The Garnish of a Cosmopolitan is a Lime

I want to start off this post by plugging an absolutely wonderful non-profit organization that is worthy of your support. Response of Suffolk County is a crisis hot line that offers caring ears to those in need regarding anything from loneliness, depression, drug abuse, mental illness, family issues, grief counseling. We all have, in some way, dealt with, or are trying to cope with issues like this. It's great to seek solace from these issues by confiding in friends or family, but some don't have that outlet. Response of Suffolk County a truly great cause and are working hard to have a positive impact on those in need. You can help by texting 109471 to 73774 everyday for the rest of the month and helping them receive a grant from Pepsi to aide their operation. Help is a text away. Seek Response of Suffolk County on facebook or Google for more information.

I had the privilege of getting to know about the organization as I took part in a three-on-three tournament fundraiser for them last week. I was put on to the event by Sean Gallagher and signed up with Roo (like kangaroo) and Jay (like the letter) to take on all comers. We did pretty well, securing the 4 seed and upsetting the 3 seed before losing in the semis. Also, I (along with half the field) came in second place in the free throw shooting contest, just missing claiming a 16 dollar gift certificate to I-don't-remember-where-but-does-it-really-matter-it-is-free. I mention the tournament for the sake of plugging the program and a couple quick anecdotes.

In an homage to Bretton Woods' own, Coop, we chose the team name of "Say Cheese". As I mentioned we did a decent job living up to those lofty expectations, but to an extent it's a little surprising that I made it to the event at all. Obviously, I know where Stony Brook University is, but regarding its layout, I really have next to no idea where anything is. I was naively optimistic when I turned into the section of campus that said "Athletic Complex" My hopes for a smooth arrival were further fortified when I saw another sign for the complex with an arrow pointing towards the left as I entered the campus itself from the main drag. However, as I went to turn left, construction blocked the way of my car. I figured, "okay, if there's a sign here, it can't be too far away" so I made a quick right instead and parked in a lot no more than a few yards from the sign... and set out for a quick walk.

I was following the sign, so I never really got nervous about being lost or anything, but I did get a little concerned when I stopped a girl to confirm I was going the right way and she kind of winced when I mentioned my destination. She said aloud, "Let me think about which way would be quicker." She was debating between the direction I'd come and the direction I was going. Then it was my turn to wince and I resisted the urge to tell her that the godforsaken sign had told me to come that way. She eventually sent me on my way and told me to keep on going the same way I had been. Several, several, several minutes later I did traverse the bulk of that end of campus and make it to the tournament, needing a drink before we'd even shot a basketball. I have since been back to clock the trip and I had walked just under four miles to get to the venue. I curse the heck out of that sign, but by the time I realized that maybe this gym isn't as close as I thought, it was too late to turn back. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day outside.

Say Cheese's first matchup was against a trio of Gallaghers who were just a blast to play against and we had as many laughs as we did buckets that game. We pushed each other to our limits and thankfully we came out with the upper hand, but all six of us were pretty darn wiped after the tight game to 21. In spite of the sweat and hands-on-knees panting being displayed by both teams, no less than two minutes after reporting our score, Kevin and Matt were lined up at the starting line of the indoor track and prepping for a sprint.

Admittedly I had just really met Matt and Danny that day, Kevin and I hadn't a conversation more than a few sentences long since my freshman year of high school, and even Sean, whom I consider a good friend, is someone I don't see as often as I'd like, but I remember thinking distinctly "only a Gallagher would be lining up for a race moments after busting his hump on the basketball courts even though he was hurting." Quite a competitive crew. A special dynamic they have, from an outsider's perspective.

These past couple of weeks, Jay and I have been taking some far out bartending courses after which we'll be "certified" bartenders. This experience has afforded no shortage of memories that will last the better part of our lifetimes, including an older woman disclosing her dominion over the color spectrum and sexual aspirations, me being peer pressured into a pool game with a very drunk Spanish man armed with condoms but not fifty cents, and an instructor who among many other things has made us see fast food in a whole different light. These stories are not really worth blogging about because some of them are not funny for the right reasons and they're all pretty situational and not worth the narrative build up I'd have to give them before getting to the point, so you'll excuse my vagueness here.

I like the job because it's kind of a legal way to sell yourself. Mixing drinks is not necessarily easy when you're learning about ten new ones a night everyday for two weeks, but it's not exactly hard either and you could teach a monkey to do it. Likely a monkey with a drinking problem, but I digress. What makes a bartender good at what he or she does is the way they interact with their patrons and, modesty aside, that's something I feel like I'm darn good at. I'm excited to kind of bring the voice and vision behind this blog beyond the page. To put it much less poetically, I can't wait to provide a service by being myself. I think that's what a lot of people dream of as a profession, and I'm not saying I want to be a bartender for the rest of my life, but I'm really enjoying the aspects of the business so far and I look forward to getting more involved with it. Plus, just think of the inspiration a nightly dose of inebriated people can provide this blog.

In the class, we work with dyed water rather than waste alcohol, but this past weekend Jay and I got the chance to sample the drinks we'd been making for the past week as we made the trip into the city to celebrate Mrs. Taylor's 50th birthday.

Mr. Taylor went to great lengths (even threatening bodily harm to his own son) to set up an absolutely wonderful surprise party for Mrs. Taylor and I was honored to have been a part of it. I don't feel it's my place to tell you the ins and outs of how the surprise was planned specifically, but when she walked into the room and was suddenly face to face with loved ones from all sorts of facets of her life, the emotion in the room and in her face was indescribable. The first thing that crossed my mind was that we all deserve to feel like that. For about thirty seconds, everything that was and is messed up or askew in my life and the world in general just vanished. It was one of the more profound moments of my life in recent memory. To share the love in the room and just to know that there are people in the world who care enough about each other to make something like that happen was incredibly warming. I can't stress enough how eye-opening the experience was.

I realize that was likely was the most hippie-like paragraph in Yesternow history, but sometimes I just have to take the time to embrace that part of me. It was a beautiful, beautiful moment and the reason I'm writing this blog. Not that you need me to tell you this, but cherish love of all kinds when you find it because everything else in life will absolutely grind you to dust.

I had a real Rhapsody missing moment, which I have to say are surprisingly rare. That sounds insensitive and I always miss them all {except Jaci} to an extent, but this was one time where it was really prominent. Hopefully you understand what I mean by that. Kind of like how I'm sure Rhapsody misses me doesn't really think about all that often unless Jaci is talking.

Anyway, Mrs. Taylor entered the party to "It's Raining Men" a song that as a result of Rhapsody will always have a bit of meaning to it for me. While the couple of Lynchburg Lemonades I'd ingested are partially to blame, I got a little pumped to hear the song and kind of looked around to see whom else was digging it and saw no one under 30 returning my enthusiasm. It was kind of a deflating moment, though looking back, I probably would have played it cool too if I were a 22 year-old male who was pleasantly surprised to hear "It's Raining Men". While it's not like a screamed, jumped around, and started dancing or anything, I definitely lost some man-points with my all-too-passionate head bobbing and humming.

Sean Taylor, donning some extra-special spectacles which made him resemble Clark Kent to the T, took some time off from the Daily Planet to share the night with his family. At last Sean Taylor's numerous disappearances are explained. Every time he's made such stealth and spontaneous disappearances he was obviously off to slow a runway train or hurl a meteor into the sun. It's all so obvious in hindsight.

Considering he's the Man of Steel, I should probably take it easy on him, so I want to thank Kal-El personally for inviting me that night. In all seriousness, at one point during the night when the drink samples had already effect, I did call Mr. Taylor Jor-El and laughed for no audience whatsoever. As Jay would say, I think we were both a little too "loose" to have any form of serious discussion about it.

Anyway, after the party, we hit up a few of the Tribecca bars and I took some time to ponder our mortality and nearly ran out of gas as a result, but thanks to everyone's favorite name that I regret to say I can't disclose on this blog, I caught my second wind and drew many a strange stare as Jay, Grebe and I were chanting it as loud as we could over the house music. Works better than any energy drink you can think of, I promise.

I understand that bars are supposed to be dimly lit and full of mood, or what have you, but this last place we went to was straight up dark. It was eerily reminiscent to a Jackson St. basement, and not in a fun nostalgia way either. Other than watching your step, the bar was still pretty solid and "bumping" as the kids are saying these days (I hope). At one point I was chatting with these ladies from Ohio. Since my sister went to school there, I had enough fun facts and knowledge to shoot the breeze some. At one point, unbeknownst to me, one of girls walked away to get a drink and when she came back I introduced myself as if I'd not met her before. She pointed out that we had just met and I muttered a feeble "oh, sorry, it's really dark" but something told me just to get out of there and I said good-bye to everyone and we headed home.

Something tells me I'd better get out of this blog post, too. Hope all is gold, my friends. See you next post. In closing, I forgot to mention the best part of the night: Mr. Stockhausen's beard.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Sean Taylor!

Also, can you tell me why you read this blog/what you like about it and send it to tpoli311@gmail.com? Thanks, it doesn't have to be long.


Song of the Day: The Ascent Of Stan-Ben Folds
Jazz Song of the Day: Pretty Eyes-Horace Silver

Playing Time Against My Troubles

I may or may not be melting as I type this. Even nestled in the cozy catacombs of my unlit basement (coincidentally listening to the Miles track that provides the namesake of this blog) the sun's relentless rays appear to be on the hunt. While being as cool as Miles Davis is indeed impossible, I was hoping he could at least drop me down a few degrees. It doesn't appear to be working.

I digress.

This, if I recall, is the first, and likely last, truly anticipated blog post as it will center around the Stockhausen family gathering and the great honor and pleasure to be a part of last weekend. Unfortunately, I entered the scene just as Sean Taylor was leaving to handle some business. I know that there have been a few time in this thing where I go a little hard on Sean because simply sometimes it just can't be helped. However, in all seriousness, I can think of no man I know who works harder at what he loves to do and does a better job with it. I can't respect Sean Taylor enough and I'm proud to consider him a dear friend.

For the second time in about three posts, "enough with the sentimental stuff."

I entered the place and the jam session was already in full swing. I can think of few better ways to enter a space than to be immediately wrapped in the embrace of casual live music. It brings about the desire for reflection in me, a feeling I always embrace.

I didn't need much provocation to join the festivities and I laid down a few spontaneous verses and some vocals etc. Ben and Mr. Taylor were really welcoming to my vibe and we created some tunes that people really seemed to enjoy. Ben and I really seemed to be in the pocket that night. A kind of musical niche, if you well. It's something I'm starting to develop with Jay as we play about once a week, but I haven't had it consistently since I used to play with the Beard. It's overwhelmingly pleasant to be able to read another musicians mind and respond to their stimulus. It was a great session and something that was definitely present in the room that night.

I love Mr. Taylor's demeanor in jam sessions. The man has a wealth of talent and knowledge that I always seem to learn from. He's really very open as a musician, yet he's very quick the facilitate the action by saying to someone "keep it up" or "wait" or "cut it out." He's passionate and all, but I think that can be said about all of us. What's cool is that the man has ears all over the room and is confident enough to try and bring the sound in his head to life. It's always a different kind of session when he's involved. I mean that in a very positive sense. He tends to bring out the best in people.

Following the session I was a little embarrassed because I sweating pretty profusely following not very much actual physical activity. With that said, I do tend to stay in a perpetual state of motion when performing. A state of motion I found defined me amongst Deanna's more distant relatives. A couple of times I was told that they were asking Deanna about the guy who did {Inset your own spontaneous hip and hand gyration here} and whether or not he was coming that night. I was quite flattered and suddenly very aware of just how mobile the human body could be.

This brings me to my next point of discussion: The Stockhausen family.

The Stockhausen's have always been incredibly warm people towards me and this past weekend only further highlighted their welcoming nature. After the session, the family decided to play some thumper (I wish this game came up at half of my family gatherings) a game which I hadn't played since a Vermont trip a couple of years back. You know it's going to be an occasion to remember when grandma joins in on the fun. It was just a great time. To see a family laughing and enjoying one another so much was great and I knew I was witnessing something very special.

Though I will say that if I shared the "whip-a-doodle" with any of my relatives, I don't doubt that I would be barred from any future family occasions until such time as I could be proven sane.

After the game died down, they all stayed up for at least another hour and shared stories from their younger days about some wild times and whatnot that I won't repeat here, but the openness in the family unbelievable and enviable. I had a wonderful time. This family dynamic was one of a kind and I can't thank them enough for making me feel like one of their own.

Shared at the Beanberry this past week again. The intimacy of the place continues to blow my mind. I was little concerned about sharing this week, given that my most recent piece is about my relationship to basketball. I mean no disrespect, but the crowd didn't exactly strike as a crew invested in the present and past of the NBA. It was of real comfort to see some friendly faces in the audience. I'm really appreciative to those people for attending. You know who you are, and it meant quite a bit to me. Thank you. Hopefully we'll be buffin' it up on the beach in short order.

Again the crowd was really receptive and it was great hear such great talent gathered in one place. Not to call him out, but it was the first time I'd seen Ryan Smith perform and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I look forward to spending more time in that space.

I will say this, only I could perform a piece and leave with two guys' numbers. Kind of a shake your head moment, to say the least.

Camp goes well. I feel like I have about three stories a day, but when it comes to blogging, I have to kind of trim the fat. A couple of things.

1. As a result of my Monopoly prowess, (I actually lost the game, but they don't seem to care/notice) a few kids have started calling me "The Constable." I'm thrilled with the moniker. "Poli" has treated me well, but it may be time for a change. I remember wanting to be called "Young Jeezy" for a day in Rhapsody just to see if we could get through it with a straight face. Also, I've always secretly dreamed of being called Sir Topham Hatt by my peers, but that's another blog post entirely.

2. I want to preface this by saying I certainly mean no disrespect, I just can't lie. I find it hilarious when little kids around here assume that two black kids that hang out together are siblings. To hear such blunt honesty from kids on both ends of the question is absurdly humorous to me. It says a lot about our neck of the woods. Again, not the most P.C. thing I've ever said, but I swear to witness it is to believe it.

Stay cool, dear readers.

Advice of the Day: When seeking employment, sometimes working hard is not enough. You've got to learn to be a respectful pain in the ass, too.

Song of the Day: 1921- The Who

Jazz Song of the Day: I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry- Keith Jarrett Trio

The Jersey Shore is the Key to National Success

My apologies for the delay in this post. Saying goodbye to Long Island friends and preparing to say hello to York ones has been pretty time consuming.

Much to update as life has been as complex as Deanna's fireplace. Other than generic relaxation sessions and the great times and memories that have resulted, two events are worth discussing a bit.

This past Saturday, Poli's Third Annual December Disorder took place. I'm aware that the event did not take place in December, but the first one did, and you don't change the name of March Madness just because the most important games occur in April. My father is kind enough to open the doors of the Suffolk gym once a year, and I take the time to make the space available to my friends to shoot around and get some burn. As I'll soon describe, burning was quite the appropriate word. We had 11 people total. A little below average, but this year the event was a bit later in the season than usual. Regardless it was still a great time. We in attendance felt quite audacious and decided to run strictly fives for the duration of the night. This was compelling and fast paced for about ten possessions, until the tolls of a long winter began to add up. Some were out of shape, some had a bunch of rust, and others, like me, had their feet give out on them.

I'm far from in great shape, don't get me wrong. But I still had plenty of gas in my tank when we decided to call it quits that night. My feet, nestled within worn shoes and pretty thin socks, were on fire within about 20 minutes and soon made it agonizing to move despite the rest of my body's ability and desire. Such an awful feeling. However, I've learned my lesson and will soon be swapping up shoes. Hopefully, we all use this as a learning experience and are ready to roll with the summertime beckons. One thing I learned for sure, Sean Taylor will be prepared to dominate with his teammates, The Four Lokos.

Went to a Scrabble tournament on Sunday. Such a great time. I went 3 and 0 in my matches and won some cool prizes as a result. I had some really talented opponents and I didn't have any monster words for once, but I was scary consistent, laying down 20-25 point words every turn. Those don't sound too impressive, but they really add up... literally. I'm honestly really proud of myself and I'm trying to take my Scrabble competing to the next level. There is a Scrabble Association of pro players and employees and stuff. It's all really legit, and appealing to me quite a bit. Who knows? It could be the next poker-type craze where something the general public never thought was all that interesting is suddenly all over the place and on ESPN. I can only guess that there is already a World Series of Scrabble. Maybe I can someone that helps Scrabble young and hip (two adjectives that describe me quite well). As you can imagine, the majority of people at the tournament were on the older side. There we like a couple of 14 year olds, a seven year old, and one girl my age (sadly in the beginners section, but I'd love to have given her some pointers) and the rest were anywhere from 40 and beyond. A great time to say the least. I'll keep you posted of related endeavors.

Advice of the Day: If you wish to emphasize what another person is saying, try repeating the main points of their speech in question form just after they finish speaking.

Example: Richard is becoming quite good at tying his shoes.
Response: Richard, tying shoes?

Thought of the Day: While not ignorant, I'm far from a politically minded person, but for better or for worse, America is not one of the most popular of nations in the world. There are plenty of countries that don't necessarily hate our nation, but definitely look down on us in certain aspects. There are plenty of reasons for this that I won't expound upon because, like I said, I'm not as knowledgeable as I could be in that regard, and wouldn't have much to back up my claims. However, with that said, I do think that one of these reasons, no matter how small, has to do with the exportation of our popular culture. While not setting the bar in most things worldwide like we used to be, I do feel that in most ways, we are still very much the entertainment capital of the world, and a lot of fads (except fashion) I think have roots in America. I'm basically referring to American movies and television. I think part of the reason countries can potentially see us idiotic has a lot to do with reality television.

Now, I actually don't have too much of an issue with reality TV. I'm guilty of a couple Survivor seasons, The Amazing Race, and a couple MTV things like the Gauntlet and True Life, when there's nothing else to do (which is not often). I was even a religious watcher of the first season of America's black eye, The Jersey Shore.

I think reality TV has its place in American culture. I think the flaw of reality TV, its participants, and the nation as consumers is the idea that these people try to stay in the limelight after their fad has passed. What I mean to say is, I despise when a newscast refers to "Nicole of Flavor of Love in the same sentence as actual talented people like Russel Crowe, or Jack White, etc. I'd much rather watch The Jersey Shore if I chose than hear about Snooki getting arrested on ABC News. Reality TV should be kept its own little bubble and never break the plain into other forms of media. I think the cycle of these people be treated like celebrities after their time on TV is the flaw in the vicious cycle of reality TV in American culture.

Back to my original point, think about the emphasis in our culture that is placed on shows like the Jersey Shore. Most people watch these types of shows not because we actually idolize these people, but we can't believe that people like that exist. Those who don't think that these people are morons, tune it to watch their antics because we're curious creatures and can't wait to see what these people will do next. Love it or hate it, these people are on TV because they ARE so different from your everyday person and their life.

However, people from other nations see that we watch this stuff, and generalize that we idolize these people and if we aren't already like them, we aspire to be. What other nations, I fear, don't realize is that we're laughing at these people right along with them. Perhaps a culture shift in what we value as entertainment can be the first step in mending some international bridges.

That's a pipe dream.


Song of the Day: Adrianne - River City Extension

Jazz Song of the Day: N'Teri - Regina Carter

Basics

Hey, my name is Tom. I'm a professional writing major at York College of Pennsylvania. Writing has always been something I've valued a great deal in my life. Working with computers on the other hand, has never been a strong suit or priority to me. This blog, and web writing as a whole is a very new experience to me, and I look forward to learning and growing from it.

I dig music, jazz, rock etc.
I do a great deal of singing and am involved with a couple of groups here at school. Including holding the presidency of YCP's Rhapsody. At home a sing in an acoustic group "The Umbrellas" with some friends of mine.

I'm a big basketball fan and enjoy playing, learning, and talking about the game. (Specifically on the NBA level)

I like to laugh and relax with good people and I look forward to sharing more with you as I traverse the treacherous terrain of the World Wide Web one post at a time.