A Dangerous Mind

We'll Pick You Up

2009-06-25T22:47:00.000-04:00

My apologies on the delayed posting, but I wanted to jump on here and quickly update folks on the latest job stuff. As you probably guessed from the title, I have accepted a position with Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a Managment Trainee, and I started work yesterday.

My title may sound glorious, but in actuality it's simply the standard customer service position you would see if you went into a branch and wanted to rent a car. The title is accurate though, because all of Enterprise's management, from branch assistants all the way to VP's, start as management trainees. It's nice because that means that all of my supervisors have been in the exact same position that I've been in, and likely fairly recently. It's obviously still early on, but so far the people that I have met have been extremely outgoing, friendly and helpful, which is definitely comforting for someone who's been out of the work enviornment for as long as I have.

I'm also impressed with the amount of resources being dedicated to me. The pay is decent and comes with benefits, but I've also been provided two workbooks of information (company policies and benefits details), a 2" thick binder with training materials, and a hardcover copy of "Exceeding Customer Expectations," a book about the Enterprise sales philosophy. There was a lot of paperwork (25 documents or so that I had to turn in) and at times, the amount of information being thrown at me can be a bit overwhelming, but overall it's good to be back to work.

Hopefully some interesting rental stories will arise and provide some great fodder for this blog (which, I admit, I've done a poor job of updating), but until then, stay tuned...

Greetings from the Kogod Courtyard

2009-06-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

I'm back once again in the safe, quiet and friendly confines of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery in downtown D.C. This is now my third time relaxing in the sunny portico, and I definitey consider it my preferred refuge in our nation's capital. Thankfully, even though sun is pouring in onto the live trees and rhododendrons, the air conditioning is also working at full power, so it's quite comfortable.

On the personal front, I have gotten my things about as settled as possible at Ted's house. Not that it should be a surprise to anyone, but Ted is also a very gracious and accommodating roommate to have. Huge relief there since we share a bathroom, but not surprising. There is another roommate in the house, but his room is in the basement, so sightings of him are pretty much limited to an occasional meeting in the kitchen.

Professionally, the job search still has not been completely resolved, although I hope to have it tied up in the next week or so. In the meantime, I keep working and hoping that the search will, indeed, be over soon. Living in an area the size of D.C. does have its benefits, and I am truly glad to have found a place like the Kogod Courtyard to spend some of my free time. It's a bit of a new experience, but I love spending time here. Unfortunately, the one downside is they do not have electrical outlets here, so I only ever get about an hour of laptop use before the battery dies.

Going to have one of my first 'cultural' experiences since coming to D.C. tonight. Apparently gathering in the sculpture garden on the National Mall on Friday evenings is quite the happening place to be. There are world music concerts and plenty of people gather on picnic blankets sipping adult beverages or maybe having a picnic dinner while they mingle with friends and listen to music. Tonight is going to be Brazilian Jazz I'm told; what the heck is that? I've pondered that this afternoon, but haven't gotten much of an idea what I'm in for in the auditory department. Ah well, an interesting evening at least!

Anyway, for those that still check this blog, I just thought I'd update a bit on how things are going here. It's pretty humid but, for the most part, a positive experience thus far. If there is further news on the job front soon, I will likely post it here. Ciao until then.

Ode to Synths

2009-05-14T00:08:00.001-04:00

I was talking to Michelle awhile ago about music and music tastes, and she mentioned that she has things funny thing about songs that she loves when people sing notes, like "la la la" or something similar. It's interesting to me that something so particular about a song could make it so appealing, but as I sit here listening to the Shiny Toy Guns' take on "Major Tom" on a seemingly endless repeat (and a blissful endless repeat at that), I realize I have a similar affliction: I love keyboards and synthesizers in music.

It's funny that I would end up with that sort of feeling towards something that so many people think cheapens music or hurries its downfall, but it's just me I suppose. I took a look at my iTunes to see if I'm just making this up, but I'm not. The top three most listened to songs ever on my iTunes are by a band called Chromeo and the Killers, have a combined 192 plays between them, and are practically dripping with synths. Looking through my songs in alphabetical order, the first name on the list is 80's band a-Ha, then continues with the Bravery and Duran Duran, all the way through the Shiny Toy Guns and the Thompson Twins.

Thankfully, not every song with synths does it for me, but I think that is the single largest common thread through my iTunes library. Maybe it's due to being born in the 80's, but both my parents hated 80's music. I didn't even grow up listening to it, I heard the Monkees and Leslie Gore on an oldies radio station. Oh well, I've had this strange affinity for the sound for most of my adult life, and it doesn't appear to be going away. May as well turn it up!

Earth below us,
Drifting, falling.
Floating weightless,
Calling, calling home.

Coming or Going

2009-05-12T20:37:00.000-04:00

My current job situation (read: without one) has been a blessing in many ways. I feel like I worked very hard for almost three years in Portland with very little in the way of 'down time', so it has really helped to rest and re-charge my batteries. It has also been great to reconnect with old friends and spend time with my family. Most importantly, I feel that I have recently gained a bit of perspective on things.

It can be hard to quantify, but I feel I have a little bit more clarity, despite my life still being fairly messy. I can't really point to one specific event or thing that helped provide this clarity, but just in the past few days I feel like I've been able to see the finish line a bit more clearly, and that means a lot. I believe I've always been someone with goals, but even those have felt a bit more tangible recently.

For me, what I think it comes down to is realizing that almost everything I do can be tied into the long-term goals I have for myself. Prior to this 'awakening' as such, I had goals but they always seemed a bit detached, maybe more like pipe dreams. But with this realization comes the knowledge that they can indeed be accomplished, and that accomplishing them comes with continued responsibility for my own actions.

It seems a bit silly to be typing this, as I should probably have learned this lesson ages ago, maybe in college. But oh well, better late than never, and I'm just glad I'm starting late as opposed to not starting at all.

Music Video Musings

2009-04-24T01:10:00.000-04:00

ahh, nothing like writing a blog post at 1 a.m. Funny the things that cross my mind as I watch music videos from back in the day. There's probably better things that I could be doing with my time (like sleeping), but they're all less fun. Anyway...

- If I could have been 'the guy' in any music video, I think it'd be "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai. Not only is the song catchy, but the floor is moving all over the place. It'd be fun to dance around a moving room while trying to dodge furniture. Or so I think now.

- Damn, I wish I was Sophie B. Hawkins' lover.

- It's funny, I think so many people would say that "Thriller" is the best music video of all time, but for me, the one I get the most enjoyment out of is "Around the World" by Daft Punk. I like to think about how long they must have rehearsed in those goofy costumes, then I think I'd probably be in it if it was offered.

- Nobody can rock a wife-beater, lanyard and cargo khakis like Kylie Minogue a la "Love at First Sight." Then sometimes the camera pans down and you can see her g ... ah hell, I gotta stop.

Capital Musings

2009-03-24T17:21:00.003-04:00

I was sitting in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station waiting to meet a friend earlier today. There's almost a constant throng of people moving through there. People in suits, people with luggage, people with some place to go, quickly. Even the birds that soar overhead in the main lobby of the building seem to be rushing to some unknown destination. There's no stopping to breathe, there's money to be made somewhere, and I'm not making it.

Some of these people I probably 'competed' against yesterday at a career fair at the Verizon Center. When I say competed, I don't really mean competed, just that we are vying for the same thing: a career with a sports and/or entertainment company. We all have 30 seconds to talk to a particular employer and really 'wow' them. Is that really even possible? I felt crappy leaving the career fair yesterday because I felt like I didn't really wow anyone, but then I think, if it were me that was the employer, would I even remember someone 'memorable' if they were drowned in a sea of 100 other mediocre applicants? That's some relief, I suppose, but it also means that I have to let my resume doing the talking for me now. And that can be another form of discomfort.

Exiting the Metro at Chinatown (the Verizon Center exit) today, I got stuck behind a group of college-age looking girls, no doubt carrying tickets to the Britney Spears concert there tonight. One of them was telling the others how proud of herself she was that she had finally learned how to smoke cigarettes during the day. What does that even mean? And who the hell brags about it or even tells others? Are these the type of people that are getting jobs and keeping me out of one? If that is what people are like nowadays, does it make me out of touch to think that bragging about smoking during the day is lame?

I was going to sit in Union Station amongst the crowds and write this blog post, sipping my hot beverage and typing on my computer at a table in Starbucks, just like the people I railed against in a recent podcast episode. But I didn't, I decamped to a different place, a wonderful place. I am sitting in the enclosed courtyard of the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery and museum of American Art, one of our country's most important collections of any type.

Gone are the bustling hordes, all dressed in their business suits and rushing off to make that money I'm not making. In its place are quiet limestone walls protecting our nation's cultural heritage, the soft flowing of water over the floorstones, and the gentle of hum of respectable people walking slowly, with almost a sense of reverence, through the courtyard.

I feel different from yesterday; I feel inspired.

Putting the US in U.S. Bank

2009-02-04T00:21:00.000-05:00

Alright, here's a little something that's been chafing me lately. I'm a proud account holder at U.S. Bank (NYSE: USB), the sixth-largest bank in this country and the owner of 2,769 bank branches. Granted, I signed up for my account when I arrived in Portland in the spring of 2006, but having seen those banks everywhere when I was at Miami, I didn't think anything of it. I certainly thought that considering it was called "U.S." Bank, as in the Bank that serves the U.S., they'd have way more branches than some of the small local options I had in Portland.

So naturally you can imagine my dismay when I needed to do some basic banking after the Christmas holiday. I hop on to my friendly U.S. Bank website to do a location search, and the closest bank branch? Oak Harbor, Ohio. That's right, the same Oak Harbor that is 26.88 miles from Perrysburg and has a massive population of 2,841 (as of the 2000 census, so I'm sure it's more like 2,844 now).

My first thought was: How could a bustling metropolis like Toledo (population 295,029) have 0 locations when Oak Harbor even has one? What kind of U.S. is this bank serving? An intelligent family member pointed out that U.S. Bank may have bought whatever local bank used to exist in Oak Harbor, but considering Toledo is at least in the top 200 metro areas in the U.S., I still can't believe there isn't a single one of the 2,769 branches in the area.

Oh well, in the meantime I'm stuck driving out to Oak Harbor if I ever need to do any banking in my hometown. I'm somewhat consoled that even if I had gone for an even more seemingly obvious bank, "Bank of America," my closest option? Alexis Rd.

I think I'll stick with the home of Davis-Besse.

Pardon our virtual dust...

2009-01-31T13:46:00.002-05:00

"A Dangerous Mind" is undergoing a face-lift. Stay tuned for the new look and new posts!

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #1

2008-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

Band of Brothers (2001)

And at long last, after 16 months, I have finally announced the winner of the coveted top spot on my list of all-time favorites. HBO's Band of Brothers, while in actual fact a 10-part miniseries, makes number one on the chart because I consider it to be one 10-hour story. Based on Stephen Ambrose's book of the same name, it is truly a masterpiece that can be watched over and over (as I have).

For the few of you that aren't actually familiar, Band of Brothers tells the true story of the men of Easy Company in the 101st Airborne during World War II. Part One starts with the recently-enlisted men going through the rigors of basic training, and follows them through operations on D-Day, in Holland, France, and eventually Germany. Some of the soldiers are invariably lost along the way, but being an accurate portrayal of war, it's something we as viewers must expect.

Because the film spans 10 parts, we are given the opportunity to really identify with the soldiers, come to know them, their nicknames and their idiosyncracies. Actual interviews with the real-life former soldiers (now in their 70's or 80's) at the start of each part help solidify the reality behind what these great men went through. Their identities are not revealed until the final part, but a great casting job by the filmmakers allow us to pick some of them out early.

Finishing the set is a very fulfilling and moving experience, and even as a male, I can't help but feel the heart strings pulled as the real-life Dick Winters, fighting off tears and with a quivering jaw, relates the following as the series fades to the final credits:

"I treasure my remark to my grandson, who asked, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?' Grandpa said, 'No ... but I served in a company of heroes.'"

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #2

2008-11-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

Just one space away from the top spot, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is truly monumental in several respects. Most importantly, the films stay relatively faithful to the classic novels from J.R.R. Tolkien, despite not including such memorable moments as the hobbits' encounter of Tom Bombadil (in-joke).

As someone who had read, and thoroughly enjoyed, the trilogy, I was as skeptical as everyone else that this would be another piece of classic literature massacred when translated to the big screen. Peter Jackson was not a director that I was familiar with, and when hearing that all three films were being made consecutively, I was worried that quality would be sacrificed under the typical studio pressure to get filming done and released. I was very happy to be wrong. The films were not only true to the essence of the story, but as evidenced by The Return of the King winning 11 Oscars, quality was not sacrificed either.

Further in terms of quality, watching the extras featured on the Extended Edition DVDs gave me a new appreciation for the depths that the production team went to in order to make these films as successful as they were. New Zealand turned out to be an incredible location for the shoot, but the attention to detail that went in to everything from miniature models of Helm's Deep to makeup applied on Uruk-Hai warriors, truly made this an incredible spectacle.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #3

2008-05-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

Star Wars Episodes IV - VI (1977-1983)

I know some will probably accuse me of cheating since this is actually three movies, but I'm taking it as one story arc that is spread over three movies. With each movie taken individually, they'd all be great, and I think they are, but none of them would probably warrant a place this high on my list. I named this list "Fave FILMS" instead of "Fave MOVIES" on purpose because the original "Star Wars" as a whole would be up this high.

As far as the trilogy itself, what can I say? I though about doing some cliche spinoff of the 'long time ago' phrase to discuss my experiences, but figured I'd avoid that easy trap. Most of you that know me know that I'm a big "Star Wars" fan, and have been for some time. When I was thinking about what I wanted to say about "Star Wars," the first thought that sprung to me was that I remember exactly where I was when I first saw it. There are very few other movies that I can say that about.

I don't think I really need to go into much detail at this point about the merits of "Star Wars" since everyone has seen it, and odds are, they probably at least enjoyed it on a surface level of being an entertaining story. I know that the acting needed a lot of work, and some of the 'special effects' seem kitschy by today's standards, but who among us wouldn't stop at least for just a few minutes if you saw it on?

Needless to say, episodes 1-3 didn't make the list.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #4

2008-05-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

Braveheart (1995)

Surely anyone that knows me would know that this would be somewhere near the top of the list. I mean, after all, I have a replica sword from the film mounted to my dining room wall! By now, my list should make it pretty clear that I like historical epics, so further reason for Braveheart's inclusion.

I'm not going to sit here and praise the acting or the character development (only partially because I don't feel it's worth noting), I won't even argue that there are inaccuracies and anachronisms, because I think what this film has going for it is its storytelling. Indeed, if you're interested in Anglo history, odds are you enjoyed the film too.

The other thing that I really enjoyed about this movie is the widespread effect that it had over in Scotland. The film spawned a tidal wave of nationalist sentiment and membership and interest in Scottish history skyrocketed following the release. It brought Scottish history to the rest of the world, as well. How many of us had heard of William Wallace before the movie? I bet you have now.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #5

2008-03-23T17:08:00.000-04:00

Gladiator (2000)

It's hard to make a strong argument about this being one of the deepest or most moving films of our time, but it is what it is and it is good at what it is. That it won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture, I guess shouldn't go without mentioning, so I guess I'm not the only one that liked it.

Gladiator came out about a month before I graduated (indeed, I cut school with Mike Failor to see it the day it came out) and caught me at a time when I was still relishing the opportunity to finally see rated 'R' movies after my parents' "no R movies till you're 17" curfew was finally outgrown. The plot is not why I went, to say the least. And Gladiator delivered what I wanted in spades. Epic violence on a historical scale, with some awesome views into the Rome we learn about in European History class. Those stunning views of Rome have been even more enhanced upon by the HBO series Rome, but I digress.

I'm not going to sit here and say that Russell Crowe gave a memorable performance or it kept me thinking for days after I saw it, but that's not why I saw it. I know that there are plot holes and historical anachronisms, and that if they were trying to make it real, the characters would have spoken Latin and we could have read subtitles. But so what? At the end of the day, as with most movies I watch, I wanted to be entertained. In fact, Maximus didn't even need to ask "am I not entertained?" Indeed I still am, sir.

Festival

2008-02-17T14:16:00.000-05:00

Michelle and I had the opportunity to attend a film as part of the Portland International Film Festival on Friday, and it was really an interesting experience. The Festival runs for about 2 1/2 weeks every February, and I believe this was the 31st incarnation of it. Films are shown in several participating theatres in downtown Portland during the evenings and all day on weekends. The theater that we attended was actually below street level, which was kind of cool in and of itself, as when we were coming and going we could look up through the lobby and see people walking outside on the street above.

Anyway, we saw an Argentinan film called "La Antena," or "The Aerial" in English (although, I think a more literal translation of "The Antenna", would have been more appropriate). The film was billed as an animation/live action mashing with homage to Tim Burton and several Hispanic directors. The plot revolved around a city whose residents had had their voices stolen by a powerful man known as Mr. TV. So when they spoke in the film, instead of a voice being projected into the theater, there was no sound but the actual text of what they said exiting their mouths and floating around onscreen (in Spanish). It was an interesting concept to be sure, and definitely a fascinating visual style. So anyway, Mr. TV was plotting to steal peoples' words as well, leaving them unable to communicate, and I won't spoil what happens in case you want to see it.

Michelle had a stronger knowledge of Argentinian/South American history that helped to appreciate the plot more, but I understood its meaning once she gave me a bit of background. But it was nevertheless fun to feel like we were part of the Festival crowd, even if only for a night. I'm told that on many of the films, people involved with the production are on hand to field questions after the screening, but that was not the case in ours. If you have the opportunity to attend a film festival, I highly recommend it as a fun and interesting night out.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #6

2008-02-03T21:09:00.000-05:00

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

It would be an understatement to say that this film is the epitome of a 'triumph of the will' movie. The film centers around an everyday white-collar business man named Andy Dufresne (expertly played by Tim Robbins) who goes to jail for killing his wife and her lover. Despite receiving a particularly long sentence (two life sentences if memory serves), Dufresne is determined to get free.

Of course, there is no doubt that everyone feels that way when they first enter the clink, but after so long, most become institutionalized, so dependent on the structure and the system that prison provides, that they can no longer function with all of the freedoms they are given back upon their release (as well as the harshness of trying to survive being an ex-con). In fact, we see this in the character Brooks, who cannot cope with the free world once he is released.

But somehow Andy remains resolute in his task. His fellow inmate Red (played by Morgan Freeman) manages to secure him a toy pick axe and he goes about chipping away at the prison walls, removing just little bits every night. I don't know how many years Andy ended up spending in prison, plotting and making his escape, but he never wavered in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles (like months in pitch-black isolated confinement).

At the end of the film, as Andy stands with arms raised in the rain, victorious, we don't really know whether or not he regrets his crimes, but we do know that, at least to himself, he has been redeemed.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #7

2007-12-16T17:35:00.000-05:00

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to History and historical films(I get it from my dad), so it should come as no surprise that a film like "Saving Private Ryan" would make the top 10. Also, fittingly enough, it was my dad that first took me to see this one in the theaters, along with Mike Failor when we were still in high school.

It would be impossible to discuss the plaudits of this particular movie, however, without stopping to discuss the film's realism, which may just be its strongest point. Other than minor issues like 'real US soldiers didn't have rank insignias on their helmets' or 'phone cords were straight in 1944, not coiled', this movie incredibly captures life (and death) on the front lines. In fact, I recall reading at the time the movie was released that a number of veterans had to leave the theaters as the images were so lifelike, it stirred memories of being back on the battlefield. Particular credit goes to Spielberg and his cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski, for draining the colors and using hand-held cameras to capture life as it was in Normandy in June, 1944.

Realism aside, I also found the story and characters to be quite engaging. Much has been made of the group of soldiers that go out in search of Private Ryan, considering there's a religious Southern sniper, a rough-and-tumble Italian, a loud-mouthed New Yorker and a teacher leading them all. However, looking back on the war itself, these are the types of people that really did do the fighting. It was an entire cross-section of our country, young and old, that saw a common evil that needed to be defeated and rose to meet the challenge. Of course, it helps that these characters are all extremely well played by their respective actors (and yes, I even include Vin Diesel in this).

For those who say that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, I give them this film as proof of their argument. For surely if this is the case, when history is presented this clearly, it is impossible to ignore.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #8

2007-10-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

American Beauty (1999)

It's been five or six years at least since I first saw this movie, but I recall it having a large effect on me. Perhaps it was it's realism that got me; I haven't been through a mid-life crisis (nor do I ever want to), but the film paints a very realistic scenario of it. After all, most people dream to own that nice house, have the great job with the successful spouse and live happily ever after. But, as the movie depicts, it doesn't often end up that way.

To say nothing of the performances of the cast would be to do the film a disservice. Kevin Spacey, in particular, shines as the troubled Lester Burnham, a man who has gotten to the end of his rope and realizes that the only way out is to let go. Annette Benning and Thora Birch are great as his wife and daughter, respectively, but it's up to Spacey to carry the movie and he certainly does.

Ultimately, we are reminded of what things are truly important in life and what aren't. We learn that there is beauty everywhere in this world (even in a plastic bag), and that we could go our whole lives and never notice it if we never stop to look around.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #9

2007-10-21T20:30:00.000-04:00

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Liz: It's just that with Ed here, it's no wonder I bring my flatmates out, and then that only exacerbates things.
Shaun: What do you mean?
Liz: Well you guys hardly get on, do you?
Shaun: No, what does 'exacerbate' mean?

This is just one of the numerous examples of the droll with and humour to be found in my #9 film, Shaun of the Dead. While it sounds odd to label this movie as a comedy/horror film, that's exactly what it is. Or maybe more precisely, a satire of horror movies, but the violence is surprisingly graphic and not surprisingly prevalent.

That's not to take away from the movie, though. Quite the opposite, actually. It's like watching a good Simpsons episode; the more you know about the genre (horror), the more you appreciate all of the jokes within. To enjoy it to its highest extentent does take a certain appreciation of the dry British humour, but even a basic familiarity with horror/survivalist/zombie genres will be more than enough to allow you to enjoy it.

As far as plot goes, the movie follows a very standard horror plot (again, part of what makes it funny). Zombies get loose and want to bite/eat people that aren't zombies, and the remaining group of survivors tries to stay alive, invariably ending up at some sort of stronghold to wait for the cavalry. Of course a few of the group are munched along the way (enter the gore), but if we didn't want a few to go, would we see movies in this genre? Simon Pegg is great as "Shaun", but don't underestimate Nick Frost as "Ed," Shaun's hapless friend, who actually supplies most of the jokes.

Not surprisingly, I highly recommend this movie, and it's new companion piece, "Hot Fuzz", which similarly lampoons the police/buddy picture genre.

Brad's All-Time Fave Films: #10

2007-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Last of the Mohicans (1992)

I first saw this film in bits and pieces in junior high and earlier high school, and it happened to catch me at a phase when I was really fascinated by the struggle between colonists and Native Americans. That precise conflict is encapsulated in the James Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans" on a beautiful grand, and ultimately, tragic scale.

Daniel Day-Lewis turns in an incredible performance as Hawkeye, an adopted Mohican tribesman. It is said that Day-Lewis is a method actor and that he went and lived in the wilderness for several months in preparation for the part. I think it pays off as the entire movie takes place on the evolving American frontier. The female characters are also played well, but the key element of the story is the Mohicans' losing battle over their land, their honor and their legacy.

This movie has some great action sequences, but doesn't allow itself to be a slave to them. The balance is played out perfectly and the movie is fantastic as a result. I would highly recommend (obviously!).

My All-Time Favorite Films: #20-11

2007-09-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

#20: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
I think like a lot of people, It's a Wonderful Life ranks up there with their major Christmas memories. It's a classic American film always shown at the holidays, but that alone should prove it's timelessness. 61 years later and I still have to see it at least once a year.

#19: Green Street Hooligans (2005)
This movie ranks way up on my list because of how it grabbed me. I actually saw this movie while living in England, and it's the story of an American who moves to England and gets swept up in the soccer hooligan culture. I didn't beat up people, though.

#18: Glory (1989)
If you watched this in history class, raise your hand. If you'd watch it right now if it were on TV, raise your hand. For a history nut, and specifically a Civil War nut like me, I could watch it over and over. The story is gripping, the acting is fantastic, and the experience is heartfelt.

#17: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
When I first saw this movie in junior high, I laughed until I cried (can't remember with who, though). Now I watch it and I still laugh uncontrollably, so apparently my sense of humor hasn't matured. Or had it matured already by junior high? So ni!

#16: The Matrix (1999)
Considering that I walked into this movie ONLY because Star Wars was sold out, I can't believe I got what I paid for and more. I was an instant fan of the bullet-time technology and the mind-f*ck of a storyline, it's just too bad the sequels couldn't live up to the hype.

#15: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
I have been a fan of this movie for a decade, and I will always be a fan. I own the entire collection on widescreen DVD. But who can think of any other movie that makes being something as inocuous as an archaeologist seem so cool? Now, if only I had studied history...

#14: Master and Commander (2003)
I was a huge fan of the Aubrey/Maturin series before the movie came out, so getting to see "Lucky Jack" come alive on the screen was a real thrill. The movie, like the book, didn't lean on action, rather, it immersed you in life aboard a war vessel in the early 1800's.

#13: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Possibly the only way to make the Indiana Jones series any better is to add a badass actor like Sean Connery to the mix. Having Indy's dad as a character in the movie brought an element of humanity to an otherwise seemingly flawless character.

#12: Jurassic Park (1993)
Like every boy who grew up playing with dinosaurs, I remember how cool it felt to watch them come alive on the screen. They seemed so realistic to my young mind, and the story seemed plausible. Now that I'm grown up, I still hope that they really do walk the earth some day.

#11: GoldenEye (1995)
Well, this is the movie that set off the phenomenon for me. I didn't see this movie until it was out on video, but from then on, it's been all about Bond for me. It's still my favorite modern Bond movie, and who doesn't love playing GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64?

My All-Time Favorite Films: #30-21

2007-08-26T14:45:00.000-04:00

#30: Spirited Away (2002)
Seeing Spirited Away was my first experience with the work of Hayao Miyazaki and boy, did I have no idea what I was missing. Not only are the visuals stunning, but the story is a bit more grown up than I was expecting and the journey way more fantastic.

#29: Pirates: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
I recall being skeptical to see this movie when it arrived in theaters four years ago, but ended up heading back at least twice to see it again. I was caught off-guard by Johnny Depp's amazing performance and the surprising humor in the script. Oh yeah, and Keira Knightley is hot.

#28: Rear Window (1954)
It's hard not to enjoy Alfred Hitchcock movies, or finding yourself bored at the end. One of the things that I love about this movie is that it takes place entirely (except for one shot) in the apartment of Jimmy Stewart's character. If you're not nervous at the end, check your pulse.

#27: Seven (1995)
What is so intriguing about Seven is that I, like most kids raised in a Christian home, was familiar with the seven deadly sins, and thus with a major part of the plot. The genius of the movie was knowing what was coming but not HOW it was coming.

#26: A Mighty Wind (2003)
The second Christopher Guest film to make my top 50 list, I just couldn't leave this off. Everytime The Folksmen are on screen, they say something that just makes me howl. And the music, while funny, is actually quite good (had to buy the soundtrack!)

#25: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
This movie is downright hilarious from start to finsh, and I think it will stand the test of time, like "A Christmas Story," because everyone has had similar experiences over the holidays. "He worked hard, grandpa." "So do washing machines."

#24: The Bourne Identity (2002)
Now I haven't read Ludlum's "Bourne" books, so maybe that gives an advantage by not having the books to compare the movies to. I loved the constant adrenaline rush of this movie, the kickin' martial arts, the car chase, as well as the whole 'espionage' undertone.

#23: Appleseed (2004)
Appleseed is in here for one reason and one reason only: I am a huge sucker for CGI. The film is actually a fusion of computer-generated images and cell animation, and the result is what I think to be a landmark in filmmaking. The potential for more movies like this is salivating.

#22: Best in Show (2000)
This movie was actually my first Christopher Guest experience, and it set a bar that has not been dropped in any of the other films. Being a dog owner, I can definitely relate to some of the elements in the movie, and can definitely laugh at all of the others.

#21: Amelie (2001)
As I said about Big Fish, I love movies with an unbridled imagination and I certainly felt this movie had that in spades. After seeing this movie, I probably felt geniunely happier than I had after any other movie that I have ever seen, and it's rare that a movie affects me so positively.

My All-Time Favorite Films: #40-31

2007-08-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

#40: Mission: Impossible (1995)
I've probably seen Mission: Impossible eight or ten times now, and I think it's only now that I'm beginning to figure out what happened! It's an intriguing movie that I always enjoy watching, no matter how often I've seen it, because I'm always picking up something I hadn't seen before.

#39: Black Hawk Down (2001)
I will freely admit that I knew nothing about the Somalian conflict, and that I still don't, but for some reason I was hesitant to watch this movie. It is extremely well made, and after I finish watching it, I almost feel like I need to wash the blood, sweat and dust off.

#38: Office Space (1999)
I don't think I really even need a reason to put this one on here. It simply is one of the funniest movies of all time (I think most people would agree), and one of the biggest and greatest movies to show someone giving the boss the F-U the way everyone has wanted to at some point.

#37: Quiz Show (1994)
I think everyone has wondered whether or not game shows are rigged. Quiz Show shows us why, when Charles Van Doren, one of the nation's up-and-comers, shocked America by cheating on the show 21. Even knowing the outcome, I still find myself saying, "he won't do it."

#36: This is Spinal Tap (1986)
Possibly the most shining example of "women want him, men want to be him," for high schoolers, anyway. Every kid caught in school wishes he or she was able to pull Ferris Bueller's day off, and be loved for it. Not necessarily funny, but fun.

#35: Dances with Wolves (1990)
This movie paints a very real portrait of the West, as the white man and the Indians invariably came to conflict. Fighting a faceless enemy is easy, as John Dunbar shows us, but knowing the enemy may reveal them to be not the enemy they were perceived to be.

#34: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
This classic line sums it up: "I could sit in meetings for hours on end with a smile on my face and when people ask, 'how do you do it?' I would say, 'because I've been with Del Griffith,' and they would say, 'I know what you mean.'" Need I say more?

#33: Ghostbusters (1984)
This may have been my favorite movie when I was a kid. I had all of the toys, I watched the cartoon, and I memorized all of the lines in the movie. I lived and breathed Ghostbusters, and even seeing it today still makes me happy.

#32: Millions (2005)
Wow, what a great movie. Two brothers playing outside stumble on a bag of British pounds, about to become worthless as England switches to the Euro. But one boy wants to spend it on himself and the other wants to help others. A heartwarming movie I highly recommend.

#31: Big Fish (2003)
I'm not normally a huge fan of Tim Burton movies, but I absolutely loved the imagination and true sense of wonder about this movie. We've all heard embellished stories, but the sense of storytelling in this movie is unparalled; that's all the movie really is, and it's great because of that.

More to come soon...

My All-Time Favorite Films: #50-41

2007-08-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

#50: This is Spinal Tap (1984)
This is Spinal Tap is a spear into all of the hair metal bands of the 80's. I didn't grow up during the hair metal era, but the documentary feel of the movie helps people like me to believe that these band members could have really said things like "This one goes to 11!"

#49: Bend it Like Beckham (2002)
Of course I had to have a soccer movie on my list, and Bend it Like Beckham makes it on here at #49. It's surprisingly funny, moving and engaging and this film's ability to catch me off-guard like that is part of why it got on. Oh, and Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley are hot.

#48: The Beach (2000)
The first time I saw The Beach, I didn't think it was that great. But I've seen it a few more times since then, and it's grown on me every time, working it's way onto this list. The actual beach sets are some of the most breathtaking I have ever seen.

#47: No Man's Land (2001)
This 2002 Best Foreign Film Oscar winner was one of the surprises of my college war film course. Set against the Bosnia crisis, a Bosnian and a Serb are caught in a trench in no-man's land, and the result is both hilarious and horrifying.

#46: Mallrats (1995)
Although I didn't see it until about four years after it came out, I think this movie rang as so funny because I felt it relatively closely resembled my own experiences. I can easily hear people I know yelling "I LOVE the smell of commerce in the morning!"

#45: Batman Begins (2005)
I've been a fan of the Batman superhero through the old TV show and the more recent animated TV show, but never the movies. This movie seemed to really put a more human touch on the character, beyond the "BAM"s and "POW"s of the comic books.

#44: Ocean's Eleven (2001)
I'm not quite sure what this film's genre is, but the best way to put it is a 'caper' film. There's an intricate crime to pull off, and a loveable cast of characters who make it work with wit and wisdom, as the details of the crime unfold in front of you. Truly enjoyable.

#43: Fast and the Furious (2001)
A delightful popcorn flick that I've seen way too many times. I know the acting's terrible and the plot's full of holes, but I honestly do love looking at the fast cars and the fast women, regardless of how shoddy everything around them are.

#42: Matchstick Men (2003)
Matchstick Men is sort of another 'caper' style movie for me, although the main character, played by Nicolas Cage, is a much more flawed, humanized 'criminal'. Cage is helped by great acting from Sam Rockwell as his con partner.

#41: Borat (2006)
I've been a huge fan of Borat Sagdiyev since I first caught season one of Da Ali G Show a year or so ago. Giving Sasha Baron Cohen 80+ minutes with this character all across the country is absolute comedic gold. I laughed to tears on several occasions, not that I'm proud of it!

I'll try to continue posting the higher ranking movies, but can't promise any sort of defined time period as it really depends on how much free time I get. But please comment on everything so far; I'm always open to discussion!

Rare, I know, but...

2007-05-20T14:28:00.000-04:00

I have to give credit to Verizon (phone company?? Gasp!) or Motorola or whoever it is that came up with the new phone they were advertising the other day on TV.

It's the one with the girl who used to be a 'music gatherer' but now she's a 'music hunter'. Know the one I'm talking about? It's only been the last few weeks that the commercial's been on, but basically the phone can detect songs that you may only catch a snippet of. The commercial shows a girl in a clothing store and she hears a song she likes on the speakers in the store. She holds up her phone, pushes a button, and the phone tells her on the display screen the artist and song title (as well as the opportunity to buy and download the song to your phone, if that's your bag). Pretty neat, huh?

Ironically enough, I was telling Michelle about this neat new device while we were at Old Navy (a clothing store: coincidence?) this week, and then not a few moments later a song that I wasn't familiar with came on over the speakers in the store. It was a good song and I thought it sounded like a band I like (Splender), so I came home and searched to see if they had a new album out.

Well, they didn't, but thankfully my guess of what the song was called (it's "Ruby" by Kaiser Chiefs; the chorus says "Ruby! Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!") helped me find it and d/l it on iTunes. But had the song been called anything other than "Ruby", I would have been out of luck.

Hopefully I can rely on my wit to help me figure out mysterious songs for a few more years but I admit that this may be one of the cooler features I've ever seen on a phone. And maybe, just maybe, Verizon may have two more people join "The Network."

where does the time go?

2007-03-11T14:07:00.000-04:00

sorry, no politically charged posts here...

I'm still on a cloud because Miami won the MAC tournament yesterday, meaning that they will be going dancing in this year's NCAA Tournament. I think IU has a pretty decent shot of making it as well, I just hope they don't face off against each other! Miami finished fourth in the MAC this year, so I'm nervous about their odds when Selection Sunday occurs in a few minutes, but I'm just glad they're there and hopefully I can watch them.

In other exciting news, the brand-spankin' new portlandtimbers.com is set to launch tomorrow! Last minute things usually pop up, but I think it looks like a go. Be sure to swing by there when you get a chance and check it out, that has been a lot of my off-season hard work on there. It's going to be an awesome new site and I think the fans will really enjoy it.

Finally, it's hard to believe, but the players have begun arriving for the 2007 season. The team start pre-season training on March 19, and I received a call from one of them last evening saying he had just arrived into town and was starting to move into his place. Isn't it crazy? Of course, for me it means the end of 40-hour work weeks for probably the next six months, but with my new job with the team, I don't think I'm going to mind it nearly as much. I just hope Michelle doesn't mind!

Anyway, just thought I would post a quick something up here to let everyone know I'm still doing alright. A big congrats to Gabe and Allie Failor, two more people about to join 'the other side'. Dariano, Cavins and I look forward to greeting you when you arrive, mwahaha...

New wheels and other things

2007-02-04T13:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a little while since I posted on here, sorry for that. I was going to wait and keep posting more lovely ladies, but it appears Steve has taken down his blog and forfeited! Hail to the winner!

You may also notice that the blog has changed. If I get some time I will try and revert as many of the settings back to how they used to be as possible, but they have changed blogger around to this new Google blogger and I lost all of my old stuff.

Things have been pretty crazy around here now that Michelle and I have finally settled in to the new digs (visitors welcome any time!). She just got her thesis finished a little over a week ago so we're all very relieved about that. However, about 10 days ago I came down with a really bad cold and spent the whole weekend and had to take Monday off of work to help myself get over it. Then, just as I was getting better, Michelle got it. So needless to say that it's been like an infirmary here for the last 10 days. Not fun.

Then, to make matters more interesting, both of our cars acted up last week, so neither of them were really safe to drive. So yesterday Michelle and I went out and got a brand new 2006 Jeep Wrangler (leased). It's the standard two-door kind, made in Toledo, and it's red (they were all out of Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage Orange, sorry D). We're pretty excited to take the top off and cruise out to the coast when it gets warm, but looks like we're still a few weeks away from that at this point.

Again, we'd love to have visitors at any time so let me know if you want to come out...

Brad's Pick: Naomi Watts

2006-12-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

My first experience with the beautiful Naomi Watts was, like most guys and most Americans, in David Lynch's Mulholland Dr.. I watched the movie as part of Steve's list ironically, not for the reason most men watch it, which is the lesbian love scene she has in it.

The intriguing part of Naomi Watts is that she is very much girl-next-door cute, but she seems to shatter it in the movies I see her in (namely Mulholland Dr. and 21 Grams). Not to mention that she has a gorgeous accent for guys that enjoy that sort of thing.

And guys? She's not married! Now stop drooling...

Brad's Pick: Nelly Furtado

2006-11-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, Nelly Furtado is the reason that this little contest even exists. Sure, she was a cute young girl around the time her first album came out, but woah, has she ever grown up!? Although her album was out when Steve and I made the first list, I wouldn't have put her in my top ten, but now I wouldn't leave her out!

If you haven't seen the video for "Promiscuous," I highly recommend seeing it and you'll understand why she's on here. The song's not great, so you can turn the volume off, but it's the images that you want anyway! I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a woman rock a pair of blue jeans like Nelly, she just wears them with sheer perfection.

Want me to really mess with your mind? She's a mom!

Steve?

Brad's Pick: Eva Longoria

2006-10-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

my my my! She's a gorgeous li'l beaut ain't she??

Eva Longoria exudes sexy, truly lives and breathes it, but she seems so comfortable with herself that her seeming lack of trying makes her all the more attractive. Most widely known as one of the main characters on "Desperate Housewives" and now also making her mark in films such as "The Sentinel," it goes a long way when she's making my list and I haven't even seen her body of work, just her body...

callin' you out...

2006-10-24T00:09:00.000-04:00

I'm calling you out Cavins!

Remember the "Hot List" from sophomore year? I'm saying we bring it back, this time with a twist. We each pick our ten lovliest ladies, but we will alternate picking, kickball-style. So once a beautiful femme is selected, she can't be selected for the other list!

We can use two images and a few paragraphs for each selection to justify her spot on the list. I'll post my selections on my blog and you post your selections on yours.

Are you game? I'll let you pick first...

You've got me spendin'...

2006-09-25T01:11:00.000-04:00

spendin' all my time on ya.

Every now and then I like to sit down and my computer and watch music videos for a bit. Sometimes I pick up a new song that I haven't heard before and I end up really enjoying it ("King Without a Crown" is a recent example), or sometimes I just find some interesting or nostalgic videos. So, with that, I thought I'd share my thoughts from tonight's viewing.

Well, the title of this post should give away my primary thoughts. They are, of course, 'lyrics' to "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas, the video for which came on very early in the evening. I try not to skip unless it's rap, so I stuck with it, and it was very funny. Besides the fact that the entire premise of the song is laughable (lovely lady lumps?), the video is too. I mean, first of all, I have to laugh that the song was or is popular, or maybe that means I'm way off track with pop culture. But then the video. Oh man, I think I was streaming tears down my face when I saw the girl dancing in front of the vehicle, but then I realized the vehicle was a Chevy S-10 or something. A pickup truck! Oh man, they're really singing popular music to a new low. A song about butts sung while Fergie gyrates in front of a mid-range pickup truck. Be sure to check out their next hit "Feet Go Stomp" sung in front of a Kia Sedona.

Of course the irony was then compounded because immediately after "My Humps" came one of my favorite videos right now, "Is It Any Wonder?" by Keane. I love the song to begin with, but I also really like the idea of the video, which is esentially a camera mounted on a mini rollercoaster-like track that has the band intertangled in it. So the camera is going up, down, round and round while it occasionally passes the band members performing the song. It's a pretty simple video, shot in a warehouse with the band's equipment cases in full view, but for some reason it's a very captivating video. It's definitely one of those videos that I watch and think "If I were in a band, I'd want to be in that video or do one like it."

Finally, winner of the weirdest video of the night goes to a group called Sleepthief, who I've never heard of before, and their song "Eurydice". The song I can only describe as Enya on death, so kinda sad. Then the video is a couple people prancing about in the woods, some of them wearing masks made of bark, while they're weaving things with red ribbon between the trees. It's trippy, so I'd recommend checking it out, but ideally after a moderate dose of LSD or angel dust.

These music videos are all free to watch by signing on to Yahoo! and going to the music section. I'm interested in anyone's thoughts if they've seen any of these or if anyone has a recommendation of other cool videos to check out.

'Dog Days' of Summer?

2006-09-10T19:10:00.000-04:00

Lucy and I went over to the North Clackamas Aquatic Center the day after Labor Day for their annual 'Dog Daze' promotion. Dogs are allowed to swim in all of their indoor pools, one very deep, one olympic size, and one wave pool. The proceeds from the admission fee went to a local dog shelter so we stopped by and Lucy went swimming (she's the little black head in the bottom left).

It's hard to believe it's finally the off-season, with both the Beavers and the Timbers missing the playoffs this year. The Timbers were last to finish their season, and they did so on Thursday night. Which means, scarily enough, that I'm actually going to have some free time on nights and weekends for the rest of the year! I have to admit, it has felt pretty good sleeping in these last two mornings and knowing that I don't have any work responsibilities that day.

This weekend I'm heading over to Bloomington to spend some time with my wife, whom I haven't seen since the day after the honeymoon. I'll be there for four or five days before I come back to Portland and get into the swing of off-season life. My supervisor and I are going to be launching new websites for www.portlandbeavers.com and www.portlandtimbers.com, so be checking those in the next month or two for brand new websites, content courtesy of yours truly.

On the English side, Southend are 2-3-1 so far in the new season, in a league just one below the giants of the Premiership. That record puts them in a respectable tie for 13th out of 24 teams, which is great for a little team like them. I promise you that their manager would be thrilled at where they are already and if they ended up there at the end of the season. For new clubs in a higher league, the biggest challenge is not getting promoted, but avoiding getting sent down to the league you came from, so they'd be very happy to just stay up.

I thought as a neat, albeit different hobby, I'd take up model shipbuilding for the offseason, although it has turned out to be more complex than I even imagined. I think I understand how to do things alright, but I just don't have enough tools to do it right. I may have to shelve the shipbuilding for now until someday in the future when I can afford to buy all the tools I need.

I've been looking for a new hobby to spend my new-found free time on, and I liked the idea that Marty had of improving my golf game, but unfortunately I left my clubs in Perrysburg and won't be able to get them out here until Michelle moves out in December. I think that's a worthy thing to improve on, though, so I'll probably work on it next spring and fall. In the meantime, for this fall, I've decided that I'm going to work on improving my poker game. I'm registered at pokerstars.net, and my username is 'uptheblues' if anyone ever wants to join me! Hopefully I'll be on most nights. Best part is, it's free to use (I don't consider myself good enough to play for real money yet, so play money is fine with me while I learn the ropes again).

Well, that's about all that's new in this neck of the woods, hope everyone is doing well.

Honeymoon photos have arrived...

2006-08-05T16:27:00.000-04:00

good times had by all... enjoy!

Click Here

Cup comments

2006-07-03T01:30:00.000-04:00

Well, the World Cup is moving along, with the semifinals beginning this week. Maybe I'm the only one who felt this way, but I think it's hard to believe that the World Cup has been going on for two or three weeks already. I, for one, find it very exciting to wake up in the morning and have such world-class soccer on right away. I think it's great to watch such elite athletes excel at their game. With that, here's my thoughts on the game so far. Read on for insight, or repeat it to friends or co-workers to sound like you've been paying as much attention as I have.

The Good: Some absolutely brilliant play by some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Did you see the Maxi Rodriguez goal? Blasts the ball far post from the edge of the penalty area after playing the ball off his chest? Disgustingly amazing. Or Lahm blasting in the first goal of the tournament from the edge of the box? Epic. Goalkeepers are saying that this ball is more difficult for them to read, but that is making for some fantastic goals.

The Bad: The U.S. getting knocked out of the competition at the group phase. Granted, I think their group was the single toughest group in the event, but they had a real chance to progress going into the last game against Ghana. The U.S. was killed by cards and fouls, though, and crashed out early. I'm not going to cry for Bruce Arena's head like some pundits (ahem, Eric Wynalda), but something about the team needs to change. The philosophy, the lineup, the coach, something has to give. To lose a hard-fought game is one thing, but to lose while looking like you're playing a friendly is another (ahem, Czech Republic game).

The Ugly: Of course, it's the officiating. Sixteen cards in the Portugal/Netherlands game? Something is amiss there, that's just unreal. The ref must have thought he was being paid by the card. I'm tired of seeing cards and whistles blown; if this game gets any less-contact, it's going to be baseball. Let 'em play. And don't get me started on the US-Italy game. The Italy red card was a legit red card, the two US ones weren't. And that's unbiased.

Biggest Surprise: France. Where did they come from? Granted, the talent is there. Barthez, Henry, Viera, and the great Zidane, they should have cruised. But they didn't. They looked about as excited to be there as the U.S. did, and they barely made it out of the group stage, but then they pull out a result against high-flying Spain, and stun Brazil. I don't really care for France for reasons I don't know, but I have to give credit where it's due. They're hot at the right time.

Biggest Disappointment: England. OK, I realize that they got to the quarterfinals, but with the squad they have, they should have made the finals. They have incredible talent on that team, but I think they're horribly mis-managed. Their manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, had decided to quit prior to the World Cup, and I think he could care less how that team did. They barely escaped past teams like Ecuador and Paraguay and couldn't beat Sweden. Then they lose to Portugal in the quarters on penalty kicks. I think Steve McLaren is going to be a great boost for them as the new 'gaffer,' and most of this squad is young and will be back. But England makes you wonder, what if...

Media Relations Coordinator? Nay, guru.

2006-05-31T03:03:00.004-04:00

I feel like I had a pretty good day at work today. The days are always busy and long when one of the teams has a game (the Beavers were on game 4 of 7), but I felt like I was a good media relations coordinator today.

A writer from Portland's major paper, The Oregonian, had a reporter down to write a feature article on the Timbers for the sports section at the end of the week. That's great for us because the Timbers need the press. Then, only a few hours after that reporter left, another newspaper reporter called and wanted to do a Timbers feature for the end of the week as well. I was able to set him up with a great feature story idea, and he'll be down at the ballpark on Thursday to interview a player for it.

I'm also in a good mood because the Timbers media guide is just about finished, and we hope to have it ready by this Saturday night's game. That has been single largest project I've been working on since I got here, and I'll have been responsible for making sure every word on all 126 pages is correct. I can't wait to see it finished.

It's getting down to crunch time on getting kids signed up for the Beavers summer baseball camps, but I'm feeling very optimistic about a new wave of flyers and emails that went out recently. Hopefully we'll have a decent response rate.

Finally, I'm stoked that I have a bit of a queue of things to post on the Timbers website. Coming into this job, my big goal was to have daily content updates on the Timbers site. I have to say that I've failed in that so far, but hopefully no longer. I am able to post at least one article a day through Saturday and then should have a few things lined up for next week as well. I also have some ideas about really bringing the fans into things more, so hopefully there will be some developments on that front as well in the next few weeks.

Check out www.portlandtimbers.com to see what I'm up to. I've been writing all the articles for the site since shortly after I started here, so updates are of my origin. Feel free to leave me feedback or comments on here as well. Thanks.

Are You Nervous?

2006-05-24T12:55:00.000-04:00

I have been a fan of the new-new wavers since I first heard The Killers back in mid-2004. I also really enjoyed The Bravery and the newest member of that niche, Rock Kills Kid.

Like most people, I got into them from their free song on iTunes. I ordered the CD and received it recently. I certainly was not disappointed in the purchase.

The music is definitely a throwback to the 80's, which for me is great. There is definitely a Smiths influence and some Duran Duran (particularly "Astronaut," Duran Duran's newest, sounds very similar).

The opening song, "Paralyzed", sets the mood of the album, which is that 80's guitar-and-synth theme, but then the middle of the album loses a bit of that. I personally found some of the songs in the center, such as "Back to Life" and "Run Like Hell" to be a bit of a letdown, but the great sound does pick up again toward the end of the album. I think that the last two songs especiallly, "I Need You" and "Raise Your Hands", are a fitting ending to the disc, particularly the last song.

If you are a fand of The Killers, The Bravery, The Smiths, Duran Duran or 24 Gone, you won't be too disappointed. It's a nice fresh sound when none of the above bands are coming out with anything new.

Y? Because it's good...

2006-05-18T01:04:00.000-04:00

I know I've mentioned it before, but I feel as though it bears repeating. The graphic novel series "Y: The Last Man" is a thoroughly enjoyable read. And I came across it by accident.

I was just interested in trying out a few graphic novels back at IU since I hadn't really seen or read any before. I looked at the local Border's in Bloomington, but their selection was thin and over-priced (yes, I know, I am talking about Border's). I came across "Y" while browsing on Amazon and decided to give it a try. After all, reader reviews can't be wrong!

Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed the series. The plot is pretty simple, every male on the planet (animals and humans) dies suddenly except for one guy and his monkey. Nobody knows why, but I think that the depictions of the women are fairly accurate as far as depicting how women would react if that did indeed happen, but you'll have to read it to find out exactly what I mean.

The other thing that is a bit surprising and also enjoyable is that it is written for adults. There's profanity, graphic violence and partial nudity, but those aren't the reasons I enjoy it. I think it's good because it was written so that I, as a mature adult could enjoy it, not so kids and adults can enjoy it. There's no people flying around in tights and capes, just people reacting probably pretty similiarly to how they would act if this scenario ever did happen: with sentences containing 'f-bombs'.

I've just finished the sixth volume tonight, and I believe there is one more still out there that I haven't read yet. The exciting part is that it is still being made; Volume 7 just came out May 1.

So yeah, I'm still an immature little kid who likes reading comic books, but I'm enjoying the fact that at least that little kid can be following big-kid plotlines.

A Canyon Comes Between...

2006-05-11T01:51:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the long pause between posts, things here are busy as ever.

Both seasons are now underway, with the Timbers getting going last weekend. It was great to finally have soccer back in my life after a five-month drought. I was starting to wonder if the soccer season would ever get underway, but it has and I feel much better. The Timbers are improving every game, going from a loss in their first game of the season to a draw in the second to a win in the third. The atmosphere for the Timbers has the same feel as British soccer, so I'm very happy about that. And Timber Jim keeps the crowd going all the time; you really gotta see him to believe him.

In other soccer news, Southend won the league and with it, promotion to the second tier of English soccer. That means next season they will only be one step below Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. I can't help but feel so proud to have been part of such a great and successful organization, on and off the pitch. I just hope it's the first of many such organizations that I work for. Southend had very comprehensive coverage of their final game of the season at Roots Hall, with all of the celebrations afterwards. Last year, I remember getting choked up watching team captain Kevin Maher lift the trophy and then the lads going ballistic after they won promotion last year, but after spending time and knowing those guys personally, it was very emotional for me to see the same thing again, but this time see it occurring at a place I called home. I didn't cry, but wow, I definitely learned how massive of an imprint my time with the Shrimpers has left on me. I do indeed hope I haven't seen the last of them. Perhaps a summertime exhbition in Portland could be worked out?

The Beavers and Timbers programs have now been printed and I'm especially proud of the Timbers program, since it was really under my control. It's such a great feeling of accomplishment to see something that you've spent so many hours on being sold at the program stand and read by fans before the game gets underway. The little response that I've gotten so far has been very positive, so that's of course encouraging.

I have one more major project to get off my plate, and that is the Timbers Media Guide (complete with artwork from Steve Cavins!). Hopefully once I get that done, I can focus on what I really wanted to do here: develop web content for the Timbers. My vision here was to be providing new content on a daily basis for the site, like player interviews, feature stories, manager's comments and match previews/reports. I haven't gotten off to a very good start but I feel like so much of my time is being pulled in other directions, so I'm just going to need to re-adjust my time management I suppose.

Briefly, in music, I've really gotten into this new band called Rock Kills Kid, whose debut album comes out on May 16. I think it's safe to say that if you're a fan of the new new wave type music, like The Killers and The Bravery, that you'd probably like this band. I've only heard four songs of theirs so far but have really enjoyed all of them. For those that didn't know, Napster is quasi-free now (you can listen to any song free five times, then you have to pay), so I have listened to entire albums on there and the four songs of Rock Kills Kid they have are definitely worth at least a free listen. Just something to keep in mind if that genre is your style.

Well, I should get to bed but I wanted to give you all an idea of what types of things I've been working on out here, and why I haven't been a better communicator. Hope all is well wherever you are.

Life, or something like it...

2006-04-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

What a whirlwind it's been...

I apologize for the long delay between posts, but life around here has been breezing by so quickly. Since Michelle left I've been working constantly at the stadium to get the baseball program and media guides done (about 300 pages combined). It meant about two weeks of 9am to 11pm days, but we got them done and they look fantastic. I've also been busy writing Timbers releases (www.portlandtimbers.com) to announce the latest player signings.

There is definitely an air of excitement here now because things have finally gotten underway. What we work so hard for in the off-season (or half of it for me) is to get everything ready for the season to begin. We just barely made it ahead of time for the Opening Night for the Beavers last Thursday night, but we pulled it off and everything went smoothly. It's fun to report to the stadium every day and be hussling to get everything ready for the first pitch. I'm going to be running the GameDay software for the Beavers, and I have been spending the games practicing the computer codes so that I'm ready to go live on the next homestand. Be sure to tune in and watch the games live next homestand!

The hours have taken some getting used to and Lucy has gotten pretty lonely, but the work itself is very rewarding. And you can't beat the view...

Life Out West: The Album

2006-03-19T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, thought you might like to see some pictures of life out here in Oregon, so I posted a new photo album. Sorry Steve, I know there's not a whole lot of rocks, but I hope snowy mountains will work!

Life Out West

One Word

2006-03-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

My summary would be: busy. I'd be lying if I said that I was used to working long hours, so starting out here has been a transition. I have to say that so far, I hate being tired at 10pm! I feel like I'm all grown up when I'm getting tired at the same time my parents are. The job itself is demanding yet exciting, because there is so much going on. This week I began interviewing for interns and have conducted four interviews so far. That's a little weird as well, because I'm not used to being the person asking the questions, but this is one time I don't mind being on my side of the table.

Right now I personally am working on the Timbers media guide (120 pages), helping with the Beavers gameday program (64 pages), proofreading the Beavers media guide (about 300 pages) and helping write all the content for three brand-new websites. That's all in addition to the normal emails and questions and such that I would need to respond to on a daily basis at the office. So certainly plenty to keep me occupied!

Michelle is spending her spring break here this week, so it will be great to have someone around when I get home. Today we went out to the Pacific Ocean, which took a little over an hour, and I got my first taste of that other big body of water. Lucy and I really enjoyed chasing waves out and then being chased back in, and I hope to have some pictures of our day posted soon.

I have not abandoned the murder mystery for those who read that, and I am really hoping to have the next installment up soon. I hope that you'll forgive me for being a bit slow on writing it right now due to how much work takes up and takes out of me, but I'll do my best to keep putting out new portions as often as I can.

One quick rant then to close. First of all, I wish Hollywood would stop making movies where it's funny if the main character gets injured somehow in the trailer. Case in point: "Failure to Launch," starring Matthew McConnahay (just because I don't care how to spell it for real) had spots on showing Matty boy being hit by the mast of his sailboat and being knocked overboard. Oh dear! I'm sure he was alright though to get back in the boat and continue his romantic tryst, even though a real injury like that could probably crush someone's skull or break someone's back. Fans looking for a retro feel might remember "Hitch" had a similar one, where Will Smith 'accidentally' kicks Eva Mendes in the face while they're riding jet skis. Oh the hilarity!

And finally, what has this world come to when I see ads for "Cruel Intentions" and its impending screening on ABC Family. Yes, the movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon and her husband where the goal is sexual conquest without consequences and yes, the channel that will be showing the "700 Club" immediately after this sin fest. Seriously, what is the thinking here? Kids might enjoy it? Personally, I'd rather my kids watch Wayne Brady sing on "Who's Line" all evening, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow night for that...

Time Flies...

2006-02-19T22:21:00.000-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe it's already been a week since I moved into my new place in Portland and started my new job. I have to say that the week went by quickly because of everything that was going on.

My new job is always busy, never a dull moment. Already I have several projects that will certainly be keeping me busy, but I'm hoping that they won't be as bad once the seasons get under way. I will be working primarily with the soccer team, so I have been meeting with the head coach and he seems to be a great guy to work with, so I think I'll be in good shape in that department.

The apartment has also shaped up very nicely, Lucy and I are all settled in. Internet is up and running so the communication lines are wide open, so thanks to everyone for the well wishes this last week. I think it's exciting to be in a new place with a new home and I look forward to what's ahead.

Portland itself seems to be a lovely city with plenty of things to do for visitors who don't have to work, so feel free to come out and visit any time! Seriously, please do, Lucy needs some attention...

Photos and such...

2006-02-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd post the pictures of England finally now that my computer has internet. Hope you enjoy.

Check out my photos on
MyPhotoAlbum
!

I'm Out

2006-02-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, I will be leaving Perrysburg Wednesday morning at 8am for Portland and so will probably be out of touch on e-mail and blogs for a few days as I head west. We are hoping to arrive in Portland on Friday night and moving into my apartment on Saturday. I should have the internet up and running on Saturday and so I hope to be online and able to communicate again by Sunday. Work starts then on Monday morning!

If you need to get ahold of me in the mean time, I will have my cell phone on me but you know how I feel about driving and talking, right Failor? It was great to see everyone around here and please feel free to visit any time. My couch is your couch!

Mission Accomplished

2006-01-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

For those of you that were not already aware, I have just accepted a position with PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. I will be serving as the Media Relations Coordinator, working as the primary media contact for the Portland Timbers USL team and as a secondary contact for the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A baseball affiliate of the San Diego Padres. I will have a large and diverse workload to keep me busy every day, but I'm very excited to be undertaking this.

For those of you in the Toledo area, I will be leaving very shortly so give me a call! I'm departing on February 2nd for the weekend to find an apartment, return on Sunday, and then I leave for good the following Tuesday. I'm currently scheduled to start work in Portland on Monday, February 13.

Thanks to everyone for their support during the application process, and I, for one, am glad it started and concluded so quickly. I hope to see some visitors at the Park this summer! And Steve, that means getting you on a plane!

Up and Coming...

2006-01-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a little bit since I've posted last, but it's sorta been calm here in Perrysburg the last few weeks. I'm all settled again since my move back from England, and it has been great to see the familiar faces around town, both family and friends.

In job news, the hunt has kicked into high gear, with the total now standing at 26 applications sent. I believe I have been rejected from 6 so far so that leaves me with plenty of possibilities. The most promising though was that I conducted a phone interview last Wednesday with the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. I would also double in that position as the primary media contact for the Portland Timbers, a soccer team in the league below MLS. Obviously the position is located in Portland, Oregon, which I am fine with, and I have had several volunteers for visitors already! I should be hearing back from the person I interviewed with this week.

Last night, Steve, Jen, Justin and I drove up to Detroit to a little club to catch my favorite British band Hard-Fi live. If you don't remember hearing about them, scroll down this blog two or three entries (they're the ones with the security camera logo). The show was absolutely excellent, and all four of us thoroughly enjoyed it. We had no trouble getting up or back, although Steve was asked by a bum what the greatest nation in the world is. (Answer? Donation. Steve agreed to the tune of $2).

Finally, I'd like to proudly announce the kick-off of my latest creative project, a serial story called "A Midsummer's Night Mare". I'm going to ATTEMPT to write a murder mystery in the old serial format, aka a new chapter every so often. It's going to be in blog format, though, so be looking for new bits of the story every few days or weeks, depending on how busy I am. You can read the story at http://midsummernightmare.blogspot.com. You will be welcome to post comments on the blog all along, including who you think 'dunnit', but I've got the plot pretty much ready to go already so I shouldn't need any assistance in that department.

Well, that's about all for now, hope everyone has a great week!

Reflections

2006-01-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Well, wow, it's hard to believe I'm back home again in freezing Perrysburg, Ohio. The last two weeks in the UK were magnificent, but all good things must come to an end.

It was a bit hard to leave the club on my last day, and had nothing but well wishes from the first minute to the last. I was surprised at 1pm when I was called into the main reception area, only to find that everyone on the staff had gathered there waiting for me to walk in and when I did, I received a round of applause. The club's Chief Executive gave a short speech about my contributions to the club, and then I thanked everyone for their warmth and generosity. It was too hard to put into words though how amazing it was for me to be able to report to an English football club for work every day. They then presented me with a replica jersey autographed by the entire team, all of whom I had gotten to know very well. I was also told that if I ever wanted to come back and work in English football again, to give them a call. I tell you what, I think I might.

Michelle arriving though was fantastic, and it was a bit surreal to finally see in person after so many conversations on the webcam! We shot off for Scotland the following morning, and I'm just now getting my head around the fact that I was finally in 'the homeland.' I got to see the Palace and the Castle and the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, and I bought myself a massive Claymore sword, which should be arriving in the mail any day. Hopefully I'll be able to post some photos when it arrives.

My parents arrived into London Gatwick on Christmas morning to kick off the tourism in style. On the day after Christmas, I took them to the Southend match where all five of us were treated to a three course meal in the luxury lounge courtesy of the club for all of my hard work. My parents moved to London on the 27th while Michelle and I commuted from Southend every morning, which all told would take about 1hr and 45min. We got to see all the big stuff in London: Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the girls saw Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Buckingham Palace, Harrod's, the British Museum, the Hard Rock Cafe, Portobello Road market, and Michelle and I saw two plays (the musical "The Producers" and the Agatha Christie mystery "The Mousetrap"). Michelle and I were also treated to two tickets to see Arsenal play Portsmouth at Highbury, and, much to my chagrin, Michelle is now a hard-core Arsenal supporter.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip and one I don't regret making at all, as difficult as it may have been at times to fit in. Some of the people I've seen since I've returned to the US say that I do sound a bit different; I don't have an accent but I pronounce things differently and my intonation is different. I think I sound the same but, who knows?

I am now back at home in Perrysburg, and have nothing to do but look for a job. I will be getting a new cell phone and a new number next week so maybe I'll post it on here when I get it. I'll also be trying to set up a Yahoo! photo album or something to display some of my photo highlights from the last few weeks. Oh, and Long Live the Queen!

Best of Britain Part Two

2005-12-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Here is the second installment of my favourites from my time here in England. This will probably be my last post from the UK as Michelle and my family are set to arrive and I'll spend the next two weeks sightseeing, so enjoy!

Music

Hard-Fi

By far my favourite musical find since I've been here, Hard-Fi are great fun to listen to. Jangling guitars and occassional harmonicas that one reviewer likened to 'car horns' create the backdrop for lyrics focused on life as a working drone. Songs include the aptly titled "Living for the Weekend" as well as "Hard to Beat", about finding a hook-up at a party and "Cash Machine", which shows that we're all working for the money but it never seems to be enough. This is one I'll be listening to for long after I return.

Goldie Lookin' Chain

Another fun find, these guys from Wales remind me of old school Bloodhound Gang or Beastie Boys (except there's nine of them!). Songs include hilarious tracks such as "Your Missus is a Nutter", "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do" and "Your Mother's Got a Penis". This is just one of those groups you don't take seriously, but are funny and catchy at the same time.

Gorillaz

Gorillaz was one band that I was actually aware of before I came over here, due to their success with their debut album that spawned the hits "Clint Eastwood" and "19-2000", but their new album "Demon Days" (pictured above) is excellent from what I've heard. I've downloaded the singles "Feel Good Inc.", "Dirty Harry" and "Dare", and listened to them so many times they're already on the top 25 most played on my iTunes. "Dirty Harry" is actually an anti-war tune, but it's incredibly catchy, as are the other two. Even having heard them so many times, it's hard to click past them when they come on. That infectious.

TV Shows

Space Cadets

I was fortunate to catch this one-off reality show as I think it was truly groundbreaking. Basically the story goes that the producers of the show bought an old American Air Force base in England and converted it into a Russian space base. They then got 10 contestants and pretended to put them through 3 weeks of space training in preparation to send them to "space", when in actuality they would never leave England, or the ground for that matter. A 10-part series, it was hilarious to see the 'cadets' going through all of the training for what they thought was a trip to space, when after they 'landed', it all had turned out to be fake.

Devil's Den

This is a weekly show on BBC2 with another interesting premise. Budding entrepreneurs have only about 5 minutes to enter the 'Den' and pitch their business idea to 5 multi-millionaires (each worth about $250 million), and then ask for money to help get their business going. If any of the 'Dragons' like the idea, then they can begin negotiating, for example "I'll give you the $100,000 you need to get started but I want 40% of the company." Mind you, this is only AFTER the guests have been grilled about financial details and forecasts; but it is a very engrossing show as you want to see the various business ideas and products, how they pitch it to the 'Dragons', and how the 'Dragons' respond. It's always exciting when you get them investing, but also it's fun to watch some of the people who have the nerve to ask for money.

Well, that's about it from my highlights in the media here, but look forward to my overall reflections of my work experience as well as reactions and photos from my time as a tourist and updates on the job search when I return to the States. Ciao for now!

Best of Britain Part One

2005-12-15T15:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, so as my time here in England is quickly drawing to a close, I thought I'd cover some of the highlights of my time here from a media perspective. I'll be discussing my favourite reading material, TV shows, movies and music. However, it will probably take two updates, the second of which should come at the weekend, followed by my sum-up of my work experience. Check back often as the updates will be coming fast and furious! This time, it's print media and movies.

Print Media

The Sun

I tried a few newspapers here before settling on the Sun. It's written like a tabloid, but actually contains news (and tabloid stuff too). When I first got here, I bought a copy every day, but haven't picked it up too much lately. The sports coverage is unparalleled and how can you beat a topless model every day on page 3? For the adults reading, go to www.page3.com to see more.

The League Paper

Only began printing about halfway through my time here in England, but provides at least a two page spread on every professional game in England that's NOT the big boys in the Premier League. There's enough coverage of them in the other papers, so I'd prefer two pages of match report and massive photos of my boys here at Southend for my 1.20 every week, thank you.

FourFourTwo

I read it once before I came over here, and it is massive. Weighing in at about 180 pages every month, it is the most exhaustive coverage of footie on this rock. For as many pages it has and as little ads there are, there is amazingly only about one paragraph worth of coverage on US soccer every month. Pretty staggering, eh?

Movies

The Business

This was a film I saw early in my stay here in Southend, basically a glamour film about life in the world of drug importing. Danny Dyer plays the lead role as an innocent English boy who gets mixed with the wrong crowd, but comes to get addicted to the fast cars and the beautiful women. It was alright, but I haven't seen many straight British movies since I've been here.

Football Factory

I was virtually ordered to watch this one as it was a gritty film about the modern hooligan culture that still apparently exists outside the gates of football grounds on a Saturday afternoon. It was a pretty enjoyable film, yet VERY violent, and like "Green Street", makes you realize that the people throwing punches aren't that much different than you or I. As the main character states at the very beginning and end of the movie, "what the fuck else you gonna do on a Saturday?"

Part Two coming soon...

Photo Journal Entry #5

2005-12-11T16:12:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, welcome to my final European installment of the Photo Journal. Next week be sure to stop by and get my reactions and reflections of my work experience in England and my plans for the tourism period. Then you can look forward to my return to the States!

Until then, though, enjoy these...

This is me with Southend's mascot, Sammy the Shrimp, in the player's tunnel during my farewell game Saturday

This was taken last Tuesday at Southend's night game. It's always great being at a stadium at night, no matter where you are

Since there were requests for frontal shots of the Blue Belles, here was a glimpse in their little Santa outfits from Saturday's farewell match

My desk at the club. David Beckham's keeping an eye on things

And from the archives...

This is the Milwaukee Museum of Fine Art that Failor and I saw on our Chicago/Milwaukee trip in the summer of 2004. The museum was designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Photo Journal Entry #4

2005-11-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, here are a few highlights from the weeks gone by...

This is me (albeit blurry) in my racing gear at the company kart race on Sunday.

...and this is my co-worker Claire cozying up to the camera...

Me, Marisa and Dave after a good day of karting. I came in 15th out of 27.

A view from seats at Vale Park on our away trip this weekend.

And from the archives...

Justin's photo for his NRA application from Failor's cabin.

On the Banks of the River Trent...

2005-11-20T02:51:00.000-05:00

A photo taken Saturday of Nottingham Forest's stadium, the City Ground

Well, amazingly, another two weeks has passed already. Today marks only one month until Michelle arrives here in England to kick off my two weeks as a tourist, which I am very much looking forward to. I have mentioned previously that we will be heading up to Edinburgh for a few days to see the 'homeland' and see the battle site of Bannockburn, where 'gramps' Robert the Bruce defeated the English in the quest for Scottish freedom, which they won.

That also means that I'm down to only four weeks left in the office here, so I am also now into the job search. I've already applied to a few different places, most of them small college athletic departments, but am open to pretty much anywhere and any sport environment. The work experience here has been extremely interesting, and I'm very glad that this is something that I actually followed through on, even though it meant leaving everything behind (including Lucy, who I miss very much!).

I travelled with the Southend supporters to see the Blues play Nottingham Forest yesterday, hence the photo above. That was the one I was really looking forward to when I got here because Forest were up in the Premier League just a few years ago and they have a stadium that seats about 30,000 compared to Southend's which is around 11,000, so massive. It was a great experience, although temps hovered around freezing and the Blues lost 2-0, but they're still in 3rd place overall, so doing very well!

I'm disappointed that I won't be home for Thanksgiving this year. Thursday will be just another work day for me here, no good food or good company, but I guess that's part of the cultural experience. Maybe I'll try and get a turkey sub for lunch. Until next time...

Photo Journal Entry #3

2005-11-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, here's the third edition of my photo journal. Enjoy!!

The Southend terrace faithful at the first round FA Cup match last weekend at Barnet. Terracing is basically standing room only, no seats, and most stadiums here do not have them anymore because terracing is more conducive to fighting.

This is Southend High Street, about 2 miles from my guest house. I walk up there every weekend, have lunch, and browse through the stores. You can see it has been closed to cars so people can walk and shop freely. It was my mom's favourite part of being in England!

A "shrimper"; an actual shrimp fishing boat anchored just off of Southend pier (before it burned down obviously).

Me in front of a statue of Bobby Moore, England's World Cup Hero. He played his club ball for West Ham, which is where this statue is, on the night I met Milan Baros and John Motson.

And from the archives...

This is my car after my accident on July 20, 2004. I rear ended a yellow school bus on my way home from work at the Mud Hens. I still to this day do not know why this Maumee bus came to a complete stop in the middle of a residential block in South Toledo...

If It's Nae Scottish...

2005-11-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Things are exciting here in merry England because I finally got around to planning the mini-trip that Michelle and I will be taking when she arrives here. She arrives on Tuesday morning, December 20 and we leave at 9:00am on December 21 for our bullet-train trip up to beautiful Scotland. We'll be staying in Edinburgh for three nights, literally less than a 10 minute walk from the Edinburgh Castle, pictured above, and the Royal Mile. We're also figuring out if we have time to ride up to Stirling to see the battleground at Bannochburn, where my 20-greats grandfather Robert the Bruce defeated the English in the early 1300's. It doesn't matter what we end up doing, just the chance to experience Scotland after a decade of wanting to go there will be amazing, even if it's cold and raining (which it very likely will be).

In work news, Ross Hill left the club last week for his new job at Arsenal, meaning that I was the man in charge. I will also be doing the same thing this week as Ross' full-time replacement doesn't start until a week from tomorrow. It was a good thing for me because it has given me more responsibility and has forced me to do things that I haven't had a chance to do here yet, such as organizing a small presentation of the team's youth team bus to the youth team by the bus' sponsor, Essex Ford. Making sure that everyone was there at the right time and went off without a hitch was up to me and I'm proud to say that it went very smoothly. Be on the lookout for an article on that showing up on the Blues official site this week.

As I mentioned on the blog on Thursday, I got the experience of watching a photo shoot with our new PA announcer, the lovely model Kelly Burgess. That also was a great experience, but for reasons I won't go into!

On the pitch, Southend beat lower league opponents Barnet to advance in the world's oldest knockout tournament, the FA Cup. They will have a home match on the first weekend of December in the second round, with almost 20,000 pounds in cash up for grabs for the winner. Not to mention that in Round 3 all of the big clubs are entered into the pool as well, so the chance of drawing a home match against Manchester United looms as well. So here's hoping round two goes well, even though I'll be gone by the time the match is played.

Well, I'm down to about 5 or 6 weeks left on the job before I finish here in England, and I've already begun the job search, but nothing has materialized just yet. That's all for now, looking to hearing from everyone!

Perks

2005-11-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

This is a photo from the shoot I stopped by at

A special mid-week post to all of you bloggers out there. This one I just couldn't keep quiet as I had an interesting little side trip while out on errands today with Dave Scriven, media manager. We dropped by for a photo shoot of our new PA announcer for home matches at Roots Hall, former Sun Page 3 topless model Kelly Burgess. It was a great experience to say the least as I got to see her wearing only a football shirt, and hopefully I'll be able to post that soon, but in the meantime, above is a sample.

For you mature readers out there, here's what you really wanted to see.

Click Here

Photo Journal Entry #2

2005-10-30T18:43:00.000-05:00

Keeping to my promise of trying to deliver a new batch of photos on weeks when I don't supply a written update, here are this week's pics. Enjoy!

This was taken on Friday night when we were all out bidding Ross farewell as he leaves us for Arsenal. From left to right: Marisa, myself, Ross, Claire.

The great thing about England is you can just literally step off the tube and bump into sights like this, the Tower of London.

A packed Roots Hall crowd cheers on Southend to victory over Nottingham Forest.

I took this walking out to the end of the pier, which is 1.25 miles long, and has caught on fire recently, as evidenced in the previous photo journal.

And from the archives...

I wasn't paying attention when it was taken, but I have great memories of the GMAC Bowl in December 2003 when Miami beat Louisville, Big Ben's final game in red.

Under the Sun...

2005-10-23T07:03:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks, hard to believe another two weeks has gone by already! Work has been keeping me fairly busy of late, but that can sometimes be a blessing because it makes the day go quicker. This coming week is the last one for Ross, and he will be having a big leaving 'do' on Friday after work. Next Monday then he reports to his new job at Arsenal Football Club, a little team in London (that was heavy sarcasm for those who weren't aware!). I've met his replacment, a guy named Antony, but everyone is more quiet on their first day so the jury is still out on him.

On Friday this past week we had a nice break from the norm when Ross, Declan and I took a table and bunch of Southend United stuff over to the Odeon Cinemas on High Street to pass out at an information fair held there. It was nice to report to work wearing jeans and my replica kit, and great to be out from behind the desk for a day. It was a lot of standing up, but was worth it. This week's picture is Ross (dark hair) and Declan (blonde hair) with some of the more 'colourful' characters at the event.

On the pitch, the Blues have had sort of a rough go lately. Their eight game winning streak was finally ended up north at Doncaster Rovers a week ago last Saturday, and then they lost in the first round of a knockout tournament to a team from a lower league. Just yesterday in a back-and-forth home match, the boys managed to fight for a draw, which is worth one point in the league, but that point was enough to move them back into first for the time being.

My parents and my sister will now be coming over for sure on Christmas morning and leaving on New Year's and I'm really happy for them to be able to do that. Being over in England, even if only for a week, is an amazing experience and I know they'll all have a blast. Now its down to planning out how to fit everything into the short time they're here! I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Photo Journal Entry #1

2005-10-16T18:33:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. In lieu of posting a standard text-based update, which I plan to only do every other week or so, I've decided to also periodically post a photo journal of things going on here, along with an archived photo that people would hopefully be interested in. Hope you all enjoy...

This was taken from the end of the mile-long pier in Southend.

The pier caught fire this week and had to be shut down. It will probably be several months before it is repaired enough to reopen fully. Good thing I got down there early and took the photo above.

A shot of the Southend faithful who made the 200 mile trip to Doncaster on Saturday. Notice there is no seats there. Thankfully I was provided a ticket in the seated area of the main stand, and speaking of which...

Here is what my view from the seats looked like.

And from the archives...

I don't know what to say other than, yes, they were every bit as bad as they appear to be...

Enjoy the View...

2005-10-09T19:16:00.000-05:00

These are the 'world famous' Blue Belles, you figure out why.

Some of the players entering the field, Kevin Maher on the left and Darryl Flahavan in the green goalie kit

The Southend fans celebrate their record-breaking eighth win in a row

As you can see, I am able to get a pretty good view of the goings-on during a matchday. I took a video on my camera today of the players leaving the tunnel and running onto the pitch, but decided against posting it because of its size, but you're all welcome to see it when I get back!

Things are continuing to go very well here in sunny Southend on Sea. I say sunny and I mean, as it typically is sunny 6 days a week here. I still can't get over how great the weather's been despite all of the things you here about English rain and such. Maybe it's all up north in Scotland and Manchester areas or something. Who knows. I've heard some say though that since the weather has been so nice lately, that we are likely to have a pretty strong winter over here. I'm just hoping that it stays away until January so that I'm not miserable at the remaining away matches this season!

I've commented before about my love for visiting stadiums, and this has been a great place for me so far. I've only been to five since I've been here, but, looking at the calendar, I should have at least 10 more before I leave, which will be nice to add to the total. My co-worker (and supervisor) Ross Hill will be leaving the club to join Arsenal, but has offered to get Michelle and I tickets for a match at Highbury, which this is the last season that they will be playing there. So that's something to look forward to; sort of like a delayed Christmas present.

As I've mentioned before, being in England is very similar to being in America in many ways. I was finally able to get around and having fish and chips for dinner last Friday night, but didn't enjoy it as much as I could have since I was suffering from a pretty severe headache at the time. It was fun to have the 'cultural cuisine' though, since it's such an iconic dish. However, I'd have to say that I've seen British people eating much more curry dishes than fish and chips and I can also say that I have had that dish now as well since I've been here. I've tried to be adventurous on the food and drink, and I think I'm doing pretty well. I doubt I would have tried curry or shellfish in the US!

Tomorrow starts another regular work week, and I definitely think I've settled in on that front. Ross was away on holiday last week so that give me a little bit of extra responsibility around the office, but it was enjoyable to have a little bit more to keep me busy and gave me a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the week (although I had that bad headache on Friday). On the weekends I always take some time to walk up to High St. (the main shopping avenue which is actually closed to cars so that people can walk and shop). I marvel at how similar it can be to America, with a Starbucks on the corner, two McDonalds' within 500 yards of each other, a Burger King, a Subway, and a T-Mobile outlet. But its always nice to make the 2-mile or so hike up there, have some lunch, and marvel at the monument to consumerism (previous line copyright 'Mallrats').

Not much else new to report, although I'm hoping to hear that my family will indeed be coming over to visit any day now. Michelle has been a definite since July, but they are still waffling. I really hope they decide to come because it would be an amazing experience for them, but I can't push it!!

That's all until next time, take care until then!

Preparing for battle...

2005-10-07T19:25:00.000-05:00

I'll have a new UK update forthcoming (probably on Sunday), but just wanted to update about a pretty enjoyable game I've discovered recently.

It's called World War II online, and it pretty much is exactly as it says. It's a Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) in the same genre as Star Wars Galaxies or EverQuest, where you meet up with thousands of other geeks online to play a computer game.

Once entering this world, you select a side (I chose Allies/British; there is no American), a division (2nd Infantry), a brigade (5th Brigade), and then a unit type (I chose rifleman, but you can select from about 7 different unit types, as well as air force, tanks or navy). Then you just start.

Last night I was placed shortly behind the front line, of which I fought over a town called Halle in Belgium. It's basically just Axis versus Allies, and you can track the progress of the front line on the website, which updates the lines every five minutes. The site is www.wwiionline.com.

As far as the game goes, the graphics are painfully lacking but the sound is just fantastic. The attention to detail is also incredible I'm told, with real-time loading (a machine gun or tank takes the actual amount of time that it took in real life, for example) of weapons. There's also a good community feel to it as you are pretty much required to rely on others to accomplish the capture of a bunker or depot. All this makes for a great experience and certainly overcomes the lack of graphical quality.

E I E I O...

2005-09-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

It's up the football league we go!!!!!

That was sung numerous times after yesterday's win up in Yorkshire against Rotherham United. It was my second away trip with the Blues, and it was another memorable one. The ground was actually pretty much located in a scrap metal railyard, and hence it was a pretty lousy place to watch a match. You also had to feel for the teams playing, as the actual playing surface had a slope to it, one goal being six feet higher than the other one, so one team had to play uphill each half! To complicate matters, somehow my name didn't make it onto the comp ticket list, so after a four-and-a-half hour bus trip, I got up there to find out I didn't have a ticket! Then when I went to buy one, they didn't accept credit cards! Thankfully I had $18 and they only cost $17 but that meant I had to bum change to be able to buy a matchday programme (I'm collecting them). The team won though and it was great to see them take their fifth win in a row, moving them up to second in the league! Let's hope the form continues.

Other than the away trip yesterday, things have been pretty quiet around here. I have just been working the past two weeks and that is going fine. I get along well with everyone in the department, and Brian Dear, the guy who took me to the West Ham match, invited me over to his house for dinner last week. That was very nice as my dinner is usually hit or miss, but this was a nice home-cooked meal with plenty of vegetables, and lots of broccoli! I can't remember if mentioned in a previous post, but the guy I normally work with, Ross, is going to be leaving the club on October 29 to take a position at Arsenal, which will likely mean more responsibility for me. Nothing I can't handle though I'm sure!

On the home front, I've been starting to put together ideas for my sightseeing when Michelle arrives on December 20. We will of course see Southend play MK Dons on December 26, Ross has offered to provide us tickets to see Arsenal play Portsmouth on December 28 at Highbury, and I'm looking into getting tickets to see Rangers play Dundee United at the Ibrox on New Year's Eve. They say that Scotland is the place to be on New Year's so here's hoping I get to find out! We also have a long list of other things that we'd like to see as well (Cambridge, Abbey Road, British Museum, etc.), so I hope I get those all in.

Now here's a photo diary of the trip to Rotherham...

A view from my seat in the Railway End.

Wayne Gray scores a penalty kick to make it 4-2.

This was right outside the ground, literally outside the gate.

Nice neighbourhood, eh? I didn't see any 'patrols'.

Until next time...

For your listening pleasure...

2005-09-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

Southend United is the first English football club to officially have a weekly podcast! Running at about 10 minutes and providing a new cast every week, the clip features commentary and quotes from manager Steve Tilson and BBC Radio commentator Nick Alliker. It plays like a radio show and runs as an MP3 file. To listen to it, just copy and paste the link below into your browser and enjoy!

Also, as this is a new service, we're very interested in feedback from people who have listened to it so please leave your thoughts in the comment area. Thanks!

mms://video.premiumtv.co.uk/southend/podcast/podcast130905.mp3

It's Not Every Day...

2005-09-13T17:57:00.000-05:00

ok, I couldn't resist. I got to go see a Premier League match last night with a former player for the team who is still treated like royalty. Needless to say it was a night to remember.

This is a picture of me standing on the pitch (or the field) about an hour before kickoff. There were already a couple hundred people filtering into the stands at this point so it was weird being the only person out there but amazing!

Here I am with one of the greatest strikers in Europe, Milan Baros. He was voted greatest player at the Euro 2004 tournament, where all the nations of Europe compete in a World-Cup-style setting. He plays for the Czech Republic.

This is the man himself, the voice of FIFA soccer that Failor and I have played all these years. It was so weird to be meeting him and hearing that voice that you recognize right away. "He picked his pocket like the artful dodger!" Hopefully he didn't notice my tie!

The match was incredibly exciting and the home team won 4-0. Great time had by all, especially me.

Hi-yah, you alroit?

2005-09-11T23:15:00.000-05:00

(This is a photo taken of the stadium I visited when Southend played Swindon)

This weekend I had my first away trip as I took a three hour bus ride to watch the team play against Swindon Town. It was a great experience as I got to see more of the country (a detour through London on the way home took me past: Parliament, The London Eye, Scotland Yard, King's College, the Millenium Dome, The Tower of London, London Bridge and even James Bond's headquarters!). I also got to see a new stadium (The County Ground) and see Southend win the match 2-1. The atmosphere from the visiting Southend fans was incredible and it was well worth the trip.

Several people have asked about some of the differences that I have noticed since I've been here. Honestly one of the most difficult ones was the line at the top of this, since I didn't know how to answer if I was alright or if I just don't say anything. I think I'm getting the handle on it now, though. Obviously the money is different, but not hard to figure out. The one that most people think of first is driving on the other side of the road, but since I don't have a car I don't deal with it too often, just looking the other way first, and you'd be surprised at how you don't even realize you're doing it. The food isn't much different than what I was used to in the US, but the breakfast is better. Since I'm staying at a guesthouse, every morning I have bacon (which is almost more like ham but tastes like bacon), fried eggs, toast and hash browns. Then I typically have like a sub sandwich for lunch. So nothing very striking on the food department. Soccer is certainly the unofficial national religion, but it has been great to be here during the Ashes Test of cricket as well, as the country really has gotten behind the English cricket team in their campaign against the Aussies.

Now that I have gotten settled in and there is less breaking news to report, I will probably be cutting back how often I write updates, to more like one every two weeks or so. So long until next time!

No Actually I'm English...

2005-09-03T22:49:00.000-05:00

(this is a photo of me in my team's home jersey, sorry that its blurry)

So my first real week is in the bag over here in lovely Southend. I say lovely because, touch wood (that's what they say here instead of 'knock'), it still hasn't rained in the past 10 days. It's been sunny and 80 with a nice breeze off the water every day. Can't beat that!

I started off the week with the local derby against Colchester, and then started off my work week on Tuesday. I got a full tour of the stadium, complete with all of the behind-the-scenes stuff like the dressing rooms, the treatment room and the manager's office. Then on Wednesday I was taken over to the training ground and introduced to all of the players. Some of them were rather formal but most of them were very pleasant and a few even stopped to talk with me for a few minutes about my experience so far and my position with the club! It's pretty surreal to actually be rubbing elbows with players who I've been following and hearing about for months.

The people that I work with on a daily basis are very nice and have been very accomodating, since I had to learn how to do pretty much everything, even using the phone. My orientation is pretty much over and they're going to start piling on the work pretty soon, I'm sure. One assignment that I already have is writing the weekly email newsletter for next week. It goes out to over 5,000 emails and it contains about 5 articles, all of which I have to write! Not that I'm intimidated or anything.

Tomorrow, the team have a match vs. Oldham Athletic, and I will be hosting the executive's lounge, then watching the match from the press box. Can't complain about that much!

In other news, I'm all moved into my permanent room at the Waverley Guest House and its nice to finally feel settled. The folks that own the place are very nice, and how can I complain about getting clean towels every day, someone to make my bed and someone to cook my breakfast for me? Seems a sweet deal to me!

More to come next week...

Made in America

2005-08-29T18:46:00.000-05:00

(the above image was taken of Southend from the end of its 1 and 1/3 mile long pier, the longest non-commercial pier in the world)

Well, it's been awhile, but I'm at least temporarily up and running in England. I'll do my best to bring you all up to speed with everything that's been going on here and how everything is going.

As some of you know, I was picked up from Mike Dariano's wedding and my mum and I were wisked off to the Detroit Metro airport for a 9.40pm departure. The flight left about 70 minutes late but made up about 55 minutes of it in the air so we were more or less on time arriving. We met the driver fine and were taken to Southend-on-Sea, where I'll be living for the next few months.

The town itself is actually fairly decent more or less, and pretty much what you'd expect from a coastal town. There are some shady areas (which is where mom and I stayed until I moved here) like every decent-sized town (this one is almost 200,000 residents), but most of it is pretty nice with a lovely main street area that is closed to cars so people can walk down the street and shop in the many stores or TWO Mickey D's.

On Monday, mom and I commuted into downtown London for orientation, an experience I won't soon forget. We had a fine train in, but then were being heavily eyed by what I think was a potential pickpocket on the Tube. Orientation itself went fine, but we almost missed our appointment to have my bank accounts set up and then had a mix up with the wire transfer that almost prevented me from getting money! To the rescue came my future father-in-law, whom I had to call from the bank to arrange the wire (Mr R., if you're reading this, I owe you more than big-time!). Then it poured buckets of rain, and of course I was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts with no umbrella.

This is already getting long, so I'll try and sum up with my conditions. I have seen two Southend United matches so far, including a local rivalry (they call it a derby) match today, and they have been amazing. The people I have met from the team have been incredibly helpful, as has every English person I've had to ask questions from. I have moved into a little B&B called the Waverley Guest House, where I'll be living for the rest of my time here, which brings me to my final point.

I have decided to cut short the amount of time that I'm going to be here because everything is more expensive than what I planned. Prices for things like food are almost double what they are in the US, and I'm paying a fortune for this guest house because I pay by the night. I also thought that it would be a big help to have Michelle here to help me move out so I decided to leave when she was planning to go, which is January 3. So all of you lucky people state-side get to see me sooner than expected!

Keep in touch everyone, it's lonely over here!

Detour

2005-08-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

I have now moved out of Apt. 175, so there will be no future blog postings for at least the next two weeks. I will be posting UK updates as soon as I am up and running over there, and will also be sending out a UK update email every so often so for anyone who is interested in receiving that, please leave a comment with your email address and I'll add you on.

Both nigeldazooman@yahoo.com and bjnichol@indiana.edu will be checked from the UK for the forseeable future. Thanks for a great blogging year, looking forward to the next one...

Sincerely,

The Management

Man the Cubicles!!

2005-08-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

I finally finished watching "The Office Special" tonight, which were the final two episodes of the enormously successful BBC television series. The special caught up with the members of Wernham-Hogg 'three years' after the final regular season episode. I won't describe what happens in the very rare chance that you pick it up.

But as the credits rolled for the final time and the theme song, "Handbags and Gladrags", sounded its final notes, I couldn't help but feel a little bit bummed that, in a strange way, it was the end of an era. Granted there were only two seasons consisting of 6 30-minute episodes each plus the special 90-minute, uh, well, special, but I definitely felt like I got to know David, Tim, Garreth and Dawn. It was nice to the special to see how things turned out for everyone, but it was bittersweet.

I have heard about this mentioned before in reference to such epic shows as "Cheers," "M*A*S*H", and even, more recently, "Seinfeld," as, when the show has made its final run, that loyal viewers are sad that the characters they have come to know are no longer in their living rooms once a week.

Being too young to have that sort of attachment to any of the above shows, or any other show for that matter, I am sad to see "The Office" come to an end. There certainly isn't any hope of any future episodes, and even the actors were negative about ever meeting up for reunion shows or anything on the DVD, so it looks like this is one show that will remain buried, but it was fun while it lasted...

Bennion Strikes Again

2005-07-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

Such a cute and fuzzy little cover, innit?

A few summers ago as Ted and I sped across the beautiful fairways of Belmont Country Club, he mentioned a great book that he had read called "Lion of Ireland," the story of Brian Boru, a man who briefly united the warring tribes of the Emerald Isle around the year 1000 AD. "Lion of Ireland" was very well written, and for someone who's a fan of the sword and sorcery style of books, this book was a great read. I tore through it quickly and ordered the sequel, "Pride of Lions," which details the warring that went on following Brian's death.

So, needless to say, after that first recommendation, Bennion had my ear when it came to recommending books. But I was caught more than a little by surprise when I received an IM saying that he knew of a book that I would enjoy. Hoping there would be more raping and pillaging, I eagerly awaited his response. "It's called Watership Down," to which I inquired about the subject matter. When he replied that it was about rabbits, my skepticism meter leaped. TED BENNION, of all people, recommending a book about rabbits?

Ted convinced me, though, to pick up this classic, which I did over Thanksgiving break last year. Although it's truly sad that it took me this long to get through a 500 page book, I finally capped it off last night. And, of course, Bennion was spot on. Don't let the subject matter fool you, this is no children's story. Although it does deal with rabbits and their quest for a new home, it is much more adult in its telling. Although the set-up of the story itself (ie the first 100 pages or so) starts a little slowly, you won't be able to put it down by the end.

In conclusion, anyone who's looking for a fast, interesting read soon would be hard pressed to say no to something like this. It is thoroughly enjoyable, and, if nothing else, will change the way you look at rabbits...

Most Haunted

2005-07-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

So I've gotten really interested in this show on the Travel Channel called "Most Haunted." It's on at 9pm on Friday nights and usually there's a later episode on more like 11 or 12 for those on the Eastern. But anyways, these people travel all over the UK and visit these spooky old places and are forced to stay the night in them.

Now, before you get to it, I know that shows like this are extremely easy to 'conjure', pun intended. Derek, the medium (guy on the left in the picture), seems a little gay and talks to the spirits haunting the place they are investigating and sometimes even comes up with real names of people who are connected with the building in its past. Now, I know how easy it would be to just feed him information before the cameras turn on, and that's probably what happens, but it is still an enjoyable show. Derek is very animated, he swears at the spirits sometimes or comforts them in others. The rest of the crew walk around with only nightvision cameras and wait for spooky things to happen, which always do.

The spooky things usually only amount to the sound of shuffling feet, regular footsteps, sudden bumps or temperature drops. Most of the time, I don't even realize them on the initial run-by because they usually sound like run-of-the-mill sounds, but they usually do an instant replay so you can pick it out, and I admit, I'd be pretty freaked out were I there myself.

The place that was featured last night was called the "House of Detention", and was a jail built in the 1800's and used up until the mid-1900's. Derek detected lots of evil spirits there, so negative that he became overwhelmed, started crying, and had to leave the facility.

Now, once again, I repeat that I realize that this show is probably staged, but, much like the Blair Witch Project, is staged with a sense of realism that makes it at least seem possible. They never do anything outlandish like actually show a ghost walking down a hallway (thank goodness, I hate stupid ghost re-enactments).

So, if you're in the mood for a little interesting TV, I would recommend tuning into the Travel Channel every Friday night at 9 Eastern, and don't forget to turn out the lights!

Happy Haunting! Mwahahahahahaha....

'Sup.

2005-07-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

Again, not too much new or exciting going on here, but I figured it'd been awhile.

In media-related news, you'll see that I have posted a review of "Appleseed" over on the Movie Blog. Also, Michelle and I are re-visiting the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in its expanded form as we find time, thanks to Mac and his gracious lending. We've seen "Fellowship" and about half of the first disc of special features, so plenty to explore there yet.

I plowed through Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham over the weekend. Pretty amazing that someone only 29 is already publishing his autobiography? Anyways, obviously I was interested in some of the things he had been involved in during his time with Manchester United before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, which is when this book was written. I found it particularly fascinating that he went into great detail about his spat with the manager that ultimately led to his change of clubs, since Alex Ferguson (the manager) wouldn't go into it himself. It was also interesting to hear about how he got to dating and marrying Posh Spice (why, they took a trip to Southend of course!). I found the book interesting but you probably wouldn't unless you're into soccer or celebrities.

On the Southend note, my Blue Card and my Passport have finally arrived in the mail, so I am all clear and legal to enter the country come August. I also found out that Southend will be playing a huge match at home against a bigger team the day after my mom and I arrive. Not to worry, as we will be admitted as special guests of the Chairman and provided seats to the undoubtably packed house! My Space Bags also arrived in the mail this week, so hopefully I can fit all of my non-hanging clothes into a few vacuum bags and fit them into a large suitcase.

In other news, school continues to trudge along. This week in computers were are beginning the first stages of developing a website using only HTML. This is actually a new experience for me, so the going is a bit slow, but I will include the link to my page anyways. Feel free to make fun of it, I know it sucks worse than the first site I ever made. But we had to make it as if we were adding a bio page to our employer's existing website, hence the Southend theme.

Finally, in dog news, my parents are continuing to try and house-train their new puppy, with mixed results. She seems to be doing alright during the day, but goes in the house in the evening and overnight. Quite strange. She goes for her first full check-up tomorrow morning. And then Lucy. Well, Michelle found out the hard way that dogs are meat-eaters as Lucy attacked and destroyed a live baby rabbit this afternoon while I was away at class. That's right boys and girls, she said bottom's up and, after several vicious chomps, sent the entire baby bunny down the hatch. Frankly, both of us are still a little concerned about her health after something like that, but farm dogs eat mice and other small animals all the time, right? So far, about 5 hours later, she seems to be fine, and even had enough room left over to eat her dog food.

Well, on that note, I think I'm going to have some fudge now. It's more of the peanut butter chocolate kind that those of us that went to Put-in-Bay know all about...

The Update

2005-06-26T14:02:00.000-05:00

Well, not a whole lot of excitement down here in sunny and sweltering Bloomington, Indiana. I've spent the last week trying to keep cool as Summer II classes got under way. As stated in the previous update, I'm taking a class on Administrative Theory, and yes, it is as boring as you expect. That, and Intro to Computers, so now I can say that I know how to bold-face type on Word with the best of them. Needless to say, I'm ready to be done with classes.

Things are going well with the UK plans. I'm in occassional contact with the club, and they seem to be excited for my arrival, although probably not as excited as I am. I've also been chatting with Southend fans on their message boards, and they are all very stoked about the opportunity they have to play in League 1 this season, meaning the teams will be better and the stakes higher. My Blue Card application is complete and has been submitted, so now I am waiting to receive both my passport and the Blue Card, both of which should arrive in the mail this coming week. Michelle solidified her visitation plans last week, and she will be over visiting from December 19 through January 3. My parents are also setting their plans to come visit, probably beginning the day after Christmas. All other dates are still open for visitors!

Speaking of parents, ma and pa couldn't wait any longer and brought a new bundle of joy home on Saturday afternoon. It's a small female (black, of course) and about 8 weeks old. They're thinking of naming it either Lindy or Abby, but they haven't decided for sure yet. They adopted her from Planned Pethood, who was having an "Adopt-a-thon" at Anderson's on Saturday, and my dad heard about it and couldn't resist checking out. Of course, getting there meant he wouldn't be able to resist taking one home either, so they are back up to two dogs. Bentley didn't seem to care much, he just sniffed her and laid back down.

I just finished "Today Matters" by John C. Maxwell, a book that was a gift from my church congregation for graduating from college. It's one of those books that helps you set your life straight and helps you to organize and prioritize your life to get the most out of it. I found it enjoyable to read and was very quick to go through, and I did feel as though I took a few things from it. I don't expect any of you to notice any massive changes, but I am looking at things a bit differently now.

For those of you that are interested in where I'll be and what I'll be doing, check out these websites.

www.southendunited.co.uk

www.footballgroundguide.co.uk

The second site you'll have to find Southend United under League 1, but it has pictures of the stadium that I'll be working at as well as some interesting tidbits about the club itself (chants, songs, best nearby pubs, etc.)

So What's New?

2005-06-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, obviously my attempts at discussing hard-hitting topics did not work, so I'll just go back to what's going on here.

Schoolwise, I just finished up the first summer term, completing classes in The Sports Industry and Topics in Commercial Sports. My next term gets under way in full next week, and I'll be taking a class on Administrative Theory and Intro to Computers. I have to have a computers class on my transcript to get my Master's degree, and I'm probably the only person in America who didn't take one in undergrad, so I'm gonna be taking that next term. I finish all of the coursework up on August 12, and will be returning to the burg then to get ready for the big move.

Which brings me to the UK. Plane tickets have been bought, and I will be flying out on August 20 at 9:40 pm from Detroit. Yes, that's the same day as Mike's wedding, but I'll still be at the ceremony. Just not the reception. Sorry D, but if I wait until the first available flight Sunday morning the price jumps up about $130. I'm also in the midst of filling out my Blue Card information so that I can submit it. The Blue Card acts as my necessary visas and such so that I'll be legally there for up to six months. Still waiting for people to let me know when they're coming to visit!

As far as gaming, I've been enjoying EVE Online lately. It's a spaced-based online game, but it is based entirely around ships, not running around. The game is set up based on an economy system, so whatever minerals and items are being bought and sold heavily will show the greatest fluctuation in price at those space stations. Characters are able to explore any sort of career path, such as creating and running a mining operation, hunting down space pirates or rogue players or even founding an intergalactic corporation. It's been fun so far.

Last night I finished Y: The Last Man Vol.2 , and I have to say that's a very enjoyable read. The concept of the graphic novel is a plague strikes across the entire planet, killing everything with a Y Chromosome, except for one guy and his pet monkey. The world is now run entirely by women, many of whom have heard that one man survived and are trying to kill him. Meanwhile, a sympathetic woman scientist is attempting to determine what happened and bring the men back. It's really an interesting premise and I think that the creators really pinned down well what would really happen. Due to obvious things such as 95% of pilots being male, women have been set back in a lot of ways, but they quickly learn to survive, but groups of them also learn to hate other groups (Femi-nazis, for example, are trying to take control of the country).

Well, that's some of the latest going on here, if any of you are interested in borrowing any of my graphic novels, let me know and I'll try and get them to you. Here's the ones I have available if anyone's interested.

Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days
Iron Empires: Volume 1
Y: The Last Man Volume 1
Y: The Last Man Volume 2

Discrimination

2005-06-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

Alright, my African-American professor felt it was necessary to talk about the discrimination of women and minorities in the sports environment. Now, ok, if this is a problem (which, by the way, I have NOT seen in my three sports internships, I've worked with Hispanics, Blacks and women), then we should be discussing ALL discrimination, because invariably he talked about the black man being held back. One of the statistics he showed was that the NBA was 90% black, but we don't talk about how whites are underrepresented.

Anyways, I don't want to come off as being a racist. Because that's not the case. Frankly, I feel that the most qualified applicant should be hired for the job, regardless of race, gender, credo, etc. The "old boy" network where older white men simply hire their friends and don't consider outsiders is going by the wayside in my opinion as these white old men retire or die, and they're being replaced by younger people who I feel don't really care about race or gender.

Where I think this issue gets out of hand is requiring employers to interview a certain number of minority candidates, even if they are underqualified. Why waste both peoples' time if the candidate is obviously not going to be seriously considered due to underqualification? It seems unnecessary.

Anyways, I want to know what everyone thinks about this issue. As I said, I personally don't care what race, gender, religion people that I work with as long as they are good workers. But am I in the "minority" on this one? Either way, I'm just curious about how other people come down on the discrimination in the workplace issue (gender, race, religion or whatever). Let me know your comments.

Doesn't that smell fresh?

2005-06-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

Hey! Everyone else was doing it, why can't I? It seemed time to change from the ol' 565 design, so I went with this new dealie. Content and topics will remain the same, which is to say, whatever I feel like writing about.

Based on Dariano's comment, I decided to "bring you into my life" a little more, as evidenced by the new and improved sidebar, showing you what I'm reading, watching and listening to. I'm going to try and be diligent if any of that stuff changes. Obviously the books, games and music are all what I'm into now, and the films are the five most recent things I've seen. But what Brad fan doesn't want that extra peer into my life?

Anyways, comments and criticizms of the facelift will be welcomed in the comment section. Thanks.

Update

2005-05-30T12:04:00.000-05:00

Howdy-ho out there. Not really too much new and exciting to report, but I was getting tired of checking my blog and seeing that "Wowza" post, as I'm sure you were too. So I'll just try and bring you up to speed on what's been going on here lately.

Weather is a little rainy here today, which is required since today is Memorial Day. So much for spending the day outside.

School is going alright, but its summer school, so everything is accelerated, which can be good and bad. The good thing is that I'm finished with these classes in about three weeks, but the bad news is that in those next three weeks I'll be having like 3 exams and 5 papers or something ridiculous like that.

England: Recent developments here have included submitting the passport application and inquiring about further visa details. Neither myself nor the club are sure whether I even need one since this is just technically an "internship", but I'm waiting to hear back from the British consulate. In other news, the club won its game Saturday to earn promotion to League 1 for next year, sending fans over there into a tizzy. The financial windfall from playing in a higher division will greatly help the club and gets them one step closer to competing with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal. This also means that the stadium will probably be sold out for most home games since the quality of competition will be so much better next year, making for an awesome work environment. Imagine if the Mud Hens started playing teams like the Yankees every week; you could expect attendence to jump.

In music, my two most recent CD purchases have been Duran Duran's new CD, "Astronaut", and the Bravery's self-titled album. Both of them are very heavy new-wave style, so if you didn't like the 80's, stay away. The Duran Duran CD is frankly some of the best stuff I've heard from them, it's phenomenal if you like their music. The Bravery are very similar to the Killers, so if you like the modern new-wave movement, you may look into the Bravery as well. Trust me, its good.

I've been seeing my share of movies in my spare time as well, thanks to NetFlix. Although I ended up watching a movie called "Python" on SciFi yesterday, it was one of those movies that was just so bad, but you couldn't help but watch it anyways. I've also seen "American Splendor," "Event Horizon," and "Best of Will Ferrell 2" recently, and none of them disappointed me. "American Splendor" is the story of a guy who writes comics of himself. The movie, then, is like the guy making a movie about himself making comics of himself. It sounds complex, but its well done, even has the comic book feel to it (thought bubbles and such). "Event Horizon" was a space thriller, and it was just your run-of-the-mill "scary" movie where something goes wrong in outer space and people start dying. It was mindless fun, nothing more. "The Best of Will Ferrell 2" was good, but of course not as good as the first. The highlights were James Lipton and a sketch of "the Lovers", with Christopher Walken. I'm actually thinking about renting "SNL: Best of Christopher Walken," just because every sketch he is in is so damn funny.

I haven't been reading much exciting lately outside of a few graphic novels (so far the "Y: The Last Man" series has been my fave) and some books about not looking like a complete ass in England (customs and word usage, etc).

Anyways, I just realized that I wrote a ton on here so I'm gonna wrap it. Rock out, amigos.

Wowza

2005-05-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

I decided to try the random blog button up in the top right corner just now, and man, did I come up with a winner. I think you guys will really get a kick out of it if you check it out. From what I can gather, apparently this girl is some sort of intern at a law firm in New York City, nickname "Prada Princess." Oh yes, it's that good.

http://pradaprincess.blogspot.com/

Hear her rant about political correctness! Subway mishaps! Mother's Day ideas! Battles with Troll Ho at the office! And more!

"Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce..."

2005-05-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

I have just returned to Bloomington after a very enjoyable weekend in Chicago, highlighted, of course, by a performance by U2 on Saturday night. This was my first time at Chicago's United Center (home of the Bulls and the Blackhawks), and it seemed to be a nice facility. The Southern rock band Kings of Leon opened the show. Unfortunately, they decided to have their guitars up so loud that I couldn't understand what they were saying at all. I have to admit I didn't really care for their set much.

Then, after about a 35 minute set change, the recent Hall inductees took the stage, one at a time, carrying flashlights and walking the oval-shaped pathway that was the stage. Of course, the Edge and Adam Clayton both had transmitters on their instruments that allowed them to traverse the walkway along with Bono, and that helped to keep them from being a static stage presence.

The show itself was incredible to say the least. I had predicted an intermission, but they rocked through more than 20 songs and two encores without stopping. The songs were seamlessly woven together, and spanned their entire catalog. Songs from their newest disc would be followed by one of their hits from the 80's, and then vice versa. To say that it was an amazing experience would be an understatement.

Set List:
Love and Peace
Vertigo
Elevation
Into the Heart
City of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
New Year's Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Standstill
Bad
Pride (In The Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name
One

Encore 1:
Zoo Station
The Fly
Mysterious Ways

Encore 2:
All Because of You
Yahweh
40

Destination Confirmed!

2005-04-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Since most other blogs are referring to Mike D lately, I guess I will as well. Mike is the one responsible for me writing this at noon instead of at like 4 when I was originally planning on writing it. But anyways, here we are...

You may (or may not) have been wondering what my plans were for once I finish up my classwork here at the end of the summer. Well, I have been throwing around a notion for a long time now of spending a few months in the U.K. I received an opportunity via e-mail from a soccer club in the U.K. to work as an intern in their marketing department (the internship would give me the last remaining credits I need to get my degree from here). The day I received that email was one of the better on record and throughout the past few weeks they have been very helpful in getting back to me whenever I have had questions. The question became: do I take on such an expensive foreign venture or do I just stay back in the Midwest and hope that something opens up somewhere?

As you can assume, I have decided to take on the expensive foreign venture. So with that out of the way, I'll try to fill you in on some of the more interesting aspects. I will be leaving for the UK literally immediately after D's wedding; I may even have to go straight to the airport! I will be working for a team called Southend United, a small English club whose ground (Roots Hall) seats somewhere between 10-12,000, though they probably average somewhere around 7,000. The city itself is called Southend-on-Sea and is located in the county Essex (Southend is about 50 miles east of London). It is exactly as the name describes as the city of about 120,000 is situated directly along the coast of the North Sea. The city also boasts the one of the longest piers anywhere, a 1.2 mile-long boardwalk with a shopping mall feel. My parents and Michelle are planning on accompanying me over to find a place to live and maybe spend a day touring, but then they will be forced to return stateside. Lucy will be living with my parents while I'm gone.

One of the things I'm most excited about is that I've been told by my team that I'll be able to travel with them to the away games all over England. This means that at little or no cost I'll be able to see many of the large and small cities of England (Southend will play at least 23 away games next year, although I may not be there for all of them).

Truly, I'm very excited about the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture that I've always been very fascinated with. If any of you are interested, I will have a web cam in case anybody wishes to talk.

I hope that helps to paint a clearer picture as to what exactly I'm up to later this year! If you have any more questions, please feel free to leave them in the Comments.

And, of course, guests would CERTAINLY be very much welcomed.

Surrounded by Sound!!

2005-04-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

Well, all of the talk finally sunk me. I had been looking for a way to spend my credit card points and after a few brief conversations with Dariano and and remember all of my wonderful experiences at Steve and my one experience at Mac's, I finally broke down and got a home theater system.

I have to say that I'm very impressed with my own little set-up as well. It's so nice just to hear things from the mono system that I had set up before. To make sure that it was up to it's fullest potential, I watched the D-Day episode of Band of Brothers, and yep, oh yeah, the bullets are literally flying (it's actually rather entertaining because it freaks the dog out, but then again, she's mystified by laser pointers).

I'm glad that I joined this technology trend, as I think it will greatly enhance my NetFlix addiciton, although I wish I would have leaped on this bandwagon sooner. If you're one of those out there without at least six speakers around you, surround yourself as soon as possible. You'll thank me for it.

Transition Complete

2005-04-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

Well, it's now official. I'm sure people out there have been whispering for awhile now, but I'm finally coming out and living up to it today. That's all because, on this day, April 3, 2005, I completed my transition into total dork.

It all began when I picked up a series of books with dragons and mages on the cover, a series called "Dragonlance," (sorry Failor, a lot of this is going to apply to you too). It wasn't long until I was a regular in all of the Perrysburg "Magic: The Gathering" game circles, even going to the annual "Magic card" convention in downtown Toledo twice (and I even had to pay an admission fee!). It wasn't long before I was also becoming immersed into the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, either, a realm that I still occasionally visit today. Then, late in high school, Star Wars kicked in. I was at Episode I on opening night. Yeah, I got two of those tickets that went on sale a week early, stood in line for two hours in front of the theater to get good seats and cheered when that trumpet fanfare began blaring. In college, I had Lord of the Rings to obsess over. But all of those things only lead to the inevitable...

Today, I bought my first "graphic novels," or comic books to everyone else. In fairness, they're all collections of several actual comic books and bound together in paperbacks around 150 pages. My selections, for those curious (of which there are likely none of you), were Y: The Last Man: Unmanned, Iron Empires: Faith Conquers and Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days. I've been thinking about picking up one or two a lot lately, since the outpouring of comic books that are made into movie form, ala Sin City, A Scanner Darkly and Appleseed. I also just thought it was time that I expanded my horizons a bit, all I've ever read is books that didn't have pictures in them. Well, it was time to embrace my dorkiness and dig in! (and, being a tightwad dork, I indulged in Borders' 'Buy two graphic novels, get one free' deal).

So the jury is still out on whether or not these will be any good or if this is just a phase I'm going through, but I'm pretty excited for the time being about the possibilities of devouring a story in a different way, (if anyone is interested in the plot of any of them, let me know).

Now my transition is complete, and I don't own an iPod to prove it...

"You call this a soccer riot!?"

2005-03-27T17:18:00.000-05:00

I just finished "Hoolifan: 30 Years of Hurt" by Martin King and Martin Knight, two guys who know more about throwing punches than all of the boxers on "The Contender" combined. What this book did, though, was serve as a major eye-opener to a completely unfamiliar culture.

The book is set mostly in the late 60's and all of the 70's, when soccer "rioting" was in its hey-day. Now a thing of the past because of the heightened security concerns at stadiums these days. Martin King was a prominent member of the Chelsea Headhunters, a group of soccer "hooligans" who attended games primarily for the sport of kicking the tar out of the other team's supporters. And they were good at it too.

The amazing thing, though, was that even these groups of guys (and every team had one, as he vividly recounts his run-in with each team's groups throughout the book) had a strong sense of dignity. King himself actually likens the fights to boxers, in that both sides understand that they are going to get bashed, but are willing to shake the hand of the man striking him. Fighters whose reputation preceeded them at the stadiums would often receive standing ovations when they entered on a matchday from the opposing team's supporters. That's right. The very people that were the victims of his punches.

On a more general scale, it is amazing to be reading about a group of people who made a hobby of travelling from town to town (wherever the team went) and scrapping with the other team's supporters. That this became an actual sub-culture and has never really been experienced stateside is intriguing as well.

Even though almost the entire book is the authors recounting brawl after brawl, the book is an incredibly fascinating read from start to finish, if nothing else because of its shock value. The prevalence of this phenomenon is truly amazing.

Brad's Upcoming Movies

2005-03-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

Well, it took me forever but I finally got around to compiling the (rather short) list of movies coming out that I'm actually interested in seeing. So, without further ado, here they are, in no particular order.

"Millions." A film by Danny Boyle ("The Beach," "Trainspotting") about two brothers who find a boatload of money along some traintracks. One thinks the money should be put to good use, the other prefers to spend it.

"Appleseed." A CGI/Anime movie out of Japan that doesn't appear to have made it to theaters, but will be released on DVD stateside this May. I highly recommend looking it up on Apple.com/trailers under Independent because the visuals are simply stunning.

"Kingdom of Heaven." Hey, what would a summer blockbuster be without Orlando Bloom? Anyways, Hollywood finally got around to making a film about the Crusades, and this is it. From Ridley Scott, the director of Gladiator, expect an amazing film.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I'm not normally a Tim Burton fan, but I am definitely interested in seeing how his adaptation of this classic story plays out. Even the trailer is intriguing, and I think Depp was a great choice for Willy Wonka.

"Hostage." Starring Bruce Willis, this movie is already out in theaters, but looks great. The title makes it sound as though its a straight-up kidnapping story, but the plot twists much more than that, although it is a Bruce Willis movie so it will probably be heavy on stuff blowing up and low on thoughtful dialog.

"New World." Another summer blockbuster (though I believe it comes out in November) about the founding of America and the first contact with the Native Americans. The movie stars Colin Farrell as John Smith and chronicles the settling of our country.

"The Interpreter." A summer thriller starring Nicole Kidman as an interpreter at the United Nations who accidentally overhears an assassination plot. Sean Penn plays the government agent who doesn't believe her story but is forced to protect her from those who think she knows too much. But what else is the interpreter hiding?

"A Scanner Darkly." You could say that this film is 'starring' Keanu Reeves, but the entire film is actually animated. The actors (Reeves, Downey Jr., Harrelson) are strikingly rendered to look as real as animation can make them. Worth seeing just for the visuals.

Well, that's about all I could come up with. The problem is that Hollywood is opening the floodgates for crap such as "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" and "Guess Who" to flow freely into cinemas, making the typical summer blockbuster indeed a rare gem. But the few gems that will be out there this summer will be precious.

The NEW way to read about movies!

2005-03-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

Check out the newest collaboration from Brad and Steve, the guys who brought you "Beautiful Day." Add to your favorites and links!!

http://bradandsteve.blogspot.com

Movie Madness Described

2005-03-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows, I have become a NetFlix junkie. It was Dariano that got me started on it last November, and I haven't looked back. I'm paying roughly $18 a month for this service, which makes it cheaper than Blockbuster if I can go through about 6 discs a month. Also around this time last November (I believe it was over Thanksgiving break), I had a conversation with Steve in which I said that I was hoping to expend my movie horizons beyond the "Fast and the Furious" movies of the world. I think Steve was so happy to hear this that he volunteered to put together a list of 87 movies that he had seen that were not in the "Hollywood formula." Hence, Steve's List was born.

Movie number 16 on Steve's List ("Bully") will be arriving in the mail today and I hope to see it soon, possibly over the weekend. However, I just also sent back "The Italian Job" this morning, certainly not a movie recommendation from Steve! My point is, that although I am continuing to see movies that I always wanted to see ("Italian Job" last night, "SWAT" sometime next week) I also am genuinely interested in seeing movies that maybe I wouldn't have normally picked anyways. The great thing is, NetFlix is allowing me to both at a fraction of the cost (yay for broke college students!).

So, OK, you're thinking, who cares? All you really want to know is what type of movies are on each list. Well, Steve's list has movies that include "The Godfather," "Requiem for a Dream," "American Beauty," and "Kill Bill." My list has movies that I have always wanted to see, such as "SWAT," "Das Boot" and "Open Range." Additionally, my list has recommendations from friends. Justin has recommended "Spirited Away" and "Secret Window," Failor recommended "The Recruit" and "Ronin", Ted recommended "Seven Samurai" and "The Man Who Would Be King," and Tim Campbell recommended "Igby Goes Down" and "The Virgin Suicides," and all of these recommendations, as well as the others that they have suggested, have been included on my 89-film list.

So basically, the hope with NetFlix is that I will get to see all sorts of movies from all sorts of genres made in all sorts of styles that I have never seen before, instead of watching the same movies over and over. This also is not a competition to determine who has better taste in movies. I'm just enjoying watching movies, and I appreciate everyone who has helped me find the ones I've watched already and the ones I'll watch in the future.

For complete Steve's and Brad's lists, please IM me with your preferred email address.

cold Soup

2005-02-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

Alright, friends, you guys have all got me goin' on this whole music issue, so I've been thinking about it lately. But then, an epiphany struck me yesterday afternoon in the form of Pam Thrash and the B-97 afternoon show. Perhaps some of you are familiar with this.

First of all, let me clarify that I was using a University van to run an errand, as I would never listen to this 92.5 FM of a station in my own car, because all they play is crap. But a song comes on the radio that actually makes my jaw drop. Literally. We wonder why people shouldn't be looking to music as a form of expression of their own thoughts and emotions. Well, sports fans, the proof is in the Soup. Bowling for Soup. Slurp down some of these classics:

"I almost got drunk at school at 14
Where I almost made out with the homecoming queen
Who almost went on to be Miss Texas
But lost to a slut with much bigger breastes."

or this nugget:

"I almost held up a grocery store
Where I almost did 5 years and then 7 more."

Can this band be serious? The lyrics actually spell 'breasts' with an extra 'es' so that it rhymes with Texas!! Ahhh!!! So my jaw dropped hearing this garbage, but then I get to those second lyrics from verse two. Why couldn't he have just said 12 YEARS!!! So he could rhyme store with more. Well, thank God it was to keep up the rhythmic integrity of the song!

So, I think, maybe I'm just not giving these guys enough credit. Every band has that bad song that makes you wonder why they wrote it, right? OK, no, most don't, but for the sake of this post, humor me. So, thinking this, I go back and look at their first hit, "1985".

Again, this song has no benefit to society and really doesn't do anything other than try and make a couple of popular 80's bands rhyme together. But wait, what popular 80's band rhymes with Blondie? Shoot, the songwriter thinks, I'll just inject some witty social commentary into the chorus instead. "There was U2 and Blondie," hmmmmm, ah, I got it! "And music still on MTV!"

Zing! Take that MTV! Bowling for Soup says you guys used to play videos in the 80's!

Does anyone want to bet me that "1985" went to number 1 on TRL?

Open the Vents!!

2005-02-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

Alright, kids, this is just a post of things that are bugging me these days. Maybe some of these same things bother you, maybe not. But when it comes down to it, this is my therapy. Anyhoo, who gets it first?

Good Charlotte.

Ok, back when these guys first broke on the scene like 2 years ago, they had a song called "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous," which was basically saying that all famous people do is bitch and moan, a la the following lyrics:

"Always see it on TV
Or read it in the magazines
Celebrities who want sympathy
All they do is piss and moan
Inside the Rolling Stone
Talkin' bout how hard life could be..."

And so on. Ok, Joel Madden, I'm with you so far. I agree that there's a lot of stupid celebrities who whine about problems I wish I had. Kudos to you for pointing out something that goes largely un-commented on by the entertainment industry.

Enter Good Charlotte's sophomore album, "Chronicles of Life and Death," and specifically their new "hit" song, "I Just Wanna Live."

"It's getting hectic everywhere that I go
They won't leave me alone
There's things they all wanna know
I'm paranoid about the people I meet
Why are they talking to me?..."

Hmm, so now we have a Good Charlotte song that is actually him bitching and moaning about the problems of being a celebrity? People he doesn't know following him around? Well, boo frickin hoo Joel Madden, you made out with Hilary Duff. You've got it just fine. If there's some dude hiding in your bushes to take pictures of you eating Burger King, fine by me. Go ahead and use some of your millions to install that security system and then shut the hell up. No gold star for you!

BUT WAIT!! THERE'S MORE!!

Now, the thing that has pissed me off more than any other since probably Christmas are those ridiculous Jamster commercials. Yeah, I know you've seen em. See if this jogs your memory:

"Wanna get this cool screensaver for your cell? Just text 'cool1' to get the blingin' rims; text 'cool2' to get the hot babe; or text 'cool3' to get the words 'west coast'. Then send the text message to 355 55."

Now, the first annoying part of these commercials is that they're EVERYWHERE. I've seen them on twice a commercial break on Spike, TBS, VH1 and Comedy Central. Secondly, if you bother to read the fine print, you'll notice that when you send that text message you enroll yourself in a two-dollar-per-week happy plan. Yes, sports fans, it says happy plan. It really makes me wonder if ANYONE on this planet is actually eagerly grabbing their cell phones from the belt holster that they constantly spin it on and using their grubby little fingers to send that text message, almost passing out from anticipation while it downloads, and then exploding in an orgasm of happiness when those beautiful words "West Coast" appear on the background of their phone? All for a measly $8 a month. That, my esteemed amigos, is advertising money well spent. Jamster.com is a true marketing case study, and I should know.

The old cliche says that a fool and his money are soon parted, and if these people do exist, I'm thinking of an F-word to describe them, but it's not fool...

Cheers, Yanks

2005-01-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

I think I'm starting to develop a problem. I notice it most prevalently when I'm working at the hotel and Neil the housekeeping guy comes down to chat at my work area. The thing is, Neil is from Bristol, a small harbor town in England, as he describes it. He comes down to chat with me because I'm the only American he's met that can carry on a conversation like this (parentheses denote American translation):

Neil: "Brad, did you see that the Scousers (Liverpool) got thrashed by the Saints (Southampton) yesterday?"

Brad: "Yeah, it was 2-nil (zero) wasn't, it?"

Neil: "Yeah. I'll tell you what though, I love how Shaun Wright-Phillips (midfielder) has been playing lately. I think he should be playing on the right (right side of midfield, where David Beckham plays) for England.

Brad: "Definitely. He's playing awesome right now. I also really like Stuart Downing (another midfielder). He'll get picked (selected to play in international matches) soon."

... And so on.

But that gets me thinking. I love soccer, which is obviously the world's sport, and the Brits certainly not only love it too but consistently field great sides (teams). So now that I'm home, I'm looking around my apartment. Here's what I observed:

Song currently playing on iTunes as I write this: Clash (British band) "Train in Vain."

Bedroom contents: Manyoo (Manchester United) "Theatre of Dreams" poster next to my bed; 2004 England wall calendar (featuring pretty pictures) on the floor (it's 2005 now!); Scotland clan flag (formerly the national flag) hanging over my bed; Manyoo kit (soccer jersey) hanging in my closet; Celtic kit hanging in my closet.

CD currently in my car stereo: The Essential Collection Volume 1, The Who.

Next concert I'll be attending: U2.

Song playing now that the previous one ended: Duran Duran (British band) "Sunrise."

My favorite movie of last year: "Shaun of the Dead."

Book I'm having a hard time putting down: "Pride of Lions," story about the family of Brian Boru, one of the first kings of Ireland.

Team that I manage on Total Club Manager: Bristol Rovers (English league Division Two).

And I could go on (let me know if you want me to!).

I really think that I am or have become an Anglophile (not a crime, but a love of the UK and stuff from it). I wonder if it has anything to do with my heritage (the "Nicholsons" hail originially from the Isle of Skye and then eventually from the Stirling area of Scotland), or if I'm just a weirdo. I think it's probably the latter, but I just found it very interesting to reflect on how prevalent Anglo is in my life at this point, and how it really makes me anxious to finally visit someday soon.

Anybody care to join me on the next flight to Heathrow (an airport in London)??

2004 Year in Review: Everything Else

2005-01-09T21:11:00.000-05:00

As I sat here gathering my thoughts for YIR: Music, I made a disappointing revelation. I haven't gotten that much new stuff this year, so music will be lumped in with everything else. Anyhoo, here's a look at the highs and lows for the non-movie aspects of my life in '04.

BEST ALBUM:
U2- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. After 14 records, these guys still have it. Oh, they indeed have it.

BEST DANCE ROCK ALBUM:
The Killers- Hot Fuss. This album is infectuous. Start laughing now, but I actually read about this band before I heard them, thought they sounded like my style, and ordered the CD before I ever heard a note. This was an impulse buy that worked out really well, as every song is great. Try telling that to the Rednex (Cotteneye Joe impulse buy, aka BIG MISTAKE).

BEST IF-I-CANT-HAVE-KYLIE-I'LL-TAKE-HER SONG:
Gwen Stefani- What You Waiting For? One of the memory tracks on my satellite radio, so I always switch over when it shows up on a channel. "Take a chance you stupid ho." Classic.

LAMEST SONG:
Lindsay Lohan- Rumors. Lindsay Lohan is hot, legal and has more money than I can imagine, and she dares to say, err, sing "I'm tired of rumors starting," and "why can't they let me live?" Sorry, but you're a celeb, honey. You're going to have to put up with your face on a tabloid to keep all those millions you don't deserve. Pity rating: ZERO.

BEST SONG:
Mark Knopfler- Boom, Like That. Man, I wish I could explain this. My official play count on iTunes is somewhere over 40, but I bet its really more than that, since sometimes I stop it early. This song just doesn't frickin get stale (pun intended), as its about the founder of McDonald's. You know you're getting old when a 50+ year-old guy who sings a 5 minute song about Ray Kroc is your pick of the year.

BEST-SONG-THAT-IS-CURRENTLY-PLAYING-AS-I-AM-TYPING-THIS:
Jamiroquai- Virtual Insanity. Well, its the only song playing right now. I love how I can use other people's playlists in my apartment complex. This "Insom" guy has all the good trash!

In other news:

BEST PURCHASE:
Lucy. She's cool.

BEST TV SHOW THAT I JUST STARTED WATCHING:
CSI. I used to skip it, but I actually gave it a chance and watched a few episodes, and now I've put all four of the seasons on DVD on my NetFlix queue. Don't miss it if you don't have to.

WORST SUMMER EXPERIENCE:
Renting Eurotrip. See YIR: Movies for more on this suck-fest.

BEST WEDDING THAT I WAS INVITED TO ONLY A WEEK BEFORE:
None. Brianna invited me 8 days before!

WORST AUTUMN EXPERIENCE:
Graduate school assignments. They beat you up and then kick you while you're down.

BEST CHANNEL I GOT THIS YEAR ON CABLE:
Fox Sports World. It's America's soccer channel!!

BEST BOOK I FINISHED:
Lion of Ireland. The story of the first Irish king to unify the clans around 1,000 AD. Great read.

BEST MOVIE PREMIERE:
Beautiful Day. C'mon, you know it was funny.

BEST NEW INTERNET SITE:
Facebook. It's fun and addicting and everyone's doing it! And along with that...

WORST NEW INTERNET SITE:
Facebook. It's fun and addicting! I don't need that now! I don't need a website to waste time on!! Ahh, irony, how bittersweet thou art!!

Well, sports fans, that's going to do it I think. A fun and memorable year it was indeed; here's to just as many more in 2005!

2004 Year in Review: Movies

2005-01-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

Well, kids, 2004 has come to close. With the passing of a year comes my first annual Year in Review! Today I'll be looking back at all of the movies made in 2004 that I saw and picking the cream of the crop and the cream of the dump. Without further ado, grab your bag of popcorn and enjoy!!

ACTION FILMS

Best Action Film: "The Bourne Supremecy." This sequel to 2002's "The Bourne Identity" featured Matt Damon reprising his role as amnesiac super-spy Jason Bourne. Featuring the same fast-paced action, knuckle-clenching car chases, and thought-provoking escapes (can you blow up a house with a toaster?) that made the first film a hit, this "Bourne" delievers all that and a bag of chips. Critics agreed, giving the film an 80% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com.

Honorable Mention: "Troy." I know that this is just a summer Hollywood blockbuster. Ever since the success of "Gladiator," film companies have been spitting out historical epics on a yearly basis. But I can't get enough of them and this film doesn't disappoint. It sucessfully re-creates all of the magic of an invading Greek army, whose sole purpose is to get a girl.

Worst Action Film: "Ocean's Twelve." Where was the spirit that made "Ocean's Eleven" so enjoyable? Conspicuously absent from this yawn-fest. Granted, it kept me entertained with acrobatics and over-the-top stunts, but gave me nothing that a Bond film can't deliver and none of the feeling of the caper that it was supposed to be.

COMEDY FILMS

Best Comedy Film: "Shaun of the Dead." Had all of the humor that a British comedy should, but with the interesting twist of having zombies as supporting characters. Throw in two Brits with no brains and zombies who will stop at nothing to find that out, and you get certainly the best comedy to come out this year.

Honorable Mention: "Shrek 2." Although I didn't see the first Shrek, I was impressed at how funny I found this movie, sitting through it as a twenty-two year old. I appreciated that even though the film was targeted towards people younger than myself, that I could still enjoy it. Either that, or I just have a REALLY immature sense of humor. Let's hope for the former...

Worst Comedy Film: "Eurotrip." I'm not even going to waste space on this awful, awful film. Movies this bad should not even be allowed to exist.

THRILLER FILMS

Best Thriller Film: "Collateral." Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx keep this film interesting from start to finish. I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect and came out thinking it was one of the best movies I had seen all year. And it still is.

Worst Thriller Film: "The Grudge." Apparently there is a Japanese movie that this one was based on that is much better. Shouldn't be hard as this movie was so terrible it didn't even have an ending.

DRAMA FILMS

Best Drama Film: "Garden State." Although it starts a little strange, you can't help but like Andrew Largeman. Even though he is a Hollywood actor (I can't believe he's not really retarded!), he seems very relatable to schlubs like myself. And how could I say no Natalie Portman as a compulsive liar? A movie that greatly exceeded my expectations.

Honorable Mention: "Miracle." *Sigh*, I would say this movie was predictable, but that's because it was based on actual events. Ha! I knew that the US would beat Russia in that "Miracle on Ice" game, but what I would have loved to see was the GOLD MEDAL game!! Gee, might that have been important to the team too? Winning a gold medal? Apparently not, because the movie ends before it gets to that part. But we already know that outcome.

DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Best Documentary Film: "Super Size Me." I wasn't a big fan of McDonald's before this movie, but I have managed to eat there only once since I've seen it (I had $0, and only a McD's GC). Not only was it insightful, but surprisingly funny as well as we get to watch Morgan Spurlock's health literally go down the toilet! Don't see this movie if you ever care about eating fast food again!

Honorable Mention: "FahrenHYPE 9/11." Although I haven't seen the "documentary" that this film rebukes, I have heard enough about the scenes that this film disproved. I would be very interested to hear Mr. Moore's response to the points made in this film. Very insightful indeed.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Worst Film of 2004: EUROTRIP. 'Nuff said.

And...

Best Film of 2004: "Shaun of the Dead." When it comes down to it, I just thoroughly enjoyed myself as I watched this movie. You can't help but be entertained. You don't have to be a comedy fan or a horror fan, just a sense of humor fan and you'll get your kicks!

Well, that's all for this installment, stay tuned for future Year in Review's coming soon!!

2004: Year in Review

2005-01-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

Coming soon to this blog space will be a series of Year in Reviews for 2004, written by yours truly. I will be discussing the Best and Worst of what I saw, heard and experienced during the course of last year, with my normal humorous insights. I'll be covering music, movies, possibly literature, and anything else I can think of, likely in several installments. So stay tuned for a look back...

Social Commentary by guest blogger Anna Conkle

2004-12-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

This season, why get a Strawberry Shortcake or CareBear for your 6-year-old daughter, when you can teach the values of make-up, fashion, and boys with the new Toy of the Year....The BRATZ!

A Saturday in December was the best place to learn more about this phenomenon. I set out to collect verbatim comments from the crowded Bratz aisle at Target. "Isn't Chloe pretty, mom?" from a toddler holding up a doll with glitter on her legs peaking through a transparent mini- skirt. "Oh, yes, honey!" And a mom's cell phone call home of "I know Sarah said she wanted a Bratz Safari, but which one....oh, she doesn't?...well then, I'm getting Yasmin, she's the hottest." Not once did I hear the expected commentary "What are these trashy sluts doing on our daughter's Christmas lists?"

Now, Wild Life Safari Chloe happens to be wearing a camouflage bra, cargo capris, high-heeled sandals, and an expensive-looking purse. (though she does has a change of clothes consisting of a halter top and mini skirt)
"Tons of Thrilling Accessories" is prominently displayed on the package, which consist of a water bottle, earrings, and some other unidentifiable objects one would probably find in a convenience store bathroom, the only other venue such "thrilling accessories" can be found.
I worried about Chloe's survival in the Wild Life until I discovered that the adventure involved "hitting the clubs and cafes"...and that Wild Life is two separate words...

And then we have the "Blind Date" edition, the two-doll combo pack with the Bratz Boy hidden behind the packaging. Who will be Sasha's date? It could be Cade, Dylan, Eitan, Cameron, or Koby. Let's hope it's Koby, affectionately called the "Panther" by the Bratz because he's "always on the prowl."

We wonder we junior high girls dress and act the way they do...my friends, the answer can be found on aisle 17 at Target.

To learn more about the Bratz, please visit www.bratzpack.com, where you will also find the Celebrity Photo Gallery where Paris Hilton, Usher, and Tom DeLonge of Blink 182 "pose" with Bratz dolls.

And for those of you still shopping for my Christmas present this year...

Danger... Heavy Load.

2004-12-10T01:31:00.000-05:00

It's after 1 AM on Thursday night/Friday morning. Less than 100 hours away stands what will hopefully be a very long and relaxing Christmas break. But what stands between me and the yuletide heaven towards which I strive? My 10 pages of 30-40 page paper and an exam regarding the inner workings of a finance director's duties.

Ahh, welcome to graduate school. THIS is orientation. Yeah, I had some of those things they call orientation when I first got here. I stood in a big circle with all of the HPER kids who don't know each other, and we stood shoulder to shoulder, turned to the right and sat on each other's laps. But knowing that the person behind and in front of me isn't going to fall and I'm going to magically find a place to rest momentarily when no chair exists didn't really do a whole heckuva lot to indoctrinate me into the wonderful world of post-graduate study.

NOW I'm learning. I have already had a hand in 48 pages of research and analysis that has been turned in to graduate professors this week. Yes, THIS week. I personally wrote a little over 20 pages of those. Like I said, before this week is over, I will be able to add at least an additional 10 pages to that tally. And let's not forget the finance exam Monday morning.

You see friends, I spent my first four weeks here at lovely IU thinking that grad school was just like undergrad. Specifically, that I could go to class, plug out the homework in a relatively short period of time, and then spend a few hours reading or micro-managing a soccer team on my computer. Not so anymore. In fact, my books are gathering dust and my "players" have probably given me up for dead.

But like the old cliche goes, "if it were easy, everyone would do it." And through this whole process, I feel as though this will be a crowning accomplishment for me when I get through it (or should I say "if"). And I still feel pretty good about the path I have chosen as a career. Although I have no idea where in the country it will lead me, there's something inherently exciting about that.

My point is this, sports fans: some of you out there are thinking about graduate school, like I was a year ago. And to you I say only this: don't do it on a whim. Thankfully I took a long, hard look before I made the decision to do more schooling so I don't regret making the decision, but that doesn't mean it's been easy. This has certainly been the most trying few weeks I've experienced in school and I'm not out of the woods (for 3 weeks) until next Monday. Certainly, all the work gets done, but make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into.

Anyhoo, enough preaching, I've got 10 more pages to write.

Quick decisions are unsafe decisions.
-Sophocles

Care to Make a Wager?

2004-11-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

I SHOULD be about 10 pounds richer. Not the weight, the currency. I should be, but I'm not. See, as a junior in college, I became a member of LadBrokes, an online gambling site. The plan was to put about 2 or 3 pounds (4 or 5 US dollars) on Ruud van Nistelrooy to score a goal against Real Madrid in a Champions League matchup. As I hit submit, I received an error message. But why? I had registered and everything! Much to my chagrin, I was barred because I lived in the US. Sports gambling online isn't allowed.

Fast forward to about two years later, and I still can't put my small wager down. People like William Saum, the Director of Agent, Amateurism and Gambling Activities for the NCAA want to keep it that way too. But why? My $10 won't hurt anybody right? Well, Bill thinks that allowing gambling on sports will comprimise the integrity of the game because athletes will take money to throw games. Fine. Keep a ban on athletes playing the game if you want to, but why must the rest of us abide by those rules?

Saum states in his testimony before the United States House of Representatives that students took money to "point shave" prior to the rise of internet gambling, and had to face harsh punishment for it. So did Pete Rose. I think athletes understand what is at stake if they cheat. But legalized internet gambling does not create cheaters. In fact, legalizing it could be a great new tax source.

There are always going to be people who over-indulge, it already happens in Vegas. But there are people who over-indulge in alcohol or chocolate, but we don't make those illegal.

But as things go now, odds are I'll have to move to England to bet on van Nistelrooy.

Carpe Opportunity

2004-11-15T23:31:00.000-05:00

The French film "Amelie" deals with opportunities, sometimes missed opportunities. I watched it about a week or 10 days ago, and I really enjoyed it. It's funny, maybe also a little ironic, that I feel as though I had recently written a posting on here about my quest to make sure I don't miss out on too much or get too involved in school. Then came "Amelie", followed by an opportunity.

I have to admit that I wavered back and forth about going to Brianna Baker's wedding. I never got a written invitation, so obviously she didn't want me there. But she DID call a week before the magical day and told me she hoped I could be there. But I was scheduled to work on Friday and Sunday, and it just wouldn't be convenient.

But, as you know, I got in the car after work and returned to the burg. In hindsight, I'm glad that this is an opportunity that I didn't miss. Not only did I get to see one of my friends from high school tie the knot, but got to spend some time with others as well. And as religious as Brianna now is, I doubt that she will have another wedding, so this was my one chance to be at hers.

Friends, every opportunity has a cost and I'm glad that I had the chance to sit down and weigh the costs, because I think I made the right decision. But I'm also glad that others did the same thing. Failor gave up a seat at the Notre Dame-Tennessee game and McAnall risked injury or death tying his necktie in the car and driving with his knees. But it probably meant a lot for Brianna to see the friends she invited (and the one she didn't) at her wedding.

And if there's anything else that I can take from that weekend, its that I want every camera on the reception table to tell a story. Preferably one with a suitcase full of towels...

Snip Snip!

2004-11-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

Explanation of a Tax Cut:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all 10 comes out to $100. If they paid their bill proportional to current tax demographics, it would look something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until one day, the owner threw them a curveball. "Since you're all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your meal by $20." So now the dinner for ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay the bill the way we pay our taxes. So:

The first four men were unaffected (still paid nothing). But what about the other six? How could they divy up the $20 windfall so that everyone still would get his "fair share"? The six men realized that $20 divided by 6 was $3.33, but if they subtracted that from everybody's share, the fifth and the sixth men would be "paid" to eat their meal. So the restaurant suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same percentage amount, so he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay:

The fifth man, along with the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth man now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh man now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

After this, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got one dollar out of the 20, but he got 10," declared the sixth man.
"Yeah, that's right," said the fifth, "it's not fair that he got $10 more than me!"
"That's true!" said the seventh, "Why should he get $10 when I only got $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four in unison. "We didn't get anything at all! This system exploits the poor!"

The next night, tired of being harrassed, the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the other nine ate without him. But when the eighty-dollar bill came, the men realized that they had a lot of money to make up. They didn't have enough money between all of them to pay for even half of the bill!

This is how our tax system works, folks. The wealthy do get the largest tax breaks, but they are already paying a vast majority of our nation's taxes to begin with.

Dr. David Kamerschen
Distinguished Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

-Just thought everyone would like a more simple way to look at tax cuts! Hungry anyone?

Now With ... Tunnel Vision!

2004-10-28T00:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone has it sometimes. I went into college determined to keep away from it. And my entire freshman year, I was successful at keeping away from it, leading to my sub-3.0 GPA my freshman year. That thing is focus. I went into college coasting, in effect, the way I feel I had through high school. I received a two-semester wake-up call in the form of heated arguments with my dad over the importance of GPA (I still assert that it is only minimally important).

Sophomore year I began to focus more on schoolwork and later a girlfriend, and those two things became my college experience until second semester of my senior year. Somewhere in there I had the realization that I had gotten tunnel vision, and ignored the things and people around me. This belief was affirmed when I returned to Miami last weekend for homecoming and the memories flooded in. Over the course of two years of my undergraduate career, I had lost perspective. I had lost the ability to recognize that the exam I was stressing over or that group project that I bitched into Michelle's ear for an hour about weren't really that important. But I will always laugh when I relate the story of my roommate taking "study showers." Whether I got an A or a B on that project wouldn't keep me from a job or graduate school. And it didn't.

This time around, I'm trying to make a more concerted effort to keep things in perspective; to not allow myself to get bent out of shape about that paper due next week or that group presentation the day after. After all, it's just a paper. It's just a presentation. These things are all only very small parts of the sum of the experiences that make an individual, so why waste time worrying? There are much more fun things to be doing with spare time, and I intend to find them.

Live each day as if it is your last...

Hold the Pickle

2004-10-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

As my quest to watch non-Vin Diesel movies continues (although, guilty as charged, I watched "XXX" again last week), I rented last year's documentary sensation "Supersize Me." My expectations going into watching this movie were: the guy would probably gain weight and his cholesterol would go up, I would probably be grossed out and never want to eat McDonald's again, and the movie would not be entertaining. And my track record was: right, right and wrong.

I was right on the first count but I didn't think I would be so right. Morgan Spurlock gained 25 pounds in 30 days of eating McDonald's. 25 pounds. That was like 20% of his body weight. His cholesterol also went up. WAY up. It went from 160 to 260 in the course of a month. So I was right. But I didn't expected him to suffer from depression, fatigue, headaches, liver disease, and sexual side-effects (which his girlfriend graphically attests to, she has to be on top now). On day 21, he woke up at 2am with chest pains. His three doctors pleaded for him to stop. But he didn't. During that month, he consumed 30 pounds of sugar. But that's not all. Rent it yourself to see the rest.

I was right that I was grossed out and would never want to eat McDonald's again. In fact, it makes me glad that today I had a sub sandwich for lunch and a nice chicken dinner (not a frozen one) tonight. I jogged this morning and had water to drink tonight. But I still felt like crap after watching this movie. I recognize that his diet was extreme, nobody eats Mickey D's 3 times a day, but about everyone eats fast food more than they should, including myself. But do we realize it? My guess is not.

Finally, I was wrong that it wouldn't be entertaining. There were many moments when I was surprised to find myself laughing, because Morgan surprisingly managed to keep his humor throughtout the diet despite his failing health. But it was also eye opening.

Walking away from this film, I really wish that more people could see it. Obesity really is becoming an epidemic in this country, and it is estimated that 1 in 3 kids in the US will develop diabetes in their lifetime because of unhealthy living. My eyes were opened to this epidemic, and it appears that McDonald's was too, because six weeks after this movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, McDonald's pulled the SuperSize option from their menus nationwide.

"These boys have got the touch, it's clean as a whistle and it don't cost much.
Wham, bam, you don't wait long; shake, fries, patty you're gone."

Hungry?

The Purpose of Arguing

2004-10-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

Hello Kids! I've been "musing" lately, and if I mention names in this, it is not mentioned as a criticism. It is meant solely to illustrate points. With that, let's go nuts.

I owe Mike Failor for coming up with this post. You see, about a week ago, I finished a book called "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis. It is a non-fiction book about how the writer spent a year in the front office of the Oakland A's baseball team, who chose to run their team "against the grain," by buying players that other teams under-valued and therefore underpriced. Lo and behold, the first year that the A's did this, they went to the playoffs, one of 8 teams out of 30 to make it every year. But the amazing thing was that they did it with the lowest payroll in baseball, contrasted by the Yankees who spend about a gazillion dollars a year on players. Anyhoo, that's the background.

So in a conversation on IM with Mikey Failor, local baseball aficionado, I mentioned this interesting book I had just read. He said he had heard of it, but not read it, and said that it was a bunch of "bullshit," (personally, I think it would have been cooler if he had said 'hogwash', cuz that's a cool word nobody uses, but I digress). Then last Saturday, I received a voicemail on my phone when the A's were eliminated from the possibility of making the playoffs this year from Mr. Failor who proceeded to tell me that "Moneyball sucks," and asked "How do you like that?"

Now, it got me to thinking that maybe Failor felt threatened by a new way of thinking about and running a baseball team. But maybe not. Maybe he just hates the book. But it made me remember that nobody wants to admit that they're wrong. And sure, that creates roadblocks sometimes. Another example is Justin's (now defunct) political blog. NOBODY on there would ever concede that they are supporting the wrong candidate, but we learned didn't we, sports fans?

Or at least I did. I feel like I hold a much better grasp of the two sides of the Presidential race, and if it had been easy to convince Justin to vote for the GOP, then I probably wouldn't have learned as much. He wouldn't have been arguing his case and providing supporting points. So, you see, our resistance to make educated decisions enhances our education. Interesting, isn't it?

Now, I could sit here all afternoon and provide additional points and examples, but I wouldn't convince you that I'm right, would I??

Slow Goin'

2004-09-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

In the previous post, I discussed how I felt that I was maturing and developing "grown-up" tastes, much to my dismay. I'd like to say that although I do feel I've matured, I still think I'm slow on music. Or maybe the barometer I'm measuring against is faulty. But I think it's me.

Last weekend, I undertook the massive task of converting all of my CD's to MP3's on my hard-drive, which proved to take pretty much all weekend. Well, more than 2,000 MP3's later, I am able to reflect on my musical tastes as my iTunes skips through my library. Although I have made "progress," because now I'm not so proud of owning multiple Britney Spears CD's and a Jock Jams compilation, I haven't made that much progress.

I guess when it comes to me and music, I'm all about it. The music, that is. Sure, I enjoy the occassional funny lyric, but I don't really pay all that much attention to them. A song could be making a political statement (a la Rage Against the Machine) or just be based on an acid trip (a la Pink Floyd), but if it sounds good, I like it. I'm optimistic that my tastes seem to be taking me in directions like Floyd's "Division Bell" instead of Nelly's latest double CD. It's just a slow process here, so all of you with advanced music taste, wait up for me, I'll get there eventually...

I'm just not ready to give up Nickelback yet.