Blogging from a Thursday Morning

How I go nearly a week without updating this, I'll never know.  It's not for lack of things to talk about, that's for certain.  Maybe it's because this is my more public blog and I have another place where I'm more anonymous to carp and rant about things.

- Thursday today - the kids at school are pretty lethargic when Thursday rolls around, I've noticed.  Then again, they're pretty lethargic on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday, they perk up for reasons-yet-unknown (to be fair, I have a tendency to to that as well).  Friday - well, duh - that's obvious.

- This past Monday, everyone was grumpy (that includes yours truly).  It always seems like everybody is angry or upset on the same days.  Sometimes I wonder if there's some rotation of the stars or the moon that aligns just right to make everyone feel like being ornery.

- Then again, there are days when all it right with the world, as far as I'm concerned, and one or two people around me are channeling Linda Blair.  That's when I retreat into whatever corner I have handy and occupy myself with some project or another.

- One of my students just came up to me with a question about a short story assigned in English.  She's not sure how to end the story (which is currently at nine pages in length).  I offered to read it for her and make suggestions, which she accepted that offer with the warning that her story is "super cheesy."  To which I replied, "You're in high school.  Everything is super cheesy."  I seriously think some of the stuff in secondary education exists for the sole purpose of being cheesy.  Again, I digress.

- The mail just came.  I think I get some of this stuff handed to me because I will throw it away.  I'm certainly not the math coordinator for the elementary school - but it's obvious that envelope is junk.  But everyone else just lets stuff pile up (not just at school, either) and never throws anything away.  I know some people are big on saving compost or whatever, but not on my work desk, please.

- I'm supposed to teach these kids how to use Excel, but it's a pain in the butt.  Maybe it's just because I'm not a business-type-person (not that I'm against business - I'm just not interested in it), but Excel and I have never gotten along.  And now I have to ensure that these students know how to use a program that I have zero-to-no faith in (yes, I know that's redundant).  Why input all these formulaic crap just to get an answer that I could get with a calculator?  That's much easier.  I hate it when computers try to do all the thinking for me and then they get it wrong.  As one of my students said - the formulas are all jacked.

- I do enjoy my job.  But I am excited for tonight - new "Big Bang Theory!"  Although, I am missing not having other shows to get into this year.  Nothing else really caught my attention this season, sadly.  So, I'm continuing my adventures in Classic Doctor Who.  I'm in the middle of the Season 2 serial "The Chase" where the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are being chased around time and space by the Daleks.  And it is stinking hilarious.  Maybe not so much that the one lady jumped overboard the Mary Celeste with a baby - but other parts are pretty good (though I have to point out a major "Did Not Do the Research" moment - people from Alabama would not say "clever."  At least, not in the 1960s and not the Deliverance stereotype the BBC had hanging around the top of the Empire State Building as a tourist.  Then again, probably the best American accent British actors back then could do was a hayseed-backwoods-Larry-the-Cable-Guy thing.  My, how far we've come.)
   - I mean no disrespect to British actors by that comment.  I would actually love to be proven wrong about my assessment of British 1960s-style television acting, if anyone can do it.  I just figure it's a testament to how much more skilled actors and crew-people have become over the years, that's all (I could do a whole post about my thoughts on TV - American and British - in the past 50 years).

- That was a long tangent.  Must mean it's time to go home.

NFL Week 3 Picks

(Blogger's interface is doing something screwy as I type.  It's really getting on my nerves).

Well, this is a momentous occasion.  Not only am I finally getting arsed up to make my picks BEFORE the Sunday games, but it's also Week 3.  By now, we've seen some pretty good football, some pretty bad football and some pretty "What the Crap?" football.  At this point, I can start to see where this season is going (still nowhere near enough to make Super Bowl predictions, but more information than I've had the previous two weeks where all I had to go on was instinct, history and preference).

Every week, I look for a list online that I can just copy/paste on here and this one is pretty cool, having the win-loss record for each team.  Not that that should influence decisions (Case in point - certain teams last year started out with 6-0 records, but went on to barely make the playoffs)

Enough pontificating - on to the picks!

Tennessee Titans (1-1) vs New York Giants (1-1) - The G-Men got their butts handed to them last week by the Colts and it is my theory that when a team (that isn't from Detroit) gets beaten so soundly, they come out on fire the next week with their hair on fire.  Then again, the Titans lost to the Steelers... but I'm not a great fan of Tennessee and I'm sure Peyton's been giving Eli pointers on how to handle the Titans' defense (the Titans are in the Colts' division, so Indy sees them pretty regularly), so I continue in my Manning-fangirl tradition - Giants over the Titans

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-2) - If I ever pick the Cincinnati Lady Gagas... I mean, Bengals... it's either because they're playing someone I hate even more or they're playing someone everyone knows will lose or I am in the gutter drunk as heck (I can pretty much guarantee it'll never be the third one).  Panthers look for their first win.

Dallas Cowboys (0-2) vs Houston Texans (2-0) - Do you even need to ask?  Texans (if Houston gives the Dallas Media Darlings an 0-3 start, I will think about forgiving that little beating-my-team stunt they pulled in Week 1).

San Francisco 49ers (0-2) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) - Oh ye of the Gold Helmets - the fabled and storied land of Joe, Steve and Jerry - home of my dear friend Alex... it pains me to say it, but I do value my prediction record somewhat.  Kansas City.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) - Oooh... one of our double 2-0 matchups this week... and even though Tampa Bay hasn't played very hard teams... I still have to go with the tradition which dictates: When in doubt, cheer for yellow and black - Steelers.

Buffalo Bills (0-2) vs New England Patriots (1-1) - Oh vomit... again, I value my prediction record somewhat, so I will plug my nose and pull the lever for New England (Furbalo - what the crap?)

Cleveland Browns (0-2) vs Baltimore Ravens (1-1) - Not much to say here - Ravens.

Detroit Lions (0-2) vs Minnesota Vikings (0-2) - I would say "Do you even need to ask?" but the way things are shaping up for the Purple People Eaters, I almost wouldn't be surprised if Detroit pulled an upset.  But they are playing at Minnesota... but I would feel like an idiot if the Lions did win and I didn't pick them... but I would feel like an even bigger idiot if I picked the Lions and they wound up losing... I pick the Vikings (but in my heart I will be cheering for Detroit.  Love ya, Uncle Jack).

Atlanta Falcons (1-1) vs New Orleans Saints (2-0) - I'm going with the Saints for this one.  But I have a grievance to air - I do love the Saints' story and the whole New Orleans renaissance thing, but if I tune in to a Saints football game one more time and hear the words "Hurricane Katrina," I will rip my shoe off and throw it at the TV.  It's like that Walgreens commercial - it was last year (or five years ago) - can we please deal with the issues at hand?  Like winning in the 2010 season?  Good grief- how long has the Superdome been open? /grievance

Washington Redskins (1-1) vs St. Louis Rams (0-2) - Redskins.  That's it.  If I say anything else, I will hear about it later.  And I don't want to hear about it later.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) - Hmm... the convicted felon or Sucky McSuckerton?  Decisions, decisions... both have failed me at least once... so I pick... *flips coin* tails - Jaguars.

Indianapolis Colts (1-1) vs Denver Broncos (1-1) - Hey, it's the Pony Bowl! (Ha - beat you to it!)  Colts.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) vs Arizona Cardinals (1-1) - I don't have the energy to take it out on Oakland this week.  But I'm going with Arizona.

San Diego Chargers (1-1) vs Seattle Seahawks (1-1) - Beach bums over Starbucks junkies - Chargers over Seahawks

New York Jets (1-1) vs Miami Dolphins (2-0) - Oh, two more of my favorite teams *sarcasm sign* Ohhhh... go with the Fish (but please leave the white bell bottoms in the attic).

MONDAY, SEPT. 27, 2010:

Green Bay Packers (2-0) vs Chicago Bears (2-0) - A Monday Night Classic!  I like the Packers (and no, I'm not bandwagon jumping on this one - I have to pick somebody - that's an inside joke with my sister, in case you were wondering).

For the record - I am 23-9 in my picks so far (Week 1 - 13-3; Week 2 - 10-6).

Digging the Shamy

I'm about sick of these stupid TV spots for that "Wall Street" movie.  Not gonna see it, so quit trying to sell me on it. I'm sick of that... so here's a video of Katy Perry on Sesame Street - mostly because it's been stuck in my head all day:



"The Big Bang Theory" season premiere was tonight - and since this is the only show I'm really excited to see this year, it's getting the weekly rehashes... well, until the "Doctor Who" Christmas Special comes out.


***SPOILERS HERE**DO YOU CARE?**THEN DON'T READ BEYOND HERE***

Okay, I like Sheldon's insistence that he and Amy aren't a couple.  It would have been weird if all of a sudden Sheldon is actually dating someone.  Of course, it's Sheldon - this isn't going to be a normal sitcom romantic relationship (which I actually find refreshing).

I'll say one thing about Sheldon and Amy's "date" (can you even consider it a date if they're being supervised by Penny?) - those two definitely know how to hold the mirror up.  I would say "poor Penny"... but she almost deserves it (I swear, she was almost ready to cry - but then I realized she was just asking for a drink).

All of Penny's attempt at creating conversation is exactly why I hate dating.

I LOVE Sheldon's attitude about already knowing the things he should know.  And I saw his remark about growing up in Texas coming a mile away.

MUGGLES!! XD  Pretty much this whole episode was XD

Howard's misfortune... yeah, that's pretty much normal for Howard.  With all the abnormality with Sheldon and Amy (abnormal for Sheldon, anyway) they had to play it "business as usual" for the rest of the cast.  Even down to Raj's "Winnie the Pooh" remark.

Usually it's the computer geeks condescendingly telling you to turn the computer off and back on when you have a problem... but yay for the nurse at the hospital.

After all is said and done - I do hope they're going to flesh out Amy a little bit. With this being the first episode that Amy is really featured, they still managed to make the Sheldon vs. Penny dynamic the focus of the episode.  Please fix.

Man, it's a lot harder to do rehashes for a comedy.  Usually I'm making fun of a show in these things, but this one already makes fun of itself.  Hmm...

Oh that's good - the teacher that's at school in the afternoon just called and asked me to sub for her tomorrow.  Yay for more hours!

Cowabunga!

My little cousin came over yesterday looking to watch a video on out VCR.  And not just any video - it was the first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie!

Oh, be still my little fangirl heart!  I haven't seen that sucker in YEARS!  When I was in preschool and kindergarten, I was nuts about the Ninja Turtles!  I watched the show every time it was on TV and begged my parents to take me to see the movie (Mom almost didn't take me because it looked to scary).  I had a serious crush on Leonardo - I don't know why... I think it was because I liked swords (and yes, I realize that they're actually katana.  Give me a break - I was five).

Honestly, I'm grateful that my parents didn't object to my watching Ninja Turtles every Saturday morning.  They even bought the videos for me and (eventually, after I pestered enough) took me to see the movie.  This came into play when I started going to school and all the kids told me that girls couldn't like Ninja Turtles and that was a boys' TV show.  As far as I'm concerned, that was the beginning of my flipping the proverbial bird to social convention.

Back to me and my cousin - well, we didn't watch it at our house because our VCR doesn't work (I'm sure this movie is out on DVD somewhere - IT HAS TO BE!), so we had to wait while the other kiddles finished watching their show.  And then, joy of joys, it was our turn!

First of all - I find it ironic that the VHS has an ad for Pizza Hut before the movie (it didn't have "trailers" per se - ), but in the movie, the Turtles have Dominos deliver (I suppose this was before product placement became such a big deal in movies, etc.)

Also, now that I'm older I realize how poorly this story was told.  True, it's an origin story and there's a lot that has to be covered - April as a TV reporter, her relationship with her boss, where Casey Jones comes in to all this.  If they were to do this movie today, it'd probably be longer and not have so many lines to go through (though I somehow remember it being a lot longer when I was a kid).

As with most movies you watched when you were little and then you go back and re-watch them year later, there were some jokes that went over my head back then that I get now (I had no clue that Michelangelo and Donatello went to the kitchen while Leonardo and Raphael were arguing in April's apartment.  That whole "Pork rind? Pork rind" exchange is now 10-times funnier than it used to be).  And the Turtles kick butt.  Massively and without question.  And they're still cool.

I love the Turtles, I love Master Splinter (his "I made a funny" moment at the end remains my favorite) - I even had Michelangelo and Donatello's rendition of "Tequila" stuck in my head as late as this morning ^_^ 

Here's a toast to the show that got all my geekery started - at the tender age of four (maybe even three?)

Supporting Your Team: Priceless

In the midst of typing up my football rehash, I had the thought that I've never really said why I like the Colts so much.  This is actually kind of a neat story that I ought to chronicle:

I went years without an NFL team that I routinely cheered for (I wasn't terribly interested in football, to be honest.  Didn't see a need to have a team).  My dad has the Lions, the 49ers and the Redskins (yeah, his life stinks), Mom is a Rams fangirl, my brother pulls for the Lions and a couple other teams (he's more involved with certain players), and... well... baby sister liked the Steelers, but then she switched to the Saints when she found out there was a French Quarter in New Orleans (she's got a thing for France - it's quite cute).  Not-quite-baby sister used to like the Packers, but then she got girly and didn't like football anymore (maybe she's come back from the abyss?  Truly, I haven't got a clue).

Back to my point - I decided I wanted to have a team, but I didn't know who I wanted to be a fan of.  Not Dallas or New England - those are dirty words in our household.  Nor did I want to cheer for a team that someone in my family already supports (I didn't want to share).  I tried the Eagles for a while in high school, but I wasn't feeling it with them.  Don't know what "it" is, but the Eagles didn't have it.

Anyway, my mom liked Peyton Manning.  Even though she is a hardcore Rams fan, she thought Peyton was a funny guy with all the goofy commercials he did.  Myself personally, I think it's great when a football player is really good, yet he can still lighten up and not be all OMG - DIVA! all the time *insert Edward sparkle here*  (I still quote "Cut that meat!" at random times).  Anyway, Peyton Manning plays for the Colts, so I picked the Colts - and I still wasn't aware just how good they really were (at the time, the defense needed lots and lots of help - they weren't going to no Super Bowl any time soon.  Then they went to the Super Bowl and won and life was cherries).

Like I said in my previous post, I do like that the Colts are pretty classy.  There's very rarely any extra-curricular drama unless the media or what-have-you creates some.  Even then, the players don't get into it - there's not any press-conference rants or threats to get traded - no Playboy bunnies in the VIP box.  Sure, you've got Peyton in those DirecTV, MasterCard and Sony ads, but that just adds to his appeal.

(And when I say "drama," I mean the Lady Gaga crap that TO and Ochodorko pull.  I can't stand any team doing that - that's part of why I can't watch NBA games outside of the Jazz.  They freaking think they're auditioning for "The Young and the Restless."  But that's another topic for another day.)

Anyway, the Colts are great and wonderful.  They're my team and I like them. And now you know why.  Thank MasterCard.

Yeah, It's a Long Football Rehash. Bite Me.

This was my stream-of-consciousness blogging as I watched the Sunday Night game.  My blog, my rules.  Deal with it.

Watching the Colts-Giants game and comment-chatting with a friend on LiveJournal who is a big Giants fan.  I feel bad that her team is losing - and I like the Giants too - yet I am loathe to see my Colts go 0-2.  Maybe if they had won last week, it'd be a different story.

However - it was nice to see the Colts playing pissed after last week's performance.  As much as the mild-mannered Colts get pissed.  I think that's why I like the Colts - totally classy and businesslike.  There's no weekly drama unless the media or whoever manufactures it around them.  Even then, no one on the field gives a damn (but we fans will get indignant on the players' behalf).  That's why I've cheered for the Jazz for so many years - they're much the same.  I'm not a fan of the "Twitter, Playboy model, reality show, GQ cover drama-ramas that other teams conjure up.

All that being said - I do wish the Giants would come back and make a game of it.   For all that "Manning Bowl" hype, you'd think they'd make the actual game a bit more interesting.

(I cannot lie - the Peyton-and-Eli little kid montages were adorable.)

Dallas Clark is my homeboy.  The end.

I am happy that Collie learned to catch the ball in the off-season (it will take a lot for me to let the stinking Zoobie off the hook for that).

STUPID KSL NEWS INTERRUPTING MY GAME!!!  And none of the other local news networks are interrupting their broadcasts!  I don't care if there's some stupid fire going on in the south of Salt Lake Valley - they wouldn't give a crap if there was a big fire going on out here!  ARGH!!

(Here's the dumbest thing - Channels 2 and 4 kept their regular programming going without interruption.  Can't shove "Undercover Boss" off somewhere else, now can they?)

Brandon Jacobs' helmet going into the stands - I say they should promise the guys a game ball or something cool to give up the helmet.

I never thought I would agree with Chicken-Neck's analysis - but his take on the Giants' O-line is dead-on.  Eli oughta be asking for a little help on the Dwight Freeney front (on the other hand, the Giants' punter's having a great night).

Years ago, the Colts' defense sucked like nobody's business.  The offense was amazing, but the defense left much to be desired.  So, I have to say that Indy's defense has vastly improved over the years and I am happy about that.

Here's a thought - Peyton's probably used to creaming Eli, so when you bill the game as "Manning vs. Manning," it's not going to end well for little bro (we older siblings don't like the young kiddles getting the best of us.  Makes 'em too uppity, you know?)

However - that was a classy move by Peyton not to give a post-game on the field interview.  It's one thing to have the "brother-vs-brother" banter in the lead-up to the game, but it's nice that he didn't want to gloat (or appear to gloat - I don't think he actually ever gloats) on national TV.  Two thumbs up!

Other games -

Washington - WTF??  You stinking HAD that game won!  (I guess I shouldn't get too mad - can't expect a total renaissance just after a 4-12 season).

Maybe the Pick-Your-Super-Bowl-Heroes guys should have looks a little further south in Texas for potential championship contenders (not that I like that pick any better, mind you).

Speaking of drama - what the crap is going on in Minnesota?  If Favre is going to make a big stink about "To retire or not to retire," he oughta play a little bit better, don'cha think?

(Commercial amusement - the DirecTV Russian mob guy, just as he turns on his "premium television package," one of the "Twilight" movies comes on.  I will leave the decision of whether that qualifies as premium television up to my readership)

We had my 12-year-old cousin over - who is a disgustingly huge Patriots fan - and we were ribbing him non stop over the Pats loss to the Jets.  At one point, it looked like Belichick was using the phone at the bench to order a pizza (accord to my dad's MST3K-style commentary), so every pizza commercial after that warranted a laugh.  The pizza started as cheese, but we progressed to pepperoni, sausage and anchovies - however bad they were playing.

Which begs the question - how long before the Rams' postgame sympathy-pizza before got ridiculous?  They probably wound up with ice cream and marshmallows.

To say nothing of the Lions' pizza.

(I pick on the Rams and the Lions in good fun - they are my mom and my dad's teams, respectively - and because they accuse me of bandwagon jumping.  To which I reply - I went so long without an NFL team and who was I going to pick?  The Raiders?  The Can't-Let-Go-of-the-70s-Lisa-Frank-Orange-and-Aqua-Look Dolphins?  Puh-lease…)

See ya tomorrow for the Saints-Niners showdown (umm... maybe "showdown" is a expecting a little much...)

NFL Week 2 - My Picks

I've got stake conference today, so I can't pontificate too much about my picks this week, but here they are:

Pittsburgh at Tennessee - Pittsburgh
Miami at Minnesota - Minnesota
Arizona at Atlanta - Atlanta
Baltimore at Cincinnati - Baltimore
Kansas City at Cleveland - After last week's performance? KC, baby!
Chicago at Dallas - 'da Bears
Philadelphia at Detroit - Oh, Philly, no doubt
Buffalo at Green Bay - Green Bay
Tampa Bay at Carolina - Carolina
Seattle at Denver - lesser or of two evils.... Seattle
St. Louis at Oakland - St. Louis in the Super Stink Bowl
Houston at Washington - After last week's performance... Washington (there is no forgiveness for Houston)
New England at NY Jets - Jets
Jacksonville at San Diego - Jacksonville
NY Giants at Indianapolis - Ooh... the Manning Bowl (a fangirl's dream!) Well, Eli's already got a win and the Colts are pissed that they lost last week, so I'm going with Indy

Monday Night
New Orleans at San Francisco - Who dat? Go with the Saints

I Share Your Aversion to Soiled Hosiery

(Good night in heaven - Justin Bieber is guest starring in the season premiere of CSI?  I weep for civilization)

I just finished watching the Big Bang Theory marathon tonight, ending with the last season's finale and the introduction of ... oh well...

**HERE THERE BE SPOILERS***For the season finale of "The Big Bang Theory***

With the introduction of Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon's possible love interest.  This is something I've considered over the past summer of catching up to the whole series -

Of the four main guy characters in TBBT, Sheldon has the best chance of a successful romantic relationship for the pure and simple reason he has zero expectations of ever having one.  Think about it - Raj can't talk to women unless he's drunk, Howard's the biggest horn dog in the world (with hilarious results) and Leonard is like 99% of the world - puts too many expectations on even the simplest interaction with the opposite sex.  Sheldon, on the other hand, doesn't give a damn about what anyone think of him and that includes those of the female persuasion.  Actually, he's not pursuing any kind of romantic relationship with anyone - male or female.  He constantly reminds his friends (and the audience) that his time is better spent being a genius.  Social conventions are just quaint little things that humanity has come up with to have order in interacting with each other.

And then... you get Amy Farrah Fowler.  Quite possibly, she has just as little interest (if not less) in developing a relationship - much to the dismay of at least her mother (maybe others - she's only been in one scene at the end of an episode).  She and Sheldon evidently have that much in common that they find social conventions odd, yet intriguing (but not intriguing enough to participate in).

But - and here's my prediction - during the course of Amy and Sheldon discovering that there's another person in the world that is definitely not at home with social interaction, they will at least develop a friendship that may-or-may-not become a romantic relationship.  Now, I have to clarify - it won't be a Leonard/Penny romantic relationship (that is - they were just in it for the sex.  Look how that turned out - or any of the other guys' sexual exploits, come to think of it) because that's not how Sheldon rolls (I have no idea how Amy rolls - most likely it's the same as Sheldon).  That's why I say Sheldon will probably have the most successful romantic relationship.  It'll probably last longer than any of the relationships heretofore seen in TBBT.  And if it ends prematurely, then I'm sure Sheldon will not spend the final three-four episodes of a season pining away for his lost love (Imma lookin' at you Lenny-poo).

My two cents - we've only got one week to go, folks!

Monday Night Week 1 - Great Job. But who are the Chefs?

Even though it's really Tuesday.  Those Monday Night double-headers wear me out -_-'

- While the Jets-Ravens game was an exciting defensive matchup, the ending was quite anti-climatic.  Ending on a 4th down pass that you just barely didn't get the yardage for... I almost didn't realize the game was over.  There wasn't even anyone near him to keep him from getting that extra two inches (or whatever it was).

- Chargers-Chiefs - The Chiefs are always that team that I forget even exists.  When I try to name all the football teams by division (AFC South, NFC East, etc) I always forget that the Chiefs are in the AFC West.  I just keep thinking... Chargers, Raiders, Broncos... umm... let's see... *checks NFL.com*... oh yeah - the Chiefs!  Kansas City - right... they just kinda... stink...

Except apparently they don't anymore.  Going up 21-7 in the first half against the Chargers?  Freaking beating the Chargers?  Good grief - between them and the Texans, this may be the year for perennial losers to shine (ya hear that, Detroit?)

Monday night - I went 1 for 2, so my standing is 13 of... something.  Anyway, I gotta go.

Week 1 - And the Super Bowl Pick Is...

I had a busy church day today, so I the only game I saw today was Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Redskins - wow, that was THE game to catch!)  I haven't even seen all the highlights yet, though I'm waiting for Chris Berman to make his appearance on ESPN so I can get the nitty-gritty (I can't figure out why the Blitz hasn't come up yet).  However, here are my thoughts on what I have seen so far:

• - The Colts lose to the Texans???  Don't tell me we have the Second Place Curse!!! D: D: D:  (often, when a team loses in the Super Bowl, their next year will stink - how I pray that hasn't happened here!)

• The Blitz is on - Basically, Houston played better.  And it's the Zoobie's fault.  Again.  How I hate Austin Collie (been making my life miserable since 2007 DX).

• Brother Eli - you know I love you, but Brother Peyton needs some love, so I'm preemptively picking the Colts in next week's Sunday Night game (was there any doubt of that?) It's nothing personal - I'll still be a loyal fangirl the week after. Al Michaels can't say M. Night Shymalan's name (that's okay - I can't spell it).
• Two things I'm sure of - Cris Collinsworth is still annoying and it is crappy horror movie season.
• What were y'all saying about the Cowboys being the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium?  (People who make Super Bowl picks before and during Week 1 are morons.  The end.)
• It's no secret that beer commercials are among the funniest commercials out there.  But why, pray tell would I want to swim in an ocean of Bud Light?  That stuff stinks.
• What muskrat died and left it's pelt to Tom Brady's hair??  Holy crap...
• At the end of Sunday's action, this is where my picks stand - I got 12 right with two more tomorrow.

...

Not time for football recaps yet (I haven't caught all the highlights yet) - but the Colts lost to the Texans.

Truly, I have nothing to say. But the Doctor does:



*weeps*

(Looking for the bright side, as I try to do - at least I have proven I can fangirl football and still be a Doctor Who geek).

NFL Picks - Week 1

As promised, here are my picks for the first week of NFL action (this is a totally just-for-fun knee-jerk reaction with no analysis of weather, players or any of that other stuff the Vegas guys take into account).

Week 1
Thu. Sep. 09
Vikings at Saints, 8:30 PM - Already picked the Saints and they won
Sun. Sep. 12
Dolphins at Bills, 1:00 PM - Dolphins
Colts at Texans, 1:00 PM - Colts
Lions at Bears, 1:00 PM - Bears
Falcons at Steelers, 1:00 PM - Steelers
Browns at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM - Browns
Bengals at Patriots, 1:00 PM - *holds nose* Patriots
Broncos at Jaguars, 1:00 PM - Jaguars
Raiders at Titans, 1:00 PM - Titans
Panthers at Giants, 1:00 PM - Giants
49ers at Seahawks, 4:15 PM  - my heart says Niners, my head says Seahawks.  I'll go with Seahawks
Cardinals at Rams, 4:15 PM - Cardinals
Packers at Eagles, 4:15 PM - Packers
Cowboys at Redskins, 8:20 PM - Redskins for the Upset Special (what can I say? Hope springs eternal!)
Mon. Sep. 13
Ravens at Jets, 7:00 PM - Ravens
Chargers at Chiefs, 10:15 PM - Chargers

Check back later to see how I fared!

Remembering 9-11

The following is an column I wrote for the Snow College newspaper (it was the third anniversary of 9-11, so this talks about it being three years ago). It's as pertinent today as it was then, perhaps even more, so I'm posting it here (in italics):

Here’s a little memory game for you to play: can you remember where you were on May 2, 1993? December 16, 1990? June 29, 2000?

How about September 11, 2001?

I can remember exactly where I was when I heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was going to my biology class and I was a little stressed because we were supposed to have a test that day. When I walked in, I could tell that the test would be canceled. The TV in the room had on CBS with live video on the first tower. We watched the planes hit the second tower and the Pentagon. Then we heard about the plane that had crashed in Pennsylvania. No one knew what to think or what to say.

I could go through every detail of my day that day, but I have a limited amount of space to make my point. One morning changed everyone in the entire world. Americans were brought face to face with the kind of fear that we had only seen in far countries on the evening news. Up until then, most Americans thought, “Well too bad for those people, but it really doesn’t affect me.” Up until then, “The Star Spangled Banner” was just a formality before ball games.

In the weeks that followed, America remembered why it is the greatest country in the world. We put aside all our racial, political, cultural differences and stood together behind the firefighters, police officers, military, and government officials who were making decisions to keep us from harm. We started standing and belting out the national anthem every chance we got. People stood in line to give blood since it was the only thing that they felt they could do to be useful.

This Saturday marks the third anniversary of the day that put “terrorism”, “Homeland Security”, and “Nine-Eleven” in everyone’s vocabulary. I’d like to say that we’re still as patriotic and firm as we were back then, but I can’t. We’re back to blaming each other and fighting amongst each other instead of fighting against the real enemies. We’ve started to forget.

Of course we want to get on with our lives. I can’t think of one American who doesn’t wish that September 11 hadn’t happened and that this Saturday could just be an average Saturday to sleep in or go home for the weekend. But the truth is that the attacks on America happened. Whether or not is has made America better is to be determined, but one thing is certain: we do need to go on with life, but never forget what happened. The calendar will continue to turn to September 11 each year and world events won’t let us forget how our lives have changed, but we should never let our hearts forget how shocked and confused and angry we felt at seeing those buildings go down. History has a funny way of repeating itself when we forget in our hearts what history was trying to tell us.

When the rockets’ red glare gave proof that the flag was still there back in the War of 1812, it was a symbol for Frances Scott Key that America would always prevail, no matter what adversity had in store. The people of this great nation have to stand firm to make sure this nation continues to stand firm.

Today's the ninth anniversary of the worst attack on America. It's kind of hard to "celebrate" something like this.  However, I want to take a moment out of my football-watching and weekending to pause and think of the people who died and people who risked their lives to save others (and the people who continue to risk their lives to keep our rights intact).  They deserve to be thought of even in the midst of our busy frantic lives.

Y'know, I like to fangirl and geek out over fictional heroes (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, 24, Heroes, Doctor Who, various anime, etc.), but the firemen, police officers, passengers on United 93, anyone who helped others get to safety on 9-11 and, of course, the troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are the real heroes.  I think the reason these kinds of fictional stories ring true now is because of the times we are living in.  We can relate to the stories of heroes and sacrifice because we are witnessing it every day.  Human beings naturally gravitate toward heroes in real life and fiction because they inspire greatness - they represent a chance that the world is still inherently good, despite all evidence to the contrary.  I like to look on the positive side of things and September 11 is no different.  If nothing else, September 11 gave us heroes to look up to.

(Hm, terrorists want us to despair and fear, but really, they set events in motion that give us reason to hope.  ^_^)

If you want an uplifting activity to commemorate this day, read all the verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner".  It's really interesting that most countries have national anthems that talk about how beautiful their country is and that it's their home and they'll be loyal to it - which we have patriotic songs that say the same thing.  But our national anthem is about how we sometimes go through hard times and challenges, but we - like the flag in the song - will come out of the smoke and the rubble.  Maybe we come out with a few scars and a huge black eye, but we're still standing and we're going to rebuild what we lost and stand up to those who want to do us harm.  I like that we're that unique.

And here are a few more icons to commemorate the day (these and the ones at the beginning are all by kc_anathema.)

 

September 11 - It may not be a "happy" holiday, but remember it. Just remember.

"Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
- "The Star-Spangled Banner" 4th verse

(This post was adapted from a post I wrote on 9-11 in 2007)

Reading, 'Riting, Recitation

Holy crap - busy today!

During English, the kids did their poetry presentation.  Every term, they each have to memorize a poem and do some kind of presentation with it, whether it's a skit or a video or a slideshow.  This term's poem is "Meeting at Night" by Robert Browning.  My class decided to do a group recitation with actions and it turned out pretty cool.  I should have filmed it... maybe I'll have them do it on Monday so I can record it.

Also, Friday is the day that we practice our play.  We're doing a version of "A Christmas Carol" that has Scrooge as a female (the girls were the ones most gung-ho about doing a play, so I wanted a mostly-female cast.  The boys will help and participate, but it's almost better if they just have bit parts).  And the most exciting thing is that today was the first day we got to use the whole stage area that we want.  We're performing the play in the common room/lunchroom, but one of the walls can be opened up into the adjoining classroom.  We've wanted to open the wall so we could have a bigger staging area, but I didn't want to infringe on the teacher who uses that classroom.  But she said it was okay if we opened the wall up and left it open so we could practice because no one's in the lunchroom during her classes (our school is small enough that we can control that).  So, we got to do some blocking and visualize how this is going to look and it's way stinking exciting!

In addition to all that - today was my first official day as the school librarian!  The lady who had been the school librarian/special ed aide is moving, so they're letting me take over the library for the high school (and, technically, I'm also in charge of the elementary school's library.  At least, I think I'm supposed to go over there and do some library maintenance and what-have-you - I'm still learning the ropes).  Today, I just got the library computer swapped into my classroom.  With the Poly-Com and the library stuff, you should see how much equipment I'm in charge of.  I feel like I really am the captain of the Starship Enterprise (or the TARDIS - take your pick.  I do have a sonic screwdriver that doubles as a pen, you know).

Oh, and somehow I have become the unofficial tech support for West Desert High School.  Don't ask me how that happened, but people are now coming to ask me questions about everything to making videos, using PowerPoint and why the copier is printing phantom shadow-y text on the copies (I dunno... dirty rollers?)

It's insane - but that's life out on the desert.  You can have any job you want as long as you take three of them.

ETA: Forgot to add - Scout is out to the ranch today.  I feel like I'm in some weird kind of weenie dog joint-custody agreement - my sisters in town get her for a couple of weeks and then I get her for the weekend.  But then, Scout went sniffing around the door to our utility room and one of the cats snuck in from outside and had kittens.  You might be a redneck if...

We've Been Waiting All Year

Sweet Mother of Lombardi - it's been a long summer.



(I prefer Hank Jr.'s "Are You Ready for Some Football?" but tonight's opener is on NBC and I actually didn't mind Pink's version - Faith Hill kinda bugs me, really.  Besides, this is actually for an opening night - and I miss John Madden's commentary.  It's just good to be talking football again ^_^).

Rejoice all ye nations of the (football) world - NFL action starts tonight!!  Saints vs. Vikings - should be a good one.  And for my pick... hm... I usually hate to see the defending Super Bowl champs to lose on Opening Night (even if they did beat my Colts for that ring), so I'm going to pick the Saints in this one.

Okay, okay - here's Hank Jr's Monday Night Football song from the actual ABC era (I still think it's stupid they moved it to ESPN.  But that's neither here nor there):



(I think it's funny this vid has Favre still as a Packer and now he's in Minnesota)

Holy Twilight Zone Creepers!

(Just as a matter of interest - this is my 150th post on this blog!  Yay!)

It dawned on my that I haven't chronicled my adventures with Classic Doctor Who for a while now.  I have actually gotten pretty far:

- As a general note on TV in the 1960s, I laugh at my dad when he tells stories of when he was a little kid, his older brothers would watch "The Twilight Zone" and it would scare the crap out of him (my grandma evidently got after my uncles for letting my dad watch such a scary show).  I watch old episodes of TTZ now and I laugh at the campy-ness of it all (Dude - I can see that guy's zipper!)  But it's an endearing laugh - not unlike the obvious low-budget qualities of the original "Star Wars" movies.  They achieved really great special effects for the time using nothing more than a kettle and some string (though I think they dispensed with the decorative vegetables).  They didn't need everything to be overly-flashy like everything has to be today with CGI and stuff (though tastefully done, CGI can be an asset.  But I hate it when movies have to be all about the CGI and special effects and forget all about the story *cough cough* James Cameron *cough, cough*).

- All that being said - when that Sensorite appeared in the spaceship window, I had flashbacks of four-year-old me running for the stairs when ET popped out of the cornfield.  That movie used to scare me to death (yet my then-two-year-old sister loved it.  Weird kid...)  I still can't watch the scene where ET hides in the closet full of dolls.  I think I got a glimpse of what it would have been like to be a kid in 1963 watching that episode and hiding behind a throw pillow.

- The "Marco Polo" story was really good - one of my favorites so far.  It's a pity that all they have is the audio.  It's weird to me that people would have thought to record the audio, but then I have to remind myself that at that time, the radio was the main source of in-home entertainment and of course people would have audio recording capabilities.

- Speaking of really good stories - "The Aztecs" FTW!  Ian is #1 Badass Nerd ^_^  I love that guy.

- With echoes of "Hey, It's That Guy" - I found out that William Russell (the actor who plays Ian) is Dean Thomas' dad! (in real life... yeah...)  This is just nuts... even back in the '60s, a lot of British actors had ties to both "Doctor Who" and "Harry Potter" (are there really so few actors in Britain?  Or is it that DW and HP are the big projects that everyone wants to be involved in?  I think I'll go with the latter).

- I think the reason the historical stories are so interesting is that 1) I'm a history nerd and 2) they use the historical characters as bad guys and not necessarily that there are aliens invading pre-Columbian Mexico.  Plus, the characters have to assimilate more into the cultures they're dropped into - no psychic paper to bail them out.  I'm not saying I prefer one style over the other - it's just interesting, that's all.

- But don't rule out the aliens just yet - after I got over the initial "HOLY CRAP IT'S A TWILIGHT ZONE MONSTER!!" the Sensorites were quite cute.  Not unlike the Ood of today (I think I read somewhere the Sensorites were an inspiration for the Ood.  Or at least that they were similar).

- What else... Barbara and Ian are freaking adorable (again, you can't have fandom without at least one decent ship - I don't care which decade you're talking about).  Susan is fun to watch, but she can be a little airheaded (you would think an experienced time traveler would know better than to insult the Aztecs' culture... wait... look at who her grandfather is...)  The Doctor... he's more of an afterthought, really.  I hate to say it, given that his name's in the show's title - but I don't really know why he's there other than to be grumpy and important.  I really have to work hard to remind myself that his character is central to the show and he becomes more likable later in his life.

- Having said that, this incarnation of the Doctor can be cheeky and that is pretty darn funny (I laughed my butt off at the part where he accidentally gets engaged to that Aztec woman.  I forget her name.  Meh... not important ^_^)

That's it for now.  I'll try to do my rehashes more frequently so I don't have to think so far back to what's happened.  But the Sensorites... yup... they're cute (when they aren't plotting ways to kill the stupid humans - by the way - what was with the random humans hiding in the aqueduct?  What purpose do they serve other than to make us look stupid?  Oy...)

Somewhere There's a Circus Running Itself

Give me a break.

We had a spontaneous family reunion this Labor Day weekend (there, I said it).  Two of my mom's sisters and their families were out for the weekend and we had a blast with everyone.  Our neighbors have an annual Labor Day picnic where they invite the whole world to Callao for games and food.  This year, they had a 5K run in conjunction with it.  I didn't go run because it was scheduled for the crack of midnight (well, 6:00 am, but that's too early for a three-day weekend) but my mom and my aunts went.  My mom and my aunt even got medals for running, so that was cool.

During dinner, I entertained the wee kiddles with hula hoop tricks which we got pictures of:

I would have gone longer, but one of the hula hoops had streamers that were coming off and it got wrapped around my wrist.  But I did get a nice applause for it ^_^

Just as a general recap of some things that were discussed and laughed about - this is what I've learned about family gatherings (reposted from Facebook):

1. You save yourself a lot of stress and heartburn if you lock the bathroom door behind you.
2. You can learn anything on the internet, but it's best not to admit to it.
3. The experience you get out of these functions directly mirrors the attitude you bring with you.
4. With regards to the chili, your mileage may vary.

(And my redneck cousin from the other side of my family adds a #5 - Family reunions are a great place to meet a boyfriend/girlfriend.  Make of that what you will).

And evidently there is some drama brewing over the weekend's events via Facebook (hence, the demotivator at the top of this post).  Me - I'm just sitting back with my big bucket of popcorn and enjoying the fireworks (mmmm... butter...)

(My sister is watching some Disney Channel show and I have to say... I don't know why people think that Raven chick is funny.  It's a mystery, to be sure - looks like they're trying to be the emo-tastic CW. Vomit).

New Video - "All the Right Moves"

This video's been sitting on my hard drive half-finished for about a month now.  It took a three-day weekend with nothing pressing to deal with to get me to sit down and finish it.  It took me a while to get it just right, but I finished it last night and it's here for all to enjoy!

Obligatory disclaimers: Spoilers for "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances."  I don't own "Doctor Who" nor am I affiliated with OneRepublic.  Read the whole summary at the YouTube page.

Show Me the Scotsman!

The fam's all here so before I forget, I'm giving my alma mater equal time in anticipation of their showdown against #7 Oklahoma tomorrow afternoon (I harbor no delusions as to the outcome, but if you're going to be a fan, be a fan all the way).



And because no rendition of the Aggie Fight Song is complete without this:



(They need some higher quality versions of this sucker on YouTube. I am disappointed... at least this one had the lyrics to it).

And this really doesn't have anything to do with anything - but any excuse for David Tennant in a kilt, right?



Let's go Aggies!!

Would You STOP Icing the Kicker?

The Utes beat Pitt 27-24 in overtime.  And they're darn lucky to get a win here - I guess the boys still had some summertime rust to shake out.  Not just the players - WTF was with the double-icing of the kicker there, Coach?

Some thoughts -

- Versus is definitely the best choice for Mountain West football viewing.  'Course when your only competition is The Mtn. (aka UVU's remedial broadcast journalism class), that's not saying much.  Happily, I only have one more year of this and then we're off to the Pac-10 and back on ESPN (no more sideline interviews with the defensive coordinator from Hayville High School that coached Wyoming's quarterback when he was in 8th grade - Hooray!)

- Addendum to above - I realize that Versus' emphasis is on college sports, but must we take constant breakaways to Pitt's glorified frat house party?  I mean, good grief - they're the visiting team.  Their fans don't get the privilege of showing off their stupidity.  Pan over the MUSS all you want (okay, fine - and the opposing team's fans that made the effort to travel to Salt Lake, if you must).

- I would also advise Pitt's cheerleaders - choose a more flattering color for your tops next time.  That gold blends into your skin too well.  I kept thinking the cheerleaders were topless - which I guess meshes well with the frat house theme.

- Three words - Too. Many. Penalties.  Three more words - Be. More. Awesome.

- I'm not overly opposed to the icing the kicker move.  While it's become an overused tactic in college and pro football, I like it when it works in my favor and I hate it when it works against me.  But for it to work - don't you want the second (hopefully missed) attempt to be the one that counts?  Coach - you know I love you, but.... why the second timeout?  WHYYYYYYYY????

- Most appropriate name - Shaky Smithson.  I haven't heard of him before today, but if that's his real name... wouldn't that have been an indication? (Probably worse if that's his nickname).

- Pitt's ranked #15?  Well, rankings this early in the season are like ice trays to Eskimos.  And the BCS and AP rankings typically fail at life anyway, so who's counting.

- And this may not be the venue for it, but I wasn't very attentive when this initially made news, so I'm going to bring it up here - BYU's going independent?  To what point and purpose?  The BCS has never even sneezed in your direction.  Oh, you may have been mentioned at the beginning of a few seasons, and perhaps a little in the middle, but you've always - ALWAYS taken yourself out of BCS contention by Thanksgiving (blame the fact that the only place programmed into your GPS - besides the two-for-one line at the St. George Chuck-a-Rama - is Las Vegas).  Whereas Utah, Boise State and TCU have all been courted and even had success in BCS bowl games (honestly, if anyone should go independent, it's TCU).  Yes, you're a private religious school, blahdy-blah - but quit trying to be Notre Dame.  You, my... friends... are no Notre Dame.

- Calling BYU "friends" - I threw up a little in my mouth.

- All that being said - Jordan Wynn is amazing.  If it didn't look like jail bait, I'd marry him.  And that other kid that caught the interception - Brian Blechen - the girls that live next door had better make him cookies.  Because I would.

Bottom Line - I'm glad we won.  I'm not happy about the way we won - but I take come comfort that this was early in the season and now we can iron out the wrinkles (Win pretty or win ugly - just win).

I am a Utah Man, Sir!

The University of Utah Utes kick off the football season tonight against Pittsburgh.

Heavens be praised! The summer sports drought ends tonight!

(Yes, I will post something for the Utah State game against Oklahoma on Saturday. But tonight - wear something red ^_^)

ETA: This one was too cute to pass up.

Get Me the "Instant No Button" - STAT!

American Girl is "retiring" the Felicity doll!

First they retire Kirsten, now the spunky colonial redhead?  But we can have that stupid hippie chick and call it history? (For the record - the eagles haven't done anything for me lately).

I'm actually pretty upset about this - I have the Kirsten doll (got it for Christmas when I was ten), but I've always wanted the Felicity doll too.  You know, without Felicity's time period, there wouldn't be an "American" Girl dolls collection.  It'd be the British Commonwealth States of something-something... who the heck knows.  But this is ridiculous.  If you're going to scrap the historical dolls in favor of the present-day large-format Barbie dolls, do it all in one fell swoop - stop this stupid whittling-it-down-one-piece-at-a-time crap.

This is not the American Girl of my childhood.  I rue the day that Pleasant Company sold out to Mattel.

(for fellow mourners - the Instant No Button.)