A Twist of Mind

Recently I did something that I have not done in, say, 2 years. And even then, my action was not complete as it was Thursday morning. You see, I think a lot. A great deal, in point of fact. One of my greatest wishes is to have a personal recorder beside me at all times so, when the lightning strikes, there is a place other than my mind to show the burn mark. There are a lot of marks that litter the past 10 years of my cognitive life (I use cognitive because I have a theory on my early childhood which you likely don't want to hear). Those marks are on my mind, scattered bits of paper, and the many journals randomnly tossed throughout my house. (Is it me, or did random used to be spelled randomn?) Yet while those marks may be clearly visible, I do not share them. Those marks manifest my tiny explosions of creation that may or may not be complete rip-offs of things heard and seen in my life. And I keep them to myself.

That was, I used to keep them to myself. Last Thursday I told the girl 2 thoughts I recently had: one that morning and the other two morning prior. Heady stuff, man.

(By the way, I respect all the people who read this. But you're likely to never touch an idea of mine unless it's published, in print, cut and dry, or in extensive draft form when I then enlist you for hearty, heavy criticism. I'm sure that's just heartbreaking...really...)

I loved telling the girl. Not just because she was excited about the ideas, though it was a hoot that she was. No, I loved telling her because she took them, my hare-brained ideas, as reality. The thoughts weren't stupid or ridiculous, birds without wings. Chicks with tiny wings, no doubt, but still with wings. I've lived for so long nurturing the belief that I was the only one who could ever invision my thoughts taking flight. And since I consider myself the greatest deceiver after Lucifer himself...yeah...not so much confidence.

And she gives me confidence. Mind you, I harbor no delusions that the girl won't shoot me down. In fact, I'm banking on the 100% probability of the carnage of ideas resulting from a few well placed words and daggers. Preferably words, but I can be rather head-strong so she might need to use deadly force.

I really like the girl. And I liked telling her the secret things in my head that no one else will get to see. That makes me smile.

"Reggie Wayne! Reggie Wayne!"

(Anyone get the "Hercules! Hercules!" reference? Ach.)

What a great day for Colts fans! Or night, as it turns out to be suprisingly. One of Peyton Manning's favorite targets for the past four years, Reggie Wayne, was signed (unofficially) to a 6 year near 40 million dollar contract. Wayne and Edgerrin James were the two big names from the Colts team left with no contracts after the 2005 season ended. Now that Wayne is signed, it looks like the Colts' defacto running game, Edgerrin James, will be unlikely to return. The Indianapolis Colts are unwilling, it seems, to give James the money a back of his caliber is likely to ask for. James has been with the Colts ever since 1999, when they finally made the transition from Marshall Faulk. It has been Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning, and Edgerrin James for 7 years - likely no more. It's about time.

I love James, Manning, and James. They put on a fantastic offense. Yet they are no Aikman, Smith, and Irving. The Colts trio have proven that over and over again. Clearly there needs to be a change and nomatter how much I enjoy and respect James, if he's the change, so be it. Change is good for Indianapolis - Peyton needs some reality checks, I think, along with the team itself. Indianapolis needs to transform itself from the well-oiled machine to the football beast it has to be to run for the Superbowl.

Change is painful. But change is good, change is great. So I keep telling myself.

That's the Spot

What a cool picture:



'tis the hope and joy of every straight man: this face, contorted in pleasure of course, in response to the slightest touch.

Egotistical? Yes. Well, slightly. There has to be some egotism involved. We are rather selfish creatures.

Childish? Yes. "Me wanna give the best ewerytime!"

Still hoped for? Yes.

Although, I like to think that while most men seek such a face for their own gratification; I search for hers.

Congratulations to Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto - not just for their names, either. First American silver medal in ice dancing in 30 years, I'd say it's a rather big accomplishment. Even though I still don't get the difference between pairs skating and ice dancing. More expression? More freedom of movement?

Has anyone ever done the tango on ice? In an ice skating competition?

Now that, that I would be excited to see. (However, seeing Tia Carrera and Awrnold perform on ice I would not be so pumped for.

Let the Countdown Begin

There are but 12 days and 20 hours until I leave these United States for Italy.

It is sorely unfortunate that I have an incredibly important test to take the morning before I leave. One that will determine whether or not I graduate with the highest honours my University can give (actually, that might not be true).

Oh well. Such is what she does to me.

Are Men Such Children?

Oh, those "girl talk" folk are providing me with such good fodder!

Right here, one lovely lady related some advice the former first lady Bush gave to the present first lady Bush: "Don't criticize your husband." Apparently when the former dear Bushess spoke negatively about a speech given by Bush Sr., the old man drove into a wall. Not only are the Bushes rather clumsy, they seem to have incredibly thin skin. Some men are men, some are pussies. I think we all know this.

The shocking thing is, this woman took what senior Bushess said to the present Bushess to heart. You see, she wrote:

"My mom has observed that, of all the criticism our husbands may receive—from their boss or their family or even an enemy—a wife's disparaging remarks can often do the most damage. To me, this is a sobering thought."

It is indeed sobering. Spouses, lovers, children, parents, friends - because of their relationships with us these people are the ones whose words can cut the deepest. We should indeed give care and guard our words to those to whom they mean the most. However, the woman goes even further.

"...when we refrain from criticism and cultivate encouragement, we can give them confidence in our love, inspire them to persevere, and point them to the Savior."

Now I'm sure, or simply hope, that the woman meant "overly negative criticism" when "criticism" was written. However, I shall bend towards the cynical and assume that she meant criticism of any kind, which is clearly nothing like "gentle correction." Because, really, without cynicism I never have that much to talk about.

What good can come of keeping criticism out of a relationship? I fully understand guarding against overly negative criticism that simply becomes harping and whining with no fruit. However, accepting that relationships should avoid the incredibly negative, why is there then another leap to avoide negativity all together? What honesty is there in a lack of negativity?

As quoted above, this woman believes that refraining from negativity leads to encouragement which leads to godliness. I'm afraid she has it wrong. Refraining from negativity leads to encouragement. Encouragement leads to perseverence. Perseverence leads to godliness. And godliness leads to...(well, not suffering, but since I'm giggling so much about this Yoda quote)...SUFFERING (in Yoda's very cool warble). ...this chick does indeed have it wrong, for two reasons. Yet first, before those two reason there must be an understanding of fallibility. As creatures, we all suck and make mistakes. Who doesn't suck? Excellent, we all agree that we all suck. I'm so proud of our fundamental self realization.

So, we suck. ("She's going from suck to blow, Captain! Blow! Blow! Blow!")

So now to why the chick is wrong about criticism.

The first is in response to her belief that it is only through encouragement that others can encourage. How utterly illogical. Professing Christians also profess themselves to be evangelical. Do they manage to evangelise by living their lives perfectly? Hardly. If so, there would be no need for the Christ they so desperately cry out for. No, it is through the mistakes of Christians and the continued humility to a God who thankfully does not demand perfection from any but His Son that Christians truly evangelise their faith. Mistakes and correction. Where is correction without criticism?

The second is my inability to get over how incredibly childish this whole approach sounds. The woman from girl talk actually suggests hiding "a card and his favorite candy in his bag when he goes on a business trip" in order to encourage "him." I cannot help but shake my head at that. A card is cool. Candy is slightly cool. Together they seem slightly morbid and infantile.

Are men so sensitive and irresponsible of their own actions that any criticism must be only given in the most glowing of terms? Or, even, not given at all? These questions are incredibly concerning because they originate from statements made by professing Christians. Where is the responsibility from both sexes to care for one another? Guide and instruct? And how do we guide and care and instruct without correction? What good is correction, if given at all, when the correcting words are too sweet and too gentle to be seen for what they are, criticism?

Honestly, that's just stupid.

What a Beauty

Bond's new Aston Martin has finally been revealed, called the DBS. It's a beautiful looking creatures with an exquisitely balanced front and back. Though as I continue perusing it, the car has a bit too much of a Toyota Celica feel for my tastes. There are truly very few small cars I can fall in love with. 'tis still lovely.

And with the craggy Daniel Craig as Bond (still cursing the rejection of Clive Owens) and the alluring Eva Green as the Bond, perhaps this new Bond won't suck!

Why Would You Do This?

In a world where religion is starting to rule the day, I ask why must we screw the world up even more?

A woman just gave birth to a girl and named her Carolyn Kimberly. That's Strike One.

The baby's nickname is Caly. I won't even go into it...but Strike Two, man.

Third, the parents of "Caly" are pronouncing the nickname like "Sally." Freakin' Strike Three!

This kid officially has no chance in life.

A strike out before she could lift up a baseball bat. 'tis really a sad state of affairs.

The Woman's "Job"

Y'all might have noticed on the right, in the midst of so many links which I must must must organize, is a link to girl talk. Now, as someone who purports himself to be a Christian, most things Christian tend to interest me - from the scoffable to the laudable to the detestable. This "girl talk" (do I put blog titles in quotes once I've already linked to them? how odd) is one of those curious aspects of Christianity...an outlet of the modern megachurch.

I bring attention specifically to the above blog for two reasons: I'll eventually talk about it in the future and I'm going to talk about it right now. I'm an effecient little bugger, eh?

In this post one of the many females who writes speaks about finding and focusing on three things that will always please her husband; recommending other wives do the same. A good thing and I shan't knock it - as long as the men do the same, and neither use such "top three's" to manipulative ends. However, I found two things of note.

The first is that the woman referenced "intimacy." I thought that was cute.

The second item of note I found in the blog is this quotation:

"...I’ve been doing a lousy job with meal preparation lately. My dinner meals have looked something like this: A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store with a couple of side dishes thrown together; hot dogs and coleslaw from KFC (my husband’s favorite coleslaw); peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and popcorn; frozen pizzas…. You get the picture. Pathetic, I know"

Eh?

Now this might just be because I am a lowly, lowly college student but the list of foods this "pathetic" wife just rambled off sounds darned delicious -- although I simply do not get the PBJ/popcorn combo, but to each their own.

I'm all for upholding traditional gender roles.

I'm all for subverting traditional gender roles.

...all in the right time and place.

Honestly, why are any of those dinners pathetic? Does everyone require a 5 course fine dining experience at the end of every day? I imagine even those who do require such extravagances get quite tired over the amount of jaw stress needed to finish such meals. I remember my mother, who cooks like a fiend hell or highwater, at one period in time used to cook scrambled eggs and toast for dinner. It was simple, a change of pace, and my family thoroughly enjoyed it.

Why is there this implied and obtrusive stricture upon the women in today's modern-reformed Christian households that equals the strictures placed upon the women of the Victorian period...without the distinction between upstairs and downstairs? If one defends such structures (and I did mean stricture earlier, without a care in the world as to its existence in the real world) as an attempt to reunify the family under traditional and formulaic gender roles where the wife cooks, cleans, and educates. Well, ok. I can buy and fully support unifying the family under healthy gender roles. However, where in the Bible does it say that the wife cooks and cleans and educates and bonks and boils all the while making herself pretty and pleasing? If one wants to go that far, I do believe the Bible itself does lay out a pretty good list of what a good wife does which goes a great deal beyond the limitations of the house and the family.

My contention with what this woman called pathetic is that her creations (and purchases) for her family to partake of were done in love, nomatter the speed and the hurry of the thought or the buying. Why can they not be viewed as such - defined by love instead of appearance? This woman makes mention of her husband not noticing her "pathetic" meal preparation. Did she expect his notice and subsequent correction for her failing?

I believe she did expect it, and therein lies what disturbs me. This life is of chaos, hurry, and ill-planning. If a family decides that cooked, sit-down meals are important, everyone in that family should help to make it happen - thankfully most white, middle class families have both a mother and a father, such advantages shouldn't be ignored. If a family decides that sit-down meals regardless of their origin are important, then so be it and origin/cellophane be damned.

As much as I look forward to delicious labor-intensive meals with the woman I love, I look forward to those harried moments where we try and find something and in that something find the peace which defines sharing a meal.

Eating is a fundamental part of commune. Apart from the fun of the cooking and the preparation, what the hell does it matter what one eats?

The important thing is the family, not the eats or digs or pretty things. The true pretty thing is the family. Why do we always miss that?

That's the Way I Like It

Clapping + a Xylophone (or Triangle) = Great music.

Ben Lee

Kelly's Grammys: Thatta Girl

I have an unabashed love of Kelly Clarkson. I do not deny it and am even quite proud of it. I dig Clarkson's music not because she's incredibly cute and certainly not because of American Idol. Rather, I put Clarkson on the same pedastal of Journey and Iron Maiden because she has a fantastic role in todays music that has not been touched since the days of Pat Benatar - powerful chick rock.

Sure, the stuff is poppy, but it's also edgy and makes me giggle. Even if I might be deluded about the edginess, no one can deny my giggles.

So, needless to say, I was quite pumped to see Kelly Clarkson rack up Grammys for Female Vocal and Pop Vocal Album. Nice done, Miss Independent (which was apparently co-written along with Christina Aguilera, who knew?). Nicely done.

But the Grammys weren't just about the punkiest Idol ever (whose nose ring gives me hope for if the girl ever gets her nose pierced). Indeed not!

Here are my thoughts on the rest of the Grammys, a week or so later. (When in the hell were the Grammys, anyway?)

The U2/Mary J. Blige performance of "One" was killer, even if Bono clearly is anti-touchy-feely whilst strumming his guitar:


Really, didn't Chris Martin seem a little...a touch...a smidge....high? Great performance though, though for the first time mainly because of a great guitar solo. (Stupid bitmap images and their inability to be cool and load.)

Gorillaz? Awesome!

Madonna? I prefer the video, thank you.

Maryland: The First Rejection

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I strove for the University of Maryland and I was denied!

I am certainly not very surprised, though disappointed. The University has too high level a program for me to really think I could get in.

And to think, one of my professors still believes I should have applied to Yale.

Go figure.

Happy Tuesday!

On this, the day of silliness, I have this to say to the girl:



Darn tootin' right you'll do, darlin'. You'll do 10 ways to Sunday and I don't care if that doesn't make sense! You're my precious, glorious, frustrating, godly woman.

And since Valentine's Day isn't just for lovers, here's the other people in my life that I love:

My mother, my father, my family in California, Wales, and Australia, and my friends in Kentucky, Cambridge and that little borough just north of it, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Perugia...*thinks*...and even some in South/North Carolina.

People, remember this and you shall live long and prosper:

If It's Round, Can It Bounce?

Andrew, for you I have scoured my vast collection of pictures from our glorious summer in Cambridgeshire and found one superb shot of the "Round Church." Or the "Brass Rubbing Center." Or "" as it's called now. Really, I believe it has no name and is currently a breeding ground for hippies. This is perhaps why Erin so strategically arranged herself by 10 minutes from the place. I wonder if this is 10 minutes as the punt floats.

I found another site with some 70s-ish images here. I found this highly interesting if simply for the fact that I am always fascinated with pictures taken in the 70s or 80s.

I also performed a search using Yahoo! Images which yielded at least a few interior shots.

Yay for me helping!

Much fortune with all your research Andrew. I look forward to seeing accolades abound for exploring the architecture of early Christian churches. Are you going beyond the scope of copies or were copies as much the It thing then as combining celebrity couple's names is now?

Valentines' for the Girls

I love that the celebration of St. Valentine matriculated into a celebration of love after the concept of romantic love was "conceived" during the Middle Ages. Because we clearly need a day set aside from all other days to express this new fangled thing called romantic love. Because it would just be unreasonable to strive to demonstrate that love every day. Inconceivable!

I don't mind the commercialism of Valentine's Day. I'll never succumb to it, so it doesn't bother me.



What does bother me is the focus on men as those instigating demonstrations of love on the 14th of February. There is such a focus on men throughout our culture, yet it seems to reach a high point of scrutiny during this day. Gender expectation is a reasonable description of such things.

As a man, I'm generally fine with such expectations. And as a romantic, I know full well that it'll typically be me who'll organize a trip for my presently unknown but spectulated future wife and I to London and propose to her in the heart of Trafalgar Square as friends and family surround us. (I really love that ...what was it, Mastercard?...commercial.) Yet the intense scrunity on men to "perform" in heterosexual relationships (I know not enough about the dynamics with gay couples though I sincerely doubt it's too different to avoid exclamations of: "You never remember anything!") just ticks me off.

Perhaps men as a collective deserve the scrutiny as emotionally shallow and unavailable creatures who want to fuck, grunt, eat, and sleep. (The grunting thing just weirds me out.) Because, of course, all women are emotionally deep and completely available. These are such sweeping terms which is likely a disservice to the trifling point I'm attempting to make.

Regardless, here it is. I'd love for a man and a woman to be together, both of whom are romantics in the sense that they show their love. [Man and Man, Woman and Woman, what have you] I'd love for a wife to wake up her husband with a day planned with some wicked cool stuff. Not just on Valentine's day. Preferably not, actually. And the guy too.

This seems pointless.

I think it sucks that men are required on this day to demonstrate their love.

I think it sucks that most men do actually need to be required.

I think it sucks that the relationships of today's world are so fucked that we have days set aside for couples to concentrate on themselves.

Every day should be that, eh?

Or at least every night, when two people share a bed of rest and peace. Where's the true love?

*Yes, I quoted Hanson.

**I thought to post this on Valentine's Day. But what the hell.

I am Such a...

...slut for beautiful women.

I really am.

Actually, I'm a slut for people who talk nicely. You give me a smile, some perkiness, and an air of reasonable intelligence.

I just get all giddy.

Being pretty doesn't hurt.

Neither does being nice.

I like nice people.

Danish Cartoons

For my benefit, at least:





Definitely inflammatory, both equally so. Yet, I look at those cartoons and I think: "great point."

Religiously insensitive.

But great point.

Just Shut Up

Think these guys are singing the theme song to Duck Tales? No, I don't believe they are, either.

I'm going to make a very strange and probably very dangerous connection here. Yet it's in my mind, I need some space to flex it.

The world wide response to the Muslim violence over the Danish cartoons defacing Muhammad are tantamount to the pacifism expressed by Chamberlain and the rest of Europe in the face of Hilter's war machine as it swept into Poland. Europe's inability to check Hitler led to annihilation of millions (despite what Tehran says). I believe we have as much to fear of the world's inability to check the fundamentalist/extremist reaction by Muslims - if only ideologically.

Those practicing Islam have every right to demand respect be shown to their religion. It is theirs to demand. The cartoons (which I admittedly have not seen yet have heard described) were in bad taste. I think it is true that America and the West are very desensitized to attacks on religion (and there attacks). I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing we are so numb to it, but it is there. If nothing else, those of the Muslim faith should have been united in a calm reflection about how apart they are from society.

Oh, but they have.

They've done it with rocks, protests, and fire. A baptism by fire is one in which ignorant eyes are awakened unto the truth by force and trial. I believe the world is beginning to experience such a baptism by fire. Not from Islam (what we are lead to believe as the real faith of Islam) or from Muhammad. Rather, from this sense of free reign given to every facet of Islam, including if not especially the radical sects. The world saw havoc (a bit, or a lot, depending on perspective) when the Bush chariot was given no hindrance. I think it not a stretch of the imagination that as Islam is being virtually bowed to by the media and even governments, it too shall reek some havoc.

Given free reign, any religion will fall off the edge of reason and humanity (I know the irony of using such a word). The varieties of paganism experienced such throughout the world's history. As has Christianity and Islam. Yet while the world seems to have a strict hold on Christianity (in professing ideology, at least), Islam has been left free (with admitted pockets of needed intolerance in Britain and unusual intolerance in France).

Every government has the right to rule its people as it wishes. Hopefully by the will of the people too, but, "Hey, can't promise that." What no government has the right to do is exert it's will upon another's without consequence. Indeed, a condemnation of the Bush administration. Yet also a condemnation of what so many of the states of Islam are clamoring for. They demand nothing of their religion be desecrated. And, I don't know, I rather get the sense that they'll kill to ensure the demand is met. Or, at least, they'll burn stuff.

Those pyromaniacs.

This all weirds me out greatly. About as much as the actions of President Bush.

I realise that moderate Muslims (seeing a link to moderate Christians?) condemn the violence spurred by the cartoons as much as the cartoons themselves; as much as they even condemn the acts of terrorism in their god's name. Thank God for them. Yet it is not the Moderates that are marching, some in the millions, and instigating violence. It is the poor, the disenfranchised, those so easily manipulated for in entire breadth of history. I really have not a doubt that all of the rage in the Muslim world is playing right into the hands of those who would gladly see the West go up in flame.

Visions of Dune and flame keep running through my head.

I'm not scared of a Muslim world. I am afraid of a Muslim world birthed through fire.

Talk, peace, dialogue - a nuclear treaty with Tehran.

Please, talk.

I'm a Toys-R-Us Kid

Yes indeed I am, homeboys and homegirls.

You're an 80's kid if:

1. You ever ended a sentence w/ the word "SIKE"
**Never, but I did live through it.

2. You watched Pound Puppies
**I still have two pups!!

3. You can sing the rap to "Fresh Prince of Bel Air"
**Only the first two chords *sigh*

4. You wore biker shorts under your skirts and felt stylish.
**Contrary to popular opinion, never wore skirts.

5. You yearned to be a member of the babysitters club and tried to start one.
**I was always intrigued, I must confess.

6. You owned those lil Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
**'Fraid not. Remember the show though.

7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on "Blossom"
**Totally.

8. Two words: M.C.Hammer
**I actually bought his tape! Along with Kris Kross!

9. If you ever watched Fraggle Rock
**HELL YEAH!!

10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars. (HECK YEAH!!!)
**Dude, that's so...uncool.

11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales"
**Only the first few chords, again...*double sigh*

12. It was actually worth getting up on Sat morning to watch cartoons
**Yeah!!

13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head
**Never, though I confess to a rat tail.

14. You saw "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the big screen
**Went for a birthday party, had shirts made!

15. You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class.
**I rented a computer from school and played it.

16. You had a clip that held your shirt in a knot at the side
**Que?

17. You played the game MASH (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
**I still don't know how those things work.

18. You wore a Jordache jean jacket and you were proud of it
**What the hell is Jordache?

19. L.A. Gear... need I say more
**The bane of my childhood.

20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in kindergarten
**Double Que?

21. You remember all of the Ramona books
**Triple Que?

22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
**Damn skippy homeboy.

23. You wanted to be a Goonie
**My saturday morning ritual, with a pop tart!

24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing (some head to toe)
**Dude, now that really is gay.

25. You can remember what Michael Jackson REALLY looked like
**He reminds me of a teddy bear now, with a poppable button nose.

26. You ever wondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf
**I only know she was hot.

27. You took lunch pals to school
**That was beneath me even then.

28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets
**Definitely!

29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence
**I'm sorry, no.

30. Barbie and the Rockers were your fav band
**Not quite squire.

31. You thought She-Ra and He-Man should hook up
**He-Man still gives me goosebumps.

32. You thought your childhood friends would never leave you b/c you
exchanged friendship bracelets
**I'm thinking this is made for girls.

33. You ever owned a pair of jelly shoes (and probably in neon colors)
**Colour me convinced.

34. After Pee-Wee's Big Adventures you kept saying "I know you are but what am I"
**Guilty as charged.

35. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
**Funnily enough, no, I don't.

36. You remember skating before inline skates
**I do, frighteningly.

37. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip-n-slide
**Pecans are deadly under those things.

38. You had a Skip-it
**Never "got" it.

39. You had or attended a b-day party at McDonalds
**Burger King, honkie. McD's is ghetto.

40. You've gone thru this nodding your head in agreement
**Giggling, actually.

41. "Don't worry, Be happy!"
**I think he was the one who inspired my bare feet.

42. You wore like 8 pair of socks over tights w/ high top reeboks
**Yet again, this is so girly.

43. You wore socks scrunched down
**I did, but honestly, not in a girly way.

44. "Miss MARY MACK MACK MACK all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK"
**This has something to do with jump rope, right?

45. Boom boxes vs. Cd players
**My parents had the sound system of all sound systems. I didn't need no stinkin' boom box.

46. Both Gremlin movies
**Late night TV.

47. "CARE BEAR STARE!"
**Freakin' A! I carry around a care bears lunch box, for pete's sake!

48. You remember Rainbow Bright and My Lil Pony Tales
**Only from my dreams.

49. You thought Doogie Howser was hot!
**Too skinny, man.

50. Alf, the furry brown alien from Melmac
**I still firmly believe he's real.

51. New Kids On the Block when they were cool
**I hated them then as much as I do now.

52. Knew all the characters and there life stories on the ORIGINAL Saved by the Bell
**The one in middle school?

53. Know all the words to Bon Jovi- SHOT THRU THE HEART
**I only came to know of this "Bon Jovi" when I turned 17.

54. You just sang it to yourself
**Never.

55. You remember when Mullets were cool
**Even back then so bloody gay.

56. You tight rolled your pants
**Once, because I completely misjudge the weather.

57. You owned a banana clip
**And we end with girly?! For shame!

Oh, I enjoyed that immensely. I did, I did, I did.

Worst Superbowl

I don't really expect too much from champsionship games (including series). It is a rare, rare thing for the two best divisional teams to meet in their respective ultimate games. So many things can happen from the beginning of the playoffs to the end that the uncertainty of the season is mirrored for us, albiet in a much shorter form. There are truly very few great championship games. Of note, the last few games yielding a sparkling ring that interested me were 1997-98 Bulls/Jazz saga, the 1996 Braves/Yankees ("They have surmounted every challenge, they have climbed every mountain..." - John Sterling), and the 2002 Patriots/Rams.



This game, as the pinnacle of pinnacles, sucked.

Saying that, I don't think it was a bad game. There were some truly great plays. All of them involving the Steelers, of course. No surprise there, they did win. However, I can count those great plays on one hand without using all of my fingers. Some argue that great football isn't about great plays. They define great as in huge 40 yard gambits. Sure, great plays include the gob-smackers. But great plays are also the smaller, consistent yard chewers exemplified and manifested by teams reaching 15 plus first yards per game. And hot damn if both the Steelers and the Seahawks didn't do anything to promote what good football looks like.

Neither team deserved to win the Superbowl, of all things. Ben Roethlisberger was inconsolable after the game? So he should have been. He played pathetically...for the most part. That's the incredible thing, there were two or three plays out of Ben which were reminiscent of his amazing performaces in the past 3 games. And here, there was almost nothing to give credit to the Steelers for winning the most recognizable sports tribute in the world (apart from the Olympic medals).

I believe history will have to look at the Steelers' overall performance in the playoffs in order justify their win in Superbowl 40. And so they should, even if this was the greatest Superbowl in history. The Steelers got to Detroit the hard way and deserved every accolade based on that alone. It's just too bad that the Pittsburg Steelers' 5th Superbowl title came in such a lackluster way.

I was so surprised at the lack of emotion on the field as the last seconds of the Superbowl ticked away. Sure, everyone on the Steelers looked happy. I loved the grin of Bill Cowers. Even the Steeler fans looked a bit happy. But everything else was just so...................uninspired. I was happy to see Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward and Cowers have their moment. I was thrilled to watch some incredible plays (and incredible blocks) unfold. But, overall, the game disappointed even the least bit of expectation.

Also....

What the hell was up with Mike Holgren after the game?

Did no one else see Bill Cowers waiting in the middle of the field in order to shake Holgren's hand? Cowers waited for near enough 5 minutes before the camera, after focusing on his rather impatient scowl, cut to commericial and came back to watch the set up of the stage for the presentation. I have seen nothing in the media about this, which may very mean Holgren was simply delayed and the two head coaches met off camera. Of course that would only point to shoddy camera work - which I wouldn't disbelieve as those idiots missed Bill Cowers standing under a deluge of gatorade.

Really, I was just thoroughly unimpressed.

Go Steelers anyway.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

First, my mother gave Seus' classic on my graduation from High School.

And now I had it read to me by the ever-sexy Harrison Ford, Roger Staubach, Bart Starr, Franco Harris, Jerry Rice, and Joe Mantana. (That it?)

That's just so flippin' cool.

Time for football!

That's Destiny

Steve Young's father's name is Grit.

GRIT

Sometimes, the plath you are to tread is really not left to question.

Super Saturday

Is it weird that when I think of Super Saturday, I not only think of the Saturday before the Super Bowl but also Slalom? I think that's because the huge Slalom races are called the Super G. That's the only connection I can find between the two. And that was after a day of mulling it over and 2 seconds seriously searching my mind. Weird stuff man.

I'm about the close the lab I work at. It's strange, people never know what time the lab closes. Don't people check on these things? Perhaps not. I suppose I cannot expect people to freak out about knowing every little detail when going somewhere. Bastards.

Apparently listening to an I-pod more than 20 seconds a day seriously increases hearing loss. HAH!

I believe I'm here just out of guilt and shame after reading the glories of Andrew's blog. He's just so freakin' cool.

Viking bastard.

February

3 months and 4 days until I graduate.

That is one scary fucking thought.

On a brighter note, we do actually appear to be experience some winter weather. It's nice, to be reminded that the earth hasn't completely flipped its axis. Positive reinforcement on the simple fact that we all won't die from floods, heat stroke, or the new ice age any time soon. Safe and sound for at least today. I can handle that. One step at a time, baby steps my friends. But eyes at all times, you never know when the unexpected comes.

Like Global Warming!!

(I love South Park. No one can deny my devotion. Huzzah! <- Imagine a rather manic voice there, and not the chippy English voice I do so enjoy.)

Kaine's Got the Goose

Why the hell isn't this fellow the Democratic front runner for the 2008 race? I know the damn thing isn't for another 3 more years, but come on, Ms. Thing and Mr. Wood are already campaigning. Let's get someone representing the Democratic party whom people actually like.

Governor Tim Kaine gave the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address Tuesday night, and I was gobsmacked. I caught Kaine's speech quite by hapstance as I was just curious to see if I could see someone like Teddy going off against "the Right." Teddy always puts on a good show (see: Monday). I was on the one hand saddened by the lack of Teddy, yet quite heartened, on the other, to see a logical, compassionate response given by Kaine. The theme of "there's a better way" was fantastic, the best response out of a Democratic to Bush that I've heard. Period.

The one unfortunate facet about Kaine's speech is that I am suddenly expecting a lot more from the Democratic party. And I know I won't get it. Of course, I declare the same thing about Bush. I was profoundly delighted to hear many of the divets of Bush's speech. Yet now I except so much, with the sad understanding I won't be satisfied at all. Bush has repeated his assertions that Ammerican needs to kick the oil habit for 5 years without any success. That makes the hippy in my heart quite punchy. And the Indian in me just shed a tear. And the clown inside my brain just had his frown turned upside down. Twice! So many words, so little action.

Or just stupid action.

From both parties.

I would love to see: 1) Republicans working with Democrats and bowing out of the God complex I'm starting to see more often. 2) Democrats refusing to bend to the wealthy elitists who seem to run their party (hey, Republicans could stop doing that too!)

I'd also be pumped to see a guy like Kaine suddenly finding himself with huge numbers of supporters. Not because he's the best, or is the most conceptually conservative Democratic. But because we need someone who can handle the damn goose! Look at the way his hands are wrapped around that lifeless neck. Tender yet firm. I like a man with good hands. (Geez.) Go Kaine!