I like Swiss Cheese.
So the time has obviously come for another livejournal entry. I figured since I am unable to study for Mike Brown’s exam, and I slept through my wake-up call for work, I should update this bad boy. A lot of goings-ons in life… Okay, not really, but I will once again indulge myself.
I was cleaning the bathroom sink at 2am (The Sam-Is-Anal-And-Neurotic Rant)
First, the “personal” stuff. I think I am slowly losing my mind. My apartment is messy, and it will always be messy. It just “looks” messy, the construction of it, the shower, the white tiles on the floor. But, I have become so neurotic that I am not only picking up after Chris and Jon (the living room table and the kitchen table must be spotless!), I am also constantly armed with my bleach spray cleaner. I cleaned the bathroom sink at 2am last night for God’s sake! I don’t know, I guess being addicted to cleaning the living environment is a good neurotic tendency. Chris doesn’t seem to mind, except to laugh at me, and I don’t care what Jon thinks.
Also, I still suffer from what Aaron Pring called in high school “Big Super Party and Sam’s Not Invited” Syndrome. I constantly think I am being left out of something huge. Like, all my friends are going to a huge “No Sam’s Party” (note the Simpsons reference for bonus awesome points), and there’s one Sam there, but it can’t be me. Example; this weekend Dave, A-Mac and Amy Cherry ventured to Nick Bragg’s home on the Cape. Dave assured me (and I do trust Dave), that the trip was impromptu. But, in my crazy mind, they’re hanging out without me! They don’t want me there! It must be me! Okay, its not as complicated as all that, and I know it, but the fact that I need to go through that whole mental process is slightly unsettling…
The Case For Paul Pierce… (The Celtics Rant)
Basically, I don’t understand the constant obsession the national media especially has with trading Paul Pierce. He is a stud player in his prime. But, I don’t believe he is a stud player in his prime ready to drop off. Pierce is 29 years old and a five-time All-Star. He has another 5-6 years of top level play in him. If the Celtics tank this season, and get a top draft pick, maybe even Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison or UConn’s Rudy Gay, keeping Pierce is essential. Two years down the line, a starting five of Delonte West, Paul Pierce, Adam Morrison, Al Jefferson (I’m coming back to this…) and Kendrick Perkins is looking pretty good. Let’s examine it, first, putting Pierce at the two-guard, what a matchup nightmare! He’s huge for that position at 6-6, 230 lbs… I realize that resigning Pierce this summer (Yes, I am for it), means giving up on Gerald Green. I like what I have seen from Gerald Green, but why bank on him, when we’ve already got the Truth? Green could be dealt to seriously improve the Celtic’s floundering bench (I predict a desperate need to upgrade at the guard positions). Also, Al Jefferson, I love Al… Sometimes. I know it is not due to a lack of effort, but his defense is come-and-go and his offense just isn’t there yet. If the Celtics snatch a Morrison or a Gay in the draft, they’ve got to think they can be vaulted to contention with an upgrade from Jefferson to Toronto’s Chris Bosh. In the NBA, all trades need to match up economically under the cap, so if the C’s throw in some money and Big Al to Toronto in order to sign Bosh to a max deal? Seems like a good deal to me. I know I am dreaming right now, because all of this involves a great deal of luck for the Celtics in the lottery (which, yes, they have not had recently), and the free agent market (I think it’s a sure thing that Bosh would take shorter money at his age to get out of Toronto).
The Case for Paul Pierce was born of the Cleveland game right before the break. Pierce played like a man possessed and put up fifty points, taking it right at the Next Coming in Lebron James (who was probably even better in the game). Pierce attacked the basket the entire game, and demonstrated his greatest intangible: his amazing ability to draw phantom foul calls and get to the line. The call that put Pierce at the line at the end of regulation was TOTAL horseshit, and I love Pierce for it. Pierce is a top-shelf NBA player, and there is no reason the Celtics cannot build around him still…
Hey Manny, Ortiz says you’re in Turin. Have a great time, be sure to bring back some cool stuff for us. Make a detour and check out all of Europe, just be sure to be in Arlington, Texas at 2:05pm on Monday April 3rd. I’ll tell Francona to pencil you in at the four spot! (Brief Manny Rant)
Before the spring training media circus begins. I don’t doubt that Manny will be late reporting. But, I could not be too surprised if he arrived on time. Yes, then oft-repeated phrase that was Ortiz’s shirt as he arrived in Fort Myers yesterday, “Manny Being Manny.” I really couldn’t care less if Manny showed up anytime before he’s set to bat in Arlington for the season-opener. Professional sports are not fair, and certain players, certain batters who are penciled in for 40 homeruns and 130 rbi’s get preferential treatment. How angry can I get about that? I often hear the Boston fans’ spiel: “If Manny couldn’t hit a baseball, he’d be just another loser.” But, yeah, he can hit a baseball, so he’s not just another loser. Live with it. Call me when the porcelain statue that has become Trot Nixon needs to sit down for 30 games. He’s a white homegrown player, so he gets a pass…
Adebisi Pricked Me With An AIDS-Infected Needle… (The OZ Rant)
Season Five of OZ has been completed by me, and I enjoyed it immensely. Season Six, the final season, is not available on DVD, so I was unable to watch it from Netflix. I have always enjoyed OZ, and you know that huge pink box with all the Sex and the City discs in it (It’s my sister’s, I swear)? When they make the big, black, bar-encrusted OZ box set, I will most assuredly purchase it, even if it is upwards of 200 buckaroos. Tom Fontana wrote almost every episode of OZ, which I think gave it this great sense of continuity. Yes, there is a tremendously large amount of killing on the show, more than there probably is realistically is in prison. But, the average detective pulls his gun three times in his whole career, and never really tracks down crime in progress, yet, on NYPD Blue it seems to happen every week. Conclusion: Exaggerated action is needed to move the plot along. Upon watching a few OZ episodes with me, Joe Maxwell recommended The Wire to me, which I will soon get from Netflix after I blow through some movies I put off while I was on the OZ binge. He also recommended Fontana’s other brainchild, the short-lived Homicide: Life on the Streets, which I will also watch. I am currently reading Gangsters by Lorenzo Carcaterra (of the Sleepers fame). I think I am on a bit of a crime/mystery kick right now…
I don’t believe I posted this before… If you liked Seinfeld or OZ, this should tickle your fancy …. Okay, fine, I will never use the phrase “tickle your fancy” again. Or “the cat’s pajamas” for that matter…
Just a quick, youtube.com is coming under fire from NBC for having SNL clips available on its site. They obviously cited the wildly popular “Lazy Sunday” (Chronic-what? Cles of Narnia) clip. So, go there and get your SNL while you still can…
NBA All Star Weekend… I wanna go!
I have not decided if I will turn this into a long tangent or not. But, the NBA All-Star Break, which is widely considered one of the biggest parties of the year, seems to try to deny its own audience. So does the NBA in general really. Let’s accept the NBA for what it is: a bunch of tattoo-infested dead beats months behind on child support slacking on defense, because they can make it up on offense by jumping to the ceiling. See? I can admit it. If you want to see “real basketball,” as defined by Adolf Rupp of Kentucky or Bobby Knight, go to college ball (I watch both religiously), but the NBA is different, and I accept it. The NBA, as a result, appeals to a younger audience. A hip-hop-oriented audience. But, the All-Star weekend was highlighted by performances from Carrie Underwood of the American Idol fame! Houston, Texas has a huge booming rap scene, and it wasn’t acknowledged at all. And the celebrities in the crowd? Well, let’s just day it was more Jay-Z than Tim McGraw. I just don’t see what the great crime is in the NBA acknowledging its audience and young and hip, and not as old as the NFL or MLB audience. And not as invisible as the NHL’s (ZING!).
Some day, somehow, I will go to the NBA All-Star game. It just seems like a lot of fun. All the big names show up for it, the parties are notorious. If pictures are any indication, you should probably steer clear of Nelly or Jay-Z, lest the bling blur your eyesight permanently. Well, I guess if you’re a dude, and you see Sean Carter with Beyonce… Yea, you might have to drop to your knees, and bow.
I think I will name my fantasy baseball team “Dude-atude,” here’s why…
The Latest Mixtape from SamCo: “Wars Happen Over A Game of Checkers.” (Yes, a nod from OZ, and its brilliant narration from Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau of the unwatchable Lost).
I have been pairing this down for a while… I want to have it go out tonight to some friends as we bask in 24 glory…
If you want a copy, let me know, I will get it to you when I see you next… And, Chris O’Neill, if you want one, just drop me an address…
1. Fight Test 4:14 The Flaming Lips
2. Can't Stand Losing You 3:03 The Police
3. The Zephyr Song 3:52 The Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Fatman 3:17 Big D And The Kids Table
5. The Lament of Pretty Baby 3:15 Cursive
6. As One (Featuring Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Young Guns, Peedi Crakk, Sparks & Rel 3:48 Jay-Z
7. Hard to Explain 3:46 The Strokes
8. Zanzibar 5:13 Billy Joel
9. Gunz Yo 3:03 Sage Francis
10. Company Calls 3:19 Death Cab for Cutie
11. If You See Her, Say Hello 4:49 Bob Dylan
12. Pale Green Stars 4:17 Everclear
13. War No More 3:59 Wyclef Jean
14. Leave it Alone 2:04 NoFX
15. Shook Ones Pt. II 5:26 Mobb Deep
16. The Nurse Who Loved Me 4:04 A Perfect Circle
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: The Review…
Yes, I took a brief break from OZ on Netflix to see this film which I had been waiting a while to see. One of the best things about Netflix is you can reserve copies of new releases, and place them at the top of your queue, so that when they come out, you get them right away. I got Wallace on a Wednesday and did not watch it until the following week. Seeing it did not make me regret the wait. I think I need to be in a very particular mood in order for me to watch a childrens’ movie. Wallace does have something to offer for adults, and I do not doubt that, but it is first and foremost a childrens’ movie. I have always enjoyed the Wallace shorts, so much so that earlier this year I purchased a DVD which contained all of the old Aardman shorts like “The Wrong Trousers.” But, the problem with The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was that it was a feature-length film, and not a short. It had as much plot as the shorts all possessed, but it was much longer. So, like most childrens’ movies, I don’t enjoy it, because the plot is far too watered down. I don’t think I am an especially bright person because I cannot enjoy a childrens’ film, but it is part of the reality of growing up. Nonetheless, the film was imaginative and Nick Park’s animation was top-notch as always. Quick side note at the end here: Nick pointed out to me and interesting trademark of Aardman “claymation,” you can always see the fingerprints on the figurines as they are being moved. Some would call it sloppiness, I think it sort of gives them a nice, signature look. Not a bad movie at all, I’m just too old for it, I will be recommending it to my cousins’ children.
I wanted to do a quiz to wrap up this entry, but they’re really aren’t any good ones on my friends’ page… What gives, gang?
I was cleaning the bathroom sink at 2am (The Sam-Is-Anal-And-Neurotic Rant)
First, the “personal” stuff. I think I am slowly losing my mind. My apartment is messy, and it will always be messy. It just “looks” messy, the construction of it, the shower, the white tiles on the floor. But, I have become so neurotic that I am not only picking up after Chris and Jon (the living room table and the kitchen table must be spotless!), I am also constantly armed with my bleach spray cleaner. I cleaned the bathroom sink at 2am last night for God’s sake! I don’t know, I guess being addicted to cleaning the living environment is a good neurotic tendency. Chris doesn’t seem to mind, except to laugh at me, and I don’t care what Jon thinks.
Also, I still suffer from what Aaron Pring called in high school “Big Super Party and Sam’s Not Invited” Syndrome. I constantly think I am being left out of something huge. Like, all my friends are going to a huge “No Sam’s Party” (note the Simpsons reference for bonus awesome points), and there’s one Sam there, but it can’t be me. Example; this weekend Dave, A-Mac and Amy Cherry ventured to Nick Bragg’s home on the Cape. Dave assured me (and I do trust Dave), that the trip was impromptu. But, in my crazy mind, they’re hanging out without me! They don’t want me there! It must be me! Okay, its not as complicated as all that, and I know it, but the fact that I need to go through that whole mental process is slightly unsettling…
The Case For Paul Pierce… (The Celtics Rant)
Basically, I don’t understand the constant obsession the national media especially has with trading Paul Pierce. He is a stud player in his prime. But, I don’t believe he is a stud player in his prime ready to drop off. Pierce is 29 years old and a five-time All-Star. He has another 5-6 years of top level play in him. If the Celtics tank this season, and get a top draft pick, maybe even Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison or UConn’s Rudy Gay, keeping Pierce is essential. Two years down the line, a starting five of Delonte West, Paul Pierce, Adam Morrison, Al Jefferson (I’m coming back to this…) and Kendrick Perkins is looking pretty good. Let’s examine it, first, putting Pierce at the two-guard, what a matchup nightmare! He’s huge for that position at 6-6, 230 lbs… I realize that resigning Pierce this summer (Yes, I am for it), means giving up on Gerald Green. I like what I have seen from Gerald Green, but why bank on him, when we’ve already got the Truth? Green could be dealt to seriously improve the Celtic’s floundering bench (I predict a desperate need to upgrade at the guard positions). Also, Al Jefferson, I love Al… Sometimes. I know it is not due to a lack of effort, but his defense is come-and-go and his offense just isn’t there yet. If the Celtics snatch a Morrison or a Gay in the draft, they’ve got to think they can be vaulted to contention with an upgrade from Jefferson to Toronto’s Chris Bosh. In the NBA, all trades need to match up economically under the cap, so if the C’s throw in some money and Big Al to Toronto in order to sign Bosh to a max deal? Seems like a good deal to me. I know I am dreaming right now, because all of this involves a great deal of luck for the Celtics in the lottery (which, yes, they have not had recently), and the free agent market (I think it’s a sure thing that Bosh would take shorter money at his age to get out of Toronto).
The Case for Paul Pierce was born of the Cleveland game right before the break. Pierce played like a man possessed and put up fifty points, taking it right at the Next Coming in Lebron James (who was probably even better in the game). Pierce attacked the basket the entire game, and demonstrated his greatest intangible: his amazing ability to draw phantom foul calls and get to the line. The call that put Pierce at the line at the end of regulation was TOTAL horseshit, and I love Pierce for it. Pierce is a top-shelf NBA player, and there is no reason the Celtics cannot build around him still…
Hey Manny, Ortiz says you’re in Turin. Have a great time, be sure to bring back some cool stuff for us. Make a detour and check out all of Europe, just be sure to be in Arlington, Texas at 2:05pm on Monday April 3rd. I’ll tell Francona to pencil you in at the four spot! (Brief Manny Rant)
Before the spring training media circus begins. I don’t doubt that Manny will be late reporting. But, I could not be too surprised if he arrived on time. Yes, then oft-repeated phrase that was Ortiz’s shirt as he arrived in Fort Myers yesterday, “Manny Being Manny.” I really couldn’t care less if Manny showed up anytime before he’s set to bat in Arlington for the season-opener. Professional sports are not fair, and certain players, certain batters who are penciled in for 40 homeruns and 130 rbi’s get preferential treatment. How angry can I get about that? I often hear the Boston fans’ spiel: “If Manny couldn’t hit a baseball, he’d be just another loser.” But, yeah, he can hit a baseball, so he’s not just another loser. Live with it. Call me when the porcelain statue that has become Trot Nixon needs to sit down for 30 games. He’s a white homegrown player, so he gets a pass…
Adebisi Pricked Me With An AIDS-Infected Needle… (The OZ Rant)
Season Five of OZ has been completed by me, and I enjoyed it immensely. Season Six, the final season, is not available on DVD, so I was unable to watch it from Netflix. I have always enjoyed OZ, and you know that huge pink box with all the Sex and the City discs in it (It’s my sister’s, I swear)? When they make the big, black, bar-encrusted OZ box set, I will most assuredly purchase it, even if it is upwards of 200 buckaroos. Tom Fontana wrote almost every episode of OZ, which I think gave it this great sense of continuity. Yes, there is a tremendously large amount of killing on the show, more than there probably is realistically is in prison. But, the average detective pulls his gun three times in his whole career, and never really tracks down crime in progress, yet, on NYPD Blue it seems to happen every week. Conclusion: Exaggerated action is needed to move the plot along. Upon watching a few OZ episodes with me, Joe Maxwell recommended The Wire to me, which I will soon get from Netflix after I blow through some movies I put off while I was on the OZ binge. He also recommended Fontana’s other brainchild, the short-lived Homicide: Life on the Streets, which I will also watch. I am currently reading Gangsters by Lorenzo Carcaterra (of the Sleepers fame). I think I am on a bit of a crime/mystery kick right now…
I don’t believe I posted this before… If you liked Seinfeld or OZ, this should tickle your fancy …. Okay, fine, I will never use the phrase “tickle your fancy” again. Or “the cat’s pajamas” for that matter…
Just a quick, youtube.com is coming under fire from NBC for having SNL clips available on its site. They obviously cited the wildly popular “Lazy Sunday” (Chronic-what? Cles of Narnia) clip. So, go there and get your SNL while you still can…
NBA All Star Weekend… I wanna go!
I have not decided if I will turn this into a long tangent or not. But, the NBA All-Star Break, which is widely considered one of the biggest parties of the year, seems to try to deny its own audience. So does the NBA in general really. Let’s accept the NBA for what it is: a bunch of tattoo-infested dead beats months behind on child support slacking on defense, because they can make it up on offense by jumping to the ceiling. See? I can admit it. If you want to see “real basketball,” as defined by Adolf Rupp of Kentucky or Bobby Knight, go to college ball (I watch both religiously), but the NBA is different, and I accept it. The NBA, as a result, appeals to a younger audience. A hip-hop-oriented audience. But, the All-Star weekend was highlighted by performances from Carrie Underwood of the American Idol fame! Houston, Texas has a huge booming rap scene, and it wasn’t acknowledged at all. And the celebrities in the crowd? Well, let’s just day it was more Jay-Z than Tim McGraw. I just don’t see what the great crime is in the NBA acknowledging its audience and young and hip, and not as old as the NFL or MLB audience. And not as invisible as the NHL’s (ZING!).
Some day, somehow, I will go to the NBA All-Star game. It just seems like a lot of fun. All the big names show up for it, the parties are notorious. If pictures are any indication, you should probably steer clear of Nelly or Jay-Z, lest the bling blur your eyesight permanently. Well, I guess if you’re a dude, and you see Sean Carter with Beyonce… Yea, you might have to drop to your knees, and bow.
I think I will name my fantasy baseball team “Dude-atude,” here’s why…
The Latest Mixtape from SamCo: “Wars Happen Over A Game of Checkers.” (Yes, a nod from OZ, and its brilliant narration from Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau of the unwatchable Lost).
I have been pairing this down for a while… I want to have it go out tonight to some friends as we bask in 24 glory…
If you want a copy, let me know, I will get it to you when I see you next… And, Chris O’Neill, if you want one, just drop me an address…
1. Fight Test 4:14 The Flaming Lips
2. Can't Stand Losing You 3:03 The Police
3. The Zephyr Song 3:52 The Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Fatman 3:17 Big D And The Kids Table
5. The Lament of Pretty Baby 3:15 Cursive
6. As One (Featuring Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Young Guns, Peedi Crakk, Sparks & Rel 3:48 Jay-Z
7. Hard to Explain 3:46 The Strokes
8. Zanzibar 5:13 Billy Joel
9. Gunz Yo 3:03 Sage Francis
10. Company Calls 3:19 Death Cab for Cutie
11. If You See Her, Say Hello 4:49 Bob Dylan
12. Pale Green Stars 4:17 Everclear
13. War No More 3:59 Wyclef Jean
14. Leave it Alone 2:04 NoFX
15. Shook Ones Pt. II 5:26 Mobb Deep
16. The Nurse Who Loved Me 4:04 A Perfect Circle
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: The Review…
Yes, I took a brief break from OZ on Netflix to see this film which I had been waiting a while to see. One of the best things about Netflix is you can reserve copies of new releases, and place them at the top of your queue, so that when they come out, you get them right away. I got Wallace on a Wednesday and did not watch it until the following week. Seeing it did not make me regret the wait. I think I need to be in a very particular mood in order for me to watch a childrens’ movie. Wallace does have something to offer for adults, and I do not doubt that, but it is first and foremost a childrens’ movie. I have always enjoyed the Wallace shorts, so much so that earlier this year I purchased a DVD which contained all of the old Aardman shorts like “The Wrong Trousers.” But, the problem with The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was that it was a feature-length film, and not a short. It had as much plot as the shorts all possessed, but it was much longer. So, like most childrens’ movies, I don’t enjoy it, because the plot is far too watered down. I don’t think I am an especially bright person because I cannot enjoy a childrens’ film, but it is part of the reality of growing up. Nonetheless, the film was imaginative and Nick Park’s animation was top-notch as always. Quick side note at the end here: Nick pointed out to me and interesting trademark of Aardman “claymation,” you can always see the fingerprints on the figurines as they are being moved. Some would call it sloppiness, I think it sort of gives them a nice, signature look. Not a bad movie at all, I’m just too old for it, I will be recommending it to my cousins’ children.
I wanted to do a quiz to wrap up this entry, but they’re really aren’t any good ones on my friends’ page… What gives, gang?