Spice Girls News

Major news...the Spice Girls may be reuniting to perform at Live Aid II. While I realize that the Spice Girls are viewed primarily as a joke these days, I think they are extremely underrated. Did you know they had 9 #1 hits in the UK? I remember hearing that they share the record (with a group called the Beatles) of consecutive #1 hits to start a career. For better or worse, they have had a huge affect on popular culture. They changed the pop music world. Seriously. The "girl power" motto had a huge impact on the performers who debuted during and right after their tenure: Britney, Christina, Jessica and Mandy Moore. Everyone knew that they weren't the best singers but it was about catchy songs and they entertained the audience. It was part singing/part acting, but all entertaining.

They were brought together during an audition process. The Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync were major stars following their mold. While those two bands may have been created more in the New Kids template, would someone have tried to do that same formula without the Spice Girls' success? Anyway, the Spice Girls were formed (or at least managed) by a guy named Simon Fuller. While I can't stand the show, you may know Fuller as the creator of American Idol, who was only watched by 29+ million people. It may be a bit of a stretch, but the Spice Girls may be somewhat responsible for reality shows where people compete for jobs (American Idol, Making the Band, The Apprentice, The Contender, etc.)

Or maybe I just like the song Wannabe!

The Refrigerator Diaries

You may remember earlier this year, I wrote about my continuous problems with the heat in my home. There have also been problems with our refrigerator. In the last few weeks, it has been worse. We regularly find puddles of water next to the refrigerator and a few times, the drinks on the top shelf have become frozen even though the temperature was never changed.

Today, we had a repair person check out the frig. There are several parts that need to be replaced such as the evaporation drain, compressor drain and F.F. gasket. I honestly have no idea what these things are or what F.F. stands for but I know that it's not worth it to pay $300+ for parts (not including labor) for an old refrigerator. Besides realizing that we need to buy a new refrigerator (there goes the soccer ref $$), I'm extremely frustrated with the warranty company. When we bought our home in September, we got a 1-year warranty to cover the major appliances and equipment. Well, the warranty didn't cover the heat problems and does not cover fixing the frig (or give us $ towards purchasing a new frig). Needless to say, I have no idea why we have the warranty or what it does. I'm going to call the warranty company to complain on Thursday or Friday, but I know nothing is going to happen. I guess I just want to vent.

Stress Solution

Updated 5/25 6:50am

This is now the third version of this post. I have found that a great way to relieve stress is to pop bubble wrap. Seriously, popping bubble wrap is fun. Anyway, I had a link here where you can pop bubble wrap online. However, when you click the fresh start button to get a new sheet of bubble wrap, there was a disturbing voice that I believe says must have war. So, I've taken the link away. Popping real bubble wrap is much better.

Harry Potter Blog

Just for fun, I decided to hit the "next blog" button on the top right corner of this page. The blog that I found is about Harry Potter, which I like. However, there's one catch: the site is Harry Potter Indonesia. Part of the blog (a very small part) is written in English, but I'm having a lot of problems understanding the rest of it, aside from words Snape, Harry and Gryffindor.

Weekend Observations

* I went to a very nice fine arts festival on Saturday. I think the difference between an arts festival and a "fine" arts festival is at the latter, most people will not be able to afford the art. I did see a very nice sculpture for $17,000. Sculpture or car? I'll go with a car.

* One of the highlights of the festival was giant sculptures of fruit. My wife heard a parent tell her kid not to kiss the fruit. I guess it's good to love art from a young age.

* Both of my fantasy baseball teams are terrible. I'm really close to giving up on the season and it's not even Memorial Day. When does fantasy football start?

* I watched the Preakness yesterday, which was a great race. However, with Afleet Alex's near fall, one of my favorite parts of racing didn't happen. I love when the announcer says "and down the stretch they come!" That's got to be one of the best lines in sports and life.

* I also watched the show Coupling on BBC America for the first time this weekend. I realize the show has been around many years and the American version bombed, but it's a very funny show.

* I need some advice. While being a soccer referee this weekend, I was smart enough to actually remember my sunscreen. However, I'm a little red on the top of my forehead and scalp, where my hair is not as thick as it used to be. Am I supposed to put sunscreen in my hair?

* I overheard a mother of a 9 year-old girl in today's soccer game yelling at the kid to push the opponent. Nice sportsmanship!

* I haven't done a lyric of the week for a while, so here's one I heard on the radio today. The lyric is from the 1999 (I think) song "Better Days" by Citizen King.

"I've seen the better days. I've been the star of many plays." I'm guessing that the singer was also the star of many musicals, but days and plays were easier to rhyme.

Star Wars Commercials

On Wednesday of this week, Dan mentioned that he finds the current Darth Vader Burger King commercials hilarious. I completely agree and also like the Diet Pepsi commercials featuring Yoda. However, I think I've found the best commercial on TV. Unfortunately, I'm guessing no one outside of the DC metropolitan area and the state of Virginia has seen it. The commercial is for the Virginia lottery's new "hot scratchers" (which is a phrase that can sound bad out of context). Anyway, the commercial features a fake band singing a song called I'm So Hot, going along with the "hot" theme of the new scratchers. The band is a combination of Right Said Fred (the group who sang I'm Too Sexy)/Mike Myers' Saturday Night Live character, Dieter. I'm trying to find the lyrics of the song, but have had no luck. When I find them, I'll post it. It's very funny.

America West/US Airways Merger

As you may have heard, it's official...America West and US Air are going to merge. While my first thought is how the merger will affect jobs (particularly in Pittsburgh), has anyone heard how the merger will deal with the frequent flyer miles? I have enough miles for one free flight on US Air and almost one for America West. I hope they combine, but that's probably being optimistic.

Britney's TV Show

While I was busy complaining last night that there was nothing on TV, no one told me that the Britney Spears-Kevin Federline TV show debuted on UPN. The Washington Post's style columnist Tom Shales wrote an article about the show. Here are some of his thoughts:

One sure thing about Britney Spears's new reality TV show: There's no danger of anyone ever dumbing it down. A dumber downer would potentially be lethal.

Incredibly, Spears and hubby Kevin Federline took "credit" for the cinematography on the show, which was done by them on a standard-issue home video camera with more out-of-focus scenes, blurry wild pans and unintelligible visual gibberish than something shot by a 2-year-old child or a 100-year-old granny. Actually, there is no need to insult children and grandmothers here.

Then onto something else, like a view of two mounds accompanied by Spears's narration: "They look like boobs but they're not. They're my knees."

The least that the smutty-mouthed, pudgy-faced brat could have done was to give her fans a musical number or two, but no. Entertainment was banned on the show, unless you count Spears gigglingly interrogating those around her with questions about "marriage and commitment and relationships . . . and stuff."

Federline, who has bad posture, no personality and wears diamond studs in his ear, didn't really figure in the proceedings...Later, at their hotel, he was asked by Spears to philosophize: "I feel that love is love," he declared. "Love is a commitment." And, a moment later: "Love, it is what it is. It's everything. Everything."

[Spears] also repeatedly asked her pals to describe their favorite sexual position, a needlessly tasteless touch for a star whose fans include little girls of 10 and younger.

I guess that he didn't like the show or Britney and Kevin. HOW DID I MISS THIS!?!?!

Academy of Country Music Awards Notes

Yes you are reading that title correctly. Since I refuse to watch American Idol, there is NOTHING on TV tonight. Mostly by accident, I found the Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS. So I am creating notes like I did for the Grammys and Oscars. Here we go:

8:00pm - The show starts with Gretchen Wilson performing. Who knew she had a song other than "Redneck Woman?"

8:04 - In the front row of the audience is the very country, um, Blue Man Group. I saw their show and don't remember any country music.

8:05 - Big question of the night: is Renee Zellweger going to be at the ceremony with Kenny Chesney? Is there a person who got more fame as quick as Kenny Chesney? Actually, yes. Mr. Britney Spears.

8:10 - Keith Urban is performing in London to show that country music is international. Just wondering, is their a performer named Keith Rural or Keith Suburban?

8:13ish - (I stopped keeping track of time) - The first commercial of the night is for Dr. Pepper. The commercial features the music of the famous country singer, um, Meatloaf.

Montgomery Gentry is now performing. Apparently, that is the name of the two guys. One of them (Montgomery?) is wearing a cowboy hat (he's obviously bald/balding) while the other guy (Gentry?) is not wearing a hat since he has hair. The cowboy hat-wearing guy seems to be wearing carpet. How do they decide on their wardrobe? I wonder if Montgomery Ward has the same problem.

Great awards show. There are no awards, just performances.

I just realized that the awards show is being held in the home of country music, um, Las Vegas. I guess that explains why the Blue Man Group is there. Renee Zellweger is not there.

Next performance is by Big & Rich. The one guy (Big?) looks a lot like Tom Petty with the long blond hair and the mad hatter hat.

8:32 - My wife is tired of watching this and changes the channel. I don't object.

My Weekend & the Supreme Court

For my birthday, my wife surprised me with a weekend bed and breakfast trip to Culpeper, Virginia. We stayed at the beautiful Fountain Hall B&B. During the weekend trip, we visited James & Dolly Madison's place, Montpelier, which is under major renovation. It should be very nice...in 2008. We also visited two wineries and tasted many types of wine (and bought a few as well). So what does all of this have to do with the Supreme Court? The Court ruled 5-4 that states can't bar out-of-state wine shipments. I think this is a very good decision. It just seems silly to me that if you live in New York and want to buy wine from a Virginia winery, you could not do it before the Supreme Court decision. Next, maybe the Court (or at least states) can change some of the outdated alcohol laws, such as the Pennsylvania state store system.

Quiz Time

I haven't posted a quiz on here for a while, but a friend forwarded me this senses challenge.

Good luck! I got 9 out of 20.

30

Since I'm still awake, I might as well wish Happy Birthday to myself. I am officially 30 at 12:13pm Eastern time. Am I supposed to feel much older now? Maybe more mature? Maybe I should just go to sleep so that I can enjoy the day tomorrow (well, today)!

Oh, if you live in the Northern VA area, there's a birthday party tonight. You're welcome to join us!

Celebrity Sighting...in Mississippi!

Yes, I did actually see a celebrity in Mississippi today/yesterday (Thursday). I'll get more to the sighting a little later, but I wanted to share a few anecdotes from my trip. I left on Tuesday morning for Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi and stayed until earlier this afternoon at the Beau Rivage. The Beau Rivage is a hotel and casino owned by the MGM/Bellagio group. The hotel and the place where I visited for work was right on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. A somewhat odd area in that there is a combination of casinos, condo being built, random beach-type shops, at least 4 Waffle Houses and a few "adult" stores right along a 10-mile plus stretch. I forgot to mention there is also some beautiful Antebellum (if that's the word I'm looking for) homes along with Jefferson Davis' summer (or possibly winter) retreat. Anyway, here are some thoughts:

- Mississippi is in the Central time zone. Maybe someone in Chicago can help me with this. Scrubs, which is on at 9:00pm Eastern is on at 8:00 Central. However, Good Morning America and the Today Show are on at 7:00am in both time zones. I don't get it.

- The local weather forecast for Wednesday said 83 degrees with 98% humidity with a caption that said "summer-like." Um, that's not summer-like; that's summer.

- Funniest line from the trip and I can't remember the exact quote. When I checked into the Beax Rivage, I talked to the woman about the various entertainers who perform there. Apparently, Diana Ross was there for a show within the last few weeks. The hotel employee said she was amazed at how many people came to see someone who is washed up! I wonder if the other Supremes were smiling.

- It's nice going out for supper instead of dinner.

- Listed as hobbies on a resume I reviewed: Own and raise purebred horses for site and show with wife. Hmmmm.

If you made it this far, thank you. I haven't written anything for 3 days, so bear with me. As for the celebrity sighting, I saw Vanessa Williams today. You may know her as former Miss America, actress, signer (the song from Pocahontas) and former (I think) wife of former NBA player Rick Fox. Anyway, she was at the cabana area of the hotel pool today with four or five other people, and is performing at the Beau Rivage on Friday. I never expected to see a celebrity on the trip.

Trip to the DMV

My cab to the airport is not picking me up for another 30 minutes. Therefore, I was able to spend some quality time this morning at the Department of Motor Vehicles. What a wonderful place! A place where you can interact with people of all cultures and backgrounds. Where everyone is friendly and smiling. In reality, a place where a guy who was taking one of the pre-driving tests was actually caught cheating today. How? He had someone with him to translate the questions. Apparently, the translator (not a DMV employee, just some guy who came with the guy taking the test) was also giving him the answers. One of the DMV employees who speaks four languages heard the translator giving the answers, and the guy failed. The translator/translatee (if this is a word) left without incident, although I was hoping that the security guard, who told me the whole story, would tackle the cheaters and take them out back.

Anyway, my driver's license is not renewed until May of 2010. Plus, my height remains OFFICIALLY at 5'7" even though I'm really closer to 5'6 & 1/2"

Headin' Out

I'm getting the opportunity to travel for work over the next few days, but I probably will not be able to blog until I get back late Thursday night.

If you are wondering where I am going, I'll give you a hint. The state that has 4 S's, 4 I's and 2 P's in its name!

Weekend Notes

I had a nice trip to Pittsburgh this weekend. Nothing extremely exciting; just nice to visit family. I did have a few thoughts from the weekend that I wanted to share...

- It's interesting to see Houston Astros Mike Lamb is also running for Pittsburgh's mayor. I don't know how he has the time for both.

- This may be the first and only time this ever happens. There was NO construction on the PA Turnpike between Breezewood and Monroeville in either direction. Inconceivable! There are actually signs on the turnpike saying tax dollars at work, the construction has been completed one year ahead of schedule.

- I like chocolate and I like Lucky Charms, but I'm not so sure about Chocolate Lucky Charms. It was on sale so I'm going to try it. I'll keep you posted.

- I know I'm not the first person to make this observation, but the Pirates (13-17) have a better record than the Yankees (13-19). That's just nice to type. I wonder if the fire Joe Torre campaign is just as intense as the fire Lloyd McClendon one.

What's Worse?

Seeing a guy reading a Nicholas Sparks book on the Metro yesterday or the fact that he was wearing a Baltimore Ravens jersey?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I'm celebrating by, um, posting this message, doing laundry and packing for a weekend trip to Pittsburgh. Today is also the birthday of Family Ties' Tina Yothers. That's worth celebrating, right?

On an unrelated note, Monster-in-Law starring Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda looks like it could be the worst movie in years. I predict many Razzie nominations.

MTV Holocaust Special Documentary

As I am typing this, MTV is showing "I'm Still Here," a documentary where celebrities read diary entries written by children during the Holocaust. I want to applaud MTV not only for airing the documentary, but also for showing it during Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). I'm not trying to funny or critical, but it seems odd having commercials during the documentary for the Blazin Reggae CD set, Jamster (customized cell phone ring tones) and movie previews for Star Wars, House of Wax and The Longest Yard. If you missed it, hopefully MTV will show the documentary again.

Major Pittsnogle News

This just in from SI.com (here's a plug for JQ): WVU student and basketball player (and Sean's Ramblings favorite), Kevin Pittsnogle has declared for the NBA draft. He has not yet hired an agent. Stay tuned for further information.

I hope that Mrs. Pittsnogle drops a note to say hi and let us know how she and the family are doing.

Random Stuff

- To celebrate being able to eat real food again, we went out to Uno's tonight. I haven't been to Uno's in many months, but the restaurant is trying to show that it is classier by having the wait-staff wear ties and not name tags. So how do you remember the name of your waiter or waitresses? They hand-write their names on cocktail napkins. Mike was unforgettable throughout the meal.

- I noticed two Alaska license plates in the park-n-ride parking lot today. If you are driving all the way to Northern Virginia from Alaska, you may as well drive the extra few miles to DC.

- I don't talk about the NBA very often, but I like the Washington Wizards decision to suspend Kwame Brown for the rest of the playoffs. He missed several practices and I believe last night's playoff game because of an alleged stomach virus. He has been a total bust here in DC as the #1 overall pick. He could do well somewhere else, but it's not happening here.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Over the last few years, I have noticed more and more players have theme songs before they bat to get them pumped up. When I went to the Nationals game a few weeks ago, the PA guy/DJ played "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn before one of the players came to bat. While I like the song, this was the most random song I have ever heard before a player batted. Fortunately, since the Nats are so new, they don't have theme songs yet, so it Walking in Memphis was only played once (what an awful sentence!).

Anyway, it got be thinking. If (when?) I become a major league baseball player, what song would I want before I went to bat? Here are some thoughts:

Ready to Go - Republica
It Take Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
Most Nelly songs (particularly "Shake Ya Tail Feather" with P Diddy & Murphy Lee)
The Distance - Cake
(Just to throw off the pitcher) Man, I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain

Congratulations!

To Sarah and Gobo on the impending arrival of their new blog, I mean baby. :)

Less Than 24 Hours

until I can eat cookies, pizza and Lucky Charms again!!

Pop Culture Stuff

I hate to admit this, but I actually caught the last 2 minutes of American Idol last night. This guy with long hair was singing the Nickleback song "How You Remind Me," and he wasn't very good. How did he make it this far? At the same time, Paula Abdul cried more than when her marriage to Emilio Estevez ended (at least that's my guess). I'm so glad I don't watch this show.

Since I'm already talking about American Idol, I find it funny when the contestants get arrested, like in this case, where Bo Bice (is that a real name?) was arrested twice in the past four years on drug charges. Nice.

After watching and mentioning Life on a Stick last night, I've decided that someone from the show is going to have a monster career. I have no idea who or why, but it seems just random enough to happen. I mean, who would have predicted that Hilary Swank would have two Oscars after performing in "The Next Karate Kid" and 90210?

Would President Bush have done an address on national TV during the last season of Friends? I'm suprised he did it tonight at 8:00, right when Survivor started. Maybe he picked tonight because there was no National League baseball games.

Old Job

I'll apologize in advance if this post is somewhat cryptic. If you know me and know what I did at my last job, you will understand. If not, just bear with me. I met with some folks from my old job yesterday to discuss the big annual event. I was essentially asked to perform most of my duties from when I was working there at this year's event, but as a volunteer. I'm very proud of myself in that I said no. I almost always say yes I can help, so this was a nice change. I'm still probably going to help, but it will not be during the entire weekend, and I won't have much responsibility. This way, I can actually enjoy the event and catch up with people I haven't seen in a year.

As I'm writing this, I'm also watching Fox's show Life on a Stick. This is a terrible show. The dialogue and acting is terrible. I'm glad I have a remote.

I Hate Ryan Seacrest

I should take that back. I really don't hate Ryan Seacrest. He just annoys me. I don't understand why he's famous. Even more unbelievable, he just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I really don't understand why. Can you name any movies or TV shows (besides Idol) that he's been in? He had his own talk show that failed. When people talk about American Idol, they discuss the singers and the judges, not Seacrest. So why is he getting a star when he doesn't even act on the TV show. Simon Cowell said it best (and I really hope he is being serious) in the article linked above:

"Ill-deserved," the famously grumpy Cowell replied, dryly. "I cannot believe that April the 20th is going to be Ryan Seacrest Day."

Next

I'm working from home today (despite writing this post, I really AM working) preparing for a quarterly meeting which takes place Friday through Tuesday. It's a little scary sitting next to two laptops, my personal one and one from work. Anyway, for a quick break to go with a late breakfast, I decided to turn on MTV. Of course, they are not showing any videos. They are showing a show that I have never seen before called Next. Apparently, a person gets to have 5 dates, and he/she gets to say next whenever he/she wants the next date. The dates seem to last about 30 minutes each, although some are shorter (some are longer). Oh, and the other four contestants who are not on the current date all hang out on a bus. I think the goal is to get a second date. This seems way too complicated, so I'm going to go back to analyzing hundreds of pages of documents.

Book Report

Since I started my new job in January, I have read books for pleasure for the first time in years. I am really enjoying it, but I don't think I've been able to share with anyone what I have read.

So just for my sanity, here are the books I have read recently (in no particular order):

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum
The Bourne Supremacy - Robert Ludlum
Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
Into The Wild - Jon Krakauer
Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game - Red Auerbach & John Feinstein
Winter Games - John Feinstein
Fargo Rock City - Chuck Klosterman
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

I feel like I've read more than this, but I can't think of any more at the moment. I will be starting Da Vinci Code tomorrow, and am always looking for suggestions for what to read next. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas.

Ithaca College Sports Update

Besides the Ithaca College website, this may be the only place to get Ithaca College sports news (well, at least a few times per year). First, the Ithaca College Women's Crew team is ranked #1 in the NCAA Division III Varsity Eights. If you know what a Varsity Eight is, please let me know.

In addition, earlier this week, Ithaca's baseball team broke six school records in defeating Cazenovia 37-11. Yes, that was a baseball score. Here is the box score of the game. I feel a little bad for Cazenovia since they were winning 8-4 after 3 innings only to be outscored 33-3 over the next six innings. Well, maybe I don't feel bad since Ithaca also tied a school record by having six batters hit by a pitch in the game. Here's a little more info on the game:

The Bombers’ 33 hits, 60 at-bats and 32 RBI all set single-game school records. Senior outfielder Ben McBride (Ridgefield/Ridgefield, Conn.) tied the NCAA single-game record with nine at-bats, finishing 4-for-9 with a grand slam and six RBI. Freshman infielder Todd Czerno (Columbia/Brainard) broke a school record with three hit by pitches. Sophomore outfielder Jeremy Peters (Thomas R. Proctor/Utica) hit his first two career home runs (both in the ninth inning), ending 3-for-4 with six RBI and three runs scored. Freshman first baseman Eric Ferguson (Columbia/East Greenbush) was 4-for-5 with four RBI and his first career home run. Junior outfielder PJ Canestrari (Randolph/Ironia, N.J.) also hit a grand slam.

Friday Night Shopping

What better way to spend a Friday evening than going to the grocery store? I'm only being a little sarcastic because the trip was to Wegmans, the greatest grocery store ever. Besides having everything, they also have the best Kosher for Passover section in Northern Virginia. I should probably mention that I don't like Passover food (who does?). I understand the meaning of Passover, but I would much rather have another one day Yom Kippur-type fast over the eight days of Passover.

Anyway, back to the shopping trip. Wegmans had Kosher for Passover products that I have never seen before. I have never seen Kosher for Passover pizza or blintzes (I actually bought the blintzes). There is also Kosher for Passover ketchup, waffles and syrup. Who is buying the waffles and syrup? You can go eight days without waffles. Fortunately, they were not selling Crispy-O's, the worst cereal known to man.

Here's something I never thought I would say...Wegmans was sold out of gefilte fish.

I also bought the 5-box pack of Matzah. It's not that I like Matzah or will come anywhere near eating all of it. The price of the 5-pack ($4) was cheaper than buying two individual boxes.

The total cost, $90. Ugh.

Nats Baseball Report Card

I went to my first Washington Nationals game on Wednesday night at RFK Stadium. The stadium itself was much nicer than I expected. There's nothing fancy about it, but it reminded me of the Three Rivers/Riverfront model of stadiums. The ball does not travel well in the park, so don't expect a lot of home runs there. The tickets were only $10 for decent seats. In addition, using Metro to get to and from the game worked very well.

On the negative side, the food is nothing very exciting. No Hebrew National hot dogs. The best thing on the menu (chicken fingers and fries) was $8.50, which is more than I'm willing to pay for stadium food. Fortunately, I met up with some people at the game who brought peanuts, cookies, cracker jacks and more, so I was happy. The mascot looks silly. I know they say it's an eagle, but I'm still going with an owl. The people who throw/shoot T-shirts are horrible. They should be out there before games practicing. The guy with the cannon (when he got it to work) shot at least one shirt into the bullpen, nowhere near the fans. Several T-shirt throwers didn't even get the shirts into the seats.

All in all, it's nice to have a local baseball team. The Pirates are still my #1 team, but I'm considering myself a Nats fan. The Nats ended up winning 2-0 in a not-so-exciting game, but again, it's nice to go to a game!

Wednesday Morning Thoughts

- I'm going to my first Nationals game tonight. I'm excited to see the new hometown team in person and to add RFK to the list of stadiums I have watched games at.

- Help me understand this...Cardinals over the age of 80 are not able to participate in the conclave for selecting a new Pope, but Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) is 78.

- It is extremely odd reading Angels & Demons at the same time as the real conclave has been taking place. I have not heard anything about the Illuminati or missing Cardinals during the non-fictional conclave.

- You would think that after 17 years, I would be able to shave correctly. However, I still manage to cut myself every few days.

- Have a good day!

Screech the Eagle

Even though I've downloaded Hello and Picasa, I still can't figure out how to add a picture. Therefore, check out the Nationals new mascot in this Washington Post article. The Pittsburgh Pirate can definitely take Screech (the Nationals mascot, not necessarily Dustin Diamond).

The Paintball Diaries

Friday 4/15
7:20pm - After hearing about a friend's experience playing paintball where he got hit in a place where you don't want to get hit, I went to Target and bought a cup. I was very excited that I now own a Major League Baseball authentic cup.

Saturday 4/16
7:35am - I leave my home wearing a long-sleeve Blockbuster shirt (from my days when I worked at Blockbuster), black sweatpants with the number 109 on it (from when I played soccer at high school and "forgot" to return it), a pair of white New Balance shoes and a green University of Rhode Island hat that has seen better days. My rationale for wearing all of this; I decided I was OK with all of these items potentially getting ruined, although I struggled with possibly parting with the sweatpants.

9:15 - Arrive at the paintball place. Surprisingly, everyone seems to be wearing camouflage. The white shoes may not have been the right decision.

9:30 - Safety briefing time. I learned that wearing the mask and goggles is good. I also learned that you can surrender. Finally, you should not shoot animals. The guy leading the briefing shared a story of a guy a few weeks ago who tried to shoot a deer as it ran through the course. The briefing guy made gun sounding noises (pow, pow, pow, pow) while explaining the story. How has this guy not won a Grammy for best spoken word album?

9:45 - I am very happy to be with a private group. Many of the walk-on paintball players look scary and have extremely sophisticated paintball gear and weapons. My group and their equipment didn't look nearly as scary. Plus it's nice to know that the group I was with are working or have worked to defend the country and are not part of a militia. The paintball demographic is an interesting one.

9:50 - Someone in the group has extra camouflage. I now look like I fit in. Well, except for the shoes.

10:00-1:00 - The early session. For the most part, I am just trying not to get hit. Almost all of the games are capture the flag on several courses as big as 100 yards long by 50 yards wide with trees, rocks, barriers throughout the course. I think it was 12 against 12. At one point, I got hit and leave the field. When I got to the "dead zone," I realized that the paint didn't break, so I didn't have to leave. Oh well, too late for me. Mostly, I played on the defensive of things. During the entire morning session, I hit exactly 0 (zero) of my opponents.

1:00 – I was smart enough to bring my lunch. The snack bar selection doesn't look very appetizing.

1:30 – Getting really frustrated by the group of teenage referees. They are burning cardboard boxes in a fireproof barrel. Of course, the ash is blowing right into where everyone is eating. Plus the fire is right next to the canisters of CO2. Not very bright.

1:31 – Fortunately, the CO2 is not flammable. Nevertheless, why is there a fire when the temperature is in the 60s?

1:50 – Before the afternoon session starts, there seems to be swarms of junior high and teenage boys. I’m a little scared that this is the future of our country.

2:00 – Afternoon session begins. I notice that the kids are walk-ons, and am happy that I won’t be joining them. They start on one field where it appears to be 40 versus 40. Even I would be able to hit someone with that many people.

3:00 – I’m doing much better. I actually hit someone on the opposing team. Unfortunately, even though I managed to hit the guy two or three times, the paintball didn’t break, so he was able to stay in…just in time for he and another person to hit me.

3:15 – After another capture the flag round that ended in a draw (in which I was not shot), I learned that I somehow hit an opponent. It turned out that I hit my friend who brought me. Even though it was a lucky shot and I don’t think I aimed, I’ll take it.

4:45 – Definitely my best game. I got the flag for my team, although before I grabbed it, I did ask the ref it that was really the flag. On the way back to base, I did hit someone on the other team when I was trying to.

5:10 – Day over.

5:30 – I had to give back the camouflage. I felt somewhat cool wearing it.

7:00 – Much needed shower!

8:45 – Celebrated the day with a frozen strawberry margarita and dinner.

Overall, it was very tiring but fun. I still cannot aim, and I realize that I did my best when someone was telling me where to go. I think I’m more sore now than I was this morning. I’d play again, but I’ll wait a while.

I Survived

In case you were worrying about me, I wanted to let you know that I made it through paintball yesterday in one piece. I'm a little sore this morning and have several welts on my shoulders and knee. I will share my full paintball experience later today.

Wish Me Luck

I will be "playing" paintball for the first time tomorrow. The only time I have used any type of gun is going to a rifle range when I was in Cub Scouts and playing Duck Hunt on Nintendo. I wouldn't be too worried except the people who are participating with me all have military or government experience (and I'm not referring to the IRS or Department of Education). I don't think my experience playing Halo on XBox is going to help.

Washington Baseball

The big news around town is the home opener for the Washington Nationals tomorrow (Thursday) evening. It's nice that they are opening against their fiercest rival, the Arizona Diamondbacks. I am excited about there actually being a baseball team here after 30+ years without one. The team has been a pleasant surprise so far this season, going 5-4 on a 9-game road-trip.

There is a drawback to the new team in town. I'm not a big fan of the radio announcers. I was listening to part of the game last night when it started to rain. The announcer gave the exact time and date (5 'til 10 on Tuesday, April 12) and seemed excited to say that this was the first rain delay in Washington Nationals history. I'm suprised the rain delay wasn't sponsored.

That's my last post of the night. I hope this made up for the past few days.

Gas Prices

This just in…gas prices have increased. While this is not news, thanks to public transportation, I am only driving a few miles a day. Therefore, I have not had to fill-up much lately. When I filled up at least a week or two ago, I paid $2.02 per gallon. Tuesday night, I paid $2.26 a gallon. That seems like a sizable increase between fill-ups.

C is for Cookie?

I saw a story on Good Morning America Wednesday morning about Sesame Street and the show’s effort to promote exercise and eating healthy. Apparently, Cookie Monster is not eating solely cookies anymore. He is now choosing to eat fruit and vegetables sometimes. Fortunately, Cookie Monster is still eating cookies, just not as often as he used to, which is good since changing his name to Carrot Monster just doesn’t sound right.

While I was waiting for the internet to come back, I typed up my thoughts of the day. That's why I am posting several items at the same time.

More Comcast Problems

For the third time in less than a week, Comcast high speed internet was down in Northern Virginia again tonight. This is getting extremely frustrating, and even worse, I’m not sure what I can do about it. Comcast is the only option where I livea for wireless internet. The outages are happening throughout the area, so it’s not just happening to me. Any suggestions on how to fight The Man?”

Lack of Posting

Sorry that I haven't written anything the past few days. I was a soccer ref for indoor games on Monday night and then got home late last night followed by Comcast internet being down again. Just a quick update of things...

The sunburn is much better, but my forehead and nose are multiple colors. Fortunately, I don't see my forehead and nose very often. I think the aloe has been helpful.

Carl Krauser did declare for the NBA, but because he did not hire an agent, is still eligible to return to Pitt.

I have some Sesame Street news, but I will wait to share until later today.

Charles & Camilla

I don't usually follow the British royal family, but the entire Charles-Camilla wedding (and the drama prior to the wedding) was intriguing. My one question from the ceremony: how did Camilla get the pheasant to stay in her hair?

I can't figure out how to add pictures to my blog, but if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to this Yahoo! picture.

CNN.com also has a story about all of the feathers at the wedding.

Sunburned

It is a beautiful weekend here in Northern Virginia. The cherry blossoms have started to bloom and the sun has been shining all weekend. Yesterday was also the first day of outdoor soccer. Before leaving to go to my soccer referee assignment, I did a quick search of the house to discover that there was no sunscreen. Unfortunately, I did not give myself enough time to stop at the store to buy sunscreen. Therefore, my forehead, nose and back of my neck are as red as an apple. I have more games this afternoon, and although I now have sunscreen and aloe vera, it could be a rough day.

By the way, sunscreen is in the seasonal section of the grocery, right next to the Passover food. I never think of two together.

Boycott Old Navy

You may be asking: why would I want to boycott Old Navy? Is it because of some legal matter or human rights? Maybe it's a stand against corporate America? Nope. It's because they changed the lyrics to Young MC's "Bust a Move" in a commercial, which I believe was to sell summer T-shirts for women. Therefore, I am refusing to buy their womens T-shirts! :)

Pittsburgh Sports News

I haven't mentioned Pittsburgh sports recently, so I figured now would be a good time. I guess I'll start with the Pirates. They are off to an impressive 0-3 start after getting blown out in their first two games at home against the Brewers. Last night was at least close. They lost 1-0 in 12 innings at San Diego. I really want the Pirates to do well, but it's not going to happen this year. I hope that in me writing this, the Pirates will have a good year. After Tommy Maddox got hurt, I said that the Steelers were done. Then they won 15 in a row to reach the AFC Championship Game.

On to a different topic, Panthers basketball player Chris Taft declared for the NBA. Although his numbers aren't overly impressive, the NBA apparently likes his "potential." Because of the potential, it actually makes sense for him to leave now as opposed to staying at Pitt. With Carl Krauser probably also leaving (which makes sense since he's about to graduate and is 35 years old), Pitt may be playing like the Pirates next year.

Finally, in my quest for a new Steelers jersey, I have ruled out getting a Terry Long jersey after he has been accused of setting fire to a chicken plant.

Ithaca College in the News

On the front page of yesterday's USA Today, there is an article about the growing trend of non-Ivy League CEOs for Fortune 500 companies. There is a pennant of Ithaca College right on the front page and a brief mention of IC grad Robert Iger, who will be taking over at Walt Disney for Michael Eisner. I think Iger now qualifies for the Ithaca College A-list. Chuck Bell is still on the B-list after a mention by the Sports Guy in this week's Intern Search Contest.

Comcast Problems

Internet for all of Northern Virginia was down last night from the time I got home until (I'm guessing) sometime in the middle of the night. Very frustrating not being able to do email, post a message here and check baseball box scores. Hopefully, everything is fine now.

On the plus side I heard the classic song "Jump Jump" by Kris Kross yesterday. While I'm a big fan of the D-A-double D Y-M-A-C, I'm not so high on the Mac Dad.

Lyric of the Week - Banking Options

I have figured out how to do internet radio at work, and I would like to thank Yahoo! LaunchCast for having free music. I am fine with having commercials as long as I get free music. Anyway I put on the Big Hits of the 80s station today, where I heard the song "Alone" by Heart. The main line in the song (and the lyric of the week) is "How Can I Get You Alone." I know the word is alone, but every time I hear it, I think "a loan." I can't understand why Ann and Nancy Wilson don't try going to a bank or credit union for this person.

Your (Sponsored) Washington Nationals

While driving home this evening, I turned on the radio to listen to the Washington Nationals game just in time to hear Brad Wilkerson hit a home run. I don't think Wilkerson even crossed home plate when the announcers stated that the first run scored of the game was sponsored by the local Fox TV station. Let's just say that I'm not impressed.

Fantasy Baseball Team

If you're interested, here's my fantasy baseball team from this weekend's draft (it is a NL-only league):

Infield: Jeff Bagwell, Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal, Mike Lamb, Jeff Conine, Jose Valentin, D'Angelo Jimenez

Catchers: Todd Greene and Humberto Quintero

Outfield: Rob Mackowiak, Jim Edmonds, Matt Holliday, Xavier Nady, Jayson Werth

Pitchers: Oliver Perez, Roger Clemens, Tony Armas Jr., Chad Cordero, Danny Kolb, LaTroy Hawkins, Jeff Weaver, Brett Tomko and Ben Sheets


Apparently, I was going for the all "Jeff" team.

More Pope Thoughts

I'm being completely serious in this post. Does the Pope have any family? He obviously does not have a wife and kids, but does he have any brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc? If so, do they have any say or role in the Pope's funeral or inheritance? I'm guessing that this would be in the Pope's will, but (at least in my opinion) these are interesting questions.

Next Pope II

Sorry; I was getting confused with the fact that today is baseball's Opening Day. (I'm not counting the Yankees/Red Sox game last night.)

Next Pope

Being away this weekend, I have not been able to follow the news as much as I would like. I have heard that the Cardinals who are under the age of 80 will select the new Pope in two weeks. My question: does it have to be current Cardinals or do former Cardinals have a say? I think it's a lot of pressure to have only current Cardinals like Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen decide on the new Pope. I hope that former Cardinals who are a little older like Ozzie Smith, Stan Musial and Joaquin Andujar have a say. I wonder if they'll let Mark McGwire have a say especially after the Congressional steroid hearings.

Morbid Thoughts

The biggest story across the country and around the world is obviously the death of Pope John Paul II. I started thinking if the death of any current living figure would match the coverage and affect around the world of the passing of Pope JP2. I should preface this by saying that assassination does not count because that adds a whole criminal/conspiracy element. I also want to point out that I do not want any of these people to die.

Here is my list:

President G.W. Bush
Former President Clinton
David Beckham
Kofi Annan
Madonna
Jennifer Lopez
Michael Jordan
Tony Blair
China's leader (I really should know this)

Except for President Bush, I'm not sure if anyone would exceed Pope JP2, partly because of the coverage and mystery involved in who will succeed him. Any thoughts or people I've missed?

Heading to the Windy City

I am leaving for Chicago today for my fantasy baseball league draft. I will probably not have an opportunity to post anything this weekend. This is the 15th year of this league, the 14th in which I have been involved. I have known many of the people in the league since I was in high school (some even longer), so this has become an annual tradition. There's something really nice about being associated with the league for nearly half of my life. It's kind of scary thinking that I started in the league when I just started driving. Back in the day, we figured out stats by pencil and paper.

This may sound sentimental and I know I'll have a great time this weekend, but I really want to win this year!

So as I depart, two closing thoughts:

1. Happy April Fools Day!

2. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Showdog Moms & Dads

I stumbled across this Bravo show tonight and within the first minute heard the phrases "teaser bitch" and "plastic vagina." I really hope they were talking about breeding dogs.

Welcome WVU Fans

Welcome to everyone visiting from WVSports.com. For the folks who regularly check this and have no idea what I'm talking about, apparently my blog has been referenced on a Mountaineer Message Board. For people checking this site for the first time, just so you know where I'm coming from, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and grew up a Pittsburgh Panthers fan (I remember going to Pitt Stadium when I was in Cub Scouts, so that goes back a long way). While I didn't go to Pitt, I have many friends who did. I never liked Penn State athletics, but for some reason (probably Major Harris), I liked WVU. I also attended a camp outside of Morgantown for several years and was able to tour the sports facilities and hang out at Mario's. Plus, I went to the WVU-Miami football game a few years ago, and had a great time at Mountaineer Stadium. Great atmosphere to see a game. With all of this said, I'm still rooting for Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.

As I wrote several times in the last few weeks, the WVU basketball team has been great to watch. How can you not be impressed by a 6'11" center who shoots the three so well? So that's me.

Thanks to Kevin's mom, Tammy Pittsnogle, for checking out the site, and passing on the message to Kevin. He (and the team) have a lot of fans throughout the country, including this Pitt fan.

I'm Sick

I've been lucky in that I haven't been sick all winter. Everyone in my office has been sick at least once, and somehow I made it through. Well that's changed. My nose hasn't stopped running (yes I know, I better catch it), I didn't sleep well last night and I've been sneezing a lot more than I would like. Time for another shot of orange juice.

Anyway, I need to feel better soon since this is a busy week at work, and more importantly, I'm going to Chicago this weekend. I can't let this cold get in the way for my fantasy baseball draft preparation.

Quiet Weekend

Sorry that I haven't posted anything this weekend. It was a great few days for college basketball. I really thought (well hoped) that Villanova was going to beat North Carolina on Friday night. The team I hoped would go all the way lost in a fantastic game last night. Yes, Kevin Pittsnogle and WVU are officially out. I didn't follow WVU that closely throughout the year, but it seems like they could have played Pittsnogle and D'or Fischer together last night. Everyone knows Pittsnogle (well, at least they should) and he had a huge game with 25 points. D'or Fischer also plays center and is a great shot blocker and rebounder. He could have helped when it seemed like Louisville got easy lay-ups and offensive rebounds in the second half. I guess it's 20/20 hindsight. It was still a great game.

Spring Break Locust Attack

During last night's TV coverage of the NCAA Tournament, I saw a promo about a CBS TV Movie coming in April. The title: Locusts. On its website, CBS has a 5-second preview of the movie with buzzing and the tagline, "If you can hear the buzz, it's too late." Through a little research, I found out the Lucy Lawless of Xena fame will be the star (and a bigger name than the OC girl in Spring Break Shark Attack). For the record, I knew nothing about the Locusts movie when I wrote on Monday, "I'm surprised there wasn't a movie last spring about the cicadas attacking the earth." I guess someone last spring DID think about this.

My brother, who obviously did not see SBSA, asked if the point of the movie was to show hot women in bathing suits. While the obvious answer may be yes, it showed women AND men in bathing suits and on Spring Break. But the movie (well, at least the part that I saw before I went to sleep), was much more than that. It was about relationships (father/daughter; outcast type guy/girl; "evil" guy drugging girl/girl; shark/people).

However, with CBS now having the locusts movie, I think they are doing more than showing women in bathing suits and going with the disaster-style movie. CBS is going for the ten plagues! There's no way they could redo Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments. They needed individual movies starting to help with rating. CBS started with SBSA (the first plague is the water of the Nile turning to blood) and now are onto Locusts (the eighth plague). My guess is they will base the Darkness plague on New York's blackout. My one flaw (yes, one!) in my case is I'm not sure where the Elvis movie fits in.

Kevin Pittsnogle Update

If you missed last night's West Virginia-Texas Tech game, Pittsnogle had 22 points in leading WVU to victory. During the last few minutes, WVU seemed to do everything to lose (two shot clock violations and another turnover), but they held on thanks in part to clutch free throw shooting by, who else, Mr. Pittsnogle. WVU now has a tough match-up tomorrow against Louisville in an all-Big East regional final.

As far as my quest to hear from Kevin himself, there is a lead (although it may be not much of one). I received an anonymous comment in an entry from earlier this week, that said "I forwarded this to Kevin, Can't promise anything though." This probably doesn't mean much...but maybe it does!

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

I know it doesn’t happen very often, but I want to talk politics. Last Wednesday, the Senate voted 51-49 to allow for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Before I talk a little bit about this vote, I don’t understand why there has been so little coverage and discussion about this. I know ANWR is not as exciting or dramatic as Terri Schiavo or the Michael Jackson trial. I also realize that just because the Senate approved the drilling, it’s not a done deal (I don’t know what has to happen, but I think the House has to vote). Anyway, this seems like a major issue that being somewhat ignored.

While I don’t call myself an environmentalist, I recycle when I can and I know (like everyone else) that it’s not good when an oil tanker crashes and the oil spills into the ocean. With that said, it seems like there are some things/places that people should just leave alone. That’s what I think about ANWR. It’s not an area where people are going to move and build condos. It’s good for certain types of habitat and wildlife, and is probably one of the few areas left that is virtually untouched by people. Why not keep it that way?

I know the answer for to this question is oil. We went to war against Iraq (the first time) for oil so this would be a much better fight, at least morally and ethically. The argument for drilling is this will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. There is a good argument against this by Stephen Haycox, a professor of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He points out that there is no guarantee that the oil will be sold in America. He writes that if a tanker-load of oil on the high seas can be purchased and routed to an American refinery more cheaply than a tanker-load from Alaska, especially if there is a ready purchaser at a good price in Asia for the Alaska tanker, the oil company will do what's best for them.

Would the new oil help lower the cost of gas? Doubtful.

The Senate (and decision-makers as a whole) should be spending more time working on alternative sources of fuel and conservation efforts. Start by closing the SUV loophole in the fuel efficiency requirements and that could save more oil than ANWR may produce. Check Dan's March 19th entry for a more articulate discussion about this topic.


If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you. I'll go back to discussing Kevin Pittsnogle and Spring Break Shark Attack tomorrow.

Chuck Bell Got Robbed

Chuck Bell was eliminated today from the Sports Guy Intern Search on ESPN.com. In a six-person voting committee, Chuck lost the tie-breaker and was eliminated. Chuck made the final seven out of thousands of applicants. While Chuck will not join the A-list of famous IC folks (Gavin McLeaod, David Boreanaz, Jessica Savitch and Rod Serling - taught at IC), I think his accomplishment puts him in the B-List category joining CCH Pounder (ER and The Shield), Ricki Lake and Gavin DeGraw (who I just learned attended IC briefly).

Deleted Entry

I just wrote and deleted a three-paragraph story about my former job (which included a wonderful DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince reference). If you know me, and would like to hear the story, please let me know. Even though I was somewhat vague in my references, it's probably not the best idea to post it.

If you are interested in the Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince reference, here it is (and I'll call it my lyric of the week):

To make this long story short, short. When the cops pulled me over I was scared as hell. I said I don't have a license, but I drive very well, officer.

Chuck Bell/Sports Guy Intern Search

After a few week hiatus for NCAA Tournament, the Sports Guy intern search on ESPN.com is back. The seven finalists (including the Ramblings' pick, Chuck Bell) were asked what current NBA or WNBA player would you select to share a cell with if you were sentenced to life in prison. The guest judge for this round is Chuck Klosterman author of "Fargo Rock City" (which I am currently reading) and "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" (very good book).

Check out the responses here. We'll find out on Thursday whether or not Chuck advances.

Dear Pittsnogle Family & Friends:

I want to thank you for visiting my little corner of the web. I have had more hits in the past two days than in any other time since I started this. And it's partly due to the many Google searches of Kevin Pittsnogle. Therefore, I am on a mission to get a response from Kevin Pittsnogle himself. I know he's busy with that whole NCAA Tournament thing (plus classes), but after the season, I'd love to hear from him. Pittsnogle is just fun to say, but it's more than that. There is a huge fan base of Pittsnogle fans throughout the country. And I count myself as one of them. There's just something fascinating about a 6'10" center that hits threes as well as he can can. And it looks so natural, unlike Manute Bol's three-point shots from back in the day. Anyway this is my new mission. Kevin and WVU, good luck on Thursday against Texas Tech, and know that you have the support of Sean's Ramblings and possibly Gobo.

TV Update

I may be revealing a little too much about myself the last few days. While I am proud to say I watched the Animaniacs, and I enjoyed the Shark Attack Spring Break movie last night (more on that below), I am embarrassed that I am currently watching Still Standing (I think that's the name of the show) with Jami Gertz and the heavier guy from the Full Monty. Not a very good show, but I need some background noise. Anyway, Ben Savage is a guest star tonight. He's gained some weight. That's my observation. Maybe I'm just going through NCAA Tournament withdrawal. I can't wait until Thursday to watch WVU and Kevin Pittsnogle.

Back to Spring Break Shark Attack. I turned it off about an hour in because I needed to go to sleep. It was really funny, but I don't think it was supposed to be. I'm kind of curious to see how it ended. My guess is that the OC girl and the guy she liked (the "outsider" character) survived and lived happily ever after. The OC girl, who went to Spring Break without telling her overprotective and mean father, probably made up with him. Same with her brother, who was the shark researcher. Either that or the Dad was eaten by a shark while saving his kids. Oh and Kathy Baker and the other adult guy probably survived and got married.

Anyway, this seems like it could be the trend in TV movies. Last year, NBC had a movie where a giant earthquake (I think) made California an island and many people died. I'm suprised there wasn't a movie last spring about the cicadas attacking the earth. I guess they already did an asteroid hitting the earth movie.

Best TV Movie Ever

Congratulations to CBS! They showed hundreds of commercials over the past few days for Spring Break Shark Attack, and it paid off. I'm sucked into this. First, a great opening with four women drinking martinis on a raft. Not a boat, but a raft. Of course, the shark(s) got them. For the past 30 minutes, the sharks haven't been involved because they are focusing on people (the so-called plot). The dialogue is fantastic. Such classic lines as "Hey, how you doing? Want to hook up?" and "This could be my Everest" and finally "What happens at Spring Break, stays at Spring Break." Always good when there are only two adults in the entire movie. Oh, the main character just got drugged by the creepy guy who said that she would be his Everest. The plot thickens! High comedy all-around, although I don't think it's supposed to be funny.

NCAA Tourney

Congrats to WVU for beating Wake Forest in double OT. Even though it's unlikely, I'm pulling for the Mountaineers to go all the way. Not a good day for the ACC. Besides Wake's loss, Boston College also lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Saturday Recap

First, I know there are some Syracuse fans and grads who read this. I hope that you're all doing OK after the SU loss to Vermont. If it makes you feel better (which I'm sure it won't), lacrosse season has started.

On to Saturday...I woke up around 5:30 this morning. Way too early for any day, but especially on a Saturday. I was scheduled to referee four soccer games: 7:00, 7:50, 8:35 & 9:20. Only one team showed up for each of the first two games so they were forfeited. While it's nice that I'll get paid for those games, I would much rather have had the extra hour and a half of sleep.

After lunch and running some errands, I did something this afternoon that I never do anymore, take a nap. I love naps! The days of nap time on blue mats have been gone for decades. In college, I would come back to my room after class, and fall asleep while watching Animaniacs before waking up for dinner. Unfortunately, I would sometimes wake up to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on TV. Anyway, when I'm running the country, I propose nap time everyday. Siestas for all!

If Dinosaurs Lived Today

When a first grade class was asked what they would if they found a dinosaur egg, a student replied that she would wait for the egg to hatch and then sign it up for ballet.

Like we did in elementary school, let's share. What would you do if you found a dinosaur egg? I would probably sell it on EBay.

Do I Need a Title?

- Why is CBS constantly showing the wife of Nevada's head coach? It's not like she's the only person rooting for Nevada in a close game.

- I don’t understand how a woman is like a McDonald's McGriddle.

- We're going to see A LOT of promos for the made-for-TV movie "Elvis" over the next few weeks.

- Speaking of made-for-TV movie commercials, visit Gobo’s blog to see his thoughts of Spring Break Shark Attack.

- During breaks in today's Congressional steroid hearings, did some of the Members talk to Rafael Palmeiro about Viagra?

- John Stamos is so dreamy.

- I'm really debating whether or not to bid on the Louis Lipps jersey on EBay. The pros: There are currently no bids and I like Louis Lipps. The cons: an XL jersey is going to be way too big and if I buy it, I'll have Lipps across my back.

Pitt Fall

As I wrote earlier, I didn't watch it and wasn't able to follow it for more than a few minutes. I have not seen any highlights of the game and there is only one article (by the AP) about the game on the major sports and Post-Gazette websites. So I'm left with that article and the box score. Although Krauser had a huge scoring game, he only had 4 assists. As a team, Pitt only had 10 assists and lost the rebounding battle. I didn't see Pacific play all year, but I knew that they only had 3 losses and beat Providence in last year's tournament with almost everyone coming back this year. I figured Pitt would win if they dominated inside. By looking at the rebounding numbers, that didn't happen. And as in most of Pitt's losses this year, Pacific hit a lot of three-pointers.

So what happens to Pitt now? I don't see Chevy Troutman making it to the NBA, but he could play internationally or as a Tight End in the NFL. Chris Taft and Carl Krauser may both go to the NBA. If Taft and Krauser both leave, Pitt will have a major "rebuilding" year next year.

Difficult Decision

I'm torn. Should I watch the NCAA Tournament tonight or ABC's new show Jake in Progress staring John Stamos?

NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?
NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?
NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?

Truly March Madness

I have agreed to ref some soccer games on Saturday. Not a big deal. The madness? The first game starts at 7:00am. I don't drink coffee, but if I did, would it be unprofessional to ref while carrying and drinking a cup of coffee? Probably.

More madness? Because of multiple meetings and that darn work thing getting in the way, I have barely been able to follow the NCAA Tournament today. It's probably good that I wasn't able to watch the Pitt loss to Pacific (the university not the time zone or ocean).

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

More Kevin Pittsnogle

Welcome to everyone who has done internet searches for Kevin Pittsnogle. There have been at least ten of you. Please feel free to look through the blog and come back as often as you would like. While I am a Pitt fan, I have always liked WVU, probably because I went to a summer camp in Morgantown. I hope that Mr. Kevin Pittsnogle and WVU make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, but lose to Pitt in the Elite 8.

And Kevin Pittsnogle, if you're reading this, can you please lighten up on Pitt a little bit next year.

Damn the broccoli, damn you and damn the Wright brothers!

This is the only quote I can remember from the Family Guy. Lois (the mother) tries to feed Stewie (the baby) broccoli and wants him to open up for the airplane. This was his reply.

This was also my reaction when I found out when Pitt is playing...Thursday afternoon at 12:40. Damn CBS, damn the NCAA, and damn Boise! I could be mistaken but I believe Boise is in the Mountain Time Zone, meaning this game is going to start at 10:40am local time. That's way too early for a basketball game.

Of course, I have an 11:00 meeting which will probably turn into a lunch meeting. I'm guessing I will miss the entire first half and have to rely on internet updates for the second half.

For 2006, I am taking off work for Groundhog's Day and the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament

Extremely Random Thoughts

- Is there a published schedule anywhere of what time NCAA Tournaments games are being played on Thursday and Friday? I would like to know if I can watch the Pitt game or if I have to try and follow it at work courtesy of internet updates.

- Where do squirrels go at night? Do they cohabitate?

- After weeks of there always being college basketball games on TV, it seems odd that there are no games on TV tonight.

- I wish there was a list of songs I have heard the most in my life. I figure Happy Birthday is probably at or near the top of the list. I have a feeling that I've heard the Celine Dion Titanic song way too much. I think the Simpsons theme song would be in the Top 5. Maybe a Billy Joel or Neil Diamond song?

- A song that is probably climbing my wish-were-true list is Snap's The Power. Great song from around 1990. While hearing the song in the commercial for the movie Bruce Almighty was fine, I seem to have heard the song in car, and worse, diaper commercials over the past few months. A diaper commercial?!?!

Madness of March

As most of you already know, my all-time favorite team is the Steelers. I rarely miss watching a game. There is nothing like playoff baseball when your team is involved (Pirates in 1990-1992 and the Padres in 1997). There is also a great feeling of Opening Day. The hope that this is the year for your team and the unofficial start of spring. I cannot turn away from a Penguins playoff game, especially during the four and five overtime games over the past 15 years.

But my favorite sports time of year, even when Pitt or other teams I pull for are not involved, is the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the third Thursday through Sunday of March. There is nothing like 48 basketball games in 4 days where each team knows that if they lose, the season is over. There are always numerous buzzer-beaters and upsets. Essentially, this is reality TV at its best. So even though I feel that Pitt should have been a higher seed (they have a very difficult draw), I can't wait until Thursday. I would just rather be home or out watching the games on Thursday and Friday afternoon instead of being at work.

The Bourne Smarter Than Your Average Bear

I don't know why Robert Ludlum named the second book in the Bourne series The Bourne Supremacy rather than my suggested title. I'm currently about half way through the book. Two notes about the book. First, early in the book is a character named Yao Ming. This book was written in the 80s, so I'm sure the author was not referencing the 7'6" basketball player. However, I keep picturing Yao as the basketball player or as a cartoon on The Simpsons (he was a guest star during the post-Super Bowl episode). Second, the only similarities between the book and the movie are the title and the fact that the main character's name is Jason Bourne. That's it.

I should finish this book in the next week, and am probably going to wait a while before I start The Bourne Ultimatum. I might try The Da Vinci Code. Any other book suggestions?

Kevin Pittsnogle

Is there a better name in college basketball than WVU's Kevin Pittsnogle? Pittsnogle...It just roles off the tongue.

I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller

Not only is the title the lyric of the week (courtesy of Skee-lo's 1995 hit "I Wish"), but it is also the subject of a radio commercial I heard today. There is a company called HeightMax, which produces a height enhancing supplement. The product is only 12-25 year-olds, so my dream of becoming 5'8" is going to have to wait. I don't know how safe or healthy this is, but wouldn't college and pro basketball players want to take this? When Congress is done with the baseball-steroid hearings, maybe they can investigate this.

Mating Pandas?

National Zoo officials say that it appears that the pandas (Mei Xiang & Tian Tian) will be ready to start mating within the next three days. Apparently this is the only opportunity each year to conceive a panda baby. The zoo has a Pandacam (make sure you scroll down) where you can watch the pandas. If the act actually does occur, there is a chance the video could be disturbing for the younger folks out there. What really is disturbing is the music/noise in the background. It sounds really creepy.

Big News on Mount Soledad

This may only be relevant to people who are living in or have been to San Diego, but the San Diego City Council voted that the giant cross on Mount Soledad must be removed. For those of you not familiar with Mount Soledad, it is the place with the best view of San Diego. Good job San Diego City Council! Plus the president of the Mount Soledad Memorial Association, which built and maintains the cross, seems to be in favor of moving the cross. This seems like win-win all-around, although I know there are a lot of people who are really upset by this.

Know Your States

Are you bored and looking for an educational activity that can take several minutes? Try to Place The State. This is much harder than it looks, especially when you are placing your first few states. I "borrowed" this activity from Andy's Blog.

Son sues dad over Steelers tickets

This article by Rebekah Scott is on the Post-Gazette's website, and I've included it below. I'm sure family gatherings are fun!

There's that special, sacred bond between a father and his son. And then there's Steelers season tickets.

According to a lawsuit filed today in Westmoreland County court, Cranberry resident Daniel Lemke paid his father Herbert of Murrysville $1,920 for his Steelers "seat licenses" in August 2003.

But according to Daniel, his dad never handed over the tickets. Dad intends to sell his seats to someone else for more money, the son says.

Daniel Lemke doesn't want his money back. He wants seats 2 and 3 in Row D, Section 142, at Heinz Field next fall.

"[The seats] are unique and have a special value to the plaintiff," the suit alleges, "for which he cannot obtain a duplicate on the open market."

Daniel Lemke wants the judge to enforce the exchange and make his father pay for his attorney fees, too. When contacted today he said only it's a private family matter and he has no comment. The elder Lemke could not be reached for comment.

Chuck Bell Survives & Advances

Isn't that what it's all about at this time of year? I have been posting information about Chuck's progress in ESPN's The Sports Guy Intern Contest the last few weeks. Chuck even made a guest appearance/comment right here on this blog. Tonight (actually earlier this evening but I didn't check out ESPN.com until recently), Chuck made it through Round 4 and is one of only seven finalists remaining. On behalf of friends, students and alumni of Ithaca College everywhere, I hope Chuck can join the ranks of famous Ithacans like Rikki Lake, David Boreanaz and of course, Love Boat's Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod!

I Need a New Jersey

With Kendrell Bell signing with the Kansas City Chiefs today, I need to buy a new Steelers jersey. I have had no success with my Steelers jerseys lately. In the late-90s, I had a choice of buying a Kordell Stewart or Jerome Bettis jersey. You can probably guess what I got. After Bell won AFC Defensive Player of the Year, I got his jersey. He's been hurt most of the last 3 years. So where do I go from here? Should I buy a new jersey of Hines Ward, Big Ben, someone else or should I go with a classic Steeler (John Stallworth, Mean Joe Greene, etc.)?

In another Steelers move today, they signed wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. I like the move, especially since the Steelers weren't going to pay the amount that Plaxico wants.

It's Getting Hot in Here

Darn it! I missed the first 20 minutes of the first episode of the Real World/Road Rules The Inferno 2. All I know is that the Miz is back and Coral doesn't seem to be there. There's no way she can have a real job. She's a professional Real World/Road Rules Challenge person. Fortunately, since MTV never plays videos anymore, I'm sure I will catch the entire episode in reruns.

Um, I mean, how about those NFL pre-draft workouts?

Wanted: Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental

In my mission to use this blog for good, not evil, I am on a mission to find Betty Crocker's Hamburger Helper - Rice Oriental flavor. My dad is a huge fan of this Hamburger Helper variety, but they don't sell it in Pittsburgh anymore. Actually, they really don't sell it anywhere anymore. Whenever he goes on vacation, he visits the local grocery store, partially looking the Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper. My brother and I have helped him a little over the years. In 1997 on a cross-country road trip, we found and bought several boxes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On my honeymoon last summer, we found some in Skagway, Alaska.

I am calling out to anyone reading this. Please let me know if there is Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental at your grocery store. I will pay for the boxes and shipping, but contact me before you buy it. This is a late birthday/early Father's Day gift.

Thank you for your support.

Update February 2008: I still receive numerous hits from people searching for Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper. If you are searching for it, I've put together a list of places where it is available (with links) here.

Sunday Ramblings

- I like Hootie & the Blowfish and thought they had some really good songs in the 90s. Are things that bad that Hootie (aka Darius Rucker) now dresses up as a cowboy and sings in a Burger King commercial?

- From the "I feel old" department, I got recertified as a soccer ref over the weekend. I first got certified in 1990. Some of the people in the recertification class were probably in diapers or not even born when I first got certified.

- From the "I feel young" department, I saw Sideways last night. Very good flick, and I feel like I should go to a winery ASAP. I was also happy to see that Lowell from Wings got some work. The ONLY downside was we were by far the youngest people in the audience.

- O-H...I-O. Big win for Ohio State against #1-ranked and previously unbeaten Illinois today in college basketball. It was a great basketball day. #3 Kentucky lost to Florida, #2 Carolina beat #6 Duke and #7 Kansas lost to Missouri.

- Lyric of the week: "Come together all over the world From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls" - Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani featuring Eve. Although I was not a big fan initially of remaking Fiddler on the Roof, this song is definitely growing on me.

The Sports Guy Intern Contest - Elite Eleven

Congrats to Chuck Bell for advancing to Round 4 of The Sports Guy Intern Contest on ESPN.com. I've been writing about the intern contest over the past few weeks because A) The Sports Guy is one of my favorite columnists (I go to his homepage on ESPN nearly everyday and B) I knew Chuck from college, he's a good guy and I'm pulling for him.

I am writing this post at 2:17AM, and I'm not tired. I could be in trouble on Monday morning if I'm not tired again tomorrow night.

It's Still Winter, Right?

I wrote about the weather in the DC area a few times over the past week because we had several inches of snow, although less than what was expected. Even though the weather is nice today, there is still snow on the ground. Between the snow still on the ground and the fact that it's still winter, you would think (OK, I would think) that there would be sweaters at Kohl's. There were none, although shorts and bathing suits were available. I'm sure Kohl's is not alone. If I go to any other store, they probably won't have sweaters either. This just doesn't seem right.

Sean = Football Coaching Genius?

Definitely not for real football, but I am doing very well as the coach of the Miami University RedHawks in EA Sports' NCAA Football 2005. In my first two seasons, I am 21-6 with a MAC title and two bowl wins. I was rewarded a 6-year contract extension and turned down coaching jobs at Michigan and Oregon State because I wanted to see if I could win a National Championship or at least go to a BCS Bowl game with players I recruited. Yes, this is an XBox game and it's a nice way to unwind after work. Anyway, the Big 10 invited me and Miami to join the conference. So for this upcoming season (that I'm sure will start over the weekend), I will face Ohio State, Penn State, etc.

You may be asking (well, probably not), how can the Big 10 add another team? The answer: they kicked out Michigan State, who is now in the MAC (and projected to finish 6th in the conference). There is no chance this would ever happen in real life. Miami has 14,000 undergrads compared to 40,000 at Michigan State. There's the history and tradition of MSU football (Plaxico Burress) and especially basketball. However, Miami was the home of Ben Roethlisberger, so maybe this is a good move! :)

POP vs. Soda vs. Coke

My sister-in-law sent me this fantastic map of the most popular term used for pop (or soft drink, cola, etc.) for every county in the U.S. I'm sad to say that I live in a predominantly green/olive state.

Congrats Nats!

I almost forgot...congratulations to the Washington Nationals baseball team on their first win! They defeated the Mets 5-3 yesterday in an exhibition game.

Magically Delicious

In my bowl of Lucky Charms yesterday morning, there were almost no marshmallows. I was worried that General Mills was cutting back. I was all set to call the General to see what was going on. Even though I didn't contact them, the General and Lucky Charms leprechaun must have sensed my concern as there were plenty of marshmallows this morning. Little things like this can really set a tone for the day.

Battle of the American Bands

The Florida Times Union in Jacksonville has a 64-band bracket for the greatest American band. I haven't done a thorough look at this, but my brother pointed out that Boston and Kansas are missing and I would include the Foo Fighters. I have a problem with some of the seeding. How can the Doors or CCR be a #1 seed over Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band? Bon Jovi an 11 seed while J Giles Band is a 9? Creed a 12-seed (they shouldn't be in this) while Green Day is a 14?

Final Weather Post (Hopefully)

It's nice to know that other people living in the DC area can make fun of people's reaction to (or threat of) snow. From today's Washington Post...

To: All ActionEyewitnessTVNews Personnel

From: News director

Subj: Snow coverage.

Folks: Just wanted to offer a few reminders about how our TV station covers snowfall in the Washington area:

1. We mobilize "full team coverage" whenever snow is predicted, is falling or has fallen. We also do it if snow might fall. Or if it happens to be January, February or March.

2. Backdrop graphics: Before it snows, the sign on screen should read, "Snow on the Way?" If we get 1 to 2 inches, it's "Snow Emergency!" Three to 7 inches: "Killer Storm!" Anything more, we run with "Avalanches, Cannibalism Feared."

3. Anchors: Use dramatic verbs, even for minimal snow totals. Bad: "The region received a dusting today." Better: "Snow paralyzed/pummeled/blasted/buried the Washington area today." Better still: "Armageddon."

4. Reporting locales: The overpass. The city salt hut. The big-box hardware store. The supermarket (remember: Any market in which three shoppers are buying milk, bread or toilet paper simultaneously constitutes "panic buying").

5. Interview subjects: Anyone out walking or driving in snow. (Required question: "You're walking/driving . . . in THIS weather?") Cute kids home from school. The first guy to buy a shovel at Home Depot.

6. Best winter-weather footage, in terms of ratings: a) Car/bus failing to climb icy hill; b) More impressive snowfall somewhere else; c) Two cars skidding into each other (will accept video of this occurring ANYWHERE in U.S.).

7. Advice to weather forecasters: "Snow" is a terribly overused word. Instead, use weathery sounding words such as "precip" or "wintry mix." When in doubt, fall back on "the white stuff."

8. As soon as the snow stops, go with new graphic: "Winter Wonderland!"

And never admit we got the forecast wrong. Bundle up!

-- Paul Farhi