Lighting the Night

Hi Friends,

A couple of weeks ago around 8,000 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge raising over $3.3 million (and counting) for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New York to help battle cancer.  A group of my friends (and University of Michigan Alumni) formed a group called “The Conquering Heroes” in honor of my Ann Arbor mentor Nick Cheolas who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year and has been battling cancer in his own right ever since.

I am very happy to distinguish many of my friends who contributed to this great cause and I want to recognize them here.  First are my teammates who in the span of less than a month were able to raise $1,040.00 in Nick’s name.  They are:

Hanlu Chen

Ashley Houle

Andrew Juiris

Dara Leung

April Maas

Sarah Miller

The following people donated to a member of our team:

Robby Solomon

Andrew Brown

Robert Fine

Courtney Doman

Danielle (Dipert) Crandall

Anonymous

Alberto Sbabo

Danny Goodman

Raymond Ponkey

Brittany Bremenour

Mary Jo Carley

Elizabeth Ponkey

Dan and Sally Juiris

Beth and Dan Homan

Naomi Makofsky

Matthew Perille

Jennifer Hildebrand

John Haben

Nicole Armbruster

Rochele Lesperance

And very generous donations from:

Dane Fossee

Charles Champlin

Renee Maas

Norman Ponkey

Mary Kay Haben

While words always seem to fall short in the face of cancer, I find great pride in seeing my friends donating money, committing time, and lending an ear to someone in need.   In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: “If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”

Thank you, again, to all of those mentioned above. 

Additional donations may be accepted here:  http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Manhattn11/schragoo

Check it

Saturday July 30, 12:50 PM - I-76 Pennsylvania

Hello world! I am writing from the car on my way home from Philadelphia, PA after picking up my brother from his Wharton Business School summer camp program.  Sounds pretty cool. My parents and I have been grilling him with questions about all the cool people he met and things he got to do. I'm pretty jealous but pretty proud of him, too.  He got a chance to meet some incredible people and even saw Larry Page (Google founder and UM undergrad)!

I am on my way home for a week - it should be a nice break from New York living for a little while, but it sounds like it is still going to be pretty crazy.   I'll get home late tonight, tomorrow we are having our fantasy football league season kickoff party, Tuesday I am off to South Haven to visit Sarah and her family and then Thursday I am heading up north to be with my mom's side of the family.  We are celebrating the life of my cousin Cooper who passed away this year after a fatal skiing accident.   Sad story, but we all know he would be happy with how he is being remembered.  Some of the guys in the family are growing a chin and 'soul patch' to imitate Cooper's style.  Should be fun and crazy.

So my last post was about the end of the world and what songs are appropriate to play for that.   Luckily the world didn't end, and since then I have had a chance to head down to New Orleans for a librarian conference there. It was a blast.  New Orleans is a really cool town and Bourbon Street is wild (I need not say more).  I really enjoyed the music culture they had down there though.  My favorite moment was probably when I went to lunch by myself close to the water:  I sat down outside and listened to a rhythm and blues band jam out while I ate an alligator po' boy and enjoyed the sunshine.  I would go back there again in a heartbeat.

Speaking of music, I am hoping to go see a concert or two this summer.  J Geils and his band (including Peter Wolf) are opening for BB King in New York. That might be fun to go to. I am planning on going to see the DMB Caravan as well.  I might try to go for all three days, we'll see.

Alright I am going to take over driving from pops for a while.  Until the next post,

Checkit,
Steve

25 Songs to Sing at the End of the World

As some of you may know, the good people over at familyradio.com have determined from various bible passages that May 21^st is the beginning of Judgment Day.  Seeing as we are now less than a week until “horror and chaos beyond description”, some friends and I figured there would be no better way to welcome God to Earth than by throwing Him a party.  And what apocalyptic party would be complete without some appropriately themed music? The following is a list of Armageddon-themed music for you to hum while being saved or shamed:

Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Decemberists – Sons and Daughters

Prince – 1999

Dave Matthews Band – When the World Ends

REM – It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

Doors – The End

Aerosmith – I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

Nirvana - Lake of Fire

Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper

Julia Ward Howe – Battle Hymn of the Republic

Muse – Apocalypse Please

Monty Python – Always look on the Bright side of Life

CCR - Bad Moon Rising

Weird Al - Christmas at Ground Zero

Europe - The Final Countdown

David Bowie – Space Oddity

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

Bob Dylan - All Along the Watchtower

The Clash - London Calling

Jay Sean - 2012

Bob Marley – Redemption Song

Electric Light Orchestra – Fire on High

Will Smith – Will 2 K

Nena – 99 Luftballoons 

And for when the brimstone and fire comes…

Verdi – Requiem, Dies irae

Feel free to add more or post your favorite! Hope to see you next week!

UPDATED:
Couple more I can't face eternity without -
Tupac - Thugz Mansion
Bone Thugs N Harmony - Crossroads
Savage Garden - Truly, Madly, Deeply

I'm going to win the lottery

Hi there!

I am back in the sky writing to this blog again. I feel like I have done this a good amount of times, and it makes sense because up here I have a chance to sit and not be distracted by other things - except, of course for the inflight CDs and trivia games (I just came in second, if I had known that Kevin Richardson was a Backstreet boy I would've won, darn you K-Rich!).

Speaking of Rich... While I was in a cab on the way to the airport I was texting back and forth with Uncle Tom who informed me that Rich Rod was out as UMich head coach - something that really startled me. I'm a little uneasy about the whole situation to be honest. First off, I don't like when people bow to pressure -obviously there was a lot of pressure on the Dave Brandon and the athletic department up there to let him go, but I really thought they were going to give him one more year. And when you think about it, he has probably earned it - there was been improvement every year and our offense was ranked number 6 in the NCAA by the end of the season. Don't get me wrong, it was padded by our incredible stats at the beginning of the season, but you can't argue with that kind of success - something was going right.

At the same time though, something was obviously going wrong. Disgusting defense - something Michigan (and Big Ten) fans will not tolerate - as well as consecutive losses to our biggest rivals, and a Josh Groban breakdown did not help Mr. Rodriguez's cause. All in all when I think about it, it's a wash to me, but I sure hope they know what they are doing up there.

Enough about that, where am I?!? Well, as I said, I am in the air. I am not quite sure where - somewhere over the heartland on my way from New York to San Diego. The flight map is telling me it is 11:30am and I am 30 minutes from my final destination which I know to be completely false - that is, unless my flight is only an hour long and California has managed to change time zones since I stepped on the plane. This example really highlights a pretty useful rule of thumb when traveling: always trust your instincts. You're usually right. And though there are plenty of morons out there, if you are reading this you automatically don't fall into that category.

Why on earth are you going to San Diego, Steve? Well, I am going to the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting to show a bunch of librarians how awesome Tutor. com is, of course. Also, it is warm and sunny there. Any more brain busters?

Seeing as I am on a long flight, I am going to make this a mega-post and bring my discussion back to New York. Sunday I had the opportunity to have an "only in New York" moment. Sarah and I were heading up to Harlem to meet up with a friend for a jazz concert when hunger struck us. We weren't familiar with the area, but we knew a pizza place would be just around the corner and sure enough there one was. We hopped a cab and were dropped off at an apartment complex deep in Harlem. After ringing the doorbell for the apartment number, we were buzzed in and followed some clapping and tunes up the stairs to apartment 3F where an elderly black woman by the name of Marjorie Eliot welcomed us into her small little apartment filled with chairs and jazz enthusiasts. Apparently Ms. Eliot has been inviting strangers into her home every Sunday for the last umpteen years to "chill" and enjoy some music while celebrating the history of the genre. Sunday's celebration was in honor of a man by the name of Billy Taylor and stories were shared about his life and music was played from his inspiration. While the musicians were quite obviously amateurs (apart, of course, from the lovely Ms. Eliot on the keys) it was a very different and cool experience to have. Mark that one down.

It's pretty wild to know that stuff like that happens all across the city and I probably walk by it every single day. When walking through the city you can't help but have delusions of grandeur, which brings me to the title of this post: I am going to win the lottery. Yesterday I was having a series of extremely lucky events take place in and around my life and so I made it a point to buy a lottery ticket - the jackpot is up to a cool $280 million. If I win, and you read this, post a comment and I'll buy you something sweet.

Ok that's all for now. Catch you lata.

Stevo

New York New Years

Hi friends and family!

Wishing you all a very happy New Years from the heart of New York City.

For video updates of my Times Square experience visit: http://www.qik.com/schragoo

And for photos go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2961645&l=d61970f5ba&id=2207325 

 

A Midwesterner's Take on the Big Apple

1:24 AM - NEW YORK

Hello all!

I have about a half hour commute from work and today I made some observations about the New York City Rhythm.  They are in a somewhat logical order.  Hope you enjoy.

It’s fast. You knew that already.  But did you know it’s faster to take the stairs because you don’t have people stopping in front of you?  Keep on moving, baby.

Guilt is useless. Sorry Catholic upbringing, but being charitable to every person that asks you for money is just not smart.  And you just waste time if you dwell on it.

Whatever goes, goes.  If you can get away with it, do it.  When someone begins to care – then you need to worry.

Everything is planned out. From where you eat to how you get there. Your steps are (subconsciously) planned 7 in advance, and when you walk through Grand Central during rush hour it’s amazing how effortlessly you can navigate the tides of people.

There are so many people!  You knew that, too. But did you know you can’t phone a cab because there is probably one passing by already?

Doormen are necessary.  Who else would Lenny Briscoe or Ed Green talk to when you disappear? They might be the only ones who notice you missing.

There is always someone worse off than you.  It’s really nice to be reminded everyday that your life is really not bad at all.

There is always someone better off than you. This actually helps keep you in check and live inside of your means.  You aren’t Donald Trump, buddy.

Constant changes.  If you want something done, do it yourself, pay someone else to do it, or shut up about it.  Which brings me to…

Whining is not acceptable. No complaining.  No one wants to hear it.  You could be in a subway car full of people for 20 minutes and not hear a word because unless you have something worthwhile to say, no one wants to hear it. 

Street performers are generally pretty good.  If you are entertaining, you’ll make some money.  Just stay out of the way. And don’t ever say “I’m sorry to interrupt” because you aren’t.

Lots of stuff happens here.  Including movies.  It’s cool to hear street names and actually be able to place them in your head.

And last but not least...

The rent is too damn high.

God Bless America. And you.  I'm going to go watch an eclipse.

I live in New York!

2:47 pm  EST – NEW YORK

Hi family and friends!

As I sit in my new apartment on this lovely New York Saturday, I can’t help but think this is a perfect time to find anything to distract me from football.  I was out earlier today sporting my Maize and Blue and garnered a few comments from Michigan and Ohio State fans alike.  Since kickoff though I have been holed up in my apartment and I don’t have any intentions of leaving right now.

Thus, a blog post.

I don’t think I have posted this yet, but I LIVE IN NEW YORK!  The Big Apple! The Empire State!  The City That Never Sleeps!

After about a month in the city, I am still very much enthralled by its every nook and cranny.   I walk to work with my head to the sky staring at the Chrysler building and the get off the metro with the hundreds of thousands of others making the commute each morning at Grand Central.  Everything keeps moving, it’s difficult to stop – which is why this holiday weekend has been a welcomed pause in the action. 

A lot of the people made the trek home, but I was able to spend some time with Sarah and some of her newfound city friends.  We had ourselves an orphans’ Thanksgiving and it was turkey-tastic. Plenty of food, football, EUCHRE, poker, and lots of laughs.  While the traditional family part of the holiday was noticeably absent, I was fortunate to have the next best things.  Also, even though I wasn’t at home for the holiday, it sounds like my family wasn’t really either – my brother Danny was admitted (and now readmitted) to the hospital for an abscess in his throat and is now undergoing surgery to remove his tonsils.  Poor little bugger.  He’s been taking a physical beating since being diagnosed with Mono a week or two ago.  I hope he starts feeling better so he can keep his grades up and get into a great school like the one his oldest brother went to.

What else have I been up to?  Well, I got a job.  I work as the Sales and Marketing Assistant for the world-leader in online tutoring.  Our headquarters are down near 40^th and Madison.  I have been catching up with some old friends that live in the city, and have already gone to see a few shows!  Sarah took me to go see the 5^th Anniversary of the Jersey Boys on Broadway, I went by myself to go see my buddy Dave Matthews and his band perform at Madison Square Garden, and this coming week I will be going to go see DJ David Guetta spin some tracks at a local club which should be a lot of fun. 

Also, I had the opportunity to go see Ellis Island and head to the “Top of the Rock” with Sarah, her mother and grandmother.  There are never-ending things to do in this city and I have every intention of taking advantage of as many as I can.

I also have intentions of taking it easy and trying to find the right balance of work, play and rest.  It is certainly poised to be a grand adventure and I hope to share it with many of you – I currently live with another girl by the name of Sarah (I call her Sarah Roomy) who is a special education teacher in the southern part of Manhattan.  She helped me finish my first homework assignment last week which was to write a post for my company’s blog. Check it out here. We also have a couch with your name on it so get on over here!   

Thank you FTC!

In the spring of 1998 I had the luck of skipping a day of school and attending my first political rally with members of United Auto Workers at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

I was twelve years old when I delivered this speech. I have notes handwritten on the side reminding me to use hand gestures and say things like 'good morning' and 'Welcome to the UAW's take your child to work day' so that I wouldn't forget.

It was also the day that I stood in the center one of the world's most historically industrialized cities and declared with 100% confidence that "[children's] opinions matter" and "that young people are capable of helping make this world a better place to live" .

I still believe those words. And I ended my speech that day confident that I could present my opinions clearly to anyone – regardless of age, gender, or sex.  

Four years after my grade school FTC days I applied for admission to The University of Michigan. I wrote one of my essays on our group and how much we were able to accomplish. To this day when talking about my life principles I cite my time in grades 5-8 as having a significant impact on who I am as a person.

Kids Can Free the Children has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. It has shaped who I am as a person and will undoubtedly continue to be a point of reference for myself and my identity as I continue on to other things. 

Thank you to all who have made this possible and I look forward to continuing working with you in a new capacity!