Break = Televison and not much more December 19, 2006

This is the first week in ages that I really have nothing planned, nothing I have to do. It is great, but I am also going a little nuts. I purposely didn’t plan anything but now I regret that. This weekend I managed to watch the entire CSI:NY Season 2 DVD set. Then I watched the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries yesterday. Today I went to lunch with a former student and then started re-watching the first season of Queer and Folk. I need help. If I don’t make plans or something, I will easily sit and watch the entire QAF series (well all but season 5 which sucked). So I have decided to go somewhere tomorrow. I am not sure where yet, but I will go.

I also downloaded Heroes to my computer and have started watching some of them. I know I am late jumping on this fad, but I was not sure it was my “type” of show. I mean I like comic books and comic book movies, but don’t watch shows like Lost or 24. The only thing that was making me want to watch it was the press it was getting. Magazines and critics that I generally respect were raving about it. I set my Tivo for an episode and then my kids all freaked out that I couldn’t just start watching, I had to watch from the beginning. One iTunes gift card from them, with explicit instructions that I had to download the Heroes season pass, here I am. They were so serious it was funny. They threatened to check my laptop for it. Truth be told, I think they all plan on putting it on their iPods from my computer, but oh well.

So far I am on episode 3. I like it but don’t love it. I am enjoying the storyline with the politician and his brother. I also like the policeman who can read minds as well as the cheerleader. I like Hiro but not so much his storyline. I totally hate Nikki and find myself fast forwarding when she is on screen. I hope maybe my opinion on her will improve as the season goes on. All I can hope for is that as I approach the critical “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” episode, I will get hooked. Regardless, thanks to my kids, I will have the whole series on my laptop. And one more way to waste my time over break.

TV and More TV December 17, 2006

I have been watching the CSI NY Season 2 DVD set. Let me just say, I actually like the New York series in Season 2. I was not a big fan of Season 1, but I like the new girl Lindsay and I like how they broke from the usual CSI framework. In fact, right now it might be my favorite CSI. I loved the original CSI Las Vegas, but I have not been a big fan of it this year. Something changed for me at the end of last year, beginning of this year. I think it may be that there personal life’s became to much a part of the show. Now, call me hypocritical but that is what I like about NY, you get to know the characters and their life’s. I personally am rooting for Danny and Lindsay, once we figure out what her big “secret” is. I guess it is ok because they started it in season 2, not season 8. I guess I cannot explain it. Despite my love of both of these series’ don’t even get me started on CSI Miami, possibly one of the worst TV shows on right now.

So that has been my weekend. Watching CSI NY on DVD and knitting. I am about 2 inches from turning the heel on my first jaywalker sock. I am using a Lorna’s Laces self-striping yarn in blue, green and black. They look really cool. I love how the jaywalker pattern is coming out in stripe pattern. I don’t have much planned this week, so I hope I can get them done before I go out of town for Hanukkah. Yeah I know it already started, but our Hanukkah party is Christmas eve since that is when people could get away from work since we live in a Christian religion centric society.

I’m going to leave y’all with another video in honor of Christmas and Hanukkah or whatever holiday you celebrate. This is Andy Sandberg and Justin Timberlake in a sketch from last nights SNL.

Note: This is the uncensored version.

Friday Shuffle December 15, 2006

Nothing much to say, so lets just shuffle:

1. Dog – Ben Folds
2. History of a Boring Town – Less Than Jake
3. Undone- The Sweater Song – Weezer
4. Tundra/Desert – Modest Mouse
5. Bittersweet Memory – Blue Merle
6. Fight the Power – Public Enemy
7. Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
8. Fell in Love with a Girl – The White Stripes
9. Pull – Blind Melon
10. In Repair – John Mayer

Scrubs Love December 15, 2006

I love Scrubs. It is by far one of the best shows on television now. I also read a lot of the television spoiler sites and keep reading about an upcoming Scrubs musical episode. Then I was told that NBC had posted a musical number from that episode. I watched it and now my excitement for the episode has sky-rocketed to unheard of proportions.

Since we all have to wait until January to see the episode, here is JD and Turk professing their love for each other. Enjoy!

Movie Meme- what’s your number December 13, 2006

So this is going around my kids on facebook, and I decided to do it as well, both here and on facebook. They say if you have seen more than 85 of these movies you have no life. There are 252 movies on the list. My number is 111. Not as bad I as thought it would be. I got lucky, there were a lot of horror movies I don’t watch and not too many 80s movies which I watch obsessively.

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
( ) Anchor Man
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
() Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
(x) White Oleander
() Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 18

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
() Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 24

( ) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 25

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
() Universal Soldier
() Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
() Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 29

(x) A Cinderella Story
() The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
(x) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber
Total so far: 34

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
(x) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 39

() The Day After Tomorrow
() Child’s Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
( ) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
() The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 44

() Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(x) Ocean’s Eleven
(x) Ocean’s Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
() Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
() Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 48

(x) Independence Day
() Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
() War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
() Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 52

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(x ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
() Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3
Total so far: 61

(x) X-Men
(x) X2
(x ) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
() Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
(x ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 73

(x) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
() The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
() Krippendorf’s Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
(x) Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
Total so far: 79

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 85

(x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
(x ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
() Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(x ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 89

() The Jacket
(x) Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
( ) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 93

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
() Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
( ) Chronicle Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
(x ) Orgazmo
() Phantasm
() Waterworld
Total so far: 96

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
() Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) The Ghost and the Darkness
Total so far: 98

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 104

(x) The Matrix
(x ) The Matrix Reloaded
(x ) The Matrix Revolutions
() Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(x ) Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( x) Hannibal

Total -111

Wednesday Blues December 13, 2006

Last night the kids finished the league debate tournament. Both teams went 1-1 and neither broke. This is the first time I have not broken at least one debater to the finals. We will break 4 in Congress, 2 in extemp, 1 in radio and 1 in oratory, so all is not lost, but debate is why I do this, and not breaking is really disappointing.

In other news, I got a really random call yesterday and it turns out there is an opening to teach Criminal Law at the local university, so of course I jumped on it. I used to teach 2 classes a semester, mostly gender law classes. Then the department I was working for hired somebody full-time to teach those classes, and I was no longer needed. Criminal Law is only taught by adjunct professors, so if I do a good job I should be able to teach this for a long time.

It turns out I got the job because the person who has been teaching it just got transfered. There is little to no time to get prepared, but oh well. In even stranger news, the guy who was teaching the class. He taught my brother in high school while going to law school at nights. Then he went to work for the father of one of my brother’s friends. Yup, small world.

Since I am feeling so blah and I am sure the kids are as well, I am going to show a motivational debate video. Since I suspect most people on the internet don’t know what real policy debate looks like, I thought I would post it here also. Enjoy!

Memo to Bears fans… December 11, 2006

I went to the Monday Night Football game tonight. Well I went for the first half, then my mom was ready to go. She is sick and wanted to go to feel “normal” but did not have the energy to make it the whole game.

Since I came home I have been listening to Fox Sports Radio on my XM. There has been call after call about how Rex Grossman has turned the corner and how wonderful the Bears offense is now. What is the evidence these callers and the host used to back up their point? Tonight’s game.

MEMO TO ALL BEARS FANS:

The Bears’ offense did not improve over night. Rex Grossman did not fix all his problems in the past week. You played the Rams. Yes, that is it. I hate to be the one to break it to you but the Rams truly are that bad. Don’t let the record deceive you, they are a bad team and made your offense look good.

I do not have to go to school tomorrow because we have such a small entry to the last league tournament and the one volunteer judge covers our entire judging responsibility. The one Public Forum team and 1 LDer going really need good results if they was to advance to the league championships. If things hold true to the past years results, the Public Forum team must win both rounds tomorrow to have a chance to advance and the LDer must go 1-1. While normally I would be very confident about their chances, I have to face the fact that both teams went 1-3 last weekend and those records may not have all been about us being school code thirteen. On the other hand, they worked really hard today and usually hard work is rewarded in debate.

As I have nothing real planned for tomorrow, I am going to try to figure out how to knit socks on two circulars. I have knit several pairs on double pointed needles, but I have always been interested in learning to knit on 2 circulars. I I bought the book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi and hopefully will be knitting socks using this method in no time.

Lucky Number 13? December 9, 2006

This weekend we were number 13 at the tournament. I am not a superstitious person, but one of my debaters is. He kept telling me that we were doomed, and by the end of the tournament I had to agree. Over the course of the two days, these unusual things occurred:

1. A kid canceled 5 minutes before the bus was going to leave because his house did not have power and his clothes were in the washing machine. Which begs the question, were all his clothes in the washing machine at the same tme?
2. The policy kids left there Affirmative case sitting out on their tubs. Needless to say somebody picked up the case and now has a really nice Affirmative, while my first affirmative had to squint at a bad backup copy of case
3. One of my orators got an 8. They rank students 1-6 in round. I have never seen somebody actually get an 8.
4. A novice LDer fell down a flight of stairs
5. The bus that was scheduled to pick us up at 6:45 am showed up at 7:05. So me and 10 kids huddled in 20 degree weather waiting for him.
6. My policy team received a ballot that claimed that they were the reason policy debate was dying. While I agree policy is not attracting a lot of students, I really don’t think two juniors are the cause of the decline of policy

Frighteningly enough, I could actually go on with that list. It was crazy. By 8:00 tonight when I fell on ice in the parking lot at the school, we all just yelled “Thirteen”. Even more strange, with the exception of my policy team, all of the other debaters went 1-3, which obviously is “13″.

I have made a coaches decision that if another school ever gives us the school code of thirteen I will nicely ask for another number.

Shuffle and Run December 8, 2006

Big tournament this weekend. I am not sure how it will go. New topics for both the LD and Public Forum kids. The policy kids are hit and miss, they just need more experience. So anyway, I need to run, so lets just shuffle and go:

1. Birdhouse in Your Soul – They Might Be Giants
2. Needles in My Eyes- The Beta Band
3. Dusk: A Peach in the Orchard – Eels
4. Lucky Star – Madonna
5. Level- The Raconteurs
6. Use It – The New Pornographers
7. I’m a Terrible Person – Rooney
8. All of the Gin Joints in All of the World – Fall Out Boy
9. Ten Years in Mexico- The Bacon Brothers
10. Your Heart is an Empty Room- Death Cab for Cutie

A big, loud … NO!!!!! December 7, 2006

One of the first things I do in the morning is open my laptop to check my email. I know that this makes me a huge geek, but frankly I don’t care. I use customized google as my home page, and among the RSS feeds it pulls are ESPN and People magazine.

First I look at the People feed and I see this headline:

Tim Gunn May Not Be on the Next Project Runway

And I read on to discover:

The Bravo TV star may not be joining judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors and host Heidi Klum (who also executive produces the show) when Runway returns for its fourth season, Entertainment Weekly reports in its new issue.

His responsibilities as chair of the fashion design department at New York City’s Parsons school, where Gunn, 53, has worked for 23 years, make him unavailable for filming during the academic year.

Now, I love this show, but seriously folks, Tim Gunn is part of what makes it so good. If you have ever listened to his podcast or read his column, you know he is the show. How dumb can they be. They can’t wait to film until he is in between semesters?

Still fuming from reading this story, I click back to my front page and glance at the ESPN feed and discover this headline:

La Russa tells agent he wants to talk with Bonds

And I read on to discover:

Barry Bonds’ appearance at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings Wednesday caused quite a stir as speculation swirled about where he might land in 2007 to resume his chase of Hank Aaron’s home run record.

The world champs, by chance?

According to a story on the San Jose Mercury News’ Web site, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa approached Bonds’ agent on Wednesday night and requested a meeting with the currently unemployed outfielder and owner of 734 career home runs.

“I want to talk to your guy,” La Russa reportedly told Jeff Borris outside a steakhouse at the Walt Disney World resort where the meetings are being held. “Where is he? I want to talk to him.”

What in the world is La Russa thinking? I know the Cardinals desperately need another outfielder, but Bonds? La Russa has defended McGwire so fervently against the steroid charges, maybe he wants to do the same with Bonds. I for one know, I will not be happy if the Cardinals sign Bonds. Let’s find a pitcher or two before we pay a 40 year old, often injured, steroid taking, overpaid outfielder. You can always find a serviceable outfielder, you can’t find pitching. At least Tony has no real power in this, Jockety and management would have to decide to sign him and I don’t think they will believe Bonds is in their budget.