Wednesday June 24th (2)

Dear Readers,
Congratulations, you are the lucky reader of today's second Daily Routine. I'm that bored. Nothing either on television or on onDemand television was even remotely entertaining so before finishing up some books, I decided to write today's second installment of the Daily Routine. I have struggled daily with how to entertain myself and one source of such entertainment remains to disappoint: Sporcle. This magical website has quizzes on every topic imaginable to test your most worthless knowledge of anything in the world. My favorite Sporcle quiz as of late has been the "Countries of Africa" quiz, in which the player must name the 53 nations of the continent of Africa. My best score? Three minutes and twenty five seconds. And yes, that's a challenge. But besides making my geography knowledge superior to yours, this quiz also familiarizes me with some of the lesser known countries on the planet. And that brings us to our second discussion of the day: AFRICAN COUNTRIES THAT YOU DON'T KNOW



Today we will focus on the nation of The Gambia. This miniscule country on Africa's west coast is completely surrounded by Senegal except for a few miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut, The Gambia was formed as an English Colony and designed to give them control of 200 miles of The Gambia River. The country extends roughly ten miles from the north and south riverbanks of the waterway that makes up 11% of their country's land mass. The Gambia gained independence from Britain in 1965 and was declared a republic in 1970. The country's motto is "Progress, Peace, Prosperity." And with a ranking of 160 out of 179 on the Human Development Index, it's amazing that it only fails at two of these aspirations. The government is accused of limiting and restricing free speech. But then again, what country hasn't been accused of that? But atleast they have a stable ruler. President AlHaji Yahya Jammeh claims to have a herb and banana cure for AIDS, threatens to behead gays, decreed that only he may drive through a giant archway commemorating his 1994 coup, and has accused citizens of sorcery and witchcraft. So there you have it, The Gambia "Pugnacious, Poor, Paralyzed.
-ROF

Daily Food: Ben and Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream

Daily Activity: Double-Blogging

Daily Song: In The Limelight (B.I.G. Remix) - J. Period

Daily Attire: Boat Shoes

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Stunning Victory by U.S. Soccer Team Was Miracle on Grass

Daily News No One Should Care About: Gov. Sanford Admits Affair and Explains Disappearance

Daily Life Goal: NOT Visit The Gambia

Daily Complaint: Rain

Daily Drink: Limeade

Daily Television: CSPAN

Daily Movie: Superbad

Daily Book: The Appeal

Wednesday June 24th

Good Morning. Or Something,
It's 4:39 am EDT, and, as I have been for a few weeks, I am wide awake looking for something to do. It was between writing the Daily Routine or watching Senator Mitch McConnell talk to an empty room about Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor. I chose the best of both worlds and am now watching CSPAN. Welcome to the illustrious and eventful life of a blogger. Speaking of illustrious and eventful lives, American cable television has once again sunk to a new low. And this brings us to our Daily Topic: NYC PREP



After perusing the Boston Globe this morning, shortly after waking up (2:30 pm), I stumbled upon a review of Bravo's latest programming: NYC Prep. Bravo is known for having incredibly tasteful and stimulating shows such as: Real Houswives of Orange County, Real Housewives of New York and Real Housewives of New Jersey. And now Bravo has further dedicated itself to glorifying the lives of rich and, for the most part, undeserving citizens of wealthy communities around the country. NYC Prep, which follows the lives of teenagers in Manhattan's Upper East and West Sides, communities where "money flows like the wind," according to one cast member, can be described in one word: Disgraceful. Cameras roll as these 15-18 year olds prance around New York armed with Blackberries and Mommy and Daddy's plastic, confirming that no matter how rich you are, you can't buy intelligence. These self-proclaimed independent and sophisticated teens care about little else than making a name for themselves in New York's prominent social scene. However, they stress the importance of getting involved in charities and community service (so they can get into Harvard). And while it is almost difficult to endure a full hour of "like"-filled sentences, BBMing, hair-flipping and $100/head dinners, the opportunity to laugh at their naivete and ignorance is just too good to pass up. While their lives are, in reality, incredibly artificial and sad, no one has told them that yet. For as "PC" (grandson of billionaire Peter Peterson) clearly states in the first episode, "It is" all about him. Now please excuse me, my driver is here to bring me to Barney's with my personal shopper.
Ciao,
-ROF

Daily Food: Hot Dogs

Daily Activity: Poker

Daily Song: R Way - Rebelution

Daily Attire: J. Crew Critter Pants, Andover Water Polo Hat

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: O.E.C.D. Sees a Slightly Better 2009 and 2010

Daily News No One Should Care About: "Jon and Kate" Takes Break While Family "Regroups"

Daily Life Goal: Put Any of the Characters of NYC Prep in Their Place

Daily Complaint: Unfufilled Straight Draws

Daily Drink: Seltzer

Daily Studies: Gambling Odds

Daily Television: NYC Prep

Daily Movie: W.

Daily Book: Finnegan's Wake

Friday June 19th

Ahoy,
My apologies, readers, for a TDR-less week. Somehow, while wasting away in boredom, I couldn't find the time, energy and most importantly, inspiration, to compose a post. But I'm back. And, while I have contemplated the many things that I could do with my excessive amounts of free time, nothing could compare to what a group of Welsh farmers and dogs did with theirs. And that brings us to today's Daily Topic: EXTREME SHEEP HERDING



Now we've all heard of sheep dog competitions but this takes sheepherding to a whole new level. But it's not just sheepherding. This is a revolution in modern art. I have been to a lot of art museums and seen a lot of things that claim to be modern art, for instance a red tea kettle on a shelf at the Guggenheim or a dark room in the Mass MoCA with fake grass carpet, camoflage and jungle noises playing on surround sound. However, live and interactive works of art integrating the interactions between three species? That's true art. The man, the dog and the sheep, working in harmony with the earth's grassy field as their canvass, are able to produce a stunning social commentary on the cooperation of the earth's species. Additionally, it strives to show that although technology is advancing, ancient techniques, such as sheepherding, will always endure. And while the end of the piece may be interpreted as a triumphant finale, might it not also represent the looming dangers of environmental scarcity and our degredation of the planet? Perhaps the piece is warning us that our obsessions with technology is causing a neglection of once-standard labor tasks such as sheepherding and that these skillsets are a dying art that will soon be lost in a wave of LED lights and video games. Or maybe they're just as bored as I am.
-ROF

Daily Food: Cheese and Crackers

Daily Activity: Art Critique

Daily Song: Aint it Strange - Dr Dog

Daily Attire: Brooks Brothers Polo Shirt

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Iran's Ruling Cleric Warns of Bloodshed if Protests Persist

Daily News No One Should Care About: Cop Accused of Pulling Gun at McDonalds; Order "Took Too Long"

Daily Life Goal: Own a Sheep Dog

Daily Complaint: The Media Talking About People's Twitters in Iran

Daily Drink: Limeade

Daily Studies: Film

Daily Television: Whale Wars

Daily Movie: Master and Commander

Friday June 12th

Salutations,
Almost exactly nothing has changed since I wrote yesterday's post. If it is possible to die of boredom, I should probably begin getting my affairs in order. And as I approach day 97 of summer job search, the prospects remain incredibly bleak. As the economy remains uncertain, businesses remain hesitant to hire a college student with little to no credentials. However, there are certain sectors that always require help even in rough economic times. And this brings us to our Daily Topic: SLEEP STUDIES



In my latest Craigslist musings, I happened upon a unique opportunity to participate in an 8 day sleep study at a Boston hospital. The ad claimed that participants would have to spend the full 8 days in the hospital but boasted a pay of $1,675. Enticed by the opportunity to voluntarily spend 192 hours in the hospital, I immediately called to inquire. The woman took down my age, height, weight and a few other basic tidbits of information. Then she began to tell me a little bit about the survey. I would spend 8 consecutive days in the hospital with elctrodes monitoring my bodily activity. Fine. I would be staying in a room with no windows, no live television or radio, and no clocks. Hmm. At some point I would be kept awake for anywhere between 20 and 65 hours straight. I've basically done that. I would at all times have an IV cathater in my arm to take blood samples. Those who know me know that needles usually would be where I would draw the line but we're talking $1,675 here! Lastly, I would at all times have to wear a rectal thermometer to monitor my body temperature. Unemployment is starting to sound not so bad after all.
-ROF

If eight days of solitary confinement whilst sitting on a thermometer interests you click here

Daily Food: Lamb Tips, Greek Salad, Saganaki

Daily Activity: Tennis

Daily Song: This Year - The Mountain Goats

Daily Attire: Not Pants

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Both Sides Claim Victory In Presidential Election in Iran

Daily News No One Should Care About: Dog Eats Bag of Pot, Gets High (Actually, please watch this)

Daily Life Goal: Surprisingly, It's Not To Get Paid To Sleep

Daily Complaint: Ryan Howard

Daily Drink: Red Powerade

Daily Studies: Craigslist

Daily Television: Stanley Cup Final

Daily Movie: Robin Hood

Thursday June 11th

Hello Readers,
It's Thursday. Not like it matters. All my days are the same. With my free time I have done many things. I learned that I type at a respectable 55-60 words per minute. I worked on my tennis serve. And I have also learned the limitless possibilities of personal wealth (NOT my own). As I'm sure we all do, I often imagine the things I would do with millions or billions of dollars; the cars I would buy, the houses I would own, the places I would go or the buildings I would donate to my alma maters. However, I happened upon such an extreme instance of conspicuous consumption that it was beyond the realm of my most elaborate imaginations. And that brings us to today's Daily Topic: PERSONAL SKYSCRAPERS


Yes, readers, we have come to this. Megamansions and multiple houses will no longer suffice for the world's unbearably rich. Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man and chairman of Reliance Industries, a petroleum and petroleum products company, is in the process of constructing a 27-story, 560 ft personal residence. With a price tag of $1bn, this building represents a new and obscene level of personal wealth. My high school economics teacher once provided this analogy to exhibit how much a billion dollars really is. One million dollars is a stack of one hundred dollar bills about 9 inches tall. This will buy you a very large home in any suburban neighborhood in the United States. One billion dollars is a stack of one hundred dollar bills that would be taller than the Washington Monument. Or Mr. Ambani's house. So what do you get for a billion dollars? Mr. Ambani's residence will include six floors for parking, an entertainment floor with a mini theater, three helipads, a swimming pool and health facilities, and will be staffed by 600 servants. As impressive as this house is, perhaps Mr. Ambani should be looking for more worthwhile ways to spend his personal fortune. The construction of his residence in Mumbai, a city in which over half the population lives in slums and in widespread poverty, represents the incredible separation between India's small percentage of burgeoning billionaires and its much larger percentage of poverty-stricken citizens. As some of the country reaps the benefits of industrialization, much of it is left behind. While billion dollar houses are fun, perhaps much of this wealth could be put to a better use. Perhaps a generous donation to the Daily Routine and its founder?
Later,
-ROF

Daily Food: Bobili Pizza

Daily Activity: Lawn Mowing

Daily Song: Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists

Daily Attire: Athletic Shorts

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: In Ahmedinejad vs. Moussavi, Iranians Weigh Chance For Change

Daily News No One Should Care About: Chastity Bono Transitioning From Male to Female

Daily Life Goal: Live In My Own Skyscraper

Daily Complaint: Rain

Daily Drink: Arizona Raspberry Ice Tea

Daily Studies: Absurdly Tall Buildings

Daily Television: Red Sox Sweeping the Yankees

Wednesday June 10th

Ahoy,
Well readers, the rest of my summer has begun as most of my human company has dispersed from the town of Andover leaving me alone to fend for myself. To cope with my boredom, I have taken to studying the medium of television on an in depth level. After extensive study of World War II through the viewings of "U-571" and "Into the Storm," I searched through the channels for more historically stimulating subject matter. However, in my search, I stumbled upon a truly disturbing program that has led me to the conclusion that we have sunk to an even lower low that I had ever imagined. And that brings us to today's Daily Topic: FOOSBALL



Foosball: an entertaining game of table soccer. Excessive playing of foosball is often associated with college students, presumably because no one else could possibly have enough time to devote mastering such a game. However, while searching the channels of my television, I happened upon a truly frightening event: The Foosball Master Tour. Not only has foosball become a tournament sport, but it is televised. And I watched it (only for TDR research of course). And while I have yet to decide whether televised foosball is better or worse than the televised Arm Wrestling Championship, but regardless, it's pathetic. With the catchphrase, "Let's Foos," these high-intensity, best of three matches feature the best players the world of foosball has to offer. The Tour Championship match featured Bob "Dio" Diaz and Ryan Moore against Tony Spredeman and Billy Pappas with Dio and Moore emerging victorious in a 5-2 game three. This once-casual and fun game has been developed into a professional sport dominated by what has to be the trashiest collection of pro athletes I've ever seen. What's next for television? How about chess boxing, where competitors move chess pieces between rounds of boxing. Or the World Beard and Moustache Championships? That would make for some ebullient television.
Let's Foos,
-ROF

Daily Food: Cheese-Stuffed Burger

Daily Activity: Foosball Training

Daily Song: There's Something In the Air - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Daily Attire: Green Pants

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Bombing Challenges Aid to Pakistani Refugees

Daily News No One Should Care About: 14 Reasons to be a Professional Foosball Player

Daily Life Goal: Compete in the Foosball Champion's Tour

Daily Complaint: Television Programming

Daily Drink: Newman's Limeade

Daily Studies: Obscure Sports

Daily Movie: U-571

Sunday June 7th

@TDRFollowers,

For those of you not up to date on your latest technology, that is how I would direct a Twitter message to one of my friends. Like you, my TDR faithful. There has been a recent twittering of activity, if you will, about this new networking phenomenon. You may have read about it in the latest Time magazine or in a variety of national newspapers. Across the country, reporters who like to think that they are in touch with the latest technology trends have become obsessed with this website, which allows users to post status updates on whatever they are currently doing. This brings us to our Daily Topic: TWITTER

Despite the recent buzz over Twitter, I am much more skeptical. Actually, I despise Twitter. To me, this narcissistic and pathetic excuse for human interaction is the epitome of a self-centered demagoguery which allows the user to believe that people care about the mundanities of their everyday life. But really, people, no one cares where you're on a plane to or what graduation ceremonies you're at, or how boring it is. Often seen as the future of social networking, Twitter represents a new low in the human condition. Lets pretend that I am an avid Twitter user. This is what you would see as my follower:

TheDailyRoutine just woke up. Great day outside.

TheDailyRoutine brushing my teeth. Love that Crest

TheDailyRoutine decided to shower today

TheDailyRoutine cheese and avocado omelette. Yum!

TheDailyRoutine getting my swell on at the gym

TheDailyRoutine shower number two!

TheDailyRoutine eating some falafel for lunch

TheDailyRoutine daytime television is booooooooring

TheDailyRoutine I'm still so boooooored

TheDailyRoutine decided to write my blog finally

TheDailyRoutine check this out! http://bit.ly/oriyE Crazy!

TheDailyRoutine watching Deal or No Deal. Totally knew what case the million was in!

TheDailyRoutine pretty hungry. What should I eat for dinner?

TheDailyRoutine eating mac and cheese for dinner

TheDailyRoutine pretty full

TheDailyRoutine is pumped for the Red Sox game. Channel 51!

TheDailyRoutine 6-1 Red Sox! Yeah Papelbon!

TheDailyRoutine getting pretty tired

TheDailyRoutine good night everyone. See you tomorrow!

Congratulations Twitter, you have caused society to sink to a new low. But fortunately, I think that Twitter is overhyped and likely to play much less of a roll than expected. Once the honeymoon affect wears off, perhaps people will realize not only the utter ridiculousness of Twitter but how inconvenient and difficult it is to update something everyday. Like a blog. You can follow me on Twitter, but I hope you have better things to do,

-ROF

Daily Food: Cape Cod Potato Chips

Daily Activity: Lifeguarding

Daily Song: Gaudeamus Igitur

Daily Attire: Jackets, Ties, and Shorts

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: U.S. Weighs Intercepting North Korean Shipments

Daily News No One Should Care About: No Tuna Sandwiches For the Next Generation?

Daily Life Goal: Destroy Twitter

Daily Complaint: People's Twitter Status'

Daily Drink: Izze Sparkling Pomegranate

Daily Studies: Social Networking

Daily Movie: Sesame Street Visits the Firehouse

Wednesday June 3rd

Greetings Everyone,

The inherent laziness of summer has hit me like a steam roller. And while I considered changing the name of this blog to the Weekly Routine, alas, I already bought the domain name. But I will do my best to fit blogging into my unimaginably tight schedule. Maybe during the commercials of Price Is Right. I have been home for exactly three weeks and have accomplished a great deal. However, I remain unemployed. Any readers with connections do not hesitate to pull some strings. I am not opposed to human trafficking or operation of underground dogfighting rings, but discretion is appreciated. But a more recent event saddened me much more than my lack of employment ever could. And that brings us to our Daily Topic: THE PHISH CONCERT

For those of you that don't know, Phish is one of my all-time favorite bands. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus for the last five years but reunited for a summer 2009 tour. One of their first stops: Fenway Park, Boston. This concert has been sold out since the first ten minutes it was announced, but being a devoted fan, I stopped by on my way home to check out the scene. However, as I wove my way through tens of thousands of ecstatic concert-goers, the energy and the positivity of the crowd overtook me and I had to get inside. I scalped a $50 dollar ticket for $15 dollars and made my way to the gate. Along the way, I was offered several things including: Russian-made semi-automatic weapons, a mail-order bride, a submarine ride (if this means something else please tell me) and several hippie newspapers. However, upon reaching the gate, I was told that no backpacks were allowed inside and there was no place to check my bag. Torn between hiding my bag with my $1,200 computer in it in an alleyway in Boston, I begrudgingly and dejectedly sold my ticket for $20 dollars to a man selling jello-shots out of a cooler. My backpack heavy with electronics and sorrow, I found a seat on a cement loading dock across the street. As I sat alone and listened to the notes of Phish's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner float over the green Fenway walls and a rainbow appeared in the sky to my right, even the most whacked out, tie-dye and Birkenstock wearing hippies there probably shed a tear for me. "What is the moral of the story," I thought while sitting there listening to the drifting notes of the guitar rise and fall in the dimming summer light, watching a 35-year old man tuck a bag of weed into his shoe. True fans don't need a seat with a view, just one where you can hear. At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.

Peace,

-ROF

Daily Food: Bertucci's

Daily Activity: Tenis

Daily Song: Anything By Phish

Daily Attire: Flannel

Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Rising Interest on Nations' Debts May Sap World Growth

Daily News No One Should Care About: Stripper's High Kick Gets Club Sued

Daily Life Goal: SEE Phish in Concert

Daily Complaint: Allergies

Daily Drink: Gatorade

Daily Studies: Videography

Daily Movie: Across the Universe