Thinning the herd

So the fields of the Dems and the GOP candidates running for president thinned a bit recently when John Edwards announced he is ending his bid for the Oval Office and Rudy Giuliani announced he is dropping out on the GOP side.

Giuliani went on to endorse John McCain and Edwards has held off on endorsing anyone yet.

I am just waiting for a similar announcement to come from Mike Huckabee ... talk about someone giving me the heebies and the geebies. Friend of mine lives in Arkansas and has told me plenty of stories about Huckabee's tenure as that state's governor. That and frankly, Huckabee's background as a minister really makes me nervous about him being president. This country is already too conservative for my taste and, IMO, it'll only get worse if the Huck-ster is elected.

On the Democrat's side, I'm really disappointed at the nasty tone taken between Obama and the Clintons. Way to prioritize the ideals and platform of the Democratic party, people. We need James Carville to came back and say, "It's the Democratic party, stupid!"

Speaking of the Clintons, Bill really, really, really needs to pour himself a big cup of shut-the-hell-up and back off on his attacks on Obama. It makes Hillary look bad and does absolutely nothing positive for his legacy. If he's half as smart a politician as people say he is, he'll really listen to the beating he's taking in the press and back off.

Yup, it's the 2008 election season ... giddy up!

Britney ... Britney ... Britney

Just saw this story about Britney Spears being committed to a psych ward.

Being a dad really changed my perspective on this story.

When all of this started, I really couldn't have cared less. I thought, "Pffft, Britney Spears. She's rich, poor thing ... she has problems. Don't we all."

But, as this has played out over the past few months to a year, I've come to realize that this woman really is sick and needs help. The article says she may be bipolar ... she could be still suffering from postpartum depression, too. Every time I read something about Spears, I just keep thinking about her kids. I mean, c'mon, for better or worse she is a mom and I think it speaks to the level of her mental illness when she just can't seem to get it together enough when she's threatened with losing custody of her children (the article says she hasn't seen her kids in almost a month).

Here's hoping she gets the help she needs so she can get her life back on track. That and once she does, may be we won't have to hear about this crap anymore. Seriously ... we're in a recession or about to enter one (depending on who you believe), there's a war going on, healthcare is still a major crisis in this country and Spears and her shenanigans still make headlines?!? Oy vey ...

That all being said, I won't lose any sleep over this. If no one ever hears about Spears again it'll be too soon.

Bishop accountability

Well, here's a post that's not going to be very pleasant, but then again ... not all things in life are pleasant, are they?

I was reading the Boston Globe online during lunch today and saw this front-page story about a non-profit group that is archiving the massive amount of documents and information related to the scandal surrounding the Catholic Church and the abuse by some of its priests.

I was raised Catholic and, from seventh grade through high school, attended Catholic school. Those of you who know me personally and those who don't and read my random list about me that I blogged about recently know that I'm not a religious person and don't believe in god. Coincidence? Hardly.

Anyway, so I'm reading this story and out of curiosity I decided to check out the organization's website, bishopaccountability.org.

One section of the website lets you search for accused priests by state, then by Diocese, in my case, Worcester, MA. When I started looking at the list, I nearly did a spit take with my water. I saw three priests on the list that I knew personally. Two of the priests on the list were teachers at the high school I attended, and one was the headmaster of the junior high school at which I was a student.

Fortunately, I was never a victim of one of these guys and I have to admit that in looking at their names and thinking about it for a few minutes, I'm not really surprised to see them on the list. In each case, I remember (even as a kid) thinking something just wasn't quite right about these guys, but I couldn't put my finger on it. According to the list, one priest was arrested but found not guilty, another was asked to resign and is being sued by an alleged victim and the third is named in a pending civil suit and settled yet another suit.

I should say that I have no personal knowledge of any of these guys abusing any of my fellow classmates. But, settling a lawsuit doesn't exactly bode well for your presumed innocence, does it? I digress ...

Aside from the whole disgusting and unnerving travesty that is the Catholic Church abuse scandal (I could go on and on about it, but what's the point?), what makes me sick to my stomach is that one of these guys was the person who helped me when I fell down the flight of stairs and split my chin wide open (see #120 in my random list post). Again, he did nothing inappropriate (if I remember correctly, he once said he was a nurse in the armed services and knew how to treat my wound before I went to the hospital) but he came in contact with me. It may have been 25 years ago, but it still makes me a bit nauseous.

Bluetooth technology in artificial limbs

Just read this story on CCN.com ... wild stuff.

Basically, the story says the guy's prosthetic legs have bluetooth receivers (like in cell phones) in the ankles that communicate with each other so that one leg knows what the other is doing, thus resulting in more coordinated movement. Wow.

Can't help but think that as cool as this is today, it may be very commonplace in the future.

Ample parking, day or night ...

What I'd look like if I hung out the Stan and the gang ...

Reno 911

One word ... brilliant.

I love any show that makes me think, "How do they come up with this stuff?"

The most random list you'll ever read

I'm not ashamed to say I got the idea for this post from a fellow blogger. To me, that's a compliment when fellow bloggers borrow each other's ideas. Disagree? Well, it's my blog, so there.

The following is a completely random list about ... me.

1. I was born July 22, 1969 … the story goes that my mom went into labor as Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon. She wanted to go to the hospital but my dad couldn’t take his eyes off of the TV. She won.
   
2. My son, Joey, is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Seeing the world through his eyes is indescribable.
   
3. When I worked in Boston, I used to commute 20 hours a week. Fun.
   
4. I’ve never been sued.
   
5. If there's one person in my life that I trust more than anyone else, it's my mom. She absolutely would never BS me.
   
6. I am a huge golf nut and love playing. Well, if you call having a handicap over 20 "playing".
   
7. My favorite color is navy blue.
   
8. One of my most favorite things in the world is the way Joey prefaces almost every sentence he says to me with, "Dah-dee".
   
9. Nothing beats walking in the door and Joey comes running up to me saying, "Dah-dee, Dah-dee, you're home! I missed you!" I fall in love with him every day.
   
10. I’m not a fan of sodas like Coke or Pepsi … I can’t stand the way it feels like your teeth are covered in sugar after you drink them.
    
11. If I drink soda, it’s soda water (lemon and orange are the favorite flavors).
12. That being said, Jack + Coke = always good.
    
13. I’m proud to be a Jack Daniel’s Squire.
    
14. My favorite beer is Cape Ann Brewery's "Boston Tea Part Ale", followed closely by Boddington's and just about anything Sam Adams makes, especially Sammy Light.
    
15. I have one sibling, a younger sister, Beckie.
    
16. My all-time favorite book is “To Kill A Mockingbird” … I’ve read it over a dozen times.
    
17. I try not to use the word "hate", but I have to say that I really hate being late for anything. As far as I'm concerned, if you're ten mintues early for something, that's being on time.
    
18. I’ve only owned five cars in my life (in order): metallic blue 1980 Pontiac Sunbird, black 1991 Nissan NX 1600, 2001 green Dodge Stratus coupe (man, I loved that car), a 2004 Subaru Impreza RS sedan, and my current car, a 2010 Subaru Impreza.
    
19. I graduated from Fitchburg State College in 1993 with a degree in Journalism and a double minor of Political Science and U.S. History. I had a GPA of 3.1.
    
20. My first job out of college was as a newspaper reporter for the Concord (MA) Journal.
    
21. I worked in the Public Affairs office of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and then at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
    
22. My two favorite expressions (and I use them all of the time) are: "Not for nothing, but ..." and "It'll look good from my house!"
    
23. To put myself through college, I was a chef at a restaurant.
    
24. All told, between high school, college and post-college (when I had to work two jobs to support myself), I was a chef for almost 16 years.
    
25. My favorite type of food is steak, followed closely by Italian cuisine.
    
26. I am a great cook and can make almost anything, but I’ve never tried making soup.
    
27. I used to own and wear a black leather motorcycle jacket. I thought I was cool. I was wrong.
    
28. I'm so not a fan of gore in movies. I like being scared as much as the next person, but I don't like being grossed out. And no, the sight of blood doesn't bother me. There's just no need to see people's entrails in movies.
    
29. I hate seafood. Lobsters look like giant cockroaches and I just can't see how anyone can eat them. Nasty .... just, nasty.
    
30. When it comes to creamy vs. super chunk, I'd have to go with super chunk.
    
31. I think the greatest condiment ever created is Frank's Red Hot sauce.
    
32. I like white wine and red wine (although red doesn’t like me as much … it’s the nitrates).
    
33. I’m a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation and a hard-core fan of the New England Patriots.
    
34. I love watching baseball and football in HD.
    
35. I’ve known my best friend for 26 years and I’ve known he’s gay for 20 of those years.
    
36. I'm very good at figuring out who the actor is doing voice overs for commercials and movies. If I can't figure it out, it drives me nuts.
    
37. When I was a pre-teen, Star Wars was my life. I’m still a tremendous fan and have loads of collectibles in the attic to prove it.
    
38. I used to collect and read comic books, but can't really afford the 12+ titles I used to regularly read a month now that I'm an adult (sort of). If I could afford it, I'd still read them.
    
39. I don’t believe in god.
    
40. I absolutely bombed my SATs but was accepted to all five colleges to which I applied.
    
41. I’m an editor by profession but am one of the worst spellers you’ll ever meet.
    
42. I used to smoke cigarettes but quit after a few years. Nasty.
    
43. I love smoking a good cigar now and then, especially in the summer.
    
44. I used to speed, but since my son was born, not so much.
    
45. I could give up cigars and Jack Daniel’s in a heart beat … but never coffee … especially Starbucks.
    
46. I finally have all speeding tickets off of my record and am paying the lowest insurance rates available.
    
47. It doesn't bother me to chew on tin foil.
    
48. My favorite place to take a summer vacation is Martha's Vineyard, MA.
    
49. To me, driving in Boston is fun, not scary.
    
50. I absolutely abhor roller coasters.
    
51. Almost as much as roller coasters, I hate being in the water, like a pool, lake or ocean.
    
52. I can drive a manual transmission car (my Subaru is 5 on the floor).
    
53. I’m a registered Democrat.
    
54. I’m pro-choice.
    
55. I can’t cross my eyes.
    
56. For me, the "Big Three" was Larry, Kevin and The Chief.
    
57. I have little to no patience for people who cannot drive. The idiotic things people do on the road never ceases to amaze me.
    
58. I’m obsessed with getting achievements on Xbox 360 games.
    
59. I believe gay people have as much right to marry as straight couples do.
    
60. I’m not a fan of country music.
    
61. I love hard rock/heavy metal music … the harder, the better (if I can air guitar to it, I’m in!)
    
62. Sometimes I get the heebies and the geebies.
    
63. I played Little League baseball as a kid (short stop).
    
64. I'm a very sarcastic person.
    
65. I’m an amateur photographer … digital photography is great.
    
66. I once had a photo published in USA Today.
    
67. I had a hernia operation when I was 11 years old.
    
68. I’ve only ever broken one bone in my body … a bone in my left foot in karate class.
    
69. Speaking of which, I studied Kempo karate for a few years and was three belts away from black when I stopped (I had to get a job to make money and it left me with no time for anything else). I was even an instructor for a while.
    
70. My favorite number is 7.
    
71. I have a pair of "hospital green" scrub pants that are one of, if not the, most comfortable pieces of clothing I own. If I could, I'd wear them every day, all day.
    
72. My driver’s license says I’m 6 feet tall, but I’m more in the 5’ 11” and ½ to ¾ range.
    
73. I've never flown in a helicopter but would really like to some day.
    
74. I can see why women think Tom Brady is good looking ... not that there's anything wrong with that.
    
75. I can’t swim and have absolutely no desire to learn.
    
76. I can whistle … not well, but I can.
    
77. I've never skydived before and have absolutely no plans of ever doing so.
    
78. I’ve never traveled outside of the US.
    
79. I love gmail and wish I could have bought Google stock when it was first offered.
    
80. If I could vote again for Bill Clinton, I would.
    
81. The farthest west I’ve ever been was Anaheim, CA for my ex-brother-in-law’s wedding in 2005. Awesome time.
    
82. My blood type is O+ and I try to donate whenever I'm eligible (every eight weeks).
    
83. I've never been arrested and I've never been in the back of a police car. (Front of the car, yes, but not in the back).
    
84. Aside from Fenway Park, the only other MLB ballparks I’ve ever been to are Wrigley Field in Chicago and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
    
85. I think George Dubbya did more harm to this country than any other president in our nation's history.
    
86. I don’t gamble, but I’ve been to Mohegan Sun just to see it … bizarre, but fun.
    
87. I have used a laser radar gun to clock people speeding on a highway.
    
88. In 1986, I was the only person I knew that had a CD player.
    
89. Mean people suck. I agree.
    
90. I don't care who beats the NY Yankees, the Indianapolis Colts or the NY Jets ... as long as they lose.
    
91. If I could, I would live in the Back Bay area of Boston.
    
92. My favorite Harry Potter book is the last one, “The Deathly Hallows”.
    
93. I listen to a tremendous amount of music, but if I had to pick one all-time favorite band, it would have to be Van Halen (David Lee Roth era).
    
94. I like Jazz and Classical music.
    
95. I have met John Glenn and actually declined to have my picture taken with him. I really regret that decision.
    
96. I listen to Howard Stern every morning on Sirius Satellite Radio.
    
97. Since I installed Sirius in my car in November, 2005, I haven’t listened to broadcast radio.
    
98. My all-time favorite TV show is The Sopranos.
    
99. I’m lactose intolerant.
    
100. My favorite ice cream flavor is Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
     
101. I’ve never stolen something from a store.
     
102. My current favorite show is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...brilliant!.
     
103. Best Buy is my favorite store.
     
104. I used to be on MySpace and Facebook but deleted my accounts because the whole thing just got too obnoxious.
     
105. For as much as I love playing first-person-shooter games on Xbox like Call of Duty, I really suck at them.
     
106. I’m anal retentive about a lot of things.
     
107. I love Eddie Bauer clothes.
     
108. My favorite sneakers are Under Armour.
     
109. I used to be painfully shy.
     
110. I have acid reflux disease and can’t eat roughage (iceberg lettuce and popcorn are the worst for me).
     
111. I love Gulden’s spicy brown mustard.
     
112. I think OJ is guilty.
     
113. Aside from medical procedures, I’ve only been unconscious once … when I was 12, I tripped at the top of a flight of stairs and landed on my chin on the concrete platform at the bottom of the stairs. I still have the scar underneath my chin.
     
114. I have a birthmark on my left bicep.
     
115. The most I’ve even bench pressed is 190 pounds.
     
116. If I could do it all over again, I’d get a degree in something that has to do with fixing/building things, like an electrician or construction.
     
117. My favorite adult cereal is Wheaties … kid’s cereal is Capt’n Crunch.
     
118. I never missed an episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse on Saturday mornings.
     
119. I think Dane Cook is way overrated.
     
120. When I vote, I try not to vote party lines, but I just can’t bring myself to vote for a Republican given the GOP’s intolerant, ultra-Christian conservative platform.
     
121. I’ve never listened to an entire “book-on-tape”.
     
122. I’m not much of an amusement park person … they just don’t amuse me.
     
123. I’ve been to Disney World twice and Disney Land once.
     
124. Edward Hopper is my favorite American artist.
     
125. I think full-figured women are more attractive than thinner women.
     
126. I once cut off the tip of my left index finger. It grew back.
     
127. I can recite word-for-word many skits from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

On the verge of greatness

One more to go and I think it's safe to say you could call the 2007 New England Patriots the greatest team ever.

Once again the Patriots failed to cover the spread (14 points) when they beat the San Diego Chargers 21-12, but the AFC Championship game showed why the Patriots have won 18 games this season. Their defense stopped the Chargers from scoring a touchdown the entire game and even though Patriots QB Tom Brady had an off day (he threw 3 INTs, the most he's thrown in a game all season), the team still found a way to win.

And for most of the season, the Patriots did not use their running game often because their passing game was so effective. But now in the playoffs where defenses are at their best, the Patriots have begun using their running game more (RB Laurence Maroney has had two consecutive 100+ yard games), which only adds to their arsenal and gives something else for opposition defensive coordinators to try and figure out.

The bottom line is that this is not a one-dimension team, and that's why they are undefeated.

Give the Chargers credit, though ... their QB, Philip Rivers, was playing on a bad knee and most people didn't think he would start yesterday, let alone play the entire game. It was a gritty performance, but not enough to overcome the Patriots at Razor Blade Stadium.

Meanwhile in the NFC, I was absolutely shocked to see this morning that the NY Giants beat the Green Bay Packers to advance to the Super Bowl. Going to bed last night at half-time of the NFC Championship game, I was sure Brett Farve et. al. were going to win. Wow. A very tight game for 60 minutes and the two teams go into overtime tied at 20 ... and the Packers win the coin toss ... and then Farve throws an INT which leads the Giants to kick the game-winning figgie. Amazing.

So, it's the Patriots and the Giants in Arizona on Feb. 3. I like the Patriots chances for two reasons: Bill Belichick has a habit of learning well from the team's mistakes when facing an opponent for the second time (especially in the same season) so you know he and the team will study every second of the last game of the regular season with a microscope. Also, the Giants have proven that they go the way their QB, Eli "The Other" Manning goes ... he has a bad game, the Giants don't stand a chance. And if the Patriots' D continues to play the way they have in the playoffs, then Eli won't know what hit him.

Should be fun!

Joey Dinosaur

So Joey and I have this new thing we do called "Joey Dinosaur".

Joey climbs on my back and puts his arms around my neck. I hold onto his wrists and hunch over so he's on my back and walk slowly around the house growling. Every once in a while I'll stop and wave his hands and roar as I stand up a little straighter. Joey gets into it and pretends he's a dinosaur. Sometimes we go looking for lunch or dinner and eat "leaves" or "berries".

The best part is how he lowers his little voice and says, "Grrrrr" and "Growl!!"

Just too cute.

The Moss plot thickens ...

Heard on the news this morning that the woman accusing Randy Moss of battery and demanding a six-figure settlement has had a history of financial troubles and within the last few months was served an eviction notice by her landlord.

Nice.

Cloverfield

Just saw Cloverfield ... very cool.

Heard it described as "The Blair Witch Project" meets "Independence Day" ... I can see that. At its essence, it's an old-fashioned monster/disaster movie shot on a hand-held Digi-cam.

I liked the fact that the cast is totally unknown ... just adds to the feeling that the movie is supposedly based on real footage from a video camera.

Of course, with any movie like this, you have to suspend some belief (aside from the fact that there's a 25-story monster destroying Manhattan). For instance, the movie takes place over the span of about 24 hours ... and everything is filmed on one hand-held camera ... with one battery. Ooookay. Actually, now that I think about it, the guy holding the camera ("Hud") could very well have had more than one battery with him and we just don't see him changing it ... no need to see that, I guess.

Anyway, I don't want to give too much away but it's worth a look in the theater because it sounds amazing ... when the National Guard/Army is walking down the street, guns and tanks blazing ... that scene alone is worth the price of admission. The scene just envelops you with sound.

Went with a friend of mine 'cause neither of our wives were remotely interested in seeing this movie. Just before the movie started, my friend said, "I hope that in this movie, our nuclear bombs finally work. Why does the Earth always get attacked by something on which our nukes never have effect?!?" Good point.

Again, I don't want to give anything away, the ending is ... unexpected. I kept trying to figure out how they were going to wrap up the movie and I didn't see the end coming. Gotta love that.

Oh, one other thing, the movie really isn't that scary. Yeah, there's some creepy stuff and some blood (but, thankfully, no real gore). I was expecting the needle to tip more on the scare factor, but it didn't.

If you see it, lemme know whatcha think.

Randy Moss

Patriots WR Randy Moss almost got through the season without any controversy. But, "almost" is only good in horseshoes and hand grenades.

This story is a classic example of he said/she said. Moss' accuser says he injured her and wouldn't let her leave to get medical attention. Now she's suing for a six-figure settlement.

Moss is calling BS and his agent said he was threatened in a call with Moss' accuser's lawyer and has now contacted the Feds to see is any laws have been broken.

Meanwhile, Moss' teammates and coaches have rallied around him.

Nothing like a good controversy to further solidify a team and bring them together.

God help the Chargers.

Idolizing

It's baaaaaaack!

I l-o-v-e, LOVE American Idol.

That is, I love the first few weeks of Idol when they show the auditions. Honestly, I couldn't care less about when the competition really gets going in Hollywood and the show gets more serious.

For me, the best part of the show is the first few weeks when they show the thousands of people who audition. There's nothing better than seeing these people make complete jackasses of themselves on national television and thank god for them because I'm amused to no end (much to Kell's chagrin).

Seriously, I could watch the auditions version of Idol seven days a week ... the more of an idiot these people are, the better the show is.

I think what I love the most is how pissed off and indignant people get when they don't hear, "Welcome to Hollywood!" I love the fact that they focus on the fact that Idol missed out on something by not giving them a golden ticket. Um, no, it's that you have absolutely no talent.

And, of course, the reaction of Randy, Paula and Simon to the worst people is priceless. When they have to hide their face because they're laughing so hard ... well, that's just great TV.

I will admit that Ryan Seacrest doesn't annoy me as much as he used to. The way he plays along with people who didn't make it can be hilarious and only adds to the feeling that the contestant hopeful is the only one not in on the fact that they didn't stand a chance. Nice!

I've already set up my DVR to record the episodes so I don't miss anything ... giddy up!

17 - 0 with one down and two to go ...

... hey, look at me ... that rhymes!

What a game last night, Patriots winning 31-20. Patriots QB Tom Brady set another NFL record by completing his first 16 consecutive passes, the most in playoff history. For the game, he finished 26 of 28 for 262 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and a 92.9 completion percentage, another NFL playoff record.

That's right, only two incompletions for the game. Damn.

And RB Laurence Maroney was en fuego with 122 yards on 22 carries with a TD, while having a 33-yard catch-and-run to set up the Patriots' first score.

Nice.

But, WR Randy Moss was a non-factor ... or was he? Yup, he didn't have a TD the entire game because he was double and triple-teamed all night. But, by being so, he opened up other opportunities for the offense. Wonder how this affect the prep for the team the Patriots face next in the AFC Championship game.

While the Patriots' offense overall played a great game, their defense is still making me a nervous as they've been inconsistent at times. Last night they could stop then run, then not ... they could stop the passing game, then not so much.

And Rodney Harrison's two unsportsman-like penalties (which cost the Patriots a total of 30 yards of field position) were very disappointing. You think Coach Belichick is going to tear Rodney a new one in practice this week?

Was watching the game with a bunch of hard-core Patriots fans last night and we were all saying that as much as we want to see our team win the Lombardi hardware for the fourth time in seven years for the obvious reasons, it also means a sweet DVD from NFL films. We wondered if it ends up that New England isn't the last team standing this season, will the NFL still release a highlight DVD because of the first 16-0 season? Here's hoping because there was some great moments this season, including the games against the Ravens, Steelers and Giants.

One other note: During Tom Brady's post-game press conference, the questions are winding down and suddenly you hear from the side in a southern drawl, "Do you think you're a handsome quarterback?" Randy Moss asked. Brady says, "That was the last question."

Nice ...

Blue Harvest

Brilliant ...

The Clemens plot thickens

So, according to this story on espn.com, Roger Clemens is unlikely to get an immunity deal when he testifies before Congress next month on this whole steroid mess.

Now, this doesn't mean he won't get such a deal, but thus far, it doesn't look like he will.

IMO, this latest development lends some credibility to Clemens' declaration that he didn't use steroids. I mean, he's got to know full well the consequences of lying under oath (it's a little thing called jail) and if he raises his right hand before Congress without an immunity deal, that could very well be his way of saying that he didn't do anything illegal.

That being said, let's flash forward to post-Congressional hearing and some evidence surfaces that proves unequivocally that Clemens did use steroids. One could see him pleading ignorance that he didn't know there was more to the shot his trainer was giving him than vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine.

Hmmmm ... isn't that what Barry Bonds kinda did with the "clear and the cream" defense? As if Clemens, an avid trainer, really wouldn't know what was being injected into his body.

Man, this is going to just get better and better.

Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD

So here we have another format war, Blu-Ray high def DVD vs. High Definition DVD ... sounds familiar, like the VCR format war of the late '70s and early '80s when it was Beta vs. VHS? Oy vey ...

In this case, major studios and media producers are lining up on either side of the debate by coming out and supporting only one format. Micro$oft and Paramount support HD DVD, Sony and Disney Blu-Ray. Some companies support both formats, while others (like Paramount) used to support both but now only back one format.

Here's a great piece about the on-going "format war".

But hooooold yer horses there, pardner ... it was just announced that Warner Brothers entertainment is now only supporting Blue-Ray. So, does that mean that this tips the scales in favor of Blu-Ray? Maybe ... even Mirco$oft has now said that it would consider looking at BR if there was a demand (currently, the high def. DVD player add-on for the Xbox 360 only plays HD DVDs).

Personally, I think a major tipping point could be when George Lucas and Fox release the Stars Wars trilogies in only in Blu-Ray (Fox supports the BR format). In the '90s, Star Wars fans were grousing that the Star Wars movies weren't available on DVD and word around the campfire was that Lucas was waiting for the Blu-Ray technology to made more commercially available and then he was going to release the movies. Well, the demand got to be so loud that he relented and released the movies on standard def. DVD. Now, in case you weren't aware, Lucas has some clout in Hollywood given the success of his two trilogies, so when Darth Vader, C3PO, R2-D2 and the rest of the gang are only going to be seen in all their high def. glory in Blu-Ray, well ... that could sound the official death knell for HD DVD.

That being said, HD DVDs aren't going anywhere if Blu-Ray does win the format war because there's been too many titles released in each format for HD DVD to just disappear.

Personally, while I don't care which format "wins", it would be nice if one format does come out on top because this two-format issue is just ridiculous. I just can't believe we're going through this again given the history of the Beta vs. VHS fiasco (for the record, Beta delivered better picture and sound, but VHS was cheaper to produce, hence the reason why it won).

As someone who looooooves movies and has almost 200 titles in his DVD collection, I hesitate to buy a high def. DVD player of either format because the format issue hasn't been settled. (To my wife's relief, I wouldn't replace all of our standard def. DVDs with high def. DVDs, anyway ... just the ones for which I'd want the best picture and sound).

And buying a DVD player that plays both HD formats isn't an option because A) it's too damn expensive and 2) word is that each HD format suffers because the player isn't dedicated to one HD format. Still not sure how true that is but from what I've read thus far, it seems plausible. I actually had a sales associate at Best Buy suggest that I buy a separate Blue-Ray and HD DVD player because a combo player was about $1000 and separate players were $500 each. I literally laughed out loud.

Be interesting to see if this gets settled anytime soon. Meantime, I'll watch my SD DVDs on our up-convert DVD player for now.

The possibilities are practically endless!

This has to be one of the greatest Pee-wee clips ... EVER!

The WGA vs. ... well, just about everybody

So the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike continues and the latest victim is the Golden Globes awards ceremony. Instead of a full-fledged awards ceremony, the Globes this year has been reduced to a one-hour news conference-type format.

Honestly, I'm not much of an awards show fan, but I gotta admit that this latest bit of news was somewhat shocking. I mean, the Globes is a big deal and the latest word around the campfire is that the Oscars may be next ... zoikes! That's some serious coin ABC stands to lose as they are set to broadcast the event on Feb. 24.

And it really doesn't look good for the Oscars. The WGA has already denied a request by the Academy to allow them to show clips from past Oscar telecasts and the WGA won't grant a special wavier for the writers to pen material for the Oscars ... wow. Give the WGA credit ... they're playing hardball with some serious industry players.

Meanwhile, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are back on the air without their writers. (Actually, it's now called "A Daily Show" because, as host Jon Stewart explained, it can't be "The Daily Show" without the writers.) Anyway, Stewart and Colbert are taking shots now by media critics saying the shows aren't as funny without the writers. As a regular viewer of both shows, I agree that they aren't quite as funny since they came back on the air but, I have to give them credit ... at least they've put production people back to work and they are still funny. If you're a fan of either show, they're worth a look, IMO.

Of course, the other aspect of this is what will this strike do to regular shows like NBC's "The Bionic Woman". I really liked this show and was hoping it was going to get better as it progressed. But, like many other shows, it came to a screeching halt with the strike. NBC still lists it on it's schedule for Wednesday nights, but it hasn't been on for weeks and with less than a dozen episodes, how many times can re-runs really be broadcast? Makes you wonder if the strike will be the death of fledgling shows like this.

Still, I really respect what the WGA is doing here. As much as it stinks to see nothing but re-runs, the writers just want their fair share of the millions of dollars generated by the shows they write for. That's not too much to ask, IMO.

More accolades

The accolades for the Patriots continue as it was announced today that the Associated Press named its All-Pro team and the roster included five Pats players: QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss, LT Matt Light, OLB Mike Vrabel and CB Asante Samuel.

Clemens circus continues

So now former Red Sox pitcher and once-a-shoe-in-for-the-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-but-now-maybe-not Roger Clemens is firing back with both guns about these allegations of steroid use made by his former trainer to the Mitchell Commission.

To catch up on the latest, check this out on ESPN.com.

Clemens agreed, as well as his former trainer, Brian McNamee, to appear before Congress to testify under oath about the issue. Now, as y'all probably know, this is serious stuff because if you lie under oath in front of Congress and are caught, it's a federal offense and you go to jail ... no questions asked. So both of these guys, who have completely opposite stories, have said they're going to testify, which means one of them will be lying.

Now, Clemens has said he’s not going to take the Fifth Amendment, but we’ll see. Is McNamee going to take the Fifth, then, or is he going to lie? If he takes the Fifth, does that mean he's backing down from the information he gave to the Mitchell Commission?

What a mess.

And Clemens isn't helping his cause by appearing in interviews and press conferences, IMO. As a friend said to me last night, "Me doth think Roger protest too much." I agree.

The saddest part of all this, though, is that if this steroid stuff isn’t true, it’ll always hang over Clemens because, if nothing else, he’s right when he says that too often it’s “guilty until proven innocent” in this country.

Gonna be a fun time on Capital Hill ... wonder is Mark McGuire is around to give an tips.

Accolades for Patriots

Since the end of the regular season, the Patriots have received the following awards:

• Tom Brady has been named the AP's Offensive Player of the Year.
  
• Coach Bill Belichick has been named Coach of the Year.
  
• Tom Brady has been named Most Valuable Player.

Brady is the first Patriot to win MVP and OPOY. He's the fourth straight double winner, joining the Colts' Peyton Manning, running back Shaun Alexander of Seattle, and LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers.

There was some question as to why Belichick was named Coach of the Year since he was fined earlier in the season for cheating. (In the NFL, if a player is caught cheating, they're automatically ineligible for any NFL season awards given by the League.) The COY award is given by the AP, not the NFL, so Belichick was (deservedly, IMO still eligible).

No Hall of Fame for Rice

Former Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice failed to make the MLB Hall of Fame for the 14th year in a row ... he's got one more year before his (potential) election goes to the Veteran's Committee.

This year was the closest Rice has gotten to being elected to the HOF ... a player needs 75% of the vote and Rice received 72.2%.

What do YOU make?

The next time you hear someone disparage the teaching profession because of its megar salaries, consider this:

Two Years

I know it's a cliche, but there are things that happen in your life that when they happen, you never forget where you were or what you were doing when they occur.

I was in my office two years ago and the phone rang. I saw on the display that it was my mom. I picked up the phone and as soon as she said my name, I knew something was wrong.

"Liz passed away this morning," she said. I literally almost dropped the phone.

All I could say was, "What?!? WHAT?!?"

I'll never forget driving home, trying to figure out how I was going to tell Kell, who had grown close to Liz. I walked into the house and Kell was in a great mood, playing with Joey. I stood there and just blurted out what had happened. It was awful.

My cousin, Elizabeth (D'Agostino) Schermerhorn, was diagnosed with leukemia in October, 2004, just days after my son was born. She apparently hadn't been feeling well for some time and when she went to her doctor, she got the news everyone dreads to hear.

I'm sitting here looking at the screen and I'm at a loss what to type next.

The family was devastated. She was only 42 years old when she passed away, having just celebrated her birthday on Dec. 18. She left behind her husband and son (who will turn 14 this year).

Two years later and I still can't wrap my brain around this.

After being diagnosed, Liz went through chemo and other treatments and was up and down for a while. But, not long before she passed away, she received a bone marrow transplant and seemed to be getting much better. But within a matter of hours on Jan. 5, she deteriorated rapidly and lost her fight early the next morning. Just like that, she went from showing so much improvement to ... losing the fight.

My mom told me that Liz had said she just wanted 10 more years to see her son turn 21.

Again, I'm trying to make sense of this ... trying to put this into words and I feel like I'm failing miserably. I know this post is random, but bear with me.

I just can't imagine what it's like to lose a child, regardless of their age. This hits me especially hard now that I have Joey in my life. I look at him and can't begin to fathom what it would be like if something happened to him.

I loved my cousin so much. She was such an amazing person and had the greatest sense of humor and her laugh was infectious. I used to like to listen to her talk because at times a soft New York accent would creep in, like "talk" would be "tawk" ... it wasn't a strong accent, but it was there.

And yeah, she was a Yankees fan, but nobody's perfect, right?

Whenever my mom and her sister (Liz's mother), my sister, Kell and Liz would get together, literally the laughter never stopped. And they would all laugh a certain way only when they were together. Growing up, I could always tell when my mom was talking to "Auntie" or Liz on the phone because of the way she laughed.

Liz played the piano and was a huge Beatles fan. Anytime I hear the Beatles or Billy Joel (Liz played him a lot), I think of Liz immediately.

Her funeral was ... I don't know ... what is there to say? We were all in the funeral home and people were saying things and the priest was there and then as part of the service, the Beatles' "In My Life" started playing. My heart broke, that's the only way I can describe it. My sister and I just held each other, crying.

After the funeral, I was talking to my cousin, Chris, and he said, "Man, this really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?"

I agreed. But I also said that the trick is to keep that perspective. It's too easy when you get back to your life to lose that perspective. You start answering email, playing bills, living your life again and you forget.

I haven't. If there's one good thing to come from Liz being taken from us is that whenever I start to get stressed out about something, I stop and think of her. Think about the fact that her son won't have her at his high school graduation, his wedding, all of those significant events coming in his life. I think about how lucky I am to be there for Joey and Kell, how amazing it is to be a dad and husband, how I can never take that for granted ... and I try not to let small things bother me. It's just not worth it.

I'm so glad Liz got to meet Joey and frankly, I'm still angry at the fact that she's not going to be around to see him because I know he would have absolutely loved her. She had such a way with kids and was always a lot of fun to hang out with ... no doubt Joey would've called her "Auntie Liz" or something like that.

Liz is always on my mind, whether I realize it or not. Like I said, her birthday is Dec. 18 and I had totally forgotten about it last month. But the night of the 17th, I had dreamt about Liz several times. In the last dream, we were on a boardwalk of some kind and were visiting the booths and playing games and talking about the fact that she was going to die. Even in the dream, I realized I was dreaming and I kept telling her that I didn't want her to die ... it wasn't fair to her son, to us ... but most of all, it wasn't fair to her. I kept telling her how awful this is and how angry I am that she wasn't going to be around.

I remember this part of the dream as though it happened is real life ... She turned to me, looked me square in the eye and said, "Bryan, there's nothing I can do about it ... things like this happen and they happen for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but they happen and those people who are still here need to move on and help one another. I'm not really going to be gone, I just won't be here."

That's when I woke up for the last time that night because I couldn't sleep after that. "I'm not really going to be gone, I just won't be here." I guess she's right because I will never forget her and I'm so grateful for the time we had together.

Two years ... it can't be ... it just can't be.

Happy New Year

So here we are, four days into 2008 ... hmmm, wonder what this year is going to bring.

In many way, I'd like to leave 2007 behind. Started off with the Patriots losing to the Colts in the AFC Championship ... man, that was harsh. I mean, the Patriots were up by 18 points at the half!!! (I know, I know ... it's just football, but still ... )

The year just seemed to be kind of a bummer on a lot of fronts. Kell and I have been trying to get pregnant and for one reason or another, Mother Nature's not having it. That and Kell had two major carpel tunnel syndrome surgeries (one on each wrist) and that was really tough on her. The fun part is that one wrist is getting bad again ... oh joy.

Joey had surgery for a double hernia and that was in absolutely no way any kinds of fun. I will never, ever forget the feeling of helplessness in the hospital as the doctors whisked him away and then Kell and I waiting and waiting and waiting while our little boy was being operated on. But, everything turned out OK ... still, I hope I never have to go through that again.

On the plus side, Joey turned three years old and is just getting more and more amazing. The world continues to open up to him and it's so much fun seeing things through his untainted and unbiased eyes (especially Christmas ... that was a lot of fun).

Oh yeah, the Red Sox won the World Series <- slaps forehead -> ...

I've never been one to really make new years' resolutions, but there are things I want to work on, to which:

• I've got to stop swearing. I've heard plenty of people swear much more than me, but I just need to stop ... I keep telling myself that I don't need swears to express myself.
  
• Of course, losing an inch or two off of the waist line would be great and is a definite priority this year.
  
• Speaking of which, I've got to get a physical ... no doubt the doc is going to tell me the BP is too high, and the cholesterol level undoubtedly needs to be lowered.
  
• I also am going to work really hard at not using the word "hate" ... I don't know why, but I've been thinking about this for a while. The word "hate" is a very powerful word that carries a lot of meaning. Unfortunately in this day and age, it's overuse has, in my opinion, diminished its impact. I don't really hate things, I just don't like them ... sometimes I don't something a lot.
  
• I'm also going to work really hard on not prefacing virtually everything I say. I have this habit of seemingly prefacing anything I say with something and it's annoying even to me ... I can't imagine what it's like for someone who has the misfortune of listening to me babble (truly, Kell is a saint ... almost).

Not sure about anything else.

If nothing else, here's hoping 2008 brings more peace to this world. The next president (lord help us if it's four more years of Republican dictatorship) will be inheriting many problems but will have an amazing opportunity to change the direction of this country for the better on many fronts.

Stay tuned ...

New year, same stupid people

Hmmm ... most people just watch the ball drop to ring in the new year ...

Men Shoot Themselves in Tattoo Attempt
CHAPARRAL, N.M. (AP) — Getting a tattoo can be a painful proposition, but usually it's just the needle you have to worry about. Two men trying to trace a loaded .357-caliber Magnum as a pattern for a tattoo accidentally shot themselves, the Otero County Sheriff's Department said Monday.

Robert Glasser and Joey Acosta, both 22, were treated at a hospital in El Paso, Texas, after the shooting Thursday evening in nearby Chaparral.

Authorities said Glasser was struck in the hand when the gun accidentally went off, and Acosta was hit in the left arm. Their injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.