Success!

Well, I did it, and honestly I was tempted to try four it went that well. I got off work a little later than expected, so I had to switch around the order of the movies I was going to see. I was planning to start off with "Dreamgirls." Instead, I had to go with "Children of Men" first. "Children of Men" was well made but nothing you haven't really seen before. In fact it's a lot like a movies I've already seen this year. I won't say which movie because that could possibly spoil the ending to either one that you haven't seen. I will say I think "Children of Men" was slightly better than that movie.

The second movie I saw was "Dreamgirls." Now, I don't really like musicals, but I have a hard time turning down a movie that basically covers the history of R&B group the Supremes. Which makes me wonder if Diana Ross and the Supremes had to approve the musical or anything? Still, I admit I enjoyed enough of it to give it a high recommendation. I finally discovered my main problem with musicals. It's when they start singing what they want to say. This movie only does it a few times but it still drove me up the wall. If you want to sing a song that represents how that person is feeling with a few lines relating directly to what is happening that is fine. But when you start having people talking to each other in song, I can't take it. I liked most of the songs. Yes, that Hudson girl can really sing. In my audience, she got two ovations from the audience and Beyonce got one. The movie really only gives Beyonce one song to show her chops. I also enjoyed Jamie Fox's character. Not necessarily Fox, but I enjoyed the path of his character.

Finally, I wrapped up the trifecta with a wonderful film called "Pan's Labyrinth." It's a bizarre and beautiful fairy tale about a young girl that takes place after Spain's civil war. I've come to really love Guillermo Del Toro as a director. I loved "The Devil's Backbone." This is though his best film. It's superb in all aspects. I will say that this is not for kids. Don't let the cute little girl and the mythical creatures confuse you. This is rated R for a reason.

My prediction for the week is that Stomp the Yard will be number one in the box office this weekend. It was selling out all over around here. At the theater I went to there were kids holding impromptu dances like in the movie. It was rather impressive, though I'm sure the movie still blows.

Dammit! I'm Going For It! ...I Think.

So, the writers are leaving early to go to Vegas for the weekend. That means I get to leave early. If I get out early enough I'm going for the movie trifecta. That's right. Three movies back to back to back in the theater. I feel like today is a day in which I can pull it off. I think. I'm certainly going to make the effort. It will at least be two, and then I will see if I can pull off the third movie. Why would I even try to make an attempt at such a feat of movie watching endurance? Because, I'm really behind in seeing movies. Hell, I haven't even see Rocky yet. Oh the anticipation. What do I do to prepare? I know I'm limiting it to one theater. Traveling from one theater to the next would simply be too much. I'm probably an hour from leaving work. This could be the greatest thing I've done in life. Next to beating God of War in God Mode, or the time I ate six atomic fireballs at once. Yeah, this could be one of the greatest things that would prove how sad my life is.

Oooh. I Forgot To Mention The One Good Thing About Last Night.

One thing was made perfectly clear last night on FOX. Next week, I get to watch Jack Bauer save the world in glorious HD. The one problem is that this conflicts with Heroes. Thank you dual tuner Tivo! Thank you!

Um, Can I Get It Without The Phone?

While waiting for a cable guy that never came, I refreshed Engadget's live coverage of Steve Jobs' keynote. See this is what tech geeks like me do. So, the big news other than Apple TV was the announcement of the long anticipated iPhone.From simply a tech geek this is pretty sexy. That big touch sensitive screen. So pretty. My problem. Why can't I get just an iPod that looks like that? Kick out the phone guts and put is a 30 or 60 GB hard drive and you are ready to go. Wouldn't the TV shows and movies be much more viewable on this screen? This is the video iPod everyone has been waiting for, so why limit this design to just the iPhone? I guess I have to wait a little longer to upgrade to a new iPod. I would jump at the chance if my iPod looked like this.

So That Happened

Wow. I don't know what to say. Except 51 days! You can't tell me that had nothing to do with this. When did I know in the game that we were in trouble? When Ginn Jr. was limping to the locker room. Our one true speed threat sent to the sidelines. Credit to Florida for having a solid game plan, and executing. I didn't see a blow out like this. I have a few questions though. What happened to the run? Our defense gave the offense chances to get back into it in the second half, but nothing happened. This sucks. I expect this when I watch the Cubs. I don't with the Buckeyes. They were not prepared. They played flat the whole game. Now I'm rambling. Thank goodness I bought a new TV, or it would be in pieces. This isn't as bad as NLCS, but it comes close. I still don't know what happened. Thanks for ruining a wonderful night my sister and I planned to have.

Ok, I think I've changed my mind a little. I don't think this is close to the NLCS. First off I've witnessed the Buckeyes winning not only a great game against Michigan but the National Title just three years ago. Also, the Buckeyes didn't just show up at all. Have you ever seen a dominating team like that just not show up? I think I would be more upset if the Buckeyes played well and then lost in some close game. I'm still pissed that they laid an egg an a half, but after the first 20 seconds or so you saw it coming. The Buckeyes were never in it. Am I still baffled? Absolutely. I just think the disappointment has dissipated some now that my head is clear. It simply came down to Florida playing the game of their lives and The Ohio State University playing the absolute worst game of their lives.

The Big Game

Over a month and half ago I was completely confident that The Ohio State Buckeyes could beat the Florida Gators. Watching the Florida vs. Arkansas game I saw a young team that made a lot of mistakes both on the field and by the coaches. Now, I'm not so confident. Why, you might ask have I now lost that confidence? Because it's been over a month and a half! It's been 51 days since the Buckeyes have played an opponent. 51 days! Anything can happen with that kind of layoff. It's ridiculous. Still I will be sitting on my couch with my sister while the Buckeyes hopefully prove they are the better team in glorious HD!

Snobfest 2006: The Songs

This part of Snobfest is probably my favorite and most difficult. It's not easy narrowing a song list down to a single CD's worth. There were three songs I'm still agonizing over that I cut from this list. Anyway, you can either download them or email me for a CD. Again no specific order has been given. Enjoy. Oh, and some of these songs have "bad" words.

Eagles of Death Metal-Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!)-

This is a movie trailer song if there ever was one. I've tried numerous times this year to get this song on our show. I couldn't even get this song into our Christmas reel. Anyway this song fits into my "dirt rock" category. It's all sleazy and percussion heavy. How can this not make the teaser of one of our episodes?

Twilight Singers-Andiamo-

There are better songs on Powder Burns and the Stitch in Time EP. So why am I putting it up here? First of all, the only way you can get this song is through eMusic. Even the bonus track on iTunes made the EP. Second, Dulli hasn't rocked like this in awhile. It begins all simmering, and then builds into a wall of sound built with horns, guitars, drums, bass, and Dulli's cigarette stained howl. There might be better songs, but I love this song. The third reason is the line, "My belly's gettin' fat/but my thoughts are even heavier" makes me laugh. The horns make this song.

The Exploding Hearts-(Making) Teenage Faces-

How can you not love this band? Just one big fat hook that won't let go.

The Hold Steady-Stuck Between Stations-

It's the piano that really makes this song for me particularly during the coda. And that opening power chord. As with any Craig Finn written song you also have to enjoy the humorous touches in a story about a poet who commits suicide.

Stuck Between Stations

there are nights when i think that sal paradise was right. boys and girls in america have such a sad time together.
sucking off each other at the demonstrations.
making sure their makeup's straight.
crushing one another with colossal expectations.
dependent, undisciplined, sleeping late.

she was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a christian.
she was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend.
he likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration.
most nights were crystal clear but tonite its like it's stuck between stations
on the radio.

the devil and john berryman took a walk together
they ended up on washington talking to the river
he said "I surrounded myself with doctors and deep thinkers
but big heads with soft bodies make for lousy lovers".
there was that night that we thought that john berryman could fly.
but he didnt so he died.
she said "you're pretty good with words but words won't save your life"
and they didn't so he died.

he was drunk and exhausted but he was critically acclaimed and respected.
he loved the golden gophers but he hated all the drawn out winters.
he likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration.
most nights were kind of fuzzy but that last night he had total retention.


these twin city kisses.
sound like clicks and hisses.
and we all come down and drown in the mississippi river.

we drink
we dry up.
we crumble into dust.

we get wet we corrode
we get covered in rust.


Voxtrot-Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives-

Hmm. There are some big old late 80's Brit-pop jangly guitars in here. I really thought I'd given up this type of jangle. Here though Voxtrot balances the guitars with a solid hook and strong bass and drums. The way this song builds is nice that I clearly have come back to enjoy this jangle-pop song. With the EP of the same name and their Wolves EP, I'm looking forward to see what this Austin group can do with a full album.

Midlake-Roscoe-

I was completely hooked on this song the second I heard it. It's a twist on that Fleetwood Mac sound with CSN&Y harmonies. Plus the lyrics come across like a backwoods hippie version of Iron Maiden lyrics. Too bad none of the rest of the songs on the album come close to this.

Band of Horses-The Funeral-

Damn more jangley guitars. I swore I gave them up. The first thing that popped into my head when I heard this song was "Catherine Wheel made a new album?" Tell me this doesn't sound like their song "Black Metallic." I eventually got past this once the haunting "Ooohs" came in. This could be perhaps the saddest song of the year.

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins-Rise Up with Fists!!!-

How ballsy is Jenny Lewis? She put not one, or two, but three exclamation points in this song title. Three!!! I still like the gospel sound the Watson Twins give this song. It helps me handle the first two versus of this song that come across like the Genesis song "Jesus He Knows Me."

Lucero-I Can Get Us Out Of Here-

I can't remember how I came across this song. I don't think I've heard the rest of this album, but this song has apparently stuck with me. Again, I think it's the keyboards that won me over to this song. It has a hint of Springsteen, a little dash of early Whiskeytown B-sides, and a bit of a vocalist trying to hard to sound hoarse. This is a really nice driving late at night song when you need to stay awake.

Destroyer-European Oils-

There are three things I love about this song. 1. The verses that seem to come from some hippie drug trip in a late sixties movie. 2. The la la la's. Fantastic la la la's. Some of the best la la la's ever in a song 3. I will admit I sometimes listen to the song simply for this line: "She needs to feel at peace with her father, the fucking maniac." The way he whisper yells "the fucking maniac."

The Blow-Parentheses-

This is the kind of song you would play in college if you wanted to hook up with that really cute feminist-to-the-point-of-being-confused-for-being-a-lesbian girl you met in your Intro to Arts class. Most of the class is annoyed when she goes on her rants in class, but you find it kind of cute. The way she juts her bottom lip out when the professor tells her to sit down. So cute. If only she bathed a little more often. Anyway, this is the kind of song she would really like. She would really like the part about the"deli isle." Too bad she likes the closet gay guy that won't give her the time of day and treats her like crap.

Phoenix-Long Distance Call-

Damn, Parisians. How do you pick a song when half their album is solid grade A pop songs? I narrowed it down to three and finally just picked this one. I think it's the "hmm" the singer utters before singing the chorus. It might be the line "Got little to tell, I don't say much but I might." I identify with that line. Actually it's just the jangly guitars and hook.

Peter, Bjorn & John-Young Folks-

Now it's easy to see why this song is great. It's the whistling, and the baseline. How can you not whistle along? Ok, ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman adds a lot too.

TV on the Radio-I Was a Lover-

I almost went with "A Method" simply because I like the a cappella song. Then I decided on selecting "Wolf Like Me," but thought that was too obvious. I really love this song. The string sample rolls along with the drums, the noise, and the falsetto, then at the 2:24 the piano comes in and turn the song on its head, then goes right side up again. Great song.

Escort-Starlight-

Look, I don't care what you say. I swear this song was made in 2006. I swear.

The Coup-My Favorite Mutiny-

How this for a piano based funk call to arms anthem? Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress bring on Black Thought and Talib Kweli to share the rhymes and create a song that rivals any so called activist song released today. The funk doesn't hide what they are saying, it just makes sure you hear what they want to say because you end up listening to it multiple times.

Ghostface Killah Feat. Raekwon-Kilo-

This song would fit on "The Wire." It paints a perfect picture of the paranoia, hierarchy, and how kids are used as gophers by selling them the dream of a better life. Ghostface could probably be a staff writer for "The Wire." He hits those details that other rappers don't. Did I mention the funky horns?

Gnarls Barkley-Smiley Faces-

The best R&B song released this year.

Rhymefest-All I Do-

The best hip-hop anthem for those who live in the slums and work hard and fight to make it out without giving into temptation.

Snobfest 2006: The Albums

Where going to go backward in comparison to last year, and start off with the albums. Again there is no specific order. I'll be honest and say I was a little concerned that this post could even reach a satisfactory number that it would be worth doing a list. I was gladly mistaken. Though the song list became much more difficult to narrow down so they could fit on one CD. Anyway, let us start off with the obvious ones I've mentioned before.

Twilight Singer - Powder Burns + Stitch in Time EP

Yes, I can hear you all groan from here, so I'll do my best to be short and sweet. I've had over eight months to absorb this album, and my final decision is that Powder Burns is Dulli's best album since Black Love. I still personally like Blackberry Belle more, but Powder Burns as a whole is the better album. The bonus Dulli fans received this year was the Stitch in Time EP which fits nicely with Powder Burns. First off it has the fantastic cover of Massive Attack's "Live With Me" with Mark Lanegan handling the lead vocals. What follows is just as good or at least comes really really close. There's the R&B groove "Sublime." The dark groove of "Flashback" which along with "They Ride" (co-written by Whigs guitarist Rick McCollum) would fit perfectly on any of the Afghan Whigs albums. The EP concludes with the haunting "The Lure Would Prove Too Much." Coming up this year I get not only the Afghan Whigs collection by Rhino, but hopefully the long anticipated Gutter Twins, which is an album Dulli and Lanegan have been working on together. It used to be years upon years between Afghan Whigs records. Now I've gotten something from Dulli once a year for the past three years.

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

I already covered the greatness of this album here. If someone I knew could just get past his voice.

The Exploding Hearts - Shattered

I still get sad about this band sometimes. I still remember listening to their debut album back in 2003, and knowing I would be sticking with this band for awhile. Then a van accident ends the band by taking three of the band members. What we have here is a collection of singles, alternate takes, and unreleased tracks. This is a band that rose above their influences and created one of those albums in Guitar Romantic that should grow in popularity as time goes on. This collection of songs is a nice gift, but also makes you wonder what more they could have given us. I suggest picking up Guitar Romantic. It's going to become one of those albums.

I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends

Again, I wrote about these crazy Swedes here.

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

I never belonged to the Belle and Sebastian cult of followers. I have Tigermilk and Arab Strap, but never fell in love with them like so many have. After picking up this album, I feel like the high school quarterback who realizes the girl that's been tutoring him is really kind of hot. Just like in that teen flick scenario it's because they took off their glasses and put on some cool clothes. For, Belle and Sebastian they glammed themselves up some on songs like "The Blues are Still Blue," and "White Collar Boy." Some would call this album a reinvention. I'd disagree and say they just took some tips from T. Rex, and Motown and gussied themselves up some.

Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

I've often considered Dan Bejar the weak member of The New Pornographers. Which is pretty ridiculous but I think the cause was because I've enjoyed his Destroyer albums so much. On Rubies, Bejar ditches the MIDI sounds of Your Blues and shows his improvement as a singer. This is probably my favorite album of his after Streethawk, and that could be just because of nostalgia.

TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

Normally this isn't my type of record. In fact, I avoided it on purpose knowing I would probably appreciate it but not really like it. I'm not a big fan of the so called "art rock." That's why I like Radiohead's The Bends over Kid A. Well I gave in, and I love this album. It all begins with Tunde Adebimpe's fantastic voice. From the opening track, "I Was a Lover" through "Providence" with its odd piano chord progression through the a cappella "A Method" and ending with the drone of "Wash the Day Away." I guess there can still be very good art rock. How can you not like an album titled Return to Cookie Mountain?

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

Simply the best R&B/Soul album released this year.

Ghostface Killah- Fishscale

Veteran Ghostface is the best storyteller in hip-hop. While other rappers tell short stories of their neighborhood, Ghostface tells full novels. His stories include smells and sounds of his neighborhood. In songs "Kilo" and "R.A.G.U." Ghostface tells tales of the drug trade, but avoids lifting the pusher as the neighborhood king like so many other rappers do. Combine Ghostface's stories with deep soul samples and you have one of the best albums of the year. This is an album that shouldn't be limited to only those purists out there.

Rhymefest - Blue Collar

I wrote before that I was completely baffled how this album didn't become a hit. The line "Hot like hot sauce" should be right up there with bringing sexy back. As the title suggests, Rhymefest covers the life of the everyman. He uses refreshing self-deprecating humor in "Devil's Pie." In "Bullet" he tells the harrowing story of a young man joining the military to get out of the ghetto only to get shot while in Iraq. Rhymefest really shines when he uses humor in his stories. Even the song "Build Me Up" almost strays away from being a novelty song even with the ODB sung "Build Me Up Buttercup" sample. Rhymefest shouldn't be ignored.

Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

This Parisian band have always excelled at crafting pop rock songs. On their latest they add a little scruff to hide the shine of their craftsmanship. The scruff comes in the form of Strokes like guitar. Normally this wouldn't work. Here though it doesn't hide the band's ability to write perfectly constructed songs but actually blends creating one their best albums. The songs are pop but they hang with you long after listening.

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away

So, tonight was the night. I became one of the blessed. I went big and got the 42" Panasonic plasma TV. It's almost like the one Ben K. has. Aren't you excited Anne Marie? Isn't that TV too big for that stand? It seems so. Does it matter? Nope. Thanks goes out to Dad, Mike, the CSI: Miami writers, three grandmothers, one grandfather, and Anne Marie who helped make this financially possible. Thanks also to my Mom who gave birth to me three days after Christmas. This has helped with Christmas and birthday money coming at the same time. Finally big thanks to Jen who drove me in her SUV to pick it up and even helped me carry it up one flight of stairs, and to Megan who helped me put the plasma on its stand. That should be everybody.Unfortunately, it is not all good news in this Iten's home. The first thing I did after setup is fire up the old 360. I had to see Gears of War in glorious HD. Well, it froze on me. So, I restarted. Then I got this:I can't believe I got the red ring of death! The Red Ring of Death! Suck.

My Plan Is Nearly Complete (Wringing Hands With An Evil Smile)

All my siblings have finally fallen under the spell of blogging. The last two hold outs (Jennie and Sam) are now blogging. Jennie has had "Filling Rooms" up for almost a month. Sam just started "Commonplaces" today. Everything has fallen into place now. The world will soon be mine. (This is the residual effect of watching so many Bond movies in 24 hours.)

Ramblings

I meant to bring this up in the last post. It seems that even though I recently turned 35 years old I still need to be carded for cigarettes. The last few months I have been carded a dozen times. Most recently I was carded in Maine. I admit I have a somewhat young face as long as the hat stays on. I can almost understand that I could be carded for buying alcohol. But being carded for cigarettes means they think I could be 17 years old. I'm more double that. Maybe this is a little gift to make me feel better about passing out of the 18-34 age demographic. I would like the advertisers to know I still buy like I'm in that demographic.

Encore is showing a 007 marathon to ring in 2007. I don't think I've given them enough credit for their stunts. I've watched most or all of about 7 of them so far. What? I'm resting up for the three day work week I have ahead of me. Anyway, even the ones with Timothy Dalton had great stunts. Take "License to Kill." It has the driving the semi truck on one side and then dropping it on a jeep. The flaming car that flies off a cliff and over and airplane. There's also the decent jumping on a plane from a helicopter and then hooking it with a wire.

Way to lay an egg again Michigan. Lloyd Carr can't coach his teams in big games.

Speaking of big games, how great was that Boise State vs. Oklahoma game? That might be the best bowl game this year. Pulling off the hook and ladder to tie the game, and then calling the "statue of liberty" play on the winning 2 pt. conversion. Screw the NFL. College Football is where it's at.

89 days till the Cubs season opener!

Twilight Singers performed on Jimmy Kimmel last night. I actually had tickets for the mini-concert even though that probably meant having to watch Kimmel. Unfortunately, I had to cancel. Thanks to YouTube I at least can see the song they performed. It's nice seeing Joseph Arthur up there too. Dulli must have been sick, because he was clearly struggling vocally. It's still nice to see one of your favorite bands get national exposure.



If the below office paper shredder happens to disappear you can go ahead and blame me. For some reason they placed it right behind my desk, and every time I'm trying to have a conversation somebody starts shredding. I'm on an important research call, and someone starts shredding. One the writers is asking me a research question, and someone starts shredding. It's like they sit and wait till I start talking to shred. It's become almost comical. I stress the "almost" part because I hate this thing. I hate it.

Not With a Bang But with a Whimper

Did pretty well in the seating department on this flight. No babies or little kids. No extra large people. No window or middle seat. Still, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a flight where there were a lot of unhappy people. Guess everybody spent their goodwill toward men during Christmas, and didn’t save any for New Year’s Eve.

Of course non of this has helped the fact that this flight seems to be taking forever. I’ve taken a nap, listened to my iPod, watched some movie called Neverwas, and tried seven times to beat Dracula in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. I’m still two hours away.

So, the movie on the flight is called Neverwas. Which I’m pretty sure was it’s time in the theaters as well. I have no recollection of this movie. Basically it was about a psychiatrist who comes to work at the institution his father was institutionalized before he killed himself. You know what. I’m not going to bother with a recap. Just avoid it. Don’t let the cast tempt you to rent it. Actually, some of you might actually enjoy it. So how about we just ignore this whole paragraph.

The guy sitting in front of me annoys me. He’s coming from Bangor to LA where he currently leaves in Redondo Beach. He used to live in Bangor. I’ve never spoken to the guy but I already know all this about him. How you might ask? Because, he stated it loudly in the airport for all of us to hear. He talks on his cellphone loudly, he mentioned to an old high school acquaintance where he lives loudly. He made sure to emphasize the LA part. He has that stupid tweed sportcoat with the black T-shirt thing going on as well. It’s like he walked off the set of Altman’s “The Player.”

One hour and twenty minutes left.. If I keep rambling it should fly by right. Half an hour in and I’ll have to shut this thing down, so only fifty minutes left of typing.

This flight is really boring and warm. The longjohns might have been a bad idea. I don’t think my legs have ever sweated this much in my entire life. They were a good idea in Maine and in Boston. Now I’m basting in my own succulent juices. I’d change but I’m sure there’s a curse about changing out of longjohns while 30,000 feet in the air. Plus I think it might be best for everyone to not walk down the aisle with longjohns in my hand.

Oooh, somebody’s reading those Robert Jordan fantasy books my Dad used to always read. Man, he seemed to always read those. I don’t know why I “Oooohed” over that right now. Must be that damned sentimentalism.

Bathroom break.

Ok. This sucks. Maybe I should just go days without sleep and try to write that way. The post on the flight out here is much better than this one. Perhaps, it’s because I’m trying to capture past glory. This is though a pretty boring flight. I’m listening to the Hold Steady while watching Kings of whatever sitcom. Do sitcoms like this give hope to fat men that they can land an attractive wife or does it lead women to think that being married to a fat guy isn’t so bad? If it’s the latter, we need more sub-par comics that are really skinny to get their own sitcom.
My beard is growing in a little weird this time. I don’t know what it is. Maybe the water? It just doesn’t look like it usually does. It’s been bothering me for the past few days.

I read this afternoon in EW’s best of the year issue that one of the critics placed “Brick” on his worst of the year list. This critic has no soul especially for a critic. All the awful movies released this year and you put “Brick.” That screams, “A lot of people really liked this move and I didn’t really enjoy it, so I’ll put it on the list just to irritate people.”
Yes, Brick will make my Snobfest for the movies.

Sweet! Almost there! The pilot shaved an extra ten minutes off. This will sort of make up for the hour long taxiing that we will have to do to get to our gate.

Rather than just let everybody rushing to get out, why don’t they do it like some weddings where the bride and groom greet each row and let them leave? Also, Long Beach airport has it so you can exit out the front and back of the plane. Why, isn’t this done anywhere else?

Wow. I not only get to see Aaron Eckhart in Neverwas, but I also get to see him in Frasier. Thank you in-flight entertainment gods!

Time to put my tray and seat in its upright position. I also need to turn off all electronic devices. I have to make sure my seatbelt is on, and if I am standing in the cabin I need to return to my seat and put my seatbelt on. Almost home. Almost home.

We’ve spent the last 20 minutes taxiing to our gate. The Maine guy in front of me has called 13…14 people since we have landed. It’s gotten so ridiculous that the young couple to me has even been laughing at the guy. 15 people now. When will he stop?

Got home and got to talk to Dave Baldwin who was spending his New Year with Melissa and friends.

I also realized that I need to get my car jumped. This is what happens when I let my car sit for a week and a half. Happy New Year! Some things never change.

One More Time!

Let's try this again. I'm currently sitting in Logan Airport after the short hop of a flight from Bangor. During that short flight I searched all the in-flight magazines to see what my movie will be on my flight to LA. Nothing. Dear American Airlines please put your in-flight movie info available. If it's Flicka again there will be consequences. Maybe not. I could see how it ends this time.

A couple thoughts on Maine:

Where are the moose? Yesterday morning (by morning I mean 2am) I drove my sister Anne to the airport for her flight. That gave me two hours there and two hours back of driving in the dark of night. Isn't that when the moose come out to play?

During the drive back, I stopped for gas at the only place open at that time. As I pumped the gas, some kid drove up, got out and started pumping gas into his car. Problem is the car was still running. I was going to say something, but some other guy started asking him if he saw that buck on the road. So, they kept chatting while I was wondering why someone isn't saying it's dangerous to pump gas with the car running. Then the station attendant comes out. Did he say anything? Nope. He just joined their conversation. I forgot what they ended up talking about because I was looking for that emergency switch for the pump. I realized I was the only sane person among the four standing out there. I decided it would be best to just leave, so I stopped pumping gas and just left. For the first three miles I kept glancing in my rear view mirror for the fireball lighting the night sky. Never happened.

Brief recap of the break outside of the pictures: From the day I got there to about the 26th the temperature was pretty mild. Then around my birthday it became freezing cold. In case you didn't notice the my stepfather's house isn't completely finished yet. So, not only was it freezing outside but it was freezing inside. I wore my burka for five days straight. I even slept in it.

I'd also like to let the family know that once you left the bath water was no longer brownish.

My favorite quote of the break came from my four year old niece, Evie. At the dinner table one night she just said in a Samuel L. Jackson style, "It's alright baby, I made a mistake this morning." Apparently, this is from some out takes in some Star Trek special features. She was quoting Spock in a Samuel L. Jackson voice. Of course we kept trying to get her to repeat it the rest of the week.

Last night we went to the Calais movie theater to see "Night at the Museum." I will never ever complain about a movie theater again. Not only was it freezing in there. Not only was it a ridiculously small screen. Not only was it the size of a studio apartment, but it had one measly speaker set up front. There are home theater set-ups better than this. Still, it was an experience.

I'm paranoid right now about my comment above about the consequences and Flicka. Can't I be arrested for such things? I'm tempted to delete it.

I'm sitting outside the gate because I can't go 3 hours without one cigarette. To my left is a case with things that you shouldn't bring on the plane. In that case is a car battery, bag of charcoal briquettes, a gasoline canister, a paint can, and an old computer monitor. Are we a country of morons. Is there someone who walks by this display and realizes they shouldn't have packed that car battery or that Easy Off oven cleaner? Sweet, someone was trying to be funny and they made a label for the paint can called "I Don't Fly Paint Company." Dear American Airlines, leave the comedy to the professionals.

Bobby when are you coming in? I need to plan picking you up at the airport around my plans to see Pan's Labyrinth.

Jiff, I think you would've enjoyed the late night drive through Maine.

In a couple days I'm buying my HDTV. I've been daydreaming about chainsawing something in Gears of War in glorious HD.

I'm going for a smoke. Catch you on the flip side.

And on the Day Before I Left...It Snowed.

My condolences to the garbage can family. It seems papa got a little soused last night and couldn't find his way home before the cold got him. Let us all remember those garbage cans who have all lost a member to those chilly winter nights.

Christmas Part Deux

The nice thing about large families is that you end up having to celebrate Christmas more than once. Those that are around on Christmas day get to celebrate it together and then we get to re-celebrate? with each group that rolls in afterwards.

This morning we celebrated the Petrys coming into town.

Thing is we are still short two brothers, a sister-in-law, and a niece. Somebody needs to get a bigger house.

Merry Christmas Everyboooody 2006

Thank You Ben and Julie and Sam

To Dare is to Do! COYS

The Two Days Before Christmas are for Baking! (And Anne Marie's Birthday)

Ten Minutes Till Boarding

My tooth is killing me. It began on the airplane. It must have to do with the altitude because I've only felt something like this when I drove through the mountains. Now that I'm back on the ground, we are good to go. In forty minutes I'll be back in someone's jabbing a needle in my tooth.

Some moron just set off some alarm.

We are up to forty-one on the Red Sox garb.

Some guy is walking around with a CSI hat on. I can't escape it.

Can there really be this many people going to Bangor? It always suprises me that so many people need to travel to the same place at the same time. Of course this is probably the only flight to Bangor today. Still.

For once I'm in a boarding group lower than 4. One day I'll be in group 1. we all have dreams.

I'm waiting to crash since I haven't really slept since 9 this morning. Still going strong. Group two. Almost kind of there.

Dunkin Donuts!

Why they would never start up a few of these in LA is beyond me. At least half of LA is East Coast transplants, and they all miss Dunkin' Donuts.

Lyin' Givin' and Flirtin'

In preparation for the flight I am currently on today, I had to go into REI for the first time in my life. I went because I needed gloves, thermal underwear, and apparently a burka. The burka though snuck up on me. I was just looking at gloves and saw these wool ski caps with flaps. They also have a string at the top for a reason I have yet to determine. I debated even trying one of those things on, but I gave in. No mirror to see how it looked on me. I just grabbed it and assume I totally have a hat that accentuates the goof in me. I still haven’t tried it on.

Anyway, REI is for those outdoorsy people. The ones that ski, snowboard, spelunk, hike, and camp. I am not one of these people. I think any desire for the outdoors ended when I burned my hand on a rock I used to surround the little fire I built. I’m still a pyro though.

Everyone assumes you must be one of them if you shop at their store. I just wanted something to make sure I don’t freeze in Maine. Next thing I know I’m telling the cashier I’m heading to Maine for a little skiing. Waxed wooden or fiberglass slats have never even come close to these feet. The problem is the cashier gave me options. He asked where I was going. I honestly answered Maine. Then he asked me if it was for “skiing, family, or a little of both.” If he had stopped at “family” I would have answered honestly, but he had to offer a third choice that was part truth and part lie. I couldn’t turn it down. I answered “a little of both.” At that point I realized I might be in some trouble if this conversation extended past my knowledge of skiing. I didn’t know any mountains in Maine. Where do you go skiing in Maine? Providentially, he asked what the weather was like. That I knew. I answered “It supposed to be in the high 30’s when I get there.” Then he tried to sell me a membership. I declined. It will be another 35 years till I step in this store again.

I quickly exited the building. Giving a quick “No thank you” to the Boy Scout Troop offering to wrap gifts. Is there a gift-wrapping badge? I could earn that badge. Wait. I bet they are really anal about the wrapping. I probably couldn’t earn a gift-wrapping badge.

I thought I had escaped the world of outdoors. I saw the daylight. Then some cute earthy girl steps into my escape route and I’m stuck. REI was blaring some ridiculous music outside, so it took three tries for me to understand that she was asking me if I was apart of the California Environmental Group. I could have easily said “No thanks. I have a plane to catch. (In eight hours).” But I’m a sucker for cute earthy girls out for a good cause. This is exactly why I saw “An Inconvenient Truth.” It was all in preparation for this moment! I can now talk pollution with the cute girl in the army hat. So I agreed to listen to what she was selling. “She was looking for donations for the environmental group.” It’s Christmas. I’m giving to anyone who asks…almost everyone. While I filled out the paperwork, she asked me, “Are you a skier, snowboarder, or hiker?” It’s always good to stick with the same lie within a one-mile radius of the original lie. “Skier” I responded. “You going up to Big Bear?” This is the place where the LA skiers and outdoorsy people visit. I said I was going to Maine. We then figured out that-
(They are now showing some Louie Anderson interview on the plane. He looks awful. I’m so putting him on my death list next year.) –we are both from Ohio. How cute. Almost as cute as her. Then the required “Why’d you move out here?” question followed. Turns out she moved out here for the music industry. Aw I bet she wants to be some cute folk alterna-chick singer. I would’ve been totally smitten if I didn’t already know that singers are psycho. So, we finished our transaction with a little wink and on I walked. I feel like I did a little good. Helped the environment. Somehow came across as an outdoorsy skier who enjoys Maine for it’s skiing. Also, education is the most important societal topic, and I think research is the most important in regards to the environment. They correspond with the numbers 1 and 11 on the questionnaire she asked me. Oddly, there was no 9 or 10. It went from 8 to 11. What were choices 9 and 10? It will haunt me.

Wow, this post has turned out longer than I thought. It’s 12:03 in the morning and I’m stuck on a plane set to Boston. I’m very tempted to keep this going to create the longest post in history. Lets give this a try and see where we go.

Taxis make me feel professional for some reason. I also always over tip. Some people complain or question my tipping rational. I’d much rather look like an over spender than a dick of a cheap skate.

Why are people so scared of the self check-in at airports? People were standing in a line that was easily an hour from beginning to end. There was one person in line at the self check-in. It’s not that difficult.

The video entertainment for this flight is CBSsentric. I’m so hoping they show a CSI: Miami spot, so I can scream, “I do research for that f’ing show, suckas!” like a guy on his tenth mini-bottle. Then I’d run up with the special edition DVD and put it on all the screens. “See! I’m on the special features! That’s me! I’m famous! I’m the most famous person on this plane! Someone non-famous give me their business class seat! I need legroom! Give me some leg room!” Then I’d stumble down the isles bitching about Caruso. It would be the greatest celebrity type blow-up by a non-celebrity.

I’m in the middle seat even though I selected the aisle. I hope I don’t have to pee.

This isn’t going to bad.

I just spent thirty minutes trying to find out what the in-flight movie is. I thought the stewardess said it was Flicker. That can’t be right. Maybe she said Flicka. There was a movie recently out called Flicka. I think it’s nice they offer this movie for those who find it difficult to sleep on planes. The anticipation is building to see what movie they are showing. I’ve been stuck watching add for CBS and clips from their shows. Come on. You always lead with the movie and finish with the clips.

Two hours down and three and a half…till I get to Boston. Then a three-hour layover to Boston. Then an hour flight to Bangor. Then a two-hour drive to Calais. Why couldn’t I be born during the age of teleportation? While I’m wishing - Why couldn’t I be born with a voice like Al Green’s?

Who thinks showing a cooking show on a flight is a good idea. It’s called Hannah’s Storm hosted by Hannah Storm. Wow they really mailed it in on that title.

It must be getting late. I’m finding th- CSI: Miami TV ad! Trying to escape the heat? You can’t escape the heat suckas!” Anyway. I’m finding Alyson Hannigan (aka: Willow from Buffy) more and more attractive.

Sweet we are almost to see what the movie is…Flicka! It stars Alison Lohman, who was in that Kevin Bacon movie, “Where the Truth Lies,” where he and Colin Firth played Sinatra and Dean type singers possibly involved in murder. It has the one of the all time “I’m not a girl!” nudity moments. Katie Homes did it in “The C-something.” The weird thing is you always picture her as a underage teenager because of her rolls. Then that scene comes up and you’re completely thrown for a loop, and seriously creeped out. Now she’s playing some underage girl and her horse. I think that’s why most young actresses take up smoking when they hit there late teens. They tire of looking so young and will do anything to add a little age to their face.

I’m not sure what’s going on in this movie, but Maria Bellow just kissed a snake. What kind of movie is this? How badass of a horse can you be if you are named Flicka? I hope the subtitle to this move isn’t “Where Glue Comes From.”

Time to take a nap.

Ok I missed the ending of Flicka. Last I saw was Lohman was having hallucinations because she stood out in the rain too long comforting Flicka who just got mauled. They were going to shoot him, but then the dad comes back with the horse. He says something about there being no reason for the horse to be alive. The mother then says something like, “There’s a reason. It has mustang blood. It’s strong. Just like our daughter.”

That’s when I blacked out and can’t remember anything else. Dialog like that can do it.

I’m in Logan airport now waiting my 3 hours and 50 minutes till the flight to Bangor. Little did I know but the blonde guy with the fierce eyes in Band of Brothers was on my flight.

Logan airport kind of sucks. Maybe I’m just in the low rent district of the airport, but I’ve seen better.

I’ve counted twenty-five pieces of Red Sox clothing.

I couldn’t write this while on the plane, but I’m pretty sure if you combined the two guys I was sitting between you would get my brother Sam.

Ok, this is the end of part one. Technically this is a three page post in Word. I apologize now for those who have actually made it this far. And yet more is to come.

Where the Hell is My Psi-Ops 2?

Back in June 2004, Midway released a third person shooter where your character not only shoots the standard guns but has psionic powers that develop as the game goes on. You can throw people, crates, and propane tanks around. You can shoot fire from your hands. There's the nice mind control ability, and finally a vision to see through doors and walls.

Story wise it's a standard video game story where you are dropped into a group of evildoers with their own psionic powers. Their leader your formal general who helped you develop your powers. Of course you have to stop him, but you've been brain wiped and can't remember anything about your past. blah. blah. blah.

The fun had in this game was what came across at first as a gimmick: the psionic powers. The developers were smart enough to create each level like a personal playground where you can use your powers to destroy the enemy in numerous ways. Furnace doors are oddly left open so you can fling soldiers to barbecue. One level where you go through a factory with conveyor belts and flames and crushing machines seems designed to see how creatively destructive you can be. There are a ridiculous amount of propane tanks lying around to create exploding fire balls when needed. There's nothing like sending a soldier into a propane tank so that it explodes which send the flaming soldier off into a couple other soldiers. It's all about the mixing and matching your powers, guns, and the environment to your destructive tendencies. It even had great boss fights. Take the ripped off King Pin character that launches tanker trucks and semi trailers at you. It wasn't a perfect game with it's crappy camera, and appear out of nowhere enemies, but it was fun, and was a solid step in the right direction. So where's my damn sequel?

With a solid gameplay base to keep building upon, why stop at just one game? With this next generation think of all the possibilities with fully destructible environments. Think of the combos when applying the psionic powers to that fully destructible environment. How sweet would it be to send a car into a watch tower that causes the watchtower to collapse onto a tanker that explodes and destroys a wall you need to get through. You can then throw the broken pieces of the wall at soldiers, or toss soldiers that caught on fire into another car or truck with soldiers and blow that up. The combinations are endless. How could this not be a game that would be fun to develop? What are you thinking Midway? I should already be playing PSI-Ops 3 by now. Let's get on this.

Lost Song from the Lost Journey Christmas Special

This is what happens when nobody wants to be at work. Your mind starts playing tricks on you and you and your co-workers end up creating Christmas lyrics to a popular AOR hit. I like to think this is exactly what Steve Perry would write if there actually was a Journey Christmas Special. It's a little sad the things Santa and his elves have to do every year.

Be Nice People! (To the tune of "Don't Stop Believin")

Just a fat old man, livin in a snowy world
He took a late sleigh ride goin everywhere
Just a country boy, born and raised in the North Pole
He took a late sleigh ride goin everywhere

An elf in a crowded room
The smell of wood and Elmer’s glue.
Making gifts for Christmas night
It goes on and on and on and on

Rudolph, Flying, up and down the boulevard
Red nose searching in the night
Be nice people, leave Santa some milk and cookies
He’s coming, somewhere in the night

Working hard to bring us joy,
Everybody wants a toy
Makin things for those who are nice,
One more time
Some are bad, some are good
He knows which one are you
Oh, the night never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

(chorus)

Dont stop believin
Hold on to the feelin
Sleep tight people

Ramblings (Pre-Chri-er I Mean Holiday Edition)

Only 3 days left till break!

This weekend was a rather pleasant weekend even though my head felt like it was a double stuff.

Saturday was two shot event. The early afternoon was spent at the Haynes, who are perhaps the nicest people on the planet. Bobby and I got to chat and drink root beer and hot cider while co-workers Jen and Megan decorated Christmas cookies with the Haynes' cousin Chelsea. Apparently my provision of the Holiday music was enough for me to reap the benefits of eating the "broken" cookies. How's that for getting in the festive mood? Christmas cookies, hot cider, music, and friends. The temperature even got kind of chilly for LA.

The night time was spent karaoking at co-worker Tamara's birthday party. This was my first time in one of those rented karaoke rooms. Actually, this was my first time on the mic in LA. A couple thoughts: I know karaoke is much more popular within the Asian population, but do we need three pages of Jap-pop to every US popular song? I was slightly disappointed and confused by their selection. I'll admit I was tempted but there is no reason for me to have the option of six Stryper songs. Six! Yet, none of them were "To Hell With The Devil." I would like to take a little bit of credit for getting a few more people involved. At first it was only Tamara, Ildy, and her husband Tim singing. Tamara is really good singer so it's difficult to follow her act. I know I tried to avoid it. Ildy's really good too, and Tim has the charm to pull off anything. But not till I croaked my way through a song did others feel more confident to join. See, my suckiness can be an encouragement. For those that missed the event, you missed me belting out "Sweet Caroline," "Copacabana," and "Centerfold." Did I mention I did this all with a head inflated by a head cold?

Sunday morning I went to church. To my surprise they were recognizing the Lord's Supper for the second time this month. Usually, it's the first Sunday of every month, but I guess for Christmas they recognize it twice. That's fine with me, except that I'm fairly uncomfortable with my church's process. They have everyone pull from a loaf and then dunk it in wine. That means I'm taking a bite from something thirty people have probably already grabbed. Does nobody else have a problem with this? Can't I recognize the Lord's Supper in sanitary ways? Fortunately, I was on the tail end of my cold cycle which always leads me to feeling a little bit invincible. Usually, I fear all germs but for a good two to three days I fear nothing!

I returned home to see my Tottenham Hotspurs earn their first away win against Manchester City. After a rough start to the season, Spurs have really turned it on recently. They have yet to lose in UEFA Cup and have won four of their last five in the Premiership. I'll admit I still hardly know anything about the league, but I'm learning. I'm also excited about the next five months of Spurs football. COYS!

I've realized what I need for me to really like a show. There needs to be moments where I say "Oh shit!" about every three or four episodes. I realized this watching the last episode of Dexter. There's nothing like watching a show about the life of a vigilante serial killer. It's a solid show. There's good acting, above average writing, and it's shot well. But, there were maybe two moments during it's short season that really grabbed me. Which is surprising because it's a show about a vigilante serial killer on Showtime. Most of the twists just felt lackluster or obvious. Actually, I just think shows like The Shield, 24, Lost, and Heroes has ruined it for me. Will I give it another chance? Sure. I'm still intrigued to see where they take it now.

No it's time to survive the next three days of work. We have to have a first draft of an episode by Wed. and I'm not sure we even have a story fully broke yet. Whoo Hoo!

The Pimp of Research

That hat on my head is the Secret Santa gift I received today. I don't know if this says more about me or the person who gave it to me. Time to go hang on the corner with my cup, cane, and ho's.

I Almost Had The Perfect Year!

After a whole year of not getting sick, it finally happened. I battled numerous viruses as they flew around the office this year. I dodged colds, flu's, and even a case of bronchitis. I laughed at those who got their flu vaccines and still got sick. I was all set to have a nice full year without illness. I was only three weeks away! Then I started feeling that scratch in the throat yesterday evening. Now I'm sick. It's not going to be the one day flu or anything. This is going to be one of those drawn out colds that last for weeks. I blame it all on the CSI: Miami Christmas party. I blame our PA Jen as well. She was the one that was sick first. It's totally Jen's fault. Three weeks! It's like blowing a no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth. Now I'm all rattled and will probably lose the game.

Screw it. I'm Seeing It.

Look, is it probably going to suck? Yes. Does anyone think this movie will actually be any good? At least it can't be worse than the fifth movie. Can it? At first I thought there's no way in hell I'm going to see that obvious attempt to cash in on nostalgia. I was adamant. Then I saw a trailer. Still wasn't completely sold till...that music kicked in. The music won me over that I kind of got excited. My mind began to completely ignore the bad dialogue, and the preposterousness of it all. I felt like a little kid again all because of the music. Now, I'm kind of excited about the whole movie. It's Rocky dammit! So sign me up. I'm seeing it. It's funny what a little overture can do to change my mind.

Christmas Kills the Skeptic...for now.

Co-worker, neighbor, friend, Megan invited me awhile ago to her church's "Journey to Bethlehem" event Sunday night. She tried to sell it with the fact that they have live animals like camels and donkeys...that you can pet! Any time live animals and Christmas are mentioned in the same sentence, I get flashbacks to my Senior year of high school where I played a shepherd in our church's Christmas pageant. This was one those big megachurch deals where they had it at the downtown convention center. The kind where two thousand people show up every weekend night for three weekends. There were live animals in that one too. I was in charge of wrangling a sheep up during the manger scene. This was fine except getting to the stage meant walking across a narrow platform over the orchestra pit. Ever night I was certain the sheep would revolt and take a nose dive into the tuba section. That never happened, but one night the sheep started gnawing on the straw in the manger with the baby Jesus. The headline: "Sheep eats Baby Jesus: Christmas Pageant Ruined" flashed through my mind while I tried to pull the sheep away.

Anyway, Sunday came and I figured it would be a nice thing to go. I was feeling a little guilty about Saturday night. So, I show up and the hardcore skeptic in me was waiting to rear his head. The Christmas spirit though never gave the skeptic a chance.

For Journey to Bethlehem, the church turned their parking lot into a recreation of the town of Bethlehem. There were over fifty people playing the town folk. There were centurions, Joseph walking around with Mary on her mule, the three wise men, dancers, and other town folk. There were shops where you would use shekels that were passed out to pay for food, flowers, and necklaces. Oh, and there were animals that you could pet.

Now the actors had to stay in character. The talked with their thees, thys, and thous as they talked with you about where I'm from and other chit chat. I will admit it got a little silly when they would be amazed and frightened at cameras and cell phones. The big highlight occurred about every half hour when the Angel of the Lord would appear. The sound of thunder would play over speakers. The actors would all act frightened. The centurions would raise their spears and protect the effeminate governor. Then up on the roof of one of the buildings the angel would rise on some contraption with the whole smoke and everything. He'd say his speech and then lower among a handful of other angels. When the angels would disappear with a the rising clouds, the town folk would all act excited and talk among themselves about the "good news."

I hung around with Megan, her husband Eric, and her grandparents. They left and I hung around for a couple more angel appearances while I ate baklava, fruit, and some cracker thing. I would normally be tearing something like this apart. But it was free, the production was pretty impressive and the children there were clearly having a great time. I even gave in and petted a few animals. For that night the skeptic was dead.

Oh and former super model Rachel Hunter was there in Bethlehem. Weird.

What The Hell?

For the past month I've been expanding my music collection to include more girl group's from the 60's. It started with getting the Phil Spector Anthology, "Back to Mono." I loaded up the album's on iTunes and hit play. I began straightening the apartment and doing some cleaning. Songs like "To Know Him is To Love Him," "There's No Other Like My Baby," "Uptown," and "He's Sure the Boy I Love" played. Mid-dusting a song I'd never heard came on. It was definitely a sad song, but it was something about it felt like a kiss. Then I listened more intently to the lyrics. These are the lyrics:

HE HIT ME (IT FELT LIKE A KISS)
(Gerry Goffin / Carole King)
The Crystals


He hit me
And it felt like a kiss.
He hit me
But it didn't hurt me.

He couldn't stand to hear me say
That I'd been with someone new,
And when I told him I had been untrue

He hit me
And it felt like a kiss.
He hit me
And I knew he loved me.

If he didn't care for me
I could have never made him mad
But he hit me,
And I was glad.

(instrumental break)

Yes, he hit me
And it felt like a kiss.
He hit me
And I knew I loved him.
And then he took me in his arms
With all the tenderness there is,
And when he kissed me,
He made me his.

Now listen to it.

What the hell, Carole King? With the dirge like music and the emotionless singing of the chorus results in a really creepy song. This lead to me researching to find the reason behind the song. I found this in Wikipedia.

Ramblings

Let me explain a little bit about the TV writing business. I'm sure you all know that writers get paid for their script, and when it reruns. Did you know that when you create a character you get a small chunk of change every time that character appears in an episode? Yeah. Take for example a Mr. Black, who wrote exactly one awful episode during season one, and was then fired. In that episode he created the Frank Tripp character in our show. The Frank Tripp character has now become a series regular. So even though he was involved for a brief moment he is making money in nearly every episode. It's not a lot of money, but still...

Why do I not feel that nervous over the fact that Ohio State has to face Florida for the BCS championship? I hope I'm not jinxing us, but I'd be much more concerned playing Michigan again or USC. Wow, I hope the Ohio State players aren't thinking the same thing. It could turn out being a reverse of Ohio State vs. Miami. Let's forget I said anything. Moving on...

The Black Crowes album "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion." Overrated, underrated, or why even rate? I don't think Eddie Money gets enough late credit as an artist of the 70's and 80's. Why must Boston, Journey, or REO get all the retro hate/love?

With a lot of research I've calculated what I would need to build the home theater set-up for my apartment. The total has come to only $3,125. That includes a 37" HDTV, hdmi switching amp, 7.1 speakers, and an HD tivo. That's completely reasonable. Who wants to donate?

Meet Greg Oden. He's why the Buckeyes could possibly when a championship in football and basketball. He's also why six to seven NBA teams will try to tank their last half of the season. Clearly, some teams are trying to get an early jump to their losing this season.

Am I the only one that can't resist pantomiming playing a trumpet during the chorus of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline?" I know I'm not the only one. It's impossible not to do it. You know you can't resist. "Hands touching hands reaching out. Touching me! Touching you! Sweet Caroline!" Bomp Bomp Bah! See. I told you. It's irresistible.

Studio 60 might have saved itself tonight from my own personal chopping block. I really enjoyed it. Maybe this is finally the episode where they turn it around. Heroes tough once again ruled tonight. I'll feel sorry for those that either didn't get a jump on this when it began, or left after the first two rough episodes. Hiro: "I need to find that sword." It's geektastic.

With us just getting our toes wet in December, it's almost that time again kids. Yes, that means we are coming up on the 2006 version of Snobfest. For those who have come late to this blog, Snobfest is when the world finally learns what they should've been listening to, watching, or reading during the past year. Who could be that arrogant to think they could tell people such thing? Me, of course. I would like to say that this will happen before Christmas break, but who am I kidding. We are probably a month away. But that's a month head start I'm giving you to prepare. Here's Snobfest 2005.

Perfected

Returning home from my Thanksgiving weekend I borrowed one of my father's photo albums, so I could scan them all in. Also, I'm going to replace the album they are in as a Christmas present for him. The pages are so yellowed it could pass for brown. Flipping through the album I came across this photo. It's nice to see that at such a young age I had perfected my "You're a moron" look.

Congratulations Anne Marie!

At 1:54 pm today, Anne Marie was the 9,000 hit on Throwaways! So, what does Anne Marie win? A cardboard cookie and a winky button of course.

Ramblings

Last night I determined it is time to upgrade my iPod. I'm pleased with my Nano, but I bought it thinking I would have no problem keeping just a 1000 songs that I wouldn't tire of listening to. I don't know what I was thinking. I've found myself trying to decide which great song I should not import to my Nano. It's like picking a favorite child. I have 20 GB of music and still have a bunch of old old CD's I've been too lazy to import. I think I need the 80 GB so I will have no room for error.

Do we really need Jessica Simpson to tell us that Direct TV has HD programming broadcast in 1080i? Maybe. But not once every hour.

Yesterday morning I was listening to Bob Costas on The Dan Patrick Show. Something needs to be done to get Costas back to announcing baseball games. He does a great job with the Olympics and the NFL, but he belongs doing baseball. NBC needs to loosen their contract or something so Costas can do baseball. This needs to happen.

I received my first Christmas gift of the season yesterday. It's monogrammed and for the first time I realized that with the initial of my last name in the middle, it spells "bId." I don't know how I feel about that.

You know. We don't need Jessica Simpson telling us that Direct TV broadcasts HD in 1080i.

This weekend is the first north London derby of the season between my Tottenham Spurs and the hated Arsenal. This match up is like Red Sox vs. Yankees or OSU vs. Michigan. This being my first season as a Tottenham supporter, I'm really looking forward to seeing this match. Unfortunately it's showing on some channel I don't receive. It's also at 4:30 in the morning out here, so there won't be any bars open to go see it. Sigh.

One negative thing about Christmas in LA is the response you get when you "accidentally" wish someone a Merry Christmas. Is there any other phrase wishing someone well in which people react like you just called their mother a whore? I realize "Happy Holidays" is the correct term to use, but I've had a difficult time adjusting and "Merry Christmas" slips out every now and then. I'm still wishing you people well, so please don't take such offense to it. Do you respond the same way at holiday parties when "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" plays? Do you only listen to Holiday Carolers? Ok, so nobody in their right mind would go door to door singing carols in LA. Still, can't you give me a little leeway? I'm trying to adjust to your nonspecific LA way of life.

This ad for a computer part is inappropriate in so many ways. (Taken from 1up.com)

Earlier this week it was colder here than it was in Ohio. Ridiculous.

Heroes has become my favorite show on TV. I'd also like to thank Veronica Mars for hopefully turning a corner and resolving the campus rape arch. It's was a tense and sub par beginning of the season. I hope this means a return to classic Veronica for the rest of the season.

Finally, Bobby and I killed one of the most disgusting bugs I've seen in my life. The bug was a Jerusalem cricket. It's huge, ugly, and took half a can of Raid to kill. Afterward, I did research to find out what kind of bug it was and came across some expert that was looking for live specimens. I immediately felt guilty for killing it. I ended up sending him pictures, and telling him that I found it already dead. Yes, I lied out of guilt. I warn you the following picture could easily give you a bad case of the willies.