10 posts tagged “random”

I'm currently enjoying a 10-day vacation from work. I've not only taken some time off from work but also from the blog as well. So let's catch up a bit:

Personal
I spent five days with some members of my family. I spent a couple of days in Iowa with my sister and her husband. I always have a great time visiting Cedar Rapids. They are great hosts. We ate well, drank well and I finally saw "Ocean's 13." Very fun film. Much much much better than the second film but still not as good as the first one. But the sense of fun which permeated through the first film was very much intact. Instead of a convoluted storyline, this one was more straightforward, allowing the audience to follow along more easily than was the case in the often-muddled middle entry. The keyword for this film is "fun." If you liked the first film you'll enjoy this one. I then hopped up to Madison and spent three days with my parents. My mom is doing great and my dad, brother and I went to Milwaukee on Tuesday night to see the Brewers beat Arizona 3-2. Hard to believe but the Brewers are actually a damn good team this season. I didn't think I was ever going to see that again.

Sports
The Milwaukee Bucks re-signed Mo Williams to a 6-year, $52 million contract. That's nothing short of asinine. The most money Mo could receive from another team was $6 million a year. The Miami Heat offered him five years and $31 million. So what do the Bucks do for a shoot-first point guard who doesn't pass well and can't defend who the market couldn't pay more than $6 million a year? They offered him nearly $9 million a year. Brilliant work from general manager Larry Harris. On the bright side, Yi continues to insist he won't play for the Bucks next season. This is on the verge of becoming one of the worst off-seasons in recent team history. There is no realistic reason to believe the Bucks are going to contend with their current core group. I haven't been this discouraged since the nadir of the 90s. It would be nice if the Packers offered a brighter alternative but their prospects for the 2007 season aren't very encouraging either. But football is just around the corner which means more intense preparations for fantasy football. That'll be fun. :)

Etc ...
Let's see ... Lindsay Lohan is still a drug-addicted whore. Paris HIlton is still a stupid slut. David Beckham will be the latest in a long line of failed attempts to get this country to embrace soccer. I finally got my deck chairs and table so now I can kick back on my deck and enjoy the summer sun and I think my my mom got me hooked on "Law and Order." Has that show really been on the air for almost 20 years? Wow.

Pretty sure I don't have a shot.

Go to Google.com and click on Google Maps. Then type in a search for directions on how to get from Madison, Wisconsin to Paris, France.

Then look at No. 19.

:)

Can he be a regular blogger? And when I say "he" I mean "me." Can I? I have to admit the blogging is a work in progress for me. I get into it briefly but then get busy and lose track of it and don't get back to it for awhile. Plus, I have no idea if anybody is even reading anything I'm writing here. To quote Pink Floyd:

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

It's one thing to write; it's another to write to yourself. Is this the 21st century equivalent of talking to yourself if no one is reading? Oh well, fuck all that and here are some random thoughts now that Easter is almost coming to an end.

The return of two of my favorite shows tonight - "The Sopranos" and "Entourage." The former was solid; the latter more fun. Last season's "Sopranos" was nothing short of disappointing. Guido's Gay Adventure was a horrible subplot that was turned into the forefront, thereby moving characters we do care about to the background. This season - the final nine episodes for the series - got off to a solid start tonight. A slow-paced episode where Tony and Bobby got into a brawl and Tony got the shit beat out of him as he was celebrating his 47th birthday. As his punishment, Bobby is forced to kill someone - his first murder. I really wonder where the show is headed as it comes to a conclusion. It meandered about last season and it will be interesting to see if David Chase can pull it all together and go out in a blaze of glory.

"Entourage's" premier was far more enjoyable. A fun 30-minutes (it really is a crime this show is only a half-hour long) with new cast member Carla Gugino and her magnificent breasts now front and center (her and not really her breasts - unfortunately) as Vince's new agent. While Ari pines away for his former client. All fun stuff and it should make for another sensational season.

Other shows of note: "Lost" continues to rev up as its heads toward the conclusion of its third season. "24" is going stronger than last season but still not at the level of the first four. And is "Heroes" ever coming back to the air? Damn, it's been off for a long time.

Some random thoughts:

"24" is still rolling and having a strong season - an improved one over Day 5. I'm hoping we don't see the demise of yet another President Palmer, though. This week's episode featured far too little of Jack and that needs to be remedied going forward.

"Lost" is back on track in a huge way. The past two episodes have been stellar and the closing scene from last week - Jack playing football and spiking in the end zone with The Others - was nothing short of a brilliant cliff-hanger. If the past two episodes are any indication, "Lost" is headed for a very strong run to the Season 3 finish line.

Speaking of cliff-hangers, I loved the last one for "Heroes," but a hiatus until April 24th? That's nothing short of torture.

The Milwaukee Bucks fired their head coach Terry Stotts while I was in Vegas and replaced him with former Buck Larry Krystkowiak. They  proceeded to win their first two games under Krystkowiak but the jury is out on whether going with another unproven head coach is the way to go. More concerning to me is the fact that any regrouping the team may do in the final few weeks of the season could cost them in the lottery where Al Horford remains my top target. He is a perfect fit for what this team needs at the Power Forward position.

The Packers and Raiders reportedly are in heavy talks about a Randy Moss trade. If the Packers were a contender I'd want no part of Moss. Not only is he not the player he once was; he hasn't stayed healthy for the past few seasons and he is a proven team cancer. But the Packers have little reason for excitement and maybe Moss can provide a little positive excitement next season. So basically, my feeling is: "What the hell."

I love New York but this past week in the city flat-out sucked. The weather was horrible and that made it tough to go anywhere. I'm glad our event was a huge hit and that's a major relief and I'm proud of the work I did to make it all work given the adverse weather conditions but one of the best parts about these events is being able to take one night out on the town and celebrate a successful show. But with a major snowstorm in town we weren't really able to do that. And yes I'm whining a bit. :)

Along those lines, baseball season is about to start and I find myself not giving a rat's ass for the most part. I've just lost a lot of the love I used to have for the game. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I'll soon be starting work on our first fantasy football issue so that gets me geared up toward football but overall I just don't have the same interest in the game I used to have and that makes it difficult for me to follow it once the season begins. I guess when it's all said and done I'm just a football guy with basketball a very close second.

OK, I'm back from a week in Vegas and New York for work and a little bit of fun - hard to beat being in Vegas on my birthday :) - and I'm going to try and be a more regular blogger. I think the problem I'm having with my attempts to blog consistently is I miss having immediate feedback. When I was posting on boards or in newsgroups back in the day, I could post a comment, review, analysis, whatever and there would be immediate feedback to what I had written. With the blog, it just goes out there and I have no idea if anybody is even reading it.

So it comes down to: Why should I write only for myself? Is there something I have to say to myself that I don't already know.

Sounds like quite the quandry.

Anyway, I'll do my best and maybe as time goes along those of you who are reading will respond. Trust me, I wouldn't mind that a bit. In fact, it would probably be a good way to keep me posting. So yea, I'm putting the pressure on you. Funny how that worked out, huh?

:)

It's been awhile since my last post. Work has been crazy and I haven't had a lot of free "blogging" time. That may not change for the next few weeks but hopefully I'll find a moment here or there to share some of my thoughts. A lot's gone on since my last post so here's some of my weekend thoughts as I relax after a long night on the town last night.

1. The Oscars have come and gone. With a yawn. OK, I didn't see any of the nominated films or performances. I think that was the first time ever - though I'm going to be seeing "The Departed" soon. But the night was pretty worthless. Where was the excitement? Where was the buzz? Where were all the chicks with cleavage? Pretty hum-drum night. Good thing it only lasted 100 hours.

2. "24" continues to roar on. Great return from President DumbFuck and now President Palmer Jr. has been blown up. OK, not exactly blown up but he's hurt and Powers Boothe is taking over as the President. He's been scowling a lot so that can't be good news. Oh, and did I mention Jack is going to torture somebody this week? About fucking time!

3. "Lost" had a better episode last week than the previous one which may have been the worst episode in the series history thus far. Ratings are tumbling and that's not good news but maybe if the focus can return on the Lostees for the stretch run of this season that will help bring back some viewers. It is worth noting, though, that "Lost" is one of the most popular TV shows on torrent sites which suggest plenty of people are still watching if not the night it airs.

4. I'm off to Las Vegas and New York in a few weeks and am very pumped. I'll be in Vegas on my birthday which probably isn't the worst thing in the world. :)

5. I bought a condo last August and I've been spending a lot of time recently adding a lot to the place. I have to say it's coming along pretty well. I'm not the "decorating" type but I'm working at it and trying to see what things I like and what will look good and so forth. It's definitely a work in progress but whenever I look at the place now it does feel like "home." And that's a good thing.

That's all for now. More to come ...

Some random thoughts now that we're in the midst of the weekend:

The NBA All-Star Game is in Las Vegas this weekend. That means, a weekend filled with action that most people don't care about on the court and plenty of action off the court as thousands of hookers, bimbos and groupies converge on Sin City with the hope of lining up any NBA star they can get their hands on. Nothing says "All-Star" like being able to drop 20 points a night and drop 20 ho's a night at the Palms. Good times.

Speaking of bimbos, Britney Spears is bald. What the fuck has happened to her? Has there ever been a faster fall from grace than this chick has undergone? It really wasn't that long ago that not only was she on top of the world, but she was smoking hot. Now she's had two marriages, a couple of kids, banged Paris Hilton, showed her snatch to the entire world without getting a single cent for it and has gone bald. Well at least the last one has some semblance of originality to it.

It's like she said: "I've been watching Lindsay Lohan but she isn't doing it right. So I'm going to leave my underwear at home, sleep with the skankiest slut I can find and then go bald. Try and top that, bitch."

Ummm great plan Brit.

It seems like decades ago that Britney was giving herself up to Justin Timberlake. I'm not a big fan of the guy - he's way too much of a pretty boy for me (though that "Dick in a Box" song is pretty damn funny) - but I have to give him serious props for the tail he's gotten. Not only did he bag Britney when she was hot but he's added Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel to his list of conquests as well. He's quickly approaching Derek Jeter-esque status. The kid has the world by the balls right now. It's unbelievable.

Back to the NBA, a friend of mine told me this week that Bucks' general manager Larry Harris wanted to fire head coach Terry Stotts this week but team owner Herb Kohl shot down the move. That's reportedly the second time Harris has tried to fire Stotts in the past year only to have Kohl nix the idea. This team is in serious trouble. Players are grumbling about selfishness on the team (a likely target being point guard Mo Williams); prized center Andrew Bogut is unhappy with his role in the offense again and the team is headed for its third lottery appearance in five seasons. As a Bucks' fan, it's sad to see this team bumble about but until Stotts is fired there is absolutely no hope whatsoever to expect a turnaround. 

I want this: http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Golden_Tabletop_Fountain/130/

I need to be soothed.

The most recent episode of "Lost" generated the worst ratings in the series' history. Part of it may be the later time slot; part may be the fact the last episode came on Valentine's Day but I'm guessing the main reason is the 165-month hiatus. OK, it wasn't that long but it sure felt like it. I criticized the decision on my old blog and if these ratings persist it will have been proven correct. A serialized show - especially one so heavily dependent on cliffhangers - can't have a three-month long hiatus and expect fans to hang in there. The reports say ABC plans to go the "24" route next season and start the fourth season in January and then air the season uninterrupted. That would be a very smart move. Too bad they didn't have the foresight to do that this season - especially considering this season has been outstanding so far.

My only complaint about this season is that with so much focus on The Others many of the other characters (namely Sayid) have been left in the background. Hopefully that changes from here on out.

Madonna said this week she is modeling her life after Jesus, Martin Luther King and Gandhi. I can see that. I've always said that when I saw her masturbating on the stage and having sex with other chicks and prancing around with gay dancers that was just the kind of thing Gandhi would do if he was making pop music. And the only thing more inspiring than King's "I Have A Dream Speech" are the lyrics to "Justify My Love." Don't believe me?

I wanna kiss you in Paris
I wanna hold your hand in Rome
I wanna run naked in a rainstorm
Make love in a train cross-country
You put this in me
So now what, so now what?

Chorus:

Wanting, needing, waiting
For you to justify my love

Hoping, praying
For you to justify my love

I want to know you
Not like that
I don't wanna be your mother
I don't wanna be your sister either
I just wanna be your lover
I wanna be your baby
Kiss me, that's right, kiss me

(chorus)

Yearning, burning
For you to justify my love

What are you gonna do?
What are you gonna do?
Talk to me -- tell me your dreams
Am I in them?
Tell me your fears
Are you scared?
Tell me your stories
I'm not afraid of who you are
We can fly!

Poor is the man
Whose pleasures depend
On the permission of another
Love me, that's right, love me
I wanna be your baby

(chorus)

I'm open and ready
For you to justify my love
To justify my love
Wanting, to justify
Waiting, to justify my love
Praying, to justify
To justify my love
I'm open, to justify my love

Tell me that's not the kind of stuff that could bring a country together. It's even better if you close your eyes and imagine Madonna singing it with her phony British accent.

Some random thoughts as I stay warm inside while it's colder than a mutha outside:

I'm not sure what NBC was thinking putting "Heroes" on at the same time as "24." Why do that to a show with such promise? I'm watching both (downloading "Heroes" each week) but the chances for "Heroes" to grow would be far greater if it wasn't matched up against Jack Bauer. I mean c'mon, Hiro's gonna need a whole lot more than a magic sword to deal with Jack Bauer. :)

Third season of "Veronica Mars" has been OK but it's following the path first traveled by "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Both shows were intrinsically about high school and the issues confronted during that age of a person's life. Once Buffy and her friends went to college (or departed high school as was the case with Xander) the show lost much of its central theme. I see the same thing happening with "Veronica Mars." The show is still decent and extremely well-acted but the theme which was so paramount in the first two seasons is gone and the show feels a bit lost without it.

Speaking of lost, it's just four more days until the return of "Lost." About damn time. The best show on television has been greatly missed during its excruciating hiatus.

Did I mention it's fucking freezing outside? Winter in Wisconsin is no picnic, let me tell you.

More slow drivers to and from work every day too. I really like where I've moved to. I bought a condo several months ago and it's great. The drive to work is much shorter now and I'm located in a great spot where I live. But I'm telling you - that road and its slow drivers is unbelievable.

Brett Favre announced a few days ago that he will be returning to the Packers next season. I'm not surprised. I was convinced a year ago at this time he was going to retire but I felt all along this time around he was coming back. He's no longer an elite quarterback but he's still a very good one. Now Green Bay GM Ted Thompson has to start addressing his team's glaring offensive needs at the skill positions to make the most of Favre's ability.

Speaking of Wisconsin teams, the Milwaukee Bucks continue to stink without Michael Redd. They weren't all that good with Redd but without him they've become one of the worst teams in the league. I didn't have high hopes for the Bucks heading into the season and many of the things I predicted have come to pass. The T.J. Ford for Charlie Villanueva trade has turned out to be every bit as problematic as I expected. Mo Williams has been better of late at point guard but he lacks Ford's standout PG skills and instincts. Meanwhile, Villanueva has been a disappointment. This team has major issues.

And finally my Super Bowl prediction: First off, I'm rooting for the Colts (and no it's not a Packers-Bears thing; I'm just not a fan of the Bears) but I think the Bears are going to win. I can't recall the last time I saw a defense and special teams combination that had the ability to not only make plays but score touchdowns with seeming ease. The Bears will force Peyton Manning and the Colts into some mistakes and when teams make mistakes against this defense they tend to lose. I think the Colts are going to be able to put some points on the board but the Bears will find a way to turn the tide with defense, special teams or both.

My prediction: Bears win 24-20.