Destination Dreamin'

It's blog time, boooooooooyyyyyy!!!!!
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It's been 4 days since I've seen anyone in my Mudville 9 play in a meaningful contest. Needless to day, I am going through some crazy withdrawal symptoms. Presently, I'm watching the Brewers and the Reds duke it out in a classic.....errr ordinary baseball game. It's something, but definitely not like the usual. It's been so bad, that I actually been contemplating watching "16 and Pregnant" on MTV and thinking up scenarios for a fourth season of Flavor of Love (Combining the two seems real interesting.). Yeah, it's that bad. The All-Star game was another close one, with the Rays left-fielder Carl Crawford helping out our buddy Papelbon in a game which was about 30 minutes shorter in duration than the Home Run Derby. Who ultimately receives the spoils of the catch all gets decided in the next few months. Get excited! For the 13th year in a row, the American League snatched victory away from the senior circuit. How ironic is it that an Oriole might ultimately help the championship path of one of his three divisional counterparts? Welcome to the All-Star game, Selig style! I would also like to give out a "my bad" to the Cardinals fans, who actually did boo Ted Lilly after all. Guess you guys do have a mean streak. Recently, I've been tracking Lance Armstrong's progress through France (PLEASE BASEBALL, COME BACK!!) and went back to my usual bout of nostalgia with my Eurotrip. Then I thought of all the places that haven't been graced with my presence. If you know me, I'm always thinking about the next hot spot for my constant travels. Plus, it helps me keep my mind off baseball, at least for a nanosecond. I still have so many friends I need to meet up with abroad, and so many frequent flyer miles to collect. After an excruciating process of ranking each locale and me trying to desperately avoid Larry King Live, here are the Top 5 global destinations that fascinate me the most.

Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
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5. Normandy, France
Call me boring. Call me uncultured. But this is probably the only place in France that I'm interested in. For me, Paris is just the Eiffel Tower, berets, and ritzy art museums. Not exactly my cup of joe. I also am a little hesitant to go in a place where the are not tolerant of people that don't parlez français, but I hope that's just rumors. On the coast of Normandy, the education is fixed within the landscape itself. As a World War II buff, this for me is the mecca of all sites. It is on these beaches that the Allied powers successfully penetrated through Nazi fortifications, thus changing the fate of the free world. The Invasion of Normandy, or D-Day, has been a battle that's been portrayed in many movies, including the classic film Saving Private Ryan. Some of the fortifications still remain from those days, and there is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer, which is officially American territory. But Normandy is not just a walking school lecture. Normandy boasts the finest ciders (my new favorite sweet alcoholic drink), cheeses, pastries, and seafood dishes. Even though I'm not much of a landscape person, the hills and architecture of the region are definitely entrancing. It sure isn't Malibu, but it is worth learning about the biggest battle in history while gaining more respect for our troops past and present. Plus I'm always game for some good fish, cheese, and cider!

Skyline view of downtown Dubai, UAE
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4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I'll be the first to admit that when I pick destinations to go to, many prominent areas in the Middle East usually get pushed aside for a date to be named later. And then there is Dubai. I was first intrigued when a co-worker at my old job was discussing his time in the service, and he spoke endlessly of the marvels within the city. This metropolis in the Middle East provides many wonders that seem mythical. Within the city's limits is the mammoth skyscraper, the Burj Dubai, which will be the tallest man-made structure ever built. What's even better is that it even holds space for residence (Gotta save them Roosevelts!). And for people like me who hate to stay in a mall for more than 10 minutes, the Mall of the Emirates (one of the many mega malls in the city) fixes that problem with theaters, establishments of fine dining, and even an indoor ski slope! Despite its location in the world, Dubai has a multicultural population, mixed with many influences from all corners of the globe. Last but not least, the city is famous for its amazing nightlife, with people going "hotel hopping" to the best clubs and bars. Sounds like Vegas in the Middle Eastern desert. Also sounds like I'm down. Now only for that bling I don't have.

M.I.A...take it to the house!
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3. Miami, Florida
Believe it or not, in my 23 years of existence, I have not once set foot in The Sunshine State. Ladies and gents, this would be the first place I would touch down (Ajay, I hope you're reading this). I think I'm too old for the Disney World excursion, which wasn't really that captivating to me even as a young child. The combination of culture and leisure is what gets me buzzin' about the Magic City. I could just imagine myself roaming the beach on a hot sunny day, surrounded by the smell of suntan lotion with a pastel shirt on. After getting my tan on, I envision myself partying the night away with the beautiful people in the many clubs downtown (Hey, I might run into a few Kardashians.). After sleeping off the cuba libres and strawberry daiquiris, I would waltz onto the green for a round of golf, possibly followed by a trip to the American Airlines Arena to watch one of the best players in the NBA put on a show, all with the rhythm of the rumba in my head. This is just one of those cities that simply has it all when it comes to fine leisure. In the words of Will Smith, "This is the type of town I could spend a few days in." With all the beaches and the nightlife, this is the most hip and tropical paradise this side of Cuba. Well, speaking of......

Martí Monument in Havana.
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2. Havana, Cuba
What do you get when you mix in the Old World with a bit of beach life, a passionate baseball culture, and a whole lot of mambo in the air? If you guess La Habana, or Havana, give yourself a nice pat on the back. This jewel of the Caribbean possesses a charm that lures the curious traveler like myself with its eclectic mixture of culture and style. While ensconced in the rays of the Cuban sun, you can relax on the beach, view some majestic fortresses, or even have a large bowl of fried rice at the largest Chinatown in Latin America. For baseball aficionados like myself, you can stroll through the turnstiles (for free admission) to fully experience a ballgame at the Estadio Latinoamericano, which is the sports shrine of the country. And can you believe that all of this is 100 miles from Key West? Even though there is this slight transparent barrier between us and Cuba (may involve a pit stop to Canada to solve this one), that doesn't stop me from being seduced by the city's magnetism. After all, I need to get the world's finest cigars from the source.

Beautiful coastline of Hawaii.
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1. Anywhere in Hawaii
One of my biggest dreams in life is to pick up the phone and call my friends and family. It will be Christmas time and there will be about a foot of snow on the ground on a 15 degree New England day (-10 degrees Celsius for all you international folk). I will be empathetic to their sympathies, but it will be so difficult. Why so hard? Because I would be basking in the sun 5,000 miles away in America's 50th state! With so much influence from Polynesian and European cultures, Hawaii's slogan simply should be, "I Can't Believe It's America." Hawaii has so much going for it, and it's not just the freshest coffee in the United States. From rising with a coconut drink in hand to the sunsets at Waikiki, this volcanic paradise is the closest image of utopia that I can ponder. Other than just chilling at the beach with a Corona in my hand, I could surf in the sky blue waters of the Pacific, or just save time and snorkel under them. And to pay my respects (I know, my history-loving side is coming out.), I could visit Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona, sans images of Ben Affleck destroying an important moment in history. When you are going to a luau in Maui with a lei around your neck, that's called living the life! Well, Aloha means "good bye", but I hope I will be using the word to say "hello" very soon.

Honorable Mentions: Monaco, Hong Kong, San Fransisco, Tokyo, Australia, Singapore, Montreal, Grand Canyon

Before I Peace: Justice On My Mind

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I know it's old news. But recently, Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth recently was released from jail after his 30 day sentence was reduced to 24 for a DUI manslaughter incident in mid-March. Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will soon be released after over two years in the penitentiary for his involvement in a dog fighting ring. My issue is, where is the true justice here? In one case, we have a man who had a .126 blood-alcohol level who killed a human being. Not only does he get less than a month in jail, he doesn't receive the stigma that Vick received for killing dogs. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs as much as the next person, but when we still live in a country where greyhound racing, KFC, and drugging up horses for sport still exists, we have to re-examine our perspectives. In fact, Vick got sentenced up to a half year extra than the original sentence, and for what? So that PETA can feel glad flexing its muscle by shredding the reputation of a reputed dog-killer? Yet somehow, there is little to no protest for Stallworth, who not only had alcohol in his system, but marijuana as well when he killed his human victim. I guess the fact that Vick had no one to pay off in his debacle screwed him over in this deal. For one, this teaches society that killing a person while intoxicated is apparently a way less serious offence than to run a dog ring, which is rarely sentenced to begin with. But this also displays the issue of selective justice based on public outrage. What both of these men did was wrong, but why does one get off scot-free for a 15 year crime while another serves more than necessary for dogfights? Well I guess I know now the next time I'm in a fit of rage, I shouldn't go anywhere near the neighborhood cat.