When?

When will the Boston Globe stop bashing the Teacher's Union and start bashing the policies that have created the problem?  When will ESPN stop trying to crown LeBron James before he actually wins anything?  When will people stop caring about who's boinking who?  When will Sean Carpenter decide that he is better than the candidates he endorses and run for office?  When will my son Brayden crawl?  When will the New York Jets stop talking and do what they get paid to do?  When are people going to realize there is absolutely no difference between Republicans, Democrats and investment bankers?  (They all get rich selling us a fantasy while we bust our asses and stay right where we are!)  When will MLB have a salary cap?  When will we stop calling military operations wars?  When will I finally learn that high anxiety and alcohol make me no fun to be around?  When will my father realize that sending email is less complicated than rewiring the basement?  When will Brayden's baby acne go away?  When is a fellow inmate going to shiv Bernie Madoff?  When is Lifetime going to stop making cheesy movies about men who kill women? (Aren't they supposed to be the network for women?)  When will my aunts get off their asses and come see Brayden? (Supposedly they are dying to meet him, so one could assume that they are dead by now)  When will Kim Kardashian just go the F#$% AWAY?  When will the Boston Bruins stop teasing us with a couple wins before an extended losing streak?  When will ESPN pay as much attention the Celtics or the Lakers as they do the Heat?  WHEN WILL BRETT FAVRE FINALLY F@#$ING RETIRE? When will celebrities who commit heinous crimes get treated like the rest of us?  When is this global warming thing going to actually warm the globe? (It's frickin freezing in here Mr. Bigglesworth)  When is ML going to stop inviting me to join his fantasy leagues? (It'll probably be right after football ends and after how I've acted, I can't blame him)  When is my Masters finally going to come in the mail?  When am I finally going to stop caring about shit that truly doesn't matter?  When will the Patriots win their next Superbowl?  When will M&M finally get engaged?  When is Suff finally going to realize that will while size is important, substance usually wins over flash in the end?  When will the state of Massachusetts stop voting the same tired bums in and acting flabbergasted when they screw us over?  When will I stop missing my mom?  When is it going to start to feel like Christmas?  When is Otis finally going to come to Boston?  When is my wife going to believe me when I tell her that she's beautiful?  When am I going to stop asking these questions???

Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

You don't have to like it...

Monday December 6, 2010 was billed as the NFL game of the year, an epic clash of the titans between AFC East powers; the Jets vs Patriots.  The battle of the minds, Rex Ryan vs Bill Belichik.  The battle of the QBs, Mark Sanchez vs Tom Brady.  Well, let's just say that something epic happened but it was hardly a clash of the titans.  For all the talking Rex Ryan did about how he came to the AFC East to kick Bill Belichik's ass I expected more.  Instead Rex got his every inch of his extremely fat ass kicked.  You'd think a silly fat bastard like him would love to eat, but he certainly looked he was going to choke on his tears while eating the humble pie that the evil hoodie baked for him.  I haven't seen someone look that miserable since John Candy found out he had to eat the gristle and fat left from the old 96er in The Great Outdoors.  The Jets are a sub par pretender to the throne.  They have beaten one team with a winning record this season and that was the Pats in week 2.  How was the rematch?  45-3!!  And honestly the game wasn't even that close.  The Sanchize had looked good the last two weeks in late game drives against terrible teams after his vaunted defense had blown substantial leads.  Then comes into Foxboro on Monday Night Football and throws three picks against what all the experts claim is the worst pass defense in the league!!!  Tom Brady surgically cut apart the Jets defense for over 300 yards passing and four touchdowns!!  The Jets are exactly what the Bengals were last year...  a comical sideshow with some talent and ton of hot air!!  I just don't see the Dolphins, Steelers, Bears and Bills pulling their entire starting lineups and allowing the Jets to slide into the playoffs like the Colts did for you last year!!!  So J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK fans welcome back to the real world!!!  You don't have to like it, but learn to love it.

This week marked the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  I can't help but marvel at this fact;  December 7th 1941, a date which will live in infamy happened almost 3/4 of a century ago.  We talk about freedom and rights all the time in this country, but I get the feeling that we don't always like to admit that those freedoms and rights were paid for with blood and sacrifice.  I think that is worth remembering the next time you think it's acceptable to leave your hat on during the National Anthem.  It's the land of the Free because of the Brave. To all veteran's past and present,  but especially those of WWII, I salute you.

Season One of The Event came to a close this week.  I have watched every episode of this hybrid between Lost and 24 and I have to say that I am not disappointed.  There are layers of power struggles on this show.  I am holding to firm to what I said in this blog about every time there is a black President on a show or movie an unspeakable disaster looms on the horizon.  I hope Season Two is as good as Season One.

Last week's episode of Smallville was the best one so far.  Not of this season...  but EVER!!!  The parallel universes, the two Clarks,  and the references to King Lear along with the final quote about not wanting to miss how it all ends...  BRILLIANT!

A final note that has nothing to do with pop culture.  I have been truly blessed with an amazing and beautiful wife, a healthy and adorable newborn son, and some great friends.  Sometimes I forget how good things are and only concentrate on what I don't have... and I shouldn't because I know a lot of people would kill to have what I have.  So before I sign off, I want to say to four of you out there who should know who you are...  I'm sorry I get jealous and feel left out sometimes.  I have no right to want to be included in what you have created.  I love you and hope for your continued success.

Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

Why the Sequel... Why Not?!?!

Why do you have to wait so long at the Emergency Room?  Why is the Miz the new WWE Champion?  Why aren't more people reading the Tales of Nicholas Nobody?  Why is Scrooged not running 24/7 on at least one network?  Why am I not typing this bullet style?  Why is Barrack Obama talking to Barbara Walters about Sarah Palin?  Why did Jerry Jones have to ruin the fun and fire Wade Phillips?  Why do the San Diego Chargers tease their fans with a late season run that will only inevitably end badly?  Why do my aunts still pretend to not know how to get to my house?  Why did some punk ass kid take an entire high school class hostage in Wisconsin?  Why hasn't A Little Bit of Mojo gotten a little caption on the Thread's website? (See above)  Why is it that births and funerals make us forget the reasons we stopped talking to certain people?  Why don't people quote Fight Club more often?  And for that matter, why can't I talk about Fight Club? Why are the Yankees jerking everyone around by pretending that they don't care if they sign Derek Jeter?  Why did Alan Burke rob Eric Cyphers of his first good play ever by invoking the 'arm going forward rule' at Bourbon Bowl?  Why can't Smallville be as awesome as Superman Earth One?  Why do the New York Jets and the New York Giants play in New Jersey?  Why is anyone surprised that the Miami Heat haven't lived up the hype?  Why did Boise State drop out of the top 10 in the BCS with one loss while there are two teams in the top 10 with two losses?  Why did my father in law tell me that Holy Cross beat Lehigh when in fact the opposite occurred?  Why don't fat people get asked to cook as often as big people get asked to help move stuff?  Why haven't Ben and Jenny Barrett moved back to the US yet?  Why was Aliens the only movie I could find to watch in the delivery room?  Why does everything PQ told me while I was in the Marine Corps make so much sense now?  Why do Chris Carter and Keyshawn Johnson act like they weren't prima donnas?  Why does my friend Otis still surprise me with his escapades?  Why hasn't Charlie Sheen just gotten it over with and killed a call girl yet?  Why does Congress get a vacation?  Why don't more people know how talented Terry Dolan is?  Why does the Catholic Church still pretend that requiring priests to be celibate is a good idea?  Why do I say I'm so happy that my son doesn't look like me when in reality he looks a lot like me?      Why am I suddenly so sorry for every nasty thing I've ever said to my father?  Why are Karissa and I so blessed with such amazing friends and families?  Why don't more people watch the League?  Why did that idiot in Wisconsin shoot his TV when Bristol Palin wasn't eliminated on DWTS?  Why don't more people watch The Soup?  Why don't Bill Maher, Dennis Miller and Jon Stewart run against eachother for President?  Why does Mike Long think everything is 20 minutes away?  Why does Suff pretend that he understands the concept of punctuality? Why do I still get up at 6 am when I haven't had a job since June?  Why did Richard Seymour only punch out Ben Roethlisberger?  Why did I wait till the end of this blog to tell my wife Karissa and newborn son Brayden how much I love them?

Well if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

A Misguided Idea?

If you have been following this blog then you are aware that I am a bit of a scatterbrained, sports-crazed geek.  If you haven't been reading and this is the first time that you have stumbled onto A Little Bit of Mojo... don't worry, it won't take you long to discover that I'm quite possibly insane.  I'm not looking for validation through this blog.  Quite frankly I'm amazed anyone reads it.  But I have had an idea running around in my head for almost seven years and I don't know what to do with it.  Four of my friends have a podcast that they are quite good at and has amassed a following.  I don't think the idea I have would fly in that format.  A guy I went to high school with has created an alter ego and has developed a website and video blog where he waxes poetic as a disgruntled Boston sports fan.  His name is Nick Stevens, but you might have heard of his alias Paul "Fitzy" Fitzgerald.  Fitzy's video blog is great, and because I acknowledge outright that any attempt by me to video blog couldn't hold a candle to him pretty much rules out this medium.  So I'm left wondering what to do with this idea.  I could try writing a book, but there is an awful lot of material.  I could try writing a script, but I don't know if I want to cut it all down to fit into a chapter or a "pilot" that will never go anywhere.  Well...  now that I've been babbling about how great my friends are and how not worthy I am for most of this paragraph it's probably time to share the idea.

If we haven't met then you are unaware that I spent a little over four years as one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.  That's a United States Marine to the uninitiated.  Now why do I call my time in the finest fighting force the world has ever seen the Misguided Children?  Hmm...  well that's the idea that I have been kicking around.  You see the Marine Corps has marketed itself as The Few and The Proud and rightly so, but there is something left out here.  If you haven't noticed, the best and the brightest of our high schools and our colleges don't join the military.  Our best high school students go to college.  Our best college graduates become scientists, executives, doctors, lawyers and politicians.  So who is left to join the military?  We no longer have a draft, so there is almost no chance of getting any of the aforementioned into the fray.  What is left is the people who for lack of a better description are those who either don't have another option or have a deep seeded patriotism.  So what is my point?  Somehow despite being what society unfairly calls the bottom of the barrel, the men and women who put on the uniform have taken on the monumental task of defending this nation and have done a hell of a job.

What I can't get over is some of the characters I met in the service.  When I tell stories about my time on active duty most people think I am making it up.  They don't want to believe that there could be so many completely crazy and/or completely stupid people in the Marines.  The sad truth is there are.  Unfortunately I fall into the top of the list.  I graduated from UMass Dartmouth in June 1999 with a BA in English.  After graduation I enlisted (that's right, I ENLISTED) in the Misguided Children.  I wasn't an officer, I was just a lowly Private First Class making less money per month than my college loan payments who at times had to answer to kids that were lucky to graduate from high school!?!? (Still not convinced that all of them did) Was this a crazy move or a stupid move?  No need to answer.  It was a rhetorical question.

So...  here it is..  Is there any interest in hearing about or possibly seeing the comically sad and unfortunately true tails of some of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children?  Don't worry I will change the names to protect the not so innocent and myself from any defamation lawsuits.

Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

Why?

Why are people enthralled with Sarah Palin?  Why are people still angry at Michael Vick?  Why is the show Teen Mom on TV?  Why is Tony Dungy allowed to do commentary on Sunday Night Football?  Why do we cling to the idiotic theory that if we elect Democrats over Republicans or vice versa that somehow things are going to get better?  Why does anyone listen to Kanye West?  Why is there even a discussion about Kobe Bryant being better than Michael Jordan?  Why is the WNBA still around?  Why do people call wrestling fans idiots then vote without knowing anything about what they are voting for?  Why is Michael Cole announcing on Monday Night Raw instead of Jim Ross?  Why is the NCAA lying to everyone about caring about the integrity of college athletics?  Why didn't we vote to lower the sales tax?  Why are parents the only ones who aren't to blame for children's lack of the following: ethics, intelligence, morality, empathy, and compassion?  Why are people who oppose war playing Call of Duty?  Why is serving this country in the armed forces considered a waste for our best and brightest?  Why do we seem to prefer to be protected by the lowest common denominator?  Why is it that our leaders don't like answering questions?  Why do people care what Tom Brady's hair looks like?  Why isn't Bill Belichick wearing his evil genius hoodie?  Why does any care about Prince William or any of the Royal Family for that matter?  Why hasn't my friend Sean Carpenter decided to run for Mayor of Quincy yet?  Why is my friend Terry Dolan not writing best selling novels?  Why don't you know how talented Jesse The Machine Green is?  Why aren't you all listening to The Thread?  Why is my friend Suff still calling Scott a douche when all it does is backfire on him?  Why is the news hell bent on making us feel like shit?  Why are Dennis and Callahan on NESN in the morning? Why hasn't Eric Borden sailed around the world yet? Why didn't Mississippi St pay Cam Newton instead of bitching that he wanted money?  Why don't the Patriots play the 49ers so that my bro Mark could go see them in Foxboro?  Why do good people slowly die of cancer while good for nothing, scum bags like my uncle seem to live forever?  Why hasn't Clark Kent become Superman on Smallville yet?!?  When is John Cena going to turn heel?  Why doesn't anyone care that Sylvester Stallone has been taking steroids for three decades and breaking box office records?  Why were Christmas decorations up at the mall before Halloween?  Why haven't they announced who the AL and NL MVPs are yet?  Why haven't my friends Mike and Michelle moved back to the South Shore yet?  Why hasn't Floyd Mayweather Jr. been in the news complaining about the PED problem in boxing lately?  Why did Puffy cut a youtube video about McDonalds?  Why is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows two separate movies?  Why isn't Rick Lavoie the Superintendent of Saugus Public Schools yet?   Better yet..  Why isn't he the Mayor of Saugus yet?  Why does the Parent Council care what the stars of Glee are doing when they obviously couldn't care less what their kids are doing?  Why haven't you tried Smokin' Hoggz BBQ yet?  Why doesn't Shawn Holter have Chevalier? Why is MySpace still online?  Why aren't you following my friend on Scott on Twitter or Facebook?  Why doesn't my wife know how beautiful and amazing she is?  Why does that damn black cloud haunt the penguin?  Why do we cheer in disaster movies when the dog jumps to safety as hundreds of people die?    Why am I certain that someone reading this is trying to answer these questions?

Well, if you're still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

I hope..

No excuses.  I haven't posted in a while.  My wife and I are expecting our first child any day now.  I've had a hard time focusing on miniscule events like sports and TV with such a monumental event approaching.  I find myself wondering if I'm going to be a good father.  I can be short-tempered, hot-headed, long-winded, overbearing and outright mean at times.  My son will learn how to be a man from me.  I was watching Superman The Movie and Jor-El says one of the most profound things I have ever heard about life.  Before launching his son into space and facing his own death Jor-El says "You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... even in the face of our death. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel... all this, and more, I... I bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you, all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father the son. This is all I... all I can send you, Kal-El." I hope in the years to come that I can become a better man, and that my son Brayden will make my strength his own.  I hope he will shed my weaknesses.  I hope that he will always see the world as full of possibilities and opportunities.  I hope that I can learn to once again see the world with a sense of wonder as he will. I hope that he knows without questions that I love him and will do anything for him.  I hope he grows up without a chip on his shoulder like his dad did...  There are so many more things I could say here.. but for now I will end this relatively short post with this last thought...  I hope he gets here soon.

All Charged Up

First and foremost let me say this with joy in my heart...  the Rangers won the pennant!  Let me say it again because it feels so good...  THE RANGERS WON THE PENNANT!!!  Before any Yankee fan accuses me of being just a sore loser...  YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT!!!  Why else would I subscribe to the mantra of "I root for two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beat the Yankees"?!?!?!?!  I hate Alex Rodriguez with so much passion that I can barely acknowledge how talented he is.  It's visceral and illogical yet completely real.  As much as I love all the images of the Red Sox title runs in 2004 and 2007, my favorite picture of all time is Jason Varitek punching A-Fraud in the face.  In close second is the close-up shot of him wearing those idiotic Bozo-like batting gloves slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's hand in Game 7 of the '04 ALCS.  I just think he's a total douche bag.  It was also nice to see Mark "Droop Face" Teixeira limp off the field with a hamstring injury.  Now there is a throwback player if ever there was one.  A switch hitting all star first baseman who can barely talk about baseball in a post game interview, let alone formulate a thought, and looks like he is either constantly constipated or having a stroke!!  I find it funny that so many NBA fans crap on LeBron and Chris Bosh for going to the Heat under the guise of not being able or willing to win a title on their own and be the man on their own team...  yet every F@#%ING year that is exactly what every marquee baseball free agent does when they sign with the Evil Empire. I don't recall the analysts on ESPN crushing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen like this in the summer of 2007.  Did they?  Did I just turn a blind eye?  Either way, I guess I was unaware of two truths:  1) It only takes one superstar to win an NBA title and 2) No matter what the Yankees do, it's understandable and excusable.  I feel sorry for Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera.  While I am no Yankee fan, these three players are true class acts.  They have thrived in the unimaginable brightness of the spotlight in the city that never sleeps for over fifteen years.  It's a shame that management doesn't see the wisdom in growing their own talent and teaching the Yankee way of doing things anymore.  Considering that A-Fraud and Droop Face make more than the than the whole Rangers lineup.. it might be time to change strategy.


The Pats beat the Chargers yesterday 23-20.  This game clarifies the statement that whether you win by one or a hundred, it only matters that you won.  It was ugly.  It was painful.  Even though Drew Brees threw four picks yesterday I can't help but think that Chargers fans must be wondering how they got stuck with Phillip Rivers.  He seems more like the character Ali Larter played in Final Destination Clear Rivers.  Maybe he should check himself into a ward where he can't hurt anyone else with his bad decisions.  Norv Turner sucks as an NFL head coach.  He was a great offensive coordinator.  The only head coach in the NFL that should have less job security than Turner is that lumbering bag of monkey puke in Dallas.  That being said, let me say this...  people often call Belichick a genius, if he's a genius then I'm left to wonder if the definition changed.  Fourth and one, ball on your 48 yard line, no time outs, two minutes to go and a three point lead is when you punt the ball and trust your defense to win the game.  DIDN'T YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM INDIANAPOLIS LAST YEAR?!?!?!?!  Thank God the Chargers suck so bad that they saved your ass!!!!  This team is 5-1, but they are a heart attack inspiring 5-1.  Pats fans might end up drinking more to ease their nerves regardless of the outcome.


It seems that the NFL can't get out of its own way.  On the same day that they announce a new policy that will suspend players for devastating hits, their website has stills of James Harrison leveling Brown's receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.  I don't know whether it's hypocritical or capitalistic to seek profit from something that you just labelled excessive and illegal. Personally I don't care if games end in a tie or a blowout.  And to be frank I don't really care about their safety either.  The minimum salary for the NFL in 2010 is $325,000.  That's what the fourth string guy makes!!!  The starters are all millionaires!!!  The argument for their outrageous salaries is that they can do things that ordinary people can't.  Then I will apply it the opposite way, if they are superhuman then they should be able to take superhuman punishment.  In the Marines my CO told us once "If you want to be safe then go sell shoes at Sears cuz we aren't in a safe f@#$ing business." In other words, if you don't like it then quit you whiny bitch millionaires!!  I mean you all went to college after all right?! You should be able to get decent jobs with your degrees, right?!? Oh I forgot, the only thing you learned there was how to get away with just about any crime as long as an agent doesn't bail you out of jail!!!


Well if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

A November to Remember

I just finished watching Field of Dreams for what could be the 100th time.  Every time I watch Ray Kinsella realize why the voice told him to build the field and finally play catch with his father, I break down and cry.  I cry harder each time.  I think it's because I'm getting older and the power of that scene really gets to me now.  I'm 34 years old.  I lost my mother to cancer when I was 17.  I always wonder what I would say to her when I watch that seen.  I am always afraid of what she might say to me.  When my mother was alive I was constantly afraid of disappointing or upsetting her.  Over the years when I talk about her, I make it sound like I was terrified of her.  Maybe when I was a little boy I was terrified, but as I got older and I saw the pride she had in me, the thing that scared me the most was the idea that I might give her a reason to be ashamed of me.  In the years since she passed away, I've missed her every time I accomplished something.  However, I've missed her more in the times that I've really made a mess of things.  Those times when I needed a hug and swift kick in the ass.  I've lived half my life without her and I've missed her everyday.  A friend of mine once told me that if I was able to put the past behind and not worry about what I don't have and be happy with what I do then I would be complete.  I think I may finally be there.

I usually dread the month of November.  My mom died on November 6, 1993.  Each year October creeps along and the smells of fall and the impending bleakness of winter get stronger and November lurks in the shadows bringing the emotions of this anniversary with it.  For the first time since 1993, I am not dreading the coming of November and the cold November rain, because November will take a new meaning for me this year and forever.  My wife Karissa and I are expecting our first child, a baby boy, on November 12.  I am excited, happy, terrified, and nervous all at the same time and my life has never been better.

Many of my friends who have children have given me advice and have been telling what to expect.  I don't know if they are right.  I'll tell you what I think though.  When my son is born and the nurse puts him in my arms for the first time, I'm going to cry.  I'm going to cry and smile and laugh. Then I'm going to thank God for blessing me with Karissa, who is the love of my life and my best friend.  I'm going to thank God for blessing me with my newborn son Brayden.  I hope as he grows up that I am capable of showing him that I love him unconditionally even with my tendency to be less than patient.  I hope I am capable of being half the man my father is because if I am then I'll be twice as good as most.  I know I'll wish my mom was there.  I really think that she would have liked being a grandma even if she didn't let anyone call her that.  I think it would be nice to be able to introduce Brayden to her on a softball field like in Field of Dreams.

I know I usually only write about meaningless drivel.  Maybe I do that because it's easier.  I said earlier that a friend of mine told me that I'd be better off when I could let go of regret.  She was right.  It's like Al Pacino said in The Devil's Advocate, "Guilt is like a bag of f@%king bricks.  All you gotta do is put it down."  I think my shoulders will feel a lot better with my son sitting on them than they have carrying those bricks.

Well if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

There are no points for second place!

Life it seems has begin to imitate art.  Or is art imitating life.  I don't know.  It's pretty damn confusing.  It seems like every where you look there is a call for people to stand up, stop whining and do what's supposed to be done.  Unlike my parents and grandparents who were raised to quietly deal with their issues, I was raised to express my feelings and seek to understand them.  While that is a "healthy" way to live, it seems to me that we have begun to spend more time seeking to understand how and why we feel a certain way and less time actually doing anything.  We live in world of perpetual excuses...  "I'm not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, handsome enough, funny enough, witty enough, cool enough, coordinated enough, flexible enough, compromising enough, etc" and blah blah blah.  How about this "Who gives a F@#$ enough?!?!"  There was a time when the better team won and it mattered how you play the game.  Did you try your hardest and do the best you could?  Yes? Ok, then maybe you need to work harder and get even better.  No?  Then you definitely need to work harder and get a lot better.  I never found anything wrong with Slider's line in Top Gun "Remember boys, there's no points for second place."   If you lose, you're supposed to be gracious.  If you win, you're supposed to be even more gracious.  Truthfully, when I've been on the losing side of a game (and that's been all too often) and I've had to look at the smug satisfaction of the winner trying not to gloat, it's made me angrier and more determined to come back and kick their ass the next time than if they danced in my living room.


Yesterday the Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in overtime.  The Pats came back from a 10 point fourth quarter deficit against an outstanding defense.  This in itself is not major news.  Yes the return of Deion Branch was great.  It's been a long time since Brady to Branch won games at Foxboro.  What I found interesting was a comment made by Ravens safety Tom Zbikoswsky after the game.  He muttered about the Patriots having two weeks to prepare with a bye week and still barely beat the Ravens at home and needed their best performance to do it and just wait until the playoffs, when the Ravens will roll them again, just like they did last year in the same building and ...  Is this guy kidding?!?!  Are you gonna bark all day little doggy?!?!  It should always take your best effort to beat someone.  Anything less than your best and the question should be raised about how exactly you deserve to call yourself a professional?!?! By the way the comment about the playoffs is totally premature.  It's week 5 and you play in the same division as Pittsburgh who got their swagger back yesterday!!  I'm just sick of pro athletes whining like little bitches when they lose.   Grow up!  You're a millionaire because you can play a kids game!!  And there is nothing worse than a bitchy millionaire!!


Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?  Fair question.  The midterm elections are in November.  According to the national media the Democratic party is going to get handed a major referendum from the American people.  Maybe they will.   Despite the fact that they passed health care reform, the stimulus package, and countless other reforms they'll still probably lose.  Nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy or popular.  Personally I don't like any career politician and my reason is simple; eventually they become like the Sith, only interested in keeping their power.  That's why it always easier to campaign against an incumbent than it is to be one.  It's easier to complain about what someone has done than defend what you've done.  Personally I don't care if a politician does what's popular.  If you are against a proposal then develop a better one.  And by the way, and this is for both sides of the aisle, you live and die on the taxpayer dime so don't pretend that you deserve something that we don't.  That goes for health care, retirement, tax breaks, and any other perk you think you're entitled to!!!!


Art does imitate life.  On Smallville Clark Kent is scared to embrace the possibility of what he can do because of what he has failed to do in the past.  It took a former enemy to show him that the things he blames himself for weren't his fault.  He has been hiding behind his friends and his doubts.  He seems to demand perfection from himself.  It doesn't take perfection.  It takes courage.  This week he finally stood up.  He even sort of flew.  It was nice to see.  I just sincerely hope that we don't have to wait until the final episode to see Superman. 


Well if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

Fantasy Land

NFL network aired a segment today that showed how the Ravens could shut down the Patriots.  I thought well that's original, after all they only KICKED THE SNOT out of the Pats in the divisional round of the playoffs last year..  so it stands to reason that they would need an analytic tutorial on how to do it again.  Why not show a segment that shows how a team with a sub par running game, and now that bat shit crazy Randy "the freak" Moss is gone has no deep threat can beat arguably the best defensive team in the league!?!?!  Now I realize that everybody outside of New England hates the Patriots, but how do the Ravens somehow come out looking like the more lovable franchise in this contest?  Art Modell stole the Browns from Cleveland and brought them to Baltimore!!  Ray Lewis is such a vicious bastard that he actually participated in a murder!!!  AND HE DID LESS TIME THAN PLAXICO BURRESS DID FOR SHOOTING HIMSELF!?!?!  I know that was like forever and a day ago..  but so was the last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl.  Get over hating TFB for being an every man hero.  Get over hating the hooded evil genius that lurks the sidelines muttering "Something.. something.. everything is proceeding as I have foreseen it." In terms of franchises that create reasons to hate them I still don't think the Pats have crossed the threshold of the Red Wings and their fans (Is there anyplace on earth worse than Detroit!?!?!), the Lakers with their rapist superstar (Kobe Bryant) and their resident psycho (Ron Artest), the Cowboys with their how in the name of all that's holy does this white haired ass bag hack head coach still find work??? (Wade Phillips) and supremely overrated douche bag quarterback (Tony Romo) and finally there is that baseball team from New York. (I can't say anything else about them because kids might be reading!!)

Damn!!  I just re-read what I wrote...  I think I have some unresolved sports issues!! HA!  Speaking of unresolved sports issues... fantasy football is in full swing again!! I can't help but wonder exactly how this is fun?!?  Every Sunday and Monday I watch the scores and stats of players and games I couldn't care less about in the hopes of beating one of my friends in a game that requires nothing more than clicking a mouse and moving a player.  At least an online match on Madden is interactive!!  Even after I said that I'm probably going to post this blog and then fret over which RB to start this week.  I'm addicted to make believe coaching!  And I'm not alone!!  It's like four square. Considering this rampant epidemic of the make believe taking over the real...  maybe we are in the Matrix!!!  Or maybe we're at level one of Inception...  wherever we are it feels like up is down and left is friggin diagonal!!

This is an election year.  The most fascinating thing is that the level of political discourse in this country has been reduced to the lowest common denominator.  Professional wrestlers say less offensive stuff about their opponents and the fans than politicians are saying lately.  One guy lies about being a Vietnam veteran. One woman can't decide if she's a witch.  A certified whack job from Alaska has become the spokesperson for the Tea Party Movement.  A B-Movie actor and political satirist has somehow become the voice of reason.  Rush Limbaugh did a guest voice on the Family Guy.  Let me say that again... RUSH LIMBAUGH DID A GUEST VOICE ON THE FAMILY GUY!!!  At some point we should all be asking ourselves the simple question:  Is this really the best we can do?  Do I really want a government run by people who are so eager to be zealots that they say "You're either with us or against us."  This has been going on for a decade.  Wrestling got clean and politics got straight crazy!!! 

Well if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

Hypothetically speaking...

There are a bunch of cop shows on syndication throughout the late afternoon.  In fact USA Network has Law and Order SVU and NCIS on from 2 pm til 8 pm nightly.  With almost 1000 channels I think you can probably find one of the many incarnations of Law and Order or CSI on 24/7.  After watching many an hour of these poignant legal investigative dramas, I have come to the following hypothetical conclusions: 1) If you want to murder someone, you're better off killing someone you don't know. It will seem totally random and there will be no way to trace it to you.  2) If you want to kill someone you know then you must make sure that you have never, and I mean never, gotten into any type of argument with the intended victim.  If you have ever shouted at or threatened your intended victim then you have pointed the finger at yourself...  you are better off with a passive aggressive approach where you infuriate them.  3) You can't kill the person in your house or their house or where either of you work.  4)  The actual place of the murder should be dark with no cameras and no witnesses.  I repeat NO CAMERAS OR WITNESSES!!!  5) If you write down what you did or tell even one person, the cops will find them both...  SO SHUT YOUR F@$%ING MOUTH!!!  6) If the cops bring you in for questioning, for the love of God remember the final part of rule number four and SHUT YOUR F@$%ING MOUTH!!!  Remember what Agent Kujan said in The Usual Suspects "First day on the job, you know what I learned? How to spot a murderer. Let's say you arrest three guys for the same killing. You put them all in jail overnight. The next morning, whoever's sleeping is your man. You see, if you're guilty, you know you're caught, you get some rest, you let your guard down."  Or to put it simpler..  if they arrested you then one of two things is happening;  they either made a mistake or they caught you.  Either way, it's not your job to make theirs easier.  How many times have you watched one of these shows where you know, absolutely know, that the cops don't have squat to make a case yet they get the moron to admit it!!!  And finally 7) Don't take the stand at your trial.  You will lose!!  You were dumb enough to commit a crime and get caught...  you're not smart enough to talk your way out of it!!  If you were then you wouldn't be on trial!!!


This list is meant to be light hearted and sarcastic and to thicken the plots of TV cop shows and movies.  The sad truth is that every day you can watch the news and see murders, rapes, assaults and any other despicable acts of violence and no matter how hard the cops work they never seem to catch the perpetrator unless they slip up or come forward because they want to get caught.  Even sadder is the fact that even in a society where the media saturates us with violence to get us to watch, they go to the next gruesome story faster than a man will click channels on Sunday afternoon.  And we forget.  The Herald and The Globe constantly report on the rising level of violence in the city of Boston, but you don't read nearly as many headlines about arrests and convictions.  And we forget.  Everybody says "I don't watch the news because it's too depressing."  Yet the ratings for the shows I mentioned earlier are the highest on TV.  There have been six SAW movies and two Hostels.  If the news is too depressing yet the most popular shows and movies that people watch are gruesome and horrifying then it seems there is disconnect that needs to be addressed.  Everybody loves reality shows yet they don't seem want to see it up close.


Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

It'll get worse before it gets better.

I don't know who coined the phrase "It'll get worse before it gets better" but I think the writers of some of my favorite TV shows and even the GMs of my favorite teams subscribe to this line of reasoning.  I don't know exactly what the writers of Smallville are going for but one thing is crystal clear:  They are taking their sweet time getting there!!  Friday nights episode seemed like a bizarre combo of the movie Iron Man and the Star Wars prequels.  Clark Kent is so consumed by doubt that now they are claiming he will either be the savior of Earth or the weapon of it's destruction.  Sounds an awful lot like Yoda's speech "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.  I sense much fear in you."  Only on Smallville this line of reasoning is delivered by Supergirl!  SUPERGIRL?  SERIOUSLY!?!?  She is a second tier comic book spinoff character!!  This has been going on for a damn decade!!!  And then they have Oliver decide to reveal to the world that he is the Green Arrow.  Been there!! Done that!!  It was called Iron Man!!!  So what's going to happen next week? Is Nick Fury gonna show up with friggin Bruce Banner???  I swear to God waiting for Kent to become Superman is turning out to be as infuriating as waiting to find out how Lost can be explained scientifically!!!

I realize that I constantly harp about Smallville.  I can't help it.  Superman was a staple of my childhood.  When Smallville came out I was intrigued by the concept of seeing how he becomes Superman.  In my mind that meant harnessing his abilities and learning to control them.  Smallville however seems to focus more on his learning to cope with his humanity.  Superman is not human.  Why do we want him to be human?  If he were human then he couldn't do the things that make him Superman!!!  I don't want Superman to have doubts.  Doubts are a weakness.  Maybe the master plan is for him to conquer them and come out stronger but it seems to make for more annoying TV than compelling TV.

Hawaii 5-0 is a great show.  It's like watching Law and Order meets Mission Impossible meets CSI.  The comic chemistry between Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan is on point.  And if you missed the interrogation scene with the sharks on the last episode then you should watch it on demand.  

I don't know why the Patriots traded Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.  Moss and Belichik both had press conferences and nobody said anything inflammatory about the other.  In fact, it sounded more like the loved each other.  So Moss is gone and now the Patriots are going to attempt to go back to a pass on every down but try to shorten the field offense?!?!  All because according to the experts that's how they won three super bowls?  The league has changed since then.  That was why they went out and got Moss in the first place.  I guess we'll see what happens but this whole thing is just weird.

On a more personal note.  Karissa's baby shower was this weekend and it is almost overwhelming how much love and support was shown.  Thank you so much to my mother and father in law and sisters in law as well as Danni, Elise, Maura, Leigh, and Sarah.  Thank you as well to my cousins Shannon and Kelley.  It took a while but I figured out how to combine the car seat with the stroller and also how to collapse the stroller.  I think it's safe to say that my son will be a well-dressed little man and will be riding around in style.  Less than a month to go.  I know Karissa can't wait.  I love you Babe.  I can't wait to meet our son.

Everyone's expendable

Today is October 6th 2010:  It is cold, wet and miserable in Massachusetts today.  The topic for the day seems to be The New England Patriots traded Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2011 Third Round Draft Pick.  This is comical to me in so many ways.  How does this help the Patriots right now?  It doesn't.  How does it affect perception of Randy Moss?  Depending on how you view the Patriots management you either think we don't need him cuz he's just another player or your arm is tingling cuz you are about to have a stroke wondering how they can be so monumentally stupid.  I don't know how I feel about this.  I think Randy was destined to leave at the end of the season.  His 15 minutes of crazy press conference telegraphed that.  Maybe I was hoping that he and TFB would have a swan song season for the ages on his way out.  Now we'll never know.  What we do know is that every one's expendable.  You can't watch sports and not know this. I guess that's what I think is sad.  Sports is such a mirror of society, although in most instances a perversely warped one.  When teams trade away talented players for the future they pretend that they are actually interested in the future.  This is the absolute best way to downsize a company and make it look like they care about the future.  The Pats just dumped a guy they knew would cost them a ton of money to re-sign.  He will be branded a malcontent now by the fans in New England and people will act like he never did anything of value while he was here.  This is a sign of things to come.  Not just for the Patriots either.  The NFL probably won't have a season next year.  Why?  Because of rampant and unmitigated greed on the part of the owners and the NFLPA.  Should this be a surprise?  No.  Like I said, sports are a warped mirror of society.

You can call it bitterness.  You can call it agitation.  You can call it disgust.  You can call it confusion.  You could even call it the grief cycle.  What you can't call it is smart.  What you can't call it is good business.  What you can't call is the right move.  I'm a teacher.  I'm good at my job.  I'm highly qualified.  I have busted my ass to get a Master's Degree.  I hold my students to a high standard.  I try to remember that just like when I was in school, there is more going on with a student than what they do in my classroom.  I knew going into education that I would never get rich.  I am cool with that.  What I'm not cool with is the current movement in education that seeks to reform everything except what the students learn and achieve. There is constant talk about the achievement gap, which by the way is a real thing.  It is based in the socioeconomic structures that we ignore.  I worked in an underperforming urban high school for the last three years.  We had an extended day, more time on learning, more teacher accountability, more authority for the principal, more autonomy from the union contract...  do you know what happened?  If you guessed that it didn't work...  then you guessed right.  Do you know why it didn't work?  Because at the end of each year one third of the staff left.  When I left at the end of last year there were only 20 people still working there that were there when i got hired.  Compare that to the average suburban high school where you can see the same teachers and administrators for 20 years.  This is despite the fact the Boston Public Schools pays an average of $15,000 more a year than the suburban schools do.  Schools are supposed to be the one place that youth can find some sense of stability and continuity.  Most of the teachers that freshman students have this year won't be there when these students graduate.  The English High School in Jamaica Plain had 65 teachers working there last year.   40 teachers were given their walking papers in the spring of 2010.  The replacements that were hired are all from a highly touted program called Boston Teacher Residency.  BTR is a program that takes people from other lines of work and puts them into the classroom within one year.  Or in other words, it's the exact same thing as hiring a bunch of graduate students.  So a struggling school got rid of forty seasoned teachers and replaced them with forty first year teachers.  This is viewed as progressive in the current political climate.  They are planning for the future like the Patriots did.  They will train these new teachers to be better than the malcontents they replaced.  After all, it must be the teachers fault that the scores are low and the dropout rate is high and not the apathy of parents and politicians.  It is ironic that the politicians talk about cutting costs surrounding education with teacher layoffs because the teachers they layoff make the least money!!!  Nothing is going to change.  These new teachers that were brought in will either burn out or get replaced in three years.

Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that's the case then you have my sympathies.

No ordinary post

Baseball season for Red Sox fans came to an end this weekend!!  After the way this season has played out all I can say is thank God!  THANK GOD!!!  With the injuries and up and down way this team played I am relieved that it is over.  The only bright side to all this is that on the final weekend of the season the Red Sox stopped the Yankees from winning the division and home field advantage in the playoffs (Yes I am well aware that it is sour grapes and I don't care!!).   On a more personal note:  I couldn't be happier that baseball's regular season is over because that also means that my Fantasy Baseball season is over.  The only consolation is that there wasn't any money involved...  and that is the only consolation!!!  I have several friends who run three fantasy teams and I am convinced that they either have infinitely more patience and time on their hands than I do or they are gluttons for punishment!!!  Either way I think it would be more entertaining to dig for change in a jar filled with alcohol and barb wire than to play fantasy baseball next year!!!

While we are on sports...  if you haven't seen the footage of Nate Robinson dunking on an unsuspecting Shaq then you missed out!!  Speaking of the Celtics... my sister in law made their cheerleading squad!!!  Congrats Kaitlin!!!

So New England and Miami are on Monday Night Football this week!!!  I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I would really like to see the defense that shut down Cincinatti show up tomorrow night instead of the one that pissed away a game to the F@$%ING JETS and did the best it could to blow a lead against the Bills.  And is it too much to ask for the offense to show up, move the God damn chains and score in the second half?!?!?!  Since Tom Brady became the starting QB of the Patriots the only team in the AFC East that the Patriots have a losing record to is the Dolphins!!  THE DOLPHINS!?!?!?  SERIOUSLY?!?!?!  I don't even know if contempt and hatred are strong enough words to describe how I feel about the Miami Dolphins!!    In 1985 Pats fans shouted "Squish the Fish" during the AFC title game.  I think they let the Dolphins off easy.  Consider that some people boycott tuna because fisherman kill the dolphins that get caught in the nets.  Rather than squish the fish I'd like to see the Patriots make tuna salad out of these sorry ass, can't run a pro style offense, douche bags!!!  At least the NFL remembered to schedule the second game in Foxboro in December!!

This past week saw the premier of No Ordinary Family and it is an AWESOME show!!!  It's light, fun, exciting and more than just a live action Incredibles like I initially thought it would be.  Michael Chiklis makes his long awaited return to television.  I loved The Shield and consider Vic Mackey to be one of the great antiheroes of television history right next to Jack Bauer and John Locke.  I was apprehensive about him playing a character that wasn't as edgy.  He is still edgy but it is mixed with a humor that is fitting and campy.  The most interesting new power in the family is the daughter's ability ton read minds... there is a scene where she is playing basketball and can here all the other players thoughts that is absolutely hysterical!!!  This show has a ton of potential!!  I am really looking forward to seeing how this show plays out.

Smallville's final season has yet to disappoint although it does tend to be melodramatic with the destiny angle.  I am waiting patiently for the transformation.  This week saw the  introduction of Cat Grant...  a bubbly, prissy little blonde reporter that I can't help but hope will die in a truly horrible way.  I know that sounds bad but it has to happen...  this character is just awful.

The Big Bang Theory saw the introduction of the Shelbot!  If you don't watch this show you really should.   Bizinga!  Kenny Powers starts out the new season of Eastbound and Down living in Mexico as a cockfighter!!  His midget sidekick is awesome!   This might be the first character who's more over the top than the main character, and that is really over the top!!! HA!!

Finally, I think that Boardwalk Empire is great.  If you were a fan of the Sopranos, Deadwood or Rome and have been missing grittiness and raw appeal then this is the show for you.  It's funny that I find myself rooting for the characters that are supposed to be considered scum, maybe it's cuz secretly we all wish that we could get away with it.  Steve Buscemi has finally found the perfect role for his talents.

Well, if you are still reading this then you obviously have as much time on your hands as I do and if that is the case, then you have my sympathies.

Random Thoughts

The Patriots beat the Bills 38-30.  EXCUSE ME!?!?!  38-30?!?!?!   Let me see if I understand this correctly...  the inept, incapable, worst offense in the NFL and the worst team in the AFC East got into a shooting match with the Patriots!?!?!  I thought before this game that anything less than a 10 point win would basically be a loss for New England.  If the friggin Bills can put up 30 on the Pats defense then how many points will the Colts and Satan Manning put up?!?!?!?!  Christ Brady and Co will have to score touchdowns on every possession to keep up with them!!!  I hope this mediocre secondary figures out that they are professionals at some point this season!!!!  Or I hope that Bill either decides to promote a defensive coordinator or at least decides to start video taping opposing teams signals again...  cuz this is just ugly.  I realize that they have only played 3 games, but this team already looks like the latest version of Boston's Cardiac Kids.  

Speaking of cardiac kids...  the Red Sox took two out of three against the suddenly fallen back to earth and looking vulnerable Yankees.   I honestly don't know what's worse: having an injury obliterated season that will mercifully end in 6 games or having looked invincible for the whole season only to appear to be limping into the playoffs in (cough) second place? I guess we'll see in a week or two.   New York fans I can almost sympathize with what you are witnessing having seen it happen so many times to my team... instead of cheering and walking around with your chests out, you are shouting at the TV "OH COME ON!!  WTF!!"  Been there done that!!!  

College football needs a playoff...  COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEEDS A PLAYOFF!!!  Division I scholarship athletes should get paid...  DIVISION I SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETES SHOULD GET PAID!!!  It's a total insult to anyone who pays attention that the BCS is an adequate substitute to a tournament!!  I don't say this because I'm a Boise State Fan, personally I could care less about the Bronco's and their blue field...  they whacked themselves by staying in the WAC!!!  If you need to see how competitive the Big 10 is look at Ohio State's bowl game record the last few years!!! #1  Alabama beats # 10 Arkansas by 4 and stays at #1 yet Arkansas drops to #15.  If you look at both the AP and Coaches polls there are six teams in the top 25 with loss ranked higher than undefeated teams!!!  USC returned their copy of Reggie Bush's Heisman trophy because he has been accused of taking money from an agent, yet OJ Simpson's Heisman is still on display at USC!!!  Maybe if USC's athletic department had paid Bush with the millions of dollars that they made off the bowl games he helped win and likenesses of him they used to sell merchandise then he wouldn't have had to take money from an agent.  An NCAA athlete taking money isn't new...  Charles Barkley said playing in college was the easiest money he ever made!!!  And where are the sanctions against The Florida Gators who have 27 players arrested over the last six years?!?!  

9/11 meets Memento meets Lost meets 24... better known as The Event.  That statement is not a dismissal of the show.  On the contrary, it's an acknowledgement of how complex this show is, or at least how complex it wants to be.  I watched the pilot episode twice.  After I watched it the first time, I said that I would keep watching it in order to pick it apart because of its obvious flaws:  Unrealistic, erratic, destined to fall flat on it's face.  In the end that may be what I end up doing, but since I have all this free time, I watched the pilot again.  I'm intrigued.  This shows jumps back and forth through time and across characters backstories, not as seamlessly as Lost did but similarly.  This could be a star turn for Jason Ritter who plays Sean Walker.  After watching the pilot episode twice, the major question I have regarding Sean is how exactly this kid without any links to power or training is going to be a player in this story line.  In similar instances on other shows the character had some background that he could draw on to help him.  So far all Sean Walker has is a daredevil disregard for his own safety.

Finally, the last season of Smallville began on Friday night.  I haven't watched this show in at least five years.  I have been disgusted by the simple fact that I view Tom Welling's Clark Kent as a sniveling, douche bag, not worthy of being the greatest superhero ever.  After all he's supposed to be Superman not Superpussbag!!!  The suit is ready...  the world is ready...  can Clark finally close the deal!?!?  It looks like the switch might have finally been turned to on.   Whether it is called the Justice Society or the Justice League, Superman is not just a member...  Superman is the LEADER!!! I said I would watch this show again when he bacame Superman, so I am watching the final season and I sincerely hope the writers are smart enough to bring back Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luther.  For this show to close properly it must come full circle, and Welling needs Rosenbaum.  

Well, if you are still reading this then you must have as much free time as I do and for that you have my sympathies.

This is a test. This is only a test.

Two of my dearest friends got married on July 30, 2010.  It was a beautiful ceremony and there were many wonderful pictures posted here.  Unfortunately the pictures of me weren't so wonderful.  I looked bloated and puffy and just plain fat.  When I saw the pictures I got on the scale and gasped when I saw what I weighed.  I would like to say that I said at that moment that enough was enough.  But I didn't.  I just kept on eating and drinking and treating myself like crap.  Then on Monday September 6th, something happened that literally got me off my ass.  I sat down on my couch and I heard it croak.  Then the frame broke under me!!  Let me say that again "THE F*@%ING FRAME BROKE UNDER ME!!"  The couch is a little over a year old and the frame broke under me!!  I didn't tell a lot of people about this.  I did tell my friend ML what had happened along with some other things that had been happening. He told me that it reminded him of the scene in Tommy Boy when he sat on the bench, after finding out that he had failed and his family had deserted him, and it collapsed to which Tommy says"I could have done without that."  Well I could have done that without that too.  So I made a couple changes that day.  On September 6th I weighed 324 lbs.  Today is September 24th and I weigh 304 lbs.  Now I know that is not earth shattering, but it is a good start.

Now dropping this weight has made me feel better and lighter, like dropping a bag of bricks.  I would like to give some credit to my friend ML for his witty and timely comment.  I have been blessed with some funny and bright friends.  They have created a podcast where they share their observations and experiences.  You can take a listen to it by using this link, What The Thread did with its Summer Vacation...http://threadcast.podomatic.com/.  They have been working really hard on this and I hope you will give them a listen.

I don't have a job right now...  so I find myself with a ridiculous amount of spare time,  While scouring the internet for a job and typing and sending out resumes, I usually leave the radio or the TV on in the background.  Here are some random thoughts on what has been on or advertised on TV the past week:

Pats vs Jets on 9/12:  The Slouch burns Darelle Rivas for a spectacular TD catch only to be outdone later in the game by Braylon Edwards TD catch and subsequent taunting penalty.  The Pats lost the game but somehow I still feel better about the team led by Belichick, TFB, White Wes and Crazy Ass Randy than I would about Sexy Rex and his team of fun loving, skirt chasing, sexually harassing, drunk driving, trash talking J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK  second tier New York B-team.  This team make Kenny Powers seem level headed and reasonable!!!

(Side Note:  Is it karma that Edwards was arrested for a DUI at 5 am later in the week?  I think so.)

Can anyone explain to me how Teen Mom, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Jersey Shore, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars and American Idol are "reality shows"?  The funny thing is that the same people who watch this slick, prepackaged trash claim that pro wrestling is fake!  The fact that Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino could make close to five million dollars this year is outrageous, disgusting and insulting to every fiber of my being!!!  

So this is premier week for 2010 fall season and it seems like it could be a good one.  That being said it should be noted before I have even seen an episode of either Outlaw or The Event that NBC seems intent on trying to recycle the cast of LA LAW. Outlaw seems intent on destroying the career of one of the finest dramatic actors television has seen in a long time by giving him the dumbest possible premice...  A supreme court justice thinks he can do more in private practice?  Are these people retarded?   The Event looks like a bizarre Jericho, Lost, 24 knockoff without the intelligence or Jack Bauer!!! Has anyone else noticed that when a show uses a black actor to play the President an unspeakable disaster looms on the horizon?!?!?!?  And what the hell is Skeet Ulrich doing on Law and Order LA?!?!  I thought he was friggin dead!!  And finally...  wait for it...  Smallville season 6 years longer than it should have run appears to FINALLY be ready to let Clark Kent become SUPERMAN!!!  Not bad for the show that swore he'd never fly but had no problem taking the coolest superhero ever and turned him into a self-doubting pussbag who can't ever seem to get out of his own way and lacks any type of ability to see the signs that a trap is closing in on him!!!  Quentin Tarantino's description of Superman in Kill Bill Volume 2 would be a welcome change!!!  One can only hope!!

If you are still reading this then you must have as much free time as I do and if that's case then you have my sympathies.