Dome Pondering

I can't lie. I had this game circled on my calendar for a few months now, and so did many other Knicks fans...and I guess Nets fans as well. After the long awaited changes such as the move from the Meadowlands to my backyard of Brooklyn, the unveiling of their brand-spanking new building on Flatbush and Atlantic, the changing of the colors, the spending of millions of dollars on new players, and the enormous endorsement and hype from Jay-Z, Knicks fans watched as the spotlight that would've been theirs after years of heartache and misery, was now being taken away.

The date on my phone said November 24th, and it was indeed that day. It was the birthday of my tag team partner, and the day that she decided to cash in her "anything I want to do" card. After not claiming the opportunity in 2011, she decided to not miss out this year.  So, as she stated the night before, "it begins at 9:00am", I rolled out of bed at 10:37am awaiting direction from the birthday girl, and the ruler of the day.  Shockingly, the day began with her making pumpkin pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Yes, she made breakfast and not I. While I would've gladly done so, she wanted to cook, and well, it was her day. So I simply settled for helping and washing the dishes. You know, the stuff she didn't want to do.

What is it about?  Two start-up criminals strap a bomb to a pizza delivery guy and inform him he must rob a bank or else... Who is in it?  Jesse Eisenberg - Nick Danny McBride - Dwayne Aziz Ansari - Chet Nick Swardson - Travis

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! After a day of food, fun, and for some families, football, I thought I would add some comedic relief for everyone on a fun-filled day. While it does come at the expense of my favorite team, the New York Jets, I figured a video of this would keep things light on Thanksgiving here at the DP. So without further adieu, please take a look at the following play made by Mark Sanchez which signified the embarrassing ineptitude of the Jets tonight. Even non-football fans will get a kick out of this.

I was at work when one of my student aids said to me, "some kid just scored 138 points tonight!"  "What?"  Thinking that college teams don't ever score 138 points in a game, this kid might be seeing things. Was it 38? "No, one hundred and thirty eight points!" After checking my phone for the story and eventually twitter for the updates, it was indeed true. Jack Taylor of Grinnell College scored 138 points, leading his team to a 179-104 victory.

Note: I used to work for a park slowly in continued development in Manhattan that is five miles along the waterfront of the Hudson River. As a Public Programs Coordinator, yours truly handled anything public related in regards to permitting (athletic facilities, film shoots, photo shoots, weddings, and other small gatherings), and of course, dealing with any questions or inquiries from the public. The following series will present stories, e-mails, phone calls, conversations, interactions, and sights I've seen from the people of New York City in regards to a public park. And yes, these are all real! And are all true! Welcome to another little snippet of Parks and Recreation.

71. If you could own any building in existence, which would you own? My intial reaction would be one of the Trump Towers for its financial gain and luxury, or even something sports-related like Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium for it's personal satisfaction. However, I'll go with the Empire State Building as it represents the city and  is very relevant with it's colors in the NYC skyline. 72. If you could own any one existing sculpture from anywhere in the world, but not the right to ever sell it, which one would you want? I have no idea. I'm not an enthusiast for sculptures, but I would go with the Statue of Liberty. Yeah, not much creativity on these questions. Either you think I'm in a "IF factor" slump, or you probably think I'm completely obsessed with taking over New York City and it's landmarks. Don't judge me.

What is it about?  An average guy meets an attractive woman, but struggles with the insecurities of their relationship and the societal norms placed upon the situation, which eventually wears on their relationship.  Who is in it?   Jay Baruchel - Kirk Alice Eve - Molly T.J. Miller - Stainer

61. If you had to give up your favorite food forever, what is the minimum amount of money you would want in return? Interesting question. I'd probably take the approximate cost of a serving of that particular food, multiply it by the number of days until I am 75 (average life expectancy of an American male), and then add thirty percent for sacrifice fees. The total would be the minimum, which doesn't even include inflation, interest, or any self-punitive damages.   So for example, let's take one of my favorite foods, a Chipotle Burrito with white rice, chicken, peppers, tomato, lettuce, cheese, and guacamole - $9.25 (the cost here in NYC, much, much cheaper around the country).  $9.25 (price per burrito) x 365 (days per year) x 48 (years until 75) + 12 (Amount of Leap days between current age and 75) + %30 = $210, 822.30 Seems like a reasonable amount to give up my freedom to choose me favorite meal.  Didn't think I'd get so technical, huh?

I have a friend who is single, and has many rules about what is ideal woman should bring to the table of any potential relationship. The rules are complex and lengthy, and quite honestly aren't wrong or correct in anyway - they are his rules. I also have a friend who feels the same way, and wants many things from her potential significant other. She also claims, "men are too complex." We all have different things we desire, and that's without the comprehensive barrier that is between men and women. We all know and have seen (especially guys) the articles in women-geared content that help the female side in their journey through a relationship. "Things that will keep him happy!" "What Does He Want!" "Be His Perfect Woman!" You know exactly the headlines and articles I am talking about. And often, even the professionals make it way too complicated, adding psychology and other things that make things between the sexes that more confusin

Another champion, and another great season that was the 2012 Major League Baseball season. The 2012 campaign was a truly memorable one that saw baseball take yet another step towards the fruits of a strong revenue sharing system that has improved the parity around the league. The season saw many great stories in the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics, who weren't predicted to have a winning season by anyone outside of their organizations. There was, of course, the rise to competitiveness that was the Washington Nationals, those that utterly failed in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Boston Red Sox, and to some extent, the Miami Marlins. And of course, there were the storylines that swirled around the usual suspects such as the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Cardinals. And let's not forget the inclusion of the Wilcard one-and-done round which added so much intrigue this year!  However, the biggest story of all was tha

Nike recently become the official vendor for NFL uniforms as of this season, and with that, came the typical changes and quirks that Nike likes to do. Sometimes, Nike can do to much (see Oregon Football and any of their official basketball schools), however, there were minor changes as the worldwide  athletic company elected to keep it simple with it's foray into the King of American sports. With the now Nike influence, it got the wheels spinning on the best uniforms in the National Football League. Who have the best? Who have the worst? We'll leave the negativity for a later post, and focus this Pondering 10 list on my favorite NFL uniforms. Sports fans, do you agree or disagree?

Note: I used to work for a park slowly in continued development in Manhattan that is five miles along the waterfront of the Hudson River. As a Public Programs Coordinator, yours truly handled anything public related in regards to permitting (athletic facilities, film shoots, photo shoots, weddings, and other small gatherings), and of course, dealing with any questions or inquiries from the public. The following series will present stories, e-mails, phone calls, conversations, interactions, and sights I've seen from the people of New York City in regards to a public park. And yes, these are all real! And are all true! Welcome to another little snippet of Parks and Recreation.

51. If you could have one specific power over other people, what would it be? It would be the ability to force them to tell the truth. The truth is a powerful thing, and there are so many people that we all encounter that shovel us you-know-what on a daily basis. It would be nice to force people to simply tell the truth, say what's on their minds, and be straightforward. 52. If you could have one meal from your past exactly as it was, which would you repeat? This question is stated as if I've had only a handful of meals in my entire life. I don't even remember what I had as my three meals yesterday! But I guess I'd go with Chipotle Burritos. It's my guilty pleasure as I can have them over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

It was a tough loss to swallow.  Last night's Red Bulls loss in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals was the kind of loss that not only exemplified the franchise's long chase for its first MLS Cup, but that typical let down we often get from New York professional teams.  There were so many opportunities, and so many second chances for the Red Bulls to be advancing on to play the Houston Dynamo, but it just didn't seem to be.  The Red Bulls missed eighteen - count em! - eighteen shots on goal in the 1-0 loss to the rival DC United. We also saw Rafa Marquez put the icing on the cake on what has been a terrible marriage between him and the Red Bulls with two yellow cards. The second card simply being one sheer laziness.

This annual post is a bit late due to the events of Hurricane (or Super Storm?) Sandy, and my thoughts and posts being consumed with the recent events. However, tradition is tradition, and here we are taking a look at the keys for the New York Knicks and their upcoming 2012-2013 NBA Season. With a full season to tackle, a chance at a normal training-camp, and the addition of several free-agents, and yes, dealing with that sudden increase in average-age, the Knicks have a chance to really do some special this year. I know I said that last year, and it was true, but last year's Knicks campaign was one of the weirdest I've ever experienced. But this is the year, right?! If so, here are the five keys to the Knicks 2012-2013 season.

Four more years was the result of what was the culmination of a very, very interesting Presidential election. Dating back to the Republican primaries and caucuses, all the way through last night, all of it has been an absolute whirlwind. One full of emotion, information, frustration, lying, flip-flopping, cover-ups, dust-ups, and even annoyance. After last night, we can all agree, regardless of who you punched a ballot for last night, we were ready for a decision to be made so the campaigning can stop, and the real work of restoring our country can begin. And that's a message we all can approve!  With President Obama still at the helm of leadership for our nation, hopefully, the excitement and movement he gained from many demographic groups in his two election wins can continue. And hopefully, that can eventually inspire those who punched their ballots elsewhere last night to bring that same spirit to balance the spectrum. As the President stated in his speech, the work is

The last couple of days here in the New York City area has been heartbreaking to say the least. It has been crushing in many ways, even if you turn off the television coverage. As New Yorkers try to return to normalcy, while trying to get those who are in still in need of recovery the help they need, it is hard not to be overwhelmed at the destruction, devastation, and in some ways, the chaos in this city. After my experience ( Another Extreme Weekend: DP Notes From Living Through Sandy ), in this post, I simply wanted to take a step back from it all and punch the keys on some of my experiences over the past few days, as well as the random thoughts as well. I apologize ahead of time for any disorganization,  rambling, or random comments...however, it might be fitting for the time we are currently in.

What is it about?  After a complacent and non-progressive congressman is finally challenged by a local tourism director, both campaigns go through changes as both men not only try to win the candidacy, but not get corrupt from large businessmen looking to change the district.  Who is in it?  Will Ferrell - Cam Brady Zack Galifianakis - Marty Huggins

Post Hurricane Sandy - A five block traffic jam for limited supply of gas