Grades back!

And it was I hoped for, so I'm happy.

Biology - C, and I'm happy to have that. The hardest class I've ever had, and the most I've ever had to work in a class. I'm happy to get a C and be done with science forever. Got a B in the Lab.

U.S. Since 1877 - A. Easy class.

Western Civ - A. I knew I had an A going into the final, and I was pretty confident after the final, but because the grading is all subjective (the final was 3 essays, which equated to 7 pages of writing for me) I wasn't positive how it went.

Space Studies - A. A pretty easy class as long as you studied a little, which I did, so I knew I'd have an A. Had a 99% going into the final.

Intro to Fiction - A. This is one I wasn't sure about. I had gotten a B on the Midterm, and the rest was some daily work, our writing journals, and a final paper, which ended up at about 10 pages. My teacher didn't seem overly excited when I told him what I was going to do it on, so I wasn't really confident here. Glad to get an A.

I move on with a 3.53 GPA for the semester. Not too bad, but a lot of my classes were easy. Now I move on semester 2, where I'll technically be a sophomore, taking Applied Calculus, Microeconomics, Technical and Business Writing, Government, Criminology, and Juvenile Delinquency. Anyone know about the average you have to get for the Dean's List? Anyway, most of you don't care, and I can't blame you, but I just wanted to share the pretty good news.

Home for the Holidays!

I've been sparse lately, but I just got back into town, so that's why. My finals seemed to go well, though I haven't gotten my grades back yet. I do know that I got a B on my Biology final, so that's good!

But more importantly, Christmas is almost her. Only 5 more days! I don't know if I'll be back to update before then, so if I don't Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Bye now!

Sportscenter Phrases

While Sportscenter has jumped the shark, the old days produced some quality catchphrases, mainly from guys like Kenny Mayne (my personal favorite ESPN guy of all-time, Criag Kilborn, and maybe Rich Eisen. Here's a list of some of my favorite Sportscenter catchphrases.

Rece Davis - "Dunk you very much." - Nice, simple, and to the point.
Craig Kilborn - "He's not my vydas. He's not your vydas. He's Arvydas." - one of my favorites ever.
Kenny Mayne - "Your puny ballparks are too small to contain my gargantuan blasts! Bring me the finest meats and cheeses for a clubhouse feast!"
Kenny Mayne - "I am amused by the simplicity of this game."
Kenny Mayne - "Tell them what they've won... it's an American League baseball game."
Kenny Mayne - "But we all know that games aren't played on paper...they are played by little men inside our TV sets." - quite possibly the best phrase ever uttered on Sportscenter.
Kenny Mayne - "Not in this game, that'd be a record."
Kenny Mayne - "Jeff Gordon takes the checkered flag, and he'll have to give it back for the next race." - i'm a big fan of making fun of or parodying normal english phrases, and so this is funny to me.
Kenny Mayne - "He scored [number] off the bench. Had he been on the bench, he'd have been out of bounds." - see the one right before this. i'm a big fan of this type of humor.
Kenny Mayne - "That's his first homerun/goal. The media pressure will be intense for his second."
Kenny Mayne - "[Football player] has decided to tackle people on behalf of the [NFL team]. Terms of the contract are not disclosed, but we believe it has something to do with money."
Keith Olberman - "It's deep, and I don't think it's playable." - not sure why i like this one so much. maybe because it's become fairly popular.
Dan Patrick - "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him." - another one that has become popular, and is very solid all around.
Stuart Scott - "Cool as the other side of the pillow." - scott has developed into an awful anchor, but i'm still a very big fan of this catchphrase.

Anyway, perhaps I have a little too much love for Kenny Mayne, but that guy was awesome. If he became an anchor again, I would actually watch the show again on a regular basis. Of the newer guy, I like Neil Everett, though I don't know if he still is an anchor. He kinda had the same style as Kenny Mayne, very dry and sarcastic sense of humor. I also like Kevin Frazier and Trey Wingo. Unfortunately, we get guys like Stuart Scott who just ruins the show. Until next time, if you're scoring at home... or even if you're alone, adios.

This is why I love fantasy football

So anyway, first week of the playoffs. My team is 4-9 (I took over in the middle of the season, so I didn't draft the team), and the #8 seed, facing the 13-0 team. They are led by Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson, both of which do relatively nothing. Also, Kerry Collins is their other QB, and he gets benched so they are forced to start Marques Tuiasosopo. LT only has 75 yards and a TD for him. I get a huge day out of Hasselbeck, Simms is efficient, Koren Robinson runs for a TD, and I ride them to a victory, the 4-9 team over the 13-0 team, which is pretty sweet. I'll probably lose next week, but the fact that I can do this with a few breaks (ok, everything going my way) is nice.

Of course, the last two years I came in as a high seed, my team stunk up the field, and I lost in the first round. I think this happens in every league.

Brady Bunch

You know, I don't think enough people realize that the kids on the Brady Bunch were not actually related. So spread the word!

One more thing...

One Final down, 4 to go!

So I had my first final last night in Western Civ. class, and it was 3 essays. Which resulted in me writing 7 pages longhand, and I write small. It wasn't overly difficult, but my right arm nearly fell off. I wish I was kidding.

But anyway, I turn in my (9 1/2 page) paper tomorrow for English, and that class is over. I have a Biology Lab test tomorrow as well which will be moderately difficult. Then, next Tuesday, I have an extremely hard Biology final. Biology this year has been the toughest class of my life (and the only one I've had to consistently study for), and this exam will be 100 Multiple Choice Questions. I'm hoping for a C.

My week will end with U.S. History and Space Studies tests, which should be pretty easy, so that's nice. And then it's off to Christmas break!! Just be sure to think of me next Tuesday around 5:30!

Christmas Music

Is there anything better than Christmas music? Well, maybe global domination, but that's about it. Christmas music is great. It sounds good, and it gets you in a great mood. With this being the Christmas season, I am starting to hear more and more Christmas music, and that's a good thing. Hearing Bing Crosby sing Christmas music is probably the coolest thing ever.

Some of my favorite songs: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," "Silver Bells," "Silent Night," and "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." Give me a snowy day, December day, indoors, and listening to Christmas music, and I'm happy. I love this time of year.

Vikings/Browns and other thoughts

First off, Vikings improve to 6-5, which is nice. Bears won, which is not so nice, but the Vikings are not 1 game out of the wildcard, and 2 out of the division. This game once again was one in large part because of the defense, and them causing turnovers, which created field position and also (obviously) kept the Browns from scoring. Up next is the Lions, who have terrible QB's, talented WR who don't produce, a new head coach, and a pretty decent defense. 20-13 Vikings.

Other Random things:
- Juxtaposition - n. The state of being placed or situated side by side. (This has to be one of the coolest sounding words)

- I really need to start using the phrase "The long and short of it" more often. I'll try to do that.

- Favorite Quote I heard recently from my Western Civ. teacher who quoted old soccer player George Bess. "I spent half of my money on fast cars, women, and booze, and I wasted the other half."

"Ah man we're just hungry man."

- Dovonte Edwards, undrafted Vikings CB, to (female) reporter Sam Ryan

Phew! Another Vikings close game, another great win! I love beating the Packers at anytime, but to beat them on the road on Monday night with a last-second FG to salvage hope for this year, well, it doesn't get better than that.

And to top it off, Dovonte Edwards, the Vikings undrafted rookie CB from NC State, who said earlier in the week that he was looking forward to facing Brett Favre, intercepted a Favre pass and returned it for a TD for the Vikings first score of the day. After the game he said, "I had a dream actually last night that I would do something big today and it came true. Mike Tice said you need to dream, dream about making plays and that's what I did last night and it happened for me tonight."

God bless him.

3 more school days...

... until I get to go home for Thanksgiving! I'm a big Christmas and 4th of July fan as far as holidays go, but this should be a great Thanksgiving. I've only been home once in the past 2 months, so I'll see all my family, which will be nice. I'll also get together with old high school friends, which should be a great time! Only 3 more short days before I go home, and I can barely wait!

And the best part, only about 3 more weeks until I go home for Christmas break! This is good for a couple of reasons:

1) End of the first semester. My first semester at college will be in the books. And this will be good because I'll have different classes. Granted, I'll have one more class and it should be more challenging, but at least I won't have Biology!
2) Christmastime is my favorite time of year in North Dakota. Yes, it's cold. But there is nothing better than a White Christmas.

Hopefully these next few days pass by quickly!

Vikings/Giants

What a game! Vikings get a kickoff return for TD, punt return for TD, and INT for TD, and Paul "Ice in his veins" Edinger kicks a 48-yarder for the win. This for a team that had the worst special teams in the NFL last year. This game was so crazy, even Mike Tice sprained and MCL!

And better yet, the "Eli Manning Face" was in full effect. I like Eli's game a lot and think he's going to be a very special player, but he was absolutely brutal today. Overthrows, underthrows, crucial INT's deep in Vikings territory, etc. Absolutely awful. But I'm not complaining.

This game also proved the theory that these games are not played on paper, but by little men in our TV sets. I miss Kenny Mayne!

Ralph Engelstad Arena

"It's impossible to describe the new $100+ million Ralph Engelstad Arena in just a few words, but it is described by many as the "finest facility in the world." The 400,000 square foot arena is nothing but first class. All concourse floors are granite, each seat is constructed of leather and cherry wood, and there are 48 luxury suites and two enormous club rooms featuring the longest freestanding bars in the state. There is a training facility featuring a 10,000 sq. ft. weight room and underwater treadmill, fourteen locker rooms, the extra Olympic Sheet of Ice, and with the addition of the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center for the basketball and volleyball programs coming Fall 2004; what you have is more than a world-class facility; you have the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The biggest attraction though, and the reason the arena was built, is Fighting Sioux Hockey. In its inaugural season (2001-02) in the new Ralph Engelstad Arena, Fighting Sioux Hockey attendance erupted into an all time high. All of the games in this 11,500+ capacity hockey arena sold out in just 43 minutes after single game tickets went on sale. Tickets sales have even increased each season thereafter."

Movin' on to the 90's slang!!

Since the 80's slang was a big hit;) I thought I'd brig out some 90's slang that is either still popiular, or needs to be popular again!

All that and a bag a chips - Means "I'm the best and then some."

Back In The Day - expression. back in the days of..., '90s version of "When I was..." or "Remember when...?"

Get a Room! - Excl. What you say to two or more people whose public displays of affection seem too inappropriate or risque. (i.e., make what you're doing private, not so public)

Oogly - As in very ugly. "She's so ugly, she's OOgly" popular in the eastcoast since around 1997

Open up a can of whoop-ass - Excl. to kick one's butt, you're in trouble now, etc.

Props - Kudos, credit. "I hate Dallas, but you gotta give Aikman his props." Often used with "Mad" ("Mad props for this website, Beeotch!"). Origin: from "proper respect." Author's Note: I just like the description they give.

Yada Yada Yada - Phrase popularized by the sitcom "Seinfeld". Often used to make a long story short, thus leaving out uncomfortable details. eg) we went to dinner, yadda yadda yadda, and then I never saw him again.

http://www.inthe90s.com/generated/terms.shtml

I'll try to be more original from now on. Props to those that read this!

Watching drunk people is fun!

So a couple of friends visited, and we had a good late night watching drunk people in the dorms. We got back to the dorms at like midnight, and saw a variety of people, and it was also funny because a lot we went to high school with. One guy we met outside the dorms, and right when we saw him, he told us he probably wouldn't remember this in the morning. So we took him with to Taco Bell, where he asked the worker a good 5-10 if he could have a bigger cup for water (although he filled his cup with Lemonade). He was loud, though funny, and he did have a little trouble with the stairs.

The next guy we saw was another guy I met earlier this year in college. And he was so drunk he could hardly stand, and couldn't really walk. He stumbled down the hall to the bathroom, and it was very funny. Then, he got back to the room (and seeing him trying to stumble into his room was one of the funniest things I've seen), before he just passed out halfway in his room and halfway out. We dragged him back in, though he got up and out a couple minutes later. Then I heard him whisper to someone (help me to the bathroom), which was good comic relief. All in all, I realized that watching stupid drunk people can be very funny.

Bring Back the 80's Slang!

So I ran across (not literally, I literally clicked across it) a website with a list of 80's slang, and I really think there are some phrases in there that need to be brough back. For example...

Bodacious - An 80's guy's way to describe a woman who had a beautiful body. She is bodacious with gnarly ta-tas. See also gnarly & ta-tas for descriptions.

Eurotrash - Europeans who were rich that frequented the club scene in the early to mid 80's.

Gnarly - Very good. Not commonly used today. She is gnarly!

Homeboy - Used in the early 80's to describe someone who is a gang banger. Later used to describe a black male - which was okay for blacks to use this word. And even later was accepted to be used by all do describe a black guy.

O-rama - Suffix you affix to a word to describe the whole spectrum of the meaning. "He is a Dweeb-o-rama". Meaning, you are describing someone that is every sense of that word.

Rad/Radical - If something is rad, it's not only attractive, it's attractive immensely.

Tubular - Something that is cool. Something overwhelming. "Tubular, totally tubular."

http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/slang.htm

If you have any other suggestions, just comment on them, and that would be like, totally rad!!

Thoughts by the Water Cooler...

Whenever you walk by a stock ticker, it should be law that you have to make some comment like, "Crap! Intel is down again!" or "Intel is up again? I knew I should have short-sold it!"... Why does everyone have to pee like a racehorse? Do racehorses have smaller bladders than thoroughbreds?... The beginning of "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas is one of the best beginnings to any song that I know... Billy Joel was wrong when he said "Only the Good Die Young"... Call me crazy, but if we're talking about cool animals, I'll take the gorilla over any of them... E.L. Fudge is an underrated cookie... Mike Tice is the worst head coach in the NFL, and it's not even close (not even Mike Martz is nearly as bad)... If someone tells you, "See ya later alligator" and you do not respond with "In a while crocodile," you deserve a beating... RUDY! RUDY! RUDY!... I need to think of more constructive things to do with my time... Best joke of all time - "When is a door not a door? When it's ajar!"... Until next time, this is Art Vandelay.

That Wasn't Funny

I hate to bring up a Seinfeld reference again, but remember the episode ("The Heart Attack") where Jerry wakes up in the middle of the night and frantically writes something that he thinks is really funny down, and it turns out to be "Flaming globes of Sigmond!" Well, something like that happened to me last night.

I was having some type of dream, I remember nothing about it except the end. I was in school or something like that, and I said something along the lines of: "If this movie were a person, it'd be 6'6''." I got huge laughs for this in my dream, and I remember thinking this was funny. So funny that at 6:30 I got my phone/alarm and put "movies-height" as a note to myself to remember this. I wake up, remember this note to myself, and it turns out not only is it not funny, it makes no sense whatsoever. Just very weird all around.

Seinfeld Season 1-3

Well I finished watching all of the Seinfeld episodes from seasons 1-3, and here are my favorites from it.

Best Analogy: "You don't understand. A garage... I can't even pull in there. It's like going to a prostitute. Why should I pay, when if I apply myself, maybe I could get it for free?" - George in The Parking Spot

Best Guest Appearance: Keith Hernandez in The Boyfriend - "GEORGE: The next thing you know, he'll have you driving him to the airport."

Best Rant, Regular Cast Member: "I don't think you do. You see, you know how to TAKE the reservation, you just don't know how to HOLD the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anybody can just take them." - Jerry in The Alternate Side

Best Rant, Non-Regular Cast Member: "Let me tell you something, funny boy... You know that little stamp? The one that says New York Public Library? Well, that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole helluva lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before -- flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me.... Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world. What about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch of the local library and finding pictures of pee-pees and wee-wees in The Cat in the Hat and The Five Chinese Brothers. Doesn't he deserve better? Look, if you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped. Or maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld... Maybe that's how you get your kicks... You and your goodtime buddies... I've got a flash for you, joy boy. Partytime is over." - Lt. Bookman in The Library

Best One Line, Regular Cast Member:""I don't return fruit. Fruit is a gamble. I know that going in." - Jerry in The Ex-Girlfriend

Best One Line, Non-Regular Cast Member: "We had a funny guy with us in Korea. Tailgunner. They blew his brains out all over the Pacific... There's nothing funny about that." - Mr. Benes in The Jacket

Best part of Conversation: Kramer: Spector gave it to me. He's giving everything away... becoming a minimalist.
George: Is that the guy who likes fat women?
Jerry: Doesn't the fat fetish conflict with the minimalism?
- The Tape

Best Episode: I'd probably have to go with The Library, with Honorable Mentions going to The Ex-Girlfriend and The Alternate Side.

Thoughts by the Water Cooler...

The question is not "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" so much as it is "How much wood could Chuck Woolery chuck if Chuck Woolery could chuck wood?" Those are the things I want to know...I hope I'm not the only one that misses Robert Stack... Saved by the Bell the New Class has to be one of the most miserable failures ever. What an awful show... I am single-handedly attempting to bring back the phrase "Big money big money no whammy no whammy!" I urge you to follow suit... Has there ever been any more ridiculous commericals ever than those Viagra or Levitra or whatever those ones were for? "New Haircut? Nope. New suit? Nope. I went to work, ate dinner, and I talked to my doctor." WHAT? If it's that obvious d00d, you got problems... For my money the original Law & Order is still the best... Not enough people know that Woodrow Wilson's real first name was Tommy... I have 5 tests this week that I should be studying for right now.

The Teeth Brushing Rule

So I went to the bathroom tonight to brush my teeth and put my retainers in. Anyway, there was another guy in there as well. He started to brush his teeth about 5 seconds before me. And let me tell you, he was trying to wear his toothbrush out. He just kept brushing and brushing... my teeth started to hurt. But I couldn't stop before him, because that's just a signal that he has better teeth hygeine than I do. Which is why I propose this rule: when someone starts to brush their teeth before you do, you can NOT stop before them. I don't care if they're brushing for 3 hours, you're brushing for 3 hours and 5 seconds.

As David Robinson would say, "Anything less would be uncivilized."

Thoughts while doing laundry...

Why did Adam Sandler try to become a "serious" actor? What a failure that was... Grilled cheese is really underrated... We're supposed to get snow tomorrow. It's early October. That sucks... I think the term "Pax Romana" should be used more in everyday speech... There are too few references to the Lucitania... Did anyone else confuse the guy that directed X-Files (Chris Carter) with the Vikings WR (Cris Carter)?... I've got college football fever, and I'm not going to see a doctor... Do you think Robert "Tractor" Traylor ever actually rode a tractor? Me neither... When it comes down to it, Boron is the coolest name for an element... The terms 'chum' and 'fellow' are severly underused in today's society... Cherry pie is without a doubt the best pie. Nothing else compares... I wish more people were named Boris... The Twins OF nickname "Soul Patrol" is really freaking cool... Whether it was good enough for Bobby McGee or not, freedom is not another word for "nothing left to lose"... I bet if he really had to, George Washington would tell a lie... Over/Under on people that read this without getting bored is set at 0.5.

Guy Code

So something I was discussing earlier (here's looking at you, OTBL) made me think of the Guy Code, and different parts to it. Well, I'm bored, and I have free time, so I thought I'd look up some stuff for it, and put it here for your enjoyment.

The maximum amount of time you have to wait for another guy who's running late is 5 minutes. For a girl, you are required to wait 10 minutes for every point of hotness she scores on the classic 1-10 scale.

No man is ever required to buy a birthday present for another man. In fact, even remembering a friends birthday is strictly optional.

Before dating a buddy's ex, you are required to ask his permission and he, in return, is required to grant it.

If a man's zipper is down, that's his problem-you didn't see nothin'.

If a buddy is already singing along to a song in the car, you may not join him...too gay.

On a road trip, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the weakest.

When stumbling upon other guys watching a sporting event, you may always ask the score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who's playing.

Never talk to another man in the bathroom unless you are on equal footing: both urinating, both waiting in line for all other situations an "I recognize you" nod will do just fine.

Any dispute lasting any longer than 3 minutes will and must be settled by rock, paper, scissors. There is no argument too important for this determining method.

You have not made any mistake if you find that there are extra pieces after reassembling or assembling an object. In fact, you have just found a way to make that object more efficient.

In an empty room, car, ect., a man can not ask another man if he is mad because he isn’t talking.

A man shall never help another man apply sun tan oil.

For an even more in depth of the bathroom etiquette, go here.

*deep breath*

Saved by the Bell

This may very well be the second greatest show ever invented. The Jr. High years were decent but not great, the high school years were some of the best TV ever, and the College Years were very solid as well. As I've mentioned earlier, I find that Zach and A.C. hanging out with Screech so much to be unrealistic, but I can get past that, and see that Screech was a good character. Heck, all of the main six were solid characters, though Lisa and Jessie got on my nerves from time to time. Max was cool too, and I've actually seen him twice at magic shows at Valley Fair. The Mr. Belding laugh is an absolute classic, and he was just a good character overall.

However, the New Class absolutely sucked. Like, it may be the worst show ever created. Sadly, I don't see much or any Saved by the Bell anymore. I don't know when it's on, but I wouldn't really have time anyway. The DVD's are too expensive for me to buy, but if anyone wants to buy them for me, I'll watch them! Saved by the Bell rules.

Seinfeld

Very possibly, the best show ever created. I got Season 1, 2, and 3 as Christmas and Birthday presents, and the more I watch, the more I like. I haven't seen an episode I didn't like. So far, my favorite episode is The Ex-Girlfriend. I've heard that The Contest is in fact the best episode, but I have not been able to see it yet, but I would like to rectify that. It really is a show about nothing, and that is what makes it so enticing. I mean, look at these quotes from the show:

"I don't return fruit. Fruit is a gamble. I know that going in."
- Jerry, in "The Ex-Girlfriend"

"I may not look like a Murphy, but I act like a Murphy."
- Jerry, in "The Limo"

I can't run. I have a bad hamstring."
"How'd that happen?"
"I hurt it in a hotel room. You know the way they tuck the covers in real tight in those hotel rooms? I can't sleep like that, so I tried to kick it out and I pulled it."
- George and Jerry, in "The Limo"

"Let me tell you something, funny boy... You know that little stamp? The one that says New York Public Library? Well, that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole helluva lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before -- flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me.... Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world. What about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch of the local library and finding pictures of pee-pees and wee-wees in The Cat in the Hat and The Five Chinese Brothers. Doesn't he deserve better? Look, if you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped. Or maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld... Maybe that's how you get your kicks... You and your goodtime buddies... I've got a flash for you, joy boy. Partytime is over."
- Lt. Bookman, in "The Library"

"She needs a little tenderness. She needs a little understanding. She needs a little Kramer."
- Kramer, in "The Library"

Just a brilliant show!

Well I had some really interesting to write about...

But I forgot what it was. I'm sure it was just fascinating, but I guess we'll never know.

Well uh, how about that Wall Street? Pretty unpredictable!

Where have you gone Randy Moss?

Brilliant move Vikings.

College 2.

The time has come, I feel, to update everyone on college. It's very good. I pretty much like everything about it. The classes are much better, though some can get boring, and the fact that I have no math helps. Then again, my first test is tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. The food is good. I like the buffet system that college offers, combined with the fact that I don't have to make anything, it's made for me, and the fact that I like pop (not soda, pop!) and it's available. So that is good.

The freedom is good. However, I disagree with Janis Joplin in that freedom is not just another word for "nothing left to lose." But I do agree that it is good enough for me and Bobby McGee. But seriously college is r0xx0r.

Random Note: Aside from Joan Osbourne's "What if God was one of Us?" song, is there any song with worse lyrics than "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something? I mean, I love that song, and it was my favorite when I was younger, but they stayed together in relationship because they both kinda liked a movie? Huh?

Random Note 2: I knoew I have mentioned this before, but I am still baffled at why Zack and AC hung out with Screech! They were probably the two most popular guys in school, and by all account Samuel P. was a nerd. Seriously, did this happen in other schools? I'm just baffled.

Fire Mike Tice!

Please. He sucks.

The team wasn't ready to go at all today. Why is Loney the O-Coordinator? After countless boneheaded in-game mistakes, a couple late season collapses, still no consistency as who's even playing RB, and Mike Tice just being stupid in general, why is he coach? This team has top 5 talent, and they sucked today. Absolutely totally sucked. Culpepper sucked yes, but the gameplan was horrific. They didn't run the ball, and they got outcoached. Combined with the Arizona debacle a couple years ago, last year's collapse, and today, Tice needs to be gone yesterday.


I'm begging.

Music

I've been criticized in the past about some of the music I like, mostly by music snobs. Well, now I'm going to come clean, and reveal the music I like that that I'm most ashamed of liking. Don't laugh, because I bet you like some terrible music as well.

Ace of Base - By all accounts, they should be terrible. I don't know if they're popular or not. But for some reason, I like most of the songs I've heard by them.

Bonnie Tyler - I like the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart." I'm not proud of it by any means, but I like the song.

Bryan Adams - I've gotten quite a bit of flack about this from the OTBL jerks (:rolleyes:), but I like "Summer of '69", and I kinda like a couple other songs of his.

Deep Blue Something - I don't know if this was a popular song or not, but "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was my all-time favorite song when I was a kid, and I still enjoy it today.

Kelly Clarkson - I don't think she's awesome or anything like that, but I generally tend to slightly enjoy her music.

Mr. Big - "To Be With You" is the only song by I know, but I like it. And it's very cheesy.

Richard Marx - Now this is the one I got made fun of the most, even though I only kinda sorta like 1 song. 1 song.

Sheryl Crow - On the whole, she is total SOC, but I like the song "First Cut is the Deepest."

And that's it. But don't worry, I still hate rap "music" and country "music."

Bad News about work today.

So I got into work today at 10 AM after my first class, and for the first hour and 40 minutes, things went like usual, meaning I just sat at the computer and didn't have to do anything. Then, the boss came back with a bunch of books that needed to be shelved! This took me an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, meaning I actually had to do a little work! What an outrage!

In other news, me and my friends are starting up a fantasy football league. We have 4 teams, with 40 players each. 6 QB, 8 RB, 10 WR, 5 TE, 3 K, 5 D, 1 HC, 1 P, and 1 WR/RB. I also increased the scoring totals so that a ridiculous amount of points will be scored. Should be a good time! Draft is tonight!

Finally, anyone watch that Miami/FSU game last night? What an ugly game, but it was definitely entertaining. Drew Weathorford was absolutely horrific for FSU, but he was just a little better than the Miami special teams (2 missed FG, 1 punt blocked, 1 botched snap) in the 10-7 win. One thing I liked about the game was Kyle Wright. He struggled in the 1st quarter, but he looks like he's going to be a very good player. Him and Jeff Olsen, the TE for Miami, looked very comfortable together.

Last, someone should have told me that Intro to Fiction meant read short stories and write 2 page papers on your thoughts about the story after every class period. What a terrible class.

Coolest Job Ever.

So I've probably got the coolest job ever right now. I am a Library Assistant at the Geology Library (no, I'm not gay). I get to basically pick whenever I want to work during the day, plus I work 1-2 nights a week. I worked tonight from about 3-9.

Now remember, this is a Geology Library, AKA no one comes in there, especially at night. For example, from about 5-9, one guy came in to the library, and he made 2 copies and left. I worked on homework and surfed the internet anywhere from 4-5 hours, and I got paid for it, which is good since that's what I would have been doing anyway.

So basically, it's like the coolest job ever. So have a drink on me if you like super easy jobs!

I'm still alive...

Just busy, busy, busy. Between classes, work, homework, and friends, I've had little to post here lately. That and I can't think of anything to write and I don't want to bore the reader! Anyway, all is going well, Intro to Fiction is hard, and I've got a super-easy and cool job at the Geology Library! So when I think of something cool and entertaining to write, I'll be sure to post it. If anyone has any suggestions for something for me to write, I could use them! :D

Classes

So I've been to all my classes except the lab, but that doesn't meet until next week. Here's my general thoughts on them.

Intro to Fiction - I've already had to write two 2-page summaries on different short stories, and that's after one class. Depending on how tough the teacher grades the summaries, this could be a good class. It's fairly interesting, and though there is kinda a lot of work, hopefully it won't be too bad.

Western Civilization - meets once a week for 2 hours. The professor seemed very cool and funny after one class, but I have heard that he's not really good, and he'll just ramble on and you won't know what his main points are. But really, the class will come down to how hard of a grader he is. I think the class should be pretty interesting, but all of the tests are essays, and the difficulty of the class will depend on how hard he grades those essays.

Biology - Another really cool and really nice teacher. I've heard good things about the class and the teacher. While the subject matter may get a little dull at times (plants, etc.) the class shouldn't be too bad and shouldn't be too hard.

Intro to Space Studies - Kinda an odd class for me to take since I'm not in Aviation, but I thought it sounded interesting. We'll basically study space, as the title implies. Hard to get a read on how hard/easy the class will be, so I'll update that later on.

U.S. since 1877 - I've heard the porfessor is very cool, very nice, and very easy, which sounds great. The first class didn't do anything to dispel those notions for me. All of our tests will be multiple choice, and that's basically the whole grade. Should be a fun and interesting class.

In addition, I've already gotone job as a Library Assistant, which will probably be about 10-15 hours a week. Also, I've played for a job as Lab Assistant, and I'll find out if I get that tomorrow or Friday. That would also probably be about 10 hours a week. So depending on homework and how much I work, I could be a very busy man this semester.

College

Well, college is very good so far, especially since classes haven't started yet. :D The freedom's good, the food's good, everything is good. Well, except the extreme debt, but I'll worry about that later!

My only problem is that I have 10 minutes to get to a class that's about a minimum 15 minute walking distance, and that's not even couting the extreme cold that will hit later in the semester. So I have to figure something out there.

Other than that, things couldn't be better. However, if you'd like to donate money to help me pay for college, that'd be good. :D

Back!

Well I'm basically fully recovered, but I learned some valuable lessons.

1) Showering is very good. Because of my nose, I was not able to shower for a couple weeks, leaving me to take baths. Baths suck, especially when you're 6 feet tall and the tub is 4 feet long. But thankfully I'm past that, and I again can shower.

2) You don't appreciate blowing your nose and sneezing until you're not allowed to. I haven't blown my nose for 2 weeks, and I have to do my best to refrain from sneezing, which sucks. I should be able to do both though very soon, especially as I get better.

3) Taking a lot of pills is no fun. I had pain pills, antibiotics, claritin so i could breathe, as weel as the regular Advil/Tylenol when needed. This amounted to like 8 pills a day, which was no fun, though I did like the pain pills. :D

4) Pudding and yogurt get old fast. Very old. After about a week of straight pudding and yogurt because of the wisdom teeth removal, I don't really mind if I don't eat pudding for another year. Way too much.

But anyway, good to be back! Thanks for the well wishes!

Dear Faithful Readers,

Due to some surgery tomorrow, I'll be out of commission for a while. Unfortunately, this won't really leave me time to update my blog. Rest assured, I'm ok, but if there's no updates for a week or so, that is why.

Thanks for reading.

Ron Gardenhire

I can stay quiet no more. Ron Gardenhire sucks. There are many reasons for this. I went over one yesterday, when I talked of his use of Terry Mulholland in games within 25 runs.

But today, I want to talk about how he sets his lineup. For example, today, he decided to put Terry Tiffee is the cleanup spot. Tiffee's a decent player, probably will never be more than a bench player, but he's not terrible. However, he just got called up from the Minors a week ago. He doesn't have that much power (career .429 SLG in the Minors). He hasn't done particularly well this year. We had other options. Justin Morneau is a better hitter this year, and barrin something unexpectedc, will be a far better hitter in the future, and should be the Twins cleanup hitter for a decade. He batted 6th. Jacque Jones is also a better hitter than Tiffee, and hits for more power. He batted 5th.

Now, why does it matter, you ask. Well, twice late in the game Tiffee came up with the bases loaded. Hiss first AB, he hit the first pitch to the warning track, long fly out. Second AB with the bases loaded, he wrks the count to 2-2 before flailing (and I'm being generous calling it flailing) at a 2-2 fastball. Twins lose 4-3.

And don't even get me started on Juan Castro. He's a horrible, horrible hitter. At times, he's batted in the 2 hole this year. Seriously, he's one of the worst hitting starters in the MLB.

I've come to the conclusion that Ron Gardenhire has no brain.

Terry Mulholland

Pretend, for a moment, that you're running a Major League Baseball team. Pretend that team is in the middle of a playoff race. Pretend that team has no offense. Now pretend you are faced with the decision of whether or not to keep a 42 year-old pitcher with a 5.98 ERA on the roster. If you said no, you wouldn't, congratulations, you've got more sense than Terry Ryan.

Let's say, however, that you are the manager of this rag-tag group, and by some unfortunate circumstance, this 42 year-old guy that can't pitch anymore was on your roster. Would you pitch him in any game within 5 runs? Would 5 runs even be enough? If you say no, you wouldn't, congratulations, you have more sense than Ron Gardenhire.

At one time in his life, Terry Mulholland was probably a fine pitcher. Now, he's 42 years-old, with a 5.98 ERA, a WHIP that's over 1.5, and opponents are hitting over .300 against him. He is comicly bad on the mound (14 K in 62 IP). He's not going to get any better (heck, he's getting worse). His ERA since the All-Star break is over 12.

Still, this is not enough to get rid of him. Anyone that knows anything about baseball knows this man should not be on the roster. The Twins have multiple viable options in AAA, that are better right now, and *gasp* they could get even better. On one Twins board I frequent, he's nicknamed The Old Man (TOM for short). It is painfully obvious to every Twins fan that TOM sucks. Deep down, I bet he knows it too.

But still, Ryan keeps him on the roster. Gardenhire puts him in ballgames. Today, he was put into a 3-0 ballgame, and promply gave up 3 ER while only recording one out. Gardenhire may as well wave a white flag when he puts Mulholland in any ballgame.

Minnesota Twins, I beg you, cut him, put him on waivers, trade him, anything. Just get him off the roster.

Worst TV Ideas Ever Pt. 2

We saw #6-10 yesterday, and we'll finish our countdown of the worst TV ideas in history, and then move on to the best ideas. Let's jump in.

5. Golf/NASCAR - Maybe it's just me (and judging by ratings, it probably is), but how is this entertainment. Golf, maybe. But NASCAR? The Left Turn Circuit? Guys drive around in cars for a couple hundred miles. How can this possibly be exciting?

4. Jeff Brantley - Why, ESPN, why? Brantley is horrible. He has no redeeming value. Even Morgan and McCarver are better than this guy. He's got an irritating voice, and he's an idiot. Seriously, Ron Dibble would be right here with him, but I don't see him much anymore, which is good. Unfortunately, for one of the Twins/Yankees playoff series, he was on the crew. I barely made it through the series. Just awful.

3. Reality TV - I liked Survivor a little back in the day, but enough is enough. All of these dating shows are not reality, it's people acting. Reality TV is all MTV is these days (I think, I don't watch it anymore). Even ESPN ventured into the reality TV area, and, IMO, failed miserably. Please, make it stop.

2. Around the Horn - Competes with only the Andy Milonakis Show as the worst show on TV. Whoever the host is now is decent enough, but Woody Paige? Tim Cowlishaw? Worst of all, Jay Mariotti? These guys are bumbling idiots. How do they get a job as a newspaper writer, let alone a job on national TV. Seriously, I'm smarter than half the people on the show, and that's not good.

1. John Kruk - Of all the crap that ESPN employs (and there's a lot), no one is worse than Kruk. He was a crappy ballplayer, but his baseball career is HOF-like compared to his TV career. He's got an annoying voice, he's an idiot, and he's not exactly camera-friendly. This is a guy that contended that Curt Schilling deserved the Cy Young last year over Johan Santana because he played in a bigger market with more pressue. He routinely says that the pitcher with the most wins should be Cy Young. I guess Matt Clement should have the Cy Young this year, because he's been successful and he plays in Boston.

Hiring John Kruk was the worst idea anyone in television has ever had. And the sad thing is, they don't even know it.

Worst TV Ideas Ever

I've made a lost of the 10 Worst TV Ideas ever, and the 11 best (I couldn't narrow it down). I'll start off with the first half of the worst ideas ever, because I think writing about the best ideas will be more fun. But without further ado, here they are.

10. Law & Order SVU - Ice-T? - Don't get me wrong, this is a quality show, and I enjoy it, but Ice-T? What's he doing on the show? He's a rapper, not a detective. Maybe it's just me, but he seems to fit the role terribly. But maybe they're just trying to reach another audience with him.

9. Joey - Friends was an excellent show. The 6 stars were very good in their roles. Joey, well that was another story. I like Matt LeBlanc, but he's just not the same without Chandler.

8. Joe Morgan/Tim McCarver - I won't go into too much detail, because most everyone knows these guys suck. Badly. Here's some websites if you don't believe me.

Shut Up Tim McCarver
Fore Joe Morgan Blog

7. MTV - no music? - The very name MTV (Music Television) implies that there should be some sort of music. But near as I can tell, it's all crappy reality TV. Sure, they have TRL, but depending on who you ask, that's not music. MTV has to be one of the worst channels on TV right now, and that's too bad.

6. Trying to put Jason Alexander in another role - This was a problem for all the Seinfeld characters, you try to put them in another role, but it just doesn't work. Jason Alexander (George) has tried with such shows as Shallow Hal, and I think some show on CBS about Tony Kornheiser, but it just doesn't work. Kramer, who's real name escapes me at this moment, was amazing in that role, but just wouldn't fit in another role. It's a shame really, but George will always be George.

Coming up... Worst TV Ideas #1-5.

TWINS WIN!

The Twins finally pulled out another victory tonight, 4-3 over the Orioles. They are now 2-4 since the AS Break, with all games being 1-run games. Once again, they got very good pitching, but couldn't hit the ball, until they finally turned it on in the 9th. With Joe Mauer on first, Shannon Stewart struck out. On that pitch, Mauer stole second, and the Orioles threw it into CF, allowing Mauer to advance to third. On the next pitch, Ryan threw a wild pitch, allowing Mauer to score. LeCroy walked, Hunter singled, and then Jacque Jones hit an infield single to win it.

With this win, the Twins are now 12 back of the Chi Sox, and are tied for the wild card lead with the Yankees. Brad Radke is on the mound tomorrow night against Baltimore, looking to get the series win.

I don't know what to title this.

With one comment in the past two days (and from a guyn who just wanted me to post in his blog!), and me being kind of lazy tonight, and still preparing ideas for my next couple of ideas, I leave you all with these lyrics.

I don’t know where I’m going
But, I sure know where I’ve been
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
An’ I’ve made up my mind,
I ain’t wasting no more time
But, here I go again
Here I go again

Tho’ I keep searching for an answer,
I never seem to find what I’m looking for
Oh lord, I pray
You give me strength to carry on,
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a hobo* I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time

I’m just another heart in need of rescue,
Waiting on love’s sweet charity
An’ I’m gonna hold on
For the rest of my days,
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a hobo* I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time

But, here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go...

An’ I’ve made up my mind,
I ain’t wasting no more time

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time...

But, here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go,
Here I go again...

My suggestion for TV and Movie Producers Part 2

The sequel to Part 1. The first one had to do with somethinng that I would find funny in a show, but this one is different.

This one deals with making the audience feel emotional, or get goosebumps. Basically, the music has as much to do with this as the actual scene itself. Therefore, I have created some suggestions for appropriate music.

Funeral - The best song for this situation seems to be "Amazing Grace." Perhaps sung by an adult choir, or something of that nature. Another appropriate song is "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. However, having Will Ferrell sing this song, with Vince Vaughn saying, "That's what old people do. They die." is not going to get much emotion from the audience.

Now, let's say you want to show some old, sad scenes from a person's childhood. Usually, and I have no clue why, they'll usually show these scenes in black and white. The best music for his situation is "Dream On" by Aerosmith, or "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.

Another way is to have an older character slowly dying from something like cancer, or to have a young kid dying, with the parents standing by in anguish. The classic example of this, in my mind, is Dr. Mark Green on ER. He was dying of something, and as he lay in his hosptial bed near death talking to his family, they played "Somewhere over the Rainbow", which was very effective for them. Another example of music bringing emotion is in Rudy, at the end of the movie when he came on to the football field, and they had the dramatic instrumental music, with the proud parents looking on. That one gets me everytime.

Of course, if you do want something humorous, you can always bring out "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult, with Bruce Dicksinon saying, "I need some more cowbell!", or possibly the best SNL line ever, "I put my pants on the same way you guys do, one leg at a time. The only difference is that when my pants are on, I make gold records." Now that gets me every time.

The Mic Phenomenon

I am here to write about the Mic Phenomenon, which I have named. This relates slightly yo my entry about The Best Job Ever. From what I have noticed, when you put someone in front of a mic, they'll do their best to be a comedian, and this is something I like to call the Mic Phenomenon. We've all seen it, we just might not recognize. Put an unfunny person in front of a microphone, and if their not overly shy, invariably they'll try to be funny.

For example, when I graduated from high school, there was one parent who would always go up to introduce the next person, etc. Without fail, she'd crack a bad joke in that time. The thing about it is, I know I'd do the same thing. You would too. It's natural. If you're talking into a microphone, chances are someone's listening. So you try to impress them. Usually, you miserably fail. That's the Mic Phenomenon at work. Remember it the next time you speak in front of a mic.

My suggestion for TV and Movie producers everywhere.

Mainly for comedy guys. In every TV show or movie, there are extras. Guys that walk in the background, guys that talk on the phone, etc. These are normally just regular people that you don't even notice. But what if we made some a little more noticeable?

This is an idea me and a friend of mine had. Say you're watching a TV show, and all of a sudden a guy that looks like Abe Lincoln orders a cup of coffee in the background? How about if George Washington bumps into the main character, says "excuse me" and just walks on by? Maybe have Julius Caesar use the telephone in the background?

I promise you this, if I ever create a TV show or movie, I'm going to do this. The key is not to make a big deal out of it. Just have them walk by very innocently, doing things a normal any other extra would do. How humorous would that be, especially if you're not expecting it? Hilarity would ensue.

By the way, I've only gotten one article request thus far. Remember you can e-mail me or PM me or post a comment on here about what you'd like me to write about, and I'll do it in time. Otherwise I'm going to run out of stuff to talk about. :)

My Favorite Song of the Moment: "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits

Random Funny Quote:

Elaine Dickinson: Would you like something to read?
Woman: Do you have anything light?
Elaine Dickinson: Umm, how 'bout this leaflet: "Famous Jewish Sports Legends"?

Ouija Board

I've always been skeptical about supernatural things such as the Ouija Board, but the more I think about it, the more skeptical I become. Think about it, not only do you have to somehow contact a spirit, but that spirit has to speak your native tongue.

Now, how many times have you heard of someone using the Ouija Board to contact a spirit, and the spirit answering back in Spanish? Is it like a general ghost rule that they only speak English? When someone is trying to use a Ouija Board using English, does a Spanish speaking ghost attempt to contact them, only to be pulled back by a English speaking ghost, and having them reply? Or are all ghosts fluent in all languages of the world? Think about that next time you try to contact the spirit world.

My sense of humor.

Since hopefully one or two of you will read this, I thought I'd share a little about myself, and my sense of humor. I've been told I have good one-liners, though that is basically just in conversation. I once told someone that I'm not going to be the Best Actor, but I can fill the Supporting Actor Role. Now, mainly I just like to make fun of things, whether it be people or otherwise. I do it in a joking manner, which is ok because I can take the jokes too. (go ahead, make fun of me, see if i care!)

I can't think of the word, but I like to make fun of or mock popular phrases. Parody is the word I was thinking of, actually. Anyway, in case you have no clue what I'm talking about, here's a couple of examples that I can remember.

Other: I have to pee like a racehorse.
Me: I actually have to go like a thoroughbred at this point.

Other: I fell for it.
Me: I tripped for it, but I stayed on my feet.

Other: I'll probably study abroad my junior year.
Me: I don't get it. You're just going to study one lady, or one broad? How is this going to help?

Other: I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat.
Me: I'd probably get more than that, I don't know if a bite's gonna hold you for very long.

Anyway, in hindsight this stuff isn't very funny, but I l thought it was humorous at the time. Anyway, that's all I've got. Pretty boring.

Random Quote that I think is funny: " I don't return fruit. Fruit's a gamble. I know that going in." Jerry Seinfeld in The Ex-Girlfriend.

Best job ever.

I've done some thinking, and I'm pretty sure I know what the best job ever is.

Airline pilot.

But not for the reason you think. Sure, it'd be fun to fly to world, but I think the biggest perk of the job would be the privledge of talking into the microphone to the passengers. Seriously, you could say whatever you wanted, being that nobody really listens anyway.

"Uh, this is your captain speaking. Our departure time is 10:31 AM. I had bacon and eggs this morning for breakfast. The weather looks good right now, at about 65 degrees. I'm a big Apple Juice drinker, because it realls clears out my system. So we should be arriving at about..."

Or if you're really having a bad day...

"Good afternoon, this is your captain speaking. We've got cloudy skies today, 61 degrees out there. My wife just left me. Married for 21 years, but she's been cheating the last 10. Except a little turbulence when we get up to a higher altitude. Yeah, I flew home early one day without telling her, and there she was, with another man. I hope you're comfortable, because we've got a long flight ahead of us. Apparently, being a pilot puts you on the road a lot. Any young kids out there, don't become a pilot and try to have a family. It just doesn't work. My kids hate me, my wife left me. We'll be arriving at the destination at 3:42 PM. Enjoy your flight!"

Now, I think this would be a great perk of the job. Half the cabin would have no idea what you just said, the other half would be too confused to respond, and you get to vent about whatever you want. A win-win situation!

Welcome!

Hello everyone!

This is my first crack at a blog. I've been thinking about starting one for a few weeks now, but figured I'd start it now so that if it's a miserable failure and no one reads it will only be that much sooner that I regain my dignity!

But anyway, as the name implies, I'll basically write about anything that comes to mind. Any random observations I have, any sports thoughts I have (especially during football season), or anything else that I can think of, I'll probably put on here. I'll hopefully have a good time writing this, and hopefully at least one or two people will enjoy reading it. Some other things I'll have on here are little things about my favorite song at the moment, or a random quote that I think is funny.

One other feature that I have not found anywhere else is that you the reader can tell me what to write about. That's right, you can either post a suggestion here, email me (uclabruins24@hotmail.com) or send me a PM at one of the message boards I post at (username: twins15), and in due time I will write about whatever you tell me to write about. Bad ploy to get people to read this? Maybe. But I'll leave that up to you.

That's all I've got for now! Hopefully someone out there will enjoy this blog!