Verified!

Just a reminder that regardless of wins and losses, Joe Paterno is still the greatest college coach at this time.

Excerpt from this week's Tuesday Morning Quarterback column:


"Tuesday Morning Quarterback has presented so many examples of bad sportsmanship in college, it is refreshing to offer an example of good sportsmanship. Leading 56-3 at halftime against Illinois, Penn State did not attempt a forward pass in the second half. Taking possession on the Illinois 17 with 2:19 remaining and a 63-10 lead, the Nittany Lions knelt on the ball four times to end the game. The whole second half for Penn State was Class with a capital "C". At many colleges that routinely run up the score, such as Texas Tech, they don't know much about class -- but then, nobody on the football team goes to class."

Weekend of Karma

Don’t tell me not to be superstitious, don’t try to dissuade me from believing in Kosmic Karma, don’t try to persuade me that the football gods don’t sit on high and chortle at our feeble efforts to appease them.

Just as I said Penn State lost to Michigan, since the 49ers weren’t playing, there was no sports team to take the wrath of Jeeves (the football god of losing). Penn State tried their best, but it sure is hard to beat a quality team AND the football gods at the same time.

This past week though was another matter, Jeeves had his whipping boys back (San Fran) so Penn State should be safe, right?

Penn State - 63
Illinois - 10

They certainly were. Don’t let the score deceive you, JoePa leashed the dogs very quickly, benching his starters before the end of the 1st half, and didn’t throw a pass the rest of the game. The only Penn State players who caught passes and scored touchdowns in the second half were playing for the defense.

53 point win…..this does not bode well for the 49ers.



Washington – 52
San Francisco – 17


DOH!

Oh well, at least things have returned to normal.

Why I'm Superstitious

Many people scoff, some people shake their heads sadly, but no one can shake my incredible superstitious nature regarding sports. Why did the 49ers lose to Dallas a few weeks ago? Were they just overmatched? No, it was because Wife #1 was making fun of the 49ers’ quarterback’s last name. Rattay.

“Rattatay! Rattatay!” She chanted, just before he threw a pick in the 4th quarter that led to the winning points.

“Rattatay! Rattatay!” She continued to mock later, just before Rattay threw an interception that sealed the loss.Was the loss Rattay's fault? No! Wife #1 is to blame!

Against the Cardinals there was just too much bad mojo going against them. Penn State had pounded Minnesota, which was ranked #18 in the country at that time. This victory would vault PSU into the top 20 for certain. There was no way the football gods would give me two good wins during one weekend, so San Francisco would have to suffer.

A PSU Victory - The True Reason the 49ers Lost

This past week the 49ers were going up against the undefeated Colts, the 49ers were also starting the first pick overall in the draft – Alex Smith. Normally I would have held out hope still, since crazier things have happened, but not that afternoon. The night before I watched as Penn State, now ranked #16, defeated Ohio State, who was ranked #6. PSU stayed unbeaten, making their record 6 – 0, the beat down of Ohio State ensured a top ten ranking this week. (They are ranked #8 this week.)

San Francisco had no hope, I could have told the 60,000+ fans at Candlestick to stay home, there was no hope.

So San Francisco is 1 – 4, they lost four defensive backs to injuries, including two starters and their nickleback, they are starting a rookie quarterback, and their defense is on the field too long, they have a good chance of losing all the rest of their games. I promise I will try my hardest to watch all their games too.

But who cares? Penn State is 6 – 0!!! Until they lose at Michigan….49ers have a bye this week….not good.

Watching Losers Lose

I read an article about a guy at a Cubs' game back when the Cubs were still the lovable losers. He wrote that he heard someone chatting on his cellphone. Apparently he was asked by the person on the other end what he was doing. His response?

"Watching these (Bleeping) losers lose!"

That has always stuck in my mind, I had never followed a team that was so pathetically inept that their fans had grown accustomed to them losing constantly....until now.

In the first quarter of the game against Arizona, the 49ers defense scored two touchdowns. Let me reiterate, the DEFENSE put up 14 points. The offense didn't score all game, in fact, they ran one play on the opponent's side of the field, it ended in a fumble.

The Cardinals, inept themselves, could only really manage field goals at first, then a touchdown, then more field goals, then a final touchdown, making the final score 31-14. Two touchdowns, one failed PAT, and six field goals. They were on the field at least for 40 of the total 60 minutes. Not a recipe for success.

Alex Smith to the Rescue?

But I will continue to watch the losers lose. Fortunately Coach Nolan has brought interest to the season again by starting Alex Smith. This is saying that it is over for the 2005 49ers playoff hopes, but they weren't burning all that brightly at the moment anyway.

At least when the losers lose in the future, Alex Smith will be learning from it, and maybe next year we can try out this whole winning games thing for a change.

Iowa Death Trip

Yesterday Wife #1 and I went to Iowa to go to a pain clinic there to see if they had any bright ideas on what to do to help her back.  I left without much hope and I was proven correct.  What made things worse was that the doctor was a complete jerk.

I hate doctors who have god complexes.  I want to remind them that Christ rose again so in fact no one had really died and made them god.

This guy had a Napoleon complex as well, he was short and German, Wife #1 was looking for the swastika in his office somewhere and was scared that he had seen our last name and guessed our heritage.

Is it really too much for me to wish that he would choke on his mustache?  Or better yet, after he gets denied a ride on a roller coaster, since he needs to be over 4’ 10” to ride it, I think it would be great if he threw such a hissy fit that security would be forced to taser him to death.

I really need to try to be more forgiving of people, at times I remember that Christ forgave His enemies while they tortured and murdered Him.

I generally wouldn’t have that attitude, heck, I hope that after some dope cuts me off that his car will explode in a flaming fireball of death.  Or at least have a wheel fall off so he rolls about fifteen times.

Yeah, I think forgiveness is a weakness in your character…

What would be really cool is if the doctor would survive his tasering only to cut me off…..

Gotta work on forgiveness.

Precious Death

I went to a funeral for a friend’s mother a few days ago.  She was 57 when she died, so it brought back some memories of the last time I attended a funeral for someone who had died at a young age, my mother.

My uncle had recently lost his mother in July of 2003 and my mother, who was a very caring person….

Too bad it didn’t rub off on you…

….had written a note to him, intending to send it, but had most likely forgotten to mail it for several days, she had a poor memory…

Which DID rub off on you…

When the note was found, it was given to my uncle and after he read it he passed it around for everyone to read.  Some people do not believe that there is a plan, that God hasn’t decided what things will happen at what time.  Bah!

There is only one line I really remember from the note:  “…it is never a good time to lose a parent…”

What are the chances of such a great coincidence that Mom would write this note, then forget to mail it for several days, just so that we could find it on the day of her funeral?  It was lying near the container of Sting-Off that she had put on the bee stings before she started feeling faint.  The memory of that little bottle always brings tears to my eyes.  It summarizes perfectly what happened, it is a small, yellow bottle that is sold in many stores filled with an ointment that you put on insect bites and bee stings.  It costs five dollars.  It is meant to treat minor injuries, and that is what it should have been, a minor injury, but it turned into something completely different.  It still amazes people when I tell them that my mother died from a bee sting.  There must be a plan.

“…it is never a good time to lose a parent…..”

The woman that died recently didn’t die from a bee sting, she suffered greatly from a variety of ailments.  Her pastor spoke of one time when he visited her, she couldn’t wait until her sister had left the room so that she could ask him to do her funeral service.  He said that he tried to dodge the question a little, but she told him “the end is coming soon.”

He had been friends with her for many years and I could see that he had not wanted to admit to himself the truth.  We can talk about how we believe in Heaven, that there is glory for believers after death, but the first time you lose someone close to yourself, someone you had known for years, you are confronted with the choice of whether or not you TRULY believe.
At the funeral for Grandpa #3, his pastor said that Heaven is not truly important until you know someone there.  How true.

Her pastor asked her several times over the course of his visits with her, “Are you scared?”

The end was coming, she would slip from her toils on this earth, this land of pain and sadness, and depart to a place where no more would she feel pain, sorrow, anger, or hatred, only love, happiness, and joy.  She would be with her Savior, but was she scared of the journey?

“No,” she always replied.  

Death where is your sting?

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

---Psalm 116:15

There is still sorrow, there is still the void left by the departure of your mother that can’t really be filled.  You have to go through the rest of this life without being able to talk to her again, without hugging her again, without seeing her again, and it is really hard.

A lady spoke at the funeral, the woman’s aunt, and she told everyone that there was only one way to see her again, that there was one path to be rejoined with your departed friend, and that was through Christ.  I liked that.  I’m certain there were people in darkness at the funeral and hearing the Gospel one more time is always a good thing.  Or it could condemn them all the more, but it must be heard.

One day we will all be together again, one day we will all be able to talk to each other about nothing like we used to.  The last thing I talked to my mother about was Biofreeze.  I used to rub Biofreeze on Wife #1’s back and it would help somewhat and I had run out.  At that time it was mostly just sold on the at chiropractor’s offices and they didn’t like selling it to non-patients.  Mom offered to run to her chiropractor and get some more, but we found it online for a better deal so it wasn’t necessary.  I’m not sure if I told her that I loved her to end the call, I think I did.  I know I did the last time I saw her, which was in New Jersey less than a week before, we were all heading back home after attending my aunt’s wedding.

Two things I will never forget, the last time we talked was about Biofreeze and the last time I saw her was in New Jersey.  There has to be a grand plan to things.

College more important than $10,000,000.00?

Just a quick post for all you non-traditional education people who feel dumped on by people screaming that you need to go to college. One of the main arguments for college has been that you will make more money with a college degree than without one, unless you major in something stupid like geography, English, or elementary education.

A writer for the Washington Post, Sally Jenkins, is screaming now about Michelle Wie. Michelle Wie is a sixteen year old golfing phenom who turned pro yesterday. She promised that she would finish high school...

Ummm, I really don't think that is too much to ask

....and she said that she would go to college.

Why?

Sally Jenkins is screaming that Wie is somehow ruining her life by turning pro, knowing full well that she will not be going to college. Why go to college? If Wie had turned pro before last year she would have earned $700,000.00 in winnings. Hard to make that much as a seventh grade teacher.

It is estimated that she will make ten MILLION dollars (that is SEVEN zeros to the left of the decimal point) in endorsements this next year. So apparently she should miss out on that in order to be able to join a sorority and partake in binge drinking parties.

I am very in favor of going to college, I think most people should go to college, I have met far too many single women working at a minimum wage job since their husbands died and they have to support their family. BUT saying that Michelle Wie should go to college is foolishness, in fact it is the height of stupidity.

Some people try to scream racism because people like myself want basketball players to go to college before turning pro. The reason for that is pure selfishness on my part, players straight from high school most often suck. The quality of play in the NBA has steadily decreased as the average age of NBA players has decreased.

Michelle Wie only gets paid for doing well, that is how golf works, same with tennis. If she is able to make money by playing golf well, more power to her, I only wish I was that good.

Can Anything Good Come from ABC?

“When people at church ask me how I can have cable with kids in the house, I tell them not to worry since I make sure to block the networks.”

---Rob Stewart

It is a rare event for me to actually watch a TV show.  Rarer still for me to be hooked by one.  There have only been two shows in recent memory that have caused me to look forward to watching the next installment, Firefly and 24.

Lost has been added to that short list.  As of this moment you can get the DVDs of the first season from Blockbuster (or Netflix) and watch the whole season.  There are few things in life I will guarantee, but I will mostly guarantee that you will like this show.  Unless you are a hopeless “ninja-weenie” or think that any show that doesn’t have Chuck Norris in it is a waste of time.

Rating:  Perfect 5 out of 5!

How apropoe...apropoh...apru......How appropriate!

Seeing as where I work, I found this quite amusing. Health insurance will be the doom of us all!!!

Agony of Defeat

There was a famous sportscaster who called games locally for a college team. I think it was the Iowa Hawkeyes, but I could be wrong. After a particularly devastating loss he was heard saying that he envied the national broadcast crews since they weren't so close to the team and didn't feel the sting of close losses.

So why did he keep doing it? Why do schmucks like myself continue to follow teams, why do I care whether or not the 49ers win or lose? As Wife #1 likes to say, and too often during bad losses it seems, the outcome of the game doesn't affect me one way or the other. The fact that I care doesn't make a difference.

The same sportscaster after an amazing comeback win declared how he pitied the national crews since they weren't close to the team and therefore couldn't feel the exultation of victory.

This is what brings me back. TV shows can't touch the sheer drama depicted every week on the football field, most movies fall short in trying to get you to care deeply about a group of guys and their leader. There is something special about the game of football, more than any other sports it brings about the glory of victory and the agony of defeat.

This leads to the Niners blowing a second half lead and losing to the Dallas Cowboys. Why didn it have to be Dallas? Any other team besides Dallas would have been better. I hate the Cowboys.

The Agony of Defeat

Dallas wins the game by a field goal and a game that the 49ers had no business winnning slipped away from them.

Their record is 1 - 2. But they are so much more than that. They have shown that they have a chance to win any game (at home). They have shown that there is a reason to hope that they can pull off the occasional upset, that they are getting better, and that Coach Nolan was the right guy for the job.

Side note about Coach Nolan. His father was an assistant coach for Tom Landry and therefore wore a coat and tie on the sidelines when he became a head coach himself. When Mike Nolan became coach of the 49ers he wanted to wear a suit and tie on the sidelines as well, but since the NFL has a deal with Reebok that says that the coaches have to wear Reebok gear he wasn't allowed since there are no Reebok brand suits.

Reebok then came to Coach Nolan and with his helped started design on a Reebok brand suit and tie, just for him. They are hoping to have it ready for next year. Bringing a little class back to the sidelines can never be a bad thing.

Next game has the 49ers traveling to Mexico City to play the Arizona Cardinals in the first regular season game played outside the US. A primetime game (7:30 CST) on Sunday night. Against the Cardinals. I'm feeling that feeling again. I'm hearing the voice. The voice that whispers that this is a winnable game, the feeling of hope that makes me think that there is a real chance of evening the record, getting back to .500. That there still is a chance of winning the lousy NFC West and making the playoffs.

Please don't let me down.

The CPA - Part IV - Leaving

“In Stockholm syndrome, there is a sudden, terrifying capture. The hostage is stunned, shocked and often certain that he or she will die. The hostage then becomes like an infant. He or she can't talk, eat, move or use a toilet without permission. But then, in every one of these cases, little by little, small acts of kindness by one of the captors evoke feelings deeper than relief. "We knew they were killers, but they gave us blankets, cigarettes," one Dutch ex-hostage told me, going on to explain the warmth and compassion he felt toward the men who chose not to kill him. It would be akin to what an infant feels when he gets attention, relieving his thirst, hunger, wetness or fear of neglect - a primitive gratitude for the gift of life, an emotion that eventually develops and differentiates into varieties of affection and love.”

---Frank Ochberg, MD, writing for the Los Angeles Times

“Relationships can develop in hostage situations whereby victims fall for their captors due to a condition called the Stockholm Syndrome with some continuing their relationship even though the victims' lives are no longer at risk.”

---By Gael Branchereau

By the time 2004 had finally arrived the CPA had been diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person to stop breathing while sleeping. This leads most often to the person waking up, although it has occasionally been fatal. When a person wakes up many times throughout the night they don’t get the deep sleep that is necessary to truly refresh oneself.
The CPA was given a mask that helped him to breathe when he slept. This allowed him to get a full night’s sleep and it had the added affect of making him not as irritable as he usually was. Although he still had a bad temper it did not flare up as often. Of course after a while of having someone screaming at you, there is a tendency to get used to it and not notice it so much.
One example of this was when we were working on correcting the books of a small business that had been the victim of embezzlement. What irritated me most about this wasn’t merely the fact that the bookkeeper had been stealing money from the company and covering it up, but the fact that she had been doing such a poor job at doing her actual job that she got paid to do. I consider that tantamount to stealing, and since she was already stealing money, why not at least do your doggone job right?
Anyway, the CPA said that we should do something a certain way and I said that it was not the right way.

I had certainly learned to be confident. Everyone will be wrong from time to time, the important thing is to at least have a good reason why you are wrong, look confident while you screw up!

Anyway, I knew that if we did this certain entry the way that the CPA wanted to, it would cause problems later for us, so I was determined to stand firm.

As he got angrier at me for disagreeing with me, I told him what was going to occur:

“You will get mad, yell at me for an hour about this, then realize that I was right all along, so we might as well do this the right way and not waste that time.”

This didn’t make him happy of course, so he then proceeded to yell at me for an hour, while I stood my ground, explaining why I was right on this subject. Finally he saw that I was right, I am not kidding either that it was an hour. Of course I had to remind him of the fact that things had gone exactly how I had predicted, he mumbled something about just making me happy and blah blah blah. But we both knew that I was right.

Anyway, after we discovered that I would make more money working less hours for him and getting more from unemployment, he offered to cut my hours, which meant that he would have to do more legwork and data entry stuff.

Of course this meant that I was working 8 hours a week, and unemployment payments were not really all that much. I had to find a new job. I went to interviews and was rejected time after time after time. Fun times those were.

A nice guy felt pity for me and offered me an interview at a non-profit organization in Illinois. I know you all have heard this story before, but what you may not have known is that I told the CPA that I was going to go to Illinois for a job interview. I kept no secrets from him because by this point I knew that he actually wanted me to succeed. I wasn’t just an employee who only existed during the hours that I was there, but I was a person with bills to pay and a family to care for.

When I accepted the position in Illinois I found that I was actually going to miss the grouchy, mean, old man who had taught me more about accounting than I had thought possible. I actually miss him at times. Mostly when I screw up and I realize that I haven’t been “paying attention!!!!!” like I should.

The whole hostage – kidnapper relationship wasn’t really what we had…. at least I don’t think that was our relationship.

Pwnage!

I hate to admit this to all my admiring fans, but I am a fantasy geek. Not only that, but I am a GOOD fantasy geek! And since this is my blog you all get to hear about my football fantasy team at times! I will not be giving it a post all by itself, but I will try to mix it in there how I'm doing. That would be 3-0 and I just crushed my biggest competitor so far. Makes me happy.

If I were superstitious I would have read somthing into the 49ers blowing a 12 point lead while the Penn State Nittany Lions overcame a 13 point deficit and won! Coincidence? Hmmmm...

Next up!

"You don't know me, but I used to live in you dead mother."

A review of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Niners Week Two

Opponent: Eagles
Favorite: Eagles



I got home from church at 12:30 CST. Wife #1 and I had been sworn in and we had to stay a little afterwards to learn the secret handshake.

I turned on the TV and discovered that the 49ers were already down 14-0. That was the closest that I saw the score. The final was 42-3. But what a nice looking field goal it was!

A bad day for Caoch Nolan

Well, I expected them to lose, I hoped for something better, but being realistically overly hopeful the best the Niners can really do is win 5 or 6 games this year. The three home games against their division rivals who all stink, Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals, and maybe beat the Texans at home, and hope for two upsets somewhere along the road.

I suspect they will end with 4 wins, and I won’t be surprised if they only get 3, and I fully expect them to lose every single other game they play this year.

Fritz

Niners Week One

Opponent: St. Louis Rams
Favorite: St. Louis Rams


As I sat through an awful 1st quarter filled with a turnover, offensive ineptitude, and an opposing rusher averaging 5 yards a carry I thought that things were going about how I expected them to. The pathetic losers were going to lose once again, and in spectacularly bad fashion too it appeared.

But somehow the Niners defense kept the Rams out of the endzone on two consecutive time consuming drives, making the score merely 0 – 6.

The defining play occurred when the score was 0 – 3. The Rams were on the 11 yard line, preparing to score a touchdown it appeared, preparing to start pulling away so it seemed.

Marc Bulger threw a perfect pass to Kevin Curtis in the endzone, but Tony Parrish hit him just as he caught the ball, jarring the ball loose and forcing the Rams to kick another field goal.

The 49ers then marched down the field, using several trick plays. Capped by a beautiful 35-yard touchdown toss to Brandon Lloyd from Tim Rattay. The ball flew past the outstretched hands of two defenders and fell gently into the hands of Lloyd. The extra point was good and the 49ers took the lead 7 – 6!

The 49ers defense then forced a three and out and the Rams had to punt the ball. Otis Amey, a rookie, received the punt and raced 75 yards to paydirt! Scoring a touchdown the first time you touch the ball in your pro career seems a pretty nice way to begin.

Otis Amey waves goodbye to the Rams on his punt return

Score 14 – 6.

The 49ers then attempted an onsides kick and recovered. While they weren’t able to advance the ball into field goal range the punt pinned the Rams back and they were clearly off balance and made no headway against the 49ers suddenly stout defense and were forced to punt again from deep in their own territory.

The offense of the 49ers now had a short field to work with and they capitalized. Marching down the field and ending with a great 6-yard touchdown catch by Arnaz Battle. He caught the ball in the endzone and took a wicked shot from the Rams safety, but unlike Kevin Curtis, he held on to the ball. The 49ers had just scored 21 unanswered points and led their biggest rival 21 - 6. The Rams would score another field goal before halftime to make the score 21 – 9 as the 49ers walked off the field to a standing ovation from their faithful fans. If Wife #1 hadn’t been there I might have been applauding as well.

I knew the score wouldn’t hold up though. The 49ers just weren’t good enough to actually win this game…were they? I didn’t want to hope, I would not believe that they could actually win this game until triple zeros showed on the clock.

The first drive of the second half was a thing of beauty with Kevan Barlow capping it off with a 9-yard touchdown run. 28 – 9.

Then the Rams came alive, as I knew they would. Another field goal made the score 28 – 12, merely a two score game.

The 49ers offense suddenly became unable to move the ball, the defense was on the field constantly, a Rams touchdown and failed two point conversion made the score 28 – 18. I felt a little hope, they still needed two scores and the game had reached the fourth quarter. The Rams scored again, another touchdown, the game tightened, the score was 28 – 25. The 49ers inability to run the ball gave the Rams the ball on the 49ers 33 with one minute left in the game, field goal will tie, a touchdown will win it. I awaited another loss.

Marc Bulger’s 56th pass of the day bounced off of Isaac Bruce and was taken away by Mike Adams and the game was won.

I sat down shocked and elated. The 49ers had won. The pathetic 2 – 14 team of 2004 was gone, replaced by a 2005 team of hope.

Now I fully expect them to lose every single other game this year, but for one glorious week my team is at the top of the division, is undefeated, and had beaten the hated Rams. I love this time of year.

Fritz

Ten... Five...TOUCHDOWN

All is right with the world again. Football is back. To make things better the 49ers are undefeated and on top of their division! Of course this is after merely one game, but I don’t care.

I’m sure some people just won’t understand, but everything is better when the NFL season is going on. My Sundays are more restful, I go to bed earlier, am more rested, do a better job at work, and I get pay increases!

*That last hasn’t exactly happened this NFL season though*

Eh, it is merely week one as I already explained, give it time! At least until the bye week.

There will be a weekly 49ers update during the season, and yes, I know that any dope can head over to NFL.com but you won’t get my unique perspective! Which I know is what brings all you thousands of people back week after week!


Fritz

Inspired by Actual Events

In January 1945 a mixed force of American Rangers and Filipino resistance fighters, totaling 200, rescued 502 American, Canadian, and British POWs from certain death at the hands of the Japanese. Fighting a much superior force, numbers wise, they killed over 500 Japanese soldiers while only suffering 2 casualties. This is without a doubt the greatest rescue mission performed by American soldiers.

This story is told in the movie “The Great Raid.” All the director had to do was tell the story, but in true Hollywood fashion he attempted to make it bigger and better and ultimately ended ruining the story. He added people who didn’t exist, made up a love story, and made one of the Japanese into some superhuman freak who knows how to use a mortar, a heavy machine gun, and brawl in a knife fight. Umm…sure.

While I always hate it when gun dopes point out that a real person can’t fire two M-60s at the same time while running down a street, the weaponry for this true story was incredibly false. One shot from a bazooka to the front of a tank causes it to explode into flames, grenades cause huge explosions, and our heroic soldiers pause in the middle of the open to survey their handiwork while getting shot at. And to think that Captain Dye was part of this movie! They must have ignored all his advice, either that or he sold out completely in order to advance his “acting career.”

It was obvious to me that the director and writers must have been "inspired by actual good movies" but they failed to make one of their own.

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, but all I can give it is 2.5 / 5.


Fritz

Word Verification

I really didn't want to have to do this, but I was forced by spammers to turn on word verification. I will still allow anonymous posting because I understand that not all people want to create an account just to comment on a blog and I want to hear everyone's comments.

If there are any problems with the word verification, just let me know. If it causes too much hassle I will turn it back off and just delete the spam comments.

Fritz

Basketball?

On Monday I played basketball with a group of guys from work and other people that they knew.  For those of you who don’t know, I grew up playing basketball at the court behind my house.  My friends and I were addicted, we would clear the snow off of the court with shovels and play Horse or Around the World in winter coats, gloves, scarves and what not.

When I was asked by a co-worker if I would play, I said no immediately, since I just can’t stand the guy.

*Ummm, you do know that he reads this, right?*

Yeah, I know, but since I don’t like him anyway, what difference does it make?

Sorry for the interruption everyone.  I hate that dope who is always trying to make me watch what I say.

But anyway, I figured out that it had been about three years since I had played a game of basketball.  So while I knew my shot would be non-existent I thought it would be a good time.

As with every other group that gets together to play basketball, there were three types of people who showed up:

The guys who are there to have fun, fortunately this was the majority of the people who were there.

The guys who take it far too seriously.

The guy who thinks he is Michael Jordan, but, in reality, he sucks.  Generally there is only one of these a group, but one time I recall playing with two of these guys, what fun!  The worst part about these people is that they are generally athletic, fit, and could be good, but since they insist on jacking up shot after shot, mostly three-pointers, they hurt the team more than they help.  They also almost never play defense, except to tell people to “body up!”  while he stands on the wing about five yards from the guy he is supposed to be defending, and never attempts to get a rebound.

Anyway, it was a good time for me.  And that is all that matters, right?


Fritz

Required Reading

I have actually had a busy weekend, in a good way. And since my life interests me, I am assuming it interests you as well so I will tell you all about it! Later.


First, some required reading regarding Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Let me first make it clear that I feel for many of the people affected by this "Act of God," but the timing and the location of the hardest hit place cannot be mere coincidence.



"If you depend on the government for anything, you will be disappointed and let down."

---Bill O'Reilly

'It's Every Man for Himself'

That’s the big, bold headline on the front page of our local newspaper this morning. Inside the story is a quote from a woman who sought help from a police officer to get water for her dehydrated son.

The officer replied, “I’m outta here. You ought to get out, too. It’s every man for himself now.”

Far cry from the Birkenhead and the Titanic. Far cry from “women and children first.” Thank you, benevolent humanism, for 150 years of evolutionary teaching in our government schools. Thank you, feminism, for 150 years of training men to treat women like animals. Thank you, nanny state, for teaching all of us that no one need take responsibility as long as there is someone higher up the chain to blame.

Thank you, Lord, for reminding us that we are fools to fear terrorist attacks when there is One far greater than any terrorist Who sits on the throne of Heaven and directs the affairs of men. May we fear Him more than we fear men.

-- Jennie Chancey, Ladies Against Feminism 09-02-05

Southern Decadence


Looting and the Liberal Elite


An Unnatural Disaster

True Colors

Cleansing?


I promise to get back to being innane and pointless soon.

Peace out.

Fritz

Gratuitous Furity – Redux

Well, some people came over to look at the house, our landlord has finally gotten fed up with us and is attempting to kick us out. Maybe the true story is slightly different, but not as juicy.


Only Morgan, the littlest one, was actually brave enough to come out and greet the strangers in our home. Of course there was a baby present, and thanks to Sister #3, I now have a fear of “baby goo” to go along with my baby drool phobia.

The sleeping habits of our little family have changed, mostly since Morgan has decided that our pillows make a great bed for her, so she will mostly sleep by Wife #1’s head, but sometimes force me to use less of the pillow than I generally like.

On Saturday we cleaned and cleaned the house. It had been in a disheveled state, but someone was stopping by to look at the house, and since we live in fear of our abusive landlord we try to keep him happy. This meant scouring the floors, making sure that there wasn’t a hidden furball somewhere that we had missed. The amount of furballs that the cats generate is only amazing until you see how much fur they have.




This is just THREE of them! One nice thing about this picture though, it shows the “big brother” role that Arthur has taken on. He is always cleaning the other three cats and making sure that they are ok. Merlin one time got stepped on and let out a pitiful yowl. Arthur came charging over to make sure that nothing life threatening had occurred.

Of course Arthur can be a little selfish. If Wife #1 gets up during the night and he notices, he will immediately steal her place in bed.


Percy doesn’t sleep on the bed as much anymore. We have a chair in the bedroom that we are really trying to keep clear of clothes, and he likes to sleep there. He is still close to us, but still has his own space, which he cherishes.



Merlin now has his own “bed” on the big bed. I slide my pillow over about eight inches and he sleeps there for a bit, or sometimes just sits there and exults in the attention that he gets.




Recap:

Merlin sleeps by my pillow, Arthur will curl up between Wife #1 and myself, Morgan makes a bed for herself on our pillows, and Percy is always lurking, waiting to join us at a moments notice.

It is certainly a good thing that we got a king size bed.

Peace out.


After talking about how great Blogger for Word is, I have just discovered that it will not upload pictures by itself. What a piece of crap. I hereby withdraw my recommendation for it, even though doing so will cost me millions in endorsement money.

Fritz