Champagne Supernova.

An Oasis concert is on TV right. It was filmed in 2008 in Wembly Arena, London. It was over ten years since oasis was at the height of their powers, which was really 1995-97. Anyhow the song Champagne Supernova came on, and it was made me think of my friend DD who committed suicide in October of 1995. When Oasis was hugely popular. DD never really liked Oasis, not like I did, but it made me think of him because one line.

“how many special people change/ how many lives are living strange / where were you while we were getting high?”

The night that DD killed himself, I was out my girlfriend, and we went to movies with friends (“Copycat” terrible film), but as was the rule at the time we smoked some weed in the alley behind the theater before going in. So the question where were you while we were getting high? Seems pretty profound, when I think about where DD was, what he was doing, and where his head was. “Where were you while we were getting high?” is the last line of the song and repeated three times.
It’s going to be 15 years since DD’s death. Oasis has long since been done being relevant or even a band, and I have long since quit getting high behind movie theaters or anywhere else for that matter. But that tune always makes me think of DD, that night, and what shame it was.

3 kitties on the shirt

I texted Hirthler yesterday that: "the USA would win a World Cup before England". Seems the US is at the same level as "mighty" England today. We drew with them, won our group, and were both bounced in round of 16, and to top it off I'm thinking the colonies are on the come, and the crown on the decline.

This guys seems to think it is England's inflated sense of self that is the problem, and he maybe onto something there.


But it won't change, I wonder if the English have that much self-awareness to make that change. It would take an army of Morrisseys to have that island face the fact that they just aren't as good as they continue to insist that they are. Part of the problem is the English love affair with it's tabloid media. Which is amazing, granted. The Suns, and News-s of the World love to tell their readership, over and over again how great English football is. And sadly the English delude themselves into beliving it. So much so that their football prowress, has become a part of their identity. No matter how great Lampard and Terry supposedly are, accomplishments in club footballand how much attention they get in the press. Today and from where I'm sitting, they're just looking like a pastier versions Donovan and Dempsey to me.

"Space is Brilliant"

Ballboy - A Day in Space


Heard this tune on KEXP a few days back, it had been a while since I heard it.
It brings up a good question: "what would you do with a million pounds?" - think the songwriter has a pretty good take on it.

Left of the Dial

Heard the tune "Left of the Dial" by The Replacements on my iPod at the gym today.

The last verse struck me as quite profound:

Pretty girl keep growin' up, playin' make-up, wearin' guitar
Growin' old in a bar, ya grow old in a bar
Headed out to San Francisco, definitely not L.A.
Didn't mention your name, didn't mention your name

The attitude of the lifestyle I was leading in the early 90's is almost perfectly summed up in this verse. Hearing the tune made me feel old, remember a time long ago with fondness, even though I, in my youthful ignorance, probably made it more difficult that it needed to be. I guess I too was in my own way "playin' make-up" and "wearing guitar"

A Republican Waterloo?

Health Care Reform passed, and look what you got, GOP. Nothing.
I have been very critical of the presidents handling of this thing, but from where I am sitting right now, he is looking pretty good. I still think that he should have used the capital he had post election and just shot this thing through immediately. Instead we got the Town Hall Crazies last August that gave rise to Glenn Beck who fanned the flames of the Tea Party. All of this put Republican leadership into a position that working with the Pelosi and the President was tantamount to sitting down for schnitzel and borscht with Hitler and Stalin.
Well the bill passed regardless of the party of "no" said or did. Now what is going to happen when it becomes really popular, which it will. Entitlement programs are always really popular. Look at one of the big Republican talking points opposing Health Care Reform was that it would deplete Medicare. While that was stupid, but at least based somewhere on planet earth. Unlike their other talking points of "death panels", and this being the last stop from commie-brown shirts marching down your street.
I've never been a fan of David Frum, but I'm posting his post on blog because he seems to be one of the few conservative who hasn't lost his mind. I've seen him on Bill Maher, and know that he was a G.W. Bushie and a big proponent of the Iraq War, neither of these things will ever get you much love from me. But the current state of his GOP is beyond laughable, at this point it is sad, and Frum sees it. The Tea-partiers are people carrying Gadsdens Flags, getting all of their information from FOX and spouting ignorance about "my America", "liberty", "state's rights" and whatever other clap-trap their eating up with two spoons from the Becks, Palins and Limbaughs of the world. This is not what makes a strong opposition party, it makes a pathetic one. One which no thinking person, would want any part of or take seriously. And democracy needs dissenting voices to be strong especially our "2-party only" arrangement. Frum sees it, sees the wasted opportunity this bill provided, and sees that his party has become nothing but a group "to sell sleep number beds to" over the radio. Waterloo | FrumForum

This Modern World » Blog Archive » Ram it down our feeding tubes

This Modern World » Blog Archive » Ram it down our feeding tubes

PS22 Chorus "LISZTOMANIA" Phoenix

This is so completely fantastic I can't stand it.
Awesome cute kids, doing an awesome job on a really cool tune.
This teacher really seems to have made a connection with these kids and is producing beautiful results.

YouTube - PS22 Chorus "LISZTOMANIA" Phoenix

Jerry Large | Distrust of politics is out of hand | Seattle Times Newspaper

Dude is right on the money here.

Jerry Large | Distrust of politics is out of hand | Seattle Times Newspaper

BIg Ben in trouble again.

I am sure my millions and millions of readers already know that Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault this week. This is the second such accusation for Big Ben in a year. Now all of this plays into the stereotype of the star athlete who doesn't have to play by the rules. And while this may be unfair, and too easy. I will not shy away from it here, because I have a gigantic beef with Big Ben steaming from the most poorly officiated Super Bowl in the history of the NFL; Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger himself benefited from a touchdown that was late called and looked to be a yard short, and that was the second in a series of bad calls that all went Pittsburgh way. So this leads to the question: When and where did Big Ben learn that he didn't have to play by the rules? I'd guess: Detroit - February 2006.

The Hurt Locker

Saw "The Hurt Locker" last night. I've heard that it will win the big award tonight, and I hope it does. I've now seen 6 or 7 of the 10 nominees, and I really enjoyed most of them, with maybe the exception of "Inglourious Basterds" which I thought was just okay. Something about altering the history of WWII for fantasy sake rubs me the wrong way.

"The Hurt Locker" succeeds on a number of different levels, it is a movie about the most politicially charged War of my lifetime without any politics, which is no small feat. One of the things I walked away with was how war changes people, how we ask these people to do amazing things that have no real translation once they come back home. The movie had a very real quality about it, these were not recognizable Hollywood types doing recognizable Hollywood action movie things. The characters while particulary heroic were hormented, conflicted but in a very real and very human way.

I think that it is important that Americans think about Iraq in a very real way, and recognize what we are asking of our people to do effects them, ourselves and others in a very profound ways that have consequences.

My Constituents Care Way More About Political Gamesmanship Than Jobs, Health Care, And The Economy | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

about right...
My Constituents Care Way More About Political Gamesmanship Than Jobs, Health Care, And The Economy | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Think Progress » Palin: ‘I joined Fox’ because there’s too much ‘opinion interjected in hard news’ in the mainstream media.

This is just down right unbelievable. Cognitative Dissonance, indeed. There needs to be for "Fairness and Balance-ness that is why I joined Fox News."

Think Progress » Palin: ‘I joined Fox’ because there’s too much ‘opinion interjected in hard news’ in the mainstream media.

Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice | Video on TED.com

Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice | Video on TED.com

Frustrated with Politics

Seems to me that the Democrats can't accomplish anything, while the Republicans can't accomplish anything worthwhile.

Good for the Saints.

Went to New Orleans for the first time this past October. And they really do love their team. It is a good thing for them.

But please please please stop saying that this makes everything in NOLA ok. Because there are still parts of that town where it looks like the Hurricane happened yesterday.

Drew Brees is a good guy, don't know if he deserved to win the MVP. I'm thinking Jonathon Vilma was really the guy. He had a great game, in on it seemed like every Saints tackle.

Economics Boyz

Well the faux-rap is becoming such a tired played out thing - thank you Andy Sandberg and YouTube. But THAT BEING SAID, this one is kinda sweet.

Prediction

Colts over Jets, as much as I like the old school smash mouth football the Jets play, I think that the Colts win. Peyton too good against the blitz.

Saints over Vikings. Let the Favre "will he-won't he" talk begin. In what looks to be a pretty entertaining game I see the Saints pulling away in the 3rd and putting it away in the 4th. New Orleans is a great town with great fans and deserves this victory. Brees and Co. have the tools on both sides of the ball to earn it as well.

last week: 0-4 v. spread, 1-3 straight up
playoffs: 3-5 v. spread, 4-4 straight u

As long as the Colts win we should have an entertaining Superbowl no matter who comes out of the NFC. But New Orleans's food makes for good football party fare.

Wow, glad I wasn't in Vegas

Cause I would've gotten my ass kicked. Picked 4 games, picked 'em all wrong. Well maybe not but I did get the Saints right, but I didn't think they'd cover so that is my bad.

The Saints rolled. They did the great trick, hit Kurt Warner and hurt 'em, if you let him get comfortable in the pocket he'll pick you apart, just ask Rob Woodson.


In the second game, the one I thought would be the best of the lot, the boring Colts rolled. The Ravens didn't get to Manning like they did Brady the week before, and then when they had opportunities they coughed it up in the Red Zone, and Flacco is not the guy who is gonna be able to make a comeback. Maybe one day Flacco will be the guy, but not today.

Speaking of the guy who will never be the guy. Tony Romo is not going to be the guy. And just when I was fooled and thought that he would be "the guy" this time. He proved that yet again he ain't and he ain't ever gonna be. Maybe Dallas should think about trading for Matt Hasselbeck, he ain't ever gonna be the guy, either. In fact Matt Hasselbeck was the basis for that quote. My buddy texted me exact that after no. 8 failed to gain 8 yards for a game winning FG attempt at Bears in 2007. It made me mad at the time, but unfortunately he has been proven right.

So there were 3 games everyone thought they were going be great and they were just plain lousy. So of course the game that everyone thought would be a one-sided blow-out in favor of San Diego. But the Jets showed up and did what they do, and it is the kind of smash-mouth football I love. Control the ball through the run and play tough defense. But saying that I don't think they have a chance at Indy next week, but this just may be the stuff that feeds 'em "us against the world" blah blah blah.

The NFC game better be the late game because really that is the game everyone wants to see. Favre v. Saints - great compelling matchup. Think the winner will have their hands full with Indy. Looks like a very attractive Super Bowl is shaping up, but then again I thought there would be a lot of good football this weekend except for the Jets-Chargers. So what do I know.

"Now Challenge that call...challenge that call

NAW, That's not a good call"
I tell you what's not a good call: Athletes making music videos. But 25 years after the Super Bowl Shuffle the problems persist. As demonstrated by LT's little display below. This has to be some fund raiser for some disabiled kids, groups or homeless shelter or something judging by background dancers.


Hope they raised alot of money, because this is way too lame to be a vanity project.
" I read the defense, read the defense..."

Divisonal Round

Well I am back, it took another week but I am back. It looks like I am turning this into a sports blog. Which is kind of boring but maybe the direction this thing is headed, because frankly I haven’t been following politics as close without an election, and what else I am to write about? How cute my kids are? Vain. Earthquake in Haiti? Way too depressing. Pacific Garbage Patch? Again, way too depressing.

Besides it is the NFL playoffs and I went 3 for 4 last week and the one I lost (GB/AZ) went to OT and could’ve gone either way. The Cardinals were straight up lucky to have gotten past the Packers last Sunday. Everybody is talking about what a great game it was, but was it really? It was only really a game from the 10 minute mark in the 3rd quarter, when the Packers brought it within 3 scores and then recovered their onside kick. It was a helluva entertaining game from then on. The officiating i was lousy. The face-masking on Rogers on the game winning play should’ve been called, but Rogers should’ve connected on the first play of the OT, and despite what Whitlock says here, I don’t think Favre makes that play. So without further ado here are this weekend’s picks.

Cardinals(+7) at Saints: The Saints have been sucking for weeks now, but the Cardinals are just lucky to be here. The Saints are the better team, and they will get it done at home in an entertaining game, I don’t think New Orleans covers though.

Ravens (+6.5) at Colts: The Ravens are a bunch of bad mother fuckers. It is just that simple. Driving last Sunday, I was listening to the end of the Bal/NE game, and heard Terrell Suggs in a on-field post-game interview say “We came here, with the intention to kick their ass and that is what we did”. Indeed sir. The Ravens proved the old Tyson adage: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” - true. Last weekend the Ravens squared up and landed Brady and Belicheck right on the kisser. I expect them to bring the ruckus again Saturday, and I expect Manning to collapse under the pressure. It is a pity, Manning is great player, but his team decided to let their foot off of the gas with an undefeated season still on the table. That was a mistake and I think that everyone is now figuring it out, now. The Ravens win, in the game of the weekend.

Cowboys (+2.5) at Vikings: The media and the sportsbook seems to think that this will be the best game of the weekend, I don’t. The Cowboys are rolling, and I expect them to keep on rolling. The Vikings, like the Saints, have been slumping the last half of the season, but unlike the Saints they do not have a favorable match-up. Their o-line doesn’t look as strong as before and they are not running the ball like they use to. Adrian Peterson is not the #1 fantasy pick next year. Favre is 40+ and is showing every day of it. He slowed down at the end of last season, and this year too. He won’t be able to get it done now. Who are his WR’s there? Bernard Berrian? That ain’t gonna do it, and unless Peterson and Hutch can find the magic again, Minnesota is in a lot of trouble. Cowboys roll and win by 3 scores.

Jets (+7) at Chargers: This game is the only real sure thing this weekend. The Jets are hot but caught a few breaks to get themselves “hot” and into the playoffs. They had 2 teams lay down for them down the stretch, and then faced a Bengal team who stopped playing good football after Thanksgiving, and had a QB with a bad thumb. The Chargers never let off the gas all year, and are rolling, they have a dynamic QB, who is a “red ass” (new sportsradio term), two great RBs, a fantastic receiver in Vincent Jackson, and a great TE in Antonio Gates. Chargers roll, and this will be over by the third quarter. If I was a betting man I’d say bet the mortgage, but don’t blame me if you lose your house. Besides judging from the housing statistics I’m reading, most of the country's house are taking on water anyway.

Playoff Picks: 3-1

Insert Picture of Pete Carroll here

Well the news came down late yesterday morning: Jim Mora, Jr. was fired as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and USC Coach Pete Carroll is rumored as the successor. Now I was never the biggest fan of Mr. Mora, but I wasn't calling for his job, I was repeatedly calling him a "clown", but I wasn't calling for his job. The problem with the team wasn't so much coaching (which was lousy too) but it was more of a talent problem. But Mora definately lost control of the team, they were heading in the wrong direction, they were far worse a team at the end of the year than they were in the beginning of the year. Wide Receivers were calling out radio analysts on air, and genuinely running a muck. To coin a phrase the inmates were running the asylum.

So I'll walk you through yesterday, how I got the news and my reaction . So I am walking out of the gym at about 11:30 am. I pull my kids out of the gym's "Kid's Zone", strap them into the car and see that I have 5 text messages to inform me that Jim Mora has been fired, best one: "Guess we'll be seeing lessa mora". Now I am fine with the firing, but I would've been fine with giving him another year, too, because like I said above 5-11 wasn't all on him. But now that he is gone, I am happy about it. I like the move, I like the initiative, I like that ownership is not satisfied with the obvious negative direction of the team. Which is refreshing for a fan of Seattle sports, with ownership regularly content with just filling seats and not winning titles. But the Mora firing really it makes sense as a new GM still needs to be hired, and whomever takes the GM job is most likely going to want to name his own coach. So great clean house from top to bottom.

So I am in the car now, and I turn on the radio and as I pull out of the parking garage the AM Sportstalk Radio (I listen to both 950 and 710) informs me that Jim Carroll has been contacted to be the next head coach, and that it is all but a done deal. Now this make sense for Carroll. USC has been skating on thin ice with the NC2A for quite some time, between the Reggie Bush situation (his parents living in nice house paid for by an agent while he was still in school, OJ Mayo all but getting checks from his agent while he was still in school, current USC football star McKnight cruising around town in a brand new Range Rover while he was still in school). All of this has USC running scared. In an attempt to keep the NCAA violations board buzzards at bay SC issued self-imposed a ban on postseason play for its men's basketball program this year. But the buzzards are getting way too close so the best bet for Carroll was to jump shit before the axe came down.

So now the fans are angry(?) and blowing up the phones on the radio, and hating the Carroll move. Just hating it. Me? I think that I like it. For all the talk of Carroll being a failure in the NFL he did have a winning record in 4 seasons. And that was 10 years ago, and the guy has earned his chance to come back to the league; 3 national titles, 7 BCS games, numerous players to the pros.

Today, I still feel the same. This evening I walked up to the 7-11 for a pint of ice cream. Walking past the newspaper rack I saw the headline for Steve Kelly's column: "Carroll will make this mess worse." Such a take only reaffirms my position. Kelly is the worst columnist in all pro sports markets, his takes are never original, he routinely states the obvious and/or apes the reaction of the most vocal and knee jerk of all Seattle sports fans, and like the rest of him he is probably wrong on this one. No matter what Steve Kelly or the rest of the sports talk radio callers Mora was not gonna get it done, and Carroll is a sexy coach, and sexy coaches do well here. Now let's see if he can get past that talent disparity on his new team. Fingers crossed coach, rooting for ya!

Slow Starting and WildCard Winners

Well we are now 8 days into the New Year and I still haven't got the writing 30 minutes a day thing up and running yet. But this week has been spent finding my feet with the kids and the gym. William had a better day at the child care than before. Today are swimming lessons for both of the kids, a bit nervous about that one, but I am sure it will be fine and that the kids will have fun. Have that West-B test tomorrow, hope that I am not underestimating that test, not passing it would really f'up the program.

Anyhow I guess I will use the blog to post, for the record, winners of this weekend's NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend.

Saturday Early - Jets at Bengals. The Jets got into the playoffs by the luck of scheduling playing both the Colts and these same Bengals in Weeks 16 and 17. Neither opponent had anything to play for, while NY had everything to playoff. The Jets rolled and wound up in the playoffs. The Bengals started strong, with a revitalized Carson Palmer and a back from the dead Cedric Benson. Yet they have faded the second half of the year. I am going with the Jets, they have a bit of a swagger, exemplified by Coach Ryan's boast yesterday and are playing loose. The Jets D is fantastic, their play helped to lift my fantasy team -the StLee Cynics, to their first fantasy football championship. So I've got a bit of soft spot for them. Their only weakness is their rookie quarterback Sanchez, but good defense can counter suspect QB play just ask the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Jets: 20 Bengals: 17

Saturday Late - Eagles at Cowboys. Another week 17 rematch. Last week the Eagles had everything to play for, a first round bye, but they went to Dallas and absolutely laid an egg. The Cowboys are playing really well, particularly due to the emergence of their young stud WR Miles Austin. Still not a Romo fan, but he'll win this week and big. Eagles: 10 Cowboys: 27

Sunday Early - Ravens at Patriots. The best game of the weekend. The Patriots are back, but they are fully back? One cannot help but feel that this is an dynasty on the downside of things. The injury to Welker is a major issue to them, as he was Brady's main safety valve, 3rd and 6+ is going to be more difficult for them to convert now. The Ravens D, whether it is all reputation, is still very formidable, and will keep the Brady-Moss connection in check, whether they can get their offense running behind Flacco will be the really deciding factor. Ravens: 17 Patriots: 13 in a really great game.

Sunday Late: Packers at Cardinals. This is the end of the line for the defending NFC champs (who got the Steeler's officiating treatment in last year's Super Bowl, too - but that is another post). The loss of Bouldin to injury hurts them, but not as much as Welker's injury to NE, and the radio said that there is a good chance that he still plays. But that will be no matter. The Packers are really feeling it right now, and have been riding a wave for the entire 2nd half of the season. A wave they caught after going 0-2 in the Favre games. Look for the Packers to do their part to head towards another showdown in Minnesota. Packers: 35 Cardinals: 17