EcoursesUsa blog

Every time I manage to destroy another dating relationship, I realize how much I truly love eating.  My fortune has been that most of my previous girlfriends have been great cooks, so we were compatible pairs, as I am an excellent eater.  This can also be a curse, though, whenever one of these beautiful symbiotic relations comes to a close, and my famine begins.  Now, by no means am I sexist….I do not think it is a woman’s job to cook for her man….but it is definitely a perk I have grown to love, especially since I am lost behind a stove.

Well, my latest relationship debacle has led to a new era of starving bachelorhood.  I am eating Ramen Noodle, Chunky Soup, Peanut Butter and Jelly, grilled cheese, and microwave dinners as if I am in college again…  And that’s when I am not getting fat off of Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.  I try to order in decent food….but I really don’t have patience for the Thai or Sushi delivery, and going out every time you get a craving is a bit decadent. 

So, I have come to a cross-road in my life, realizing it is time to be self-sufficient when it comes to satiating my own palate.  My first initiative was to buy a mini barbeque.  While I live in a Condo and it’s not technically allowed on the balcony by “association law,” I figure a slight bending of the rules won’t burn the place down (Pun Intended!)  Grilling meat and veggies is easy and I have been doing it with my dad for years, so a first step to better grubbing has already been achieved.

I have also done what would have been unthinkable a few years back.  I have joined a cooking class, one that meets twice a week.  The class really teaches the basics, providing recipes, a guide on different spices, directions on how not to ruin rice and pastas, and summaries of the appropriate mixes of meats, grains, and wines for dinner.  Now I am not expecting to be Wolfgang Puck over night…

but with some practice I can at least go beyond Tombstone pizzas and Hot-Pockets.  And if all else fails, at least there are a bunch of cute single girls in some of the more advanced classes.  I can just switch levels and look for Mrs. Right.  Speaking of which, gotta run, Yoga starts in an hour.

Like most guys that grew up watching basketball in the Michael Jordan era, I have always been a huge fan of his game and accomplishments. Couple that with the fact that I was born and raised in Chicago, and you can probably imagine the intensity of my fandom for the Bulls and MJ in my adolescent years.

For that reason and a few others, I have never been a fan of Kobe Bryant, the player I believe is the closest thing we have seen to MJ in terms of skill, athleticism, and style. I always felt Kobe was a fraud, completely inauthentic and always trying to sound like, look like, and replicate Jordan. Don’t get me wrong….Everyone wanted to be like Mike back in the day, but the fact that this young kid actually had the ability to attempt to do so, and on top of that was an arrogant brat, always rubbed me the wrong way. So for many years I have been a Kobe hater, and below are my rationalizations for why it has been justified.

1. Spoiled. He won 3 championships early in his career with Shaq, unlike Jordan who had to struggle to reach the summit in the era of the Celtics, Lakers, and Pistons. The NBA was much better through the 80s to mid 90s. On top of that, Kobe always had issues with the Diesel…as he wanted more shots and glory, never understanding how lucky he was to play with a dominant big man.
2. Fraud. He is fake in interviews and looks like he is acting on the court. Jordan was authentic. When he spoke, when he played, in his public appearances he always seemed engaged. Kobe sounds rehearsed in interviews and when he actually speaks his mind, he ends up criticizing his teammates or management. He has that coy forced smile and tries way too hard to copy Jordan’s mannerisms on the court. The crap totally hit the fan when his “good guy” image was tarnished with the Colorado rape charge. Don’t get me wrong, Jordan was no angel….with the gambling, womanizing, etc. But at least he was real, and we all appreciated that human aspect of him, whereas with Kobe we always feel like he has been trying to fool us.
3. Gifts. None of this would matter if Kobe had Ben Wallace’s jump shot , Theo Ratliff’s handles, and George Muresan’s mug →

But Kobe has the gifts…The disciplined yet athletically dynamic game and the good looks that make him marketable. Kobe is the first guy since MJ that combines it all… he even possesses that clutch killer mentality that made Jordan the best closer in the history of the game.

So I remain a Kobe hater, and I am rooting for the Celtics in this series. The last thing I would ever want to see is Bryant end his career with more than 6 championships, the number Jordan achieved. But I do have to give credit where it is due. Kobe has grown up this year, and it is not just evidenced by the earning of his first MVP. He is a better teammate and has actually become a leader on the court. His teammates are not only playing better but are comfortable with him and their respective roles on the team. I consider this the “Education” of Kobe Bryant. While he never went to college, and probably missed out on learning some of the team concepts because of it, he has now become educated in the art of being a leader and teammate. And when your best player also becomes the team’s best leader, you have a much higher likelihood of success. Bryant is clearly the best player in the world right now, and if he can achieve those playoff “moments” that made Jordan legendary (“The Shot” against Cleveland, “The Move” against LA, game winners against Utah, etc.), and win a few more championships in the process, then much to my disgust, he may very well join MJ on the pedestal of legendary.
Rick

When my buddies told me about this site they had been working on, I figured I could contribute by sharing my education story.  In 2004, I graduated from high school and really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.  My grades were decent and my college test scores were good enough to get into most state colleges…even though California has some tough ones, but I really wasn’t motivated to go through the whole application process….especially since I had no real direction as to what I would want to study.  Over the summer following graduation, I chilled with my friends on the beach and played XBox….Thinking, too bad this can’t be my future profession.  The more time I spent in my relaxed SoCal setting, the more I knew college was gonna have to wait.  But then, of course, my parents got on me and said if I didn’t at least take classes at the local community college, I would have to get a full time job.  Well, I really wasn’t big on either option….Stuck in an office all day for minimum wage, or stuck in classes with the same characters from high school.  So I began thinking….Besides sleeping and video games, what did my lazy butt actually like at the time.  The internet of course!  Surfing it, email, and sports pages…and of course the gambling and unmentionables.  Building websites seemed like a real interesting career option, and every reputable company had their own site….so I thought somebody must be building these things.  I proceeded to Google all sorts of information on cyber classes and website courses, and to my surprise, there were degree offerings all over the internet…from colleges based on the internet!  In other words, I could get an IT degree and learn to build websites from classes I would take online.  No need to wake up early, no need to get dressed for class.  At first my parents were skeptical, but eventually I won them over, and I enrolled that fall.   One of the best choices I ever made.  I had an associate’s degree in a year and a half and have been designing the front end and creative for websites ever since.   By 2007, I had my bachelor’s degree from that same program.  I know online classes are not for everyone, but it’s definitely an option you should explore if you’re thinking about going to school.   

Steve 

Well, I’m back from Italy and ecstatic to see that our site eCourses | USA has gone live.  Always nice to go on vacation and come back to see that all the work was completed while I was relaxing.   It’s like ordering your food at the restaurant, taking a bathroom break, and coming back to see your food waiting for you.    Anyways, the trip was amazing…Florence, Rome, and Venice in two weeks.  Incredible sites and history, and the food was unbelievable. They have this appetizer where they take prosciutto ham and put it on cantaloupe.  Seems like a weird combo, but it was awesome…Really a refreshing dish.  I have to admit that my girlfriend dragged me on this trip, as I am usually one for tropical vacations like Hawaii, the Bahamas, or Mexico.   I am hardly the cultured type, but wow, I was impressed.   Seeing the collosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, Statue of David, and all the architecture from the Roman and Byzantine Empire in person was like watching my history text books come to life.  If there was one thing I would change it would be to extend the trip one more week, as there is so much to see.  Next trip I hope to head a bit further south and visit the French and Italian Riviera. 

But for now, back to work.  And it is a very exciting time for all of us with the launch of this site, as we strive to bring to the public the most up to date and relevant information on post-secondary education.  For us, this is a great networking endeavor, a journey to bring people closer to their respective educational and professional goals.   We promise to be as passionate about your education as you are.

Rick