Home...

Home is the place that when you go there, they must take you in. - Robert Frost.

Thank you too the friends and family who make up my home. Happy New Year folks.

Old People In The News...

So two interesting pieces about old people.

First, there is a 73 year old man who has walked onto his junior college basketball team. The man's name is Ken Mink and he left his juco basketball team during his sophomore year 53 years ago. Actually he was forced out. He was accused of vandalizing his coaches' property - something he denies to this day. Can you imagine the guys who got beat out for a spot on the team by a 73 year old. How does that taste. Bet their self esteem is pretty high right now huh? In any case, Ken's goal is to score 10 points for the season - with half a season left he has eight more to go.

On a somewhat related note, Kansas State researches are finding that sex is becoming less and less taboo at nursing homes. Especially as baby boomers retire they expect for elderly folks to remain sexually active given the fact that they group with different attitudes toward sex. In some cases, its not just about sex - it's just about companionship and having people spend time and care about them (at least thats what the old me are tellin' the ladies if you catch my drift).

The article I read reported that in some instances patients requested pornography but eventually cancelled the request once staff spent more time with them. First off, lets get two things straight. One "patients" didn't just ask for this, male patients asked for it. Don't try to be non-gender specific with us when we all know it was some little old man asking for his Playboy.
Second they didn't cancel their request because staff spent more time with them thus filling the void of companionship. They simply couldn't find enough alone time to put their pornography to use. If the staff would have given gramps some free time he would have been able to actually enjoy his requested materials.

Now that you have been thoroughly disgusted - I hope you had a Merry Christmas - and Happy New Year Everyone - see you all in 2009!

Live from Atascadero...

Just got into my motel 6 in Atascadero just outside of lovely Paso Robles. Plan on chilling and staying in tonight especially since I am beginning to feel under the weather. What a crappy time to start to get sick. Hopefully it doesnt get bad. Peace out y'all.

Control of Your Own Destiny...

So the english language came up this past Sunday while watching football. Often in sports two phrases will be repeated when referring to teams attempting to make the playoffs:

1. We/They are in control of our/their destiny.
2. We/They control our/their fate.

Here is the problem neither of those sentences make any sense. By definition "destiny" and "fate" are circumstances or a series of events that can never be within the control of the people involved, or affected by them. No one can control their own destiny - otherwise it wouldn't be destiny. Fate is something that is bound to happen regardless of our wishes or actions, so how can anyone be in control of their fate? These phrases aren't just used in sports, we use them every single day. I wonder what other things we say that make absolutely no sense.

Oh Man...

I just totally messed up my internal clock (as if it werent bad already). I fell asleep at around 5:20pm and slept until 9:30 pm. There is no way I am falling asleep easily tomorrow night and then getting up at 7:30 am for work at SJACS.

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas...

Pretty Awesome show.
Got there a bit earlier than I expected but it was totally worth it. Franz Ferdinan had a very good set. As the stage rotated for the next act we expected to see Paramore. Instead there was a guy with his back to us in a hoodie. The music hit and all of a sudden everyone realized Kanye Motherf'n West was on stage. He performed Stronger, Heartless, Homecoming and Love Lockdown. Just amazing and such a huge surprise. Totally made the night worth it.
Death Cab for Cutie was good (not great). They played about 6 songs.
The crowd was really into the Killers. Although they played in front of the Cure I am sure the fans would have been just as happy with the Killers being the headliners. They did such a great job and made it really hard for the Cure to follow them.

Journalist Throws Shoes at Pres. Bush...

Holy crap. Weird!



I like how Bush seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing. He even appeared to smile after the first shoe. The Yankees have reportedly offered the reporter a 3 year deal to become their fifth starter.

Narrowing It Down...

So here are some places I might like to live/work next year:

North Carolina (I would love to live there for a couple of years and weasle my way into some great college basketball games)
Las Vegas (that would be cool and friends would always be interested in visiting).
Southern California ('nuff said)
Boston (the weather is a minus - but hey it was a cool city when I visited)
Midwest (Michigan, Indiana in particular)

and if none of those places pan out - any place where I get hired would do just fine :)

I Find It Funny...

Tony passed along this little ditty. It's a New York Times Article on Rich Teenagers. The article is about how the affluent ways of rich teenagers are changing because of the crappy economy.

Typical New York Times. An article that tries to reflect a distaste for the rich and really speak to the everyday frustrations of working people. Too bad they use fucking words like: "apotheosis", "ascetic" and "ashrams." What kind of shit is that??? I have gone to college and I had to search for the meaning of those words. How in the hell is the everyday common folk they are trying to give a nod and wink to supposed to read this damn thing. Even when they are trying the NYT can't help but to be snooty and elite. Nice try though.

In the Words of Danny Glover:

"I'm getting to old for this shit." Being woken up at 8:07 am by an 18 year old yelling hysterically is not how I pictured my life turning out.

This Just In...

As we all know my blog is a credible news source. With that in mind here are two pieces of news you should know:

I. Your wait is over. Scott Stapp heard your pleas and its official - Creed will be reuniting. Our long national nightmare is over (I am being sarcastic)

II. Looking to eat cheap on the go. Well, according to The Cancer Project the following is a list of the 5 WORST things you can eat off a fast food dollar menu:
1. The Jack N the Box Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
2. Taco Bell's Cheesy Beef Buritto
3. Burger King's Breakfast Sausage Biscuit
4. The McDouble from McDonalds (do they even sell those on the West Coast? I have never heard of it.
5. Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger.

And there we were thinking that ordering something called a junior cheeseburger was a good thing!

Also, here is the most popular clip from Hulu. Very funny:

Hulu...

Not a lot of people know about Hulu so I figured I would just give it a brief advertisement here. Hulu is like a high end YouTube were you can find classic clips from old TV shows/movies as well as recent episodes from current TV series including The Office, 24, House, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Daily Show and more. Its pretty freaking sweet. Check it out - I promise you wont be disappointed or your money back!

For example:

Fight Night

So the time has come. Oscar De la Hoya (boxing's biggest star) versus Manny Pacquiao (arguably boxings best pound for pound fighter).

Without sound to much like a fight/sports (freak) - which I am - here are somethings to be on the look out for:

Size: Oscar will be considerably larger than Manny. If Oscar can use that size to his advantage he can bully the proud Filipino warrior and win the fight.

Speed: Pac-man is easily the quicker of the two fighters and he is going to need that speed to get inside of Oscar's jab and create the break-neck speed brawl that he needs in order to win the fight.

Oscar's jab: Oscar has made his career off of his devastating left-hook but the hook wont come if he doest utilize his powerful jab. If Oscar doesnt jab effectively Manny can overcome the size difference with his speed and win the fight by wearing Oscar down.

Stamina: Conventional wisdom is that Manny has better stamina. But we have yet to see what Manny;s gas tank will look like at this larger weight class. Plus, Oscar has been training in the high altitude of Big Bear. In the past The Golden Boy has been accused of tiring in later rounds and thus forgetting to use his jab. Well see if there are any surprises here.

Freddie Roach: Manny's long time trainer trained Oscar for his fight with Floyd Mayweather and was subsequently dropped from De la Hoya's camp. Freddie has revenge on his mind. He says he knows Oscar is mentally weak and how to beat him. Plus, Roach has bad blood with Nacho Bernstein (De la Hoya's current trainer). Nacho trained Juan Manuel Marquez who fought Manny to a draw and then dropped a split-decision to the Pac-Man.

Funny Quote of the Day...

Leela: Kids don't turn rotten just from watching TV.
Fry: Yeah. Give a little credit to our public schools.

Welcome Jorge, TWILIGHT, and other musings...

I would like to thank Jorge who is the FIRST ever follower of my blog! Thanks Jorge. That actually made me feel good about myself. As for the rest of ya, please follow Jorge's lead and boost my self confidence.

So I saw this thing on Friday. Its about a high school girl who falls in love with this guy vampire who loves her back but because he has an inherent need to harm her there love can never be. It was actually very clever and well done. Think I am talking about TWILIGHT? Wrong.
I am talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
No I am not necessarily a Buffy fan but I am making a point. This whole Twilight thing is not a "cultural phenomenon". It's not even a new premise. If Josh Whedon were dead he would be spinning in his grave!!! Twilight is a rehashed story that comic book nerds like me are familiar with. If you like the story - great. Just don't sit around telling me about how creating and wonderful the story is. It is not. It is old and borrowed, and not as good as the first time it was done.

THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
Financial Aid coming in on time
Family
The big fight between Oscar De la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao this weekend.
Fall semester almost being over

Movie recommendations: Slumdog Millionaire, MILK, Young at Heart (Rental).

Possibly the best trailer I have EVER seen...

Great trailer makes you want to see a movie without giving out too much info. This is the most perfect example I have ever seen.

(editors note): If you dont know the theories behind the year 2012 and the Mayan (pre-Columbian) calendars than this might not be as striking. but its still pretty damn cool.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/2012/

check it out in HD if you can.

Lesson For The Night...

No good deed goes unpunished. Sometimes trying to help people out just isnt worth it. You know why? Because people are generally assholes.

On a lighter note here are some songs I am currently enjoying that you might like:

Everyday -Buddy Holly (although the version by Rogue Wave is also very good)
Your Heart is an Empty Room -Death Cab for Cutie
Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo) - Black Kids
Never Been In Love - Talib Kweli
Running Free - Buzzcocks

Class

I cant believe I have class today from 9am to 1pm. ugggh. oh well.

I Call It Thursday

So I was at work and a letter had to be sent to the athletic office here at USC. I volunteered because I like getting out of the office every once in a while. Ross, my co-worker tagged along with me and we were off on our adventure. I found out along the way that Ross had never been inside Heritage Hall so I was excited to walk around with him. When we got to Heritage Hall I opened the door with my back turned to the entrance. When I turned back around I was face to face with a giant pole.
Narrowly avoiding walking into it, I yelled out, "stupid pole!"
Then I saw that I was about 15 feet from Coach Carroll as he was filming an interview with Jim Hill.
I quickly quieted down and me and Ross looked at each thinking, "of course we would walk into Heritage Hall and disrupt an interview with the most famous man on campus." (to be fair to Ross - he didnt disrupt anything, I did).

Just a typical day. A little embarrassing but it makes for a heck of a story.

50th Wedding Anniversary Photos...

Joel's Baby

if you ever wondered what Joel McHale's baby looks likes...

Some of the funnier things I have heard lately (and some old favs)

2 Students sitting in the waiting room of Judicial Affairs:

Student 1: Why are you here?
Student 2: I am an asshole.

Billboards are postcards from giants.

Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

You totally look Mexican with that chain on.

Its like Coke or Pepsi - but with dicks.

Let Me Explain A Couple Of Things...

So this is how I lost the money in Vegas.
I am generally a kind of cynical person. I dont think good things are going to happen to me - unless I am gambling. I know that doesnt make sense - but hear me out. I figure that the bad luck I have in life is just a down payment for luck at the casino. I am wrong.

I lost 200 dollars at Roullette. For those people that say 11 and 17 are common numbers to hit in roulette. You are f'ing wrong!
So after that I figured, "take a 100 dollars and make the money back at black jack." About 6 minutes and 100 dollars later I tried to think of what to do next. My answer, "pull out ANOTHER 100 dollars and win some of that money back." Here was my thinking, "there is noooooo way I can continue to lose." After winning the first hand and having my confidence grow the following hands occured:

Me: 18
Dealer: 21

Me: 19
Dealer: 21

Me:20
Dealer: 21

Figures right? After that I just thre my hands up and admitted defeat - defeat to the fact that I am and always will be a loser.

Also, I just tried to get into an elevator. I walked in with a couple. As the couple walked in they saw one of their friends coming off the elevator.
"Where are you going?" the man getting on asked?
"Oh I just need to ask a question at the front desk - hold the elevator open for me," responded his friend.
"OK"
The guy getting on then looks at me and says, "Do you mind if we just wait here a minute."
I stared at the dude and walked away.
Listen up just because you ask permission to be a douche bag doesnt make you less of one. If I weren't there then it might be OK to hole the elevator - maybe. But come on you are going to make someone else wait because you need to wait for your friend. How about you wait for him and let me get where I need to go. People are assholes.

Riddle...

What has two thumbs and lost 435 dollars in under 30 minutes in Vegas... this guy. :(

44

So we have brand spanking new president-elect. It was tremendous to watch history unfold last night. It more than made up for the lack of drama from a landslide victory (at least electorally). But I warn against having a "messiah" complex when it comes to Barack. The country is in such a challenged state that it is going to take lots of time, evergy and cooperation to help get things back where they need to be. Electing a new presidnet is just step on of a long road that all Americans must walk together.

Things to Watch for Tomorrow Night...

1. Indiana
for the first time in a long time Indiana is up for grabs. While Sen. Obama had a slight lead it has dissipated in the past few weeks and its dead even. Indiana's polls close at 3pm pacific. If Indiana goes for Obama it could be a quick night.

2. Virginia
Another traditionally "red" state that Obama has a significant lead in. Significant enough that many polls show him to have a lead beyond the margin of error. Virginia may be the first state that gives us a real indication if we are in for a landslide victory for Obama or a shocking McCain upset.

3. The Bradley Effect
I started with Indiana and Virginia because I thought they would transition easily to the one factor that will not be seen Tuesday night. The Bradley effect is a theory that goes back to the 1982 California gubernatorial race. Tom Bradley went into the election with a lead in the polls but lost. The theory was that white voters said one thing to pollster (attempting not to sound racist, or maybe even with sincerity) but couldn't bring themselves to actually cast their vote for a non-white candidate. If Obama does poorly in Indiana, under-performs in Georgia and loses in Virginia we might very well be in for a shock. If it even appears that the Bradley affect is occurring then there will be some very nervous Obama supporters looking at Ohio and Pennsylvania to see how the white working class votes there.

Pennsylvania
McCain cant win without this state. The good news for him is that he has been making some significant gains in the 4 days. Pennsylvania is still leaning towards Obama but it is in no way a sure thing. What Florida was to the 2000 election and Ohio was to 2004, Pennsylvania will be to 2008.

The Minority Vote on California's Prop 8.
Prop 8 will only pass if it is able to rally minorities to their cause. Blacks and Hispanics are in a strange place with this proposition. The charges that Prop 8 is discriminatory reminds them of the unfair laws that denied so many of them and their parents access and opportunities - including the opportunity to marry outside of their own race. However, both of these populations have deeply religious backgrounds. Their religious backgrounds and the claim that Prop 8 protects the sanctity of marriage and family also pull heavily at the groups. Should make for an interesting decision for these groups.

WOW. Amazing...

Amazing!

This Just In: Hell Just Froze Over...

So, hell just froze over but the good news its not the perfect temperature for your free Dr. Pepper.
Let me explain.
In 1994 Axel Rose, lead singers of Guns N' Roses announced that the band was working on a new album named Chinese Democracy, 14 years, a few dozen lawsuits, three guitarist and approximately 30 million dollars Chinese Democracy has arrived. The story behind the album delays and vary. Let me just go over some of the highlights:

1995 - The entire band basically quits calling Axel a "dictator"
Axel replaces old band
1998 - Geffen records pays Axel 1 million dollars with the promise of another million if he completes the album within a year (how do you think that went?)
2001 - Axel Rose plays their first gig in over 7 years
Guns has played a series of shows over the last seven years but they have also cancelled over a dozen other shows. The canceled shows, more accurately "no-shows" have led to riots. As a side note, GNR fans dont deserve the right to riot. If you are still following a band that has jerked you areound fro 14 FREAKIN' years and you are schoked that they stiffed you - well, that makes you a moron.
2002 - GNR does a God-awful medley at the 2002 VMAs.
2003- The Offspring claim there next album will be called "Chinese Democracy (You Snooze, You Lose)
2004 - The joke: China will be a democracy before Chinese Democracy comes out" starts to get old. It gets funny again in 2006.
2008- Dr. Pepper announces that everyone in America except for Slash and Buckethead (former GNR guitarist will get a free Dr. Pepper is Chinese Democaracy is released in 2008. (side note: GNR's current guitarist is Bumblefoot - no I am not kidding. What the hell, can they not get a guitarist with a regular name. Slash who has a cigarette permanently in betwen his lips, alwasy wears sungless and a freaking top-hat over his long curly hair and then bucket head who wore a mask and an actual KFC bucket on his head. Weird simply wierd!)
This past Wendesday "Chinese Democracy" the single is released and the album released date is set for late November.
In between all of this Geffen records and Interscope coughed up 13 - 30 million dollars to make the album. Everyone was afraid they would be the guy known for telling Axel "no" and leading him to hand over Chinese Democracy to another record compnay.
During this time Axel also got horrible plastic surgery. Horrible!

The Profound and The Profane...

Profound:
1 a: having intellectual depth and insight b: difficult to fathom or understand
2 a: extending far below the surface b: coming from, reaching to, or situated at a depth : deep-seated
3 a: characterized by intensity of feeling or quality.

Profane
1 : to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt : desecrate
2 : to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use

Within each one of us lies the profound and the profane. When we take a look at ourselves its often hard to come to grips with the fact, or even acknowledge, that those things that we are most proud of live side by side with those things that are our vices and greatest shames. We have the ability to be both loving and hurtful and we do both. We can be thoughtful and intelligent and at other times irrational and stupid.

Thats why I love examining peoples behavior. We are so evolved, so gifted and so complex. Just look at the way we treat each other, or how we can believe in one thing but act in a way that contradicts our beliefs and our values. Only by examining ourselves and realizing the good and the bad we capable of can we really being to bring peace to ourselves and begin to act in ways that will not only make us happier but hopefully make those around us happier.

We Need To Talk...

We've all been there. Having to break bad news. Sometimes its hard because we love the person and we don't want to hurt them. Sometimes its because we are embarrassed. Whatever the case maybe we have always been told... don't break bad news over the phone.
But no one ever said dont do it over e-mail.

At least that is the motto of inSpot, an internet based service that allows you to send e-cards to past and present lovers to let them know that you have recently been diagnosed with an STD.In the past four years nearly 50,000 of these types of e-cards have been sent. I know some people will say that this is a good way to get the news out that avoids embarrassment or awkwardness and that if people are more likely to share this type of news using this option then it will lead tomore testing and awareness... but c'mon. If you give me the clap I think I at least deserve to hear it over the phone so I can berate you!

And by the way, that is never the type of e-card you want. Usually its a birthday card or some type of invitation. Well the only thing your getting invited to hear is to get your junk checked. There is no way your day is gonna turn around after receiving that e-vite! It's bad enough I get email asking me to sign up for poor, or if I want to be "enhanced" now I can receive email tell me I have herpes.
I wonder what type of emoticon (happy face) an email like that uses? hmmm...

quote of the night:

"It seems to me that if a gun can protect something as important as a bar it's good enough to protect my family"

One of my favorite Simpsons videos

Wow. it has been a super long time since i have posted. I will post again thursday night. While you wait check out this classic Simpsons moment:

Are You Kidding Me...

Dodgers are in the Playoffs and actually I am GLAD they are playing the Cubs! I think the cubs are primed for a let down. There best pitchers have been shaky the last few weeks and we have a ton of momentum. I really think that things are pointing towards a bug Dodger upset.
The problem:
I have class during Game One. The game starts at 3:45pm and I have class from 4:15pm - 9:45pm. AAAAAArrrrgggg! Not only am I gonna miss the game if the Dodgers win I might not watch Game Two out of superstition. I am not kidding.

I remember during Game One of the NBA Finals the Celtics would get their asses handed to them while Miguel and I were watching the game. When we stopped watching they would make a comeback. We refused to watch the game until the end when the game was pretty much a lock. I am not a superstitious person by nature - but when it comes to sports - well thats a different story.

Because I dont know when I will get another chance...

Let me say a few things real quick.
1 - sorry for not posting more regularly. My job is killing me. Sometimes I wonder if I hate student affairs or if I just hate dealing with socially awkward/needy/self involved/ spoiled kids. I hope that I get a chance to work with first generation low income students at some point. Maybe then I will be able to enjoy my work.

2 - Happy birthday to Katie. Like I said - job sucks so that why I couldnt make it to the party a few weeks back.

3. Has anyone seen the new WINDOWS commercials. No - not the crappy Jerry Sienfeld ones (those are awful). They have a new campaign that goes right at the "I'm a MAC and I'm a PC" commercials. I think the commercials are good, hip and get right to the point of challenging peoples perception about PCs (especially amongst young people). However, a commercials just a commercials. Windows is going to have to start making relevant good products that work again - something they haven't done in a while.

4. A shout out to crative people. Some of you know POSTSECRET - which I just think is a real ingenious great exploration of human beings but its done in a super creative way. Here is the link to that POSTSECRET
Also my friend Juan (Miguel's brother) has a good website that displays a lot of his work. here is the site - check that out too 85 original

5. For those who care... I am becoming more and more confident that Barack Obama will win this election. I have made this assessment based off of my research of the swing states in play. But we still have 6 weeks so we will see.

6. I am sick. real sick. boo.

7. I gotta go.

Its a scary world out there...

Seriously. I know it doesnt seem like it doesnt affect us - but with all these banking firms going out of business we should all be really nervous about what going on right now. The entire financial system that the WORLD is predicated on is teetering. For months people have warned us that this was going to get worse while the firms told us they were fine. We'll there not fine. They were lying. These banks tried to get rich by hedging their bets on bad loans and now that the loans are defaulting they are screwed!
As for me I am personally worried. a year ago my bank (Washington Mutual) was valued at 46 dollars a share. Now - its a just over 2 dollars. Many are expecting it to be the next major bank to fall and if it does then IT IS ON! Wa Mu is the nation's largest thrift bank which means that this Wall Street crisis is going to hit home real soon with lots of working class and poor folks.
for those of you who dont remember me posting Jim Cramer's rant a few months back. Well he is back. I urge you to listen to what he has to say this time.

USC v Ohio State Hour by Hour blog...

Ok folks,
so its time for the Collision at the Coliseum (I didnt make it up, so dont blame me).

It's 11am and the campus and coliseum is already buzzing. Two things I have noticed - SC fans are extremly confident and two Ohio fans travel well (but then again who wouldnt use any excuse to leave Ohio). more later.

1:13pm
Just came back from tailgate and lunch on campus. I sw about 12 men in their 40s pretend to the marching band and go through the entire Pre-Game routine.
They finished to a thunderous applause from the folks on the Quad. Enjoy the pictures. sing it with me now...
S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A! Southern California! All right. Its 1:20pm time to get some writing done for my Ethnography paper and then a power nap.

John McCain's speech minute by minute

7:25pm John McCain has been interrupted on 4 different occasions by protesters in the Hall.

7:26pm John McCain trumpets the strengths of Sarah Palin.

7:30pm John McCain says he respects Sen.Obama. He says that they have more in common then they have differences. "We are all Americans and that is an association that means more to me than any other."

7:36pm John McCain talks about how BOTH parties have failed the American people. very interesting not a lot of bashing.

7:41pm McCain talks about helping people find new training so that they can find a new job. Not a new idea. President Bush has basically said the same thing for the last 6 years and there hasnt been a lot of head way.

7:42pm Sen McCain talks about improving schools by creating competition. In other words, parents would be allowed to take their kids to another public school, a private school, and charter schools.

7:44pm Sen. McCain starts talking about his proposal to find new energy alternative... oh, he just talked about more off shore drilling!

7:45 he just talked about building more nuclear power plants, wind, solar and flex fuels.

7:52pm I realized I haven't really been paying attention for the last 7 minutes.

7:53pm Sen. McCain warns against partisan rancor. He says many politicians go to Washinton to work for themselves - not for you. He will extend his hand to anyone to help move the country forward. He claims to have the record to do it - Sen, Obama, he says, has not.

7:54pm McCain continues to talk about working with everyone to get things done. "I have been an imperfect servant to my country. But I have been a her servant first and always"

7:55 looks like they got rid of the protesters - no more interruptions.

8:01pm looks like he is wrapping up with a narrative about his POW experience.

8:02 McCain talks about service. I like it. "[Serve] a cause greater than yourself"

And Down Goes Mason...

I started listening to Steve Mason and John Ireland just weeks after this happened...


I love that show.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno Trailer Up!

Dirty Zack and Miri Make A Porno Trailer (dirty words inside)

check it out. looks awesome!

I love Curb Your Enthusiasm...

I was looking out for the cashier because she has always been told that the customer is always right but in fact the customer is usually a moron and an asshole.

You don't have to tell me how to apologize to people. I have been apologizing since I was six years old... on a daily basis. I pretty much have this down.

He Picked a Woman!

Holy crap. In a complete turn around McCain picks a woman running mate. This is surely going to steal away a lot of the thunder Obama gained last night and it AGAIN throws the women's vote into doubt. Its on to the RNC and then the first debate. I am a firm believer that after the 2nd debate we will get a sense if this is going to remain close or be a run away.

WTF

My brain just exploded...

A Quick Set of Notes

Batting lead off - A HUGE congratulations to Taralee and Christen on their upcoming marriage. Their long Journey takes its next step in a few months and I am happy for the two of them.

Second, the Olympics are over. Thank God! I have cared so little this summer its unbelievable. I still remember being a little kid enthralled by the 92 Olympics in Barcelona. Summer Sanders, The Dream Team, the failure of Dan and Dave. It was epic. This year Olympics. All Hype. You had 10 people arrested by the Chinese for protesting. They faked the fireworks displaying during opening ceremonies, they probably had 14 years old pretending to be 16 so they could win gold in gymanstics, and they didn't let a girl sing the national anthem because she wasn't cute enough and replaced her last minute with a commercial actress who lip synced to pre recorded vocals laid down by the other little girl. Anyone who says that this years Olympics were great is out of their freaking minds!

Third, stop calling this years Men's Basketball team The Redeem Team. Its ridiculous. A bunch of NBA stars beat the rest of the world? Shocking! But Frankie, they didnt even medal in 2004. Well whos fault is that? Theirs! When a boxer loses to an underdog and comes back and beats on the guy in their second fight its not 'redemption'. Its called doing what you should have done in the first place. And by the way - Who cares. Nobody has cared about Olympic basketball since 1996.

Has anyone ever heard of the Mirny Diamond Mine. It is located in Eastern Serbia. Its a GIANT hole. (that's what she said). But seriously. You could drop the Eiffel Tower in there and it would essential be a drop in the proverbial bucket. Its so large that people believe it creates a giant suction effect that causes air crafts to crash. The area is now considered a no fly-zone.

Can we all stop the Michael Phelps praising now. Did we all forget that after winning gold in Athens he got popped for DUI (while he was 19!). He is a great swimmer awesome. But dont make him Mr. wholesome. By the way - the dude has a horse face.

If you get a chance you should check out Crazy 4 Cult at Gallery 1988 in LA. For the next month it will feature art work based on popular cult films.

Amazing story of the biggest heist in English History...

Simply amazing and intriguing story.



and part 2:

Thinking A Lot...

Over the last week I have been thinking a lot. Which for me isn't always a good thing. Sometimes I wonder if we are fighting the good fight or if we are just like Sisyphus - forever pushing a rock up a mountain, getting to the top and then watching it tumble back to the bottom. Its hard to be hopeful sometimes. Its hard to see good people struggle and wonder if the odds are just too stacked against them. My philosophy in life is always to put your head down, drop your shoulder and keep moving forward. This philosophy is an illusion to football. In football a running back without much speed, faced with running into a piles of 300 lbs. men is advised to put there head down, drop their should and keep moving forward.
For me its a beautiful thing. The idea of having obstacles and challenges stacked in front of you - but inspite of it you brace yourself and throw yourself head long into those challenges and obstacles. I have always liked that philosophy of dealing with adversity - its very much a Charlie Brown way of living. Keep trying in spite of past failures and the possibility of more to come. But when I see people I love struggle and on the verge of losing everything they have ever worked for it makes me wonder if the game is rigged.
I wonder if its not a pile of football players that we are running into but rather a brick wall! What if the light at the end of the tunnel is a train? It scares me to think that it might be the case. But I have been moving forward for to long now to give up. I guess its time for me and those around me to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and make a few more runs towards that pile and see if we cn break through.

Funniest Thing I Heard Today...

i thought one of the benefits of a relationship is the sex
yet I masturbate just as much as I did before.
- Anonymous.

A Good Song ... But An Amazing Video

This Gnarls Barkely video is ridiculously sweet. Check it out...

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog...

Josh Whedon (creator and writer) is responsible for the best thing on the internet that you (probably) haven't seen yet. It's called Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It stars Neil Patrick Harris (so you know it must be good). NPH stars as Dr. Horrible an aspiring evil genuis who is in love with a woman at his local laundry mat. Not interesting enough for you ... ITS A MUSICAL. Thats right its a fraking musical - and its awesome. It is a very funny, creative loveably dorky show. It's 40 minutes long and you can buy it for 4 bucks off of iTunes or you can watch the whole thing with limited commercial interruption on Hulu.com.
Enjoy folks!

Triumph at Comic Con!

Manny Is A Dodger!!!

Holy crap. We got Manny and we didnt give up ANYTHING!!! yea!!!
Hopefully Manny continues being Manny - and by that I mean homers, RBI and leading teams to playoff success.

Weezer performs Creep...

very cool...I love sing alongs.

Pics From Comic Con...

Do People Hear Themselves? and a quick word about comics.

Sometimes people say things that just dont make sense or just prove their stupiditiy. I am not talking about mistakes, flubbing a word. I am talking about people who think they are making a point or say things that are just plain nonsense of dumb. Examples:
Yesterday I went to Chipotle and the woman behind me asked for a Burrito Bowl (note: for those who do not know a burrito bowl is a burrito minus the tortilla). So she goes down the line and adds everything to the bowl. Then at the end right before she is about to play she asks, "can I get a tortilla on ths side".
Are you kidding me! You have to be!
You just ordered a burrito! Why the hell did you do through the process of ordering and having someone make a burrito bowl when you are going to ask for the one item whos absense makes a burrito bowl a burrito bowl. Based on this one moment alone I am positive this woman should not have children
Now on to the next type of moron. Someone who makes a declerative statement but does not see the obvious irony of said statement.
I went to the comic con this past Friday and while trying to navigate my way through the pressing flesh of the exhibit hall a number of families with kids aged 6-9 walked by and stopped traffic for just a bit. No big deal. Except for the guy behind me apparently.
"Uh look at the kids. Oh, more of them. Is this really somewhere you should bring your kids?" He muttered underneath his breath.
Actually, it is you loser. Comics, cartoons and dressing up like a fictional character is for kids. Just because 100,000 plus adult dorks converge on one space doesnt change the fact that stuff like Batman, Spider-Man - hell comics in general - are supposed to be for kids.
Which brings me to my next point. Its great that comics are being seen more and more as an adult art or medium. But what happens a generation from now when there are NO kids who grew up reading comic books. Has anyone been to a comic book store lately. You will not find a single child in there. Its all a bunch of pasty, akward 30 or 40 somethings. Its great to have comic books and comic book movies made for adults - but we cannot forget who these things SHOULD be for - kids. If comic book companies forget that where will they find the next genration of past, socialy akward males who will buy their comics?
While everyone will remember Dark Knight I think the most important comic movie this year will be IRON MAN because it was a well made comic movie that was for adult BUT also for kids.

I Need To Catch A Break

OK, this run of bad luck has got to turn around.
Got hit by the car, had a health scare, the back of my right leg some how was raw all of Tuesday and Wednesday, I am broke. And now, all the laundry machines in Radisson are broken and do not complete the cycle. I had to dry out the clothes and they all stink. half of my pants, my towels and my RAMONES shirt are ruined. they smell like warm garbage. Seriously, something good has to be coming around the corner right.

Dark Knight (no spoilers)

First off, if you haven't seen The Dark Knight. Go see it. It is probably the best done movie based on a comic ever. I think what seperates movies like The Dark Knight and say X-Men, Hulk and Iron Man is that a) Christopher Nolan has treated a comic book character with well deserved seriousness. That is not to say that others have not done a good job bringing a human element to comic book characters (see the first two X-Men).
But at the end of the day the characters seem more human because they are human. Superman is an alien, X-Men are mutants, Hulk is a green monster, Spiderman is a dude with radioactive blood. Batman is just a guy in a mask and cape. The Joker is just a madman in clown makeup. There are no inheret powers or overwhelming muscles. Just two men dueling it out. Vigilante versus villian and the question of good versus evil. Thats what allows Batman to translate into cinema the way other comic book films cannot.

If Heath Ledger man doesn't get an Oscar nod for what he did playing The Joker the Oscars will have lost credibility with me. Why So Serious? Because the man embodied The Joker character to a tee. If anything I left the theater blown away and saddened. Blown away by such as awesome performance and sadened that someone with such gifts and talents is no longer around to share them with us. There is no doubt that this movie would have made him a star. Instead, we will be left with the question, "what if...?"

p.s. Can someone please tell Christian Bale to cut off that God awful voice he uses in the Btman suit. Its so f'ing distracting. It really does a disservice to him and an utterly amazing movie.

I'm Fucked

Car accident yesterday. It is going to be pinned on me. Even through it's not my fault. I am fucked. That is all.

Somethings I drew this past year...

For a burnt copy of Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static.




Both of these are for burnt copies of the Juno Soundtrack.
Both covers are different takes on the following verse:
"And in the sea there is a fish
A fish that has a secret wish
To be a big cactus
With a pink flower on it.
And the flower would be its offering
Of love to the desert
and the desert
and the desert so dry and lonely
that the creatures
would all appreciate the effort."

Some Things I Learned From Hip Hop Songs

Mo' Money Mo' Problems

You Have to Fight For Your Right to Party

Parents Just Dont Understand

You Should Holler At A Player If You See 'Em On The Street

It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right 

A Word About Direct TV

I just found a channel called REEL and they have a show called THE BIG TEASE. THE BIG TEASE is all about my favorite part of the movie going experience - trailers. All they do is show Trailers. It is freaking awesome. On a no so cool note my folks' Direct TV package doesn't include ESPN Classic but it does include 10 religious channels. Seriously?

Frankie Fact...

Frankie loves Barnum's Animal Crackers.

He is also very bored right now.

I Just Saw Larry King On T.V.

I know what you are thinking... so what? Thats his job. 

But actually he was sitting behind the Dodger Dugout tonight. He was sitting next to a fan who saved Larry by making a fantastic catch. I guess the Brooklyn boy still loves his Dodgers (or maybe he is just friends with Joe Torre). And know he was not wearing suspenders.

By the way I just noticed the following. If you see a dating service ad online the ad typically features a woman who looks like she is caring some form of V.D. How is that supposed to entice me? 

Meet sexy singles in LA... these ladies know how to make it burn when you pee.

53 days until Trojan football gets underway. Let me know if you want to go to a game and I will do my best to accommodate.

Good To Know...

This weekend has been pretty sweet. It was spent celebrating good times with good friends. 

I think the biggest thing I took away from this weekend is that its nice to know that you have really done a good job being a friend. Building friendships is not a hard thing. Maintaining them is what is hard. To hold on through friendships through tough times, in spite of distance and so on is a test of character and commitment. It's not easy. Trust me I know. What makes it especially hard is realizing that maintaining those relationship is a two person process. Both people have to be committed, work hard, forgive and love. This weekend I had a few experiences that really reminded me of how much I love my friends and even more importantly how much they love me. 

All thing considered this has been an amazing weekend.

Thanks to all my friends - I love y'all.

Less Money More Problems...

OK,
So remember the Puff Daddy, Mase, B.I.G. song "Mo Money Mo Problems?" Well let me tell you something I would love for someone to give me money so I can test out the thesis statement of that song. As far as I am concerned the less money you have the more problems you are likely to acquire. 

Case and point as I mentioned earlier I was not going to make a single dime between early May and mid August. During that time I have had to pay for a trip to Milwaukee, gas, credit card bill, 3 units of tuition, a wedding present for a friend, cell phone bill, and car insurance.
That doesn't include the little things that I did not budget for like locking myself out of my car (twice). Needless to say times are tough in the old wallet and this week they got a whole lot tougher. In the middle of this financial squeeze I have been asked to bail out dear old mom one more time. This time to the tune of 2500 dollars. I did my math and estimated that I can cash advance only 2000 from my American Express so that is all she is getting. And with that I can most assuredly say that the next month and half are going to be a major pain in the ass. I still have money set aside for my last car insurance, credit card, and cell phone bills. But besides that I think I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 23 dollars.

I will say one thing though I am glad this happened now. The day before being asked for the money I spoke with my grandmother and grandfather. They are about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in November. I asked them, "how did you do it?" The y said two things. One, when the other person gets mad - leave them alone. It takes two people to argue so just leave them alone and deal with the problem later when all the emotion is out of the situation. But its the second piece of advice that has really helped me out. They said that when you start a new family that new family has to come first. You cant allow your parents, brothers, and sisters to butt themselves into the creation of your new family. I think that helps me put somethings in perspective. I cant keep bailing my folks out or else I will never be able to start my own life. When I was 18 I gave my mom 10,000 dollars that was supposed to go to my college education. I am guessing I have given my dad somewhere around 2500 dollars in the last 6 years (though that number is deceiving and unfair to my mom because a lot of the money I have given my mom has been to deal with the various liens and debts created by my father). As for mom, I would say that with this 2000 I have given her about 6000 dollars in help over the last 6 years. If I were rich, or was working that be one thing. But I have been a college student the majority of that time. But I gave what I could give because they were my family and I felt the obligation to do so. But I can;t do that anymore.

I am trying to start my own life ad the means doing what is right for me financially. Like I have said before I am mre then likely going to have to move, maybe even find an apartment, start saving money. Everything is going to fall into place quickly in the next few months. So its imperative that I start looking out for myself. Granted, not that any of you who are reading this need to know that, but maybe its just important that I write that down somewhere so I can remind myself.

Overheard

Woman at BBQ: So then he came over and was like, 'dont go anywhere yet we need a double penetration picture'.

10 More Months - and then who knows what the hell is going to happen.

10 more months (32 weeks of class) and then I will be donezo with school! Ugg I can't wait. What I am even more excited about is moving. Finally having an apartment that I can decorate again. I have so much crap I would love to put up on the walls of the hotel but it is not allowed unfortunately- so a lot of it is in storage. Plus, moving forces you to really decide whether or not you want to keep something. I actually enjoying going through my stuff, taking inventory and deciding whether or not its worth packing. I usually feel accomplished tht I can load must of my belongs into a 93 Chrysler Concorde. Speaking of which what will become of Victoria this time next year (yes my car has a name). I can always give her to my brother if I decide move out of state.
I really wonder where the heck I will be one year from now. Will I have a job? Will I be happy with my options? Should be interesting.
Oh well, there is a bunch of time between now and then I am going to focus on enjoying what I have here and now. Two more weeks and then I move back into my apartment and then one more week until I start training. Let the games begin.

Overheard at USC and George Carlin

So I am stealing this from the "Overheard" websites.
Staff member after observing a lost student in the hall way."International student looking for the International Student Office. The unibrow is a dead giveaway.

Speaking of things overheard at USC. George Carlin's first ever HBO special was at USC. It was the first of a record 14 HBO specials. Along with his predecessor Lenny Bruce, and contemporary Richard Pryor, Carlin greatly influenced the comedy landscaped. He managed to be popular culture and counter culture all at the same time. An unbelievable comedian who could find the absurdity and contradictions in any little thing. We willmiss George for his insight and his humor. My biggest regret is that last year he performed in LA and I told myself "I'll catch him next time". I'm an idiot, and the great thing is I am sure Mr. Carlin would have agreed. Even better he probably would have considered me an ignorant asshole. "Kid with all the drugs and heart surgeries I have been through your ass better get those tickets now," he would have said. He would have been right too, as George so often was.

The very existence of flame throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done. - George Carlin

My grandfather would say: "I'm going upstairs to fuck your grandmother". He was an honest man, and he wasn't going to bullshit a four-year-old. - George Carlin

Jamie Lidell

Look out for Jamie Lidell. He probably wont be a huge hit in the U.S. but expect some catchy songs over the next few years.

Yay! Cookie Monster and a rebuttal...

The Cookie Monster just appeared on The Colbert Report. I feel like a little kid again! Cookie, cookie, cookie!!!

Also to you nat sayers who say, "nay you can't declare the start of summer based on temperature. Summer starts June 21st". I say this is America and I can say summer starts when it gets too hot. If you dont like it you can go back to Russia you big communists. No calendar is going to tell me when summer starts. Oh, and by the way, I just moved Christmas to August - take that!

I Love L.A. (just not the fans)

So last night the Boston Celtics dominated and, quite frankly, embarrassed the Los Angeles Lakers. But it wasn't just the Celtics players who dominated their L.A. counterparts. The Boston fans put L.A. fans to shame. During the three games in L.A. the L.A. media criticized the fans for not being passonate or vocal enough. They sat on their hands in game 3 and then just watched the Lakers lose a 20 point lead in the second half without making hardly a noise. Even though I was rooting for the Celtics I didnt want to believe it. LA fans have always gotten that wrap. They aren't passionate enough. They show up late and leave early. They go to the game to be seen, not to watch the game. The last crisiticism is especially directed at Laker fans and many believe it is the reason for the blackout policy at the Staples center. The lights on the crowd are darkened during games in order to discourage fans from texting and using their cell phones.
Well I didnt want to believe it. But when you compare the crowd from last night in Boston to any L.A. fans during that three game stretch, well, thee simply is no comparison. Boston fans are better. First, more Boston fans were dressed in the home teams gear. Second, the Boston fans were in the game the ENTIRE time. Rising to their feet, chanting "defense", "MVP", and "Beat LA". But those things are routine. Any fans can do that. LA fans chant "MVP" for Kobe. they call out "defense" and they respond to "Beat LA" with "Boston Sucks". What seperates Boston, and most other fans, from LA fans (note I am not just talking about the Laker fans) is creativity.
I dont think I have heard a creative chant at an LA sporting event since... well... errr... ever! Seriously. I cant think of one. On the other hand Other fans know how to get under the skin of opposing fans and players - but in a cool and creative way. For example, Last night late in the 3rd quarter Kobe went to the foul line. Spontaneously the crowd at the Garden erupted in a "Your Not Jordan" chant. Pure genuis. I couldnt believe it. What a great way to get into the guys head. Was it a crude chant? No. Was it rude. Not really. It was just a clever way of reminding Kobe that he is not Michael Jordan (as if being down 30 points wasnt reminder enough). Think that was enough? Nope. At the start of the fourth quarter Kobe sat on the bench. Guess who noticed? Boston fans. "Where is Kobe"? The asked in unision filling the arena with their noise. It was nuts. The line works on two levels. First it is a taunting gesture, "where is Kobe I thought he was a competitor - why is he not playing?" wink wink nudge nudge. On the flip side it was a clear insult to Bryant's very normal and average performance in the Finals. "Where is Kobe"? Getting shut down by the Celtics D could have been a good answer.
Point being Boston fans, Chicago fans, New York fans they know how to get down and nasty in a very cerebral taunting way. LA fans - well we just chat "'Insert Name Here' sucks". Its true. Or some drunk a-hole will throw something. Those are the typical responses.
Its a shame it is. But it is the reputation LA fans have - and God knows we have earned it.

Summer Is Here

Its official. I am officially considering today the start of summer. Why today you ask? Because it is 96 freaking degrees! and we haven't even hit the high of 98 yet. God do i hate the valley. Living in the valley is like deciding to live in the sweltering armpit of L.A. But this will be my 12th valley summer in the last 15 year so I am kind of used to it. 

What I am still not used to is my mother's philosophy about using the air conditioner. Just a quick bit of context here - my father is in the air conditioning business. The man loved having central air. My mother on the other hand treats the air conditioner like a necessary evil. 

I understand not turning it on if it only 80-85 degrees outside - i get that, i really do. but if its near, or over 90 my mother will say, "open the windows." It drives me nuts! There is no breeze during a summer in the valley. NONE. Worse then that, our house has an awkward rectangular shape that keeps this phantom air from flowing through the house. 

So what happens next? Well like on a day like today my mother will call and say something like, "mijo go ahead and put the air conditioner on just make sure to set it to 86 degrees." Not kidding. She just called to tell me that. She might has well have said, i heard the temperature is at 'torture' go ahead and set the air conditioner to 'uncomfortable'.

Well done mom, thats why I love you.

Game 6 tonight - think green, think defense, think championship, think Celtics!

Wall.E

Just saw a new commerical for the movie Wall.E and what was the song laying in the background? Do You Wanna Dance by the Ramones. Simply awesome. I will watch Wall.E just based on that. By the way does anyone else think that Wall.E looks like Johnny Five from Short Circuit (just shorter)?

oh and by the way...CELTIC PRIDE!!!

Friday The 13th and Tim Russert

Think that I am not aware it is Friday the 13th. I became very aware when i locked myself out of my car. Twice. After having the locksmith unlock the door I was told that I had to pay 125 dollars. I proceeded to close the door... with the keys still inside. The guy looked at me asked me if I wanted it opened I said, "yea, of course". He then proceeded to open the door again and said, "well that will be 250". I thought he was kidding. I was wrong. This ass actually charged me twice. I hate Friday the 13th.

On a really sad not though Tim Russert, host of Meet the Person and the Washington Bureau Chief for NBC died earlier today. To me Russert was always an honest, intelligent ad humble man who covered politics the way they should be. In an age of technology I will always remember him covering the 2000 Gore v Bush election and explaining the electoral vote breakdown, not with a computer, not with an onscreen graphic, nor with a crazy touch screen but with simple dry erase board. There was just something special about taking something so complicated and watching it being broken down in a very simple way with very simple tools. Just man's brain, a marker and a dry erase board. Tim Russert was only 58 years old.

Car scare and movie recommendation

It is 11:15am on a Wednesday and I just had a major scare with my car. Less than minute away from my parent’s home the car (Victoria is her name) started to make an awful noise. At first I thought the tire had flattened and I was riding on my rim. My friends will know that I am familiar with that scenario. I quickly parked the car and jumped out. The tires were fine. I figured that something was wrong with the transmission the engine. Turns out that the car alarm speaker had simply disconnected and gotten stuck. My step dad and I pulled it out and that was that. Doesn’t seem like a big deal but when you realize that I am living off my credit card right now you can imagine how stressed out I was that I was going to have to spend a pretty penny on my car.
I also have a quick recommendation for all of ya. If you can find it rent a movie called Young at Heart. It is a documentary about retirees (people ranging 70-90) who sing pop songs from bands like the Ramones and Coldplay. I haven’t even seen it but I am so convinced of its greatness that I will recommend it to you anyway.


I would also like to add – Go Celtics!!!

Weezer Review...

So,
One of my top five bands of all time has released the third self titled album. Weezer's (Red Album) is such a cool album. To be honest it is a real strange album because it feels like two albums in one. The first six songs exude a rockstar confidence and bravado that we have never heard before. For those who don't know River's is a huuuuuuge kiss fan and for the first time inhis career he has embraced the over the top alpha male hyper sexual rock star persona embodied by his favorite band.If their last album (MAKE BELIEVE) sounded like a bunch of sad journal entires and apology letters than The Red Album is an abashed celebration and declaration that Rivers and Weezer in general are done worrying and apologizing. The second half of the album (the last four songs) features some songs not written NOR performed by Rivers. This is a huge departure from the past where Mr. Cuomo obsessed about controlling nearly every aspect of the band.

Check out Weezer's Myspace to hear both the single Pork and Beans and the unbelievable Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.

The Cure...and lots of other stuff

Woohooo! The show last night was freaking awesome. The Cure played 3 hours and had 3 freaking encores. I thought they were done after they ended the second encore with Killing An Arab (which in case you dont know, the song is an entire refrence to Albert Camus' book THE STRANGER; hence the lyrics "I'm just a stranger/Killing an Arab". But within a minute and a half of them walking off stage for the second time Robert Smith and the boys were back out there and played for about another 15 minutes. Simply amazing the amont of energy The Cure can evoke especially when it is easy to stigmatize them as a goth band. I think a lot of us forget that The Cure were originally more on the punk side of the music genre before carving out their own musical niche in rock history. Anyway, three hours, a small venue and a great performance. I had a great time. I will post video on here soon.

On a side note, as I was driving home last night from the show I looked out through the passenger seat window and saw downtown L.A. shinning with all it's lights and thought, "how sad is it that I wont be around to see the 'new' L.A." I am pretty positive that a year from now I will be taking a cue from the Ramone's second album and "Leave Home". The chances of me finding a job here will be slim and so I have come to embrace the idea of leaving L.A. I will more than likely leave not only L.A. and southern California but the state as well. It kind of bums me out that I wont be around when the new L.A. Live is finished or that I wont be able to see if the new Light Rail system gets more people to use public transportation. I am even bummed that I wont be able to see the new USC Activities Center be completed. Oh well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I will be gone for a few years and see what the rest of the country has to offer and maybe someday I will come back out to California and settle down. At least that is the plan.

Oh and did I mention GO CELTICS! Thats right, as much as I love L.A. I HATE the Lakers. My uncle who has been the biggest influence on my sporting life, along with my grandfather, is a huge Celtics fan so i grew up rooting for the dying dynasty of Bird, Parish and Machale. So I have suffered for my entire life as a Celtc fan but now I have something to root for. Especially considering how annoying many Laker fans are. Seriously, what is the point of putting a Laker flag on your car. I dont care if you like the Lakers and I am unimpressed by your putting it up on your car. Now if you lived in Boston and put up a Lakers flag that is a different story all together. That makes sense - it would be an outward sign of defiance. But thats not what this is. Even worse who are all these bandwagon Laker fans? Were we these flags that last few years? Hell, where were these flags as late as this April? Nowhere. It is crap like this that give L.A. the rep of being a town of plastic phonies who follow trends. Thats right Laker fan - I BLAME YOU! Hopefully in two weeks the pride of Beantown will be hoisting their 17th championship trophy. This one is for Red!

Milwaukee and New Weezer Video

Milwaukee was awesome. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Abby and Mike.

p.s. the new Weezer music video is awesome.

An Apology and The Lakers

Yesterday Mike Piazza retired from pro baseball. Piazza is a future first ballot hall of famer who was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62 round of the draft. 62 round. that meant that a total of over 1700 other players were taken before Piazza. What makes the story even more mythical is that he was taken as a favor to then Dodgers manager (and Piazza's godfather) Tommy Lasorda. 

Piazza will probably be best known as one of the better hitters in baseball and arguably the greatest hitting catcher of all time. I want to take this opportunity to apologize to Mike Piazza. When he was traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins in early 1998 I blamed him. I blamed him for not taking the 6 or 7 year multi-million dollar deal he was rumored to have been offered by the ball club. As a fan I felt that he had decided to value money over loyalty and had slapped the face of the organization that gave him a chance. I was wrong. Piazza was just going after fair market value and I am sure that given time he would have resigned with the Dodgers. But he and the Dodgers were never given that chance. On May 15, 1998 a Dodgers executive went behind the back of then General Manager Fred Claire and traded Piazza away to the Florida Marlins. A week later the Marlins traded him to the Mets. Within two years Piazza would lead the Mets to the World Series.

In the subsequent years I, like a lot of fans booed Piazza when he returned to Dodger Stadium. I still blamed him. I was wrong. I should have been boing that Fox executive and the Fox ownership who took a once proud franchise and destroyed it in just a few short years. I'm sorry Mike. You never should have have been traded. You should have worn Dodger Blue. You never should have been booed. You deserved better.

As a last note (another sports related note), I have always believed that you cannot win a playoff series in game one - but you can lose it. The Spurs lost their series with the Lakers during game one of the Western Conference Final with the Lakers. The Spurs had control of the game and a chance to win on the Lakers home court. They had a chance to remind everyone that they are the defending champs and that they are still the team to beat. They didnt. They faded away and gave up a 20 point lead. If the Lakers are the team of the future in the Western Conference then the future arrive Wednesday night. The Lakers took the Spurs best shot and still beat them. Game Over. Series Over.

News and Notes...

So remember a few posts back when I said Apple should partner with Netflix so people could use their Apple TV to download or stream rented movies/TV shows? Well it turns out that the management of netflix are subscribers to my blog. They have created their own box top (which is much cheaper than Apple TV - 100 versus 300 dollars). And using their box top you can stream your Netflix. pretty sweet, and you netflix users have me to thank. :)

I will be spending June 13th with three of my heroes, my uncle, Vin Scully and John Wooden. I bought tickets to an event where Coach Wooden and Vinny (as us Dodger fans love to call him) will discuss their lives, careers and philosophies of success. I am super geeked to hear from these two people and learn from their experiences and advice. Should be awesome - and I get to take my uncle and I know he will appreciate it.

The Cure have decided to release a new single from their next album on the 13th of every month. This is to commemorate the release of their 13th studio album. Pretty cool that this band still manages to put out good music this late into their careers. The Only One single is still very classic Cure and yet doesnt fell or sound outdates. Kudos to Robert Smith and the rest of the Cure.

Dudes Sharing Thongs

What if I told you I was struggling at work? What if everyone noticed that I wasnt performing up to my capabilities? What should I do? Should I re-evaluate my work, try something new, take sometime off, maybe put in some extra work? Well maybe that is what I would do. But it is not what this guy would do.
Jason Giambi is a former MVP and All-star who plays for the New York Yankees and he, like the rest of his team is in a slump. So faced with this problem he did the only reasonable thing. He is now wearing a thong with flames on the waistband in order to break out of the slump. Yup - he has decided that the underwear is going to turn it all around. No extra time in the batting cage, no review of tape to see if there is something wrong with his mechanics - just a magical slump busting thong.
I should be surprised - but I am not. Anyone who has spent time around baseball players know that they are the MOST childish and juvenile characters in sports. They think the most ridiculous immature things are funny. Don't believe me hear are some pranks that occur regularly in baseball dugouts.

1. Gum on top of cap. Player A will blow a huge bubble and then become a mini James Bond. The player will stealthy place the giant bubble on top of Player B's hat. Thats it - thats the joke.

2. Lighting someone's shoes on fire. People will light the back of people shoes on fire. The easier thing is to simply tie the shoes together.
3. Shoving a tin full of shaving cream in someone's face. Just watch the fear and paranoia on J.J. Putz's face.

No none of that surprises me. What does surprise me is the Derek Jeter shares the thong with Jason when HE is in a slump. Are you kidding me who shares thongs. Who shares thongs because they think it is going to make them better at their job. Craziness. But honestly, this is normal for baseball players.

Office Thats What She Said Remix...

Church and Movies...

So I went to my cousin's first holy communion today and it was nice to be back in church; especially after all of the issues that have been going on in my family. Just this past week we learned that for all intents and purposes my grandfather's radiation therapy was a success and the cancer that was in his throat is gone. It was so moving to go through the rituals of mass. To be in a space where it was OK to take the time to reflect on things. Looking to my left I could see my aunt tear up as she watched her daughter take her first communion. All I could think about was all the emotions she had to be experiencing. The love for her daughter, the relief over her father, and her belief (my belief) that God has played a role in all of it. I don't got to church very often, but when I go I am reminded of why I haven't lost my faith. I feel something special when I am there. I feel good, I feel at peace, I feel like with all the things going on in my life someone (God and family) care. I dont know, I just feel in my heart of hearts that there is a God who loves me and cares about me and wants me to love and care for those around me.

Now on a completely different topic... movies. This Monday I will be stepping out to watch IRONMAN - which I am very excited about. This past Thursday I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall and it was awesome. Here is the thing about the movies that Judd Apatow has decided to produce, they take the essential romantic comedy but do it in such a fun, out of the norm way that its just great to watch (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin...). For example, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is little more than a 'break-up/move on and find a new love' movie. However, the context of the film, the type of comedy, and the acting is just fresh and original. In no other romantic comedy will you see puppets, a rock opera about Dracula, and Jason Segel's penis.

In contrast you have nonsense like Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey. Ok, so the plot of this romantic comedy is that Patrick Dempsey is asked to be the Maid of Honor at his best friend's wedding. He has known the best friend his entire life but has never had feelings for her until he now realizes that she is going to marry someone else. So, Patrick Dempsey's character decides to sabotage the wedding. I liked this movie the first time I saw it ... when it was called MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING!!! Are you people serious!?!?!? Its the same damn film. And don't give me any of this, but he is a guy and he is going to be the maid of honor nonsense. It's a stupid ridiculous premise.

Ugg, and if that is not bad enough we have What Happens In Vegas.... Really? You are going to use a tired expression about Las Vegas as the title of your movie. So you already have a movie with a bad title - maybe you can make up with it with the acting. Who are the lead actors you ask? Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz. Oh boy! How come it took Hollywood so long to get these two acting powerhouses together on the big screen (p.s. in case you cant tell I am being sarcastic). I have been seeing bus advertisements all over for this movie and they read "Cameron v Ashton". Listen, the only way you could get me to go see this turd is if you added the words "to the death" to that tag line. Thats right, only if you promised me that one of these two talentless hacks were going to kick the butt would I see this frickin' thing. Oh and before, people get upset about me calling Ashton Kutcher talentless lets take a look at his body of work. He was a semi-successful model, then he played a good looking idiot on That 70s Show, and then he created a hidden camera television show (real original - has anyone ever heard of Cadid Camera or TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes). All the man did was take an ID from the 80s and warm it over for a bunch of kids in the present who cant remember anything older than 15 minutes.

Promise to myself...

Sometime in the next 12 months I will have to be at Fenway during a game just so I can do this...

This Just In...

Prince is the f'ing man. that is all. 

Japan and Paying for School.

So last Thursday I had a very cool experience. One of my classes video conferenced with students at a top university in Japan. It was a very cool way to find out how colleges operate in another country and what life is like for people half way across the world. Here are something I learned.

1. College students in Japan are even more career oriented than in the U.S.

2. Social interaction on college campuses there is very hard to come by.

3. I want a phone that plays and records live TV.

Seriously, I learned a lot of cool things. I got to ask students about what they do for fun and how likely it is for kids who parents never went to college to get into a college in Japan. But all of that was trapped by one moment. At one point a students phone went off and the class wanted to see it. The phone looked like a real sleek blackberry. But the student then explained that you could watch live TV on the screen. even better you could put in a small memory card and record live TV and watch the show later. Take that apple - where is my live television. The entire class was impressed and overwhelmed with that kind of technology. Why do I need to download old shows and movies when this technology is out there. Why are we so behind? If we can watch and record TV on a phone we can do anything. Next stop - jet pack!

p.s. I need to make sure that I find a summer job. I am taking over 6000 dollars in classes this summer. How many classes am I taking you may ask? TWO! Whats worse is that of the over 6000 dollars I am spending 40% is being spent on a class where all I do is work for free. I have an unpaid summer internship with a department at USC and that constitutes two units of my fieldwork class. I am paying the people I work for so that I can work for them for free. The only other people who pay the people who they work for are prostitutes. It hurts my head to even think about it. I swear sometimes I think grad school is all just a hustle.