New addition to my media capabilities:

Picked up a netbook the other day.  Well, I didn't pick it up.  I ordered it via Amazon and they dropped it off the other day.  But you knew what I meant..

Spent a little bit of time yesterday getting things up and running and now she seems pretty slick.  So now it's more or less 100% (read: 70/30...k, 60/40) certain that the 'Pad will not die anytime soon. 

(image courtesy makerichppc)

I'm happy with it; it's neat.  Cheers (to that!).

News & Notes..

I took an extended nap just after dinner time today (Well, not my dinner time.  Normal people dinner time.  I napped from 5:30-8pm or so...ish.  I woke up, and then had dinner.  It may have actually been lunch.  things kind of blur together with the rock star life I've been leading..) so now even though it's 1:30am I'm wide-ass awake and I've got nothing better to do than sit at a computer.  Man, I suck.

OK, yesterday, well, Monday, as it's now Wednesday, anyways on Monday I posted this hilarious thought on facebook, and I expected about 230 "likes" within the first 10 minutes of posting it.  And I got...three.  and one very impressed commenter, but still, just three of you thought this was funny?   

In a Super Bowl match-up between Pierre Thomas and Pierre Garcon, the question has to arise: who will be the lukcy pierre?

Yes, I spelled lucky wrong but I thought people would look past that.  And I already had one "like" so there was no way I was going to correct my grammar at the expense of a "like;" that's just silly.  But seriously, how is that not a laugh riot?  You see what I did?  I jumped back a few months to when Artie Lange destroyed Joe Buck on his first show and the term "lucky pierre" was brought into the everyday vernacular of the sports/pop culture/media/ blog world, and I spun it back to some hilariously current wordplay presented as Super Bowl commentary.  I guess it's a good thing Conan's out of a job because now I have seven months to pitch this to him and get hired before he's back on the airin September.  I'm good at what I do.  Sometimes the moon and the stars just align.

Apparently HBO has gotten a little stingy about other folks airing the interview all over the "internet" so I'm unable to post the video directly here, but the link's up above.  It starts up with about 5:55 left and other than Michael Irvin's "It's just refreshing to see whit-on-white crime" comment to close the clip the lucky pierre discussion is about the last funny thing in there.

Admit it: I'm witty.

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And, I'm sorry, this is in poor taste, but when one of your search terms is "lucky pierre" you're going to end up with some absurd results.  And this one takes the cake and is also number one on google: Wikipedia's entry on sexual positions.  Complete with drawings, pictures, pie charts, pythagorean's theorem, laws of thermodynamics, etc.

Seriously, Wikipedia?  This has got to be a joke, right?  Where are your censors here?  WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Stay classy...or something.  Cheers (And if I were you, and I was at work, I wouldn't click on the wiki page.  This may be the first NSFW link I've ever posted.  It's a brand new day on the 'Pad..).

On Far...vre..

I've been a Brett Favre hater the past few years.  Unlike Craig I never jumped on the Packers bandwagon that year they won the Super Bowl so I've never had any reason to like or dislike the guy until the past couple few years with his on-again / off-again retirement.

Sidenote here:  I've seriously never read or heard this anywhere so I don't know if it's been said before, but Farve's bath and forth seemed to have given Leno a perfect set-up of how to handle a comeback, right?  You just have to not give a shit and do your thing.  Even if you do your thing and shit the bed, like Favre did last year with NY he was still loved this year when he wanted to play again.  Leno should be all set then because it seems like the bad blood just slides by the wayside if you go out and have a couple of good performances right off the bat.  I'd say by his second JayWalking that Leno will be back to his old self and no one will really care.  The haters will still hate, because they have always hated.  But the world at large will go on like nothing...ever...changed.  A little unfortunate, perhaps, but at least Mr. Favre has provided this much needed blueprint on comebacks and staying in the limelight.  Take notes, Urban Meyer.

 I'm not going to chime in one way or the other, I've thought he should have retired as a Packer because I like those feelgood stories of an entire career in one location but on the whole that's his business not mine.  I'll make no bones about this, however:  I loved every minute of the NFC game last night.  Watching Brett Favre get his ass beat for sixty football minutes was easily the highlight of my month.  The Saints hit him early, hit him often, took penalties to hit his ass...and when it was all said and done he looked old as fuck.  I have to admit it, though: That tough cocksucker didn't quit.  As depressing as it is this asshat might legitimately still have another year of wear left to put into his Wranglers.  Shit.

This pretty much summed up how Vikings nation felt about their last offensive play, courtesy of, well, the Vikings radio announcers.

Oops!  I'll give the 2nd guy credit, though.  I will guaran-damn-tee you he didn't need a map to know this was not, in fact, Detroit.  It, however, was also not the Super Bowl.  I guess you can't win'em all..

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None of this really has anything to do with anything.  I dislike Twitter but I thought that it was especially funny on the Favre subject.  The former editor at deadspin publicized a little tag thinger that links related posts together thought up by one of his friends, and this particular tag thinger links subjects based on "ESPN Favre Rules For All."  ESPN (and really most all of the media) blows Brett Favre even when he lays an egg like he's a guy who gets a lot of blowjobs at no cost to him even though sometimes he farts when his lady friends are down low, so the idea behind this is: What if people who have been viewed, well, a little harsher for their follies that Favre has over his career, got the Favre treatment?  Some of my favorite examples are included below (with varying degrees of "appropriateness"):

[FYI: This one started it all] + That's the thing about Buckner -- he's not afraid to muff a grounder. That's one of the things I most admire about him. #FavreRulesForAll
+ That's the thing about god - earthquakes, floods, hurricanes... he's just having fun out there. #FavreRulesForAll
+ Jeffrey Dahmer was hungry. And you know what? He wasn't afraid to improvise. #ESPNFavreRulesForAll 
+ That's the thing about Lincoln. He's not afraid to go to a play with minimal security. Gotta respect that. #ESPNFavreRulesForAll 
+ You gotta hand it to Stalin. When he killed millions, you know what that says to me? He was trying. #ESPNFavreRulesForAll

Yikes...but, you have to admit it: if the folks who thought these up go down they're gonna go down trying to make a play.  And you've GOT to respect that.  Cheers.


PS: Winner of the day?  Reggie Bush.  Seven carries for eight yards and one muffed punt on his own 10 yard line.  Why does he win?  Clauses in his contract provided a $500,000 bonus for an NFC Championship win.  On top of  the $300,000 he got for the Divisional round win.  Super Bowl, you ask?  Another $500,000 for the win.  Bush's agent: You're a snake; well played..

New day. Same "internet."

Big happenings on the home front:  Ma joined facebook.  Now, don't get excited because chances are she won't friend you, and even if you friend her she doesn't plan to subscribe to the general notion of: "Well, I know them, so I'll let them be my friend."  No, no, no.  Ma plans to keep her friendships to family member and the occasional person who somehow manages to pass her arbitrary and subjective "friendship" test.  And I have absolutely no problem with this.

I actually find it refreshing as I've recently begun to purge my "friends" over the past few days.  It started on Thursday, maybe.  Of course it was late at night; most "good" ideas I come up with drift through my brain late at night.  But that evening I went through and cut down 25 or so people.  Then Friday ten or fifteen more got axed.  Same on Saturday, and about the same today.  All told I've dropped about sixty or seventy people from "friendship" status.  At first I started by cutting away people I couldn't remember actually talking to more than just a "Hi, how are ya?" five years ago.  Then I ditched people from college who I didn't especially care for but who, due to social pressures, I felt I needed to be "friends" with.  No more.  And as I continued I found it's very easy to sever ties and it's actually an especially liberating feeling.

Now I use the friend box on my profile to screen friends.  If someone shows up in my random sampling of nine friends that I feel like is no longer a friend, chances are we'll be friends no longer.  Needless to say I've cut ties with quite a few more guys than gals because, c'mon, facebook stalking will still go on and the only reason to facebook stalk is to see bikini pictures and short skirts.  I think that goes without saying, so don't put me on limited profile after reading this, my ladies.. 

But seriously, if by some stroke of chance you've been defriended and you're a dedicated 'Pad reader: I'm sorry.  It's not you.  It's me.  But feel fee to keep reading!

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Continuing on the facebook front I was drifting around earlier today and found some semi-humorous links that I would like to share with you folks:  the first is a creepy facebook fail:

New map..

So the folks at Clustermaps decided that maps look better when they're not covered in red...so while my map in the right column is not totally covered in red they still are forcing me to start from scratch after a year of it being up on the 'Pad.  By the end of the day it will be gone but not forgotten and a fresh map will be in its place to allow new red dots to be placed for the next year..until, presumably, another fresh and clean (clean) map will again appear.

Here was the damage (and a shitty, low-res version of the damage it is...click here for a better look..):

Forty three countries.  That's not bad starting pay.  Thanks for reading.  Have a nice day.  Cheers (And sorry, Africa...I'll try to get more than one hit from your continent this time around..).

Goodbye, Conan

I'm on my way to bed but this is a question that crossed my mind as Conan finished up:

Did anyone else find it a little amusing that Neil Young performed, and this was immediately followed by Will Ferrell dressed as Ronnie Van Zandt as Conan, a guy from ZZ Top, Ben Harper on slide (I think...don't hold me to that.  I hope it was just because that would make it much better as Ben Harper is a hell of a slide player...from what I've been told - I'm no guitar expert..) played a Skynyrd song?

Neil Young and Ronnie Van Zandt had a little bit of a feud back in the day as the Skynyrd boys took offense to Young's "Southern Man."  I don't know how serious this "feud" was, though it did come out in "Sweet Home Alabama" - one of music's first diss tracks, perhaps? That is "This is a diss track, perhaps it is one of the first?"  It obviously is a diss track, I just don't know when diss tracks came onto the scene.  I'm just guessing that this has to be one of the first..

I just found this to be a little ironic.  Happily, this was the first time in about five years that I actually enjoyed something Will Ferrell did.  He was relatively in control and, shockingly (at least to me) he did'nt try to be the center of attention, more than any lead singer usually is.  So, thank you, Will, for not RUINING Conan's final minutes.  Bed time.  Cheers.

Travels on the "internet" (mostly other blogospheres..)..

It's been a pretty slow day here.  More f-ing snow fell from the sky and  this situation made me decide not to leave my house.  Sorry, Shawn.  I saw you called...but I didn't pick up.  Consider this your call back.

ANYWAYS I'm pretty sure I mentioned Mark "The Shark" Titus (I don't think I refered to Mark as "The Shark" last time..so sorry for that, Mark.) back at the beginning of this show but for the forgetters and the underinformed this guy's a senior at Ohio State and he runs a blog called Club Trillion, where he discusses the life of a walk on Division I basketball player.  I find it hilarious.  He's gained a little recognition recently because his page passed the 2,000,000 hit mark.  He uses blogger, too, and we started our blogs within a week of each other (Club Trillion went up October 24, The 'Pad on or around October 30..).  So unless his blog got 1,990,500 hits in its first week then we really haven't been on the same path...damn.  But I'm not mad at him.  Hell, I can't do any of this:

Not the lay ups.  Definitely not the bike shots.  Wait, I drink Gatorade...I guess Mark and I aren't that different, after all...  Had I be a rising senior playing college basketball while having a loyal blog following, maybe I, too, could have entered the NBA draft only to have the NBA ask me to remove my name...twice.

 The conversation I had with the DOBO [Director of Basketball Operations at Ohio State] ...basically featured him telling me that the NBA had called the Ohio State basketball office and requested that I take my name out of the draft because they feared that I was making a mockery of the process. He claimed that it wasn’t all that serious, but as a precaution I should not talk about the draft on my blog any more. I kindly obliged.
Today, (no this isn’t an FML) Dobo again approached me, only this time his face suggested that either the situation with the NBA had escalated or he found out that I was the one who spread peanut butter underneath his car handle door. Unluckily for me, it was the former, but luckily for me, he still doesn’t know that I was responsible for the peanut butter so keep that hush if you don’t mind. The NBA had called back and this time they demanded I pull my name out "or else."
...I’m not really all that upset about them treating me differently. In fact, I’m somewhat excited. I could very well be the first person in the history of the NBA to basically be told to go away. I’m aware that the NBA has kicked guys out before, but I’ve never heard of anyone who meets all the requirements being told that they can’t even be in the draft. Think about all the people who came before me who apparently were not enough of a train wreck to be told to stay out. People like Shawn Kemp, Dennis Rodman, and Zach Randolph were allowed a chance to play in the NBA, yet my blog and I aren’t. Ladies and gentlemen, please keep your kids away from me. I’m a loose cannon who simply cannot be trusted.

A funny summation from a third party that has a catchy title can also be read by clicking the following link:

Mark Titus enters NBA Draft, is kindly asked to leave

I don't really have a problem with this move.  Savvy on his part; love it.  But I'd kind of expect this from any professional sports organization.  I guess I'm more surprised to find out that you can just "enter" the NBA draft.  I expected the NBA to charge $50large or something to get your name "entered."  I don't really have a good reason for this thought...it just seemed like something I thought the NBA would do to make a buck and also keep folks they don't think belong out of the way.  Most all of this "charge" could be picked up conditionally by the agent a player is signed with, and upon being drafted the player would then pay the fee back to the agent along with their rip of salary.  See, it makes sense.  I guess you learn something new every day..

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As I'm looking into Mac products I couldn't help but laugh at the rant I found on Apple "product development."  I've had this bookmarked for awhile just like many other things I haven't found a good way to tie it in to anything interesting.  This isn't a perfect application but it's certainly random enough to fit with this particular blog...here we go (size changes added for my own amusement.  And for a little em-PHA-sis)!

Okay, here’s what’s chapping my dickskin lately: Apple. Steve Jobs is, make no mistake, a genius. I know, that’s hardly a revolutionary statement, but people ignore his most amazing invention and focus on the small stuff. People point to the ipod and go nuts about how this little gizmo revitalized a whole industry, destroyed another industry or two and you know, changed the world. And fuck, they’re right. It did. And the iphone is pretty great too, just in terms of pushing the envelope of how we think about phones, and the computers are cool, but man, none of that shit is as important as his greatest and most overlooked innovation.  Disposable technology. Man. This dude found out that it’s not enough to keep offering technological upgrades, you have to make shit break after a while too. See, people are, first and foremost, creatures of habit. Once shit gets to a level of ease, only a few types of folks will seek out the next level of techie advances, because really, the energy it’s gonna take to learn the new way of doing everything is gonna outweigh the amount easier it becomes, at least at first. That’s why no one bought Laser Discs…well, and they were stupidly huge…but you get the idea. That’s why people don’t really give a fuck about blu ray, or watching the whole movie on Qmov. It’s not worth the extra effort and money to make something already easy just that tiny bit better. That’s why shit has to be poorly crafted.
Think about it. Apple really nailed this one. There’s an apple store here in Chicago, and I remember going in there only 2 years after the first ipods came out and there was a bin for ‘recycling your ipod’ right there in the store. There was a sign above it that said something like “it’s been good to you, now recycle it”. Dude? Are you fucking kidding me? Those things cost like 300 bucks! I hate to sound like a fucking grandpa, but back in my day shit that cost three hundred bucks wasn’t supposed to fucking die EVER. I mean, what kind of brass iBalls does this company have that they can sell this shit for so much money and then when you bring it in because it’s broken, they can smile smugly and say “hey, it’s not supposed to last much more than 2 years. It’s been good to you, right? Now recycle it and get another one.” Fuck. You. (and yeah, I’ll take another one…snivel)
...It’s not that the technology doesn’t EXIST to make these fucking things last…it’s that they actively have a business model that encourages the manufacture of shoddy products in order to keep everyone in lines at the apple store waiting to talk to dumb hacker nerds with pimples and bad breath and condescending attitudes and stupid ringer tees on and have them point out that the product line is perfect, but it’s quickly evolving and as such, this one piece of gear that you have that actually still works is outmoded, sorry. Can’t replace those speakers that totally suck and broke after six months, because we use new ports now.
ARGH! Fuck, man. You’re so fucking….smart. Jesus. It’s so smart it burns me up inside. I think that Steve Jobs seriously (seriously) applied the principles of the drug trade to the “white market economy” (get it? Because macs are to white people what uh…oooh, jeez, I dunno…this analogy is teetering dangerously close to uh, racist…nevermind). It’s like, they get you hooked, then you get some gear, then it suddenly runs out, then you need more shit to keep the shit you already have going and then you’re so deep into the fucking cult that learning to use a dell would be like drinking coffee instead of sniffing glue while you shoot heroin into your dickhole, and you’re on the fucking horse, or you’ve got a monkey on your back or you’re chasing the dragon or something….I dunno. Smart guy. That’s all I’m saying. You get it, dontcha?

The guy's got a point, right?  So now, as I sit here, looking at new MacBooks claiming innovation with an "advanced, built-in battery," I find myself more skeptical than I usually am.  Did these cock knockers just upgrade from ripping people off every two years on iPods batteries crapping out to now ripping people off every two years for a FUCKING LAPTOP?  I mean, the idea of needing to buy new battery for a laptop sucks but at least there's the concept of, well, BEING ABLE TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AND NOT THE WHOLE DAMNED COMPUTER.  No more of that, Apple?  Sneaky...very sneaky.

I don't know if this is true...it just sounds shady.  But, hell, who was I kidding...like I was going to drop bank on a Mac without a free iPod with the purchase of a Mac promotion going on.  I'm no sucker...

That's all I've got.  Sorry for the conspiracy theories.  Cheers (And Sam's gone back and dropped some more knowledge about The U, so I guess make him feel special and check that out.  For the record: Najeh's nickname is not "The Dump Truck."  But I guess when you're pretty big time and you shit in some girl's laundry basket when you're in college other people can call you pretty much whatever they want on the "internet " later on down the line.  Also for the record: I'd like to say if you, Sam, were every to run into Mr. Davenport that I'd pay you $1000 to call him "The Dump Truck" to his face, but that nickname is probably just clever enough for him not to pick up on it.  Well played..).

I forgot this last night and it's absolutely unbelievable..

Well, I think it's absolutely unbelievable.  Once again this is an unnamed feature that can loosely be called "People who post things on the 'internet' that makes me feel better about myself and my life."  I don't think I've ever titled this before I have just been adding that statement after posting anything that I believe took an inordinate amount of time, and I use this to build myself up while my internal monologue says: Why the hell can't you be creative and/or knowledgeable enough to do that?!  But without further ado  I give you this gem:

(The moft excellent comedie and tragical romance of) The Two Gentlemen of Lebowski

If you're a Lebowski fan like myself then you can't help but be impressed.  This guy took the time to re-write the entire script to The Big Lebowski in iambic pentameter as a Shakespearean play.  I shit you not.  Seriously, take a look below for a glimpse at how The Dude and Walter would discuss Walter bringing his exwife's dog bowling and Walter explaining he didn't rent it shoes and he's not buying the dog a beer or letting it take his turn.  And just to clear things up for you since I didn't include the "persons of the play," The Knave is The Dude.  Walter is Walter.  Glad we cleared things up.

1.5

[The bowling green. Enter THE KNAVE, WALTER (with a dog), and JACK SMOKE, to play at ninepins]
WALTER
 Thy tale is the stuff of dreams, and yet a waking dream of will. I had those words under a spreading tree in Jerusalem.
THE KNAVE
An I were dreaming afore, I care not, but do I dream anew? What manner of beast bringest thou to our nightly sport?
WALTER
Marry, ‘tis the remnant of a previous life’s nightly sport. That I was once a married man, thou knowest well; that the Lady Cynthia was a great lover of dogs, thou know’st in lesser degree; and the cur abandon’d has a tendency to dine upon chair-leg and oaken table, most retrograde to my lady’s desire.
THE KNAVE
Thou speakest in riddles.
WALTER
It hath been my charge to attend this cur ere my Lady Cynthia return ashore from a voyage to the islands, commanded by Sir Martin of Ackerman.
THE KNAVE
Thou bringest a cur to ninepins?
WALTER
I bring naught to ninepins. The dog is not attired by my hand to play at sport, nor do I fetch it ale, nor shall he throw thy bowl-turn in thy stead.

 Gold, Jerry.  GOLD. 

So, Adam Bertocci, today I call you a genius.  Well played, sir.  Well played, indeed.  Cheers.

Snow? Really?

I was informed yesterday by someone who usually seems to pay attention to the weather forecast (Read: Skip) that we were probably going to get a dusting of snow Sunday evening.  Maybe one or two inches, max.  Nothing to worry about.  Great, so let me look outside.....WHAT THE SHIT?!  Needless to say, the forecasters were a bit off.  F you, ten inches of snow.  Not exactly how I wanted to start my week.  Actually having to do something before noon on Monday did not delight me.  O well, I can say I'm a good son for another day.

Since I know you're all interested to know how my tax preparation is proceeding my federal taxes are finished.  I plan to file them tomorrow, if I have enough time in my day...you never know what may come up...but something tells me I'll have the time.  I also went through and did my state taxes on turbo tax after I was finished with my federal ones so I know how much I should get back.  The folks at Turbo Tax charge you if they file your state taxes for you so I'll just do those myself tomorrow, too, since Turbo Tax got all my figures together for free with the federal ones so now it's just fill in the appropriate blanks.  Man, am I smart, or what?  Yes, I'm smart.

I got so bored tonight that I jogged/walked almost nine miles on our treadmill downstairs.  I hate running on treadmills...but I have to say it's not too bad when Family Guy and the Celts are on.  I forgot the Celts were on so I didn't flip them on until the third quarter.  They had a 5 point lead at that point.  I was officially the bad luck fan tonight.  Sorry, fellas.

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On another note entirely, I've taken up an offer from my good friend Johnny Mac to head to Hawaii to hang out for a few months or so.  He really had to twist my arm.  So on February 3rd I'm flying to Maui for the foreseeable future.  I don't currently have a laptop and I'm not sure if I'm going to buy one before I depart.  I want a MacBook but those shits are expensive.  We shall see.  But sleep well knowing this: No matter where I am and what my limitations are I will do everything in my power to keep this baby spouting stupid shit every couple few days.  You've heard me say it before in reference to other things but this blog definitely started like a new pair of underwear.  At first, it was constrictive.  But now, after awhile, it's become a part of me.  And I like it like that.  I hope you do, too.  Cheers.

Skip turns 55 today

So, Happy Birthday to him.  Other than that I don't have much new tor report.  It's been a pretty low key week.  I like it like that.  I'm still not sleeping well.  Wait, that's not true.  I sleep great, I just can't seem to fall asleep before 4am.  Gross.  So I set my alarm for a reasonable time...then proceed to shut it off and sleep until 1-3pm.  Some life, eh?  I roused myself just after 9am today, so maybe if I can make it through the evening without taking a nap I can get back on track.

With not much to do I've been watching a hell of a lot of television.  I feel like a slug, but I've seen some good movies recently.  Last weekend I saw Hook for the first time in I'd say 15 years.  Well, I saw the first half, and then fell asleep.  Typical.  While watching the first half, however, I was able to irritate my mother when I nailed Toodle's "Have to fly.  Have to fight.  Have to crow," right on cue after Maggie and Jack were taken to NeverLand by Hook.  Irritated may be the wrong word.  Shocked would probably work better.  I can't explain how I do it, but some movie quotes just stick with me as the years go by.  It has taken me nowhere in life but I guess it's better to have one stupid skill than no skills at all. 

Alright, time for some Mac's Grill burgers for Skip's birfday.  I'm excited for the pickle.  Mac's usually has tasty, crisp pickles.  They make a perfect end to a meal.  I'm happy.  And anyone from afar who would like me to have a burger or their wings or anything else for them at Mac's feel free to make a donation to the 'Pad by clicking the "DONATE" link in the right column.  I promise you a glowing report.  Cheers (and I can't believe I'm saying this, but: Go Cowboys.  Fuck You, Brett Favre..).

It really was all about the U..

[Editor's Note: I wrote some of this right after I saw the documentary the night it aired...but then I went looking for a couple of things to add to it and the blog got lost in the shuffle and the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season.  I'm sure it'll be on the ESPN's again...it's too good not to be on..]

I'm not going to try to sit here and pretend I remember a lot about the University of Miami from back in the day but I still found The U to be compelling television.  Extremely well done.  I've seen bits and piece of a lot of the other 30 for 30 documentaries and they've all been good, but I found The U to be exceptional.  These guys just didn't give a shit, and that totally revolutionized college football and their talent trickled up to the pro game in the same way.  I was much to young to remember the Jimmie Johnson days at Miami but I was certainly old enough to know all about the bad boy Dallas Cowboys, chock full of U alums.  I was a Florida State fan in this era.  Always have been, always will be.  I've still got my Warrick Dunn jersey.  I bought it new when he was a junior, now I'd certainly call it a throwback.  That's how I do.  But, this was back when players could be themselves and show off a good play, not necessarily because they wanted to draw attention to themselves but because they were proud of what they were doing.  They were proud of their school.  And they were proud of being the baddest bunch of dudes on the block.  And they were the trend setters in this regard.  If you can't respect that then you have a big dump in your pants. 

I don't know when this is on again but if you have a chance watch it.  It talks a lot about how recruiting south Florida makes you a successful college team and also shows how their success brought together the community of greater Miami when they were going through some serious shit.  I never knew about any of this because I was still pee-pee-ing in my pants for much of their hey-day discussed here.  Ya, I had an accident or two in'87, I'm sure.  Happens to the best of us...

Still, on this subject Bobby Bowden was the man and easily my favorite college coach of all time.  Unfortunate he had to get forced out  after such a low season but he certainly looked out of his element more than once this season.  He still MADE Florida State the dynasty it was from the late 80's through the early 2000's.  Just unheard of success for 15 years.  This guy was the man.  Back in his heyday papa Skip was kind enough to use his connections to get me a personalized Bobby Bowden 8x10.  Which, of course, I have no idea of its location.  Some folder on some shelf, I'm sure.  O well.  I gots Lou Holtz' too, but I probably wouldn't had been so excited for that one if I had ever heard him in an interview...How the hell could he recruit with that lisp?  Just because with that lisp he was able to win a national title he should go down as the best coach in the history of sport.

[Editor's Note: I was looking for those pictures...sue me.  To continue..]

I do remember much of Larry Coker's era, and that 2001 Championship.  Sixteen (16!) future FIRST round picks were on that 2001 team.  Look it up.  1-A college have 85 scholarships to give out at any one time.  Sixteen of those players on scholarship that year were drafted in the first round.  Twenty percent.  That's just gross.  Stupid.  Best team ever.  Bar none.  Period.  End of story. 

That was all sort of fluff, I guess, and I'd like to get back to the documentary.  What struck me most was how fresh their moves seemed.  It wasn't scripted for the most part, it was just original.  And when people came into the Orange Bowl they shit their britches.  I happened to read Bill Simmons' basketball book right after I saw this documentary

sidenote: If you've read a lot of Simmons' blog already then I wouldn't say the book adds much...except for descriptions of decent 70's players that I thumbed over.  Some of his NBA and ABA history was OK...but go to a library, don't support his candy ass.  He frames it around him "learning" the secret of basketball from Isiah Thomas...which is a load of shit that any 5th grader already knows (well any 5th grader who was born around my time or before...I can't speak for the knee-high me-me-me miscreants that are roaming around these days..).  So, Bill, William, I give you a -C.  You could have been a contender.

 But anyways to continue Bill mentioned a story in the book that he loves to recount because it involves Michael Jordan in Vegas on All-Star weekend because this makes Bill seem cool for ESPN comping him a trip to Vegas(this is more sour grapes than anything...but I promise, ESPN, if you comp me a trip to Vegas I wouldn't STILL BE TALKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME TODAY.  Bill Simmons is a cock knocker in my eyes.  That's just the way it is.  Damn, I keep getting of track.  But this involves Charles Oakley being around Jordan, so Bill is reminded that at one time he asks a pretty high quality NBA'er why everyone was scared of Oak and the player said something along the lines of "There are a lot of bad dudes in the NBA.  But Oak just doesn't give a fuck."  Ladies and gentlemen, that was the 80's and 90's Miami Hurricanes football.  A lot of guys at that time talked tough.  A lot of programs at that time talked tough.  But Miami?  they just didn't give a fuck.  It cost them a couple of titles but that's who they were.  And I'll take not giving a fuck, missing out on a couple but winning a few over giving a fuck and not winning any.  Hope you followed me there. 

If you're not able to see The U on TV then just watch this 3 minute clip and you'll see what it was all about:

Cheers (And if you don't go around for the rest of the day repeating, "It's all about the U!  It's all about the U!" after watching these then, like usual, you have a big dump in your pants.).

I'm a man of my word.

And while I didn't get to bed quite as early as I had hoped, and I got up quite a bit later than my first alarm, I still feel like I'm back on track.  I can't put a finger on why, and I don't expect I'll be able to.  I just feel better than I have in recent memory.  It's a ncie feeling.  This page is like my little baby (I guess the Volv would be my big baby).  The few who read regularly know that I lead a pretty boring and tame and repetitive existence and thus this is about the only thing I feel like is all me and I can go in ANY direction on here.  Empowering, to say the least.  Coupled with the fact I don't think I've done anything continually for the length of time I've kept this up I don't see any reason to stop now.  Let's face it...this is about all I've got.

Yesterday I decided I was going to do my taxes but I guess I'm earlier than most people as I couldn't find all of the documents and papers I needed online yet.  Which kind of irritated me; I really don't see what's so difficult in an "internet" age for companies and agencies and businesses that have no problem taking my monies online, and are able to update accounts and everything else in  day or two, yet they're not able to have basic numbers up online in near-real time.  I don't need it all.  Just simple things like 1099 numbers for my interest-bearing accounts and my deductible student loan interest numbers.  God damma, it's already a third of the way through January...is that too much to ask?

And on this subject I really don't understand most people who bitch and moan about having to do their taxes and then put them off until the last minute.  This is probably because I'm still in a bracket where I get monies back I'm not really going to worry about it, because it feels like a big surprise to get my own monies back at the end of the year.  It was kind of like how Bates was sort of paying me with my own monies for two years.  Anyways, I don't like the idea of floating the government my monies, but I'll be honest with you: Until They say, "Matt, actually this year we're just going to keep all of that.  Sorry about your luck," and the I go all Whiskey Rebellion style with shotguns raised and drop off the face of the earth and start my own Ruby Ridge somewhere in east bum and things escalate to "really weird" I'm not going to worry about it too much.  But something for you folks to look forward to, I guess.  And if the FBI is reading then that crazy talk was probably just the coffee talking.  Let's pretend that never happened and move on.

At any rate I'm excited to get monies back.  Even though it's not new money.  The thought of it still excites me.  And I like thoughts that excite me.  And come to think about it I'm pretty sure I spoke about my tax stance last year.  I don't like them, don't think I'll ever like them, but I suppose I'll keep paying them.  Well, the ones I have to.

In other news my loose change growler is nearly full.  Presently I am in no dire need for monies so I've decided to cap it and start a new growler when I'm able to top the first one off.  It's been challenging recently to add change to it because I've barely been working and when I don't work I don't buy lunch and when I don't buy lunch I don't generally have change to put in my growler because I don't buy much else.  Other than CD's.  I cleaned up my efficiency today and uncovered quite a few old Bull moose sales receipts scattered about my workstation.  So maybe I should stop buying CD's and start saving.  I don't see this happeneing, though it will if my baby gets dead.

Yes, I still haven't bothered to call my mechanic concerning the Blue Bird and he hasn't bothered to call me.  So I know nothing about the status of my royal chariot.  I do know it drove fine again on my quarter mile trek from where I parked it the night it broke down to the nearest Volvo specialty shop (This isn't a joke.  The guy's considered the best Volvo guy in town and he happened to have his location a quarter mile from where my baby failed me.  I don't know if he's quite the caliber of my buddy Al Wheeler in Leeds where I usually go but for the sake of convenience I quoted the great Kevin McCallister and said  "I'll give it a whirl.") and I was TEMPTED to just pretend nothing happened that fateful Monday afternoon when she got some sand in her panties, but I broke down and brought it in anyway.  The mechanic summed it up well when I walked in and told him what I was experiencing: "Yeah, that doesn't sound like something that would fix itself."  Thanks for the update, Big Ben.  I'll bring lube when I come to pay for it; with words like that I have a sneaking suspicion this could somehow turn ugly.

I can remember better starts to a new year...

It's 11 minutes to midnight.  I don't remember the last time I got a blog up.  I don't remember the last time I did anything entertaining.  I left my house on Tuesday for a little over an hour to walk to my car, get it to a repair shop, then walk home.  I then left my house on Saturday for 20 minutes because I needed to go to the post office, and Ma was nice enough to drive me if I helped her change the pin on her debit card (If monies mysteriously exit your account, Ma, I have no idea where the monies went..).  Other than that I haven't breathed fresh air.  Not the mail.  Not to see what the weather was like.  Nothing.  Pathetic?  Maybe.  I've seen a hell of a lot more of 4:00am than I have of noon.  Whatever that means.  But, dammit.  Tonight I'm getting back on track.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Ad you can expect the old me.  Not the me that forgets how long it's been since he blogged.  But the me that becomes consumed by it.  Because, hell, it's not like I've got anything better to do..

Cheers (and goodnight..).

Say a prayer for my Blue Bird tonight..

I was out running errands today.  I completed my errands and was heading home, on pace to make it home before dark as I'm an old person and old people seem to like to be home before dark.  But dag nabbit the blue bird did not cooperate.  I have no idea whatt the heck is wrong with it, I put my foot on the gas, ease off the clutch and my baby starts to move, but when it gets to about 2000rpm (I say 'about' because I don't have a tach...think me going 5-7mph in first gear) she just bogs down and the rpm's drop and I continue cruising at 5-7 miles per hour.  Son of a bee sting, indeed.  So I parked her at a random business in New Auburn, finagled a ride home and now I have this situation to deal with tomorrow.  Bollocks!

I don't anticipate me having very much fun tomorrow.  I dislike dealing with this crap.  But, then again, it's been over a year since I brought my now-24 year old gem in for a check-up, so maybe it just wants to turn its head and cough for someone in a suit.  But you know how I am with vehicles: when they're beyond repair they go out the door quickly and without regard.  Well, that's how it happened with the Dragon, but at least that sucker lasted damn near 8 years and was still purring when we said our goodbyes.  Oh, bother.

Stay tuned, and if you know cars and have any idea what would make an '86 volvo 240 act up like this then let me know.  Cheers (But nowhere near as much cheer as usual..).