I Was So Ready to Get My Football On

Today NCAA Football '07 is released. Today I have been waiting till work would end and I can pick it up on the way home. You see I prefer NCAA over Madden. I know that seems like heresy to say. Maybe it's because I like the college game over the NFL. The only reason I bought Madden last year was because NCAA made it so you could take the player you created and continue his career in the pros. Which really is brilliant on EA's part. Anyway, I was excited about the new game being released today. I could hear my 360 calling me. I was looking forward to creating a new player and get him into the school's Hall of Fame. I like the personal game elements in sports game. I loved how in The Show you could create a player and play simply as him till he got called to the big leagues. I wanted to create a graphical representation of myself doing things I can only dream about. This morning I started reading a few of the reviews. There were more for the PS2 and the Xbox than the 360 and that kind of worried me. Maybe it didn't come out today? I checked and sure enough it was coming out today. Then I found out something that through the monkey wrench into my child like excitement. The 360 version is actually missing features from the Xbox and PS2 version. One of those features is the Legend mode. I won't have the ability to create my own character. That's not the only feature it's missing too. There are no Spring Drills to determine your depth chart. The hot routes for both defense and offense are limited in their accessibility. The ESPN integration is lacking in comparison as well. My question is why does a game for a next gen system make me want to purchase the old gen version. Microsoft has completely buried the old Xbox, so why should the Xbox system have the better more comprehensive game? I realize this is really EA Sports doing, not Microsoft, but still. Next gen system games should never pale to the previous system's version. Madden for the 360 had the same problem, but I thought it was because the game was rushed to meet the launch date. Is this going to be a problem with all Xbox 360 sports games? Can they simply not fit everything with the graphical enhancements onto one disc? Since the PS3 is using bluray which has over twice as much storage capacity as the disc the Xbox uses, is the PS3 going to win in the features department. Is the 360 going to be limited because of the storage device it's games are on. Either way, I guess I'm buying an old gen game when I should be buying a next gen game.

Those Emmy People Kind of Got It Right

I realize it's been awhile since the Emmy nominations were announced, but I figure I can still give those Emmy voters a pat on the back when do something right. To my surprise, Denis Leary was actually nominated for best actor in a drama for Rescue Me. Which is great because the show deserves some recognition. But why no nominations for best drama? Can I also say I'm sick and tired of this blind love for the Sopranos. I agree seasons 1 & 2 were great television. After that, it's been a slow decline into mediocrity and boredom. Still, I'll let that slide. What I won't let slide is that John Scurti doesn't get a nomination for playing Lt. Kenny Lou Shea. That is a travesty! He is just fantastic on the show. Calie Thorne as Sheila really deserves a nod as well. She plays the desperate lonely crazy single mother so well. It's two parts funny, two parts sad.

For those that haven't been Netflixing Rescue Me after I wrote about it last year, what's wrong with you?

One other question: How in the hell does The Shield not get anything for the stellar season. Forest Whitaker doesn't get a guest actor nod? Really? Is it only the Academy members that are watching Boston Legal?

You Can Be a Doctor, a Lawyer, or an Indian Chief, but you can't be the American Dream!

Thank you Bob for reminding me when wrasslin' ruled.

Ye Ask The Sound and the Fury and ye shall receive.

Ramblings

First off, Happy Birthday to my family's own Irish lady, Julie. Our family is so lucky Ben K. married you. With you, some might say our family is actually civil. Thank you for being so patient with us, particularly during the holidays.

The fear of creeping out my neighbor has come to an end. Yesterday as her and her friend left her apartment building she introduced me as the one "cool" neighbor she has. That was nice. I do wonder how I beat out the Dave Baldwin look-a-like. I assume he probably hit on her when he was drunk off his ass, which seems to be every night. She then proceeded to invite me later that night to come over and "smoke a bowl" with her friends. I politely passed. I don't need to sit in a small room with strangers smoking weed.

The greatest album title of the year belongs to the Isley Brothers. They just released an album called..."Baby Makin' Music." Genius.

Earlier this week my Tivo recorded a show on ESPN Classic called Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame Steve Bartman for the Cubs Losing the 2003 NLCS. I've always held that Bartman got the short end of the stick on this matter. There were so many other factors attributing to the Cubs loss that I wish the media would leave this guy alone. It seems every week there's a Bartman reference on Sportscenter. I guess that moment is our Buckner moment, when in actuality the Buckner moment is their Leon Durham moment. Here's the real problem. I thought I could handle watching it. I thought nearly three years was enough time for me to objectively watch the Cubs fall apart. I was so wrong. Five minutes in I was completely depressed. I started fastforwarding the highlights of the game because I couldn't take it. My anger rose every time some Marlin player started talking. What a loser. How long do I have to wait till I can handle this? Will the pain always be there till the Cubs actually win a World Series? Why did I ever become a Cubs fan?

Who do we blame for the come back of the polo shirt with the collars up? Kanye West?

Sportscenter's Make a Wish series + me alone in my apartment = Brad's Bawlfest. Really it's ridiculous. It's like they know exactly what shot is going to spring the waterworks.

Why didn't the boys at 3CT form a team for VH1's World Series of Pop Culture? It would be pure domination if we had a team.

Look we all know Superman would dominate if he played football. I wonder though if he could dominate in baseball. Sure he could probably be a solid power pitcher, but could he hit his spots when he pitches? His bat speed would be phenomenal, but I don't know if he could hit a curve ball or slider. Yes, I'm questioning Superman's hand-eye coordination. I think he could be a solid power hitter in an Adam Dunn kind of way, but I wouldn't guarantee he'd be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

I've been trying to keep this a secret for some time, but I have to let it out. Over a month ago, I caved and bought the Nintendo DS Lite. Sometimes that need to play Mario Kart simply becomes too strong. I'm so weak.

This Old Duplex

I've reached that point in the blogging where it's a bit of struggle to come up with stuff to write. Racking my brain for stories to tell, I've often reminded myself of the right side of this duplex on Wyandotte Ave. in Columbus, Ohio. This is the first home of my youth. I have a few faint memories of an apartment, and a house before this one, but nothing concrete. I've seen the pictures of the first two years of my existence in Georgia, but no memories. I don't even remember moving in to this duplex. I just remember being there.

It was nice cool old building with hardwood floors. It didn't have much of a yard, but it did have a sandbox and a cherry tree that I could reach from the back porch. My room was the attic at the top. I had the whole attic to myself. It was my domain. The only entrance was up the winding steps from the bathroom. It had one small window that you could see the city skyline from or launch Evel Knievel and his stunt cycle to thier death. It was the greatest bedroom any little boy could have.

Anyway, here are some of the remaining memories surrounding that duplex in my forgetful mind.

Our neighbor was an elderly lady named Margorie, I think. She often had some old guy visiting, I want to say his name was George. Every time we saw him he always made the same offer. "Would you like a rubber duck? What color would you like?" You might think "every time" would be an exageration, but he did ask every time. And every time he never had any rubber ducks. Never. In this day and age it would seem really creepy, but back then it was simply annoying. Why would he ask us for something he would never have? Why did he recieve joy out of this? Why did we consistently humor him?

One afternoon I went digging in our side yard with the dream of finding a fossil. To my suprise I actually found a human tooth. At first I thought perhaps I found a cavaman's tooth. I eventually came to my senses and realized that perhaps someone was murdered and once buried there. I kept digging and digging hoping to be able to find more teeth or maybe even a skull! I didn't find anything except my mother's anger for digging up her yard.

You know kids in the 70's you could trade in glass soda pop bottles for candy or baseball cards. There was many a weekend or summer day spent collecting bottles, taking them down to one of the stores and trading them for gobstoppers or baseball cards or Star Wars trading cards. Sure you can turn cans and bottles into recycling center and get cash these days. Back then there was no middle man. Those were good days when glass bottles could be used as currency. I found out much later that my Dad used to follow me each time to make sure I wasn't mugged.


There was time I learned that buttermilk was not the same as regular milk. Eating my cereal that morning I thought for sure I had poisoned myself on spoiled milk.

Making a shadow puppet of a dog on the wall, while singing "Hound Dog."

There were a couple kids that I played with on the block. The one constant kid lived next door in a hige white house. He was kind of an ass, and my parents didn't really like him. Heck, I didn't really like him. The thing was that his parents were one of the early adopters of HBO, so I made that sacrifice to see that old HBO opening with the cowboy hat and red shoe.

Only once did we ever have enough of a fear of a tornado that we actually holed up in the basement. Perhaps I should've been a little more frightened, but come on. We were camping in the basement. How cool is that?

I can't remember who gave it to us, but for a short time we had a stalk of sugar cane near the doorway to the kitchen. My parents would carve off a piece for our instant sugar rush. I was such a mild mannered kid, I guess they pumped sugar in me to see if I could ever become the crazy loud kid.

For a reason I can't remember I wanted to run away. I stuck a goodbye note in a metal tin on the dinner table. I walked about five blocks, came back, took the note out of the tin, and went upstairs to play with my Death Star.

Those are just a handful of a few. There's still the holidays celebrated there. The numerous dinners. The winter days helping Dad shovel snow. So on and so on. I think this house even beats the woods.

The Weekend That Was

I had one of those nice movie weekends in which I saw three movies in three days. Unfortunately each movie was worse than the one before.

Friday, one time blogger, long time co-worker, Krystal, organized a group of us to go see "The Puffy Chair." It's a very enjoyable independent movie about Josh who takes (actually it's more like he's forced) his girlfriend (Emily) and his brother (Rhett) to pick-up a chair he bought as a birthday gift for his father. From New York to Atlanta, Josh and Emily take stock in where their relationship is headed. Often funny and hits those relationship points that we have either experienced ourselves or have seen in others. The movie feels very true. The brothers who wrote, directed, and produced the movie were on hand after the movie for a little Q&A. One of the brothers also plays the lead. Kathryn Aselton, who plays Emily, was also there. I will admit she is also my new minor celebrity crush. She is also very very good in the movie. I highly suggest you see this if it comes to a theater near you.

Saturday night I went to see the Pirates sequel...eh. A couple nice action set pieces but not much of a script and again too long. The real problem was that I went to the late showing at the middling movie theater. Usually, the theater is never packed...ever. I never have to wait in line, or show up an hour early to make sure I got a seat. Of course there was a line around the building for the late show. For Pirates of the Caribbean? Really? The public was clamoring for this over Superman or even Da Vinci Code? I'm clearly out of touch with the public.

Sunday, the movie weekend was interrupted by the World Cup. Thank goodness I watched it or I would've missed one of the greatest "brain snaps" by one of the biggest players in the biggest game in the world. Completely out of nowhere and a definite tivo rewind moment. It was a near Mike Tyson moment.

After the game, I joined bobby and Brian D. for Through a Scanner Darkly. bobby and Brian struggled to stay awake. I stayed awake the whole time, so I guess I liked it. Maybe bobby is right and I didn't want to feel I wasted the 45 minute drive from Long Beach on a movie I didn't like.

One thing of note did happen. While ordering my hotdog and drink, the cashier asked if I was from Chicago because of my hat. I honestly said "no." The cashier then asked if I was in fact wearing a Cubs hat. I said "yes" and left it at that. bobby then said I should have just said I was from Chicago. I actually disagree. He clearly lived in Chicago at some time or he wouldn't have asked. If I had said "yes," there would've been a whole conversation involving question like: What part of Chicago did I live in? Where did I go to school? Did I know such and such? Did I ever go to this place or that place? On and on and on and on the conversation would've gone with someone who I only wanted was a hotdog and drink.

Ramblings

Fourth of July makes me thankful for many things:

I still have all my fingers, both eyes, and most of my hearing.

I didn't burn down the woods or our house.

That I didn't blow off my brother's fingers, eyes, or deafen him.

So I've been getting my fill of the World Cup. It's been fantastic. My problem has been who to cheer for since the US is always out of it. I could cheer for Brazil since my grandparents and aunt and uncle were/are missionaries in Brazil. I still miss the old Brazil T-shirt I had as a kid. But Brazil is also like the Yankees of the World Cup. I can't cheer for the Yankees of the World Cup. Germany was an underdog, so I was slightly intrigued to root for them. But then it's Germany. Which brings up another question: Are there so curses in soccer? Doesn't the Holocaust beat out something like selling Babe Ruth or kicking a goat out of the stadium in things likely to curse a team? Maybe since it's not sports related it doesn't count. But these teams all represent their country. It is Germany against Italy. Maybe each country has had it's own share of atrocities that they all somehow cancel each other out. Anyway, I had a difficult time cheering for Germany. Then there's the whole France thing. There's no way I'm cheering for a France team. No way. I could've gone the Switzerland route since I'm part Swiss. But then they lost to Ukraine. This basically left me with cheering on a game by game basis. I was behind Ghana and Australia as underdogs. They both lost. I wanted Italy, the lesser of former Axis powers, and they won. If Portugal beats France then I'm kind of stuck. I don't know who I'll cheer for in the final match. I guess I'll lean toward the smaller country in terms of square kilometers. That means Portugal! For those non soccer fans, I apologize for this. At least the World Cup only comes around every four years.

Could you imagine if spiders also had wings? They would be unstoppable.

Hmm. The Cubs still suck. They perhaps suck even more than last month. Apparently, nobody on the team can hit left handers. That makes me wonder why teams don't just call up any lefthanders they have to pitch the Cubs all series. They also can't hit the cut off man, smartly run the bases in an aggressive manner, or really do anything well. It seems that Baker is on his way out. There have been some names floating around for who will replace Baker like Lou Piniella, Tom Kelly, Jimy Williams, Gene Lamont and Fredi Gonzalez. I will quit if it ends up being Jimy Williams. Jimy Williams! Are you kidding me? My vote is for Fredi Gonzalez of the Atlanta Braves. Yes, part of the reason is that we would have a manager named Fredi. At least my NL only fantasy team is kicking ass. I probably just cursed them by saying that.

I'm pretty sure that "Ghost Rider" is going to be the movie that kills comic book adaptations. At least it should be the movie that kills comic book adaptations.

Did the Wayans have to buy the story rights to the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Baby Buggy Bunny" to do their movie "Little Man?"

Can they make a First Person Shooter video game that can't be beat in a weekend? I had Call of Duty 2 sitting on my shelf while I was immersed in Oblivion. I cracked it open on Sunday and finished it last night. It's still a solid game with some great moments, but can't they make such a game last a little longer? I don't mean this as bragging. There are plenty of twelve year olds that kick my ass on Xbox live. I'm mediocre at best.

I almost wore shorts the other day, but wisely came to my senses.

To follow up on my fear of creeping out the neighbor, I offer this story. Last week, I was up late last writing till about 3am. I went out to have a cigarette before bed. Sure enough her door opens and she's standing in her underwear letting her boyfriend out. There was that awkward eye contact, and then I quickly scurried away. I can't win.

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

I Have a Question About Superman Returns? (Spoilers!)

So I went to see Superman Returns last night. I enjoyed it. It is definitely a throwback to the first two Superman films. But one plot point has irritated me to no end. Please someone explain this without it being creepy. For those who have not seen the film stop reading......NOW!





































Okay. Two thirds into the movie we discover that Superman is the father of Lois Lane's son. In the movie it is clearly a surprise to Lois. It had been stated in many interviews and reviews that this movie fits in after Superman II in the story line. (Actually, I would like to forget that 3 and 4 ever happened.) In Superman II, Lois and Superman knock boots once his powers are taken away. At the end of Superman II Lois' memory of the whole event is wiped clean. She doesn't remember discovering that Clark Kent is Superman or that they got married, or that they had sex. So my question is how does Lois rationalize that she never remembers having sex with the biological father of her son. If you never remembered having sex with someone, then you find out you must have because he's the father of your kid wouldn't you be just a little creeped out? Wouldn't you ask the father how the hell this happened? How did he knock you up? I realize Superman can't tell a lie and all that truth and justice kind of stuff he stands for, but that's still creepy. If he's the love of your life, wouldn't you want to remember that moment? You had sex with Superman! That's a pretty momentous thing. If anyone can logically answer this question without the word "rape" I would greatly appreciate it.

Hello Everybody! Are You Ready for Some Emotion?

Those are the words the director said as he walked by the long line to the showing of his film. No I didn't get to an early showing of "Superman Returns." There's no way I'd wait in line to see "Click." I was waiting in line to see the "The Room."

First of all, I need to thank Tim for inviting me along. It was his fourth viewing and obviously my first. You might be asking, "If Tim's seen it four times, it must a fantastic film?" You would be correct in thinking that, but you're wrong. Actually if you were thinking it was fantastically awful then you'd be right. "The Room" ranks up there as one of the worst films ever made, and yet people line up the last Saturday of each month. You see it's become a cult hit here in LA along the lines of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." People gather to simply laugh at how awful this film is. Throughout the showing people just throw out comments. Some of the comment have caught on and are yelled by everyone at every viewing. The odd thing is that the director/star shows up for Q&A before each showing.

The Q&A is a tense affair. With his thick Schwarzenegger like accent he dodges such questions as what his favorite spoon is, how did he finance the movie, or what country he's from. Each dodge is peppered with little rants where he calls the Chinese "yellowish" and flips off the more unruly fans. He then goes and sits in the back and watches the movie while the fans tear his movie apart. Completely bizarre.

I should also give the crowd I saw it with. There were three guys that threw out some choice comments. I mention this basically to say if you happen to be planning a trip to LA schedule it so you are out here during the last Saturday of the month. You won't regret it. I give it four hearty "Whooooo's!" of laughter.

NPR on The Room.

The Room website

Here's What I Meant to Say about the Twilight Singers Concert

Twilight Review

Updated: LA Setlist

06.23.06

I'm Ready
Esta Noche
Too Tough to Die
Bonnie Brae
66
Fountain and Fairfax
King Only
Teenage Wristband
Dream On
Love
Annie Mae
There's Been An Accident (featuring Joseph Arthur)
Candy Cane Crawl
Let's Get It On
Papillon (w/When We Two Parted)
Martin Eden
Forty Dollars

encore:
The Killer
Crazy
Underneath the Waves
Live With Me (featuring Mark Lanegan)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (feat. Mark Lanegan)
Black is the Color (featuring Mark Lanegan)
Deep Hit of Morning Sun (featuring Mark Lanegan)

Irrational Fears of the Little Ones

It seems everyone around me has recently given birth or is close to it. It kind of got me thinking about what if I had my own little Itens. Not that I'm even close to having my own. If I remember that sex ed. video correctly, there was something about a woman needing to be involved. I could be mistaken though. While pondering little Itens, you would think that I would dwell upon all the good things like taking them to their first baseball game or teaching them to ride a bike or how to execute a super jump in Super Mario Bros. You would be wrong. Of course I started having irrational fears. I say irrational because they aren't the fears of affording the kids education or health concerns. I should also point out that I can't handle kids near railings. I actually I have to walk away any time a kid is near a railing because it freaks me out. I don't care if the railing is six inches taller than the kid. I always imagine the worse. Even that isn't what I was fearing. Hear are some of the ridiculous fears that ran through my mind:

1. What if the kid hates all sports with a passion? Or even worse, becomes a Yankees fan?

2. What if the kid becomes a hippie whose record collection consists of only Phish and Grateful Dead albums? It could happen when they rebel against my love of electronic gadgets.

3. Maybe they will become a metal kid who thinks singing is when a guy imitates the Cookie Monster.

4. What if they always want to go to bed early and wake up early?

5. What if my love of baseball causes them to turn into one of those idiot jocks or starts dating them?

6. What happens if he turns out right handed and ends my plans to turn him into a left handed pitcher. You see left handed pitchers will always be desired in baseball. Look at Terry Mullholland. That's job security!

7. When's the appropriate age for the son or daughter to beat the father at something. If they beat me in a game of HORSE at the age of five haven't I lost any chance of gaining their respect?

8. What if they really really love musicals and I'm stuck seeing Grease three times a week?

9. What would I do if the kid ends up being the dumbest one in the family and he/she doesn't end up being potty trained till he's in high school?

10. What if they end up being a real life Doogie Hauser?

11. What if they end up having kids?

I'm Too Old for This. (Not That it Ever Stops Me)

I feel tremendously old today. It seems I can no longer pull off back to back nights of genius. I'm sore, tired, and simply burnt out. Would I do it again? Damn straight I would. Tuesday I experienced the spandexed debauchery of Lucha Vavoom as shown in the pictures below. I tell you there's nothing like nearly being flattened by a large man in spandex. Last night was the sweat and debauchery you can only experience at a Twilight Singers show. I can say that last night they were at their absolute best. But before I get to the main act let me talk a little about the opening acts: Jeff Klein and Afterhours. Greg Dulli had a hand in both of their latest albums. This definitely gave the whole night a kind of Dulli with his extended family vibe.

Jeff Klein is a young singer songwriter. I know there are probably some Ryan Adams comparisons that he probably hates, but I can see how those comparisons could be made. I will say that Klein's world is darker almost noir like than Adams'. Actually it's the same world Dulli's music lives in. Last night his performance was just him and his guitar. Most of his set involved him creating the percussion, rhythm guitar, and strings with his guitar. While the looping and the songs were great, there was more impact to the performance when the Twilight Singers came out backed him up on a song. Still a solid performance.

Then all hell broke loose when the Afterhours came out. Afterhours are an Italian band that Dulli met years ago when touring Europe. First of all they flat out rocked. Second they performed with so much energy and honest joy it was impossible for the crowd to not partake. These guys clearly enjoyed just playing rock and roll. It was an absolutely great set. I'd pay just to see them in concert.

Now let me talk about the Twilight Swingers. Living in LA I basically got to see the first and last concert of their US tour. Yes, the first one was really just a "practice" show, but it was the first time they performed the new songs in front of an audience. Last night was the last stop of their US tour which meant they could pull out all the stops. They pulled out every last one.

One of the bad things about living in LA is that the concert audiences often suck. They just stand there and watch with absolutely no investment in the show. Last night was one of the rare time the audience got involved, expect for the two wet blankets right in front of me. I actually credit Afterhours for doing what an opening band should. Clearly the Twilight Singers were feeding off this. I have to give it up for the audience since they usually just stare and clap.

Another bonus is that they played at the Avalon. Usually, I've seen the Twilight Singers perform at small clubs like Spaceland. The intimacy of those shows is great, but performance wise the band's sound is too big for such venues. The Avalon was the perfect venue and it was packed.

The cast was the same as the last concert I went too, except that the Afterhours lead singer played keys this time. The guitarist Dave Rosser was even better this time around. Maybe it was because he had room to move or simply having a full tour with the band and the the material. Bobby MacIntyre proved once again he's one of the best drummers currently in rock. Scott Ford deserves a lot of credit that I don't think he gets from the fans. Scott Ford is so steady and solid he almost disappears. Dulli was of course Dulli. Dulli's finally kicked the drugs and it shows on the stage. Yes, the always enjoyable rambling is kept short and sweet but this is the best I've seen and heard him.

It's hard to pick out the highlights. An obvious one was when they dusted off the Whig's classic Fountain and Fairfax. The crowd erupted. Fountain and Fairfax is a corner in LA. It's one of the first places I went when I moved out here. When he brought out Joseph Arthur to join him in singing "There's Been an Accident" was cool too. Arthur has such a cool voice that compliments Dulli's so well. Dulli did his soul man strut during Candy Cane Crawl and then did a crowd pleasing rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On." They did a great cover of Gnarl's Barkley's "Crazy." "Forty Dollars" closing out the set was fantastic. For the encore they brought out Mark Lanegan to close it out with a few songs. It added to over 2 hours of Twilight Singers playing their hearts and souls out. With Klein and Afterhours that's four hours of brilliant music.

I can tell now I haven't done this show justice here. I've said it before I'll say it again. Do what you can to see these guys when they come back around. Even if you aren't familiar with their music, I promise you will enjoy yourself.

More Lucha!

What the Hell Happened Last Night?

My voice is shot and it's not from watching Game 6. My condolences to all my Dallas readers. I've felt your pain as recently as 2003.

But on to the crazy night I had last night.

I think Tim was there.

















I saw a lot of spandex.













I saw some midgets fighting.













I saw burlesque with a political edge.

















I saw a nurse inject a a crazy chicken that contracted the bird flu from a midget chicken.













I might have seen a reincarnated Liberace.

















And I think it all happened in a wrestling ring.













What I do know is you have never experienced anything like Lucha Vavoooooooom!

And to think tonight I have the Twilight Singers concert. I haven't had back to back genius nights like this since forever.

Lesson #458

When drawing a bath, do not fall asleep.

Happy Father's Day!

Ramblings

This has been a pretty great time of the year for sports fans. We are nearing the All-Star break in baseball. With so many teams still in the mix it will make the trade deadline either very interesting or a snoozer. Fans in Detroit and Cincy have finally been given a reason to cheer. There seems to an influx of great young talent from Utley to Liriano to King Felix to the Mets MVP Wright. Oh and the Cubs still suck almost as bad as the Royals. Then you have the NBA which has pulled a lot of people back into the fold with a stellar post season. I never thought I'd find myself back watching the NBA. The NHL's postseason hasn't been to shabby either. Then you have the World Cup. I always enjoy how all the soccer fans come out of the woodwork every four years to proclaim that this is soccer's year. Much like cicadas only with a shorter maturity cycle they come out every four years and start chirpping the praises of soccer. Not that I don't enjoy the World Cup, but it will never ever be big in the States...ever. Even if the US were to win the World Cup (which will never happen) soccer will be a secondary sport. Speaking of secondary sports, who is starting up all these "Major Leagues" of minor sports? Do we need a major league for lacrosse? Does this need to be aired on TV? Who watches those paintball championships on The deuce? What's next a women's NBA?

Just for the record, that Gnarls Barkley album containing the "jam of the summer," Crazy is an R&B album not a hip-hop album. I know Dj Danger Mouse is part of the dynamic duo, but it's an R&B album.

Yesterday I broke through my month long funk. I'm still trying to figure out what caused the breakthrough. I've narrowed it down to either work replacing my CRT monitor with a new LCD monitor, or perhaps it's because I'm only four days away from...


















That's right! It's time to don the mask one more time!




















Yes, I'm still upset Reggie Evans stole my finishing move.

For those who are interested in what I actually research, here's a few of the things I had to look up this week:

1. How a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer
were combined to be able to quickly analyze VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds).

2. How a Medical Examiner will submerge a body in water when an air embolism is suspected
as the cause of death. You see if there's an air bubble in the veins or artery they will be visible
when released under water.

3. I had to look up the components of tear gas and other tactics used in riot control. Then see
what trace would be left behind by each weapon and how they would be analyzed.

4. I then had to look up and see if Miami has fire hydrants. Sigh

How much do you compromise on a girl if she owns or has access to something unbelievable. For example, if a girl had season tickets behind home plate for the Cubs, where do I draw the line? Do I draw the line at her refusing to shave? Eye patch? Adam's apple?

We will end on that uncomfortable note. Have a good weekend.

The Fear of Being Creepy

You know that guy who walks alone. You often find him staring. He looks a little scraggly. You don't know why but something seems a little off, a little creepy about him. I'm always paranoid that I come across this way. I'm quiet. I only shave once a month. I'm a people watcher. All these things add up to me coming across as creepy. Take the new neighbor girl that moved in a couple weeks ago. She seems like a nice girl. Has that cute punky thing going on, but that's not the point. As known to most people, I smoke. I'm also an exterior smoker. I never smoke in my apartment. In fact the only time I smoke inside is if I happen to find a bar that allows you to smoke inside. Anyway, when I smoke I walk out to the entrance of our apartment complex. I do this for a couple reasons. One, my neighbors usually have their windows open and I don't want the smoke blowing into their apartment. Two, I can watch the "beach people" walk by. The problem is that the new neighbor's apartment is right at the entrance. Too often she's stepped out of her apartment with me standing there like a stalker. Thinking that "Just out smoking a cigarette" is a lame excuse I then act like I'm going somewhere or I was planning on going somewhere and forgot something. I have the pat my pockets like I forgot my keys/wallet charade down pat. The problem with pretending I'm going somewhere is that I walk out of the complex with nowhere to go. So, I just walk around the block and go through the complex entrance on the other side. All this so I don't look creepy. I'm certain this does nothing but make me look creepier. This creepy thing has been a complex of mine. If I'm waiting for someone at their apartment or house, I look at my watch so people walking by know I'm waiting for someone. I will also often do they fake cell phone call for those walking by within ear shot. I then pretend I'm calling the person I'm waiting for in my loud voice. I haven't figured out if I should look people in the eye or not. Either way can come across creepy. Right now I'm using the glance up and smile technique. I'm pretty sure that's creepy too. I don't know where this paranoia came from. Perhaps I just fear someone calling the cops. Maybe it started in high school and the infamous poem in locker incident? What I do know is that if I find myself standing alone somewhere I will do what ever it takes to make sure I don't come across as creepy. Of course, I could shave regularly, but that would take effort.