I assume somebody must read this blog without my coercion, since I'm linked up and have a super-easy URL to remember.It's September, and that means one more semester in the classroom, then a master's thesis?!? project?!?!?!? and I'm done with school forever, until someone pays me to go, but why start now cheapskates? My two closest friends and I had a sendoff to end all sendoffs a few weeks ago, as the images below will illustrate. One will be a yuppie elitist doctor of some sort, and the other is a brother (no rhyme intended) in Brooklyn with some Catholic dudes who seem very nice.
I've been at the Courant for almost six months now, and my cohorts are still impressed that I love my job. I do. It doesn't feel like work because I enjoy it so much, even the 5am shifts. Being surrounded by news makes me feel smarter, and the convention season has been nothing short of thrilling.
One of the most interesting parts of my job is monitoring the online discussions on our articles. I pray, and assume, that these people who post on our site are only a slim fraction of the general public because many of them are filled with so much blind hatred and inflated confidence from their anonymity. Witnessing their political discussions is like trying to push together two magnets that have conflicting poles.Go ahead and grab a few magnets. Give it a shot and tell me I don't make sense.
I'm also on some sort of a health kick. This means I count calories religiously and make sure I consume a consistent amount in 4 or 5 smaller daily meals instead of 2 or 3 large ones. The best part about this plan is that if I fall short of the minimum caloric intake for the day, I can easily compensate by cracking open a Newcastle or two. I think I've lost about 7 pounds over the last eight days, so hopefully I'll be decent in a few more months.You know, for the ladies. They deserve me.
Good night,
MLG
I'm short on words, so here's the story: I finished summer semester, Max moved back from Rhode Island, Jack was recently outed as a covert CIA operative, and the seafood came from Rhode Island as well.I'll add pictures later because Blogger is not letting me add them now for some reason.
I'm sticking up for Bode: there, I said it.
By being talented, innovative, independent and--most of all--stubborn, Bode Miller shows us what it's truly like to be American.
For those who aren't aware, Miller won the skiing World Cup overall title last week, as he did in 2005, and has arguably been the most prominent athlete in his sport for the last several years. But for all his accolades, he has been criticized for his seemingly lackadaisical attitude during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Last year, Miller broke away from the U.S. ski team to form his own, a one-man endeavor called "Team America." According to reports, there were tensions on both sides: Miller's actions off the slopes and his desire to have his own road accommodations clashed with the team mentality, while Miller felt he wasn't getting the proper diet and regimen for a professional skier. (http://www.denverpost.com/outdoors/ci_7566271)
Miller did what he thought was best for himself as an athlete, and once again he reigns over his sport. Love it or leave it, he is someone that all Americans can look up to for inspiration and guidance.
Let me explain.
Sure, he may have publicly downplayed the importance of the games and failed to win a medal. And people read about his antics and assume he is a reckless party animal. But here are some reasons why Miller can be seen as a role model for the American citizen:
1.) Bode is talented, and he backs his skills with a solid commitment to his sport. Like any productive American, he has identified his skill set and honed it to the best of his ability.
2.) Bode is innovative, to an extent. Realizing he needed a better way to condition himself and perform to the best of his abilities, he creates his own team and surrounds himself with the people and possessions that will achieve these means. He did not seem afraid to take a chance by cutting ties with the national team, and so far it looks as if he made the right decision.
3.) Bode is an independent spirit, but not completely independent. He understands that in order to perform his best, he needs to take his own steps instead of waiting for others to do the work for him. That said, he is smart enough to surround himself with a coaching staff that is committed to his success.
And, lastly...
4.) Bode is stubborn, possibly to a fault. But again, he is this year's World Cup champion: so far, so good. There are a few ways to be stubborn: instead of simply shrugging off his former team and driving himself from slope to slope, he assessed his situation and made calculated decisions that have worked out well to this point.
The next time you wish to improve your situation, don't wait for others to pick up the slack for you. Be assertive, like our Founding Fathers, our creative minds, our civil rights activists and Bode. Be independent. March to your own beat. Who cares if others are jealous of your success? As long as you are happy, for all you care, America is happy.
Check out this NY Times piece by Christopher Clarey: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/sports/othersports/16miller.html?ref=sports. He writes much better than I do, and he apparently has more time to do actual interviews.
The link above is from a Denver Post article by John Meyer.
As of yesterday, I am the owner of michaelgrillo.com, michaelgrillo.net, michaelgrillo.org and michaelgrillo.info. It's a small investment--about $30 a year--but reliable sources at seanhenri.com tell me that this will go a long way in protecting my online identity.There are many Michael Grillos in this crazy world of ours: some are professors, others are directors and producers, and there are at least 30 of us on Facebook actively or passively flouting the fact that we are Italian. But only one Michael Grillo--THIS Michael Grillo--is Web-savvy enough to take control of his name--nay, his IDENTITY--and prevent other Michael Grillos from having their name as a URL.God, I love myself.As you may have seen, the URL merely redirects to this blog. I did not yet wish to take the plunge and pay $4 per month for hosting privileges on 1and1.com, the domain name site I used. Expect big things in the future, though: don't forget, there's only ONE Michael Grillo, and you're looking at him.
Oh boy, I love pointing out the mistakes of news organizations that passed on my services. Here's an excerpt from the Waterbury Republican-American, which won a Pulitzer Prize sometime before the dawn of color television. For the record, the man shown below is Naugatuck Mayor Mike Bronko.
The "r" would have caused the headline to spill into two lines, so it's understandable why they would leave it off.
And I'm not a bitter person: I just play one on the Internet.
