The Ramblin' Scotzman

The Easy Way Out...

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Not sure how many people tuned in last night, but I'm sure it broke some records. I tuned in and I'm not even a fan of the show. I hoped I would see something different happen last night, but I didn't.

I'm talking about the TLC "reality" show, Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Part of me thought I shouldn't even write about this. Giving them more attention just feeds into the disaster that they are already a part of.

As I watched last night I heard Jon & Kate throwing out this phrase, "for my kids," a lot.

"I do everything for my kids."

"We're doing this for our kids."

"This is the best thing for my kids."

Really?

As the tension built throughout the show, I just kept shaking my head. Why would they do this to their kids? What benefit would the kids get from the decision they were about to make? What would those kids think when they looked back at this TV show that brought them so much fortune and fame but destroyed their family?

Do you think that every one of those kids wouldn't give up all the toys and things that they get from this show to have their mommy and daddy together?

Maybe Jon & Kate don't have any real friends or family members that care enough to speak the truth to them, but someone should have told them a long time ago that it's time to step up and put your family first.

Turn off the cameras. Tell TLC to kiss off. Deal with whatever consequences come your way and save your family. They don't need "crooked houses," picnic lunches on acres of land or anything else but their family.

Do you think TLC really cares one bit about you as a human being. If they did, they would say, "Hey, we're going to put the show on hold and get you guys some counseling. We love you too much to let this show destroy your family. These kids need you." The only thing they see are huge ratings and tons of cash piling in. It's really despicable.

I know this is just one family who just happens to be famous for taking fertility drugs and having 6 kids at once, but seriously this whole thing is just a taste of what happens in families all over the world. People are so willing to throw in the towel on their marriage.

Jon and Kate could work through this. There was something there. They loved each other at some point. I wish I had five minutes to talk with them to show them what they are doing. In reality they know what they are doing. The money and the fame and all that goes with it are just too much for them to let go of apparently.

Soon the lights will fade on their little show. America likes a happy ending and this is not a happy ending. Maybe they will realize that the show will get a ratings boost if they reconcile and stay married... or maybe we can pray they turn those cameras off and do the right thing.

Help Wanted...

2009-06-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I just finished up what I can only call another train wreck in the long line of disasters by the NHL marketing department.

The NHL Awards Ceremony aired last night on VS here in the United States. I'm sure you missed it, but I am a glutton for many things and one of them happens to be punishment doled out like a BC two hander by my first love in sports, the NHL. Thank God for the DVR.

This year was the big hurrah of the NHL as they moved the Awards from the Great White North to the Deserts of Sin City. Look out Vegas here comes the NHL!

To start things off with a bang, the NHL spared no expense and went for a home run with their opening act. None other than the mega-stars who've been on top of the charts and number one in your hearts for a very long time, Robin Thicke (son of Growing Pains star Alan Thicke) and Chaka Khan. Yes, I just said Chaka Khan. Way to play to your audience guys.

The first presenters didn't disappoint either. Kevin Connelly, from Entourage, Michael Buble along with one of the big mouths of the NHL, Jeremy Roenick. Buble and Connelly read the tele-prompter almost as well as Obama and Jeremy Roenick struggled to string more than two words together. It was pretty pathetic.

Did I mention all the empty seats at the Palms in Las Vegas. There were quite a few. Couldn't you hire some seat warmers or give away some tickets? Honestly, who would want them?

Not only did the NHL trot out some amazingly high profile celebs like, Colin Ferguson from the "hit show" Eureka (it's on the SciFi Channel, I had no idea), William Fichtner (Prison Break) and mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer but they paired them with some NHL superstars of years gone by. Always a recipe for awesomeness. Then hoping you would forget, they had those same celebs present at other times throughout the show. Nothing like a little recycled Jeremy Roenick and Michael Buble to keep you on your toes.

Did I mention what a total idiot Jeremy Roenick was? Good. He also graced the stage a few times to stammer his way through a few awards and show his amazing comic timing and stellar improv skills.

A few of the awards were just presented by the good ol' boys of the NHL. They may not be slick talkers or be great at reading from cue cards, but at least they are down to earth and likeable people. Enter former Oiler great, Glenn Anderson. Not only did he think he should pick up on the douchebag tendencies of Jeremy Roenick, but he thought he'd throw in a little biggotry just for fun when he said, "I thought these were the NHL Awards, not the Russian Awards." This in response to most of the Awards going to Russian players. Thanks Don Cherry Jr., we appreciate you pointing that out for us.

Speaking of Russians, "they need learn speak English as people understand properly what saying they are." Evgeni Malkin was the worst offender of the English language (he's only like 22 years old, so I'll cut him some slack), while Alexander Ovechkin and my own favorite Pavel Datsyuk were a close second. Although, Ovechkin got the second biggest laughs when telling Malkin, "You English not bad as Pavel." Pavel actually got the biggest laughs when he accepted his second award of the night saying, "second time, not as ner-wous."

To top off the "Russian Awards" someone thought it would be a great idea to send out Hall of Famer, Igor Larionov with Vladimir Konstantinov. Konstantinov suffered a severe closed head injury 12 years ago. He is walking and talking even though doctors thought he never would, but to put him onstage with his walker and have him present an Award was pretty horrible. Stay classy Gary Bettman.

As the evening continued to degenerate Mark Messier gave out his own Award, the Mark Messier Leadership Award. He also did a fabulous job of putting all 3 of the people watching the broadcast into a deep slumber.

Finally, Kevin Smith popped up on the screen and provided a few moments of reprieve by talking about how much he loved the NHL. Besides Pavs winning two awards, that was the highlight. Yes, a less than 30 second appearance by Kevin Smith was one of the highlights.

Before the night ended the head dufus of the NHL braintrust made his usually awkward appearance to present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jean Beliveau. I am always suprised that these old timers don't elbow Bettman right in the face.

What better way to end the night of nights for the NHL than with the smooth sounds of... you guessed it, Chaka Khan.

So I ask you people of North America, why aren't you fired up about "the Greatest Sport on Earth?"

If anyone in the NHL took the time to look at the NFL and see how they have taken their sport to the highest heights, maybe, just maybe the NHL would have a chance. Heck, why not go and hire away the some of the people that have marketed the NFL so well. Pay them whatever they want and let them reshape the way people look at this sport.

The Help Wanted sign still hangs in the window of the NHL. Fans long for the day when Sportscenter shows more than 30 seconds of NHL highlights. They hope for a day when one of the Networks actually cares to show their games in Prime Time. They hope for a day when people know other players besides Sidney Crosby (the face of the NHL, strangely absent from the NHL Awards Show, way to go face).

For now, we have to settle for more of the same. A sport that hasn't figured out how to market a game that when seen in person makes many skeptics turn into fans. Some of the most talented athletes you'll never know play this game. It's a shame those who guide the ship don't have a compass.

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best...

2009-06-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

My wife makes cards. They're really good too. She and a bunch of chicks that we know from church are all into card making, stamping, scrap-booking, etc. It's kind of a sickness, but as far as addictions go, I guess it's not a bad one.

May, June & July seem to have a decent amount of cards that are made for friends and family around here, so I usually have a card or two sitting on my computer or somewhere near where most of my activities take place with a pen and a note to please say something nice and sign it so Cheryl can mail out her latest masterpiece.

I usually procrastinate the writing and signing until Cheryl gives me the "I need to mail that tomorrow to get it to (insert name here) in time." I hate doing that to her, but the pressure to come up with something new and exciting to say to people that makes them feel good on their special day is tough. Especially when you are the funny, sensitive guy.

I started thinking about this yesterday, because the reminder from Cheryl came for me to write something nice to my Dad for Father's Day. I stared at the wonderfully created card and wondered what to write on it's blank canvas. It's always tough for me to write something really nice to my Dad that I haven't said before. The truth is, my Dad is a great guy. I love him, so it's easy to say he's a nice Dad and he always took care of me, blah, blah, blah. It just starts to feel like I've said it all before.

The truth is, my Dad wouldn't remember if I put together a three year rotation of nice things to say to him. While I feel like I am repeating everything, he would just think compliment iPod was on shuffle. My Dad is not the type to really care about the mushy stuff that I might write anyway. I hate to say this, but I wonder if he even reads the cards. I'm sure my Mom reads them to him at least.

Cheryl's Dad is now asking her to throw a childhood memory into her Father's Day cards. Thankfully, Cheryl has a good memory. My scope of feel good stories is rather limited in some ways. A lot of my childhood memories involved me being a pain in the butt and getting in trouble. They're funny of course, but not exactly the kind of stories that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I remember when we used to just go to Hallmark or the drug store and pick out a card. That is what we paid those greeting card writers for. They came up with some sappy, well thought out words to make the recipient feel like you loved them. Plus, you spent a good 10 to 15 minutes looking for just the right card that had a good picture on it and something inspiring written inside. Those were the days. Buy it, sign it, send it or better yet hand it to the person.

Some people have even taken it a step further and made it almost effortless. E-Cards. You know someone sort of thinks of you sometimes when you get one of these links in your email inbox. Especially if like me, you only look at the freebies. For some reason the idea of paying for something intangible in cyberspace is too much for me. If I am paying for the E-Card, I want the person to be able to read it, put their hands on it and throw it away. The computer trash can doesn't count.

So the next time you get a card from someone think about all the anxiety that went into it. It should make you smile to know that someone felt intense pressure to write something nice for you on your special day.

I'm a Reality Junky... Get Me Outta' Here!

2009-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

There is a disturbing dirty little secret that has crept it's way back into my life... "Reality TV."

I had sworn off these horrible shows a few years ago because I found myself hating people I didn't really know. Since I say I love Jesus and am a follower of His I remember reading somewhere that you aren't supposed to hate people... something like you already murdered them in your heart, there is no light in you and so on and so on. I have since moved from hate to annoyed or mildly annoyed.

So I decided it was in my best interest to stop watching because I really hated some of these people. There was one young lady in particular on Big Brother that was a real piece of work. Chris would remember her name... she made her boyfriend look like an idiot while she was on the show, then they both showed America their wonderful relationship with a return appearance on the Amazing Race. Anyway, after a long respite from "reality," I started to let it creep back in.

These shows have to be like gold to the television industry. I wonder if in the not too distant future they will make up more than half of what we watch on TV. You may even think you are above "those silly shows" but if you watch American Idol or John & Kate Plus 8 (has anyone learned being married and a reality TV show don't mix?) or any other show that has "normal, everyday people" in it, you are one of us.

But I think it's time that we find a new name for these shows. Maybe someone has already, I don't know, but these shows are anything but real. I guess Manufactured Reality TV isn't as catchy, but it definitely is more precise. Besides the original Real World: New York way back in the day, none of these shows just follow someone in their everyday life. There is always something or someone introduced to make things happen. Whether it's a vacation, a new job opportunity and the ever popular alchohol, nothing is just real life. Why? Real life is pretty boring... it's you sitting at your desk or staring at your screen until lunch. It's you getting the kids ready in the morning or going to the bank. Real life is mundane at times.

Another disturbing reality trend are shows like Gene Simmons Family Jewels where not only are scenarios manufactured, but they are acted out. It almost seems like Gene and a staff of writers talk about funny stories they have experienced in life or "wouldn't this be funny?" moments and have Gene and his family act them out as if they are their own reality. Confused yet? Me too. It reminds me of when Kramer sells his life stories to J. Peterman on Seinfeld.

Alas, I keep watching.

Now every quasi celebrity we grew up with is getting a reality show. Corey Haim & Corey Feldman (canceled... too real when Haim got back on drugs), MC Hammer, Torri Spelling and a host of others. Not to mention shows where a bunch of celebs go on together. Even Screech has been on a bunch of these shows. You know, there was a time when reality shows gave the common man a chance to be famous... washed up celebs couldn't have that. Now we have the Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Fit Club, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta' Here (total Survivor meets Big Brother rip off) and I'm sure there are more to come.

Why am I spouting off about all this? I have no idea... maybe to share with you so you don't feel so bad about yourself for watching or maybe so we can all admit we have a problem. All I know is I love watching these shows and then talking about how lame I am for watching them.

Plus, I would have never known anything about Spencer Pratt if it weren't for I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta' Here. It's like when you see the Godfather for the first and then you understand all the jokes. I would have missed out on a lot of punch lines if I hadn't learned a little about Spencer Pratt... I fear for future generations if they are learning any life lessons from the Hills.

So when all is said and done, why not take a few hours this week and plop yourself down in front of the TV and escape reality... to a simpler place where Baldwin brothers live with the guy from La Bamba and the kid from American Idol that wasn't very good but kept sticking around because of Vote for the Worst.com (so that's how Janice Dickinson is sticking around!). The psuedo reality called Reality TV.

Mad Men or Sad Men?

2009-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cheryl and I have jumped back on the Netflix wagon now that Summer is here (and sadly the hockey season officially ended). One of our first TV shows we decided to try out was the first season of Mad Men.

Obviously there has been a lot of hype about this show and I'm only a few years late to the party, but I still thought I would throw my two cents in there anyway.

The show takes place on Madison Avenue in New York back when the advertising executives were wild and living life to the fullest (or lowest... you decide). The setting along with the clothes and overall design take you back to "the good ol' days," when everyone smoked and you could enjoy adult beverages at work.

I enjoyed so many aspects of the show; the characters were great, the story lines for the most part drew me in and as I mentioned the overall look of the show is great. Cheryl looked at me numerous times throughout the first three episodes when the men in the show basically sexually harassed the crap out of the secretaries at the office. Apparently, that was the way it was back then... there are plenty of other lines throughout the show to make you realize that women back then were not where they are now. You've come a long way baby.

Kids are generally treated as second class citizens on the show as well, especially daughters. Nothing like are current society of child worship... another Blog for another time.

Unfortunately with all the great character, story lines and overall look of the show, the underlying theme for me (after watching the first 3 episodes) is that no one is happy. The ad execs in the office are constantly in pursuit of sexual adventures with the secretaries or any other woman for that matter before they head home on a semi-daily basis to their family. Add to that the constant boozing in and out of the office and you really start to ask yourself, "is this what people are after? 'Cuz it don't look fun to me."

I am not saying that this show is not well done. It is. I am not calling for a ban due to the moral deficiencies on the show. There are many of them, but I am asking myself, "is this really entertaining?" The answer is somewhat, but being happily married and not in a continual state of womanizing makes me feel a bit detached from the characters.

I am not one who objects to many TV programs or movies based on the morals of the characters. I'm a big fan of the Shield, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy and even It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (thanks FX for all your trashy shows) and these shows cross the line all the time. In the case of Rescue Me and Always Sunny laughter is the elixir. The Shield and Sons of Anarchy make me love the bad guy much like some of my other favorites the Sopranos and Breaking Bad. Somehow, Don Draper has not done that for me.

If the only thing I have to look forward to on Mad Men is people smoking, drinking and screwing around on their spouses, I think I need another show for my Netflix Queue... any suggestions?

Come On, Really?

2009-06-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is just plain ridiculous.

My favorite part is... "Being a big guy certainly has it's advantages and it's disadvantages." Oh you mean like not being able to use a bathroom on an airplane? Paying for two seats on the flight... not being able to enjoy sporting events comfortably? Having to shop at the Big & Tall store? What are these so called advantages fatty?

It's okay, I'm fat so I can make fun of other fat people. It's in the rule book.

Once you get this thing, you have truly given up on life... plus there is no way that thing doesn't make more of a mess than anything you can do on your own.

The Unthinkable...

2009-06-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

So I've had twenty-four hours to digest the loss...

In writing this little Blog about my beloved Red Wings, I honestly believe it gives me a chance to have some closure. Maybe even let out some of my disappointment through a few harsh words. Ultimately it's cathartic.

When I woke up Friday morning, June 12, 2009, I knew that the game would be lost. I had a dream - really a nightmare - that the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

I wouldn't say that I am the most positive person in the world, but during these playoffs I continually told myself that good things would happen. It was an exercise for me. Practice for moving closer to a life of positive thoughts. During three-way conversations with my younger brother and my father, I routinely said, "let's keep it positive." My family still lives in the Metro Detroit Area and positive thoughts do not abound in the Great Lake State right now.

The Detroit Red Wings were providing a welcome escape for many residents in the Motor City and throughout the hard hit State of Michigan. Obama has taken over two of the Big Three Auto Companies, but that's a story for another time. Thousands have lost their jobs and many their homes as well. Things are not peachy keen for most people in "that state up North."

Did I mention that the Detroit Lions football team went 0-16? The Detroit Pistons aren't the Bad Boys of old and with the Tigers, who knows what you'll get? We can't even rely on Michigan's football program anymore. Even when all the pro sports teams were in the dumper, at least Michigan had a winning season and a bowl game... not this year.

I forgot about Kwame Kilpatrick, but he has moved on to Texas, so he's their problem now.

Sometimes you wonder what else could happen to Michigan. I hate to even ask for fear that something else might come along and kick 'em while they're down.

Just when you thought nothing good could happen, the Detroit Red Wings were keeping hope alive.

The Red Wings started out this playoff season beating my hometown Columbus Blue Jackets. No surprise really, but the CBJ had a young talented goaltender in Chris Mason that certainly had a lot of Wings fans worried. The Wings have a way of making a good goalie look great sometimes. Nevertheless, the Wings swept the Jackets and headed into the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Their next foe was a familiar and hated group, the Ducks. Two years ago the Wings were a few wins away from Lord Stanley when the cheap shotting Ducks put them out and eventually won the Cup. This time around the Ducks ousted the number one seeded Sharks to get to the Wings. The Ducks made the Wings pay at every turn. It was a hard fought series, but in Game 7 at home in front of hungry Wings fans, Dan Cleary scored late to propel the defending champions to the Conference Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks were a young, revitalized team and eventhough the Wings came into the series injury-ridden they beat the Hawks in 5 games. This set up a the rematch. It was time for the Wings to take on the face of the NHL... Sidney Crosby.

It's hard to like Sidney Crosby if you're a Wings fan. The Red Wings defeated "Sid the Kid" last year in the Stanley Cup Finals, but when you saw advertisements and promotions for the NHL over the past year, you would have certainly thought Sidney Crosby and the Penguins destroyed the Red Wings.

In the NHL world there is a strange form of predjudice that goes on. Some have even called it racism. No one likes to admit it, but most "purists" in the sport have never really embraced "the Europeans" throughout the NHL. The Wings happen to have found great success with those "soft" Europeans. When the Wings hoisted the Cup in 1997 for the first time in 42 years, legendary coach, Scotty Bowman, played the Russian 5 together and helped bring home the first of 4 Stanley Cups to the city eventually known as Hockeytown. Last year, Nick Lidstrom was the first European captain to lead his team to the promise land. But for some reason, the NHL chose to overlook the contributions of guys like Nick Lidstrom when marketing it's sport to North America.

The best player in the NHL happens to speak in broken English and probably isn't as pretty as Sidney, so Crosby's face is everywhere. Two of Detroit's top players most assuredly are in the top five talents in the NHL, yet you won't see them in commercials or anything else that promotes the game. During these Stanley Cup Finals, NBC had special cameras following "the Stars" of the game, Sidney Crosby and Evegeni Malkin. Sidney had one goal in the Finals. The European Evegeni Malkin who luckily plays in the spotlight with Sid, just so happens to be better than him and won the MVP trophy in the Finals scored twice.

This may all sound like sour grapes, but to most Red Wings fans, this is reality. You feel like Rodney Dangerfield... you get no respect. In fact, last night after Sidney won his first Stanley Cup, he neglected to shake hands with most of the Wings. A time honored tradition in the NHL, teams that just beat the crap out of one another for 7 games, meet at center ice to congratulate and shake hands with one another. Somehow, Sidney was just too darned excited to remember those darn handshakes.

He is only 22 years old, but for the face of the NHL you would expect a little more. A little more than one goal. A little more than two handed slashes and cross checks to opposing players and for goodness sakes, a hand shake after you win. But, he's a good ol' Candian boy, he can do no wrong.

When you add up all the things going against the Wings during this rematch, I can honestly say I am proud of everything they accomplished. Injuries are part of the game and many of the Wings best players were hobbled by all sorts of problems.

Whether you think there was an NHL conspiracy going against the Red Wings (and there was) or that you think they just didn't have enough left in the tank to beat the young Penguins (which they didn't), you can't help but love 'em.

Sure, the NHL scheduled back-t0-back games and gave the Wings just two days off between the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup, but that doesn't mean the almighty Gary Bettman had it out for the defending Champs. You might wonder about some of the officiating and the imbalance in calls favoring the Penguins, but when it's all said and done, you have to play through those things to win the Cup. It is after all the hardest trophy to win in all professional sports. There's a reason the Wings were the last team to win it two years in a row in 1997 & 1998.

I took great joy in the boos that rained down on Gary Bettman when he awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP and the Stanley Cup. Trust me, they weren't booing the Penguins. You beat us as fair and square as possible. I kept hoping that one octopus would have taken flight and hit Gary Bettman squarely in the face, it would have been a thing of beauty. I think even the Pens fans could have enjoyed that.

I have been a Wings fan since I was 4 years old. My dad took me to my first game then I have loved them ever since. In my lifetime, I have seen the Red Wings head to the Stanley Cup Finals 6 times and win 4 of them. You can't ask for much more than that. Some people never see their favorite team win once.

The good news is, the Detroit Red Wings orginization is one of the classiest and best run teams in all professional sports and they will be back. No doubt about it.

There is work to be done, changes to be made and tough decisions coming this Summer, but for a few months this Spring, the Red Wings helped to ease the pain a little. It didn't have the story book ending we all hoped for, but I still love my Red Wings.

Haven't We All Needed One of These?

2009-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Since we celebrated Mom yesterday, I thought everyone would enjoy this little clip from SNL this weekend.

Let's be honest, we've all needed one of these at some point in a conversation with Mom...

2009-04-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

All the politicians in DC should be required to watch this...

John Rich (country)

More CMT Music

More CMT Music Videos

If You Have an Hour or So to Kill...

2009-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

I know Rush Limbaugh is looked at as a polarizing figure, but I would challenge people to listen to what he has to say about the "evil" idea called conservatism... you may be surprised.

Things are getting worse in this country and apparently the only way out of this mess according to some is to spend trillions of dollars and tax "the rich."

I am not slinging mud here, rather shedding light and hoping to inspire others about the beauty of this country and it's foundational principles. This is not about Democrats or Republicans to me, it's about America. While a majority of principles that I may believe in fall on one side of the aisle, make no mistake, both parties have lost sight of America and the foundational ideas that make her great.

As I mentioned, if you have an hour or so to kill, check out Rush Limbaugh address to the CPAC:

I Want That...

2009-02-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you need any gift ideas...

Awesome!

This is Your Kid on Drugs...

2009-02-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Caution: What you are about to see may offend you... get over it.

How can you not love when he is all wasted sounding and then loses it when he feels trapped by the seat belt?

"Oh, What a Drag Dude..."

2009-01-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

If I had a daughter, I think I might be just like this... by the way, this is one of my favorite commercials ever.

Um... Yeah.

2009-01-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

All I can say is... Wow!

Unfortunately he has already made his son a fan... poor kid.

The Winter Classic...

2008-12-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

I know most of my friends (especially here in Columbus) don't know much about my favorite sport, hockey, but hen you are waking up and looking for something to watch tomorrow afternoon, might I suggest the Winter Classic on NBC (1:00 p.m. EST)?

The Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks will be playing outdoors at Wrigley Field tomorrow and it should be a lot of fun to watch. I have no idea if it will make you a hockey fan, but I know I will be loving every minute of it...

GO WINGS!!

Another Reason You Might As Well Get an iPod...

2008-12-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

So this is pretty funny, but what do you expect from a Microsoft product?

Midnight mystery crash: Microsoft Zunes stop working worldwide

BY MIKE WENDLAND • FREE PRESS TECHNOLOGY COLUMNIST • December 31, 2008
Owners of Microsoft's 30GB Zune music players are reporting widespread failures today after some still-undisclosed glitz caused them to lock up at midnight Pacific time. Users said the units spontaneously rebooted and then froze during the startup process.

Microsoft hasn't admitted to a problem yet or responded to requests for information but reports are worldwide and filling popular Zune discussion boards. Some were using their players when it occurred, like a user named Chuck who posted on a Zune fan site called onlydarksets (www.onlydarksets.wordpress.com):
"My wife and I both have zune 30mg … and were both listening to music at about midnight when both, almost like a script, stopped playing the music, returned to the zune logo screen with solid white bar, and froze. Both batteries died in about 2 hours … recharged one over the rest of the night, but all I got was the same frozen screen."
Same thing with a user named Tina, who posted: "I just got a zune yesterday and I was playing some music and all of a sudden I went to a different song and it just froze and I’ve tried reseting it and I’m currently waiting for the battery to die, but I don’t think its even on because the music menu is faded."
Others woke up this morning to find their Zunes useless. The issue appears to especially affect the 30 GB Zune models, although there are some reports of other models also locking up.
Microsoft had similar lockup issues with the Zune earlier this year and posted fixes for it on its support Web site, though users say none of those previous suggestions seem to work on the current issue.

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #1

2008-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

There's really no doubt about this one is there? It's a classic, no doubt about it. It's really on par with a movie I left off the list, but love as well, It's a Wonderful Life.

This movie will always hold a special place in our hearts. It makes us remember all that is funny about Christmas... it's on for 24 hours on Christmas Day, so I know you can enjoy a few times.

A Christmas Story

"Fra-gee-lay... it must be Italian."

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #2

2008-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

I don't think that this movie gets enough credit for how great it is... I almost made it number one, but I feared what might happen to me if number one wasn't... don't want to give it away do I?

This is a British film starring Hugh Grant and a host of others that you will know. I don't know how to explain the emotions it brings out in me and I'm not afraid to admit it makes me cry every time I watch it.

Love Actually

Love is a wonderful thing...

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #3

2008-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I really was not that impressed with this movie the first time I saw it. I went to see it with my friend, Chris, and Cheryl has never let me forget that I saw it that year and she didn't.

Well, all these years later and Cheryl and myself seeing Will Ferrell many, many times, this one has moved it's way up the list slowly but surely...

Elf

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #4

2008-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

A total goofball movie filled with slapstick, but a movie that has become a classic comes in at number four. Clark Griswold again takes us on a vacation with his very strange and quirky family. Just sit back and laugh a little while you enjoy...

Christmas Vacation

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #5

2008-12-20T07:00:00.001-08:00

Another John Hughes movie... I'm a fan what can I say?

Whether you like to admit it or not, you all loved this movie... I still do. It made people all over the country smack their hands against their faces and scream, "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

Yes, Macaulay Culkin was just a cute kid back then in this Christmas classic...

Home Alone

Go ahead and smack your hands on your face... it's Christmas.

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #6

2008-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Number 6 on the list is probably not for the faint of heart... Denis Leary and Kevin Spacey are great in this movie. This is actually the movie that made me love Leary. We're talking about Denis Leary here folks, so the language is strong, cutting and witty, but this film is one of the best dysfunctional family Christmas movies ever...

The Ref

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #7

2008-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

This movie would most likely be higher on a lot of other Christmas movie lists, but it's in my top ten, so back off! Sorry... Bill Murray is always a favorite of mine and this is one of his better films...

Scrooged

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #8

2008-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

One of the movies that Cheryl and I really loved was The Holiday. Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jack Black star in this movie about two women trying who trade lives at Christmas to escape their relationship problems.

This is definitely a chick flick, but I am totally secure in my manhood to say I enjoy them. Trust me this film is enjoyable, give it a try.

Honorable mention: Cheryl is crazy about You've Got Mail and I have to admit I have grown to love it as well. There are just a few brief Christmas moments in this one, but it's always a good one to watch.

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #9

2008-12-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

This one actually happens at Christmas... and Hans Gruber is on Santa's naughty list, but John McClane will makes sure he gets a stocking full of coal. Well, honestly he is going to kill lots of bad guys, Christmas style!

Die Hard (Honorable Mention - Die Hard 2)

Yipee ki-ay... Christmas lovers!!

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #10.1

2008-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

I had to include this little John Hughes film which is another road trip/buddy movie starring Ed O'Neal and Ethan Embry.

Dutch

Again, this little movie is filled with funny moments that will bring you some holiday cheer.

Ethan Embry is an uptight bratty kid who meets his mother's new boyfriend, Ed O'Neal, when he comes to bring him home from school for the holidays.

Not critically acclaimed, but just a fun movie... we're not talkin' Oscar here.

A Shoe In...

2008-12-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is what's come to... absolutely insane!

America... Where Art Thou?

2008-12-15T11:17:00.001-08:00

Where is the love for this country?

When did we become so jaded and concerned only with ourselves?

The events that are unfolding in Michigan over the past few weeks and the action taken by Washington to bail out failing banks and Wall Street, have made me think long and hard about my country.

As I talk with friends from around the country, including Michigan, I am surprised to here the utter disgust and hatred for the Big 3 in Detroit. I am biased, there is no doubt about that. I grew up and benefitted greatly from Ford Motor Company. My father, David, worked at Ford for 40 years. He worked hard and provided for his family. Except for his early years there, I don't think my father was part of the UAW. Regardless, he worked very hard all of his life inside of factories and office buildings for Ford Motor Company.

My heart hurts for Detroit. I will always love the city and suburbs of that town. I realize that many bad decisions were made and that greed and resting on laurels contributed to the state that the Auto Companies are in. The UAW has to wake up to the present day America in which we live. No one is entitled to anything anymore, the global economy won't allow it. The CEO's and executives at all levels need to make sacrifices for the benefit of everyone, not just themselves, but is there no love for America?

Why do we have no regard for America any longer? Why don't we cheer for and hope for all things American? Are we just out for the best deal we can get? Many would say yes. Are we ready to turn over all manufacturing of goods to foreign countries? I would say we pretty much have.

"But Scott, Honda, Toyota, BMW & Mercedes all build cars right here in the United States." True, they do, but do they have America's best interests in mind? Are they proud to be an American... oops they can't be. Do they look for ways to make this country better? Maybe, but at the heart of those companies, there beats a foreign interest. An interest to benefit from our economy.

Does anyone think that if the United States were to fall into economic disaster that these companies might not decide they should take there ball and go home? They have no allegiance to us. They are just here using us and our money to benefit themselves... just like we use India and China to benefit all of our consumeristic desires.

You know, I watch the West Wing in reruns on Bravo, and I see a White House that loves this country. It's fictional, I know, but I am moved by the duty they feel for America. I am inspired by their love of country and desire to see the best for all Americans. I applaud their willingness to fight for what is right.

There are voices out there that still cry out and take pride in America. People who love this country and want what is best for her. They are becoming fewer...

We find ourselves in a time where there hasn't been much to be proud of as an American. The past few years have created a lot of animosity and division among us, but we need to find that place inside of us that has pride and hopes for a greater America. Look deep inside yourself and find something, anything that makes you remember the freedom and liberty you have in the United States.

Tough times are ahead... tough decisions must be made, but my hope is that someday, somehow, we might again be proud to be Americans again.

My Favorite Christmas Movies... #10

2008-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cheryl has been Blogging about her favorite songs for Christmas, so I decided to steal the idea and tweak it to be my favorite Christmas movies. I'm sure I'll miss a few of your favorites, but I would love to hear what they are and hopefully I will shed a little light on a new holiday favorite for you to enjoy this year.

So here we go...

My first movie is actually more of a Thanksgiving movie, but it always kicks off Cheryl and I's holiday season each year, so I am giving it the #10 spot on my list...

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Steve Martin and John Candy makes this John Hughes movie a holiday classic. If you haven't seen it yet - first of all, what's wrong with you? - it does have some adult language, so be careful with the kiddies. It's just a great road trip/buddy movie for the holidays.

Give it a watch and let me know what you think...

Ten more days until Christmas... Nine more movies to go until my number one movie for Christmas. I hope I can decide by then...

I'm Not as Biased as You Think...

2008-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

For as many years as I can remember, I have been defending the Big 3 US Automakers (GM, Ford & Chrysler).

A lot of friends and family over the years have seen me passionately explain to them all the myths about Honda, Toyota, etc.

I've been routinely dismissed for being biased and not having my facts straight... so with our country in recession and the US economy on the brink of disaster, does anyone think they should have listened to me? Probably not... I can still hear the choruses of my friends telling me how "crappy" American cars are. How American workers are lazy and unions have priced the cars to high. If they would only make cars people wanted to drive... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

This hate for American cars is starting to come full circle. The White House and the Congress are trying to figure out how or even if they should help the automotive industry.

I read the Detroit papers and I am astonished at the replies to articles of those living in "the Motor City." People saying that the government should let the Big 3 fail... "they got themselves into this mess, let them fail." Do people realize that Ford, GM and Chrysler create jobs all over the Midwest and really the entire country? There are industries and jobs that you would never think have connections to the auto industry that will collapse right along with the Big 3 if they are allowed to fail. Yes, that means your job might be affected.

While reading the Detroit Free Press today, I read an article about the myths of the Detroit Auto Industry... give it a read and tell me how biased I really was all these years.

Maybe it's time to change your mind about the Big 3...

President Obama

2008-11-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a lot of great things to say about Barack Obama or the Democrats in general on this Blog in the past few months.

The truth is, a few things morally made me change my mind about Obama toward the end of the Summer. Until that point I was leaning heavily toward Barack Obama.

As a person who grew up as a "Republican" from a very young age, the fact that I even considered Obama was a huge step. Being a Christian has left me with a lot of conflicted feelings. Ultimately, his stance on certain moral issues made me feel like I could not support him for President.

When you throw into the mix the fact there are so many Democrats (and Republicans) that have raped America (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac & the Bailout), I felt like I needed to temper the power that the Democrats would hold by voting for McCain.

On the topic of McCain, the Republicans could not have put up a more pathetic candidate. McCain never had the charisma or a strong conservative stance that got the base excited. The fact that him choosing Sarah Palin was the thing that excited Republicans tells you a lot about John McCain's strength as a candidate. I love Sarah Palin by the way... many people hate her, but she is amazing and I look forward to seeing where she ends up in the future.

I respect John McCain, but he just didn't have that "it" factor. He finally got his shot at the Presidency and I am happy for him on that front, but in the end, he was just up against an unstoppable force.

Barack Obama brought hope to so many American's lives at a time when we needed hope of some kind. We can only hope that President Obama can bring our country together and usher us into a brighter future.

I can now say that I support this President and more importantly will pray for him and his staff and hope for better days. We are all Americans and for all the complaints that we may have, this is still the greatest country in the world.

God Bless America and God Bless our new President Elect, Barack Obama.

Please Count My Vote...

2008-10-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

I was watching Anderson Cooper 360 tonight on CNN (my first mistake) and heard more than one story about how African Americans fear that their votes will not be counted.

Even the almighty Oprah talked about how she almost didn't vote for President due to her electronic voting machine not counting it. She went back through the ballot because she had "a bad feeling" and noticed that she had indeed not pressed the correct button.

Over the past few weeks I have heard and read stories about how if Obama does not win, there will be riots in the street. These stories come off as threats - just like Biden's threat that Obama's mettle will be tested in the first six months of his Presidency.

So basically if you are afraid of being a racist, you had better vote for Obama.

I cannot even begin to fathom what Black's in this country have gone through. The things that have happened in our country when it comes to race are despicable. There is no denying that we have a long way to go, but may I suggest something? Maybe this whole race thing is a two way street...

There are things to be worked on and fences to be mended on both sides of this issue. We all have work to do. We all need to see one another they way God sees us. We need to love one another... we need to love our enemies as well.

When I turned in my ballot early here in Ohio, there was definitely a part of me that had some fear as well. Will they count my vote? How many votes will be thrown out for some reason? How many fraudulent votes will be counted because of ACORN?

My point in all of this is, whether you are black, white, brown, purple or green, no one seems to trust this government anymore. Maybe we're all getting screwed...

The only "hope" we have and the only "change we can believe in" is that of our God. Barack will not bring about change that matters. John McCain will not give us hope. Only the hope we find in Jesus Christ and the change that our Father brings matters.

A wise man once said, "Everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Eventually he found his hope and change... hopefully we will too.

No One is to Blame... Really?

2008-10-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

I just have to ask... does anyone care?

Watch this video to see what these crooks have done to our country... ask yourself, "What Will Obama (especially with the financial wisdom of Frank Raines by his side) Do?"

Wake up America!

When Late Night Attacks...

2008-10-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

No wonder McCain blew him off...

After watching David Letterman this evening, it was perfectly clear to me that Dave thinks he is some kind of investigative journalist.

During the first few minutes of the interview (if

you can call it that), they joked back and forth about Senator McCain ditching Dave a few weeks ago. Dave has been relentless about McCain not showing up and has been cracking on the Senator ever since.

Once most of the pleasantries were over, Dave began questioning John about Sarah Palin. He just hammered and hammered John about whether or not she was ready if she had to take over as President. Of course, Senator McCain backed his VP, but Dave continued. Finally at one point, John pointed out that there was this little known Governor from a relatively small state, Arkansas, that turned out to be a pretty good President (some might disagree)... Bill Clinton.

In the midst of all this, Dave said he would love to have Sarah Palin on the program... yeah, let's get that set up for you right away Dave. I'm sure you'll give her nothing but the respect she deserves...

Dave wasn't finished yet. His next "To Catch a Predator" moment was bringing up how insignificant it was that Obama knew William Ayers. Dave said that Obama's relationship with Ayers was nothing more than McCain's relationship with G. Gordon Liddy. The only problem with that comparison is Liddy burglarized the Democratic Party (Watergate) and Bill Ayers bombed the Pentagon (and other places).

I had a feeling that Dave didn't treat Senator Obama the same way. After doing a little YouTube-ing and seeing Barack on Letterman (multiple times), there is no question that Dave served the Senator a bunch of softballs for him to knock out of the park. Not one single confrontational question for the Senator with a whole 3 years of experience in the Senate.

I've been holding back from saying this - I hope I'm wrong - but the Media and the fringe in this country may get exactly what they have always wanted if Obama wins. Utopia... a country where the government helps us "spread the wealth."

It's called socialism... enjoy.

Calling All Cars...

2008-10-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

While driving through town today, one of my favorite pet peeves was in full effect...

Drivers on cell phones.

I was headed off to run a few errands and all along the way, people talking on their cells. Driving badly and yapping away. I decided to count how many people out of ten drivers were on their cell phones.

The number was not as staggering as I thought... 4 out of 10. I noticed something that made me decide to retry my little experiment. How may women driving were on their cell phones?

I hate to blow everyone's mind with my results (sarcasm implied)... there were 8 women out of ten on their cells.

Two of those women were texting or at least dialing (one while turning left in front of oncoming traffic).

No need to think ill of me for pointing out the women cell talkers, men are just as bad.

Why are so many people on their phones while driving? What is so friggin' important that you have a phone glued to your head while you're driving?

Don't worry, it's not heavy machinery that you are operating... I'm sure no one has ever crashed their car while talking on the phone. You go right ahead and continue that important call.

There is actually an old episode of Mythbusters that ended up - through many tests - showing that driving while talking on a cell is worse than driving drunk (legally drunk).

The thing that really blows my mind are the number of people on the phone while driving to work in the morning. Who are you talking to? What could you possibly need to be talking about at 7:30 in the morning?

I wonder when someone will create a laptop computer that will fit nicely in your car... oh, wait, I have one of those, it's called an iPhone.

Maybe Blogging while driving will be the next big thing.

Hockey Night in Canada

2008-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hockey Night in Canada was an amazing memory from my childhood. I can remember sitting in the living room with Dad and watching the Red Wings or the Maple Leafs on Saturday Night.

To this day, the song that plays as Hockey Night in Canada begins gets me excited to watch the game. Hockey Night in Canada was kind of like Monday Night Football in America. The games were always exciting to watch. People played with a little more passion, skated faster, checked harder and celebrated with more gusto on Hockey Night in Canada.

After many years, Hockey Night in Canada has a new theme song. When I first heard this, I was a little skeptical. The composer of the original song was holding CBC television hostage to continue using the original song, so they decided to ask Canadians to give it a shot... here is the song that won the contest (Matthew & I especially enjoyed the bagpipes).

I Just Had to Do It...

2008-10-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

By no means am I endorsing a candidate...

This message paid for by no one... I saw it on Glen Beck's website.

Boy are we screwed.

Once...

2008-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

I may be a bit late to the party, but if you have never seen the movie Once , I would definitely recommend it.

My brother, Matthew, told me about the movie a while back and Cheryl and I saw the song, Falling Slowly, performed on the Oscars this past year (it won the Oscar, by the way).

Glen Hansard plays the lead character in the movie and wrote and performs all the music along with the costar, Marketa Irglova. After you have seen the movie, do a little googling to see what Glen & Marketa are up to now...

You know how sometimes a song just moves you? I hope everyone has experienced that at least once... it's truly one of the most amazing gifts God let's us enjoy.

There are songs that just stir up so much emotion in me that I begin to cry. Falling Slowly is one of those songs. I couldn't even tell you the words, but the pure emotion and beauty of the music and the way the melody and the instrumentation came together just made me cry.

Put it on your list of films to see... or at least have a listen to the beautiful song.

When It's Over...

2008-09-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day for many reasons...

Twenty short years ago, I started dating my high school sweetheart Cheryl (been married to her for 15 years now!). It also just so happens to be my friends Chris' birthday today (Happy Birthday Chris!). While both of those things are special, I cannot contain my glee over news out of Detroit today...

The Fat Lady has finally sung her song for Matt Millen.

Bill Ford Jr. called out his old, stubborn father, William Clay Ford, and said "enough is enough." Today the old man finally pulled the trigger... Matt Millen has officially ended his eight year reign of terror with the Detroit Lions.

After putting together a stunning 31 wins and 84 losses as GM of the Lions, the time to send him packing was way overdue. The Millen experiment was probably one of the worst things I have ever seen in my short Detroit Sports history. I saw some pretty bad Red Wing teams, but was too young to care. As a Wings fan, I at least experienced talented teams that competed for championships. They eventually won it all (4 Times now on my watch!), but the Lions have never shown any of that.

Barry Sanders wasted away in Detroit and eventually bailed on the Lions. Many guys have come and gone, but the results remained the same... undisciplined, lazy, losing teams.

Honestly, the thing myself and many other Lions fans would have enjoyed even more was a two for one change in Detroit - Ford Sr. and Millen out of the picture. For as long as this guy (Ford) has owned the team they have been an embarrassment.

Well, Lions fans have some optimism again. So here we are in September, looking forward to next season.

On another positive note, I just blogged again... I guess I finally had something to say. Hopefully there will be more.

I Like Turtles...

2007-11-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

My brother and his family came to visit this weekend and I don't think we have laughed this hard in a long time... thank you Jonathan.

YouTube rules!

Selling 2.0

2007-10-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here we are, a little over a month doing the sales thing. Let me tell you, it's tough. I have very high expectations for myself (I always do... another Blog on another day) and facing constant rejections really weighs on you.

There have been many days where I have had to force myself to be at work... I don't hate it, but there is definitely something about not making sales and not living up to what I would like to that makes waking up and getting on the phones a drudgery.

The thing about this whole "office job" thing that has always been tough for me is my need for that sense of freedom or whatever I think freedom is. Don't get me wrong, I am free to sit at my desk and not try very hard, but what good does that do me? Plus, it's just not right... I get paid to make calls.

My style of selling is very different too. I can't be pushy about people buying from me... I hate when people are pushy with me so I can't do it with other people. I give them the info and answer questions and move on. I plant the seed so to speak. Therein we stumble upon another issue in my life... patience. I desperately want that sale now, so when I don't get it, I am annoyed or sad or disappointed - just put in any emotion that fits.

I know one thing though, God brought me to this place... I am here for a reason. He is asking me to be obedient... to persevere... to experience what He has in store for me.

Last Friday while I was driving to work I was praying and I kept hearing the phrase "I have you there for a reason." When I got into work Jeremiah 29:11 was running through my mind... "I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

I'll keep holding on and hoping, because God knows what He's doing...

Born to Sell

2007-09-22T10:01:00.001-07:00

After what seemed like months of training, I officially got on the sales floor on Thursday! I celebrated by making my first 9 new sales!

I am really enjoying this job. There is a lot of rejection that is tough to get used to when selling, but there are also those calls that work out and you make the sale. As I get settle in and start feeling more comfortable with the products and begin hitting my groove, I think I am going to do pretty well.

I have to confess that I actually headed upstairs to get ready for bed the other day at 9:30 p.m. I think the last time I got ready for bed that early was when I was doing the morning show at WCM back in Michigan. I used to get there between 4:30 - 5:00 a.m. to start show prep with Christine, my co-host. Needless to say, I couldn't believe how tired I was.

I'm starting to feel like the big change of life is becoming "normal" so I should be able to get back to some of the extracurriculars that have been neglected for the past month or so. Maybe I can even start Blogging again!

We shall see...

Southern Exposure

2007-09-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

We've been away from home for close to a week now... I am ready to be back in the Buckeye State.

Isn't that weird?

I'll tell you what, with the way the Wolverines are playing, I may need to think about becoming a real Buckeye soon... I don't think my heart will let me do it though. I did say last week that I was toying with the idea of boycotting Michigan football until Lloyd Carr is fired or resigns. I know not all the blame goes to him, but the mentality of not changing the "tradition" of how Michigan plays football in today's game is unconscionable.

The good news is my Detroit Lions won their first game... 9 more wins and Jon Kitna is a genius!

Back to the trip...

We visited friends in South Carolina and we had a really good time. As we were headed down, we went through Ohio to get over to I-77 and it was very frustrating because after we made it out of the Columbus area the speed limit DECREASED from 65 mph to 55 mph!! We were literally in the middle of nowhere and the speed limit was less than it was in populated areas. Talk about speed traps... We'll be taking I-75 back home. Hallelujah!

We've been in Atlanta for the past few days. We're in the Northeast section of the ATL. The area is very nice. Tons of shopping, restaurants and stuff to do... along with that is way too many people.

Cheryl and I headed out for lunch today around 11:45 a.m. and she needed to get back to training in an hour. We finally got food at around 12:35 p.m.! It took us about 15 minutes to get about 2 miles away, then we tried in vain to find a place to park then ended up doing curbside order and about a half hour later, Cheryl had to wolf down her food while I dodged traffic to get her back to training.

This my friends, I do not miss. Big city convenience also means lots of waiting and lots of headaches. People are way too stressed out. There are so many people here, it really is mind boggling. I have no idea how you could take a lunch break with only an hour.

All that being said, this time away with Cheryl has been great. I miss the hound, but Chris is taking care of him and the house while we are gone, so it's all good.

Looking forward to getting back and experiencing the Fall temps that we're missing. Plus, there is nothing like "Home Sweet Home."

iPhone

2007-09-06T13:28:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like the iPhone is almost within reach.

Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPods the other day (Geekbert, where are you?) and also dropped the price of an iPhone down to $399 for an 8 GB. You can also pick up a refurbished 8 GB for $349 or a discontinued 4 GB iPhone for $299.

On top of that, the iPod touch was released and obviously has all the bells and whistles of the iPhone, without the phone. The iPod nano also got an overhaul... it can now play video and is wider and shorter. Plus a whole bunch of new colors.

Check them out.

Back to Reality...

2007-09-05T17:13:00.001-07:00

It seems like Blogging has become a thing of the past for me. I know it's only been a week, but I had an amazing streak going for a while there.

As I was talking to my Dad the other night, I mentioned to him around 8:30 p.m. that I was tired and needed to start winding down for the night. He chuckled of course, because he loves it when his sons are tired from a hard day at work. Nothing makes him happier - not really, but there is a sense of enjoyment and pride that I think he feels when his boys "earn their keep."

Dad worked his rear end off from the time he was 19 years old until the day he retired at the age of 59. In fact, after a hiatus in the land of retired persons, Dad actually went back to work as a contractor for a while. I think he may have learned his lesson... he is retired again, until he runs out of projects to do around the house or gets bored that is.

Cheryl's Dad is also still chuggin' away. He works fewer days a week, but I think he really enjoys what he does and that makes a difference.

There is something very satisfying about putting in a hard days work, especially when I get that first commission check. I can say without hesitation now that I identify with the Loverboy song, "Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend."

Hopefully the Fall TV season will inspire me to write a little more.

Yes Please!!

2007-08-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

A kid from N.J. figured out a way to hack into an iPhone and unlock it for use with any carrier!

Where do I sign up?

Sorry For the Interruption...

2007-08-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a very long time, but I have a legitimate excuse... a new job.

I started on Thursday last week at the Junior Library Guild. I sell books to schools and libraries... interesting, no? It's a phone sales job and really is a lot of fun. The people so far are great and there is a lot of room for earning potential.

Not my lifelong dream, but it pays the bills. Plus, even though it's a phone sales job, the JLG is an established company that has been around since 1929 and we're not telemarketing. We have relationships with Librarians and schools throughout the U.S.

Peace.

Stranglehold

2007-08-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

Here is what I wish I was doing to my dog, Bailey, right now.

It's 4:30 a.m. and the rumble of thunder started a few moments ago. He has been panting and whining ever since the hint of showers. We have basically seen scattered thunderstorms almost every day for the past week or so in Ohio. No end in sight as far as I can see.

There are times where being a dog owner really stinks and this would be one of them. I love the little mongrel, but he sure make me want to do a little cartoon strangling once in a while. If only the consequences of the cartoon or video game world applied to ours sometimes... what a wonderful world it would be.

That reset button would come in handy, wouldn't it?

Things Are Tough All Over

2007-08-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, times are tough in Michigan. Things are looking tougher and tougher all the time.

Cheryl and I have been in Ohio for a little over a year now, but there will always be a place in my heart for Michigan. Especially Detroit and the Metro area.

We are still in the midst of some pretty horrible stuff when it comes to our old house. It seems that the entire state is suffering from a huge rise in foreclosures. An article in the Free Press, says that foreclosures are up 130% since July 2006. We are in the midst of probable foreclosure right now and I have no idea what the outcome will be.

While it can be unnerving that we may lose the old place, there is also a sense of peace that God provides. He will be there no matter what the situation is. We have to keep believing and hoping for the best even in the midst of situations that can seem quite hopeless.

Stripes

2007-08-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

Stripes will always hold a special place in my heart.

I remember watching it on TV with Dad and him laughing and laughing. Bill Murray is classic in this movie. The only problem is the end when they take the top secret RV into enemy territory. There are so many hilarious moments and lines to be quoted... yes, I have been known quote lines from movies. Not as much as I used to, but I can quote with the best of them.

John Candy is obviously one of my favorites. I love when they go around the room to talk about why they decided to join...

Ox: My name's Dewey Oxbeger. My friends call me Ox. You mighta' noticed I have a slight weight problem.

Guys: No. No! No.

Ox: Yeah, yeah I do. I went to this doctor and he told me I swallowed a lot of aggression... along with a lot o' pizzas. Haha-ha!

I'm basically a shy person. I'm a shy guy and ah, he suggested takin' one o' these aggression training courses, you know these aggressive training courses, like E.S.T.? Those type o' things. Anways, it cost like 400 bucks! 400 bucks to join this thing.

Well, I ah, I didn't have the money. I thought to myself, join the Army. It's free. So I figured, while I'm here, I'll lose a few pounds. And you got what, a six to eight week training program here? A real tough one. Which is perfect for me.

I'm gonna' walk out of here a lean, mean, fightin' machine. Haha-haha!

Just one of John's classic moments in film.

Throughout most of the movie I think I would have been in the dog house just like Bill Murray. I have seen eye to eye with authority figures, but like the song goes, "When I fight authority, authority always wins."

It's fun revisiting some of the "classics" of my youth. Although, I always saw the TV versions. I had no idea all the stuff I missed!

2 - 0

2007-08-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

So far, so good.

The Detroit Lions are 2 - 0 in the pre-season... can you say Super Bowl? Well, they'll get to play the Super Bowl Champion, Indianapolis Colts, on Saturday.

It's not wrong to dream is it?

Go Lions!!

Fall Fling

2007-08-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those picture perfect days... mid 70's, light breeze and tons of pre-season football to watch on the NFL Network.

Even though I eagerly await the warmth of Spring and Summer, there is just something so wonderful about the Fall. I think it probably my favorite time of year. Spring is extremely close, but Fall just has something to it that is absolutely the best feeling in the world.

The trees start to change, football is in full swing and those cooler temps allow you to throw on a sweatshirt and play around outside and get a cold nose and rosey cheeks. Plus, as much as I hated school, there was something pretty exciting every year about heading back. New clothes, school supplies and when you were young, a new lunch box. Those were fun... although my lame Christian school wouldn't let you have half the lunch boxes out there because they were"worldly." Can a kid just have an Alf lunch box for crying out loud?

Bring on the Fall... just remind me that I asked for it when I am whining about the Winter.

Buckeye Birthdays

2007-08-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have never seen so many birthday parties in my entire life as I have seen since we moved to Ohio. There must be something about birthdays or at least about the people we know down here. We just celebrated another one tonight. I think we have been to at least 3 or 4 so far this Summer.

When I was a kid, I can remember like two birthday parties that I had. One was a pretty bad memory in some ways... in fact, birthdays were never really a big deal in our household. I always seem to remember the weird gifts I got from my parents. One they will never live down was the year they got me a clock radio... what a growing boy always hopes for on his special day, something to make him wake up in the morning! I can't even really remember my brother having birthday parties.

No offense to all my friends with kids - and trust me, Cheryl enjoys them - but these kid birthday parties are even harder for me. Maybe deep down I am jealous. Plus, with no children of my own, I miss the point I think. I also never know how old infants are. I just think they are eternally two years old until they can carry on a conversation with me that makes sense. I don't dislike kids at all, I just have no understanding of the kid world.

Maybe I need to start having dog birthday parties. In fact Bailey just turned 3 years old today... or is he 21 years old? If so, I need to give him his first beer. Ellie, our first dog, loved beer. Maybe it will take the edge off during our next thunderstorm... we can only hope.

Couldn't Have Been Scripted Better

2007-08-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight on Big Brother 8, the stars aligned and the unthinkable happened.

The man known as Evel Dick (left) did everything in his power to be kicked out of the house by going on an Evel Dick rampage, tearing people apart and acting like a total jerk. He won the Veto Competition and saved his daughter from eviction from the Big Brother House seemingly ensuring his own eviction.

Then...

America made things interesting. This season BB8 has someone called America's Player and America gets to see what people say when no one is watching. They know who is lying and who is telling the truth. So last night they told Eric, America's Player, to get one of his own put up for eviction and voted out, Dustin (right). That set the wheels in motion that saved Evel Dick from exiting the house.

Dick lives on for another week and to top it all off, his daughter, Danielle, won the Head of Household competition and will be picking two poor souls to be nominated for eviction this week.

I swear, it seems like someone is writing this stuff, because the likelihood of these events all lining up is completely amazing.

DIRECTV

2007-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

If you have never had DIRECTV or have believed all the cable company garbage about it, I have to tell you about an amazing customer service experience I had.

As I have mentioned on these pages before, I am a huge NFL fan and sadly, a die hard Lion's fan. DIRECTV has something called, The Sunday NFL Ticket, to which I started subscribing when we moved to Ohio. When we first signed up, it was an amazing deal where you ended up getting free premier service for months if you bought the Ticket. So last year I thoroughly enjoyed many, many NFL games each Sunday and became and even bigger NFL fan.

Fast forward to this year. When it came time to pay up for the Ticket again this year I had to really think about how fiscally responsible it was... plus I heard that if you called into DIRECTV and voiced concerns about paying the big bucks for the Ticket they would try to retain you. They did exactly that. After my conversation with a customer service rep, I basically ended up with the Ticket and Superfan (HD games, etc.) for about $49. That is amazing when you normally pay $269 for the NFL Ticket plus $99 for the Superfan.

This is just another thing I love about DIRECTV. If you get a chance to look at the picture quality compared to cable or even digital cable you will be blown away. There have been only a few times I can remember in the years that we have had DIRECTV that weather has made me lose a signal. Compared to the number of times I saw snow when we had cable, I'll take DIRECTV any day.

The Hits Keep Comin'

2007-08-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

When is this going to end? Now we're having Baby Bibs recalled... unbelievable.

Maybe it's time to think about manufacturing some things right here in America where we can keep our eyes on what's going on. The only thing stopping us is greed... that's a really good thing, huh?

Here's a list of things MADE IN AMERICA to get us started.

Remembering...

2007-08-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Fourteen years ago at this time, I think Cheryl, myself and a bunch of our friends were hanging out in Mom & Dad's pool. We were just relaxing a bit after a pretty eventful day. We probably stayed up late the night before, then got up early and made ourselves look really nice. Then we took some pictures before we stood up in front off a room of family and friends...

It seems as though we have been together for as long as I can remember, because I mostly remember being with my best friend and the love of my life, Cheryl. We were only sixteen (me) and fifteen (Cheryl) years old when we started our relationship. No one thinks those early loves turn into mature love, but ours did. We had ups and downs, but one thing was certain, I can tell you exactly when I knew I was in love with Cheryl and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her... oh, you want to know? We were standing out in front of her house after a date and I looked her right in the eyes and said, "You might think I'm crazy, but I think I'm falling in love with you." That was only a few weeks after we started dating. I just knew.

Many people thought we were just too young. There were a lot of warnings and "are you sure's?" thrown around, but we had that really important component... we were in love. We made mistakes and I made sure we had our share of drama, but God saw fit to bless us, even when we forgot about Him from time to time.

You hear people say this all the time, but the longer I know Cheryl, the more I love her. Everyday there is something she does that makes me smile. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful that God brought her into my life.

Fourteen years from now, I know I'll have even more amazing memories with this woman. I look forward to them and can't wait to see where God takes us... the places we have been so far, even the bad places, have been a blessing with Cheryl by my side.

Hot Fuzz

2007-08-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Just watched the movie, Hot Fuzz on DVD. If you are a fan of Shaun of the Dead, this movie will not disappoint you. Just a warning though, it's British and has a little gore in it.

The movie centers around a police officer (Simon Pegg) from London who does his job a little to well for the liking of his superiors. Since he makes arrests and stops crimes with such efficiency, they decide he is making them all look bad and he needs to be reassigned to another post. He ends up in a small town with no crime... or so we think. Soon he unearths the mother of all conspiracies and the hilarity ensues.

His sidekick (Nick Frost - also his sidekick in Shaun of the Dead) is enamored with the Hollywood version of policing. He asks his new police officer buddy if he has done all types of scenarios which he has seen some of his movie star heroes perform throughout the film. The best one is when he asks if he has ever had a chance to shoot a bad guy who was getting away from him, but couldn't bring himself to do it because he knew him then fired his gun in the air and screamed like Keanu Reeves in Point Break.

Much like Shaun of the Dead there is all sorts of crazy action that has a bit of humor thrown into it. It's worth a spin in the old DVD player, but the British humor thing may not register with everyone.

Rearrange

2007-08-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

Right before our friends came to stay with us, I decided to do a little reorganization of the living room. I do this from time to time to change things up a bit. Plus, you can really do a deep cleaning of everything when you move things around... you'd be surprised where Bailey's hair ends up!

So, one of the major changes was putting our super old couch (w/it's beautiful new slip cover) where our chairs used to be. Cheryl and I used to have our armchairs in the prime viewing area of the TV with an end table in between us. Now the couch sits there... one of the best things I've ever done.

Now we sit together and hold hands... cuddle... Cheryl curls up next to me with a book while I watch football, it's great! I feel like we forgot about how wonderful it was to snuggle up together.

If you haven't tried it lately, I highly recommend it.

Secret Good News?

2007-08-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

What a day! I am truly exhausted...

I did something crazy today, but I don't want to share much about it until I hear something about it this week. I know that is lame, but you will just have to wait for the news... it just might be worth it.

More to come...

Good Times

2007-08-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's been so much fun hanging out with Rob, Nicole and Jack. They are friends that you can always just pick up where you left off. We love them so much and enjoy the time we spend with them immensely. Plus, their son is so dang cute, I can hardly stand it.

Bailey loves that kid... hopefully not because he wants to eat him or something.

They'll be back for a day before they fly back to Sin City, so we'll have a little more time to enjoy them.

Football Fix

2007-08-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

And here we go...

Football game tonight was frustrating to watch (because I'm a Lions fan), but a lot of fun too. Mostly fun because the Lions ended up winning 27 - 26.

A win is a win.

More football to come this entire weekend, thanks to the NFL Network and local TV showing the Browns game. Should be fun.

I Know I'm Funnier Than...

2007-08-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of two of our best friends from Vegas! Can't wait to see them...

While we're waiting we caught tonight's episode of Last Comic Standing. It seems that NBC has revamped the way this year is done. No longer do the comics live in a house together, this year they are all put up in a hotel. The episodes also seem to move along a lot quicker and they eliminate more than one comic a night.

As usual, the best comics did not make it through this season, but it seems like the really good comics are picking off the average ones pretty handily. So, for now, I guess I'll continue to watch.

Plus Matt Kirshen (pictured) made me laugh pretty hard tonight.

Fat March

2007-08-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

We ended up watching the new show Fat March on ABC and I have to say, it was not all I had hoped for. I'm a big fan of The Biggest Loser on NBC, but Fat March just doesn't stand up so far.

The whole idea is that the contestants will walk 500 miles in ten weeks. All along the way, you can quit or be voted off if the group things you are slowing them down, but each time you lose a team member, you lose part of the groups prize money.

One of the worst things that happened were when this guy that was 520 lbs. was unable to continue walking because of stress fractures in his feet. He actually planned on continuing to walk, but the rest of his "teammates" decided to relieve him from duty. The good news is the guy - who just happens to be a youth pastor - is down to 43o now.

The other thing that was really quite annoying was this chick who did nothing but complain and whine and drag everyone down. She eventually dropped her backpack while the trainer tried to motivate her and said, "I'm done." The team lost money, but they also lost some dead weight... pun intended!

Time to Kill

2007-08-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

I had a little time to kill... and TiVo rewarded me with two movies with tons of kills in them.

The Rock and Die Hard may not be considered classics, but there was a time when I truly enjoyed action movies like these. I found out that they were pretty fun to watch again.

First off, Sean Connery is just fun to watch. I need to look into finding some of his James Bond films as I can only imagine they would be a lot of fun to watch as well. We have another Connery film available on the DVR, Finding Forrester and there's is just something pretty funny about hearing the beloved Scotsman yell, "Who's the man know, dog?"

Bruce Willis has always been a favorite of mine. He just comes off as your average everyday kind of guy. He'll probably never win an Oscar, but he will entertain you when you put down some green to see one of his movies. Plus, has there ever been a better action movie line than that nasty little phrase he utters in Die Hard? It has to be up there with "Go ahead make my day," and "Say hello to my little friend!"

Action movies may not be tops on the film critic's lists, but next time you need a little mindless entertainment let yourself enjoy a good old fashioned car chasing, exploding, shoot 'em up
action movie.

Banner Night In the Big Brother House

2007-08-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Alright, this season of Big Brother is really crazy!

This is probably the meanest season I have seen thus far. Evel Dick (pictured w/Johnny Depp) is absolutely out of control at times, but refreshingly honest. He is making this season very fun to watch and living up to his name in more ways than one.

On Thursday, he poured a glass of iced tea on Jen and escaped with nothing but a question from Julie Chen during the Eviction Ceremony for Kail and Nick. Whilst part of me feels sorry for Jen, the humorous side of me laughed uproariously when it happened. Where else but Reality TV does this stuff happen?

Cheryl has a secret fantasy of throwing a drink in someone's face, but when does an opportunity like that really present itself? Well, knowing me, she may have had a few chances by now...

Most Reality TV shenanigans like that would get you kicked off the show by the producers, but somehow Mr. Dick survived...

Now things get really weird when a plane with a banner behind it flew over the Big Brother House... it said:

WE LOVE NICK! ERIC AND AMBER ARE LIARS! LNC ARE THE NERD HERD!

Okay, so Nick just got voted out and obviously someone he knows decided to send a message to the BB House... Crazy! I've never seen anything like this before. Eric and Amber are now outed to the rest of the house. LNC stands for "Late Night Crew," which as you may have guessed is all the people who stay up late... how creative.

This is really bad news for Eric. He is one of the twists this year called America's Player. Basically CBS has people voting on things for Eric to do in the house. Usually it's who to try to get nominated for eviction, some kind of crazy stunt and who to vote for on eviction day. He has to dig himself out of a pretty big hole now...

I could go on and on...

Which leads me to something I have been toying around with for a while and the other day while talking with a good friend of mine, Chris, I kind of got a little validation for my latest idea.

The Ramblin' Scotzman may become a little more of an entertainment Blog over the next few months. Most likely I will Blog about TV as I have not been to see an actual film in the theater since Borat (I know, of all the movies to go to), plus who wants to pay $9.25 for something that might suck? Getting new DVD's from the library fits into our budget perfectly (FREE besides all the taxes we pay).

So I would love to know what all two of the readers of this Blog think... there will still be ramblings about life, love and craziness, but I figure why not write about something I know a lot about. Sad but true... I know TV.

The China Syndrome

2007-08-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

Here we go again people... in our quest for cheaper products the list continues to grow. More toys gone bad from China... at least they're affordable.

When is this madness going to end?

Maybe when we decide that cheap products aren't the bottom line anymore. Just my opinion, but it's time to wake up and stop rewarding faulty products and slave labor.

The Games We Play

2007-08-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty entertaining "boy's night out" with a friend of mine tonight. We originally were going to try to get a Hold 'Em Poker game going, but alas, there was no one biting.

We ended up playing video games all night and enjoying some grilled burgers then some ribs. The ribs were awesome...

In my own little world I think I'm pretty good at video games. On my PS2 I am unstoppable against the computer, but put me against flesh and blood and a lot of times, I find I need some more practice. That really sucks when you are competitive and get your behind handed to you.

Steve and I ended up playing a bunch of games he bought used for his kids Nintendo Game Cube. We played hockey, Mario Cart (with the kids), Tiger Woods Golf and basketball. Mario Cart was a disaster... I really stink at driving games, I never let off the gas. Either way, it was all fun.

Next time, we need to play on my PS2... home field advantage. It might help, you never know.

It's Time Again!

2007-08-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Time for my semi-monthly Blog about one of the greatest TV shows ever... Arrested Development.

TiVo has been picking up episodes off HDNet and it made me break out the DVD's today to indulge in total hilarity!

While I was on the CBS website the other day there was a internet show I came across called Clark and Michael. One of my favorite characters from the show (Cheryl's absolute favorite), George Michael Bluth, who in real life is Michael Cera, was the creator and co-star of the show.

The kid is amazing and he's from Canada... why do Canadians seem to be such a comedic people? Great anthem, hockey and comedy, what's not to like? Probably the standardized health care and the taxes...

I digress... everything said and done, it's time to watch Arrested Development if you haven't seen it and even if you have, watch it again!

Moments

2007-08-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are little things that happen in life that remind you of why it's so nice to be in love and be loved. It might be a touching moment in a movie, TV show or a book. Sometimes you see a picture or have a thought that runs through your mind.

When those moments come, you treasure them. Hold on to those moments and never forget them. They make life worth living.

Detroit Breakdown

2007-07-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Newt Gingrich made a statement to the world that many people already knew: Detroit is a disaster.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to pile on, but the city of Detroit is a mess. Everyone knows it except the people in charge of the city. The city council holds the Motor City hostage by bickering and fighting amongst themselves. The Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has proven to be a hoodlum and a tool for even more racial divide in one of the most racial divided cities in the country.

The school system is a complete joke and the State has tried taking over it's operation, but people in the city would never let that happen. Most in the city would rather leave things as they are to avoid getting help from "outsiders." It's a really warped mentality which again speaks to the racial divides of the Metro Area.

Add to that mess the fact that the governor of the great state of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, has driven it into the ground, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Gingrich may be speaking out of turn in some ways, but maybe being able to look at something from the outside in gives him better perspective than those living in the middle of the situation.

Since Cheryl and I left the Detroit area, it's easier to see some of the things that hold back a place I will always love. There is this underlying mentality in Detroit that you are owed something or you deserve something "just because." The unions have a little something to do with that, but I'm not a union hater. They have their place in the marketplace, but there has to be a correction of the pendulum swing.

Living in Ohio near one of Honda's plants, I see first hand the fact that the Big 3 aren't the only game in town anymore. Honestly, most Americans would say that the Big 3 are irrelevant. There has to be some big changes in Motown when it comes to the automotive industry.

There is also a really negative attitude that pours out of people in the Metro-Detroit area. Not everyone, but there are a lot of angry, ticked off, ornery people there. Where I especially see it is in the sports world. Whether you are talking about the Lions, Wings, Tigers or Pistons, there is a lot of doom and gloom. I enjoy the Wings & Lions so much more since I moved. It's hard to explain, but in talking with others who have moved on, I am not the only one to suggest this.

Detroit will always be my hometown, I just wish it could make a comeback. Maybe more people need to speak out and start bringing attention and help to the Great Lake State.

The Two Coreys

2007-07-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

I ended up watching a show called, The Two Coreys on A&E last night. This show was a little odd at first. I found myself wanting to turn it off, but wondering what event they would stage next.

You may remember the Corey's, Haim and Feldman. Feldman was in The Goonies. Haim was in Lucas. Both were in a string of movies, most notably The Lost Boys and License to Drive. Then both took a turn for the worse... drugs and bad behavior. Too bad they weren't acting that way now. Britney, Paris and Lindsay seem to be making a career out of it.

I'm slightly interested, because both of them have cleaned up their lives. Corey Feldman is married and is a lot more stable, while Haim is portrayed (and plays the part) as the immature, wild man. Really he comes off self centered and desperate at times. But he still has that "lovable guy" thing going for him.

I'm pretty sure that Corey Haim must have persuaded Feldman to do this. Feldman seems like he is fine with where he is in life, while Haim is dying for the limelight again. Haim ends up in tears when he finds out from Feldman that they are already doing a sequel of The Lost Boys without them. Very sad... was the movie even that good? I loved it when I was a teenager, but some things are better left without sequels.

When I was a teenager, I loved their movies. Now they are in their thirties and the movie roles have dried up... but reality TV will always be there for them. I'm a sucker for that. A very entertained sucker though.

Scotty Wept...

2007-07-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

We watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tonight. Why do I do this to myself?

I cried like a little girl... a good cry never hurt anyone though.

It feels ridiculous and amazingly heartwarming all at the same time. Ty needs to stop tugging on my heartstrings.

What Are You Really Drinking?

2007-07-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Something I have always believed to be true finally has a little proof behind it...

It appears that Pepsi has admitted that there Auquafina bottle water is nothing more than tap water. The water is filtered, but couldn't you do that at home for pennies?

For years living in Detroit, I heard that Dasani, bottled by Coca-Cola, was nothing but filtered Detroit water. Let me just say that Detroit water is really good. I have been in a lot of places around the country and Motown water out of the tap is miles ahead of anywhere I've been (especially in my hometown in Ohio... good thing we pay three or four times more for it too).

I've always had a huge problem paying for bottled water. It comes right out of your faucet at home and no need to recycle all those bottles. These companies have made millions off our fears of drinking tap water, maybe it's time to drink what you already pay for every month, seeing as you are robbed by your city for that as well. No need for the double dip.

Heinz Finished Product

2007-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished product for the Heinz Ketchup's Top This TV Challenge. Let us know what you think.

Sometime in late August we'll know if we are one of the 15 Semi-Finalists... then we'll tell you where to vote for us!

WARNING... I May Be Contagious!

2007-07-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Socially contagious that is...

A new study by some people with way too much time on their hands says that if you hang out with "obese" people you may catch their fat cooties. As if little children pointing and staring at you in public wasn't enough, now being chunky may scare off all your "normal sized" friends.

I think there is a little something to this, but it has a lot more to do with who accepts you and who you feel comfortable around. I don't hang out with a lot of marathon runners... they might want to go jogging or something, so I most likely wouldn't be with them while they are training. Not that I detest joggers or hate the idea of being fit, but at certain points in our journey we aren't headed in the same direction. My opinion (if it really matters) is that people end up spending time with people that they identify with.

Even though a lot of "Christians" can get on my nerves, when you meet up with someone that shares your faith, you generally have a bond. Later you may end up being annoyed by them, but the initial foundation is there.

I don't search out chubby people when I come into a room, but we have a connection. You know what they are going through and what they have experienced, therefore, you may end up getting to know them. A lot of the plus sized people I meet in my life have a sense of humor, which is very appealing... you have to develop this to survive when you are overweight.

This study just reinforces prejudices and stereotypes that have been around for a very long time. Most people look at you differently when you are on the plump side. They look down on you. Pity you. Are disgusted by you and now need to fear that you may make them choose a pro-fat lifestyle.

I can see it now, politicians rallying their base against the obese. Other candidates choosing to be pro-plump. Another category for all of us to fear or to fit into... so nice and neat isn't it?

In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

Maybe more people should take the time to help out the people who struggle with obesity rather than ostracize them. If you have been watching the show, Shaq's Big Challenge, you will see that getting people excited and encouraged about a healthy lifestyle can start a revolution.

Don't be afraid healthy people... even you rotten people with speedy metabolisms, I won't rub off on you. At least I'll try not to. But don't expect any marathon running... not yet anyway.

Jailhouse Rock

2007-07-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is a video I saw on an old comedy buddies MySpace page. It's a large group of men in a Filipino prison doing a choreographed dance routine to Michael Jackson's, Thriller.

Tax dollars hard at work!

Handyman

2007-07-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

This may be nothing to many of you, but I fixed another problem with my toilet last week.

When we were living in Michigan, Dad was just a phone call away. He knew how to or was willing to figure out how to fix anything and everything.

Since we moved (almost a year ago), I've had to learn to fix all the little stuff that goes wrong in the house... and as much as I used to think I couldn't fix things, it's not as hard as I thought.

So far on the two toilets upstairs, I have fixed almost everything in the tank: handle, filler valve & float and the flush valve. I've also replaced the seats.

Not rocket science, but I'm learning!

Grillin'

2007-07-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

We finally got a new tank for the BBQ and I have been grillin' all day.

There is just something amazing about that wonderful grilled taste, isn't there? Chicken was on the menu today, I think tomorrow I'm gonna' try a little salmon. Let me just say, if you love to marinate before you grill, A1 Marinades are out of this world! We're hooked on Texas Mesquite.

I would love to hear some grillin' tips or recipes, so pass 'em on.

The Call

2007-07-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

I got a call this morning that no one wants to hear...

Mom was rushed to emergency last night.

After a pretty stressful week and a night with her grandchild, Mom was pretty worn out. Dad said that Mom had a hard time communicating with him and eventually Dad felt something was very wrong. Matthew and Dad took Mom into the hospital and she ended up staying overnight for tests and observation.

Sounds like extreme fatigue and a possible TIA ended up being the diagnosis. Mom was allowed to go home this afternoon and finally get some rest (you can never rest in a hospital... odd isn't it?).

Keep her in your prayers...

Boys Day Out...

2007-07-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ended up having a very cool Saturday morning.

Doug, Steve, Derek and myself met for breakfast at this place my Mom would love, Der Dutchman. It was just a lot of fun hanging out with the guys. They introduced me to this donut thing call a Long John. Cheryl told me to get her one since she had been there before and loved them. If you love sweets, beware, they're sinful. That's coming from someone who doesn't love sweets.

After the breakfast we ended up at Steve's in-laws where my heart almost stopped as Steve climbed a windmill some thirty or so feet in the air. The ladder - if you can even call it that - was literally only wide enough for one foot to fit in at a time. He barely squeezed through the opening at the top. After all of us watched in horror, Steve made it down all right.

Luckily, I think all the other guys didn't get in any trouble with their wives for being out so long. Even if they did, I think spending time together was worth it.

I'm Ready for Some Football!

2007-07-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

Sports two days in a row people... I know.

All I can say is that DirecTV sent me a schedule for the upcoming season so I am officially excited. Training camp starts at the end of this month and the added bonus is HBO is bringing back one of my favorite shows, Hard Knocks. It follows a team through training camp with some really behind the scenes access. They're following the Kansas City Chiefs this year.

I am a glutton for punishment since as you know, my favorite team is none other than the Detroit Lions. Lions fans are so full of optimism as training camp comes around. Let's hope that positive feeling finally pays off this year (come on Chris, you know you love those Lions).

Soccer Geek

2007-07-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

The Scottish blood was a wee bit excited tonight as I watched the MLS All-Star Game on ESPN 2. For you American folk who may not know, the MLS is Major League Soccer.

Yes, soccer.

I watched it and it was particularly exciting (not something most would say about soccer in the U.S.) because Celtic FC played the MLS All-Stars. Celtic FC is a team from Glasgow, Scotland. I'll need to speak with my Uncle Matthew to find out which Scottish Premier League team he follows. My guess is his hometown team in Kilmarnock.

The MLS All Stars beat Celtic FC 2 - 0. It was actually quite entertaining.

The real excitement at the game and over this past week has been the arrival of David Beckham. If you are unaware of Mr. Beckham, you may actually know who he is in the next few years if he does what people think he will. Basically, Beckham is supposed to put MLS on the map in the U.S., put butts in the seats.

He's an international superstar and was paid $250 Million to play here. He is married to one of the Spice Girls, Victoria, better known as Posh Spice. He's one championships in Europe and played for his country, England, in a few World Cups, and of course, he knows how to bend it... like Beckham.

Check out this video of Beckham against Greece. Watch for the reverse angle replay. Tell me that isn't a thing of beauty.

Here We Go Again...

2007-07-18T23:54:00.001-07:00

I have no idea why, but we're watching Last Comic Standing again this year. They've got a new host, Bill Bellamy, and now three past contestants are the judging panel. By the way, only one of them won the season they were on, in fact Alonzo Boden had to come back for a season vs. season showdown before he was crowned Last Comic Standing. Not to mention that idiot Ant... who is he kidding with that hair piece? Sorry... that was wrong.

This show grabs me and then infuriates me every time it's on. I know it's coming, but I still put myself through it. At least this year I saw a comic that I knew from my days back in the Detroit comedy scene... Dave Landau... he lost and didn't look to happy about it.

The reason that I get all ticked off with this show is the fine print. If you read the fine print at the end of the show each week, it says that, "portions of the show have been edited out for the sake of time... blah, blah, blah... oh, and winning contestants are chosen by the panel and producers of the show."

I wouldn't have a problem with that if the funniest people made it to the next round, but the producers - God love 'em - choose people not just because they are the funniest, but because they will bring Reality Show freakiness to the house. They want crazy, unbalanced people because they will bring drama into the house. They will cause otherwise semi-normal people to do and say things that will have America talking tomorrow around the water cooler.

I know comedy is subjective, but let me just tell you that a lot of great comics go unnoticed and unappreciated on Last Comic Standing. They say that the funniest person in the World will be found this season... probably not, but at least we'll be laughing most of the way.

Heinz

2007-07-17T22:36:00.000-07:00

Dave and I shot a commercial for Heinz Ketchup tonight...

After all the editing is done on my lovely Mac, I'll post a link for you to go see it on You Tube. Hopefully they like it.

Dramatic Chipmunk

2007-07-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

I know I am late on this one, but if you haven't seen this... you just have to laugh. The Dramatic Chipmunk came about from some video of a Japanese children's TV show where they had a prairie dog in a pen while the kids laughed and asked questions. At one point the camera zooms in and then the payoff... Dramatic Chipmunk is born.

Enjoy.

There are a million variations of this thing on You Tube, so check it out. Not all of them are family friendly... so beware.

This is my favorite.

Alcohol...

2007-07-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

So all the neighbors had a little party out in our court area last night. I went out to chat and see how things were going. I ended up sitting down for a while and talking with a few people while the booze continued to flow and the guests became more and more inebriated.

Out of nowhere, one of the guests from the block over (who I found out later no one really knew) comes flying past me at full speed and tackles my neighbor in his chair. Ummm, o.k.? So then the drunkard gets up and says, "Are we cool man?"

Are we cool?!?

My neighbor, also a bit on the tipsy side, says everything is o.k. Some people were laughing while the non-intoxicated people like me, knew this would not end well. My neighbor - after much drunken plotting - waits for his chance. The fully drunken bum from the other block is standing on the curb with his back to us, when my neighbor comes flying out of his chair, nailing the liquored up fool in the back... right on top of the unsuspecting woman that was talking to him. They both landed on top of her right in the middle of the concrete.

Not good.

She said she was fine, but I wonder how numb she had become up to that point (she also was enjoying her drinks). Everyone kept asking if she was alright and I think more than anything, she was embarrassed by all the attention.

The party quickly started to disband by that point... just a shade to late obviously. The drunken bum ended up passing out while he was sitting in a chair, then stumbled - with his cooler of beer - back home through our neighbor's yards.

There always seems to be one of those idiots that ruins it for everyone else. Tackling people is always a bad idea... unless you are playing football or are doing a stunt in a movie.

Maxed Out

2007-07-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you happen to own a credit card, it would be pretty likely that you also have credit card DEBT! I may be jumping way out on the limb with that one... probably not.

Quite some time ago, I saw a preview for a documentary called, Maxed Out, on the previews of a DVD that we were watching. I was very intrigued, so I put it on the list of DVD's at the local library. We finally got it this past Thursday and it did not disappoint.

This movie should be required watching for high schoolers, young adults, people about to get married, if you are about to go to college or if you happen to spend money. EVERYONE needs to see this movie.

Cheryl and I have major struggles with debt; especially credit card debt and I wish we had known the disaster we were walking into. We never learned about money management or more importantly the value of money earned. Both of us had it pretty good growing up. We took a lot of things for granted and lived way beyond our means when we first got married... 14 years later, we are still paying for those mistakes.

Dave Ramsey is one of the people featured on this DVD. I would highly suggest either reading some of his books or getting to one of his seminars, because this guy has the right idea.

As the tag-line of the Maxed Out suggests: Nothing Is Priceless.

Scott's Rent-A-Car

2007-07-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

I let a friend borrow my car for the weekend today.

It was really weird, because I got into the car with him and told him about all the little ticks and problems he might experience with it. It made me feel like a father feels when he lets his son take the family car out for the first time.

Weird, huh?

Hmmm...

2007-07-12T10:11:00.001-07:00

So my brother calls me this morning with an interesting proposition. It seems a friend of his at work may be interested in our house, but he would like some incentives thrown into the deal.

In Real Estate these days, people are having to sweeten the pot a bit with extras. It used to be things like paying closing costs or helping with the down payment, but now things have gotten a bit more creative. Everything from Plasma TV's to Mercedes are being thrown into the purchase deal.

So what does our perspective buyer want? A Crotch Rocket... we'll see how that works out.

Ask

2007-07-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

I always have trouble asking for help. Why? I think there are a myriad of reasons. Pride, being afraid what people will think, not wanting to "owe" somebody, etc.

In America, very early on we learn to be independent. It's the best way to do things... so we're told. It's your choice, your bedroom, your body, your decision, your vote. Everything is about you. You deserve the best, you deserve a break today, be all that you can be.

This logic seems to go against everything I've read about the Church. Community, carrying for one another, sharing with one another... being together. The community of "believers" grew so quickly because this love and care they showed to one another was attractive. It was different than the norm.

Sometimes when we are too proud or afraid to ask for help, we don't give those in the body a chance to give. We take away their opportunity to experience the joy of giving that God provides them with.

So why not try to be a little un-American next time you are in need? Ask, and maybe it will be given to you.

Friends Are Friends... Forever?

2007-07-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you really care about?

I'm not talking about being swindled by a used car salesman or getting ripped off or being duped into buying something from a TV Infomercial... I mean someone you invested in. Someone you gave pieces of yourself to. Someone you thought was like family.

For me - and I'm sure many other people - this feeling of betrayal by people I care about has been something I have experienced many, many times in my life. It's kind of like the devil's little hot button for me. The thing that really hurts me the deepest. Friends, family and people I will never meet again have helped push that button... and I'm positive I have pushed that button for others as well.

Most of the time, I've been able to talk to the person and hash things out. Not this time. I've been able to say that I'm sorry too. I've been able to forgive and begin again... but something different is happening here. Things out of my control...

Thankfully, God is helping me grow... increasing my faith.

He never betrays me, never forsakes me. He continues to strip away the things that get in the way. I'm realizing more and more that everything in my life is meaningless. Possessions, titles, family, friends... none of it matters.

A new realization is taking over.

Everything could crumble down around me, but God still loves me and His plans will be carried through to completion.

How many of us really understand His love for us?

I don't think any of us really know it's true fullness. We've never experienced anything close to it in human form because we're all messed up, broken. We see glimpses of it... but do we really open ourselves up to receive all that He has freely given to us? Do we believe He loves us the way He says He does?

Most often we have to experience the pain and betrayal. We have to let God pull the little band-aid off of our gaping wound. He has to expose it so He can heal it.

Really it's about how we deal with it, isn't it? Knowing that God is still God in the face of all sorts of trials and tribulations. We were made to be in relationship with others... because we're made in His image. Relationships will fail.

How many times have I betrayed Him? Many more than Peter. Yet, He still loves me. Perfectly. Exactly the way I need it... Exactly the way He intended.

His perfect love casts out all fear.

Even the fear that someone will hurt me again...

Blog Maintenance

2007-07-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

No offense to anyone who may have noticed their link is gone...

I've noticed that some people haven't written in quite a while or very infrequently. So if you start Blogging again, let me know and I'll put you back in the links.

Assume the Position

2007-07-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

Our little Bailey Boy made it into todays teaching at church! Tony was continuing a message on faith and how our faith grows. One of the points that he made was that we all have these misconceptions about who God is and that definitely shapes our faith (or lack thereof).

Tony talked about a dog his wife's family had that was very scared and timid throughout it's life. He remembers when that dog would meet people that it's tail would go between it's legs and it's ears would be pinned back. It came before people with fear and trepidation.

As Tony was preparing, he was studying what it meant when a dog licks you. He read a bunch of trainers who said it was a sign of affection, love and trust for their masters. When Tony and some other people came to our house one night a couple weeks ago we were praying and worshipping Tony was on the floor and became quite emotional. Bailey came up to Tony as he lay there and began to lick his hand. In that moment, he felt like God was showing him love through Bailey. Then Bailey flopped down beside Tony and rolled over on his back to get some love in return.

That, Tony explained, is how we should view the relationship we have with our God. We express our love to him, but the most important part is that we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to accept his love in return. Most of us come before God like the timid dog, worrying or frightened that God may zap us, but Bailey gave love and enjoyed receiving it as well.

Sometimes even dogs can teach you something...

Saturdays

2007-07-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Cheryl and I had one of those Saturdays...

One where you just spend the day together. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Just us... and our furry little buddy, Bailey.

I love days like this.

Movie Week

2007-07-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

We have watched a slew of movies lately!

We get our movies from the public library now, so the choice of what I get can be pretty sporadic. When we used Netflix, there was a little more rhyme and reason to the movies we ended up with. On the library website I can request books and movies, but a lot of times the newer stuff is requested by a ton of people and the library usually only has a single copy, so being too cheap to rent movies has it's drawbacks. How can you go wrong with free though (again, only free in my mind... our tax dollars hard at work)?

So we recently watched a documentary that Chris told me about a long time ago called, Devil's Playground. It's about the Amish... yes, the Amish. It is actually pretty interesting and strange and sad all at the same time. Basically at the age of 16, the Amish religion allows the teens to live like "the English people." They get to experience life on the other side and then decide if they want to come back and become Amish. It is a wild ride where the kids party, drink, smoke, drive cars, have cell phones, wear "English" clothes and pretty experience anything they want to... all while still living at home on the farm (most of them anyway). The interesting thing is that they have like a 90% retention rate in the church.

The second movie we watched was Shooter. This was just a good ol' fashion action movie. It was heavily influenced and filled with political commentary on how our government is crooked and covers things up (duh... like we didn't know that). But it was actually really good. Cheryl and I both enjoyed it. Conspiracies and sniper rifles always make me happy... that's kind of sad, no?

Lastly the movie Deja Vu. To me this one reminded me of a few movies, but it was a very interesting concept. Plus, Jesus was in it... well the guy who played him in The Passion of the Christ anyway. It kind of has some of the technological advances of Minority Report, mixed with pretty much every movie you have ever seen where you have to stop the bad guy before he blows stuff up... with a twist. Denzel Washington is always good in these movies in my opinion, so it's worth a watch.

Big Brother 8

2007-07-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

So we started watching Big Brother 8 last night on CBS. It's one of those dirty little secrets that we watch during the Summer months. A good friend of mine, Chris, got me to check this show out and I have been off and on ever since. (Last year's Big Brother All Stars was amazing though)

Essentially, Big Brother is a show where 14 people are put together in a house that has no outside contact with anything or anyone - except the host, Julie Chen. Throughout their time there (2 or 3 months) they vote one another out each week. It's like high school click neatly packaged for your TV viewing pleasure.

There is always a twist on the show. This year 6 people in the house know one another, which would usually be a good thing, but these people know and mostly hate each other. There are ex-romantic interests, ex-best friends (from junior high!) and father/daughter relationship gone bad.

The father/daughter thing was the one that really made me sad. The daughter had not spoken with her father in 2 years, she's only 21 and her dad is a tatoo'd punk rocker who manages a bar (reminds Cheryl and I of Lex from Survivor). I hope that there can be some kind of reparation of that relationship... right in front of millions of interested viewers - - touche CBS!

Boom!

2007-07-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

So we sat out in our backyard tonight and watched the fireworks!

It was really cool. I think we need to make a party out of it. Have lots of people over and watch the explosions in our own backyard. We definitely need a soundtrack... the neighbors had the radio blaring, but I think I will need to make a soundtrack of good songs for next year and blast them over the stereo somehow.

Bailey was outside with us and nearly lost his mind, but I just kept holding him and telling him that, "fireworks are good." Let's hope that registers for next year.

I also happened to mention that fireworks symbolized our violent heritage as a nation. I told Bailey that all that violence allowed him freedom to run around panting when fireworks exploded and thunderstorms came along.

God Bless America.

And the Rocket's Red Glare...

2007-07-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

So we have learned something new about our cute little dog, Bailey... Fireworks scare the living crap out of him! We're talking shivers, panting and pacing like a fiend. Worse than thunderstorms... I knew there was a reason I have no love for fireworks. Watching hard earned money explode into bright colors never appealed to me.

We watched Red, White & Boom on our local NBC affiliate tonight and even a couple of the firework sounds from the television sent him scurrying away looking for shelter.

By the way, someone at the local NBC station could be losing their job tomorrow or really get and earful because the regularly scheduled program, Law & Order: SVU, audio was playing over the music and explosions as we watched. Quite annoying, but funny at the same time.