Hop's Thoughts

Anyone who has the awful luck of being my friend on Facebook has realized that I love debating anything. Politics is at the forefront right now and it's a daily battle, usually with the same people.  Someone usually posts something completely outlandish and false, that despite my attempts to refrain, I can't resist.  The initial comments start slow, but then it's a free for all.  Tons of comments and barbs are thrown and it's usually in good fun, but a few people recently made it personal and paid the price.  I was unfriended by one friend who made a personal attack and found out how quickly, as much as I didn't want to, I can dish it out. Here's my thing about politics and why it's fun for me.  In any other category, it's an even playing field and despite coming across as a pompous ass, I can usually destroy my opposition with facts and figures.  The key to all successful debates. Sure, there is everyone's personal take on what these numbers mean,...

Last June, I came to Ithaca and spent a week with my 98-year-old grandmother.  She was using a walker, but was quite spry.  We'd have breakfast in the morning and then she'd disappear to get dressed. We'd then spend time sitting on the porch, she reading and me at the computer.  We'd have lunch, spend and hour or two telling each other stories of the past, then she'd usually take a nap.  She'd normally be in bed reading, but would hop up around 4:30-5:00 for a cocktail or two.  Cheese and crackers and some laughs were had before we started thinking about dinner.  We'd have dinner, then coffee and dessert and finish the night with a movie or maybe even a baseball game.  Around 10:30-11:00 she'd retired and we'd repeat the process the next day. One year later and I'm back filling in for my father.  The routine has changed and the moments have slowed drastically. It seems almost comical to mention time when discussing someone who is now 99.  S...

I am called all kinds of names, because of my left leaning views, despite having some more right than most.  Regardless of my political beliefs, there is one thing I am not.  A flag waver.  I'm patriotic in the sense that I respect our military and what they do and I realize this country has a lot to offer, but that's where my patriotism ends. You will never see me painting my face red, white and blue or waving a flag.  I stand and place my hand on my heart during our national anthem out of respect, but I think God should be taken out of our pledge of allegiance.  Before you jump on me and think your shit don't stink and you're a true 'Mercan, listen to a couple of things which might point your disdain stick right back at yourself.  We all love fourth of July, right A quarter of a billion dollars in fireworks are shot off each 4th.  Almost entirely imported from China. Of the 150 million American flags bought in this country.  Less than 1...

Everyone has their views about Kim Kardashian's sex tape, but does anyone realize she was married when she made it...and not to the guy in the video? Other than news clips, I have never watched one second of The Jersey Shore.  I am pretty sure my life is better for it. Rihanna is an absolutely beautiful and talented woman, but since Chris Brown beat her up, Chris Brown has been more popular. The sections of Fifty Shades of Grey that I have read are some of the worst quotes in literature I have personally ever read.  Women complain that men don't understand them and this book has made me thankful. When you mention Liam Neeson to anyone under 30, they mention Taken, The Grey and the Star Wars movies.  Over 30, they mention Kinsey, Michael Collins and Schindler's List.  If ever the roles are reversed, the world will explode. Jennifer Lawrence is the hottest thing since sliced bread.  Almost nobody that adores her has seen Winter's Bone.  Her only goo...

Yesterday I made my venture to Ithaca via bus. Starting in White Plains, we made our stops until we reached the destination of our transfer.  While waiting for second bus to arrive I noticed and incredible amount of young people.  The second bus was going to Binghampton and Ithaca, so it made sense.  I sipped my iced tea and noticed a girl, like me, standing with one bag at her feet and one draped over her shoulder.  She was short, about 5'1, with long brown hair.  She was wearing a purple shirt, jean shorts and short black boots.  She had the most perfect athletic legs, but due to her petite frame, they looked with some movements, almost muscular.  I noticed she had fair skin and wore no makeup to speak of.  She was the typical girl I would have gone crazy for in high school or college. As we boarded the bus, she took the very first seat on the right. The bus looked packed, but I started to make my way to the rear.  Apparently, many of tho...

I've normally been so open about myself on here.  The last three nights, I've written blogs and erased them.  I've been so down lately, that I don't know if I really want people knowing all the minute details of my life.  When things are good, it's funny to bitch and moan, to point out the atrocities of life and to try to offend.  When things are rough, I can use this to vent and give myself a little dose of self therapy.  It usually helps.  These days things are dire.  I try to keep up a good front, but I'm scared about things for the first time in my life.  I'm flat broke, work (part-time) doesn't start up for another two weeks and I don't get paid until sometime early November.  I broke a deal, inadvertently with the IRS, so my first paycheck, which is usually pretty nice for what I do, is gone.  For the first time since I was a stupid 21 year old getting myself in trouble, I've had to borrow money.  It's embarrassing. I've tur...

I tried not to post on Facebook or Twitter yesterday, out of respect for all those affected by the events eleven years ago.  I personally think that posting pictures of the destruction of the Twin Towers is not only disturbing, but slightly disrespectful. If your loved one died in a car accident, would you want to see a picture of the wreckage every year on the anniversary of their death? Please don't think I'm judging anybody else's manner of showing their appreciation or respects, it's my personal feeling. Monday, I got to play golf.  I was lucky, because it was free.  The day was great and I appreciated it.  In the morning, I missed getting over to a friend's house in time and they had left for breakfast, so I missed out on some eggs and bacon.  I had made a joke, thanking them for picking me something up and just laughed about it.  One of the players, who I barely know, walked over and handed me half a bagel. I declined the offer, not wanting to take ...

Over the past two weeks I've been debating with friends over the upcoming election.  The debates have given us all fodder and we've gone to town on it. One thing should never be forgotten about these conventions.  They are held in huge buildings and the speeches are made to cater to a specific audience - their particular party.  If you are a Republican, you somehow find a way to blame Clinton for Bush's debacle and if you're a Democrat you blame Bush for everything Obama inherited.  There might be a right or a wrong to this method of logic, but that's not what interests me. What has me seeing red, but not in a right wing way, is the severe divide in this country and it's principles.  A lot of people have been bringing up the Reagan question recently, "are you better off than you were four years ago?"  What people forget is that this question, while appearing harmless, was used to prey on our fears.  Reagan cleverly wove a tale of America being a soon...

I recently watched the television series The Wire.  I basically watched five seasons in a matter of six weeks.  In all there were about 60 episodes and I probably watched them in the course of about 15-20 evenings.  The series is a pretty impressive collection.  What sets it apart from most series, is that while the characters stay very much the same, the angle of the story changes drastically, all the while concentrating on the urban setting of Baltimore.  The first season takes the perspective of the cops and the street thugs.  The second looks at the dock workers and unions.  The third if local government and it's corruption.  The fourth is from the public school systems view and there struggles to make a difference.  The final season is set from the view of the media, primarily the print media: Newspapers.  The whole magical journey centers around a handful of cops, politicians and drug dealers.  Some of the faces change, but...

Well, it's that time of year again.  That time where I act like a genius and then invariably get slightly more than half my playoff teams correct and then don't even come close to the Super Bowl match up.  Although I do believe I had two of the correct final four last year.  Didn't check. So here it goes. AFC East - New England Patriots 13-3 North - Baltimore Ravens 11-5 South - Houston Texans 10-6 West - Kansas City 9-7 WC: Pittsburgh 10-6 & Denver 9-7 Wild Card Houston over Denver Pittsburgh over Kansas City Divisional New England over Pittsburgh Baltimore over Houston Conference Baltimore over New England NFC East - New York 10-6 North - Green Bay 13-3 South - Atlanta 11-5 West - San Francisco 12-4 WC: Chicago 11-5 & New Orleans 10-6 Wild Card Atlanta over New Orleans New York over Chicago Divisional Green Bay over New York San Francisco over Green Bay Conference Green Bay over San Francisco Super Bowl Green Bay over Balti...

I had a bad night on Saturday.  It started of good, but then someone did something and it really hurt me.  Not so much the action, but when someone who hasn't seen you in a while chooses to embarrass you instead of saying hello, it makes you question if they were ever really a friend to begin with.  I won't mention the other things about this person, because most people would wonder what the hell I was friends with them in the first place for.  This is not the point of the story. The point is. I feel like people have really just started to let me down.  New and old friends alike just never seem to step up.  It seems like nobody cares about anyone else anymore.  The world has become so self absorbed that doing for others has become a dirty thought. Well this morning I woke up and I was angry.  I was angered more when I read a text basically defending the person, then turning it around onto me as if this was caused by an anger issue I have.  ...

Got a text today.  It was a friend telling me of his cousin's death.  Robbie was 51. I met Robbie through my friend on a trip to Boston.  We stayed in his one bedroom apartment and took over the living room, the hallways and where else we crashed on a drunken weekend.  We at junk food, farted a lot and laughed our asses off.  We got Robbie kicked out of his local bar on on other trips we got kicked out of quite a few places. We became famous, or infamous one trip as being the "Wassup" guys.  Remember those awful commercials?  We embodied every ounce of awfulness they inspired. I only hung out with Robbie a handful of time.  Each time was different.  One he wasn't around for much of our stay.  Once it was just the guys.  One it was a larger group, guys and girls on St. Paddy's. Once it was the guys and my friend's girlfriend. Once was at a bar crawl in Boston. Once was at a Bar Crawl in NY. Once was at a party.  Once was whi...