Things that I know, but Can't Understand (a Random swing)

Although I like to think of myself as a rather organized guy most of the time (perhaps part of my metrosexuality, but that's another blog), this guest entry is rather random and unorganized. Something that might tug on my OCD while writing this, but I really don't think that crafting an outline ahead of time like a term paper is unnecessary and would cause such a blog to lose its luster.

Anyway, here are some things that I think about way too much and that I have definitions for, as well as scientific explanations for, and still can't understand fully. I never will be able to so don't bother trying.

'Selfishness' - Okay, so fundamentally being selfish is only thinking of yourself, being greedy, etc., etc. Usually a selfish act would involve not thinking of someone else and doing something to benefit you, perhaps it makes you feel good, makes your life easier in some shape or form. But the bottom line is that you do something for yourself because it makes you feel good. I would say that for the most part I am not a selfish guy at all. I really do live day-to-day by the 'do unto others as you would like done to you' as much as possible, and think about that all of the time. However I feel like this selfish label that so many people throw around is an infinite loop. Because I love to help out people, whether it's something small, or fairly significant - but the reason that I do it (in the end) is beacuase I like to and it makes me feel good. Here's an example to ponder: we've all been on the subway when a woman enters the train with a child - and comes to find just a single seat open, say its right next to you. Most of us would like to think that we'd get up and offer our seat for her to be able to sit with her child. Well, I am one of those people - and guess what, I'm an 'unselfish' person for that. She's probably thinking one of two things when I do so, and insist that she sits: 1. That I am unselfish, and a genuine nice guy and she is actually thankful for my offer, or 2. That I am trying to impress her to strike up a conversation, with the intention of getting her number, showing her what a 'real man' is later on that night, and then pretending that I'm going to call her the next day (okay I'm getting carried away, but not the point) so she barely whispers thank you and tried to slide right by me and take the aforementioned seat. Regardless of what she thinks, in the end I offered up my seat because it was the right thing to do, and I wanted to. But because it made me feel good to do it. Now, I'm not selfish because I did something to help her, but I did it because it made me feel good. So isn't that selfish in itself? Infinite loop in my book. I don't blame the asshole that didn't want to give up his seat for her, because we're both selfish in the end - somehow we both felt better for what we did. It was his choice to stay comfortable because he felt better that way, it was my choice to be uncomfortable because I felt better that way.

Planes Flying - Totally know that speed of the plane, wings catch air, blah blah blah, pick it up off the ground and its engines push it through the air, all of that crap. But I don't get it. This thing is held on the ground by gravity pretty damn hard, all of a sudden is 10k feet in the air for 6 hours, and is 3,000 miles away, perfectly touching down in San Diego from Boston. And the whole time in the air it's cruising along above everything going on down on the ground because it went really fast. I'm not explaining this the way that I wanted to, but I don't make much sense most of the time anyway.

Babies - Yes, I know how babies are made. Trust me, I know how babies are made. I actually made one myself once. I'll spare the drama that comes along with it. Chances are you know me and have heard 90% of it already anyway. BUT just like the plane thing, I will never be able to understand just how this happens. Without getting too graphic here, some 'liquid' touches a 'solid' and poof. Nine months later another life is born. Another life - that's a big damn deal. I get how it happens, but I really don't get it.

US/Ghana World Cup Ref - Sorry but outside of 6th grade sports I've never even blamed half of a game on a ref/umpire/official, etc. And I was a total jock for the majority of my life up until a year or two ago. The US/Ghana world cup game had a lot riding on it for sure. Both teams knew that the only way they could move on to the next round of the most watched sporting event in the world is if they win (and Italy does against the Czechs at the same time.) So it's just about half time and the referee calls a penaly kick for a foul that is barely, and I mean barely, tied to any physical contact. And it's in a situation where 80% of the time the offensive player will even setlle the ball in time to maybe get a shot onto the goal. Regardless, you've seen it. Ghana scored the penalty kick, and then plays the second half by packing their team into their side of the field so that the US will have minimal scoring oppt'y. Fair enough, I would have hoped the US would have done the same with a lead, knowing that its a must-win. The problem here is this completely unwarranted call to give the PK. It changed the entire game, and world cup. I won't play the 'everyone hates America whah, whah, whah..', card here, but what the hell is wrong with that picture? Does this guy blow the final whistle, shower up, head back to the hotel room with a 12-pack and order a dirty movie after the game and sit and laugh like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers on some power trip that he had. I know I'm getting carried away, and I have some personal ties to a player on the team (a good friend of mine who played awesome that day), but as the cliche went, 'get off your knees free, you just blew the game.'

Who's Catherine Wheel? - No, really, who is that? If the CD's that good maybe Adawg will burn me a copy or something.

SOX - Trying to get back onto the Big Papelbon them here with the Sox. First of all, great name for one - props to my man Ben for confusing Papi with Jon. I'm sure if he saw them standing next to one another he'd have no trouble telling them apart. Regardless, Papelbon should win ROY, and should be in serious conention for the, dare I say, Cy if he keeps this up. Guy is a gem. And I know that the plan may be to bring him into the starting rotation. I'll argue against that for selfish reasons. Why not have a 10-15 year Mariano Rivera back there to pull in with the hook? I know, probably not fair to him and not what he wants. But I had to work in some more selfishness to this entry. As the corniest commercial on TV says ' he's so intense on the mound' (if you've seen any commercial break on NESN in the past 3 months you know what I mean.) Another thought, I'm glad the sox are rolling right now, but let's have them keep it up when this interleagure crap is over. The Nationals suck, not against NY as JS sharply put, but they do. I liked seeing Lester handle them, it's great for the big league confidence of a rookie, but let's talk less about how well it went and more about how much it should carry over for the boys of summer.

Golf - I suck at it, but I love it. I can't think of anything that I've been so bad at and still managed to look forward to. I've always been a fierce competitor so I don't see the positive energy sticking to the sport by end of summer if I haven't improved significantly. Ideally I want to be playing with friends, for the bar tab after we play, or for a couple bucks per hole to make it fun. I'm not there yet, but I need to be. But looking forward to playing is pretty cool for now. Rest assured, it won't last long.

Over an Out.