Lyric of the Day

Here's a new feature to the blog. If I hear or think of a song during the day, and a lyric makes me think, or more likely, laugh, I'm adding it. Today's lyric:

"Betta be street if he looking at me"
- Destiny's Child

That's deep! I'm probably not street.

Pitt Basketball is Fantastic

With the football season officially over (yes, it ended last Sunday; I'm not sure why all the fuss over something in Jacksonville) and no hockey this season and possibly for several more years, my attention in sports is solely on college basketball. Last night, the University of Pittsburgh upset #4 Syracuse. Pitt came back from 17-point deficit AGAIN to beat one of the best teams in the country.

In other college basketball news, I went to my first George Mason basketball game yesterday. For the past 3 years, I have gone to at least 5 games a season. Mason scored 95 points in easily defeating William & Mary.

Overall, a good college basketball Saturday!

Ugh

The noise from the heater is back. :(

Nelly & Tim McGraw?

Nelly and Tim McGraw have a song together, which is #3 on VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown. Have you seen this video? It's a split screen with Nelly on one screen and Tim McGraw on the other. It really looks like they are hurting because they are not with their loved one. Even though they occasionally show the guys looking at pictures of a woman (Faith Hill is the picture on McGraw's screen), it really seems like they are missing...each other. I didn't realize they were that close. 

Side note: the #2 song is by Gavin DeGraw. Who would have thought that there would be a McGraw and DeGraw song back to back?

Heat Issues

As I wrote last week, we have had some problems with our heat the past month or so. Even though everything was "fixed" last week, we have continued to have a loud squeaking sound come from the heater every few hours. There has been times when it has been loud enough to wake me up, which says a lot since I can sleep through just about anything. Anyway, the technician was back this morning, and there has been no squeaking in the hour and a half since he left. He also mentioned that the technician that we had last week is no longer with the company. Not a good sign when the guy only worked for the company for 4 DAYS! Most of the people on The Apprentice make it longer than that.

Comment Section

The few comments on the site have been deleted since I switched to Haloscan. Hopefully this will make leaving comments easier.

What Would Joan Rivers Say?

At the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Dick Cheney dressed like I do when I shovel snow (well, if I shovel snow). Free registration to the Washington Post article is probably required.

I Probably Shouldn't Admit This,

but I like Kelly Clarkson's new song. I'm not ever sure of the title. I think it's Since You've Been Gone. It's catchy!

I am proud to admit that I like the Snoop Dogg/Pharrell song Drop It Like It's Hot. In other Snoop news, ESPN had an article about Snoop becoming the next coach of the Steelers.

Breezewood, PA

One more post for today...

If you have ever drove from Pittsburgh or West to Washington or Baltimore (or vice versa), you have probably come across Breezewood, PA. Breezewood has to be the only place in the country where an interstate stops for traffic lights, fast food restaurants, and motels. I always wonder what legislator or congressmen decided that I-70 has to go through Breezewood. I also think that someday, I will see Breezewood as a question on Jeopardy. Alex Trebek: The answer; this Pennsylvania city is known as the Travelers Oasis. I wonder if Ken Jennings would have got that correct. So why I am writing about Breezewood? In today's Washington Post (free registration probably required), Norman Chad (now best known as the commentator for ESPN's World Poker Tour) had an article about yesterday's football games and mentioned Breezewood. The link is above, but in case you just wanted to see the Breezewood section, here it is:

(I had first dreamt of a Keystone State Super Bowl in the late 1970s, getting gasoline at the state-of-the-art truck stop that is Breezewood, Pa. Some people call it "The Travelers Oasis," I call it "The Riviera Off the Turnpike." Breezewood is a football field of fast-food joints and filling stations, a half-mile testament to America-on-the-go. What the Strip in Las Vegas is to gambling, Route 30 in Breezewood is to drive-thrus. No patch of paradise in the nation has a higher concentration of cheap motels, bad burgers and oil stains.)

(Actually, I've had some of the best meals in my life in Breezewood -- and all I had to do is roll down my window! Where else can you find a Taco Bell, Hardee's, KFC, Subway, McDonald's, Arby's, Dairy Queen, Wendy's, Burger King and Pizza Hut staring each other down? It's a gritty Champs-Elysees, only cheaper -- the Best Western, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn and Econo Lodge there may not leave chocolates on your pillow, but they don't mind you taking the towels, either.)

Johnny Carson (1925-2005)

Since I've watched three stories about Johnny Carson in the last hour, I thought I would share my thoughts. Back when I was a few years younger and able to stay up past 11:30 on a weeknight, I would watch the Tonight Show. How could you not like the introductory music, Ed McMahon's Here's Johnny, and the golf swing to start the show. Of course being fairly young, I didn't understand many of the jokes. However, his monologue was always great. I loved watching Carson and Ed McMahon do the Carnac bit. It seemed like animals from the San Diego Zoo were on every Friday, and his interaction with the animals was hilarious. There is no comparison between Jay Leno and Carson. There always seemed to be a great rapport between Carson and his guests and Ed. Leno and now Conan O'Brien want to be funnier than their guests. I don't think I've watched Leno in five years. I think David Letterman put it best:

"It's a sad day for his family and his country. All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again. He gave me a shot on his show and in doing so, he gave me a career. A night doesn't go by that I don't ask myself, 'What would Johnny have done?' He has been greatly missed since his retirement. Thank God for videotapes and DVDs. In this regard, he will always be around. He was the best, a star and a gentleman."

I might try to stay up to 11:30 tonight just to see how the Letterman show starts.

Steelers Lose, Part Deux

I may have posted my thoughts about the Steelers game too soon. At least subconsciously, I did not take the Steelers loss as well as I thought. I had a terrible night sleep and had dreams about the game. Of course, in my dream, the Steelers made one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.

Steelers Lose, World Ends

Well not quite. If you're reading this, you probably already know that the Steelers lost to New England 41-27. Surprisingly, I'm taking it OK, and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I was watching the game and able to commiserate with fellow Steeler fans. Maybe because the Steelers weren't expected to win (and were lucky to have as great a season as they did). Maybe because the Steelers got lucky to beat the Jets last week. Maybe because New England really is the better team. Of course, if I was at the game or had money on it, I would feel much worse. Anyway, going to work is going to suck tomorrow.

One note on the game: Joe Namath should have his own TV show. Really, there's dozens of reality TV shows, so why can't he have one? Last year, he was interviewed on ESPN during the Steelers-Jets game. Not only was he drunk and slurring his words, but he was also hitting on ESPN reporter, Suzy Kolber. For no apparent reason, he was on stage tonight to present the Patriots with the AFC Championship trophy. I may have heard it wrong, but I think he called the Patriots owner (Robert/Bob Kraft), Tom. He then continued to ramble through a congratulatory message. Highly entertaining. Plus he is the most famous person to ever come from my father's hometown. That's got to be worth a show on the NFL Network or ESPN2.

Pitt Wins

The University of Pittsburgh basketball team had a big and much-needed win at UConn. Hopefully, this is the first of two wins by Pittsburgh teams again New England teams this weekend.

Steeler Nation

While we're expecting the 4-8 (or more) inches of snow, I wanted to share a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article about extremely devoted Steelers fans who are making the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh for the game tomorrow. I realize that I'm a little (or a lot) biased, but I really think Steelers fans are the most devoted fans in the NFL. Not only do thousands of Steelers fans attend away games (watch any game during the regular season - even in places like Dallas - and you can see tons of Steelers fans and the announcers commenting about this), but the city of Pittsburgh is extremely passionate about the team. There are currently 4 stations in Pittsburgh with sports (mostly Steelers) radio programs. The percentage of TVs in Pittsburgh watching the hometown team is consistently higher than any other city in the country. I'm getting really excited (and nervous) about tomorrow.

Follow Up

The big news: we have heat. Just in time for an expected snowstorm this weekend. Now I can focus all of my attention on the Steelers/Patriots game on Sunday.

I realize that I got really lucky yesterday. Apparently, Metro had one of the biggest day of ridership in their history. I guess they were on different trains than the one I was on. With that said, it's always fun watching tourists trying to figure out the Metro system. From watching some of the Inauguration coverage, I'm now thinking it would be cool to go to one in my lifetime. Maybe 2008. Depending on the weather and if we have heat.

Slacker

That is me the past two days. Well, not in real life, but as far as updating the blog. The only downside about the new job is that I have 0 (as in zip, nada, none, nothing) time on the internet. I got spoiled in my past job because there were times when I would have nothing to do. Therefore, I could spend hours on the internet. Maybe I shouldn't be writing this until I know for sure that my final paycheck is in the bank. I guess I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

The bus and Metro were fairly empty today since federal employees and the countless companies/organizations that follow the federal government's schedule were off today. The Inauguration sounds like a fantastic event if you don't live in the Washington area. Of course, for this year, it's fantastic if you like Bush and don't mind that $40+ million was spent on it. Here, the talk was about road closures, holiday Metro and bus schedules, and security. It didn't help that a guy parked his van filled with gasoline outside the White House the other night.

Of course the Inauguration was the minor event today in my world. The heater in my home took #1 today. I don't want to get into everything now, but the heat is not working very well. The motor is about dead (in medical terms, critical condition; maybe in a coma), and needs to be replaced. It was comforting to know that it's possible it could die before we get the new motor tomorrow or Saturday. But it's OK. If the motor dies, there will only be smoke and a bad smell. Not too comforting. So tonight, there will be some extra blankets on the bed. The reason why all this is happening...I made fun of the area for delaying schools for being cold!

Today's Rant

Although it did not really affect me, many schools in Northern Virginia had a two-hour delay this morning. If you don't live in the DC area, you may be asking, how much snow did you get? None. Well, the roads must have been icy. No again. It must have been high winds that knocked power out. No one more time. So why were schools delayed this morning? Because it was cold. Oh, it must have been -10 or -2o. The actual low was 2. OK, I cheated. I just looked up that temperature on weather.com. I was thinking the low was 10-15. I didn't realize it was that cold, although that would explain why my feet were cold for 30 minutes after standing outside for 10 minutes this morning. Anyway, I still think it's silly that schools were delayed for it being cold. I'm sure people in upstate New York, Vermont, Minnesota, etc. are laughing at hearing this. When I was a kid, I remember walking 2 miles to school through cold weather and snow. Plus it was uphill. Both ways!

Golden Globe Review

I'll admit it. I watched the last few hours of the Golden Globes. While it's not the Oscars or Grammys, it's nice that everyone seems to get dinner and drinks. Here are my observations of last night:

What is on the back of Jamie Foxx's head? Was that a tattoo (fake or real, like Mike Tyson)?

I don't know anyone who has seen The Aviator or Sideways. Are they any good?

Speaking of Sideways, I'm glad the Lowell from Wings has a new job. I was really worried that he would be type-cast as an airplane mechanic for the rest of his professional career.

My favorite moment of the night, Teri Hatcher winning an award for Desperate Housewives. When she was announced the winner, she hugged everyone from the cast. On her way to the stage, I saw Zach Braff from Scrubs put his hands up as to say "Why don't I get a hug?" Beautiful.

Zach Braff tangent. I haven't seen the movie Garden State yet, but just from watching him on Scrubs, he is a very likable person. Of course, this is a TV role, but he seems like he would be a cool guy to hang out with. Same with Turk (also in Remember the Titans).

This has nothing to do with the Golden Globes, but the Steelers are 3-point underdogs against New England. While I like the fact the Pittsburgh is the underdog, has there ever been a case in NFL history when a 16-1 team played at home and was not favored to win? I don't think so.

What?

While the wife was watching the Golden Globe pre-show on E!, I overheard this:

Star Jones: How is your new baby?

Debra Messing: Delicious.

I ran out of the room immediately.

More on the Steelers Game

I'm not sure how to respond to this quote. When asked about Doug Brien missing two field goals (from CBS Sportsline), Steelers lineback Larry Foote said, "I've never seen anything like it. I'm not going to say it was a miracle, because that's crippled people getting up and walking, the blind seeing. But that's the closest thing to it I've ever seen."

A Letter to Someone Who's Down

Mr. Doug Brien
Kicker
New York Jets

Dear Mr. Brien:

On behalf of the city of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Steeler fans across the country and around the world, thank you. I know that you're probably upset now, and it's OK to feel that way. There are a lot of people who are going to blame you for missing two field goals in the last 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. New York is a tough place to play, and there are many passionate people there. I want to let you know that there are people that care about you. Your family and Steelers fans love you. We are there for you. We know it was tough when the first field goal hit the crossbar and bounced back. As my old soccer coach would say, unlucky. I'm sure that you feel worse about the second field goal. That kick was not very close. You should know that your teammates and coaches didn't help you very much. If they moved the ball a little closer, you would have had a better chance to win the game. I know that you're going to take the blame, and it shows character to take responsibility for your actions. There are many people out there who would try to blame others. I just wanted to let you know that I like you. I may even draft you to be on my fantasy football team next year.

Take care,
Sean

Thank You XBox

for helping pass the time the last few hours. 15 minutes until kickoff. GO STEELERS!!

4.5 Hours Until Kickoff

My complete focus is on the Steelers-Jets game today. I have no idea what I'm going to do over the next 4+ hours. I'll go to the grocery store to buy food and drinks, but I'll still have more than 3 hours until gametime. Maybe I'll try to read the newspaper or a book. Not sure how that will turn out. I guess I could post blog entries every 10 minutes (although the entries will probably all be the same). Anyway, I am both nervous and excited about the game. If the Steelers play like they have over the last few months, they should win, but you never know. If you want to get an idea of how crazy the city of Pittsburgh is over this game, go the Post-Gazette website.

How to Make a Middle School Assembly Fun

Interesting article from Yahoo! News that talks about a speaker at a Palo Alto, CA middle school discussing career options. This didn't happen at my junior high (although it would have been fun if it did).

I borrowed the link from my friend, the creator of the Solipsist blog. Thanks!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

For a variety of reasons, I'm up very early this morning. I didn't want to wake up the wife, so I didn't turn on the radio. Instead I got the paper to read the headlines while having some breakfast. On the front page of the Washington Post, is an article about a DC radio station that has gone from alternative to Spanish (free registration may be required). While I don't listen to the station during the day, I LISTEN TO THE MORNING SHOW EVERYDAY! The Sports Junkies are gone! They have a post of the website saying that they'll be back. Great. I now have a 45-minute drive and I have no idea what I'm going to listen to.

More Reality TV

I can't believe that I'm doing a second post (in a row!) about reality TV. While I wrote about Flavor Flav and Strange Love yesterday, there are two other shows I thought I would mention. First, is a show that I don't even know the name of. The Wife has watched it a few times, and by default, I caught a few minutes of it. The show is on E, and is about a real-life princess who comes to America to find a husband (I think). In the meantime, she is trying to become a County singer. If anyone knows the name or has ANYTHING positive to say about the show, please share it. I have no idea how this made it to television.

The second show is Caesar's 24/7 on A&E. I watched the premiere a few nights ago, and am a big fan. OK, I like Vegas so anything gambling or Vegas-related works for me. I don't think there's a plot. It just shows people and staff in the casino. Maybe they will comp me for watching it!

68 hours until the Steelers game...

Strange Love

I'm prefacing this message by saying that I don't like reality TV. Actually, I really don't like network TV in general now, but that can be a later topic. I am proud to say that I have never watched Survivor. The Bachelor/Bachelorette shows are a joke. Now it's time for the contradiction of the last few sentences. I recently watched the first episode of Strange Love featuring Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav on VH1. Flavor Flav is just fun to watch. He traveled to Milan to visit Brigitte, and the reactions of the people of Italy to Flavor Flav with his Viking hat and giant watch around his neck is priceless. Even better was the reaction of Brigitte's fiancee when Flavor came to their apartment. He was mortified. Here's my question: what does Flav see in Brigitte? What does anyone see in her? She's just scary. I wonder if Sylvester Stallone watches this show. Does Chuck D?

First Day at Work

The first day at the new job went very well. I was expecting to be extremely overwhelmed; instead, I am only somewhat overwhelmed.

It's going to take some time to get used to the new routine. Instead of a 20-25-minute drive to work, I'm now like Steve Martin & John Candy, taking a car, bus, Metro and walking a little. The total trip took about 50 minutes. My major project for this week will be learning to read a book while standing on the bus & Metro (and holding on to a bag). Any suggestions on how I can do this without losing my balance and knocking over 3 or 4 people?

Congrats Abbas...Now What?

Let's add a little bit of politics to the blog. Palestinians have elected Mahmoud Abbas to be their president. While he will definitely be an improvement over Arafat (that doesn't take very much), I'm hoping he can create a peace with Israel. For now, I am cautiously optimistic. At the very least, Jimmy Carter looks happy in the picture with Abbas.

The Countdown is On

With the Indianapolis Colts crushing the Denver Broncos today, the Steelers will play the New York Jets next Saturday, 1/15. The Steelers beat the Jets in early December in a close, defensive game. Only 140 hours until kickoff!

Another Season of 24

A new season of 24 starts tonight, and while I have never watched an episode, I have a pretty good idea of what goes on. Kiefer Sutherland chases bad guys who want to kill the president or destroy the country over a 24-hour period. Well, I think Fox is going the wrong-way on this. Instead of making it a suspenseful drama, why not make it more of a reality show? First, Kiefer has to sleep at least 6 of the 24 hours. I think watching him at a desk job for 8 hours would be fascinating. Where will he decide to go to lunch? What internet sites does he visit during the day? Any interesting meetings? If the show 24 is supposed to take place in Washington, how bad is his commute (or does he take Metro)? Finally, his evening plans would make or break the show. I'll assume that there have been car chases, and maybe crashes on the real 24. Maybe he needs to call Geico for new car insurance. Can he really get a new policy in less than 15 minutes? Would he be able to make it through an entire episode of My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss? Could he make it through a Fear Factor episode without suing NBC? These are all questions that we may find out in the 2006 version of 24.

Wow!

I haven't even told my family and friends that I have a blog, and already I have a comment. At least one other person has seen my blog. Thanks Ella M. (even though I don't know who you are) for your suggestion.

To quote the great Rob Base, I'm not internationally known, but I'm known throughout the microphone.

Over the past few months, I have had a lot of free time at work. I spent much of my time using the internet and discovered that some of my friends had blogs. After being convinced (it did not take much convincing, I was told "Sean, you should totally get your own blog. All the “cool kids” are doing it."), that was enough for me. I decided I should join the 21st Century and try it. I'm sure everyone and their mother has a blog at this point, but I've always been behind when it comes to technology. This CD and DVD thing are just fads! Cassettes and VHS tapes are still fine! :)

As I wrote in my description section, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to write about. I figure there will be a lot about Pittsburgh sports (especially the Steelers), pop culture, and some politics and news. I'll share stories about my life and may even share some about The Wife (if she lets me).

Please feel free to leave comments and let me know if you have any suggestions about what I should write about. Thanks for checking this out, and I'm going to sleep