Day 6: Ancient Kyoto

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,

GB

Day 4: Toyko Solo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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