I just happened to be clicking around MSN today and stumbled across an Encarta article on Great College Towns2. I was surprised (and happy) to see Georgetown3 at the top of the list ... well, maybe not that surprised. It does have a lot going for it, so I can understand the high ranking.
Friday, September 28, 2001 @ 10:27 » 
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Looks like some of my fellow Hoyas are up to their old tricks in DC! You can read the Washington Post's article to get the background on this prank4 or you can watch Tom Brenninkmeyer (CAS '99) and Dave Barron on NBC's Today Show. Matt Lauer and Katie Couric will be interviewing them between 9.30a and 10.00a Thursday morning, 27-September-2001.
Oh, Dave is renting the house, too ... I wonder what the owner will think when she finds out?
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 @ 20:13 » Comments
During the last week I've heard several stories about "a friend of a friend" who is missing after the attack on the World Trade Center. This is hardly surprising given my proximity to NYC and the industry I work in. Stamford, CT is about 35 miles north of the city and a good number of people, including my roommate, commute to NYC for work every day. I also work in the financial services industry and many of my company's clients, vendors and competitors had offices in the WTC.
Earlier this week, I found out that one of my former coworkers, a man by the name of Jeff Dingle (or JD, as he liked to be called), was at a conference on the 106th floor of the North Tower when the first plane crashed into it. He had worked with us at FactSet5 for about a year starting in March of 2000 and had recently accepted a job at Encompys. There's a moving profile of him and the family he left behind (he had a wife and two small children) in the LA Times in an article entitled The Things We Leave Behind6.
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 @ 12:08 » Comments
I've long respected Dave Barry for the humor he can bring to any situation ... in my mind, he is one of the most gifted writers working today. His syndicated weekly columns always contain laugh-out-loud commentary and I thoroughly enjoy reading every one of them.
Today is different, though. For the first time that I've ever seen, Dave Barry doesn't feel like being funny. He is numbed like the rest of us, stunned by what happened the other day. All he has to offer are a few heart-felt words on what he is thinking right now. You can read his column7 at the Miami Herald's website.
Thursday, September 13, 2001 @ 16:41 » Comments
Photos from the 2nd Annual Drinkin'est Pub Crawl are now online. If you have any you would like to add, please don't hesitate to contact me right away—I'm especially looking for one or two that prove Matt Damon was at the last stop with us!
Wednesday, September 12, 2001 @ 11:53 » Comments
Today is the day America will lose her illusion of invulnerability. When we act on a global stage, we can expect to elicit response from a global audience. Unfortunately, not all members of that audience will agree with our actions, nor will they share our respect for the sanctity of life. These people cannot be swayed in their beliefs by power of persuasion or political rhetoric ... brute force and chaos is the language they speak. In the face of such barbaric tactics, we must remain strong in our resolve to act with virtue, courage and heart. We must never stoop to their level and reply in kind. And we must never live in fear of retribution, so long as our own actions are true.
All people challenged by terrorism, all people faced with the constant threat of physical, psychological or emotion harm, all people who share the sad bond of violence perpetrated against them, whether they hail from Northern Ireland, Eastern Europe, the Middle East or any other location, must stand together. Life will go on. And for the many that it will not, our thoughts and prayers must be with them and the loved ones they leave behind.
Terrorism is a sad profession, assumed by people who believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have been subject to great iniquities. To respond to terrorism with acts of force, while called for by many overcome with outrage and indignation, is to turn our own hearts. It is easy to cry "an eye for an eye" ... yet this retort simply invites another, and another, and another. For the greater good of mankind and the soul of our species, we must all be vigilant for those who would bring harm to another. We must stop terror where it starts. We must work together to find solutions to a problem that plagues all people.
My thoughts are with those who were affected, directly or indirectly, by the inexcusable actions on the morning of 11-September-2001.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 @ 12:43 » Comments
Well, I didn't make it to Dewey Beach this past weekend (thanks to work), but that didn't stop me from basically day-tripping to MD for Rich's wedding (even though I couldn't leave until late and had to miss the ceremony). Thanks to everyone I saw who made the trip so much fun.
- Rich and Caroline: I'm sorry I had to miss the actual wedding, but the reception and brunch were incredible ... I had a great time!
- To Rich's coworkers (Peach, Sanchez, Matt, Dave, Nate, etc.): I (almost) had more fun than at the bachelor party.
- To the people I haven't seen in years (Carolyn, Seth): it was fun to catch up ... I hope we run into each other again soon.
While I was in town for the wedding, I also had a chance to meet Meghan for lunch at the Tombs8 in DC, where I worked throughout college. It was good to see her and grab a meal at my favorite restaurant; the place still feels like home. She even stopped me from talking for a minute to say, "you must really love this place because you've had the biggest smile on your face since we walked in here." She's right ... if there's one thing I truly miss from my days on the Hilltop, the Tombs is it. Now I'm thinking that I'll have to consider grad schools in DC, just for the opportunity to return "home" for a few more years.
Monday, September 10, 2001 @ 18:26 » Comments
Although it was tiring, this past weekend had to have been one of the best in recent memory. I spent my time in Boston (surprise) and had all kinds of plans to keep me busy. I went to the Cactus Club for the first time Friday and partied with some of my favorite Bostonians (Phil, Danae, Alison, Kelly) ... it definitely made up for the first of several disappointing Red Sox9 losses.
On Saturday we had Boston's 2nd Annual Drinkin'est Pub Crawl (photos will go up soon), which turned out to be a success! We had a great turnout, the drinks flowed freely and I think everyone had a good time. This year's DPC had a completely different atmosphere than last year's, though. People didn't drink quite as much, but that let everyone meet more people. My guess is the revised format (8 bars instead of 12, with more time at each) contributed to that. Some of my favorite memories:
- Getting "Bog Down in the Valley" played by the live Irish singer at the Black Rose (I wish I could remember his name so I could mention it here);
- Buki demonstrating that he hasn't lost his "skillz" after two years of domestication in California;
- My brother and his Boston College friends making their first legal appearance at the DPC;
- My sister forking over one of our shirts to Matt Damon at the Boston Beer Works;
- Crunch and Munch man (if you're a Fenway or FleetCenter regular, you know who I'm talking about) debating whether he was more famous in Boston than Matt Damon.
We started the Crawl at 2.00p on Saturday and I didn't get to bed until 4.30a that night, but I somehow managed to make it to Rhode Island at 10.30a on Sunday to help move my little brother into Providence College10. Afterwards, I made my way to Miguel (aka Smokey) and Javier's BBQ, where Smokey made some fantastic ribs (after a little trial and error) and Vicky broke out her now-famous cooking (empanadas, guacamole, etc.). After some wiffle ball, Phil and I bee-lined back into Boston so we could meet up with Alison and Kelly in the North End. Kelly and her friend Sarah had just run the Monster Challenge11 triathlon, so they were out to make up for missing the DPC. We trekked all over Boston, from dives (Corner Cafe) to meat markets (McCarthy's) to pubs (Bell in Hand) to pool halls (The Rack), making our own mini pub crawl. Despite some obnoxious guys that tagged along, we had another great time ... which is no surprise, since Alison and Kelly are always fun to hang out with!
Labor Day ended up a little more relaxed, since I met up with Mark, one of my oldest and closest friends, to grab lunch at the Salem Beer Works12. I spent a little time at my parents' place afterwards, took a two hour nap on the couch I left up there (I reeeally miss it) and then had mac and cheese with my dad before picking up Vicky and Lisa for the return trip to NYC/CT. Unfortunately, it's back to the grind as of tomorrow. At least until next weekend, when I'm planning to be in Dewey Beach (Delaware) with Steve13 and then DC for Rich's wedding!
Tuesday, September 04, 2001 @ 02:25 » Comments
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