Fantasy Football Blues.

A love/hate poem by Chad Fletcher.

Watching the scores running 'cross my screen
Larry Johnson just needs one more score
Carson Palmer just threw a pick
I throw my controller against the door.

Big game against the Undertakers this week
just two games left, it's for the lead.
Buddy's players: I hope they die.
That is what I need.

Counting carries, catches, scores and yards
fumbles and oskies make me fret
Edgerrin James is my homeboy
even though we've never met.

exhaustive breakdowns of stats and games
pointless ruminations and stupid guesses
it's expensive and addicting
just another of my obsessions

each time LT fumbles the ball
a little part of my soul dies
Tony Gonzales catches a TD!
now my watch as my sould flies!

It's stupid and pointless
A waste of time
but when I win the Super Bowl again
it will be SUBLIME.

Death to the rest of the Groin Pull League.

"Ray" for White People...

I saw the movie "Walk the Line" Friday night. Props to Benji for the free passes, BTW.....but this was the story of Johnny Cash starring Juaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Cash and June Carter. The music was great, and the actors both nailed their respective responsibilities, especially Phoenix.

Overall, I really, really liked it, I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10.

However, this movie seemed to me to be a virtual re-hash of the Oscar Winning movie "Ray," which came out last year. Starring Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, it had the same story as "Walk the Line."

Here is the storyline: Dirt poor southern farmer. Loves music. No one believes in them. They make it big. Get married. Cheat on spouses. Take drugs. Crash and burn. Find Jesus. Return to Glory.

Come to think of it, isn't that the plot of every single VH1 Behind the Music show? Why is it that rock stars ALWAYS hit the heights, hit the booze/drugs, hit the skids, hit the Good Book, then hit the road, hit the Charts, and hit the airwaves while I hit my head trying to figure out why I care?

Oh well.

"Walk the Line" was "Ray" for white people.

I just liked the music more.

Next week is Thanksgiving.

Be thankful for everything you have.

I have a baby girl on the way, a beautiful wife, a nice home, and excellent friends and family all around. We meet new people all the time, make new friends all the time. I have a good job that I love MOST of the time. I get to work with all sorts of kids, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

What an amazing world we have.

Be thankful.

I am sitting here on a Sunday night, thinking about the coming work week, and I just remembered something:

I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T WASH THEIR HANDS AFTER THEY HAVE USED THE RESTROOM.

It grosses me out, like to the point where I want to throw up.

I have seen, in the last week, EIGHT different boys use the restroom (mostly #1, but TWICE #2!!!) and just leave. Twice I even politely asked them, "Aren't you going to wash your hands?"

They just smirked and kept on going. I think they were embarassed. What I SHOULD have asked them was, "Were you raised in a barn by wolves, you disease-ridden slob?"

Now I refuse to touch a paper that they've handed in unless it has had time to "properly air." I don't want to touch ANYTHING that has been handled by fingers that just recently spent time in some kid's nether regions.....no way, Jose.

Now here is the part that might surprise you: The identities of these perpetrators of the unwashed-hands would perplex you. Four of them are seniors- 3 of them athletes.

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE WASH YOUR STINKING HANDS, YOU DISGUSTING PIGS.

This public service announcement brought to you by the number 6 and the letters A, J, and Q.

IT'S A GIRL! IT'S A GIRL!

Everything is perfectly normal....everything is great.

I'm such a baby, I had tears in my eyes just looking at the image of my child moving her arms and legs.....wow. Just.....wow.

We could see her face, her fingers, her arms, her legs, her little girl parts....simply amazing. She wasn't moving much at first until the nurse started poking on Natalie's belly to make her move....and her first move was.....

I think she flipped me off.

I LOVE IT!

Today is the day.

I am so nervous I'm about to freak out.

I'm sure everything is fine, but I have absolutely no control over the situation, and that is a weakness.

I can't wait.

4:15 can't get here fast enough.

I still bet it's a girl.

:)

I just wrapped up watching the entire fourth season of Smallville on DVD, and except for one or two reasons, I cannot figure out why I continue to watch this show. Honestly, most of the episodes are pointless. This past season is an excellent example of how television writers have to struggle to come up with 22 separate interesting stories week in and week out. Many of this season's shows were just weak, and there were many plotlines that the writing staff dangled in front of us and just let disappear.....

Here is the best and worst from season 4:

The Good:

- When Clark flew. That was sweet.

-The episode "Run"- except for the last thirty seconds, which my friend Scott Meeker correctly pinned as....well, watch it for yourself, and see what you think.

- The good Lex/bad Lex episode.

- The season finale- ended with a HUGE cliffhanger that, thanks to season 5 spoilers, I know the result of...but wow, what an ending.

- The two part "Alicia" arc- was very good, and had the most sudden demise of a lead character ever.

The Bad:
- The ENTIRE Lana possessed by an old witch thing.....stupid. Simply stupid.

- Lionel Luthor's turn from the dark side, which lasted a whole 4 episodes before he inexplicably turned evil again after a swordfight with his son. (If you are reading this and have no idea who any of these characters are- don't worry about it. It is basically Dawson's Creek with Superpowers.) I guess the writers though evil Lionel was more fun to write than good Lionel.

- Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman's turn as an evil controlling psycho hose-beast. Stupid.

- Former Lois Lane Margot Kidder's pathetic cameo as Dr. Bridgette Crosby.

- Even worse, her offscreen murder that did NOTHING to advance the plot and is only casually mentioned the rest of the season.


The Ugly:

- The final 30 seconds of "Run." Words cannot describe how.....I can't say. I just can't say on this public forum.

- How stupid are the people in this town, honestly? Every week there are a slew of murders, kidnappings, random explosions, inexplicable myteries....and yet NO ONE seems to notice, and every time something happens, everyone is completely SHOCKED at what occurred. You'd think that the thirtieth time a mutated teenager came into my coffeehouse and turned people into salt pillars (or whatever) I might, you know, PREPARE for it or something...

- The Talon. I wish it would burn to the ground. Please.

- Kristin Kreuk is pretty enough, but her entire acting repetoire consists of frowning and seeming to be perpetually on the verge of tears.

- Clark, seemingly devastated by the senseless murder of Alicia, the one girl who knew of his abilities, has COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT EPISODE WHICH TAKES PLACE ABOUT TWO DAYS LATER.

But as bad as season 4 was, it is still Superman, and I'll watch it. I'm a hypocrite.

SEVEN DAYS UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT THE BABY IS!!

WOO HOO!

I like Halloween. We had our first even trick or treaters at the house last night- MY house. Wow, I love that. One was alittle 3 year old boy wearing the cutest tiger outfit ever- and his older brother was the Phantom of the Opera.

They were the first to visit our house, and it was getting pretty late, so I LOADED THEM UP!!!!! The kid it going to go into a diabetic coma from all the candy I gave them- four Reeses Cups, a snicker's bar, tootsie rolls, creamed corn, lasagna, and Jolly Ranchers.....

Plus the best part is, I still have TONS left for me!

(Time to put on more sympathy weight with me wife!)