I'm proud to say that I am NEVER bored. In fact, I tend to get frustrated because there's never enough time to do all the things I want to do. As I get backed up with my schedule, I always tend to find new things to add to the list. I pride myself on a strong diversity of interests. I just can't seem to keep new interests from creeping into my life. I have outlined some of the main things below.

Two subjects in particular have proved to be major influences on my life and deserve a more in depth explanation (which you will get by clicking on the images!). They are:

SCV in Allentown Abdullah the Butcher vs. Manny Fernandez

I spend a large amount of time watching sports. When I lived in Delaware, I was never a big fan of the local teams (from Philly). When I moved to away from the area, though, I became very interested in these same clubs. I suppose it's a sub-conscious way of staying close to home. Who knows? Anyway...In the recent years, I've followed the Flyers, Sixers, Eagles, and Phillies quite closely and I watch their games at every opportunity. Hockey is my favorite sport and I get pretty intense watching Flyers games. I have a tendency to break items around the apartment when key games aren't going the right way.


Of course, having gone to Syracuse University for both undergrad and grad school, I've become fanatical about the school's football and basketball programs. It's hard to describe the "ownership" one feels for the teams of their given institution. Unlike professional sports, I can logically say "we" when referring to the success or failure of the team. During my time at Syracuse, I was lucky enough to go to four bowl games with the football team. The all-time highlight fo my college career was being able to travel to a final four to watch the basketball team compete.
John Carlos and Tommy Smith at '68 olympics
I also appreciate how sports are so often used as a medium to bring social issues to the attention of the public. Racial discrimination and exploitation come to mind foremost. That America can have such a deep, serious, and continual conversation within the "safe" confines of sport is great. Sheer mass public exposure has brought this issue to light time and time again through the century and has helped to foster a continual conversation in the context of a merely recreational subject matter. From Adolf Hitler refusing to shake Jesse Owens' hand at the '36 olympics to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball to John Carlos and Tommy Smith raising their fists in a sign of black power at the '68 games to John Thompson's boycott of Georgetown basketball games in '89 to the Knicks moving their training camp from Charleston, South Carolina in protest of the flying of the Confederate flag - countless acts have made millions of people speak and learn about issues truly relevant above and beyond the world of sports.

How can anyone not be a fan of this greatest invention of the century? News, sports, homeowners tips, history, and everything else I can think of is available via TV. I think I've learned twenty times more about interesting and necessary subjects than I did throughout both undergrad and grad school. Only because the History Channel piqued my interest am I running to the bookstore to learn more about WW2. Only because of the Food Network have I begun to be experimental in the kitchen. Only since watching HGTV have I really paid attention to tastefulness and functionality of interior design. THIS IS GOOD STUFF! I've rated my favorite stations and I'm interested to get your thoughts.


Allied leaders at YaltaOK, so I have a BA in political science and a Master of Public Administration degree. Politics must figure their way into my life somehow. In truth, I grew up with politics. My uncle was a very successful politician in Delaware and my whole family seems to be running crazy around election time. My personal interests have somewhat moved past the "liberal vs. conservative" or "candidate X vs. candidate Y" debates. While that stuff still interests me, I now find myself more interested in the bigger picture. I'm interested in what's behind public policy and the history that dictates the necessity or lack of necessity of said policy. "How did Hitler come to power?" "What were the societal, political, and historical conditions that prompted that?" "How did the Yalta conference influence and prompt the cold war? What were the unique dynamics happening there?" This is the stuff that I think about now, and talk about when someone's interested in joining.


Well, the list really is never-ending, but there are two more worth noting. The first is fish. A few years back, I had an idea to fix up a 50 gallon fish tank that was empty in my parents' basement. Since that point, I've gotten pretty serious about the hobby. In Syracuse, my roommate and I had 6 tanks running in our townhouse. I really enjoy sitting and watching them. It's a real learning experience and a bit nerve-racking at times. Many of the fish I bought over four years ago when fixing up the tanks are still alive...although MUCH bigger (though in Dave's tank in Syracuse!). People often laugh when I speak about them because I describe myself as the "primary care-giver." Given that responsibility, I cannot get lax with the upkeep or care for my little guys. The fish store is on my speed dial in case of emergency. There has only been one so far, involving one fish menacing the others. That was taken care of with minimal damage.

The second is home design. Honestly, I've always been interested in design. My room during high school was made to look like a sports museum and I would constantly change things around for efficiency and improved functionality. I never really thought of this as anything special, though. It just seemed like the most logical way to arrange things at the time. Since I've been watching HGTV and TLC and their many design shows, I'm learning the nuts and bolts about using colors, effective use of space, and the incorporation of themes and motifs. The biggest lesson I've learned is that design is a never-ending project. Things are never perfect. I'm finally starting to be able to deal with this fact.



Where I've been in the U.S.It's certainly not enough to be content with what's going on today. Without seeing accomplishments in context of the future, they have less meaning now. I think that every piece of gained knowledge, every hour worked, and every day survived allows one to do more fulfilling things with their life. While I enjoy being comfortable, I never want to feel stagnant. I always have things in mind that I don't quite have the financial means, time, or ability to do right now. I want to own a house, for instance. I definitely want to travel more. Until a few years ago, I hadn't been west of the Mississippi other than a trip with SU's marching band to Phoenix. I'm happy to say this has changed. Since finishing school, I've been able to take advantage of vacation time and a bit of extra cash and travel a fair amount. In mid-October of '99, I took trips in consecutive weekends to San Francisco and Las Vegas! I took tons of trips that year and even started traveling a bit for work. In January of 2000, two friends and I spent some good time in Prague as well as visiting Berlin and London. I thought that might get the itch to travel out of my system, but no way. I just want to keep going, seeing new things and meeting new people. In 2001, I was able to fly into San Francisco and road trip around the West for 10 days. What an experience! Next on the list internationally are Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.