Is it the Good Hodgkins?

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

Why is the church against abortion and homosexuals? Who has fewer abortions than homosexuals!??! It seems to me that these people should be natural allies!

I feel great! I feel like a hundred dollars, really! For the longest time, I have had issues. Yeah, I know, you are all extremely shocked. But being the stubborn fool that I am, I have always thought that I could work out my problems on my own. What a moron! (lets see, moron's here...soo....) I have always thought that there was a stigma attached to seeing a therapist, that it meant not only am I screwed up, but that I couldnt work out my own issues. Made me feel like it would be admitting that I am a failure. My friends, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that I see a counselor once a week, and I am equally happy to announce that it is the best thing to ever happen for me. I am so in control of my life. All these years of just inching by, putting on a show for the world, making everyone think I had my life together.....well, now I really DO have my life together, and it feels great. I totally respect my wife's thoughts that I should work on "me" for some time, because I feel like a new person. I too have changed, and for the better. When things got hectic a couple weeks ago, and it looked like the end of our marriage, well, I got despondent, and just accepted it as a loss in my life. Well, no more. I see a future again. I am of the mind that we should start from scratch, go back to the beginning. We could be stronger and better than ever. What a great feeling. And, if it isnt meant to be, well, we are both at better places in our lives, with alot to look forward to. So, together or apart, we are both going places, and that makes me feel great. They say if you love something, truly love it, you should be able to let it go. Well, I want her to give me a chance, but if it doesnt work, then I just want her to be happy. Im not gonna say I am high on life, cause that is just lame, but I control my life now. And until someone can say that, they can't truly be happy. Until then, you are just doing another person's bidding. Whew, how cathartic...

Something is starting to bother me. Yes, yes, save the comments, I know, it's such a surprise. There has been a phrase out there that people like to interject into conversation that is popping up alot lately. Whenver there is an issue involving whether or not to allow people of a certain age do things (marry, buy firearms, etc.), people often say, "If you are old enough to vote, and old enough to die for your country, then you should be able to [blank]." Is it just me, or is that the most tired rhetoric you've ever heard? First, the vote thing. What a crock. We all found out how valuable voting is, didn't we? Last time we elected a president, millions upon millions cast their vote, and in the end, were trumped by 9 people in black robes! What a slap in the face. I wouldn't be surprised if like 5 people voted this year. Can you see the Bush camp, "Kerry won 3 to 2? Hey George, did you vote? No?!? George Sr., how about you? NO?!?! Where's Cheney? In the bunker again! There are no voting booths in there!" Ok, that was a bit of a tangent, but basically, why are we correlating a right to vote with other rights? Shouldn't they be independant of each other? And dying for your country, what is that? When is the last time we had a draft? Last time I checked, the military is full of volunteers. And yes, people do die, but no where near the way things used to be. Half of the deaths in the Iraq war are probably helicopter crashes. So again, that is a crap analogy. These kids getting shot over gang turf, half of them had no choice but to join. You think they can be in the neighborhood and be neutral? Doesn't work that way. You don't live in Compton and fly a Swiss flag over your house. "Bloods wear red, Crips wear blue....oh, Im i purple! Im neutral!" Now there are some kids getting shot with no choice. Let's retire this tired, tired phrase. Pundits on TV are using it as a lame crutch to support their views. If you think people over 18 should be allowed to buy guns, just say so. Don't hide behind unrelated issues, as if to say, "Hey, I want to take a controversial viewpoint, but I wont support it by saying it's what I believe, I'd rather lump it in with well established doctrine!" That is so cowardly. Finally, I heard some idiot say something about, well, if you are old enough to drive, then [blank]. This is just f'in' stupid. Half the people on the road shouldn't be driving, much less carrying a weapon. Half the state of Florida couldn't operate a freaking punch card! Should they be propelling 2 tons of steel at 80 mph down a one way school zone? No, no they shouldn't....

Speaking of which, this morning....Im at a light, two lanes, about to merge into one. I think we all agree that the proper merge is the one at a time method. One lane, then the other, we just mesh into each other, right? So, Im following this perfectly, but this old lady in a van starts speeding up, and forcing me into another lane with faster merging traffic. Well, Im not budging, because you see, its the principal. These are the rules we have agreed on in this society, and damnit, Im following them! So finally, she slows down, lets me in, and then I see her barking to her co-pilot, pointing at me, as if I cut her off! Are you freaking kidding me!??! Revoke this lady's license post haste! And the worst part, and this happens all the time, is I just cruise off, not speeding at all, and she is doing like half the speed limit, totally lagging like 10 cars behind me after two blocks. So basically, she absolutely HAD to be in front of me, but had absolutely no place to go. Don't act like you are in a hurry if you aren't!

Wasn't there a song that wanted to teach the children to sing? Not me. You see, I want to teach the children to kill. Because, they have to ride the bus! Dont you see?!?!?

Interesting comment made to me this morning. A friend bought a house, and another friend said that "She deserved it." I totally agree, she did deserve it. But not until she actually got it. I think this is another overused phrase. I hear alot about, oh, so-and-so really deserves that. Really, how so? More than me? More than you? We all deserve what we work for, and that is it. I don't deserve anything. I dont deserve more money, I dont deserve better grades, I dont deserve a new car, a perfect marriage.....nothing. Because I am getting back from life exactly what I put in. Hell, I might even be getting more. This ridiculous notion that, oh, that guy works so hard, he deserves better. Does he? This is America, Jack, and most people are rewarded for their hard work. Ask a homeless person how they got there. I will bet a dollar to a dime that not one single one of em will tell you, "Well, after getting my masters in Education, I attended Harvard Law, and was Summa Cum Laude. Unfortunately, not a single firm would hire me, and I ended up here! Of all the luck!" I understand, life deals us a bad hand from time to time. But I believe in America, and if you want something, you can have it. There are trade schools, loans, JCs, then college, etc. You can have whatever you want. Not happy, join the service. Need a job that bad? Work at McDonalds. Dig ditches. Save your pennies. Life is freaking hard, I know. Im lucky to have the support I do in case things get out of wack. But if I didnt have that support, I certainly wouldnt cash it in, and whine about deserving better. So let's save the comments about people deserving things for those that really do.

Hmmm. My nails and hair grow so fast. Also, I eat alot, but dont gain too much weight. And I hvae long eyelashes. I think I got the wrong DNA. There is some chick out there right now with a beer belly and a hairy back wondering what the hell went wrong....

I love sleep, but it is such a waste of time. Is there a more useless task? I understand, we need our rest, but we accomplish nothing while sleeping. 29 years Ive been on this planet, and more than half of that Ive been out cold.

There is another stupid thing we say..."I've been on this planet for [X] years." Like, what other planet could you be on? And have you ever been in an airplane? Well, you werent on the planet then! Deduct that time! We really do say alot of stupid stuff, don't we. We don't say "I agree" any more, we say "I heard that!" Well, no sh!t you moron, Im standing right next to you, I would hope you heard it.

Im no fan of Dubya, but are we really going to hold this guy accountable for not thinking more about terrorism before 9/11? Am I an idiot to think that this is as stupid as we can get? That's like having an earthquake in Boston, and holding the mayor responsible for not being better prepared. Whoa, shoulda seen that one coming! Please. When did this country get so damn stupid.....

How the hell did white people become known as Crackers and Honkys? I dont know what either word means, does anyone? Are they just made up? And aren't they the least offensive racial slurs out there? How did white people get off so easy? You drop an N bomb on someone, and they climb out of their skin. But someone calls me a cracker, and I laugh! It's like, what the hell? Now, Farakhan, and that White Devil crap....that gets on my nerves.

Real quick, why do these radio stations keep doing April Fools Day jokes? I guarantee that the newspapers for the next few days will be full of articles like, "Radio Station Apologizes for Prank." Either don't do the stupid jokes (and they are almost always stupid) or don't apologize. The world is so damn sensitive. I say, be a jerk, and don't feel bad about it! Screw those super-sensitive losers! Ha!

On the Corner of 4th and Self Important

"Take me out to the ball game...."

So Bush says we will not go to the strategic oil reserves, even though OPEC is cutting production by 1 million barrels. At this rate, he and VP Cheney will be carpooling to work by the end of the week. Too bad there isnt a car that runs on bile.

In an interview, former Notre Dame great Paul Hornung said that in order to compete, the Irish needed to "lower their academic standards so that they can bring in the black athlete." Whew, talk about your can of worms. I have so many thoughts about this, I dont even know where to start. First and foremost, we are talking about an old man. Some deference needs to be given to older people, who just, well, don't know any better. Those aren't supposed to be hateful comments, I dont think they were intentionally racist, but well, they just happened to be. Most black people look at comments like that and ignore them. They laugh off such stupid comments as simply the ignorant ramblings of an old man from a different era. Admittedly, it carries some newsworthiness, but ESPN and others have run with this comment and really inundated us with it. There seems to be a rush to group him in with Rush Limbaugh, Al Campanis and Jimmy the Greek, all older white men who got caught with their foot in their mouth, and paid the price. So why do ignorant comments get such coverage? I'll tell you why. There is a rush to point out the failings of others in order to boost the stock of the people who are doing the pointing. It is almost as if the white media wants to make a spectacle of anyone who makes questionable comments, so that they can publically separate themselves from those comments. It is as if they are saying, "Hey, look what that guy said. And may I note, I don't agree with it." It is clearly selfish reporting. By pointing out anothers failings, we are able to bring to the forefront our lack of failings. It would seem silly to just say "I havent made a racist comment." But when person X does, it is open season on them as guilty whites fire blast after blast at them, making them the sacraficial lamb in an attempt by the white media to boost their own stock. The right way to deal with such a comment? Just say, man, that's stupid. That guy is way off. And that's it. It's not a news story, and it's not worth the energy being put into it. How about creating a dialogue about it, and discussing it. Sorry, but, I could have sworn this is America, and we were free to say almost whatever we want.

Why do local news shows still have sports guys? This seems like a real waste. With ESPN, the internet, 1000 magazines, Fox Sports Net......it all seems to be covered. What is some hair weave in a suit going to tell me that I dont already know? If I want the score of the Laker game, I could watch it, watch the pre game, the post game, the highlight show, Sportscenter, check my phone, my wireless palm, the internet.....I can get that information without Joe Teeth and his 3 minute segment. The only possible value the local sports guy can have is to talk high school sports, but there are shows on that now too! It seems the only reason to watch that portion of the news any more is the pure comedic value. Nothin funnier than when the anchors bait the sports guy with, "Wow, those Padres sure are looking good." and the sports guy goes into a mini rant about hitting with runners in scoring position, and the strength of the bullpen, and the anchors just look away, like, "Um, I was just being nice...."

What is the deal with towing someone's car? Since when did it become ok to turn another person's life completely upside down just because you put up a sign? Here's the deal. I go to meet some friends at a bar in Mission Valley, which is near Qualcomm Stadium. Well, there is some drag racing show going on there, so there is no parking anywhere. Apparantly, these superfans will drop 20 bucks on a ticket to see people race 50 feet in a straight line, but they cant find 5 bucks to park in the lot. So, Im there, and its about 11:15. Just gonna be there for an hour or so. Well, I find a lot, and the sign says no parking, blah blah blah. It's for a credit union, so I figure, it's almost midnight, Im out of here shortly, can't be too big a deal. Think again, scooter! They tow me. Three days and 250 bucks later I have my car back. Now, who exactly was I disturbing by parking there? How wasteful is that to have parking, and then towing cars out of it? How about just chargin people 3 bucks to park there? How about not worrying about it? How about don't be such a pr....but I digress. Just don't see how posting a sign is so legally binding. This freaking tow place also charges me for "storage fee." Excuse me? You brought the damn thing here! I dont want it here. If your storage is so damn important, tow the damn thing to my house. Ill stow it there for free! Or put it on the damn street. I am being held hostage, and why? Just ridiculous.

I watched women's hoops last night. I think there is something wrong with me. Truth is, anything Minnesota and Im rootin for it. Well, the girls beat Duke and made the Final Four, and Ill take it. Anything is great for the school. The game was exciting, but it was a battle of futility. I can only watch so many free throws, so many missed shots, so many bricked layups.....it is literally like watching a frosh/soph game. It just isnt a more fundamental brand of basketball, its a significant step below. Call it what it is.

Ok, here are a couple people I'd like to beat in the face with a waffle iron. First, the guy who sits behind home plate and gets on his cell phone, waving at his friends. Dude, you aren't on TV. You are backdrop. No one cares. Seriously, big freaking deal. Can we just remove the protective netting and drill these people in between innnings? Also, when Im at the ball game, if you dont have good information, then dont talk to your buddy about something. Nothing annoys me worse than a guy who acts like he knows everything, and every bit of information he spouts is false. I just want to turn around and staple the guy's mouth shut.

Finally got the first sports article up on Sportspages.com. I think it turned out ok, but def not perfect.

There seems to be a double standard out there. Janet Jackson exposes herself, and there is an absolute outrage. God forbid sex be introduced into the mainstream. Um, are you serious? Arent these the same TV execs who broadcast commercials of two chicks fighting in their underwear over the value of a light beer? I gotta be honest, give me a choice between Janet's wardrobe malfunction, and your average beer commercial, give me Miller and Bud any day of the week. I mean, I just heard a radio commercial for Audi. During a voice over by an attractive sounding female reader, I heard during a 12 second period references to a "perfect match", "turbo charged", "nice package", "fantastic cockpit", and finally finding "the one." Um, what happened to subtlety? Why not save the cost of advertising and write a commercial like, "Audi. Sex. Cars. Sex. Buy a car, get sex. Audi. Sex." That is basically what they are doing.

Another Blog!

I have taken the sports part of the Ramblings and taken it to another site. You can visit my sports specific articles at Sports Pages. Click on Web Logs, and look for my name alphabetically.

Late Night With The Mad Blogger

"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it."

Just watched the first part of a documentary on the birth and development of Chicago. Absolutely fascinating. There is so much to the city, so much more than what we see today. The name Chicago actually comes from the Indian name for what is now the Chicago river. The word "Chicagoua" means "place of the wild onions". It seems that the area was actually a marsh around the river, infested with stink weed. The river stunk. Joliet and Marquette founded the area in the hopes of developing a water route from New Orleans to Montreal, from the Mississippi through the Great Lakes and onto the St Lawrence. It began as a small fur trading post, and quickly became the heart of the industrial revolution. The city developed better methods of cutting and storing grain, they created a disassembly line for creating pork products, and eventually the railyards became the hub of all railway travel in the United States. It rreally is a marvel. The population went from 4000 to 300000 in 40 years. Unbelievable. The last thing they covered was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when 73 miles of homes were destroyed after Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern. It's amazing how much you learn about what we see today by studying the history. Every little thing, it seems, was molded by the actions of our predecessors.

Movie Review: The School of Rock
Much better than I expected. I have no problem recommending this movie. I must admit though, it starts, it runs, and its over, just like that. Very little character development, very little story and plot. But, what it does have is heart and soul. Jack Black plays basically himself, but with so much energy, his antics go from goofy and ridiculous, to funny and personal. The kids are sterotypical, but good enough that you enjoy their transformation. The key to the movie is the idea that there is more to life than the straight laced, button down world that these private school kids live in. Its a cheesy flick, more a saturday afternoon special than a cinematic event. But, worth the price of a rental.

I really love candy. It has no nutritional value, and really, isnt good for you in any way. But Ill be damned, I cant stop eating it. I feel like I need a candy bar a day. The sheer enjoyment of a peanut butter Twix, some Peanut M&Ms or a 3 Muskateers makes it absolutely worth it for all the negatives involved. Is there any reason that the best things, the tasty things, are all bad for you. Why cant broccoli taste like chocolate?

You won't normally find me watching women's basketball. Something about missed layups that fails to excite me. But in preparation for Sportscenter, I just caught the last 8 seconds of LSU/Georgia. LSU missed a free throw, up by two, and the Georgia point guard dribbled the length of the court. At the free throw line, going in for the tying shot, she slipped. She fell. They lost. In a great moment of character, the Georgia coach ran out on to the court, amidst the celebrating LSU players, and he didnt complain. He didnt argue the lack of a call. And he didnt chastise a single player. He picked up that point guard, and hugged her, telling her its ok, and he was proud of her. That, my friends, is how it's supposed to be. And that is why college sports will remain a force in America. For every 20 teenage millionaires each year, there is one moment like this that trumps every greedy intention prevalent in professional sports.

What is the deal with shows like the Bachelorette and the Bachelor? Isnt this just about the most demeaning thing out there? Pretending to be excited to meet someone, then spending all this time to see if you actually like them. And then decide if you want to get married? What ever happened to good old fashioned dating? Meanwhile, the "dates" that they go on are all Trump-like yacht rides and beach picnics. So then, these two are gonna fall for each other, go into the real world, and start eating at Chili's and renting movies like the rest of us. Am I stupid to think that the bloom will be off the rose when things start getting real? If you want a good show, tape these lovebirds for the months after the end of the show. Suddenly, you arent in so much love anymore when she's cleaning the crud out of her eyes lounging in front of Oprah in her Iowa State sweats. And he isnt the dream man you thought when you see him drinking a High Life and eating dip with his fingers over the sink.

Why is there such a negative association with gamblers? Sure, there are some real degenerates out there, and speaking from experience, well, it can become an obsessive habit. But I really think sports gambling gets a bad rap. Think about it, would you worry more about some guy that knows a sport, throws 500 on the lakers to win, and gets on with his life after a three hour game, or does fantasy guy worry you more? These guys, spending entire offseasons, month after month, analyzing stats, pondering mythical trades, all so they can pit their 20 dollars in a wager that has astronomical odds and takes some 5 months to come to fruition? Fantasy games can be ok in moderation, but there are some real problem kids out there. Grown men, wasting hours upon hours trying to decide if they should start Rafer Alston for the assists, or Mark Blount for the blocks. Haven't heard of those guys? Consider yourself part of the majority.....

So we have a winner on Dream Job. I must say, I just saw him do his first Sportscenter highlight, and well, it was pretty good. He kept up, he got the players right, it was as good as you can expect. Admittedly, I didnt think he was that great over the course of the show. But, hey, he won, so those in the know know more than me I suppose. Im happy for the guy. He gets a one year contract, a new car and 95 K a year. I understand that the people who work so hard in the business are going to be jealous and upset over this, and will over-scrutinize the kid. But why? What is the point? Because he won a contest? At least he won. He beat out 10,000 other people. He competed on a stage, under intense pressure. He didnt create the contest. He didnt cheat. There was no favoritism and there was no nepotism. Get off his back. He may have won the career lottery ticket, and jumped over people who have paid their dues, but he did it all within the parameters of a fairly organized contest devised by his employer. Its not like he pulled a Mountain Dew cap and was forced on the network. So jeez, dont blame him. If you want to be jealous or angry, take it out on management. But since most ESPN talent are eunichs, dont expect them to challenge the suits any time soon. Not when they can take out their acrimony on an innocent college Jr who just happened to live his dream. Yeah, what a jerk....

Are we going to continue to pay Spike Lee on the back? Truth is, one of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the important movies of our generation (or any generation for that matter) is Do the Right Thing. A genius piece of cinema that made us give race relations or honest attention. But, well, has anything since then come even close? Is he just a victim of his early success? It wouldnt be the first time it occurred. Save for Malcolm X, not a single Spike Lee movie has made a difference on the social landscape. Considering that is the point of his movies, to make a point, the lack of a ripple upon their release needs to be noted. Jungle Fever; Crooklyn; Summer of Sam....all supposedly socially significant, and none of them let out even a squeak. The problem is, Spike is a notorious "race baiter" in that any attempt to challenge him or his views is met with accusations of racism. Racism is a legitimate problem in America, but it is like the boy who cried wolf: the more you claim it, the less value each claim is awarded. Truth is, Im sure racism can be found in any situation if you look hard enough. That doesnt mean it actually exists.