The story of a basketball team and the girl who loved them.

I grew up in a basketball household. My dad loves the game and played in high school and college (Cal Tech and UC-Riverside). He had high hopes for his three tall, moderately athletic daughters. He took us to the park and had us shoot free throws. He sent us to boy's basketball camp. (Note to parents: never do this to your 12 year old daughter who has braces, a mullet, and stick legs.) Unfortunately, we are all inexplicably terrible at the sport of basketball. But we still loved watching it. Specifically, watching the Boston Celtics. Larry, the Chief, McHale, DJ, Ainge, KC Jones, Red, etc. We used to gather around the tv in the den while our parakeets chirped like mad because they liked the sound of the squeaking sneakers on the parquet. A couple of times a year, we all headed in to the Garden, the hot, steamy old Garden and watched from our rickety obstructed view seats, ducking down to see the court around whatever overhang or pole was in the way. Sometimes, come playoff time, I couldn't even watch the end of close games. I'd leave the room because my heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest.

As I got older, the Celtics weren't a dominant force in the NBA anymore, but I still loved watching them. Players came and went, sometimes tragically. Paul Pierce joined the team in 1998, breathing new life into the franchise. I watched him and Antoine Walker advance two rounds in the 2002 playoffs by sheer heart alone. After that, there were a few dark years. I admit that I didn't like the way Danny Ainge was running things. Jim O'Brien was one of my favorite coaches, and Ainge pushed him out of town. I also didn't like the fact that he blew up that successful 2002 squad to bring in young, unproven players. But that's water under the bridge now. I still watched them, I still cheered for them, and I still went to games. I also kept following some of my favorite players on other NBA teams, like Kevin Garnett. He first showed up on my radar when I tuned in to the 2003 All-Star game. KG was the MVP of that game, scoring 37 points and playing like a fucking madman. Players aren't supposed to try their hardest in all star games, but that's the essence of Kevin Garnett. He always plays his hardest, no matter what the circumstances.

This summer, things started happening. The Celtics traded for Ray Allen. I liked the move. A month later, they acquired KG. I was ecstatic. When tickets went on sale, I bought a 12 pack. For cost reasons, I needed to find someone to with whom to share it, and after all of my friends who live in the city of Boston and claim to be sports fans said no (and you know who you are. feel the shame. feel it!), I contacted my high school friend Dennis, who lives an hour outside the city but absolutely loves the Celtics. He had also been going to games this whole time, as evidenced by past emails saying things like "Hey, my dad saw you and your sister on the Jumbotron." I believed that the new Celtics were going to be the best team in the East, and perhaps in the entire NBA. And I was right. When they made the playoffs, Dennis and I had the option to purchase one round of playoff tickets. We chose the finals.

Now, onto last night....it was absolutely amazing. Dennis and I headed in early, and got to our seats around 8:15. Very few people had arrived, so we sort of sat there for a while soaking it all in, and then I went to meet my friend Jen who was at the game with her fiance. The Garden was filling up. Green, white, everywhere. The good part about sitting in the balcony is that there are only real fans up there. Not corporate guys who came in their button-downs only so they could tell everyone that they went to the NBA finals. Celtics fans. Families, couples, old friends, gathered together to watch their favorite team compete for a championship. All of the people who were sitting near us in Game 1 were in their same seats. The Garden was getting louder and louder. The chants started. "Let's Go Celtics!" and "Beat L.A.!" Screaming, clapping, jumping, shouting. The team was introduced. The anthem was sung. The crowd was whipped into a pure frenzy. There was no way the Celtics were losing this game.

The whole thing is sort of a blur, impossible to describe, and I'm sure most of you watched it on tv. The game started out fairly even. Kobe hit some big shots in the first quarter. The Celtics remained poised. Notably, Rajon Rondo, who had looked tentative in previous games, poked and prodded and stole the ball over and over and over and went to the basket. It seems like throughout the playoffs, the wins were the result of one player (usually Paul Pierce) having a huge night. Did you ever wonder what would have happened if all of the Celtics, the Big 3 and the bench, all had their huge nights on the exact same night? Well, now we know, and it's called a blowout. They made the Lakers look like a JV squad. Over and over, the Celtics got stops on defense- stealing the ball, pressuring, forcing a turnover or a rushed shot- only to storm down the other end of the court and score. And the crowd ate it up. At one point in the second quarter, Paul Pierce hit a shot and the Lakers called time out. A "Beat L.A." chant rose up from the crowd. Louder, and louder, and louder. The building shook. I honestly have never heard such a thing in my life. At that moment, everyone knew what was happening. The Celtics were going to win their 17th NBA Championship, and we were all going to be there to see it. The Celtics never looked back, continued to play tough defense and to score, score, score again. Every single player except Sam Cassell (I think it was the only time I actually wanted Doc to put him in!) contributed on the court. Pierce went to the line, invoking MVP chants from the crowd. Meanwhile, Kobe headed to the bench. The clock ticked down, but the Celtics didn't slow down. Soon enough, it was Gino time. Even Paul Pierce started dancing when the don of disco appeared on the screen. Celtics win 131-92. Confetti. Celebration. Trophy. Championship.

It was AWESOME.

Some pictures. Unfortunately, my camera battery ran out during the game, so I'll post some more once Dennis sends me his.

Game 6

In a few short minutes, I'm going to leave work, change into my jersey dress and lucky socks (one of which is still dirty), and head to the new Boston Garden, where I will watch the Boston Celtics play the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. If the Celtics win tonight, the 17th banner is ours!

At first, I was incredulous (Wait, I have tickets to the NBA finals? To watch the Celtics? That's impossible.)...then I was nervous (OMG what if they lose what if they lose Rondo's ankle Perk injured Ray's kid is sick Kobe ref conspiracy foul trouble). But now, I'm just very, very excited.

GO CELTICS!

BEAT LA!

Weekend Report

Better late than never, right?

Friday- Had friends over for tapas and sangria to celebrate Ern's birthday. With the help of a hardworking team of chefs (Meg, Lisa, Carolina, Pat, and Ern...yes I made the birthday girl cook at her own party. No one is exempt from food prep. NO ONE!), we served olives, almonds, spicy potatoes, Spanish tortilla, garlic shrimp, dates wrapped in bacon, chickpea salad, toast with prosciutto and cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and bruschetta. And lots and lots of sangria. And dumpcake. I hardly took any pictures, but here's one of the finished product. The food, drinks, and company were all splendid, but I must confess that dumpcake was too sweet for my tastes.

Saturday- Slept in, did some cleaning, then had a lazy day of movie watching and leftover tapas consuming. I watched Sling Blade (depressing) and The Savages (even more depressing).

Sunday- My friend Yuki and her fiance Jonathan were in town, so we met up with our friend Dennis and his pregnant sister and his pregnant wife (two separate people, you sickos!) for lunch at Wagamama, which Yuki informed us means "crybaby" in Japanese. Yum! Yuki, Jon and I hit the Freedom Trail for a while and walked around the North End, and managed to catch the exciting second half of the Turkey vs. Czech Republic Euro Cup game. That night, I went home to Framingham to cook a Father's Day meal for my parents. Ah yes, and the Celtics didn't clinch the series in L.A. which means that I have a couple of more days to stress out, lose sleep, and generally fret over my favorite team. And also that I will be able to use those Game 6 tickets tomorrow night. Fingers crossed for the good guys! In case you don't follow the NBA, the good guys wear green.

And now for something not related to the NBA

For those of you (and you know who you are) who became fans of modern creative genius Dave Secretary after I linked to his hilarious stories, well, I've done some Google stalking. Because, based upon what I've read, I sort of want to marry him.

Looks like he's also dabbled in art, specifically, poorly drawn comics that he overexplains in the captions. Not as glorious as RIDICULOUS STORIES WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS, but entertaining nevertheless. Time for some comics.

In other news, I've slowly been working through the Modern Library's list of 100 Best Novels. The Board's List, not the Reader's List, because apparently the readers surveyed included an overabundance of scientologists and Ayn Rand fans. Ick. I just finished Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, GTIOTM is the story of a black boy growing up in Harlem in the shadow of his bullying father, who is the worst sort of religious man: one who mistakes his own arrogance for righteousness. The book is interesting from a historical perspective, and I was impressed by how Baldwin transitions through different character's viewpoints (son, father, mother, aunt) with ease and believability. However, I've never been a big fan of religious-themed literature (think The Scarlet Letter and Sinners in the Hands on an Angry God and all those other books you had to read in high school, oh, wait, you never had a crazy Puritan for an English teacher?) and this book is absolutely chock full o' Christianity. Like, pages on pages of sermons and psalms and speaking in tongues and whatnot.

Anyways, I'm now looking for a new book to read (I like to alternate the classics with more modern fare), so please let me know if you have any recommendations. I'm also considering giving the DCoE Book Club another go, so if you're interested in participating, drop a line in the comments.

I promise, no Salman Rushdie complicated 800 page novels this time around!

Have a great weekend, everyone. We're celebrating my roommate Ern's birthday tonight, and I'm making a special dessert. Hint: starts with dump, ends with cake.

YEEEEAAAH CELTICS!

Celtics come back from a 24 point deficit to beat the Lakers, 97-91.

Just one more win to go.....

BEAT LA!

For the record

You know how when you're a kid and you get a cone at the ice cream shop, and it falls on the floor, they give you another for free? Well, if you're an adult and you buy a six pack of beer at the liquor store and on your way out the bag breaks and the beer falls, shattering two of the bottles, you don't get new ones for free. Even if you make a Sad Face.

And the parade of strangely named food products marches on...

mmmm...dumpcake!

Odd canned goods are the new interspecies friendship.

Are you neurotic?

I'm currently fascinated by the website i am neurotic, where people submit their neuroses for posting. Some weird, some mundane, some crazy.

A lot of these make my own neurotic habits seem rather dull in comparison. For example, when at the grocery store, I absolutely must walk through the produce section first. I don't like to venture to new grocery stores because I am unsure of where the produce section will be.

If you have any strange habits you'd care to share, comment away!

Busy, busy

So much to post, so little time.

• Celtics win again! 108-102. Let's just pretend that scary Lakers comeback never happened, mmmkay? Way to go, Leon Powe! I've liked his play all season long, and he really had a breakout performance last night. Paul Pierce looked great, too. Oh, and Curt Shilling agrees- Kobe's a jerkface.
• Phil Jackson possesses a talent that I've always envied- the ability to stick a couple of fingers in your mouth and produce an ear-piercing whistle. Here's a nice little article on Jackson's whistle.
• Hillary Clinton drops out. Here's the text of her concession speech, in which she thanks her supporters and throws her full support behind Barack Obama. I been fairly mum on politics lately, mostly because the democratic infighting left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm glad that everything is settled and that Hillary made a graceful exit. Now, let's go Obama!
• I had a busy weekend- bridal shower, lab work, crawfish boil, soccer, sushi, and Celtics. Oh, and it's currently 1000 degrees in Boston.
• Perhaps the most significant discovery of the weekend was learning that Whole Foods sells Snickerdoodle flavored soy ice cream. And it's delicious! Since I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to chocolate, the dessert category is almost completely eliminated, so it's nice to find a new one.
• Lastly, the New York Times covers the microeconomy established around the Chinatown to Chinatown discount bus lines. Fung Wah 4 Life!

For the scientists!

Hilarious new commercial for automatic pipetting from Eppendorf. No, really. Okay, maybe it's only funny if your daily life is exactly like the girl in the video, complete with pain from "pipettor's thumb."

Celtics win Game 1

That. Was. Awesome. Pierce's amazing comeback from injury. KG's monster dunk. Bench players playing killer defense and snatching up rebounds. Ray-Ray knocking down shots. Randy Moss on the jumbotro, fist bumping an old man in an argyle sweater. Kobe missing shots. Celtics defeat Lakers, 98-88.

Photos from the game: James Taylor sings the anthem, tipoff, Kim, me, and a whole lot of foam finger.

I liked what ESPN's J.A. Anande had to say about Boston and Celtics fans:

"I don't like being in Boston. I think it has the worst weather in the country (that's coming from a guy who lived in Chicago for 6 years). The street layout is a mess; terrible drivers. But I have to respect the Celtics fans, particularly when I was sitting in the lower bowl in the second half. They're into the game at all times. Not talking on their cell phones or making plans for afterward. Every word I heard throughout the second half involved the game, strategy, etc. They were on their feet about half the time. But man, I wish I had the alcohol concession in that building. Every time they showed a fan on the scoreboard screen, he or she was holding a beer."

Although due to the late start time, I think it was the first time in history the coffee lines were as long as the beer lines at halftime.

FAAAAAAANTASTIC!

I'm a sports fan, but basketball is my favorite sport, and the Boston Celtics are my all-time favorite sports team, and always have been.

As a kid, my parents used to take us to watch Celtics games from obstructed view seats in the old, sweaty Boston Garden. We could never get Lakers tickets, so we often ended up seeing the Clippers, who, by my mother's logic, were the closest substitute. If you had told me then that someday I'd watch the Celtics play the Lakers in the NBA finals, I never would have believed you. But tonight, I'm going to be there. And I can't wait.

BEAT LA!

Time to come clean

Did you hear about the guy from Somerville who was pretending to be a former NBA player?

"A man in the Boston area who has been passing himself off as a former NBA player and Sonics front-office employee told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer he is an impostor.
Ronnie Craven of Somerville, Mass., went by the name Jeff Turner. When contacted by the Seattle paper he says he misrepresented himself on an online dating site and lied to women for sex."

Heh. I guess now's a good time for me to make a similar revelation: I'm actually not a Miami Dolphins cheerleader. I'm a model/flight attendant.

The Boston Globe goes all Life Magazine on us

Check out the new Boston.com feature: The Big Picture.
Basically, they post one huge photo from the news each day, and the photos of choice are amazing. I love the shot of the indigenous Brazilians on the bus.

Hi

Nothing much to say, I just wanted to bump the spotted dick down the page a bit. I'm at a microbiology conference (a.k.a. Nerd Convention) all week. The new convention center is really nice, in case you were wondering, and as a bonus, it's a short walk from my apartment.

Unappealing Product Name Hall of Fame

New inductee:


















I saw cans of spotted dick (link surprisingly SFW) on the shelf at the Stop and Shop in Southie. Gross.

BEAT LA!

Celtics defeat Detroit and now face LA in the NBA finals!

Remember that decision I had to make about playoff tickets a couple of months ago?

Well, it looks like I made the right choice.

P.S. Thanks for the steal, James Posey.

The butter roll, yay or nay?

Cookout season has begun, and nothing goes better with a hamburger or some grilled chicken than some fresh corn on the cob. My question is this- how do you butter your corn? The pat (as pictured) or the roll (taking the corn and rolling it directly onto a stick of butter, creating a permanent groove in the butter)? This was a subject of much controversy in my family, because my mother's family does the roll, but it drives my father crazy, so it was forbidden in our household. However, whenever we ate corn on the cob at my grandparents' house, we would roll that corn all up in that butter with glee, while my father glared and muttered under his breath about the "McHugh butter thing." Ah, good times. Nowadays, I do the pat. The roll is tempting, mostly because being a Rule Breaker sure is fun, plus it really does get the best butter distribution, but it still strikes me as so uncouth.

So let's hear it folks- the butter roll, or the pat? Leave your preference in the comments.

If I had a time machine right now...

...I wouldn't go back in time and assassinate Hitler, I'd go back to last night at the bar after the game, and order a glass of water instead of that last beer.

That being said, great game, Celtics! I'm not going to sit here and pick apart all of the little mistakes they made, so I'll focus on the positive: Ray's jumper has returned, and I'll never complain about Perk being too slow again- he was a monster last night.

You know how KG claps his hands in the chalk, spraying it everywhere, before the game starts? Cedric Maxwell was decked out in scrubs and a surgical mask last night to prevent the chalk dust from getting all over him. It was pretty funny, but I haven't been able to find a picture.

One more win, Celtics. You can do it!

Weekend Report

Friday- Flew out to Chicago (and boy are my arms tired! Snort.) to attend my friend Kori's wedding. The whole weekend was a great time- I got a chance to catch up with a lot of college friends, several of whom I hadn't seen in a while. Friday night, I went out to dinner with Ern and Pat at Spanish restaurant, Cafe Iberico, then met up with the wedding entourage at Rock Bottom Brewery for a party.

Saturday- Went out to drunch (drinking brunch/lunch) with a group of Chicago friends at Joey's Brickhouse, a really fun restaurant with $12 all you can eat and $1 drinks. Hello, bloody marys! They also have a make-your-own-smore station at the bar, which I didn't notice until I looked up noticed, with surprise, Kelly toasting a marshmallow. After drunch, it was back to the hotel for a quick change and off to the ceremony, where I soon realized that the rest of the country isn't quite as formal as we East Coasters. The wedding was a black tie optional, which, in my mind, means that men have the option of wearing a tux or a suit, and all women wear long dresses. However, Ern and I were the only guests in long dresses. Oh well. The service was held a church in DePaul, and the reception followed at Cafe Brauer, a beautiful hall that overlooks the Lincoln Park Zoo. Much merriment ensued. The band was great, and I spent almost the entire night on the dance floor. Some pictures:

I somehow managed not to get a single decent shot of the bride and groom. Good thing they have professionals to do that sort of thing.








Sunday- I attended the post-wedding breakfast, where we rehashed the hilarity of the previous evening, then traveled back to Boston.

Monday- I normally work on holidays but I opted to use this one as a personal day. I slept in, went for a long run on the beach, cleaned my apartment, met friends for lunch at Spice & Rice in Inman Square, visited my grandparents, bought some plants for my deck, and then arrived home for an impromptu cookout Ern and Pat had organized. A perfect day, aside from the fact that the Celtics couldn't steal a second game in Detroit.

Those Texas polygamysts should be arrested...

...by the fashion police!
ZING!

I'm headed to Chicago today for a black tie optional wedding. Maybe one of these broads can lend me an outfit.


From what I've read, I'm on the side of the state of Texas on this case:
"The state made its case in an earlier court hearing. “There is a culture of young girls being pregnant by old men,” said Angie Voss, an investigator with Child Protective Services, who participated in the raid and interviewed girls at the ranch. Ms. Voss testified that she had found evidence that “more than 20 girls, some of whom are now adults, have conceived or given birth under the age of 16 or 17.”

Institutionalized abuse and coercion shouldn't be allowed to hide under the guise of religious freedom. Something tells me that these girls who grow up in a crazy cult compound aren't really exercising their own free will when they get and knocked up by old dudes.

Well, on that note, have a happy holiday weekend, everyone!

Happiness is a new phone

I'm in love with two things right now.

The first is these guys:

Nice win tonight! Oh, and I came across this email. Okay, by "came across" I mean "fabricated," and I'm sure KG doesn't pay attention to what Debby Downer sportswriters have to say about him anyways, but if he did construct a response to two recent negative columns, I imagine that it would resemble something like this:

From: Kevin Garnett
To: Dan Shaughnessy
Cc: Bill Simmons

Hi guys,

Suck it.

KG

The second is my new phone.

It's orange! And it has a keypad! I'm in love. As an added bonus, the helpful Verizon salesgirl asked me where I worked. I thought she was just making small talk, but I answered and discovered that I have a corporate discount- 22% off my monthly bill, from this point forward. Hooray! So, if you haven't already, I'd recommend calling your service provider to find out if your workplace could be saving you some money.

Senator Ted Kennedy diagnosed with a brain tumor

Massachusetts Senator and Democratic legend Ted Kennedy was hospitalized over the weekend after having seizures, and the news just got worse- he has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

Despite the criticism of his personal life, Ted Kennedy is one of my all-time favorite politicians and someone I admire and respect as a true liberal. Best wishes to him for a complete and rapid recovery.

Eat Your Vegetables

Lately, my vegetable intake has been woefully inadequate, so I decided to rectify the situation by trying one of the recipes on Sarah's delightful cooking blog: Spaghetti Squash Primavera. The result? Yum!


A healthy meal that's tasty, filling, and easy to make, except for the part when you have to cut the squash in half. I don't know if I just don't have the proper knife, or if I lack Italian housewife strength, but after ten minutes of struggling with that squash, I was ready to grab a sledgehammer and go Gallagher on it. The recipe actually comes from Weight Watchers, so if you're a point counter, it's worth 4. Of course, I added some garlic bread and white wine, so that certainly bumped it up a bit.

OMG.

Somehow, somewhere, sometime during the years 2005 and 2006, some guy named Dave posted a bunch of funny stories from his childhood. In all caps. AND THEY ARE FUCKING HILARIOUS.

TIME FOR SOME STORIES.

So bizzare. So funny. So addictive. I think the one about the Cub Scout Float was my favorite.
I wonder what happened to this guy, because he just may be our generation's J.D. Salinger.

via Metafilter

Weekend Report

Friday- Got together with friends to watch the Celtics. The outcome of the game wasn't so great, but that's water under the bridge at this point, and it was fun hanging out with some friends whom I don't get to see very often.

Saturday- Headed to Plymouth for my friend Jen's bachelorette party. I hadn't been to Plymouth since I was a kid, and I really enjoyed it this time around- it was a perfect spot for the occasion. We stayed at the John Carver Inn and started off the day with some delicious bloody marys and a trip to the spa. The hotel has a very unique indoor pool- a replica Mayflower ship with a waterslide, and a hot tub in the shape of Plymouth Rock. Cheesy as hell, but I'll be the first to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it. We even came up with our own synchronized swimming routine, much to the amusement of the other hotel guests. We had dinner at the East Bay Grille and then ventured to a cute little waterfront spot, the Cabby Shack, for drinks and dancing to a live band. All in all, we had a great time, and Plymouth's director of tourism better watch out, because I came up with a winning slogan for the seaside town: Plymouth Rocks!

Sunday- After a greasy post-night out breakfast, I drove back to Boston in time for Game 7. The finale was by far the most exciting game of the series and soon turned into a Paul Pierce - LeBron James offensive duel, with the Celtics coming away with the win 97-92. Pierce was the star of the show, and my favorite moment was the smile he couldn't hide when his late-game free throw took a favorable bounce. Bench players and NBA veterans Eddie House and P.J. Brown played a key role in the securing the victory, coming off the bench to provide energetic defense and hit several clutch shots. Now, bring on Detroit! I'm hoping that things work out for the Celtics, but these conference rivals tend to bring out the best in each other and match up very well, so this series should be a fun one to watch.

Sunday night, I caught a band that I really like, Devotchka, at the Paradise. They seem to defy classification- a rock group from Denver with a heavy Mexican and Eastern European folk influence, perhaps? It's not every day that a tuba and accordion share a stage with electric guitars and a string quartet. The show was more like a musical performance or instrument showcase than a traditional rock concert, and they sounded great- crisp, clear sound with the perfect amount of volume. My pictures came out crappy but I found some nice ones over on this blog.

Mix Tape!

I saw one of these on Freakgirl's site and just had to try it out. Enjoy!

I Love You But I Have Grown Weary of Your Incessant Events

Warning: I'm in a crap mood and am currently wearing my bitchpants. But if I can't write a whiny, self-absorbed post on my own blog, then what good is it?

Those of you who regularly check in on DCoE may have noticed that my posting of late has become rather uninspired. Why? I'm exhausted. Why? Two reasons. One: I've been working a lot. Two: The Events. Weddings, birthday parties, housewarmings, bridal showers, baby showers, goodbye parties, bachelorette parties, graduation parties, engagement parties, and so on. They're taking over my life. Don't get me wrong. I love my friends. My kooky family and my friendships are by far the best aspect of my life and, to be honest, all that I have. Well, them and booze. But I've been so busy attending the aforementioned events that I haven't spent any waking time at home in weeks. The Netflix movies that came in January? Still sitting on top of the television, unwatched. The fridge? Populated by half empty containers of salsa and mustard. Nary a vegetable in sight. The laundry situation? Dire. And sometimes I like to lie on the couch and watch Lost, or cook a nice meal for myself and record it in my cooking scrapbook (Yes, it's nerdy. Shut up.) or sleep in then go for a long run on Sunday morning, but it seems like I'm always scurrying off to some sort of daytime party. Maybe it's part of getting older- everyone has such busy schedules that socializing is confined to planned events. An overabundance of planned events.

So, I've made a decision. I'm going to start declining some of these Evites and invitations. Even if I don't have a specific conflict.
But maybe in a couple of weeks, let's go grab a drink after work, or catch a movie. Or just stay in and hang out and order a pizza. No need to pick out an outfit, or buy a gift. No RSVP required.

This Just In: Manny Still Manny

While I was focused on watching the Celtics beat the Cavs to take a 3-2 series lead (KG and PP had fantastic games, but it was Rondo's back to back threes at the end of the first half that saved the Celtics), Manny Ramirez was making an inspired play: he makes a great catch at the wall, high fives a fan, and then turns and throws to get the runner out. Here's the video.

Update: The Joy of Sox has published an interview with the high fivee. It's a cute story- he's a Red Sox fan from Oklahoma who was attending his first-ever MLB game.

Pirate Radio in Boston

Over on Universal Hub, I've been following the story of Touch 106.1 FM, a pirate radio station based out of Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. The station primarily serves the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston and has filled the void left when Boston's only hip-hop station, Hot 97.7, was sold. The FCC has cracked down on proprietor Charles Clemons but, as far as I know, the station is still broadcasting.

Yeah, I know it's illegal and all, and I'm not even into hip-hop, but I can't help but root for Touch FM. Maybe I'm romanticizing things, but the idea of a guy operating a covert radio station strikes me as kind of awesome, in a damn-the-man Pump Up The Volume sort of way.

This story also illustrates the notion that sometimes bloggers are the best source for local news. I haven't seen anything about Touch FM in the Globe or the Herald.

Update: Dochester's local paper profiles the station.

Apparently it costs more for Anthony Kiedis

Subject line of a junk email I received from a travel company:
Flea to London and Paris for less‏

On a related subject, does VH1 still make Behind the Music? The Red Hot Chili Peppers episode was one of my favorites. The Rise and Fall of MC Hammer still takes the cake, though.

Book Review: Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn

I recently read what could be the most demented novel ever written: Geek Love. Geek Love tells the story of the Binewski family, owners and main attractions of a traveling carnival. The patriarchs, Al and Crystal Lil, decide to breed their own carnival freaks and proceed do so with the aid of various drugs, chemicals, and radioisotopes. After various failures whose mutated bodies are preserved in glass jars for display, they have four (or 5, depending on how you count) surviving children: Arturo, who has flippers for limbs, Siamese twins Iphy and Elly, the albino hunchback midget narrator Olympia, and Fortunado, nicknamed Chick, who outwardly resembles a "norm" but wields powerful telekinetic abilities. I almost put the book aside for good after reading the first ten pages. I'm not normally squeamish or particularly easy to offend, but a mother intentionally giving her children birth defects? That's a pretty fucked up premise right there. Additionally, the language can be unsettlingly vulgar at times. Curiosity, perhaps, led me to continue reading. Besides, it couldn't get any more twisted than that, right? WRONG. In the Binewski family, it is Arty who reigns supreme, and his siblings vie for his attention and clamor to fulfill his demands. They are not the only ones under the spell of the vicious, cunning, and manipulative Aqua Boy; he becomes the leader of his own cult, whose followers trail the carnival and undergo voluntary amputations. The story of the Binewskis is horrifying and grotesque, but also quite fascinating. Imagine a collaboration between John Irving and David Lynch, but ten times more twisted, and you've got something close to Geek Love. I can't exactly say that I liked it, but I was certainly mesmerized. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without a mountain of caveats, and I feel terrible that I gave a copy of it to a friend for her birthday before I had read it. "Happy birthday. Here's the most fucked up book EVAR. Hope you like it!" However, if you can get over the repellent aspects of the novel, Geek Love is definitely an imaginative and creative work of fiction.

Movie Review: Iron Man

I saw Iron Man last night and I loved it. In spite of my innate nerdiness, I was never that into comic books and therefore didn't really know anything about Iron Man. Tony Stark is the protagonist, a wealthy MIT grad who inherits his father's weapons operation and flourishes in the business, until he is captured by a group of warlords in Afghanistan. Tony escapes and undergoes a change of heart about his position as a defense contractor (partly due to the fact that Stark missiles have become the weapons of choice for the world's terrorists) and decides to use his engineering prowess for good, using a flashy, kick-ass robotic suit. That's really all you need to know. The movie is a ton of fun- interesting plot, likeable characters, and cool but not overwhelming special effects. As the main character Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious, sexy, and entirely believable. The supporting cast also shines- I even liked Gwenyth Paltrow as the token comic book female, Miss Pepper Potts. Oh, and the ending rocks, and features the best use of Black Sabbath in cinema history.

We saw Kate Hudson, who is currently filming a movie in Boston, at the theater with her kid. I didn't even recognize her until Maria pointed her out- she looked just like a regular girl, in jeans and a pony tail, and much shorter than I imagined (aren't they all? Holllywood....Land of the Lilliputians). I felt sorry for her- she can't even go to the movies without everyone noticing and gawking at her. But that didn't stop me from staring.

Best Commercial I've Seen in a Long, Long Time

It's been a long time since something I've seen online actually made me laugh out loud. Now, watch this and make sure you have the sound on. Seriously, folks, who would have ever thought the Walk of Shame could inspire such lyrical genius?

Celtics looked dominant in their win tonight. I was having a lousy day at work, listening to the first quarter on a staticy AM station in the lab, and all I wanted was to do was watch the game on television with a friend, eat pizza, and drink a beer or two. I texted Maria to see what she was up to and she invited me over. I suggested pizza and she concurred, then surprised me with beer and Lactaid ice cream. Which led to the the creation and consumption of an Ocho de Mayo Beer Float: Vanilla Ice Cream and Dos Equis. At first, it wasn't half bad, but once the ice cream melted, it tasted pretty nasty.

Now go back up and watch that commercial if you skipped it. You'll be glad that you did.

Random (but not Deep) Thoughs

First off, last night's Celtics win sure was ugly, but a win nonetheless. Posey's clutch free throws really sealed the deal. I was glad to see that KG had a great game, especially after all the "KG never comes up big in the playoffs" criticisms started cropping up in the media last week. One of my least favorite sports writers, Dan Shaughnessy, even compared him to A-Rod, a lame and blatant ploy for attention (although I guess it's working because here I am commenting about it, but whatever, I'll hold my moral ground by not linking to the article). First off, this is the NBA. Not everything has to be wedged into a Red Sox vs. Yankees framework to make it interesting to Boston sports fans. If you're going to make a comparison, there are plenty of ringless NBA veterans from whom to choose. Before Peyton Manning won a Superbowl, he was compared to Dan Marino, not a player from an entirely different sport.

If you were to order a custom made beer themed coffin, which brew would you choose? Well, Illinois man Bill Bramanti surely loves Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Holy crap, it must suck to live in Myanmar. Brutal military government, half the world still thinks your country is named Burma, and now a devastating cyclone.

And in case you wondered, like I did, what is the difference between a hurricane and a cyclone, here's your answer:

A tropical cyclone is the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph)), then they are called:
"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
"typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
"severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
"severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
"tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

Now, don't say you never learned anything on DCoE.

From the Bridesmaid Files

a.k.a Girl Humor, Part II.

My sister Kerry and I are trying on bridesmaid dresses for our sister Eri's wedding. I pull on one of the dresses.

Me: Wow, this one's really comfortable! The fabric is so soft and stretchy.

Kerry: I liked that one, too. How much does it cost?

Me: Checks tag. Um....., Kerry? It's a maternity dress.

Kerry: We are NOT getting that one.

Weekend Report- NYC edition

A large conglomerate of old friends and me convened in New York City for a very fun and gluttonous weekend. Friday night we gathered at a generic Fake Irish bar near Times Square for a long night of conversation and merriment. Saturday we brunched and then attended a fundraiser/derby party/Yuengling drinking contest at a bar, which set a drunken tone for the remainder of the day. We had drunk dinner at a delicious Greek restaurant, whose staff wisely had the foresight to seat us in the corner and separate us from the other patrons using a buffer of empty tables. However, it seemed that at that point, we were still more amusing than annoying, because they were quite pleasant and even gave us a round of shots on the house. After that, we went to a bar in the Meat Packing District. I don't know what the name of it was, but I do know one thing: if you give your friends open access to your camera and encourage them to take pictures, you will end up with A LOT of crotch shots.

Here are some crotch-free selections from the weekend:
Buddah is currently sporting some wacky sideburns that make him resemble a cross between Wolverine and Martin Van Buren.

Friday night, I met up IRL with fellow blogger and NBA fan Kevin from Ghost in the Machine. Here we are making our blog faces:

Aimee and Melissa, looking like Breck Hair Models:

Amanda arrived carrying a trophy she had won in a volleyball tournament earlier that night. Good thing the bar randomly had a trophy case! And yes, unbeknownst to Connolly's Pub, the trophy is now a permanent part of their collection.

Ern and Maria steppin' out in Times Square:

Saturday began with a lovely brunch at the Barking Dog:

We walked around for a while and admired statues (the flying newspaper in the corner of the photo soon landed on Amanda's head) and exquisite women's clothing.

Quoth Maria: "New York is really expensive. I can't even afford to honk."

One of the highlights of the weekend was walking down the sidewalk and glancing over to discover that my friends had spontaneously started walking in formation and snapping, West Side Story style.

Amanda, Deepa, and MJ at The Snug:

My favorite picture of the weekend, entitled Looking Towards The Future (despite the fact that JR appears to be Gazing At The Past):

Sunday, we walked around the seaport for a while before we headed back to Boston. The weather was ideal for a family portrait, and Liz and I considered it a fine time to show off our pale legs and old man socks. Oh, and yes I did wear the same shirt all weekend. What?

Here is an oddly-phrased sign:

"Hard Hats Required" might have been a more straightforward way to deliver the message, but if you prefer to use a guilt tinged, passive aggressive wording that conjures up images of child labor, well, I guess that works, too.

One more thing: I decided to do a discount bus comparison this weekend. JR and I took the infamous Fung Wah on Friday afternoon, and I rode back on the new Bolt Bus with Ern and Maria on Sunday. The verdict? Bolt Bus = Dolt Bus. The departure was completely disorganized- all of the passengers were milling around two empty busses for a solid half an hour, but no one was there to tell us which bus was going to to Boston and which to Philly. Our 4PM departure didn't board until after 4:00 and didn't leave until almost 4:20, and then took a roundabout route out of the city, landing us in major road congestion. What's even worse is that Maria and Ern were supposed to take the Bolt Bus down on Friday night, but their bus never showed up. After waiting for almost an hour, they paid another $15 and hopped on a Lucky Star instead. I know that the Bolt is a new business, but since they are administered by Greyhoud, you think they'd have enough experience to know how to run a bus line. Sure, the free wireless is nice, but I'll stick with the Fung Wah from now on. I prefer my busses highly efficient, with an element of danger.

Excuse me, ma'am, your meme is showing.

Stacey tagged me for a meme. Here goes!

1. The rules of the game get posted on the beginning.
2. Each player answers the rules about him or herself.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read his [or her] blog.

What I was doing ten years ago:
I was 20. Wow, that was ten years ago? I was in school and roommates with my friend Ern.
Sound familiar? Maybe because IT’S THE EXACT SAME THING I’M DOING NOW.

Five things on my To-Do list today:
1. Order 15% gels
2. Cut spots out of gels for mass spectrometry.
3. Measure A260 of ribosome samples.
4. Perform isoelectric focusing on new ribosome samples.
5. Titrate DNA template into an in vitro translation assay.
6. This is why I never blog about work.
7. I only accomplished two things on the list at I’m still at the lab and it’s 10:40PM.
8. That is why grad school takes so darn long.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off my debts. Give money and/or extravagant gifts to friends and family. Send money to the family I lived with in Nicaragua. Trade in the used minivan for a new mini cooper. Travel the world. Buy a nice apartment in Boston. Buy a vacation house somewhere cool. Invest. Donate. Throw fabulous parties. Buy equipment and uniforms for all of the soccer teams in the women’s league that I played with in Nicaragua. Fund a school/orphanage for street kids in Managua. If the orphanage thing goes well, use the rest of the money to set up similar schools/orphanages in impoverished cities worldwide.

Three of my bad habits:
1. Procrastination!
2. Spending money I don’t have, and never will, unless that whole billionaire thing pans out.
3. Lugging all of my gym clothes and sneakers to work and then not going to the gym.

Five places I’ve lived:
1. Long Beach, CA. Just like Snoop Dogg, I was born there. But I was two when we moved so I don't remember anything about it.
2. Framingham, MA. The largest town in America!
3. South Bend, IN.
4. El Regadío, Nicaragua.
5. South Boston, MA.

I have lived in exactly five places, total.

Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Discovery Zone. I don’t know what my job title was, but I usually hid out in the back room making pizza and washing dishes and eating leftover birthday cake with my friend Nikki.
2. Waitress.
3. Dining hall worker.
4. Laboratory technician.
5. Peace Corps Volunteer.

Five books I’ve recently read:
1. Saturday, by Ian McEwan
2. Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie.
3. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
4. Can I Keep My Jersey?, by Paul Shirley
5. A Model World and Other Stories, by Michael Chabon

Good thing I have a blog where I keep track of that sort of thing.

Five people or communities I’m going to tag:
I dislike tagging people, but I’m going to do it anyways. Feel free to ignore, and if I haven’t tagged you, feel free to participate.
1. Meg
2. Lisa
3. Jason
4. Rob
5. Maria (maybe it will inspire you to start posting again.)

Sports Links!

Here are a few sports themed articles I've been meaning to post:

• Jackie MacMullan wrote a fascinating article on the different styles of the Celtics' big 3, focusing on Ray Allen and the fact that he's completely OCD: Routine excellence is Allen's secret.
• The two most famous and successful baseball players from Colombia (former Red Sox Edgar Renteria and Orlando Cabrera) don't exactly get along. ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. wrote an article about their feud.
• On Boston.com, you can track Manny Ramirez's home runs. All 496 of them.
• And lastly, there's a blog all about the History of Sports Streaking. Complete with pictures. Highly NSFW. Not Safe For Anywhere, really. But pretty entertaining.

Enjoy!

That's more like it!

Celtics won big last night, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 110-85. My friend Will and I went to the game...I swear, even though it looks like I photoshopped us in to the picture. Although the final score doesn't reflect it and the Celtics led for basically the entire game, the Hawks stayed with them. Considering that they came back from a ten point deficit to win game 4, it was enough to make me nervous. The big 3 played well, and Rondo and Cassell also had good games. I like Powe on the court in this series more than Perk- he's just too slow on the defensive end against a young, quick team like the Hawks. The one thing I don't understand is how the Hawks were so bad all season. During the playoffs, they certainly haven't looked like a below .500 team. The Celtics did cement the lead enough for Gino to make an appearance. Years ago, whenever the Celtics had a big lead at the end of the game, they started playing this absurd disco dancing video from the 70s on the jumbotron. It's hilarious, and the fans go crazy for it, especially for the smooth cat in tight pants and a t-shirt bearing his own name: Gino.




Now, they just have to win in Atlanta and put this strange series to bed.