Being a coach is tough. Trying to get the right chemistry among your players and getting the top performances you can game in and game out. In soccer, especially, a coach's job is done once the players take a step out on the field. You can no longer help...it is up to them.
But one firm rule of coaching is "don't mess with success." And that make Greg Ryan's decision to swap Hope Solo for Brianna Scurry so inexplicable. The results speak for themselves. A 4 - 0 spanking by the Brazilians.
Now this is not Monday morning quarterbacking. There was plenty of vocal opposition to Ryan's move prior to the game. What is unfathomable is the position he decided to tinker with. Goalie. The heart of the defense - the quarterback of the back line. Ryan was quick to say it did not matter, but that is total bullshit. It did. The own goal was miscommunication between the defense and the goalie. Scurry looked slow and tentative. It was a total (and predictable) disaster.
Greg Ryan lost that game for those women.
9.27.2007
Stomach Flu Funnies
Ok so the stomach flu isn't so very funny, but I've been suffering with this all week and found this online and it gave me a chuckle.
http://sappychick.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/bodily-functions-alert-the-stomach-virus-of-2007/
Anything that can make you laugh while you're in misery is worth sharing...in my opinion.
Ummmm....gotta go!!! :P
http://sappychick.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/bodily-functions-alert-the-stomach-virus-of-2007/
Anything that can make you laugh while you're in misery is worth sharing...in my opinion.
Ummmm....gotta go!!! :P
9.26.2007
OJ Junior
The Michael Vick case has truly become a famous/racial case, as was the OJ case.
When OJ was acquitted, black america (or, most of black america, and I seem to remember not the "upper crust" black america) cheered and jumped for joy, claiming a victory for black america. Because they began to see the case NOT as a murder trial, which is as it should have been viewed, but as a black man being tried by a bunch of white racists. Not being black, I'm not sure where this line was crossed, but truly am confused as to this leap of reasoning. Perhaps because the victims were white and the accused black, they saw it as a white legal system coming down hard on the black man, I'm not sure. Perhaps they saw this as a racially motivated trial?
Let me say that I believe that ANY prejudice against minorities, be it blacks, hispanics, or even the fairer sex, is too much. But that doesn't change the fact that in many (deep woods southern?) places, there is hatred against blacks.
But you BETTER BELIEVE that reverse racism exists in the world today too. You cannot have heads without tails.
Michael Vick has become the latest poster child for black america and their "struggle" against a white dominated society. I was watching the ESPN round table about this, and Neil Boortz (someone who I generally dislike) made an excellent point in saying that "people who don't believe that Michael Vick has committed a crime here are doing him a disservice" - and HE GOT BOOED! You're shitting me. The audience looked to be 95% black, and almost all of them were in support of Vick being let off the hook. How ignorant are these people?! Is it because Michael Vick is black being tried in Virginia that they want to automatically speak out against Whitey and say he's innocent? Is it because he's an athlete, and a black one at that, who is famous and such, and they want to overlook his transgressions because of this? It's unbelievable, the unwavering support he's gotten. Even Whoopi Goldberg says "there are places 'in Michael Vick's south' where dog fighting is common".
BIG FREEKIN DEAL you moron! It DOESN'T MATTER! It still A FELONY! A CRIME! AGAINST THE LAW!
I don't have any issue with Michael Vick paying his debt to society, getting freed after his time is done, then working hard to MAYBE return to the NFL. To play again. To make his living. That, to me, is fair. But these complete idiots who just want to support Vick because a) he's famous, and b) he's black, without any regard to the fact that he broke the law, just propogate anti-white attitudes and ignorance among the black community.
I'm all for giving and providing Michael Vick support. As friends, as family members, as fans. BUT, do not blind yourself to the fact that he broke a federal law - it doesn't matter whether he killed dogs, or sold drugs, or molested children, he BROKE THE LAW and should do his time. Do not sit there and say "well, he killed dogs and broke the law, but he's our poster child for the successful black athlete and we need to NOT let him get convicted, so we'll ignore the preponderance of evidence against him and protest his arrest, even though he's been indicted by a grand jury."
Black america is fooling itself; Michael Vick needs to be punished for breaking the law, simple as that. Then, after his debt is paid to society, he can return and move on to the next phase of his life; and hopefully provide a positive lesson for the black community. Sorry if I'm skeptical.
EDIT: Just noticed that Vick tested positive for marijuana...frankly, I'm not sure when his stupidity will end...and Judge Hudson won't look upon this "screw you" arrogance very lightly.
When OJ was acquitted, black america (or, most of black america, and I seem to remember not the "upper crust" black america) cheered and jumped for joy, claiming a victory for black america. Because they began to see the case NOT as a murder trial, which is as it should have been viewed, but as a black man being tried by a bunch of white racists. Not being black, I'm not sure where this line was crossed, but truly am confused as to this leap of reasoning. Perhaps because the victims were white and the accused black, they saw it as a white legal system coming down hard on the black man, I'm not sure. Perhaps they saw this as a racially motivated trial?
Let me say that I believe that ANY prejudice against minorities, be it blacks, hispanics, or even the fairer sex, is too much. But that doesn't change the fact that in many (deep woods southern?) places, there is hatred against blacks.
But you BETTER BELIEVE that reverse racism exists in the world today too. You cannot have heads without tails.
Michael Vick has become the latest poster child for black america and their "struggle" against a white dominated society. I was watching the ESPN round table about this, and Neil Boortz (someone who I generally dislike) made an excellent point in saying that "people who don't believe that Michael Vick has committed a crime here are doing him a disservice" - and HE GOT BOOED! You're shitting me. The audience looked to be 95% black, and almost all of them were in support of Vick being let off the hook. How ignorant are these people?! Is it because Michael Vick is black being tried in Virginia that they want to automatically speak out against Whitey and say he's innocent? Is it because he's an athlete, and a black one at that, who is famous and such, and they want to overlook his transgressions because of this? It's unbelievable, the unwavering support he's gotten. Even Whoopi Goldberg says "there are places 'in Michael Vick's south' where dog fighting is common".
BIG FREEKIN DEAL you moron! It DOESN'T MATTER! It still A FELONY! A CRIME! AGAINST THE LAW!
I don't have any issue with Michael Vick paying his debt to society, getting freed after his time is done, then working hard to MAYBE return to the NFL. To play again. To make his living. That, to me, is fair. But these complete idiots who just want to support Vick because a) he's famous, and b) he's black, without any regard to the fact that he broke the law, just propogate anti-white attitudes and ignorance among the black community.
I'm all for giving and providing Michael Vick support. As friends, as family members, as fans. BUT, do not blind yourself to the fact that he broke a federal law - it doesn't matter whether he killed dogs, or sold drugs, or molested children, he BROKE THE LAW and should do his time. Do not sit there and say "well, he killed dogs and broke the law, but he's our poster child for the successful black athlete and we need to NOT let him get convicted, so we'll ignore the preponderance of evidence against him and protest his arrest, even though he's been indicted by a grand jury."
Black america is fooling itself; Michael Vick needs to be punished for breaking the law, simple as that. Then, after his debt is paid to society, he can return and move on to the next phase of his life; and hopefully provide a positive lesson for the black community. Sorry if I'm skeptical.
EDIT: Just noticed that Vick tested positive for marijuana...frankly, I'm not sure when his stupidity will end...and Judge Hudson won't look upon this "screw you" arrogance very lightly.
I remember a time when.....
I've been away for a little while. Not physically away, but emotionally pre-occupired with a new puppy who has come to share my home. The last week has been consumed with feeding schedules, potty schedules and watching this little bundle of fur to make sure she doesn't "piddle" where shes not supposed to. But I'm back to work, trying to get back into the swing of my life, and realizing how truly great it is to have a little one at home who thinks I'm the greatest in the world.
Anyway, my responses to the Top 10 I posed a while back.
I remember a time when.....
1. Penny candy really did cost a penny.
2. I got 0.25 a week for an allowance and that was a fortune. Mom and Dad would take us up to Sams (a sort of old school walmart) and we could spend our allowance on anything we wanted.
3. The Detroit Tigers won the pennant against the Cardinals. I went to Catholic school, but we got to watch the last game in school missing our last two classes for the day.
4. We were so poor that my Mom, at times, would have to feed us butter and sugar sandwiches. But we didn't know or care cuz we thought it was a treat!
5. One toy box held all the toys for 5 kids. We got toys for birthdays and christmas. That was it!
6. "Dark Shadows" was the most popular daytime soap opera. Who could forget Barnabus Collins?
7. My Mom and Dad took us to the movie theatre to see the new release of the movie "Bambi" I cried!
8. Kids played outside all day, and video games were far off in the distant future.
9. The "Wizard of Oz" was on television and Mom and Dad put us all in our footie pjs, gave us each a bowl of popcorn, and let us stay up late to watch the movie. Wow what a night that was!
10. Kids walked to school alone and unescorted and that was completely normal.
I have to add two more and these are really special memories for me so I wanted to highlight them.
I remember when man walked on the moon for the first time. Sitting on the stairs, having snuck out of bed, to watch Neil Armstrong take that first step was something truly amazing.
I remember the funeral for President Kennedy. I remember seeing John John standing there so bravely as his father's casket passed by he and his family. I remember crying because this poor boy had lost his Daddy, and I remember how very brave he looked on that sad day.
During my childhood, it was still a time of innocence, something that is sadly missing today.
Anyway, my responses to the Top 10 I posed a while back.
I remember a time when.....
1. Penny candy really did cost a penny.
2. I got 0.25 a week for an allowance and that was a fortune. Mom and Dad would take us up to Sams (a sort of old school walmart) and we could spend our allowance on anything we wanted.
3. The Detroit Tigers won the pennant against the Cardinals. I went to Catholic school, but we got to watch the last game in school missing our last two classes for the day.
4. We were so poor that my Mom, at times, would have to feed us butter and sugar sandwiches. But we didn't know or care cuz we thought it was a treat!
5. One toy box held all the toys for 5 kids. We got toys for birthdays and christmas. That was it!
6. "Dark Shadows" was the most popular daytime soap opera. Who could forget Barnabus Collins?
7. My Mom and Dad took us to the movie theatre to see the new release of the movie "Bambi" I cried!
8. Kids played outside all day, and video games were far off in the distant future.
9. The "Wizard of Oz" was on television and Mom and Dad put us all in our footie pjs, gave us each a bowl of popcorn, and let us stay up late to watch the movie. Wow what a night that was!
10. Kids walked to school alone and unescorted and that was completely normal.
I have to add two more and these are really special memories for me so I wanted to highlight them.
I remember when man walked on the moon for the first time. Sitting on the stairs, having snuck out of bed, to watch Neil Armstrong take that first step was something truly amazing.
I remember the funeral for President Kennedy. I remember seeing John John standing there so bravely as his father's casket passed by he and his family. I remember crying because this poor boy had lost his Daddy, and I remember how very brave he looked on that sad day.
During my childhood, it was still a time of innocence, something that is sadly missing today.
9.24.2007
One Giant Leap...
I mentioned in a prior post that my U12 Boys team was, shall we say, struggling. We played last Saturday to a 1 - 1 tie. It was an outstanding game. Both teams played well. I thought we should have won the game, but could have lost it.
While the other team was not top flight competition. they were quite good. Their tying goal was a nicely executed 3 v 2, which we defended well, but couldn't stop. For our side, Prince Tilam scored from outside the box with a hard shot that caught the goalie a bit far out, but ducked under the cross bar at the last second. (That he managed to hit the upper part of the back of the net from 22 yards was pretty cool.) I was behind him when he struck the ball and from my vantage point on the sidelines, there was no doubt it was going in. We also missed a penalty; hit the cross bar another time; and missed from point blank range with < 1 minute remaining. Unfortunate, but it was still a great game to watch.
Several of the parents were still a bit frustrated we could not finish, but I said to them in an e-mail: "[Let] me stress one thing to remember when watching the game. The difference with soccer and every other major sport is that everything important a player needs to do on the field they do balancing on one foot. So while soccer has the same flow of basketball or hockey or lacrosse, at least those players get to use both their feet to stand. In soccer, dribbling, receiving, passing, shooting, etc. is all done with only one foot on the ground (and one touching the ball). As a player, you can see the right thing, know the right thing and want to do the right thing, but being even slightly off balance or leaning the wrong way makes it nearly impossible or causes a pass or a shot to be slightly off." Well played soccer is as pretty as ballet, if you know what to watch for.
Anyway, we picked up our first point...and some badly needed momentum.
While the other team was not top flight competition. they were quite good. Their tying goal was a nicely executed 3 v 2, which we defended well, but couldn't stop. For our side, Prince Tilam scored from outside the box with a hard shot that caught the goalie a bit far out, but ducked under the cross bar at the last second. (That he managed to hit the upper part of the back of the net from 22 yards was pretty cool.) I was behind him when he struck the ball and from my vantage point on the sidelines, there was no doubt it was going in. We also missed a penalty; hit the cross bar another time; and missed from point blank range with < 1 minute remaining. Unfortunate, but it was still a great game to watch.
Several of the parents were still a bit frustrated we could not finish, but I said to them in an e-mail: "[Let] me stress one thing to remember when watching the game. The difference with soccer and every other major sport is that everything important a player needs to do on the field they do balancing on one foot. So while soccer has the same flow of basketball or hockey or lacrosse, at least those players get to use both their feet to stand. In soccer, dribbling, receiving, passing, shooting, etc. is all done with only one foot on the ground (and one touching the ball). As a player, you can see the right thing, know the right thing and want to do the right thing, but being even slightly off balance or leaning the wrong way makes it nearly impossible or causes a pass or a shot to be slightly off." Well played soccer is as pretty as ballet, if you know what to watch for.
Anyway, we picked up our first point...and some badly needed momentum.
9.21.2007
Colonel Nicholson and Progressive Liberals
It is very difficult for me to understand the logical end game of progressive liberal movement. Thinking about HillaryCare 2.0, you wonder how the state planning of health care in the US will end up any better then the state planning of agriculture in the Soviet Union. Trying to reconcile the moral hypocrisy of not allow ROTC on campus for its "discriminatory" position on gays (in quotes because it is the same policy for heterosexuals) while allowing someone who advocates the killing of gays for the sin of homosexuality to speak on campus is really hard.
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson seeks to show his captors the superiority of the British soldier and loses sight of his true purpose - defeating a fanatical enemy. In the end, responsible for the deaths of several of the commandos who seek to blow up his masterpiece, he comes to his senses: "What have I done?!" And, as his last act, falls on the plunger and destroys the train carrying Japanese soldiers. Major Clipton looks at the scene and simply says, "Madness."
The progressive movement has flourished because it has not had to take responsibility for its actions. Like a petulant child, it shrieks about injustice without regards to facts or context. It shrieks simply because it wants its way. Once it receives the lollipop in consolation, it is content.
Maybe there is freedom in knowing that this country is not nuts enough to give you real responsibility, but is it too much for us to ask that you occasionally - occasionally - act like an adult?
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson seeks to show his captors the superiority of the British soldier and loses sight of his true purpose - defeating a fanatical enemy. In the end, responsible for the deaths of several of the commandos who seek to blow up his masterpiece, he comes to his senses: "What have I done?!" And, as his last act, falls on the plunger and destroys the train carrying Japanese soldiers. Major Clipton looks at the scene and simply says, "Madness."
The progressive movement has flourished because it has not had to take responsibility for its actions. Like a petulant child, it shrieks about injustice without regards to facts or context. It shrieks simply because it wants its way. Once it receives the lollipop in consolation, it is content.
Maybe there is freedom in knowing that this country is not nuts enough to give you real responsibility, but is it too much for us to ask that you occasionally - occasionally - act like an adult?
Columbia Trivia
This from the Wall Street Journal ($): "Oh, and by the way, [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's] regime also executes homosexuals for the crime of being themselves. Maybe if Columbia University President Lee Bollinger were aware of the latter fact he would reconsider his invitation to the Iranian president to speak on his campus next Monday.
Mr. Bollinger, notoriously, voted in 2005 not to readmit an ROTC program to Columbia (absent from the university since 1969), ostensibly on the grounds of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay service members. Never mind that other upper-tier schools, including Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania all have ROTC programs. Never mind, too, that in 2003 the Columbia student body voted in favor of readmission by a 2-1 margin. In Mr. Bollinger's view, 'the university has an obligation, deeply rooted in the core values of an academic institution and in First Amendment principles, to protect its students from improper discrimination and humiliation.'"
Maybe if the military had a "tell and hang'em high" policy against homosexuals, Columbia would welcome ROTC. More liberal hypocrisy. (No, hypocrisy...Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hates Bush, too! Birds of a feather; the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. - Ed.)
UPDATE: Related via David Bernstein at Volokh: "And, come to think of it, I can't resist the contrast between the reaction to Rumsfeld at Stanford and, judging from the stories in the Columbia Spectator, the almost complete quiescence, apart from some Jewish groups, at Columbia regarding the invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
Mr. Bollinger, notoriously, voted in 2005 not to readmit an ROTC program to Columbia (absent from the university since 1969), ostensibly on the grounds of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay service members. Never mind that other upper-tier schools, including Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania all have ROTC programs. Never mind, too, that in 2003 the Columbia student body voted in favor of readmission by a 2-1 margin. In Mr. Bollinger's view, 'the university has an obligation, deeply rooted in the core values of an academic institution and in First Amendment principles, to protect its students from improper discrimination and humiliation.'"
Maybe if the military had a "tell and hang'em high" policy against homosexuals, Columbia would welcome ROTC. More liberal hypocrisy. (No, hypocrisy...Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hates Bush, too! Birds of a feather; the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. - Ed.)
UPDATE: Related via David Bernstein at Volokh: "And, come to think of it, I can't resist the contrast between the reaction to Rumsfeld at Stanford and, judging from the stories in the Columbia Spectator, the almost complete quiescence, apart from some Jewish groups, at Columbia regarding the invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
9.20.2007
Academia is Totally Whacked
Columbia cordially invites President Ahmadinejad of Iran to speak. Holocaust denier; leader of the student who stormed the US Embassy; and who has vowed to "wipe Israel off the face of the map."
Freedom of speech is important, no?
UC Davis UNinvites Larry Summers to speak at a Regents dinner. Award winning economist, Secretary of the Treasury, ex-President of Harvard. Protests and outrage ensued. What did he do that was worse the Mahmoud? He suggested that one factor that might explain why women don't excel in the sciences is the fact that men and women might think differently.
Freedom of speech is important? No.
You can espouse any hateful orthodoxy you want...just do not question the liberals.
UPDATE: Victor David Hanson has similar thoughts expressed much better.
UPDATE 2: More sarcasm from Brendan Loy: "In other news from the world of academia, it seems that while Larry Summers isn't welcome to be a dinner speaker at the University of California, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an honored guest at Columbia. (Hat tip: Becky.) Well, that makes perfect sense to me. Ahmadinejad may be a murderous, oppressive tyrant bent on destroying Israel, dominating the Middle East, opposing America at every turn, and potentially hastening the apocalypse and the arrival of the 12th imam -- but hey, we should listen to what he has to say, right? Only closed-minded bigots and crazy right-wing warbloggers (but I repeat myself!) would say no to an "opportunity for faculty and students to engage the President of Iran." Free exchange of ideas, understanding the "other," and all that sort of thing. Summers, though -- Summers questioned feminist orthodoxy! Tolerance only goes so far, people. The free exchange of ideas extends to Holocaust denial, but it doesn't extend to suggesting the possibility that men and women might not be biologically identical. There are some things you just don't say!"
UPDATE 3: There is a method to the liberals' madness. To wit, if you don't want to look like a hating, half-crazed nutjob, you invite even more hateful, totally insane nuts. You look great in comparision!
Freedom of speech is important, no?
UC Davis UNinvites Larry Summers to speak at a Regents dinner. Award winning economist, Secretary of the Treasury, ex-President of Harvard. Protests and outrage ensued. What did he do that was worse the Mahmoud? He suggested that one factor that might explain why women don't excel in the sciences is the fact that men and women might think differently.
Freedom of speech is important? No.
You can espouse any hateful orthodoxy you want...just do not question the liberals.
UPDATE: Victor David Hanson has similar thoughts expressed much better.
UPDATE 2: More sarcasm from Brendan Loy: "In other news from the world of academia, it seems that while Larry Summers isn't welcome to be a dinner speaker at the University of California, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an honored guest at Columbia. (Hat tip: Becky.) Well, that makes perfect sense to me. Ahmadinejad may be a murderous, oppressive tyrant bent on destroying Israel, dominating the Middle East, opposing America at every turn, and potentially hastening the apocalypse and the arrival of the 12th imam -- but hey, we should listen to what he has to say, right? Only closed-minded bigots and crazy right-wing warbloggers (but I repeat myself!) would say no to an "opportunity for faculty and students to engage the President of Iran." Free exchange of ideas, understanding the "other," and all that sort of thing. Summers, though -- Summers questioned feminist orthodoxy! Tolerance only goes so far, people. The free exchange of ideas extends to Holocaust denial, but it doesn't extend to suggesting the possibility that men and women might not be biologically identical. There are some things you just don't say!"
UPDATE 3: There is a method to the liberals' madness. To wit, if you don't want to look like a hating, half-crazed nutjob, you invite even more hateful, totally insane nuts. You look great in comparision!
9.19.2007
Some people have too much time & money
But this is rather interesting, and amusing... Fashion designer Marc Ecko revealed himself as Saturday's winning bidder in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit last month to break Hank Aaron's all-time home-run record of 755.
Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before posting a website that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He said he plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.
"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."
Ecko, 35, is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.
Personally, I voted to shoot the ball into space towards Uranus.
Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before posting a website that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He said he plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.
"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."
Ecko, 35, is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.
Personally, I voted to shoot the ball into space towards Uranus.
9.18.2007
In the Sports World...
OJ is in a heap of trouble. Any doubt they will throw the book at him? It is a sad story...OJ was a big hero growing up in the 70s and his early biography - USC, Heisman, Buffalo Bills, Hertz - showed glimpses of a class act. But he just lost control. Too bad.
The New England Patriots were caught violating the rules. Peter King is in hysterics. Now every jealous franchise is doubting the authenticity of the Patriots past performances. LaDainian Tomlinson says that is how the Pats beat the Chargers last year and this year would be different. It was: the Chargers were NEVER in the game. Last year's MVP, Tomlinson managed 40 yards rushing.
Donovan McNabb, coming off of two poor performances and in the lower third of QB rankings, has an explanation: he's black, so he is criticized more. Yeah, that's it. He has got a 68.8 QB rating because of whitey. Being black is a factor to McNabb...he is using it as a crutch.
Tiger Woods does not need excuses or a crutch. He is simply the best golfer in the world. When Tiger has a few bad swings he hits the range...not the airwaves. Tiger is an over-dog you can root for because he is a "no excuses" competitor. Black, white, yellow, green...who gives a shit. McNabb are you listening?
USA, USA. The Women's National Team are on to the quarters of the World Cup and will play England Saturday. Go, girls!
And the Yankees continue to close the gap on the Red Sox. The advantage of winning the division is clear...avoid the Angels in the first round. I am also not counting the Tigers out quite yet.
The New England Patriots were caught violating the rules. Peter King is in hysterics. Now every jealous franchise is doubting the authenticity of the Patriots past performances. LaDainian Tomlinson says that is how the Pats beat the Chargers last year and this year would be different. It was: the Chargers were NEVER in the game. Last year's MVP, Tomlinson managed 40 yards rushing.
Donovan McNabb, coming off of two poor performances and in the lower third of QB rankings, has an explanation: he's black, so he is criticized more. Yeah, that's it. He has got a 68.8 QB rating because of whitey. Being black is a factor to McNabb...he is using it as a crutch.
Tiger Woods does not need excuses or a crutch. He is simply the best golfer in the world. When Tiger has a few bad swings he hits the range...not the airwaves. Tiger is an over-dog you can root for because he is a "no excuses" competitor. Black, white, yellow, green...who gives a shit. McNabb are you listening?
USA, USA. The Women's National Team are on to the quarters of the World Cup and will play England Saturday. Go, girls!
And the Yankees continue to close the gap on the Red Sox. The advantage of winning the division is clear...avoid the Angels in the first round. I am also not counting the Tigers out quite yet.
9.17.2007
Getting Spanked
I had mentioned before that my U12 Boys team was promoted to the Tournament of Champions League. Gah! It has not worked out so well.
Our first two games we got spanked 7-2 each time. Since my coaching career has been relatively successful, this is driving me nuts. Yes, the team is very young. Yes, the larger field is new to them (as is the formation). Yes, we are not the top all-star team. And yes, it is the start of the season, but sugar, honey ice tea!
Dissecting the games has been easy: our defense sucks! So I know the first problem we need to solve, but solving it will be tricky. To wit, I have only two "natural" defenders..."natural" being defined as both ability AND interest. Everyone else prefers the other side of the ball. This couple with my natural tendency to preach offense has resulted in two massacres. I am used to being Sherman, not Atlanta.
Oddly, it is not that we played poorly all the time...in fact we dominated huge parts of the last game, but our lapses are complete and devastating. In both games, 10 minute lapses resulted in four goals a piece. I nearly burst a vessel!
Two practices and one scrimmage this week marks the journey back.
Our first two games we got spanked 7-2 each time. Since my coaching career has been relatively successful, this is driving me nuts. Yes, the team is very young. Yes, the larger field is new to them (as is the formation). Yes, we are not the top all-star team. And yes, it is the start of the season, but sugar, honey ice tea!
Dissecting the games has been easy: our defense sucks! So I know the first problem we need to solve, but solving it will be tricky. To wit, I have only two "natural" defenders..."natural" being defined as both ability AND interest. Everyone else prefers the other side of the ball. This couple with my natural tendency to preach offense has resulted in two massacres. I am used to being Sherman, not Atlanta.
Oddly, it is not that we played poorly all the time...in fact we dominated huge parts of the last game, but our lapses are complete and devastating. In both games, 10 minute lapses resulted in four goals a piece. I nearly burst a vessel!
Two practices and one scrimmage this week marks the journey back.
9.14.2007
Looking out my back door...
Wow, to name only 10 would be difficult - at age 42 one of the great things about being older, as Tilam stated, was the abundance of memories. Oddly enough, as I get older, the BAD memories seem to fade to be replaced by the good ones, the happy ones, the ones truly worth remembering.
So, as I sit here thinking, I can remember a time when...
So many other random thoughts come to mind - picnics at Squantz Pond & Candlewood Lake, days at the beach at Seaside Park in CT, being a ballboy for Pele and the NY Cosmos, getting my only Hole in One and almost busting my brother's knee after jumping in his arms, being chosen for an all star soccer game at age 11 and travelling to New York then assisting on the winning goal, going went on my first date, breaking up with a girl because she tried to kiss me (yeah, the old horndawg did that), visiting my brother in college and thinking he was so damm (and finally) cool for being a "college guy", stuff like that. So many memories, it's what makes looking back fun, it's what makes our time here on earth worthwhile.
It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years. Although more years in your life is kinda cool too. LOL
T-DUB?
So, as I sit here thinking, I can remember a time when...
- My older brother was bigger than me - my father too, actually.
- When playing my favorite music I had to make sure I had it on the right speed; 33 or 45 rpm.
- I was 6 years old and I could walk to the store or a friend's house and not have a care in the world about any dangerous individuals.
- I thought my dad was the greatest guy in the world and so larger than life - hell, never mind, I still do.
- Being married with 3 kids was a "WTF am I thinking" thought!
- All I ever wanted to do was play soccer and score goals.
- Bellbottom jeans and Candies were in style - although I only wore the jeans.
- I was divorced with 2 kids, angry at the world, and never expected to mellow and find a wonderful woman to marry and be happy with.
- My mother could leave my older brother and I home all summer vacation days, and as long as were weren't dead when she came home, she was happy.
- I was finally the BMOC - well, Big Man in the Dorm, but I was THE MAN!
So many other random thoughts come to mind - picnics at Squantz Pond & Candlewood Lake, days at the beach at Seaside Park in CT, being a ballboy for Pele and the NY Cosmos, getting my only Hole in One and almost busting my brother's knee after jumping in his arms, being chosen for an all star soccer game at age 11 and travelling to New York then assisting on the winning goal, going went on my first date, breaking up with a girl because she tried to kiss me (yeah, the old horndawg did that), visiting my brother in college and thinking he was so damm (and finally) cool for being a "college guy", stuff like that. So many memories, it's what makes looking back fun, it's what makes our time here on earth worthwhile.
It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years. Although more years in your life is kinda cool too. LOL
T-DUB?
Memories, Like the Corners of My Mind...
Good one, Tdub.
So, I remember a time when:
My TV was black and white.
My hair was very blond.
A man first walked on the moon.
I could repair my own car...without fear.
Coffee was served only in diners and it cost a dime.
We waited for gas and worried there would be none.
Hair was long and shorts were short.
McDonald's was a special dining treat (followed by coffee milkshakes from Conti's for desert!)
I could go outside at 8 am, not come home until dinner and Mom would not be worried.
Not only were grocery stores not self service, but someone brought the groceries out to the car!
Of all the odd things I remember, the King Cole grocery store were I grew up used to have conveyor belts in the front of the store and we would watch the groceries travel out from the checkout counter to the parking lot. It was only a quarter of a mile from my house and sometimes we would walk to the store and walk home with the groceries.
Now, I just was looking at the old place on Google Earth and one thing that is funny is how close everything actually is. My old house to the Boys' Club is a third of a mile through Central High. (Across the street there was a high security prison.) The length of the deadend street I grew up on was only 330 yards. But it did not seem so short at the time.
So, I remember a time when:
My TV was black and white.
My hair was very blond.
A man first walked on the moon.
I could repair my own car...without fear.
Coffee was served only in diners and it cost a dime.
We waited for gas and worried there would be none.
Hair was long and shorts were short.
McDonald's was a special dining treat (followed by coffee milkshakes from Conti's for desert!)
I could go outside at 8 am, not come home until dinner and Mom would not be worried.
Not only were grocery stores not self service, but someone brought the groceries out to the car!
Of all the odd things I remember, the King Cole grocery store were I grew up used to have conveyor belts in the front of the store and we would watch the groceries travel out from the checkout counter to the parking lot. It was only a quarter of a mile from my house and sometimes we would walk to the store and walk home with the groceries.
Now, I just was looking at the old place on Google Earth and one thing that is funny is how close everything actually is. My old house to the Boys' Club is a third of a mile through Central High. (Across the street there was a high security prison.) The length of the deadend street I grew up on was only 330 yards. But it did not seem so short at the time.
9.13.2007
My Turn
*raises her head from her foxhole to see if the boys have stopped slinging mud*
Whew looks clear!
Well, since I can't do the top 10 reasons Gerard Butler is so sexy (there are no words to express the level of my disappointment) I suppose I'll have to come up with an alternative.
I'm gonna change things up a bit and hope this is enough of a challenge. I want each of you to come up with 10 possible responses to the following opening line:
"I remember a time when......"
Whew looks clear!
Well, since I can't do the top 10 reasons Gerard Butler is so sexy (there are no words to express the level of my disappointment) I suppose I'll have to come up with an alternative.
I'm gonna change things up a bit and hope this is enough of a challenge. I want each of you to come up with 10 possible responses to the following opening line:
"I remember a time when......"
Enough of the Catfighting
Marvel Comics has put in a major effort to sell movies based on its comic books. Spiderman, Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-men, to name a few. Some have been successful, some not (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Elektra, Punisher), but success is measured two ways. The first, obviously, is the box office receipts, but I would argue that before you get there, you must be a hit with the fanboys.
DC Comics has not been as prolific; relying on Superman and Batman and some lesser known titles (Road to Perdition, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine, Stardust), but I would give the edge to DC in terms of hit-to-miss ratio.
Several new films are coming to test my fanboy theory. First off, Ironman hit theaters next year. The trailer is out and looks interesting. I would not have picked Robert Downey, Jr., but RD is a hugh fan of the comic and Tony Stark has a dark-side not unlike Downey's own. My resistance is that Downey is a bit too cheeky for me, which we see in the trailer. The plot development is similar to the comics...so we shall see. (Samuel L. Jackson is supposed to play Nick Fury!)
Thor is the next unique interesting project. Again, fanboys will not be pleased if the director screws up a great franchise.
Then there is DC Comics' Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman is an icon. Her "modern" story - Paradise Island, Steve Trevor, alter ego Diana Prince, do-not-kill code - are as well known as her creation to balance a male-dominated superhero world. While Wonder Woman has often been sexualized (well, with a costume like that...), she can be a great metaphor for coming to grips with female power - think of a less dark version of Batman Begins.
And for Thew...Kate Beckinsdale has been rumored to play her.
DC Comics has not been as prolific; relying on Superman and Batman and some lesser known titles (Road to Perdition, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine, Stardust), but I would give the edge to DC in terms of hit-to-miss ratio.
Several new films are coming to test my fanboy theory. First off, Ironman hit theaters next year. The trailer is out and looks interesting. I would not have picked Robert Downey, Jr., but RD is a hugh fan of the comic and Tony Stark has a dark-side not unlike Downey's own. My resistance is that Downey is a bit too cheeky for me, which we see in the trailer. The plot development is similar to the comics...so we shall see. (Samuel L. Jackson is supposed to play Nick Fury!)
Thor is the next unique interesting project. Again, fanboys will not be pleased if the director screws up a great franchise.
Then there is DC Comics' Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman is an icon. Her "modern" story - Paradise Island, Steve Trevor, alter ego Diana Prince, do-not-kill code - are as well known as her creation to balance a male-dominated superhero world. While Wonder Woman has often been sexualized (well, with a costume like that...), she can be a great metaphor for coming to grips with female power - think of a less dark version of Batman Begins.
And for Thew...Kate Beckinsdale has been rumored to play her.
Back to Real Life
General Patreaus delivered his report to Congress along with Ambassador Crocker. What they said really did not matter, but to anyone paying attention...it contained no surprises EXCEPT for the proposal of a 30,000 troop drawdown next year. But even that makes sense given the facts and is confirmed by the soldiers themselves.
Did the Senators take the opportunity to ask probing questions? No. None of the Democratic candidates did anything more then deliver a stump speech.
Every poll on the President's poor approval rating makes headlines, but what of the Congress? Gallup measure confidence in various institutions last June. Congress is the lowest rated institution in the country. Lower then HMOs. Over 10 points lower then the President. Nearly two-thirds lower then the Supreme Court and 80% lower then...the Military. There are plenty of very effective Congressmen and women, but they are overshadowed by morons.
Glenn Reynolds says it best: "the best Bush strategy is to put Congress on TV as often as possible."
Did the Senators take the opportunity to ask probing questions? No. None of the Democratic candidates did anything more then deliver a stump speech.
Every poll on the President's poor approval rating makes headlines, but what of the Congress? Gallup measure confidence in various institutions last June. Congress is the lowest rated institution in the country. Lower then HMOs. Over 10 points lower then the President. Nearly two-thirds lower then the Supreme Court and 80% lower then...the Military. There are plenty of very effective Congressmen and women, but they are overshadowed by morons.
Glenn Reynolds says it best: "the best Bush strategy is to put Congress on TV as often as possible."
Someone is a Bit Touchy...
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a slam is just a slam.
You hurt my feelings...now I am going to cry to Rosie...it is the only thing that understands. *Sniff*
You hurt my feelings...now I am going to cry to Rosie...it is the only thing that understands. *Sniff*
9.12.2007
Homophobic much?
The sad part about you being verklempt regarding me finding 32 sexy items about Gerard Butler is the fact that you are not, in fact, in touch with your masculinity enough that you can feel secure in admitting that another man is pretty...those of us not threatened by good looking men don't feel gay nor threatened when we admit that Brad Pitt is a pretty man.
Matter of fact, the only time you get "in touch" with yourself is with a large bottle of hand lotion after an extended stint in the "no nookie" zone...
Yes, I Pwned Joo Nub...
Matter of fact, the only time you get "in touch" with yourself is with a large bottle of hand lotion after an extended stint in the "no nookie" zone...
Yes, I Pwned Joo Nub...
Tdub's Turn
I think its Tdub's turn for a list, if she wants. And none of this Top 10 Sexiest Things about Gerard Butler crapola!!!
(I don't want Thew to embarrass himself when he has to cull his list down from 32 things...)
(I don't want Thew to embarrass himself when he has to cull his list down from 32 things...)
9.11.2007
Piss On 9/11!
I didn't know anyone who was affected in any way by the terrorist attacks on 9/11. But like many, a part of me died with those people in that building, in those planes; the victims above the impact points, some of whom jumped out of a window in the desperate hope that they MIGHT be spared in some way, the heroes on Flight 93 which crashed in PA who came to the conclusion that they were the last missile outbound that day, that they needed to do something, they needed to sacrifice themselves to save others. What died in me was my innocence of terrorism and hate, my arrogance of safety and invulnerability, the compassion for all others I used to give freely but now mostly offer with a suspicious eye.
Where are americans now? Well, as I said in the title of this post, back at square one from ground zero, in my opinion. Too many of us have retreated back into the same stupid, arrogant, self-centered, "no give a shit about anyone else" mode of behavior that they had before 9/11. Once again, we can't see past our own little circle of influence (which, by the way, extends approximately 2 feet around our body) to give a damm about the global situation, about society as a whole. Some people are parasites, trying to use the most horrible terrorist attack in history for their own gain, claiming to have lost loved ones in order to collect insurance money. A shiek, out of embarassment and generosity, offers 10 million dollars, and an african american politician says "give it to the poor black people" after the US says "no thanks".
People honor the memory of 9/11, but frankly, as a whole, they don't do much with that memory. Those affected mourn the loss of loved ones, but too many of the rest of us just pay lip service and continued on with the same selfish outlook on life. And frankly, we've regressed further...
We might be the best nation on earth, the free-est, but that doesn't mean that our society isn't filled with a bunch of selfish morons...
Where are americans now? Well, as I said in the title of this post, back at square one from ground zero, in my opinion. Too many of us have retreated back into the same stupid, arrogant, self-centered, "no give a shit about anyone else" mode of behavior that they had before 9/11. Once again, we can't see past our own little circle of influence (which, by the way, extends approximately 2 feet around our body) to give a damm about the global situation, about society as a whole. Some people are parasites, trying to use the most horrible terrorist attack in history for their own gain, claiming to have lost loved ones in order to collect insurance money. A shiek, out of embarassment and generosity, offers 10 million dollars, and an african american politician says "give it to the poor black people" after the US says "no thanks".
People honor the memory of 9/11, but frankly, as a whole, they don't do much with that memory. Those affected mourn the loss of loved ones, but too many of the rest of us just pay lip service and continued on with the same selfish outlook on life. And frankly, we've regressed further...
We might be the best nation on earth, the free-est, but that doesn't mean that our society isn't filled with a bunch of selfish morons...
911 Remembered
I got up for work this morning and went about my usual morning routine. Get up 30 minutes BEFORE the alarm to pee, then crawl back into bed only to have the alarm JOLT me awake moments later. Stumble down the stairs seeking coffee, stubbing my toe on the ottoman that has been in that same spot since I've lived in my house.
Once coffee is brewing I hobble down the back hallway to turn off the alarm, make my way back to the kitchen and stare bleary eyed as the coffee slowly drips into the pot. This is as much as I'm capable of at this point in my morning.
With my full coffee cup in hand I head back upstairs to check email, play a little WOW, listen to the radio and slowly let the coffee fumes clear away the sleep from my head.
I listen to the same radio station every morning. And every morning since 9-11-01, at 7:30 a.m., someone recites the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a patriotic song. This morning was different. This morning they reminded me it was 911. I had forgotten.
The DJ's talked about their memories of that day, and when 7:30 rolled around, they had the Captian from a local firehouse recite the Pledge, and, for the first time since that fateful morning, I stood, placed my hand over my heart, and remembered. In his words I heard pride, sadness, resolve and patriotism.
As he spoke the last words of the pledge the opening strains of a song started. As the lyrics "Little did she know she'd kissed a hero...", played I remembered the faces from that day. The ones covered in dust with a look of utter shock, the ones contorted in fear, the ones torn by grief, the ones standing steeley eyed and brave as they looked for survivors. How could I have forgotten? How could any of us EVER forget?
Today we remember what it is to be an American. It's a priviledge and it takes work. Freedom is never "free". We defend it with our dearest blood, we cherish it with every free breath we take, and, when threatened, we come together as one to push back the darkness with the light of our conviction shining brightly for our enemies to see. And in one voice we stand together and say "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Once coffee is brewing I hobble down the back hallway to turn off the alarm, make my way back to the kitchen and stare bleary eyed as the coffee slowly drips into the pot. This is as much as I'm capable of at this point in my morning.
With my full coffee cup in hand I head back upstairs to check email, play a little WOW, listen to the radio and slowly let the coffee fumes clear away the sleep from my head.
I listen to the same radio station every morning. And every morning since 9-11-01, at 7:30 a.m., someone recites the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a patriotic song. This morning was different. This morning they reminded me it was 911. I had forgotten.
The DJ's talked about their memories of that day, and when 7:30 rolled around, they had the Captian from a local firehouse recite the Pledge, and, for the first time since that fateful morning, I stood, placed my hand over my heart, and remembered. In his words I heard pride, sadness, resolve and patriotism.
As he spoke the last words of the pledge the opening strains of a song started. As the lyrics "Little did she know she'd kissed a hero...", played I remembered the faces from that day. The ones covered in dust with a look of utter shock, the ones contorted in fear, the ones torn by grief, the ones standing steeley eyed and brave as they looked for survivors. How could I have forgotten? How could any of us EVER forget?
Today we remember what it is to be an American. It's a priviledge and it takes work. Freedom is never "free". We defend it with our dearest blood, we cherish it with every free breath we take, and, when threatened, we come together as one to push back the darkness with the light of our conviction shining brightly for our enemies to see. And in one voice we stand together and say "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"What a drag it is getting old" - Mick Jagger
Tilam takes a bit of liberty with the cooler things about growing old, but I'll forgive him for a bit of poetic license. Being an adult is very cool - much more complicated but much more free than being a child. It's nothing for Mrs Thew to whisk me to Vegas for a weekend of entertainment, which we can do because we are adults with jobs and the bills are paid - try doing this as a kid.
I also agree with the "pressure" of getting older being harder on women than men. We shallowly hold women to a high standard of beauty even as they get older, hoping that they will continue to have the body of Jessica Simpson until they are 90.
Of course, the BIG questions following Tilam's shameless self-plug: Is Mrs Tilam's name Rosie, maiden name Palm?
Okay, without further adieu, here is Thew's list of the top 10 things I !@#$#%*&@#$@%!-ing HATE about growing old.
Teenage Children - here's something that will give you gray hair in a jiffy. Holy SHIT were we that nuts when we were kids?!
Objects of Affection - all the hotties on my top 10 list are young enough to be my daughter!
Over the Hill Athletes - all the guys on the "downside" of their career or "ready for retirement" are YOUNGER THAN ME!
Nose Hair - what the hell, did someone pour miracle grow in my nostrils last night?
Foreplay - it's takes twice as long because it takes TWICE AS LONG TO GET GOING!
Metabolism - Regular is no longer a type of gasoline, it's what I strive for when I think about "quality time".
Ear Hair - those cute little fuzzy hairs on the end of your ear turn to full on piano wire weeds!
Two Words - "complete physical" - hey doc, why don't you tell me WHAT I'M THINKIN! if you're checking for cavities, I already have a dentist, thanks!
Six Pack - ahhh, fond memories of my tight waistline - some days I feel like the stunt double for the Michelin Man.
Good luck making nasty! - during the younger years, it was try-weekly, then in the good years it was try-weekly, now for many of you poor souls it's simply try-weakly...
I also agree with the "pressure" of getting older being harder on women than men. We shallowly hold women to a high standard of beauty even as they get older, hoping that they will continue to have the body of Jessica Simpson until they are 90.
Of course, the BIG questions following Tilam's shameless self-plug: Is Mrs Tilam's name Rosie, maiden name Palm?
Okay, without further adieu, here is Thew's list of the top 10 things I !@#$#%*&@#$@%!-ing HATE about growing old.
Teenage Children - here's something that will give you gray hair in a jiffy. Holy SHIT were we that nuts when we were kids?!
Objects of Affection - all the hotties on my top 10 list are young enough to be my daughter!
Over the Hill Athletes - all the guys on the "downside" of their career or "ready for retirement" are YOUNGER THAN ME!
Nose Hair - what the hell, did someone pour miracle grow in my nostrils last night?
Foreplay - it's takes twice as long because it takes TWICE AS LONG TO GET GOING!
Metabolism - Regular is no longer a type of gasoline, it's what I strive for when I think about "quality time".
Ear Hair - those cute little fuzzy hairs on the end of your ear turn to full on piano wire weeds!
Two Words - "complete physical" - hey doc, why don't you tell me WHAT I'M THINKIN! if you're checking for cavities, I already have a dentist, thanks!
Six Pack - ahhh, fond memories of my tight waistline - some days I feel like the stunt double for the Michelin Man.
Good luck making nasty! - during the younger years, it was try-weekly, then in the good years it was try-weekly, now for many of you poor souls it's simply try-weakly...
9/11 Then...
I still have The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal from September 12, 2001 to remind me. Yellowed, they offer a very different viewpoint then the retrospectives of today...which are filled with politicized hindsight.
I remember the day vividly. It started with a lot of excitement for me. My company was about to sign a term sheet for a round of badly needed funding from a Swedish VC, our product had just experienced a month of explosive growth fueled by a vigorous embrace by the Manhattan legal community.
Life was good.
Then one of the programmers said, "a plane hit the Towers." I thought it was a small private plane, ala Corey Lidle years later. The VCs arrived and another programmer said a second plane hit. We turned on our TV and spent the rest of the day in a daze. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, THAT hit everyone real hard. Three planes meant a sophisticated enemy looking to do us massive harm.
One of our sales team was down in Atlanta and her husband worked for us also. He jumped in his car and drove down to get her. I knew two close friends on their way to the Towers for meetings. Timing saved their lives. For far too many others, the timing was tragic.
A few months ago I tripped over a plastic container in our basement. Within it was cereal; duct tape; batteries (now dead); bottled water and other stuff. I remember explaining to my then-7 year old that we may have to use these. I chuckled at the memory, but put it back. You never know.
I remember the day vividly. It started with a lot of excitement for me. My company was about to sign a term sheet for a round of badly needed funding from a Swedish VC, our product had just experienced a month of explosive growth fueled by a vigorous embrace by the Manhattan legal community.
Life was good.
Then one of the programmers said, "a plane hit the Towers." I thought it was a small private plane, ala Corey Lidle years later. The VCs arrived and another programmer said a second plane hit. We turned on our TV and spent the rest of the day in a daze. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, THAT hit everyone real hard. Three planes meant a sophisticated enemy looking to do us massive harm.
One of our sales team was down in Atlanta and her husband worked for us also. He jumped in his car and drove down to get her. I knew two close friends on their way to the Towers for meetings. Timing saved their lives. For far too many others, the timing was tragic.
A few months ago I tripped over a plastic container in our basement. Within it was cereal; duct tape; batteries (now dead); bottled water and other stuff. I remember explaining to my then-7 year old that we may have to use these. I chuckled at the memory, but put it back. You never know.
Hope I Die Before I Get Old...
Talkin' 'bout my generation.
Okay, I have to admit I had a tough time getting to 10. I also have a bunch of things I LIKE about getting old. I also think it is really a lot tougher on the ladies since society places a premium on looks in women more then men...and let's face it, the toughest thing about getting old is looking in the mirror one day and seeing your dad (or mom).
I also am lucky in that I don't suffer from ED (according to Mrs. Tilam, I have the exact opposite problem) and have all my hair. And since I have light hair without a lot of gray, I can pass off as being younger then 44. I am sure thinning hair, a silver mane and a broken Johnson will come eventually, but not yet. (Touch wood...so to speak.)
Warranty Expiration. It seemed like the warranty on my body expired at 40. What was a relatively smooth running machine developed all sorts of rattles and creaks. Knees hurt more, ankles clicked more, my back needed better feed and caring. I did a triathlon at 40 to over compensate, but I just can't maintain that training pace. Ugh!
A Step Slower. 15 years ago, I could run 8 miles at under 7 minutes per mile...not great, but not bad. Now my 4 mile times are on the heavy side of the 8 minute per mark. Ugh!
Prostate Exams. Moooooon River... No additional comment yesterday.
Age Spots. A small, but niggling issue. But I really dislike those little monsters.
Shifts. Echoing Tdub, things do seem to have sagged. My six pack has become a two pack. Very curable, but it takes a lot more work then before.
Longer Hangovers. This might not be age per se, but recover on everything seems to take forever. Have that 4th scotch...you feel it the next day. Play ball with the guys - hurt for three days. And the kids just won't let you sleep it off.
No Patience. When you are a baby, your world is all of three feet in diameter. As you age, it grows and grows, until one day you lose patience with all the morons and decide you can't change the world. Then it starts to shrink, until you are 90 years old and your world is all of three feet in diameter. I lost patience some time ago...but I am not proud of it.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I don't have a lot of regrets, but I have some. Most come under the heading of "I should have been nicer to so and so." I am trying to learn from this.
Pictures. I overheard some women talking about the Big Hair days of the 80s. HAH! I can do you one better: leisure suits. Nothing is more painful then pictures of me trying to look cool in the 70s.
Dating Myself. Beyond the collection of Kiss albums (I can remember when Strutter '78 was new), old 8 track tapes and Pong, I do seem to be years behind. Sometimes it works for me; Led Zeppelin is still cool, but mostly I am an analog guy in a digital age.
I watched the ESPN series, The Bronx is Burning, about the 1977 Yankee season. I really enjoyed it both as a story and as a reminder of that period. Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Bill White in the booth, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, Mickey Rivers and, of course, Reggie Jackson on the field.
And that's the best thing about getting old...some really great memories.
Okay, I have to admit I had a tough time getting to 10. I also have a bunch of things I LIKE about getting old. I also think it is really a lot tougher on the ladies since society places a premium on looks in women more then men...and let's face it, the toughest thing about getting old is looking in the mirror one day and seeing your dad (or mom).
I also am lucky in that I don't suffer from ED (according to Mrs. Tilam, I have the exact opposite problem) and have all my hair. And since I have light hair without a lot of gray, I can pass off as being younger then 44. I am sure thinning hair, a silver mane and a broken Johnson will come eventually, but not yet. (Touch wood...so to speak.)
Warranty Expiration. It seemed like the warranty on my body expired at 40. What was a relatively smooth running machine developed all sorts of rattles and creaks. Knees hurt more, ankles clicked more, my back needed better feed and caring. I did a triathlon at 40 to over compensate, but I just can't maintain that training pace. Ugh!
A Step Slower. 15 years ago, I could run 8 miles at under 7 minutes per mile...not great, but not bad. Now my 4 mile times are on the heavy side of the 8 minute per mark. Ugh!
Prostate Exams. Moooooon River... No additional comment yesterday.
Age Spots. A small, but niggling issue. But I really dislike those little monsters.
Shifts. Echoing Tdub, things do seem to have sagged. My six pack has become a two pack. Very curable, but it takes a lot more work then before.
Longer Hangovers. This might not be age per se, but recover on everything seems to take forever. Have that 4th scotch...you feel it the next day. Play ball with the guys - hurt for three days. And the kids just won't let you sleep it off.
No Patience. When you are a baby, your world is all of three feet in diameter. As you age, it grows and grows, until one day you lose patience with all the morons and decide you can't change the world. Then it starts to shrink, until you are 90 years old and your world is all of three feet in diameter. I lost patience some time ago...but I am not proud of it.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I don't have a lot of regrets, but I have some. Most come under the heading of "I should have been nicer to so and so." I am trying to learn from this.
Pictures. I overheard some women talking about the Big Hair days of the 80s. HAH! I can do you one better: leisure suits. Nothing is more painful then pictures of me trying to look cool in the 70s.
Dating Myself. Beyond the collection of Kiss albums (I can remember when Strutter '78 was new), old 8 track tapes and Pong, I do seem to be years behind. Sometimes it works for me; Led Zeppelin is still cool, but mostly I am an analog guy in a digital age.
I watched the ESPN series, The Bronx is Burning, about the 1977 Yankee season. I really enjoyed it both as a story and as a reminder of that period. Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Bill White in the booth, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, Mickey Rivers and, of course, Reggie Jackson on the field.
And that's the best thing about getting old...some really great memories.
9.10.2007
Getting Old??? Nooooo!!!
Oh my! Oh my! Where do I start?!
From strictly a female perspective the top ten things I HATE about getting old are.....
10. Having to use the restroom at least twice a night.
9. Having a cute, young guy call me ma'am.
8. Looking at all those cute little outfits hanging on the rack and thinking "Yeah! Right!"
7. Looking down at my once flat stomach and wondering how this happened.
6. Opening my medicine chest and realizing that the pill bottles have staged a coup and have reinforced their lines
5. Looking in my makeup mirror and admitting to myself the truth that those really are NOT laugh lines.
4. Wondering why gravity is so very, very cruel.
3. Watching as all my TV shows get cancelled because I'm no longer the target demographic.
2. Waking up in the morning and walking around for about 5 minutes just to get the kinks out. Oooohhh my aching back!!!
And the number one thing I HATE about getting old is.....
When you tell someone your age and their immediate response is "Wow!" and then they try to cover it up by saying "You know, 50 is the new 30." Hello!!!!! If I was 30 everything would be where it's supposed to be!!!!
From strictly a female perspective the top ten things I HATE about getting old are.....
10. Having to use the restroom at least twice a night.
9. Having a cute, young guy call me ma'am.
8. Looking at all those cute little outfits hanging on the rack and thinking "Yeah! Right!"
7. Looking down at my once flat stomach and wondering how this happened.
6. Opening my medicine chest and realizing that the pill bottles have staged a coup and have reinforced their lines
5. Looking in my makeup mirror and admitting to myself the truth that those really are NOT laugh lines.
4. Wondering why gravity is so very, very cruel.
3. Watching as all my TV shows get cancelled because I'm no longer the target demographic.
2. Waking up in the morning and walking around for about 5 minutes just to get the kinks out. Oooohhh my aching back!!!
And the number one thing I HATE about getting old is.....
When you tell someone your age and their immediate response is "Wow!" and then they try to cover it up by saying "You know, 50 is the new 30." Hello!!!!! If I was 30 everything would be where it's supposed to be!!!!
Ladies First...
Mrs. Tilam always complains that aging does not hit men like it does women. So, I am curious about the female perspective...
Card Carrying AARP Members!
US-Brazil soccer match was a great game, albeit a true case of "michael jordan-ism". Brazil got the benefit of a couple of non-calls that were CLEARLY calls. Both within 10 minutes of each other mid-late second half. A CLEAR penalty kick takedown of Josh Wolff in the box by the Brazilian defender - I'm not sure what the hell the ref was watching, but that was a HORRIBLE no call. And assuming the PK is converted, it really changes the face/nature of the game, at least for a while. Several minutes later, a CLEAR handball miss by the referee on Brazil - I can't remember if it was in the box or not (memory says "just outside") but the referee was horrible....again, it seems, based on Jen Chang's analysis. But I think the boys made a good accounting of themselves, played aggressive not passive, took it to Brazil - the Brazilians were just a better team, but this time we didn't back down in awe. I liked that...although why the HELL we still play people like Eddie Johnson and Demarcus Beasley (the big disappointment of US Soccer imo) is mind boggling. Bradley's takedown was a bad decision, but truly, at that point, I'm not sure it changed the outcome of the game. Super free kick goal by Ronaldinho.
Interesting thing shopping with my daughter this past weekend. After buying some items, I got the proverbial "thank you sir" from the young thang behind the register..causing a bit of a giggling fit from my 16 year old. When asked about her source of amusement, she responded with "thank you for shopping SIR", followed by more laughter. I frowned at her, gave her that look of annoyance, to which she responded with more laughter. I shook my head and walked to the car, thinking that it sure is a bitch growing old...
THEN IT STRUCK ME!
The 3-T's of this blog are all in the same demographic (that is, young enough to last the whole game but old enough to have been around when they invented it), so I wanted to pose THIS top 10 list to the experienced bloggers of Tilam v Thew v T-Dub:
Give me the top 10 things you HATE about growing old!
Interesting thing shopping with my daughter this past weekend. After buying some items, I got the proverbial "thank you sir" from the young thang behind the register..causing a bit of a giggling fit from my 16 year old. When asked about her source of amusement, she responded with "thank you for shopping SIR", followed by more laughter. I frowned at her, gave her that look of annoyance, to which she responded with more laughter. I shook my head and walked to the car, thinking that it sure is a bitch growing old...
THEN IT STRUCK ME!
The 3-T's of this blog are all in the same demographic (that is, young enough to last the whole game but old enough to have been around when they invented it), so I wanted to pose THIS top 10 list to the experienced bloggers of Tilam v Thew v T-Dub:
Give me the top 10 things you HATE about growing old!
9.07.2007
Does Tdub Hate Titles?
Okay, we will let the TV characters slide this time... What, no Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman???
I was curious about Tdub's response because I did not have any females in my Top 10 list. And Thew only had one. Hmmmmm. I really think it is because the characteristics I have been brought up to admire - strength, courage, chivalry - are "male" strengths. The (non-physical) traits that I have been taught to admire in women - sensitivity, selflessness - are good, but no one will ever utter the phrase, "that Tilam, he is so sensitive... ." And I will never lose sleep over that.
Darth Vader - A New Hope. Only in the original was he just pure evil. He was castrated by the end of ROTJ.
General Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator. Manly virtue in centurion armor.
Judah Ben-Hur - Ben Hur. Businessman and charioteer.
Irwin Fletcher - Fletch. "Can I borrow that towel?"
Bond, James Bond - Casino Royale. Connery, Craig, maybe even Brosnan. But that is it...
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark. "Snakes, why does always have to be snakes."
Det. John McClane - Die Hard. The character fit the actor to a "t".
Insp. Harry Callahan - Dirty Harry. Can't agree with Thew more.
Donkey - Shrek. There is no character that epitomizes the wise cracking sidekick like Donkey.
Roy Batty - Blade Runner. Struggled with his humanity to the end and finally faced with death, could not kill another being.
Odd that three of the movies feature Harrison Ford.
Next....
I was curious about Tdub's response because I did not have any females in my Top 10 list. And Thew only had one. Hmmmmm. I really think it is because the characteristics I have been brought up to admire - strength, courage, chivalry - are "male" strengths. The (non-physical) traits that I have been taught to admire in women - sensitivity, selflessness - are good, but no one will ever utter the phrase, "that Tilam, he is so sensitive... ." And I will never lose sleep over that.
Darth Vader - A New Hope. Only in the original was he just pure evil. He was castrated by the end of ROTJ.
General Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator. Manly virtue in centurion armor.
Judah Ben-Hur - Ben Hur. Businessman and charioteer.
Irwin Fletcher - Fletch. "Can I borrow that towel?"
Bond, James Bond - Casino Royale. Connery, Craig, maybe even Brosnan. But that is it...
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark. "Snakes, why does always have to be snakes."
Det. John McClane - Die Hard. The character fit the actor to a "t".
Insp. Harry Callahan - Dirty Harry. Can't agree with Thew more.
Donkey - Shrek. There is no character that epitomizes the wise cracking sidekick like Donkey.
Roy Batty - Blade Runner. Struggled with his humanity to the end and finally faced with death, could not kill another being.
Odd that three of the movies feature Harrison Ford.
Next....
My Top 10 (There...I added a title!)
Since I am of the female persuasion I'm gonna represent my sista's!!!
1. Ellen Ripley "Aliens" (Sigourney Weaver) - "Get away from her you bitch!" Don't get between a mama and her cub!
2. Aeryn Sun "Farscape" (Claudie Black) - My all time favorite sci-fi TV show. "Got a bit of a problem, Commander? Well, now you've got one more. 'Cause the only way you're going to get my weapon is if I'm dead."
3. M'Lynn Eatenton "Steel Magnolias" (Sally Field) - "I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I just sat there. I just held Shelby's hand. There was no noise, no tremble, just peace. Oh god. I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life." This is one of the FEW chick flicks that I love to watch.
4. Alice "Resident Evil" (Mila Jovovich) - "I'm missing you already" I know a lot of guys like her cuz she's sexy, but she was one tough bitch as well.
5. Buffy Sommers "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Sarah Michelle Geller - I HAD to have this character on my list. She could kick butt, and yet keep her perky sense of humor. I loved her tombstone "She Saved The World Alot"!
6.Sabrina Duncan "Charlies Angels" 1976 Kate Jackson - Here was a woman for the first time on TV who was sexy AND smart.
7. Laura Holt "Remington Steel" Stephanie Zimbalist - Talk about the woman behind the man! And she could chase down bad guys in high heels! Hello!!
8. Lornette 'Mace' Mason "Strange Days" Angela Bassett - This was sort of a cult favorite but this character was so tough. This is when I became a huge Angela Bassett fan.
9. Major Samantha Carter "Stargate SG-1" Amanda Tapping - She's smart, funny, and can out shoot just about any man. "You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
10.Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan "Bones" Emily Deschanel - I love this show and love this character! "Every culture nurtures ideals of beauty toward which people strive - fine! But in the future people'll look back upon the surgical alterations of the nose or breasts or buttocks with the same horror that we regard the binding of feet or the use of bronze coils to extend the neck." Sing it my sista!
1. Ellen Ripley "Aliens" (Sigourney Weaver) - "Get away from her you bitch!" Don't get between a mama and her cub!
2. Aeryn Sun "Farscape" (Claudie Black) - My all time favorite sci-fi TV show. "Got a bit of a problem, Commander? Well, now you've got one more. 'Cause the only way you're going to get my weapon is if I'm dead."
3. M'Lynn Eatenton "Steel Magnolias" (Sally Field) - "I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I just sat there. I just held Shelby's hand. There was no noise, no tremble, just peace. Oh god. I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life." This is one of the FEW chick flicks that I love to watch.
4. Alice "Resident Evil" (Mila Jovovich) - "I'm missing you already" I know a lot of guys like her cuz she's sexy, but she was one tough bitch as well.
5. Buffy Sommers "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Sarah Michelle Geller - I HAD to have this character on my list. She could kick butt, and yet keep her perky sense of humor. I loved her tombstone "She Saved The World Alot"!
6.Sabrina Duncan "Charlies Angels" 1976 Kate Jackson - Here was a woman for the first time on TV who was sexy AND smart.
7. Laura Holt "Remington Steel" Stephanie Zimbalist - Talk about the woman behind the man! And she could chase down bad guys in high heels! Hello!!
8. Lornette 'Mace' Mason "Strange Days" Angela Bassett - This was sort of a cult favorite but this character was so tough. This is when I became a huge Angela Bassett fan.
9. Major Samantha Carter "Stargate SG-1" Amanda Tapping - She's smart, funny, and can out shoot just about any man. "You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
10.Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan "Bones" Emily Deschanel - I love this show and love this character! "Every culture nurtures ideals of beauty toward which people strive - fine! But in the future people'll look back upon the surgical alterations of the nose or breasts or buttocks with the same horror that we regard the binding of feet or the use of bronze coils to extend the neck." Sing it my sista!
My Favorite Characters...
WOW! How the hell do you narrow this list down to top 10. I could go on for days on characters I love from movies. But I will take some ones that come to mind after a good period of pondering on the throne. In no particular order:
Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) [you die first, get it? your friends might get me in a rush but not before i turn your head into a canoe]
The Taunting French Guard (John Cleese) [now begone, or i shall taunt you a second time-uh]
Corporal Hicks (Bill Paxton) [i don't know if you've been keeping up with current events, man, but we just got our asses kicked!]
Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) [insert "do ya feel lucky punk?" quote here]
Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) [i did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards in high winds - 2, maybe 3 guys in the world can make that shot - it's just something i was always good at]
CAPTAIN! Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) [but why is the RUM gone?!]
Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) [what do you mean, 'you can't swim'? the FALL will probably kill you!]
Dr Frank-n-Furter (Tim Curry) [i'm just a sweet transvestite, from transsexual, transylvania]
Blade (Wesley Snipes) [there are worse things walking around at night than vampires - like ME]
Alice (Milla Jovovich) [2 words...hurt me please!]
Honorable Mentions:
John McClain (Bruce Willis)
the Terminator (AHNOLD)
Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins)
Commodus/Caesar (Joaqin Phoenix)
Maximus Decimus Aurelias (Russell Crowe)
Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer)
Shaft (Samuel L Jackson)
Bors (Ray Winstone)
Achilles (Brad Pitt)
Freddy Kreuger (Robert England)
General Thade (Tim Roth)
Tin Cup (Kevin Costner)
A New Top 10
In remembrance of Pavarotti...the Top 10 Opera Arias!
Just kidding...
Okay, give me your Top 10 Movie Characters. Not necessarily leading characters, but just your faves.
Just kidding...
Okay, give me your Top 10 Movie Characters. Not necessarily leading characters, but just your faves.
Opera
Before Thew soils himself in shock about opera comments, let me say that I don't think you can be a true music lover without appreciating opera.
Now I am not a huge fan, because (like most men I think) sopranos (specifically colortura sopranos whose voices are in the highest range) can drive me to drink. Beverly Sills was a classic colortura soprano. The roll of Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni is traditionally been a colortura soprano.
Dramatic sopranos, such as the incomparable Maria Callas, are much more tolerable. An example might be Brunhilde in Die Walkure by Wagner. Dramatic sopranos tend to have a slightly deeper range and will hit the high notes, but only for dramatic effect. That way the fingernails on chalkboard syndrome is minimized.
That said, I find arias for tenors and baritones more to my liking. I have also found the music accompanying tenor arias (such as Nessun Dorma) to be much richer and powerful. For example, the role of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, can be a baritone or tenor. Here is The Music of the Night from the film version sung by GERARD BUTLER.
That sound you hear is Tdub's new found love of opera...
Now I am not a huge fan, because (like most men I think) sopranos (specifically colortura sopranos whose voices are in the highest range) can drive me to drink. Beverly Sills was a classic colortura soprano. The roll of Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni is traditionally been a colortura soprano.
Dramatic sopranos, such as the incomparable Maria Callas, are much more tolerable. An example might be Brunhilde in Die Walkure by Wagner. Dramatic sopranos tend to have a slightly deeper range and will hit the high notes, but only for dramatic effect. That way the fingernails on chalkboard syndrome is minimized.
That said, I find arias for tenors and baritones more to my liking. I have also found the music accompanying tenor arias (such as Nessun Dorma) to be much richer and powerful. For example, the role of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, can be a baritone or tenor. Here is The Music of the Night from the film version sung by GERARD BUTLER.
That sound you hear is Tdub's new found love of opera...
9.06.2007
Requiem in Pace
Luciano Pavarotti has died.
One does not have to be an opera fan to appreciate this man's voice and contribution to music. His "signature" song was Nessun Dorma the aria from the final act of Puccini's Turandot, which is based on a Persian fairy tale. It is a very powerful and moving piece and I defy anyone with a soul not to be moved.
The world of music has lost a legend...
UPDATE: From a letter to CNN: "Heaven now has a tenor." And, yes, Nessun Dorma is the song Paul Potts sung on "Britian's Got Talent."
One does not have to be an opera fan to appreciate this man's voice and contribution to music. His "signature" song was Nessun Dorma the aria from the final act of Puccini's Turandot, which is based on a Persian fairy tale. It is a very powerful and moving piece and I defy anyone with a soul not to be moved.
The world of music has lost a legend...
UPDATE: From a letter to CNN: "Heaven now has a tenor." And, yes, Nessun Dorma is the song Paul Potts sung on "Britian's Got Talent."
9.05.2007
Traffic - don't even get me started...
It's been proven time and time again by empirical evidence; the average human, who's intelligence and common sense have been declining ever since the "me" generation focus of 10/15 years ago started, becomes akin to that of a turnip when they get behind the wheel of an automobile.
Rubber Neckers - jamming on the brakes just to see a minor accident on the OTHER SIDE of the highway.
Darwinian Failures - people who drive 55 in the left hand lane - they need to just be run over with monster truck to create a lane for those of us who drive normally.
Blue Hairs - people (and in this state there are a jillion of these idiots) who actually OBEY the 25 mph speed limit on back roads. I was behind someone who was actually doing 22 mph.
GPS challenged - people who take the same damm route day after day, month after month, yet get sufficiently lost or stupid and end up 3 lanes over from their exit at the last frikken second - so they choose 1 of 2 actions: they stop and wait for an opening, thus creating a traffic jam, or they just cut over, causing those people in the other lanes to jam on the breaks to avoid their stupidity, thus creating a traffic jam.
People behind the wheel of a car are fucking stupid. Mrs Thew continues to wonder why I road rage, but my loverly wifey-poo works from a home office, she has NO commute. Drive the miles in my shoes honey, then look at me, nod, and say "ok, I get it now".
Why do we like reality shows?
Because, like traffic gawkers, we love a train wreck. We watch Jerry Springer, Surreal Life, MTV's Real Life, etc, because we want to see people that are more fucked up than we are. We feel better by stroking our egos by watching TV programs that show people who have more problems than we do, it makes us feel more normal. We are so neurotic these days as a whole that it's become so difficult to life ourselves up we prefer to see others fall down to feel good. Pathetic, but welcome to life...
Rubber Neckers - jamming on the brakes just to see a minor accident on the OTHER SIDE of the highway.
Darwinian Failures - people who drive 55 in the left hand lane - they need to just be run over with monster truck to create a lane for those of us who drive normally.
Blue Hairs - people (and in this state there are a jillion of these idiots) who actually OBEY the 25 mph speed limit on back roads. I was behind someone who was actually doing 22 mph.
GPS challenged - people who take the same damm route day after day, month after month, yet get sufficiently lost or stupid and end up 3 lanes over from their exit at the last frikken second - so they choose 1 of 2 actions: they stop and wait for an opening, thus creating a traffic jam, or they just cut over, causing those people in the other lanes to jam on the breaks to avoid their stupidity, thus creating a traffic jam.
People behind the wheel of a car are fucking stupid. Mrs Thew continues to wonder why I road rage, but my loverly wifey-poo works from a home office, she has NO commute. Drive the miles in my shoes honey, then look at me, nod, and say "ok, I get it now".
Why do we like reality shows?
Because, like traffic gawkers, we love a train wreck. We watch Jerry Springer, Surreal Life, MTV's Real Life, etc, because we want to see people that are more fucked up than we are. We feel better by stroking our egos by watching TV programs that show people who have more problems than we do, it makes us feel more normal. We are so neurotic these days as a whole that it's become so difficult to life ourselves up we prefer to see others fall down to feel good. Pathetic, but welcome to life...
I need to vent
So, I'm on my way to work and I hit traffic. I know, not such an unusual occurance, but I can't figure out WHY we're backed up and I'm late for work. As I crawl along, I finally move up enough to see there is an accident on the OTHER side of the divided roadway. I'm talking the side of the road that is traveling in the opposite direction!
Why are we slowed down, you may wonder? Because of the bloody rubber-neckers! I mean come on! It's an accident for goodness sake and not even a bad one. No smoke, no blood, no one was hurt, but the same mentality that keeps these people tuning into Jerry Springer and reality TV shows has folks slowing down to wallow in someone elses misery.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I uncatagorically despise reality television. I think it panders to the lowest level of intellect and requires little or no imagination on the part of network programming executives. "Oh you have a show where some yokle is going to swap wives with a simpering yuppy? Great! People will tune in just to watch the emotional wreckage!"
Yes, this is what American television is doing to our brains. It is making us a nation of gawkers, the worst sort, who revel in the misery of others and think silently in their pea-sized brains "there but for the grace of God...."
Ok, I feel better now. Vent off!
Why are we slowed down, you may wonder? Because of the bloody rubber-neckers! I mean come on! It's an accident for goodness sake and not even a bad one. No smoke, no blood, no one was hurt, but the same mentality that keeps these people tuning into Jerry Springer and reality TV shows has folks slowing down to wallow in someone elses misery.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I uncatagorically despise reality television. I think it panders to the lowest level of intellect and requires little or no imagination on the part of network programming executives. "Oh you have a show where some yokle is going to swap wives with a simpering yuppy? Great! People will tune in just to watch the emotional wreckage!"
Yes, this is what American television is doing to our brains. It is making us a nation of gawkers, the worst sort, who revel in the misery of others and think silently in their pea-sized brains "there but for the grace of God...."
Ok, I feel better now. Vent off!
Tilam Jr. East Coaster
If Tilam needs any help have him send a "whisper" (an ingame private message) to Brannwen (my character's name). I'm east coast as well so the time difference wouldn't be an issue and I would be more than willing to offer any assistance.
I know he doesn't KNOW me and there is the whole stranger-danger thing, but Thew will vouch for me. I hang out online with his son a little bit and so far he's no worse for the wear!
I know he doesn't KNOW me and there is the whole stranger-danger thing, but Thew will vouch for me. I hang out online with his son a little bit and so far he's no worse for the wear!
9.04.2007
WoW & Tilam Jr.
The first time around, there was nothing in the game that piqued his interest and made it a "must have" over the cheaper Runescape (which he has invested a lot of time in). I thought the graphics were great, but he did not care as much.
He knows the invite is open, but the 3 hours time difference is too much to overcome. The BC is just a trial right now, but I will keep you posted on his progress (and have him e-mail you his name).
UPDATE: Tilam Jr. did not know it was an expansion...will be trying the vanilla version once more.
He knows the invite is open, but the 3 hours time difference is too much to overcome. The BC is just a trial right now, but I will keep you posted on his progress (and have him e-mail you his name).
UPDATE: Tilam Jr. did not know it was an expansion...will be trying the vanilla version once more.
oh SOLO me-oh
WoW is a great game. Best part about World of Warcraft is that you can do plenty of things in the game and have plenty of fun either in a group or solo. The Burning Crusade is WAY OUT of Tilam Jr's reach right now, as he is probably not close to level 60 (although I KEEP trying to tell you to have him hook up with your friend Thew on the server).
"Rep Grinding" - what you do to Mrs Tilam to get romance...working that faction.
"Rep Grinding" - what you do to Mrs Tilam to get romance...working that faction.
Rep Grinding
I am not sure what you mean by "rep grinding"? I know NOTHING about World of Warcraft.
I am sorry for my ignorance...
I am sorry for my ignorance...
Burning Crusade
When I first heard about Burning Crusade (BC) I was skeptical, but Blizzard did a good job on this expansion. The quests, for the most part, are solo-able and fun, there still will be a lot of reputation grinding once he hits level 70, but the raid instances are challenging and fun.
If anyone cares, I give it a 9 out of 10 stars on the Tdub meter. I would give it a 10 out of 10 but the rep grining is boring, with a capital B.
If anyone cares, I give it a 9 out of 10 stars on the Tdub meter. I would give it a 10 out of 10 but the rep grining is boring, with a capital B.
My Turn...Top 10 Action Sequences
Woot...sounds like an owl coming.
Anyway, in no particular order:
Matrix - Morpheus' Rescue. The scene in the lobby just typifies all the great action in the Matrix.
French Connection - Car Chase. C'mon, it is one of the grandaddies of car chases along with Bullitt.
Casino Royale - Lot's of Bond to pick from, but I really like the opening in the latest.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Ditto on Thew's sentiment.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 - House of Blue Leaves, but lots to pick from.
LOTR - I loved Helms' Deep, but the Battle of Pelennor Fields (Minas Tirith) is a huge sentimental favorite...and Legolas is just fabulous.
Saving Private Ryan - D-Day, just jaw dropping.
Star Wars - I echo Tdub in that the destruction of the first Death Star was, for the time, really impressive, but the destruction of the second Death Star is my favorite of the original trilogy.
Gladiator - The opening scene is great, but the first gladiator fight in the arena is my favorite.
Apocalypse Now - The helicopter assault on the beach was and is a classic scene.
The are some others I really liked, such as the final scene in The Professional. My introduction to Jean Reno...and Natalie Portman. The Die Hard series has many great scenes. The car chase scene in Ronin almost knocked off the French Connection. Finally, Raiders of the Lost Ark is just one big, great action sequence.
But hard to argue with any of the postings.
Anyway, in no particular order:
Matrix - Morpheus' Rescue. The scene in the lobby just typifies all the great action in the Matrix.
French Connection - Car Chase. C'mon, it is one of the grandaddies of car chases along with Bullitt.
Casino Royale - Lot's of Bond to pick from, but I really like the opening in the latest.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Ditto on Thew's sentiment.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 - House of Blue Leaves, but lots to pick from.
LOTR - I loved Helms' Deep, but the Battle of Pelennor Fields (Minas Tirith) is a huge sentimental favorite...and Legolas is just fabulous.
Saving Private Ryan - D-Day, just jaw dropping.
Star Wars - I echo Tdub in that the destruction of the first Death Star was, for the time, really impressive, but the destruction of the second Death Star is my favorite of the original trilogy.
Gladiator - The opening scene is great, but the first gladiator fight in the arena is my favorite.
Apocalypse Now - The helicopter assault on the beach was and is a classic scene.
The are some others I really liked, such as the final scene in The Professional. My introduction to Jean Reno...and Natalie Portman. The Die Hard series has many great scenes. The car chase scene in Ronin almost knocked off the French Connection. Finally, Raiders of the Lost Ark is just one big, great action sequence.
But hard to argue with any of the postings.
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