Influences musically speaking

Alot of people know how much I love music. Some even know why. But how did it start? Growing up as I did, I didn't have the same mentors musically that other kids probably did. My parents were older when I was born, whereas other kids had parents who were probably into the Beatles. My mother was and still is a country music lover. I never liked it from day one. I did find that she had some vinyl that was not country. It was terribly eclectic to say the least. Alot of Hawaiian music and one LP that I actually liked: Tony Bennett - "I Left My Heart In San Francisco".

But those still held nothing for a six year old. Sure I liked things like the Archies and the Banana Splits but that was cartoon music. So I found a stack of 45s that my sister left behind. My sister was 14 when I was born and had a profound effect on me from day one. She got married very young and moved out. The 45s were all that she left but I went through them. That's were the music was! Ok, they were an odd mix but I loved what was there. Tom Jones! Yes I still to this day love Tom Jones and always will. Neil Diamond. Tommy James. Status Quo. And my favorite song...The Foundations' "Baby Now That I've Found You". That song opened my mind to Motown R&B (ok they were British as it turned out but I didn't know that then!). That song was subsequently covered by my favorite female singer Alison Krauss.

So I listened to that stuff which got me into rock music. This then opened the door for Brownsville Station. You know, "Smokin' In The Boys' Room". I bought one of their albums and was blown away. They were loud! I liked loud. The next step was a fateful trip to the supermarket where I saw a magazine cover that changed my life. These 4 guys were on it and looked fucking weird! Makeup and leather. What the hell were they? Kiss. I bought the magazine to see what the deal was. I needed their music I thought after reading. I asked my father if I could buy an album. This was something I never did. He said ok. I bought "Dressed To Kill" by Kiss. I can still remember listening to it over and over. Everything had changed for me.

So that's who to blame for all the music I own today!

Works for me

I was watching a Louis CK comedy special with my wife the other night and he said that jerking off is no longer his favorite thing now that he is 40. Taking a good shit has moved to number 1. The funny thing is he was right. But to further that point, nothing beats a really really good fart. I mean you are all bloated and a tuba goes off...hhhpppffff...wow, it's amazing.

Of course then you grade just how fucking foul the smell afterward is. You judge the bouquet like it's a fucking Olympic event. Of course the sound is important as well. Nothing is funnier than a really loud fart noise. The weird thing is we all do it and yet is so taboo. What is the big fucking deal?

The worst week for sports

Why is this week the worst week for sports? Simple. The week is all the hype for the Super Bowl. Even fans for each team can't be thrilled with all the bullshit that comes from this. Being a fan for a team that just got knocked out, I really hate the hype.

The hype itself is so pointless too. There are always the storylines. Black coaches who are best friends, Peyton going for the trophy, Rex Grossman as Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde. WHO CARES? It just drags on and on and on. Then on Sunday you have the longest pregame show ever. Music, interview, silly ass shit. This is a game, just a game.

I've lost interest in the game as it is anyway. I think if the Saints had made it, that would've been the only way to guarantee that I'd watch it at all! As it stands, the odds are 50/50. I will at least check the game and see what the score is and I KNOW I won't watch the whole thing.

Once this game is over, it's slow season for me as far as sports. Hockey lost its luster when the strike happened. I don't watch it anymore. Hoop has never been all that interesting to me. Sure I am a Wizards fan and they are doing well, but I really don't care over all. Here's waiting for Spring Training!

Music from the Idiot Chronicles Volume VII

It's that time again. More music that you need to have. I decided to take songs that are in my top 25 most played on my iPod. I then limited it to one song per artist and narrowed it to 11 songs to fit my usual format. The songs are ordered by number of times played as well. Here we go:

1. Dream Theater - "These Walls": The most played song on the iPod at 44 times. I guess it's my favorite song by my favorite band?

2. Porcupine Tree - "Lararus": Another great song by another one of my favorite bands. So melodic and powerful. Play count 36.

3. Taproot - "Calling": The stuttering makes this one so fucking catchy. They probably will never write another song close to this one. Played 34 times.

4. O.A.R. - "Love And Memories": Former jam band churns out one of the best pure power pop songs ever! Play count 32.

5. Edwin McCain - "I Could Not Ask For More": Sure sure, "I'll Be" is also in my top 25 but I like this song better. Written by Diane Warren and McCain sings the shit outta this. Played 30 times.

6. Shinedown - "Burning Bright (Sanford Mix)": The remix is even better than the album version. The lyrics on this one sum things up for me. One of 2 Shinedown songs in my top 25. Play count 27.

7. Joe Firstman - "Breaking All The Ground": I love this song, the harmonies and the attitude of the song. Play count 25.

8. King's X - "Alone": The return to greatness for the band that brought Pamela and I together...literally. This song gets your attention right away. Play count 24.

9. Rock Kills Kid - "Paralyzed (original mix)": Not the one on their album, this mix is thicker and not overly glossy. Great pop song. Play count 24.

10. Wilco - "Monday": The horns simply make this song. It really drives along and reminds me a bit of the Replacements. Played 24 times.

11. Collective Soul - "Why Pt. 2": I love the crunchy guitats and the hook on this song is unbelieveable. Easily CS's best moment. Play count 22.

A first look at the 2007 A's

I thought I would begin getting my head around the upcoming baseball season since spring training starts next month. Since the A's have made some moves, I figured I would start by reviewing the changes and what they mean.

First off we have the loss of Frank Thomas which Billy Beane plugged by signing Mike Piazza to DH. A very good move to say the least. Last off season it was between Thomas and Piazza and the A's wound up signing Thomas. I actually wanted Piazza but hey, Thomas had a monster season and helped the A's into the playoffs. I think Piazza will fill the bill nicely. He is still a great offensive player and DHing full time will just help his numbers.

The pitching rotation has also changed. Barry Zito got the moronic contract from the Giants so that means that his spot is probably getting filled by Joe Kennedy. Kennedy was amazing as the main lefty in the pen last year so Beane signed Alan Embree to replace Kennedy in the pen. The question is can Kennedy replace Zito? He isn't replacing Zito. What? No, Rich Harden is replacing Zito as the #1 starter and if Harden stays healthy, he can win 16 games just like Zito did. Kennedy then has to do as much as Harden did which considering Harden was injured most of the year, anything Kennedy does is a BONUS! How's that for logic?

The A's dealt away Kirk Saarloos which was a shame but not a surprise. There really isn't much room for him. Kirk Calero, Chad Gaudin and Justin Duchscherer are the righties in front of closer Huston Street. Harden, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton and Estaban Loiza are the righty starters. This meant good soldier Saarloos wasn't going to get much playing time. Add in young righties Jason Windsor and Shane Komine along with Jay Witasick...yes things are crowded!

The A's lost Jay Payton to free agency and I think that has really been overlooked. Payton was BEYOND valuable. He led the team in hitting and played all 3 outfield spots. Losing him means Nick Swisher has to stay in left field and Dan Johnson has to play first and hopefully play to his potential. The A's can hope Bobby Kielty keeps playing well but I think they still need another outfielder. Daric Barton and old friend "Ruby" Duzaro are in the mix at first base as well.

So that's my first primer for the season. I don't think Beane is done dealing yet either. We'll see.

How to waste money

Do you have $55 million? Would you like to spend it? How about spending it in one place? Say, on a baseball player who is injury prone, of modest talent, has no dedication to his team or the sport and had problems passing a physical you yourself could pass...sounds like a deal right?

You too can sign J.D. Drew and maybe have the same shit results the Red Sox are going to have. This deal could possibly be the most backassward deal of the winter (that includes the Zito heist). Drew started his career by refusing the money the Phils offered him when they drafted him. So right there you know where his head is at.

Then we find his talent is not even close to what was projected for a #1 pick. Add onto that he then gets injured alot. Then you start seeing teams trading him a bit. Interesting. They killer was that he opts out of an overpriced deal that he had with the Dodgers to find that the Red Sox will actually pay him MORE.

I don't blame Drew at all. Not in the slightest. He is actually a smart guy. I think he has milked baseball from day one and squeezed every fucking cent out of it that he could. The problem is he just isn't that good. My guess is that the Red Sox, around maybe July, will be wishing that they had Trot Nixon to put in right field when Drew is banged up.

Do you speak English?

I wasn't going to go this way on the blog but I just could not resist. My poor nephew sent me one of those chain e-mails which as a rule I fucking hate regardless of topic. This one was even worse than normal because it was political but political in the wrong way.

It basically was outlining 2 votes that congress made and more than likely took what it wanted as far as facts goes from each vote. The first one is the one that really got me. It said: "The following senators voted against making English the official language of America." And then proceeded to list all the ones that did. Thankfully all of them were democrats who saw just how stupid this motion was!

Why do we need to make English official? Is it because if we do, all those people who can't speak English will say 'well now that it's official, damn I am gonna learn English!' There are so many problems with this one. The point of the email was that these senators are idiots for not voting for this! THEY are the idiots? Sorry. The moron who wasted my tax money by bringing this shit to the senate floor is the fucking idiot.

With all the bullshit we have happening thanks to the Bush administration and the last Congress (which was run by the half assed Conservatives), do we really need votes before Congress deciding silly shit? Why do we need to make English OFFICIAL? I am pretty fucking sure we aren't gonna start speaking Spanish or Arabic if that silly thing didn't pass.

The other vote was to "give illegal aliens Social Security benefits". For one, don't worry as Social Security will be gone by then, especially with clowns like Bush who aren't doing SHIT about it. Secondly, exactly how much were we supposedly giving them? How long did they have to be in this country earning a living? Oh that's right it wasn't mentioned. Context was actually needed.

Look, I love my nephew so this was not to piss him off or piss on him. The point is that we need as a country to not allow people to tell us what's American and what isn't!

Yes I am a fucking LIBERAL!

So what's on the iPod?

Here are some things I am listening to lately that I either am obsessed with or just found for various reasons:

Angels and Airwaves - "We Don't Need To Whisper": This came out of nowhere to be my #3 for all of last year and to be honest, if I redid the list now, it would be #1. It's that good.

Beck - "The Information": With all the shit I have, this release kinda slipped on me and I am just now getting to it. There is alot to this one so I am still digesting.

Frost - "Milliontown": A prog tour de force that I overlooked until recently. Wild stuff. Not for the weak.

Spock's Beard - "Spock's Beard": Still going thru this release. To me, it's their most varied release which I like.

Stone Sour - "Come What(ever) May": This one is just flat out awesome. Another release that would place higher if I redid my list from last year.

There are more. With as much music as I have, I can't cover it all.

The twists and turns of the NFL offseason come early

Anyone who says they knew Parcells was going to retire is a liar. This came out of nowhere for the average fan. You didn't even hear the "insiders" talk about it. I can say that without Parcells, the Cowboys were a below .500 team. Why? For one, he made the QB switch that I highly doubt anyone other than one of his disciples would have done. Add in the ability to sift through the off-field (and to a certain extent ON FIELD) troubles of his supposed #1 wide out (who we dont talk about by name here as promised). Parcells did alot this season and really each year with the Cowpoke.

Ok so the Cowboys need a new coach. They aren't alone but damn close. The coaching jobs are getting filled and the Steelers replaced Cowher with the Vikes defensive coordinator. The odds of this guy lasting like Noll or Cowher are a snowball's chance in hell but regardless, it was a good hire.

Mike Vick is an idiot. Was there marijuana in the trick waterbottle? Supposedly not now but who knows what to believe? Who has a water bottle with a secret area?? Vick was reluctant to even hand it over! Folks it's time we realize this guy is a clown. Does he have talent? Sure but not the kind that can lead a team. He is not much better than his brother Marcus! It's that simple. The Falcons will go nowhere until they make a clean break. So how is that trade looking now. Remember? Vick for Tomlinson and Brees. At the time I knew it was lopsided and now it's quite clear!

Some analysis

So what went wrong for my Saints against the Bears? Here are the key plays:

1. Michael Lewis did NOT fumble. For those that somehow think having a knee down THEN losing the ball means a fumble, you need to not watch football.
2. Billy Cundiff misses the go ahead field goal. This guy is a joke. If he makes this one, I think the Saints go on to win but instead that was the end. They were saying it was out of Carney's range. Looks like it was out of Cundiff's range so I'd be taking a chance and let Carney kick.
3. Dropped balls and poor passing early on. The Saints basically spotted the Bears the first 9 points, which if they hadn't...different game.

I feel like Dennis Green..."THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!" He might be fucking crazy but I actually know what he meant. The Bears won't be as lucky in the Super Bowl.

A magical season regardless

In the end, I think they were overwhelmed and the officials were not going to call a decent game. The Saints still had the best season in franchise history and really became a team for the whole country to cheer for. They will be back next year and the year after that. This is a young team and a very gifted team. I was not impressed by the Bears at all. They will lose the Super Bowl. The Saints lost the game with help from the officials. Next year will be alot of fun.

And let's not forget...

The week that was

It's been a very long week or so. Work has been quite taxing since the disasterous server move we had last weekend. A lot of very important servers were lost. I did help us weather this storm by fixing issues, testing new servers, coming up with solutions. The real question is what is the fall out? Who will pay the price? Someone needs to. I think we all know who that is. But will it happen?

10 Greatest Guitar Solos of all time

Time to vote. Please submit entries for the greatest guitar solos of all time! Reply to this threat and let's see what happens!

American Idol

As most folks know, I love American Idol. I do enjoy the auditions and last night's was a classic. The Seattle freaks were amazing. The bug eyed guy was great but the geek from Utah was my favorite...though Red was fun too, butchering BoRhap.

I think I have an early favorite in Phillipe Sparks' daughter Jordin Sparks. Wow was she good or what? Her control and range really wowed me. She has the voice, the look and the smile to win this. The problem is at 16, she might crash and burn.

NFL Playoffs Round 3 Predictions

Time to go on record with my predictions for Conference championship games. I've been .500 so far and I hope I do better this weekend since my team is still in this thing!

Colts vs Patriots: First off, fuck Belechick and fuck Brady. I really think Manning is due for a big big game and he is not afraid of the Pats anymore. Add in that Adam Vinitieri kicks for the Colts and you have a recipe for a Colts win, my friends.

Saints vs Bears: What do you think I am gonna say here? The Bears defense is good but the Saints offense is better. Grossman will make mistakes. Saints win this fucker.

So my Super Bowl prediction is: Colts and Saints.

And now, by popular demand...it's Hayley again!

My kinda woman

Gotta love her!

When the shit hits the fan

At work, we have had some really bad days. Over the weekend, we moved datacenters and during setup in the new place, we had multiple hardware failures. Now I know what you are thinking. If you have enough redundancy, you can survive. As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend!"

The problem is that the main image server (both nodes) and the backup for it (a piece of shit SNAP server) both went down, the main server is dead and the backup was sent for repair. Add into that the SAN we have also died. It was fairly common knowledge to those with a clue that the SAN was going to quit eventually and it did. It was crap from DAY ONE. It's backup was a poorly designed DB which was missing many things and schema was not the same.

Perfect storm right? If you factor in the human element that was involved, you betcha. There was really no focus and we're just now getting to the point of surviving. But at what cost? That's the big question.

Whining or poor sportsmanship?

Seems the lastest thing is who is right...LT for saying the Patriots disrespected them with their post game celebration or people saying LT is whining cause he lost. Upon further review, the Pats were classless in their mocking of the Chargers in the middle of the Chargers' field in front of the Chargers' fans.

Is this the first time the Pats won? Because that's how they acted. They were complete bushleaguers and it shows what a clown Belechick is deep down. Show some class! Be excited and get the fuck off the field! If it's your field, stay on there and enjoy it. Otherwise, hit the lockeroom. They are going to the AFC championship game. They didn't win it! They didn't win the Super Bowl either!

LT is right. Act like you've won before. It won't matter as the Pats are done winning. Peyton will see to it.

And now... another photo of Hayley Marie Norman in our continuing efforts to drive traffic!

NFL Playoffs: Round Two Day Two

It seems I know the NFC but not enough about the AFC! This is not the point where the whiny AFC fans start their yapping. So the Colts won Saturday and the Patriots won also. Just as interesting was the Seahawks battling the Bears into OT. So what happened?

I think we saw the Chargers just weren't as ready as they could have been. Worse was the final drive to try and get Nate Kaeding into range (which they didn't since the kid was a good 5 yards beyond his range) and the bad play calling. No timeouts and you call plays for the middle of the field? Not very smart. This was also the fault of Rivers who may have checked down to those receivers. Who knows? We do know that the Pats won.

The Bears looked quite beatable. The problem was the Seahawks aren't a very good team, least of all defensively. Grossman looked fine like I knew he would. His 68 yard TD to Berrian was an amazing throw. But the key is that the Bears defense gave up passing yards. Remember that. It will come up next weekend against...the Saints.

NFL Playoffs Round Two Day One: Who dat...?

Once again, I am .500 but I am sure glad the game I got wrong was the FIRST one. The Colts showed something yesterday I think. They beat the Ravens at their own game which I never thought they could manage. You have to figure the Colts will be a problem for anyone going forward, especially since I think Peyton is going to have at least one game where he wins it for them.

Ok whatever. Onto the IMPORTANT game! My Saints took care of a very very tough Eagles team and really could have (maybe should have?) beaten them by a higher number. Deuce was the horse and it was good to see him carrying the team since people are so focused on Brees and Bush and even Colston that we all forget just how good Deuce McAllister is. Well we all got to see that last night. I give the credit to that offensive line which was thrown together in training camp with some castoffs, a first rounder from last year who got move to left tackle and a rookie right guard from Bloomburg College (!).

Also I found it quite puzzling why the Eagles would punt at the end there. I said to Pamela: "well they gotta go for it now." The punter comes out and she says: "I guess they give up." Apparently so. I knew McAllister could get at least a first down the way he was running. And I'll be darned, he did. I liked in the postgame show where Bradshaw said he thought the Saints could beat either the Bears or Seahawks, regardless of location. Amen, brother.

What me worry?

So this is the first playoff game for my team in a few years, the first time they've gotten a bye, but I am not worried. I really don't mind if they lose, though I do hope for a win. That's the mind set of a fan for a team such as the Saints. I am sure Cowboys fans can't relate! Hell even Giants' fans have higher expectations!

But I do think they have a very good shot which is a good feeling. So if they get off to a good start and Brees plays smart...we'll see you in the next round!

NFL Playoffs Round 2 Predictions

By popular demand here are my round two predictions. This is pretty easy or at least safe. I am taking each team that had a bye last week because the odds are in their favor. I know there are good matchups and I do think all the games will be close but to justify my madness...

San Diego beats New England because Tomlinson cannot be stopped period. Not even by his royal highness Bill Belechick.

Baltimore beats Indianapolis because Manning will crack under the pressure that the Ravens will bring and Addai will not run on that defense either.

Chicago beats Seattle because their defense is killer and Seattle hasn't looked right all year long. Grossman will be fine so people need to relax on that.

New Orleans beats Philly because...gimme a fucking break, I'm a Saints fan! What do you think I am going to say???

Ok Barry which is it now?

So now Bonds says Sweeney didn't give him anything because he didn' test positive anyway. This guy is such a fucking joker. He is a bad liar. The story always changes once he hears what people think. "Oh you didn't like that one. How about this one?" Honestly he is to baseball what Terrell Owens is to football. Both sports would be alot better without them. I don't deny either has alot of talent but both have so much baggage they aren't worth the talent. DAMMIT I MENTIONED OWENS!

Bonds fails amphetamine test

How surprised are we really here? It's just a matter of time before things come unraveled for Barry Bonds and this is just more of the same. The Balco scandal is not over and I think we're all pretty clear that Bonds has used. The problem with this clown is that he is good at lying once he is caught.

With this failed test, he immediately through teammate Mark Sweeney under the bus. What a great guy Bonds is. He finds some patsy and says they it was theirs. Sweeney and his attorney say they have no idea what Bonds is talking about. Sounds alot like when he claimed he had no idea what his personal trainer was giving him. Sure, Barry.

The Hall calls

Yesterday, everyone seemed more concerned with the fact that Mark McGwire got few votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame rather than the fact that 2 all time greats were elected. The problem I have with it is that both Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr deserved to be UNANIMOUS elections. Both were around the 96-97% mark but how can you leave either off?

Tony Gwynn was THE greatest hitter of the last 40-50 years...period. A career .338 hitter who was the best hitter statistically since Ted Williams (a career .344 hitter), we're talking the lasy 75 years really!! Gwynn's stats rank with players from the dead ball era like Ty Cobb, that's how good he was. And yet some writers left him off? Don't allow jokers to have a vote.

Cal Ripken Jr is mostly known for the consecutive game streak in which he broke Lou Gehrig's record back in '95. But Ripken redefined the shortstop position by being not only a great defensive player but being an offensive force. Ripken hit over 400 career homers, won Rookie of the Year, MVP, an All-star 19 times and won a World Series. And yet some clowns left him off their ballots.

Apparently 2 guys felt compelled to punish EVERYONE for the steroid era by summitting blank ballots. Yeah that's the way to teach em! Talk about fucking stupid. Let's punish 2 of the all time greats for NO GOOD REASON. These 2 need to be stripped of the honor of voting for the Hall. As for the other 5 or so, they need to be slapped up side the head.

What about McGwire? He didn't make it. So what? If Dave Kingman took roids, you'd have Mark McGwire. Seriously. I watched McGwire for alot of years and I can tell you Canseco was more talented. And it was clear something changed in McGwire when one year he hit all of 22 homers and .201. Then suddenly 33 homers and up from there. They claimed at the time it was new contacts. Sure. McGwire lied and is still lying. Points go to Canseco for not lying. Props go to Gwynn and Ripken for being class acts and real Hall of Famers.

Why so surprised?

I don't get why everyone is so shocked that Florida won the BCS title game last night over Ohio State. Like most #1 seeds, Ohio State was a preseason pick as #1 which means if you win out the games you tend to keep the #1 seed. It's like having it giftwrapped. They need to do away with that preseason #1. It makes no sense at all. No one has done anything to EARN any seeds so how can you say one team is better than another. Now I do think Ohio State earned a chance by winning out. But to say that Florida, because they lost a game, did not deserve a chance...that's just dumb. Florida plays in the toughest conference, the SEC. So to me one loss in the SEC is as good as going unbeaten elsewhere.

Igawa gets haircut and I am soooo relieved

The other big news of the day it seems is that new Yankees pitcher Kei Igawa had to get a haircut to join the Yankees as they frown on facial hair and long hair. Igawa has no facial hair but did have rather long hair. What really bugged me was that he looked familiar. Long hair and all...Japanese...feminine...so familiar. Ok so he looked like a Japanese woman. No it was more. Then it hit me the other night. He and Deal or No Deal model Mylinda Tov look alike. I mean ALOT alike. Hmmmm...creepy.

So in the end I am glad Igawa looks slightly more masculine so I don't feel so weird. For the record Mylinda isn't that good looking anyway. My favorite model on Deal or No Deal is Hayley Marie by a long shot. I know that's important info. That gets me thinking. Maybe a good way to drive traffic over here is to mention those models. People will Google the name Hayley Marie Norman and BANG...the Idiot Chronicles shows up. And now for a gratuitous photo of Hayley to drive traffic!

NFL Playoffs: Round One Part Two

Looks like I am just going to have to be .500 in my predictions. Both "New York" teams lost which means I got it half right (or half wrong) again. The Jets let me down. I really thought they would play much better than they did. I suppose they hung in for a while but overall defensively they just had no answers over the course of 60 minutes of football. So much for that genius Mangini. So the Pats survive this round.

Then we have the exalted New York Giants. I imagine some of their fans will say the Giants actually played a pretty good game. The fact is they lost which for me means they did not play a pretty good game. If a team loses (especially with no time remaining like the Giants did), it means they didn't play well ENOUGH. But I would imagine we'll get to hear all about it today over and over and over again. I've never seen a piss poor .500 football team get so much attention. Folks, they aren't THAT interesting! So I will thank the Eagles for sending the Giants to the golf courses of the world and welcome the Eagles to the Superdome where they will get smacked by my beloved Saints.

Petrino in as Falcons' coach

The Atlanta Falcons aren't wasting any time getting a new head coach. They've tabbed Louisville's Bobby Petrino as the new head coach. Now why would I give a shit? Well since the Falcons are in the division with my beloved Saints, I do care. Is this a good hire? I really don't think this guy is better than Jim Mora Jr. Oh and by the way, I agree with Jim Mora Sr that Vick is a coach killer. I love how people run to defend things and say no no, Vick isn't a coach killer. Gimme a break. Vick is so inconsistent that he will always be a fucking coach killer. Make Vick a running back already.

Back to Petrino. Is he a good hire? He did well at Louisville. But that's really not much of an achievement when you consider that they play in the BIG EAST. That means they have 2 tough teams to play in West Virgina and...well Rutgers of all things. Lucky for Petrino that Rutgers got shit turned around. The rest of the Big East SUCKS. I mean they are shiiiiiiiiiit! Syracuse? McNabb graduated when? Cincinnati and Connecticut are basketball schools. Pitt??? Yeah Wannesadt was a great hire. Name another team in the Big East! USF!!!! Fuck me they are in the south and nowhere near the other teams and they suck.

The problem is that this conference is a basketball conference. So Petrino and Louisville had that part easy. Maybe the non-conference games were better? Since you can only schedule 4 non-conference games who cares? This is a borderline hire. My guess is this guy runs the other way as soons as he sees the NFC South. The Saints have taken over, the Panthers will be better and the Bucs are better than their record.

Give Bobby two years and he pulls a "Saban". Not that there is anything wrong with that!

NFL Playoffs: Round One Part One

So I am technically batting .500 so far but in reality both games did not go how I thought they would. First off, where the fuck did Larry Johnson go? The Chiefs had Peyton Manning giving them the ball over and over. Still, the Chiefs did nothing with it when they had it. I am sure everyone will just blame Herm Edwards as that seems to be the thing to do nowadays. So I flat out got it wrong. But the part people needed to keep in mind is that Manning looked more like his brother than himself.

The next game I technically got right since I did pick the Seahawks but I really thought they'd win by a few touchdowns and not one point and not because Tony Romo would botch a hold of the game winning (potential game winning at least) field goal. For as much as people love this Romo guy, he fucks up alot. Sure he is basically a rookie and did go to a Division I AA school. Still we had the annointing oils out earlier in the season. The fact remains he has a long way to go. That was a clutch situation and he buckled.

So today we get the New York teams, so I won't be watching anyway. The wife has some chores for me to do and quite honestly, I'd rather do them than watch the Giants...or even the Jets. Let me know what the scores are.

Music from the Idiot Chronicles Part VI

It's that time again! This is my sixth installment. As always, find these songs wherever you can!

1. Toto - "Goin' Home": Part of a theme. It's good to know you are wanted and appreciated. The key is knowing it. Once you do, there is no feeling like it.
2. Asia - "Ready To Go Home": The next of the theme. This is a song of redemption. Asking to be let in and being allowed. Being ready to start anew.
3. Spock's Beard - "She Is Everything": During Pamela's surgery, I was sitting in the waiting room getting more nervous by the moment, listening to my iPod on shuffle and this came up. It was one of the most emotional moments I have had. This song said it so clearly in that moment.
4. UFO - "Lookin' Out For No. 1": No one will ever fault you for doing what's right for yourself. And the line in this song says it all: "How does it feel to be out on your own?"
5. Union - "Around Again": Another karma song. Karma will take care of everything. Right the wrongs and take care of the fucking liars. We know who.
6. Angels and Airwaves - "Good Day": My new favorite band with a song about realizing it's not so bad after all. The melodies are top notch. "I think it's good."
7. Faith No More - "Midlife Crisis": When you hit midlife, it's amazing how this song suddenly makes sense.
8. XTC - "Where Did The Ordinary People Go?": A newer song by XTC (a new favorite) which asks a really good question.
9. Beach Boys - "Long Promised Road": Sung and written by Carl from 1971's Surf's Up album, this song is just cool. The chorus is so good. Talks about making an impression and I like the upbeat take.
10. Dio - "I Could Have Been A Dreamer": Dio! Of course! I like the lyric but I love the music just as much. It's classic Dio.
11. Yes -"Changes": Seeing that we've been going through alot of changes lately, this song seemed like a great way to close this volume out. "One word can bring you 'round...CHANGES!!!"
    

Payton is the NFL Coach of the Year

Sean Payton did so much for not only New Orleans but the whole Gulf Coast region by bringing the Saints back from the dead and into a #2 seed and first round bye. Payton got 44 of 50 votes to easily beat Eric Mangini. That shound silence the whiny Jets fans out there. Yes the Jets did very well, but gimme a break! What Payton did is akin to what Jim Leyland did with the Tigers this season.

So Red Sox fans don't feel left out...

Hi my name is Joel. Joel Piniella. No wait. Joel Pineiro. Yes that's it. I am the new Red Sox closer! They gave me 4 million dollars in real money to close their baseball games! I've actually done that once so I am a real expert. I had a good ERA last year of 6.36 so you know more is better! I am taking over because I was hurt alot and they don't want me throwing 215 innings anymore like I did in Seattle once...back in like 2003 I think. I actually won more games than I lost that year too. Those were good times. I was happy then. But I am happier now because the Red Sox are paying me like the Yankees paid a guy I know named Carl Pavano. He is smart. He got more money and he never has to pitch! Wow. I hope that happens for me too. Thanks Theo!!!

The Yankees make a trade and their fans cream their jeans again

It kills me that we're so concerned that the Yankees traded a fair past his prime Randy Johnson back to Arizona for some prospects. Why is this such a big thing? The Yankees shouldn't acquire old broken down pitchers TO START WITH. They got rid of the cancer known as Sheffield too. Yippie! They never should have acquired him TO START WITH! Let's award the Yankees for waking up? Come on. Once they learn how to be PROACTIVE and not REACTIVE, then we'll talk. Until then, shut up already. They aren't going to win this year and George will get angry and they'll sign more old players and deal their future away again.

People are acting like Brian Cashman (the "G.M.") is suddenly as good as Billy Beane or something. Yeah it's so hard to build a team with an unlimited budget and then to squander said budget on crap like Carl Pavano...yeah Cashman is a fucking genius. Yankee fans, do the rest of us real baseball fans that actually have a clue a really big favor and stick a sock in it.

Sugar Sugar

The Sugar Bowl was alot of fun last night. Well maybe not for Notre Dame or Brady Quinn but since I am an LSU fan...it was alot of fun. I hope NFL scouts were paying attention because Quinn is getting too much ink and too many accolades. He will be a solid NFL QB, in my opinion, more in line with Trent Green and not a Peyton Manning.

The QB they needed to watch was LSU's JaMarcus Russell who will be a great NFL QB. He is huge for one, at 6'6" 265lbs...which brings to mind Culpepper or Leftwich. But the thing I notice with him is his release. I don't think I've seen a quicker release, not even Favre. The ball is out so fast and on such a line...it's amazing to watch. If the Raiders were smart, they'd draft him. I know Russell hasn't declared, but he will. Someone will be smart enough to draft him, probably not Matt Millen since Millen isn't smart at all.

As for the Nick Saban controversy, I don't see the big deal. He left a job that was not to his liking and went back to the field he loved. I can totally relate to that!

NFL Playoffs - Breaking Down The First Round

So like most seasons, the Saints aren't playing this coming weekend. Unlike those seasons, the Saints get to play NEXT weekend. Until then we have to figure out THIS weekend. The matchups are interesting so let's have a look.

NFC

Giants vs. Eagles - In theory, the Eagles should have this one in the bag. Outside of the last game, the Giants haven't looked very good and the Eagles have quietly become a good team. All things being equal, the Eagles will win and take a flight to New Orleans. However, I think the Giants have an upset in them...only because I don't want the Eagles! I think the Eagles are a dangerous team. Anyway, pick the Eagles to be safe.

Seahawks vs. Cowboys - The Cowboys are hard to figure out. At times they look like a talented team and at other times, not so much. I think the Cowboys defense is suspect. I also think the Seahawks offense is due for a breakout game. Pick the Seahawks.

AFC

Jets vs. Patriots - I watched the Jets beat the Pats last time out when they weren't give any chance at all to win, so I know the Jets can do it again. Add in that Rodney Harrison isn't playing. Add in that Tom Brady hasn't a good go-to receiver. Add in that the Jets can and will stop the run. Pick the Jets to send the Pats home.

Colts vs. Chiefs - I think alot of folks assume the Colts will put things together and beat a lackluster Chiefs team. Maybe they will but it will mean Manning needs a huge game. The problem for the Colts? Two words: Larry Johnson. They couldn't stop Maurice Jones-Drew, so I think Larry Johnson will run all over them and in the process he will keep the Colts offense off the field! Pick the Chiefs in an upset.

Boise State does it right

I unfortunately fell asleep before the exciting ending of last night's Fiesta Bowl and missed Boise State showing the world how to win a game. 4th and a million from the 50 with like 10 seconds left. Score! Then the hook and ladder, then the 2 pt conversion to win it with...the Statue of Liberty play??? Oh my! I wish more teams had the guts and desire that Boise State showed us all. Good stuff.

2007

So here we are in 2007. Here's hoping for less bullshit in '07. Here's hoping the Saints go far in the playoffs. Here's hoping Barry Bonds is caught and never breaks Aaron's record. Here's hoping for more good music and less shit like Prince and rap. Here's hoping my good mood makes it more than one day. One can only hope.