
- Made nearly no enemies
- Become CPR certified
- Danced like no one was watching
- Won and lost a fight
- Attained a college degree
- Lost a job
- Been published
- Experienced a tragedy
- Detoxed
- Surprised myself
- Been a hero and a coward
- Co-hosted a radio show
- Not remembered
- Never forgotten
- Worked for free
- Reinvented myself
- Remained unsatisfied
- Decided that there is plenty more I need to do!

#NMSC #NLI Written Work

2011-07-16T20:25:00.001-04:00

http://bit.ly/nNDGOY

http://on.fb.me/pXee3l

Records Still Stand

2011-03-07T22:43:00.005-05:00

Was wondering who kept track of this stuff!

GB Goals in a career:
http://www.nscaa.com/downloads/BHSIndividualCareerGoals021111.html

GB Goals in a season:
http://www.nscaa.com/downloads/BHSIndividualSeasonGoals021111.html

NMSC #USSDA Phoenix Photos

2010-12-22T08:21:00.004-05:00

In addition to the blog coverage for the #NMSC #USSDA trip to Phoenix, I was our acting sports photojournalist... Check out the albums on our North Meck SC Facebook page!

#USSDA Winter Showcase Album 1
http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Meck-SC/160887333925767#!/album.php?aid=50875&id=160887333925767&fbid=185451158136051

#USSDA Winter Showcase Album 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50880&id=160887333925767

Really great event and amazing to see the resources offered to top players nowadays- they are treated like professionals!

NMSC USSDA 2010 Winter Showcase

2010-12-08T19:30:00.008-05:00

Coverage of the North Meck SC US Soccer Developmental Academy's Phoenix trip to take part in the 2010 Academy Winter Showcase is below. Authored copy and photos provided by your truly!

http://tinyurl.com/USSDAblog

Best part is that I get to call this "work"
=D

U.S. Soccer Academy Trip- North Meck SC

2010-12-04T02:52:00.007-05:00

Donning their new North Meck SC US Soccer Academy “HendricksCars.com” red tops players’ boarded US Airways flight number 705 for their desert destination.

During the plane ride players worked on homework, jammed to their iPods, chatted with coaches and watched footage from their various high school seasons.

For U-16 Jordan Chillson, he says he was a little uneasy first flight experience, “I was a little nervous and got a bit queasy. I just wondered how that big of a plane is supposed to get airborne! When we hit that first patch of turbulence, I looked over to (fellow U-16) John Pouliot, who told to me to relax and that it’s normal.”

Following the four and a half hour flight to Phoenix the North Meck SC US Soccer Academy players piled into vans and headed straight to a pasta dinner.

After plenty of carbohydrates, calories and fluids for the demanding weekend ahead, NMSC players paraded into the Courtyard Marriot at around 11 pm mountain time. And just like that, the North Meck SC US Soccer Academy teams were ready for their first day at the 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase.

Just short trip from the hotel the Reach 11 Sports Complex appears as an oasis in the Martian like landscape that is Phoenix Arizona. The sprawling 73 acre soccer complex is broken into two phases and houses 18 lighted, international soccer fields.

The top players from North Meck SC were both anxious and nervous to take the pitch in front of a crowd littered with collegiate scouts from around the nation. Both teams were well aware of the fact that their performances this weekend could help determine where they will compete in the coming years at the next level. But after the opening whistle blew, those thoughts were as far away as Richard Barry Park as the players focused on the challenge in front of them- the Chicago Sockers.

The U-16’s played to a 0-0 draw while the U-18’s lost the earlier contest 1-0. Day one was deemed a success as there were numerous signs of progress from last year and plenty of positives to take away from the field.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for our players is the fact that they have had only a handful of opportunities to train together due to the postseason success at their respective High School programs.

Day one was also highlighted by what was considered to be the largest non-playing attraction for the participants of the 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase; the U-17 National team matchup between USA and Brazil.

This year marks the first time that the six-game round-robin event will be played as a tournament with the champion taking home some hardware. It is also one of the last events for the U-17MNT before the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in February.

Fans of the beautiful game gathered in the thousands at the “stadium field” to watch the highly anticipated matchup that was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel. The level of play was superb but the competition, which was considered to be of the “friendly” format, was anything but- There was plenty of color on display during the match coming from both the beautiful desert sunset as well as what was shown by the referee’s hand. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

NMSC players wrapped up their first full day in Arizona with team meetings, a large meal and an early curfew in preparation for the morning matches tomorrow. On day two our NMSC US Soccer Academy teams will square off against Met Oval Academy from New York.

Go North Meck SC!

New @ NMSC

2010-10-11T16:31:00.009-04:00

So unless you've been following on twitter it's been a considerable amount of time since I last blogged -(microblogging is still blogging nonetheless!)- but I am happy to tell that the absence comes as a result of being hired full time with North Meck Soccer Club! The Charlotte area based youth soccer club brought me in to coach two teams and assume a multifaceted media & marketing role.

Full time doesn't even to describe the commitment I have made to the club... 7 days a week, 80+ hours of work weekly. Although I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky to have the opportunity to work a job that I love... (so that technically, I'll never work a day in my life according to the cliche)... the work load is insanely life consuming!

Having recently met with our Executive Director to discuss my role within the club, he made sure I was aware that the most important thing to understand in our contract is the part that reads "*And other duties assigned by the Executive Director." We generated a detailed document that navigates through my various responsibilities and requirments as a full time club staff member. We called it my "job description" and it includes the following titles: Head Coach, Recreational Program Director, Marketing Manager, Social Media Director, Communications Editor, Advertising Author, Facilities Manager, Multimedia & Graphic Designer. Of course people around the club still refer to me as "The Writer"...

Needless to say, during the season it is nearly impossible for me to find any time for myself so the blogging habit suffers. The daily demands of my two teams taper off in the winter months which will leave me more time for the loved "long-winded" discussions & colorful conversations...

Until then please follow me on Twitter @GBsWorld and @NorthMeckSC!

Fitness Fanatic

2010-04-26T16:43:00.007-04:00

Today I signed up to get my Personal Training Certification at the YMCA of Charlotte, NC. The irony of this blog's timing is not lost on me--the VT Spring football game was this past weekend--but I figure that this is another "recession proof" skill that I can add during this time of underemployment.

Anyway, since I had a more time this past year following my layoff I chose to spend much of it working on my physical fitness to reach some lofty goals of mine...

**SET GOALS**

As many of you know, I have an extensive athletic background. I played four sports in high school with numerous accolades in each. I was most gifted at soccer and was awarded a scholarship to play in the ACC for the Hokies. As a striker, much of my on-field success was due to my speed. I weighed around 165-175 lbs from my sophomore year in high school up till this past year. After I was forced into early retirement from collegiate soccer I took a few years off from the gym. As so many recent grads do, when my focus shifted from class to full time work I neglected my physical fitness in hopes career development.

During one of my last months in Boston, numerous members of the Solar Consulting team I was working with chose to do a http://www.21daydetox.com/ program. Dr. Green's program not only altered my outlook on my eating habits but completely changed my lifestyle at an early age.

Having been able to take advantage of my soccer player metabolism my whole life, I hadn't ever paid much attention to what I put into my body. Always loaded up on pasta the night before a game and banana, water and Gatorade between games. Although I never ate fast food, I never wondered about how much what you consume affects how you feel.

A quick synopsis of Dr. Greens Detox program is this...
Week 1: Vegan (all organic all 3 weeks)
Week 2: Raw Vegan (nothing cooked + 1 energy soup a day)
Week 3: All liquid meals (smoothies and energy soup)
Final 24 hrs: Water Fast

Essentially, what the program is designed to do is put the "reset" button on the body and flush out any toxins.

**DO A BODY DETOX AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR**

Without getting too detailed, this program forced me to cook every meal for myself while working 60-70 hour work weeks. I feel in love with cooking during this time.

**COOK EVERY MEAL YOURSELF**

Once I relocated back to NC, I decided to dedicate more time to my body which had taken so much athletic abuse over the years. Researching tirelessly, I compiled a program that was all-organic and one that would hopefully help me pack on weight for the first time in my adult life without the use of any weight lifting supplements.

I felt so energized during my detox due to the lack of additives in my food that I could bounce out of bed at 6 am and go until 8 pm at work before coming home for a very light workout and still have enough energy to cook my dinner. I felt the difference almost immediately- results did vary for my co-workers but I was like an 8 year-old all over again.

**EAT ORGANIC-ALL THE TIME**

Ten pounds was my initial goal. Obviously if you are looking to gain weight you need to consume more calories then you burn. So at a goal of 185 pounds I needed to eat between 2,700-3,200 calories a day with little-to-no-cardio in my workout.

My 3 main food groups are as follows:
High Quality Protein: eggs, lean meat, poultry, fish, etc
High Fiber Low Glycemic Carbs: Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat anything
Healthy Unsaturated Fats: fatty fishes, nuts, seeds, avocado, flax seed, olive oil

Starting out I had to sacrifice a lot to afford eating 4 organic meals a day on a tiny unemployment check. Naturally, going out to eat & drink with friends was the first to go... sorry amigos.

**DRINK 60% OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OZ OF WATER**

For optimum muscle growth your muscles need a ton of water. Currently, I try to consume about 150 oz of H20 a day. In all reality it's hard to drink too much water but the main goal of drinking so much water is that it will keep your muscles hydrated and makes you less likely to drink other beverages. NO SODA!! Cut back on you High Fructose Corn Syrup intake... trust me you will notice a difference.

**THE #1 RULE AT THE GYM IS I HATE MY BODY**

If you get comfortable or seem satisfied with your initial results just by changing you eating habits, you will slip. Be disciplined, push the envelope, add weight, do the extra rep and go the extra day. Most importantly keep a record of your progress. Write down what you eat and how you felt. Same with what you move in the gym.

I won't get into my whole workout routine in detail but the mental aspect of working out is critically important. Commit to it. Make it a part of you. Going to the gym is now one of the highlights of my day. There is nothing more satisfying then getting in a real good workout, seeing your progress on paper and coming home & cooking yourself a delicious meal that is good for you too. It works wonders on your mental health, confidence and will provide you with more energy.

**STRETCH**

Include a stretching session after your warm-up and include one when you cool down after your workout. Believe it or not stretching makes you stronger and faster. It elongates the range of motion while also keeping you toned. I like to do a yoga or pilates class at least a couple times a month. Plus the guy-to-girl ratio in that class will make up for your neglected nightlife.

**GET MENTAL**

When your lifting think to yourself how much more toned you are now, how swollen that muscle group is, think big to get big. You will see results if you believe they are happening before your eyes...endorphins everyone!

These are just how I have been able to change my body. I've put on 23 lbs in 14 months when I have never been able to put on five for more than a month before. I continue to set goals--next I want to hit 210 lbs. I am currently flirting with the 2-bill mark and continue to have people ask me to train them in the gym...soon people!

Remember this worked for me but everyone's body is different. I hope to learn more about how I can help others reach their physical potential by becoming a certified personal trainer here in Charlotte. The network of fitness fanatics I have come in contact with over the past year has continued to grow and only excite more more.

I love to make other people feel good about themselves. Life is just better when you are happy with yourself. On top of pursuing one of my passions this is just another way I can live UT PROSIM as a Hokie in this real world recession.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" -Gandhi

March 5th Massacre

2010-03-05T16:10:00.007-05:00

The following is an email from my sister we received this morning. Britta is looking after her two dogs by herself while her husband, who's also a pilot in the Navy, is abroad... enjoy...

Monroe (left) carried on and ended all at once a long standing Bengtson dog tradition this morning.

He, as had dogs past, sunk his teeth into my childhood teddy bear. But instead of tearing off an eye, or single limb and leaving the remains for dogs to come, he de-bowled my sweet teddy.

His innards were strewn throughout the house requiring me to vacuum prior to leaving for work. The bear was almost unrecognizable except for the 3 different pieces of the bear's fur that lay lifeless on opposite sides of the room. Unfortunately that wasn't enough...

After the horrid massacre I returned upstairs to finish getting ready for work and he somehow found another smaller bear. I found Monroe throwing said bear's head in the air and chasing it around. Betty (right) had the body and was very proud to show me that she, too, could de-bowl an innocent bear.

These monsters should be caged! (really!!)

Partnership Activation: Sports Marketing "Think Tank"

2010-03-03T21:17:00.004-05:00

Anyone who is interested in sports marketing & promotions needs to know about Partnership Activation. Founded by avid sports marketer Brian Gainor of GMR Marketing the site has been used as a means to provide sports business professionals with consultation of industry best practices and innovative sponsorship/marketing concepts.

I got to know Brian through a mutual connection at the Carolina Panthers and it has certainly been a blessing having him as a resource and friend. Brian was nice enough to share his Charlotte network with me and is directly responsible for the success I have had thus far at Davidson College in the athletics department.

Although I was sad to see him leave the QC I am pleased to share that he is quickly climbing up the ladder at GMR. A little over a week ago he was offered a more prominent role in the company and relocated to their headquarters in Milwaukee, WI.

Brian is one of those rare people in life who will go the extra mile to help. Brian and others like him offer us "under-employed" a shred of sanity that is becoming harder and harder to sustain. It is a daily battle for us recent grads that do not have a full time position and thanks to Brian's encouragement I have been able to keep doing the right things and maintain a positive attitude.

A very special thank you goes out to Brian for his help, advice and genuine desire to help. I wish you all the success in the world and hope to see you soon.

Cheers BG!

Soundtrack to Our Lives

2010-03-02T23:34:00.020-05:00

I just finished reading this article that has the Top 10 Most Downloaded Songs on iTunes of All Time list and was a bit bewildered to find out that The Black Eyed Peas had two in the top three and Lady GaGa had two in the top six... Since 2001... Really?

It makes sense because the songs "I Got a Feeling", "Poker Face" and others on the list were more recent releases. Obviously more people are using iTunes now than when Kelly Clarkson sang "Since You've Been Gone." It's clear that tomorrow there will be more iTunes users than today downloading and itching to "Just Dance." Naturally, that means more ipods and other peripheral purchases per person- much to Mr. Mac's delight.

A topic I have meant to blog about for some time now arises from this "Podenomenon"...

A few years back I thought about pitching an advertising campaign to Apple along the lines of "iPod: The Soundtrack to Your Life." I thought of a few different variations of commercials where people from all walks of life entering various "defining life moments" listening to their iPod -- a Coldplay or U2 song most likely-- and being successful... only because they had their iPod to get them ready for the moment (similar this Amp commercial)

Seems almost too obvious now... Go to any public place and I bet you cant go more than five minutes without seeing someone with white stings swinging from their bobbing head.

What was Shaun White doing right before he dropped in on one of his Olympic runs? Yup, he was plugged into his iPod probably listening to AC/DC or Guns N' Roses.

For pregame warmups in sports the iPod presence remains permanent- And why not? I know I take mine everywhere.

Hell, I am writing this right now with my iTunes on the background
(Nowplaying: Tea Leaf Green u Nosey Nancy!)

I certainly work out harder when I have my gym playist on w/Eminem calling me a bitch and beats that make reps and controlled breathing easier from Lil Wayne. I always seem to fall asleep quicker when my "Sleepin" playlist shuffles selections from Slightly Stoopid & Jack Johnson. The work day never seems to be over until "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere" starts. Shoot, would even know what we were working for if it weren't for Loverboy?

Music is great! It always has been and will never feel like I have had enough. New music is like having the hottest toy of the year... and the iPod allows everyday to be show and tell.

(Citizen Cope- Salvation)

But back to the the public place part of the "Podenomenon" and the part that concerns me... If everyone is plugged in does that reduce the need to reach out and talk to our fellow man? Are we going to miss out on organic opportunities for love, friendship, etc?

Now I know you choose listening to Taylor Swift's "Our Song" for the 400th time over trying to manufacture your own "meet-cute" with the goodlooking guy you see on the bus every morning because it's the safe choice for your self esteem versus being told he already has a girlfriend or isn't interested. But is that really what you want or is it just another excuse?

I wonder what those people who believe in "Fate" think of iPods... You missed your window of opportunity with the guy because you needed to "turn it up, it's my fav part!"

So much for your happy ending... But he had his iPod on too...
And there's always tomorrow, right?

(Dave Matthews Band-Pig)

The term "My Music" is taken very literally now... You don't even have to buy the whole album now which makes making a mixtape for a girl even more daunting a task, but really who does that anymore? You don't even have to put it on a CD anymore... just gift your gal one!

You can create a playlist for just about every activity in life and it doesn't even take that long. Drag, Drop and Dip as you DJ your day...

Again, I am one of many enjoying another modern luxury we didn't use to have. I swear I cook better when I have Pavarotti playing.

Base it on whatever you like- weather, mood, activity whatever you want. Sooner or later you begin to associate the song more with your life's events than the artist who creates it.

Now it's really "My Music"

(Kanye West-Livin' in a Movie) <-- haha iRonic... FYI shuffle on 41 GBs of music

Ok so maybe the demise of human interaction due to the iPod isn't something we need to worry about...I know it's not that tough to yank an earplug outta your head and jump into whatever situation that presents itself but there has to be a trade off. Kind of like that if a tree falls and no one hears it riddle there are things that are going to go unnoticed.

As much as I love to talk to everyone and anyone pretty much at any time anywhere, I do love "My Music." Honestly, some activities are borderline enhanced by music! I definitely make more shots when I ball to Public Enemy-He Got Game. I get a better all around workout when I have Jay-Z- On to the Next One playing. I certainly run farther when all I hear is Jackson Browne signing Running on Emptyyyyyyy....

So I guess I'm torn...I suppose I run the risk of missing things here and there if I am plugged in.

Then again, I've never been much of a "it happened because of fate" guy anyway. If I'm in the right place at the right time, I know it... and most of the time it's because I planned on being there.

I suppose I will just try to remain opportunistic... with a soundtrack.

(The Helio Sequence- Can't Say No)

Charlotte, NC HS Basketball Coverage

2010-01-30T10:22:00.007-05:00

First basketball article & attempt at sports photojournalism of 2k10 by yours truly...

United Faith Christian Academy beats Davidson Day School 54-48. United Faith defeated current Kentucky guard John Wall's Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, NC) team in last years Div. 1A championship game.

LakeNormanCitizen.com...

ESPN Interview

2010-01-15T12:09:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday I had an interview with ESPN for a Production Assistant trainee program position. Overall, I think the interview was one of the best I have ever had, but that's probably because we talked about sports pretty much the whole time.

I had to do a critique of an episode of Sportscenter. On 1/12 I chose to do the 6 PM primetime edition. I can't share my entire review per the request of my interviewer, but will share some of my ideas on how to improve the show...

"-Plug your regional .com’s more when there is a story coming out of that city (Canseco on ESPN Radio Chicago) that entire interview needs to be available online before show airs & inform viewers that you can hear the interview in its entirety @ espnchicago.com…”

-Would have liked to seen some college football experts on the show regarding the open USC job. How come no one had a beat on Kiffin going to USC at 5 PM when the story broke at 8 PM? I would expect that your insiders area always more than 2 or 3 hours ahead of the news but understand it’s hard to anticipate when working against deadline.

-Personally, I would have liked to seen a little more variation in the teases. The show was loaded with Pete Carroll and Mark McGwire anyway so why not tease something smaller like “With the World Cup just around the corner, see if your city is in the running to host a World Cup game?” Would have a nice flow into interactive poll on .com

-Again, I really liked having Mike Paul on live but I’m sure 98% of your viewers said “Mike Who?” Why not pull up a little sidebar graphic that shows some of his background that qualifies him as an expert on reputations ie clients present and past, little bit about his agency, website, etc anything that will provide audience with a little visibility on how this guy qualifies as a legitimate person to talk to- if it weren’t for google how would we find out more about him and his agency?

-ESPN bottom line- Whenever women’s scores flash across bottom we viewers often have to do a double take when seeing final scores. Maybe you can change color of font, bottom line or differentiate somehow that these scores are womens and these are men’s so we aren’t blown away when we see UCONN beat Syracuse by 40 in bball only to realize “Oh, it’s women’s.”

-Continuing with the McGwire story, I would like to hear how many experts, former & current players and coaches think that McGwire could go out and hit a HR right now. Can he test clean right now? Could he hit 20 HRs in AAA since there were rumors of an MLB comeback.

-Viewers are becoming more and more desensitized to steroids revelations & admissions. I think viewers want to know less that they did it (since everyone now assumes everyone took them) and more of what they took. Which drugs, what classifications, how applied, what area of game it is designed to improve. Steroids are now mainstream enough that just the fact of someone taking them is not enough for the knowledge-hungry audiences of ESPN. They all did it we assume, so it’s old news, what they took is probably harder to find out but more what I want to know as both a casual sports fan and sports writer. Additionally, this is what people will go online to find out via blogs.

-Lastly, I wanted to comment on the audio during the show, particularly during the interviews. As a former radio producer I am programmed to hear the mistakes. During the interviews with John Clayton and Tim Kurkjian I heard anchors breathing, sniffing, clearing his throat and shuffling the hard copy of his scripts. I always made a habit when running audio for TV or Radio to bring down the anchors mic level a notch during an interview to prevent that unnecessary noise from coming across the broadcast."

Creative Loafing: The Dirty Martini

2010-01-11T17:52:00.006-05:00

So this is my first article for Creative Loafing Charlotte... It will appear on the Brittney After Dark section of the blog.... will link in later to read full article.

My go with the flow attitude on New Years Eve 2009 landed me at The Dirty Martini off Exit 28 in Cornelius at about 11:30 PM with 10 of my guy closest guy friends. Upon entering the bouncer asked me to remove my baseball hat.

Thinking he was a University of Tennessee fan I laughed and said “good one” in reference to my Hokie Headwear.

He wasn’t a Vols fan and was serious about his request to remove my lid. Although I felt entitled to wear it in support of my alma mater’s trouncing of the SEC team, I was blown away by the enforcement of a “dress code” at a lake bar!

Fully aware the minutes were ticking down, I obliged and entered to find LKN New Years revelers in a club that seemed to be completely lost.

It caught me totally off guard. I was floored by how this place had passed by my radar until the waning hours of a this year.

Don’t get me wrong bar owners&tenders of Lake Norman; I love the laid back Lakelife. It’s a Kenny Chesney mentality up here although most local watering holes do require a shirt and shoes to get served; you never have any problems.

While you wont run into any problems at “The Dirty” you won’t find any of the sleeveless, sunburned and salty that occupy most of the sports bars and Kenny Chesney songs in my life. This place is different.

Owner Peter Contastathes has been here since 2005 and noticed that “there really wasn’t someplace people went to as the ‘spot’. I got tired of hanging out at the same old bars around here, I really wanted to open up something fresh and new.”

As a native of Philadelphia, Contastathes grew up in a household where the nightlife business was the family business.

This is why it comes as no surprise to me when he shared that he designed it and puts in a lot of physical labor at the lounge and bar himself.

“I grew up all around them and with my parents owning clubs I naturally took interest. I had a vision, thought it was a good time to invest and wanted to put my all into it.”

Aside from the northeast, Contastathes said there were a few other places where he got his inspiration.

“So, I went to Orlando, Miami and all around just to get some different ideas. I hope it brings a modern & contemporary feel with a little UK flare to the lake area since the people here appreciate class.”

The creative use of open space is highlighted with white furniture that energize The Dirty Martini’s aesthetics. Well measured VIP areas are “walled” off by curtains which help sustain enough room for the flow to their outside patio to remain uninterrupted....

Before 30 Bucket List: Update

2010-01-05T10:53:00.006-05:00

I was able to check off a few things from my "Before 30 Bucket List" in 2009 and wanted to address the ones I hope to accomplish in 2010...

2009: Check!
#5) Skydiving- Went in Hawai'i & now I want to go everyday for the rest of my life
#23) Dunk- Accomplished on 12.7.09 with 6 witnesses on 10 foot rim, regulation bball
#36) Grow Something- Going to continue in 2K10- organic veggies, herbs & spices 2 cook with
#40) 10 lbs bigger- was at 175 now at 188 & growing
#52) Learn 2 Salsa- Gotta love Puerto Rico!
#67) Become a gourmet cook- All organic, "restaurant quality" now aka "Chef Bombay"
#77) Grow a Beard- not so much grizzly but its a full beard for sure haha

2K10: To Do!
#1) Complete a Food Challenge
#4) Base Jump
#13) Own a motorcycle
#14) Go to a Music Festival
#18) Party w/a Celebrity
#40) Attend a Horse race
#41) Move
#43) NASCAR race
#62) Learn to Tango
#79) $100+ bottle of wine
#82) Cross Country Road Trip
#85) Tryout for a pro sports team
#93) 100+ followers on Twitter

Cheers to a new year everyone! Stay tuned to see how GBsWorld changes in the new decade and what else I will be able to check off the ol' B4 30 Bucket List... Be well yall

New Year, New Decade

2010-01-04T14:41:00.008-05:00

Well, 2009 is gone and we are entering another decade although '09 feels like it could have been a decade long by itself.

With each Dec. 31 that passes, people view the Jan. 1 date as a fresh start, a whole new year, but mainly as a chance to be better this 365.

That being said, it's time for to share some of my New Years Resolutions for 2K10...

Keep up gym habits & achieve fitness goals (200 @ 7%)
Volunteer monthly
Write daily
Drink more water
Text less, call more
Learn another language
Spend more time with family
Learn to cook 25 new dinner dishes
Drive less, Bike more
Go to a music festival
Be Greener!
Improve vocabulary
Play more golf
Travel more (Cali)(S.America)
Break a world record
http://www.21daydetox.com/ again
Learn to ride a motorcycle
Don't turn 25...

=D Happy Decade everyone!

Patriots reeling as another big one gets away vs. Dolphins - The Boston Globe

2009-12-07T21:42:00.001-05:00

great analysis on the current state of the Patriots by Dan Shaughnessy

Technorati Tags: Boston Globe,New England Patriots,Sports,Dan Shaughnessy,Boston

Patriots reeling as another big one gets away vs. Dolphins - The Boston Globe

2009 Basketball Preview

2009-12-07T19:54:00.002-05:00

Technorati Tags: lake norman citizen,Sports,HS Basketball,Gordon Bengtson

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Rivalry Game Coverage: LKN v. Mooresville (11/13/09)

2009-12-07T19:52:00.002-05:00

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State's No. 3 Ranked Golfer Leads North

2009-10-02T22:38:00.003-04:00

Article on North Meck Girls High School Golfer Katie Kirk for the Sept. 4, 2009 edition of the Lake Norman Citizen.

http://tinyurl.com/yzon3yq

Titans’ Soccer Star: Adama-tic

2009-10-02T22:31:00.004-04:00

Hopwell soccer star commits to Virginia Tech... feature written for the Lake Norman Citizen and published Sept. 11, 2009

http://tinyurl.com/yc9swwe

Famous Tweeters

2009-10-02T22:21:00.006-04:00

With so many (myself included) jumping on the Twitter revolution, I got to thinking about past figures who would have been great accounts. Here are a few names that I came up with on the first go around...

-gandhi
-emerson
-twain
-seuss
-shakespeare
-Elanor Roosevelt
-aristotle
-churchill
-thoreau
-buddha
-Franklin
-Mitch Hedberg
-Marlyin monroe
-Babe Ruth
-Sinatra
-Cobain
-elvis
-yoda (haha)
-einstein
-Lincoln
-Muhammed Ali
-jim morrison
-janis joplin
-bob marley
-vince lombardi
-nietzsche
-james dean
-ty cobb
-chamberlin
-jim henson
-farley
-richard pryor
-chaplin
-george carlin
-biggie & tupac
-bruce lee
-john lennon
-hendrix
-dimaggio

LKN Citizen- North Meck v. Harding

2009-09-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

Last article for the LKN Citizen is now available online http://tinyurl.com/moaw34

Lake Norman Citizen: First HS Football Coverage

2009-09-18T17:22:00.001-04:00

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Michael Vick Article

2009-07-31T16:29:00.008-04:00

Just published my next article. It was an assignment from the Assignment Editor at B/R requested. He wanted me to focus on some freshman performances throughout CFB history and feature one or 50 of them in my writing.

I chose to do a piece on Michael Vick and the Virginia Tech 1999 Perfect season run to the National Championship. I thought it was a relevant topic since he is conditionally reinstated in the NFL and it has been two years since we've seen him run the field.

Personally, I think what Michael Vick did was one of the more horrific things a human can do to animals. A dog lover and owner myself, those pictures make me cry and want to throw up everytime I see them. However, I believe he served his time and punishment. He has hopefully learned a lot from the experience. He remains a big part of the Virginia Tech family tradition.

I remember sitting in my basement room listening to CBS announcers Ron Franklin and Mike Gottfried trying to describe what was happening in front of them, on the radio. They were dazzled by the developing athletic performances from both teams and struggled to depict the plays with due justice.

As a Seminole fan—at the time—I remember yelling, “This guy is killing us!”

Well, “that guy” was a young, redshirt freshman that helped lead a Virginia Tech football team to their first undefeated regular season since 1954 and third overall.

In that National Championship game on Jan. 4, 2000, VA Tech found themselves pitted against a college football giant: Florida State.

Bobby Bowden’s program was notorious for gifted athletes and hard hitters. Besides that, they owned the decade: FSU had the most National Championship appearances and top five finishes in the 1990’s.

But, before this game, there was a season...

Read the full article here on Bleacher Report

Change Your FUEL, Change the World

2009-07-24T12:13:00.004-04:00

“Change your fuel, change the world” has been Josh Tickell’s message for decades now.

A special screening of the multi-award winning documentary FUEL was hosted by Green Earth Media in downtown Honolulu at the Neal S Blaisdell Concert Hall.

I was one of hundreds who came to the event to witness this powerful portrait on America’s overwhelming addition to oil.

In his work, Tickell presents a “virtual tour guide through the drama of fuel: the history; the politics; the mess that the world is in and the fascinating alternatives for a way out.” He travels the country interviewing politicians, professors, historians and celebrities alike offering a wide ranging and comprehensive look at energy in America.

FUEL is a phenomenal depiction of the social movement that is currently taking place across the planet.

It is a shocking and eye-opening look at the American mindset toward alternative energy and is starkly contrasted to the advanced European commitment to ending its oil dependence altogether.

Fundamental in the film is the notion that even as individuals, we can make a difference. Hope also plays a pivotal role in the film, as renewable solutions are indeed within reach.

Watch the FUEL trailer here!

FUEL Director and star Tickell and producer/fiancée Rebecca Harrell attended the event and following the presentation of the film the audience participated in a discussion/Q&A.

Tickell and Harrell began by first asking the audience what they got out of the film.

“Hope! Truth! Accountability! Need to make a change! Stoked!” were all answers shouted out by different individuals.

The most promising thing that I took away from the discussion was that FUEL’s team will condense the movie down to a 35 minute short and offer it as an educational cut for schools around the country.

More importantly, their mission as a non-profit would be to offer this video for free.

They also hope to accompany the film with a green curriculum to explain the details of what you can do now. Find out more at: The Veggie Van Organization.

1,2,3,4 Action!

1) Request a screening at a theater by you!
2) Go and see the film
3) Vote for “Non-Fossil” politicians
4) Change Your Fuel, Change the world- Go Carbon Neutral!
- change your transportation, buy solar, wind and invest in algae!

Grad School

2009-07-15T21:19:00.005-04:00

So I just applied to an amazing grad school program at The Monterey Institute for International Studies.

More specifically, I am hoping to be a part of their MA program in International Environmental Policy that pairs your curriculum with a peace core commitment. I feel like this program is exactly what I have been searching for so I will be keeping my fingers crossed.

At any rate, I thought I would share my Statement of Purpose that I submitted with my application...

“Just doing my part to save the world,” was my response when friends inquired about the work I was doing at a solar consulting company.

I had stumbled into the solar energy sector with no prior experience or knowledge. In a “mouth to fire-hose” method of learning I was working 13 or more hours a day trying to learn about the renewable energy area. Not only was I working in the marketing department looking to target our desired audiences, initiating outbound marketing campaigns and doing media outreach, but I also served as a research assistant for various projects.

When my employment status changed, I found myself searching through my past to find where my future would be. I realized that I could contribute, significantly, as an individual to what has become my generation’s challenge and also fill a void in my life that began in 2005.

I was recruited to play soccer and earned an athletic scholarship to VT but my career was cut short due to injury. I had planned to use my college career to further develop and move on after graduation to play soccer professionally. Once that was taken away, I struggled to find a purpose as I wandered through my undergraduate courses still unsure if the curriculum was really of interested to me.

I have always had a relentless pursuit of excellence and boasted an impeccable drive to try and get there. Although that drive didn’t earn me a grade point average to brag about it did earn me the right to be proud that I graduated a semester early when it is more common for students to take five years to complete their degree.

I have been learning through working: first in the solar energy sector and now as an intern writing and researching green energy initiatives.

Currently, my degree in Mass Communication has afforded me the opportunity to continue my green “self” education by writing for a sustainable project’s website. By writing for this initiative, I have continued in my attempts to inspire a creative and conscious change in my social network and the websites’ audience. Between pulling information off the shelves, the Internet or by visiting with various projects and organizations across the country, my thirst for green knowledge has only grown by the day. I feel that my desire would be enhanced through the MAIEP program.

The PCMI program particularly intrigues me, as I was not even considering graduate school until I came across this unique opportunity. Early on, I discovered my desire to serve and contribute to a greater good and looked into the Peace Corps as a way to fulfill this need. Incorporating the Peace Corps as a part of this Masters Degree program is a real world educational opportunity that cannot be replicated any other way.

As a native of nowhere and everywhere, I have been blessed to have grown up in the home of a career Naval Officer which afforded me the rare opportunity to experience other cultures at an early age. I attended an international elementary school while living in Europe. It was there that I developed my basic language skills and continued building them throughout high school and college.

Time teaches many lessons and I have had my share to learn. I want to show I can succeed in and contribute to furthering my formal education while making a profound global impact as an agent of change. I hope to use this program as an opportunity to continue to empower others with knowledge and inspire social change in order to save our world.

Join Me in Becoming a MoveOn Member

2009-07-15T14:57:00.002-04:00

I hope you'll join me and millions of others in the most exciting grassroots movement on the Internet: MoveOn.org Political Action.

http://pol.moveon.org/keepmeposted/

MoveOn.org Political Action gives people a voice in shaping the laws & policies that affect our lives. You can sign online petitions on timely issues like responding to terrorism, energy policy, and campaign finance reform, or you can just sign up to receive email alerts, all for free.

One of the best things about MoveOn is that each of us can help decide what issues the organization stands for, using a unique, online discussion forum. Everyone can post suggestions, and everyone can rate all the other suggestions. Those that receive the highest ratings can become the focus of MoveOn's action campaigns.

It's a promising idea: choose our priorities collectively, then act on them collectively. MoveOn's founder, Wes Boyd, calls it "network democracy."

I hope you'll join us today at:

http://www.moveon.org/keepmeposted/

We can all take part in choosing and creating our future.

Thank you!

Virginia Tech Football: Hokies' Hopes Are High in 2009

2009-07-12T01:59:00.004-04:00

As per my assignment editors request at Bleacher Report, I have written an article previewing the upcoming season for the Virginia Tech Hokies. The article just went live and can be found here: Virginia Tech Hokies Football

Here is a portion of the article...

Playing in the ACC championship three out of the four years and winning it twice has set the bar high for the Virginia Tech Football program.

This year, the expectations in Blacksburg are higher than ever.

After what was expected to be a rebuilding year in 2008, the Hokies backed their way into another ACC Championship and won their first ever BCS Bowl defeating Cincinnati 20-7 in the Orange Bowl.

Now the team exclusively belongs to Tyrod Taylor.

If he can establish himself as a legit passer then Tech fans could be doing the Hokey Pokey all the way to Pasadena.

This year, a national championship is what it’s all about for the Hokie Nation.

Here are the defining games and the matchup battles within those games that will determine if the fighting Gobblers will be playing for a National Championship.

Alabama—Sept. 5, Atlanta, Ga.

The Chick-Fil-A College Kickoff showcases two top 10 teams and starts the season off with a bang.

This game features superstars and athletes galore, two big name coaches and defenses both predicted to finish in the Top 10 by the end of the year.

VT’s performance in this game will set the tempo for the remainder of the season...

Go read the whole article by clicking on the link above or here's another 1 all you lazy scrollers!
Virginia Tech Football: Hokies' Hopes Are High in 2009

UH Green Roof: Next EarthFromAbove Article

2009-07-09T10:31:00.003-04:00

When most people hear the term “Green Roof” they most likely associate it with solar panels or some sort of new “green” technology to increase energy efficiency.

At the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Leyla Cabugos has been working on a “Green Roof Experiment.”

Well, this kind of green roof has a more literal shade of green. Probably considered to be more of a biological or botanical breakthrough, it still has some profound energy benefits without the high costs of new technologies.

As described in the executive summary of her work, “Green roofs are permanent layers of vegetation on built structures; used to moderate building temperature, decrease storm water runoff, increase available green space in urban areas throughout the world.”

In an attempt to “green” urban areas around the island Cabugos has put together her own green roof experiment that doesn’t require as much attention as some of the others.

I spoke with Ms. Cabugos about her project and even got a chance to visit the site during my time in Hawai’i.

She stressed that, two of the most important factors in this experiment were to find and use stress tolerant, local vegetation.

Cabugos has put together this living roof by spotlighting five native Hawaiian plant species in an attempt to offer more efficient rooftop solutions.

Her specific experiment is “meant to use native plants in a simple design that is widely applicable as well as low maintenance.”

There are many sustainable benefits to these green roofs. In addition to the pure aesthetics of adding more green scenes to the concrete jungles, the living roof will offer sustainable benefits such as reduced head load and cooling needs for the building resulting in energy conservation, as well as reducing water runoff.

Green roofs also offer a unique opportunity for a creative use of the space. Some have been developed for recreational purposes such as a mini golf course. Others have been used for community building and other social benefits.

One of the most prominent and sustainable examples is located on top Vancouver's Fairmount Waterfront Hotel. Growing herbs and vegetables on the rooftop garden saves the kitchen over $30,000 annually in food costs!

We should expect to see some tax incentives emerge from government legislation at the state and municipal level in the near future.

The experiment in Hawai’i has drawn much attention from local businesses looking to implement a similar living roof project on top of their facilities. However their progress has faced some challenges.

“Despite extensive implementation and research on the positive impact of green roofs throughout the world, the practice has yet to become popular in Hawai`i, where the benefits are likely to be amplified by year-round sunshine and frequent rains.”

Cabugos firmly believes that, “it is a very compelling tool offering a vast array of benefits- particularly here on the islands.”

She hopes that her work and research will push several state and national initiatives to start the widespread adoption of green roof practices in Hawai’i and other urban locations nationwide.

Leyla Cabugos is a recent UH Gradaute (MS Botany). Leyla currently works for the STEM Workforce Development Program Office at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, consults on green roof and urban agriculture projects and is currently working on aquaponic rooftop garden (http://www.ihshawaii.org/rooftopgarden.html).

She can be contacted by writing to cabugos@gmail.com.

Global Warming and Climate Change: Politcal, Economic or Environmental?

2009-07-08T14:52:00.001-04:00

Published!

http://www.earthfromaboveusa.com/blog/?p=470

Global Weirding

2009-07-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

Political, economic or environmental: these three areas are different ways to look at the occurrence of climate change

From a political standpoint we can see it as a sticking point for different parties and concerned organizations. Some will say that socialism and communism harbor themselves in the environmental movement or is a threat to political freedoms and diversity.

Economists claim that the environmental movement will curtail our economic progress and freedoms such as the pursuit of wealth. Are we willing to slow down growth in the physical area as well as business space in order to sustain our land?

The environmentalists may say that it is just another part of the global cycle or that it is a phenomenon that has just started in the past centuries due to the industrial revolution, massive expansion and modern “progress” of the human race.

But what is actually going on with our planet? Have we changed it as much as some scientists and Al Gore profess? Is this just another threat to capitalism, democracy and America in general or is it America’s greatest opportunity to once again lead the world in the direction we need to be going?

Lets take a look at some of the facts from each perspective…

According to the study done by Yale and George Mason, climate change global warming ranks 10th out of 11 national issues in the minds of Americans. Ranking behind the economy as the number one concern followed by (in order) the federal deficit, the war, health care, terrorism, social security, education, tax cuts, illegal immigration. The only issue that trails global warming is abortion.

Even though almost 70 percent of Americans say the US should sign an international treaty requiring the US to cut CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2050, it seems there will be a delay in getting the proper legislation through in Washington. But that is the cumbersome American political process that all of the issues face.

From an economic standpoint we know that the planet can no longer sustain capitalism as we know it. Resources are becoming scarce – natural as well as those stemming from our economy – and are being depleted at an astonishing rate.

Could this be America’s new avenue of growth and development? With proper legislation for responsible resource management and green initiatives we could once again lead the world in innovation. Almost half of the country said that they’re willing to reward or punish companies for their climate change related activities. So buying green is certainly on the mind of consumers.

As for the environmental perspective, there is some undeniable evidence that our planet is changing. Since the mid 1970s, the average surface temperature has warmed about 1°F.
The Earth’s surface is currently warming at a rate of about 0.32ºF/decade.

Observations compiled by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center show that over the contiguous U.S., total annual precipitation increased at an average rate of 6.1 percent per century since 1900.

Sea level has been rising 0.08-0.12 inches per year (2.0-3.0 mm per year) along most of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Extremists and extreme data such as this have our attention, but many believe it is made up. Are the numbers enough to scare us into change? Perhaps, but the summary of the study concludes that “the success or failure of climate change action in the US will depend, in no small part, on the ability of leaders, organizers and institutions at all levels of society to educate, organize and mobilize the American people.”

Will economic and political factors impede or advance environmental change? Will these global environmental changes push the economists and governments into action for research and development or can the free market move us to create the necessary actions and products to positively impact the changes that are happening now?

1,2,3,4 Action!

1) Reduce your carbon footprint– Here are a few ideas of how you can do that.
2) Investigate arguments on both sides and decide for yourself if it’s real or not.
3) Reward those companies that are “going green” by buying their products.
4) Engage and contact your local political representative or environmental lobbyists

Native Hawaiian Perspectives on Renewable Energy

2009-07-08T14:49:00.001-04:00

http://www.earthfromaboveusa.com/blog/?p=435

Published!

Hawai'i Article

2009-07-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

“Aloha” is not just a greeting in Hawaii, it’s a core value instilled in the Hawaiian people and culture. It speaks to a rich tradition of caring for the people and the land that makes up the islands.

Caring was the broader context of the discussion at University of Hawaii called “Native Hawaiian Perspectives on Renewable Energy Development.”

The event brought together policy makers, leaders in the renewable energy field and scholars of island culture to discuss a sustainable future for Hawaii.

As a part of the “Sustain Your Brain” series by the Outreach College at University of Hawaii at Manoa, Moderator Ramsay Taum helped navigate the panel through the tough issues facing the islands such as policy construction, community outreach and resource management.

The panel was comprised of native Hawaiians: Michael Kaleikini from Puna Geothermal Ventures, D. Noelani Kalipi from First Wind, Davianna McGregor representing the UHM Ethnic Studies and Myron Thompson from 21st Century Technologies.

Discussants included Representative Hermina Morita, Pono Shim from Enterprise Honolulu (O’ahu’s economic development board), and Senator Mike Gabbard - the lone non-native Hawaiian.

Early in the evening Taum grabbed a chair from the audience and brought it on stage. He explained the “Empty Chair” cultural tradition to the audience, “this empty chair represents the ancestors that preceded us and those descendents and generations that follow.” This symbolizes a need to remember our duty to honor both tradition and the future as we look to develop policy and grow business.

The future and past generations were both very well represented that night.

Topics ranged from the obstacles renewable and sustainable projects face on the islands, the future of the Hawaiian identity, and the need for local people to be intricately involved in the planning process.

In Hawaiian folklore, the tribes treated the energy we now hope to harness, as deities. As Senator Gabbard pointed out, “times do change,” and now those deities are offering a service to us – a potentially sustainable future for the people and planet.

When the floor opened for participation from the audience the tough “what’s next” question was posed.

Education was at the forefront of everyone’s answer.

From policy makers to universities all the way down to the elementary schools, people need to be more educated on this topic.

“Renewable energy is a pathway to peace- it is the decentralization of power, energy and politics,” Representative Morita eloquently stated.

Innovating for the right reasons, in the right ways, firm policy changes, lucrative incentives and devastating taxes were also highlighted during the discussion concerning moving these ideas forward.

As the night drew to a close in the open air venue on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus a simple truth held it’s place throughout the dialogue – We are Hawaiian, the culture provides that we will always care for our people yet, we have to be open to change within the scope of our values.

Those values that are summed up in a phrase that means so much more to Hawaii than just hello and goodbye.

The Aloha way can save these islands in the middle of the sea, maybe it can also go a long way toward saving the world too.

100-Mile Diet: Published

2009-07-08T14:46:00.001-04:00

http://www.earthfromaboveusa.com/blog/?p=426

up and live last month!

100-Mile Diet

2009-06-13T17:17:00.003-04:00

We are still in the infancy of this revolution. As I have discussed in previous posts we all need to start making individual changes on a regular basis.

You want to do your part, but how? Are you still struggling with how to initiate this change?

Well, I recently stumbled across an interesting challenge that encourages a way YOU can make your local community more sustainable all the while still staying true to the capitalistic fabric of the red, white and blue.

It’s called the “100-Mile Diet” which means eating and buying foods that are grown and harvested within a 100 mile radius of your home.

Yes, it will be a challenge but it’s one worth investing in. Even if it’s just buying part of your grocery list from the local Farmers Market.

Alisa Smith and J.B. Smith the authors and founders of this process, started the process in 2005 while in their summer cottage in the Canadian wilderness. They took on a rugged way of living and decided to live off the land.

“Every ingredient had a story, a direct line they could trace from the soil to their forks”

As described on the website, “The 100-Mile Diet is about learning by doing... Understanding where our food comes from, and at what risk to our health and to the environment. Sorting out how we all ended up eating apples that taste like cardboard and cakes made with petrochemicals. It was a challenge, but a good one—a genuine adventure.”

The cliché is; that everything is better when you know the hard work that went into making it. That’s one of the reasons so many of us enjoy cooking, being fit, building and creating, etc. We love to see the fruits of our labor, or at least we used to.

“Most of us pay a big premium for out-of-season foods like cherries in winter or prepared foods like spaghetti sauce, usually with a long list of ingredients we might prefer not to have in our bodies. Eating locally, we bought fresh ingredients in season and direct from the farmer.”

How cool is it to shake the hand of the person who grew and harvested the ingredients to your meal? How much cooler is it having a conversation with that same farmer and realizing that he lives just down the road from you?

“A local diet is likely to involve lots of fresh produce and homemade meals, and not a lot of junk food, processed fats, additives and sugar. You’re also far more likely to know where your food came from, and what’s in it.”

This challenge echoes a theme from my previous post that we need to reduce our nation’s dependence—a foreign dependence that is prevalent in all industries. If we can start to live more self sufficiently and include our local communities’ economy instead of buying from the large corporations we are truly living in a more sustainable manner.

This challenge also raises interesting questions about how we’re consuming. Can we apply this thought of buying locally to more avenues of consumption?

Did you know that a regional diet consumes 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country or worldwide?

If we can contribute to our local economies instead of those of the corporate giants then the movement gains momentum—the exact kind of momentum that can set a more sustainable precedent.

This is exactly how YOU, as an individual, can start to make a difference: Buy local, eat local, shake your farmers hand because he may very well be your neighbor too.

1, 2, 3, 4 Action!

1. Visit your local Farmers’ Market and BUY SOMETHING! Then go tell your friends how good it tastes

2. Ask if your local grocery store can label the locally grown produce

3. Reorganize your meal planning and ingredient shopping process

4. Make the Farmers’ Market a community event and a more available and appealing to working professionals as well as families.

-GB

Note*

A revised version is to appear on EarthFromAboveUSA & the Picture Earth Collection

And I plan on attempting this diet as soon as I stop traveling...

Tweet Tweet GB

2009-06-09T17:21:00.002-04:00

You can now follow me on Twitter...

GBsWorld

Sustainable Capitalism: The “Green Lining” in the Recession

2009-06-09T17:16:00.002-04:00

Live as of yesterday everyone... stay tuned for more =)

http://www.earthfromaboveusa.com/blog/?p=334

Gordon Bengtson

Sustainable Capitalism

2009-06-03T13:20:00.005-04:00

This is my latest article that will be posted on http://www.earthfromaboveusa.com/
I have begun my internship and will be contributing to their mission on a regular basis in various forms of media.

I will be traveling, and broadcasting to a degree, to help increase awareness about the issues. Aiming to contribute to the mission of Sustainability I will be attending lectures, visiting projects and talking with various organizations and people over the next few months. I hope to cultivate awareness, inform and inspire change by visiting with as many leaders as possible.

We need as many Green Awareness Advocates as possible,as this is our generations calling to do something great.
This is OUR revolution.
This is Americas chance to lead the world in innovation once again. We can no longer just borrow our way to prosperity in the future. This is a fundamental TRUTH we cannot avoid.

I hope you stop and think about how you can become an agent of change as well.
We all need to start living in a more sustainable manner and lose the anthropocentric way of thinking. Remember, The world does not belong to us... it belongs to our children.

A Kenyan proverb-
“We have not inherited this land from our parents; rather we have borrowed it from our children.”

Stay tuned y'all...

Sustainable Capitalism?

We are all being affected by the recession. The economic downturn is felt up and down the social ladder and across the globe. From individuals and families to corporations and countries—we are all “tightening our belts.”

The crisis has contributed a significant amount of change. From the way we live, how we spend and to how we save, we are all doing things a little bit differently than a few years ago. There has been an awakening to the reckless ways which we have lived so far.

Short cuts, low margins, inflated assets, fudged numbers, the exploitation of resources and markets all contributed to an unsustainable economy.

Ultimately, that way of life led to our current plight.

It took a drastic and widespread economic downfall for us to realize that we cannot continue down this path and that things do need to change.

Now, I hope we can learn from this mistake.

But first, let’s look at how we got here.
To put it simply and briefly, in the 1980’s the United States decided to change the way we would grow as a country economically. Following WWII, a manufacturing boom occurred in the U.S. We lead the world in all forms of production. The top of the line consumer goods were made here in the good ol’ US of A.

We shifted away from manufacturing and decided to grow through by consumer spending and asset inflation. We decided to outsource most of the manufacturing jobs to any part of the world that could do it faster for cheaper.

I don’t think we realized the magnitude of that decision.

This period of growth was enhanced by the exponential growth of the U.S. real estate market and the emergence of a larger middle class with more disposable income.

That bred consumerism on a massive scale and encouraged dependence on foreign sources.

We want the biggest, fastest and most expensive things because we have let them define our status for decades now. Over 70 percent of the US economy is driven by consumer spending and that doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon.

When that bubble burst just mere months ago, we lacked the paper wealth that allowed us to turn into the rapid consumers and spenders that we are today. And since the shift in the 80’s the U.S. we lack the infrastructure and no longer create the things which we consume.

So, that leaves us: jobless, cautious and most importantly, dependent on others.
Not self-sufficient or sustainable in the least.

We are dependent on the manufacturing district in South China.
We are dependent of the various oil regions in the Middle East.
We are dependent on the corporations for economic progress.

Growth is the guiding principle of capitalism. But is it a sustainable practice? This is the discussion I hope to evoke: Can Capitalism and Sustainability live together? Or are they opposing ideals?

Yes, in nearly all economic circumstances growth is good. It makes money and creates jobs. But what happens when an America corporation gets big enough to operate on a near sovereign manner in a global economy?

The rise of the modern day corporation and its relentless pursuit of profits created the ability for it to function, nearly, without limits.

Exxon Mobil operates with a budget larger than 180 nations.

The corporate sector now wields great economic and political power. Not only that but they also have a hand in nearly every level of your daily life.

You know why we have the price difference between organic and non-organic food?

The non-organic food lasts longer because it has preservatives and other chemicals. It will be sitting on the shelves, in front of the consumers for longer. Therefore it will earn the farmer more money. Simply put, more chemicals will equal less produce lost. More produce equals higher profits.

Go ahead and pollute the bodies of the everyday Americans—so long as you can make a couple of extra bucks, don’t sweat it.

Organic food is just one small example of the bigger picture.

The economic system does not work when it comes to protecting environmental resources because it takes away from the bottom line.

The political system does not work when it comes to correcting the economic system because the corporations have a strangle hold on our politicians.

When the political system sticks its hand in the economic system, you hear accusations of socialism.

Capitalism has encouraged growth on so many levels that now it doesn’t matter if we have to sacrifice jobs for Americans, sacrifice American’s personal health or the global environment.

Everyone is aware that this country has an extensive history of moral, social and ecological evils that were all sustained in the interest of economic growth. For most Americans and American companies, it’s all about the bottom line. No matter the detriment, we are evaluated by efficiency and profit making ability.

Capitalism is sewn in the fabric of our red, white and blue flag.

Ah, yes the “American Dream.”

The driving force of capitalism is also a main concern of sustainability. Exponential growth is in no way sustainable.

In a recent study conducted by Yale and George Mason called “Climate Change in the American Mind” found that an astounding 37 percent of Americans are not concerned about the environmental issues we face. I encourage you to look at their findings.

Bestselling author and N.Y. Times columnist Thomas Friedman thinks that is just what it might take. “For most Americans (climate change) is not an issue. That’s one of the problems there is no Pearl Harbor of climate (change)…Once there is we will have a broad consensus about it.”

He continued, “I feel that once the climate Pearl Harbor hits, it will already be too late.”

I hope it does not take something as drastic as this economic downturn, a Pearl Harbor or a 9/11 type event to get people more concerned about the ecological and energy disasters we face.

Growth needs to slow for the sake of the planet. We can no longer sit back and ignore the issue just because it is prioritized lower on our “To Do” list.

A new consciousness is emerging about how we need to operate in the world—both economically and environmentally so you see the parallel. The growing sentiment is that there are major changes that need to be made so we can merge these two seemingly opposing ways of life and get them running on parallel tracks.

Action needs to be taken, policies need to be enforced and restrictions need to be placed on the giants who dominate the global political, economic and environmental landscapes.

It is essential that we draw conclusions from our past and apply them to resolving tomorrows unavoidable ecological train wreck.

More Travels...

2009-05-12T09:50:00.007-04:00

...are on the horizon and I could not be happier to have the freedom and wonderful friends and family to be able to do so. So thank you to all of you who make my life so special and offer me unique opportunities like these =D

June 17-
Depart Charlotte at 9:30 am
Arrive Honolulu at 3:00 pm

June 30-
Depart Honolulu at 7:00 am
Arrive Los Angeles at 3:30 pm

July 8-
Depart Los Angeles at 1:20 pm
Arrive Charlotte at 9:00 pm

So excited to visit California for the first time ever! I will get a chance to see San Diego and hopefully a few other parts of the "Golden State" as well.

I will be skydiving in Hawaii and crossing out a number of other things on the "Before 30 Bucket List."

This trip also gives me enough frequent flyer miles for a free ticket to anywhere in the world! I'm thinking Europe-for the second time around- and getting to spend some time with old friends in their native country of Holland... more on that later... Until then, be well yall.

Cheers!

Before 30 Bucket List

2009-05-04T11:23:00.003-04:00

In a few days I will be off traveling again and will be doing a significant amount of it in the next two or three months. Most notably, I will be going to meet up with my former roommate from Boston, Tyas. Known as Mr. Van Boston, Tyas and I had a blast during our brief tenure in Beantown together.

After he finished his classes, T set off traveling the continental US, hitting hot spots such as New York, LA, Miami, Vegas, SF- he is trying to pack in as much as possible during his last few weeks... His current and my impeding travels have got me thinking, "what else do I want to do and see before I turn 30?"

So, without further adieu, here are SOME of the tasks on my "Before 30 Bucket List"

1) Complete a food challenge
3) Visit New Zealand (*the list of countries to visit is over 20)
5) Go Skydiving
13) Own a motorcycle
14) Go to a music festival
16) Live on an island
18) Party with a Celebrity
25) Live on a boat
28) Complete a triathlon
36) Grow something
45) Hitch hike
51) Drive on the Autobahn
53) Learn to sail
56) Play with a monkey
62) Tango
68) Ride a bull
70) Break a World Record
71) Take a StrongMan tequila shot
77) Grow a grizzly beard
79) Drink a $100+ bottle of wine
82) Cross country road trip
91) Drive a T-Rex
100) Go to a World Cup

Jonathan Gordon Leif Bengtson

2009-04-29T19:14:00.002-04:00

I'm an uncle!!!

Born on 4/22/09

2009-04-14T19:57:00.000-04:00

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/153632-soccer-versus-football#comment

Check it out...

BerryBloggin

Obama From Georgetown

2009-04-14T12:35:00.005-04:00

Just a few moments ago President Obama addressed the public about the economy at Georgetown University...

For those of you still grappling with how we got into this economic mess, he provided a great, simple summary of what and walked us through how it happened concisely. The President accurately described it as a "perfect storm of irresponsibility and poor decision making... passing off risks to someone else." Essentially how we built this economic bubble and caused it to burst.

President Obama then talked about how the administration is trying to "attack all fronts of the economic crisis simultaneously." He had an underlying theme of Sustainability which is sooooo important and I touched on in my previous blog. America has simply not had a sustainable economy and that they are working to put in a 5 step plan that aims to make our country more sustainable...

1) New Rules for Wall St- There will be rules that punish shortcuts and abuse. There will be rules that tie a person's pay to their job performance- "A novel idea" he said sarcastically. There will be new regulations to protect the families and he expects to have this new bill on his desk before the end of the year.
Yeah right... ill believe it when I see it.

2) New Investments in Education- " It is time for America to lead once again" in graduation percentage- he hopes to lead the world once again by 2020. This has to begin at an early age and tax credits for college education are on the way. "Our best and brightest" need to be "committed to making things... Engineers. Scientists. Innovators." He says this is essential so people start buying things American once again.
Duh, how else are we gunna make any money to pay back China?

3) Investments in Renewable Energy- In hopes to create new jobs and industries Obama is tired of being "outpaced" by other countries around the world. "America can no longer delay putting a clean energy framework."
Easier said then done- the costs of renewable energy are still too high but I do see him adding tons of new jobs through the "Green" industry.

4) Health Care- Skyrocketing premiums need to slow and we need to take more steps towards what he called "preventative care." This is Obama's focus and defends these investments vehemently- we cannot forget to keep "an eye to the future" while we focus on the here and now.
Why don't we take a page out of Sweden's book... Personally, I like that this is one of his core focuses- A healthy America is needed desperately.

5) New Savings in the National Budget- this is essential in hopes to bring down the national deficit for future generations. We need to do more but there has been a good start. We will root out the programs that cont work to make room for the ones we need- Entitlement reform such as health care will lead.
I'm not holding my breath. Go buy a Rosetta Stone for Chinese kids...

After outlining the "5 pillars" of building the new America on "a rock" he addressed his critics-
"The worst thing a government can do is to stop spending during a recession." Businesses and families are cutting back at a record pace and if the government were to as well the results would be catastrophic and apocolyptic for the country.

"There are glimmers of hope, but we are not out of the woods yet."

I thought it was an extremely comprehensive speech that addressed where we are, how we got here and where we go from here. Sitting at the 12 week mark, the administration says there will be "more job loss, more foreclosures and more pain before it ends." Understandly, progress will take time so lets all brace ourselves.

Obama is a stoic and inspiring figure- he knows how to captivate a nation and restore hope. He can rally the masses like no other president I have ever seen. His ability to speak off the cuff is uncanny. Yes, Obama I believe in you. But I, like many, have reservations about the future of this nation. Perhaps it stems from my lack of faith in Wall St and the greed of those who make their living on it.

How Are You Gunna Save the World?

2009-04-12T23:58:00.002-04:00

Sustainability, in my opinion, is the ability to provide a brighter tomorrow without sacrificing the needs of today. A way that we can upgrade without degrading something else.

Fundamental in my version of sustainability is progress. We should be better off tomorrow than we were today because of what we learned.

That includes researching and gathering information to be analyzed in order to build a better world today and tomorrow and days long after that. It is essential that we have to keep learning as the planet continues to change.

I have always championed having an active student mentality. I feel that this is the way to truly grow as a person. I seek to keep mine diligent and active always. Whether it was on the athletic fields, in the classroom, or just everyday things, I always strive to get better.

The need to add new things to your repertoire in order to prevent complacency is pivotal in growth. You have to keep evolving.

The more obvious reason for my interest stems from my most recent employment within the renewable energy sector.

If you had told me two years ago that when I graduated and got a job it would be within in the energy sector, I would have driven you to the emergency room because you must have knocked your head. The only thing I knew about energy was that Gatorade replenished mine.

There was a “mouth-to-a-firehouse” beginning at the Solar Research Consultancy I worked for. I not only had to learn about how electricity works, but how is measured, stored, used and lost.

Next, was getting a crash course in how Solar Energy works, the supply chain and basically everything under the sun… pun intended

The learning curve was sharp and once I started getting a grasp on the research and industry I was sent off on market research projects and became very familiar with the renewable energy industry. “Going Green” was on everyone’s radar and was even front page news.

I was fascinated by the space. And I am equally intrigued by this new industry with environmentally sustainable motives. I felt as if I was doing my little part to save the world.

The Brundtland Commission, offers a more clear and concise definition as the ability “to meet the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

Similar to the build-break-build model used in workplaces and classrooms we should apply the same thought. We have built this wonderful world that we live in. Great! Now we have to break the bad habits we developed getting here and build on top of that knowledge but with a renewed sense of true sustainability, perspective and careful consideration.

Ultimately though, what grabs most of the public’s attention to the issues facing the environment is the urgency of the need and the frequency at which we see the issue.

“Going Green” has now become a fad. It’s all over the media, the Internet and advertisements everywhere appeal now to “green” consumers. However, the exposure is vital to development. In fact, it could be the most important part of creating a massive movement.

Word of mouth still proves to be the most effective marketing strategy across industries. It may be corny, it may be overplayed and it may a cheap way to make a buck but, fundamentally, the new cool trend helps bring the issue to the forefront of the public eye. It has been instrumental in developing awareness and stimulating action from companies all the way down to an individual level.

Charlene Easton, the director of the sustainability office at University of British Columbia talked about how the movement is registering with today’s youth,
“This demographic knows that it is in their lifetime that they have to solve climate change ... Students are aware of these things. More than maybe any other generation, it really matters (to them)." http://tinyurl.com/crrote

“Sustainability” and “Going Green” as feel-good buzzwords is a good thing. Now the mission has everyone’s attention.

On a worldwide scale, this movement has been infused with the realization that things need to change NOW. If we don’t branch out to other ways of living then this planet will die along with all of its inhabitants.

We control our planets destiny and the fate of life on earth as we know is resting helplessly in our palms

It will require an unprecedented massive collaboration by people, governments and countries worldwide the necessary growth to begin.

We are making progress, but so much more still remains to be done.

What can you do to help save the world?

Easter

2009-04-12T13:02:00.000-04:00

What an Easter Sunday!

Tiger and Lefty paired together on sunday at the Masters
Celtics at. Cleveland trying to prevent LeBron from leading his team to a victory that will tie the 86 Celtics for the best home record of all time.

BerryBloggin

2009-04-10T16:47:00.001-04:00

Just saw a sprint advertisement for the first ever 4G network. Cleverly enough, they are callin it the "now network."

BerryBloggin

Dude, What is a Blog Exactly?

2009-04-10T13:03:00.004-04:00

A query that has been echoed a lot recently, so lets go…

To me -simply put- a blog is a true expression of one’s self.

It is a way to share your opinion and get it out to massive amounts of people in a simple and easy manner.
It is your own personal “soapbox” to stand on and voice your take on whatever the hell you want- there is no limit…
War.
Love.
Sports.
Entertainment.
Religion.
Education.
Politics.
Business.
Economics.
Your life.
Or your pets life…
In essence, you are exercising your first amendment right over the largest network in the word.

Additionally it can act as our own online common for connecting with friends. All barriers, like distance, are now broken down (The World is Flat- great book if u haven’t bought it yet, do it today)

It’s a convenient way to collect bodies of work and cultivate ideas with diversified discussion as well.
Sure there are blogs dedicated to a certain goal or mission but since these sites are generally started by an individual person I feel it is fundamentally more personal than recognized. It is way of distributing multimedia on what you value perhaps?

The developments of technology and space for the web are literally, awesome.
Inspiring Awe.

People can now send or get whatever info they want, whenever they decide they want it. And it’s not restricted to printed information only found in books. Now, a blog allows people to broadcast and access information in virtual real time.

You can access infinite amounts of information and now its mobile and palm sized.
You can -from anywhere- link into your team...
Your country.
Your music
Your bank.
Your work.
Your friends.
Your shows.
Your community.
Your school… I don’t wanna keep going on this one cause both lists above are infinite and Im sure you get the point.

Blogs and social networking sites are real time and instant-
America has a new habit…Move over TV, here comes the Internet and you better get used to it.
Why?Because its faster…

You can always count on the power of “now.”
And as Elanor said, “America is all about speed. Hot, nasty speed.”

Frankly, people -like me- love to live in an instantaneous world. We love getting our information as fast as possible and delivered to our pockets. I think it’s great how fast I can get updates on the things that are important to me.
The main downfall which I wrestled with in a previous post is the inability to get away and vacation.

I do like that the new “habit” in the sense that it is turning us from societies of passive viewers into innovative creator and collaborators so, “Blog-On!”

L I V I N

2009-04-10T12:59:00.002-04:00

"Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is."

9 12 Project, Bonuses?

2009-03-20T18:41:00.007-04:00

For all of you who aren't aware who Fox News' Glen Beck is first and foremost, he is an entertaining and enlightened man, and is passionately campaigning for the "9 12 Project." A mission detailed on the 9 Principles 12 Values site. An awakening that our forefathers would be proud to defend.

Please spend some time looking around on the site and participate if you feel as inclined to do so... I did. I think the discussion currently taking place around the country is one that encourages progress and that we should all take part. I feel so blessed to have been raised in a country that protects that as a fundamental right and I can exercise it at will.

From here on out, I hope everyone (all C-Level execs included) keeps in mind & heart that none of this would be possible if it were not for those brave Americans protecting and fighting for our freedom- that should never been taken for granted...

Where are their bonuses?

God Bless America & Never give up the ship.

Staying Healthy

2009-03-20T18:18:00.001-04:00

We are the "Young Invincibles"

Day 8: Christmas Day

2009-03-16T22:47:00.013-04:00

Wednesday, December 25, 2007

Before leaving for Hiroshima I took one last stroll around the streets of Kyoto through the shopping district in an attempt to do something traditionally Christmas-y, buy some gifts. Since I don’t have all that much to write regarding our events of the day, I will get into some of the trends and things that I have noticed since I arrived in Japan. Anyone that has some sort of cold or illness wears a mask covering their nose and mouth. It’s so common this time of the year that it’s no longer uncommon to see about one out of every ten people is wearing a mask. I guess its part of their “considerate” nature to not spread their germs or whatever. Almost everyone, and I’m talking like one out of every two people smoke cigarettes here. God forbid you catch a cold from someone, but cancer well that’s ok. Maybe their Surgeon General didn’t pass on the memo since the population is still booming here.

The one thing that has really troubled me, along with the language, is the lack of eye contact. Not only will passing strangers keep their heads down, but cashiers or anyone you attempt to speak to will not look you in the eye for more than a split second. This is tough for me cause I am so used to trying to initiate eye contact with everyone stateside and keeping it almost for the entire duration of whatever encounter it may be. Apparently the only reason you would look into another person of the same sex’s eyes is if you were trying to initiate a challenge of some sort. But when traveling to the 23 different countries that I have been to, I’ve tried not to get hung up on little cultural differences like that. This trip has truly been the most foreign I have ever felt.

Moving on, literally, we hopped on the bullet train called the JR (Japan Railway) and traveled southwest to Hiroshima. For all of you who have been living on the moon the past fifty years or have never taken an American history class, we (the U.S.) dropped the first Atomic bomb on August 6th 1945 at exactly 8:15 am. It will be interesting to see especially since we were the aggressors on that dark day in history. On the other end of the spectrum, I have been to Pearl Harbor and seen many people of Asian descent there as well. It’s funny that I’ve been to visit the place where WWII began for America and where it ended. Both visits were over Christmas breaks. Of course my dad and I have been shooting off our cynical jokes about how this ancient city looks relatively new and how we are going to go on a jog through the peace park yelling “Torah Torah Torah What!?” In all seriousness though, it will be a fascinating experience going to such a historical part of the world and having our countrymen be the ones responsible for the complete and utter devastation of an area and to see it from a different perspective. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to see both ends of the historical spectrum that im sure only a handful of people have witnessed.

On the train ride to Hiroshima we traveled along the coastline where little towns and villages sat at the base of high, sharply pointed mountains. Before too long we finally arrived in Hiroshima. With only a few hours of daylight left we went to check out the Memorial Peace Park. The Atom Bomb was detonated about 600 meters above the area. I got to see most of the park including what was left of the original structure of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It had gone through very minimal preservation, as it was to remain as a reminder to the world of what weapons of mass destruction can do and also serve as a symbol of global peace.

Running out of daylight we decided to grab a bite to eat in the underground mall that was on the way back to the hotel. The Japanese have a lot of their shopping centers and retail space below ground and around the subway stations. They resemble American malls in just about everyway except there isn’t more than one floor and of course, they are underground.

Eating Christmas dinner at a Japanese restaurant wasn’t exactly traditional in any means but at least I was full after. We went to a place that served these pancake like things that were noodle, cabbage or onion based and we thrown on a huge skillet and cooked kind of like a pancake. We ordered three, which was more than enough, and they each had a variety of fixings inside including shrimp, squid, veggies, egg and some other stuff that turned out to be very good to my mother’s surprise!

Hope Santa was good to all of you and enjoyed the holiday!

-GB

Day 7: Last Day in Kyoto

2009-03-16T22:22:00.012-04:00

Tuesday, December 24, 2007

Another full day of sight seeing ahead of us we hit up Starbucks at the hotel and set off, this time by bus. The agenda today included the Ginkakuji or commonly known as the Silver Pavilion, then the Kinkaku- Ji or the Golden Palace and lastly the Nijo region. In Nijo there is a Shogun castle that was home to many Samurai over the centuries. That was more impressive than many of the other Shrines or Temples that we visited so far.

The Silver Pavilion had an enormous Zen garden that included huge sand & rock gardens and a beautiful little pond surrounded by the same type of trees traditionally seen in the gardens. It also has a trail of rock stairs that led you through the gardens and up the hills with a bamboo railing. Flowing throughout the garden was a waterway that I suppose used to bring water to the individual temples. Once up in the hills the trail provided another breathtaking view of the premises and overlooked the neighboring town. I got to peek inside a typical classroom for whatever teachings that went on in the temples. Similar to most of the other places we visited Cherry Blossom trees littered the area but looked more like trees out of a scary movie do to the fact that it was winter. The Silver Pavilion was one of the few places that had bamboo growing in plain sight of each of the temples.

We stopped by the imperial palace of Kyoto on the way to the Golden Palace but since it was not open we only got to stroll through the not so impressive gardens. The Golden Palace is not golden in name only, it is a temple set right on the lake that was literally coated with a golden leaf lacquer. It was a bright sunny day so the entire temple sparkled and glistened. If only it weren’t so windy there would have been a reflection off the water. No one was allowed inside the temple or even remotely close, but that certainly did not take away from the beauty and grandeur of the temple. Of course, it is accompanied by rock gardens, waterfalls and other symbolic statues.

The last spot of the day was the Shogun Castle in the Nijo district. This was particularly interesting to me because for those of you that don’t know Shogun is essentially the king of all Samurais. At the main gate you walk through my first thought was that the Shogun might be held in higher regard than even the Emperor. The gates were just as imposing as the rest, with big strong solid doors but this time they were accented by beautiful golden works of art including dragons, peacocks, cranes and other symbolic animals. The gates are complimented by massive temples, which are uniquely accentuated by golden pieces of art as well. The main temple was the most spacious of any that I had seen thus far. The huge rooms were decorated with paintings of animals and nature. A thin sliding wooden door separated each of the rooms. Large double-sided wooden carvings that differed from the adjacent room punctuated each one making individually different from the next. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed but I managed to sneak a few anyway. The temple’s wooden floors squeaked loudly on every step. A provision taken by the builders in order to allow the warriors inside to hear if someone was sneaking around. The place was thoroughly fortified, including a double moat and extremely high barricaded walls. The Shogun Castle has one of the more extensive gardens that provided the warriors with long peaceful walks with the Shogun.

Following the eventful day we went out to a local restaurant and ate some “new generation Japanese food” as the hotel manager described it to us. As we entered the restaurant we removed our shoes in traditional Japanese fashion and immediately noticed that the floors were actually heated, a nice accommodation for a chilly night in downtown Kyoto. We enjoyed some Curry pizza that was especially delicious, a kind of chicken Kabob, and of course my favorite kind of sushi fried crab and a Yesibu beer to wash it all down. After another mini-meal, the Japanese apparently don’t believe in feeling full (nor do my parents at their age), we walked to the hotel through “Fish” street. This is the main fish market of the area. Another day down, we head out to Hiroshima tomorrow, Christmas day oddly enough. Now I will retire to bed dozing off to the appropriately named BS News newscast trying to catch up on what is going on in your end of the world. Hope Santa treats you all well…

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Day 6: Ancient Kyoto

2009-03-16T21:32:00.026-04:00

Tuesday, December 23, 2007

With nothing to report about our first day in Kyoto other than it was a long train ride in some shitty weather, I will leave it at that. After a terrible night’s sleep on the world’s hardest and shortest bed, we were off to our next selection of sites. The day’s agenda included Nanzenji, the Heian Shrine, the Yasaka Shrine and Sanjusangendo.

We walked through a humble countryside town until we encountered the first of the bunch, Nanzenji. Located at the foot of Kyoto’s eastern hills, the grounds are absolutely breathtaking.
It is widely considered as one of Japan’s most important Zen temples. Built originally as an imperial villa in 1264, its main building is famous for its daunting size and surrounding rock garden. Now it is the headquarters for the Rinzai School of Zen. There are a number of smaller temples in the hills and even a full functioning water aqueduct that can be found close to Nanzenji’s main buildings. Arriving at around eleven o’clock we walked up to the main temples and then proceeded through the foothills to the smaller ones.

There was an eerie mist coming from the forest and it rolled off the rooftops creating a mystical phenomenon…

You could just tell there was something about this place…

You could even feel it- as if it were tangible...

Once you set foot on the grounds, you sensed it, immediately.

I don’t know if it was because of the magnificent visuals the gardens provided or the massive temples or even the serene sounds of the passing water but there was certainly something else here, this was certainly an ancient presence.

I know very little about the way of Zen and the whole idea behind the philosophy. But hell, Phil Jackson used the school of thought as a way to unite Kobe and Shaq for three championships. I had certainly never witnessed anything like this before...

Truly there is no other place on earth like this.

The Heian Shrine had an unusual color scheme to it, as my mom accurately pointed out. We entered the shrine through a massive red-orange Torii that was accented with gold. Most of the shrines and temples were more of a dull darker color as you can see from the pictures, but this one was distinctly different. The red-orange color of main part of the structure seemed more like Communist China red to me but was still pretty authentic Japanese nonetheless. There is a ritual that takes place here that is loosely translates to “Adult Day” where teenagers literally and symbolically cross a bridge into adulthood.

Yasaka Shrine was another location that intrigued me. It resembled just about every other shrine that we had visited aside form the fact that it was set right in the steepest hills of Kyoto. It is famous throughout the country for being the home of one of Japan’s largest cherry blossom festivals in the spring. Up the massive set of stairs sat the main temple, which like most was very imposing and surrounded by large stone lanterns, gardens and other subtemples. I decided to take the road less traveled, far behind the last temple, up a set of stairs to what turned out to be a graveyard. I climbed up to the highest point that provided a stunning view of the temples and the main city.

The last location of the day, Sanjusangendo, was kind of a big deal. It was home to over a thousand national treasures, most of them made out of gold, including a large Buddha. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the temple but I managed to sneak a few anyway. So if my plane goes down on the way home, it is due to bad karma and thousands of generations of angry monks acting their revenge for the picture. The statues you can see in the background behind the God of Thunder are of the goddess of Mercy, Kannon. Each was about six feet tall and gold, there were over 1000 of them. The main temple that housed the golden statues at Sanjusangendo is Japan’s largest wooden structure, spanning over 100 meters.

Trekking our way back to the subway station after we had spent sufficient time looking at the various statues in Sanjusangendo, we crossed over a bridge that provided a view that would take anybody back to feeling as if they were in the “old country.”All three of us were pretty tired from all the hiking and walking so when we got back to the hotel we just chilled until we indulged in a fancy dinner at the hotels main restaurant. Four different locations across the span of only a few hours with lots of distance between certainly had taken its toll. It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, when we traditionally open our presents from the family. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a anticlimactic celebration this year as my trip to the far east not only accounted for all my Christmas presents but graduation as well. So far it has been well worth it and I still have more than two weeks left.

More coming from Kyoto tomorrow,

Day 4: Toyko Solo

2009-03-16T20:48:00.017-04:00

Tuesday, December 21, 2007

With the parents back in Yokosuka, I took to the Tokyo streets alone. Having decided to hit the parks in dt Tokyo, the zoo and the electronics district, I had my plan of action. The subway ride was a quick ten-minute trip uptown and the parks/zoo area was right next to the subway station.

Before I went into the park, I decided to check out the streets. It was very much like I had expected, high rise buildings covered with colorful ads and animations and nothing I could read. Navigating through the densest part of downtown was not as challenging as I had imagined because well, you take four lefts and you are right back where you started. What logic!

Anyway in the backstreets and side alleys of the city there were a number of bars and shops just like you would expect. Never did I imagine seeing the massive amounts of, what I guess we would call “strip clubs,” even though I am sure they were hardly just stripping inside. Being the devout Christian that I am, I didn’t go inside any of them (cough no money cough) haha kidding. It was shocking to see how many there were on just one block, usually multiple stories high. I should have come to expect it cause of how perverted this part of the world tends to be in general. So I departed the backstreets for the zoo and the various temples that were nearby.

A long, paved walkway wound its way through the park. It had a few temples and shrines along the way. Eventually it led me to the main park and zoo area. There were bell towers that were over half a century old surrounding the areas of worship. Of course the large lantern statues littered the adjacent gardens as well.

Once I passed through the main gate to the zoo, front and center was the panda house. Ever since I saw the Red Panda on an episode of Planet Earth I was determined to see one on my trip out here, but didn’t think I was going to be able to since I wasn’t in the northern mountain region where they typically reside. To my surprise, there were a number of them lounging next to the world famous Giant Panda Ling-Ling. The zoo had a ton of other exotic animals on display including Lions, Tigers and Bears… Oh My!

After what was probably entirely too long a time at the zoo for a 22 year old, I got a little too artistic with the camera and ended up taking like a zillion pictures of the animals, I crossed the street to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Tokyo.

A short time later, I left… I don’t always get art. So I proceeded to some more shrines and temples. Walking through the park I noticed a massive congregation of homeless people. I thought it might be some sort of conference or reunion before I realized that they were unloading a bunch of food from a truck. The people were actually waiting in line to receive their donation.

What a country, back in the states we consider them a bunch of freeloading bums but here in Japan no one goes hungry, or maybe it was a one time deal. I dunno it was a lot of drunk bums chillin... Speaking of hungry…

Before I hopped on the subway to hit the electronic district I stopped in at the Hard Rock Café Tokyo (so cliché I know) for a drink and maybe a bite to eat. The notion of food escaped me after a round of Cuervo. Eventually it turned into a few bruschi’s, as I would strike up a conversation with a 31-year old, divorced electrical engineer from Finland! We covered a number of topics including global politics (which was the bulk of the three hour long convo), his upcoming trip to the US for the first time, his past fourteen experiences in Japan, love, life and just about everything else under the sun. I know, I know… I would. A few hours later we parted ways, each with a newfound perspective. I would also have you know that I quickly made friends with the bartender, Tomo. He was furiously tossing around liquor bottles and juggling shakers a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Keeping in line with the cultural norm I couldn’t tip and sadly left empty handed due to the fact that each beer was about $6!

Deciding to see what this country had to offer in terms of technology, I checked out the widely popular area known as the Electronics district or Akihibrah. I didn’t realize it was starting to get dark because as I came up the stairs the neon lights brilliantly illuminated the streets, resembling an arcade. To be honest it freggin looked and felt like one too. There were video game characters on billboards, video game stations on the streets and flashing neon lights everywhere. It was a video gamers wet dream. Looked more like a Playstation 3 vommitted up a city to me, but hey at least I didn’t see anyone dressed up in costume and looking for a convention. And knowing I could still whoop anyone of these geeks asses in Madden was comforting.

I only went into a few stores to check out the technology they had for sale but I didn’t see anything that was too far out of Best Buy’s stock. I did spend a good half hour inside the Mac store drooling and setting my standards for the upcoming laptop purchase I will be making. Tomorrow we’re going to take the bullet train to Kyoto for most of the day so I don’t know how much I will have to write but we will see. For now, I am off to the bar in the hotel to see if I can make some friends.

-Arigatoo & Kombanwa (Thanks & good evening)
GB

Day 3: Yasukuni, Asakusa, Imperial Palace & More

2009-03-16T20:25:00.007-04:00

Thursday, December 20, 2007

My second day in Tokyo began wicked early. Bright eyed and bushy tailed from the long nights sleep, I woke up at around six thirty and shortly thereafter got to talk to a lil lovely laydy (wow how bout that for some triple alliteration?) After a great start to the day, I went down to the restaurant "Hero's" in the hotel and grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich and set off on the train not too much later. We planned to hit as much of Tokyo today as possible, including a variety of temples, monuments and as many other sights as we could fit in before our feet gave out on us.

We took the subway uptown to check out the first destination my mom planned to visit, Yasukuni Jinja. This included numerous temples and a rack of memorials dedicated to various wars and warriors. There must have been a field trip before we got there because as we were walking up there were a ton of young school girls wandering around the site in uniforms. The statue of Omura Masujiro stands right after the University of Tokyo for Arts and Sciences. It is a massive statue honoring one of the great Japanese warriors who lived in the mid 1800s. Masujiro is regarded as the founder of the modern Japanese army and contributed a great deal to this sacred spot. It was one of the first Western-style sculptures in Japan. It is surrounded by magnificent cherry blossom trees, which were unfortunately not in bloom (See Pic 1), lush greenery, smaller sculptures and Torii's (See Pic 2).

Pic 1

Pic 2

Up from the Omura statue are a number of gates that lead to the main shrines as you can see in the pictures. Alongside the shrines there are memorials honoring those that were lost in the various wars, including WWII. There is also a statue of a war widow surrounded by orphans. This stands as a tribute to the many women who were burdened by incredible loneliness and hardship as their husbands died in war and they were left with the children. Nearby stands statues of a dog, a horse and even a pigeon for the animals that lost their lives serving (See Pic 3). Yasukuni Jinja is still considered to be one of Japans most important shrines today. It is a beautiful and serene place to experience but for to fully appreciate the splendor of Yasukuni you should travel in the Spring, when the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom.

Pic 3

Next, we proceeded to the Imperial Palace which sits right adjacent to the heart of downtown Tokyo. It was fascinating to me to see the stark contrast of the old Japanese style with the modern structures of the city. We walked through the spectacular East Gardens. The bright yellow and red foliage seemed to light up the mid day skyline when set against the metal and steel buildings in the backdrop. Most of the vibrant leaves did not hold on to their branches long enough for me to enjoy the full effect, but even under my feet they provided for a gorgeous path to follow throughout the gardens.

The Imperial Palace compound is a vast tract of land that was completely fortified (See Pic 4). The Palace even had a moat that is now filled with massive carp (See Pic 5). There are numerous gates surrounding the perimeter and were constructed in traditional Japanese architectural style. It is very clear where the line is drawn distinguishing the Imperial Palace from the commercial outskirts of downtown Tokyo. This dividing line has now become a busy road running parallel to Tokyo Station (See Pic 6).

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

After we felt was sufficient enough time spent at the Palace we set off into downtown Tokyo which turned into an Asian version of NYC's Time Square. We hopped on the subway and continued on after I was done admiring the huge Lacoste store and the other eye catching attractions of any other major city.

Asakusa was next and as you can read in the captions of my photo album this was the location of the oldest and most popular Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Asakusa, also known as the half way point to Sin City, introduced Tokyo to the striptease, the brothel and Im sure a number of positions that can be found in modern day Karma Sutra books. Before the great temple that is known as Senso-Ji, there is a giant smoking cauldron that is typically surrounded by people. It is tradition to put the smoke on your face to keep you beautiful for years, put the smoke on your head to make you smart and put the smoke in your pockets to keep you rich. Knowing that I cant possibly get any better looking or become anymore of a smart ass I tried to pocket as much smoke as I could. Call me shallow but I want to have a mansion and a beach house! ;-)

The Bengtson's had worked up a crucial appetite so we set off to the shopping district nearby to find a place to eat and maybe find some sort of token to bring home (See Pic 8). Staying true to myself and my insatiable hunger I insisted that we eat ASAP! After a loop around the streets in the shopping district we settled on a hole in the wall place that said they had English menus (IT WASNT THE ONLY PLACE WITH ENGLISH! i swear) I had a dish that had sushimi, pork and shrimp tempura, rice, seaweed salad, miso soup and something else that escapes me at the moment but it was DEEELISH! Sorry I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of how pretty it was!

Pic 8

Six hours of sight seeing and walking around the city had taken it's tole so we headed back to the New Sanno Inn (our hotel for first time readers). Before we got there we stopped at a local grocery store and bakery where we picked up some delightful little treats. Vino, hummus, crackers and cheese of course, I am my fathers son what can I say? I also snatched a little something to eat for breakfast when I wake up too.

Tomorrow Benger Sr. has to head back to Yokosuka to hear a court case or do some sort of work. Mrs. B will be accompanying him on the trip so I will be traversing the streets of Tokyo by myself! We'll see what kind of trouble G-Filthy can get into O:-D

More to come tomorrow, hope everyone is having a good break back on your side of the globe!

Much Love & Be Easy,
G

Japan- December 19th, 2007

2009-03-16T20:19:00.003-04:00

Well, not too much to report on the first full day following a 14 hour plane ride. We took the subway up to Tokyo and grabbed our room in the beautiful New Sanno Hotel. Taking the subway was interesting because of the way Japanese people go about their daily activities. The unique thing about this country is the fact that they are a very polite people and are also extremely trustworthy. My parents told me that if i were to leave my wallet on the seat of the on the train, that I would be able to go back to that very spot hours later and it would still be there. It was very strange seeing very young children traveling on the subway all by themselves, but that is just the nature of the Japanese. The mix of people on the subway ranged from the elderly to business professionals all the down to the youth. The younger demographic on the train was glued to their individual cell phones. It was crazy to see that almost no one was talking to each other when they boarded the train in groups. They stuck to texting on their cell phones, no conversations literally.

Although I was one of the few faces that stood out, for the obvious reasons that I was white and taller than most of the crowd, not once did I catch anyone staring at me. Not even eye contact usually, which was weird cause you would think just the opposite. I saw a few other people that were of European descent and every time we locked eyes and gave the classic "head nod." It's weird being able to identify with a minority in a country but kind of cool nonetheless. Another characteristic that is integrated in the Japanese culture is efficiency. From the leaders of the country all the way down to the maids that clean my dad's apartment, the Japanese pride themselves on being efficient. This is evident even in the architectural landscape of the country. Riding along the tracks for about an hour and a half altogether, I could not help but notice that there was not a clearing as far as the eye could see. Large apartment complexes were stacked next to one another and even conquered the mountainous terrain that normally limit the development of urban areas. Streets wound their way through the various cities we passed through with only a few feet separating the towering buildings and the traffic. Making use of every bit of space the country has to offer is a priority throughout the nation as they have run out of room to expand horizontally and are reduced to expanding towards the heavens.

We traveled to the US embassy (Benger had to renew the passport) where we passed through a security checkpoint, in order to enter. While I was waiting I got to check email and facebook of course, thanks for the love people! After that was taken care of, we strolled around a little bit. There was a sweet store that was called "Japanese Sword" and it had all kinds of Samurai armor, weapons and art on display. Red and black of course were the most popular colors for the armor but they also had some that were accented by gold which were beautiful. I should have taken some pictures but we were on the move so I will see if I can make it back there, or go somewhere that has cooler shit.

Ma B was getting tired because it was almost four... just kidding she hadn't slept well the night before and neither had Benger Sr. so we headed back to the room to chill and unwind. I hit the gym which was amazing. It was all glass windows and was above the pool and looked out to the streets so the view was fantastic. It had a greaet stereo system, which was nice cause I forgot the ipod but of course only played the corniest American music possible.After zoning out there for almost two hours, I desperately needed the break from the ol rents, we indulged in some vino and cheese before dinner and caught up on some Sportscenter. We then headed down to the restaurant next to the lobby called the "Emporium." Flashes of Mac desktops computers and neon lights immediately flooded my brain as I almost rain away in panic before I remembered "Oh yeah, I graduated and never have to be there again!" So I stayed to grab some dinner. Of course my parents would bring me to a place that servers burgers and had an Italian buffet special, come on... I had the duck, which was pretty good and washed it down with a Sapparo (an authentic Japanese beer that tasted like a stale Coors).

Done with dinner we headed back up to the room and it is now eight o'clock. I am typing with both of my tavelmates passed out in their bed. They promised tomorrow to be more eventful as we will travel to a number of different locations. So with the night just beginning, I guess I am reduced to my sofabed, a movie and thoughts of home, not the States, but you guys...

Love from the far east,
GB-son

Travels

2009-03-16T20:06:00.005-04:00

The recent trip to Puerto Rico got me thinking about the other cultures across the globe that I have been blessed enough to visit...

Following my 2007 December graduation I got to visit the "Land of the Rising Sun." Since that trip pre-dates the blog and my mom flies out to Japan tomorrow as well, I thought I would share those notes & stories from the trip to Japan and my first visit to Asia...

Unemployed Break 2009

2009-03-14T16:37:00.005-04:00

After four days in gorgeous Puerto Rico spent with friends, old and new, my gf and I made the trek back down south to VTech and NC... and reality...

Puerto Rico is a destination rich with liveliness and culture. We learned to salsa, sailed a catamaran, snorkeled, visited deserted islands, hiked through a rainforest, toured Old San Juan, climbed a lookout tower, played in a military Fort, got a typical "gringo" sunburn and enjoyed authentic Puerto Rican meals and nightlife.
The people we met along the way were undoubtedly the best part of the trip and the only question we had leaving the blissful beaches of the Caribbean was...

Why is the Rum gone?

Salud!

White Wedding - Feb. 21, 2009

2009-02-22T23:02:00.006-05:00

Mark the date!

Saturday, the 21st of February 2009 Britta Joy and Charles Ryan Weydert were married at Batavia Covenant Church in snow covered Batavia, Illinois.

What a great weekend with the family... =D

The Bengtsons and the Weyderts coming from all over the globe, convened on a frigid day in the small town just north of Chicago. We were there to witness two, beautiful and inspiring people choose to dedicate the rest of their lives to one another. A true Celebration. I was overjoyed for my sister, Britta, who was not only a breathtaking bride but has been my best friend from the day I was born. She deserves all the happiness in the world and look forward to being closer, geographically, again soon. I am honored and excited to have Ryan as a brother, sincerely, a dignified and caring man. We welcome him and his family into ours- I feel I speak for the whole family in describing how magical of a weekend it truly was.

Pictures coming soon...

Cheers!

The World is Flat

2009-02-13T15:37:00.004-05:00

So, I am utterly captivated by the aforementioned book by NY Times best selling author Thomas Friedman. His most recent version (3.0) of the work titled, “The World is Flat” addresses the “flattening” phenomenon that has been occurring over the past twenty years.

By saying “The World is Flat,” Freidman means that now anyone, anywhere, using something that can fit in their palm can plug, play, connect and compete with anyone else in the world instantly. This proposes some interesting dynamics, situations and problems for all of us.

He has 10 factors/events/trends or technologies that have made the world “flat,” they are-

#1) 11/9/89- The fall of the Berlin Wall
#2) 8/9/95- The day that Netscape went public
#3) Work Flow Software
#4) Uploading
#5) Outsourcing
#6) Offshoring
#7) Supply-Chaining
#8) Insourcing
#9) In-forming
#10) The Steroids- technological innovations.

“The convergence of the ten ‘flattners’ had created a… global, web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform now operates without regard to geography, distance, time and even language... (it) enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate- for the purposes of innovation, production, education research, entertainment, and, alas, war-making- like no other platform ever before…more people in more places now have the power to access the flat-world platform- to connect, compete, collaborate, and, unfortunately, destroy- that ever before.”

None of this would have been at all possible without the advances we have made in technology over the past two decades- he calls these “The Steroids.” Essentially, they boost, amplify and enhance the other flattners of the world by speeding up the interconnectivity of entities around the globe. All of this stems from the advancement of the world wide web.

Perhaps the most important steroid, or the one that I feel has the most impact on our daily lives and has the potential to consume us, is the wireless revolution. Now, with the advances in wireless technology we are fully mobile. We can send email, pictures, videos, from anywhere to anyone at any time. We can trade stock in Hong Kong while sitting in a coffee shop in Iowa. We can chat, in real time with friends from across the globe and virtually talk “face-to-face.” Truly there are no limits when you are wireless. Workers can now “telecommute,” are completely free from the walls of the working environment and are literally “de-linked” from the office.

Having spent the last couple of months working for a company whose broad customer base spans the globe I have witnessed this on a professional level. I was communicating with clients from Russia, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Germany, etc without any barrier. Their emails, often sent from their cell phone, came through translated into English to my laptop. Depending on the time difference, the exchanges were instantaneous.

Conference calls take place from anywhere and everywhere- seven C-level executives gather in a board room in China to hear comments about the industry from our managing director in Boston while a researcher listened in from an airport in Germany. Product demos were available on the spot for our sales guys visiting Korea. With little to no notification, our product manager can hop on a call from anywhere with any number of people, demonstrating the usability of a database product in an online meeting where the clients can watch whats happening on your laptop screen- Incredible. My manager went to florida for two weeks for a “vacation.” She was online all day and through the wee hours of the night. Linked in either by her laptop or iPhone- seamless communication and direction were given for projects underway at the office.

The erosion of the former barriers to communication and business poses an interesting question and an underlying problem: Is there such thing as a true vacation? With the ability to access anyone, anywhere, at any time on their laptop, iPhone, Blackberry or pda can you really vaca? Sure, this provides an opportunity for more businesses to increase production and offers a 711 strategy (always open for business) but does that eventually eliminate your personal space and turn you into a work-a-holic? Does shutting off your Blackberry for a week mean you are totally free or does that make you even more of a slave to it?

This movement towards increased production and instant communication will engulf our generation- if it hasn’t already. I see people everyday surfing the web on their iPhone or typing away an email on their ‘Berry. Basically working on their way to work. Can you even account for the number of hours in a day that you spend working anymore? Is there such thing as normal business hours? Fundamentally, do these technological innovations set us free or do they shackle us to our job?

More discussion is on the way…

A Great Day of Sport

2009-02-11T17:14:00.006-05:00

A beautiful day here in Boston almost 60 degrees!
I spent most of the day outside @ a park reading Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" and will be blogging more later...

But for now, an amazing day of sports has begun...

Basketball-
Georgia Tech at VA Tech
UNC at Duke

Soccer -
Argentina vs. France (2-0 Arg)
USA vs. Mexico

Happy Birthday L!

A-Roid

2009-02-10T14:39:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was historic because it was the inaugural day of “GB’s World.”
More importantly the date, February 9th, will be infamous for the game of baseball…

In an exclusive interview with Peter Gammons of ESPN, Alex Rodriguez admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez was baseball’s “golden boy”- their great hope. He is projected to overtake Barry * Bonds as the game’s all time Home Run King. He was proclaimed by the league and media to be the honorable, all-natural savior of Major League Baseball. Rodriguez would restore the legitimacy of the Home Run King title- the games preeminent record.

A-Roid's admission comes at a time when the current home run king is on trial, arguably the all-time greatest pitcher facing a federal investigation and a govrnment list of 104 names that tested positive for performance enhancing drugs exists somewhere. February 9th could very well be one of the darkest days in baseball history.

The interview was a joke- A-Roid claimed that he was “young,” “ignorant,” and “naïve.” The man was 25 years old. To say that he had no idea of what was putting into his body or had no clue of what was going on in the game around him is ludicrous! It was a blatant lie, similar to the ones he told Katie Couric in a 60 minutes interview in 2007.

Like Tony Kornheiser, I wonder why he didn’t take the “good kind of steroids that gets you hits after the 7th inning.” This takes a lot for me to admit but A-Roid used to be one of my favorite players growing up. When the rumors of him coming to play in Boston were spreading, all the Fenway faithful were ecstatic. When he signed with the Yankees for only incremental more money in his contract I, along with the rest of Red Sox nation, was devastated. Man, I guess hindsight truly is 20-20... thankfully this is not Boston's problem.

A-Roid is a pre-madonna who is arrogant and only cares about himself. His inconsistent performance on the field is only magnified by his antics off the field. He clearly loves the attention and celebrity but seems to struggle with this identity in NY- there have been multiple counts of his envy of teammate Derek Jeter, Mr. Yankee.

Rodriguez recently divorced his wife and has been seen romancing with the ageless wonder, Madonna. Instead of spending Thanksgiving with his kids in Miami, he decided stay in NYC with the 50 year-old pop star and her kids. Go ahead and put that “Father of the Year” trophy award right night to your Performance Enhanced MVPs and other awards, A-Fraud.

I was sick to my stomach to hear the way ESPN spun the story this morning. It seems as if they are trying to paint him as a sympathetic figure because he didn’t cop out like McGwire, didn’t say he didn’t know he took ‘em like Bonds, didn’t say he doesn’t speak English like Sosa or straight up lie like Palmeiro or Clemens. A-Roid probably went to Gammons, since they are friends, saying that he wanted to come across as conscientious- like this has been weighing on him for the past 6 YEARS! He lied on 60 minutes, he lied to his fans, he lied to his teammates, but most importantly he lied and cheated the game of baseball. A-Fraud’s excuses for not admitting sooner were that...
a) he “didn’t know what (he) was ingesting,”
b) because he has had his “best years since” he stopped using and
c) that he “wasn’t being truthful with (himself).”

He will continue to garner sympathy with a national audience as long as ESPN continues to portray him as less corrupt than the roided-up players that preceded him. According to ESPN because he admitted to using P.E.D’s, his transgression is not as bad even though it was 6 years and multiple lies later?

You gotta love our impartial media coverage. I just wonder how much of his 275 million dollar contract A-Roid had to give ESPN in order spin the story in his favor…

About the Author

2009-02-09T21:37:00.007-05:00

I follow my heart...
And will continue to do so until the day I die. Typically, it is the best advice I give because the heart is the only unimpressionable beacon you can follow in life. Living and dying by the decisions made by your heart is the ONLY way to actually l i v e. I’ll admit, following your head, gut or some other body part in situations may be more practical or make more sense but really- what’s in a decision if your heart is not?

The Old World-
My journey has been long and arduous. I have experienced some of the highest highs you can achieve in 23 years accompanied by the lowest of lows. I have stood behind podiums accepting accolades just the same as I have stood behind them to hear a conviction...
I was raised to “never show weakness” and if you’re hurt- “rub a little dirt on it.” Virtually programmed to think this way, some athletes (like me) struggle to find a place in the world after the games end. Those of us having the hardest time are the ones who feel that the game was taken away from them by injury, incident, a coach, etc.

That being said…
I stand to be the model of resiliency. No matter what- nothing will break my unwavering spirit or fundamental toughness.

In a few words- I am confident, honest and outspoken but mainly a huge goofball who loves to make people laugh. I have a golden retriever (Quincy) that is probably the smartest dog you’ll ever meet and she loves meeting new people as much as I do. I grew up the son of a career Navy Officer so I have traveled extensively and actively seek out new experiences everyday.

More Recently-
I was laid off from my first “grown-up job” at a solar consulting firm. I thought Boston was the city for me. I thought working with friends was an ideal environment. I thought helping advertise and market our high priced services & research was my part in an effort to save the world…
Financials and logistics aside- the separation was a blessing. A 10-13 hr work day, everyday is no way to live and I should be thankful that things didn’t work out.

Not sure where I head next. Unclear what job I am best suited for. No idea what I wanna do or how to re-invent myself, again. I have no clue what the upcoming months have in store but I do know that it will be exciting to see where my heart leads me this time around. If my past is any indication of my future then stay tuned to “GB’s World”… you will not be disappointed.

Foreword

2009-02-09T19:55:00.002-05:00

“What are you going to blog about and who’s going to read your blog anyway?”
-gf

In response to my girlfriend’s question, I first laughed- as that has got to be the world’s WORST response to someone declaring that they are starting a blog. After the laughter and insecurity subsided, I thought about it…
What do I really want to blog about?

I addressed this question first because; well, quite frankly I couldn’t give two shits if 1 or 1 million people read my blog. Not really in it for the audience although I do love the attention! At its core, a blog is essentially an online journal or a specific kind of site that delivers up to date news on a particular subject. A blog is current and informative but in a playful, forum style format.

I regret to inform you that my only area of any sort of expertise is in the world of sports. Sure, some days sport may dominate the headlines in “GB’s World” but there will certainly be diverse enough content here for everyone- if not, ask and ye shall receive.

The use of this blog is to provide me with a platform to voice my writings, riffs, thoughts, concerns and observations about today’s world. Maybe it’s an iGeneration thing to think that everyone can have their 2 cents thrown in or perhaps it’s just a way to pass the time until the next thing comes along. Anyway, I have always enjoyed writing about many different things and now I have the time and creative freedom to do as I please.

If you’re reading this… Welcome! Please feel free to engage & contribute your thoughts as you see fit or you can sit back, relax and prepare to be entertained by my shenaniganz. Either way- this blog should be used as fodder for further discussion.

Cheers,
gb