Top 10 to Disappear for 2009

Goodbye 2008. And hopefully goodbye to these people who made headlines in 2008. I could do without them in 2009...at least most of it:



1. Brett Favre - Princess/Queen Favre needs to just finally retire. Now. Leading the league in interceptions year after year is definitely impressive but enough is enough. Retire Brett Favre. Please.

2. Joe the Plumber - Maybe he had a good point and asked Obama a good question but the media blitz that followed was nothing short of insane. After McCain took him on the campaign trail and lost, Joe told the press that he didn't really like McCain either. Goodbe Joe the Plumber.

3. Rod Blagojevich - Unfortunately the guy won't just resign and disappear. No, he has to appoint a replacement senator and make things even more complicated. As nice as it would be for Blagojevich to disappear, he probably won't. Too bad.

4. The Clintons - I've been wanting them to disappear for about 10 years but they just won't go away. Hillary as Secretary of State? How sad. And now Michael Bloomberg chose the pair to drop the ball on NYC on New Year's Eve. Why? Go away already.

5. Caroline Kennedy - She wants to be a Senator now? Having the last name Kennedy doesn't make you qualified to be a senator. We don't live in pre-revolution France. Get some experience and come back...or don't come back.

6. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - He's been somewhat quiet lately but that's unlikely to continue. He's insane. While we're at it, Hugo Chavez can go away too. And Fidel Castro. Maybe Castro already did? And Vladmir Putin. These people can all go away.

7. The following should stop making music in 2009: Brittney Spears. Heidi Montag. Pink. Nickleback. Daughtry. David Cook. Metallica. I'm sure there are bunch more but those are the firs that come to mind.

8. The Dallas Cowboys. The Boston Red Sox. The Pittsburgh Panthers. The ACC (in football). Did I say Brett Favre earlier? Duke.

9. Middle East. The whole area could probably disappear really...just leave the oil. What a mess. Do we really have to continue to deal with this in 2009?

10. Myself? Sure, why not? If these people are going to be in 2009, maybe I'll just skip to 2010. Ah, if it were only that simple. Nah, instead I'll continue to complain that these people and things exist. We'll see how that goes...Happy New Year.

Let the Crying Begin

The NFL playoffs are set and New England hasn't been invited. Let the crying in Boston commence at once. It's already started -- for those of you that want to cry with New England fans, here are the talking points (and you have to make these points in as whiny of a voice as possible):

• It's not fair. San Diego went 8-8 and made the playoff and the Patriots won 11 games and don't. WAHHHH!
• Look at all the obstacles New England overcame this year to win 11 games. WAHHHH!
• Tom Brady didn't even play and New England won 11 games. WAHHHHH!

Maybe it's not fair that an 8-8 team makes it in over an 11-win team but that's the way the league is setup. Same with baseball. Is it fair that a team with a losing record could technically make it in to the playoffs over a team with over 1oo wins? Probably not but that's what the divisional races are all about. If New England wanted to make the playoffs, they should have beaten Miami in Week 3. Their only win over playoffs teams were Week 12 over the Dolphins and Week 16 over Arizona, who had already wrapped up the NFC West. Pardon me if I don't feel overly sympathetic for the Patriots. But I don't need to...they have ESPN for that.

Okay, other NFL stuff:

• Watched every second of the Eagles/Cowboys game. Oh, that was just amazing. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a full T.O. meltdown where he rips off his Cowboys jersey, steals an Eagles jersey from a fan in the crowd and tried to rejoin the Eagles team. And then McNabb beats him down and Andy Reid gives him a belly splash. Yeah, that would be better.
• Does anyone else thing Ben Roethlisberger is a drama queen? He's injured pretty much every game. I really thought Mike Tomlin was going to go out on the field and just laugh at him.
• Detroit went 0-16. Ha.
• Philip Rivers v. Jay Cutler. What a rivalry...I guess. I was happy to see San Diego make the playoffs...especially after everyone said they were dead 5 weeks ago.
• New England. Haahahahahahaha.
• Goodbye Romeo Crennel....or Art Shell. They are the same person!
• Goodbye Eric Mangini. That makes me sad. I wanted him to beat Belichick so badly.
• Goodbye Rod Marinelli. Didn't win many games but you'll go down in history.
• Goodbye Brett Favre? Maybe? Maybe not? Hey, it's Brett Favre...you'll know what he's doing when he knows what he's doing.
• Lastly, some really early picks for your 2009 Super Bowl. This isn't who I want but I think is most likely to be there: NFC - Philadelphia. (McNabb will find a way to blow it but the door is definitely open for them.) AFC - Baltimore. (I hate to say that but if the Ravens can find any offense, they might be unbeatable. Pittsburgh has too much QB drama.)

That's enough for the NFL. I'll comment on the bowl games later or tomorrow or sometime before next season. Bill Stewart...coming later.

Christmas Movies

I don't really watch Christmas movies so I'm hardly in a position to rank the worst Christmas movies of all time. I've never watched all of Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life. I've probably seen enough bits and pieces to know the whole movie...but never have watched the whole thing non-stop. Jingle All The Way, Christmas With The Kranks, Fred Claus? Nah, I'll pass on all those too. The one Christmas movie I do watch every year, and how could I possibly miss it, is A Christmas Story.

For a consecutive 24-hours you can watch Ralphie Parker try to convince everyone that he needs an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. Watch Randy get bundled up for winter and unable to get up when he falls (Med-Alert, anyone?) A department store Santa, a bully named Scott Farkus and fudge all make appearance in this class. And, of course, the Bumpus hounds destroy a Christmas turkey, leading to the final climax at the Chinese restaurant, a Christmas not to forget, indeed.

This is about the only Christmas movie I know I'll see this year. As every year. I've recited the lines here at work ad naseum. I even received a "Triple Dog Dare You" t-shirt for a Christmas gift, which highlights the amazing scene in which Scott Schwartz valiently sticks his tongue to that flagpole and gets stuck. Truly amazing stuff. If you're one of those people who have refused to watch "A Christmas Story" because it looks dumb or because of the hype, you don't know what you're missing. Check it out.

And, if you're bored, go here: http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/ and check out some ugly Christmas light.

Festivus and another Christmas Carol

I almost forgot that today is Festivus. So get out your Festivus Pole (preferably aluminum due to its very high strength-to-weight ratio), air your grievances to friends and family and compete in the feats of strength because everyone knows that Festivus isn't over until you pin me. So, Happy Festivus everyone. Oh, and watch this video below. At least to the chorus...trust me, it's amazing.

Tis the Season

Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, some radio stations insist that they must play Christmas music non-stop. Others are a little more forgiving and wait until the day before Christmas to begin the onslaught of yuletide greetings. I'm usually burnt out on Christmas tunes in about 3-days. But there are a few that just absolutely boil my blood. Here goes:

7. Santa Baby by Madonna - Talk about taking Santa in a bad direction. A lusty Santa is about the last thing I want to think about during the holiday season. And, considering Madonna is now a student of Kabbalah, this song should be banned.

6. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon - Won't be a popular pick to put on this list but I really can't stand this song. The Lennon version is somewhat acceptable but all the covers are extremely bad. Well, come to think of it, the Lennon version is bad too. It's depressing and way below Lennon's standards.

5. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town by Bruce Springsteen - Can you say overplayed? I can think of better things to listen to than The Boss belting out this Christmas classic. I turn the station every time it comes on.

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Way Too Many People - Yes, it is a classic. But it lasts for 12-days. It goes on and on and on. You have to listen to the phrase "and a partridge in a pear tree" 12 times. And who gives that as a gift anyway?

3. Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid - I know it's Christmas because I have to listen to this song. Sure, it was for charity. 20+ years ago. Now it's an accepted Christmas carol? Horrible.

2. Christmas Shoes by Newsong - This song has been accepted as a Christmas classic way too quickly. Another depressing song and one that has been blown way out of proportion. They made a movie about it. Kid wants to buy shoes for his dying mother and a stranger helps him. Nice story but, geesh, this isn't what I want to hear on Christmas. Another song that immediately makes me turn the station.

1. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayla Peevey - Gayla Peevey was only 10-years old when she recorded this travesty. Had she been older, I would have demanded that a "crimes against humanity" charge be brought against her. It's not funny and the voice is enough to drive a person insane. It is my least favorite Christmas song of all time.

There's more I'm sure. There are lots of bad Christmas songs that receive airplay because radio stations are desparately trying to fill air time. But can't we do something about these 7 this year to get them removed from the air completely? And, after that's done, I'll start on the next list. Trust me, it's a lot longer...

Where is the Global Warming?

Four-degrees this morning. That's a wee-bit chilly. Even worse, it's only about 55-degrees in my office...and it's not warming up. I am cold. And the testing lab can't be more than 48-degrees at the moment. Not a good day.

Did Coldplay rip off Joe Satriani? You be the judge:

Merry Christmas...Oops

Something You Don't Expect

The Senior Adult Choir. Singing. Hip-Hop?

Football Stuff

I've neglected the NFL completely and haven't said much about college football, other than the lack of enthusiasm for WVU's season. So, I figured I would give a year in review kinda thing for football too...

• Missouri has to be the biggest disappointment in college football this year. I was banking on Chase Daniel having an amazing year and winning the Heisman. Instead, they limped through the season and got destroyed by Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game and cost me $100. Thanks Mizzou.
• Tim Tebow was absolutely robbed of the Heisman. He gets the most first place votes and is left off 154 ballots? That makes no sense what-so-ever. Voters just didn't want a back-to-back winner.
• South Florida is the most bizarre team in college football. They choke every single year. Talented, yes. Consistent, ha!
• The Steelers have an amazing defense. If they could put some of the defensive players on offense, maybe they could score some points. If the offense can't put up some numbers before the 2-minute warning, I don't know how they expect to go deep in the playoffs.
• Anyone feel bad for the Patriots? I didn't think so.
• Joe Paterno is going to coach at least another year. Which means Bobby Bowden will have to coach at least another two. That's fine by me, I suppose. My biggest problem is that Jabba the Weis gets to coach another year.
• Brett Favre has thrown 17 interceptions this year with the Jets. Not surprisingly, that leads the NFL. Thank you, Brett. For those counting, that's 463 career touchdowns vs. 305 career interceptions.
• Nick Saban did a heckuva job at Alabama this year. Texas Tech threw the ball a bunch. Texas played well but lost to Texas Tech. Quit crying.
• Steve Slaton is having a great rookie season with the Titans. Rookie of the Year consideration should be forthcoming.
• Not going to the Car Bowl. WVU has an uphill battle in Charlotte.
• Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech. Sounds like a great nap.
• Florida will win the National Championship against Oklahoma.

That about covers it for football.

Year in Review

With but a couple weeks remaining in 2008, I thought it was a good time to reflect on the year that was...eh, mostly so I don't forget...

• Bill Stewarts leads WVU to Fiesta Bowl win and is promptly hired as the next coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers. It was an emotional choice and is still somewhat questionable.
• Went up to Shred Rodriguez night in Wheeling and attended my first hockey game. It was a good experience. Went to another one this year and will probably attend a couple next year. Good entertainment for a low, low price. Can't beat that in today's economy.
• February is a long, long month despite its shortness. If things could go wrong, they more than likely did.
• Eli Manning wins a Super Bowl, Brett Favre becomes a queen when he retires and then conceded the throne by returning to the NFL, leaving Green Bay in a mess.
• We begin rolling out Vista to end users. The event will haunt us throughout the rest of 2008 and continues in 2009. Bring on Windows 7!
• WVU, under the direction of that Pimp Bob Huggins, once again, and surprisingly, visits the Sweet 16.
• Took a cruise down Bahamas way. Very interesting...want to take another.
• Attended a Pirates game to watch them continue their streak of futility. How 'bout them Pirates? Eh, don't ask.
• Mike Garrison was chased from West Virginia University following the Bresch degree scandal. Hey, if he didnt' go then, he'd be chased out now over the disappointing football season.
• I went to the Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon. More entertaining then one would think.
• Went to Ocean City for about 5-days. Felt like a lifetime. The stop at Barbara Fritchie's was, unfortunately, the highlight. Ah, I kid...kinda.
• Attended the Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker concert at Post-Gazette. An amazing performance by both entertainers.
• Left for a few days and came back to find my desk had been given the Jonas Brothers business. Ah, those darn Jonas Brothers.
• The economy continues a downward spiral. Too many articles to even begin linking.
• I satirically predicted WVU would lose to Villanova. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought WVU would lose 4-games (ECU, Colorado, Cincinnati and PITT and nearly more) over the course of the season. My satire was closer to reality than preseason polls...that's for sure. (And my Bill Stewart quotes are spot-on.)
• America elected a new president. Only time will tell....
• Headed down to Louisville to watch WVU actually win a football game. Unfortunately, I went up to Pittsburgh and had a much different experience (in multiple ways...?)

So, that seems to about cover my 2008. I don't anticipate anything exciting over the next 2 weeks. I am almost certainly not going to the Car Bowl in Charlotte (notice the almost, though). The Year 2009 should be interesting...a new president and a struggling economy should be weighing the heaviest on the minds of citizens. There will be a lot of eyes turning to Mountaineer basketball soon and then growing dissatisfaction with Bill Stewart could turn ugly if 2009 is worse than 2008. Sports...always entertaining...just like politics.

Anyway, that's all for now. Now back to trying to figure out this Vista mess. Some things never seem to end.

Blagojevich Probe

The story of Rod Blagojevich is amazing in its stupidity. Here is a governor that not only was corrupt but relished in his corruption. The guy essentially knew he was under investigation for his "pay to play" schemes and enjoyed the game, daring federal agents to come get him. This is but one in the myriad of corruption charges being levied against Democrats and their alleged integrity.

You have William Jefferson down in Louisiana and his freezer full of money. There's good ol' Charlie Rangel and his tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes (while he wants to raise taxes on you). How about Cynthia McKinney trying to beat up security? What about Edward Mezvinsky, Jim Traficant and Robert Torricelli? How about the fact that Jesse Jackson, Jr., is Senate Candidate #5? Maybe he didn't offer Blagojevich $1 million for the vacant Senate seat...but would it surprise you if he did? And don't forget Obama and Rezko...is there something there? I guess time will tell...

The point is that Republicans hardly have a monopoly on corruption in government over the past 8 years. Democrats are just as guilty. The fact is that many politicians play "the game" in order to advance their careers. Nancy Pelosi's move to rid Washington of the "culture of corruption" is nothing but insincere rhetoric. If it were any more than that, she would have moved for the removal of Jefferson and Rangel from office long ago. But, in Washington, things remain "politics as usual" regardless of who is in control.

Snow = Lost Minds

I always love the first snow of the year that sticks to the roads because it means everyone loses their freakin' minds. They forget how to drive. Some forget that snow = slick roads. Others believe that snow = unmitigated disaster. There's very few in the middle.



So on Saturday the area experienced the first real snow of the year that created hazardous roads. And I needed to run to Wal-Mart (yes, I hate it too) to buy a few provisions (Hot Hands and a white pullover) for the Mountaineer game. I just happened to time my exodus with when the snow began to stick to I-79. Oh, the horror.



I was in no real rush to get to Wal-Mart so I was cruising in the slow lane, getting passed by all these indestructible SUVs. Around the Pleasant Valley exit, I got to see my first accident of the trip. A truck had somehow managed to do a 180 and was now sitting next to the guard rail facing the wrong direction. Apparently I wasn't the only person to see this as everyone decided that moment was a good time to slam on their brakes. No, they don't slow down...they slam on their brakes. A few slammed on their brakes and had a little fishtail action...smart.



So, now that these people decided they were going to go 15MPH, I had to go over in the passing lane. Mind you, I'm traveling between 55-60 at this point...not slow but not up to the speed limit. That obviously is no where near fast enough for some. Some Escalade decided he wanted me moved and pulled up on the bumper. That really doesn't phase me a bit but I noticed. And, of course, slowed down more. Flashing lights doesn't phase me either. But I eventually let him pass...just in time for him to get stuck in the traffic from the accident on the bridge past the Kingmont exit. By timing my merge into the right lane, I was able to get off at Kingmont and by-pass the accident. Score one for me.


Of course, on my way through Benton's Ferry, I ran into another accident on the bridge. Someone stopped at the stop sign despite the sign that says they don't have to stop when making a right turn. The person behind them was sleeping or speeding or something and slid into their rearend. Not good.

I'm sure there are a dozen more horror stories from the snowfall and ice on Saturday. But it remains evident that people absolutely lose their mind when the snow starts flying. If people would just slow down and pay attention, these issues would go away. Why slam on your brakes? And why tailgate someone or continue to go 80 MPH when you see accidents? Use a little common sense out there...it's snow, not the apocolypse.

4th Hour of Today Show

I woke up late today and after calling work, they decided I could stay home until close to noon so I could bring in lunch. Works for me. So, I decided to watch the Today Show, which still remains my favorite morning show...despite some serious reservations about some of the people on there. At the 10:00 a.m. hour the usual crew I was watching disappeared and Kathie Lee Gifford and this person Hoda appeared. Wow.

First, do we really need a 4th hour of the Today Show? Four hours? It's not that good. Yes, I was going to watch that 4th hour because it's better than Rachel Ray but I'm still not sure a 4th hour of any show is justified. Unless it's Law & Order. Then 4 hours is acceptable.

Second, what is Kathie Lee and someone named Hoda doing on the Today Show? When did this happen and who allowed it to occur? Someone was obviously asleep when this happened. Where's Katie Couric when you need her?

Anyway, this 4th hour lasted about 10 minutes for me. This was horrible. Kathie Lee and this human named Hoda were so busy trying to talk over each other that I could barely understand what either were saying. Hoda apparently went and saw Michael Buble over the weekend. I'm not sure what Kathie Lee did because her voice sent me into seizures. To make matters worse, this woman named Hoda decided to play her IPod in some pig and chose a Kathie Lee song to demonstrate how the IPig worked. At this point my ears began bleeding and I turned off the TV and came to work as quickly as possible.

Maybe the final 50 minutes of the 4th hour of the Today Show goes smoothly. The first 10 minutes that I saw was an absolute train wreck. I can't imagine real people are actually watching this on a daily basis. I can't say it's horrible because I didn't really give it a chance. But, honestly, I don't see any possible way that it could be good. But I'll never know because I'm never watching the 4th hour of the Today Show again.

The Great Pitt Debacle

It's taken me a week to prepare statements about the recent WVU / Pitt matchup at Heinz Field. Well, and I'm still not quite prepared to discuss it I guess. With a Big East title possibly still in play, the Mountaineers folded and rolled over for the Panthers. A repeat of the 2007 matchup comes to mind. Identical plays and identical disappointment.

There is something wrong with the 2008 Mountaineer football team. It has been obvious since the first game of the season against Villanova. Losing to ECU and only scoring 3-points showed that there was something seriously wrong with the offense. In 2007, WVU scored over 35 points against 8 opponents. This year they've accomplished that feat once against Villanova. In a year where Bill Stewart promised an expansion of the playbook, we've watched the play calling contract faster than the economy. Pat White threw 5 touchdowns against Villanova but that hardly makes him a passing quarterback.

Anyway, back to the Pitt game. The 2 interceptions that White threw were killers. Both were very poor decisions. But I go back to the playcalling. Pat White had a 54-yard touchdown run and ran the ball 12 times but it felt like he was stifled by his unwillingness to tuck the ball towards the end of the game. Noel Devine was ineffective because he wouldn't run north/south but instead wanted to cut back across the field on every play. The defense played well but the offense was inept.

Bill Stewart has the greatest quarterback running threat in the nation in the backfield and has misused him all season long. This doesn't bode well for 2009 when Pat White is long gone. If we can't win with Patrick White, what can we do without him? Some things need to change, and in a hurry. 2008 has been a wasted year. The question now is how many more years must we watch the same?

Harry Reid is an Idiot

The Capitol Visitor's Center reopened this morning and Harry Reid is happy that he won't have to smell the visitors anymore. "My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

Harry Reid is absolutely the worst type of person. He doesn't represent the people and believes he is superior to the "common folk" who, obviously, stink to him. Does he not realize that those smelly tourists are the people for which he works? Those smelly tourists pay the tax dollars that pay his salary.

Harry Reid is an idiot from way back though. Reid has repeatedly shown his hypocrisy by blasting Republicans during the Jack Abramoff scandal while accepting money from those Abramoff represented. His land deals have long been under scrunity and his misappropriation of campaign funds have snuck under the radar thanks to his position as Senate Majority Leader. Of course, those stinky people in Nevada keep re-electing him...what a shame that is.