Post Super Bowl Thoughts

My prediction was true & the score nearly spot on with the Colts winning 29-17 over the Bears (I picked 26-16 and a good buddy of mine that I have a friendly rivalry with predicted 24-14).

I do not agree with the MVP selection. Peyton had a decent game going 25-38 for 247 with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The MVP selection should have been split between Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.

Addai’s stats:

19 rushes for 77 yards
10 catches for 66 yards

Rhodes’ stats:

21 rushes for 113 yards, 1 Touchdown
1 catch for 8 yards

That is a combination of 264 yards of total offense out of a total of 430 yards put up by the Colts! No way should Manning have been the MVP.

Super Bowl ad winners:

I loved the Careerbuilder.com ads. Those office workers running over the cliff like lemmings was hilarious.

Budweiser came through yet again with a serious of funny ads. The Carlos Mencia immigrant ad was the best of the bunch followed by the face-slapping ad & the rock, paper, scissor one.

Emerald nuts had I think the best one of all with Robert Goulet playing the mid-afternoon office prankster. Seeing him climbing on the ceiling was great.

Super Bowl gripe: all the god crap. Give me a break! I don’t care if you are a christian and that your opposing coach is also one. It has no bearing on the game and no place in the after game part. I guess Lovie Smith is pissed at god now because his team lost. It’s all a load of B.S. god did not cause you to win or lose a game. Boomer Esiason also needs to get a clue. It is not classy to say all that crap on television and no one cares that you are proud to know them because of it. What a kiss ___.

Good Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Pick

This looks to be a decent game. I think it will be close right until the end.

Final score:

Colts 26 - Bears 16

India

15 years ago today, I left for India. A good friend of mine that I worked with was traveling there for a family function. After only one night of throwing around the idea of journeying with him & his wife, a week later I had purchased a round trip ticket. On February 1^st, 1992- I left the United States after quitting my job, maxing out my credit card without any regret. I spent 50 days there.

A large part of my trip was spent in and around Bombay but we also traveled to the northwestern part of the country visiting the states of Rajasthan & Gujarat. A highlight of my trip was a few weeks on the road heading north into Jodphur (also known as The Blue City) where we visited the Mehrangarh Fort & the Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Leaving Jodphur and traveling west we went to Jaisalmer which is located in the Thar Desert about 50 kilometers from the Pakistan border. There we relaxed for a week with daily strolls about the fort & in the surrounding exterior areas of the city. A camel safari there is one of the fondest memories I have of my travels in India.

A few short weeks later (and a few more side trips to the Ajanta & Ellora Cave systems as well as Elephanta Island) my trip was over and I was on my way back to America. Of course I have many other stories to share, photos to show but those are for another time. I am proud to say that I came back to my home country a wiser and more humbled person. It was the trip of a lifetime and I shall never forget it.

NFL Conference Title Game Picks

Yet another week of bad picks for me. Clearly, picking playoff winners versus regular season winners is not my bag. After going 156-90 during the year, I have sputtered to a 3-5 record with 3 games left to get my head above water. Sigh… I am never going to make this a career as I had hoped. Wait a minute, that was another dream.

So, I missed going 4-0 for the week by a total of 18 points. What can I do to get some wins here? Should I suit up? Oh, I should just shut up and give you my picks for the week. I can do that.

New Orleans is going to win in Chicago. Not sure how they will do it, but it will get done. The only thing that can beat them is turnovers… and getting out scored… and bad weather… hmmmmm, okay they will win anyways. Destiny is the word for them.

Speaking of destiny, Peyton Manning and Indianapolis will lose to Tom Brady and New England yet again. The Patriots are the 800 pound gorilla that gets heavier every year for the poor Dolts.

So, there you have it. My Title game picks and ultimately, my Super Bowl picks.

New Orleans Vs. New England.

Should be one hell of a game.

George Bush the Doofus

So, our doofus of a President has decided to send more troops to Iraq- 20,000 more because the course of action we are taking there is riddled with past mistakes (his words and finally, FINALLY, his errors or so he says) and the way to correct it is to of course throw more troops and money at the problem with hope that it will help.

Now, I am not a rocket scientist nor did I sleep at that hotel they mention on T.V. a lot, but I must say that sending more troops is something we should have done a year or two ago when things were not so out of hand. Not now when the majority of America believes this war has been mishandled; that the American people think they have been mislead; and when the world looks at us with a ridiculous amount of scorn, pity and anger.

One day after his speech of defeat there are already rumblings that Congress will not approve further spending for this war (an illegal & unjustified one in my opinion- and yes, I know Saddam was a bad guy, but he did not start this war but Georgie Boy wanted it to be that way. Maybe he played the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game)

and I am not sure they are incorrect in the attempt, but I know that the Republican Right Wingers from Hell will come out of the woodwork in force to say that Democrats are against our troops-- a lot of B.S.

On this matter, there is only one clear answer:

Get out! Soon!

Pulling out of Iraq now or later is going to be hell for the Iraqi public no matter the time. They did not ask for us to give them a democracy nor invade their country yet we are going to force it on them while we are there and watch it crumble once we are gone. We went in for profit, oil and a leadership change. Well, Saddam is dead. Halliburton/Dick Cheney is making money hand over fist. Oil was to be a deciding factor in financing this war, yet all I see is American gas price's rising up to where a lot of other countries are at.

We don’t need more troops in Iraq. We need to leave and throw a blanket of money their direction and kiss their ___ for years to come.

NFL Divisional Playoff Picks

Ok, so I am trying to get over the fact that Dallas lost their playoff game at Seattle in one of the most bizarre endings you’ll see in a football game. This entire season has been a roller coaster ride if you are a fan of Big D and I for one am glad it’s over.

In a nutshell: THEY BLEW IT!

And I did not do so well for my playoff picks last weekend either- went 2-2 with my other loss in the final seconds at Philadelphia. Ironically, Philadelphia brought in a competent holder as a last minute signing for the playoffs while Dallas used their starting QB. Wonder if poor Romo will be holding next year? Wonder if they will use game balls for PAT’s instead of boxed ones?

Ok, onto the picks:

Going against conventional wisdom once again, I am taking three road teams as winners this weekend with only Baltimore as my lone holdout at home.

Baltimore is a more complete team than the Colts. Yes, they have Manning, but it will be sweet revenge as they Ravens control most of the game and win by at least ten points.

Philadelphia is the hottest team in the NFL right now (sorry Charger fans) and they take the hot hand into New Orleans where the feel good bubble will finally burst.

By all rights, Seattle should not be in this game with Chicago, but I give them the nod against the inexperienced & inconsistent Rex Grossman.

Finally in the game of the weekend, New England will find a way to win at San Diego. I don’t know how they will do it, but I find it hard to bet against Brady and Belichick in the postseason.

So there you have it: Ravens, Seahawks, Eagles & Patriots.

Pacts and Promises

There is a smart-alack saying that goes: "Don't write a check your ___ can't cash". When you hear that said to you- or if you actually say that to another person, it's usually said with a small amount of sarcasm and backed up by a tremendous amount of B.S. Most often, it is used in response to larger amounts of B.S. such as these:

• I'll give you a million dollars win I win the lottery.
• I'm quitting my job today and that #$*@$!%^&! can kiss my ___!
• I'm going to kick your ___!
  
• Will you marry me?

(Okay, I was kidding on the last one but you get the idea).

Most of the time I've ever said these types of things was when I was young & inexperienced and, as usual, nothing ever came from it. We are all big boasters about what we are going to do when this or that happens. Most of the time, these bombastic statements of macho virility never come back to hit you square in the face.

But what if it does?

What do you do when you made a promise to someone years ago and then you find yourself staring at the seconds hand on the clock as it swings its way around to midnight with death on the other side waiting?

What do you do and how do you keep a promise that meant so little in the scheme of things then and means everything now?

What do you do?

Books, Favorites of 2006

Books, Favorites of 2006

I read 95 books this year.

Yes, I did read all 95 books and I know that is a lot. Obviously, I love to read and have since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was fortunate enough to have a parent who encouraged me to read and also never denied money to me whenever I brought home those Scholastic flyers from school.

You might think that I have a lot of free time on my hands to read all these books. Now I do devote time to reading, but I must admit that that I also read just about anytime I can. I can usually be found reading on my breaks at work and during my lunch time. I also read every night before I go to bed. Sometimes, I read before going to work. I also get 6 or 7 magazines a month as well… maybe 8… not sure.

With all those things in mind, I probably read more than you do-- even more than most people do in a few years and sadly, more than some read in a decade. That is not meant to belittle anyone. I like to read whereas others like to use there leisure time for other activities. We all have our vices and this one is among my favorites.

This year, one book dominated my life. Haruki Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore” quietly slipped into my hands via three or four top ten lists from the previous year. Released in Japan in 2003 and published in English in 2005 this novel made me forget most of my favorite authors and novels that I have ever read. The story is two tales intertwined into some of the most concise and effortless writing I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. Murakami does not over write- that is; he is compact in style and says what he needs to say without being bloated. He does not under-write either. His descriptions are honest without pretension and erotic without being profane.

I’ve read reviews that speak of the fantasy of the fiction blending with the reality of the reader. I wholeheartedly agree. It is like reading a dream that you find yourself an observer in the story only to wake up and realize that you are reading a story that is a dream to read.

I’ve read three other works by Mr. Murakami and my only complaint is that I am sad- sad that I’ve finished. He has other novels and short story collections out there for me to read, but; I must say that I’ve become a book snob in the past few years and only want to purchase hardcover titles and his are not cheap to come by now that his fame as writer has grown over the years. I’ll get them eventually, but until that time comes when I get a new (old) Murakami title, I will have memories of a wonderful experience that comes with each time I re-read this masterpiece.

I have three vices in my life and at the end of each year; I put out a best of list. In music and film, it is easy because they are easier to segregate into a time period for that year only. Books are different. New ones come out every week but older titles are numerous- nearly infinite in comparison to the other two. Because of that, I will put forth two lists here:

A best of 2006

And

A list of titles I liked the most this year that were from previous years.

Without further ado:

My top ten (in order) from 2006 were:

1. The Last Town on Earth - Thomas Mullen
2. Ghost Sea - Ferenc Mate
3. Mortimer of the Maghreb - Henry Shukman
4. Everyman - Phillip Roth
5. Lisey's Story - Stephen King
6. My Life in France - Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme
7. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters - Gordon Dahlquist
8. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks
9. Germ - Robert Liparulo
10. The Omnivore’s Dilemma - Michael Pollan

Favorites from previous years (in order):

1. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
2. The Town That Forgot How to Breathe - Kenneth J. Harvey
3. Sun Storm - Åsa Larsson
4. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
5. A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle
6. Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
7. The Swarm - Frank Schatzing
8. The River of Doubt - Candice Millard
9. Jarhead - Anthony Swofford
10. Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs

Yes, I am aware that I have some non-fiction mixed in with fiction titles.

Below is a complete list of what I read in 2006 and when I finished each title (nerdy, I know). The books have varied in length… some less than 50 and others almost 900 pages.

There are lots of good books on the list.

Happy Reading!

1. Divine Proportion: PHI In Art, Nature, and Science Priya Hemenway 1/01/06
2. Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest James Balog 01/02/06
3. The Darwin Conspiracy John Darnton 01/05/06
4. McDowell County William R. Archer 01/05/06
5. Mercer County William R. Archer 01/06/06
6. Salem's Lot (Illustrated Edition) Stephen King 01/07/06
7. Brokeback Mountain Annie Proulx 01/08/06
8. The Tent Margaret Atwood 01/09/06
9. The Last Cato Matilde Asensi 01/12/06
10. The Complete Peanuts: 1957 to 1958 Charles M. Schulz 01/14/06
11. Wild Ducks Flying Backwards Tom Robbins 01/16/06
12. The Lost Painting Jonathan Harr 01/20/06
13. Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro 01/24/06
14. Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami 02/01/06
15. Cell Stephen King 02/03/06
16. The Last Templar Raymond Khoury 02/07/06
17. The Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam 02/09/06
18. Dry Augusten Burroughs 02/11/06
19. Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs 02/13/06
20. We'll Always Have Paris John Baxter 02/21/06
21. Magical Thinking Augusten Burroughs 03/02/06
22. The United States of Appalachia Jeff Biggers 03/10/06
23. The Dead Beat Marilyn Johnson 03/14/06
24. Freakonomics Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner 03/15/06
25. Possible Side Effects Augusten Burroughs 03/19/06
26. The Girl Next Door Jack Ketchum 03/20/06
27. The Templar Legacy Steve Berry 03/26/06
28. A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict John Baxter 03/29/06
29. Surrender Toni Bentley 04/04/06
30. The City of Falling Angels John Berendt 04/06/06
31. My Life in France Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme 04/08/06
32. Blink Malcolm Gladwell 04/12/06
33. Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesha Amy Novesky 04/13/06
34. Coma Alex Garland 04/13/06
35. I Am Not Myself These Days Josh Kilmer-Purcell 04/15/06
36. Blood Mark Ryden 04/19/06
37. Jarhead Anthony Swofford 04/26/06
38. Instructoart Matthew Vescovo 05/02/06
39. A Year in Provence Peter Mayle 05/02/06
40. In the Merde for Love Stephen Clarke 05/07/06
41. After the Quake Haruki Murakami 05/09/06
42. Sputnik Sweetheart Haruki Murakami 05/12/06
43. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer James L. Swanson 05/17/06
44. Everyman Philip Roth 05/19/06
45. The Alphabet of Manliness Maddox 05/22/06
46. The Cross and The Crescent Richard Fletcher 05/22/06
47. The Brief History of the Dead Kevin Brockmeier 05/25/06
48. A Dirty Job Christopher Moore 06/05/06
49. The Husband Dean Koontz 06/08/06
50. The Sweet Life: Reflections on Home and Garden Laura Stoddart 06/11/06
51. Black Order James Rollins 06/12/06
52. Built to Win John Schuerholz with Larry Guest 06/15/06
53. Brandenburg Gate Henry Porter 06/24/06
54. The Nasty Bits Anthony Bourdain 06/26/06
55. The Serial Killers Club Jeff Povey 07/02/06
56. Memoirs of Old Princeton Harrison W. Straley, II 07/05/06
57. The Swarm Frank Schatzing 07/07/06
58. Mortimer of the Maghreb Henry Shukman 07/13/06
59. Ghost Sea Ferenc Mate 07/18/06
60. The River of Doubt Candice Millard 07/23/06
61. The Ruins Scott Smith 07/26/06
62. The Zahir Paulo Coelho 07/31/06
63. The Devil and Miss Prym Paulo Coelho 08/02/06
64. Down and Out in Paris and London George Orwell 08/06/06
65. The Alchemist Paulo Coelho 08/08/06
66. The Omnivore's Dilemma Michael Pollan 08/21/06
67. Letting Go of the Person You Used To Be Lama Surya Das 08/24/06
68. City of Shadows Ariana Franklin 08/27/06
69. Echo Park Michael Connelly 08/28/06
70. Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death Lisa Takeuchi 08/31/06
71. Water For Elephants Sara Gruen 09/03/06
72. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman Haruki Murakami 09/09/06
73. The Black Sun James Twining 09/13/06
74. This I Believe Jay Allison and Dan Gediman (Editors) 09/15/06
75. Johnny U Tom Callahan 09/17/06
76. Sign of the Cross Chris Kuzneski 09/19/06
77. Officer Down Theresa Schwegel 09/22/06
78. Friends to the End (The True Value of Friendship) Bradley Trevor Greive 09/22/06
79. Holy Blood, Holy Grail M. Baigent, R. Leigh & H. Lincoln 10/04/06
80. Map of Bones James Rollins 10/09/06
81. The Last Town on Earth Thomas Mullen 10/13/06
82. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters Gordon Dahlquist 10/23/06
83. Lisey's Story Stephen King 11/05/06
84. The Innocent Man John Grisham 11/07/06
85. The Fifth Vial Michael Palmer 11/10/06
86. The Echo Maker Richard Powers 11/19/06
87. Granta 95: Loved Ones Ian Jack (Editor) 11/23/06
88. The God Delusion Richard Dawkins 12/06/06
89. Next Michael Crichton 12/08/06
90. Sun Storm Åsa Larsson 12/14/06
91. Letter to a Christian Nation Sam Harris 12/15/06
92. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War Max Brooks 12/17/06
93. Brother Odd Dean Koontz 12/23/06
94. 100 Bullshit Jobs… And How To Get Them Stanley Bing 12/26/06
95. Germ Robert Liparulo 12/30/06

Music, Best of 2006

Here is my list of favorite releases from this past year (in order):

1) The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
2) Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Olé! Tarantula
3) Bob Dylan - Modern Times
4) Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
5) The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun
6) Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
7) Goldfrapp - Supernature
8) Home Video - No Certain Night or Morning
9) Paul Weller - Catch-Flame! (Live at The Alexandra Palace)
10) Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
11) Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
12) Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
13) Artic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
14) Raconteurs - Broken Toy Soldiers
15) Neil Young - Living With War


The Crane Wife came out of nowhere & flew into my cd player, my computer… my mind- residing there like thickening concrete. I am unable to get their songs out of my head. The Island…, with its 70’s prog riffs & nautical tone is the class of the album. Five tracks later, Shankill Butchers lays you bare as a sort of goodnight story gone horribly wrong. Then you’ve got their indie fans crying foul as they jumped to a major label only to be rewarded with their most acclaimed album to date. Buy this album today as The Decemberists are for real!

Olé! Tarantula was not an album I ever wanted to purchase. I’ve had this hatred- yes hatred, for Robyn Hitchcock since I first heard him shriek “So You Think You’re in Love” many years ago. Hated that whiny song and figured his music past, present and future must be just like that. Therefore, I never understood why so many people liked him or his early claim to fame as the principle force in The Soft Boys. Yeah, I’ve likely missed out on some good music. This year, Olé! Tarantula kept popping up online,in magazine articles and by word of mouth. I finally got to hear a bit of it and promptly purchased it at Tower Records when they were liquidating all their stock (RIP). There is not a song on this album I do not like. Brilliant!


Other worthy releases this year:

U.N.K.L.E. - Self Defence (Never, Never, Land - Reconstructed and Bonus Beats - 4 Disc Set)
Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
Tool - 10,000 Days
Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles #7, 8
Pinback - Nautical Antiques (A Selection of Rarities from 1998 - 2001)
Revolver Reloaded (From Mojo Magazine)
Q Covered: The Eighties (From Q Magazine)
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning
Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
The Beatles - LOVE <----------------- Really, REALLY GOOD!


Guilty Pleasure of the year:

The Rudy Van Gelder reissues for Blue Note Records. Not sure how many are in this series (he’s also re-mastered RVG Editions for Prestige), but every one I’ve gotten this year is fantastic!

These three are especially outstanding:

Joe Henderson - Page One
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Bud Powell - Time Waits


Disappointment of the year:

The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Beck - The Information
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

I had such high hopes for these four albums and all four failed to keep my attention for very long. I was most hopeful for the new Beck album, but it seems he is floundering in genre-hell and has no idea what to do with his work much less the packaging and presentation of his cd… and speaking of packaging--

what was with the shite packaging on Tool’s - 10,000 Days (What the hell were they thinking?)

Debut of the year:

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

With the exception of a horrible cover of Gone Daddy Gone by the Violent Femme’s, this album rocks!


Reissue of note that I enjoyed:

The Cure - The Head on the Door (Deluxe Edition)

In the top 5 of their best records and the gateway album at the beginning of their world-wide introduction/mid to late 80’s domination. The live tracks on the second disc are inspiring and very chilling if you’ve ever had the chance to see The Cure live.


Label of note:

Yep Roc Records

Some of my favorite albums from the past 2 or 3 years are on Yep Roc.


Trend I wish would go away:

Bemoaning the faltering status of the music industry by the very industry that is destroying itself.

If those jackasses would just drop prices for cd’s, a lot of those problems would start to fade away. People like to shop in music stores. Tower Records was always packed when I went in to browse and shop & my local indie store is always busy with customers. Yes downloading is here to stay and yes it has hurt business but people will gladly pay $8.99 to 11.99 for a new disc. Those are fair prices to pay and I do it all the time.

Dropping prices won’t fix all the problems the major labels have and there are numerous other talking points/tangents to discuss on this matter, but it would be a start.


Hope you enjoyed my list.

Feedback is hoped for and encouraged.

Movies, Best of 2006

2006 was an interesting year for movies, but in many ways for me a disappointment. A lot of quality movies were released if you sifted through the ashes of the films that crashed & burned this year- yet nary a one has stood out as my “IT” film. So, here are my favorite films this year ranked 2 through 10:

2) Little Miss Sunshine
3) Babel
4) Thank You for Smoking
5) The Science of Sleep
6) V for Vendetta
7) The Departed
8) Volver
9) Wordplay
10) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan


Little Miss Sunshine has just about everything you can want in a good film.

Good story? Check!
Good cast? Check!
Funny? Check!
Cranky old guy? Check!
Funny, cranky old guy? Check!
New cultural icon in Steve Carrell? Check!

Honorable Mention #1:

is for The Queen. Helen Mirren is wonderful in her role as Queen Elizabeth II. Understated and powerful in this role, she is likely to win an Oscar for her performance. Oh, the film is very good as well.

Honorable Mention #2:

is for United 93. Such a brave film. After five years, I still don’t want to think about those events but it will likely be the defining historical moment of my life so it is very hard to steer clear.

Fun Popcorn movie of the Year:

Casino Royale. Bond is back and better than ever. Give Daniel Craig one more crack at James Bond (I read he has already signed on for two more) and he will be the best 007 since Sean Connery. Check out his previous work Road to Perdition, Layer Cake & Enduring Love… he is a damn good actor and it is a pity that America has missed most of it.

Breakout performance #1:

Tommy Lee Jones for “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”… as a director. A fine, rough edged movie.

Breakout performance #2:

Penélope Cruz. She is excellent in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Volver”.

There are other movies that had the potential to make my top list this year, but I either missed them (For Your Consideration, Stranger Than Fiction, Prairie Home Companion, Fur : An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, The Notorious Bettie Page) or they have not been released where I live yet (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Good German, Letter From Iwo Jima, Venus, The Painted Veil, American Hardcore, Notes on a Scandal, Inland Empire, Children of Men) and the previews/waiting is driving me crazy!


I saw 41 films this year. Here are a few others that I liked:

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
United 93
An Inconvenient Truth
The Devil Wears Prada
The Last King of Scotland
Flags of Our Fathers
Casino Royale
The Fountain
Blood Diamond
The Good Shepherd
The Queen