Why no 9?

My phone (not cell phone, a cordless phone), which is somewhat high-tech, has a speaker setting which I use frequently. I like it. It's good. It's clear. It does the job.

However, I have one gripe. I go to increase the volume as my printer hammers out my plans, and I notice three beeps when I hit volume level 8. It goes no higher. Why not 9 or 10? Why stop at 8? 8 is plenty loud, but to 9, at least.

The Best A Man Can Get

I like football. I love hockey.

However, when January 1 comes of any year, I dedicate my day to watching bowl games. Some pointless, some very worthwhile. I wanted to watch the Rose Bowl more than any other game this season. I was pulling for USC since the start of the year. I have no alliance to them, nor any other D1 school, so I thought I would pull for USC since no one gave them credit. Long story short, USC won.

I won, too, because I watched the Fiesta Bowl, too. Lucky me, and lucky to whoever else watched the whole game - it was amazing. The best football game I have ever watched. Period.

Sure, the Titans-Rams Superbowl was great, as was last yers Rose Bowl. Nothing compared to what I witnessed last night.

I thought Boise State would win... and they were on their way, until something happened and suddendly they were down by a TD with 50 seconds to go and the ball on the 50yd line. Huh? Yeah.

'Huh' seemed to the motto of the Boise State Bronco's opponents, Oklahoma, last night.

Huh#1 - Boise State throwing and INT... sorry, a TD pass to Oklahoma with 60+ seconds left. They were going to win in regulation, but they threw the pass to the wrong team. I was confused. So was Oklahoma, but they didn't care.

Huh #2 - the hook and ladder to tie the game with 7 seconds left. The play NEVER works. You want proof? It isn't even a play in the Madden football games. That means it does NOT work. But it did. It worked to perfection. It sent the game to OT.

Huh#3 - 4th and 2. A TD needed to keep you in the bowl game. And you motion your QB out of the pocket. Snap it to your WR. And throw it to someone wearing 91. And it works. 'Nuff said.

Huh#4 - I understand going for 2 to WIN the game. I do. There was 40+ points on the board by now. No defense is going to win the game. So, you have to win, or lose trying... Well, again... they pulled a play out of their ass... The Statue of Liberty play... and it worked (I'm not surprised at this point... see Huh#1-3). It worked to perfection. The guy went in the endzone to win the bowl game...untouched.

An unreal game. A game for the ages. It'll be an Instant Classic on ESPN within the next week. No doubt (except it was a Fox game). I will watch it again. I may buy it on iTunes if available. I have witnessed very few sporting events that proved to be so exciting, and none like that in football.

If you went to sleep with Boise State ahead in the 4th... I'm sorry. I truly am.

Scott, you are an ANIMAL!!! Awww-OOOOOO!!!

I have a quite depressing obsession with Teen Wolf. I owned it on VHS years and years ago, and I think I may have it in the basement of my house at this very moment. Whenever the movie comes on HBO, I watch it. I have to. I feel like I need to rent it if I do not watch it when it is on. It truly is a great flick.

Now, my problem with this movie lies within my failure to believe the plot. I know it is fiction, but I have the same type of issues with most novels - if it is fiction, then why bother watching it or reading it?

Case in point - I have a problem with not a single reporter showing up to one of Scott Howard's basketball game after the kid turns into a Werewolf. The kid changed into a freak of nature (no Barry Bonds, you cannot buy pills to turn into a werewolf) and not one single reporter shows up? This could send a rookie reporter to CNN overnight.

Again, the guy turns into a wolf in the middle of a game of basketball and they just continue? I could have used some realism in that scene... if possible.

The only real part is that Scott Howard admits to being bad at basketball. I liked that. He sucks. Oh, and at the end, when they come down from the bleachers, a kid realizes that his fly is completely down and his pants are un-buttoned... not sure how it made it past the editing crew, but it did.

The only problem I have with this movie is that there is a sequel, Teen Wolf Too (classy), and it blows. No MJ Fox... and it is boxing, which I love as a sport, but not when a werewolf is involved.

The Telephone

The other day, friends of mine and I discussed the general telephone conversation. Not sure how we got into it, but we did.

When talking to someone outside of the region, the following questions are always asked:

1. How's the weather? - really, who cares. I know it is an ice breaker of some sort, but seriously, the weather? Isn't that the last thing someone, outside of the region, would want to know?

2. How's work going? - Work is the same for 99% of the people in America. Work goes, and it goes, then it goes. It's a way of living for the majority of people and that's it. If someone gets promoted, chances are that they'll call you and let you know. Until that happens, work is just, 'going.'

3. Whatcha doing? - Well, I was making steak and eggs but they got burnt when someone called to ask me a pointless question.

4. Seen any good movies lately? - Yeah, actually I just finished watching The Goonies for the trillionth time and I still cannot believe Mikey and Co. tied his brother up with a piece of exercise equipment. I mean, those kids are up to the wackiest things!

Idea #1

I would love to brainstorm and then write a comedy show. A comedy show of any kind - TV pilot, sketch or even a play. It is hard for me to do since I am not 'just a writer' (inside joke), but every now and then I have ideas. Ideas that can work. Tonight, I had an idea, that if brainstormed, could work.

I was at the mall today and since it was cold and rainy, I through on a hooded sweatshirt (or a hoody, as the kids call 'em these days). It was an 'Under Armour' sweatshirt, that had the 'X (u/a)' logo on it - nothing fancy.

As I walked in the mall to the store, I saw an Army recruiting station. Then, the idea popped in my head. Me, sitting down on a mall bench talking on my cell because I hate the "Walk and Talk." Right when I hang up, Mr. GI Joe comes up to me with saying, "Son, do you want time it is? It's time to protect this house. This house being the USA."

I don't know where I would go from there, but the episode would include an Army recruiter using the Under Armour slogan ("we must protect this house!") to pull in a new recruit, who he thinks is young because of the sweatshirt.

I have ideas from there - maybe the guy he recruits gives him BS for a while and screws with him, then gets detained for messing with the Armed Forces. Maybe that is the end of the episode where the guy gets mistaken for a youngster the whole day and that is the cherry on top. I don't know. But it will work. And Uncle Sam wants YOUR help!

33

Since one of my favorite hockey players is going into the hall of fame tonight, here is the best moment in the career of Patrick Roy... and it comes when he isn't on the ice.

The Video

The video is the top 10 sports disses of all time. Roy/Roenick is number 3.

S...l......o.............w.... motion

- I was watching a fight on HBO this past weekend and was ashtonished by the "super slo-mo" that HBO used for fights. During the knockout combonation, you actually see the fighters face take brutal punishment. You feel it. It is horrifying how someone can endure this pain, but it is also something you must see.


The video goes to slow-mo around 35 seconds.

You don't get the full feeling since the quality is poor, but his face gets punished. As does his brain.

Out on the Horizon

Day: November 10
Time: Before Sunrise
What Happened?

It was a weird dream. I just fell into the middle of the country, somewhere. As I started to piece it together, I realized I could see nothing but the horizon. I was stuck in my own damn dream. Stuck. Couldn't see a thing but the horizon. Then I realized where I was.

I was Forrest Gump.

I started to run, and run I did. As I started to run, some Bob Seger music started to play. I was then joined by people, not Jen-ny, but random people. I could hear them behind me, but couldn't see them. Still, the horizon was the only thing I could see.

I stopped, turned around, and ...woke up.

Strange.