Starred Items IV

Okay, so the first month of 2008 is just about in the books. It is time to check back through the feed reader and see what interesting, awesome, funny and/or amazing items that I “starred” in January.

Dear John – Grace Undressed

Heartache – The Coyote Chronicles

Buttcrack Blues – wornoutwoman

Vaginaromatherapy Revisited – Mostly True Stories

Imaginary Friends – Newscoma

And then there is this bonus one from ‘Coma that, as a huge history nut, almost made me pee myself:

Drunk History With Michael Cera As Alexander Hamilton

Oh yeah and this great one (as another bonus) by Flutter:

Reasons To Eat Before Racquetball

Okay, go on and read these people because they are awesome and because I said so and no they aren’t paying me to say that…but I would accept payment. Like cash or a beer. I’m just saying.

Pearl Bandwagons

I just saw this on the internet:

Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl says former [University of Tennessee] Volunteer quarterback Peyton Manning briefly converted him from a New England Patriot fan to an Indianapolis Colts fan last year.

Read the whole story over here.

Here is just a little note to the flip-flopping Patriots fan who resides in Knoxville, TN. The Patriots don’t need your support. Anyone that roots for Peyton and the Colts cannot/should not be pulling for our team. Once you have changed your allegiances to the enemy, they are gone for life.

What About Bush?

Apparently someone before me at the filling station is a little unhappy with the price of gasoline lately.

How many politicians get their pockets lined by cash from oil? Too many I bet.

Things From The Grocery

The School Girl and I went to Kroger to grab a few items and I felt compelled to share a photo or two. Now I love ice cream and ice cream sundaes but there is no way in hell that I am buying this or using it anywhere near my food. Clowns are friggin’ creepy!

I felt the need to call the wife over to this creepy Mr. Sprinkles stuff when she broke out with this line:

“It smells like bubblegum over here.”

Then she walked away, leaving me with this view:

Any clues as to why the bubblegum smell anyone?

From The Mouth Of Babes

The School Girl and I went to Shoney’s for dinner tonight. Yes, that is the best restaurant in town. Don’t you just love small towns? Anyway, as we were leaving a mother and her young boy, maybe age 3, were also leaving ahead of us. The little boy thought it would be fun and amusing to begin running into the parking lot:

mother: No no no no no no no no no!

little boy: Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

**mother catches little boy**

mother: You’re gonna give me a heart attack!

little boy: Awww, shit!

me: **giggle** **guffaw** **snort**

mother: You don’t say those words!

Apparently, he does…and so does momma…and maybe me, too! I really got a good kick out of that one tonight. Has anyone noticed that I have been posting alot of conversation type things lately? I noticed. I’ll work on something better soon, I promise.

Smart @ss 2

I was talking on the phone with Little Harry this afternoon. He was telling me about how he was trying to catch a ride to the junior high school basketball game that his school was to be competing for some championship. I wanted to know where this game was to be contested and he informed me of the actual name of the school. As we all know, most junior high schools are not generally named for the city that they are located and this school was no different. I asked him which city that particular school was located and he told me. The rest of the conversation went like this:

Me: Yeah dude, I am not familiar with where all these elementary schools are located.

Little Harry: hmmph!

Me: What?

Little Harry: You said ‘elementary school’!

Me: Ooh! I’m sorry. I was wrong, I meant to say junior high.

Little Harry: **crickets**

Me: Hello? Are you there?

Little Harry: Yeah. I’m just trying to soak it all in.

Me: What are you talking about?

Little Harry: Well you admitted that you were wrong. You are NEVER wrong!

The School Girl’s response to this: “Well, did you expect anything less? He is your son.” Nice.

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to a very beautiful little girl who is far, far away. You are missed.

Slingblade At The Exxon

This morning I stopped to get gas and such at the local filling station. I had the following conversation with the woman behind the counter:

Me: $10 on #2 please.

Woman: Too cold to pump gas. (like Slingblade)

Me: Yep, it’s pretty cold out there.

Woman: Too cold for questions. (again like Slingblade)

Me: O…kay

She frightened me. Just letting you know.

Scenes From Nashville: James K. Polk Building

Yesterday I mentioned about heading downtown to take the state exam. The School Girl’s test was much more involved and probably more difficult so I had some time to kill waiting on her to finish up. I spent the time in the lobby above the Tennessee State Museum. Out of boredom, I snapped a few photographs.

An Answer Of Faith

Yesterday I wrote this. Today I listened/watched this.

The School Girl and I sat here and watched Rick Burgess talk about the whys of the loss of his 2 year old son. It was mesmerizing. Yesterday I asked what I thought was the obligatory question of true faith and how a father/family could be unwavering in their loyalty to their Lord when a baby is taken from them. As an answer, not 24 hours later, this speech by a man, much stronger than I, spoke to me. There has been more introspection with me, more soul searching. It seems odd how your questions can be answered.

Ask and ye shall receive.

A Question Of Faith

Yesterday as I was reading through my feed reader I came across this post over at Big Orange Michael’s that caused me a bit of grief.

Nationally syndicated radio host Rick Burgess of The Rick And Bubba Show lost his son in a terrible and tragic accident. Rick’s son Bronner was only two years old. I can only imagine the pain that his family, and those of us who would consider themselves his extended family, are feeling. This story has been on my mind since I read about this yesterday and I just can’t wrap my mind around it all.

This is one of those times that makes you stop and take stock in your life and think about how you would be if an accident of this magnitude were to befall your family. I would be devastated. Not just if it were my child, but if it were the child of someone else that I love: a nephew, a niece, one of the children of the G-Man or Greenmachine or any of my friends, a cousin, whoever. Things like this may make you question your faith.

It stikes a chord with me that in this horrible time the family never hesitate to give glory to their Saviour and Lord. I know with me, something like this would raise big red flags at least for a time. People say that something like this is all part of His plan. I would ask, what great plan inludes the adored 2 year old of a loyal follower and talented man that gives his life to Him completely?

It is obvious that my faith is weak compared to those of you who believe without question, but I guess that is what true faith is all about isn’t it? It is apparent that I need a little more help to be steered in the right direction and stray from the path of righteousness. In this time of need and grief, I offer my prayers and continued faith to the family and request a few of my own to help grasp the concept of blind faith.

Scenes From Nashville 11

The School Girl and I took a vacation day today to head downtown to take our state examinations. There were a few jobs that the both of us found interesting on their website. We parked in the monstrosity they call a parking garage that is next door to the capital building (I think that is the capital…someone correct me if I am wrong).

Anyway, I did pretty good on the computer operations tests but not up to my standards. I was hoping for a perfect score but only got a 92%. I think they cheated me! Anyway, on the way back to the car I snapped this photo with my cell phone and got really light headed from the height of it all.

Do I Want The Strike To End?

Ever since the writer’s strike began I have had to adjust my nightly rituals. Monday night no longer consists of the How I Met Your Mother group. Thursday evenings are now devoid of the people who work at Dunder-Mifflin or those who make that TV show with Tracy Jordan.

I have gotten a lot of reading done. I completed two books already this month. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. I figured that most of my television watching, however, would consist of the BBC or decorating shows (the wife loves those things). I was actually very surprised as to what channel consumes our television. Are you ready? Chef Stu will be so proud. That’s right it is the Food Network.

To be specific it is three particular shows. The first to grab my attention was Iron Chef America. The competition aspect of it all and the unique foods and secret ingredient get me every time. I get annoyed when the judges dump on a particular dish. Hey, those guys are the pros, just shut up and eat it.

Iron Chef, like a good gateway drug will tend to do, led to Throwdown! With Bobby Flay. Yeah, I think Bobby Flay is pretty darned cool. I like how he tries really hard to one-up someone who makes a specialty item. You just know that the person being challenged by him, who is generally not famous, feels special that a guy of Flay’s caliber is trying to make their specialty better than they can. It bugs me though when the judges choose Bobby over the specialist.

Another shoot off for us from Iron Chef was Jamie At Home which is a show by British chef Jamie Oliver who I think is wonderful. I think SueBoo told us that he is the guy from a show called The Naked Chef. I may just enjoy him because his dishes are quick and wonderful and I dig the Brit slang and accent. Don’t forget that I am an Anglophile.

Anyway, I just wonder how much of these shows we will watch once all of the shows on the big networks come back? I almost hope that something happens to drag the strike out even longer. Oh well. Do ya’ll watch any of these shows? Can you believe that I talked about cooking on TV but didn’t once mention Giada? Oops, I just blew it.

Hidden Gem: A Day At The Races

This is the lucky 13th edition of Hidden Gems. I was lucky enough to be able to turn the record player up really loud for this 1976 classic LP by the incomparable British band Queen.

The record begins with a kicker in “Tie Your Mother Down” and ends on a lower, relaxed note. It is interlaced with ballady type numbers, catchy choruses, four-part harmonies, blazing guitars and thunderous bass lines/drums that keep the toes tapping for about 45 minutes.

The vocals of Freddy Mercury are nothing short of amazing. I can’t think of too many people who had better rock and roll voices than he did. The underrated musicianship of the remaining members is second to none.

I could never grow tired of listening to this Hall of Fame band. Here are a couple of songs by the band as an example of their wonderfulness. The first is an album track called “Somebody To Love“:

I will also leave you with one of my alltime favorite Queen tunes. This is a collaborative effort with fellow Brit legend David Bowie called “Under Pressure“. This is the song that old Rob Van Winkle claimed he did not steal.

And Then There Was One (Super Bowl XLII Predictions)

I make no bones about the fact that I am born and bred a New England Patriots fan. I have been pretty quiet about this season, I haven’t talked smack or run my mouth and be assured that I won’t start doing it now.

I am very excited about my boys pulling out the victory yesterday over an excellent yet injury depeleted San Diego Chargers squad. Words cannot express what it means to me as a follower of the Patriots franchise since birth to have the honor of seeing my team play in what will be their sixth Super Bowl. Potentially this could be their 4th world championship and are on the verge of history.

I can’t quite put into words what it would mean to have my favorite team complete an improbable perfect season. The sports talk shows are touting them as the greatest team of all time (that is if they win the Super Bowl). I have trouble with that moniker. Did everyone forget about the 1985 Chicago Bears or the San Fancisco 49ers team that went 18-1? What about those great Pittsburgh Steelers teams form the 70s or the classic Green Bay Packers teams?

These are things that I will have to let sink in IF we win the big game. Why am I not running my mouth? This is a very good question. Anyone who knows anything about New England sports realizes that things like records and championships are not handed to us (the teams & fans) on silver platters, at least not anymore. If you don’t know what I am talking about I give you the Red Sox’s Curse of the Bambino, the 48 years of mostly terrible football teams in Foxboro, Len Bias and the bad play over the last decade of hoops, the terrible running of the ice hockey team that never produced a champion in my lifetime.

There are many of us New England sports fans that do not celebrate until the final tick has come off of the clock or the final out has been made and the trophies have been handed out. In keeping with that theme I must move on to my predictions for the big game. Yesterday I only got one of the games correct in choosing the Pats. Brett Favre and his Pack played horribly plus the NY Football Giants played up to their nickname.

Sunday, February 3, 2008 – Super Bowl XLII

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

When the Pats and Giants hooked up in week 17 for the final regular season game it was not a “gimme” for my guys. The Giants gave them everything they could handle and then a little more. New York has a reinvigorated passing game as Eli Manning (I will no longer call him Manning Jr.) has stepped up his play and has been able to get the ball to Plaxico Burress. The defense is more brutal as well. The Pats (mainly Tom Brady and Randy Moss) have been playing with less passion as of late. These facts frighten me. The Giants can legitimately win this game.

I will be ticked off if the Giants lose because…1) I hate losing to Mannings…2) I would hate to lose the perfect season…3) I would hate to hear my friends dump on me…4) I hate to lose to New York teams ever.

My pick for this game will be simple. The Giants will lose their edge. The Patriots will play with a renewed passion with history on the line. The betting line has opened at an enormous 14 points but I think it will be closer. Look for a score of 28 – 20. Pick: New England