I've noticed that as I get older, more things seem to really annoy me or flat-out piss me off. I've even started keeping a list, so some day in the not-too-distant future I'll probably have an entry simply titled "Random Things That Annoy Me." But today I'm debuting what will probably be a recurring feature...What are they thinking?
Today's target: TV networks. I actually think I could run a TV network and do a better job than the average executive does now. I know that I could program shows. And I also would avoid indefensible moves like the ones I will explore today. First, we have FOX. They have a huge hit show in 24, one that is popluar partially because of its riveting stories told in real time. I was a latecomer to 24 only because I never got hooked during the initial season and I didn't want to come in late. Well, that all changed earlier this year as we powered through the first four seasons on DVD (thanks, Netflix). Alas, season five won't be released on DVD until later this year. But then, FOX made the wonderful decision to replay the season during the summer. Yes!
Or...no. It appeared that they were going to replay the entire season, and that's the really nefarious part. They started with episodes one and two, as they should. But only later did I learn that they weren't going to show all 24. They were going to show some, in order, but skip many of them. Are you kidding me?!? Who thinks this is possibly a good idea?!? The only conceivable motivation would be one with completely evil intentions: to get people hooked on the show, then have them go running to iTunes to download the missing episodes. That's what we did. Sure, we got the benefit of watching the show the way that we like, with bunches of episodes at a time. But if we wanted to watch the entire season we didn't really have a choice, did we? Terrible decision by FOX.
Next up I am forced to take aim at a target that I have ranted about before: baseball coverage on DirecTV. I have done everything I can to guarantee that I get to watch the Boston Red Sox on my dish. We have whatever uber-sports top-tier package there is, and it includes NESN. We also shell out a pretty considerable (for TV) amount of cash for the Extra Innings baseball package. Now, I have come to grips with the fact that FOX (here they are again!) has a national deal for their Saturday afternoon games, and because of that, sometimes I simply am not going to get to watch the Sox. I won't argue this ridiculous logic again aside from saying that they are idiots if they think that Red Sox fans are going to tune into FOX to watch, say, the Cardinals and the Cubs instead. Won't happen. I'll sit at a computer monitor watching the dots move. Somehow, someway, they are losing ratings and money with the current system.
But the newest transgression suffered upon my poor satellite dish is unfathomable. They have started to black out the pre-game and post-game shows on NESN. WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY POSSIBLY DO THIS? I pay to have NESN. I pay to watch baseball games. WHAT IS THE LOGIC BEHIND THIS? I've already written an angry letter to NESN despite the fact that I think they have nothing to do with it. But I will never understand why the TV networks insist on going out of their way to alienate their customers. I just don't see what good can possibly come from any of these moves.
In other words...what are they thinking?
Monday, July 17, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
WSOPC update
Updating my last entry: I think I have missed maybe two questions total over the first two episodes of VH1's World Series of Pop Culture. At least I'm not bitter. Nope, not at all...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
VH1's World Series of Pop Culture
Last night, VH1 premiered a new trivia show called The World Series of Pop Culture, featuring sixteen teams of three members each competing in a tournament with some guaranteed big cash prizes. As you probably know, this kind of thing is right up my alley and in this case, I should have been on the show.
But allow me to clarify. I don't mean it in the "wow, it would be cool to be on this," normal kind of way. Instead, I mean "I got hosed and I actually should be on this show."
So here's the story: I had never heard of the thing when they actually did the tryouts for casting. But I ultimately learned about it and found out that they would be filling the final available slot with a team of wild card players chosen through an on-line qualifier. The qualifier in question was an incredibly difficult on-line timed trivia test. I signed up, took it...and hit it out of the park.
After taking the test, I didn't give it another thought, aside from "I think I did pretty well on that." Shortly thereafter we bought the new house and my parents were in town helping out with some small repairs when I received a call on my cell phone while we were out running errands. It was a casting person from the show. Apparently my score was good enough that I had been placed in a pool of 50 people competing for the three wild card spots--still some long odds, but a lot better than before. The casting agent asked if I would be available for a phone interview.
I set the interview up for the following day and didn't do much to prepare, aside from getting a solid block of time free from runs to the tile store, or Home Depot, or anywhere else like that. I called the nice lady and we just chatted for a while--what were my pop culture trivia strengths, my interests, etc. It went very well, and then at the end she sprung a ten question pop quiz on me. Fantastic. I'm pretty sure I got all ten questions right--at most, I might have missed one. Anyway, I can't think of anything more that they would want from a contestant, and she even told me that she was impressed. Clearly, I was a lock. I was in. I was packing my bags and heading to New York for the tournament.
And then I never heard from them again.
There's one possible concern that might have DQed me: the show is sponsored by Alltel, a company that just so happens to employ my wife. But this never came up in my interview and I was never asked about it, so I doubt that was a factor. But now, while I love the show and will be watching, I am dreading the episodes with the wild card team...because unless they are just across-the-board brilliant, watching them is really going to piss me off.
So there you go. I was almost on this show. Yippee.
But allow me to clarify. I don't mean it in the "wow, it would be cool to be on this," normal kind of way. Instead, I mean "I got hosed and I actually should be on this show."
So here's the story: I had never heard of the thing when they actually did the tryouts for casting. But I ultimately learned about it and found out that they would be filling the final available slot with a team of wild card players chosen through an on-line qualifier. The qualifier in question was an incredibly difficult on-line timed trivia test. I signed up, took it...and hit it out of the park.
After taking the test, I didn't give it another thought, aside from "I think I did pretty well on that." Shortly thereafter we bought the new house and my parents were in town helping out with some small repairs when I received a call on my cell phone while we were out running errands. It was a casting person from the show. Apparently my score was good enough that I had been placed in a pool of 50 people competing for the three wild card spots--still some long odds, but a lot better than before. The casting agent asked if I would be available for a phone interview.
I set the interview up for the following day and didn't do much to prepare, aside from getting a solid block of time free from runs to the tile store, or Home Depot, or anywhere else like that. I called the nice lady and we just chatted for a while--what were my pop culture trivia strengths, my interests, etc. It went very well, and then at the end she sprung a ten question pop quiz on me. Fantastic. I'm pretty sure I got all ten questions right--at most, I might have missed one. Anyway, I can't think of anything more that they would want from a contestant, and she even told me that she was impressed. Clearly, I was a lock. I was in. I was packing my bags and heading to New York for the tournament.
And then I never heard from them again.
There's one possible concern that might have DQed me: the show is sponsored by Alltel, a company that just so happens to employ my wife. But this never came up in my interview and I was never asked about it, so I doubt that was a factor. But now, while I love the show and will be watching, I am dreading the episodes with the wild card team...because unless they are just across-the-board brilliant, watching them is really going to piss me off.
So there you go. I was almost on this show. Yippee.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Red Sox vs. Pedro
Pedro Martinez faces the Boston Red Sox tonight, and that just seems wrong. He's going to receive a HUGE ovation from the fans, just like he did last night when he wasn't even playing. And some casual observers might wonder why Pedro gets the love and Johnny Damon gets the boos, and there are so many reasons why that I don't even want to get into it. It's just going to be really strange--but fun--to watch.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Poker & Golf...two losing stories
Poker Stars is hosting a tournament solely for bloggers so I figured the least I could do is keep a running account and post it in my blog.
3:00 PM: Tourney is starting as I watch Phil Mickelson try to win the U.S. Open. Good stuff. 2247 players registered in the tourney, starting with $2000 in chips.
3:05: Five minutes in and 27 players have been eliminated. I’m at $2080, won a pot with Q-J.
3:10: 2172 remaining. At $2050, won a small bluff with bottom pair, then got caught trying to steal blinds. Mickelson just hit a drive over 300 yards into a bunker…on purpose. He’s one stroke back on hole #6.
3:16: 2095 remaining, $1860…not one good hand yet. Mickelson made par, still one back.
3:23: 2025 left, $1860…still no good starting hands. Stealing when I can to try to keep pace.
3:25: Bogey for Phil on a par 3, not good. Meanwhile, just saw my first ridiculous play in the tourney (not involved): guy goes all in with 8-7 off suit on an 8 high flop with two clubs, is called by A-Q of diamonds. Ace on turn.
3:33: 1914 left, $1855…I have limped with crappy pocket pairs a few times but can’t make a set. Trying to be patient but also see some cheap flops.
3:37: 1861 left, $1930…first real hand of the day, pocket kings in middle position, I raise to 3X the big blind and get no action. Annoying. Meanwhile, during an NBC sports update, Bob Costas has just described the fourth game of the World Cup that ended in a scoreless tie. “Best sporting event in the world,” my ass.
3:40: 1826 left, stack is $3020. Big slick made top pair (kings) on a dangerous all diamond flop. It all went in on the turn (had him covered) and his flush draw didn’t get there. Next hand I blew way too many chips overplaying 9-10 suited trying to steal. Mickelson one back through 8.
3:36: 1742 left, stack $3320 after a couple of nice steals. Three way tie for the lead for Phil, Ogilvy, and Monty all at 3 over. Course seems brutal today.
3:54: 1624, $3120. Phil just bogeyed 9. Par is starting to look great.
4:02: 1497 left, $2720 in chips…five minute break. No good cards since kings, but hanging around. Dropped several hundred with a steal attempt on A-7. Will get more aggressive after break as blinds get bigger—won’t hesitate to get into a coin flip for all my chips if I can in a freeroll with such a big field.
4:07: The golf announcers just described somebody’s shot as a “scalded duck.” I have absolutely no idea what that possibly means but it can’t be good.
4:13: 1381, $3020. Pocket aces, no action. Table is surprisingly tight for a freeroll because we have a few players sitting out.
4:15: moved to a new table, only 2 players there have more chips than me. Good sign.
4:18: Lefty takes the outright lead with a birdie putt on 11…birdie/eagle opportunity coming on 12.
4:22: 1182 remaining, $4295 after a set of queens. Took it down with a raise on the flop.
4:25: pocket queens again, this time ran into pocket aces. Down to $1800 and change.
4:27: Out in 1005th place. AK suited in late position, I raise, get re-raised and it all goes in…against pocket jacks. No help and that’s it. Pretty annoying to get two of the best hands I’ve seen all day and lose both to get knocked out, but that’s poker.
6:11: Well that 18th hole sure sucked. Nice day all around, I guess.
3:00 PM: Tourney is starting as I watch Phil Mickelson try to win the U.S. Open. Good stuff. 2247 players registered in the tourney, starting with $2000 in chips.
3:05: Five minutes in and 27 players have been eliminated. I’m at $2080, won a pot with Q-J.
3:10: 2172 remaining. At $2050, won a small bluff with bottom pair, then got caught trying to steal blinds. Mickelson just hit a drive over 300 yards into a bunker…on purpose. He’s one stroke back on hole #6.
3:16: 2095 remaining, $1860…not one good hand yet. Mickelson made par, still one back.
3:23: 2025 left, $1860…still no good starting hands. Stealing when I can to try to keep pace.
3:25: Bogey for Phil on a par 3, not good. Meanwhile, just saw my first ridiculous play in the tourney (not involved): guy goes all in with 8-7 off suit on an 8 high flop with two clubs, is called by A-Q of diamonds. Ace on turn.
3:33: 1914 left, $1855…I have limped with crappy pocket pairs a few times but can’t make a set. Trying to be patient but also see some cheap flops.
3:37: 1861 left, $1930…first real hand of the day, pocket kings in middle position, I raise to 3X the big blind and get no action. Annoying. Meanwhile, during an NBC sports update, Bob Costas has just described the fourth game of the World Cup that ended in a scoreless tie. “Best sporting event in the world,” my ass.
3:40: 1826 left, stack is $3020. Big slick made top pair (kings) on a dangerous all diamond flop. It all went in on the turn (had him covered) and his flush draw didn’t get there. Next hand I blew way too many chips overplaying 9-10 suited trying to steal. Mickelson one back through 8.
3:36: 1742 left, stack $3320 after a couple of nice steals. Three way tie for the lead for Phil, Ogilvy, and Monty all at 3 over. Course seems brutal today.
3:54: 1624, $3120. Phil just bogeyed 9. Par is starting to look great.
4:02: 1497 left, $2720 in chips…five minute break. No good cards since kings, but hanging around. Dropped several hundred with a steal attempt on A-7. Will get more aggressive after break as blinds get bigger—won’t hesitate to get into a coin flip for all my chips if I can in a freeroll with such a big field.
4:07: The golf announcers just described somebody’s shot as a “scalded duck.” I have absolutely no idea what that possibly means but it can’t be good.
4:13: 1381, $3020. Pocket aces, no action. Table is surprisingly tight for a freeroll because we have a few players sitting out.
4:15: moved to a new table, only 2 players there have more chips than me. Good sign.
4:18: Lefty takes the outright lead with a birdie putt on 11…birdie/eagle opportunity coming on 12.
4:22: 1182 remaining, $4295 after a set of queens. Took it down with a raise on the flop.
4:25: pocket queens again, this time ran into pocket aces. Down to $1800 and change.
4:27: Out in 1005th place. AK suited in late position, I raise, get re-raised and it all goes in…against pocket jacks. No help and that’s it. Pretty annoying to get two of the best hands I’ve seen all day and lose both to get knocked out, but that’s poker.
6:11: Well that 18th hole sure sucked. Nice day all around, I guess.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Funny poll
ESPN.com runs many different polls on their main page, and lately they have started bringing up a color-coded map of the U.S. to reveal how each state voted. Tonight, their question is who deserves the AL Cy Young award and frankly, I find the color-map comical in its clarity this time: New York and New Jersey picked Mike Mussina, all six states in New England picked Jonathan Papelbon (even with Schilling on the ballot), and the rest of the nation picked Contreras. Of course, leave it to the New Englanders to get it right.
ESPN.com
ESPN.com
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Break-Up
We went to see The Break-Up on Friday night and really enjoyed it. I thought it looked like a movie that I would like, but then I started to worry because it got so many bad reviews...and now I wonder what those critics were expecting. It's Vince Vaughn doing his typical Vince Vaughn type of humor, so I guess if you don't like that, you probably won't like the flick. I do, and I liked it a lot.
Nice series for the Sox, taking two out of three in Detroit this weekend. I have no idea if the Tigers are for real or not, but they somehow have the best record in baseball right now. Sully must be psyched. Now on to the Bronx for four huge games with the Yanks. It feels like we've played them about once a week all season.
Sopranos season finale tonight. There have been some weird episodes but overall I have really enjoyed the current season. The whole "Johnnycakes" plotline was pretty out there, but they wrapped it up well. I'm very curious to see how they leave things tonight. Apparently HBO is saying that this isn't technically a season finale, but that this season continues with the final eight episodes in January. Whatever. To me, that just sounds like a license to have no closure whatsoever tonight, and that's fine.
I had an MRI on my knee this week to see how it is doing, because it's been really sore lately. Doc says that the ACL is healing nicely but that I have some issues with the cartilage underneath the kneecap. And if that sounds uncomfortable, well...it is. He prescribed an anti-inflammatory and wants me to go back for some additional physical therapy. Wheeeeee! What fun...
Nice series for the Sox, taking two out of three in Detroit this weekend. I have no idea if the Tigers are for real or not, but they somehow have the best record in baseball right now. Sully must be psyched. Now on to the Bronx for four huge games with the Yanks. It feels like we've played them about once a week all season.
Sopranos season finale tonight. There have been some weird episodes but overall I have really enjoyed the current season. The whole "Johnnycakes" plotline was pretty out there, but they wrapped it up well. I'm very curious to see how they leave things tonight. Apparently HBO is saying that this isn't technically a season finale, but that this season continues with the final eight episodes in January. Whatever. To me, that just sounds like a license to have no closure whatsoever tonight, and that's fine.
I had an MRI on my knee this week to see how it is doing, because it's been really sore lately. Doc says that the ACL is healing nicely but that I have some issues with the cartilage underneath the kneecap. And if that sounds uncomfortable, well...it is. He prescribed an anti-inflammatory and wants me to go back for some additional physical therapy. Wheeeeee! What fun...
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
TV talent shows
For the first time, I watched American Idol from start to finish this season. I'm not exactly sure why I chose to do so this time around, having never done it before, but it was enjoyable. Naturally, I hoped that rocker Chris Daughtry would win...come on, the guy had my vote as soon as he busted out Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive months ago. But I actually think he might be better served in the long run by not winning, since now he can simply be himself as opposed to "American Idol Chris Daughtry." As for the final trio: Elliot Yamin had no appeal for me, I didn't understand the love the judges heaped on him all the time, and I was happy to see him go. And the much-debated final matchup of Taylor Hicks vs. Katharine McPhee? Ehh. Whatever. I don't see myself buying a CD by either one. McPhee is adorable but her stage presence can be pretty non-existant, whereas Hicks is a strong but goofy showman but only when singing some Joe Cocker or Michael McDonald-type cover song.
Last Comic Standing returns to NBC and I'll once again be doing recaps for it on Reality TV Calendar. I've always enjoyed the show despite the occasional controversy and the often-mediocre comics selected. I'll have recaps of every episode on the RTVC site...warning, the site has gotten a little pop-up happy as my tireless editor, Ron Lemon, has tried to make the place profitable. If you want to check it out, I suggest a browser like Mozilla that can painlessly nip those annoying pop-ups in the bud.
Last Comic Standing returns to NBC and I'll once again be doing recaps for it on Reality TV Calendar. I've always enjoyed the show despite the occasional controversy and the often-mediocre comics selected. I'll have recaps of every episode on the RTVC site...warning, the site has gotten a little pop-up happy as my tireless editor, Ron Lemon, has tried to make the place profitable. If you want to check it out, I suggest a browser like Mozilla that can painlessly nip those annoying pop-ups in the bud.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
AZ wrap-up
So where were we? Ahh yes...Kyoto. It's a Japanese hibachi restaurant in Scottsdale, but we certainly don't go there for the food. The place has become a Loop institution because of the atmosphere and the sake bombers. For the uninformed (or, more likely, the mature), doing a sake bomber consists of pouring yourself a shot of warm sake, dropping it into a small glass of Japanese beer, and downing it. Repeat several times for a guaranteed good time.
So there we were at Kyoto. We actually had a reservation that they immediately honored this time around, so there was no need to impersonate the Oakland A's pitching staff (a story from not too long ago that most of you have heard). It was a rare Thursday evening Kyoto appearance, and the weeknight call seemed like it might affect our mojo. "Let's take it easy tonight," said my friend Erik, who had early meetings the next morning...and then he sauntered up to the bar and ordered five sake bomber set-ups. Easy, indeed.
It actually was a fairly reserved evening as far as Kyoto nights go. The majority of the rest of the weekend was spent at the AVP beach volleyball tournament, as Erik's company, Crocs, recently became the title sponsor. Now this was quite a set-up. Crocs had a double-wide makeshift luxury box looking over the court, complete with food, drinks, and couches. We had a blast hanging out the entire weekend watching Olympic gold medalists Misty May and Kerri Walsh decimate their competition. I think Beth got a little tired of my temporary crush on Walsh, but come on, she's a 6'3" Amazon goddess who also happens to be really cute.
The Arizona trip concluded with a stay at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch for Beth's Jackson-Lewis legal conference. Great resort, with beautiful grounds, a bunch of different swimming pools, and tons of other luxurious amenities. There was even a casino night event, and despite our success at the tables we came up empty in the raffle, crushing our hopes of winning the iPod nano on display. All in all it was a wonderful trip, but we were definitely ready to sleep in our own bed back home.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
A Red Sticker?!?
Beth and I quickly boarded our plane for the flight from Dallas to Phoenix, situated in adjoining middle and window seats. Despite not having the exit row, I thought that sitting by the window with my bum knee on the window side would afford me enough room to be somewhat comfortable.
I was wrong.
Things started badly and got progressively worse. The seats were tiny--the smallest that I've been on in a big plane in a long, long time. And wasn't American the airline that recently made a big deal about adding room to all of their coach seats? If so, then all I can say is, umm..."liars." But since we boarded so close to take-off time, I figured that at least we'd be in the air and on our way soon.
Once again, me, all kinds of wrong. First we're informed that one of the air conditioners is broken. This, while we're sitting in the full plane, on the runway, in Dallas, on a 90 degree day. Awesome. So they get to work doing whatever it is that they do...which doesn't exactly involve fixing said air conditioner. They mess around for a while...and a while longer...and a while longer. Some other minor problem comes up, and they mess around with that. We've gone from ready to go, to half an hour on the ground, to an hour, to an hour and a half and counting, and then we get held up by the red sticker. Or, more accurately, the absence of one.
Apparently, when mechanics work on anything on an airplane, they have to mark the area in question with a red sticker. "It's just like something you'd get at Office Max," the pilot explains, trying to placate us after what has now been two hours in our broken-AC sweaty death box. "Well, the sticker is gone. Either it blew off or...we lost it. So...if we find it right away...maybe it just fell off on the ground...then we can take off any minute now. If not, then it will take a little while longer."
I assume he managed to get all of this out with a straight face. A red sticker?!? Nice to know that airlines are using such high tech repair indicators in this post 9/11 climate.
Anyway, eventually, thankfully, we got off the tarmac and into the air. The flight itself was fairly uneventful, aside from the shooting pains in my knee. Upon landing, we see that our bags immediately arrived at the baggage claim at the same time we did. Good karma after the bad flight, maybe. So we grabbed them, hopped onto a shuttle, and quickly picked up our rental car and made our way down to our hotel in Chandler right across the street from the mall. Dinner with the Bladers at The Cheesecake Factory was exactly what we needed--specifically, a couple of Malibu Coladas each.
On Thursday, Beth went in to do her teaching for work and I happily hung out at the hotel. Read the paper, caught a little sun at the pool, and perused the mall for a little bit, including checking out the newest made-up breed of dog at the pet store. Has anyone ever heard of a "Valley Bulldog?" I certainly hadn't until I saw this British Bulldog-Boxer mix. Very cool mutt. The relaxing day was just what I needed after the travel nightmare that came before it. It seemed like things would continue that way, with a nice, mellow Thursday evening, until I spoke to Shaw B.
"We're going to Kyoto tonight," he said...
I was wrong.
Things started badly and got progressively worse. The seats were tiny--the smallest that I've been on in a big plane in a long, long time. And wasn't American the airline that recently made a big deal about adding room to all of their coach seats? If so, then all I can say is, umm..."liars." But since we boarded so close to take-off time, I figured that at least we'd be in the air and on our way soon.
Once again, me, all kinds of wrong. First we're informed that one of the air conditioners is broken. This, while we're sitting in the full plane, on the runway, in Dallas, on a 90 degree day. Awesome. So they get to work doing whatever it is that they do...which doesn't exactly involve fixing said air conditioner. They mess around for a while...and a while longer...and a while longer. Some other minor problem comes up, and they mess around with that. We've gone from ready to go, to half an hour on the ground, to an hour, to an hour and a half and counting, and then we get held up by the red sticker. Or, more accurately, the absence of one.
Apparently, when mechanics work on anything on an airplane, they have to mark the area in question with a red sticker. "It's just like something you'd get at Office Max," the pilot explains, trying to placate us after what has now been two hours in our broken-AC sweaty death box. "Well, the sticker is gone. Either it blew off or...we lost it. So...if we find it right away...maybe it just fell off on the ground...then we can take off any minute now. If not, then it will take a little while longer."
I assume he managed to get all of this out with a straight face. A red sticker?!? Nice to know that airlines are using such high tech repair indicators in this post 9/11 climate.
Anyway, eventually, thankfully, we got off the tarmac and into the air. The flight itself was fairly uneventful, aside from the shooting pains in my knee. Upon landing, we see that our bags immediately arrived at the baggage claim at the same time we did. Good karma after the bad flight, maybe. So we grabbed them, hopped onto a shuttle, and quickly picked up our rental car and made our way down to our hotel in Chandler right across the street from the mall. Dinner with the Bladers at The Cheesecake Factory was exactly what we needed--specifically, a couple of Malibu Coladas each.
On Thursday, Beth went in to do her teaching for work and I happily hung out at the hotel. Read the paper, caught a little sun at the pool, and perused the mall for a little bit, including checking out the newest made-up breed of dog at the pet store. Has anyone ever heard of a "Valley Bulldog?" I certainly hadn't until I saw this British Bulldog-Boxer mix. Very cool mutt. The relaxing day was just what I needed after the travel nightmare that came before it. It seemed like things would continue that way, with a nice, mellow Thursday evening, until I spoke to Shaw B.
"We're going to Kyoto tonight," he said...
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Moved in
Wow, a month between posts is pretty sad...but it has been a crazy month. We moved into the house on April 21. Technically, the move started much earlier than this, thanks to the generous loan my parents made to me in the form of "Gus the Bus," their beloved Ford Expedition. Thanks to having Gus for a few weeks, I was able to pre-move a bunch of stuff to the new house. Then a very solid trio of movers came on the 21st and finished the job, doing all of the heavy lifting...literally.
Getting everything turned on and working at the new place was easy enough but there were other tasks that took much longer. Right when we bought the house we decided to renovate the entire master bathroom, ripping out the old sink, vanity, cabinets, floor tile, and shower. To this day, the job still isn't done. The new tile is in and the new tile shower is finished as well and it all looks great, but we are still waiting for the arrival of our custom vanity cabinets and a new heavy duty glass shower door. My dad was a huge help with all of this, doing what work that he could and advising me on other stuff. I'm absolutely clueless about all this kind of work, but thanks to him I'm now a little more well informed.
Despite the fact that we just moved in, Beth and I are already out of town in Arizona. She had a couple of work trips that we were able to combine into one big visit and I happily agreed to tag along. Our flight left Little Rock at about 1:15 on Wednesday and everything seemed to be going well. Beth was running a little late after heading into the office for a few hours of work but we still had plenty of time to drop the dogs off at Aimee's house and head to the airport. There was no line at all for the skycap, who checked our two enormous suitcases and printed our boarding passes on the spot. Unforunately we were too late to grab exit row seats, something I always arrive absurdly early to secure thanks to my ample size and gimpy knee. But we had a middle and a window next to each other. The first leg was on a puddle jumper apparently designed to accomodate Hobbits somewhat comfortably. I know I've ranted about these planes before but this one seemed smaller than ever. However, it was just a quick up-and-down flight to Dallas to grab our connection. Once on the ground in The Big D we hopped onto the monorail which dropped us practically right at our next gate, where our flight had just started to board. The timing was pefect. Everything was going great.
Or so we thought...
Getting everything turned on and working at the new place was easy enough but there were other tasks that took much longer. Right when we bought the house we decided to renovate the entire master bathroom, ripping out the old sink, vanity, cabinets, floor tile, and shower. To this day, the job still isn't done. The new tile is in and the new tile shower is finished as well and it all looks great, but we are still waiting for the arrival of our custom vanity cabinets and a new heavy duty glass shower door. My dad was a huge help with all of this, doing what work that he could and advising me on other stuff. I'm absolutely clueless about all this kind of work, but thanks to him I'm now a little more well informed.
Despite the fact that we just moved in, Beth and I are already out of town in Arizona. She had a couple of work trips that we were able to combine into one big visit and I happily agreed to tag along. Our flight left Little Rock at about 1:15 on Wednesday and everything seemed to be going well. Beth was running a little late after heading into the office for a few hours of work but we still had plenty of time to drop the dogs off at Aimee's house and head to the airport. There was no line at all for the skycap, who checked our two enormous suitcases and printed our boarding passes on the spot. Unforunately we were too late to grab exit row seats, something I always arrive absurdly early to secure thanks to my ample size and gimpy knee. But we had a middle and a window next to each other. The first leg was on a puddle jumper apparently designed to accomodate Hobbits somewhat comfortably. I know I've ranted about these planes before but this one seemed smaller than ever. However, it was just a quick up-and-down flight to Dallas to grab our connection. Once on the ground in The Big D we hopped onto the monorail which dropped us practically right at our next gate, where our flight had just started to board. The timing was pefect. Everything was going great.
Or so we thought...
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Opening Day
I love the opening day of the baseball season, and I have long felt that it's one of a few sports days that should be a national holiday. So, in honor of that, here are a few random thoughts on the upcoming baseball season.
I can't believe how sick I am of Barry Bonds and any story about him. We all know he cheated, and eventually he'll go down for something. ESPN's continued Bonds hype is getting sickening. I realize that they have a "reality show" called Bonds on Bonds or some such thing that they need to hype, which is despicable enough. But to give him his own color-coded updates on the ticker scroll with "CHASING RUTH" even when he does nothing, like tonight, is downright shameful. It's appalling, and frankly, I expect more from the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports...I don't think that Jimmy Rollins' hitting streak should continue this year. I like him, he's a solid player, and I even drafted him for one of my fantasy teams, but I just don't think that a hitting streak should continue from one season into the next. At the very least, if he does match or break DiMaggio's record, Rollins' mark should stand alone and separately as "longest hitting streak over multiple seasons."...Speaking of fantasy leagues, I have both A-Rod and Johnny Damon on one team and it makes me sick. I named that team "Slappy & The Traitor," but it still pains me to take any kind of joy from their success...I have no idea if the tougher steroid penalties will have a big effect on the game or not, but I hope so...watching baseball in HD is just incredible. Compared to the crappy regular feed it's night and day...I think the Red Sox will be a lot better than a lot of people do. Their defense is greatly improved and they have one of the deepest rotations in baseball--six guys that could potentially win 15 games as starters if needed. Keith Foulke is still a question mark in the bullpen but even if he falters, there are fallback options in Timlin and Papelbon. In fact, every spot on the roster with any kind of a question mark has a contingency plan in place. I think they'll win around 95-100 games and probably the AL East title. How experts continue to blindly pick the Yankees is beyond me, given the state of their pitching staff. They are one injury away (Randy Johnson? Mariano Rivera?) from a potential third place finish...Joe Morgan continues to be one of the most self-aggrandizing and annoying national baseball broadcasters in the business. I've always said that you can at least make watching one of his games enjoyable for yourself by making it a drinking game: take a sip anytime he mentions himself and two any time he references a former teammate on the Big Red Machine. Case in point: I flip on the White Sox-Indians opener on Sunday night for a little bit and Eduardo Perez crushes a home run to left. Now, I don't have a drink in front of me, but I can just feel the first Morganism of the season coming. And he delivers: "I saw a lot of homers just like that one playing with his father, Tony Perez." Absoutely irrelevant to the game at hand, and vintage Joe Morgan.
I can't believe how sick I am of Barry Bonds and any story about him. We all know he cheated, and eventually he'll go down for something. ESPN's continued Bonds hype is getting sickening. I realize that they have a "reality show" called Bonds on Bonds or some such thing that they need to hype, which is despicable enough. But to give him his own color-coded updates on the ticker scroll with "CHASING RUTH" even when he does nothing, like tonight, is downright shameful. It's appalling, and frankly, I expect more from the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports...I don't think that Jimmy Rollins' hitting streak should continue this year. I like him, he's a solid player, and I even drafted him for one of my fantasy teams, but I just don't think that a hitting streak should continue from one season into the next. At the very least, if he does match or break DiMaggio's record, Rollins' mark should stand alone and separately as "longest hitting streak over multiple seasons."...Speaking of fantasy leagues, I have both A-Rod and Johnny Damon on one team and it makes me sick. I named that team "Slappy & The Traitor," but it still pains me to take any kind of joy from their success...I have no idea if the tougher steroid penalties will have a big effect on the game or not, but I hope so...watching baseball in HD is just incredible. Compared to the crappy regular feed it's night and day...I think the Red Sox will be a lot better than a lot of people do. Their defense is greatly improved and they have one of the deepest rotations in baseball--six guys that could potentially win 15 games as starters if needed. Keith Foulke is still a question mark in the bullpen but even if he falters, there are fallback options in Timlin and Papelbon. In fact, every spot on the roster with any kind of a question mark has a contingency plan in place. I think they'll win around 95-100 games and probably the AL East title. How experts continue to blindly pick the Yankees is beyond me, given the state of their pitching staff. They are one injury away (Randy Johnson? Mariano Rivera?) from a potential third place finish...Joe Morgan continues to be one of the most self-aggrandizing and annoying national baseball broadcasters in the business. I've always said that you can at least make watching one of his games enjoyable for yourself by making it a drinking game: take a sip anytime he mentions himself and two any time he references a former teammate on the Big Red Machine. Case in point: I flip on the White Sox-Indians opener on Sunday night for a little bit and Eduardo Perez crushes a home run to left. Now, I don't have a drink in front of me, but I can just feel the first Morganism of the season coming. And he delivers: "I saw a lot of homers just like that one playing with his father, Tony Perez." Absoutely irrelevant to the game at hand, and vintage Joe Morgan.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Our new house
We bought our first house! It's been in the works for most of the month and we closed yesterday...on our fourth wedding anniversary. Pretty cool!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
I root for the laundry
I know that as a fan of teams that have delivered me four World Championships since 2002 I have no room to complain about anything, but that doesn't change the fact that typing this list below kind of makes me sick.
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Pedro Martinez, New York Mets
Johnny Damon, New York Motherf***ing Yankees
Willie McGinest, Cleveland Browns
David Givens, Tennessee Titans
Ty Law, wherever
Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnatti Reds
I could go on and on. Sure, it's the nature of the game, and everyone on that list brought me so much happiness that I could never thank them enough. But now I can't really root for them. Sure, there are degrees...I still pull for Pedro almost every time out. But Johnny Damon is now deader to me than Fredo Corleone to his brother, and the mere notion of having to openly yell "miss it, Vinatieri, MISS IT!" just turns my stomach.
I don't have a point. I just needed to vent, I guess. It's a sad day for me.
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Pedro Martinez, New York Mets
Johnny Damon, New York Motherf***ing Yankees
Willie McGinest, Cleveland Browns
David Givens, Tennessee Titans
Ty Law, wherever
Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnatti Reds
I could go on and on. Sure, it's the nature of the game, and everyone on that list brought me so much happiness that I could never thank them enough. But now I can't really root for them. Sure, there are degrees...I still pull for Pedro almost every time out. But Johnny Damon is now deader to me than Fredo Corleone to his brother, and the mere notion of having to openly yell "miss it, Vinatieri, MISS IT!" just turns my stomach.
I don't have a point. I just needed to vent, I guess. It's a sad day for me.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Quick poker session
I haven't posted about poker lately simply because there hasn't been much to report. I have been taking meticulous records of each session I play (an actual New Year's resolution that I have stuck to) and that has helped because I always know exactly how I'm doing for the day/week/year. I'm up for 2006, but not by a ton...just trying to keep grinding that bankroll up before the WSOP. A quick little session today certainly helped.
It's a little after 4 PM and I've got some time to kill until the NCAA tourney selection show, so I log onto Poker Fantasy for a little bit. No SNGs are about to start so I sit down with $25 for some .25-.50 NLHE. With JQ suited in the big blind I make the 2nd nut flush on the turn, get it all in, and get paid off...I now have $49. A little bit later I get pocket kings in late position with a few limpers ahead of me so I raise up to $2. Small blind calls, and the big blind goes all in for $6 and change. Trying to shut out the first limper, I push all in. The guy I am trying to force out calls me with $38 and change or so and turns over pockets 9s. The short stack has A-9. No help for either of them and I drag a huge pot, and I now have $93.53 in front of me. I cannot wait to just walk away with my winnings for the session but I decide to wait until before my blinds...and get dealt pocket aces. Raise to $2, one caller. Flop comes three unders with a couple of face cards and two spades (I have the Ace of spades), so I bet $5, trying to take it down right there, he calls. Turn is a brick, check-check. River brings a possible straight so we check it down (I may have been playing too cautiously here) and he shows Ace-king for TPTK, so I drag that one and bail because it was the last hand before my blinds. Sat with $25, and twenty minutes later I left with $102.24. Definitely the craziest and fastest NL rush I have ever had on that site.
It's a little after 4 PM and I've got some time to kill until the NCAA tourney selection show, so I log onto Poker Fantasy for a little bit. No SNGs are about to start so I sit down with $25 for some .25-.50 NLHE. With JQ suited in the big blind I make the 2nd nut flush on the turn, get it all in, and get paid off...I now have $49. A little bit later I get pocket kings in late position with a few limpers ahead of me so I raise up to $2. Small blind calls, and the big blind goes all in for $6 and change. Trying to shut out the first limper, I push all in. The guy I am trying to force out calls me with $38 and change or so and turns over pockets 9s. The short stack has A-9. No help for either of them and I drag a huge pot, and I now have $93.53 in front of me. I cannot wait to just walk away with my winnings for the session but I decide to wait until before my blinds...and get dealt pocket aces. Raise to $2, one caller. Flop comes three unders with a couple of face cards and two spades (I have the Ace of spades), so I bet $5, trying to take it down right there, he calls. Turn is a brick, check-check. River brings a possible straight so we check it down (I may have been playing too cautiously here) and he shows Ace-king for TPTK, so I drag that one and bail because it was the last hand before my blinds. Sat with $25, and twenty minutes later I left with $102.24. Definitely the craziest and fastest NL rush I have ever had on that site.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Oscar picks
I usually try to see several of the big Oscar contenders before the awards but this year I just really didn't want to. I haven't seen many of them, in fact, so instead, here are my own choices for who would win if I was the sole voter in the academy (obviously this only includes movies that I've seen, so...sorry, Brokeback, Capote, etc.)
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Supporting Actor: Ian McDiarmid, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel McAdams, Wedding Crashers
Best Original Screenplay: Steve Carell & Judd Apatow, The 40 Year Old Virgin
Best Adapted Screenplay: Steve Kloves, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Best Director: George Lucas, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Best Picture: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
And other categories that could be awards, but aren't:
Best faithful adaptation of a comic book or graphic novel: Sin City
Best performance under so much makeup you can't even tell who it is: Mickey Rouke, Sin City
Best ending to a movie because it happened in real life: Fever Pitch
Best comedic ensemble: The 40 Year Old Virgin
Best reinvigoration of a seemingly dead franchise: Batman Begins
The Caddyshack 2/Rocky 5 Memorial Award for Worst Sequel: Be Cool
Weirdest performance: Johnny Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Best DVD rental with no expectations that turned out to be pretty good: Red Eye
Worst DVD rental that could have been great but wasn't: Two for the Money
Biggest letdown: Serenity (just because it wasn't as good as the great TV show)
Best...umm..."performance" in very tight or skimpy costumes: Jessica Alba, Sin City, Fantasic Four, Into the Blue.
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Supporting Actor: Ian McDiarmid, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel McAdams, Wedding Crashers
Best Original Screenplay: Steve Carell & Judd Apatow, The 40 Year Old Virgin
Best Adapted Screenplay: Steve Kloves, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Best Director: George Lucas, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Best Picture: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
And other categories that could be awards, but aren't:
Best faithful adaptation of a comic book or graphic novel: Sin City
Best performance under so much makeup you can't even tell who it is: Mickey Rouke, Sin City
Best ending to a movie because it happened in real life: Fever Pitch
Best comedic ensemble: The 40 Year Old Virgin
Best reinvigoration of a seemingly dead franchise: Batman Begins
The Caddyshack 2/Rocky 5 Memorial Award for Worst Sequel: Be Cool
Weirdest performance: Johnny Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Best DVD rental with no expectations that turned out to be pretty good: Red Eye
Worst DVD rental that could have been great but wasn't: Two for the Money
Biggest letdown: Serenity (just because it wasn't as good as the great TV show)
Best...umm..."performance" in very tight or skimpy costumes: Jessica Alba, Sin City, Fantasic Four, Into the Blue.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Iced in
We were stuck in the house all weekend due to a wintry storm that left the entire city pretty much covered in ice. It's a new phenomenon for me--I've seen hurricanes, blizzards, and such, but this "ice storm" deal is a little different. There was a little bit of snow, but then some rain and the whole result gets frozen over. Saturday seemed to get the worst of it, as the streets outside the house were very quiet, although we did get one run from a sand/salt truck. Things are thawing a little bit today and it looks like everything should be back to normal in a couple of days.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Olympics
That Super Bowl sure was terrible, wasn't it? No point in even discussing it at this point, although I do have to point out that I had very little rooting interest at all and I think it was some of the worst officiating I've ever seen in a big game. Just terrible.
So, apparently the Olympics start tonight. I can't rememeber less hype for this event...ever. I do have a question, though...when did "Turin" become "Torino," exactly? Is it just because the second one sounds cooler? Have we ever done this before? I don't think so. Nobody in America talked about the "Moskva" games in 1980, or the "Roma" games, or the recent bid by "Paree." Just weird. Other random Olympic thoughts: I don't think I could name ten US Olympians for these games, and that includes the hockey team...they say there's no such thing as bad publicity and I guess Bode Miller might exemplify that. He's been getting crushed in the press for one thing or another but at least I know who the guy is now, and even what sport he does...what exactly is the Skeleton? I'm guessing it involves some sort of a sled or a luge but honestly, I don't know...yeah, that's all I've got. I'll probably watch some stuff, simply because there's not much else on until spring training. But my interest isn't exactly huge.
So, apparently the Olympics start tonight. I can't rememeber less hype for this event...ever. I do have a question, though...when did "Turin" become "Torino," exactly? Is it just because the second one sounds cooler? Have we ever done this before? I don't think so. Nobody in America talked about the "Moskva" games in 1980, or the "Roma" games, or the recent bid by "Paree." Just weird. Other random Olympic thoughts: I don't think I could name ten US Olympians for these games, and that includes the hockey team...they say there's no such thing as bad publicity and I guess Bode Miller might exemplify that. He's been getting crushed in the press for one thing or another but at least I know who the guy is now, and even what sport he does...what exactly is the Skeleton? I'm guessing it involves some sort of a sled or a luge but honestly, I don't know...yeah, that's all I've got. I'll probably watch some stuff, simply because there's not much else on until spring training. But my interest isn't exactly huge.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Super Bowl Eve
Man, am I sick of the hype. Hey, where's Jerome Bettis from, anyway? And Joey Porter...give it a rest. I won't go into a lengthy analysis of everything because there are much better places to find such information. I'll just say that I think it will be a pretty tight and entertaining game and that I think most people are underrating the Seahawks quite a bit. So...on to the wagers.
Seahawks money line: +285 - one unit - this was my future bet made before the conference championship game. I thought the line seemed way too high then, so clearly I love it now.
Seahawks +4 - two units - my book had it at 3.5 all week until today, when it finally went up to four. That's when I jumped on it. I may press it up before kickoff.
PROP BETS
There were lots of goofy ones as always, but here are the only two I have taken so far:
Shaun Alexander's combined rushing and receiving yardage: 96.5 yards - OVER - one unit
Shaun Alexander's longest run of the game: 19.5 yards - OVER - one unit
The first number seems right about where it should be. Before any line was posted I said I'd take the over on anything around 100, so I did. As for the second one, the line seems a little low to me. Plus I always love having one bet that I can win instantly during the game, so here it is. Shaun could rip off a 30 yard jaunt on his first carry of the game and I'll have that one booked. Anyway, I really like his chances to break at least one 20 yard gainer.
Some that I did not take included parlaying the winner of the game with the gender of the eventual American Idol winner, Josh Brown's kicking points compared to Tiger Woods' number of holes better than birdie tomorrow, the game being tied at halftime and Jake Gyllenhall to win the Oscar for best supporting actor (20-1), or, in perhaps my favorite prop bet on the board, Joey Porter and Jerramy Stevens both to be ejected from the game (80-1)...on second thought, maybe I should throw a couple of bucks on that last one after all!
Happy Super Sunday, everyone.
Seahawks money line: +285 - one unit - this was my future bet made before the conference championship game. I thought the line seemed way too high then, so clearly I love it now.
Seahawks +4 - two units - my book had it at 3.5 all week until today, when it finally went up to four. That's when I jumped on it. I may press it up before kickoff.
PROP BETS
There were lots of goofy ones as always, but here are the only two I have taken so far:
Shaun Alexander's combined rushing and receiving yardage: 96.5 yards - OVER - one unit
Shaun Alexander's longest run of the game: 19.5 yards - OVER - one unit
The first number seems right about where it should be. Before any line was posted I said I'd take the over on anything around 100, so I did. As for the second one, the line seems a little low to me. Plus I always love having one bet that I can win instantly during the game, so here it is. Shaun could rip off a 30 yard jaunt on his first carry of the game and I'll have that one booked. Anyway, I really like his chances to break at least one 20 yard gainer.
Some that I did not take included parlaying the winner of the game with the gender of the eventual American Idol winner, Josh Brown's kicking points compared to Tiger Woods' number of holes better than birdie tomorrow, the game being tied at halftime and Jake Gyllenhall to win the Oscar for best supporting actor (20-1), or, in perhaps my favorite prop bet on the board, Joey Porter and Jerramy Stevens both to be ejected from the game (80-1)...on second thought, maybe I should throw a couple of bucks on that last one after all!
Happy Super Sunday, everyone.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip
Aaron Sorkin is one of my favorite writers, period. He's one of the best dialgoue writers in any medium and he has a brilliant touch with artfully depicting conflict on levels big and small. I loved SportsNight and I basically gave up on The West Wing after he left. This fall, he'll be making a triumphant return to network television with a dramatic series based on the behind-the-scenes workings of a Saturday Night Live-type sketch comedy show called Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip. I was excited enough about this just hearing that it's a Sorkin show...and then I read some of the pilot. Someone was lucky enough to get their hands on several of the audition sides, cobbling together what they could and posting it on line. It's not even the entire episode and it's brilliant. Kudos to NBC for A) giving Sorkin a second chance after showing him the door based on his cost overruns and missed deadlines for West Wing and B) Picking up a show that clearly and openly skewers SNL. Rumor is that Matthew Perry has signed on for a lead role and he'll be perfect for this. It's amazing how Sorkin can write characters so vivid and well-defined that I care about them after just a few pages...but he's done it. I'm dying. I can't wait to see this show.
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