A world in white gets underway

Addendum

I think since it hasn't been on for a few month, I forgot my other favorite show, which is probably tied with Lost.

24.

Duh.

Best of T.V. 2005

Todays end-of-the-year list is my top-ten T.V. shows of 2005.

1. LOST (ABC) - I'm a late comer to the Lost crazy and man, am I pissed that I missed out from the beginning. I got the DVD from my friend Dave of Season one and I'm currently 12 or so episodes in (Boone just died). Melissa and I watched the Pilot and we couldn't get into it because the whole "monster in the jungle" aspect seemed too crazy. I'm glad I gave this show a second-chance, to realize that the "monster" isn't a big focal point, only something that is sort of an undercurrent, running throughout. I absolutely love the mystery, the character development and the twists and turns along the way. There have been a lot that I could see coming (or I knew were coming because I'm late to the prom, like Hurley's Lottery win and the numbers. There have also been some things that I could have never seen coming. It's such a freaking fantastic show. It's just too bad that I'm playing catch up. Hopefully I'll be all the way through season-2 before season three starts.

2. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - I think this is the best Sitcom on TV right now. It has incredible smart writing and a unique premise and setup, which is what you need to survive as a sitcom these days. The cast is perfect.

3. My Name is Earl (NBC) - The only other solid sitcom on television. Jason Lee makes this show work. He is a perfect actor for the role. This again is a well-written show with a unique premise.

4. Survivor: Guatemala (CBS) - Not the strongest season of the show, but it was a pretty darn good one. I'm still bitter about the ending and I will be for a long time, but regardless, this is still the best reality show on T.V.

5. CBS Crime Dramas (CBS) - There are four shows on CBS that all come in collectively at #5. On Thursday nights we get CSI and Without a Trace. I love CSI because they are sticking to the crime drama aspect each week and focusing the "human drama" involved in the case. For a while I was worried they were heading to soapy territory, but they continue to only involve the lives of the characters in small doses. Without a Trace has a heavier level of the personal side of the characters, but they do it in a good way. Usually the dealings of the characters lives are in direct relation to the crime/disappearances at hand and they are interwoven in a strong way.

On Friday nights we get Close to Home and Numbers. Close to Home is a good mix of a crime/courtroom drama and it involves a little more suds than Without a Trace, but that's the premise of the show and again, it works here. And my new "Bono" is star Jennifer Finnigan (right). Numbers involves a heavy dose of Irish Spring, specifically between the brothers (and dad and love interests occasionally), but for this show, it is what you need. With CSI, all of the different ways of solving crimes in the lab keep things dramatic and interesting on thier own. On Numbers, the "math" in and of itself is interesting, but can get extremely boring standing alone.

6. The Amazing Race - Family Edition (CBS) - While not nearly as good as the regular pairs style of this show, it is still one of the best reality shows on TV and it does the best job of showing the interpersonal drama. Where Survivor is entertaining because all of the stars are characters and the drama, games, voting, are sort of cartoonish (in it's own good way), Amazing Race shows a more "realistic" version of reality in that these are families that have to work/play/fight together to get through to the end of the season.

7. The Simpsons (Fox) - Probably only as low as it is because I've only actually seen a handful of episodes this season. It's on at the same time as #9 on the list and while I TiVo it upstairs, it rarely gets watched. Since this is the only show that I'm collecting each season of on DVD, I've slacked off on watching only because I know I'll own them all eventually anyway.

8. Saturday Night Live (NBC) - Not nearly the show it was five years ago, but the cast continues to evolve and get better. The setup of having a new host and musical guest every week keeps it extremely watchable, becuase you always want to see how so-and-so will do. Also, weekend update continues to be appointment TV.

9. Extreme Makeover - Home Edition (ABC) - Love this show. Love to get my weekly cry in from 8-9 (sometimes 7-9) on Sunday nights. What I don't like are the silly little "acting" routines that the designers do for entertainment sake. They come off as very staged and the detract from what makes the show good: helping people and showing radical new homes.

10. Gilmore Girls (WB) - My televised guilty pleasure. My weekly estro-fix. I have grown to love this show. I only started watching it because Melissa does, but now I'm as hooked as she is. The writing for this show is some of the quickest, smartest dialogue on TV.

10.5 The Ellen Degeneres Show (Syndication) - Ellen is the funniest woman on earth. What makes her talk show great are all the silly little segments (Madonna, is that you?) and quirky things that make it fun to watch (the smiley faced chip, send-in-your-bad-drivers-licsence photo). It's a lot more "real" than the silly sketches and characters that Jay, Dave and Conan use.

Worst of the Year

Sadly I only saw 19 movies this year and by my count, only 14 in an actual theatre (or drive-in). Thats barely more than one per month. Things sure have changed since the days of 150 movies a year (every other day) back at Biola!

That said, my rankings only include movies that I've actually seen (which will appear to be even more pathetic when you see my top-ten list).

For now, here are the Worst Three Movies of the Year


#1 - Son of the Mask (part of a double-feature with something we actually wanted to see at the drive-in)
#2 - Miss Congeniality 2 (Netflix)
#3 - Bewitched

And here are the six movies that I am indifferent about. Not bad enough to make the "Worst" list, not good enough to crack the top ten. Some of them I liked, others I didn't. In no particular order:

Sky High - C
Hide & Seek - C
Must Love Dogs - C
Because of Winn-Dixie - B-
Ice Princess - D+
Pooh's Heffalump Movie - B (for what it is)

Next up - The "Top Ten"...

Goober Lickin'Head

---Blatantly stolen from Cate---
The following in excerpted from a children's book, "Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants" by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names...

Here are some interesting ones:

My family is : Goober Lickinhead, Boobie Lickinhead and our children, Dorky Lickinhead, Cheesy Lickinhead and our rock star baby is "Sleazy Lickinhead. Greaaaaat.

My favorite Band is "Dispy2"

Their lead singer is Dipsy Chickensquirt, but he goes by his famous nickname "sloppy"
The guitar player is Sneezy Picklebutt, but he goes by "The Dumbo"
On Bass is Snickle Frickenbutt
The drummer is Dorfus Chuckletush.

Our president is Fluffy Chucklefanny

Snooty Waffledoodle dies on the cross for our sins.

Sloopy Frickinbutt brings presents to the kids on Christmas.

My inlaws are the "frickinnoses"

Man, I could have fun for hours with this.... Thanks, Cate!!!


1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i =dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloppy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:
a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h =waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle

3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g =pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdink
y = hiney
z = juice

Globe Nominations

The Hollywood Foreign Press did some crazy things this year.

HERE are the full nominations. I haven't seen too many movies this year, so my comments will be few for those categories. I have more to say regarding the TV categories.

The Good:
* Johnny Depp got nominated for Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
* Will Farrell got nominated for the Producers! (haven't seen it)
* Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti got nominations for Cinderella Man.
* Lost got a nod for TV show - Drama! (My new favorite show, more to follow on that)
* Jason Lee and My Name is Earl both grabbed nominations!
* Other great nominations: Kiefer, Matthew Fox, Zach Braff, Naveen Andrews
* Only ONE HBO show up for best Drama (Although there were three for Comedy). This is great for those of us who only have basic cable!

The Bad:
* Since I don't watch Desperate Housewives, I don't like seeing 4-of-5 actress nominations going there.
* Nothing for CSI or Without a Trace
* Nothing for Elfman from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

The Ugly:
* Spielberg (Munich) and Pete Jackson (King Kong) got Best Director nods, but the movies were widely ignored.
* Renee Zellweger was PHENOMENAL in Cinderella Man, but no nomination.

I need to see more movies....

It was 25 years ago today....

He may not have ever been as big as Jesus, but he was pretty damn big. And pretty darn important to this thing we call rock and roll music. And after all, Bono is his son.

Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're ev'rywhere
Come and get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on

Grammy Nominations

We all know that the Grammies are a big load of heaping dog crap, but you still want your favorite artists to get the recognition they deserve. The boys did this year and it was about what was expected. Five Nominations:

Album of the Year: Atomic Bomb
Song of the Year (for songwriting): Sometimes You Can't Make it...
Rock Album
Rock Performance: Sometimes (how this is a "rock" song I'll never know)
Rock Song: City of Blinding Lights

Outside of that, it was a little good, a little bad and a lot of ugly.

The Good:
* Arcade Fire got nominated for Alternative Album
* Danny Elfman got a Grammy nomination: Stop the presses! No nomination for the score or for the soundtrack, but Wonka's Welcome Song picked up a nomination opposite Aracade Fire, Wyclef Jean, Tom Petty and Josh Groban for movie or television original song.
* Beck got nominated for Alternative Album
* Fiona got a nod for Extraordinary machine (but in the "pop" category?)
* Steve Lilliwhite is nominated for Producer of the Year.
* Boulevard of Broken Dreams got a record of the year nom.
* Keane got a best new artist nomination
* Pop performance by duo or group includes Mr. Brightside - The Killers, My Doorbell - White Stripes and This Love - Maroon Five.
* Record of the year, which is supposed to be go to a fun, good, overplayed song, actually has a strong nomination list (Kanye's Gold Digga, Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl and Boulevard of Broken dreams). I guess Kanye got the token rap nomination, because 50 Cent is absent from this list.
* Michael Buble got a nom for traditional pop!
No major nominations wasted on Country Crap.

The Bad:
* Kanye West got a slew of nominations (which he deserved), and this could be the redemption year to make up for him not winning last year when he should have. This could hurt Atomic Bomb in the Album category, which is the most important one.
* Arcade Fire didn't get a best new artist nomination or any recognition for "Wake Up"
* Kelly Clarkson's stronger pop album got appropriate nominations but was far outshined by Ms. Mimi (see the ugly below).
* Sometimes... didn't crossover into the pop category to give U2 a wider range of nominations.
* Why are there FIVE latin categories, when they have their own separate LATIN GRAMMYS?
* Bruce's Devil & Dust is up for the Folk Album. Kinda wierd, but ok. Where is Amos Lee?!!?
* No nomination for Dane Cook's comedy album.

The Ugly:
* Two words: Mariah Carey. WTF?!?!?!?!?! This is proof positive that the grammies are full of crap.
* The GREAT GRAMMY HYPOCRACY: How can an album be up for the BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR, if it isn't even nominated for the best album IN IT'S OWN FIELD?!?!? Such is the case with Mariah Carey. No Pop Album nomination. If there are five POP albums better than hers, why aren't THEY up for album of the year. IT'S SO RETARDED!!!!!
* The album of the year award includes Mariah Carey and Gwen Stefani. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ABOUT SALES?!?!?!? Sales, Schmales. Why not focus on music that is actually innovative and important. U2 and Kanye made the cut, fine. But where are The White Stripes, Coldplay or Bruce Springsteen. McCartney got the "maybe we'll pay tribute to his career" nomination instead of the Boss, I guess.

Let the lists begin!

It's December, which means it's time for the lists to roll out. I'll begin with the easiest, but biggest list. Top-Ten Albums of 2005. I should note that I am poor and I don't list any albums that I haven't bought or listened to all the way through. Most notably, that includes Fiona's Extraordinary Machine and the new Franz Ferdinand album, which I think I'll love. I should also note that not all of these came out in 2005, but they were new to ME this year.

Top Ten Albums of 2005

10.5. Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me
There goes my street cred, throwing my big guilty pleasure out there at the beginning. I think I only had eleven new albums this year, so this had to get on the list. I love the album. It isn't going to win any songwriting awards, but it's fun. I also liked her first album a little better, but this one has some fun catchy tunes. When she actually sings, I love her voice. (key tracks for the Itunes person who doesn't want to fork out $10 for the whole album: Boyfriend, L.O.V.E., Burning Up.)

10. Michael Buble - It's Time
This isn't the best big-band/crooner album of all time or anything, but of the contemporary crooners, Buble is one of the finest. His voice is solid and the music is pretty good. There are a few fast forward moments on his original stuff, but the covers are all strong. (key tracks: You Don't Know Me, Can't Buy My Love, Save the Last Dance For Me)

9. Doris Henson - Give Me All Your Money
Saw them open for Billy Corgan earlier this year and they were fun live. Something about a horn in a rock band that harks back to my Ska days, I guess. This is a very strong full album, easy to put it on in the car and get lost into the music. Helpful for my commutes. (key track: Dark time for the light side of Earth)

8. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
Great double album. Great music. I like the heavier album better. The Best of You is one of my favourite songs of the year. (Key tracks: Best of You, The Last Song, Cold Day in the Sun)

7. Beck - Guero

I love Beck, which makes this an automatic top-ten album in any year. Most Beck fans love this album. I'm not one of them. I've tried repeatedly to get into it and I just can't. It's a boring album to me. I think he tried to hard to capture the Odelay era sound and it just doesn't work for me. I should do a list ranking the Beck albums.... (Key tracks: E-Pro, Hell Yes)

6. Coldplay - X&Y
I don't like it as much as A Rush of Blood or Parachutes, but anything they touch is solid gold. I just haven't caught myself listening to this as often as the rest of the top ten. Coldplay has been called the "Next U2" and if that is the case, than this is one of those albums that, while strong in it's time, will only grow stronger with time. In 20 years, if Coldplay is still selling out world tours and producing amazing albums, this will be one in a series of classic albums by the band. Sort of another Unforgettable Fire (minus "Pride"). (Key track: What If?)

5. White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
I love listening to this album. It's the first of the top five, which are the five albums I listen to most often in my car. (Key tracks: My Doorbell, Blue Orchid)

4. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
This album could have one song on it (Wake Up) and it would be in the top five of the year. One of the best songs to come out in a long time for more reasons than just being the opener for U2 shows. More on Wake Up when I do me top songs of the year. This entire album, much like Doris Henson, is good cruising music. I can put the album in at 4:30 in Glendora and all of a sudden it's 5:45 and I'm in Riverside. Listening to this music is a trip all in itself. (Key tracks: Wake Up, Une Annee Sans Lumiere)

3. Amos Lee - Amos Lee
I first heard of Amos Lee when he opened the Merle Haggard/Bob Dylan show at the Pantages, which I saw with my pops. He has been compared alot to Norah Jones. I like the comparison, but I don't think it full embodies who Lee is. He is more folky where Jones is more bluesy. This album is one of the most solid musically, and yet it has extremely catchy tunes. There are a few songs on this album that can get stuck in your head for hours, for better or worse. Each song feels like an event. It just grabs you and pulls you in and captivates your attention. The opening track "Keep it loose, keep it tight" pulls you into a visual landscape and you never leave until the final track finishes. It's almost like you "watch" this album while you listen to it. I seem to create my own long-form music video as I listen to it. Hard to explain, I guess. Just go out and get the album. (Key tracks: Bottom of the Barrel, Arms of a Woman, Soul Suckers)

2. Green Day - American Idiot
The first of two that weren't really 2005, but I discovered them this year. Politics aside (if it's possible with this album), this is one of the strongest albums of the last ten years. I have always liked Green Day as a novelty punk act, no different from Sum 41, Blink, MxPx, etc. They elevated themselves to legitimate rock & roll with this album, the first punk opera. Musically and lyrically, this is an intense, exhausting listen, but one that you want to do over and over again. I've probably listened to this album more than any other this year (even more than Atomic Bomb). I look forward to getting Bullet in a Bible (the live CD) as well as the concert DVD that they put out. They would have been on the top of my list of live acts to see if it weren't for the whole being an adult thing. (Key tracks: ALL OF THEM, especially Boulevard of Broken Dreams, When September Ends and Are We the Waiting)

1. The Killers - Hot Fuss
In Nick's automobile, this is second in airplay to Green Day, in heavy rotation. The best rock album of the year, period. Other than Atomic Bomb, the best rock album in the last three years. Not a single song to skip on the album. Anthemic in nature, this band is begging to be seen live. If only they had opened for U2 in the states...If you don't own this album, you are nuts. (Key tracks other than Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me: Jenny was a Friend of Mine, Believe Me Natalie, Smile Like You Mean It)

Gobble, Gobble

I am thankful this year for so many things; My wife and beautiful kids. My entire family near and far. Our good friends Abby and Dennis for putting us up (and putting up with us!) while we were back east. Bono and the boys. New York rock fans and Madison Square Garden. Hearing and seeing Love and Peace or Else live. My new job/More time with my family/less time in the car!!! The Chargers putting up a ton of points. Pocket Sevens. Books on CD. My men's bible study group. TiVo. The women of SNL. Dave Foley. Wikipedia. Date Nights (yay though they are few and far between). Tiki Barber. Garnier Fructis Conditioner. The Mission Tortilla people. Matt Groening. Don Vito. Venti Black Iced Tea With Sweetener (eight pumps) from Starbucks. The Crock Pot. Hot Chocolate. Dr. Shasta! Jaime, Jack & Stench. Dan Patrick. Mason & Ireland. Blogsterbating. Bartolo Colon. Bill Stoneman (if he lets Washburn go). The grace shown to a sinner like me each and everyday by my amazing collection of family and dear close friends.

Baby on Board

HA! I just totally freaked my mom out with that headline! We were at Disneyland on Thursday and we stopped to watch The Dapper Dans, the barbershop quartet that sings there everyday. They also did the singing voices of the B-Sharps on the Simpsons. I've always wanted to ask them to sing the big B-Sharps number, "Baby on Board" and I finally asked them yesterday. They were done with their set but they still sang it. It was pretty sweet! Abby and I were singing along to the to chorus: "I'm telling you it's mighty nice/each trip's a trip to paradise/with my baby on board.

The Bono Praise Album

The Passion of the Bono

Go ahead — roll your eyes at Bono's persistent messianic complex. But maybe the guy's got good reason to think he's bigger than Jesus. Don't forget, Jesus has had 2,000 years to firm up his reputation, while the U2 singer has been alive only since 1960. And — sorry, Pat Robertson — isn't it about time we got some new blood in the deity department? Here's a side-by-side comparison of history's two most important men:

Jesus: Ascended Karn Hattin in Galilee to deliver his "Sermon on the Mount," telling the decent-sized crowd, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." Since that time, the world has been embroiled in an endless procession of wars, persecution, and genocide — much of which has been undertaken in Jesus' name.

Bono: Ascended the foothills of Colorado to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre during a torrential downpour, where, in front of a sold-out crowd, he waved a huge white flag to dramatically symbolize the need for a peaceful resolution to the troubles in Northern Ireland. Twenty years later, the IRA is all but dissolved and a permanent state of calm seems to have taken hold in Northern Ireland.

Winner: Bono

Jesus: Turned water into wine.

Bono: Turned lousy lyrics by Salman Rushdie into a good song ("The Ground Beneath Her Feet").

Winner: Bono

Jesus: Clashed with the Pharisees, condemning them as self-righteous and hypocritical, and engaged in contentious meetings with them, after which the Pharisees hated him even more.

Bono: Met with ultraconservative Republican Senators Jesse Helms, Rick Santorum, and Orrin Hatch to discuss solutions to the global AIDS crisis, after which Helms called Bono "an enormously impressive gentleman."

Winner: Bono

Jesus: Multiplied loaves of bread and some fish to feed 5,000 people at Tabgha.

Bono: Through countless charitable organizations, speaking engagements, and benefit concerts, has worked to multiply the amount of food and monetary donations sent to Africa, which has helped feed millions.

Winner: Bono

Jesus: Raised Lazarus from the dead.

Bono: Raised U2 from the dead after the Popmart tour debacle.

Winner: Jesus, by the slightest of margins

Jesus: During his lifetime, had only a small contingent of loyal supporters.

Bono: Has already amassed untold millions of loyal fans, selling nearly 150 million albums and regularly packing gigantic stadiums around the world.

Winner: Bono

Jesus: Crucified just once — by the Romans — for blasphemy.

Bono: Crucified countless times — by rock critics, comedians, former fans, and Henry Rollins — for pomposity.

Winner: Bono

Overall winner: Bono. *

*This is meant purely as satire and should provide no grounds for Bono's ego to grow any larger. — Michael Alan Goldberg

As if things couldn't get any worse...

I just got a call from the lady that I got in a "minor" fender bender with. It's going to cost over $700 to fix her car. Since we can't afford insurance without a $2500 deductible, it doesn't make sense to go through insurance, so now we have to magically find 700 bucks that we don't have. It sucks enough that we have no money for Christmas. We're probably just going to have to rack up the credit card a little more, because I'm a flipping moron.

I'm so pissed at myself. It was my last freaking week of commuting to Irvine and I brain-farted, reached down to pick something up and ran into her. I'm such an idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!

Changes

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. Started at Citrus on Wednesday. I'm severely overwhelmed right now by everything. I remember having this same anxiety when I started at Concordia 5 years ago. It's wierd to have the same feelings all over again, especially when I am alot more prepared for the job.

I think it's natural to feel this way starting something new. I finally got a desk today (long story), but it's only a table. I'll have a real desk by the end of the week. I don't have access to anything yet, because I don't have all of the software installed on my computer that I need for the website, etc. I'll have a MAJOR job ahead of me in recreating the website. Anytime I meet someone new on campus it's, "Oh, cool, you're going to fix the website!". And yes, I am. It's going to be a long crazy project, though, and the expectations are really high. I know I will meet and even exceed what people think I'll be able to do, but there is a long way to go before I get there.

And then I have to deal with accessibility. Since we're a state school, legally, everything on the web has to be created in such a manner to be accesible to disabled people. I've never had to do this and with a website of the size and magnatude that I plan to create, I fear that this is going to be a major headache for me.

And I'm already having problems with "MIS", the information technology people. My boss jokingly has told me that the MIS is short for MIStake. She warned me months ago that it would be a headache and it is proving to be such.

Not everything is going terribly, though. I LOVE my commute and I am already reaping the benefits of a 40-hour work week. Because of games on Tuesday night and Saturday afternoon, I am going to get all-day Thurdsay off, plus a holiday on Friday (I have like 20 paid holidays at a state school!).

Oh C'mon...

There is no radical group I dispise more than PETA. Check THIS out. How the heck do you make DOG FOOD without testing your product on DOGS!?!?!?!?!?

Gloomy

Not the weather, just life lately. I'm in this total funk right now. Most of it stems from financial woes and the job transition. I'm stressed about leaving and all of the reprocutions for Concordia. I know I shouldn't care, but I've been here for five years and have a lot of good relationships. I'm stressed about starting the new job. I'm stressed about how we're going to make it. It's all ridiculous, I know. I should thank my lucky stars that my family is blessed so incredibly the way we are. It is so easy to say "I fully trust in God and lift all of this into his arms, his will be done". It's a whole other thing following through and believing it. It's not that I don't trust God to take care of us, whatever that means. I'm just scared about the current part of the journey he is taking us on.

Plus, I really miss my family. I hate that even when I'm not working nights, I only get about an hour in the evening with my kids and after Abby and Drew go to bed, I don't get a ton of time with Melissa because we still have James to take care of. The nice part about the new job is even though I'll still be short on time with them in the evenings, I'll have a lot more full days off to stay within the 40-hours deal. I think that will be huge. Abby suffers so much when she doesn't get much time with me. She acts out and she's up alot all night, trying anything she can to get her daddy-cup filled.

I'm also dealing with alot of guilt. I guess it's just a part of life. I've heard so many similar situations. The kids are really starting to take Melissa for granted. Since she's home with them all day, doing the discipline and everything else (and with our crazy two, theres a lot of discipline!), she gets turned into the bad guy. Then daddy comes home and it's all fun and games, because there is so little time, we try and make it as good as possible. Mom just gets the short end of the stick and I HATE it. I hate to see me daughter treat her with disrespect and be all cuddles and love with me. It's not fair. And unless me being home more with the 4o-hour a week job can help fix it, I just don't know what to do. I don't want my time with them to be negative, but I don't want the kids to take my wife for granted, either. It's not fair for them to grow up viewing me as the "Fun" one. It just sucks.

And on top of all of that, My office looks VERY depressing right now. I've taken down all of my pictures and calendars and U2 posters and Angels paraphenalia and my diploma and my knick-knacks. All I have left my favorite picture of my wife and a tub of tootsie rolls. Everything else is boxed up. It's REALLY wierd. Packing up five years worth of memories and walking away from a place that I have loved for most of that time.

An Old Friend

A friend of a friend, really. Anj Price was on Dr. Phil tonight. Her and her mom and sister. It was pretty interesting. It was all about her being out and her family dealing with it. We have it saved on TiVo. Roland, I'll keep it on there for when you get here.

Better late then never...

I haven't posted in forever. Sorry about that. I've been a little busy since we returned from the East Coast and the GREATEST CONCERT OF ALL TIME (I'll try and post on that later). The biggest news of all: I got a new job! I will be leaving Concordia and I will begin my job as the first Sports Information Coordinator at Citrus College in Glendora on November 2nd. It's a very exciting time for our family.

This will be a shorter commute (same distance, better traffic) and it's a 40-hour per week position. While I will still work quite a few nights and weekends, the 40-hours will keep me home ALOT more than I am at Concordia. Although I'm actually taking a pay cut for the first year, at a state school, I'll be getting automatic raises every year, plus any standard of living stuff that our union gets us. Praise God that he answered our prayers to get me out of a negative-and-getting-worse situation at Concordia and getting me a job that will allow me to spend more time with my family. PLUS, I'll be working for my old boss, who left in June 2004 to become the Athletic Director at Citrus.

It's kinda wierd this whole thing at Concordia. There are enough people and situations that I am unhappy with that it will be pretty easy to leave. On the other hand, I really care about a few of the people in athletics and they are the ones who will get hit the hardest by my leaving in the middle of the season. Our Volleyball coach is the BOMB and I will miss her. It sucks to leave in the midst of her season. My assistant SID is going to get hit the hardest and I feel bad for her. She's the assistant women's basketball coach and at the same time that games begin for the team, she's going to get more work on the sports information side until someone is hired. Also I fear that a lot of my work is going to get wrongfully filtered to our Assistant AD and our administrative assistant. They are two of my closest friends here. Fortunately, my favorite coach (yeah, I know, I shouldn't play favorites) is the softball coach, and his team doesn't get rolling until January, so he'll be fine.

Please keep our family in your prayers for a few things:
1. The transition of leaving Concordia and preparing things for whoever gets my job.
2. Starting a new job and all of the stresses that naturally will come with that. I have alot higher expectations on myself to make an impact right away then Citrus probably has for me, so I know I'll be taking on a heavy load right away.
3. Our financial situation. While the Lord has blessed us with a better job, it's still not a job that will pay us hardly what we need to survive (at least for a while). We are really stretching ourselves thin these days just to survive. Please pray that the Lord will bless us and provide for us.
4. Most importantly: Praise God that I got the job and that I get more time with my family!!!

You can forget how to sit still

Start spreading the news. We're leaving today!!!

Off to the Eastside!!!

Vacation: Two Days / U2NY: Four Days

Holy cow. I am so excited for our pending trip to the East coast. Thursday afternoon we fly out of Long Beach for Dulles. We'll get to D.C. around midnight and drive an hour to Baltimore to stay with our friends Abby and Dennis. Friday we'll putz around Baltimore, go see Camden Yards, maybe an aquarium. Neither of us has ever been there.

Saturday morning we'll leave butt-ass early for New York. We'll check into the hotel in Seacaucus then catch a ride into the city. Mel's never been there, so the itinerary will be completely her call (I've been there twice), although I do kinda want to go to the "footprint" of the WTC. I stayed at the Marriot that used to exist right under the towers and it's something I feel I need to do, pay respects and what not.

Then, Saturday Night: Madison Square Garden. The boys have sort of gotten back into a rut with the show and it's alot like it was when we saw them towards the beginning. Now they're playing Miss Sarajevo regularly, which is awesome, but not much else has changed. I'm hoping that they will mix it up on the second night in a city they are playing four shows in. I am really hoping that they play "New York".

Anyway, on Sunday we'll drive back to Baltimore and in the evening we are going to get together with Melissa's cousin Bill and his wife Alycia (I hope I spelled that right) for dinner in Virginia. Then it's home on Monday and back to work on Tuesday!

Confessions

Jumping on the next great bandwagon, here. I've only listed the ones that apply

[x] I listen to political music. (Floyd baby)
[x] I shut others out when I'm sad
[x] I open up to others easily
[x] I watch the news
[x] I own over 5 rap CDs
[x] I own something from Hot Topic
[x] I love Disney movies
[x] I curse regularly.
[x] I have a job
[x] I am in love/like with someone.
[x] I am self conscious.
[x] I like to laugh.
[x] I have many scars
[x] I've been out of this country
[x] I believe in ghosts.
[x] I am really ticklish
[x] I love chocolate.
[x] I bite my nails
[x] I play computer games/video games when I'm bored
[x] Saw a shooting star.
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[x] been in a fist fight with the same sex.
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator
[x] Made out in an elevator
[x] Swore at your parents
[x] Broken a bone.
[x] Played spin the bottle.
[x] Bitten someone
[x] Gotten the chicken pox.
[x] Crashed into a car
[x] Crashed into a car
[x] Crashed into a car
[x] Crashed into a car
[x] Ridden in a taxi.
[x] had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
[x] Gone on a blind date.
[x] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[x] Been married
[x] Saw someone/something dying
[x] Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[x] Been on a plane.
[x]Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[x] Been skiing.
[x] Been ice skating.
[x] Met someone in person from the internet
[x]Going to or have gone to college.
[x] Taken painkillers.
[x] Been hurt so bad you'll never forget the pain.
[x] Wished somebody would die
[x] Lied to your girlfriend/boyfriend

The Countdown

My beautiful wife and I (and James) are leaving for New York in nine days. U2 in Madison Square Garden is just 11 days away!!! Interestingly enough, I found out today that I should get a call on Thursday in regards to a possible job opportunity and that interviews for that job are supposed to take place on the day we leave.... I'm trying to figure out how that is supposed to work. I'm hoping that they will be able to interview me on a different day. We shall see!

Mmmm....Date night.

With all of the crud going on in our lives right now and all the struggles we're having, it's been really easy to lose focus on what truly matters in life. Melissa and I miss each other, even though we see each other every day. Our last date was sometime before James was born, and since we have no discretionary funds in existence, paying a babysitter and paying to go out just isn't in the cards anymore.

Thank God for family! Abby will be going to the Angels game on Saturday night (i'm slightly jealous) with my sister and her family and my mom and dad will watch the boys for us, so that we can go to Disneyland. Free entertainment. Time alone, together. I can't even begin to explain how much we need this. Plus, Moe won $50 playing bunco last night! So we're going to take the kids to the drive-in on Friday night ($5 for a carload!) so we get to see Corpse Bride. Ironically, we've seen two movies in the last 4 month, and they're both Burton.

We have about $100 bucks in cash from moe's winning and taking all of our change into the grocery store. It netted us about $85 bucks and we're using it for little things that we can't fit into the budget. I got a haircut with it. We also took the kids to disneyland a few times and we can get a big ole loaf of Sourdough bread at California Adventure, which is enough to be dinner for all of us. We pack a bottle of water and we can manage a very cheap day together.

Secretly, I'm hoping to save some of the cash, so that I can buy Mel a birthday present (Nov. 5th). Shh. Don't tell her. =)

Must. See. U2. NOW.

Check out the set list from Night One in Chicago. The boys are finally mixing it up a bit.

Discotheque has gotten some play.

Bad closed the show!

Walk On made it's first appearance (finally)!

Yahweh moved into the middle of the main set.

The First Time!!! Zooropa makes a HUGE cameo.

I'm only a little distressed that I Will Follow has disappeared again.

Marty Casey - The True Winner

Sorta like American Idol, where the competition winner is forced into a slavery-esque contract, I think Marty actually pulled out ahead in Rock Star: INXS. Will he be the lead singer for THAT band, no. Will he be the front man for an amazing band? Absofreakinglutely. I now have no vested interested in INXS as a band (never did before), because I just don't like J.D. Fortune's personality. I will want to get ahold of the official release of Pretty Vegas, though.

I wish I have said it out loud: I've thought for a few weeks that whoever finished second would be asked to be the opening act on the world tour. What a great opportunity for Marty. But will Dave Navarro play guitar on his first record? It depends on whether or not he's too busy cheating on Carmen Electra with "sweet" Suzie McNeil. He'll definitely be collaborating with her, too.

Here's to Marty and here's to seeing him have an awesome rock and roll career. Bo Bice, who?

Cy Young?

Congratulations to Fat-olo Colon, the first 20-game winner for the Angels in 31 years. Nolan Ryan in 1974 was the last guy to do it. Here's to hoping the Halos can hang onto the AL West and make it further into the playoffs than last year.

I'm a Pop Sensation

The Bloodhound Gang has written a new song called "Ralph Wiggum". The lyrics consist entirely of Ralph quotes from the Simpsons (except the chorus is part Cheif Wiggum). Check it out HERE.

It'll be you and me, up in the trees

Dude. Rock Star has taken a serious turn this week. There is a new front runner, and although I used to think he was the worst of the bunch (so much drama), I'm actually ok with him winning this thing. It'll also keep me from being compelled to see them live, which will save money that I don't have for concert tickets.

Suzie - I thought last night was pretty lackluster for her, even though the audience and the bandmates seemed to enjoy it. She faltered during What's Up, a song I love (because I can play it).

J.D. - Absolutely hit a home run. The band gave him Pretty Vegas again, I think to proof to the guys that he can nail the same song night after night, which is what touring is all about. And then he goes and does a great job with Money. One of my top-three favorite Pink Floyd songs. It didn't hurt that the house band does such an amazing job with so many songs.

Marty - I freaking love "Trees", no matter how ridiculously cheesy the lyrics are. And he nailed Creep, too. I love that he didn't hold back from his "screamy" thing, even though the band has told him they don't like it. It worked perfect for this song, and he isn't completely selling himself out. Only needed the crazy conductor.

Mig - Melissa thinks that he got the short end of the stick on song selection, because the band wanted him to falter and get into the bottom three. Controversy aside, I thought he did a mediocre job with the songs. I LOVE Paint it Black, but it just didn't work for me. Kiss from a Rose is a good song, but terrible for this competition. Only Seal gets away with making it sound like anything but Karaoke. If that song is to be covered, it has to have a dramatic change in style to work. It didn't and Mig didn't. Mig is wearing thin on me and I don't want him to win. He has this creepy gay-stripper look to him and he reminds me of a "nice-guys" Perry Farrell.

It's too hard to say who might be going home this week, between Suzie and Mig. I can only guarantee that JD and Marty will stick around. They have two potential hit singles for the band. J.D. is the front runner at this point and he has the charisma, voice, songwriting and leadership to be very successful. And with a song like Pretty Vegas, INXS will easily get back onto radio, both in the KROQ and STAR type of worlds.

I still like Marty the best, but I want him to front his own band (why not the house band from the show?) I want Suzie to win over J.D., because I would personally be more interested in the band. No matter what happens, it's been a fun show to watch!

Live Music: A Reflection

With the upcoming trip to NYC to see U2 at Madison Square Garden, which might amount to one of the best concerts ever, and with The O.C. Supertones hanging up the horns next month with a final show at Biola, I've been thinking about live music and all of the concerts I've been to over the years, and some I would LOVE to see live.

Tops on my "Wish List" is Garth Brooks. Now that he's possibly coming out of his semi-retirement, I'm hoping I'll get a chance to see him. I also want to see McCartney. I've never seen the Rolling Stones or Elton John. I also want to see The Killers REALLY REALLY bad. And now I want to see INXS on their next tour.

I've seen U2 eight times. All of them were memorable and wonderful and rank towards the top of any list I would do. The best two shows for me were the PopMart show at Jack Murphy, because it was my first U2 show ever (Rage opened and was cool, too) and the post-9/11 show at the Pond on the Elevation Tour. Not only was it a cathartic and worshipful experience, but No Doubt put on the best opening act I've seen at any U2 show.

I've seen Bob Dylan four times. The first time sucked, it was with Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell at the Pond and we were way the heck back up top. Van Morriscon didn't even play Brown Eyed Girl. Second time was ok, but our seats sucked. We were on the floor at the pond, way the heck back. Paul Simon opened and was cool. Third time was great, we were in the back at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim. Great seats, great set. No opening act. Fourth time was at the Pantages a few months ago. Not the best Dylan show I've seen, but it was still a great experience. Amos Lee and Merle Haggard were both a lot of fun.

I've been to three Acoustic Christmas shows and among the acts I saw (and liked) were Beck, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Blink 182, Fiona, Bush, Janes Addiction, Depeche Mode, Billy Corgan solo (and awesome), Garbage, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Cake, Matchbox 20 (actually acoustic). Of course, a ton of one-hit wonder and other crap bands were there, too, like the Sneaker Pimps, Everlast, Powerman 5000, Tori Anus, Soul Coughing and, of course, Chumbawumba.

I've seen the Pumpkins once, Corgan once (plus the Acoustic Christmas) and Zwan once. The Pumpkins show was BY FAR the best of the group. Seeing Billy with his new band and new album in July was pretty sweet, too.

I saw Roger Waters at the Universal Amp. Very cool show. I also saw Kirk Franklin there with my mom. We were some of the few white people in the audience. It was awesome.

I've seen Counting Crows three times. All good shows. One with Live opening, one with a reunited Toad the Wet Sprocket.

I've seen the Supertones at least 30 times. Great memories. In HS and at Biola I had some very memorable experiences. I'm sad that I can't go to there final show at Biola next month (I'll be in NY for U2!).

I've seen Styx!

My very first concert was a Beach Boys/Chicago concert with my dad in the late 80s. I had been trying to win tickets all week (I was a HUGE beach boys fan) and never won. Pops suprized me with tickets the day of the show. I've seen the beach boys two other times.

When I was huge into the Ska scene during college, I saw The Aquebats at the Barn at UCR. Crazy fun.

I've had a ton of great experience with other christian bands, local "Biola Bands" and bigger. I saw Jars of Clay a few times. At Biola, I saw Holy Cow, Mike Barnett, Thee Spivees, Plain Jane, Wonderlove, Vinegar Joe, RC and OF COURSE, Mars Hill, more times than I can count. And I can't leave out Soul Kilter, featuring two members of Mars Hill in the pre-Biola days (Kenny and the Hungry Samoan).

Opening for the Boys

With the third led of the tour rapidly approaching, I'm shocked that there haven't been any official announcements from U2.com as to the opening acts for the tour. Some info has leaked on the web and we know some opening acts for some shows, but nothing has been officially announced.

The Thrills and Dashboard Confessional are doing 8 dates in Toronto, Chicago, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Arcade Fire is doing some Canadian gigs as well. Other rumored acts for the tour are Kanye West, Keane and My Chemical Romance.

It's starting to look more and more like there won't be a single opener for the entire leg (like Kings of Leon), which is rare for U2 in the U.S. They usually have no more than three bands doing longer stints (such as Garbage and No Doubt splitting duties on the Elevation Tour's third leg).

I'm kinda bummed, because I had heard early rumors that Switchfoot might open and I REALLY want to see The Killers.

Suzie's gunna win

After watching another flawless performance and seeing a strong original song from Suzie McNiel, I believe that she will end up as the winner of Rock Star:INXS. Mig is still the logical front-runner, but he is starting to show a few kinks along the way. Marty is still my favorite and he was FLAWLESS last night. I love "Trees" and can totally hear it being played on Star 98.7 next week. He just doesn't quite fit in with the band and won't win. I can't believe that J.D. is loved so much. I can't stand him. There is no way he's going to win this thing. And poor Jordis. It's just time for the girl to go home. She's to this competition what John Stephens was to the third season of American Idol. She's just to young but hopefully this experience will help propell her own solo career.

I also had this thought last night: Marty should join up with the "house band" and form a group. They would rule.

I think Marty will be getting the original encore for tonight and I think Suzie will get the cover encore.

Checking in with Rock Star

Although I was pretty disappointed to see Ty go home before JD, it really doesn't matter, since neither of them have a legitimate chance at winning.

I now believe that Mig will win hands down and at this point it looks like it will be a final-two showdown with Suzie. Where the heck did she come from!?!? She's been complete nails lately.

I still love Marty and he is still my favorite, but I don't see him as the lead singer for INXS. The lead singer for a rock band for sure, just not INXS. And he NAILED Wish You were Here, by the way...freaking phenomenal.

As for Jordis I hope she outlasts JD, but she also has no shot at winning. She's just too young and "I just don't think she's right for INXS".

Still Alive

I'm Still Alive. Life is pretty crazy and hectic right now with work and the growing family. Please pray for us right now as we are seeking some guidance and wisdom from the Lord on multiple issues!

Spawn of Askew - The Countdown

T-Minus 19 hours until we are supposed to be checking into Hoag for our induction tommorow morning. It's sort of bittersweet right now, though. We were supposed to stay at the Crowne-Plaza in Irvine tonight, so we'd be close by in the morning. Abby is sick, though, so we don't have a sitter for this evening and we're stuck at home. It sucks because it was going to be our last date for a LONG time.

THANK GOD, though, that my sister is still willing to watch the kids all day tommorow. It would have been crazy without that help. We are blessed with some wonderful family around us!

How I came to love a Britney song

Rock Star: INXS (8/16)

Tonight was an interesting night for Rock Star. The band hand picked the songs for each performer for a stripped down, acousticy night. Three performances rose above the rest. Also, instead of JD being on the bottom of the top crew, he's now at the top of the pile of crap that has no business being in this thing anymore. If it weren't for the fact that we get more performances from the top four, I wish they would just cut ALL FOUR of the crappy people now. The following is a ranking of the performances from last night:

1. Mig (Baby I Love Your Way) Played with just him and the piano, with him playing. Flipping unbelievable. He pulled off one of the best performances of the competition.
2. Marty (Hit Me Baby One More Time) He turned it into sort of a Violent Femmes feeling slow, angry ballad and it worked. It was still silly and when you strip away the pop in the background, you can truly get a feel for how insanely stupid the lyrics of this song are, but Marty did it in an incredible fashion.
3. Jordis (Knocking on Heavans Door) This would have tied for second, if it weren't for her slipping up on a lyric to a BOB DYLAN SONG!!!!! How do you do that?!?!?!? (editors note: I thought the lyric was "it's getting dark, too dark to see". Jordis sang "it's getting dark, too dark for me". The Dylan website says the line is "it's getting dark, too dark for me to see". While I've never heard it like that, we'll call it a wash).
4. Ty (Maggie Mae) He did this the only way he could pull it off, turning it into a Motown style song, tamborine and all. Not bad. Not a home run.
5. Suzie (Bring it on Home to Me) Not bad. Not Great.
6. JD (As Tears go By). Bad. Not terrible, but I was longing to see Mick Jagger come rip the mic out of his hand and punch him in the teeth.
7. Jessica (Torn). Bad. Really Bad. Karaoke Bad.
8. Deanna (I Can't Make You Love Me). Proving that she actually can't sing with ANY range, she turned a good Bonnie Raitt song into complete and utter drivel. She's a one-trick pony vocally, with her sultry/smokers voice. Not good enough to lead a band.

Overall Rankings (Last Week)
1 (1). Marty
2 (3). Mig - My wife's favorite. He's great and could easily lead this band.
3 (2). Ty
4 (4). Jordis - The bottom of the group that should even be considered to win this thing.
5 (5). JD - I'm so sick of him, but he's miles ahead of the next three
6 (6). Deanna - Someone has to sit on top of the crap heap.
7 (9). Suzie
8 (8). Jessica - The older Avril might skate by again....

The bottom three this week should be Deanna, Suzie and Jessica. I predict that Deanna will be going home, after proving that she just can't sing well enough.

I was wrong on my Encore prediction last week. I'm even more certain this week that Mig will get asked to sing Baby I Love Your Way again.

Call me Miss Cleo

I predicted the bottom three AND I predicted that Brandon would go home on Rock Star last night. I rule! Of course, I didn't realize that Brandon would be going home because he forgot the lyrics to the INXS song he had to sing....OOPS!

I liked Brandon well enough as a southern fried rocker, but he clearly wasn't going to be a good fit for the band. OF the people I like the best, only Jordis, Mig, Ty and Marty have a shot at actually winning. I think Mig is the front runner, simply because he's Austrailian. Ty and Marty, I think, are the best two, though. Jordis would be killer, but she's too young and too female. I just don't see the band picking a chick.

Rock Star: INXS

I gotta tell ya, I love this show. I was pissed when they moved the monday episode to VH1. This week has been a great one and I'm excited about tonight's elimination show. Last night wasn't the most solid all around performance night, but perhaps the best performance of the entire competition thus far was by Marty, doing a solo acoustic version of Mr. Brightside. It was simply phenomenal and will be a no-brainer to recieve the "Encore" tonight.

Last night's performances:

1. Marty - Mr. Brightside
2. Ty - No Woman No Cry
3. Suzie - Losing my Religion
4. Brandon - Rolling Stones song
5. Mig - All Right Now
6. Deanna - Long Train Somethin Somethin
7. Jordis - Layla
8. JD - Crazy (the Seal song)
9. Jessica - Come as you are (she simply BUTCHERED it).

My overall rankings

1. Marty
2. Ty
3. Mig
4. Jordis
5. JD
6. Deanna
7. Brandon
8. Jessica
9. Suzie

I think Brandon will be going home tonight, OR both he and Jessica (who will be in the bottom three for the third time).

On the right side of a bad beat

Best. Tournament. Ever.

203 total entrants, I finished 16th. My goal was to make it into the money, which was the final three tables and I did that. Once we got down to 30, I was pretty short stacked and knew that I had to make a move in order to get higher. spots 22-30 all paid the same, so it didn't matter if I went out quick, I needed to try and build my stack to get to the final table. I went all-in a few times and stole the blinds, went all-in again (for about 11,000 in chips) and got called, all-in from a guy with 10,000. He had aces, I had sevens (good ole sevens, like the quads I had at MY tourney last month). Long story short, I ended up sucking out a straight with the turn and river and knocked out the aces. HUGE. I'm up to around 21,000 in chips and one hand later I knock two people out with an A-8, all of a sudden I'm up to 42,000 in chips. We condense to two tables and I'm the second biggest stack at the table. I then proceed to make a RETARDED mistake. Board comes K-A-K, three of us check around. Turn comes seven, I have Q-7, so I pair my sevens. The guy with the big stack, in first position, comes in for ten grand. I read him wrong, thinking he's trying to steal. I go all-in, he calls immediately and I know I'm hosed. He had a King and tripped up to knock me out. Still, the best I have EVER played. It's nice to know that I really do have a little skill. Maybe someday I could make a living at this.

Oh, and I lasted longer than Brian, which I had never done before, so that was nice!

My friend Brian bought me a Pechanga entry for my b-day and we're going tonight. I have only done the weekday tournaments there, so it'll be interesting to do a night-time one. The day ones usually have a little stiffer competition, since it's all the poker players who don't work. The evening game might be a little better, with the guys who work for a living and play on the side. Here's to live cards and pocket pairs!

For my birthday I got the Michael Buble album. He's a crooner and on his new album he has a few songs that aren't classic "Sinatra" type of songs, that he covers in that style, including Can't Buy Me Love by the Beatles. It got me thinking about genre-crossover covers, the good and the bad. I love almost anything turned into the Big-Band sound. This morning I bought eight songs from the above pictured album. I also like Matt Dusk's version of Two Shots of Happy.

The ones I HATE are when Punk/Ska/Hardcore bands cover songs, usually 80's songs. Songs like Smooth Criminal come to mind. I do like P.O.D.'s version of Bullet the Blue Sky and I loved it when bands like Unashamed and Focused did mosh-out versions of worship songs like Awesome God.

I also can't stand country-fried covers. Oddly, I can't stand the Dixie Chicks, but I can tolerate their version of Landslide. I'm a model of contradictions, I guess.

Happy Bithday to US

Here are some of the people I share a birthday with:

Jackie O (but she's dead)
Dick Ebersol (sports dude)
Jim Davis (I always said I shared a birthday with Garfield when I was growing up!)
Lori Loughlin (Full House)
Elizabeth Berkley (I'm so....SCARED!)
Sally Struthers (I'll eat in her honor)
Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
Bill Bradley (the basketball player, not the senator. Ha!)

No Grey Hair Yet...

Go shorty, it's yer birfday
We're gunna party like it's my birfday
Gunna sip Bacardi like it's my birfday
And you know we don't give a f*** cause it's my birfday!

I'm 27. Going to dinner with Mel and the kids, my parents, my sister, brother-in-law and their kids and my grandma. Olive Garden has this new Cheese fondue type of an appetizer. Awe yeah...

Way too Many SNL Lists

Top 5 Groundlings Alumni on SNL
(judged soley on their performance DURING their time on SNL)
1. Will Ferrell
2. Cheri Oteri
3. Chris Kattan
4. Maya Rudolph
5. Phil Hartman
5.5 Jon Lovitz!

Top 5 Second City Alumni on SNL
(judged soley on their performance DURING their time on SNL)
1. Mike Myers
2. Gilda Radner
3. Chris Farley
4. Dan Aykroyd
5. The Belushi's
5.5 Tina Fey

Top 5 Post-SNL Careers
1. Bill Murray
2. Adam Sandler
3. Mike Myers
4. Will Ferrell
5. Dan Aykroyd

Top 5 SNL Hosts
1. John Goodman
2. Christopher Walken
3. Alec Baldwin
4. Steve Martin
5. Queen Latifah

Top 20 Recurring Sketches/Characters
1. Wayne's World
2. BEAR CITY!!!!!!! Just Kidding
2. Spartan Spirit
3. Wake Up Wakefield
4. The Coneheads
5. Mango
6. The Samurai
7. Mr. Peepers
8. Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker
9. Celebrity Jeopardy
10. Jerret's Room
11. Da Superfans
12. Church Lady
13. Rob Schnieder's Copy room guy
14. Coffee Talk
15. It's Pat
16. Opera Man
17. Debbie Downer
18. Delicious Dish
19. The Hollywood Minute
20. Gemini's Twin
20.5 The Ambiguosly Gay Duo

Worst Ten Sketches/Characters Ever
1. The Falconer
2. The Ladies Man
3. Astronaut Jones
4. Brian Fellowes
5. Ed Grimely
6. Sprockets
7. The Prince Show
8. Nuni and Nuni
9. Mary Katherine Gallagher
10. (Just for Moe) The Contenental)

Top Ten Musical Performances
(Only from the ones I've seen, obviously)
1. U2 (11/20/04) - Vertigo, Sometimes, I Will Follow, All Because of You
2. U2 (12/9/00) - Beautiful Day/Elevation
3. Counting Crows (1/15/94) - Round Here, Mr. Jones
4. Smashing Pumpkins (10/30/93) - Cherub Rock, Today
5. Beck (1/11/97) - Where it's At, Devils Haircut
6. Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page (5/9/98) - Come With Me
7. Garth Brooks (3/14/92) - Rodeo, The River
8. Faith No More (12/1/90) - Epic, From Out of Nowhere
9. Fiona Apple (11/16/96) - Shadowboxer
10. Beck (12/4/99) - Mixed Bizness, Sexx Laws

Surprise!

On Saturday I was surprised with a birfday party! My birfday is on Thursday (July 28th). Melissa told me in the morning that we had a special date planned for the two of us that night and my parents were coming out to Rivertucky to watch the kids. We drove up to LA to eat at the Spaghetti Factory and when we walked into the Lobby, Brian, Aleasha, Shan, Josh and Paul were there to yell surprise. The Melonis and the Hoffmans got there a little later, because traffic was the devil.

So we ate dinner (I got through an entire plate of Mizithra cheese covered pasta without any...uh...repercussions...) and then we went to see The Groundlings. Being a huge SNL fan, I've always wanted to go to see the show, since a lot of my favorites (Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Jon Lovitz, Chris Kattan, Ana Gasteyer) are alumni. Current cast members that are alumni are Will Forte, Chris Parnell and Maya Rudolph. Phil Hartman and Julia Sweeney were also Groundlings, along with Howie Mandel, Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin, Mindy Sterling, Craig T. Nelson, Paul Ruebens and Pat Morita, so you never know what future star you might see on that stage.

It was a great night with some hilarious sketches. The Groundlings still know how to end a scene, which is something that has dropped off dramatically on SNL over the past five years or so. Every sketch ended with a punchline.

After the show, Mel and the boys went to Denny's for dessert. I promised her we wouldn't talk fantasy football the ENTIRE time, and I think, for the most part, we didn't. I know it snuck in every once in a while, though.

I had a great time and it was awesome to be surprised. Everything was great except for the big-arse Dodgers balloon that Brian brought to put on my chair at dinner. =)

Scrumdidiliumptious

After seeing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Friday night, I wanted a little cooling off period before I tried to write about it. Let me just say: Damn! My expectations had been way too high going in, but I still wasn't disappointed.

From a visual perspective, this is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in a long time, and by far one of the most visually stunning Burton jobs ever. When he created the "look" for Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, Batman, etc, it was all in preparation for his grand opus. Un-frikin-believable.

Elfman has created a timeless and recognizable score, which will remain a cornerstone of orchestral movie magic forever. They always use music from older movies on trailers, when new music isn't ready and this one will be used countless times, I'm sure. The songs were also written by Elfman and he did an incredible job with diverse styles, using the original Roald Dahl lyrics.

John August's screenplay was perfect. I never realized how much I would laugh watching this movie. I also never realized how darn funny it would be to start movie-quoting the next day on three-hours of sleep with Paul Hutchins.... "I'm Eat-ible".

The acting was great! I really liked what the Noah Taylor and Christopher Lee characters added to the story, even though the Wonka's Dad backstory wasn't in the book. Freddie Highmore was great, as were the other kids and the parents (even though I can't stand Missy Pile). Deep Roy was awesome.

That brings me to Johnny Depp. Holy Hell was he good. He was absolutely PERFECT for this role, in this movie, with this director. I can't imagine another actor who could have pulled this off. This is by far my favorite Depp role ever.

Overall, the movie gets an A. Not only does it become my favorite Burton film of all time, it is firmly planted in my top-20 all-time favorite films.

2005's First Event Pic

Today marks the opening of the first Event Picture of the year for me, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I'm extremely excited to see it, hopefully in this first week. I, of course, am a huge Tim Burton/Danny Elfman/John August fan. I really want to love this movie and I probably will. The biggest hesitation is the way Depp comes across playing Wonka. I think he was a perfect selection for a Burton directed version, I just hope the general public doesn't get caught up in trying to compare him to the unflinching creep-o played so perfectly by Gene Wilder. Wilder was awesome. The other hesitation comes from the fact that the worst Burton film happened to be his only other attempt at a Re-imagining (Planet of the Apes).

All signs point to a Burton film of epic proportions. Elfman score. Elfman written songs throughout (mostly, I believe, for the Oompa Loompas). John August (Big Fish) writing the adaptation from the book, having never seen the Gene Wilder version. A story focused around Charlie (the quietly brilliant Freddie Highmore). Oh and Burton, with a HUGE palate to work with for direction, art design, etc.

LIST TIME: Every Burton feature film ranked. This was harder than I thought it would be.

1. Big Fish - Over time, Scissorhands will probably just back up here, but right now if I had to only pick one Burton film for my collection, it would be this one. All of the classic Burton-esque features: a quirky story, fun performances, good acting, a great score, visually remarkable.

2. Edward Scissorhands - A flawless movie. The perfect "Burton" film, with all of the characteristics listed above, only better on every count, accept story. I love the Big Fish story. Elfman's score here is his best ever and one of the top-five film scores of all-time.

2.5 Nightmare Before Christmas - Actually directed by Henry Selick, who also directed James and the Giant Peach. But it's Burton's baby, through and through.

3. Batman - Until I see the new Christopher Nolan (Memento) directed version, the original is still the best. It was Burton's darkest film at the time and was a great vision of Gotham City.

4. Sleepy Hollow - Beautifully Gory. Depp at his best. Great acting all around.

5. Beetlejuice

6. Ed Wood

7. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

8. Batman Returns

9. Mars Attacks

10. Planet of the Apes

WSOP down to 27 players

Day seven of the World Series of Poker is today, with 27 left. After a $10,000 buy in and a total prize pool of more than $52 million, the next ten people eliminated will each win over 300k. among the 27 players left are Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow and defending champ Greg Raymer. All of my favorites are gone (Doyle, Jesus Ferguson, Daniel Negraneu, Howard Lederer) so I'm pulling for an Ivey-Raymer final.

Anyone for Poker?

I'm having a No-Limit Texas Hold 'em Tournament at the house on Saturday and wanted to invite any of my normal readers to join us! Melissa and I are pregnant and with each baby I have hosted a sort of "Guys Baby Shower" where we play poker and watch sports, and all the guys bring a pack of Diapers to help us out through the first few months. This time around, we're doing it tournament style, with a $20 Buy-in and an entry fee of one package.

If NE1 is interested, email me at sportsinfonick@aol.com

Don't tell anyone...

I have come to a dramatic spiritual and ethical crossroads in my life. My name is Nick Askew, and I like Garrett Anderson. There. I said it. It's out there.

I used to dispise "Friggin" Anderson, because he has notoriously been the laziest and worst fielders in baseball. We call him Mr. Clean, because he RARELY gets dirty. I would need all ten fingers and ten toes on everyone in my house to count the number of times he a) didn't hustle to a ball he could have caught, b) didn't hustle to a ball and allowed a single to turn into a double, c) didn't properly backup another outfielder and allowed a runner to stretch extra bases. The old rap on GA was that, while he was a career .300 hitter, he was anti-clutch. He would notoriously be a rally-killer, getting out in any key situation, with men on base and threatening to take a lead.

Since the World Championship year of 2002, a lot has changed, at least in the way I view him. Anderson made a series-saving sliding catch, and that I think started the ball rolling. Garrett has also developed into the very epitome of "clutch" in the last two years. Instead of groaning and pissing and moaning when he comes to the plate, I'm actually pretty stoked when he comes up in clutch situations. Last night he hit a three-run homer that won the game for the Angels.

Sure, he's still a crappy fielder most of the time, and frustrates me to no end with the way he can cost us runs in the field, but the good far outweighs the bad and that's enough to make me say that I am a Garrett Anderson fan.

I'm now just praying that, to use a Dr. Phil-ism, this isn't a deal breaker for my wife...

Melissa decided to blog up and we also started a family blog. I added links on the left. You can check us out here and here.

Happy Fourth

Inflatable Pigs Fly

A picture says 1000 words. The only thing better than seeing Waters back with the boys playing four songs (Home, Money, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb) would be seeing them love it enough to get back on the road together. How about just a small world tour? LA, NY, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney. Is that too much to ask?

I was expecting 50% Ebonic/50% Fo' Shizzle

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

20% Yankee

5% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Well, you gotta start somewhere...

Last Friday I went golfing with my father-in-law, Paul and Brad Hutchins at Cathedral Canyon Golf Club near Palm Springs. I suck. I mean, I REALLY suck. I'm still very new to the game, and learning on the fly as far as how to use certain clubs, etc. Here were our scores

Tom - 102
Brad - 134
Paul - 145
Nick - 158

That's right, a 158. That includes a 19 on a par-5, in which I hit the water FIVE times. I also had two 14's and a 12. I had a pair of double-bogeys on Par-threes and those were my best two.

The Kids are Alright

I am on a huge Who kick right now. I've always like them, growing up under the umbrella of my dad's musical tastes, which had always been Arrow 93.1 (R.I.P.) and KLOS. I had always wanted to buy Tommy and finally did about a year ago. I don't buy music too often, so it was just a month ago that I grabbed the Ulimate Collection. I'll get "Who's Next" next. I haven't done a list in a while, so here's my top-15 favorite Who songs.

1. Seeker
2. Baba O'Riley
3. My Generation
4. Pinball Wizard
5. Won't Get Fooled Again
6. Behind Blue Eyes
7. Bargain
8. Substitute
9. I Can See for Miles
10. Who Are you
11. You Better You Bet
12. I'm Free
13. Sparks
14. Magic Bus
15. Happy Jack