Sean's Ramblings

23 Foods That Keep You Young

2012-01-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

For some reason, there is a copy of Redbook magazine, featuring the lovely Kate Beckinsale on the cover with an article and pictures inside, in my home. Let me rephrase this. We didn’t buy the magazine, but a friend that subscribes to Redbook gave us this copy. That clears things up!

Anyway, the magazine cover includes the heading “23 Foods That Keep You Young.” The corresponding article lists foods such as apples, bananas, beans, berries, cabbage, canned salmon, kale, kiwi, oatmeal, papaya, spinach, whole grains, and yogurt. I don’t think the list even includes 23 foods. Nevertheless, I disagree with this list and decided to put together my own list of 23 foods that keep you young.

Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, Graham Cracker & Marshmallows – This was probably the only time during your adolescence when you were permitted to place a food item on a stick and then place the stick in fire. Sure, you usually burned the marshmallow or didn’t get it close to the fire, but you helped create AND COOK delicious s’mores. Making and then eating s’mores definitely keeps you young.

Popcorn – I’m not referring to microwave popcorn where a potential disaster awaits if you place the bag down instead of up or up instead of down. I’m talking popcorn out of a popcorn machine. Ground Round used to give free popcorn to every table. Movie theaters where you can add your own butter also gave away free popcorn (okay, it wasn’t actually free but it was significantly cheaper back in the day). A local video rental store used to have free popcorn for all of its customers. My dad occasionally stopped into the store asking if a movie was available even though he knew it hadn’t come out on video yet just so he could pick up some popcorn. Maybe that’s why the store went out of business! Anyway, this just proves that popcorn keeps you young.

Peanuts and Cracker Jack – Yes, this is 100% because of the song, although I don’t think I ever had these at the same time at a baseball game.

Orange Slices – We used to get orange slices as a halftime snack during soccer games. Yummy (and a rare healthy selection on this list)!

Nerds, Pop Rocks, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gobstoppers, Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum & Kool-Aid – You’ll feel like a kid if you eat or drink any of these.

Matzo Ball Soup and Cherokee Red Pop (or soda for those of you who refer to soft drinks incorrectly) – I used to have this combination regularly at Rhoda’s in Squirrel Hill as a kid.

Twinkies – Someone please make sure that Hostess doesn’t go bankrupt and can still produce these wonderful treats.

Peeps – You just feel young seeing this food. Plus, there’s a diorama contest dedicated to the joy of Peeps!

Lucky Charms – They’re magically delicious!

Jello Mold – My grandmother used to make these for nearly every family occasion. It never disappointed.

Apples & Honey – Look, I agree with Redbook on apples! I hope that they dip their apples in honey. Sure, I only do this once a year on Rosh Hashanah, but it’s still fun and keeps me young.

Hot Dog & Fries from The O – Arguably the least healthy food option of my list, but going to the O reminds me of being a kid again when I went with my family. I’m still upset that they ran out of beef hot dogs during my last visit.

So what foods keep you young?

Where In The World Is Jerome Bettis?

2012-01-25T10:27:00.001-05:00

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis retired from the NFL after winning Super Bowl XL in February 2006. Although he worked on NBC’s Football Night in America for a few years, have you wondered what Bettis is up to these days? Let’s take a look:

For starters, Jerome Bettis remains on the small screen by helping sell Papa John’s pizza with Peyton Manning. [The Business Journal]

Bettis will appear on NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are,” a show that traces the family trees of celebrities including Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Martin Sheen, and (what do you know) Jerome Bettis! Season three debuts in February. [NBC]

He also continued to star in the Jerome Bettis Show during the NFL season on Pittsburgh’s NBC station. [WPXI]

Plus, it looks like Bettis promotes Orient Watches (like me) [PSAMP]

Bettis became involved in health issues and politics over the past year. First, he worked with Dick’s Sporting Goods to promote concussion tests for youth athletes. [ABC News]

Recently, Bettis visited DC (he didn’t call me!) and met with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Representatives Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and John Dingell and John Conyers of Michigan regarding clear air and the EPA’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule to enact strict clear air requirements. However, we learned that he’s not going to run for office. [Politico]

“I’ve never gotten the request to run,” Bettis said. “I don’t know if I could do it. I think it’s difficult, and I applaud the job that they do, because obviously it’s not easy. You have your constituents to reach out to and be accountable. … For me, the problem is, with football, it’s easy: You win or you lose. You give 110 percent every time, and that’s it. But in politics, sometimes there’s not a clear winner and not a clear loser. There’s a lot of gray. So I’ve lived in a world of black and white, and politics, unfortunately, there’s a give and a take. … It’s just an interesting dynamic that I’m not used to.”

Through this work, he filmed this commercial [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

The Bus has traveled the world during this football season. He went to London to promote the NFL game there in October. [ESPN]

He also traveled to Aledo, Texas to deliver the 2011-12 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year trophy to RB Johnathan Gray, a University of Texas recruit. I’m not sure why Bettis felt the need to tackle Gray though. [ESPN] (The video didn't seem to work here, so you'll have to click on the ESPN link to see what I'm writing about.)

He also went all the way to Panera in Wilkins and the Homestead Waterfront as part of a meet-and-greet. Panera donated $5 to The Bus Stops Here Foundation in the names of those who attended. [Peters Patch]

When I started the “Where is Jerome Bettis” posts a few years ago, I noted the numerous comparisons made to Bettis. Since he’s been out of the league, for about six years, though, these comparisons aren’t as frequent.

With that written, Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio compared Iowa RB Marcus Coker to Bettis. [Grand Rapids Press]

Plus, CBS’ Gary Danielson referred to Alabama RB Trent Richardson as a faster Jerome Bettis. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

Bettis still makes the media rounds too. He participated in an online chat on ESPN. Dan Gigler of Blog ‘N’ Gold scored an interview with The Bus as did Mike Bires of the Beaver County Times. Maybe next year, I'll score an interview!

Oh, Bettis also stays busy with his foundation and was recently named an NFL Hall of Fame finalist.

For more of the annual Where is Jerome Bettis series, click here.

Trivia Tuesday: Islands in the Stream

2012-01-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a new edition of Trivia Tuesday. Your challenge this week is to name the nation to which the following island or archipelago belong. This could be difficult, so I may include the list of 10 countries a little later if folks are struggling. There is also a bonus question below.

1. Canary Islands

2. Azores

3. Aruba

4. Galapagos Islands

5. Svalbard

6. Aleutian Islands

7. Cayman Islands

8. Greenland

9. Zanzibar

10. Chatham Islands

Bonus: In last night’s Australian Open Quarterfinals, #1 seed Caroline Wozniacki lost to the 11th-seed Kim Clijsters. Meanwhile, on the men’s side, #3 Roger Federer defeated Juan Martin del Potro, the 11th seed. Why is it that the 11th seed faced the #1 seed on the women’s side but the #3 seed on the men’s side? Shouldn’t the brackets be set up the same?

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Schadenfreude Again

2012-01-23T18:53:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their AFC Championship win according to NBC station WBAL in Baltimore!

Wait, the Ravens lost Sunday? In that case, let's share this wonderful picture taken by The Washington Post's Jonathan Newton on January 13, 2007:

I have used this picture of a distraught Baltimore Ravens fan being consoled by his son after his entire section cleared out as the Sean's Ramblings profile picture/avatar for 5 years now. This picture seems appropriate and relevant again after yesterday’s New England Patriots victory over the Ravens. Yes, this picture still makes me smile, and yes, I am still a terrible person.

I just don’t like the Baltimore Ravens, and I really don’t want to get into the psychological reasons behind my dislike of Ravens today. I'm just happy with the result of yesterday's game.

Now, time to root against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

h/t Nick for the WBAL screen grab.

Friday Videos

2012-01-20T09:41:00.001-05:00

Between writing my State of the Ramblings and sharing thoughts about a stolen tire, a $10 haircut, and Jackee Harry, it's been a busy past week or two here at Sean's Ramblings. Therefore, let's end this week with some music.

Although I'm not a fan of the video, Jessie J writes (or at least performs) a catchy song called Domino.

I just can't pass up posting Alex Ovechkin rapping in Russian. I have no idea what anyone says, but the guy who is not Ovie definitely includes a line about Ali, Tiger, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee, all well-known Russian athlets.

Puck Daddy has much more on this as well as a translation of Ovie's verse.

My Jackee Harry Experience

2012-01-19T10:27:00.002-05:00

Although I don’t mention it very often here, I’m a part of the Twitter universe. When I hit 226 followers, I posted the following Tweet:

@getfreshdesigns retweeted my clever message and several hours later, I saw this message on Twitter.

That’s right, Jackee Harry, the Emmy award winning actress of 227, was my 227th follower. Ms. Harry followed me on Twitter along with Pink, Tim Tebow, Taylor Dayne and Missy Elliott. I can definitely see the similarities between all of us.

Sadly, Ms. Harry stopped following me a few days later. I guess she didn’t appreciate all of my Tweets about the Steelers. Therefore, I'm back on 226 followers. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter and be my new 227th (or 228th) follower.

State of the Ramblings

2012-01-18T09:56:00.009-05:00

I recently passed the seventh birthday/anniversary of writing Sean’s Ramblings which must be about 70 in blog years. Since I’m an old man in the blog world, please bear with me as I rant a little. Get off my lawn!

I feel like I’m the last of a dying breed. There just doesn’t seem to be many personal blogs these days that are updated regularly. When I started Sean’s Ramblings and during the first few years of my blog’s existence, I read dozens of personal blogs updated daily, many that I discovered through DC Blogs. Sadly, most of these blogs are now retired or updated only occasionally. I believe that there are several reasons for this. First, it can be difficult and time-consuming writing a blog. Starting a blog is fun and exciting but keeping your energy up writing post after post after post is hard especially if you aren’t receiving many comments or page views. Second, sometimes you run out of items to write about. There have been amazing blogs that spent significant time talking about the dating scene or television shows. After someone gets into a serious relationship or the TV show ends, there’s not much else to discuss.

Personally, I think Twitter has significantly contributed to the decline of personal blogs. It’s so much easier typing 140 characters that can be published instantly rather than writing a multi-paragraph post and scheduling the post to be published the following day. So with that, rant over. I’m proud to have longevity as a blogger and appreciate the other bloggers out there that have provided me countless hours of entertainment over the years.

(Get it...Slevin for Seven!)

Since this is the annual State of the Ramblings, let’s briefly look back at the past year. Obviously, the most significant, life-changing event from the past twelve months was winning the Ted Marshall TV death pool. I guess becoming a new father is a close second.

I’m happy that I’ve chronicled some of the experiences being a new father, but I wanted to make sure that this didn’t turn into a fatherhood blog. With that written, my first post after my child was born is one of my favorite things I’ve written in the history of Sean’s Ramblings, and I love reading it again as well as going through other fatherhood posts.

Other highlights from this year was interviewing author, amazing blogger and friend Sarah Wendell after her release of Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from Romance Novels and interviewing the founder of Steeler Nation Israel. I reviewed a documentary about Canadian pop music in the 1990s and admitted to a childhood crush on Debbie Gibson. I found that there are other Sean’s Ramblings (or should that be Seans’ Ramblings) and posed the question about whether gay marriage could pass in Virginia. Even though I haven’t lived in Pittsburgh in many years, my hometown city is still a central part of my life. Besides writing about Pittsburgh sports (including the third annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament), I posted information about Pittsburgh being the center of rap/hip-hop universe and the home of Indian actresses.

(This picture of the Gilligan's Island cast has nothing do with anything in the post other than there being seven characters to match the seven years of this blog.)

As for the next twelve months, I don’t anticipate any changes to Sean’s Ramblings. With the Presidential election this year, I may have a few more political posts than usual, but otherwise, you can enjoy the same in-depth analysis and breaking news stories that you always do. That, or more about Pittsburgh sports, bad haircuts, Trivia Tuesdays, Metro experiences and ideally, another opportunity to have free food for a year.

Thanks again to everyone for reading and commenting this year and over the past 7 years. It’s amazing that Sean’s Ramblings has lasted this long, and I wouldn’t continue writing without your support.

Trivia Tuesday: Disney Villains

2012-01-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

Let’s get right to the questions. Based on the names of the primary villains below, your challenge is to name the Disney movie.

1. Scar

2. Man

3. Charles Muntz

4. Ursula

5. Sid

6. Jafar

7. Stomboli

8. Madam Min

9. Hopper

10. Curella de Vil

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

The $10 Haircut

2012-01-16T09:35:00.004-05:00

Remember my dilemma last week regarding the unlicensed barber shop? Well, I tried it over the weekend and wanted to share the results. Let’s start with the positive.

- I enjoyed the music selection of 90s hits including Mr. Jones, Wonderwall, and an ‘N Sync song that I can’t get out my head. While I can do without Aerosmith’s Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing and whatever Backstreet Boys song they played (Is Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely the name of one of their songs?), overall, the music was a plus.

- They gave me a hot towel at the completion of the haircut. Hot towels should be used and available in any personal and professional situation. They also provided a razor shave of the back of my neck and sideburns. I always think this is cool even if these razors could potentially cause lots of bleeding.

- I was treated very well and received excellent personal attention. There was my primary male barber and another woman who occasionally assisted. The female barber may have been the owner or it was a student-teacher type relationship where she was making sure he was doing everything was correctly.

- The entire haircut was $10.

Sounds like a wonderful experience, right? Well, here’s the negative:

This is a picture of the back of my head with a random gray stripe at the bottom. Perhaps the word “trim” was lost in translation. I don’t think my hair has been this short since my birth. Fortunately, I expect the hair to grow back...and then I guess I'll go back to Hair Cuttery for my next haircut.

Dilemma

2012-01-13T09:21:00.002-05:00

It’s audience participation day here at Sean’s Ramblings. I have a true scenario and want your opinion on what to do.

I’ve mentioned several times that I get my haircuts at Hair Cuttery. The haircuts cost $16 (before tip) and the barbers/stylists are generally fine. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them to others and would certainly be willing to try somewhere else particularly since I don’t have much hair and cutting my hair shouldn’t be very difficult or time-consuming.

A month or two ago, a barber shop located in a house on a street near me opened. It seems a little sketchy or at least in an odd location, but they have a website and advertise $10 haircuts. They also have two positive reviews on Yelp.

(This is not the place near my house. I just liked this ad.)

Curious about this place, I contacted the barber shop by e-mail to make sure they are licensed. Since they haven't responded, I contacted Virginia’s Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, a division of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation ("DPOR") about this barber shop. The government agency quickly replied (typing those five words together doesn’t seem to make sense) stating:

We cannot locate a barber shop or cosmetology salon in our records under the name you have provided. If you believe that the barber shop or salon is operating without a license, you may submit a complaint to the Department’s Complaint Analysis section.

So here's my situation. Do I file a complaint with the DPOR? Do I try to get a haircut first and see how it goes even though they may be unlicensed? Do I do nothing besides ask a series of questions?

Update 1/17: So, I got a $10 haircut. Although it wasn't a good haircut, I'm not going to contact DPOR and will return to Hair Cuttery for my next haircut.

Stolen Car Tire

2012-01-12T09:36:00.004-05:00

After learning that someone stole my car tire yesterday, a family member jokingly said that they would read more about it on my blog. Am I really that predictable?

Anyway, let’s go back to that stolen car tire thing. When I went to my car Wednesday morning, I noticed that the car seemed a little lower in the front. My parking lot slants slightly downward, so I didn’t think much of it as I strapped my child into the car seat. I started the car and decided that I needed to scrape frost off of the windows. Although I cleared ice from the front windshield directly in front of the steering wheel and all of the windows, I didn’t touch the portion of the front windshield in front of the passenger side. I quickly returned to my car to avoid the cold and put my car in reverse. Unfortunately, the car didn’t move. I stepped on the gas with the same result. It was then that I walked to the front of the car and noticed that I was missing my front right wheel.

(This is not a picture of my car.)

Sometime probably Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, thieves took the tire and rim, but left my hubcap and the lug nuts (heh, heh) on the pavement. Although the hooligans didn't put the car on a block, according to the tow truck driver, it appeared that they gently placed the axel on the ground. There was no additional damage other than needing to replace the tire and rim.

I informed the police about the incident yesterday morning, and they indicated that they would let me know if this is a trend. When I posted information about the stolen tire on the community message board, I learned that another car in the neighborhood also had a tire stolen. Seems like a trend to me!

Of course, the police probably (and rightly so) don’t really care about a stolen tire. I’m not going to contact my insurance company about this either. Basically, I’m out a couple hundred bucks, but at least I found a topic for a new blog post!

I Am a Terrible Father

2012-01-11T09:49:00.004-05:00

The first few days after my child was born last year were a blur. I barely slept and constantly worried about how frequently he should eat and if he was getting enough food. I must have tried bundling my child in a blanket hundreds of times and changing diapers was a brand new experience. I think the only time I left the hospital was to run home to feed Ziggy.

I clearly failed as a father, though, since I didn’t release a song produced by Pharrell only days after my child’s birth and include my baby in the song. I hope my child will forgive me. Perhaps writing a blog post about being a new father will be a consolation.

I also apologize to my child for not naming him after a color or a Roman numeral/plant. I should have named him Red Cactus or Black Velvet* or something.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here for more information and to hear the song.

* Even if you don’t know the lyrics, I’m sure that this song will now be stuck in your head. You’re welcome!

Trivia Tuesday: Picture Edition

2012-01-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a special picture edition of Trivia Tuesday. Your challenge this week is to name the ten people pictured that passed away in 2011.

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

I Scared My Kid

2012-01-09T09:22:00.001-05:00

After trailing since early in the second quarter in Sunday’s playoff game, the Steelers tied the Broncos late in the fourth quarter on this touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Jerricho Cotchery.

Naturally, I was excited, so I jumped up off of the couch, screamed and waved my Terrible Towel. My child witnessed this and freaked out. This was a side of daddy that I don’t think he ever saw. He had a mortified look on his face and then started to cry. My child never cries. It took a couple of “Itsy Bitsy Spiders,” but he was back to his normal happy self in no time. I made sure to stay under control through the rest of the game (though nothing scream-worthy occurred during this time). Fortunately, he went upstairs at the end of regulation while I sat stunned as Denver won on the first play of overtime. It is also fortunate that we won’t remember anything about this game. Plus, by next season, he’ll be ready to wave the Terrible Towel himself!

Renegade (Steelers Pump-Up Video)

2012-01-08T14:05:00.001-05:00

It's been a fairly lousy last few days to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Pitt basketball team lost to DePaul(!) on Thursday night while the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils defeated the Penguins in consecutive games. Meanwhile SMU crushed the Pitt football team in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl. I'm sure that the Pirates managed to lose in something this weekend too.

However, none of this matters if the Steelers win in Denver. To get you fired up for today's game, enjoy the latest video from Benstonium. In addition, please make sure that you "like" Benstonium on Facebook.

Go Steelers!

2011 Year-End Credit Card Spending Summary

2012-01-06T09:50:00.001-05:00

Remember how I wrote that I enjoy numbers and statistics? Well, I had a terrific time reviewing my 2011 year-end credit card statement. Seriously. They have charts and percentages. Anyway, for no apparent reason, I thought I would share the top ten places with you.

1. Wegmans – I spend way too much money grocery shopping.

2. Target – This can be attributed to the new addition in our household. Hooray diapers!

3. Amazon.com – See Target. Hooray diapers and baby food!

4. Glass company that I refuse to name. I shared some of my frustration with this company before. Although the shower still isn’t completely fixed, I’m not contacting this company again. With that written, there may be a call to the Better Business Bureau or at least some negative online reviews in the future. Oh, the company that did the actual shower portion of the new shower would have been #2 on this list except that I used a different credit card for them. (Almost all of my purchases are on the credit card that is the basis of this list.)

5. Sun Refining & Marketing – I freaked out when I saw this company on the list. Who the heck is Sun Refining & Marketing? Did I get charged for something incorrectly? Turns out that this company is actually Sunoco. Freak out over.

6. Metro – Even though my company contributes money monthly toward my commute, I still regularly add money to my SmartTrip card to get to and from work.

7. Babies R Us – See Target & Amazon. Hooray diapers, baby food and anything else that I can’t seem to remember right now!

8. JetBlue – I wouldn’t be surprised if another airline actually earned this spot since there seems to be separate entries for reservations and bag fees. With that written, I love the fact that I can check my bag for free on JetBlue and that they still provide snacks for no additional charge. Live TV is also a nice bonus.

9. Safeway – The grocery store closer to Wegmans if only a few items are needed. They seem to have higher prices than Wegmans across the board, but sometimes, you have to go with the convenient location.

10. Eye doctor – New contacts and glasses were needed in 2011.

So where were some of the places that you used your credit card the most in 2011?

Pittsburgh Is In (According to the Washington Post)

2012-01-05T10:18:00.001-05:00

As part of the Washington Post’s 2012 In/Out List, authors Monica Hesse and Dan Zak included this:

Hyperbole is out! The Mayans were right!

Of course, based on the title of this post, you know that I’m going to briefly discuss the Portland-Pittsburgh line. As a native Pittsburgher, naturally, I’m happy anytime that my hometown receives positive recognition. Sure, National Geographic naming Pittsburgh one of the 20 world’s must-see destinations was huge (Pittsburgh and Sonoma, CA were the only two locations in the US). All of the movies filmed in Pittsburgh in 2011 also provided wonderful exposure. However, living in DC and seeing this in the Washington Post was a nice surprise.

The cynical me might suggest that the Post’s inclusion of Pittsburgh in the "In" column could be related to the full-page ad by VisitPittsburgh promoting Pittsburgh on the back page of the December 11, 2011 Travel section. However, since I agree with this selection, I would never suggest such a thing.

The Post’s Maura Judkis has more about the "Pittsburgh is in" selection.

Jason Taylor Retires, Status of Big JT Unknown

2012-01-04T10:22:00.003-05:00

It looks like Jason Taylor from Woodland Hills High School and a former Dancing with the Stars finalist concluded his amazing NFL career on Sunday. Taylor, a 6-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All Pro, completed his 15 year career with 139.5 sacks. I remember Taylor in high school as an uncoordinated basketball center that didn’t yet fit into his body and a Tight End with inconsistent hands. Fortunately, Taylor developed significantly as a football player since he was 17.

Although I didn’t personally know Taylor, I have friends that did. I’ve never heard any negative stories about Taylor, and therefore, I’m not at all surprised by how humble he is in this video and how respected he is by his teammates.

Now that Taylor is retiring from football, the question that remains is what happens to Big JT? You remember Big JT, right? Let me refresh your memory.

With all of the Steelers injuries, could Big JT play running back or in the secondary this weekend?

2011 Sean’s Ramblings Visitors

2012-01-03T10:44:00.001-05:00

I love numbers and statistics, so naturally I’m fascinated by the data related to where people live that visit this blog as well as how people find Sean’s Ramblings through searches primarily via Google and Yahoo.

Here are the results for 2011:

1. Pittsburgh, PA

2. New York, NY

3. Washington, DC

4. Chantilly, VA

5. Chicago, IL

6. Arlington, VA

7. Deerfield Beach, FL

8. Los Angeles, CA

9. Baltimore, MD

10. Columbus, OH

Pittsburgh-New York-Washington earn the top three spots for the second consecutive year. Only a third place finish by San-Ch’Ung, Taiwan in 2009 prevents this trifecta from back-to-back-to-back top three finishes.

Now for the top referrals of 2011:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers Mascot

2. LeBron James

3. Songs with Alcohol in the Title

4. Seans Ramblings

5. Jim Shearer

6. Top Songs of 2010

7. Erica Blasberg

8. Cosi Prices

9. Myron Cope Sound Bites

10. Sean’s Ramblings

11. Songs with Drinks in the Title

Seans Ramblings and Sean’s Ramblings together would have been #1, but the variations put these two at #4 & #10 respectively. Therefore, congrats to Pittsburgh Steelers Mascot for moving from #5 in 2010 to the top spot in 2011. Steely McBeam is quite happy.

Meanwhile, I am clearly the source for LeBron James news as evidenced by the impressive second place finish for LeBron James searches. In addition, Fleetwood Mac concert reviews, Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental and Spider Pig lyrics fell out of the top 10.

Please click here if you’re interested in seeing the search and location statistics for 2009 and 2010.

Trivia Tuesday will return next week though there could be a special edition later this week.

Deck the Broncos, They're Just Yoncos!

2012-01-02T09:51:00.002-05:00

Although the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 13-9 Sunday, the Baltimore win against the Cincinnati Bengals means that the Ravens earned the AFC North Division title and a first round bye. Therefore, the Steelers as a Wild Card will travel to Denver to face the Broncos next Sunday afternoon. Despite the fact that the Steelers were 12-4 on the season while Denver finished 8-8 with three straight losses, naturally, Steelers fans (including myself) may be worried. Here’s why:

- Injuries. Pro Bowlers QB Ben Roethlisberger & C Maurkice Pouncey aren’t close to 100% with ankle injuries. Meanwhile, starting RB Rashard Mendenhall may be out for the year with a knee injury and LaMarr Woodley’s hamstring has caused him to miss six of the last eight games.

- Ryan Clark had his spleen and gall bladder removed following a game in Denver a few years ago due to some type of reaction to the high altitude. Clark, another Pro Bowler, may not play at Denver

- Every NFL analyst/expert will pick Pittsburgh to win. Remember what happened last year when the 7-9 NFC West division champion Seattle Seahawks hosted the New Orleans Saints, the defending Super Bowl Champs? Denver will certainly have the "no one believes in us" mentality, and it's always possible (though unlikely) that some Pittsburgh players could be overconfident.

- Weather. It’s Denver in January, so who knows what could happen. Snow and wind could give the edge to the Broncos who have the best rushing team in the league. The Steelers are clearly a passing team now. Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris aren’t walking through that door!

With all of this written, the spirit of Myron Cope will be on the Steelers' side. Prior to the 1984 Steelers-Broncos first round playoff game in Denver, Cope created this Christmas song, and the Steelers won.

2011 Sean's Ramblings Year In Review

2011-12-29T10:02:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my 7th annual year in review, where I take the first few lines of the first entry of each month in order to produce a random and interesting (maybe?) summary of 2011.

January - Welcome to my 6th annual year in review, where I take the first line or two of the first entry of each month in order to produce a random and (hopefully) interesting summary of 2010. (Sean’s note: Perhaps I should make sure that I post this year in review post in December of each year.)

February - There are icy conditions in part of the Washington DC area today. Therefore, the local television stations show school and government delays and closures on the bottom of the screen.

March - (If you're looking for the final four round of the best Pittsburgh sports blog tournament, please scroll down to the next post.)

I have an amazing idea for a name that tune edition of Trivia Tuesday.

April - This week's Trivia Tuesday is quite simple. Where is Sean and when is he coming back? Just know that I am still around. Overwhelmed and tired, but still around.

May - On Saturday, we went on our first date night since our baby arrived. We planned on going to dinner followed by watching a movie, but what movie to see.

June - When I started this blog 6+ years ago, I planned on using seansramblings.blogspot.com as the website address. Unfortunately, someone named Sean from Oxford, Mississippi already had this domain name, so my website address is missing the "S" in Sean's (well, the 2nd S).

July - If you're working today, I'm sure that you don't feel like working following the long holiday weekend. Therefore, I present to you several Sporcle quizzes to help you get through the day.

August - It seems like only days ago when I wrote about my excitement of the return of Debbie Gibson. After seeing her performance on Friday's Good Morning America, I'm not as enthusiastic.

September - The White House announced last night that President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8th regarding his plan for jobs and to improve the economy. While I appreciate President Obama presenting information on his plan on the biggest political stage available, doesn't anyone in the administration have a calendar?

October - I recently passed the six-month mark of being a father which has been a wonderful, tiring, and life-changing experience. Since I don’t feel like writing about the Steelers today, I figured that I’d share my recent experiences of fatherhood.

November - After giving my son a spoonful of baby food, specifically apples, I asked him the following question:

Me: How do you like them apples?

Kid: (No response)

December - Congratulations to Debi V for winning the Orient Watch. Debi V was commenter #5 and wants to go on a fun vacation this holiday season.

Trivia, Debbie Gibson, life as a new father, weather, Pittsburgh sports and more? Looks and sounds like a typical year at Sean’s Ramblings where I write about a wide variety of topics. On behalf of me and everyone else here at Sean's Ramblings (that would still be me), thank you very much for reading, commenting and for your continued support. Have a Happy New Year!

The Longest Day

2011-12-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

A trip from Jacksonville to Northern Virginia should take about 4-5 hours door to door including time spent at the airport going through security and waiting to board the flight. So why did my trip Tuesday take 10 hours? Let’s take a look.

7:30 AM: Wake up with a dog sleeping next to me.

7:50 AM: Check flight status and see that my 11:00 AM flight is delayed an hour and a half. Look through other flight options and click “select” showing another flight going from Jacksonville to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Washington National.

8:00 AM: Realize that clicking select actually changed my flight. Then realize that I cannot change back to my original flight. Good news: Based on the delay on my original flight, the new flight gets in about 30 minutes earlier. Bad news: Need to leave for the airport immediately even though I’m not close to being ready.

9:05 AM: Arrive at Jacksonville Airport

9:35 AM: Arrive at gate only to see that the flight to Atlanta is delayed meaning that I would likely miss my connection. Change back to original flight. Delta staff member tells me that it’s always better to go direct and avoid Atlanta. I should know about avoiding Atlanta.

10:10 AM Discover that Delta moved the gate of my flight. Then, I see that my flight is delayed another half hour.

10:15 AM: According to a travel guy on CNN, he predicts that airfare will either go up or down in 2012. Extremely bold prediction!

10:15 AM - 12:45 PM: Am extremely happy that I have an iPad and that Jacksonville has free wireless. Spend too much time on Twitter and playing Angry Birds. I also ate lunch at Chili’s. They have yummy fries.

1:15 PM: Finally leave Jacksonville 2+ hours after the originally scheduled flight time.

3:00ish: Circle Richmond due to heavy traffic around National.

3:20 PM: Go over Georgetown University and see the Kennedy Center, Watergate, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial & Jefferson Memorial, but we’re way too high to land. Apparently, there is a plane on the runway. Circle National.

3:30 PM: Told that we can’t land at National due to weather. Heading to Philadelphia to see Jaromir Jagr. (They didn’t actually say this.)

4:00 PM: Land in Philadelphia. Not allowed to leave aircraft, but have a jolly good time waiting in line for the one restroom on the back of the plane. They ran out of paper towels, so I had to use Kleenex to wipe my hands.

5:30 PM: Depart Philadelphia

5:40 PM: Delta announces that they thank their SkyMiles passengers for flying Delta. Sure, I realize that you have to say that we can use approved electronic devices, but was it really necessary to include the SkyMiles passengers announcement again?

6:10 PM: Arrive at National airport.

7:00 PM: Finally arrive home to a purring and meowing cat extremely happy to see me.

7:10 PM: Clogged toilet

In case you’re curious, according to Google Maps, the trip would have take 11 hours & 44 minutes if I drove. I also read 200 pages of Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt For His Assassin. Great book. Oh, Ziggy has been sitting on my lap the entire time I typed this post.

Trivia Tuesday: Music Edition

2011-12-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Welcome to the final Trivia Tuesday of 2011. Whether you have to work this week and this Trivia Tuesday gets you a few minutes closer to the end of the day, or you’re at home and want to spend a few minutes challenging yourself, enjoy this special music edition of TT!

1. Who sang the mid-1990s hit, Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

2. Name a Jennifer Lopez song.

3. Name the director of a pretty big movie that’s currently in the theatres who was also the video director of Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz.

4. Name the song title and artist based on these lyrics: “Cause you can't have the hop if you don't have the hip.”

5. Name a (the?) song by Dishwala.

6. Name the two movies that Jack Black and Sarah Silverman appeared in which featured a good amount of music/songs.

7. Name the song title and artist based on these lyrics: “Josie’s on a vacation faraway.”

8. In what Emmy award winning 1980s-1990s comedy did a famous character that lived on past this TV show say (this is not an exact quote), “I heard a song on the radio on my way here that should set the tone for this evening. Everybody have fun tonight. (Dramatic pause.) Everybody…Wang Chung tonight. (Yes, this is a bit of a stretch for music.)

9. Name the song title and artist based on these lyrics: “And all the rappers in the top ten, please allow me to bump thee.”

10. Name a musical act performing at this year’s Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve.

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T10:47:00.001-05:00

Here are two videos to help you smile during this holiday season. The first is a Hanukkah song by the B-Boyz, three kids from Fairfax Station, Virginia.

I find it quite appropriate that the kid wearing a Washington Redskins shirt isn't wearing a jersey. Would you want to wear a Rex Grossman or Tim Hightower jersey? Anyway, I'm not going to make fun of kids especially after reading this article about how hard they worked putting the video together (even if I can't understand much of what they're saying), so, um, watch this 'N Sync video and we can make fun of them instead.

Is this why Justin Timberlake refuses to participate in any type of 'N Sync reunion? Why can't Joey Fatone just hold the reins instead of constantly moving them up and down? The "reindeer" are going to get annoyed and kick Fatone in his mouth. Meanwhile, I hope Gary Coleman got a nice paycheck for appearing in this video.

Do Any Presidential Candidates Play Fantasy Football?

2011-12-22T09:19:00.005-05:00

Fantasy football is a $1 billion industry with nearly 27 million participants according to The Hollywood Reporter. (I’m sure that there are more detailed statistics available from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal or even ESPN out there, but this is where Google directed me.) While the growth of fantasy sports over the past decade has impacted people at most businesses, I wonder if it has reached the White House. Sure, President Obama completes NCAA tournament brackets for men’s and women’s college basketball, but I don’t think he worried about choosing between Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster or even Aaron Rodgers with the first pick of a fantasy football league draft earlier this fall (though he may have drafted Rodgers based on their meeting).

Personally, I’d find it fascinating seeing the President scan the waiver wire on Tuesday afternoon deciding whether to put in a claim to pick up Darrius Heyward-Bey or Jabar Gaffney. Would the President call Matthew Berry directly each Sunday morning asking if he/she should start Beanie Wells or C.J. Spiller? Would the President delay the start of a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in order to finalize a trade to acquire Mike Wallace? White House press conferences could end with correspondents asking the President’s thoughts on Jamaal Charles’ torn ACL. While I may be taking this question a little too far here (though I don’t think any of this would be completely unrealistic), I wonder who will be the first U.S. President to embrace fantasy sports.

While I don’t believe that any of the current Presidential candidates are active fantasy owners, I thought it would be fun to pretend that the candidates are in a league together. Please note that the candidates are in no particular order:

Mitt Romney – This is a high stakes league where Romney put up $10,000 on him winning.

Newt Gingrich – The former Speaker of the House also serves as the league’s historian.

Michele Bachmann – Selected Atlanta running back Michael Turner with her first pick so that she could name her team Bachmann Turner Overdrive. (Sorry if this sounds like a bad Chris Berman joke.)

Rick Perry – He focused his draft plan on three positions. Running back, quarterback, and the um, what’s the third one there? Oops!

Ron Paul – He could have early season success, but don’t look for Paul winning the fantasy league championship.

Jon Huntsman – Since his daughter went on a date with Kris Humphries, well before he was the former Mr. Kim Kardashian, Huntsman prefers fantasy basketball to fantasy football.

Rick Santorum – The draft must be on-line and not in person since Santorum doesn’t actually live where he claims his residency.

Herman Cain – Sure, Cain’s not a candidate anymore, but he was when the league formed in August. Cain drafted ninth and only selected players wearing the number 9. Sure, Drew Brees was a great pick, but starting #99 Brett Keisel at running back hasn’t worked very well.

Since you can’t have a league with just eight participants, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who many Republican leaders hoped would enter the Presidential race, will serve as the 9th member. I don’t have anything to write about Chris Christie, so the league also included Kris Kristofferson as the 10th member simply because it’s fun to say Chris Christie and Kris Kristofferson in the same sentence.

After I finished typing this post, I found a brief article about Obama drafting a fantasy football team in 2008 with Rick Reilly. I'm still not willing to credit Obama as the first fantasy football playing President.

Dark Knight Rises Looks Unrealistic

2011-12-21T09:33:00.001-05:00

If you haven't seen the trailer for Dark Knight Rises, please watch the video below. While the film certainly looks cool, I can't get past two portions of the trailer that seem completely unrealistic.

1. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl kicking for a professional football team (1:08 mark).

2. Hines Ward returning a kick-off for a touchdown (1:21). He hasn’t returned a kick-off since 2000!

I'm not sure how I can even see this movie now. Maybe I'll see something more believable like Matt Damon buying and operating a zoo where Scarlett Johansson works or singing and dancing chipmunks.

Deadspin also has some great analysis of The Dark Knight Rises football scenes.

Did Former Penn State Basketball Coach Know About Sandusky?

2011-12-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

In May of this year, Penn State men’s basketball coach Ed DeChellis made the stunning decision to leave his alma mater coming off of a NCAA Tournament appearance to go to the U.S. Naval Academy, a team that hasn’t made the tournament since 1987. At the time, the reasoning behind DeChellis leaving a Big Ten school for a position with a $200,000 annual pay cut was about respect, lack of job security and the overall unimportance of the Penn State basketball program.

Until DeChellis was hired, the Bryce Jordan Center sported little in the way of artwork or signage to signal it was the home of Penn State basketball, and only last season were the basketball staffs given significant office space.

Worse, this season the team was forced to move out of the Bryce Jordan Center and practice in the nearby intramural building, in a gym outfitted for volleyball and only retrofitted for basketball. This as the Nittany Lions were jockeying for position for an at-large bid. The reason? Bon Jovi needed the space for rehearsal, and the university was hosting a career fair.

Now, however, does anyone think that DeChellis may have left Penn State because he knew something was going to happen with Jerry Sandusky? Think about it for a second. Has there ever been a case where a Big 10 head coach voluntarily resigned to take the same position several steps lower on the college basketball ladder?

In my opinion, I find it extremely unlikely that DeChellis had any inside information or knowledge of the Sandusky case. Although I don’t really follow Penn State basketball closely (are there still any Crispin brothers on the team?), it sounds like DeChellis left for the reasons above.

After listening to the ridiculous (not in a good way) radio “interview” between Yahoo’s Ryan Lambert and former KDKA sportscaster John Steigerwald in which they threw out speculation that Alex Ovechkin took steroids and that Sidney Crosby is a vampire, I just thought I would share more internet speculation. Call me an irresponsible blogger typing in my basement. Plus, someone on the Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries mentioned the possible DeChellis-Sandusky link, so I’m weeks behind!

Oh, here are DeChellis’ thoughts on the current situation:

DeChellis said he'd reserve judgment on whether former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, charged with 40 counts of abuse, is guilty, or whether Paterno is being fairly criticized for not taking more action when allegations arose.

DeChellis pointed to Sandusky maintaining he's innocent in an NBC interview on Monday. DeChellis also referred to the Duke lacrosse rape case, when players were accused and then charges were dropped.

"I don't know who was right and who was wrong," DeChellis said. "I'm not to judge. I know that Joe has done a lot of great things in his career. He's affected a lot of young men in a positive way and done a lot for the university, and to see his tenure end this way, only time will tell what really went on."

Basically, to paraphrase Bon Jovi, DeChellis is saying that it's his life and it's now or never. He ain't gonna live forever. He just wants to live while he's alive.

The 11 Year Light Bulb

2011-12-15T12:33:00.001-05:00

Philips deserves a lot of credit. I needed to buy some light bulbs last night and the package for the Philips EnergySaver light bulb states that it will last 11 years. That is not a typo. Take a moment to think about 11 years. 11 years ago, the Supreme Court made its decision on Bush vs. Gore. 11 years ago, Mario Lemieux was about to make his NHL comeback. 11 years ago, Justin Bieber was 6 years old (yes, I looked this up). 11 years from now, my child will be in junior high/middle school. The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place 11 years from now, though the winning bid won’t be announced for another four years. 11 years from now, I’ll have even less hair. (Of course, I’ll probably have less hair 11 days from now!)

Back to the light bulb. Naturally, I bought the Philips bulb partially because of the “lasts 11 years” claim. It was a difficult process removing the light fixture where the bulb went out, so I don’t want to repeat the process anytime this decade. Let’s take a look at the 11-year claim and limited warranty for this bulb:

Based on a reasonable household usage, when used in accordance with package and bulb directions, if this bulb does not last for 11 years (based on approximately 3 hours average usage per day/7 days per week). Philips will send you a replacement bulb upon receipt of the returned bulb, register receipt, and proof of purchase.

Let’s say that you light bulb lasts 9 years. Who still keeps a $3 or $4 receipt as well as proof of purchase for 9 years? Even if you do manage to keep this, how would you find it? Wouldn’t it just be buried in a box never to be seen again? How do you prove that you did not exceed the reasonable household usage? I don’t think Philips will need to provide many replacement bulbs.

Well done, Philips. Well done!

Great Actress Changes Names (Express Fail)

2011-12-14T14:17:00.001-05:00

Meryl Streep is widely regarded as the greatest living actress. She holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations with an incredible 16, including two wins for her roles in Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice. Streep constantly challenges herself and, apparently, is reinventing herself by changing her name. Express proudly introduced Reryl Streep in Tuesday's edition!

Yes, this is two posts in the same day. Express just makes it easy to write blog posts.

Please click here for more Express Fail.

Vikings Lose Doubleheader (Express Fail)

2011-12-14T09:13:00.001-05:00

It's been a rough season for the Minnesota Vikings. At 2-11, they are tied for the second worst record in the NFL. The team has lost five straight games and star running back Adrian Peterson has missed the past three games.

The team hit a new low this past Sunday and made NFL history by losing to Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints in the same day. Amazing!

Wait, are you doubting that this actually happened? It's true. Just check out the scores from Monday's Express.

Please click here for more Express Fail.

Trivia Tuesday

2011-12-13T09:51:00.000-05:00

I apologize that Trivia Tuesday has only occurred sporadically lately. Maybe my New Year's Resolution will be to ensure that Trivia Tuesday takes place every Tuesday.

From the clues provided below, your challenge is to provide the answers that all start with "Jack."

1. A pneumatic drill

2. A chilly pseudonym used by Bob Dylan as producer for his albums “Love & Theft” and “Modern Times”

3. “…and master on none”

4. To put the trailer in front of the truck

5. “Old No. 7”

6. It often cranks out “Pop! Goes the Weasel”

7. A TV show that spawned four movies

8. “Oh! Fruit loved of boyhood! The old days recalling, When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling! When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin. Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!” (John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807)

9. The main character of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean”

10. One could be “mad as a March hare”

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

New Fall Television Shows

2011-12-12T09:18:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Dan put together a post about new TV shows he’s watched this season. I’m totally taking his idea.

New Girl – It’s a cute show about Zooey Deschanel moving in with three random male roommates. Although I’m not sure how long the writers can stay with the roommates learning to live with each other and appreciate their wacky differences theme, I’m still watching it.

Up All Night – Although I’m about five episodes behind on my DVR, this show entertains me. The whole new parent thing is quite relevant to my life. I especially liked a scene where Christina Applegate and another character destroyed a stroller that refused to fold correctly like the Office Space fax machine. I would love to do that with a Pack and Play.

Terra Nova – There really is no good reason why I’m still watching this show. Well, the fact that Steven Spielberg is one of the executive producers may be the reason and the dinosaur effects are cool. Otherwise, like V and Flash Forward, I’m just sticking with it to see what happens (which will probably be an amazing season finale, followed by cancellation). The whole Sixers splinter group intrigues me.

Person of Interest – I had high hopes for this show because of Michael Emerson/ Benjamin Linus and Taraji P. Henson, but after two episodes, it seems like a new case will be solved every week. I can watch any airing of Law & Order to see that.

Whitney – I’m so glad that I picked this show in the Ted Marshall Open TV Death Pool. I’ve watched part of a few episodes, and the show lived up to my awful expectations.

Happy Endings - Technically, this is not a new TV show, but it’s new to me. The first minute of this show ended up on my DVR following the conclusion of Modern Family. I found the minute consistently funny (the exact opposite of 2 Broke Girls after How I Met Your Mother) and added it to my DVR recording list. Plus, this show had amazing cameos a few weeks ago from Fred Savage and Brent Musburger

So what new shows are you watching/did you watch?

Sid and Geno As Larry and Balki Bartokomous

2011-12-09T09:40:00.003-05:00

I really should write about last night's Steelers-Browns game, but I couldn't pass up sharing the latest video by Benstonium.

This is just the excuse I've been looking for to incorporate Balki Bartokomous into one of my blog post. Plus, this is a great video. Enjoy!

Another Ramblings Giveaway Winner

2011-12-08T23:43:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Get Fresh Designs for winning an item in the $75-$80 range from Wayfair. Get Fresh Designs (that's not his real name) was commenter #14 wants to go to one of the Caribbean islands on a vacation.

Two contests in two weeks from a guy who used to write about his experiences eating burritos for a year. Not too shabby!

Another Ramblings Giveaway

2011-12-07T08:58:00.002-05:00

For the second consecutive Wednesday, I am proud to announce a giveaway where you can win a fabulous prize! Isn’t this the best blog ever? The fine folks at Wayfair, formerly CSN Stores, are providing one lucky winner with the opportunity to select an item in the $75-$80 price range among their thousands of products. Examples of such products are this Play Up Adjustable Sand and Water Table,

a Leather Business Attache,

Steelers dart board,

or one of the many kitchen rugs on their website. (If you buy a kitchen rug and put it in another room, is it still a kitchen rug?)

To enter the contest, please leave a note in the comments section below. Last week, I asked what you wanted this holiday season. This week, let’s go with where you want to go on vacation this holiday season or beyond.

One comment/entry per person. Please enter by 10:00 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow (Thursday, December 8th), and I will use Random.org to choose a winner. This contest is open to folks living in the U.S. only.

Notes from Heinz Field: No Need for Renegade (Steelers-Bengals Recap)

2011-12-06T09:18:00.001-05:00

Most newspapers, websites, etc. have already moved past Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals game and focused their attention on Thursday night's Steelers-Browns game. I haven't had the opportunity to share my thoughts about Sunday's game until now since I attended the game in Pittsburgh and then drove back to Northern Virginia. Therefore, enjoy my extremely random notes from the game and trip to Pittsburgh.

The game turned out to be like an Oprah episode for many individual Steelers players.

Hines Ward became the first Steelers receiver and the 19th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 yards receiving. You get a milestone!

With his 15 completions, Ben Roethlisberger passed Terry Bradshaw to become the team's all-time leader in completions. You get a milestone!

With his two touchdowns, Rashard Mendenhall passed John Henry Johnson and Barry Foster and moved into fifth place in Steelers history for rushing touchdowns. You get a milestone!

Antonio Brown had his first NFL punt return touchdown after scoring on a 60-yard punt return in the second quarter. You get a milestone!

The early turning point of the game was Cameron Heyward's blocked field goal after Cincinnati's first drive. Yes, this was Heyward's first blocked kick in the NFL. You know what that means? You get a milestone!

During the game, the Steelers announced some type of accomplishment for James Harrison (something like the third Steelers player since 1970 to have 3+ sacks in a game three times in a season), but I can't seem to find any information about this online. You get a milestone!

The Steelers also announced something about coach Mike Tomlin and wins, but again, I can't seem to find anything about this now. Regardless, you get a milestone! (Update: According to Behind the Steel Curtain, Tomlin is now one of six coaches in NFL history to have won at least nine games in each of his first five season as an NFL head coach.)

- The winner of the 12-13 year-old boy division of the Punt, Pass & Kick contest threw the ball at least 50 yards and looked like he was 17. I think he bought cigarettes and lottery tickets after the game.

- Jeremy Kapinos had an amazing game. Five punts with an average of 54.2 yards per kick. Sorry Mr. Sepulveda, but Mr. Kapinos is the new Steelers punter for the long-term future.

- Over the past few years, the Steelers have mixed together Styx's Renegade with Steelers highlights to pump up the crowd. It's awesome and extremely effective when the defense needs to make a big stop. However, the team wasted Renegade by playing it with approximately 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter with the team leading 35-7.

- Why wasn't Bryant McFadden in as a cornerback late in the fourth quarter with the Steelers winning comfortably? Does he need some reps?

- The negative of the weekend goes to The Original Hot Dog shop AKA The O, usually one of my favorite places to go in Pittsburgh. Amazingly, The O ran out of beef hot dogs. An employee told me this was the first time this happened in the five years he worked at the O. He also told me that there would be beef hot dogs tomorrow which didn't help me since I drove home to Northern Virginia directly after dinner. I actually considered going next door to Five Guys, but stayed for the fries.

(Chas at Pitt Blather actually wrote about the O yesterday.)

Finally, there's a brand new Sheetz in Breezewood that is quite impressive. This may be a completely separate post.

Oh, this is a recap of the game via ESPN and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Ithaca College Woman's Soccer Team in Final Four

2011-12-02T09:10:00.001-05:00

The Ithaca College women’s soccer team is in the Division III Final Four! The semifinals take place today at San Antonio's Blossom Soccer Stadium. I have no idea whether the stadium is named after the popular 90s sitcom. Anyway, here's everything you need to know about today's game.

Ithaca (15-3-3) will face Wheaton [Ill.]. who is 21-1-1 on the season at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time in the second semifinal with Messiah (21-0-1) meeting William Smith (20-0-1) Friday at noon in the other. Friday's winners will play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for the national championship. [Ithaca College Athletics]

An excellent (and perhaps only?) preview of the Ithaca-Wheaton game. [D3Soccer.com]

This is a video of the soccer team leaving campus for San Antonio. It appears that they took a bus which, according to Google Maps is 1,774 miles! [YNN News]

The team is well rested for the game. Since this is the case, perhaps they took an airplane to San Antonio. [Ithaca Journal]

Junior forward Rachael Palladino thoughts on the Final Four run: "When we got a bid, we didn’t really have any expectations besides the fact that we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were way better than the last game we played before the tournament." [The Ithacan]

Go Bombers!

Watch Giveaway Winner

2011-12-01T23:15:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Debi V for winning the Orient Watch. Debi V was commenter #5 and wants to go on a fun vacation this holiday season.

For those of you that didn’t win, look for details about another giveaway next week.

Orient Watch Giveaway

2011-11-30T09:50:00.001-05:00

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have come and gone, but what about Sean’s Ramblings Wednesday? (It could happen!) Thanks to the great folks at Orient Watch, who make watches for men and women, I am excited to present the biggest giveaway in this blog’s history. This is Orient Watch’s Sparta model, and it would make a fantastic gift for you, your husband, boyfriend, father, son, co-worker, or, um, male bus driver.

To enter the contest, please leave a note in the comment section below with what you want this holiday season. It could be a specific gift or something broad like world peace (but don’t write world peace).

One comment/entry per person. Please enter by 9:00 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow (Thursday, December 1st), and I will use Random.org to choose a winner. This contest is open to folks living in the U.S. only.

Oh, Orient Watch also wanted me to incorporate Sapphire Crystal into this post, so there you go. Perhaps, this could be the name of the Dark Crystal sequel!

Hip, Attractive Extras Needed For Tom Cruise Movie

2011-11-29T13:37:00.002-05:00

Since Josh dominated Trivia Tuesday, here’s a second post in the same day. Everyone that reads this blog is hip and attractive, so I have an opportunity for you via Nancy Mosser Casting.

We have a scene that is tentatively set to shoot on Wednesday, January 11th for the movie, "One Shot" starring Tom Cruise. We are going to be needing some hip, attractive Extras for a scene in a sportsbar. We are submitting pictures to the Director for consideration. If chosen, we would contact you closer to the date to let you know. Pay is minimum wage for the first 8 hours and time and a half after that. We never know a start time until the day before. It will shoot somewhere in the Pittsburgh area.

If you are interested in having your picture submitted to the Director, please EMAIL A RECENT PIC along with your NAME and PHONE NUMBER to oneshotextras@gmail.com ASAP. PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME AND AGE IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE EMAIL. The best pictures would be of you on a night out when you're dressed up. IF YOU HAVE BEEN SEEN ON CAMERA IN THIS FILM ALREADY, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOURSELF.

I'll look past the "we are going to be needing" line (how about "we will need"), but this sounds like a fun opportunity. If you end up working as an extra on this film, please let me know. I’d love to hear about your experiences, and you’re welcome to write a guest post about being in a scene with Dan favorite (if I remember correctly), Mr. Katie Holmes.

Trivia Tuesday

2011-11-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your patience as we haven't had a Trivia Tuesday in some time. Your challenge this week is to name the eight U.S. state capitals that begin with a vowel along with the names of these states. Sounds simple, but is it?

Your second challenge is to name the most common first name of U.S. Presidents.

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

My Life

2011-11-28T10:58:00.001-05:00

Time to vent and get some things on paper (well, the computer screen) rather than keeping everything inside which is what I usually do. I’m in a rut. My entire life consists of home and work. I guess that this is normal for most people, but really, there is nothing more to my life right now other than being at home and the office. My big field trips this weekend were grocery shopping at Wegmans and going to Home Depot to pick up light bulbs and a new air filter. Basically, I need some grown-up time. I love being a father, and I’m lucky to have such a wonderful kid. I just want to do something. I’m not talking about taking a weeklong European vacation (though that would be nice) or a weekend trip to Las Vegas (though that would be nice too). Maybe just dinner and a movie. Attending a play or musical would be fun. Just some type of adults-only activity and/or some me time.

I have more on my mind though. I’m still at a loss about what to do about our shower leak. I don’t see a scenario where we’re not going to have to pay thousands of more dollars to resolve this unless we simply decide to continue to not use the shower. The latest is that the leak seems to be gone based on the “work” done by the glass company. However, I’m not sure how to prove that the leak was their fault. In addition, I’m not sure how we can tell for certain that the leak is completely gone without ripping up the tile and/or carpet.

Plus, there’s a chance that my child is allergic to Ziggy. We’re going to set up an appointment to see an allergist soon, but I’m trying to avoid thinking about the possibility of having to find a new home for Ziggy. Since nothing else is going on in my life, the shower and the possible cat allergy dominate conversation.

Let’s just throw out some more stuff on my mind. Raising a child is expensive. My fantasy football teams are terrible. I feel really behind at work. That pretty much covers it. On the positive side, the Steelers won last night and Sidney Crosby is back!

I actually feel much better after writing all of this. Again, I just needed to vent. I'm also doing much better than Caps coach Bruce Boudreau!

Steelers-Chiefs (PIttsburgh Midwest?) LiveBlog

2011-11-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

What better way to conclude the Thanksgiving weekend than joining us for the Steelers-Chiefs game. Everyone rightly refers to the Arizona Cardinals as Pittsburgh West; however, no one talks about Kansas City being Pittsburgh Midwest. Former Pitt Panther QB Tyler Palko starts for the Chiefs tonight while wide receiver Jon Baldwin also attended Pitt and Steve Breaston is a fellow Woodland Hills High School graduate. Coach Todd Haley is the son of former Steelers Director of Player Personnel Dick Haley and served as a ball boy for the Steelers as a kid. Um, Kendrell Bell and Steve Bono both played for the Steelers and Chiefs. I think that’s all I got. Go Steelers!

Steelers-Chiefs (Pittsburgh Midwest?) Liveblog

Unrealistic Head & Shoulders Commercial

2011-11-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

If you haven't seen the latest Troy Polamalu-Head & Shoulders commercial, take a look.

I don't have a problem with the guy "borrowing" Troy Polamalu and his hair. My issue is that it seems highly unlikely that a Steelers fan is going to be attracted to a guy still wearing a Tommy Maddox jersey!

Thanksgiving Message 2011

2011-11-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

On this Thanksgiving, may you have the following:

Turkey in the oven
And the buns in the toaster
I'll never take down
My Cheryl Tiegs poster

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Trivia Tuesday: What Should I Do?

2011-11-22T09:46:00.002-05:00

I need some advice. In late 2010, we noticed water damage on our dining room ceiling due to a leak coming from our shower. In talking with our insurance company and a company we’ve used to do previous work (let’s call them company #1), we determined that the shower would need to be replaced. While company #1 replaced the shower and tile in January 2011, company #2 installed the frameless glass door in February 2011. I’m not using either company name at the moment, but I reserve the right to do so at a later date.

Anyway, in October of this year, we noticed that the spots in the ceiling below the master bathroom shower returned with part of the bathroom carpet stained and possibly other areas of the bathroom that we cannot see damaged. Company #1 determined that the seal that company #2 installed was worn and was no longer water tight. Specifically, the company indicated that "the section of the seal that goes below the fixed pane of glass is loose and long. When you splash water in the corner, you see the leak coming out where the door meets the seal." Company #2 visited our home and also noticed that a piece was out of place. Therefore, they took the piece, stated that they would order a new part, repair the shower, and be in touch in a few days.

After nearly three weeks of leaving numerous phone messages, company #2 finally returned, recaulked part of the shower and left without replacing the seal. Although there is no visible leak, we think that the leak is still there, though not as prominent as before.

So that’s where we are. I’m not sure what to do next. Essentially, company #1 blames #2 for the leak while company #2 blames #1. While I don’t trust company #2 since they failed to return my calls, I’m not convinced that the leak is their fault. I'm also not pleased with company #1 since they did an awful job caulking the tile outside the shower. Any suggestions on what to do? Should we get a third opinion? If so, does anyone have suggestions about folks in Northern Virginia we could ask? Feel free to provide any advice in the comments section below or e-mail me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com.

Sorry that this isn't an entertaining Trivia Tuesday!

Crosby's Back

2011-11-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

All anyone in the hockey world is talking about is Sidney Crosby's back. Here is a picture of his back:

Oh, maybe they're talking about Crosby returning to the Penguins to face the New York Islanders tonight. As always, Benstonium put together a terrific video to welcome back Sid.

Let's Go Pens!

Friday Links & Videos

2011-11-18T09:21:00.001-05:00

This is a must watch video showing a reunion between Lt. Charles Jacobson on leave from Afghanistan and his parents at a Boston Bruins game. It will definitely get a little dusty when you watch this. As an added bonus, Zdeno Chara is really tall! [Puck Daddy]

Brian McElhinny, the author of the excellent Pirates blog Raise the Jolly Roger, is a finalist for a $10,000 college scholarship for a student that blogs. Vote for Brian here! [RTJR]

I reviewed the book Scout, Atticus & Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird [Blogcritics]

I also like this ESPN commercial featuring Terrible Towels around the world. [h/t That's Church]

Lawrence Timmons as Homer Simpson

2011-11-17T09:56:00.002-05:00

Although I've read plenty of recaps about this past Sunday's Steelers-Bengals game, I think I'm the first person to make a Lawrence Timmons-Homer Simpson comparison. This is not a very good video, but check out Timmons' move after making this interception.

Was Timmons going for a break dancing move from the 1980s? Personally, I think he was channeling Homer Simpson after Homer, serving as the nuclear power plant's union leader, got Montgomery Burns to keep the dental plan in exchange for him stepping down from office. (It's a great episode!)

This is Homer's move with unnecessary subtitles and music.

Yes, this is one of the dumbest posts I've ever written.

Sweet Malkin Goal

2011-11-16T10:19:00.001-05:00

If I am you source for Pittsburgh Penguins coverage, you probably didn't realize that the NHL season even started based on my lack of posts about the team. While I can't say that this will change in the near future, I felt the need to share this amazing goal by Evgeni Malkin during last night's 6-3 victory against the Colorado Avalanche.

Awesome!

Sean Freaks Out, Then Calms Down

2011-11-15T10:19:00.002-05:00

Just before Sunday’s Steelers-Bengals game, I saw this Tweet from Dale Lolley of The Observer-Reporter of Washington (Pa.)

Since there’s a good chance that I’ll attend the December 4, 2011 Steelers-Bengals rematch, I freaked out. Attending a Sunday night game in Pittsburgh with the game ending around midnight and then driving back to Washington, DC to get to work by 9:00 AM is virtually impossible. I could have done this 10-15 years ago, but there’s no way I can make the late night/early morning drive now and be coherent at the office the next day.

I did a little research about Lolley’s statement, but couldn’t find any other information about the possibility of the night game becoming a reality. Therefore, I went directly to the source. In a quick reply, Lolley stated the following:

They have decided not to move the KC game, which at this point means that the Cinci game is still at 1 because the Steelers already have the most night games a team can have. But they may try to flex a different game to make that a prime time matchup because the two teams are good. I heard this from a TV source, so it's definitely true.

While I’m not exactly sold on Lolley’s “definitely true” statement, I do feel much better than I did on Sunday. I guess possibility of Pitt QB Tyler Palko return to Heinz Field with the Chiefs was too big of a storyline for NBC to pass on!

Update: Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirms Lolley's story.

The kickoff of the Steelers next game, at Kansas City, will remain at 8:20 p.m. There was speculation that NBC-TV might opt to show another game at that time under the NFL flex schedule and move Steelers-Chiefs to an earlier kickoff.

Now, I'll only need to worry about the Pittsburgh weather for a December game!

Most Random Comment Ever

2011-11-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

I’ve written this blog for nearly seven years now and over that time I’ve received many random comments on my blog posts. However, this comment from someone named Michelle, is likely the most random comment. Enjoy!

If this is SEAN from OTTAWA into AK's and a grandmother called FRAN...she would be devastated.
I have been trying to locate you and get you away from your parents as well as MATTHEW & CHRISTINE.
They are going to JAIL SEAN, if they are " lucky".
We want those under forty rehabilitated..and we know you begged my mother to take you when you were 12...she didn't because her marriage was terrible with SPIKE .
So, if this is not the SEAN, pass the message on ..he 's the the son of " RICK'S SETAIN".
I am going to help you and get leniency ..this should never have happened to all three of you.

Wow! In my nearly 1,900 blog posts, you’d think I would have made some reference about being from Ottawa at least a few times. Actually, there are probably several hundred posts where I write about being from Pittsburgh. I don’t even know where to start on the rest of this. Is Michelle trying to get me away from Matthew & Christine or them away from “my parents?” Who’s going to jail and why is it lucky that they are going there? Why am I actually passing this message on since this was not the SEAN?

Probably the most random part of this comment: it was made on my April 2008 post about my vacation to Seattle and Victoria.

Tropical Storm Sean

2011-11-10T09:23:00.001-05:00

Look out Bermuda. Here comes Sean! Until this morning, I had no idea that there was a tropical storm named after me. While tropical storms and hurricanes are obviously scary and can result in loss of life and extensive damage, it is pretty cool that there is a Tropical Storm Sean.

In reading more information about the storm in The Washington Post and NoLa.com, I just can’t take this storm seriously based on these lines.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Thursday that Sean’s maximum sustained winds are 65 mph (100 kph).

It must have been something I ate.

Forecasters say Sean could become a hurricane later Thursday before weakening on Friday.

As Scorpions once said, "Here I am; Rock you like a hurricane."

Sean is moving toward the north-northeast near 8 mph, 13 km/h.

This is totally false. I may have moved that way earlier today, but I'm currently sitting in front of a computer.

Sean is expected to produce 1 to 3 inches of rain on Bermuda.

I'm going to make it rain!

Swells generated by Sean are affecting portions of the southeastern coast of the United States and Bermuda, causing life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Who knew my cannonball could cause such an impact?

Hopefully, Sean misses Bermuda and doesn't cause any damage. You can follow Sean via the National Hurricane Center's website.

RIP Heavy D

2011-11-09T09:15:00.000-05:00

Rapper and actor Heavy D passed away yesterday at the age of 44. Heavy D is probably best known for the single "Now That We Found Love," which I may have called B94 to request when I was in high school.

Among his acting credits, Heavy D appeared in Cider House Rules and the TV show Boston Public. No one could wear a neon green rain coat outfit like Heavy D!

Trivia Tuesday

2011-11-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

The folks at Sporcle are amazing. They put together wonderful quiz after quiz after quiz. For today's Trivia Tuesday, take the Sporcle quizzes and share your results in the comments section below. Good luck!

Name the answers to these Television related questions in the 3 minute time limit. I scored a 26 out of 50.

Name the 100 largest private colleges/universities in the United States. (12 minutes) I scored a 41 of 100 and missed two easy ones in my hometown.

Name the QBs who started the most games for each team 2005-2009. (6 minutes) I got 115 out of 160 answers correct.

Steelers-Ravens International Fraud Awareness Week LiveBlog

2011-11-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

We've done a good number of Steelers-Ravens live blogs over the years, so I thought I would use a fancy title for tonight's game. Today is saxophone day, but what do saxophones have to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens? Therefore, I went with International Fraud Awareness Week which runs from November 6-12, 2011. According to the IFAW website, "this weeklong campaign encourages business leaders and employees to proactively take steps to minimize the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education." In using my blog for good, let's hope the Steelers expose the Ravens as frauds tonight!

Yes, this is a bit of a stretch, but join us for a special fraud awareness edition of the Steelers-Ravens live blog.

Steelers-Ravens International Fraud Awareness Week LiveBlog

NFL Supports Breast Cancer Awareness for 31 Days Only

2011-11-04T09:16:00.001-04:00

If you watched any football games over the past month, you probably noticed players wearing pink wristbands, gloves, hats, chin straps, and shoe laces while carrying pink towels. For all we know, the players even wore pink underwear. The reason for all of the pink was the NFL's campaign to promote October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is the NFL’s press release describing the league’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities. The NFL is such a caring and supportive corporation!

Now that it is November, the NFL doesn’t want you to think about breast cancer awareness. According to Ed Bouchette of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "players also have been warned they are subject to fines if they continue to wear the pink (shoes, towels, gloves, etc) they sported during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October." So if you see Hines Ward dancing with a pink towel after making a big play against the Ravens this Sunday, you can expect Hines to receive a significant fine.

Of course, don't mind the NFL while it sells items on their website to help fight breast cancer.

Sean Gets a Haircut

2011-11-03T09:24:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of the top of my head.

From the view from above, I seem to be missing a good amount of hair. Some people may say that I’m balding, but I like to think that it is a sign of maturity. (Although I never think that.) Nevertheless, I get a monthly haircut to shave the back of my neck, even out my sideburns and trim the remaining hair on my head since I still have a significant amount around the sides. Basically, I’m Jeffrey Tambor from 20 years ago.

At my recent haircut, the stylist asked me if I wanted color for my hair. I was surprised by her question, but I politely said no thank you. A few minutes later, I asked what kind of color she had in mind adding that I didn’t think blond highlights were in anymore. She confirmed that the blond frosting was indeed out and that I would get the same color as my hair. I still declined, but I’ve thought about this a little more since then. Why would I get color? I assume that the color wouldn’t be spray-in-a–can to cover up my bald spot. Plus, as you can possibly tell by the picture, I don’t have any gray hair. Perhaps I should find a new barber (or just shave my head).

Final Muppets Trailer

2011-11-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm excited to see the new Muppets movie. Enjoy the latest (and last?) Muppets parody trailer.

A Conversation with My Seven-Month Old

2011-11-01T09:20:00.001-04:00

After giving my son a spoonful of baby food, specifically apples, I asked him the following question:

Me: How do you like them apples?

Kid: (No response)

Me: You have no idea where that line is from, do you?

Son: (No response)

Me: I guess you haven’t seen Good Will Hunting. You lead a sheltered life.

I also fed my son sweet potatoes and entertained myself by saying Dude...Sweet...Potatoes

A Lou Bega Halloween

2011-10-31T09:17:00.008-04:00

Jack Hanna and the Columbus Zoo have been in the news quite a bit lately following the bizarre situation where dozens of exotic animals were killed in Zanesville, Ohio. When I lived in Columbus over a decade ago, my Ohio State student organization volunteered at the Columbus Zoo for their Halloween event. While I’m sure that some of the animal exhibits were open, I was involved in the haunted house portion of the zoo’s Halloween celebration. Specifically, the zoo staff dressed me up in a scary costume, and I jumped out and screamed to scare people as they rounded a corner. I did such a good job that Jack Hanna himself complimented me on my performance.*

While I had a great time scaring folks, there was a logistical problem when large groups were involved. There were times when I jumped out from around a corner to scare a group of people in the front of the group, but couldn’t really do much for the folks at the end of the line. It’s not like I could jump out, then go back to my hiding spot and jump out again. Instead, I would start talking to people. When that proved unsuccessful, I just started screaming random things. To go along with one of the most popular songs of the day, I randomly yelled “Mambo Number 5.” Not the actual song lyrics, just the song title.

Surprisingly, this went over remarkably well. So for those of you celebrating Halloween, may you have a little bit of Monica in your life.

Sadly, I’m unable to share the video for Mambo Number 5 here. Please click here to watch the video and have the song stuck in your head the rest of the day!

* This may or may not be true..I would lean towards it not being true.

Get Your Washington Capitals Playoff Tickets Today

2011-10-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

Although today is only October 27th, with the Capitals at 7-0, apparently it’s not too early to think about the NHL playoffs. Clearly the Capitals are going to finish the season 82-0, comfortably win the Southeast division and Eastern conference and earn the Presidents' Trophy. Therefore, I received an e-mail today from the Capitals yesterday with the subject, "Secure Access to Face Value Caps Playoff Tickets Today." Here's what the message said:

Mr. Ramblings (not my real last name),

Back by popular demand, the Caps have formed an official partnership with OptionIt, offering fans who are not Full Season Ticket Holders a safe and secure way to access to a limited number of face value tickets for ALL POTENTIAL HOME PLAYOFF GAMES.

The e-mail continues with the advantages of OptionIt and a link to their website which shows this as one of its rotating images on the front page:

I do like how the e-mail discusses tickets for all potential home playoff games. Based on recent history, that could one or maybe even two whole playoff series!

This is now my second Washington Capitals related blog post this week. Who knew that I was becoming a Caps blogger?

What Ever Happened To Billy Ocean?

2011-10-26T10:23:00.003-04:00

Seriously, where is Billy Ocean these days? You remember Billy Ocean from his 80s hits such as Caribbean Queen; When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going; Suddenly; and especially Get Out of My Dreams (Get Into My Car).

I love the fact that in the video Billy Ocean picks up a random woman who works at the car wash while all of her coworkers encourage her to go with a stranger who yells at her to get into his car. Meanwhile, cartoon ducks are also a big hit in music videos.

Anyway, while I'm sure that I could probably find out what Billy Ocean is up to these days by reading through his website, I feel like it is much more fun asking all of you.

This video was not available on YouTube, so I had to embed it from LiveVideo. Are you finding that it plays automatically? If so, please let me know, and I'll delete the video since you may not want to hear Billy Ocean whenever you visit my blog.

Update: I've removed the video of my blog. As much as I love Get Out of My Dreams, I don't need it playing everytime I visit this site. Feel free to click on the link above to enjoy the song whenever you want!

Trivia Tuesday: Name That Tune

2011-10-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

Your challenge for this week's Trivia Tuesday is to name the song title and artist based on the lyrics below. Please note that all of these songs are from the 80s or 90s.

1. I'm not sick, but I'm not well
And I'm so hot cause I'm in hell

2. She is changing her name from Kitty to Karen
She is trading her MG for a white, Chrysler LeBaron

3. You said that I was naive and I thought that I was strong

4. Show me show me show me how you do that trick
the one that makes me scream she said

5. I'll give you love baby not romance
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
So don't you get fresh with me

6. We’re making moves and starting grooves before they knew we were gone
Jumped into the Chevy and headed for big lights
Wanna know the rest? Hey, buy the rights
(A later line is "Everytime I look around. It’s in my face.")

7. Watchin' X-Files with no lights on
We're dans la maison
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one

8. My best friend took a week's vacation to forget her
His girl took a week's worth of valium and slept
And now he's guilt stricken sobbin' with his head on the floor
Thinks about her now and how he never really wept he says

As always, please do not use the internet for assistance and leave your answers in the comments section below. Good luck!

Bruce Boudreau Is a Jedi? (Express Fail)

2011-10-24T09:52:00.010-04:00

Matt Swenson wrote an editorial/article in Friday's Express comparing the Washington Capitals with Star Wars. Yes, really. I felt the need to share the article and some thoughts with you.

If Obi-Wan Kenobi had let himself go, and ditched the beard, he might have looked a bit like Bruce Boudreau.

Matt, you know Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character played by the late Sir Alec Guinness, right? Besides, even if Alec Guinness gained 50 pounds, shaved his beard and somehow, um, didn’t die 10+ years ago, he looks nothing like Bruce Boudreau.

Thus far, the two teachers have about the same track record. Each was handed a star full of some sort of force, but neither star has reached the level of success expected of him.

Obi-Wan was “handed” Luke Skywalker who only destroyed the Death Star and later defeated the Galactic Empire. I’m not sure what other level of success you want. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin won two Hart Memorial Trophies as the NHL MVP and also appeared in this Eastern Motors commercial.

For those who’ve been hiding in the Millennium Falcon’s cargo bay for the past 35 years or so...

You’ve been hiding in the Millennium Falcon for 35 years, yet you somehow managed to find the free Washington weekday newspaper available almost only at Metro stations or busy DC intersections.

...Anakin Skywalker was the most talented of the Jedi.

Oh, so we’re going with Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan, not Alec Guinness. McGregor also looks nothing like Boudreau.

It was up to Kenobi to help his pupil master the art of the Force. Except for an unlucky few, we all know how that turned out.

I have no idea what this means.

Boudreau has a similarly gifted protégé in Alex Ovechkin. The Great 8 has won plenty of individual accolades, including two MVPs, but hasn’t hoisted the Stanley Cup. And if he doesn’t some may start comparing to Ovechkin, and his hefty contract, to Darth Vader.

Darth Vader killed nearly ever Jedi at the end of the sixth/third Star Wars including children. He was probably responsible for killing hundreds if not thousands of people. Meanwhile, there have been a lot of stories around DC the past few years that Ovechkin parties too much and has gained some weight. Perfect comparison.

It’s early, but this year’s sequel appears closer in quality to “The Empire Strikes Back” than “Attack of the Clones.”

Not only does Matt Swenson write for Express, but he’s also a world-class movie critic.

While Ovechkin hadn’t found his scoring touch yet, the Caps are off to a franchise-best start.

The reason for the Caps' success isn't due to Ovechkin scoring goals, but by using the force from the bench to help goalie Tomas Vokoun make saves.

At least part of the credit belongs to Boudreau, who’s taken a more Yoda-esque taskmaster approach to Kenobi’s pupil-friendly style.

Boudreau spent all off-season watching the Star Wars movies to learn the leadership styles of Yoda. No wonder he talks differently in press conferences this season.

It seems like that’s just what the Caps needed. And, come to think of it, if Yoda weren’t green and were a few hundred years younger, he, too, might resemble Boudreau.

Apparently, Boudreau looks like every Star Wars character including Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca.

I know that it's hard to read, but here's proof that this is a real article and not something I made up.

I also need to acknowledge that this is a rip-off of Big Daddy Drew on Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Please click here for more Express Fail.

Interview with Sarah Wendell, Author & Mullet Aficionado

2011-10-20T09:27:00.004-04:00

Sarah Wendell runs the extremely popular blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and recently released her second book Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from Romance Novels available now in bookstores and online including at Amazon.com where the novel reached #2 in Movements & Periods. Yes, you can read the end of that last sentence again and pretend like you’re 12.

Anyway, Sarah has been making the rounds promoting her book by appearing on the Gayle King Show, in USA Today and at numerous book signings. Sarah is also a friend who was nice enough to take time out of her extremely busy schedule to answer some silly (or perhaps brilliant!) questions. Seriously, did Gayle King ask Sarah about Jaromir Jagr's mullet? I think not!

Is the title of your new book, Everything I Know about Love I Learned from Romance Novels, a critique or criticism of the American educational system? (I'm kidding unless you'd like to answer it.)

You know, I hadn't thought of it that way, but romance novels would be a solid addition to any high school curriculum. For one thing, there's a much more accurate portrayal of human sexuality. Plus it would make those with mullets feel like heroes, and everyone deserves to feel like a hero. Especially with a mullet.

So give us an overview of your new book.

Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance reveals the secrets romance readers and writers have known for awhile: that happy endings are possible, and that everyone deserves to be the hero or heroine of their own life. Romance novels, far from being monotonous expressions of love, passion, and questionable weather patterns, are actually a sort of road map of what to do and what not to do in real life relationships.

An excerpt of your book states that “there is a 95 percent chance that a romance novel cover will feature a mullet.” Are mullets still prevalent in today’s romance novels? Is Jaromir Jagr somehow involved in this?

Mullets are indeed still part of romance culture, particularly in the historical cover art. I do not understand this, but I have accepted it. I think Jagr might indeed be involved, though now that I'm attempting to have moves like him (That IS what the song is about, right?) I can't be sure.

As a fairly new parent, I’ve found that I don’t have nearly as much time as I’d like to write my blog. How are you able to maintain an extremely success blog and write a book all while being a mother?

I don't sleep a lot. I also make sure to pre-schedule content to go live on days where I am busy. And most importantly: the entries you spend the most amount of time on seem to gather the least commentary, while the ones you wrote quickly and posted will ignite a fascinating discussion. That takes a little pressure off me, when I feel overwhelmed.

You are a graduate of the high school that now boasts two of the biggest stars currently in hip-hop (Wiz Khalifa & Mac Miller). How did you contribute to this success?

I thought it was you who snuck in and left the magical funky dust in the hallways. Despite going to a different high school, clearly they were influenced by your proximity. You have way better moves like Jagr than I do!

I apologize for asking this question since I’m sure that you’re tired of constantly answering this throughout all of the interviews for your new book. Is 2012 the year the Pirates finally reach .500?

You mean they didn't? I maintain an elaborate fantasy that they're in the World Series this year. And when that grows too much to sustain on a functional level, I absolutely believe that 2012 will be the year they reach .500, and get to the NLCS.

Thanks again to Sarah for agreeing to answer these questions and for putting up with me referring to her as a mullet aficionado! I definitely encourage you to check out her new book and/or consider buying a copy as a holiday gift.

Lunch Rut Update

2011-10-19T09:56:00.001-04:00

Six months after writing that I was in a bit of a lunch rut, I’ve decided to make a significant change in my eating habits. I’m tired of the Wegmans Lite Wheat bread for my salami sandwiches and am ready to try something new. Perhaps I’ll go back to regular white bread or spice things up with non-light/lite wheat bread. I could go crazy and make rye bread a daily fixture of my diet, though I think of rye more for special occasions or eating only at a deli. Pumpernickel bread may blow my mind.

This may be the dumbest question I've ever had on my blog, but what type of bread do you like for your sandwiches?

Oh, you’ll be happy to know that I continue to eat Rold Gold pretzels, a banana and Dannon’s Light & Fit yogurt regularly for lunch.

Random Ramblings

2011-10-18T09:15:00.002-04:00

Trivia Tuesday will return next week, but I hope you enjoy this post which is all over the place.

On the final play of Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars game, Jacksonville QB Blaine Gabbert did a play-action fake to his running back even though everyone in the stadium and watching the game knew that the only option was a Hail Mary pass attempt. Why even pretend that you’re going to run?

At a birthday party this weekend, a two year-old kid walked up to my 6 month-old son and slapped him on the head. I was stunned and really had no idea how to react. I think my son had no idea how to react either though he was unfazed. The mother of the kid ran over to scold her child but didn’t offer nearly the apology that I thought was necessary. To paraphrase Larry David, I thought it was a S*!t apology.

I’m not going to identify this person by name, but I need to call out an individual in one of my fantasy football leagues. This guy started Titans RB Chris Johnson and the Kansas City defense this week even though both teams were on a bye. When I asked this person who I have known for 33 years why he started these players, he said that he didn’t have time to visit the league website this week. He also didn’t even know that his team won last week (beating me). Why even play fantasy football (in a pay league no less) if you don’t have three minutes to change your line-up each week?

Speaking of fantasy football, I went 0-4 this week meaning that my teams are now 3-3, 2-4, 1-5 & 1-5. This is by far the worst I have ever done in my 12+ years of fantasy football. Fortunately, I finished 2nd in my 12 team fantasy baseball league this year, tied for my best finish in approximately 20 years in that league.

I planned on writing more, but this is all that I have right now. It's difficult to write when you fall asleep in the middle of typing.

I Have a Famous Friend (Links & Videos)

2011-10-14T09:16:00.007-04:00

My friend Sarah recently wrote Everything I Know About Love, I Learned From Romance Novels and was invited to appear on The Gayle King Show to discuss the book. Check out the highlights as well as her description of what happened behind the scenes [Smart Bitches, Trashy Books]

I hope to interview Sarah soon though I may be a step down or twenty from Gayle King and USA Today.

The Fairfax County Police Department encourages you to adopt a refugee rabbit. Yes, the press release is really titled adopt a refugee rabbit. [FCPD]

Japan may offer 10,000 free round-trip tickets to help boost tourism following the earthquake earlier this year. The catch is that is that the trip must be publicized on a blog. To Japan's Tourism Agency, Hi. My name is Sean. I hope that you like my blog! [ABC News]

Please support Nichole in her 31 for 21 challenge. [Long and Winding Road]

Congratulations to Igloo Dreams on six years for writing about the Penguins. [Igloo Dreams]

Benstonium has been killing it lately. Check out the "Steelers Matters" video below.

Finally, be on the look out for the biggest giveaway in Sean's Ramblings history!

I Am an Idiot (Ziggy Update)

2011-10-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

When we last left Ziggy, he freaked out at veterinarian office and needed to stay overnight since we couldn’t get him to calm down. The diagnosis was some type of bacteria in his bladder and possibly a urinary tract infection, but he was given an antibiotic and has been quite happy and affectionate since he returned home. The vet wanted me to return a few weeks later with a urine sample (from Ziggy not me) as a follow-up. Have you ever tried to collect a urine sample from a cat? It’s impossible! The vet suggested emptying the litter box leaving only this small amount of non-absorbent litter (a cup cost $9). Ziggy refused to use the litter box without his normal litter. I tried an empty box, a small amount of his regular litter and even saran wrap, but Ziggy never used the litter box unless it was at its normal state. At one point, I think he went almost an entire day without going because he didn’t like the conditions.

Finally, I made an appointment to bring Ziggy back to the vet, where, unfortunately, they would need to extract a urine sample in what I’m sure is an unpleasant process. Fortunately, the vet felt around his bladder and decided that she didn’t want to put Ziggy through that procedure. It’s probably not 100% accurate, but since Ziggy has been fine since he returned home (except when we messed with his usual litter box routine), we were instructed simply to monitor Ziggy. The cat also received his annual shots, and we were on our way home in only minutes.

Now to the idiot part. The vet said that Ziggy needed to drink more water and suggested adding a little water to his food. Ziggy eats wet food twice a day and dry food as a late night snack. I asked the vet whether I should add the water to the dry food. She was nice and after a brief pause replied that I should only add the water to the wet food since Ziggy probably wouldn’t eat soggy “dry” food. After I left, she probably (understandably) laughed with the vet tech about my brilliant question.

Trip to the Pharmacy

2011-10-12T09:44:00.000-04:00

This may be a shocking revelation based on the title of my post, but I went to the pharmacy at my grocery store recently to drop off a prescription. I had a fancy patient savings card that allowed me to save money on the prescription. So I handed the card to the pharmacy technician, and she noticed that there was a sticker on the card meaning that the card probably wasn’t activated. So I called the number on the card, but after about two minutes, my cell phone lost reception. The technician was extremely nice and allowed me to use their phone since it was a 1-800 number, but the process to activate the card was painful. I had to verify that I lived in the United States but not Massachusetts. Apparently, the prescription card people don’t like the Red Sox and Patriots. I had to verify that Medicare wasn’t paying for the prescription. I think I even had to verify my SAT scores.

Unfortunately, the process to activate the card took nearly 20 minutes. The prescription was ready by the time I completed the call, and I hadn’t even started my grocery shopping yet. I went to check-out only for the technician to inform me that the prescription cost was $9 less without the fancy card. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Trivia Tuesday: Greeks vs. Romans

2011-10-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

Before we get to this week’s trivia, please allow me to share my weekly fantasy football rant. (Please skip to the next paragraph if you don’t care about my fantasy teams.) I lost by one point in one of my leagues this week because Kyle Orton scored -1 points. That’s not a typo; he scored negative points. If Orton didn’t play or if I started Tony Romo (who was on a bye), former Steelers and Birmingham Stallions QB Cliff Stoudt (retired in 1985) or even Johnny Unitas (died in 2002), I would have won via the tie-breaker. I ended up going 1-3 this week meaning that my teams are 3-2, 2-3, 1-4 & 1-4 (including a loss to my brother this week. Ugh!). I am terrible this season.

Your challenge this week is to name the Roman equivalent of each Greek god or goddess listed below. This is clearly a blind spot in my knowledge since I only got one or two correct.

1. Athena

2. Zeus

3. Eros

4. Ares

5. Aphrodite

6. Demeter

7. Hermes

8. Hades

9. Dionysus

10. Poseidon

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Random Steelers-Titans Notes

2011-10-10T09:51:00.002-04:00

That was a fun game! The Steelers led early and held a convincing lead throughout the second half to defeat the Tennessee Titans 38-17. I don’t think I bit my fingernails once during the game! While you can read a full recap of the game on the Post-Gazette or on the many Steelers blogs on the sidebar of my website, here are some notes that you may not read anywhere else.

The CBS telecast started with a nice story about Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Munchak growing up in Scranton and apparently returning to Pennsylvania. It was very nice, but there's one significant problem. According to Google Maps, Scranton is 283 miles from Pittsburgh. Scranton is also only 121 miles from New York City; 125 miles from Philadelphia; 201 miles from Baltimore; 242 miles from Washington; and 296 miles from Boston. Therefore, I hope CBS runs the "returning home" piece for Munchak whenever the Titans face the Jets, Giants, Eagles, Ravens, Redskins or Patriots. If you want to make the case that Munchak returned to his home state, how often do you see similar stories about players or coaches from New York City returning to a game in Buffalo?

At least for one week, the maligned and banged up offensive line played extremely well. The Steelers rushed for 174 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and only allowed one sack. Maybe Max Starks truly is the answer!

We interrupt my notes for a brief commercial. I don’t understand why guy #1 doesn’t ask for a haircut rather than casual Wednesday. Meanwhile, guy #2 has no right to get in Gary Cole’s face. You don’t do that to Gary Cole! I hope Gary Cole punched him as soon as the director yelled cut.

I like the Jonathan Dwyer era. 11 carries for 107 yards is not too shabby. With that written, if Mendenhall, Redman and Moore are all healthy next week, Dwyer should return to the 4th string running back.

Did you know that Ryan Mundy was an excellent wide receiver at Woodland Hills High School catching passes from current Kansas City WR Steve Breaston? He looked good on the terrific pass from punter Daniel Sepulveda who has proved that he can do anything on the football field. Seriously, if Dwyer got injured in the fourth quarter, I’m sure that Sepulveda could have filled in at running back.

Hines Ward had a very Hines Ward day with 7 catches, 54 yards and two touchdowns. Even more significant is that I don’t think the announcers referenced Dancing With the Stars after any of his catches.

In one of my many poor fantasy football decisions this week, I started Antonio Brown. Although Roethlisberger threw for 5 touchdown passes, none of them went to Brown.

I hate to give Dan Dierdorf credit, but he made a great point late in the game when he said that they had not mentioned Ike Taylor. “Face Me Ike” (who apparently changed his website name from Face Me Ike to officialiketaylor.com and hasn’t updated it since June) is truly an underrated cornerback.

Congratulations to Cameron Heyward on his first NFL sack!

I’m sure the Steelers D is excited to face 1-4 Jacksonville and their rookie QB Blake Gabbert next week.

What Do You Eat Before Fasting

2011-10-07T09:12:00.002-04:00

Let's say that you will be fasting for 25-26 hours in the near future. You will not have any food or water from approximately 6:00 PM one evening until about 7:30 PM the next day. What do you eat for dinner just before the fast begins?

Herman Cain Goes to Costco

2011-10-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

Let’s say that you’re a U.S. Presidential candidate. You are surging in the polls and gaining a higher profile from numerous appearances on television including a recent stop on The View. What’s your next move?

More campaign appearances in New Hampshire and Iowa? Fundraising dinners and meeting with donors? How about more television appearances?

If you’re Republican Presidential candidate and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, the perfect move is to, um, sell copies of your book by appearing at the Arlington Costco tomorrow from noon to 1:00. I wonder if Mitt Romney and Rick Perry will follow this shrewd political move.

Of course, this is only open to Costco members, so BJ's Wholesale Club members are out of luck.

Hockey-Themed Bar Mitzvah

2011-10-05T10:18:00.002-04:00

I had a very cool Bar Mitzvah reception at my synagogue. It was baseball-themed with each table having its own colors to represent major league baseball teams. Naturally, I sat at the Pittsburgh Pirates table with black and gold napkins and tablecloths. I remember there being tiny chocolates wrapped in a baseball wrappers and a magician who ended his performance with a banner by presenting a banner that stated "Congragulations Sean!" I guess they didn't have Spell Check that many years ago.

Anyway, meet David Cohen. Based on the video below and this story from Yahoo's Puck Daddy, it looks like he also had a cool Bar Mitzvah. I'm not sure that he has the moves like Jagr though. (Seriously, the song Moves Like Jagger is so much better if you think Adam Levine of Maroon 5 sings Moves Like Jagr.)

David Cohen "Mitzvah Teaser" from Timeline Video Productions Inc.

I guess Henrik Zetterberg was unable to attend.

Trivia Tuesday

2011-10-04T10:28:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday! Not that anyone cares, but I actually went 3-1 in my fantasy football leagues this week. It has been an awful season for me thus far (my teams are 3-1, 1-3, 1-3 & 1-3), but after this week, there's a glimmer of hope. Completely unrelated to fantasy football is this week's Trivia Tuesday. Given below are 10 definitions; your challenge is to supply the English word borrowed from Spanish.

1. A sun-dried brick made of clay and straw, common in arid climates

2. The Freight of a ship or airplane

3. A broad-snouted large reptile, common in the Southeastern US

4. A source of great and sudden wealth of luck; also the name of a long-running TV western

5. A restriction imposed upon any type of commerce, usually by government edict

6. A person who engages in irregular warfare, employing tactics such as surprise raids and sabotage

7. A blood-sucking flying insect of the family Culicidae, some types of which are transmitters of disease

8. A violent windstorm characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud

9. A person who takes the law into his own hands

10. Deprived of communication with other people

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Six Months of Fatherhood

2011-10-03T10:09:00.002-04:00

I recently passed the six-month mark of being a father which has been a wonderful, tiring, and life-changing experience. Since I don’t feel like writing about the Steelers today, I figured that I’d share my recent experiences of fatherhood.

- At the six-month check-up, my boy weighed 16 pounds, 11 ounces and his height was 27 inches. This corresponds to the 37th and 72 percentiles respectively. My driver's license, an official legal document, states that I am 5' 7". Therefore, I am extremely excited that my son has a chance to be relatively tall.

- I am very fortunate to have a fairly easy baby. He has slept through the night the majority of the time since about 4 months. He has a great demeanor and is a happy kid. Both the doctor and the nurse at the recent appointment commented on his positive attitude. He also regularly smiles.

- For the most part, the only time he is unhappy is when we take his bottle away to burp him. I guess he doesn’t like us interrupting his meal. Of course, I can’t really blame him since most people would cry in this same situation.

- Wondering how my son and Ziggy interact? When my baby sees Ziggy he smiles and makes noise. Although Ziggy likes to be around us, he keeps a safe distance away from my child. Of course, he likes most of the new toys and places to sleep.

- The itsy bitsy spider is a big hit in our household. He lights up when the song begins. Personally, I think my hand-motions of the spider climbing up the water spout are magical. Seriously, I would dominate an itsy bitsy spider competition,

- I am not the primary bath giver in the household. In fact, up until last week, I had only played the supporting role in giving my son a bath. So in my first experience giving my son a bath, he welcomed me to this role by pooping in the bathtub for the first time.

- Have I mentioned that I have a very cute child? I realize that I’m biased but I have a really cute kid. In fact, former White House correspondent Helen Thomas even told me that I have a cute kid.

- When I need to dress my child, I take whatever is on the top of the drawer. I know he has other clothes in the closet but for all I know they are too big or too small. Basically, my policy is that he’s going to wear only what is at or near the top of his drawers.

- My son loves putting anything in his mouth, and while his hands are his usual choice, his favorite toy is Sophie, the all-natural teether. When you wash Sophie, she loses her squeak; however, it is always fun to see how Sophie gets her squeak back.

Just like a team in the NCAA basketball tournament, I have survived the first six months and now advance to the next round!

Happy New Year!

2011-09-28T09:19:00.001-04:00

There's a video for everything these days. A search for Rosh Hashanah on YouTube results in thousands of videos. Here are two such videos to celebrate the new year. Yes, we're going to party like it's 5772.

May you have a happy and healthy new year!

Trivia Tuesday

2011-09-27T13:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a "smokey" edition of Trivia Tuesday. From the description given, name the item that contains smoke or some derivative of smoke in the answer. Good luck!

1. Threatening entity on the TV show “Lost”

2. Firefighters who parachute into remote areas to battle fires

3. Cheech & Chong’s feature film debut from 1978

4. Hit 1973 song by Brownsville Station remade by Motley Crue in 1985

5. 2007 crime drama film starring Jeremy Piven

6. Lead singer of the Miracles

7. Featuring Jackie Gleason, the 2nd highest grossing film released in 1977, after "Star Wars"

8. Famous mascot created in 1944 now voiced by Sam Elliott.

9. Huge radio hit from 1972 by Deep Purple

10. #1 hit for The Platters in 1959

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below, and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Jayson Werth Deserves Suspension

2011-09-26T10:19:00.001-04:00

Baseball and even non-baseball fans remember when Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon hit a woman wearing an Italian sausage costume with his bat during the Milwaukee Brewers' costume race in 2003. Major League Baseball suspended Simon for three games and fined him $2,000. Additionally, Simon was fined $432 and cited by the sheriff's department for disorderly conduct.

On Saturday afternoon, Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth incorporated himself into the Presidents race. Take a look:

Werth actually shoved Thomas Jefferson to the ground. Well, not the actual Thomas Jefferson since he would be 268 years old, but the person in the Jefferson costume. While the announcers and fans all took this as a fun attempt to let Teddy Roosevelt win, take a look at this second video from the folks at Let Teddy Win:

You can see Werth start to take Jefferson down at the 45 second mark. Once Jefferson is on the ground, Werth pushes him again. At 1:10, Werth attempts to kick/trip Jefferson.

According to Let Teddy Win, this "was not scripted by the Nationals, and caught the team’s in-game entertainment and mascot team by surprise." Essentially, this was a premeditated attack that was not planned by the team or major league baseball. Therefore, why isn't Werth subject to the same punishment as Simon?

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post has more about Werth and the race. This was clearly premeditated which I don't think you can say about the Simon incident.

Steelers-Colts Live Blog

2011-09-25T20:38:00.002-04:00

Why not? Who's in?

Steelers-Colts Live Blog

Muppets Video

2011-09-23T09:23:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! Although the release is still two months away, I'm excited for the new Muppets movie. Check out the latest trailer:

Speaking of the Muppets, here's their performance with R.E.M. Maybe they'll reunite in a few years...not just R.E.M. but the band and the Muppets.

Are Pillow Pets a Thing?

2011-09-22T09:48:00.001-04:00

Only a few weeks ago, I shared a picture of the Pittsburgh Steelers Steely McBeam Pillow Pet. It was quite terrifying. Now the Pittsburgh Penguins are selling their own Pillow Pet.

This isn't quite as scary, but as I indicated by the title of this post, are pillow pets the next big thing? Are they like the new Tickle Me Elmo or Chia Pet?

What Rhymes With Kodak?

2011-09-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest hits of this summer was Give Me Everything by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer. Although Pitbull gets top billing and probably brought everyone together, I think Ne-Yo deserves credit for the song's success based on his chorus alone. It certainly can't be because of Pitbull's rhymes. Let's took a look, shall we?

The song begins with the following lyrics:

Me not working hard?
Yeah right, picture that with a Kodak
Or better yet, go to Times Square
Take a picture of me with a Kodak

So Pitbull rhymed Kodak with Kodak. Really? You're a successful rapper and you can't come up with something that rhymes with Kodak?

Later Pitbull sings/raps:

Baby, baby, and it ain't no secret
My family's from Cuba
But I'm an American Idol
Get money like Seacrest

Secret and Secrest. I guess that's slightly better than Kodak and Kodak, but how is this guy one of the biggest rappers out there? He's certainly not close to the lyrical level of Jay-Z, Kanye or Eminem.

In case you're not familiar with the song, here's the video. Enjoy the magical rhymes!

Steelers Win! Buy Gear!

2011-09-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

By now, I'm sure that you know that the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 24-0 on Sunday. The Steelers clearly won because of the refs just like last time. You've probably already read about the game in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, One For the Other Thumb, PSAMP, Behind the Steel Curtain, ESPN or dozens of other places, so I'm not going to provide a recap here. Instead, I want to share this e-mail that I received from NFLShop.com only minutes after the game ended.

So we're now celebrating a week two victory by buying Steelers gear? Am I going to receive an e-mail like this after every Steelers victory? I'm not sure that I want to buy a Steelers hoodie covered by that guy's dandruff. (You may have to zoom in on the picture to see it.) Besides, the guy in the picture freaks me out.

Seriously, stop staring at me, dude!

Ziggy Freaked Out

2011-09-18T10:17:00.003-04:00

I have found that writing this blog has been extremely therapeutic over the years. While I tend not to write about family and friends, I have no issues discussing my cat, Ziggy. Last week, Ziggy urinated on our bathroom carpet for four consecutive days. Once or twice could be behavioral. and there have been some changes around the house lately, but we started to get concerned about him. Therefore, we scheduled a veterinarian appointment. In preparation for the appointment, we were instructed to collect a urine sample, but it didn’t happen. Ziggy somehow managed not to urinate in his litter box for the 16 hours leading up to the appointment. Maybe he sensed something was up.

Ziggy rarely leaves home, and it is always a struggle getting him into his carrier. We managed to get him into the carrier, but he whined the entire car ride. The vet itself didn’t start terribly. They took him back to get a urine sample, and while I don’t know how exactly the extracted the sample, I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant for him. They got him back in his carrier, and we waited for the result. The result is some type of bacteria in his bladder and possibly a urinary tract infection.

At this point, there were two options: we could administer a liquid antibiotic twice a day for the next two weeks or they could give him a one shot with some sort of time release. Having rather poor results in giving Ziggy medicine in the past, the shot seemed like easiest and better option for us and Ziggy. Unfortunately, the vet was out of one of the two medicines needed in the shot, so they planned on giving him one shot at the appointment and the second when it came in a few days later. Not the best solution, but it still seemed like the best alternative.

The vet took Ziggy to get the shot, but I guess Ziggy was done. Apparently, as soon as he got out of the carrier, he freaked out. He hissed and bolted and managed to urinate and defecate in the room and all over himself. The vet was able to get him into a cage with the carrier also inside the cage in an attempt to calm him down. I was soon brought back to see him, and he clearly was a mess. They never administered the shot since he was in no position to get it. Plus, I think the vet staff worried that he would attack. Collectively, we decided that if we got Ziggy into his carrier, we would take him home. For about 90 minutes, I tried to soothe Ziggy and convince him to get into the carrier. Even with the vet and vet assistants out of the room for much of the time, he either growled or hissed. At one point, he even bit me. I was and still am devastated by this. This is the same Ziggy that runs to the door when I come home to greet me and regularly sleeps between my legs in bed. He is a loving cat that has never acted like this before.

The end result is that we couldn’t get him to relax. He never got into the carrier and any attempt by me to try to pick him up resulted in hissing. I even tried to wipe off his fur with a wet paper towel, but that didn’t go well either. He spent last night at the vet (they also have a “pet hotel”) where he is separate from the other animals, and they will bathe him and hopefully receive the medicine on Monday to give him the antibiotic. I feel like an awful parent/pet owner, but I’m not really sure what else I could have done. Ziggy wasn’t in any condition to come home. I definitely miss/missed him last night and today. I constantly catch myself looking for him. When we put our child to sleep at night, Ziggy regularly sits next to the chair to make sure everything is okay and because he likes being around everyone. It was an extremely odd feeling last night knowing that I didn’t need to make sure Ziggy was out of the nursery before putting our child to sleep. I just hope that Ziggy is okay, both physically and mentally, and that we can bring him home Monday night.

Update 9/19 @ 9:45 AM: I just talked to someone at the vet office, and Ziggy is doing much better. He is eating fine and even approached and sniffed the vet tech's hand (as opposed to his reaction on Saturday). The antibiotic is also in, so I should be able to pick up Ziggy later today. I'll pass on more information when I'm able to talk to the vet.

Update 9/19 @ 12:15 PM: Although he calmed down from Saturday, he still wasn't happy seeing the vet and vet staff today. He was given a sedative and the antibiotic. They also cleaned him up. Now, I just need to pick up Ziggy and bring him home. He's really been missed here the past two days.

Update 9/19 6:45 PM: Ziggy’s home! I went to the vet, and they brought me back to the cage where he has stayed the past two days. Ziggy was extremely happy to see me. He didn’t stop purring and constantly flipped over so I could rub his stomach while brushing his head against his hand. This is the Ziggy I know and love, not the one that hissed at me on Saturday. We got him into the carrier, but he was shaking until we left the office. He was a little better on the ride home and is now re-familiarizing himself with the house. He’s still a little skittish, but he ate his entire dinner in no time. Now, I’ll have to get a urine sample from Ziggy in two weeks and have the vet analyze the results. They don’t want us to bring Ziggy into the office unless we have to, and I think Ziggy is okay with that too! Thanks again for everyone’s support. It’s amazing how much happiness this cat brings the family. Of course, after the vet bill, we’re going to need him to go to work!

Life Is a Highway: Canadian Pop Music in the 90s (A Review)

2011-09-15T09:24:00.001-04:00

Those of you who have read my blog over the years know that I’m a big fan of pop music including any type of music countdown or retrospective (please see every VH1 show – such as Behind the Music and Top 40 one-hit Wonders of the 1990s – that doesn’t involve Wives, Basketball & Mob). Therefore, when I learned that there was a documentary about Canadian pop music in the ’90s, I had to see it. Sure, I may be an American but I once created a list of the greatest Canadian musicians. Plus, I’ve visited the Hockey Hall of Fame, attended a Habs game, and narrowly preceded President Obama and Hilary Duff in Ottawa, so that has to count for something, right?

Here’s the synopsis of this two-hour documentary premiering on CBC Television tonight (Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8:00 PM Eastern time) and concluding next Thursday, September 22nd:

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY: Canadian Pop Music in the ’90s looks at the explosive decade when Canada’s superstar divas and rock gods shared the charts with DIY indie bands, Celtic virtuosos, worldbeat ensembles and hip-hop heroes.

The press release I received touts “thrilling performance footage and candid interviews with such major stars as Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane, kd lang, Barenaked Ladies, Jann Arden and The Tragically Hip, as well as alternative music groups like Rheostatics, Sloan and Dream Warriors.” I wouldn’t necessarily call the performance footage, many from Saturday Night Live appearances or Juno Award shows (Canada’s version of the Grammys), thrilling, but they were a nice touch. I also appreciated seeing the perspective of so many Canadian artists; however, you get the feeling that the filmmakers were unable to land the major, major stars like Céline Dion, Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain.

After a brief introduction, the documentary starts as it should...with Bryan Adams. Adams had a very successful run in the 1980s with hits like Summer of ’69; Run to You; Somebody; and Heat of the Night. Then, instead of Bryan Adams, rocker, he became Bryan Adams, sappy singer to start the 90s as evidenced by (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, which became the #1 song in the world. In the documentary, Jann Arden refers to Bryan Adams as “our rock god.” Really? You have Neil Young, Rush and Joni Mitchell and Bryan Adams is your rock god?

The documentary goes from Adams to the Crash Test Dummies (that’s quite a drop-off!), to kd lang to Tom Cochrane. The underlying theme seemed to be showing the investment made by the Canadian music industry in selling Canadian artists in Canada. This sounds rather obvious, but apparently, the industry folks focused their attention on the American market and worked back up instead of the other way around. Consequently, the money and investment went to America. This may also explain why the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t win the World Series until the 1990s.

The remaining portion of the first hour discussed the Celtic music movement, independent scene and a street alternative revolution. I hadn’t heard of most of the artists featured, so while interesting, wasn’t my favorite part of the film. However, it is amazing the success many Canadian artists had simply by starting busking on the streets.

I enjoyed the second hour much more since I was more familiar with many of the artists discussed (Twain, Dion, Morissette, McLachlan & Snow). The portion on Canada’s “urban stars” was fascinating since I didn’t know of any Canadian hip-hop scene other than Snow’s classic hit Informer.

Here are a few items from the documentary that I found interesting:
- Sarah McLachlan refers to Bryan Adams as a taskmaster.

- Brad Roberts, lead singer of Crash Test Dummies, reveals that he couldn’t think up any words for the chorus of Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. He was planning on writing words, but it didn’t happen.

- The documentary states that Barenaked Ladies became successful in America by constant touring. Doesn’t Jason Priestley deserve some credit? (Seriously, look at Jason Priestley’s Wikipedia page)

- There’s a video of Natalie MacMaster, someone I had never heard of prior to watching this documentary, performing while wearing Seinfeld’s pirate shirt.

- Several artists refer to the indy Halifax scene as the “new Seattle.” There were also mentions of a Montreal scene and Vancouver scene. Was there no Regina scene or Saskatoon scene? I feel like Saskatchewan was grossly under-represented!

Whether or not this was an intentional overriding message of the documentary, the filmmakers expressed the legacy of Canadian musicians helping each other and the spirit of collaboration. Many of the smaller acts that never made it in America talked about opening for Shania or BNL or Céline. Apparently, there were no rivalries as everyone got along and supported one another. I feel like we should all get together and sing O Canada!

For more information about Life Is a Highway, visit the CBC website and/or check out this article in the Toronto Sun.

Why Is Everyone Whistling?

2011-09-14T10:19:00.000-04:00

I’ve noticed a recent trend in the music industry. Four of Billboard’s top 15 songs feature whistling prominently. Take a look:

Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera – Move Like Jagger (#2)

Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks (#3) -- (To my knowledge, this band has no relation to former Steelers RB Barry Foster.)

Britney Spears – I Wanna Go (#13)

OneRepublic – Good Life (#15)

This doesn't include Lazy Song by Bruno Mars from earlier this year or last year's The Black Keys hit Tighten Up.

Not to sound like Seinfeld, but what's the deal with all of this whistling?

Trivia Tuesday

2011-09-13T15:27:00.001-04:00

You thought I forgot about Trivia Tuesday, didn’t you? Not so fast, my friend! Your challenge is to name the phobias listed below. For example, arachnophobia is not just a creepy movie, but also a fear of spiders.

1. Agorophobia

2. Autophobia

3. Bronophobia

4. Hemaphobia

5. Ichthyophobia

6. Musophobia

7. Noctiphobia

8. Phagophobia

9. Thanatophobia

10. Xenophobia

Depending on how everyone does, I may provide answers later so that this is more of a matching game.

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Steelers-Raves Recap (Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right)

2011-09-12T09:35:00.001-04:00

51-0. That was the final score of the Steelers-Browns game on September 10, 1989, the first game of the season. The Steelers followed that dreadful performance at home by losing at Cincinnati 41-10. The Steelers team managed to fight back during the 1989 season to reach the playoffs, defeat the Houston Oilers in the wild card round and narrowly lose to John Elway and the Denver Broncos during the next round.

31-0. On September 7, 2003, the Buffalo Bills defeated the New England Patriots by that score at home. The Patriots bounced back from the loss by going 14-2 and winning the Super Bowl.

Although the Steelers played one of their worst games in recent years by losing 35-7 to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the world is not ending. The season is not over. Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau didn’t become terrible coaches overnight. Ben Roethlisberger didn't turn into Cliff Stoudt. It was a terrible game against the hated rival, but again, it’s one game (the first game!) of the NFL season. I expect the team to rebound nicely next week against the Seattle Seahawks

Just a few notes about the game:

Did any member of the Steelers play well on Sunday? I’d give a gold star to Mike Wallace with 8 catches for 107 yards.

The Ravens ran 31 times for 170 yards or 5.5 yards per carry. That’s amazing against last season’s top-ranked rushing defense.

Ravens TE Ed Dickson caught 5 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. He also had another long catch negated by a penalty. Dickson looked better today than Todd Heap did over the past three years.

Ed Reed is a very good safety. Not as good as Troy in my book (can you prove that I don’t have a book?), but the second best safety in the league. However, his two interceptions couldn’t have been easier. Roethlisberger threw both passes directly to Reed. I could have caught them.

Finally, I’m sure that you noticed this fight. Yes, Ike Taylor started it and deserved the personal foul penalty. My question is how was there only one penalty when it appeared that referee was knocked unconscious or possibly died? (Look at the top right of the screen around the :30 second mark.)

Ten Years In Washington (Part 2)

2011-09-08T09:27:00.011-04:00

I have now lived in the Washington DC area for a decade. While I shared some thoughts about significant events that occurred since moving here, I figured I would pose the question about whether or not I am a Washingtonian.

Why I May Be a Washingtonian

- Not only do I regularly ride Metro, but like my fellow Washingtonians, I feel the need to complain about non-air-conditioned trains, cost (I still don't understand the peak of the peak fares), delays, and broken escalators. However, overall, when Metro runs on time, I generally enjoy my experience commuting.

- I dislike Dan Snyder. I'm not a fan of the Washington Redskins in general, but the years of overcharging people for everything at FedEx Field, putting a poor football team together and suing the Washington City Paper all fall under Snyder's watch as owner.

- I know that Chuck Brown is the Godfather of Go-Go.

- I attended Stephen Strasburg's major league baseball debut. Of course, I was one of the few people in attendance wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates shirt.

- I get annoyed by tourists especially when the stand on the left on Metro escalators. However, a recent article in the Washington Post makes me reconsider my views on tourists.

- I have attended concerts or shows at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, 930 Club, Wolf Trap, Strathmore, Nissan Pavilion/Jiffy Lube Live and the Verizon Center.

- I have played ultimate frisbee on the National Mall.

- I like the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin. Yes, it's a bit touristy, but they truly are beautiful and signify the beginning of spring.

- I know the correct way to pronounce the name of rapper Wale.

- I know what a Topper Shutt is.

Why I May Not Be a Washingtonian

- I have never attended the July 4th fireworks on the National Mall. I'm generally not really a big fan of being in crowds of 100,000 or more (unless the Steelers or Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert are involved).

- I attended Washington Capitals games before they became pretty good the past few years. Sure, many of these games were against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but there was no such thing as Rocking the Red then. There was also no problem getting tickets then.

- I have never played in a kickball league.

- Although I have had Ben's Chili Bowl at a Nationals game, I have never been to Ben's Chili Bowl itself. Yes, I realize that this item alone probably puts me into the not a Washingtonian category.

- I did not attend either the 2nd Bush inauguration or the Obama inauguration. Please see the big crowd thing above.

- I rarely visit the DC monuments or museums. This is the one part of this list that bothers me more than the others. Although I live in Northern Virginia and not actually in Washington, I certainly should visit these places more than I do. I tend to only visit these historic sites and wonderful exhibits when I have friends and family in from out of town.

- I have never been to Georgetown Cupcake or any other cupcake store or food truck.

- LiLu made a list of 10 places to visit when moving to the District. I have only been to four of them.

- I have not been invited to any White House event. Apparently, I don't have any connections and I don't feel like crashing any events like the Salahis (remember them?).

So what do you think: Am I a Washingtonian?

Jaromir Jagr's Biggest Fan Pleads Guilty

2011-09-07T09:22:00.001-04:00

Judging by this headline, it sounds like Jaromir Jagr's biggest fan (likely his mother) pleaded guilty to being Jagr's biggest fan. However, that's not the case. Here's the story from WTOP:

A suspect charged with spray painting the number "68" on more than 50 vehicles in Loudoun County has been indicted and plans to plead guilty, WTOP has learned.

Court records show Christopher Bolt is set to enter a guilty plea Friday to felony destruction of property as part of a plea deal.

The judge will determine the sentence for Bolt.

It is still not certain why Bolt sprayed "68" on the vehicles. However, the Loudoun County Sheriff says Bolt told detectives he tried to spray paint the number "69," but he crossed it out when it didn't look right and painted "68" instead.

Spray-painting vehicles with Jagr's 68 is much better than spray-painting the number 69 for former Washington Redskin & Denver Bronco (and current ESPN guy) Mark Schlereth.

Trivia Tuesday: What The Heck Is This?

2011-09-06T09:25:00.001-04:00

I recently received an e-mail from NFL.com regarding a new Pittsburgh Steelers product. If you haven't already seen this, I am honored (sure, let's go with honored) to introduce you to the Pittsburgh Steelers Pillow Pet

Your challenge this week is to provide a caption of this product since I honestly have no idea what this is. Sure, I guess the face is that of the silly Steelers mascot Steeley McBeam, but I don't get it. Good luck!

Joe Isuzu

2011-09-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

No idea why, but I recently thought about Joe Isuzu. Therefore, I had to find a video featuring the great David Leisure. Enjoy!

What Are You Doing, Mr. President?

2011-09-01T09:22:00.000-04:00

The White House announced last night that President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8th regarding his plan for jobs and to improve the economy. While I appreciate President Obama presenting information on his plan on the biggest political stage available, doesn't anyone in the administration have a calendar?

The National Football League's first game of the season between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers takes place at 8:30 on the 8th. If the television choice is between President Obama and an NFL game, football will win. If the game is pre-empted by Obama's speech, people will get upset.

In this case, President Obama and Congress need to follow the lead of our Canadian friends. This spring, a political debate was postponed because of a Montreal Canadiens' first round playoff game. I hope that President Obama reconsiders the date of his speech, or at a minimum, schedules the address for 7:00 Eastern time.

Trivia Tuesday: Alphabet Edition

2011-08-30T13:59:00.001-04:00

I never watched 24, but it seemed like most of the commercials for the show featured Kiefer Sutherland yelling that “There’s no time.” That’s how I feel about the introduction this week…There’s no time!!!

Listed below is a word that matches the phonetic spelling for a letter of the alphabet. Your challenge is to provide the word, not the letter.

1. Carrot pal

2. Red is one

3. How come?

4. Female merino

5. A line of people

6. Sacramento’s daily

7. It may have floaters.

8. Darjeeling or Ceylon

9. Fonzie’s catchphrase

10. The Babe Ruth of Japanese baseball

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Fantasy Football Songs

2011-08-29T10:08:00.001-04:00

Are you like me and preparing for the fantasy football season? If you answered yes, here are three songs to (maybe?) get you pumped up for the year.

This is probably my favorite of the three just because of the Bobby Wade reference.

Hey, it's that Arlington rap guy rapping about fantasy football. By the way, the draft kit board is awesome!

This last video has a few naughty words, so it may be NSFW.

Good luck to all you fantasy football players everywhere!

Friday Links and The Earthquake

2011-08-26T09:23:00.001-04:00

I could share my story about where I was for the East Coast earthquake, but it really isn't exciting. Actually, I do find it funny (and possibly stupid) that I felt the need to check Facebook to see where the earthquake hit and if everyone was okay instead of evacuating the building. Anyway, I went to bed late Tuesday night after watching earthquake coverage, working on a blog post and falling asleep on the couch (this is a frequent occurrence). I finally went upstairs around 12:45 AM with Ziggy joining me in bed and laying by my feet. Less than two minutes later, I thought I felt some shaking, but since Ziggy didn't move (he apparently flew through the house to hide under the bed during the Tuesday afternoon earthquake), I didn't think much of it. Sure enough, The Washington Post indicated that it was a 3.4 magnitude aftershock. Apparently, there was a 4.5 aftershock on Wednesday night, but I slept through it. (You'll be happy to know that I did not sleep through my baby crying around 4:00.)

Meanwhile, I went to the fitness center on Tuesday evening for my quarterly fitness assessment. Amazingly, while I gained 1.5 pounds over the past three months, my body mass index decreased 1.1% meaning that my weight went up due to increased muscle mass despite minimal exercise over the past quarter. The only explanation I have is the constant lifting and carrying of an infant has improved my strength.

How about some links for your Friday?

Where were you for the earthquake? Ngewo was in the bathroom. Some language is NSFW since Ngewo was, well, in the bathroom. [Ngewo's World]

Californians Are Being Insufferable About This Earthquake [Gawker]

The P-G profiles Mac Miller and Frick Park Market. Frick Park's blue slide, shown briefly in the new video, is my all-time favorite playground ride. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Tecmo discovers a Pittsburgh Penguins yarmulke. I really should get a Pirates, Steelers or Penguins kippah to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Yankees ones at Rosh Hashanah. [PSAMP]

The Pensblog guys do an amazing guest spot on Yahoo's Puck Daddy. [Puck Daddy]

Lou Reed Looks Fantastic (Express Fail)

2011-08-25T10:53:00.001-04:00

Velvet Underground front man Lou Reed and Metallica are working together on a new album. I'm interested to hear the end result. In the meantime, Express shared the upcoming album name (Lulu) along with pictures of Reed and Metallica lead singer James Hetfield. Judging by the picture, I was surprised to see that Reed looks younger, changed his hair color to red, and appears more effeminate.

You can fulfill all of your Express Fail needs by clicking here.