Field of Deets

I nearly forgot...

Pats 27
Eagles 20

Don't forget to watch the Poker Superstars on NBC two hours before game time.

The Thursday Night TV Report is back...

The OC has become a ratings craving dick tease over the past three weeks.

But I still have to like it. While they dangle the Marissa/Alex affair in front of our faces and tease us with the possibility of Sandy hooking up with Rebecca while we all scream no and now, most recently, with the resurgence of the Seth and Summer chemistry, they are still able to throw in some snappy, witty dialogue.

Caleb Nichol pulled perhaps maybe the quickest "near death experience epiphany" off while the writers squirted the cheese out of the can on to the cracker that is Lindsay.

But I think I was right in my last entry about the OC, that the last three episodes are all building to a great one next week.

What do we have to look forward to? Kirsten v. Rebecca, Kirsten v. Sandy, Marissa and Alex, Summer and Seth, Julie Cooper is due to fuck some shit up, Ryan will have a low key episode while he fascilitates some more heart break for Lindsay at the hands of Caleb. Is his epiphany legit, and if it is, does it last and what does that mean for the future of Julie Cooper? Will Summer's boyfriend become strictly kitchen table fodder for her while Seth takes on poolhouse convo status. I think so, but not for 2-3 episodes, just in time for Seth to have to choose between comic book and Summer.

Ah, tune in next week, same OC time, same OC channel.

Sorry, that was cheesy as hell.

And CSI:

Sara is losing it. Grissom wants her, Catherine doesn't. The Team is split and needs to re-unite. Remind to write about how CSI and the movie LA Confidential are similar.

I haven't heard anything, but this plotline and last summer's contract issues are setting up a perfect exit for Jorja Fox's character. Maybe she will kill somebody, you never know. They need to have a new episode with a great, classic CSI case.

I'm splitting for the weekend, but I can guarentee some entertaining stories come Sunday or Monday.

Until Then.

Running Commentary on the State of the Union Address (I'm watching via the NY Times website):

Are all these pre-speech formalities necessary? Does there need to be an escort committee? Honestly. And with Bill Frist on it, the ranking KKK member in the Senate? They might as well have The Govenator, with a rose between his teeth, carry The Prez in draped over his shoulders.

Applauding The Wife (That's how he probably refers to her in private circles: The Wife)... how nice.

Formalities. I suppose some of these folks have earned their time in the limelight, but can the government just get over itself for a few minutes?

Ah, at last, the cabinet, the seven dwarves, three stooges, and a handful of Smurfs... most of whom were second on the depth chart.

And welcome America's Caeser, Dictator, Emperor, King (notice: all are unelected positions whose occupiers have been known to invade other countries for the hell of it).

They stood and clapped. They sat down. He was announced. They stood and clapped again. He basked.

He uses careful language when talking about spreading liberty around the world. He calls it an "ideal," which makes it more difficult to oppose and some may even think that its not opposable.

"Confident and Strong" - words to describe the State of the Union... now qualify those please...

Lame gray hair joke as he leads into discussing setting up the country for future generations, setting us up for working 'til we're 75 and fighting in Iraq for 15 more years.

He says we've added 2.3 million new jobs, but how many have been lost?

He says he's going to keep America the economic leader of the world... well I hope so, you'd really have to be a horse's ass to fuck that up. But we need to give a little space for the obvious to be mentioned.

Restraining government spending... as they are doing by paying columnists to promote their policies... And cutting the deficit in half by 2009? Can we get some odds on this, can we bet on this in Vegas, I'll throw my entire bank account on it not happening.

I like this one, seriously, protecting small businesses from stupid regulations. That does need to happen.

See, I'm a Libertarian, so I will probably like some of the economic things in this speech, since Libertarians are pretty much extreme fiscal conservatives and extreme social liberals.

He is actually doing a pretty good job speaking, of course he's had many weeks to practice a lot of this speech. But I think a lot of people, especially my age, 21, and younger, forget just how great of a speaker Bill Clinton is. I would pay to see him speak, no matter what he's talking about, just to see him speak because he is so skilled at it.

That thing about immigration was a veiled redneck approach to hating on people coming over the borders.

Here we go, Social Security, this will be interesting... "For you (people over 55) the social security system will not change in any way." After he said he got a standing O. Why? Isn't that pretty much saying, "For the old folks, I'm doing nothing!"

Bankrupt in 2042... the Democrats didn't like that very much.

How much ass kissing do you think goes on during these things? Young guys with ambition trying to suck some senate veteran cock... It has to be unbearable.

He's really trying to undermine the Democrats by implying they have no interest in improving anything. It's happening in subtle ways, but it is surely happening.

You have to pick apart the language in these things. How does he word things, how does he soften things, or exaggerate things, or step around things and disguise things. You have to read between the lines of these things.

Personal Accounts. I like them. Give me my money. Let me grow it. Here's the problem with that. Not everyone will plan enough in advance or give a damn enough and then they will be 65 and broke. Here comes the liberal ideal, we all work to make for other people's fuck ups. This is pretty much an underlying principle in America, and it has been even more so since FDR.

Marriages. Shut up, George, you gay hater. He loves Dick, but hates homosexuals. I just don't understand this. With in 10 years gay marriage will be legal. It is a matter of time and it is the right thing to do. It is just like civil rights and women's rights, it took a fight and time and the right things were done.

Stem cell research, embyo research... This is a must!!! If you can cure diseases by learning from these things, then why not do it, or at least try? There is no reason not to... absurd. Curing diseases like cancer is going to take every possible resource. There is no reason to stand in the way and help cancer keep killing. When I have cancer in about 30 years, I want there to be a cure.

He just said the government is going to support faith-based initiatives. I'm going to support tieing a noose around his balls and reading him the first ammendment where it says that the gov't shall recognize no religion.

Here's a neat little trick his speech writers pulled: He pumped his war in Iraq, then, right at the end he thanked the troops... which pretty much means the Democrats have to stand up and clap or they'll like troop-haters, but them standing also makes them look like they also support Bush's manifest destiny.

Although he is speaking rather well, it is still funny how careful he is with words over three syllables.

"the force of human freedom" That, my friends, is a bunch of words that sound good together but mean jack shit.

Frequently used words: tyranny, freedom, hatred, liberty, free, terror, advance, peace, democracy, safe

I am already dreading the "God Bless America" line at the end.

"Landmark events in the history of liberty" More non-sensicle babble with no fucking meaning

Cunnilingus Rice, why don't you just bend over for him? Maybe you have, how long 'til your book comes out?

GWB is awfully concerned with a lot of countries. Let's get USA back on track first. Then, with Iran, he really ought to pay attention to North Korea.

Notice: he said "weapons of mass murder" - not "weapons of mass destruction" - ah ha... linguistics, he wants to stay away from WMD's, since they never showed up and blew his excuse for raiding Iraq, which then became to spread Democracy.

Convenient how the elections in Iraq were held days before the State of the Union...

Waiting for hints of an exit plan out of Iraq....

I bet Bush will make an ass load of money in oil in Iraq or some shit when he gets out of office. That's probably why he wanted to "free" it.

He just said he would help everyone who has been injured in war recover by any means necessary. He lied. He's restricting medical research with the stem cell and embryo thing.

Why isn't G-Dubs clapping for the Norwood parents?

This is well-written speech that will trick many Americans. Don't let it fool you, read the transcript or watch it again. Pull out the meaning of what he said, you won't be able to pull much out.

There it was... God Bless America... STOP SAYING THAT!

Mission Accomplished!

Let's say you're walking out of a restaurant with a doggy bag of leftover chicken and a homeless dude came to you and said, "Hey, can you spare a little change for a fellow human?"

You reply by offering the down-on-his-luck bum your leftover chicken, but he turns it down saying he is a vegetarian. What would you say to that?

I missed the State of the Union Address. I was pissed when I realized I forgot to record it. Instead, I was attending my roommates' basketball game. They hosted UDubya-Whitewater last night and got beat. I caught part of it on a rerun, but I was kind of drunk at that point. I'm going to read the transcript and dish out some thoughts between classes today.

I must leave in 7 minutes to continue with my 100% attendance. This may be the longest I have gone into a semester without skipping: 7 school days.

Until Then.

President Bush gave a speech last Thursday. I became angry and frustrated while reading it and here's why:

Bush: "...I renewed this nation's commitment to expanding liberty at home and promoting liberty abroad."

Dubya, if you call the Patriot Act "expanding liberty" or occupying another country as "promoting liberty" then I am going to go ahead and call myself a professional poker player because I made fifty bucks today online. Expanding Liberty? He and his administration have done the exact opposite. They are trying to stand in the way of a woman's right to choose and homosexual marriages, and, most recently, have tainted the free press by buying off columnists to promote their agenda.

Bush: "Because our own freedom is enhanced by the expansion of freedom in other nations, I set out the long-term goal of ending tyranny in our world. This will require the commitment of generations. But we're seeing much progress in our own time."

So GWB is trying to set it up so our country stays on the same path it is on for generations to come? Really, how long before we're out of Iraq? 5 years? 10? He's already made the next president's job much harder than it needed to be.

Bush: "Across the world, freedom has deadly enemies. Yet across the world freedom has great and growing momentum."

Really? 'Cause I don't see Switzerland or Canada getting blown to shit and they seem to be living in "freedom." Freedom is such a misunderstood word. Bush uses it as a diversion device to direct America's thinking away from what is really going on. He thinks if he keeps saying freedom and liberty over and over that people will ignore his fuck ups. Unfortunately, we're the same country who bought Milli Vanilli.

Bush: "I'll ask the House and Senate to act soon on the issue of Social Security so that we don't pass a bankrupt system on to our children and our grandchildren."

It is the thought of this blogger that this social security game plan is a result of Bush realizing that his legacy is in grave danger and this is his last ditch effort to leave something positive behind when he leaves.

Bush: "For this new term, I've assembled an exceptional Cabinet and several members are taking office this week."

Errrr... maybe he should have said, "By default I am left with a bunch of my second choices for some cabinet positions because my old cabinet had enough sense to get the hell out while they still could."

Now on the Q & A with the press:

"QUESTION: Your inaugural address has been interpreted as a new aggressive posture against certain countries, in particular, Iran. Should we view it that way?

BUSH: My inaugural address reflected the policies of the past four years that said -- that we're implementing in Afghanistan and Iraq. And it talked about a way forward.

I think America is at its best when it leads toward an ideal. And certainly a world without tyranny is an ideal world."

Just read that. He said we're implementing policies in two other countries. Damn, how arrogant and self-righteous is this administration? Imperialism will be the end of this country. And again he is wrong, no America isn't at its best when it lead toward an ideal; America is at its best when it allows its people to strive to for their own ideal, not the government's.

"QUESTION: Mr. President, in the debate over Dr. Rice's confirmation, Democrats came right out and accused you and the administration of lying in the run-up to the war in Iraq. Republicans, in some cases, [concede] that mistakes have been made.

Now that the election is over, are you willing to concede that any mistakes were made? And how do you feel about that?

BUSH: Let me talk about Dr. Rice. You asked about her confirmation.

Dr. Rice is an honorable, fine public servant who needs to be confirmed. She will be a great secretary of state.

And Dr. Rice and I look forward to moving forward. We look forward to working to make sure the Iraqis have got a democracy. We look forward to continue to make sure Afghanistan is as secure as possible from potential Taliban resurgence. We look forward to spreading freedom around the world. And she is going to make a wonderful secretary of state.

QUESTION: No reaction to the lying? No reaction?

[LAUGHTER]

BUSH: Is that your question? The answer's no. Next.

[LAUGHTER]"

I can't finish. I'm getting too pissed off. Just read the rest for yourself and then slap yourself on the wrist if you voted for him.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/26/bush.transcript/index.html

I'm scared for the State of the Union Address tomorrow. How much bullshit can he spit at the country in a few hours? We'll find out.

Until I Cool Off.

Hey, for all you OC fans who read this thing, I was cruising around Blogland when I came upon this one: Frozen Toothpaste. He wrote about The OC today, you might want to check that out and keep going to back for updates. He also wrote about Sammy, so check that out Cub fans.

I added a bunch of links on the right side of my blog. Check them. I wouldn't take the time to put them up if they didn't entertain me.

I had two classes today and in the first I got to answer a question about grammar. For those of you who read this thing, you will know that that gave me great pleasure. And in the second class we talked about malapropisms and other interesting language things. For a word geek like me, the time flew by.

Malapropisms are really fun. I need to find some good ones that have actually been used.

Two really short posts so far today. More to come.

Good luck Lady Blugolds tonight. Sorry, but I will probably stay home and watch the Illinois-Michigan State game.

Funny thing just happened. Here's the convo I had with Roommate Shane:

Shane: "Hey, do you know anything about cheese?"
Me: "It melts in the microwave."
Shane (holding a package of provolone cheese): "Well, yeah, but is this, like, sandwich cheese?"
Me: "Yeah, you could get it at Subway if you wanted."
Shane: "Really? Sweet." (He walks back to the kitchen) "Ah Fuck! It's moldy."

College.

Until Later.

My Dad, brother Bryce, and aunts Debbie and Rene will be in town on Friday night for some dinner and maybe a hockey game. Rene is back in the states from Ethiopia for a medical check up. She got the "all clear" and flying back home on Saturday. Imagine traveling half way around the world to have a test done. At least the company they are there through paid for her travel expenses. Her family was in the States for three years about three years ago while my uncle, Phil, recieved his docterate degree in theology. Previously they had spent 10 years in Tanzania and Kenya as missionaries. Now Phil is a professor at a seminary in Addis finishing up his service as part of their agreement that the seminary would pay for his most recent education. I haven't seen them in almost two years, so it will be nice to chat with Rene.

Class in 7 minutes. Still going strong with 100% attendance.

Until Later.

What are you going to read about in this fractured entry?
- Basketball
- News
- The Twins/Baseball
- The Neighbors
- A Religion I didn't know about
- Beer
- Politics
- Paranoia

Archie went off for 8 of 10 from the arc tonight, a school record. The team set a record with 16 three pointers in a route of Wisconsin Lutheran. Jesse wanted to have no stats when he looked at the boxscore, but he had 2 dimes and a board. Will grabbed Gibby's ass.

I spoke. Jesse wrote. They read. Then came the backlash. I like my own shirt.

I just lost a hold 'em game after playing some truly shitty poker. Focus, Deets. It was probably the quickest five player game in the history of this house.

Talk about disrespecting a name... This guy is one of the more dispicable members of our specie.

"Ignorance about the basics of this free society is a danger to our nation's future." That is quote from a foundation that was quoted in this cnn.com article. Read it, then read on here: Should we just mail in the future of the country now? How are we not teaching kids about these things and why are they not caring? The next plague that will wipe out people in this country is not going to be a medical one, it is going to be APATHY. Apathy will end our country eventually, when you people start pushing kids out, teach them about these things at a young age. How do people not care about the first amendment? That's a mind fuck.

In case you haven't heard, the government is now advising all people to keep large quantities of beer in their automobile's winter survival kit. This message was paid for by Anheuser-Busch Inc.

If you aren't paying attention to this social security business that is going down in Washington, you better start because it's going to determine at what age you can safely retire. It's odd to me that all of a sudden politicians are jumping on the proverbial third rail of politics. Let's fuck some shit up, huh Washington Stiffs? I want to work 'til I am 85. Now by principle, I'm not a fan of social security, I would rather be responsible for my own future, but while this system is in place, we need to make it right.

Drama what? Okay, quasi-drama... So these Blogs Jesse and I write have aparently started, or maybe perpetuated, a bit of neighborly spat. The comment by Anonymous (she can post her name on here if she wants to - I'm going to continue to respect her privacy), who we will call J-Harm (after female poker player Jennifer Harmon, since Anonymous used a poker metaphor) left on my last post as well a few IM's I've received from her roommates make it quite clear that these readers of our blogs were offended by some of the remarks we've made. That will happen, but you won't find apologies on here. But here are some things to think about:

A quote from Jesse's Blog: "...skipped the shirt swapping party at our neighbor's house.... i was told it was a good move by me..... it sounded like the party had potential..."

What meaning can you extract from that? You can deduce that we (Will and I) told Jesse that he probably wouldn't have had fun. Does that mean that Will and I didn't have fun? No. If you know Jesse and me, you know that we have tons in common, but also differ in opinion on tons of things. I had fun at the party, and Jesse may have as well if he had gone. You can have fun at any party as long as you are in the proper company... and we were, so for the sake of my friends who I like to hang with, I assure you that I enjoyed your company Friday Night. I wasn't all about the shirt swapping thing, and if I wasn't all about it, I know Jesse would have been less about it - if that makes sense. So anyway, I've written far too much, but don't take it personally, it isn't worth it nor is it justifiable.

As far as the comment: 1) Look at the time and the day... Let's make a list of things I won't be doing on a Friday night at 2:41 AM (she was right, the call came on Saturday, but it was after Friday night out - I had to check my phone to be sure.)

1) Driving
2) Homework
3) Playing Poker Online
4) Juggling Well
5) Calling my Father

Draw your own conclusion.

I don't want to make this any more petty than I already have and it already is, but that should be noted. And thanks for the honesty, but no, it didn't hurt.

On to things you might actually give a shit about:

If you've checked out my links on the right side of this page, you will see one that reads Paul Phillips. If you clicked on it, the first entry you probably read was about his belief system as far as religious ideas are concerned. I am totally fascinated about how he responded. He titled himself an Apatheist. That blew me back because it is an -eist word with an a- beginning that I've never heard of. Reading about it was quite intrigueing. I wouldn't call myself this, but I bet that many, many church-goers fall into this category. Check it out... maybe it fits you!

Check out this take from Tony Pierce on the Sammy Sosa deal. I don't know what Jim Rome's take was, but I promise this is better.

If born again Christians crack me up, which they do, then born again Virgins make me explode from the inside out.

Right now I am drinking my fourth beer and eating Pringles and carrots. Weird combo for a Monday night I would say.

Burnitz to the Cubs? Oh man, I'm sorry Chicago fans. If the Twins got rid of Torii Hunter and picked up Bernie Williams I would feel the same way.

The Twins named Brad Radke their opening day starter already. Thoughts:
1) Why so early?
2) Only in Minnesota would the Cy Young Award winner (Santana) take a back seat for the sake of tradition. Radke has started seven straight opening days for the Twins.
3) Just fucking start Santana. There's been a changing of the Ace in Minnesota.

I am crawling out of my skin waiting for the baseball season to start. Every season for the past five years I have become increasingly excited for Training Camp, Opening Day, The Playoffs. It's ridiculous. I would give half of my right pinky toe if the season started today.

Santana declined a 3 year deal for 25 million. That's not much more than Kris Benson or Jared Wright got. Offer the man 6 years for 66 million. Please. Give it to him. Backload the thing, whatever, get it done. Give him a few lakes in Minnesota, just go long term with the safe bet. Pohlad blows.

Do you ever get that feeling that you are being watched, but you aren't, but you keep checking, then you have to tell yourself you are an idiot, but then you look again one more time just to be sure? Me too.

I'm lazy.

I read the transcript of President GWB's speech/press conference last Wednesday. I need to rip apart the language for you and tell you what he was really saying. After I do that, which will happen tomorrow, please send the link to someone in the South.

Until Then.

I spent 11 straight hours on the couch watching TV today.

Alana and Lucy, the LAX girls, were kind enough to wake me up at 10 this morning after we didn't crash until 4:30 AM the night before. Thanks, Girls.

It started out with Con-Air on the USA Network at noon. Then I watched 7 hours of Inside of the Actors Studio on Bravo, Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, 2 hours of Clint Eastwood, Jamie Foxx, and 2 hours with Robert Redford. After that marathon Will and I caught up on the two most recent episodes of Tilt.

I said I would reserve judgement on Tilt until I had seen three episodes. Well now I have. And the show is not bad. If they would get rid of the cheesey ass dialogue during some of the poker hands it would be a lot better. ESPN also placed it in a stupid time slot: Thursday nights at 8, the same time as TV's number one show, CSI. Tilt isn't going to win out over CSI in this house. But I can understand why ESPN put it there, they have to work around a million college basketball games, but Thursday night at 9 would have been much better.

A few quick brain spillings:

I hate Gibbons... the coach, not the mammals.

I love watching the games rather than covering them.

A girl told me I didn't play my cards right with her and that the re-buy would be expensive. While I appreciated the poker metaphor, I failed to mention that I didn't even enter the action on the hand.

There is no better screen duo than Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

I have a bunch of movies out on loan. Please return them if you have them.

I found my lost UWEC sweatshirt. The borrower confessed to the robbery.

Sammy is pretty much on the Orioles. That will be weird.

Scott Erickson signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers. People forget that he tossed a no-hitter once.

Some movies should be required viewing for certain people.

It's funny how cards and girls both look better after a few drinks.

I've been drinking Coors Light lately. Somebody rescue me from myself.

My 9 year old brother Bryce played goalie for his Badger State hockey team this weekend. In the first two games he gave up a combined 1 goal. In the third he gave up 9, but when I spoke to him he was really pumped about the microwave and coffee maker in their hotel room.

The saying is true, youth is wasted on the young.

The regimine starts tomorrow. Stop laughing Jesse and Will, you Fucks.

I bought 15 Apple Jack shots at the bar the other night - good thing I'm not tracking the money flow anymore.

I hate cliche.

And I hate blind optimism.

But I love a little brutal honesty. Throw some my way sometime, a guy can never get enough.

Duke's sacred son J.J. Reddick missed three free throws in Sunday night's game.

Momma loves Funions.

I was at a t-shirt swapping party on Friday. It would have been cooler if it was a bodily fluid swapping party.

Don't you think Shaq and Lisa Leslie should be forced to procreate just to see what comes out?

You should watch Judgment at Nuremberg with Spencer Tracy, Richard Widmark, Burt Lancaster, and Maximilian Schell.

Did you know Heather Graham is 35?

This week better fly by so the painful Super Bowl analysis will just go away and we can watch the fucking game already.

Thursday Night TV Reports from the last two OC's:

Blah. Those two and the next one are all building toward a monumental episode in two weeks.

That's done now.

Hey, I still have a list of shit to get to, don't I?

Everyone in my Psych330 class is supposed to wear their favorite t-shirt to class tomorrow. I can't for our "feel good, get to know ya" session tomorrow while we discuss them.

That was sarcastic.

Lucy and I killed at Hockey Saturday night.

Somebody make Spring Break plans for us because we're just not getting the job done.

Time to turn myself off.

Until Tomorrow.