The Week Grab-Bag: The Football is Back Version

I'm excited cuz the NFL is back in business as of this past Thursday night. I was able to watch some football action today cuz I didn't leave my room very often. I had a relaxing, yet productive day today. But I'll get to today later. It's been a week since I posted (you'll see why) and I'm worried that it might become a pattern. My week is so action-packed that Sunday seems to be the only possible day for me to post. Unless, of course, you want me to get even less sleep. You wouldn't want that would ya? Well I'll get you some good stuff here at least. I should be studying for my first Biology test (it's tomorrow - I'm screwed even if I study) but I'm gonna post on my blog instead. Call me crazy. . .

Alright, here we go. Enjoy the non-chronological goodness:

- So, the NFL season has begun. This of course means that the football pool is back as well. I struggled a bit early-on, but I have come on strong this afternoon, taking the last six games. I'm sitting at 9-5 with two games left (tomorrow night) and, considering how I started, I couldn't be happier. I've always said if I can win ten games a week that I'll be just fine. One out of two tomorrow will get me there. Wish me luck (or just root for Washington and San Diego). . . And do I have any Super Bowl picks? Well, I guess I should, huh? Well, before this week's action, I liked Carolina (they picked up Keyshawn Johnson to go along with the best receiver in the league, Steve Smith) and Chicago (they got QB Rex Grossman back from a bad injury last year and that defense is still, in my opinion, the best out there) in the NFC and Indianapolis (how you can you go wrong with Peyton Manning as your QB?) and Cincinnati (Carson Palmer is back like you wouldn't believe - this is my "favorite" team at the moment cuz of Carson) in the AFC. I don't believe in the bandwagon teams from Miami (Culpepper is not that good everyone! However, I think Chris Chambers is the most unsung WR in the game) and Dallas (T.O. is a poison). Watch out for the Jaguars (Leftwich is awesome and I like their coach a lot), Patriots (you can never count out Mr. Brady), and Giants (Eli's getting better and I love Tiki Barber!). And what about the defending champs, Pittsburgh Steelers? Well they won without Roethlisberger in their first game (he had to have an emergency appendectomy) and once he gets back, you better watch out. . . SO! All that to say, I have no idea who is gonna be playing in Miami at Super Bowl XLI. But here's my best guess: Cincinnati and Chicago. And the victor? Let's just say it will feel like Super Bowl XX after all is said and done! Hey, don't judge. It's called a PREDICTION!!!

- So I used today to catch up (kinda) on my schoolwork. I completed my prelabs for my LAB tomorrow, edited both of my articles for THE EXAMINER (the movie reviews you read here first - they're better now - and the article I did on Dr. Jaffe), and also did my first Thought Piece for my online Psychology class. The only thing pressing for tomorrow is my Bio test. I have a study guide and everything, but I'm very pessimistic about this class. I am so bad at science. I know that's a bad attitude, but I don't care. My goal in that class is a "B". Here's hoping I can pull that one off.

- I had a (enter most descriptive adjective possible here) day with Heather on Friday. While there, we went to a place called ISLANDS for lunch (it was a Hawaiian bbq kinda place), saw HOLLYWOODLAND (the first of my top 40 that I have seen - review will appear in a bit), watched FRIENDS episodes, and ate dinner at CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN (we waited for about a half hour there - no one is better to wait with than my Heather). We also found a little arcade place next to the movie theatre and spent some time in there playing games. Um, so the review: Well, I really wanted to see it (it was 19th out of 40 on my PREVIEW). Ben Affleck was really good, Adrien Brody was surprisingly likeable (I usually don't like him in films), and Diane Lane was, well, she was weird. The film was more about Brody's detective then about George Reeves, which was interesting. Actually, because of Brody's performance, it didn't bother me. And the grade? Well, I've thought of a new way to get a more exact grade for my films. I'm going to base my grade on a score of 50 and then double it to get a percentage. That percentage will fit into a normal grade scale (90-100 is an A, 80-89 is a B and so on). The things that make up the 50 "points", if you will, are overall quality, rewatchability, purpose-fulfilling (simply put, that one is if it's a dumb comedy aimed at teenage guys, does it do what it's supposed to for the dumb teenage guys?), acting, and discuss-worthiness (does it warrant any discussion at all besides "It was ok", "Terrible", or "What the Hell!?!?"). All those are out of 10 points. So, for example, HOLLYWOODLAND gets the following report card:

HOLLYWOODLAND:
Overall Quality - 7
Rewatchability - 5
Purpose-Fulfilling - 8
Acting - 8
Discuss-Worthiness - 7
TOTAL - 35

So, we double that score and you get a 70, which by the books gives us a (C-). I might have given it a C+ by the old scale, but I'm gonna go with this new scale. I might rework the other films I have reviewed this year to give them new grades. In my free time, of course :D

- I miss playing Poker, so I'm gonna play some Party Poker tonight. I'm signed up for a tournament that has almost 2500 people in it right now. My best results in tourneys like this one are out of 5570 players I finished 50th and then out of 3900 I finished 81st. Good stuff, no? Well we'll see how this one goes. . .

- I bought the new AUDIOSLAVE cd (it's good for you fans of the band - get it if you like AUDIOSLAVE) and the new RAY LAMONTAGNE cd (he is one of my new favorite performers - thanks again Zach Braff!). I also bought Heather the 2nd season of LOST so she can catch up with one of her favorite shows (the disadvantage of not having cable).

- School is starting to get the best of me. I'm already struggling with keeping up with all of that, plus the two jobs. It's only been three weeks. Shoot. . .

Well, I will definitely try to post throughout the week. I should get to studying. . . Ha!

- - - Buy the RAY LAMONTAGNE CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodnight, and goodnight,

JUSTIN