The Just Plain Funny (and the Awesome!)

In the wake of another downer of a post (Monday's Return of the Ass of the Week) I figured I would bring you a series of pictures, links, videos, and other fun multimedia forms to make you either smile, laugh, or both! I do hope you enjoy, because I did, and that's the only reason that I would put them out there in front of you. . .

The Just Plain Funny

- Jack Nicholson is in favor of Hillary Clinton? The tape doesn't lie. . .



- This little girl is the cutest and thinks that STAR WARS is actually pretty simple to understand. Just watch it. And just remember: Darth Vader will getcha!


- Although it has been said that it was an accident (not by Kobe himself, but by analysts of the following clip), I still think this video is hilarious because it contributes to the theory that Kobe Bryant is one of the biggest (fill in the blank) in the NBA.




- This summer is going to be one of the best summers for comedies ever (which I will preview by the end of April)! Among the titles vying for best of the best are PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (Seth Rogen and James Franco), FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (Judd Apatow-produced), ZACH AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (new Kevin Smith film), STEP BROTHERS (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly) and one that I will highlight right now, TROPIC THUNDER, which stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr, who plays, wait for it, an actor trying to earn himself the accolades of moviegoers by playing a black man. Don't believe me:



O YES!!!!! I can't wait for this summer!!!

- Don't say white guys can't play defense. Thanks Kyle Korver! (Photo Credit: David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)


The Awesome

- My all-time favorite basketball player is running for mayor of Sacramento. I have Kevin Johnson's jersey hanging up in my room. I acted as him many a day in the hallway of our old house in Lancaster as I performed entire SUNS games. And he is an incredibly upstanding, go-get-em type guy that I hope has a long future in the world of politics, because I think he can change things for the good (he is hoping to bring some light to the ghetto-type areas of our state's capital). Go get em KJ! And it also gives me a chance to show this video again. . . Eat it Hakeem!

- - -


I'll be back soon with another fun post like this. I like doing them because it brings what I find on the internet to you! Hope you enjoyed at least one of these things!!!

Until later,

Rumors, Reminiscing, Rewatchability, and Ridiculousness

Hello Hello Hello!!!

Wow a week goes by just like that (I'm not sure what "that" is, but the week went by like it)! It's crazy!

It is Wednesday night and I had a three hour nap this evening (from 5-8) so at the moment I am quite awake. So I'll get some thoughts off my chest, let you know how my weekend was (if I can even remember that far back), and also let you in on a few things.

So away we go. . .

First off, it would not be me without some sort of mention of all of the NBA trade rumors surrounding my beloved Phoenix Suns. With one of the deepest drafts in years being tomorrow, many teams are trying to position themselves to pick up a player that can help right away or be a part of a future plan. The other option is to make a blockbuster trade for a crafty veteran that can maybe put a team over the top. Well we have been rumored to do a little bit of both. . .

Apparently, the Suns worked out top-10 prospects Jeff Green, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer (the most perfect fit for our system!) even though they only have the 24th and 29th picks in the first round. I'm not a math whiz or anything but that makes no sense. However, the humdrum around the league is that we want to package some sort of collection of veterans (Kurt Thomas, most likely) and our two picks to someone in the top 10 (most likely Charlotte at 8).

However, the much bigger news was that The Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett, has requested to make a move to the warm weather city of Phoenix. As much as I love KG (and I always have!), I do not do not do not (hint: I DO NOT!) want to give up Amare in a potential trade. Why would we give up a 24-year-old future KG for a 31-year-old KG? People are saying that because our MVP is getting up there in age, that our window of opportunity to win is closing. Now, that might be true, but what about the 5-10 years after Nash retires? Amare is our future and he is who we will build our team around in the years A.N. (After Nash). The one trade rumor was us sending Amare to the Hawks who would send their Numbers 3 and 11 draft picks to Minnesota (who already own the number 7) who would send us KG (we would also send Kurt Thomas to Minny). This trade has apparently been thwarted, but not by us. . . Although we have apparently not even spoken to either of these teams, except to say, "Sure, we would like KG."

And that's the problem with all of this hustle and bustle. What is actually going to come to pass, and what is just plain crap that ESPN is feeding us to get us all excited? If I'm recently hired General Manager Steve Kerr, the only trade I make for KG is the one that sends the unhappy Shawn Marion, the old reliable Kurt Thomas, and those draft picks (maybe even our pick we get from Atlanta next year) to Minnesota (or a third team involved in the trade) for Mr. Garnett. If we can roll out a lineup of NASH, BELL, DIAW, GARNETT, and STOUDEMIRE with BARBOSA, JAMES JONES, and maybe COREY BREWER coming off the bench (if we make that Charlotte trade) then I think we are better off than last year. But that's just me. . . What do I know?

On to real life - - -

So my last week has been essentially made up of two things: Basketball and Work. I have begun working out again in the gym (not 24-Hour or anything like that) at my old stomping grounds, Desert Christian. My coach, Mr. Thomas, has graciously allowed me to utitilize the vacant basketball gym as my own personal house of basketball. Romique has been joining me, which is good, because he is better than I am (obviously) and playing against better players will only make me better. I have been spending almost two hours a day in the gym, taking shots, running laps, and working on triple-threat moves. It feels good, to be sure. I missed playing on a consistent basis, and now it is back in my life. I can't tell you how great it feels to actually feel myself improving and growing more confident. Two days ago, I hit 57 out of 100 three-pointers from the top of the key, my sweet spot. Granted, I was unguarded (Rome was not there that day), but that's still a great percentage. My moves are getting faster (I had certainly lost a step) and I'm trying to get back into some sort of shape. It is all in an effort to potentially try to walk on to the team at Cal State Northridge when I head there this Fall.

Here is the kicker: Say I somehow make the team. Even if I'm a bench warmer, how do I pass up the opportunity to play college basketball? Division I! How? I don't see myself saying no. . . So, how do I work? I guess I don't. So what of my promotion (less than two weeks from my interview)? I don't know. What of my living arrangement? There is no way that I drive down to CSUN every day for practice (plus my desired schedule is 4-10 on Monday and 2-10 on Tuesday so what if practice is at 5 pm every day. . .). It just sounds complicated and now I'm getting discouraged and nothing has even happened yet . . . Go figure

But it would be an absolute dream-come-true to play basketball at a higher level. Can you imagine playing in front of a packed house with thousands of cheering fans? I CAN! I have ever since I could throw a mini-basketball into my Phoenix Suns hamper! I'm just gonna take all this in stride. Whatever happens, happens. I'll make it work. Rome is actually more confident in me than I am at this point, but I'm getting there. I keep thinking "Hey, I'm a 5'8'' white guy with no true athletic abilities (it's all learned) and just a desire to be around a little orange ball and a 10-foot tall hoop."

But, again, who knows? . .

As I was at the park last week (Marie Kerr, to be exact) I sat and watched a young boy playing basketball with his dad. The kid was probably 8ish and they appeared to be playing 21, the ultimate 1-on-1 game. Essentially, it is just like playing 1-on-1 but after you make a basket you get up to 3 free throws. You make them all, you get the ball back. You miss one, the ball is live. First to 21 points wins. Simple, right? Well, my dad and I played hours and hours of this game back when I was that age and we still talk about some of the great clashes that we had back in the day (including my comeback to win after being down 19-2 :D ). I miss those games greatly actually. After I got to high school, we kinda stopped playing (both because my dad's knees often threatened to completely give out and both of our schedules were ridiculous). At this point, I don't know if we could still play against one another, if he even wanted. I am not cocky by any stretch, but I'm curious as to how that game would play out. . . I also wonder if Caleb will be able to enjoy similar memories. I think so. He will actually probably have double the memories because he will have the games against me as well - - -

Moving onto a couple things that I found interesting, ridiculous, or both - - -

- On tonight's episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, they ran a piece about two relatively new websites. One is called Conservapedia, an informational website exactly like the famous Wikipedia, except with a Conservative slant ("the conservative encyclopedia you can trust" - - is this anything like FoxNews? Fair AND Balanced, right?). Apparently they think that the world of average Joe is biased in ways that they don't like (I mean, really, why else would the site be created?). Consider the page for homosexuality - - - On Wikipedia, it is described as referring to "both sexual behavior and sexual attraction between people of the same gener or to a sexual orientation." True. Now on Conservapedia (besides the insanity of its existence, why that as a title!?!?) it is described as "an immoral sexual lifestyle between members of the same sex. It is more than simply a sexual act, it is going beyond the boundaries that God has setup for marriage; one man and one woman." Also true (mostly). Now whether or not you agree with homosexuality (I have delved into this issue before when Brokeback Mountain was released - PART ONE and PART TWO - but here I go again) will cause you to read this differently. My family will read this and nod in agreement. I know many of my friends will join in that response. I, on the other hand, have to shake my head. What is coming of things nowadays? Someone disagrees with a website's attempt at giving freedom of expression on all topics (literally - try to find something not covered by those Wiki Guys and Gals) and has to throw in religion. There is a religion section in the Wikipedia page on homosexuality where it discusses the viewpoints of several religions. That's not enough? These Republicans (of which I am not, but my entire family is - I'm a registered Independent) had to go 700 CLUB (ummm. . . .yeah. . .) on us all and throw out their two cents. . .

However. . .

I don't necessarily mind that site when compared to QUBETV, a “conservative version of YouTube." This website takes videos from YOUTUBE (a lot of the videos are actually links to the same video on YT) and also posts videos that are either direct slams of the Democratic party or praises of the Republican party and its hosts (such as the always cordial Ann Coulter. . .). This baffles me. Why on earth is this necessary? And more importantly (to use an old adage) why the hell cant we all just get along?!?! The 2008 Presidential Election (As well as the primaries leading up to the election) is just going to be one giant shit-flinging fest. Whoever can have the most shit flung on them without keeling over is the victor. That's it. (And a quick note on The Daily Show: I always hear conservative pundits claiming its bias towards the liberal Left. However, they mock the Demorcrats just as much when ridiculous things are said - which is often - or when incompetency rampages on - more often than not). And yes, most of the national media seems to lean towards a liberal bias - which apparently justifies FoxNews' ridculously far Right bias - but could that possibly be because the United States is leaning a little left after so many feel that this administration has failed them? I seriously cannot understand how divided this country is. . . Well I do, but I just don't know why it got that way.

The interesting thing is this: I believe that the only people who read this are members of my family and friends who are strong Republicans and will disagree mightily with my above dissertation. . . O how I yearn for a large audience. . .

On a lighter note (well, less political at least), I rewatched the first LORD OF THE RINGS movies with Aimee this week. She has never seen them and recently read The Hobbit, the prequel to the trilogy, and became more interested. So we watched the first film and she really seemed to enjoy it. . . And I think I enjoyed it more this time too. We watched it in two parts, stopping it at the halfway mark the first night. It works as two 90 minute films and the rewatchability rate on this film is quite high. The RINGS films are still not THE trilogy (to steal a line from Randal from CLERKS 2 "There is only one RETURN, and that is of the JEDI!") but they are certainly interesting films. True, they are just nine hours about walking (Randal again: "Even the trees in those movies walked!") but they work on that level.

I would continue on about some recent customer troubles I've had at the FL (funny stories!), some thoughts on the soon-to-be-released IPHONE (no, I'm not getting out a loan for it), and also some Entertainment recommendations, but I've rambled enough for the night.

I have off tomorrow as well (my days off are usually back-to-back) so I'll try to post those odds and ends then. . .

Until then, sleep well and please please please please please please COMMENT! I'm talking more to friends than family (cuz family is all that comments - - ). . .

I would appreciate it :)

Thanks - - - And good night.

The Week (Plus a Weekend) Grab-Bag:The Nearing the Finish Line Version

What's new, Ramblees? (Yeah, I don't really like that title either - - sorry)

So a lot has gone on over the last week (and a weekend!), hence the non-blogging. I apologize. . .

But now I'll catch you up as best I can (plus, I'll throw in some good old fashioned Insightful Insights along the way. . .)

Enjoy the as-always non-chronological goodness:

- So, the real Finish Line? Yeah, it's going pretty good. The training is going as planned and it looks like things can move forward in the next two weeks. The training is done through modules on the store computer and there are 40 or so to complete before you can go through the interview process for the A.M. position. The kicker is that you can only do six per day for some reason, so I have been doing six of these things every day that I work. It takes about an hour, so that is an easy hour at work, you could say. I have completed 30 I think (not sure off the top of my head) and I have three days' worth of 'em left over. I worked a lot this week (over 30 hours, actually) so I was able to get a bunch done. My GM (his name is Jose - now you know) told me that once I finish them all that he is gonna send me to the Northridge store (Future foreshadowing??? I hope!) to do my final training with the GM there. I'm crazy nervous about that, actually. I would hate to go through all this and then not be competent enough to be considered worthy of the job. . . Hmmm. I don't want to think about that. Well, anyway, I've been really tired this weekend cuz I was at work at 0600 on both Saturday and Sunday (yesterday and today) to prepare (Sat.) and do (Sun.) inventory. It happens quarterly I believe and it's quite a lengthy process, so I helped out with that. Busy week at the ol' FL. . .

- Heather is all moved in to her new apartment now. I was able to go down there Wednesday night and it's really nice. It is a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a washer/dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher, fireplace, two balconies, and more. It's great! It just makes me long for the day that either a) I can move out myself and/or b) I get to get an apartment with Heather. It's so far away!!! I'm being very impatient. I am so very jealous of Heather and her ability to live on her own. I am o so ready to try my hand at it, but I have no way to do it right now. The promotion will help, but I will still require a roommate and those are hard to come by, seeing that I will be extremely picky. I don't want just anyone from anywhere. I want someone I know and trust and won't kill me (or me kill them!). That's not that much to ask. . . Either way, I have even been considering moving out in the Antelope Valley. However, that wouldn't work so well with the whole "saving up money for the future" thing so that's kind of out the question too. Maybe. Who knows. . .

- I have seen a couple movies in the last week or so and one was a surprisingly fantastic comedy, while the other was a predictably overblown sequel. The latter was of course the third PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN film, which I absolutely hated. I think I would give it a D, which would place it just above GHOST RIDER and under TMNT on my 2007 rankings. I would call that a failure. . . I don't even want to talk about it any more. . . However, I got a chance to see a sneak preview down at ARCLIGHT last Wednesday for the upcoming (August 17th) comedy SUPERBAD, which was written by KNOCKED UP star Seth Rogen. It was HILARIOUS! I gave it an A. It was so immaturely mature, if that makes any sense whatsoever. I don't recommend it for any of my family (that is for damn sure!) but college guys are gonna love this film! A cool thing too was that the star of the film, Jonah Hill (he co-stars in KNOCKED UP as well) was just two rows in front of us (I went with Justin, Manny, and Jenn)! It was interesting to watch him laugh at the scenes that he acted in - he seemed like a pretty cool guy. Anyway, fantastic flick - you heard it here first (literally!).

- I have to mention this whole Kobe fiasco in the NBA. So he wants to be traded, huh? Well from talking to a few Laker fans, they want him to go with all the crap that he's relayed upon them through this offseason. So I've come up with 10 trade possibilities that work with salaries (and, I believe, for both teams potentially) thanks to the ESPN Trade Machine. . . (it's in order from least likely to most likely and the teams in bold are the three teams that Kobe himself has said that his list contains - - - it's true)

Enjoy:

10. Kobe to Boston for Al Jefferson, Paul Pierce, and Gerald Green and the 5th Pick in the 2007 Draft

9. Kobe to Seattle for Ray Allen, Nick Collison and the 2nd Pick in the 2007 Draft

8. Kobe to Washington for Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Darius Songalia, and the 16th Pick in the 2007 Draft

7. Kobe and the 19th Pick in the 2007 Draft to Portland for Zach Randolph, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, and the 1st Pick in the 2007 Draft

6. Kobe to Golden State for Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and the 18th Pick in the 2007 Draft

5. Kobe to Atlanta for Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and the 11th Pick in the 2007 Draft

4. Kobe to New York for Channing Frye, David Lee, Jamal Crawford, and Quentin Richardson

3. A Three-Way Trade: Kobe and Troy Murphy to Chicago; Jermaine O'Neal, Luol Deng, and Ben Gordon to Los Angeles, and Ben Wallace, Kwame Brown, Vladimir Radmonovic, and the 9th Pick in the 2007 Draft to Indiana

2. Kobe and Vladimir Radmonovic to Phoenix for Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Marcus Banks, and an unprotected first round pick in the 2008 Draft

1. Kobe and Sasha Vujacic to Chicago for Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and the 9th Pick in the 2007 Draft

What do you think? NBA execs, you heard them here first!!! (That three-way trade is the best all-around deal for all three teams - it's nearly perfect if I do say so myself)

- I'm off to CSUN tomorrow for my academic advisement, which is very exciting! Wish me luck!

Well that's it for right now - - -

I'll post more this week - - -

Until then,

Adios

The 2007 NBA Playoffs:The Way It Should Have Been

So I was at the park shooting around this afternoon with Leshin and we were talking about everything from the upcoming NBA draft to potential off-season trades (sorry Leshin - I don't think JO will put you over the top haha). We also started talking about the way that the NBA Playoffs could have been fixed. . .

You see, the playoffs have been absolute crap ever since the Warriors got bounced and the Suns/Spurs series was ended thanks to certain circumstances (I'll refrain from my biased Suns fan rant). We were left with a plain awful Pistons/Cavs series (except for Lebron's take-over game 5) and a cakewalk Spurs/Jazz series. Now it is an easy Finals victory for the Spurs (for those of you who think the Cavs have a chance, well, you're just plain wrong), and NBA fans like myself are left to despise the Finals and watch with one eye closed and the other one halfway so.

So, here is our solution:

We decided that the excitement level would be increased if you put all sixteen playoff teams in one bracket, much like the NCAA tournament. The first round would be a best-of-three (possibly best-of-five) and the second round would be best-of-five. The third round and the Finals would be best-of-seven like always. The set-up would be decided strictly by records. In the words of Leshin, "You win a division, you get a banner - now you gotta win." True statement. I don't like this whole division winner gets top 4 status just because they won a bad division (See: Utah, Miami).

So here is how it would be set-up:

1. DALLAS (67-15)

16. ORLANDO (40-42)

8. CHICAGO (49-33)

9. TORONTO (47-35)

5. HOUSTON (52-30)

12. L.A. LAKERS (42-40)

4. DETROIT (53-29)

13. GOLDEN ST. (42-40)

6. UTAH (51-31)

11. MIAMI (44-38)

3. SAN ANTONIO (58-24)

14. NEW JERSEY (41-41)

7. CLEVELAND (50-32)

10. DENVER (45-37)

2. PHOENIX (61-21)

15. WASHINGTON (41-41)

What first round matchups!!! Detroit and Golden State! Cleveland and Denver! And look at these potential second round matchups: Dallas and Chicago, Phoenix and Cleveland (or Denver for that matter) and more! If Golden State caught fire like they did this year, they could hypothetically make a Finals run! It's amazing!

I still believe that the Spurs would win the whole thing if they could get past the SUNS (again, very biased - - -) but things would be different this time around. . .

SO. . . . . . .

Any thoughts?

I like it!!!

What about you?

The Weekend Grab-Bag: The Things That Suck Version

As much fun as it has been being off of school (and believe me, it has been FANTASTIC not to have to turn anything into any type of teacher!) there are a few things that are irking me. And I just have to let you know about each of them. . .

So here we go, with another installment of the GRAB-BAG series that runs back o so far (by the way, the two year anniversary of A RAMBLER'S RAMBLING is in just two months and I can't believe it!).

So enjoy the as-always non-chronological goodness:

- In ALL honesty, one thing that everyone can agree on as sucking is diarrhea. And in ALL honesty, I have been suffering from said terrible problem the last two days. Not that you really needed to know that, but you gotta KNOW that it sucks. Seriously, why is it that the waste product feels the need to rush out so damn fast? Does it really desire to go from inside me to outside of me in such a hurry that it does not get to know my intestines even a little? Seriously guys, you should meet. Exchange pleasantries. Tell life stories. Whatever. Just hang out a bit longer and maybe band together before you decide to depart from me next time, ok? Thanks.

- Reason Number 86 why my faith in the goodness of anything around here exists: My ever-dancing sister Aimee was at dance practice last week and did a move resulting in her rolling her ankle. Turns out, after an X-ray, that she fractured a bone in her foot and she has to be fitted for one of those walking boot things tomorrow. Not only is her year-end pageant in four weeks (which she will possibly miss - - I think she should try to dance on it that week and see if she can go - she worked too hard all year to just not be able to participate) but she was going to take summer school dance classes at AVC and those begin in just two weeks. It's just ridiculous. The last person on this Earth that deserves to miss out on her passion is my sister. She works too damn hard and wants so much to be a dancer (plus, she is REALLY good!) that I have had to watch her fight back tears all weekend whenever the topic is brought up. Meanwhile, she crutches around the house and is basically playing the waiting game. As a dancer, she was bound to get this injury (or a similar one), but why now? It's just not right, and no one can convince me othewise.

- Death. It sucks. Heather's grandmother Shirley unfortunately passed away last Sunday. I only met her five times (or so) but she was such a wonderful woman. I grew to love her and her fantastic personality after the first lunch I had with her. I was a junior in high school and in over my head in my relationship with Heather. We went to Olive Garden with both Shirley and her husband Bill and the first question I was asked once we sat down was "So what do you want to do with your future?" Bill was already grilling me and I was scared shitless (too bad I cant have that condition now. . .). At the time (and seriously, name me a HS junior who knows exactly what he or she wants to do!) I wanted to be a film critic and so I went with that. Mistake #1. I was told how I should attempt more secure employment opportunities and the like. Bill was looking out for me (and subsequently, his granddaughter) but was also being kinda scary. . . But I remember Shirley smiling at me from across the table and even giving me a wink or two to let me know it was going to be ok and that I was doing ok. . . I hugged her goodbye that day and thanked her again for lunch. She smiled and said anytime and I felt like I had been victorious that day. Not because I had somehow won her gparents over or anything, but because I had met a phenomenal woman. Over the course of our three years together (now almost 3 1/2. . . wow!) we were able to to see them occasionally, but Shirley had been sick the last six to eight months off and on and was the type of lady who had to have everything perfect for a guest to see her or her house. Thus, I did not get to see her. I believe the last time I saw her was after Heather returned from Australia last August. . . But I'm not sure. I had the chance to see her in the hospital the week before she passed away but I couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing this strong, independent woman weak and living through machines. So I passed. Do I regret it? Kinda. But not really. I would rather think of Shirley as the winking, strong, wonderful woman that she was and be thankful for the few meetings that we had. So I guess that makes me a lucky son-of-a-gun. I met Shirley Ann Acuff. And that was an honor.

Shirley Ann Acuff: 11/20/28 - 5/27/07






















- Movies that aren't KNOCKED UP. Well, I don't know about that exactly, but what I do know is that the aforementioned movie is freakin' awesome. Maybe I'll write a formal review (just to keep my writing skills sharp) later on this week, but for now, just know that it is not only ridiculously funny, but it is also very sweet and endearing. . . Another success for Judd Apatow and Company. . .

(Grade: A)

- Distance. Heather's last finals are tomorrow, but it doesn't really matter. She lives in Pomona now, and even if we are able to somehow see each other more than once a week because we are both out of school, it will be under not only quick (not always, but often) but gas-guzzling circumstances (being 90 miles apart is a bit of a problem for cars too). Bleh. I hate being so far apart. . . Summer 2009 is only two years away, but you know what, it is also two freakin' years away! It's so far, yet so close. . .

Damn.

- The NBA Playoffs. I'm so fed up with how the playoffs played out. Not only are the evil San Antonio Spurs in the Finals (they coasted against the Jazz of course) but the god-awful Cleveland Cavaliers are their opponents. My Phoenix Suns would have destroyed the Cavs (just like the Spurs are going to do) and it just means that its another wasted opportunity to bring a championship back to the desert. . . And now, we lost an assistant coach to a head coaching position in Memphis (good for Iavaroni, though) and are also ready to hire Steve Kerr as our new General Manager (replacing Head Coach Mike D'Antoni so he can focus on coaching). I don't know. . . I just have no idea what is going to play out this summer in the NBA. So many players are going to be wearing new colors next year, and it is going to be VERY interesting how it all ends up going down. . . More to come at a later date on all of this.

But that's it for right now - - -

Hope your Monday is better than a usual one (I'm speculating, of course). . .

Because We Like Them So Much

It's been two weeks (well, just about) since a blog and SO MUCH has happened since I posted on Sunday May 6th. I'm gonna do a GRAB-BAG-esque post but it is not a GRAB-BAG. Just so you know :) Enjoy:

- Probably the biggest change that has happened in these two weeks is my age. I am now 20 (about time! . . I had already started telling people I was 20 around town). Is that an accomplishment? No, not really. But I am halfway to 40, so that counts for something I guess. . . It's very hard to believe how fast the time has gone. I was having a late-night dinner thing with Cy last night and I mentioned that we had been friends since 7th grade, which would have made us 13. And honestly, it seems like yesterday that we just met and were making jokes in Mr. Arnett's 1st period English class. But anyway. . . I'm 20 :) Yay for me! One more year til the big 2-1 baby!

- Another thing that's changed is that I will no longer be watching the NBA playoffs. The saddest moment of my year occurred last night when my Suns watched the goddamn Spurs build a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter, only to fight back and lose by 8 points. It was awful. I cried. I really did. I can't explain it, well, not very good at least. The sport of basketball is important to me. It is always there for me. It never lets me down. When I need to think about things, I grab a ball and head out to a court. My dream growing up was always to be a member of the Phoenix Suns and lead them to a championship. It's what I saw in my head when I closed my eyes to sleep. I want only a few things more than for my team to be victorious. I don't believe that there is no bigger fan of the Suns than me. And when they enter the playoffs, that is the time that I hang on their performance even more. And they have never pulled through for me. Ever. We are now at the point of the year where I have to wait until November to even watch them play again. That is a little upsetting. . . Caleb was also crying last night after the buzzer sounded. He was just hoping that "Steve (Nash) was ok" . . . As I hugged Caleb and my eyes were welling up, I asked him why we cared so much. I knew he didn't have the all-encompassing answer, but his response did make sense: "Because we like them so much." It was the sweetest answer he could have conjured up, and after he said it, I hugged him, told him I loved him and he went off to bed. . . I have never felt closer to him. My brother might only be 6 (he will be that old in July) but he already has the heart of a fan. And for that, I am thankful.

- I did officially quit BJ's on Wednesday the 9th. It went well actually. The General Manager Mike actually asked me to stay (not surprising - I assume he wants to keep as many people working there as possible) in some capacity. He offered me an Expo job (they are the guys who talk to the cooks and tell them what food to make, when to put it out, etc.) but I declined. I won't go into the grave details again, but I just didn't want to work that job anymore. My hands are now washed and I am free from that job. Done and done.

- This past Tuesday night I had the greatest non-Heather-involved time in recent memory. After work (I had to work an 1800-close shift at the FL) a guy from work and I went over to BJ's to eat. My buddy Chris (bowling buddy) met us there and then another guy I know from both JC and BJ's joined us once he got off work. We talked about basketball (all-things NBA related) from around 2200 to a little after 0100. It was fantastic. I would discuss it in greater detail but the brilliance of the night was in its all-over-the-place nature. We had a blast (at least I did) and I hope to do it again soon.

- I would post more, but I'm gonna finish with my recent addition to the AVC Examiner. I had to come up with a small article about SPIDER-MAN 3 (don't let my article dissuade you, I actually enjoyed the movie. . .) and I went with something new and fun. It's a loose prose (not poetry, per say) but I really like it. Anyway, here it is (in the article, it is not numbered, but I'm gonna leave them in place - o, and the greatest part of all was the title of the article. . . you'll see!)

A RAMBLER'S RAMBLING: THE SPIDER-MAN 3 VERSION
BY JUSTIN GOTT - SENIOR WRITER

1. Spider-Man 3
2. The web-slinger’s third adventure
3. But is it worth your $10
4. And why are movie tickets so expensive?
5. But I digress
6. So our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. . .
7. The trailers say he is turning evil
8. Fighting himself
9. Don’t we all
10. Peter Parker is a nerd of nerds
11. His girlfriend is a failed actress
12. His best friend wants to kill him
13. Sound familiar?
14. Now black space goo is chasing him
15. I hate when that happens
16. Now a convict has morphed into a giant Sandman (who does look cool)
17. But I have already seen The Mummy
18. $150 million in its first weekend, huh?
19. What’s the national deficit again?
20. I guess Americans like their heroes
21. “I understand him” we think
22. I have two personalities
23. I wear a mask
24. I have powerful enemies (Uncle Sam anyone?)
25. But I don’t have super powers
26. Wish I did
27. But then I would have to fight crime
28. Or commit crimes
29. The film runs 2 ½ hours
30. Why do I have questions?
31. A $250 million budget, huh?
32. A plethora of computer graphics
33. But who got paid to write the script?
34. And who voted for Kirsten Dunst to sing?
35. Or act?
36. Topher Grace is cocky
37. But he is certainly competent
38. Thomas Haden Church broods
39. And avoids being worthless
40. So how can it fail!?!?
41. It has so much going for it
42. Maybe too much
43. Too much hype
44. Too many characters
45. Not enough development
46. Spider-Man 3
47. The famous arachnid man returns
48. Not a complete disappointment
49. Not a total failure
50. But on a Friday night?
51. Keep your money in your wallet
52. Or go rent Spider-Man 2
53. Will there be a fourth film?
54. I would bet $150 million
55. Spider-Man 3
56. Stan Lee’s crime-fighting super hero
57. He is just a man
58. And a spider
59. And wealthy. . . now
60. Crowds love Spider-Man
61. How can Mary Jane hate on that?
62. All he does is good
63. Right?
64. So why is his suit black?
65. Why is black considered evil again?
66. Tough times for Spidey
67. Police radio echoing in his apartment
68. Spider suit under his street clothes
69. Bathroom breaks must be a bitch
70. American flag
71. Random, I know
72. Seen the first two films?
73. You understand then
74. “Go get ‘em tiger”
75. $150 million, huh?
76. He got ‘em
77. “Catches thieves just like flies”
78. And dollars, too
79. “Here comes the Spider-Man”
80. Spider-Man 3
81. A joke?
82. Sometimes
83. A serious drama?
84. Not really.
85. A high-budget soap opera on steroids?
86. Absolutely
87. Around-the-clock screenings
88. Nonstop action
89. Mind-numbing absurdity
90. Spider-Man 3
91. Just another sequel
92. Thanks Hollywood

Anywho, have a good Saturday, and I will try to post tomorrow night (I'm trying to arrange a poker game at my house at the moment, so we'll see).

Goodnight for now. . .

The Weekend Grab-Bag: The FTS Version

The post is rated R by the Blogger Association of America (or BAA). . . If there was one. . .

Well this past week has been good. . . and bad. Mostly bad. But good too. . . Anyway, onto the Grab-Bag, and as always (wow, it's been awhile since I've said this. . .) expect the wonderful unchronological goodness:

- Well I have to start with the title and its meaning. The T stands for the this/that and the other two letters stand for profanities. Get it? Got it. Good.

- I basically had that mentality several times during the weekend that has just been completed. It happened mostly during work at BJ's (which, believe me, I will get to momentarily) but also during a recliner-kicking, folder-throwing loss (because, well, that's what I did after the game) by my SUNS. What a tough game. . . We are now in the second round against the Spurs and today was Game 1. We lost 111-106 after an unbelievably competitive game that featured lead change after lead change. Unfortunately, our MVP Steve Nash got a nasty cut on his nose with a little under three minutes left (from a nasty collision with Spurs guard Tony Parker - that's Mr. Eva Longoria to you). This did not seem that bad at first and Nash actually hit a three and a layup over the next 45 seconds. But then, the bleeding would not stop! It was terrible! Nash ended up sitting the rest of the game as the training staff tried everything but taking his nose off to get it stop bleeding. See:





















We ended up losing because we missed a couple shots (Note to Amare: Use the damn backboard!!!) and our general was not on the floor at crunch time. That's it. Game 2 is a must-win for us and then we have to steal one in San Antonio to get back the home court advantage. . . I think we win the series in seven games. . . but who knows! Also, here are my other second round predictions: Warriors over the Jazz in six games, Nets over the Cavs in six games, and the Pistons over the Bulls in five games.

- Enough basketball (well, not really - - in my mind, there is NEVER enough basketball!) for now. On to my lack of Heather-time. It has now been one week since we have seen each other and it will continue through Thursday night. I am taking Aimee down to Arclight to see SPIDER-MAN 3 (don't tell me anything - - I was apparently the only American not to see it this weekend!) on Thursday (for HER birthday but on MY birthday - - confused?) and Heather is meeting us there! I'm excited! I am also excited to report that whenever we decide to get married (which is looking more and more like 2009. . . woohoo!) that we have ourselves a minister. Dr. Roland, my favorite teacher from high school besides Mr. Thomas, and I had lunch on Thursday of last week. I had wanted to ask his advice about my and Heather's situation and all that jazz as well as ask him if he could actually perform the ceremony, whenever that might be. He said he would be "honored" (when it's actually the other way around) and would even "pay his own way to get wherever it was we got married" (if it was far away). I couldn't be happier about that. . . But it is still over two years away, so I have to deal with this no-Heather thing for a little longer :( . . . and to that I say: FTS

- O yeah. . . a quick aside about basketball. This one is about me though. I have been playing basketball almost every weekend (either by myself or with a bunch of people at the park) and am loving the excercise. Not only have stories risen from the fun (BEAT TEAM!!! -- That's for literally one person to understand!) but I am always improving my game (especially with the amount of ball I'm watching!). George has actually been in town both of the last two weekends and we have played one-on-one each time. We are pretty even players skill-wise, so it is extremely competitive and brings out lots of: a) sweat, b) swearing, c) hard work. Yep, good times. . .

- I cleaned my room this weekend! No joke! Well, it's almost all the way done, but it is certainly more presentable then it was before :D

- I know what I said about a Summer Movie Preview, but the problem is that a lot of the big summer films are losing their luster in my eyes. Besides SPIDER-MAN 3 and KNOCKED UP (the new comedy from the guys who brought us THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN), I could live without seeing the rest of this year's offerings. . . But I still will. So, until I actually do a preview (Which is unlikely. . .) here is my list in order from lowest to highest in my opinion (click the title to head to the film's info page!)

20. SUPERBAD (08/17) - written by KNOCKED UP star Seth Rogen
19. BUG (05/25) - crazy psychological thriller
18. SURF'S UP (06/08) - surfing animated penguins
17. 1408 (07/13) - starring John Cusack!
16. TALK TO ME (07/20) - starring Don Cheadle
15. THE INVASION (08/17) - a remake starring Daniel Craig
14. LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (06/29) - the fourth DIE HARD film (maybe rated PG-13!)
13. CHARLIE BARTLETT (08/03) - Robert Downey Jr. baby!!!
12. THE EX (05/11) - darkish comedy starring Zach Braff
11. FANBOYS (08/17) - a must-see for any STAR WARS fan
10. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLDS END (05/25) - not nearly as excited after disappointment of the second film
09. TRANSFORMERS (07/04) - looks pretty good, but Michael Bay directed it. . .
08. 28 WEEKS LATER (05/11) - sequel to the great Danny Boyle film 28 DAYS LATER
07. EVAN ALMIGHTY (06/22) - love Steve Carell!
06. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (07/13) - looks dark, cool, and exciting. . . can't ask for much more!
05. LICENSE TO WED (07/04) - marriage comedy starring Robin Williams as a priest and THE OFFICE's John Krasinski and Mandy Moore as the groom-and-bride-to-be
04. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (08/03) - final Jason Bourne film?
03. OCEAN'S 13 (06/08) - looks MUCH better than OCEAN'S 12
02. KNOCKED UP (06/01) - looks absolutely hilarious!
01. SPIDER-MAN 3 (05/04) - no contest. . . although the so-so reviews scare me. .

- Now onto the work front: I am quitting BJ's. Yes, I know I have been there barely a month. Yes, I realize I have only worked one "real" (meaning since we have been open) shift. Yes, I understand that it will PROBABLY get better over time (although right now the Server Assistants are making practically nothing compared to the amount of work we do) . . .

However. . .

FTS!!!

I worked on Saturday from 1500-2330 and it was an absolutlely terrible eight hours. Terrible! I dreaded going into work and I was right to think that. I can't explain it to anyone who is not working there though. Everyone that I've talked it over with at BJ's (former servers at JC's that moved over to BJ's) agrees with me and wishes they could do the same (they have to stick it out because of responsibilities and such). . .

So, I'm gonna do it.

It comes down to this, plain and simple-like: I'm not happy at the job. Period. End of story. Sure, I know that in the future I may not like a job and won't be able to quit or whatever. Well you know what? That's right: FTS! I can quit this job. I have another one! And I don't have time for this one right now - - I'll still go eat there (and will advise others to do the same) but BJ's is not the place for me to be employed. It's just not. . .

- Wow! It's 0100! I better get to sleep! Gotta work at the FL tomorrow (or today. . .)

Happy Anniversary Parents - - 24 years, right? Congratulations!

Goodnight all - - -

Thursday? More Like Worse-day.

I really don't like Thursdays. I always end up in a bad mood by the end of them.

Here's why:

My school schedule on Thursdays is 0930-1850. That's a long time. . .

Plus, the schedule is arranged so that my favorite class is first and then it goes downhill from there until my least favorite class is last. I did not plan it like this. At least not intentionally. . .

However, on this particular Thursday, my favorite class (Human Sexuality) was cancelled because my teacher had something else to do or something like that. She told us on Tuesday before we took our first test (insanely easy) so that we could schedule our day accordingly. I slept in. I watched the first half of the early morning NCAA Tournament games. I went to my second class, the school paper. We didn't really do anything today and I was out of there by noon, two hours before my next class. I came home, ate lunch (yummy leftover carne asada from last night), and watched more of the games. . .

Real quickly - I have seven brackets for this year's tournament. However, my overwhelmingly favorite Final Four teams are Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, and Texas A&M. If it's not them in their respective brackets, then it would be Oregon, UCLA, Texas, and Ohio State. There's my Elite Eight. After that, my brackets kinda differ from one another - you might as well if you can have many of them! But my main bracket is 13-3 right now and one of them is 14-2. A good start to be sure. . . Anyway. . .

Back to school at 1415 for Racism 101. The difference now is that my teacher has had an unfortunate circumstance hit her family. Her father recently passed away and so we have had a substitute this week. I like this guy. He's really smart and says pretty much the same crap that she does, but I like him. Either way, class was over and then I headed to Crapspeare for the longest three hours of my week every week. I can't stand this class. . . I just sit there, contributing nothing, and counting the minutes til I can flee the school. Today I actually said something though. We were talking about the similarities between Shakespearean gardens and the Bard's sonnets (don't ask). Well I just thought of the biggest load of bullshit I could and raised my hand. The teacher called on me, shocked that I had some input. "How about this? So the gardens contain grasses and things that have roots. These roots go below the surface, much deeper than we can see from where we are. The same can be said about sonnets. They contain material that is much deeper than what the words themselves have to say. Kinda like an iceberg. . ."

Well not only did she say "I have never thought of that before" but the class seemed to like my answer. Ridiculous. This is what my class is for all three hours. The entire time in the class is made up of us pleasuring Shakespeare through pleasuring ourselves for our brilliance at discussing his works. It's a hopelessly boring class and one that will account for nothing in my future. Nothing.

I always come home from this class a little peeved. I just wasted time in my life! So tonight was no different. I have been in a rough place all evening and I am now really desiring to go to sleep - - we'll see if I even can. I've had major trouble sleeping lately so we'll see where this goes tonight. I am contemplating watching BORAT tonight since I borrowed it from Manny. But we'll see. It's 2300 now. . .

I'm tired.

Goodnight everyone - -

The Best Game Ever (and some Videos!)

Tonight was, in a word, fantabulous.

Yes, I'm aware that is not an actual word. However, I could very easily create a Wikipedia page saying that it was a word and I bet that I would find that site in many bibliographies in high school papers across the country. But I won't.

The Phoenix Suns (my BELOVED Phoenix Suns!!!) had a shot at knocking the silly, overrated Dallas Mavericks off of the top of the ladder known as the Western Conference. They are (or, should I say, were!) 3 1/2 games ahead of us before tonight's game. But after a completely undulated game (both teams held a lead of at least 15 at one time), we came out on top, 129-127 in double overtime! What a game!

The first quarter was everything I could have asked for. We jumped out to a quick lead and finished the first twelve minutes with a 32-18 advantage. The only problem was that our stud center, Amare Stoudemire, had only played four minutes because of two quick fouls. However, we were up by 14 so it didn't look like it mattered.

The Mavs fought back (like a good team should) and ended the first half with not only a seven point deficit, but all sorts of momentum, thanks to a last-second alley-oop from Jason Terry to Jerry Stackhouse (whom I hate!). We took a 60-53 lead into the locker room and I was still quite confident going into the second half.

But then the third quarter happened. You see, as a Suns fan, I've grown to expect these lapses in scoring. Quite often, we will go thru droughts. Well the third quarter was one giant drought! They outscored us 38-16 in the third and looked completely dominating. We were down 91-76 going into the fourth and final quarter, and I was not happy. I was still hopeful, but I was not comfortable.

I never lost faith in my team. I never have (even when we were down three games to one to the Lakers in last year's playoffs). Even when we were down 108-101 with fifty some seconds left (we shot the lights out in the fourth quarter and slowly chipped away at their lead), I still felt like we could win. Then the two-time MVP took over. Steve Nash (in whom we trust) scored ten points in the final minute, including a tying three-pointer with three seconds left (thanks to an incredible offensive rebound by the man, Shawn Marion) to put the game into overtime tied at 111.

In overtime, Amare took over. The brute strength of the young man was evident as time after time, the pick and roll worked (thanks to the brilliance of Nash and the athleticism of Amare). We were rolling until the final seconds when Jason Terry tied the game up with a three-pointer of his own. Double overtime began and we owned that extra period too. The Mavs saw a healthy dose of Amare and Nash with the timely Marion bucket thrown in to boot. When Dirk's last second shot went long (Rebounded, naturally, by Nash) and we were claimed victorious, I was yelling at the top of my lungs! I have not been this happy since, well, probably when we won Honorable Mention at the Newspaper Convention. But this was definitely the biggest moment of the season for us and I can't wait to see where this leads us!

(Box Score)

Also, on a non-sports note, the AV Press published an article (though brief) about the Examiner's award at the aforementioned conference. Here's the link to that.

And finally, here are some videos that I found either on Youtube or on TV (and then found them on Youtube!). I hope you enjoy them all!!!

A QVC SALESMAN IS MISTAKEN (very funny)




MICHAEL JORDAN AND LARRY BIRD MCDONALD'S COMMERCIAL (classic)



JORDAN XXI COMMERCIAL (chill-inducing)



IN HONOR OF MARCH MADNESS (funny noises - o Gus Johnson. . .)



MATT DAMON IMPERSONATES MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY (funny)



CONAN'S WALKER TEXAS RANGER CLIPS (always funny!)



THE BEST COMMERCIAL RIGHT NOW (funny!)


Have a good first-day-of March Madness!

Peace and love,

Two Weeks Later

It's been exactly two weeks since my Live Blogging event for the 2007 Oscars and I have been all over the Western coast and some since then.

But trust me on this one: I will not be updating you on everything that has happened the last two weeks. Not tonight at least. . .

But I thought I would at least let you know that I had a safe journey to Phoenix, Arizona last weekend to watch my beloved Phoenix Suns defeat the stumbling Los Angeles Lakers. That was a lot of fun and there are no words to describe the feeling of cheering alongside thousands of your fellow fans. It's incredible! GO SUNS!!! (Note: We get a chance to end Dallas' should-be 18-game winning streak on Wednesday night in Dallas. . . You're going down Mavs!)

Secondly, I had another safe journey this week. This time it was a five-day voyage to the green city of Portland, Oregon for a National College Newspaper Convention put on by the Associated Collegiate Press. It was a blast and I learned a whole hell of a lot! More to come on that later (I'm writing an article about our experience and I plan on posting it here too - along with some pictures!) - - - O and we took home Honorable Mention in the Best of Show award!!! Don't believe me? Check it out!

And thirdly, it's officially March Madness time! The bracket has been done up and I'm ready to do my research to do my picks. (Another note: Yes, I'll be posting my picks here - - I'm nice like that!).

I plan on posting again soon, but I really need to be productive elsewhere this evening.

Enjoy your week (I can't believe it's Monday already!) and I'll chat at you all again soon!

(P.S.: If you are a twenty-something year-old man, go see 300 now! I loved it!!!)

(P.S. 2: Completely sad news from the entertainment world tonight. Comedian Richard Jeni, my second favorite comedian ever - behind Seinfeld - is dead after an apparent suicide. I am still stunned. . . I saw him at the Improv in Ontario on January 21, less than two months ago. I remarked to Heather that he looked really awful and I wondered how he was doing. . . apparently not well. RIP Richard - You were a hilarious individual and I absolutely HATE demoting you to the past tense. It actually pains me. . .)

- - - "The way I see life, it's like we're all flying on the Hindenburg, why fight over the window seats?"
- - - Richard Jeni

Peace

Losing, Life Lessons, and Listlessness

As the clock ticked down toward 00:00 in tonight's CIF Quarterfinal matchup between the Number 1 seed Whittier Christian HS and our Desert Christian Lady Knights, I realized something for the first time and it hit me hard:

Basketball season is over.

Yep. The girls miracle season finally ended at the hands of a bigger, rougher, not-much-better team 51-39. Our girls probably played the best game of the year tonight but shots just didn't want to fall (we only scored 13 points in the second half after only trailing by one at halftime) and they got a couple more bounces, calls, and everything else that led to victory. Bummer.

It was sad to see the season come to an end. I really enjoyed being an assistant coach. Like I told Chris on Monday night after bowling, I would not trade all the money I could have made at Johnny Carino's (where I probably would have stayed had this basketball thing come up) for the opportunity that Mr. Thomas gave me. And as I watched my coach in the last huddle of the season (with 1:15 left in the game and our team down by double digits) I realized what attracts me to wanting to be near this man: The word quit does not exist in this man's vocabulary. He will fight to the end of everything and I believe that completely. If I can learn how to do that, I will most assuredly find more favorable results in my life. I took this voluntary opportunity to learn anything I could about basketball and coaching from the man who taught me so much. I ended up learning more about life and how to be a man than about a sport featuring an orange ball. I am ever-grateful for the fact that I have known this man since I was in fifth grade (summer basketball camp ha ha) and that I was able to learn from him. In the many times that I have sat and stared at my apathy with disdain, I look at him and wonder how he gets through it all with an unflinching, never-doubting faith that can never be shaken. It's incredible to have seen this man thank God for kids he didn't have over four years ago. Then I witnessed him gain not one, but two children (one through adoption and one through conception). For years he had faith that he and his wife would be blessed with children. And for years, people probably looked at him like he was crazy. Well, it is actually the rest of us that are crazy. If we all had just a hint of the faith that leads this man to be the man he is, then the world would be an incredible place. Too bad. Either way, I am proud to call the man not only my coach (he will always be "Coach" or "T") and my friend, but a true hero (just scroll down on my MYSPACE profile!) for me. I am ever-thankful that I have grown to know him like I do and I only hope that I get to know him better in the years to come. Much love and thanks to Mr. Devin Thomas!

After saying all that, it's difficult for me to complain about my petty issues (not enough sleep, a lack of Heather, and no desire to do homework). So I won't.

Now that basketball is over, I need to find something else (and fast!) that I love and hook on to it. I love basketball and my involvement in this past season was perfect for me. It got me through three months of time in the snap of a finger. It also preoccupied me from the fact that I have very little money, I rarely see my girlfriend, and I am quite possibly moving out of the house in less than six months! So as you see, I need to find a hobby or something that is going to provide me with blinders so I don't fall into more pity parties regarding my listlessness.

Or.

I need to face my listlessness head-on and I need to find cures for my present difficulties. That's really it. . . I guess only time will tell if I can do just that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On a much lighter side, I have some quick hits for you regarding everything under the sun:

- Don't go see GHOST RIDER. Very disappointing. Not even a little bit entertaining (Except for the unintentional comedy throughout the entire film!). Bummer.

Grade: (D+)

- The MVP is back! Steve Nash has scored a total of 27 points and dished out 25 assists in the last two games combined (in around 30 minutes each night). The result: two wins by double digits. We're back baby!

- I edited my BABEL review with a fine-toothed comb and it looks much nicer heading to print. Disregard the poorly written parts from my last post. They got changed :D

- OSCAR preview. . . soon! Before the show (Sunday) for sure! HAHA

- I have my long day tomorrow at school (0930-1850 straight through). Dangit. . .

- I'm trying to work out seeing Heather this weekend. . . I might surprise her Saturday night (shh :D )!

- Phoenix in 10 days. Portland in 14!

Well that's good for now - - -

Have a good Thursday!

Cancelled Class, Cantankerous Critics, and Charles the Colorful Communicator

I love alliteration!!!

Well it's Thursday night and I am again out of school until Tuesday (that's five days people!) which alone makes me a very joyous individual. I am not really enjoying the semester thus far. So because I'm not really enjoying everything, some of the smallest things have made me happy/excited/etc. . .

I was at my Human Sexuality class this morning and that went by way too fast (it always has). I then went to Journalism for an hour or so and then ducked out to "work on my articles" which of course means go home, eat lunch, and watch Monday's STUDIO 60 via my wonderful TIVO. I then headed back to school at 1415 for my Racism 101 class (really Sociology 110, but from what I said last time, this has become the new title). As I approached the classroom door, I noticed a few pink slips of paper taped to the door. Could it be?!?!? Yes!!! Class was cancelled (just for today)!!! This was the first time in my four semesters at AVC that a class of mine had been cancelled. Cy has had countless classes cancelled and I have always been envious. Now I know what the feeling is like. And you know what? It feels great!

So I went home to procrastinate on my Crapspeare homework (another name change to a class) and I began writing a film review for BABEL, a film I saw last week. I will be covering the Oscars (not in person, dangit! - I'm not that important yet!) for the EXAMINER and to do so, I felt like I needed to see all of the BEST PICTURE nominees. I began seeing the films I had yet to see last week. I saw BABEL (review preview - you like that? - shortly) and then this week I went and saw THE QUEEN (quality made film, not very entertaining, Helen Mirren is really good). I only have to see LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA before the Oscars air on the 25th. That will be next week. . .

Ok, so BABEL. Here's a review preview just for you:

"As I sat in the darkened theater watching the torturous, seemingly never-ending Babel¸ I wondered aloud why the talented cast (including the rugged, still handsome Brad Pitt and the pale, shower-deprived Cate Blanchett) and filmmakers carried such a disdain for moviegoers like me. The only answer I was provided with was the continuous nonsense that permeated the screen that made me wish I was in the next theater over!"

Yeah, so I didn't like it. In fact, I hated it! I'm sure expectations are to blame, but I was just so disappointed that a film I had so anticipated crapped out completely. More to come on this when I preview the Oscars next week. . .

I then went to Crapspeare for the longest three hours ever. This class is so unbelievably boring and it's simply because I would prefer not to be there. I feel terrible for my thoughts on the class because not only do my peers practically worship ol' Bill, my teacher would marry the man if he was reincarnated I'm sure. So I can't really display my disdain, and I'm not. I guess I just have to stick it out. . . it's gonna be difficult!

O yeah, well in Journalism today, I was told by my new teacher (Professor Charles Hood) that the "best film critic out there " is Anthony Lane of the New Yorker. So I went to a site with a bunch of his reviews and read up on his work. My take on him is that he is witty and intelligent. My issue with him is that he is TOO witty and TOO intelligent for his own good. He is good, don't get me wrong. But I still prefer good ol' Roger (once this Mr. Lane puts an e-mail of mine on his website, then maybe I'll reconsider ha ha)!

I really like Professor Hood. He is incredibly smart and his vocabulary is ridiculously large (imagine Dr. Roland - for you DCSers - but more words!!!). He is funny and he knows a lot about pretty much everything. And he is going to do just fantastic as the new advisor for the EXAMINER. On the first day of class, in order to hear our writing styles, he gave us this handout and told us to continue the story:

". . . it's 3 pm, and Blossom has just learned that Nick slept with her sister the night before. She's curled into a forest green armchair in the bay window of a Venice bungalow. The phone lay unplugged at her feet next to a pair of discarded red patent leather heels. "Sin City" graphic novels and vintage pulp fiction with lurid covers are stacked on a battered cherry side table. "The Long Goodbye" rests in her lap like an omen, and Blossom considers her losses."

That's what he gave us! I loved it and this was how I continued the story:

". . . it's 4 pm, and Blossom has now learned that it was simply juvenile rumor-spreading that had produced the tale of her sister's lustful affair with Nick. She is seated in the cushiony, leather-bound booth at Johnny Rocket's that Nick and she had frequented the summer before. The neon lights flash slowly as the scent of french fries and chocolate milk shakes fills the air. Her red high heels, which now house recently painted bright pink toe nails, elegantly long toes, and silky feet, move up and down the leg of a young man not even eighteen. Rumors or not, Blossom was now free.

. . . it's 5 pm, and Blossom is now seated alone in her lava lamp-filled bedroom. Her efforts at making "take me" eyes at the young football player had surprisingly failed. The leather jacket-wearing, constantly mirror-hunting sample of a boy had pushed her away. She could not believe it! Who did this jock think he was?!?! It didn't matter now. The now plugged-in telephone sat as quiet as the table it rested on with no ringing in sight."

Well I was happy with what I produced and so did he. He now has entrusted some responsibilites with me and has claimed to trust me with meeting some deadlines on some dates that I can't control (the Oscar recap/impressions article of mine is due right after the airing, which is actually ten days after the due date for articles). I appreciate that, plus I love to hear the man talk. His stories are long, adjective-filled, and entertaining as anything out there. I am grateful to have had so many great professors at AVC and Professor Hood is just one of the many that I hope to make sure I keep in contact with in the future.

On another note, the guys basketball playoff game was last night. I did my announcing thing (which I enjoyed immensely yet again) but lo and behold, the guys lost in the first round for the fourth straight year. I was happy to do the announcing though and I am probably going to do it again for the girls on Saturday night for their game. I was told by several different people that I quote had a calling end quote and that quote I was quite good at that end quote.

Thanks.

Other than that, I have a pretty busy day tomorrow. I work from 1000-1600 and then I'm heading down to see Heather (Friday night traffic! Woohoo!!!). A friend of hers and the girl's boyfriend are going to the ESPN SPORTS ZONE at Downtown Disney for a post-Valentine's Day shindig and Heather wants to go. So I'm going. It will be a long night, but I'm looking forward to seeing my wonderful lady yet again. I always do!

Well I think that's it for right now - - that actually turned into quite a long post!

I'm hoping to produce an NBA midseason report (the All Star Game is this weekend) and an Oscars preview over the next week or so. So stay around for that and keep looking for updates. I'm trying to post as much as possible (this has been a good week for the ol' blog!) so tell your friends about the site and remember to stop by occasionally :D

Goodnight for now - - -

For Blogging's Sake!

Sorry all - -

But I did say that I might have less time for blogging. . . so you can't say I didn't warn you!

Either way, it's Monday night and I'm going bowling very shortly (leaving in about twenty minutes). But I wanted to let you in on a couple things real quickly, and then I'll update again tomorrow night (I promise).

- School. Wow. I hate it! I have four classes. One is unbelievably wonderful and awesome (PSYCHOLOGY 212 - Human Sexuality), one is everything I knew it to be despite the emergence of a new teacher with new motives (COMMUNICATIONS 123 - Newspaper Production), one is ridiculously boring but could ultimately be informative due mostly in part to the role of a 25-page research paper (SOCIOLOGY 110 - Race and Ethnic Relations), and the last is tedious, not my cup of tea, and will possibly be the cause of my untimely death (Honors ENGLISH 236 - Shakespeare's Comedies and Sonnets). I have two teachers I really like (the first two classes, naturally) one that I find intriguing (the Sociology teacher, a large black woman that remains seated at her desk the entire class period, but when she makes herself laugh, she somehow reminds me of Mom-mom, my grandmother!) and another that I know loves her subject and I admire so much for that, but I cannot get myself psyched up for the class (that Shakespeare class is three hours long, once a week - it's tough to get through). I have 15 weeks left. And no, I'm not counting :D

- It's playoff time for both Desert Christian basketball teams! The guys are playing on Wednesday night (at home) against Valley Torah, a school I can only assume is Jewish, which is interesting because my final high school game was a loss at home to Yeshiva High School, a Jewish high school from Los Angeles. The girls get a bye into the second round and will play Saturday night at home. I will definitely be announcing the guys game on Wednesday night (show up - starts at 1930) and possibly doing the girls game too. I'm torn between being on the bench for the game or announcing. I'll ask the girls what they would prefer :D

- Grammys were cool. Justin Timberlake is an incredible performer. I'm gonna buy that Corrine Bailey Rae CD. She's cool. O and Gnarls Barkley is not what I thought. I'm interested. . .

- Steve Nash is hurt. So are our chances of winning the first place spot in the Western Conference. Dangit. Get better soon Steve. You are the MVP - our performance without you should be enough to prove that!

- I love spending time with Heather, whether it be in Target ("Why are there so many people here?!?!"), helping her with laundry ("Why does it smell like vomit outside the guys' dorm rooms?"), or eating in the bar at El Torito ("I'll be watching her."). All those quotes were said by one of us this past weekend while I was with her. So were these: "I love you", "Don't go", and "Don't make me use the brush!". I guess you have to be us to understand it all. But what you all can figure out is that we are still good and looking forward as always. . .

More tomorrow, including when I'll be going to Phoenix, Lake Powell, and Portland (!?!?!?) - - -

Intrigued? I bet you are!

Later all - - -

Microphones, Mucus, and Milestones

Hello everyone who is reading this! And only to you. The rest of the people out there really don't matter. . . Actually that would be a lot of people. . . I take back that first part then.

Anywho, it's Tuesday night and I have to work in the morning. I actually have to work the next three mornings. That's a good thing actually. So, in the words of a country song that I have heard the last few mornings when I wake up, "There's a lot of things I don't have to do. I get to." I don't know who sings this song, and I don't necessarily like it, but that line kinda resonates with me. How many daily activities are there that we say we "have to do"? Why don't we say things like "I get to fill my car up with gas" (an obviously unenjoyable experience but one that only occurs if one owns their own car, which is something to be grateful for!) or "I get to work today" (meaning of course that you are employed, which is something that not everyone can say)? Just a thought. Call it an insightful insight. . . (Remember that everyone???)

Moving on, I am sick. I picked up the head cold that seems to be going around whenever it is least desireable to have. I think I picked it up sometime Saturday because I woke up on Sunday and I felt like absolute crap. And that was my Heather day!!! Well I spent most of my time with her either coughing or blowing my nose, which was unfortunate. Either way, I almost called in sick on Monday and ended up sleeping most of the afternoon. I even skipped bowling on Monday night because I felt so bad. I ended up with several dayquils and a couple nyquils in my system before the day ended and I woke up this morning feeling a tad better. Not perfect. Just better. I dislike so much the common cold! Why can't it be called the "damn near irrelevant cold" because it's never around!?!?! That would be nice! But instead we are stuck with the almost full assurance that the stupid virus/bacteria/crap will strike us at least one time a year! That is, unless we're Bob Barker! Have you seen this guy? He has not taken a day off in like fifty years! That's why he's retiring at the end of this year! So he can get sick! I have you figured out Plinko-man!

Anyway, so I haven't been feeling well. And the funny thing is that I was just looking at my very own archives (a feature of this blog that I enjoy utilizing) and I was sick at the same time last year! I got my wisdom teeth taken out the end of 2005 and then was sick for over a month and into late January of 2006! Bizarre, huh?

(O, by the way, it is now midnight on the 31st, which means that it is officially mine and Heather's third anniversary! Balloons, streamers and confetti!!)

This evening was Senior Night at Desert Christian High School. This is the final home game of the regular season and an opportunity is given to the seniors to give out a thank you to their parents in front of everyone. Well, in order to do this, a microphone must be plugged in and the sound board must be used. I have been imploring the athletic director, Mr. Dean Spoelstra, to allow me the opportunity to announce the guys games. "Announcing" essentially means calling out the starting lineups and then doing a kinda play-by-play (saying "So-and-so for two" when a basket is made and stuff like that). Apparently the music teacher did not want her sound board messed with, so they could never allow me to do that. Well tonight it was hooked up! I took that chance and ran with it! I immediately asked Mr. Spoelstra if I could announce the guys game and he agreed! I figured it would be a great chance for practice and a way to see if I was any good at something that I hope to be a part of my future. In a nutshell, I loved it! I thought I did a good job and everyone I talked to after the game agreed with me and gave me kind words of encouragement. I'm hoping for at least one home playoff game so I can do it again, but we'll see. I loved every second I was doing it and I wasn't even nervous once I began talking. I was born to talk about basketball. Let's juse see if I am going to actually fulfill that destiny. . .

Well, now that it is 0025 and it is definitely my anniversary, I would like to say a few words about my wonderful Heather! This is how much she loves me: (a direct quote from a text she sent me back in November) "It's like when you draw a graph and the arrows on the ends of the lines imply they go on forever. . . like that :)" How lucky am I???? I was just thinking about an "It's A Wonderful Life" situation with me. If I had not hypnotized Heather three years ago, what kind of person would I be? Would I be happy? Would I be career-and-goal-oriented? Would I be dating lots of girls or would I be alone every Friday and Saturday night? Would I have more money? (The answer to that one is YES!!!) But all that aside, I know for a fact that I would be in no way better off if the wonderful Miss Heather Acuff had not said yes to me three years ago. If she had of pushed my hand away in that cold suburban driving through the streets of Tiajuana, Mexico (For the whole story of how we got together, head here), then I would be in a much worse position than I am at this point. I am forever thankful for the role she has in my life and I am never burdened by the fact that I have a girlfriend. I am always challenged, always tested, and never right (actually, sometimes I am - - o wait, that's just a mirage!!!). But I have a companion. I have a buddy. I have a friend. I have a mate. I have a beautiful young woman by my side and hopefully in three years time, we will not only share jokes and ideas of the future, but also a last name and an address. I love you Heather. Forever 11:11!

Goodnight everyone - - -

Sleep well and have a good Wednesday!