Brain Farts

Movie Review: The N Word

2008-10-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

I watched this documentary the other day, and I was quite impressed. It features interviews with many prominent African-Americans in various fields (entertainment, education, etc…) and asks them about their feelings on the use of the infamous “N-word”. Thankfully, it was done without any heavy-handedness (except for the few excerpts of poetry and book passages performed by actors and poets; didn’t need that). And with folks such as Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg and Paul Mooney being interviewed, there was a fair amount of humor in the discussion as well. (Why Mr. Mooney doesn’t have his own show on HBO or another cable channel is pretty much a tragedy).

The most interesting parts came with the telling of the history of word by scholars as well as old-timers who grew up subjected to being called the word. (Oh yeah, the word we’re discussing is “nigger” just in case you haven’t heard anyone speak in the last 200 years. Didn’t think I needed to establish that, but might as well).

I myself have always been a bit conflicted about it. It’s never really been part of my vocabulary, although there are times depending on the present company, I’ll let it slip out. And let’s be honest, as despicable of a word it is, it just needs to be said sometimes; never at a specific person, but more as a description of a type of person. However, I have never been comfortable being called it by anyone of any race, as a term of endearment, an insult, whatever. Hypocritical? Yes. So sue me.

The one interesting note I took away from this movie was a take you don’t hear too often. A couple of interviewees noted that the public use of the word says more about the speaker than it does about the so-called “target”. When you cringe upon hearing it, you’re more embarrassed for or ashamed of the person speaking it, than you are sad for whom they assigned it to. I must agree.

Now that's classy

2008-09-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

It comes as no surprise that Lane Kiffin was fired by Al Davis today. What's a bit shocking is the manner in which it was done. First, Kiffin has been twisting in the wind ever since January about his job status. Davis has done his best to try to get Kiffin to resign on his own so he wouldn't have to pay him the remainder of his contract. Kiffin basically said, "Um.. no. I'm good. If you want to get rid of me, you'll have to fire me."

Now with the Raiders 1-3 and headed into the bye week, Davis felt this was as good a time as any to finally fire his head coach. But instead of being a man, or professional, Davis decided to fire Kiffin by phone.

"... the news was not delivered by Davis in a face-to-face meeting. Kiffin was notified by a team executive Tuesday morning that Davis would call him at 9:15 a.m. PT to relieve the coach of his duties. The call came shortly after that time."

"Linehan also was allowed to speak briefly with his players on Monday. Kiffin will not be afforded the same opportunity, a source said."

Wow. So basically I've reached a point I have never been with a team of mine. I want them to be as bad as possible. I cannot possibly support this crap. Don't get me wrong... the Raiders are still my team, but the best thing for them is to continue down the path they're headed so ultimately the league has to step in and relieve Mr. Davis of his duties. As long as he's manning the ship, the Raiders will be the laughingstock of ALL sports.

So, good luck Kiffin. You deserved better. Actually, you're probably the happiest person right now. You're finally rid of the baggage that is the Oakland Raiders.

When does the Laker season start again?

Time to get back to work

2008-08-19T18:00:00.001-07:00

Enough playtime with ping.fm... need to finish up some work, and get the hell out of here.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

To use Flavor Flav's favorite word, "Wow." The Dark Knight surpassed all of my (high) expectations ten-fold. I'm actually at a loss for words in how to explain how great this movie is. It pretty much defines what any comic fan wants from a movie adaptation of their favorite title. Great storyline. Great special effects. Great action. Tremendous acting. And speaking of acting, I was skeptical about all the praise being heaped onto Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. I was worried that the critics might be swept under the emotion of his untimely death, but I was wrong, they were right. He was ridiculous. There are many moments in the movie where you just say to yourself, "Damn! This guy is f**king good!" His is the most menacing, diabolical, sadistic, funniest Joker ever... and this is a good thing.

But the acting kudos don't just go to Ledger. I have to give it up to Bale, Caine, Eckhart and others. Just brilliant acting all around giving life to a strong script by the Nolan brothers and David S. Goyer.

My only negative point about the movie is Maggie Gyllenhaal. If someone can explain to me how or why she keeps getting roles, please do. She's an average actress, and she's butt ugly. But I can't really even complain about that because the movie treated her justly. I'll just leave it at that so as not to reveal too much if you haven't seen it yet.

It easily goes to the top of my favorite superhero/comic films of all time. If you're curious, they happen to be:

The Dark Knight
Superman II
Batman Begins
Superman the Movie
The Incredibles

Not only that, but it made my top-five movies of all time, regardless of the genre. It's that good of a film people. I'm definitely watching again in the theaters (probably IMAX, who's with me?), and definitely buying ASAP on DVD.

PS: Let's give a hand to the studios for once for releasing what has to be the best batch of comic movies in a single year. Ironman, The Hulk, and now The Dark Knight are just flat-out great movies.

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, there are no real spoilers below. Anything I mention about the movie you probably already know from the trailers.

Went to see The Incredible Hulk last night. I went in with lowered expectations. Not only because of Ang Lee's snoozefest, but because I was of the mindset that maybe this particular comic book character didn't necessarily translate to the big screen very well. And I'm glad to say I was wrong. I was pretty impressed. In my opinion, it wasn't as good as Iron Man, but a damn good movie nonetheless.

Obviously, there were many things wrong with the first Hulk attempt. And here is where I think Marvel and director Louis Leterrier made the greatest improvements.

First, it gave all the little pop-culture and Marvel universe nods that us comic-geeks love. From the subtle (a small TV clip of "Courtship of Eddie's Father" starring Bill Bixby), to the tired (the requisite Stan Lee cameo), and to the cross-over (the cameo of Tony Stark, minor mentions of Nick Fury, SHIELD, etc...) You can't help but get hyped knowing (or hoping) that Marvel Studios is correctly building a solid foundation for future movies and sequels.

Secondly, one of the issues from the first movie that most people overlook when critiquing it, is the timing of the release. Lee's Hulk came out in 2003, only two years removed from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Seeing as the major villain in the Hulk storyline is the U.S. military, I don't feel America was ready to root against itself just yet. Not only that, but with no real super-villain for the Hulk to battle against, most moviegoers sighed a collective "eh". Leterrier's version gives us a worthy foe in Tim Roth's portrayal of Abomination, so at some point, we actually get to root for the Hulk, and not just wish he would chill the eff out.

Yeah, so I give it a thumbs up... Definitely worth a DVD purchase... And a possibility of paying to see it in the theater again.

And the hits keep coming...

2008-06-09T22:59:00.001-07:00

Ran across this doozy this evening. Easily cracks my top 5 as one of the funniest things I've EVER seen. Also makes the top 5 list for scariest. Because unfortunately, these people live amongst us all. What hurts the most is that I believe in God (or some higher power/spirit/being). And it's people like this that get all the press, and destroy the credibility of reasonable, sane Christians.

After that ridiculous presentation, I realize now that Mike must still be hanging out with Boner.

Domesticated

2008-06-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

The product I've been eagerly awaiting was finally delivered to my home today. And I'm not even ashamed to admit that I LOVE IT! My hatred for folding laundry is well known, but now, not only do I get perfect shirt folds every time, it's kind of... fun? (Wow, that sounded like a sound-bite from a HSN commercial.) Now, as much as I love this thing, I think we all know it's not going to replace my dependence on "fluff-and-fold" laundries. It ain't that damn fun. But nonetheless, it resolves my pet-peeves of not being able to fold my T-shirts consistently and quickly.

As seen on TV!

And just to make sure I kept some semblance of masculinity, you know I had to get mine in black.

Creep of the Week - Boston Celtics

2008-06-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

"Beat LA?!?!" I won't even lie... if my team started chanting "Beat the Celtics!", it would get me hyped. But the Lakers actually have class, so they didn't. We all know that the Celtics are a bit classless. It's known that they go around beating on their chests, hollering and whooping when they have a lead, but look like sheepish 10 year-olds when the going gets tough. And trust me, I fully understand the tradition behind Lakers v. Celtics, but KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Doc Rivers have ZERO rings combined. Kobe, Fisher and Phil Jackson have a combined FIFTEEN rings! 'Nuff said.

Bring it on... and be careful what you wish for.

Quick Hits - 5/30

2008-05-30T08:38:00.001-07:00

I really need to discuss the NBA Finals, but I can't. Don't want to jinx anything. Let's just say though after last night's win, I was like Hammy from Over the Hedge.

Time Warner is the worst. First, my HD DVR crapped out, and so I ended up losing something very special I had recorded. Kobe's 81 point game. That was bad enough, but now the box they've replaced it with sucks! The old box was a MOXI, this new one is some piece of crap with the worst user interface imaginable. Yes Melissa, I know... it's TiVo time.

It pains me to no end to say this, but that Digital Underground album that came out earlier this week? Eh.

Got the Wii Fit this week, and it's definitely a workout. One of the reasons is that your "trainer" goes so damn slow, you're forced to do every repetition with perfect technique, and you need to hold that position longer than you normally would. Also, this game has shown me that apparently I have no balance whatsoever.

The Lost season finale last night was awesome. Lots of revelations. But since we're talking about Lost, my head is spinning even more so than before the episode aired.

I'm re-reading Watchmen for about the fifth time. I know it's already in post-production so it's too late, but can we please put a stop to this Watchmen movie? I normally don't care about books (even comic books or graphic novels) being made into movies, because I think of them as two different mediums that each bring something to the table. In theory, comic books can work because you're not necessarily re-telling a story that has already been told. It's why comic movie sequels work so well. The first movie is normally a re-hashing of the hero's origin, which has already been defined. The sequels allow the movie writers more freedom to tell stories that have never been told, while getting to play in the sandbox the original comic authors have created. In the case of Watchmen, Alan Moore's brilliant piece of literature is a book with a definitive beginning, middle and end. Will moviegoers allow the screenwriters any freedom with this revered text? I know I won't. It's way too dense, complex and intelligent to possibly work in a single movie. What hopefully will end up happening is what happened with Sin City. Just shoot the movie(s) panel for panel, and hope that the acting and visual effects brings a new element to an already outstanding tale. My take.. Watchmen has been done, and it was done perfectly the first time around. Please, please, please, leave it alone. Oh, and you know I'll be one of the first in line to see it.

Creep of the Week - Michelle Malkin and Dunkin' Donuts

2008-05-29T10:57:00.001-07:00

It really saddens me when ignorant, bigoted people get their way. According to this article released by the AP, Dunkin' Donuts pulled an online ad featuring Rachel Ray after complaints that her attire was akin to a kaffiyeh, an Arab headdress. These complaints were led by noted right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin.

Um... this supports terrorism? It's a paisley scarf for heavens sake!

And let's pretend for a moment that she purposely wanted to wear something of Arab tradition. What the hell is wrong with that?! Being an Arab or Muslim is equal to being a terrorist?

Shame on Dunkin' Donuts for letting racist critics scare them into unnecessary action. They could have used this opportunity to make a statement that bigotry and fear-mongering will not affect their business practices. And a big F-YOU to Malkin and all the other ignorant critics.

Hero of the Week - Blake Anderson Graham

2008-05-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, the world welcomed my cousin Rysha's first baby to the world, a 7 pound boy named Blake Anderson Graham. Congrats to my cousin and my family. Oh, and how awesome of a name is "Blake Anderson"? How is he not the future President?

Pictures to come soon.

Quick Hits - 5/24

2008-05-23T15:29:00.001-07:00

"Trading Places" is undoubtedly one of my favorite movies, and an all-time classic. But I wonder if I'm the only one (even after 50 or so viewings) that still gets confused by the ending? I get the premise, (they sell the frozen concentrated orange juice shares high, and buy low) but who were they selling/buying for? How'd they get on the trading floor? Ah... I won't think about it too much.

ESPN columnist and contributor Jemele Hill has one of THE best sports blogs out today. Nicely designed too. She always has something intelligent, thought-provoking, and relevant to say, without yelling and screaming at you. (Yeah, I'm talking about you Stephen A.)

I wish video game developers would start paying more attention to how Nintendo makes their signature games. Yes, high-definition graphics and rendering is great. But you know what would be cool? Creative, imaginative and just plain fun gameplay. There's a reason I'm spending most of my time racing a cartoon plumber around a psychedelic racetrack, as opposed to grinding through the next lame-ass first person shooter.

I'm sorry ladies, but the "Sex and the City" movie is going to be TERRIBLE. Don't say I didn't warn you.

You know I have so much to say regarding this year's NBA MVP and playoffs. Every thought will be articulated upon the ending of said playoffs.

Digital Underground's new album "Cuz a DU Party Don't Stop" is coming out this Tuesday!

The number of people in a meeting is inversely proportional to the number of good ideas or tasks that come out of that meeting. Examples:

Inter-departmental meeting on Wednesday; 12 people, 1 decent idea, 1 shitty task to complete.
Departmental meeting on Tuesday; 8 people, 2 really good ideas.
Team meeting last week; 3 people, 4-5 good ideas that were thoroughly discussed and transformed into 3 task items.

There is no discernable difference between Coors Light and water.

This Wednesday night bowling league is going to give me so much blog material. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post 75% of it because there are people at work who read this blog. And they might be easily offended.

Creep of the Week - Video Game Store Guy

2008-05-19T13:33:00.001-07:00

There's a new breed of Comic Book Store Guy, and we'll call them "Video Game Store Guy". I was reading an article about the Wii Fit, and it stated it would be released today. However, most, if not all stores will actually be selling it this Wednesday. Here's a quick transcript of what happened when I went to GameSpot to try to pick it up.

Me: Is the Wii Fit out today?
Video Game Store Guy: No, it comes out the 21st. Did you reserve a copy?
Me: No.
VGSG (in that annoying, sarcastic, dorky manner): Well... good luck then! You're going to have some trouble getting it when it comes out.
Me: I should be all right.
Me (in my own head): FUCK YOU.

I'm not one to shit on how someone makes a living, but let's just say you have no right to speak to me in any demeaning manner when you're in your forties, working in a video game store, and haven't seen it since it's seen you. Fucking dork.

Hero of the Week - Lisa Harrell

2008-04-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

I think Lisa qualifies as a hero. Unfortunately, the mother is close to a creep nomination.

Linked into My Face Space

2008-04-21T18:20:00.001-07:00

This post is more of a question to all (3) of my readers. What is your attachment to social-networking sites? I get the fact that you can easily keep in contact with current and old friends. But are you really meeting new people on them? Does having a 150 friends on MySpace really mean you have 150 friends? Are the applications on facebook cool, or colossal time-wasters? Keeping up with the going-ons of people via twitter is kind of an awesome idea, but do you even care? What about linkedin? Do you actually use it to keep up with your professional contacts?

I've been on a social-networking binge as of late, and quite frankly, I just don't get the appeal.

I'd love to hear your comments and feedback.

Creep of the Week - Harve L. Johnson

2008-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is just completely ridiculous. The only thing good enough for this creep is a lifetime in jail enduring "prison justice".

I need to note this week's runner-up as well. The six cheerleaders aged 14-17 who viciously beat another 16 year-old girl. And you thought the lily-white kids in the suburbs were above such things.

Hero of the Week - Melissa

2008-03-25T20:41:00.001-07:00

This week's hero is brought to you in Haiku form:

Great friend. Great mother.
Sassy. Classy. Wonderful.
Thanks for the gossip.

Crazy Plant Lady

2008-03-23T11:57:00.001-07:00

As I'm getting older, I find it's necessary to document the gradual decline of my sanity. I just advanced two steps closer to crazy this morning. Why? Because I caught myself having a conversation with my new plant as though it were a puppy or kitten or something. "You thirsty? Yeah, you must be thirsty... you drank all of your water last night. Want to go outside? Want to sit by the sun? Ok!! Which window do you want to sit at? Want to sit so you can see the bike riders? Ok, we'll put you here."

Just cut my balls off and/or shoot me now.

My Ivy

I'm also taking bets as to when I kill it. Who's in?

My new favorite t-shirt

2008-03-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

I was at a comedy club last night and saw Gabriel Iglesias. First off, the guy was freakin' hilarious. And what was great was that ALL five other comedians were outstanding as well.

But I must say, one of the highlights was when he referred to a T-shirt he saw. Yes, I went and looked it up. And yes, I have already purchased it. Regardless of your political affiliation, or who you're voting for, you gotta admit... it's classic!

Creep of the Week - News anchor and reporter

2008-03-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

I'm always up for a good catfight, but I could do without this:

Here's something I think they both failed to learn... professionalism.

Hero of the Week - The Marquette and St. Mary's high school hockey teams

2008-03-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

It's good to see that in today's society we can still understand the balance between competitiveness and sportsmanship. It's also inspiring to read about those with that "it" in their hearts that enable them to battle for eight overtimes.

Good job guys.

Read about their story here.

We Are the World

2008-03-14T19:33:00.001-07:00

I don't even know what to say. Stumbled upon this doozy this evening... take a look.

Creep of the Week - Luo, the Chinese Bride

2008-03-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

This weeks runner-up's all have something in common... No Clue. They included:

An uptight school principal. Reminds me of the Family Guy episode where the teacher continues to yell at a student to take his hat off in class. His yarmulke.
Old people with nothing better to do. Instead of worrying about those whipper-snapper's fashion statements (which I also hate by the way), why not spend your free time actually doing something important? I don't know, maybe like voting? What the hell is it with Florida and elections?
Boyfriend of the Year. Umm... yeah. I would think that after DAY ONE of being in there it would be too much for me, and I'd either get some help or get the hell out.

Our winner however can only be described as the Wife of the Year. Yikes. You really can't even make up any jokes about this. What is there to say? She's a bit hot-headed? She overreacted? Um, yes. Yes she did.

Hero of the Week - Erma Smith

2008-03-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

The best of birthday wishes go out to my Grandma Erma who turns 90 years young on March 13th. This past Saturday, we celebrated by giving her a touching, funny and inspirational banquet at the Proud Bird restaurant near LAX.

Highlights of the day included:

Her daughters Dolores and Vanessa, along with other friends, getting their boogie on.
Photos and good times with the family

Grandma Erma and my Dad
A joke from "Aunt Flossie" that I didn't get on video. (Aunt Flossie happens to be a male family friend who dresses in drag... a guy who just happens to run the local funeral parlor... yeah, it's just best not to even ask.)
A woman walks into church with her 8 daughters. Once the doors open for church, anyone who wants can go to the front, and give themselves to the Lord. When the pastor asked who would like to come to the front and give themselves to the Lord, all eight girls went up there.

The girls lined up in a row, and the pastor asked the first one, "What's your name little girl?" She responded, "Shaquita!". The pastor asked the second girl, "And what's your name?" The second girl replied "Shaquita!". The pastor said, "Your name is Shaquita too?" The girl said, "Yup!" So the pastor kept going down the line asking the girls their name. And all the girls replied with "Shaquita!"

So the pastor called out to the back, "Could the mother of these children please come forward?" The woman comes before the pastor. The pastor asks, "These are your children?" "Yes pastor." she replied. "And they're all named Shaquita?" "Yes pastor." Bemused, the pastor asks, "Well what do you do if you need to get just one of the child's individual attention?"

Without hesitation the mother replied, "I just call them by their last name."

All in all, it wasn't as dry of an event as I expected. Lots of laughs, and I got to see many family members who I never get to see. Too many times, we come together as family only at funerals (this is why I recognized Aunt Flossie.) It's good to let people know how you feel about them while they're still with you. As they say, a party costs less than a grave. Love you Grandma, Erma... Happy Birthday!

Congratulations...

2008-03-07T14:45:00.001-08:00

Many congratulations go out to Gamble & Huff for their introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Monday.

Growing up, there were three HUGE musical influences in my life. The simplistic genius of Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy's Motown; The eclectic, bass-driven, psychedelic sounds of James Brown and George Clinton's Funk; and the smooth as silk soul of Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Sound. While the sounds of Motown and Funk were always good for partying, dancing, being silly, and just plain "rocking-out" to, it was the Philly Sound that gave me an appreciation for music. The laid-back grooves, the richness of all the instruments together in harmony, and the straightforward, yet deep lyrics, all made me secretly dream of creating music of my own (which I'm sure all of us non-musical people do at some point). It's good to see something that means so much to me get appreciated for its value (even if it does come a bit too late in my opinion).

Once again, congrats to Gamble & Huff. You deserve it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080307/ap_en_mu/rock_hall_gamble_and_huff

Creep of the Week - Mayor of Bordeaux, France

2008-03-06T16:24:00.001-08:00

Let's just say this creep of the week thing is going to be a fun little feature for me. It seems there will never be a shortage of candidates. Amongst the runner-ups this week were a Dodger and a pair of pugilistic parents. (Oohh, illiteration!) But without a doubt, this week's winner is Mayor of Bordeaux, France. Because of the inability to expand the land on its existing cemetery, he has threatened anyone who dies and wishes to be buried there with severe punishment. Go ahead, let it swirl in your head for a sec. Makes sense yet? No? Exactly.

And I know what you're saying... How come that piece of shit from the Marines that dropped the puppy off the cliff isn't your creep of the week? Well, for one, I'm trying to keep this feature as light-hearted as possible, and two, I'm waiting until the validity of the video is confirmed before I enshrine him into the Creep of the Week Hall of Fame. If the video turns out to be staged, he's still a grade-A asshole.

Quick Hits - 3/5

2008-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Easily my favorite story of 2008.
Good riddance.
Speaking of football, My. Team. Sucks.
What the hell is wrong with people?
Seriously, what is going on in our world?
Yikes, it doesn't stop. I might have to join Melissa and move to Vancouver.
Ok, let's end it on a positive note. I got a kick out of this.

Hero of the Week - Voters of Brattleboro, Vermont

2008-03-04T13:22:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday I started a gimmicky blog feature called "Creep of the Week" that basically calls out people in the news for their behavior. Now while I admit, it's fun talking about people, I've noticed that in my search for creeps, there were five times as many heroes. So as to not wallow in negativity, every Tuesday I'll offer my Hero of the Week, spotlighting people who go above and beyond to help out, have a cool idea, or just normally do good by others. You know, the stuff we're supposed to do.

This week's hero(es) are the good folks of Brattleboro, Vermont. They've basically drafted a symbolic measure to have President Bush or Vice-President Cheney arrested if they ever visit their town. Of course it's a bit extreme and will never be taken seriously... but let's face it... the idea is AWESOME! Good job guys.

LA Marathon XXII

2008-03-03T11:42:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to all the runners of this past Los Angeles Marathon. And a special congrats go out to my boys, Shamar and Tendo. Wish I could've been out there with you guys. Next year!

Tendo (photo by Monica)

Shamar (photo by Monica)

Creep of the Week - Lauren Cleri

2008-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Although I have a renowned hatred for reality programming, I must admit that Moment of Truth is one of my new favorite shows of this season. If you haven't heard of it, here is a quick recap taken from the LA Times' Show Tracker:

"The Moment of Truth" premiered on Fox in January and has performed very well in the ratings. Contestants must answer 21 questions truthfully in order to win $500,000. The questions are selected from a pre-interview they did while strapped to a polygraph. The contestant's loved ones also get one, and only one, preemptory challenge in which they can hit a buzzer to skip a question they may not want to hear the answer to. Along the way, contestants can win $10,000, $25,000 and so on, and once they reach those milestones, they can quit and keep the money. If they answer a question falsely -- as determined by their pre-interview replies -- they are bounced from the game with nothing.

This past Monday, the episode was hyped as being extremely controversial... enough so that the producers "struggled" with the idea of even airing the episode (yeah right). Anyway, the reason Ms. Cleri receives Creep of the Week honors is because of the following revelations:

- Was fired from a job for stealing money
- Takes delight in seeing her siblings fail
- Has taken off her wedding ring while out to appear single
- Wishes she were married to her ex-boyfriend
- Has cheated on her husband (recently separated after the show)

Basically, what a bitch. And the best part of all, she received zero money from the show because she answered falsely on this question, "Are you a good person?" Classic.

Gotta love stiff old white men

2008-01-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late to the party but I finally heard/saw this today. Needless to say, it's an instant classic. He definitely gets my vote now, due to the fact that he speaks my language. He really has his finger on the pulse of the young African-American. OK, but seriously, how fucking condescending, ignorant, and just plain racist is it to feel the need to "talk black" around Black people? You can't just say, "Hello?", or "Nice to meet you all!", or the very simple but still popular, "Good afternoon!" Do you think that if there's no reference to a rap song then we won't understand what you're saying? I wish there were such thing as a negative vote. Fuck Romney.

Sign of the Apocolypse

2008-01-22T22:44:00.001-08:00

If you know me, you know I hate reality television. I truly have a deep hatred for that overproduced, cringe-inducing, stereotypical, socially-inept behavior enabling, CRAP. Except for this, which I stumbled upon tonight. After watching this episode, I actually had to record another episode. This series just vaulted into my top ten.

Update to "I guess it makes too much sense"...

2008-01-08T16:34:00.001-08:00

An update to my post from 12/3/2007 regarding the BCS and a proposed playoff system. Apparently, my proposal is simple enough for at least one university administrator. Enough so that the president of the University of Georgia stole my idea. I'm willing to take one for the team if it means this gets done.

Great Moments in Pop Culture #3

2008-01-08T16:12:00.001-08:00

The BOX 1991-2005

What it's remembered for:
Caller requested videos

What it should be remembered for:
Rumpshaker by Wreckx-N-Effect; Put 'em on Glass by Sir Mix a Lot

Why it makes my list:
Along with Jerry Springer Uncensored, Super Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64, and lots of beer, The BOX pretty much defined my college leisure time. It was really the only way to see music videos that either didn't fit MTV's target demographic, or was just deemed too damn racy to air. I mean, it was very important to me to be able to see chicks in thongs bouncing by a pool. (The standard to which all rap music videos were held to in the mid-nineties.) Also, it was a way to be introduced to artists that your local radio station wasn't necessarily playing. In a rare instance of greed by the larger music companies that actually resulted in a benefit to music consumers, their A&R people would make video requests on behalf of their lesser known bands. Sometimes it resulted in really terrible bands getting too much air time, but that's better than seeing a Madonna video 150 times a day.

Now with the Internet and On-Demand cable services, The BOX's niche is not as needed, but let's all tip our hats to their idea and the time when they ruled. Viva La BOX!

At the Movies...

2007-12-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

Quick critique of two movies I saw recently. I Am Legend, and No Country for Old Men. They both sucked. Spare yourself, and don't waste four hours of your time on these pieces of shit. You're welcome.

"Straight to my Feet"

2007-12-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hammer. Deion. Van Damme. This definitely made my day.

My Condolences...

2007-12-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

... go out to the Rudin and Meier families. I'd happen to have met Rhiannon and hung out with her several times. Definitely a person who as they say "brightens up a room". No doubt, she'll be missed by many.

Let's put and end to this drinking and driving, people. This is what can happen.

Story:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977396.html?categoryId=18&cs=1

Great Moments in Pop Culture #2

2007-12-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

KTLA Sunday Mornings 1978-1988

What it's remembered for:
Tom Hatten; Popeye; Family Film Festival

What it should be remembered for:
Hatten taking a viewer-submitted doodle, and turning it into a scene from Popeye, easily the greatest display of drawing talent ever; The Pippi Longstocking movies.

Why it makes my list:
Ah, Sunday mornings. Watching Popeye cartoons, Three Stooges, Little Rascals, then some Family Film Festival at 10am, then another one normally at 3pm. Sure, seeing a Jerry Lewis or other classic was fine and dandy, but on the occasion we got to see Pippi, well that was always a treat. I don’t exactly know why, but watching this crazy-ass girl used to make me fall on the ground dying of laughter. Part of it was probably the ridiculous English dub they had running over the film. To this day, I remember my mother saying two things to us: 1) "You better never act like her!" and 2) "What is she wearing?!?" By the way, Pippi likes spunk.

Great Moments in Pop Culture #1

2007-12-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is the first in what should be many posts detailing memorable moments in pop culture. How does a moment make this list? It needs to conform to two rules:

1. It has to have happened in MY lifetime.
2. It had to be memorable and meaningful to ME.

These posts are in no way ordered. They're just moments I have happened to recall, and feel the need to talk about. Here's the first...

May 16, 1983 - Motown 25

What it's remembered for:
The Jacksons' reunion, Michael Jackson's moonwalk, and his announcement to the world that he is the baddest mofo in show business.

What it should be remembered for:
The Temptations v. The Four Tops battle of the bands.

The best part is at the 4:20 mark. Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards tries to pull the 'diva' thing on Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs, who quickly turns the tables on Edwards by turning a well known Temptations lyric into a "no-he-didn't" prophecy.

Why it makes my list:
It's always a special moment when generation gaps are bridged. Although I always listened to Motown music because of my mother, I never had the connection that she obviously had. This was the music and the people that defined her childhood. She witnessed the art adapt and shift, and she saw the musicians age and die. To me, it had really only been the soundtrack to my early life. Just really good music that I liked. After sitting together and watching this television special, I now had my very own Motown moment. This would be an event I would remember for the rest of my life, something I could pass down to my kids, and it gave me the ability to say that I too grew-up on Motown. And because of Michael's big performance, other kids of different races and cultures shared that same experience. It's rare that you get to experience your parents' past, and this was our generation's opportunity to do that.

I guess it makes too much sense

2007-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

The college football season is over, so now it’s time for my annual rant against the BCS and it’s flawed non-playoff system. Basically, anyone with a brain who cares about the competitive spirit of college football knows that we need a playoff system. My simple proposal for an 8-team playoff system is this: 1. The top 8 ranked teams meet in the first round, played at the Big-4 BCS bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta) on New Years day. 2. The remaining 4 teams meet in the next round the following week at two of the Big-4 bowl sites. 3. The last remaining two teams meet in the championship round at one of the Big-4 bowl sites (one of the two that was not used the previous week. Pretty simple huh? The arguments against implementing a playoff system are usually a combination of the following: 1. The length of the season. 2. The big-4 bowl games lose their luster and history. 3. The strain on “student-athletes” academically. Now let’s go ahead and kill these silly arguments. 1. The length of the season will be too long. In my proposal, only 4 teams would play an extra game past the original bowl game (+1), and only two teams would play +2. College football teams currently play 11-13 regular season games. If they make a bowl game, that’s 12-14 games. Out of 117 teams, my system proposes that only 4 play 13-15, and only two play 14-16. Schedule-wise, the last game is played January 15th. Currently, the BCS title game is played on January 7th, so it’s not such a stretch to extend the season out 8 more days, especially if it means we can settle this once and for all on the field. 2. The history of the Big-4 bowl games gets ruined. Umm… too late for that. And that’s really not even accurate. Once the powers that be introduced the BCS title game (to be played at one of the Big-4 bowl sites, alternating each year) they effectively diminished the value of those bowl games. Teams that were in the national title hunt all season but don't make it have to "settle" for one of these games. But if you ask any of the players or coaches, because the tradition of the bowl games is so strong, they still appreciate the opportunity to play in them. And the tradition of the bowl doesn't just refer to the game itself. Being a west-coast guy, I'm all into the events surrounding the Rose Bowl each year, especially the Rose Parade. I know the other bowls have their own history and traditions, and that wouldn't be lost just because there are 3 more games to be played in the next couple of weeks. Also in my proposal, instead of one bowl site getting to host the BCS championship game each year, three sites get to host playoff games each year. That's millions of dollars to more bows… how can that be a bad thing? 3. More games would hurt the athletes academically. So this is the argument these college presidents always try to roll out there. I think we all know how comical it is to even suggest this, but let’s take it on. In my system, only 4 teams have an extra week of practice/preparation time. And then only two of those, would have another week. You're telling me that 2 weeks of practice time for only 2 out of 117 schools is hurting academics? What about the other 11-13 weeks during the regular season? If the athletes can juggle the classroom with the practice field then, they should be expected to be able to do it in mid-January. Also, people 1000 times smarter than I have already done the research in this area. They’ve concluded that the bowl format does not equate to greater academic success than the playoff format. Now tell me, how does my simple plan fail? Does it make too much sense? Doesn’t equate to more revenue? Am I missing something? College football fans, please leave a comment and let’s discuss.

Thanks to Squanto and the Wampanoag People

2007-11-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

First, just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends and to their family and friends. Be safe and eat well. Secondly, it seems this blog is actually read by a few people seeing as I've been getting comments on why I haven't posted in a long time. I've been off my game for a bit. I'll try to get back on track. Have a good one people.

All Hallows Eve

2007-10-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

I did something tonight for the first time in all my 32 years on this planet. I carved a pumpkin. Nothing spectacular, but I am a bit proud of myself seeing as it was my first time and all.
Spooky, huh?
Did pretty well for a beginner, if I do say so myself.
Wish I had photos of everyone else's. They came out a 100 times better than mine. Happy Halloween everyone!

Is it really that difficult...

2007-10-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

... to find a decent barber? It's always a battle when I go get my haircut, especially lately since the shop I was going to closed up and moved to another mall. So unfortunately, I'm now in the process of finding a new barber. A process, as many of you know, can take quite a long time, and can be an unpleasant road to travel, making pit stops that can look like this along the way.
not me... but close So today, I tried a new barber. "George's Barber & Hairstyling Salon" in Culver City owned and operated by George, Stylist & Cosmetologist. That was clue #1. A barber should advertise that he's a barber, not a stylist. I don't need a stylist. I need a haircut. Clue #2, he's not black. Doesn't always mean he won't be able to cut black people's hair, but it's not a good sign. I get in the chair, and I tell him what I want. Now this is where the story requires a little background information. So this is the look I'm going for. In my opinion, it's nothing complex, a lot of men have it, and it's not hard to accomplish.
can't be that difficult... can it? So the problem I've had is explaining what I want to these fools. To all the black barbers I've gone to the explanation is this. "I want to keep growing it out a bit. Keep the length the same all the way around, and just taper the sides and back." The barber normally understands what I want, and hopefully it's what I get. If it's not exactly what I wanted, it's either due to a mistake or incompetence, but at least we both were on the same page as to what cut I was getting. Well, now that my normal barbershop is too far away, I've had to go to a couple of "non-black" barbers. They should know what they're doing, but... let's just say that "just taper the sides" can produce some FUCKED UP results. Ok, back to today's story. So, I tell him the normal details. He gets the "keep the length the same all the way around" part. He asks me how is it. I tell him that I'd also like the sides and back tapered. 10 minutes later, I end up looking like this.
fucked up then, fucked up now Maybe not that bad, but it felt that bad. Because it's a pointless exercise to battle back and forth with him on how to correct it, I immediately pay him and head out to another barbershop to right this horrible wrong. Since I can't trust anyone with a pair of scissors anymore, I give barber #2 of the day the simplest of instructions. "Cut it all off! I want it ALL even... and use a #1." Can't really mess that one up, and thankfully she didn't. She even listened to me bitch and moan about my awful haircut resulting in this semi-hilarious exchange: Me: I was butchered! Her: (laughing) It's ok. You just didn't get the style you like. How long ago did you get your haircut? (Probably thinking I'm referring to the last time I got a haircut, like 2-3 weeks ago.) Me: Today. Her: (more laughing and guffawing) Yeah, let's take care of this. So the summary is this:

Know who you're talking to. Different barbers speak different languages, and what might be a "taper" or "fade" to you and me, is a "blend" or "two-tone" to someone else. And by someone else, I mean white people.
Take a photo with you of what you'd like to get done. I've never done this because I'm not a woman, and I always assumed anything I wanted could easily be explained, but of course, you've read summary point #1.
Supercuts is actually not that bad. Never thought I'd say that sentence in my life. But I have to thank the stylist there for saving me from attending a wedding this weekend looking like someone took a weed-wacker to my head... in 1989! Maybe my next haircut will be at Fantastic Sams.

Best Highlight Montage. Ever.

2007-10-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

The quality sucks! But hey, it took me NINE years to find it.

Ahh... Nostalgia

2007-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Don't think I haven't already purchased this on iTunes. The play count is at 10.

Believe It or Not...

2007-10-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

... I've actually been somewhat busy, thus the lack of posts. Ok, not that busy. More like I just haven't really had anything to say. Part of it is my anger over the performances of my professional and college football teams this past weekend. Another reason is the fact that on Friday night, celebrating the lovely Rozanne's departure from the office, I got wasted! And of course, I have to keep up with my television shows, Heroes, Family Guy, and The Office. So that's my excuse... to the two people who actually read this, I'll try to post more often. Oh, and Melissa, this is who I'm putting on notice.
Create your own shit list.

Quick Hits 10/4

2007-10-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thinking back to that disastrous meal/happy hour at Koda, it's possible that we were just seeing another menu item.
The Raiders are 2-2, equaling their win total from all of last year. Although the defense has regressed, the surprise this year is the running game.
My California Golden Bears are undefeated and sit at #3 in both of the major polls! Good looking out to the fan voters on the ESPNU poll. Go Bears!
I wiped out my laptop and re-installed the operating system, meaning I had to re-install a bunch of software. As I was installing the newest version of Windows Live Messenger, I came across this. Seems like a pretty cool idea.
This relatively new music service seems interesting. Has anyone used it yet? Let me know.
I know this only interests me, but as a web developer and programming hobbyist, this is actually a bit of exciting news. Yeah, I'm a geek, big whoop, wanna fight about it?

PSA #1

2007-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

My good friend Heidi runs this club where her friends (and friends of friends, and so on) meet every Wednesday at a different Los Angeles bar or restaurant for Happy Hour. Last night's destination was KODA Sushi & Sake in Silverlake. Now, I'm sure I've mentioned to people on numerous occasions that when it comes to restaurants, I have a terrible memory. I'll remember that I've been to a place, but I barely remember the name, and I never remember what I ordered. The experience has to either be incredibly great or excruciatingly terrible. Well I'll be remembering KODA forever. Unfortunately, it'll be because of the latter category. Here's why:

Terrible food. The sushi was warm, and just not that great. They do serve that organic sake that you can get at Whole Foods however. So that was cool I guess.
They ran out of Sapporo. How do you run out of beer during Happy Hour? When there's only about 20 people in the entire restaurant? What?!?!
As we were sitting in the back patio, finishing up and settling the bill, I witnessed a rat scurry across a beam overhead. And I don't mean a mouse, I mean a rat. A huge one. And it came scurrying from the kitchen.
Saw either the same rat, or a different one scurry across the same beam again. I would hope it was the same one, but it came and went in the same direction as before. And let me just reiterate. This is a RAT. Big enough that a girl sitting next to me was actually calm about it at first because she had just figured it was a cat.
A fucking cockroach landing on our table. A fucking cockroach. Yes this all happened within a span of about 10 minutes. The waitress sheepishly comes and takes it away... but not to the alley or somewhere else outside, but back into the kitchen!!! Oh my god, this place.
Another (or the same) rat going across the same fucking beam in the same fucking direction! Three rat sightings. I almost puked.
We finally get the hell out of there, and decide to continue the drinking at some karaoke bar in Little Tokyo. Heidi leaves her car at the restaurant, and of course, when we get back, her car is locked in its parking lot. Just the perfect ending to a weird night.

Umm... so yeah... my public service announcement to all two of my readers... don't let the blue "A" in their window fool you. Do not patronize KODA.

Might as Well Chime In...

2007-09-20T15:29:00.001-07:00

So this OJ thing. I figured I might as well give my two cents, since everyone else is. So here goes.

First, let's get the lighter stuff out of the way. The media is giving WAY too much attention to this. If the dream was to have him go away forever, then please, don't point the camera at him. Move on, next story please. It reminds me of the clip of the anchorwoman who made a big deal about Paris Hilton being the lead news story. Thanks a lot jackass, you just spent 5 minutes talking about how you don't want to talk about somebody. Welcome to the 21st-century media, I guess. And um... have you seen Marcia Clark? What the fuck?!?! She looks terrible. Wow.

OK, so I on to the slightly more serious stuff. So as you know, OJ Simpson has been charged with numerous counts of robbery and kidnapping stemming from an incident in Las Vegas over sports memorabilia. Based on the way information has come out recently, the credibility of the participants, and the actual crime (if any), things seem to have been blown way out of proportion, don't you think? He could possibly spend the rest of his life in jail over trying to steal back his own stuff? Really? If this was the NBA, we would label it a "make-up call".

And that's the problem I have with this whole thing. There seems to be this overwhelming sense that this is OK because he got away with double-murder about twelve years ago. Justice. The 'Al Capone' logic. Get him for something and lock him away forever, even if the offense is relatively minor compared to what we want to get him for. But doesn't that just take us back a dozen years? Have we learned nothing?

The original OJ case triggered completely different feelings amongst the general public, and those differences were normally seen to go along racial lines. The consensus was that Blacks either thought OJ was innocent, or wanted him to be found not-guilty regardless if he was or not. And non-Blacks generally believed that he was guilty, and wanted to see him put away forever. Well, this is bullshit. Why is it that the media thinks Blacks are these savages who condone evil and violence (eg: Michael Vick)? People will point to the images and video of Blacks reacting to the verdict as opposed to Whites. Let me tell you why the Blacks reaction was that way. It wasn't cause we were happy to see OJ acquitted. Fuck OJ. No one was thinking about that piece of shit anyway. The reaction was just a big "I told you so". For years, we had people ignoring us, or rolling their eyes whenever we tried to explain that the judicial system is not the same for us as it is for Whites. The reaction was, "Come on, it's the '90's. It's not like that anymore. Color doesn't matter." Maybe so, but money does. And that was our point. It wasn't a Black/White thing, it was a Haves/Have Not thing, a class issue.

So back to my point (that previous paragraph was so much better articulated in my head, but oh well, that's why I'm a programmer). Isn't it just as much a failure of the system if we can overreach on charges, make up some other charges (kidnapping? come on), and punish someone for not what they were convicted of doing, but for what we couldn't get them on twelve years ago? What's the difference? The reality will always be that the system hurts those that have pre-existing prejudices (race, notoriety, etc...) and benefits those with money.

Let's not bastardize the system for some twisted sense of justice. That's not justice. It's karma. And I believe in karma. Which means if OJ is convicted on these new charges and serves the possible maximum sentence, I will not shed a single tear, or waste a single thought on the man. Good fucking riddance.

And on that note, I promise to never bring the man's name up again.

Remix

2007-09-15T19:09:00.001-07:00

I did this Nike Run Hit Remix 5-mile run today. I definitely had a blast out there. An estimated 10,000 runners, some pretty good musical acts, and cold beer at the finish all contributed to a fun morning. The one bad thing was the new shirts they had the runners wear. Nike is pushing their new line of some cotton-blend T-shirts, so instead of the usual Dri-Fit shirt they provide, they gave us these new ones. They sucked. Granted, they didn't get any heavier after sweating in them, but unfortunately, they don't wick away the moisture either. And it takes forever for them to dry. An hour or two after running my shirt was still soaked. Pretty disgusting. But other than that, here were some highlights:

The Sugarhill Gang was pretty impressive for some old guys. They played one cut I hadn't heard before that was hot! If they keep beats like this in their repertoire, they might have enough for a comeback album.
Dawn from En Vogue is still damn fine.
The "Young MC Memorial" award for saddest performance on the mini-stage goes to Sir Mix-a-Lot. When you only have one cut that most people know, and when there's only what seems like one person checking out your show, it's just time to hang 'em up. So, he's located at the end of the course, and has probably had "Baby Got Back" requested one too many times for his liking, so he resorts to asking the women to shake it. But then he goes a bit too far by asking those same women to "show some pink". Classic. At least he went out swinging.
Let's just say: young women... hot weather... small running (re: booty) shorts. Mmmmmm.
Hammer. He's still got it people. And his dancers were out there strong too. I don't know if he's still able to pay them or not, but they were there representing.
Heard some more "Jungle Fever" stories from an old college friend of mine. I'm so proud of her.

Oh, and CAL destroyed Louisiana Tech today, 42-12. GO BEARS!!

Quick Hits

2007-09-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

The news on Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett is getting better every day. No witticism here, nothing funny to say, just really happy that the kid is doing better. Hope the news continues to get better.
I've been teetering back and forth on the whole Obama or Hillary debate. If you know me, then you know who now has the edge.
AWESOME column by Chuck Klosterman in the newest edition of Esquire magazine on ways to save sports media. Agreed with every point of his argument. As soon as this article is up on Esquire's website, I'll update the post and provide a link.
It's too easy to bash Britney Spears. First of all, she was never talented enough to be on my radar anyway, and secondly, it's just sad. Hopefully she'll just go away. So we have to turn our attention to someone who truly deserves it. Kanye, it's about time for you to shut the fuck up. You have too much talent and intelligence to go around whining like a little bitch every time you don't win an award. Who gives a shit. It's an award... a tiny statue. The people who matter (record labels, consumers, other artists) recognize your talent. That should be enough. Your complaining makes you sound petty, arrogant and hypocritical. Oh yeah, you actually are all those things. And since your new album pretty much sucks, you have only one more album to get back in the good graces before you can just go ahead and disappear too.
Thanks to my girl Melissa for this awesome find. And yes, I used to know the whole routine as a kid.

This Weekend

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have a doozy of a Labor Day weekend coming up. Lots to do, but I'm looking forward to them all. They include:

CAL v. Tennessee - Saturday The season opener for both teams, this game is a rematch from last year's opener where we got our asses handed to us. This time, the game is at Berkeley, and we're ranked three spots ahead of the Vols (#12 v. #15). I'm looking forward to seeing Nate Longshore begin his development into possibly the Pac-10's best QB, and DeSean Jackson begin his Heisman campaign. GO BEARS!
Family Reunion - Saturday I'm more excited about this one than in years past for a couple of reasons. One, this is the first year of a new format, where we're only going back two generations before mine. We have a larger reunion every year that goes back to the original ancestors who came over here on the slave ships from Africa. And seeing as those original Grays had 13 children, let's just say there are too many branches on the tree. So this year we begin a new reunion that starts at my late grandmother's generation. Because it will be smaller, more people I actually know are making the effort to attend. Which brings me to the second reason I'm excited. All my cousins that I grew up with (running around in our grandparents' house) are flying in from all over the country to attend this event. We haven't been all together at one time since I was about 13 years old. It'll be good to see them all, and reminisce a bit.
Block Party - Sunday On the street I grew up on as a kid, we have a new tradition that started a few years ago, where every first or second week in September, we have a block party to celebrate numerous birthdays, one of whom is my brother's (Sep. 3rd). And it's not just that about 4 of the kids all have birthdays within a week or two of each other, they were all born in the same year. I'm thinking, maybe there was one hell of a block party in early December of 1978.
Birthdays - Monday Will probably do something for my brother on his birthday, and I'll also be attending a bday dinner for my pal Cynthia. I haven't seen the "Berkeley" crew in awhile, so it should be fun to drink, eat, and then be annoyed by all their incessant yapping. Just kidding girls... but you do talk a lot. A LOT.

I'll try to give an update as to how the weekend actually went. Later.

Huh?

2007-08-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

I know everyone has seen this by now, but man I had to put this on here. Wow. I mean, wow. And to be honest, I can't even look at the screen while it's playing. It's hard enough listening to it. Man, this hurts.

Follow up: Of course, since this clip is the hit of the internet, there had to be numerous follow-ups and satires mocking this poor girl. But the beauty of it all, is that some of the people mocking the clip, are in their own right, just as funny (re:stupid) as the girl herself. I give you Exhibit A:

Doggy Style

2007-08-26T18:01:00.001-07:00

So being the dog-lover that I am, you know sooner or later I had to vent on this whole Michael Vick/dogfighting scandal. My first thoughts are, "Fuck Michael Vick!" Actually, my only thoughts on the matter are, "Fuck Michael Vick!" When I was a kid, there were a couple of neighbors across the street from me that had pitbulls and raised them for fighting. They weren't as cold-hearted with their treatment of them as we've heard the Bad Newz Kennels were, but still, I was witness to some of their training between two dogs. Of course I was appalled that anyone would allow innocent dogs to be treated like that, and let's just say there were a few "anonymous" phone calls to the Santa Monica police department. Long story short, I've seen a bit of the ugly side of dogfighting, and the issue still hits home today. For an athlete, who's worth millions and is the face of not only a professional franchise but of an entire city, the decision to oversee and bankroll this endeavor is simply stupid. But the real travesty comes from realizing this athlete, who might have been on your wall or whom at least you're jaw has dropped from numerous appearances on Sportscenter, is quite simply and evil man. EVIL. There's no other explanation. This wasn't a one-off mistake. It's not ignorance. And despite what some members of the media have said to try and offer some background, it's not cultural. Blacks do not enjoy torturing and killing innocent animals. Southerners do not enjoy it. It's evil men who somehow think this is acceptabe entertainment. I hope Vick and the others involved in this dogfighting ring are given maximum sentences. I don't believe in sentencing in order to "send a message", I just believe that the nature of this crime (and the pre-meditation that went with it) deserve a hefty punishment. I am happy that he has lost all his endorsement deals. And I also believe that Vick should be allowed to play football again after he has completed his punishment. But I won't shed any tears if he doesn't. People have stated that after he's served his time, he should be allowed to make a living. That is true, but playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right. As Judge Smails from Caddyshack said, "Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."

Catching Up

2007-08-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, for the few people that actually read this and were expecting me to keep up with this blog thing, I apologize. But I have two good excuses. One, the internet café options in Utila were a bit sparse and expensive. And two, I'm lazy. You all know this. So obviously, this update won't be a rehash of each day, but instead, I'll just offer some highlights in list form.

Suchitoto, El Salvador Spent two nights in a quiet colonial town called Suchitoto. The people were amazingly nice, and the great thing about it was the locals actually run the businesses and profit directly from the tourism. Bad thing was the mosquitos ate me up. About 25 bites on each leg.
Border Crossing After staying in La Palma for a night, took a bus to the Honduran border, walked across, and then took another bus to La Entrada, where we then took another bus to Copan. About a total of 6 hours on the bus. My back hates me.
Ruinas Copan Have to say, the ruins were a bit of a disappointment. Lots of cool stuff there, but I guess I was expecting to be "wowed" a bit more. Got some photos of some temples and statues and all that good stuff. Still glad I went though.
Another Bus So to get to northern Honduras, we need to take another bus from Copan to La Ceiba. Total time, 9 hours. Fuck that shit. We go chartered bus. Our first "splurge" of the trip.
La Casona When we arrived in La Ceiba, we went to this nightclub called La Casona. And apparently, we went on ladies night, girls in free. Nice. I'll just state that this club beats anything Hollywood has to offer.
Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras Best part of the trip so far. Utila is a small island off the northern part of Honduras. We spent the week getting scuba certified, by two hilarious and cool British women, Toni and Chavon. We also got lucky, because we happened to arrive on the island during their Carnaval. Party, party, party!! Oh, and Toni's boyfriend Dick happens to be the real-life version of Popeye. Seriously.
Back to La Ceiba After the great week on Utila, we took the ferry back to La Ceiba. In the early morning. With a hangover from partying with Toni and Chavon all night. So what do we do? Head directly into the jungle to go river-rafting. Needless to say, I did fall in the river and had to be "rescued". Fun times. And since this was a Thursday, that means it was Ladies Night again at La Casona, so we headed there that night. Great times.

So that's pretty much it. I know there's stuff I'm forgetting, so I'll try to do a better job of keeping up with the journal, and getting to a computer. See you guys in about two weeks. PS: When I return, I might be unrecognizable. I'm as dark as midnight, and I have a beard. And not a smooth James Ingram-type beard, but one of those nappy rastafarian beards. I definitely got the wild-style thing going on.

Days 1-4

2007-07-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

So... El Salvador has been a blast. A lot better than I ever expected. The people are friendly (although I get the customary stare from everyone, I have yet to see anyone that even resembles my shade of color). The one word I would use to describe this place is "green". Lots of trees, plant life and hills. The first day we immediately took the bus from San Salvador and went into Santa Ana. Walked around the city a bit and stopped at a restaurant where they had excellent food. During the meal, the rain came pouring down so we waited it out with many rounds of Bahia, one of the local beers. The second day, we took a bus to the lake, Lago de Coatepeque, and checked in at the hostel, Amacuilco. Don´t do much this day except read by the water. Oh, and I think I´m going to marry the woman who runs the place, Sandra. She´s the greatest. Next day, we wake up early and go to Parque Nacional Cerno Verde. We take a guided tour/hike of Volcán Izalco with some guys from the Bay Area and escorted by two armed Policía. Let me tell you, the hike was a bitch. We went down about 1900 meters of stairs, then had to climb the black, loose rocks of the volcano. The summit was awesome, and everywhere there were steam pockets. It was damn hot up there. The tough part was leaving. Down the volcano was like the scariest ride I´ve ever been on. I call it "rock surfing". You´re basically sliding down the volcano causing mini rockslides beneath you. Then, we have to climb up the stairs again. Yeah, that was my exercise for the trip. And now today. We took the bus back into San Salvador. And I finally got to take a hot shower. Going to taste the nightlife tonight, so we´ll see how that goes. If/when I get back to a computer, I´ll give you guys the heads up again. Thanks for reading and I´ll see you soon.

I'm off!

2007-07-16T16:37:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I'm headed to Central America for a month-long vacation. Due to my old age, my memory is continuously worsening, so I'm going to attempt to keep a running diary/journal/blog of my experience over there. Hopefully I stick to it (and can periodically find an internet cafe) and hopefully you will deem my posts interesting and worthy of reading. And if not, maybe you can just check them occasionally to make sure I'm still alive. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone. I'll see you clowns when I get back. Late, Derry