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Archived Post of the Month
Remember that book "The Rules". Wasn't that a pile of crap? Try these on for size.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Watch: Secret to Success
11:21 PM
Eric
Some people make epic contributions to society very early in their lives. This is one of those people. Meet Eric Thomas, a proud namesake.
I Wish I Had Done More
2:49 PM
Eric
"I wish I had done more." That is what Joe Paterno said in response to the question of whether he had done enough in regards to reporting the alleged instances of child molestation that came to his attention in regards to Jerry Sandusky.
Joe has made a career on foresight. His foresight as a football coach is what made Penn State a champion. His foresight as a mentor of men and as a believer in academics is what brought Penn State honor. Anyone who suggests Joe Paterno is the one who brought shame upon PSU just isn't paying attention.
Jerry Sandusky is the man who committed the crime (allegedly). Joe Paterno did what he was required to do by reporting the atrocities he heard.
Take a moment and think of how difficult that was. Reporting a hearsay instance of child molestation. You could be destroying a man's reputation and career. You could be bringing embarrassment and shame upon the family of a child. All based on something you never personally saw.
JoePa manned up and did it. It is only in hindsight, upon finding out that his superiors would not do their jobs and take the situation as seriously as he did, that he said "I wish I had done more".
I implore upon all that we make those words Joe Paterno's legacy. Joe Paterno was a man who was never satisfied with good or having done enough. Even when he did great he wanted to do more. He coached. He built a library. He molded men. He allowed legions of alumni to raise their chins with pride. And he still will.
Even after his death, JoePa will live on as the gold standard of what it means to be a College Football coach. Note how in that title, College comes first. JoePa remembered that. And because of that he did more. And we shall "Do More" too. Because "We Are Penn State".
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Reclaiming Friday the 13th
5:19 PM
Eric
So Yesterday was Friday the 13th. Also know as the day I came within inches of death. Friday, November the 13th, 1998. High School. Car Accident. Car flipped 7 times. Landed upside-down. Driver died. 3 survivors. There are A LOT more details, but I won't share that on an internet blog.
I crawled out the rear window. Used a cell hone to call my parents and swore that I would never complain about not being lucky ever again. I survived that accident with a scratch on my elbow that required no stitches. I truly felt like I spent every ounce of luck I ever would have in life and was more than happy with that.
Thus, irony struck when last night, Friday, January the 13th, 2012, I was in attendance at a "Press Your Luck" event, I don't think anyone there or many of my West Coast friends knew/know the gravitas of the date to me, but it needs to be said that I thought about the incident much less than usual.
And for those that care, my luck was ok. I hit no whammies, was quick on the buzzer and had a lot of fun.
The real story though is that on this Friday the 13th, hopefully things have started to change. Consider me batty, I don't care, but I genuinely think I fell some of my luck coming back. Maybe it only took 29 years of luck to survive that accident and maybe now I have paid off my debts. Time will tell, and I won't be greedy about it, but here's to things looking up moving forward.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Games People Play
1:58 AM
Eric
I'm a huge game player. But the one game I don't play is the game of life. Note that wasn't capitalized. The Game of Life the board game is just fine. The Game of Life the game show ain't bad either. And Robot Chicken SLAYED the Game of Life (Stupid Spinner!) But don't mess with me in real life.
Seriously, if I told you half the things that happened to me today I'd sound like a whiny (fill in the blank). And most of the things have been good!
If I back it up to the past month, you mind would EXPLODE (another great song on Patrick Stump's Soul Punk, btw)
So let me make this perfectly clear. No matter how strategic and cutthroat I may be playing games and no mater how many ulterior motive I keep secret in competitive ventures, I DON'T MESS AROUND IN REAL LIFE. And you shouldn't either.
I aim to be transparent as possible and can't stand when others attempt to blatantly deceive me, use me, or fail to take me at face value.
I will now step back, breathe, and give the benefit of doubt to all the people I think have "played" me in the recent weeks. And i will put everyone else on notice not to join the list.
That is all.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Step 1: Drink!
1:49 AM
Eric
...Step 2: Make mistakes. Step 3: Pretend you don't remember. Aside from being questionable advice, or my favorite way to party, let's insert an advertisement.
The aforementioned advice is a stolen lyric from Patrick Stump's album "Soul Punk". I won't tell you which song because you should get the whole record. (And legally damn it). This ends me forcing music upon you.
I now return you to my regularly scheduled blogging.
Why the hell do people need to be drunk in order to "have fun" or "be free". Anyone who knows me knows that I can be a pure-T fool anytime I feel like it without a "buzz". That's a pure-T fool, not to be confused with Mr. T as there is no pity here.
Have we been groomed by today's society to be so self-conscious that we repress the most fun and unique parts of our being. And I said fun and unique, not to be confused with "private"
Simply put I'm saddened every time I see one of my friends pull back. Given, around strangers it is wise not to expose the "full monty" of your lunacy, but around friends there should be an aura of safety. You should push the envelope and be encouraged to do so. And should you ever "cross the line" all you should ever receive is a kind request to tone it down, not a digital photo lynching on facebook or twitter.
Mind you, if you cross the line around me, I already line on the other side, so I'll greet you with open arms.
So I close this post with by urging you to examine yourself and push your limits. At worst you'll find which of our friends are just as jacked in the head as you are.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Watch. Play. We All Win.
6:04 PM
Eric
I'm getting a little sick of the #WhosStillWatching hashtag on Twitter.
For those of you who have been living under a rock (or not watching NBC. There has been a new game show airing Mondays at 8 on NBC. It's called Who's Still Standing and it drops people through trap doors. It stars Ben "Cash Cab" Bailey and more loud and rambunctious trivia-ites than you can shake a stick at. And, oh yeah, I was a contestant. Total Winnings $0.
Let's start here. The show has flaws. There are some questionable editing, writing and casting choices. Let's end there too.
Simply put, this show fills a void. We need more shows that reward people for "doing" something. In a world where we pay Kardashians and Jersey Shore denizens oodles of cash for just being amplified versions of themselves or other stereotypes, we need balance. I need balance.
Game Shows give the "everyman" his/her opportunity at 15 minutes of fame. They are fun, allow people to demonstrate knowledge, skill or "strategery" and provide the most real entertainment on television.
So while I won't ask anyone to stop voicing their opinions on Who's Still Standing or any other show game or otherwise, I will ask that barring a true travesty of a program that we support the game show genre a little more. If we do, maybe a show like WSS will hire me. Because god know if you give me control over trivia and trap doors you will have a winner, ratings and this Broadway meets "Chicago" tune _L_ / T_ _T / _ _ _ Z
