This is just plain sad

And totally preventable, no? Kids, be careful is all.

From the nj.com:

Alcohol poisoning kills Rider freshman
Friends say student knew night of drinking was ahead
Saturday, March 31, 2007
BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD

LAWRENCE -- Gary DeVercelly knew when he walked into the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house Wednesday night that he was going to drink heavily.

A hometown friend told The Times that the Rider University freshman confided to his girlfriend that he would be drinking Absolut Citron -- an entire bottle. The lemon-flavored vodka is his fraternity "family's" drink of choice, he told her, and he and his "big brother" would be drinking together.

DeVercelly, 18, died yesterday of alcohol poisoning after his body shut down as a result of drinking nearly three-quarters of the bottle of premium vodka, officials said.

Friends said the Long Beach, Calif., native was upbeat about the party that was part of his fraternity pledging ritual. They were later stunned to learn it was alcohol that took his life. DeVercelly liked a good party, his friends said, but was hardly a hard-core drinker.

"Before he went to the pledge house he called me and his girlfriend and he said '(the fraternity brothers) are making us drink our family alcohol'" family friend Brittney Coates, 17, said yesterday from her home in California. "He told his girlfriend it was some kind of initiation night," she said.

Coates said DeVercelly sent repeated text messages to his girlfriend and as the night wore on, the messages became increasingly garbled.

"He couldn't even text 'I love you,'" she said. "He said something like 'I'm really drunk right now,' but it was really messy."

She and DeVercelly's girlfriend warned the freshman to be careful, even going as far as to tell him "you're going to get alcohol poisoning," Coates said.

"He told us he would space the vodka out through the night, but he did it in a couple of minutes," she said.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that DeVercelly was drinking Absolut Citron as part of a pledge meeting and that the vodka was considered the "family" drink.

Lawrence Township police detectives and homicide investigators from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office are investigating DeVercelly's death as a possible hazing incident. Investigators seized numerous bottles of alcohol and several computers from the Phi Kappa Tau house Thursday night.

Students told The Times that the fraternity was in the middle of a "big and little night," which brings pledges together with their fraternity "big brother" for a night of bonding.

A spokeswoman for the fraternity's national chapter in Oxford, Ohio, said Thursday there was no evidence that the incident was related to hazing. But a phone message and an e-mail sent yesterday asking about the "big and little night" and about the "family drink," were not returned.

DeVercelly was rushed to Capital Health System at Fuld early Thursday morning after he vomited several times and passed out, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said. Emergency personnel reported the freshman's heart had stopped and he was not breathing when they arrived.

His family flew from California to be with him in his last hours and he remained on life support throughout the night Thursday. He was removed from the ventilator yesterday morning and died about 10:50 a.m.

Last night, DeVercelly's family released a statement about their son.

"Our family finds great comfort in knowing that Gary is in heaven but we are struggling with the loss in our lives," the statement said. "It seems a shame that something this tragic had to happen before we realized the superior character of our friends, family, neighbors, and even acquaintances. We are surrounded by love and draw strength from the support given to us. We thank God for honoring us with Gary's presence in our lives and we hope that with His help, we will learn to find a way to live with Gary's absence."

Rider President Mordechai Rozanski announced DeVercelly's death yesterday afternoon, saying the college's flags would be flown at half-staff.

"Gary's passing affects all of us deeply. We are a caring and supportive community and now is the time for us to grieve," Rozanski said. "Our counseling and campus ministry staff will be available to students, faculty, and staff in Lawrenceville and Princeton."

University officials said Phi Kappa Tau is on administrative closure. Fraternity brothers may live in the house, but may not hold parties or other outside activities there, officials said. Once the investigation is complete, officials will determine the fate of the fraternity, Dean of Students Anthony Campbell said yesterday.

Crime scene tape was removed from the house early yesterday and students were allowed back in.

DeVercelly's hometown friends said they were in shock over his death and were particularly surprised because of who he was.

"He is the last person I would have thought this would happen to," said Andrew Coates, Brittney's older brother, who described himself as DeVercelly's best friend. "He was the designated driver most of the time. He was a good kid that everyone could count on."

Coates, 19, described DeVercelly as a driven young man who was out to make something of himself. This summer, DeVercelly had scored an internship with the minor league Long Beach Armada, a job Coates said he was excited to begin.

"My parents used to tell me that of all my friends he would be the most successful," Coates said. "He had everything going for him."

Seeing DeVercelly portrayed as a boozing teen hits hard, Coates said, because his real friends know the truth.

"He was like every other teenager in college," he said. "He would have a beer, but he was not a kid who was out all the time trying to get messed up."

Coates said his first instinct was to blame someone: Himself for not being there; the fraternity for making him drink; Gary for not taking better care of himself.

"I started blaming everyone, but in the end it was Gary's decision," he said.

Still, Coates said he finds the fact that DeVercelly drank that much alcohol in a short period of time "ridiculous." If his best friend had one flaw, Coates said, it was his desire to impress the people he cared about. It was that flaw that may have killed him.

"There was absolutely pressure on him." Coates said.

Brittney Coates also painted a picture of a driven teen who wanted nothing more than to someday become manager of a baseball team. He came across the country to Rider for a new experience, she said, but still called Long Beach home.

"He always told us that all of his friends were home," she said. "But he said he loved college because it was going to get him somewhere."

Brittney Coates said DeVercelly doted on his little brother and sister, even spending his first day home on spring break teaching his brother how to hit a baseball.

"He was always serious about his little brother, and he was so protective of his sister," she said.

Brittney Coates said she knows that Gary made his own decisions, but like her brother she is finding it hard not to place blame.

There is one thing she does know, however. If she or any of DeVercelly's other hometown friends had been with him Wednesday night, he would still be alive.

"Honestly, if any of his true friends had been there with him this wouldn't have happened," she said. "He just needed a good friend to be there and there wasn't."

Staff writers Kevin Shea and Michael Ratcliffe contributed to this report.

Contact Darryl Isherwood at Disherwood@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5708.

Saturday Morning Goodness

This is right up there with TLC's Creep video in terms of stopping what one is doing just to maybe gawk for a li'l bit. And then back to doing the dishes and vacuuming and playing geetar and opening the windows and all of these things.

Oh. My. Goodness.

So OMS met a legit cat lady this evening, and it was every bit as creepy as one would expect.

Your hero walked into the downstairs laundry room and saw her hovering over the sink, washing a blouse. The water ran loud enough to mask OMS's lumbering feet, so he cleared his throat, quietly, and said, "Excuse me, I didn't want to scare you, so, um, hi, I'm here in the laundry room. Just. Doin'. Some laundry."

"(TURNS SLOWLY. STARES BLANKLY. TILTS HEAD)," she replied.

"So I'm just going to use this one, here," OMS said, still calm.

"OK BECAUSE I'M NOT USING IT," she kind of half-shrieked, half-whispered.

OMS swore he smelled cat poo on his quick exit out of what fast-became a dungeon and potential for his ugly demise.

And OMS did the same thing 14 years ago!

"And for all of that ass that she toted around yo I offered a backpack."

Nothing beats driving home with the Domino cranked in the car, playing rap-along.

Nothing.

Mr. Cheney Goes to Washington

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP.

Just please stop talking.

From the AP:

MANALAPAN, Fla. - Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday accused the Democrat-led House of not supporting troops in Iraq and of sending a message to terrorists that America will retreat in the face danger.

"They're not supporting the troops. They're undermining them," Cheney told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition at the oceanside Ritz-Carlton hotel in Manalapan, Fla., about 60 miles north of Miami.

On Friday, the House voted to clamp a cutoff deadline on the Iraq war, agreeing by a thin margin to pull combat troops out by next year.

The $124 billion House legislation would pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year but would require that combat troops come home from Iraq before September 2008 - or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain requirements.

Cheney called it a myth that "one can support the troops without giving them the tools and reinforcements they need to carry out their mission."

Name that Movie! Win a Prize!*

What's the LILF on the left (yes, OMS means LILF -- you figure it out) thinking?

A. "We look like assholes right now."
B. "Willard, you said no fights."
C. "Wha-wha-wha-when are wha-wha-we ga-gonna (pause) get the bla-blue s-s-suits?"
D. "Janis, I've loved you since the day I met you. And now you know."

* No prize to be won. OMS just wants more page hits and a reason to point out four of his favorite movies of all time, is all.

"So if you ever loved me, show me that you give a damn. You'll know for certain the man I really am. I was living for a dream."

Is there really any doubt that Survivor is the best band ever? It's OK to let go and feel that sh*t. Go 'head. Just feel it.

OMS says this proudly

From the AP:

NEW YORK - Is "American Idol" for real?

In a surprise, Stephanie Edwards - one of this season's best singers - was voted off the top-rated talent contest on Wednesday, while weak and sometimes unwatchable performers Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato were allowed to stay. The untimely departure of Edwards, 19, of Savannah, Ga., narrowed the number of "Idol" contestants to 10. The winner will be chosen in May.

Who, now? Isn't that Sanjaya guy on the Ugly Betty?

What. Nothin'?

But seriously, folks. OMS is concerned that the American Idol keeps garnering headlines. Like, OMG so totally concernedddddd.

Is it still cool to like the Staind?

Remember when you dug you some Staind? Remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in LaTrobe back in August '01 when STP ended the show with Weiland draped, naked, in an American flag and Lewis carried the middle of the show with a chilling version of It's Been Awhile?

Remember Incubus and Sevendust and even Live?

Huh. It's OK to like the Staind, still, then.

So about the thing

OMS had a dream last night that he told his Doc to f*ck off. It went something like this: "F*ck you, Doc. I ate Honey Nut Cheerios. WHAT."

And then OMS woke up.

Props to his best gal person for taking him to the ol' hospital. He got there this morning and promptly and went straight to the Doc's office, which was straight where he wasn't aspposed to be.

Once checked in, he dealt with an onslaught of nice nurses. "Aren't you too young for this kind of thing?" one asked. "You're like 25, right?"

They told him to strip everything off and put on the gown. They told him to relax. He was not able to relax, what with the junk a-flappin' in the breeze. Thank goodness they gave him a blanket. Granted, there appeared to be a stain on the blanket but, well, whatevs, as the kids say.

While sitting behind the curtain, OMS was lucky enough to hear the following exchange:

"Sir, you have to take everything off," said the nice Phillipino nurse. "Even that guinea tee."

"My what?" said the middle-aged black man. "My wife beater?"

"Your what?" the nurse replied. "Your guinea tee. Why do they call them that anyways?"

"We call them wife beaters. Ever seen The Godfather? When Sonny beats his wife, he's wearing one of them tees. I think they say guinea because Sonny was Italian and when Italians beat their wives, they wear this tee."

"Hey Journalism (that's be OMS), do you know anything about this?"

"Nope," OMS replied.

"Come on," she said. "I expect more from you."

A few minutes later, the same nurse quizzed OMS on movie trivia and couldn't find a vein. A few minutes after that, OMS was in.

He signed some paperwork and stretched out on the table (on his back). They told him to lay on his side, then they proceeded to knock him the f*ck out until he woke up what seemed like an hour later, stoned to the bejesus and wishing he had his geetar.

And like that, well, nothing. Clean bill of health for your strapping old man.

Still, f*ck lemonade. Just sayin'.

MoviPrep: 39, Old Man Snap: 0

Whew. I think the worst is over. All I know is that shi, well, stuff totally just kicked your hero's ass from 'round about 6 on. Christ.

I f*cking hate lemonade

*sigh*

Seriously?

The directions say to drink another liter at 7:30. I do not want to drink another liter at 7:30. I just want to eat a f*cking pancake and not have to run anywhere in particular when I'm done.

But nooooooo. Doc says I can't eat a f*cking pancake and I have to avoid anything red or purple and I have to drink more of the lemonade-flavored stomach gurgler.

Christ.

This got old *really* fast

When we last left poor, defenseless Old Man Snap, he was bitching about his tummy grumbling. That's pretty much a sign. And then with the up, down, up, down and the back to the couch for Grey's and then back up and down, up and down and then to the laptop to live blog, as the kids call it, and then back in for the up and the down and up, down and then back to blogging and shi-- see? OMS is avoiding that word for pretty much the rest of the week, or month, even.

Christ. Again with this? But it's been an hour...

25 minutes to go

So the thing about the thing today and the thing tomorrow morning is that the Doc was pretty clear in his instructions: DON'T eat the day before. If you do, make sure you eat clear liquids. You're allowed broth of some sort, and jello, but the Ol' Man isn't about the broth or the jello.

So OMS has eaten precisely two 24-ounce bottles of Ginger Ale all day. And he's argued with the senseless Macy's lady and almost bought a TV. And he shoveled out of his spot this afternoon because, well, the ol' complex has a a phobia of snow removal.

So much for an enlightening and hysterical blog about OMS's thingoscopy.

OMS took the stuff at 5 like the directions say. And, well, nothin'. His tummy is a grumblin' a bit, but he's left thinking, is this it? But the Doc said the prep is the worst part.

Huh.

Why people blog in the first place*

So OMS had a fantastic dinner last night with shrimp and scallops and muscles and clams and pasta and wine and bread and calamari and pretty much everything he so very much loves.

And this morning, he had Ginger Ale for breakfast. Did y'all know that Ginger Ale, in a 24-ounce bottle, really is three servings and 240 calories with 120 mgs of Sodium and 69 grams of total carbs and 66 grams of sugar?

OMS wanted a effing omelet.

*"Live" updates to come over the next 24 hours or so, against his better judgement. But it's a fun game of "Hey, what the hell is talking about, anyway?" that we can all play.

And he's back! And well-rested!* And ready to cynacize, part 2!

So OMS heard this gem at work the other day:

"Hey, we could just go to McDonald's for their fish filets. They do have good fish filets."

GONE FISHIN'

It's recharge time around the ol' porch. The OMS is bushed.*

Funny stories about WaWa coffee lines later this week, promise.

*HAH! You said bush(ed).

RIP, Mr. Delp

When Young Blonde Chatterbox was 3, his mom used to play several albums while cleaning the house. YBC would sit on the living room floor get his first music lessons from Heart, Fleetwood Mac and Boston.

When Fifth Grade Fatty was 9, he sat in the back of his folks' old black cadillac when they put in an eight-track of Boston's first album.

"I've heard this before," FGF said from the backseat.

"Funny, I played this album all the time when you were little," said his Moms.

So everyday for the next year, Lead Singer Dreamer would go out to the car for a little bit to play the eight-track of Boston. More than A Feeling. Hitch a Ride. Let Me Take You Home Tonight. Rock 'n Roll Band. The whole thing.

When Still Fat Munch was 13 and a tad scared sh*tless to fly to Germany, his Nan told him not to worry, that God would send him a sign.

It may sound corny, but SFM used to sleep with the radio on all night, and at 2 a.m., Tired Chub Scaredy-Cat woke up to More Than a Feeling. Sign. Check.

Same thing happened five years later, on the night before a class trip to Rome. Growth-spurt Teen Still-not-getting-any woke up to More Than A Feeling. He immediately knew everything would be OK.

So when OMS woke up this morning, the sun was literally gone. It's cloudy, but that's beside the point. He read this, from the AP:

ATKINSON, N.H. - Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead Friday in his home in southern New Hampshire. He was 55.

Atkinson police responded to a call for help at 1:20 p.m. and found Delp dead. Lt. William Baldwin said in a news release that there was no indication of foul play.

"There was nothing disrupted in the house. He was a fairly healthy person from what we're able to ascertain," Police Chief Philip Consentino told WMUR-TV.

Delp apparently was alone at the time, Baldwin said.

The cause of death remained under investigation. Police said an incident report would not be available until Monday.

Delp sang on Boston's 1976 hits "More than a Feeling" and "Long Time." He also sang on Boston's most recent album, "Corporate America," released in 2002.

Mr. Delp had fantastic range. His vocals were looped over and over on each album. The band infused this with dueling arena rock guitar licks among sweet synthesizer solos. Everything meshed in perfect rock goodness.

They touched on themes about chicks ("Now I'm not like this, I'm really kind of shy, but I get this feelin' when ever you walk by"), smoking ("Smokin! Smokin!" -- seriously, what a f*cking jam on that one), keeping your head up ("Can't you see there'll come a day when it won't matter, come a day when you'll be gone") and making it as a band ("Playin' all the bars and sleepin' in our cars yeah we practiced right on out in the street").

Man the Old Man loved him some Brad Delp and Boston.

***
Currently listening to: Hitch a Ride, Boston.

Jenna Loves Asians

Just happened to catch the headline while channel-surfing, bored and meditating, this evening. Jenna Loves who, now?

WHAT*.

*After reflecting, the OMS is OK with being *this* close to 100. No more quarter-/mid-/century-life crises anymore, no sir. Old souls rule. Especially when they listen to The Band and Dylan's version of Forever Young from The Last Waltz.

Now more with the what OMS typically does shortly before midnight on March 8 because, you know, reflection cleanses the soul

Now back to what OMS typically does on March 7 because, you know, reflection

Because Sometimes It's OK to Feel Good

D(O)SP could so cover this bad boy.

From the Daily Record Obits

Jay Byrnes bared his soul in every lyric and every note and every smile and every grimace and every movement on stage.

And I found myself looking up to this man very much.

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. -- Jason Michael Byrnes passed away on Sunday, March 4, 2007. He was 28.

He was born on Dec. 22, 1978, and was raised in Mt. Olive.

He was a 1997 graduate of Mt. Olive High School. He attended County College of Morris and studied two years at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.

Mr. Byrnes was a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton R.C. Church in Flanders, where he played CYO basketball. While growing up in Mt. Olive, he played Little League baseball, Junior Marauders' Football, and he swam for Solar Rays Swim Team every summer. He was a member of the Mt. Olive Marauders High School Basketball team, the high school drama club, and was president of his senior class. In 1997, he played the lead role in the musical production of Tommy at Mt. Olive High School.

A gifted singer songwriter, music was his passion. He enjoyed playing in Philadelphia and New York City, as well as at local venues, but he most enjoyed playing his music for friends. Anyone who has heard him perform, either on the radio or in person, can be counted as part of the enormous group of people who surrounded him as friends. Mr. Byrnes' warmth, humor and charisma will always remain a part of his family and friends lives.

Survivors include his beloved mother, Christine, with whom he lived; his beloved father, Michael of Succasunna; his cherished sister and brother-in-law, Jacqueline and Andrew Poirier of Netcong; his aunts and uncles, Carol Byrnes of Nokomis, Fla., Nancy and Eugene O'Neil of Smithville, Tenn., who were his godparents, and Mary Gerolyn and Kenneth Leonhardt of Rougemont, N.C.; his great-aunt and uncle, Joanne and Robert Ballengee of Armonk, N.Y.; and many dearly loved cousins, all of whom will miss his laughter and lasting smile.

Viewing will be on Thursday, March 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at William J. Leber Funeral Home, 15 Furnace Rd., corner of Route 206, Chester. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, March 9, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton R.C. Church, 61 Main St., Flanders. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to a charity of your choosing.

Required reading for the day

Awesome.

RIP, Mr. Byrnes

Peace and love be with you, Jay.

Parking Lot Confessions

From the March issue of Playboy, OMS presents Snoop's thoughts on this first time: I wasn't thinking about what music was playin' -- I was fuckin'! Wasn't no music on. No lights on; it was all about hit it and quit it and do it to it.

Ahem. And now OMS will share.

Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" from his MTV Unplugged was playing. OMS was in his frat house -- couldn't wait to tell his closest frat brothers to shut the f*ck up with the VIRGIN this and VIRGIN that.

Um, he means it was lovely, this first time. He certainly wasn't thinking about hitting it and quitting it. He was more with the breathing and the first-time uttering of "Wait, don't move. Just. Hold. On. Jesus. Don't. Move."

OHMYGODJOHNMAYERRRRRRRRRRRRRR

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OH MY GOD YOU GUYS HE'S PLAYING IT EEEEEEEEE YOUR BODEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IS A WONDERLAND EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

More day-after thoughts of what was a pretty f*cking awesome show at the Garden (Alicia Keys for the encore? Hot) last night. Check out the comments section. OMS is revolutionizing the comments section by continuously commenting on his own crap.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEalright. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEnough with the screaming and the fainting and the OhMyGoding.