Thank God it's Fri-DEE....

That's how they say it in Chicago....FriDEE. MonDEE, ToozDEE, WenzDEE....it's freaking beautiful. You haven't lived until you have met "Chicago Man", and heard him speak. You'll know him when you see him. He is gigantic, pushing 3 bills. Shaped like one of those Russian dolls, wearing a 2 inch thick tweed coat. Scarf around his neck, in polyester slacks and brown shoes. The shoes are worn out from the salt and ice he trudges through everyday on his way to the OTC and Dunkin Donuts. His plaid red scarf hides his extra chins, but his jowels flap over it, with a 5 o clock shadow that creeps in around lunch time. The mustache is thick, trimmed with what appears to be a butter knife. It's salt and pepper, with grey intertwined with black. A tweed drivers cap sits atop a mop of disheveled hair, and his beady eyes peak out from behind some rose colored glasses, with huge wire rims resting on his pug nose. "Da bares r da bam!" he exclaims, then goes on and on about Ditka, why Toni Kukoc sucks, the difference between Bratwurst and Knockwurst, and why Mark Prior is the next Cy Young. It's pure unintentional comedy at it's utmost greatest. Sometimes life provides us with better characters than any writer possible could....

Good to see the response from everyone. It's nice to finally get feedback, because this blog is only so good. Great comments from everyone else makes it 100 times better. I know I visit a site that was recommended by blogger.com, and that guy gets like 70 comments per post. That's what Im talkin about!

Damn the weather is nice out here. I cant believe how beautiful it is every day. Even when it's overcast, you can't beat it. I live on a hill in La Jolla, and every morning, I come down the hill, and I can see the entire Bay, all of downtown, the Coronado bridge, the battleships and cruise ships. It really is amazing. I guess after a while you take it for granted. You really get used to having sun and mild climate all the time. I am starting to see why they call San Diego "America's Finest City." It really can't be beat.

So I went up to Costa Mesa, in Orange County, last weekend. That was excellent. My friend was down from the Bay Area staying with another friend, and we all met up. Let's just say a good time was had by all. My trip started well enough, with me getting on a Toll Way without knowing it was a Toll Way (thanks Yahoo Maps, mind mentioning that next time?) 3.50 to go 15 miles! Are you serious? Why do I get to drive from San Diego, up 40 miles north, for free, but then I gotta pay damn near 5 beans to make a left? Bunch of crap. So, I go through Newport Beach to get there, and man, that is some kind of uppity town, I tell you what. But I would live there in a second. That place was cleaner than Oprah's plate after dinner time. I got there, kicked it with the fellas for a while, and then the guy that lives there stuffs us in a cab, and takes us 15 minutes away so we can hit a couple of absolutely dead bars. First bar, sports bar, was cool. Good eats, but more guys there than the million man march. We quickly bounce from there, and hit the next bar, Memphis. Might as well have had a drink in my closet. This place was tiny, capital NEE. We were the only three guys at this bar that resembled a carnival ticket window, and I still felt crowded. Next, the dive bar! Usually, Im a big fan of the dive bar, and this place seemed ok. So, we sit down, me, then Jin, then Darren. We order, we sit there, and Jin starts bitching. He's not the dive bar type. He requires disco balls and 10 dollar drinks. Jin and I are chatting, when we hear Darren say, "Oh, we are gay." Double take. Triple take. Wha wha wha?? Then Darren peels off, and a woman who resembles medusa starts pawing at Jin, saying God knows what. Jin tries the gay comment, but just cant run with it, and somehow pawns this walking corpse on me. Next thing I know, a woman resembling a fresh autopsy puts her hand on my back and asks, "Why are you gay?" I tried, God knows I tried, to run with it. Anything to get the grim reaper off my back. BUt I couldnt, I just couldnt joke around about something like that. "Im married." I say. Yeah, that oughtta do it. "So, me too." it says. Eah great! At this point, the bartendress drops a tequila shot on the bar, and tells Miss Congeniality, "6 bucks." At this point, my new friend points at the drink and says, "Pay the lady." I lost my shit. What?!? Are you out of your damn mind? I wouldn't buy my SELF a six dollar shot! So I immediately, bail, and then the three of us get out of dodge as she canvasses the bar looking for donations. A truly sad sight, indeed. Finally, Jin tells Darren, this sucks, lets go to the bar by your house. Darren concedes, half heartedly, and we shoot back. This place is JUMPING! Perfect bar, good prices, good music, lots of talent. Im like, what the hell did we leave this place for? Its freaking walking distance to his house! So, two things happen. First, our waitress comes over, and I rap at her for like a minute, just shooting the shit. And Jin, don juan demarco that he is, blurts out....give my friend your number! She damn near fainted! I dont know if it was the overt comment, or the look of death in his eyes. I guess the Bull Blasters weren't doing him any favors. So, I get the number, forget to tell her I live an hour south, call her Tuesday, yada yada, that aint happenin. Bummer. Finally, we chat a little more, and Jin absolutely clowns on Darren. And the guy behind us laughs. Jin, in all his wisdom, immediately asks the guy, "What the fuk are you laughing at?" Ahh, the beauty of being drunk. Dude tried to respond, until we all stood up, and his friend dragged him away telling him, "Dude, lets go, you're gonna get your ass kicked." Needless to say, we quickly went to a less conspicuous part of the bar and relaxed. Although, Jin was nice enough to spill his drink on the table. Way to go, Spill Clark! Spilliam Dafoe! Tipsy Russell! Ok, im done....

The universe is expanding, starting in my midsection....

I am going to start right off with a pair of movie reviews, because these two movies were so damn good, I have to recommend them immediately....

THE LAST SAMURAI
This movie was damn near spiritual for me. Admittedly, it is a big budget, Hollywood blockbuster vehicle designed to garner and Oscar nomination for Tom Cruise. Mission accomplished. However, somewhere along the way, it managed to not only transport me to a different era, but it immersed me in a different culture. I was presented with a new way of thinking, a stripped down vision of the world, where only perfection in one's craft and the simplest of daily life are what is important. I felt a connection with the culture, and a real understanding of the transformation that Cruise's character undertakes. The key line in the movie defines it perfectly. When asked why he will fight against the white men when they come to attack the village he has called home for a year, he says, "Because they come to destroy that which I have come to love." So true, Maverick, so true. Several scenes brought me to the edge of my seat, and literally left me breathless. I have never felt that way watching a movie, or at the very least, seldom felt that way. I recommend this movie wholeheartedly.
*****

MYSTIC RIVER
This movie meets most of the hype. The performances turned in by Bacon, Penn and Robbins are superb. Robbins and Penn especially manage to relay the emotions that they are supposed to be feeling. Basically, you are told that the characters carry certain emotions, and then you see them. The expressions are so vibrant, and the raw emotion exposed, you forget you are watching a movie. It all feels so real, and honest. The story is alot simpler than you expect, and the results are pretty standard. The end has a slight twist, without managing to explain itself. It exists mostly to create the conundrum that we see coming from a mile away. I wont give away the movie, and will simply recommend it. *****

The genius of G Dubya: While introducing Bill Clinton at a presentation at the White House, our president, the leader of the free world, stated: "We are all happy to have you here....and I am sure the President is too." Um, uhhhhh......arent you....uh.....isnt that.....YOU!?!?!

Have you heard the comments made by the President of Colorado University during the hearing on sexual misconduct by the football team? Absolutely unbelievable. The President of the Universtiy, who is a WOMAN, was asked if she thought the "C" word, used to describe women, had vulgar connotations. She said yes, she had heard it was a curse word, but that it could also be used as a term of endearment. Gentlemen, word to the wise: no matter what evidence you have to back it up, dont EVER consider that a term of endearment.

In other news, I hear Colorado University will be scheduling North Texas for a game this season. The CU-NT game is said to be very endearing........

Taking Jimmy Kimmel's show off of the air just because he made a silly comment about burning Detroit down in celebration is so ridiculous.....when it should so obviously be taken off of the air simply for being crap.

I love Law and Order. I am now watching 3 episodes a night. I cant get enough of it.

Am I the only one bored with the internet? Its like cable TV. Tons of sites or channels, but nothing to watch or view. How much porn do we need? I mean really? I can't do my taxes online without getting 21 pop up ads for this crap.

Soooo, the 10 year anniversary of the Trial of the Century. When I was in college the first time around, I half watched this circus, and I have to be honest, I didn't really know if they got it right or what. Now, looking back, this time, a law student, matured, and well, to be honest...sober....I am appalled at how bad the prosecution screwed this up. All I can think is, no matter how bad an attorney I think I am, I will always have a job, because those two idiots kept theirs. Let me get this straight: The suspect was an abusive ex-husband, his show size was found at the scene in a style he owns, a glove was found at the scene and at his house, he had NO ALIBI, a cut on his hand, victim's blood in his car and on his socks.......and he got off?!?? And why? Because one of the officers on the scene was a racist. Do you realize that Cochran basically argued that the LAPD was (a) so incompetant that they got all of the blood samples mixed up, and (b) concoted an elaborate scheme to frame OJ in a manner of 30 minutes after discovering the murder scene.

Yeah, Cheers is on! Four episodes in a row, then bed time. Im a freak.....

Ok, roll call. What is everyone reading right now? My current books are The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, by Stephen King; The Art of War; and a damn book about the fast food industry..the name escapes me.

So MB is still working at Network Associates. She is travelling between Cali and Dallas on a weekly basis. So now she is in Dallas. And all I can think about is that the dude she dated is out there. I have no idea what's going on, but damn, that is just stuck in my chest right now. You know that feeling, when you think about the worst thing, and then ratchet it up 100 times, and it just clenches in your chest and you can't breathe.....damn, that's how I feel. Serenity now!

Don't be shocked about the Laker loss. They were a disjointed team that had no love for each other, and no dedication to what it takes to win a title. They sniped at each other, worried about themselves, and refused to make changes to their games that would have made them more competitive. I blame Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. The sooner they trade Kobe, the better. Sometimes, talent is not as important as cohesiveness, and the true superstars bring both to the table. Don't be fooled, the true superstar was Shaq, who gave every last ounce of himself.

Gonna go see the new Dodgeball movie? I watched that show, Extreme Dodgeball, last night. It was mildly funny. It was fun seeing midgets go against sumo wrestlers. I guess I just didn't recognize the game. I remember we played a game called Nationball. It was a giant court, cut in half. One team was on one side, and the other in the other square. Then, you would sandwich the other team with like 2 or 3 of your own at the other end. There was one ball, and you would fire that thing into the mass of kids on the other side. Damn, that was a great game. Right up there with Kickball and Handball. And what about Butts Up, ever play that? Nothing like winging a tennis ball at someone's backside. I remember getting to an age where some of us had really good arms, and you could really tatoo a kid. Of course, there was always that accidental beaning, and a kid took a shot in the shoulder or neck or something. That was always good for a laugh.