Everybody Loves Raymond; literally.

For many years, I have listened with great intrigue to my parents talking about shows from their generation that were unforgettable: I Love Lucy, M.A.S.H., The Honeymooners, etc, etc, etc. They recalled specific episodes, specific scenes, specific lines as clearly as the day they watched them. I always wondered what memorable TV creations I would be able to pass on to my children; what shows would capture my attention not only for their entertainment value, but for their brilliantly creative writing, casting, and acting? At least for now, I will have one show to pass on: Everybody Loves Raymond. There are innumerable reasons to love this show, but the most important reasons may not be apparently obvious to the naked eye, but only to the inquisitive and inquiring mind. For starters, the show was centered around the typical life of an American family. Certainly, it was exaggerated in many instances, but the basic foundation, the basic premise of the entire series, was one that the American population could easily relate to. The simple yet comedic story lines of everyday life is what fascinates the audience, for the simple fact that they can empathize with the characters and their fallacies and daily problems. It was a series without a purpose, without a direction. It was this enigmatic plot-line that made ELR so popular nationwide. The show also maintained its integrity throughout its entire 9 seasons. Sure, there were many plots, sub-plots, protaganists, antagonists, and awkward relationships among the characters, but the show never lost sight of its true mission: nothing. While relationships developed and story-lines deepened, it never was unrooted from its original intention; to make the American audience say "Yea, that's my family." The laughs never ceased. They just altered. ELR also did something that no other sitcom seemed capable of: modest sensitivity and low-key life lessons. While Frank seemed to be at his worst, he occassionally showed some emotion, which made him just slightly less despicable. For all of Ray's constant neglect and disregard towards his brother, he did express his true love for his sibling, no matter how awkwardly. The same can be said for his relationship with his wife, Debra. The same can also be said for Frank's relationship with his wife, Marie, and his 2 sons. The show also modestly was able to display small life-lessons along the way; the most important, over the 9 seasons, being that no matter the adversity or the words or actions taken, the family was still one; would always be one. Finally, and most certainly not least, the show dissolved at the right time: its peak. The writers, along with Ray Romano(who played the main character Ray Barone) painfully admitted that the writers were running short on ideas for the show and wanted to end with integrity; to drag the show on would do the audience an injustice and the writers and actors a disservice. The foresight to quit while you are ahead is a tough decision to make; with greed usually overtaking rationality in the end. For this show, however, and these writers and actors, the decision was clear. Needless to say, they made the right one. "Everybody Loves Raymond was a show that kept you laughing from beginning to end. It was brilliantly written, and just as equally well performed by the actors. There was never a dull moment. It captured your attention and fulfilled you comedically and emotionally. It was sensitive yet hysterical; witty yet honest; original yet creative. It was, truthfully, a masterpiece of comedy that you must see for yourself" Yeah, that's probably how I'll explain it to my kids. Thank you ELR.

Live To Learn and you will Learn To Live

I recently had a conversation at work with a colleague of mine. Under the guise of anonymity, he divulged to me a few things about his life. First let me say this, however; the man never stops smiling, laughing, or just having fun in general. In fact, if you catch him at any given moment and ask him how he is doing, his response 99 percent of the time will be "Solubrious!"(which, by the way, means 'happy, gay, joyful, ecstatic, etc). He recently found out that he had a tumor in his right leg. He has been undergoing radiation treatment for several months and just recently ceased those treatments. He was on the road to recovery when his leg became infected and he now must enter chemotherapy to treat the tumor. He leaves tomorrow for Pittsburgh. When I told him that I hope he makes it back soon and hoped for a quick recovery, his response was "Ahh I'll be fine. I hope there's pretty nurses there to take care of me!" We shared a laugh, but I will never forget this moment. He has lost 2 of his 3 daughters to cancer. For all intents and purposes, he should be miserable. On the contrary, however, he is happier then anyone in our office. The whole time we talked about his upcoming therapy, he was smiling and joking. He never lets anything get in his way. He feels life is too short to worry about regret; to muddle over mistakes; to waste away life not living. His life is a great example of how someone who has had so much personal anguish can live their life. Live happy. Smile everyday. Laugh often. His story has reminded me of how I take many things in my life for granted; great friends, family, a wonderful girfriend, and good health. We should never take these things for granted. Live life to the fullest; with a smile on your face the whole way. LIVESTRONG.

Is Your Child's High School Education worth $142,000???

Recently, the Los Angeles County School District constructed a post-modern school facility. The mammoth structure houses students in grades K-12 in the Robert F. Kennedy School District; 4200 students in all. It has 3 full size athletic fields, a Taj Mahal study area, and auditoriums that surpass the technology of major universities. All of this sits on a sprawling 23 acres of land. The price tag? $578,000,000. While this price tag seems a monstrosity to the taxpayer, it could very well be justified under America's continuing decline in student intelligence across the board compared with European and Asian superpowers. However, in light of California's huge budget deficit and the subsequent layoff of thousands of public school teachers, this futuristic construction pet project of LA County seems, at the least, outlandishly excessive. The irony lies in the notion that you are laying off teachers who would teach students in the new facility to BUILD the facility. The school district's board claims the money was raised not through property taxes or mills, but through bond money claimed through the state, which could only be used for the construction of a new school building. To further complicate the matter, the district claims the voters of LA County approved this proposition in a recent election. The bottom line though is this: Is your child's high school education really worth $142,000? This is the amount per student the school district is spending in the new facility. We many not know the answer for a decade or more until the current student body passes through the facility and out into the job market. Only time will tell if such an ambitious project is for the student's benefit, or for the greedy members of the school board and county.

My 6 rules for a great relationship

Over a year has passed since I began dating the greatest girl in the world. I have been the happiest guy ever during that timeframe, and so the other day I was thinking of what makes me and her so happy together and also what allows us to really click and make it through all the ups and downs. I have compiled a list of what I believe are some of the most important tips to remember if you want to have a successful, fun, and just all-around awesome relationship:

1. BE HONEST. Some people take this one for granted, but it truly is the bedrock, the foundation, of every good relationship. You cannot build a relationship on lies, because it will come back to haunt you. Plus, what kind of relationship really exists between the two of you if you are never honest with each other? The more openly honest you are with your significant other, the more relaxed and fun your relationship will be.

2. TRUST THEM. This one is so very important, but again gets overlooked or taken for granted in relationships. I cannot tell you how many couples I've seen that spend entire days and WEEKS fighting over what each other was doing on a particular night, who they went out with, who they were talking to, what they talked about, why they were hanging out with those particular people, etc, etc, etc, ETC. It is almost impossible to describe to you how much easier your relationship becomes when you have full trust in your significant other. And that all starts with finding the person who is right for you. Once you do that, the trust factor will naturally reveal itself. My girlfriend has tons of guy friends. I like to go out with my buddies and have a few drinks on the weekends. We don't let that get in the way of what truly matters, which is how much we care about each other.

3. SINCERELY CARE ABOUT WHO YOU'RE WITH: Some relationships(actually alot) are built solely on physically attractiveness or one-night stands that became long-term. Relationships built on sex and physical appearance never last because after awhile you start looking for something more out of your significant other, and then you realize that your feelings were not genuine but only superficial. It is so important to truly care about who you are with. Anything less than that is not a relationship; it is just feeding your primal instincts, which someone who truly cares about you would not appreciate in the first place. If you find someone who you are passionate about, it will naturally allow your relationship to be more fun and laid-back.

4. HAVE FUN! Have you ever run into that couple that really kinda keeps to themselves? They don't go out much, don't have alot of friends, and really never experience what life has to offer. Sure, these relationships may last, but have you ever seen either of them smile? Chances are you haven't. If you are just going through the motions in a relationship because you have fear of change, they it's not worth your time or energy. Go do stuff together! It could be mini-golfing, water-skiing, or just playing a board game or having a dinner with friends. It doesn't matter what it is as long as you are together and having fun doing it. You can't find something unique and different to do 365 days a year(or maybe you can!), but make your relationship interesting! This will relieve the tension between the two of you and in your own individual lives. Couples who have fun are happier, and this will trickle down to every facet in your relationship.

5. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT BE PERFECT. Even I am guilty of this one. I consider our relationship to be very unique in the sense that we don't get in arguments or fights; we have nothing to fight about. But to believe that your relationship will never have any speed bumps or brick walls is the ultimate form of nieveity. Just because you care deeply about each other does not mean that you will agree with each other's decisions or beliefs 100 percent of the time; it just doesn't happen. No couple is completely symmetrical; if they were, life would be boring. Slight differences allows you to keep an open mind and allow room for adjustment in your relationship. There will be fights, there will be disagreements, but if you have a solid foundation and truly care about each other you will work it out and help each other through the rough spots. Don't lose sleep over small tiffs or disagreements, they are going to happen. The important thing is that you are able to overcome the small stuff and rectify the situation for the better of the relationship. Passion sees through all, even differences between the two of you.

6. HAVE YOUR OWN LIFE! GET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! This final piece of advice seems completely counter-intuitive to what I am trying to get across in this post. However, I must say this is one of the most important pieces of advice I could give to you. My girlfriend is a HUGE part of my life; I think about her constantly, and in fact I wish she was here with me right now because I miss her alot, but that does not mean she is my ENTIRE life. In order to have a healthy, successful, and fun relationship, you have to be able to be apart from each other at times and do other things. Spend time with your friends, join clubs and organizations, take up hobbies, participate in local events or volunteer in the community. Successful relationships are all about BALANCE. If you spend all your time together with each other, you end up fighting or becoming bored or just not appreciating each other as much as you should. I truly believe that because me and my girlfriend both are mature and responsible people who care deeply about each other but also are able to balance it out with other things, that we are able to have a relationship that is above and beyond what either of us thought possible just a year ago. So, go ahead and schedule time with your friends, or just time with yourself to read or something. A little time apart will go a long way to bringing you closer together.

So, those are my tips for a long, successful relationship. They are by no means exhaustive, but I beleive they provide a good foundation for our future together. This is what works for us, but you may have your own tips and beliefs on the subject. I wake up every day and ask myself what I can improve on to make our relationship better; chances are, these tips are never far from my mind when I do.

Announcement of party at voting polls should be condemned

One's party affiliation is equivalent to one's religious beliefs or one's salary or age. It is information that can be voluntarily given to someone else, but is not information that should generally be asked for by a stranger. Yet, in Richland Township on the day of voting, this is exactly what happens. Poll workers insist on calling out your party affiliation after you have signed your name as a confirmed voter. I find it appalling that everyone in the entire room is now privy to your political standing. What right do the poll-workers have to make such an outlandish remark? I don't believe there is any rhyme or reason to why they do this other than the possible notion that they are attempting to get a head-count on the number of voters who come out for each party, for logisitical and statistical purposes. However, this is not a valid reason in my opinion for calling out your party affiliation so everyone can hear. And even though I have been through this process on many occassions now, every time I hear "Bradley C Peters, Democrat", I feel like someone has just ripped my clothes off and I'm standing naked in the room. You are left feeling helpless and deprived of one of the few privacies you are allowed to have. I urge Richland Township officials to please review this vile practice as it serves no practical purpose and only serves to anger and embarass the voting community. We already have extremely low voter turnout at the polls in our area, do not alienate the loyal voters who remain for some stubbornly ignorant act as calling out a person's party affiliation. It is tasteless, classless, and should remain a private matter unless the individual chooses to make it public.

"You never know how to deal with college until its over"

This was the quote that one of my mom's co-workers told her to tell me before I left for my first semester as a freshman at Penn State-Altoona. Of course I didn't believe it. I knew it may take a year, maybe even two, to get settled into the college routine, but I was wrong. Finally, in my last semester, his words ring true. What is funny though is that it just doesn't apply to only schoolwork, but also your personal involvement with clubs, the university, and your social life. Maybe it has partly to do with the fact that you want to cram everything in in 15 weeks and enjoy it as much as possible, but I truly believe that you don't figure it all out until the end. This is mainly because the college learning environment is just that: a learning environment. As you grow and mature into an adult, so do your habits, beliefs, and actions. You adapt and respond to situations very differently as you learn how to adjust to life on your own without the constant watching eyes of your parents or high school friends. Life is what you make it in college and sometimes it can deal you a harsh blow, but that is all part of the learning experience. You learn from failures AND successes and adjust yourself accordingly. Maybe that's why they made it 4 years; who knows. What I do know is that in the end only you can control you, which is why most people walk out after 4 years changed in some way, hopefully for the better. It's hard to imagine this transformation as a nieve freshman, but as a reflecting senior I can honestly say that there is truth to what my mom's friend said. Not to say that I regret not knowing how to deal with everything from the beginning, because I believe the fun and exciting part of college is being on your own AND learning to deal with all the change, good and bad. Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are right in the middle of it all: all the studying, partying, friends, and just college life in general. But I do believe that after 4 years of learning, you will walk out a better person in at least some aspects; or at least more mature and knowledgeable. Maybe its not that you finally learn how to deal with college after 4 years, but maybe after 4 years you come to the realization that you have changed, and changed for the better. Whatever the reasoning, one thing is for sure. College is a unique time that is uniquely yours. Take it by the horns and run with it. And always remember to live it YOUR way, and after those 4 years u will have learned how to deal. I have.

Music appreciation in every form.....

Last night I had a chance to observe the Penn State acapella group known as the Pennharmonics. They were accompanied by fellow acapella groups from the University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers University. While it has always been a lifelong goal of mine to be able to be a part of one of these singing chorals, I realize that my voice just isn't quite what they would be looking for lol. However, it is a musical form which is harmonious, eloquent, and really moves me in ways that are unique. I have a passion for the harmony, tone, and rhythm acapella groups can bring to audiences without the accompanyment of any outside instrumentals or digital recordings. I think what draws me to it is how just a group of people can turn silence into song with just the right pitch of voices over the right group of people. There is just something about how they can all hit a note in tune together that just sits well with me i guess. But acapella isn't the only form of music that should be appreciated. All musical art forms, whether concert band, jazz ensembles, or opera should be openly appreciated for the talents that the performers possess. Every genre has its ability to entrance people in the wonderful world of sound, and each individual's tastes should be widely accepted and respected by all. I hope one day that I am able to pursue my musical tastes in something similar to an acapella group, but for now I will sit back, enjoy, and watch as the talented musicians of the Pennharmonics take me into another world of harmony and peace......