A "Curse" Lifted, Another Placed

I experienced a rather surreal moment the other evening, when, while working at the 'Fucks, I saw a shitload of people running from SU campus and heading in my direction (or at least, Marshall Street). All of them were screaming at the top of their lungs, replete with huge smiles on their faces, and decked out in red. I shook my head in disbelief. It could only mean one thing.

The Red Sox won the World Series.

I ran outside to see if pigs were flying and searched the horizon for an incoming meteor, but found no such thing. Instead, all I saw was the moon, marked with a lighter hue of red, ironic, considering the situation. A Lunar Eclipse happened on the day the Red Sox won the World Series. It was definitely a signal that something happened within the heavens. Sure, there was the 86 year old "curse" that was set on the Red Sox all those years ago when they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees, but now, another curse had to come replace it.

The Curse of the Moose.

See, it's quite simple. Ever since Mike "Moose" Mussina came to the Yankees after the triumph over the Mets in 2000, the Yankees have yet to win a title. That bastard Mussina, despite his somewhat decent track record with the Yankees over his past few seasons, has yet to be the overtly dominant pitcher he was supposed to be when he joined the staff. He was the guy the Yankees acquired to become the Ace of the vaunted Yankees pitching staff whenever Roger Clemens' roller coaster ride of a tenure with the Yankees ended. And, though he has been good, he hasn't been overtly dominant. Now, while I can't blame Mussina for the four losses we've had in the playoffs the past four years, nonetheless, it just makes sense considering how all this "Curse" stuff is tossed around.

People want to say it's all about "Giambi's Curse". Nah, it's the Curse of the Moose. Don't get it twisted. No one's talking about the demise of Yankee batting, now are they? It's all about Yankee PITCHING...

(Note: I'm just trying to find answers for the impossible, that's all. I really do like Mike Mussina. Honest. :-) )

So the Red Sox are the World Series Champions. Now, for those people who either aren't into baseball, or aren't from the East Coast, this is a big fucking deal. And it's rather surreal. No more, "1918" chants. No more pictures of Babe Ruth hanging from the rafters of Yankee Stadium when the Red Sox play. An entire aspect of the traditional Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has been completely wiped away.

But no matter what, the Sox will always suck. And one day, 80 years later, fans in the Bronx will be chanting "2004", when the Red Sox play them. Because, it will take another 3/4's of a Century for them to win another title.

So..."Who's Your Daddy?" :-)

Blogging Can Cost You Your Job...

Blogging is surely becoming a popular thing to do nowadays...however, some people are getting in trouble for what they say on these online journals...trouble...like, "gee, I was fired"-kind of trouble.

This is certainly a freedom of speech kind of violation...

Read this news article from the BBC to see what I'm talking about.

Top-5 List of Girls to Make Out With

I'm holding off on publishing my "Values of Cockblocking" entry until I can spend some more time looking it over for editing issues and the like. In the meantime, I've decided to publish this somewhat controversial, somewhat "on the spot", blog just to whet your appetites for what's to come. Enjoy!

Feel free to call me on this, but I think that everyone has a list of people on their minds that, for whatever reason, they've always wanted to see what it would be like to simply kiss them. Best friends, other people's girlfriends/boyfriends, neighbors, classmates, and even family members (for those are into that kind of thing) have often been the subject of curiousity for many people. "What would it feel like if I just grabbed that person and made out with them?" Now, I'm not talking about crushes or secret loves; I'm talking about people that we have some semblance of a relationship with that we can see ourselves kissing, but not necessarily hook up with. In many cases, when we think about the possibility of a relationship with these people, we usually shake our heads and deny that anything could ever work with that person. Still, that doesn't slake the curiosity...

So, in the spirit of this train of thought, I've decided to publish an entry dedicated to the Top 5 Girls (that I actually know personally) I have always wondered what sharing a kiss with them would feel like. Like, if I just suddenly walked up to them and kissed them, would they kiss back? (barring sexual harrassment, of course) Do they shove their tongues down your throat, or are they afraid of their tongues escaping the inner sanctums of their mouths? Do they like kissing the upper or the lower lip? Are they slow or fast kissers? Eyes opened or closed?

If you find yourself on this list, don't be alarmed at all. In no way does it mean that I will go up to you and kiss you all of a sudden. And if you find your name on this list, don't assume that I have a crush on you or something. It's all about curiosity. And if I do kiss you, do me a favor and kiss back just that one time. It would suck if you left me hanging. :-) And finally, feel honoured (yes, British spelling) that I even chose you. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm not exactly just "anybody..." I have standards, believe it or not. My selecting you means that you are just interesting and intriguing enough for me to even consider you. You're not just putting it out there, y'know?

Now, without further ado, here is the list:

5) Girl from Speech Comm classes (don't know name)

Known from: Speech Comm classes at SU for the last two years.

Relationship status: Aquaintance

Crush? Not a full-blown one, but certainly a nice distraction during two years of boring SPC classes.

What makes them so interesting? : To be honest with you, I really don't know. There's something about the combination of her green eyes, blonde hair, petite build, and nice lips that has me wondering all about her. I really don't know her really well (shit, I don't even know her name!), but, shit, I figure she's been in my classes for the past two years, so it counts for something!

Likelihood of kissing them?: Slim to none. Unless of course we're placed together in some kind of group project and utilize the opportunity to become a bit more buddy-buddy with her. Not to mention, she seems like the type that would call the cops on me in a heartbeat if I ever kissed her suddenly.

Fun Fact : She was present during my little debacle illustrated in this blog. (Click here for actual entry)


4) Yosaira A.

Known from: Roommate of a good Speech Comm study buddy (Rosie) since I've known her

Relationship status: Friend

Crush? Not really, though she is a very lovely and attractive young lady. She did come close to winning my heart a few weeks ago, though, when she fed Pedro and I some food. Her stock definitely went up in my book after that moment. Kinda sucked though, when Pedro decided to get me involved in hiding her planner...not a good PR move. Still, she'll live. :-)

What makes them so interesting?: Seeing how she is, personality wise, I've always wondered if she would be the girl that would be among the most compatible with me from a kissing perspective. She seems to be one of those tender, soothing kissers that warms up into full-fledged passion after just the right tongue stroke...damn...I could write a romance novel just thinking about the possibility. Not too much tongue, not too much sucking, just nice even strokes that lead up to a blinding moment of sublime ecstasy. Even if she doesn't meet that description, I can't imagine that I'll go wrong either way should I kiss her.

Likelihood of kissing them?: Slim to moderate, solely based on the kinds of parties we attend. Whenever there's liquor involved, anything can happen. (That should be the Syracuse motto) I certainly wouldn't regret it, that's for sure. :-)

Fun Fact: She lives across the street from me.


3) Sarah N.

Known from: Lived on my floor during my freshman year experience in the dorms. Did not really talk to her until introduced through Chiyo at the end of my freshman year.

Relationship Status: Friend

Crush?: Not at all, considering that any kind of relationship past a friendship is so unthinkable at the moment, thanks to many factors, including the mutual respect for one another's exes, as well as certain incompatibility factors. The actual "crush" feeling is supposed to be a simple infatuation with getting with someone else, and considering how many doubts lie between us, there's no room for a crush. Just mutual support.

What makes them so interesting?: I boldly declared at the beginning of my sophomore year that Sarah was "one of the few white chicks I could see keeping up with my flirting" (to my girlfriend, no less). Fast forward two years later, and that declaration holds true. She's possibly one of the few girls, period, that has the sexual eloquence to be able keep up with anything I throw at her, rhetorically. And I imagine that inherent skill goes far beyond her spoken words. I imagine her to be one of those "tease" kissers, someone who gives you just enough of powerful smooch to make you yearn for more. Plus now, there's the added thrill of doing something particular naughty; kissing one of the assumed better friends of the ex. It's not an overt goal of mine to accomplish such an understated act of defiance against the ex, but, I can't ignore the fact that the feeling exists underneath the surface.

Likelihood of kissing them?: Moderate to High. One word. Liquor. And she's very susceptible to the stuff...I bet you if anything, she'll make the first move without exactly wanting to. I'm not counting on anything else beyond that in the least bit.

Fun Fact: She lives four houses down from me on the same block as me.


2) Michelle T.

Known from: Originally introduced to her fall of my freshman year through Lim, the first friend I made at Syracuse outside of my Brooklyn Tech people. She was her roommate.

Relationship status: "Best friend" at SU

Crush?: Uh...can you say, "sacriledge?" Seriously, there is no crush on my part towards her. I think I would kill her before I actually hooked up with her. We might call each other the "unofficial boyfriend/girlfriend" in all but the physical, but it's safe to say we won't dare venture beyond title anytime soon. We have too much fun as friends to get boggled down in the politics of a relationship. Plus, there's also the matter of attraction...but, I would argue both of us have done worse. A lot worse.

What makes them interesting?: I just KNOW that anyone who reads this entry is going to take my mention of Michelle the complete wrong way. I KNOW that some stupid ass out there is going to take what I say out of context and spin it so that way it makes it seem like I want to get with the girl or something like that. However, I couldn't omit her...I have to admit, I'm intrigued only by simple curiosity as to how she kisses. What techniques has she acquired over the years? Are we as compatible kissers as we are friends? When we approach our respective partners, do we utilize similar styles? This is completely a question of science...do birds of a feather really flock together? I KNOW there are readers out there screaming, "bullshit, you want to bag her," but seriously, it's me being real with myself and wondering aloud what makes her tick. Not to mention, if we ever did kiss, I'm sure both of us would be mad blunt with one another and be like, "bitch, you're wack! You ain't shit!", and then give pointers. I don't know anyone else who would do that, really.

Likelihood of kissing them?: Absolutely none. It's scary enough admitting this whole thing, let alone actually carrying it out. Plus, she's taken (ahem, used goods, ahem). Finally, we're both horribly afraid of the consequences of such an action. Little green men will invade from space before she and I even come close to kissing.

Fun Fact: Michelle and I spent 152 days with one another without doing shit. We did want to kill one another, instead. :-)


1)Carolina M.

Known from: From 1st freaking grade to 8th grade at Holy Name of Jesus school in Manhattan. I haven't seen her in close to eight years.

Relationship status: A VERY distant acquaintance. The only real connection we have is that we're both listed on Classmates.com, and I see her name probably once every three months.

Crush?: She was one of my first ever crushes in grade school. However, thanks to my assumed social status in grade school, I lacked the confidence to go after her, and she in return, ignored me. I always thought that she was above me, though in retrospect, knowing what I know now, I could've probably made her eat out of the palm of my hand. (As in, my brain, now, placed in an earlier version of me.) Nowadays, since it's been so long, that crush has long since faded.

What makes them so interesting? Well, even though I have no idea what she looks like now, the fact of the matter is that I would love to be able to run into her and see how she would react to me now, someone she used to never even have a second thought about during grade school. Will she still try and pull the same move? Or will she swoon and fall head over heels with "Ray, the Happy Latino?" I would love to get a chance to see how much people feel I've changed in 8 years, and she's one of the best people to scale me. Assuming that she's developed into a beautiful young woman, considering just how beautiful she was in grade school, she's one hot chica. My kissing her would me just fulfilling an early boyhood dream...and what a way to do it, eh?

Likelihood of kissing them?: Slim to none. Where the hell am I going to find her? She is like the Holy Grail of my pre-HS days. Doomed to be lost forever.

Fun Fact: I worked with her cousin for two years while I was in HS at a Day Care center. He tried to cockblock me unsuccessfully from getting with a girl he desperately wanted for himself. Why did he fail? Because he underestimated just how much I had changed from grade school, lol.

The Cheesy Bread Diet

It's not fun when your body is fighting a cold for almost a month.

Yes...I said it. A MONTH. Not a week. Not a few days. A freaking month. Some of ya'll might be wondering how the hell someone can suffer the symptoms of a cold for a month. It's quite simple, really. If you don't give your body the nutrients it needs to do battle with whatever illness comes over it, you will not be able to return back to normal in a decent span of time.

In my case, my body's energy supply has been provided courtesy of Dominoes Pizza's infamous "Cheesy Bread." That oh-so-cheesy breadstick goodness was my only source of food, practically this past month, along with pitas from Marshall Street eatery, El Saha, and a bunch of Empanadas from this Dominican restaurant called Las Delicias, which is like a block away from my house. Of course, I know that I shouldn't be eating out so much, but the fact of the matter is that my roommates and I have yet to be able to organize a meaningful trip to the supermarket that would restock our home with actual food. The lack of a car here in Cuse has completely hindered our progress in firmly establishing this home. Today, however, after so many days of constant take out, was different.

We went to the supermarket.

I completely went overboard with getting salads and fruits to supplement our bodies with the nutrients that we've been lacking over this extended period of time. And man, let me tell you, when I got home and I tore into a bowl of salad, never have I felt so buzzed and good off of eating food. I felt completely recharged and ready to go. It was as if I could feel all those nutrients zooming towards my head and repairing all the damage my deficient diet had caused on my body.

Definitely good times ahead, now that I have food in the house. Let's throw away that number for Dominoes...that is, until we run out of food the next time...:-)

Batting 0 for...Fuck It...

Before I begin, I must say that this night must be one of the most horrible evenings I've gone through in a long time. First of all, my Yankees lose the ALCS to the Red Sux. It doesn't matter that the Sox will lose the World Series; that's besides the point. The fact of the matter is, that I would've loved nothing more than to shut up this annoying ass Sox fan base here in Cuse (and all those fucking bandwagon "Yankee haters"). Now, I have to live with their idiotic antics for the next few days until they get their little hearts broken when they're crushed by the Astros or the Cardinals.

Outside of that horrible travesty, I have to be subjected to yet another evening where my roommates are getting buns, and I'm not. For the first time during my college experience, I'm getting less action than my roommates. I go from getting complaints from Nelson about the number of "visitors" I had during my freshman year, to a drought that would make an African wince. (oooohh...low blow...) It's rather sad, really. Some of you may be wondering what's going on. In between their moaning, my roommates have said something to the effect of, "Ray, your standards are too high." What the hell is that supposed to mean? Just because I don't want to mess around with some girl who has fifteen teeth missing or looks like they've been hit with a car twice, does not mean I have high standards...alright, alright, I admit, I have standards in place, but can you blame me? Don't we all? At the end of the day, we all want to be with someone that we find attractive, we can connect with, has similar values, and will not fuck us over. In my case, I've been having problems finding people that match the last three qualities. Trust me, there are plenty of attractive girls here at Cuse, but for whatever reason, the ones that I actually have a connection with feel I can't make a connection with them. Go figure. For whatever reason, I'm not intellectual (dumb), connected (independent), good-looking (bad looking), white (black, Asian, Jewish, Latino, Dominican, mixed, etc), tall, thug, nice, Conservative (Liberal), muscular, poetic, reserved, or outgoing enough for these people. I really don't know why so many girls out here pidgeonhole me into so many different categories. I guess maybe they feel like they don't have the time to really get to know me, so instead, they just go forward with the first impression they have of me and run with it. I guess one can argue I do the same exact thing, though, so I guess it works out in the end, I guess. :-(

So in the meantime, my roommates will be moaning through all hours of the night, while i sit in my room trying to do work during these trying times. Grrr...

In recent weeks, I've been busy trying to get a news publication off the ground, La Voz, a news magazine dedicated to serving the SU community the Latino perspective on current events locally, as well as nationally. The concept of it received great buzz from all different kinds of people across campus, but as time came and went, it was diffficult trying to get the publication off the ground with a lack of assistance from non-existant staff. Eventually, with time passing, and school work catching up, it's been hard trying to stay on task with this publication. That's changing soon, though, and hopefully, I'll finally be able to get my issues out there and create enough of a buzz to get a real staff working on the publicatiion. See, I have some staff, but there's been a lack of support from some integral members, which I don't appreciate. To make a long story short, let's just say that when people talk behind my back, it makes for a very bad working relationship. So, we've had some unofficial infighting behind the scenes, which adds to the delays.

Man, all I wanted to do was to run a magazine, not babysit the bruised egos of certain individuals...

Drama...nothing in my life is complete without it. Sigh.

...Things with Apple are going great. I'm getting all kinds of great promotional products and I have the opportunity to play around with some of their cool devices. Like they gave me a Powerbook to keep, and I also have one of those iSight webcameras, which is an awesome thing to have. I've been responsible for the sales of a few iPods here and there, but nothing really huge yet. I'm looking forward to working with them a bit more so I can make more of an impact here. :-)

Two weekends ago, Anna came up to Cuse, during ZuZu's B'day festivities. I showed her around the town, took her places and hammered down the fact that being on a college campus is a whole lot different from staying in NYC for college. She got to see some of what makes SU tick. She didn't realize how integral Greek life was, for example, at a campus like Cuse. It was my impression that she liked what she saw, though I don't know how true that statement is. In a way, I have to say I guess she saw Cuse the same way I did when I first arrived. And she didn't even get a chance to party. We'll see what happens should she decide to come up again and party this time around. Then she'll really know what the Cuse is all about.

In the meantime...I know what the Cuse is all about, for me, at least.

DRAMA. Fucking Red Sox fans.

Crush of the Month (October)

The inspiration for it all
Originally uploaded by djkibblesnbits.

Alright, it's been more than half the month, but nonetheless, I now officially have my "Crush of the Month" for this month. After much deliberation and thinking, the person that wound up winning my affections for this month was none other than the co-star of the infamous movie, "El Crimen de Padre Amaro, Ana Claudia Talancon.. Haven't seen the movie? It don't matter. Just take the time briefly to admire the simple beauty of this wonderful young Mexican vixen and gawk jealously at how a Catholic priest could bag her over anyone else. (in the movie, of course).

So, congratulations, Ana! Keep 'em coming! (And no, not in a nasty way...;-)

The Top 10 Most-Played Songs of September 2004

Aight, so it's the middle of October, and I'm JUST reporting on my top-10 from last month...look, it's been a rough few days, aight? Deadlines for my newspaper, backlogged homework assignments, a horrible cold, oversexed roommates, and a crapload of running around, have all contributed to a complete slowdown in updates on the Musings. But fear not, my friends. Updates are coming, and I will get across everything that I've been wanting to talk about...one of these days. (I'm still reminded I have yet to post Part II of my Trip to Italy...d'oh...one of these days..)

Anyways, so here is my top-10 for last month.

10. "Leaving New YorK" by R.E.M., off the Around the Sun album. (NEW)

9. "Fair" by Remy Zero, off the Garden State Motion Picture Soundtrack. (NEW)

8. "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Madeleine Peyroux, off of her Careless Love album. (NEW)

7. "Apple Cobbler" by LL Cool J, off the DEFinition album. (NEW)

6. "The Last Post on the Bugle" by the Libertines, off of their self-titled album. (NEW)

5. "You and Me" by J-Kwon, off his "Hood Hop" album (NEW)

4. "Headsprung" by LL Cool J, off the DEFinition album (NEW)

3. "Don't Panic" by Coldplay, off their Parachutes album (NEW)

2. "U Make Me Wanna by Jadakiss, off the Kiss of Death album (NEW)

1. "Tempted to Touch by Rupee, off of some Mixtape. (NEW)


Alright...before I go on, I have to say that the "Tempted to Touch" song has officially been demoted to a "Permanently Retired" status. Never shall I play this song ever again, thanks to the fact that Zulay has overplayed this song beyond belief. At first, I thought this song was hot, y'know, so I listened to it, but then, here comes Zu, completely butchering the song into Z100 status. So...no more...it made my number 1 last month, but never again. It became annoying as all hell.

As for the rest of the songs, well...there's no particular reason they're there. They just are. LL is reppin on my list with two songs. (Never thought I was going to be saying that) R.E.M., at the 10-Spot, is doing their thing with "Leaving New York," a song that definitely hit me immediately after my arrival to Cuse from NYC earlier on in the month. I mean, it has more to do with a girl than anything else, but, still, the song resonated with me for whatever reason.

So, holla back at the kid. Feel free to try these songs out. Every one of them is available on the iTunes Music Store, so you can hear them out to get a feel for them. (Number purchased this month: 7 of 10...I've been honest!)

And as always... Don't Steal Music...

Just "borrow" them. :-)

Man, Do I Need Some Free Time...

Hey ya'll...it's been rough finding the time to get on the computer and updating the Musings. Expect a string of updates soon, ranging anywhere from my Top 10 Songs of the Month, Crush(es) of the Month, comments on the Presidential Debates, problems running a news publication, and the Values of Cockblocking...

Oh, boy....:-)


Oh...and by the way...

A HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY to my roomie and partner and crime, ZuZu! :-)

You fucking "Animal Planet" wench.