Flip Flopper

Well, I held off as long as I could, but the evil empire that is Twitter finally sucked me in. As you may recall I have been staunchly anti-twitter since it's inception (not to name the best movie of the summer or anything). My take was simple. 1.) Who cares what you're doing right now? 2.) I'm not really that interested in the lives of celebrities. And 3.) Isn't this the same thing as a Facebook status update?

Now I held steadfast to this dissenting opinion until I slightly began to waver in late August. My fall from grace (sorry to steal your phrase Tiger) was the result of a two-pronged attack. First and foremost, was the persuasive efforts of the powers that be at the fine company where I am employed. In a departmental meeting in late August we were all strongly encouraged to join Twitter-mania. Management essentially told us that if we weren't on Twitter we were missing out. Once the initial shock of realizing that I would have to reconsider my position on the social media website wore off a few producers chimed in and mentioned that they get information for their shows on Twitter long before it shows up on our internal news wire. It was at this point that I knew deep down that this siege would be one that I could not endure much longer.

Secondly was the persistent peer pressure (what up alliteration) from some of my closest friends. All throughout the summer they told me that I had to join Twitter. It's awesome. I'm missing out. They would text me funny tweets by professional athletes, etc. etc. I brushed all of this aside for as long as I could, but whether you know it or not, your friends can convince you to do just about anything.

I held out from joining the site for another month purely based on principle (I said I was anti-Twitter, I can't change my mind now), but earlier this month I registered an account (@DanStanczyk if you want to follow me). Within an hour I received a text from my buddy Frank over at ThePopCultureIniative that said, "I knew you'd cave. Welcome to Twitter. It's a Brave New World."

Of course I realize that in the grand scheme of things I'm way late to the party. In fact, as far as fads go I'm almost certainly a laggard, but I'm ok with it.



Obviously I'm still new to the site and I'm still getting by bearings, but in the short time that I've been tweeting (some people just follow, but I'm way to expressive for that) I've come to notice some positives and negatives. FYI- of my roughly 60 tweets the majority have been sports related (surprise, surprise). Despite what my friends told me, Twitter, while definitely a useful tool, isn't the greatest thing in the world. So here is a quick pro's and con's list, if you will.

Pro's

- Twitter makes browsing the internet 10 times easier. Instead of wasting your time aimlessly searching for news and articles that you might find interesting Twitter puts those articles at your fingertips. Deciding who to follow is key in achieving this bonus. If you follow your favorite writers, reporters, magazines, etc. they will often include links in their tweets to articles that you will enjoy. In this respect, Twitter consolidates your web browsing and brings it right to you.

- Twitter rewards timing and ingenuity. Demonstrating creativity and humor in your musings will get the attention of your friends and others that share your interests. The key though is timing. Twitter time is very accelerated. For instance, if you're watching a sporting event and tweeting about what you see, the window for you to make an insightful tweet is very limited. In a few minutes everyone else watching that game will have moved on to the next play, the next quarter, etc.

- As shallow as it may seem, Twitter gives you a glimpse inside the mind of the very celebrities that our culture glorifies. This kind of access to our stars and starlettes is unprecedented. We get their thoughts, their opinions, and things that they find interesting instantaneously. At the very least this is both mildly intriguing and entertaining.

- This one might only apply for egomaniacs like me, but Twitter gives you a platform. Everyone wants their voice to be heard somehow and someway and Twitter allows for this to happen. Sure it's not a huge platform, but it's a start. It's a way to share your ideas and connect with others you may not otherwise have connected with.

Con's

- The immediacy of Twitter is crazy. To borrow the famous line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." That pretty much sums up Twitter right there. It's hard to keep up with the tweets of everyone that you follow and it's hard to find the window to tweet effectively.

- Along the same lines, Twitter forces you to try to be creative. You feel the pressure to conjure up a witty statement about whatever is happening at that moment. Thinking is hard and nobody likes doing it and the timing issue only exacerbates the problem.

- Once you first tweet there's no going back. Almost immediately you feel as if you have to keep up with everybody else. It's such a high paced environment that right after you tweet something you are almost already thinking about what you'll tweet next. My unnamed cousin, who is not on Twitter, recently told me that he has a pet aquarium...on his iPhone. He said he routinely has to feed his virtual fish and clean his virtual aquarium. Of course I told him that that is the dumbest thing of all time, but Twitter is almost the same way. You just feel like you have to feed your fish and tweet your little heart away and that you have to clean the tank and read everyone else's tweets.

- That all said, as pathetic as it is, Twitter also reminds you how inconsequential you really are. I'm wasting all this time thinking of creative ways to express my thoughts on trivial matters and no one really cares what I have to say. Until you become famous enough that your twitter account has to be verified (my friend Frank's goal) your tweets don't really matter all that much.

All Aboard

Let me be blunt. If you don't watch Mad Men, you're crazy. It's without a doubt the best drama on television (back to back Emmy wins). The Season 4 finale aired this past Sunday and although there was no "they tied up all the loose ends" closure-like feel or textbook cliffhanger going into next year's Season 5, I am more than satisfied. It was a very complete season. Perhaps the show's best since Season 1.

For fans of the show, here is an introspective interview about Season 4 with the show's creator Matthew Weiner.

Again, for those of you that haven't had hopped on board the Mad Men Express, you're crazy.

Here's a few reasons why you should Netflix (has Blockbuster gone bankrupt yet?) Seasons 1-3 and anxiously await Season 4's release.

1.) In case you're not aware (and it's almost impossible for you not to be), Mad Men is set in New York in the 1960's. The name of the show is a reference to the occupation of the characters. They work in the golden age of advertising on Madison avenue. Now this is all fine, but why should you care? Well, because the historical context of the show gives us twentysomethings a look at the world that our parents grew up in. The stories and situations offer a fleeting glance as to how they were raised, shaped, and molded. If you aren't at least mildly intrigued in discovering clues at to why your parents and grandparents are the way that they are then maybe Mad Men isn't for you.

2.) Men and women alike can enjoy the show because they will no doubt be able to resonate with one of the characters.

For men- Don Draper, the show's protaganist, is an alpha male. Women want him and men want to be him. He drinks all day (literally), sleeps with whoever he wants, and still crushes it in the boardroom. He is a creative genius who understands people better than they understand themselves. For his many strong, useful attributes, he is also very flawed. The drinking is just the half of it. He also has a dark past that haunts him constantly.

For women- There is a strong female character in secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olsen. She is a young, motivated woman trying to make it in a man's world. Her struggle for acceptance in the world of advertising is symbolic of the women's rights movement. You know, Rosie the Riveter, Betty Friedan, and all that mumbo jumbo.



In fact, Don and Peggy have the best male/female (platonic) relationship on television. It's part father/daughter, part creative counsel, part genuine friends, part reflection of self, and part teacher/pupil.

3.) Granted I'm probably more of a deep thinker than most, but this is the only show that has made me actually pick up a pen and paper to write down some of the dialogue (this started during Season 4). Some lines are just that well put and thought provoking.

For instance, perhaps the most seminal line from the show occured in the Season 3 finale (Spoiler alert) in an exchange between Don and Peggy.

(Peggy's apartment)

Don: I've taken you for granted and I've been hard on you, but only because I see you as an extension of myself. And you're not.

Peggy: Well thank you for stopping by.

Don: Do you know why I don't want to work for McCann?

Peggy: Because you can't work for anyone else.

Don: No. Because there are people out there who buy things, people like you and me. And something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that's very valuable.

Peggy: Is it?

Don: With you or without you, I'm moving on. And I don't know if I can do it alone. Will you help me?

Peggy: What if I say no? You'll never speak to me again.

Don: No, I will spend the rest of my life trying to hire you.


Lines from Season 4 that I wrote down:
"Is that what you want? or is that what people expect of you?"

"Since when is forgiveness a better quality than loyalty?"

"People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be."

"When a man walks into a room he brings his whole life with him."

"You always say, "If you don't like what they're saying about you change the conversation."

"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. That's the best part, right? I've got the rest of my life ahead of me. And so do you."

"There is no fresh start. Lives carry on."

I'm in Awkwardville and I'm the Mayor

For being someone that excels in most areas of communication and generally has a way with words, whether they be spoken or written, I'm actually an incredibly awkward person. I'm a world class blogger (clearly), I have a degree in Communications, and I work in radio. Communicating effectively as a speaker, writer, and listener is my livelihood. So when it comes to writing an email, telling a story, or selling an idea I'm usually lights out, but for whatever reason there are simple, everyday episodes in which I consistently struggle.

Outside of talking to girls sober here are 6 situations (and there are no doubt plenty others) where much like the most interesting man in the world I'm the most awkward man in the world:

1.) The hug/handshake/kiss hello- I think many guys and girls my age struggle with this one, especially when it comes to meeting a friend's mom/dad. Much like Ben Stiller in Meet The Parents I never know what the appropriate move is. A handshake is always the safe bet, but if I throw my hand out there and my friend's mom extends her arms for a hug we are headed straight for awkward city. I'm even awkward in these situations with my aunts and friend's moms that I know well. Whenever the kiss on the cheek enters the game I'm, to borrow a soccer term, all 6's and 7's. I imagine that this is also a tough spot for a girl meeting a (boy)friend's dad. Is a hug the proper etiquette? Is a kiss on the cheek the way to go? Probably due to my long standing awkwardness in these situations I've long said that the adult should dictate the proper level of formality. They should make the first move.

Well it's not only with adults where I'm akward in hug/handshake/kiss hello situations. When it comes to girls I know from highschool and college I usually just play it safe and go for the hug, but sometimes problems arise. For example, I still don't know when the kiss on the cheek is the right move, so I generally avoid it, but when a female goes for it I feel compelled to do the same and it almost never goes down smoothly. Furthermore, let's say that I see a group of 6 girls from highschool or college that I haven't seen in a while. Obviously I'm closer with some of them than I am with others. I've probably even spoken to a few of them recently. But there's always one or two girls that I never really knew well, haven't kept in touch with, never really liked, etc. So after hugging 4 or 5 girls, do I hug the 1-2 that I don't know as well? I think so, but when I do I feel like I'm overstepping my bounds of familiarity.

2.) Ending phone call conversations- Don't ask me why, but I have trouble getting off the phone with people. My phone conversations seem to drag on like you wouldn't believe. I wouldn't say that it feels like a forced conversation because this usually happens with people I know quite well, but I noticed this a few years back. At first I thought it was the 1-2 people that it happened with, but eventually I came to realize that the problem was most likely on my end. This realization has made me even more awkward when trying to end phone conversations because now I'm thinking about it the whole time I'm on the phone. After a certain point, I start planning an exit strategy just to avoid the extra long conversation and I end up awkwardly trying to end the conversation and then continuing to talk for an additional 5-10 minutes.

3.) Walking towards someone in a narrow hallway/aisle- This is the worst for me. I'm so bad at these situations that it's painful. No joke 9 out of 10 times I'm in a situation like this I take a step in the same direction that the person walking towards me does. I then make the most awkward sound of all time before cutting back in the other direction to avoid unnecessary physical contact. That awkward sound is, "oop." Like the singular version of the word "oops." The sound must come out of my voicebox instinctively because I'm ashamed everytime I say it and have been unsuccessfully trying to eradicate it from my life. This happens to me in hallways, pathways outside, supermarket aisles, etc. FYI- my go to move in these situations is to go to the right (because here in America we drive on the right side of the road), but clearly that's not working.

4.) Getting to an all way stop at the same time as another car- I used to thrive in these situations back when I was a daring 18-year-old. As a sports fan I assumed that the tie went to the runner (me) and I would just go for it. I don't know what's happened to me in the past 4-6 years, but apparently I've become a little soft behind the wheel. Now I only get aggressive and assume the tie goes to me when I'm in a rush. Othertimes I play it passively and just wait for the other car to go. Unfortunately more often than not they are doing the same thing and waiting for me to go. After a certain amount of time I get the picture and figure out that they are waiting for me, so I start to go, but the other car usually has figured out that I was waiting for them, so they start to go as well. Then we have a bad dance routine of starting and stopping, until one of us just goes.

Also, just to clarify, I've never done this, but flashing the high beams at someone is like saying, "You go ahead," correct?

5.) Giving dap- Along with being one of the most awkward kids alive, I'm also probably one of the whitest kids you know. They sort of go hand in hand really. When it comes to giving dap (I fear attempting to explain this because it will probably be an awkward explanation), or when two guys take (some version of) a handshake and turn it into a quick embrace, my whiteness shines through. In fact, one time I met 3 Boston College basketball players (all black) and they literally had to give me lessons.

6.) My posture- If you've spent a considerable amount of time with me you probably know that I have awkward posture. First of all, I'm a big time sloucher, which isn't really awkward, but it's something I'm trying to work on, so writing this is a nice reminder for me. I'm an awkward sitter/stander, or so I've been told. I often sit (comfortably) with my knees touching (I think). I have bony elbows that have caused a friend to go out of his way to avoid sitting on the right of me. Also, when standing I never know what to do with my hands/arms. Crossed? In my pockets? At my side? Nothing feels right.

Batter Up

There are obviously a lot of things that I like about sports. I mean, it's hard not to like the drama, the competition, and the performance. Professional athletes are just on a whole nother level both physically (I can't dunk or hit a curveball) and mentally (no chance I'd make a free throw in a packed arena). That said, they are also human beings just like you and me (do I have to credit US Weekly?). It's not often that we get to see the human side of athletes, so when we do I relish the opportunity.

This is one of the many reasons that I love entrance songs. Entrance songs give athletes a chance to show a little bit of their personality. Baseball players (hitters and closers) either pick a song that they enjoy or one that pumps them up. This selection either tells you a little bit about each player or makes you wonder about them. Does he like rap? Oh, a country song. Is he from the South? Can't say I'm surprised that the player from the Domincan Republic went with the Salsa beat. Every so often an athlete and their entrance song sort of become one. What I mean by that is that when I hear the song I think of the athlete. For example, when I hear "Numb/Encore" I think of A-Rod. Also, when I hear "Enter Sandman" I look around to see if Mariano Rivera is going to come running out of nowhere.

This glimpse into the mind of a professional athlete is fascinating to me. In fact, back when I was the host of my own low/no budget college radio show I used to ask callers what song they would pick to walk up to the plate to.

Now naturally I've also long contemplated what song I would choose if I was walking up to the plate or coming in to close a game and on last night's episode of Eastbound and Down Kenny Powers stole the song that was the leader in the clubhouse for me....



I don't know if it's my love for America, my admiration for Hulk Hogan, or what, but that song has a weird power over me. I turn into an animal whenever I hear it. It's hard to explain, but I've done some crazy things while that song has been playing.

While that song would no doubt be my pick if I was a professional baseball player (although after last night I'd have to reconsider because some of the luster is definitely gone), I did have the opportunity to pick an entrance song back in college. No, I wasn't on the baseball team, although I did successfully convince at least a dozen people that I was. My intramural softball team (The Sal Ciaccio Memorial All-Stars) had walk up songs (as well as music to play inbetween innings). As the manager of the team, I asked each player to pick a walk up song of their choosing (some changed for each game) and then I arranged the songs according to the batting order on a CD to make it easy on the girls who sat in the stands and played them for us.


Yes, those are champagne bottles

Obviously it's key to select a song that has a cool opening. I mean, I cued up the chorus for some people's selections, but I think it's best to stick with the actual beginning of the song. That said, after dabbling with a few songs I went with this '80's classic.


(:16 to :28)

Other songs I considered:

Nirvana- Come As You Are- Not only do I like the beginning of the song, but I also love how the title and lyrics seem appropriate for the situation. In essence the batter is saying that they are coming to the plate as they are. This is also why I lovvved when Manny Ramirez came to the plate to Ready or Not by The Fugees.

Aerosmith- Sweet Emotion - Just a cool beginning.

Guns 'N Roses- Sweet Child O' Mine- I probably would have went this song if our meathead cleanup hitter (love ya Hoff) didn't already choose it.

Other songs that my Sal C's teammates went with:

Ram Jam- Black Betty

Dr. Dre- Bang Bang

Kanye West- Homecoming

Billy Squier- The Stroke

Cam'ron- Suck It or Not (1:52- 2:03)

Wisin y Yandel- Rakata (:24-:38)


So now I ask you. If you were a professional baseball player (or intramural/company softball player) what song would you walk up to the plate to?