Jaco(b)log

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

 The World Soccer Project in NYC

Reapers Run Away with First Prize
 
Brooklyn, NY - October 3, 2010 

Reapers FC laid to rest all teams en route to winning the 1st Annual Woodhull Cup last Sunday.
 


RFC, the only undefeated team in the tournament, are from WSP’s newest league (at Grover Cleveland Park), wherein they have also failed to give up a point.

RFC captain J. Vangas finished the tournament with the most goals, including the most crucial: the winning goal on penalties against Headers in the final.

29 regulation time goals were scored in 14 games. 6 of 14 games ended in ties, signifying the even playing field.

Scousers tallied the most regulation points (8). They were upset in the 12th game on penalties against a WSP All Star team (Rangers), comprising players from Sternberg and Grover Cleveland. Rangers were knocked out in the penultimate game, 3-0, by a convincing Headers squad.  Great play by RFC keeper Boaz T., however, kept Headers off the scoreboard in the final.

The real winners of the day were the local Brooklyn community, who turned out just short of 200 men for free cholesterol and diabetes screenings.

Special thanks to the tournament sponsors who made this event possible: Woodhull Medical Center, Health First, Athletes for Hope, Diana Reyna (local member of NYC Council), and the New York Red Bulls.

And thanks to all the players who helped the event go so smoothly.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s tournament, which should see twice the number of teams.

Helping out.

From Katrina:

Kevin and I have had quite an adventure here living and working in Romania. As you might already know, our primary job has been teaching English in the two schools here, but we like to think of ourselves more as youth development workers than as teachers of English as a foreign language. Most of our projects have focused on the youth of our small Romanian town (healthy kids camp, developing lessons concerning gender-based violence, English club, pen pal exchange, etc.), which have been some great learning and rewarding experiences for us and hopefully for the kids. We are really hoping that we can provide these youth with one more meaningful learning opportunity before we head back home.

Over the course of the past year and a half we have been able to observe a couple of things concerning the kids we interact with here. First, we have noticed quite a bit of apathy and lack of hope in many of our students. While this apathy and sense of hopelessness is surely caused by a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control, we also have noticed a core group of motivated, kind-hearted, open, and enthusiastic students here that we believe we can positively influence by granting them a unique opportunity. We would love to be able to encourage and foster the already wonderful and promising characteristics in these students as well as introduce them to new ideas and concepts by taking them on a two-part leadership and personal development outdoor expedition. Unfortunately, due to the fact that our town is very economically depressed, we can’t grant these children this opportunity without some financial support from outside the community. I realize that these are tough economic times for everyone and that there are many worthy causes to donate to (i.e. Haiti relief), but wanted to ask you if you might consider making a donation, no matter the amount, to help make this project happen. Both Kevin and I feel like this could make a significant difference in our students’ lives, especially concerning their personal development and outlook on life. The kids and Kevin and I would really appreciate any contribution you could make. Please visit https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=403-128 in order to read a little more about the project and to make a donation. If you make a donation and you give your contact information, we can let you know what your money is accomplishing through written updates and pictures and we can also thank you for helping us with this project (but feel free to keep the donation anonymous, if that is what you are more comfortable with). Thanks for considering helping.

Katrina (and Kevin)

Thought of the Day Thursday/(Friday) #6 or so….

This is abstract but I’ve always pondered this:

Its just like the question, “if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, did it make a sound?”

Is any feeling real until we have a memory of it? Vague, I know… but I always think about it when babies or toddlers get hurt and started crying.  But then I think, I don’t remember anything about my life until I was at least 3 or 4 maybe. So was it painful when I fell down at age 1 if I don’t remember feeling the pain now as person with the capacity to remember feelings from the past? Unless the event has long-lasting effects… if I don’t really remember it was there any effect on me at all?

Its ABSTRACT… don’t freak out on me! I know it sounds absurd.

Thought of the Day Thursday #5… or 6?

Ok so I guess I “understand” how in today’s civilization we can make laws to regulate who can cross which borders and when… but then I just get pissed thinking that someone can say “I own this plot of land and you can’t come inside these lines.” Seriously, who put who in charge? We humans don’t own anything but our bodies, ideas, thoughts…….. and apparently what we think is ours.

I wanna be able to go where my feet can take me.

“Pulses are Pluses” - Full EP to be streamed at MIDNIGHT!

So we are only ONE week from the OFFICIAL RELEASE of “Pulses are Pluses!” Its been a loooong 6 weeks since we first started dropping songs on the ‘space and tomorrow is the only time you will be able to hear the whole EP online at one time!!! From midnight to midnight you will get a sneak peak of the whole album including the 7 minute “Jonah’s Dream.” After tomorrow, the whole EP will not be up online simultaneously ever again!

Starting at midnight tonight just head over to http://www.purevolume.com/Jacobvanags/albums/Pulses+are+Pluses+ to hear the whole EP streaming for 24 hours!

Feel free to click on the links to different pages at the bottom and then head over to http://jacobvanags.bigcartel.com to preorder the EP!

NOVEMBER 3RD is THE. DAY.

Thank you so much for you support!

-Jacob

Thought of the Day Thursdays (On Friday) #5

Its late, I’m tired, I’m going to give you another short one (sorry this is like 3 in a row)….

Simply:
There is probably a scientific reason behind this, but its more fun to just wonder about it as a mystery…. Why is it that when you blow on your hand with pursed lips its cold, but when you blow on your hand with an open mouth its hot?

Don’t actually answer that, just do it and ponder it deeply.

“Thought o’ the Day Thursday” #4

I just thought of this one overhearing a conversation next to me about 5 minutes ago without even realizing today was Thursday.

I’m pretty sure that Pennsylvania is the only state that is commonly referred to by its state postal code, “PA.” You often hear people saying “I’m from PA” or “I’m going to PA this weekend.” But are any other states referred to by their postal codes as commonly as Pennsylvania’s? I think not. Let me know if you think of any!

Oh and people don’t say “I’m from NY,” they say I’m from “New York” so don’t try that one, punk.

p.s. Tonight at 9:25, I’m on blogtalkradio.com on WZAP! Check it out!