Cracked Finger Skin

the skin on my knuckles takes a beating in the northern winter.  all that washing of hands (subway city dirt and germs) really dries 'em out.  i thought a blog post about it would be fascinating.

we got snow last nite.  very wet.  and rain today.  wet and slushy.  i hate it, especially since i packed up my boots (i don't know why i did that) and i am forced to battle the late January weather in sneakers.

the Super Bowl is on Sunday and barring any crimps in the move plan, i'll probably miss the telecast.  we'll be on the road, moving.  i'll go the radio route (just like our forefathers) and pretend to drink a beer (i will be driving).  maybe i'll go for a frosty Coca-Cola.  i don't have any predictions for the big game as i haven't seen much of the playoffs.  common sense would have to side with the Steelers.  but the Cardinals have been bucking common sense since the playoffs began.

doesn't seem right that Arizona could be the Football Champions after losing 4 of their last 6 regular season games (combined score:  Arizona 138 points for a 23 point average to 198 total points and a 33 point average for their opponents).  its the playoffs that count and the Cardinals have scored 30 points, 33 points, and 32 points for 3 straight wins.  not bad.  they are on a roll.

me?  i'm rolling up on some final boxes to pack.  its that stage of moving (near the end) where you see random crap and either throw it away or shove it in a box and tape it up.

the end is in sight.

Dog Fight

dog fight in a metaphorical sense (and if you are reading this blog - get used to "metaphorical sense" as an explanation to, well, just about everything that i write).  i'm in New York with some swiss cheese and crackers, probably been drinking too much coffee.  its the cold winter months (February approaching) and the days do not contain much sunlight.  i had a small bottle of yellow (i believe, officially, the flavor is 'lemon-lime') gatorade yesterday and i am enjoying orange ('orange') today.  trying to stay hydrated while packing to move.

the radiators blast their heat at their choosing.  they dry me out.  the coffee doesn't help (but it does help in that "faux-energy' sort of way that is needed for packing up one's entire breadth of possessions to move them across 6 to 9 states) (the 6 to 9 states being New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana) (guess that's about 11 states) (the highway ducks across corners of West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee briefly) (and New York City isn't really New York State).

anyways, the move is in mid-stream and i have a small bit of peaceful time now (at 1PM on a Tuesday) to write this.  the fight will continue soon (the "fight" being the struggle to stay organized) (its an uphill battle) (the victory will be a large and comfortable residence in New Orleans as the mild southern winter gives way to spring and the eventual lazy heat of summer).  lots of parenthetical tangents in this post.  i kind of like 'em.  random.

more later.

trying to move

i'm trying to move (literally now, i am tired, my muscles hurt as do my bones).  i haven't posted in quite some time and i'm finding it quite difficult to muster the energy needed to write.  

i just got back to NYC (last nite) from New Orleans and i have to pack up all of my (our) stuff for the move down south.  i drove up here in a rental car.  it took me about 2 and a half days in a sort of leisurely fashion.  i hit no traffic but i did fork over 15 bucks in tolls just to enter New York City.  this town will charge and tax the pants right off of you.  this town is a pricey town and its far too rich for the likes of me.  i'm looking forward to living in New Orleans again (not a stranger to taxation either but this is America ... this country loves to tax ... how else can politicians - public servants - become millionaires?).

its quite ridiculous when those elected by the people to govern are the wealthiest among the populace.  

i'm tired (as mentioned) and i haven't written in quite some time (out of practice) so i'll keep it short.  i finally re-did the comments section so anybody can leave any comment they want.  i think i had incorrectly made it hard for people to leave any notes.

thanks for reading.  more to come (Super Bowl, New Orleans, Obama, kung fu, tooth brushing tips).  remember to floss.

and drink your fluids.

holy, um, holy holy CARP!

yes that's carp, C-A-R-P and not the far more profane CRAP. these NFL playoffs (and season) are so wacky that we have to go to the fish names for description (clarification?) of amazement. the Arizona Cardinals beat the highly touted Carolina Panthers in Carolina (and beat them bad). the #1 Titans and Giants fell after getting a week off to rest and playing at home. if the Steelers hold their current lead over San Diego they become the only team that anybody could reasonably assume would make it this far. Baltimore has had its fans too but not until recently. what would we have? Baltimore at Pittsburgh (pick 'em) and Philly at Arizona (really pick 'em). the Cardinals have become the sweetheart story and since they get to play the Eagles at home in Arizona they could conceivably win the Super Bowl without playing ONE cold weather game. they beat the Panthers in Carolina and i don't know how cold it was there but it wasn't New York-Philadelphia-Pittsburgh-Ohio (Ohio really doesn't count because of the Browns and Bengals)-Chicago-New England cold. amazing.
i don't think anybody could have predicted this for the NFL playoffs.
ESPN's Bill Simmons might go 0-4 on his picks this round. and Gregg Easterbrook, who typically doesn't make picks but just makes fun of others who do, said the safest bet in sports is the home team in the 2nd round of the NFL playoffs. they are currently 0-3 with a possible lone "W" for Pittsburgh if they beat the Chargers. damn.
NOTE: no photo as of yet to accompany this post as i am "on the road" in New Orleans and without my MacBook. i'm using a Gateway computer from, i believe, the '90s. typing on this thing is like punching a typewriter from the 1930s. tough.

slippery eel

living in this mud.  not a bad mud (not all the time) but muddy nonetheless (i'm always surprised that is one word: "nonetheless").  i prefer actual mud (wet dirt) to allegorical mud (people, machines, football helmets, wires, computers, phones, stacks of money, noise).  my black cell phone sits beside me now as i type.  its like my Star Trek communicator:  its how i keep in contact as i navigate this strange world.  and, yes, i used a Star Trek reference.  just to give myself some credit i had to look up "Star Trek communication device" to find out what the actual term for it is (i didn't know, i knew it wasn't "transporter").  keep this tip in your brain folks, the internet is a great tool for finding out whatever you want to know about "Star Trek".  its true.  probably also "Star Wars".

television viewing behind me (football) and television viewing in front of me (football).  i'm strapping up my boots (maybe sneakers instead) and i'm grabbing my backpack (actually a small suitcase to carry on the airplane - you know they charge to check bags now?  ridiculous).  and i'm heading out on that road (well, the airplane will head up into the air, gotta change planes in Charlotte) towards New Orleans.  out of this metropolis (allegorical mud, NYC) and on to something new (muddy Mississippi River, hopefully it won't swell and overwhelm the levees).  New York to New Orleans.  stay tuned.  thanks for reading.

playoffs? SD over Indy

the Colts get upset again.  by San Diego.  again.  i didn't really watch this game so it seems useless to have a post but ... here you go!  for another playoff year things look pretty well set-up for Indianapolis to roll on up to the Super Bowl.  but they forget to beat San Diego.  what are the odds that the Chargers lose their next game?  i'd put everything against SD, they just won their Super Bowl.

RB Darren Sproles did to Indy what other RBs always seem to: he blew them up (105 rush yards, 45 receiving yards, over 170 return yards, 2 TDs).  Sproles, even before this game, was quickly becoming my new favorite player.  i had him on my fantasy team for weeks even though it was the bench (he has to play behind some guy named "Tomlinson").  really i wanted Indy to win but they flame out.  again.  against Norn Turner and the Chargers.  again.

you can bet the Steelers and Titans are smiling now.

   

playoffs? AZ vs. ATL

i watched a bit of this first NFL playoff game on the docket.  my TV switches to Spanish language for football games on NBC.  i don't know why.  

the Falcons looked better than i thought they would with a rookie QB.  too bad RB Michael Turner looked, um, slow?  he had no explosion into the gaps all game and ended up with 42 yards.

Cardinal RB Egde James came out of retirement for 73 yards.  the Atlanta pass defense cost them against one of the league's best passing teams.  Arizona had over 270 yards passing, and while not super electric hot there, they did score on big pass plays.  Arizona isn't going to score on a regular basis by grinding out a drive.  its all or nothing for them so you have to stop the home-run play.  Atlanta did not.  Cardinal WR Larry Fitzgerald continues to look like the best receiver in the game and i was impressed by Atlanta's Roddy White despite a bad dropped ball he had on a what-would-have-been a huge play.  rookie QB Matt Ryan looked decent enough especially considering the fact that he was on the road in his first playoff game ever.

neither of these teams are Super Bowl material.  i'm not sure either of these teams are 2nd round material but that may be being a bit mean to Arizona.  they got one more game in them!  let's see how they do in the cold (wild guess: not good).

   

Paranoid Android: Sugar Bowl Football

finally!  a good college bowl game!  the Utah Utes beat Alabama by coming quick and furious and jumping out to a 21-0 lead.  the Crimson Tide could not come back ('Bama managed to score 17 to lose 31-17 to the undefeated Utes).  the difference in the game?

#1 Alabama wasn't ready to play from the start of the game and Utah's quick start was part of a beautiful game-plan enacted by the coaches.  i loved the play-calling all game by Utah. 

#2 Utah QB Brian Johnson threw for 336 yards, 3 TDs, and no INTs.  easily the game's best player.  all this and Utah only ran the ball for 13 yards.  that's it!  it was clear that the Utah game-plan was to avoid the D-Line of Alabama by throwing the football.

#3 2 INTs for Utah CB Robert Johnson.  i guess he isn't singing the blues after all (i know its a bad joke but its really hard to make a "blues joke".  at least that's my excuse).

OVERALL i found this game fascinating and it more than makes up for that lackluster Sun Bowl i watched.  Utah took it to the perhaps over-rated Alabama squad (and over-confident too) early and often.  it reminds me of Boise State's win over highly touted Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2006 (easily one of the top football games this blogger has ever seen).  like Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops back then, Alabama head coach Nick Saban looked stunned and off-balance all game.  what he thought would be a position of dominance and offensive aggression for his team turned out to be one of a reactionary "stop the bleeding" mindset.  again, the Utes were up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.  roll tide?

the "paranoid" portion of this post's title comes from the fact that i thought the referees favored Alabama in this game.  you gotta know the BCS (the powers that be of the NCAA) wanted Alabama to win to avoid having an undefeated team (Utah) win its major bowl by beating a former #1.  it adds further doubt to the murkiness of the BCS picture.  the voices calling for a college football playoff grow louder.  we'll see how the "National Championship" game of Florida vs. Oklahoma plays out but i think the smaller conferences have proven AGAIN that they deserve a shot at a National Title.  from Boise State to Utah.

again, a great game coached by Kyle Whittingham of Utah.

a college bowl report

i don't get to watch much college football but i did catch the DEC 31 (Wednesday) Sun Bowl from El Paso, Texas: YAWN.  Oregon State and their orange uniforms faced the Pitt Panthers.  final score?  3-0.  seriously.  these are two of the better teams in college football?  and this is one of the first college games i really get to see?  wow.  i know the QB position is difficult and the good ones make it look easy BUT i've seen far too many subpar QBs try to throw passes this year (the NFL included from the Cincinnati Bengals Ryan Fitzpatrick to some old dude for the NY Jets).  i was pretty excited to watch the Rose Bowl but my TV wasn't giving me sound on ABC which diminished the "excitement" factor.  plus the Trojans crushed Penn State (the Trojans always crush somebody).  i think the Pac-10 is undefeated in bowls this year.  let's just forget about the University of Washington and Washington State and pretend its all peachy (or rosy).  i did catch a little of Nebraska's win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl.  not a lot of good QB play there either.  it came to me while i was watching the usually conservative run-heavy offense of Nebraska ... a QB like Michael Vick would just blow up there.  no need for decent passing just run a multi-RB set with a quick mobile QB for the option or Wildcat or wishbone or bootleg, etc.  return the Cornhuskers to glory!  Virginia Tech kind of has that now with their QB (who beat the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Orange Bowl) Tyrod Taylor.

i really would like to see Nebraska return to the top of the college football picture.  they've been gone for far too long.  load up heavy on the lines (O and D) with corn-fed big men and get that run game going.  Cornhuskers!  2009!  Tyrod Taylor!  Running QBs!

UPDATE: Nebraska football is one of the winningest programs in college football history .  they are one of only 7 Division I-A programs to win over 800 games.  they also have 5 national titles.  the last one came in 1997.  their all-time record is 808-334-40.  

X-mas Wrap-up

"the Kiss of Roy" may also be used as an alternate title here.  Brandon was featuring the sweet shaved lines on the side of his head.  but the Blazers lost to Dallas (Dirk had 30, Kidd grabbed 12 boards) and in a world where a game that took place more than a week ago is old news:  i offer you old news ... X-Mas!  its gone and over with and the New Year hangovers should be cleared up by now too.  as far as a "Wrap-up" for X-mas (or "X-mas") let me just say i tried to watch 5 NBA games with a little "Bad Santa" sprinkled in too.  i didn't make it thru all the NBA action.  let's see what we got:

Orlando Magic Vs. New Orleans Hornets blue (font color) goes to the easy victor as the Magic steam-rolled a (presumably) tired and drunk on egg nog Hornets crew.  the Hornets scored 31 points in the 1st half to be down by 30.  they eventually lost by 20 and i didn't watch any of the 2nd half in this snooze-fest.  David West was the high-scorer for New Orleans and he only mustered 13 points.

Phoenix Suns Vs. San Antonio Spurs don't ask me why the font color is orange, the Spurs and their silver and black won.  Roger Mason hit a last second 3-pointer from the corner to give San Antonio the one-point win in easily the best game of the day.  Tim Duncan continues his push to the Hall of Fame (he had 25 points and 17 rebounds).

   

Boston Celtics Vs. Los Angeles Lakers the Lakers ended the Celtics 19-game win streak behind Kobe Bryant and (gulp) Pau Gasol.  Gasol looked like another non-factor (SEE: last year's Finals) until coming on at the end of the game to finish with 20 points (he still only managed 3 rebounds).  Lamar Odom actually had some decent play off the bench and Luke Walton hit a couple of 3's even though he horribly airballed his first attempt (really, it wasn't even close).  Andrew Bynum still looks a little lost.

Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. Washington Wizards SKIPPED IT.

Dallas Mavericks Vs. Portland Trailblazers the reason for the festive holiday font colors?  both teams busted out alternate uniforms for the last game on the X-mas Day NBA docket.  Dallas wore bright green (not that flattering) and Portland wore red (totally awesome).  i loved the color combo.

      

new year (blarg)

what's that sound you hear?  is it the DVD of "Hellboy 2" that you left playing on the TV as you passed out last nite from too much tequila?  or is it noise from the city streets below as people scream to each other in a semi-futile attempt to speak louder than machines (cars, cell phones, trains)?  is the sound that faint annoyance that hits the back of your brain and creeps ever closer as you read someone's blog and wonder if you are wasting your time?  

do i personally view that sound as me wasting my life typing words into a computer box and hoping that i am heard - knowing that i am not - and still typing the words and composing the sentences because its actually pretty fun?

i think the sound could be the din of sports activities to be found on TV, the internet, in magazines, and overheard on the radio and in public situations (sports opinions from people that are paid a lot to deliver their opinion and those that just offer it for free).

what does the word "blarg" mean?  could be a pirate reference.  most likely it has something to do with the 2nd sentence that i typed (truthful New Year's Eve party occurrence).  blarg is all dirty teeth and a need to burp away the accumulated gas from alcohol consumption the night before.

welcome new year!  2009!  i'm proud to say that i only turned on the TV ("Hellboy 2") last nite at 2AM after a guest request.  it made everybody fall asleep (i'm using "fall asleep" in place of "passed out").  more blog entries to come ... sports coverage ... i'm pretty excited to check out the Rose Bowl today.  a X-mas report is also comin' complete with some NBA (i watched about 50% of the 5 NBA games on TV on X-mas day).  the below photo that i found on the internet may be Ron Artest.  i'm not sure.