Thursday, December 13, 2007

Sports Talk

A lot of crazy shit has gone down in the last 48 hours; Petrino left Atlanta for Arkansas, TO and Keyshawn are rumbling, and the Mitchell Report just dropped.  Here's my preliminary take on all three.
 
Petrino
What a fucking scumbag!  Just leaving in the middle of the season after telling your boss two days before that you were staying is a scumbag move of the highest order.  It's not his decision to leave that I take issue with, but rather his timing and cowardly decision to give his players a letter and high-tail it out of town.  If Petrino had to leave before the season was over he should have had the guts to tell his team and his boss face-to-face, like a man.
 
TO vs. Keyshawn
This is interesting because I think they're both right.  TO is correct when he says that Wade Phillips isn't getting enough credit for the job he's done as a coach of the Cowboys and Keyshawn is right when he tells TO that he's not going to win a public fight with Parcells. 
 
Obviously Wade Phillips is doing a good job this season, but I did hear a theory that Jason Garrett is really the Head Coach and Phillips is just there to keep the hear off of Garrett.  It's not like TO was recovering from injury or something last year Parcells was being a dick; calling him "the player" and doing all that petty, childish shit that the Big Tuna does as a coach; to his own detriment as the coach/leader of the organization.  It's not like I don't understand all that "old school" stuff that Parcells does, I was a part of that last generation of athletes that coaches didn't allow to have water during practice (that had changed by the time I was out of high school though) and lived in fear of my football coaches but in the fullness of time I've come to see that shit doesn't produce lasting results.  A coach has to be a teacher, a mentor, and someone who nurtures talent, not just a disciplinarian who rules through fear; because when you have a player like TO who can't be intimidated or embarassed you've got nothing in your tool box to deal with him.
 
Keyshawn was trying to proffer some good advice to TO, but he probably should have done it in person not running his mouth on TV. Keyshawn knows what he's talking about when it comes to pissing matches with a coach, 'cause he managed to get himself kicked off the Bucs the year after they won the SuperBowl by Gruden.  Still, if Keyshawn really wanted to help TO, he should have cruised by the locker room after a game or taken him out to dinner so they could talk in private and TO wouldn't immediately become defensive and lash out the way he did.
 
Mitchell Report
Clemens was using steroids?!?!?!  Who would have ever believed such a thing?  THHHHPPPTTT! 
 
I wonder if anyone is going to try to hang some asterisks on Clemen's win total or Cy Young awards or will that treatment be reserved for Bonds?  If the wretched pigs who call themselves sports writers don't start crucifying Clemens and all the other steroid cheats in the Mitchell Report we'll know what the persecution of Barry Bonds was really all about: race.

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Bono

Back in the day (circa 84-87) I was a huge U2 fan; I went straight to the record store after school the day The Joshua Tree came out and all that good stuff.  But when U2 got more popular than G-d, started playing huge arena shows, etc. I lost interest in them.  Sure it was mostly a recalcitrant, late teens "if it's popular it can't be good" kind of thing; but Rattle and Hum did suck balls.
 
Now I find myself interested in Bono's philanthropic work.  I think the thing that I admire the most is the maturity with which Bono has approached his issues, his willingness to work within the system, and to engage people on their own terms.  Bono's respectful tone when he addressed President Bush via the Washington Post Op-Ed page on January 27, 2003 should serve as a model for celebrities who want to make their voices heard.  There was no hysterics or name calling, just an impassioned plea from a man who was willing to use his position, privilege, and power to try and make the world a better place.
 
In today's Post, Bono again shows a rare sense of self-knowledge when he acknowledges his own frailties and failings by saying, "Am I ready, a man who has stepped off a private jet a couple of days ago, to pledge my fortune? It doesn't look like it."  To me, that speaks volumes about the man; to concede his own imperfections and in doing so, accept that everyone else is going to have their blind spots and ways they can improve too.  The quote that really got me was this one:
Bono says. "Both Prime Minister Blair and President Bush knew we were not in support of the war. I've always gone out of my way at U2 shows to show my support for the troops, but it's not something I sound off on. I gave up that right. I have become a single-issue protagonist. And as hard as that is for a mouthy Irishman who's more used to putting his foot in his mouth than his fist, I think people really respect that."
I do Bono, I do.

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Saturday, November 24, 2007

Mark Thorp Hates on Turkey

From an e-mail:

 
...but how many of you are really gonna be suckered into the absurd notion that the rare opportunity to sit down and feast with friends and family merits a f****** turkey? we ask the rah rah turkey traditionalists:
* when did you or anyone you know sit down at any restaurant and seek out turkey on the menu?
* have you ever been to a fine dining restaurant that served turkey?
* do you really prefer turkey to lobster-stuffed tenderloin, or pan-seared tuna, or a rack of lamb?
* in fact, as fowl goes, does turkey even rank with duck, pheasant, quail, or even chicken? 
* have you ever considered why the word 'turkey' is often delivered as an insult and preceded by the word "jive"?
we know you people have taste, we haven't had a request for coors light in the three months we've been open, so if you haven't bought that dumb-ass hunk of dry meat requiring twice it's weight in gravy to generate anything resembling "mouth-watering" or "flavorful", it ain't too late to shift gears and cook something people axually get excited about... 

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Monday, September 17, 2007

Review: The Black Lips @ The Black Cat

I didn't know anything about the Black Lips past what I read on DCist until I went to the show on Saturday night.

Ian was working the merch table before they went on, when I walked up he immediately introduced himself and started talking about how much he loved the Points and the Selmanaires. Kind of cool that one of the headliners was flacking for the opening acts IMHO.

I also had a chance to rap with Jared before the show. Usually when you see someone rocking those micro OP shorts from 1983 and a John C. Holmes mustache to match, it's some sort of "look at how cool and ironic I am" thing but I didn't get that vibe from Jared at all. I'm not sure what the backstory was, but he played their set with a bass borrowed from the Selmanaires.

Apparently The Points have been having some "Behind the Music" kind of drama over the last couple of weeks, but it didn't show on stage. They played a very tight set, one of their better performances according to Dr. Mayhem. I thought the sound was a little muddy, but that could have been because I was directly in front of the stage or I might just not know what I'm talking about.

I missed most of the Selmanaires set while downstairs eating a falafel, what I heard was interesting but not really my speed.

There were tons of kiddies, I can't remember the last time I saw so many people under 21 at a show. It looked like every one of those kids knew the words to just about every Black Lips song. At one point a particularly enthusiastic youngster with a blond afro was flopping all over one of the monitors at the front of the stage and was in the process of getting ejected by a very skinny bouncer, but Ian intervened and demanded that the kid be allowed to stay.

The Black Lips set was very high energy, but I couldn't really figure out what to make of them for the first half dozen songs. At first it struck me as the same kind of garage/punkabilly played by the Woggles or Thee Crucials, both are great bands that put on a kick ass show, but nothing I hadn't heard before. Then the Black Lips kicked into high gear and made it impossible for me to stand still any longer. Not knowing anything about the band I don't know the name of the song that really got me; it had a kind of Stone Roses feel to it, with like a sitar kind of sounding intro to each verse. Afterwards I turned to Dr. Mayhem and announced, "I'm sold!"

I already burned through my 90 downloads for the month, but the new Black Lips album Good Bad, Not Evil is available on eMusic with an eMusic only bonus track.

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Friday, July 27, 2007

My Wife is Driving Me Crazy!!!

[rant]Why the fuck can't my wife remember to bring her wallet, keys, and phone with her when she leaves the house? At least once a month I have to interrupt my day in some way to accommodate her because she can't remember to bring those items with her when she leaves the house. Since I was about ten years old I haven't rolled out without picture ID, keys, and money. When I get to the front door, I do a quick pocket check: wallet, keys, phone. Boom done, it takes less than 10 seconds.

Actually the thing that really pisses me off is that she has the nerve to be mad when I tell her how stupid and annoying it is that she's constantly doing this. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?! Not only does she not apologize, but then gives attitude when I try to explain to her that she lives in Washington, DC; security capital of the United States; and it's probably not a smart thing to walk around without ID on her.

What's even more amazing is that half the time she didn't even forget, she actually made a decision to leave the house without her phone, ID, or keys!! This, of course, somehow turns into my problem.

WifeRat and BabyRat go to the park, I have a rare moment alone in the house to have an evening constitutional without BabyRat pounding on the door yelling, "Daddy, what you doing?" Before I can finish, the door buzzer is going off; I ignore it, figuring they're just playing with the buzzer. Buzzer goes off again. DAMN IT! Will I ever take a shit in peace in my own home?!?!?!!? Probably not for a couple of more years.[/rant]

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Saturday, June 30, 2007

Forgotten Draft

Show notes 6.29.07

Thee Crucials

-started show w/Jim Beam
-two great instrumentals
-los jaguar gato
-thee crucials go?

Second Band
-Mostly forgettable
-ended with a song that had a few slayer riffs

Points
-incendiary
-brought the house down
-high energy
-bill, rugger
-saw some of the same folks from dc9
-

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Double Consciousness

Double Consciousness

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Examiner Stealing DCist Schtick?

Reading the Examiner on the way into work today, I noticed that a bit in the "Yeas & Nays" column (look for: Conservatives take Washington) that looked suspiciously like DCist's Overheard in DC.

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Argonaut Closes Early?

I stopped by the Argonaut at a little before midnight and all outside lights were off. There were a couple of people inside, but the door was locked when I pulled on it and I was waved off by the guy behind the bar.

Anyone know what's up?

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

Meeting Haikus

Meeting Haiku #1

Meeting is boring

Too much talking, little done

We did this last week



Meeting Haiku #2

Katheryn talks loud

Bill may be losing control

Steve is unnecessary



Meeting Haiku #4

Too much time wasted

This happens, when there is no

Need to make profit

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Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Union Pub

Ya know, the Union Pub used to be a cool place to hang out back in the day when it was still affectionately known as the "Dead Liver Grill". Now it's just a tool box except for Larry the bartender.

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Separated at Birth?

Below you will see pictures of two men; the one on the left is Mixologist extraordinaire Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve and PX, the one on the right is the WWE's "The Miz". Apparently it's not just me that sees the resemblence, no less an authority than Batista (who went to high school with Todd) has also commented on this.

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Quote for 11.28.2006

The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated.
- Oscar Wilde

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Saturday, November 11, 2006

Bushwhacked

This post has nothing to do with Bush43, the bush in question is the one attached to my dome. I've been growing my hair out since about this time last year; I got it touched up once, but no real cutting has gone down in close to a year.


A few weeks ago I got a card from a barber that cuts at a shop called Mason's down on H St, so I decided to see what was shaking down around the way, rather than trekking out to Alexandria to what had been my regular barber shop. I told Darrius (the barber) I'm putting myself in your hands, you're a pro, I trust your judgement. After asking a couple of questions, D busted out the clippers and with no preamble promptly cut off about 2/3 of the hair length that had grown out over the last 10-12 months. It caught me off guard, but after that first cut there was no going back. The cut turned out well enough that I can say with a high degree of certainty I probably won't be going back to see "The Maestro" on Queen St. in Old Town any time soon.

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Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Op-Ed Not Kind to Bush43, et al.

George F. Will - The Leaders We Have - washingtonpost.com

For as bad a job as Bush has done, I would really like for Will to come out with both guns blazing and not let up at all on W & Friends; but I guess his style is more to damn with faint praise as he does here. It seems that Will is very reticent about the fact that Woodward's book will surely be used the Left to pummel the current administration and GOP in the upcoming election; and his rationalization that it's not just this government, but the very nature of government, that is so indelicate, intransigent, and incompetent shows that while providing a sop to his mostly conservative audience at the same time.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Picky Eaters

So I'm reading washingtonpost.com and I come across this story about adult picky eaters.
Naturally, I had to leave a comment and admittedly I was harsh. So someone called me mean and I decided to put my response here as well because the Post's comment deal took out some of the punctuation and spacing that made my reply read properly.

Keyles - I'm "mean" because I refuse to indulge adults in childish behavior? Please.

Food and eating are joyous things to be shared with friends and family. I'm the father of the world's most wonderful little 18 month-old and one of the great pleasures of my life is sharing new foods with her. I love watching her little face as she encounters a new food for the first time. First picking it up and looking at it, holding it to her nose for a smell and some clue about what it may be, and finally popping it in her mouth to taste what new delight Poppa has brought her.

I'm not just nourishing my child's body at meal time; I am also teaching her to trust me, I am teaching her how to socialize, and I am teaching her to not be afraid of new things.

How sad it must be to live a life where you don't have the bonding experience of sharing a leisurely meal with a new friend. Where there is no prospect of being exposed to some new culinary delight. It's a character building experience to have to choke down some sort of bizarre meal so as to not offend. My sister and I still laugh about "the banana drink" meal that we shared with one of our uncle's ex-wife and have used that experience to connect with youngsters in our extended family that were having a bad meal.

The truth is that I pity these poor fools more than anything else. It's all well and good to have preferences, but people who can't eat a food that has touched something else on their plate probably need professional help.

No my friend, I don't eat so that I can live; I live, so that I may eat.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Two Words: Raiders Suck

What a horrible way to start the season, punditry calling for a 4-12 campaign from the Silver & Black appears to be right on target. Brooks held the ball too long all night and the Raiders didn't establish any kind of running game to slow down Merriman and the rest of the Bolts front 7. Even the 20 yards that Jordan did have are suspect because he had a couple of 8 yard runs on 3 & 24. The Raider D settled down after allowing LT to run for 87 yards . . . IN THE FIRST QUARTER!! Really just a terrible, wretched, listless, and sorry performance.

At this point I feel like I'm paying penance for a childhood filled with playoff games and Super Bowl wins.

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Murky


The bosses are out today so I spent a little extra time with the fam this morning and then stopped at Murky for a latte. Look at the perfectly roasted and lovingly prepared goodness of Murky.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Rasslin'

Yeah that's right, I love professional wrestling; it's goofy, escapist, no-brain fun taken to its ridiculous extreme.

As I type this, I'm hammered. I got hooked with tix to a box at the Verizon Center (as weird as it is to say that, it's even more weird that it already seems normal) for 2nite's WWE/ECW event. A couple of Miller Lites, a Jack & Coke, several Grey Goose & Grapefruits, and a big fat doobie account for my current slurring self. After both shows were over they had a dark match with Batista & Booker T, not a bad preview of this coming Sunday's PPV.

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