Conte To Tell All

One of the key figures in the Barry Bonds steroid use is Victor Conte - the BALCO founder, the man behind providing the roids to some of the media's greatest superstars (IE: Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, etc.), is apparently going to lay it all out in a new book with this statement probably the selling point:

Conte promises "the dirt, the drugs, the doses, the names, dates and places, and a 'prescription' for a brighter future," according to the Daily News.

I think this book may not be taken too seriously at first, like Canseco's book, but the longer it is out there, and as time passes, it may have more truth than fiction...like Canseco's book...but at the same time, I am not willing to trust Conte at all...he didn't seem to have too much of a problem providing the dope to the cheaters and cashed in once and now he gets to cash in again...and again...and again?

That is why this country is such bullshit...depending on the "crime" that you commit...you could actually cash in on your illegal activities as long as it affects some facet of the American fabric...if you are just drinking and driving you'll really have to do something spectacular to get a book deal and never have to work again...but if you sell roids to superstar athletes, you do a few months in jail then write a "tell all" book...which I'm sure will be followed up by a movie... tough to figure out what Conte did wrong in this society isn't it???

Giants Shed Bonds Images

The San Francisco Giants, the team that tolerated Barry Bonds so that they could cash in on his cheated fame are so proud of his home run record that they are taking down all of his images and references throughout their ballpark and going to erect a plaque to memorialize the Bonds' record breaking home run, his 756th of his career. You can tell how very proud of Barry the Giants organization is...he had a .500 on-base percentage last year, yet the Giants didn't re-sign him and to now honor his accomplishment, at one time the biggest in the game of baseball, with a plaque really does show how the entire world views Barry's tainted record and that is exactly what it is...a tainted record.

Firefox 3

I just started using Firefox 3 Beta...and my first impression is that it is pretty kickass...I don't like bookmarking a lot of pages that I go to all the time anyways, so this version does that for you. You see, I only bookmark pages I know I won't be going to until I wish I remembered that one page that had something...like drivers for my video card and other computer components...the instruction manual to my snowblower (bought it used and don't want to waste the ink and paper to print it out and then have my kids lose it)...etc...

It seems pretty quick and yoor url bar history is pretty slick...page titles are displayed along with the url as you enter it...kind of helping you scroll to the exact page you are looking for... as I said, I just started using it so it will be cool to see all the other cool new features...

Video Proves Hillary Didn't Lie

Just yesterday I broke from my typically quiet political stance and commented on how Hillary had lied about a trip to Bosnia...well, no sooner do I start to believe the major media then this video comes out to prove that Hillary was not lying after all...

Canseco Outs A-Rod

Jose Canseco has another roid in baseball book coming out and in this one he apparently says that he introduced Alex Rodriguez to a steroids dealer and that A-Rod also tried to bone Canseco's wife. When Canseco's first book came out most everyone, including myself, thought it was just an attempt to make some money and that there may be some truth in the book but for the most part was just exaggerations and hearsay. But having time on his side it has been shown that what Canseco first alleged in his first book is closer to reality then anyone wanted to believe. Canseco admits that he did not inject A-Rod or know if he used roids but the comments that A-Rod gave when asked about the Canseco allegations lead me to believe that there is certainly some amount of guilt. His reply was, "I don't know how to answer that." Well, at least he isn't being a total dick like Palmeiro and Clemens by angrily addressing the question, lie about their steroid use and almost demand an apology on the spot for the mere mention of them potentially cheating.

I was hoping that A-Rod could keep his name clean and eventually pass Bonds so that we would at least have an honest home run king but I have all but resigned myself to the fact that any 'superstar' in baseball from the past 10-15 years was likely a steroid user and that is just one reason why the MLB sucks and will continue to suck until they clean that sport up.

Hillary Clinton Loves To Lie

I don't get how anyone can be a supporter of Hillary Clinton. Her entire career has been scandal filled and her only qualifications for even being elected a senator, apparently, were that she was the wife of a president that cheated on her in the White House. I won't bring up much of her Whitewater controversy, health care controversy, prescription stock controversy, etc. from her past but doesn't anyone care that this lady has a pattern of deceit and corruptness? Well now the latest Hillary gaffe...Hillary is trying to trump up her foreign relations experience by stating that during her trip to Bosnia she was under sniper fire and there was no formal greeting party for her contingency when they landed in Bosnia...but video and other reporters accounts contradict those statements and clearly show that not only was their a greeting party, the greeting party had children presenting Hillary and Chelsea with flowers. Hillary claims she merely 'misspoke' and I guess that is the new word for 'I lied'.

I don't post too many things regarding politics but it is shit like this that disgust me...in 6 months she very well may be the president of this country solely, because for some reason, women love her no matter what.

Caddyshack: Cinderella Story

One of the greatest clips of all time from one of the greatest movies of all-time... Bill Murray as Carl Spackler driving mums to "...come from nowhere to lead the pack..." and win Augusta... of course from the movie Caddyshack...

Landis' Final Appeal Ends

Something I commented on since the beginning, was the Floyd Landis steroid controversy... I followed his first appeal with the US Anti-Doping Agency because the hearing was open to the media and was reported on. Landis' final appeal concluded yesterday before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and by their account, no decision will be rendered before June of this year. After closely following his first appeal with the USADA I think he did cheat, he has just gotten the right lawyers and scientists that can essentially argue that the world is flat and (theoretically) prove it. This case reminds me so much of the O.J. Simpson trial where much of the debate is over procedure(s) and the handling of the evidence...with the Landis camp scrutinizing the French lab that conducted the tests. The Landis legal team also dredged up scientists that can bring into question some of the outcomes...but again, the science is so complex and the scrutiny of that science seems equally complex that I would find it very difficult to accept any of their claims.

Why Is The 80's The Greatest Decade For...Everything?

I have glossed over this topic before in a few other posts but I haven't really directly addressed this topic...and that is why is the latest, greatest, movie, song or Super Bowl performance...just another 1980's rehash? I was reading today that the A-Team will now be made into a movie. And what I am really wondering is why the 'creators' of media content, whether it be television, music or movies are consistently dredging up anything from the 1980's and just repackaging and serving it up? Well, no need to answer that because we all know the answer... money. But more then that, I think it shows what mindless, uncreative and willing to gobble up anything that is fed to them the people of Americans have become.

Because media content is so readily available from so many sources now the task of actually creating something that will have any sort of instant mass appeal is almost impossible...of course maybe with the exception of the greatest show ever, American Idol, so what do producers and writers resort too? Just pick any tv show or movie from the 80's that was a marginal success, use the title and create something that may or may not resemble the original. Then get today's biggest musical acts to pick their favorite 80's song and have them record it for the soundtrack and bam, you now have 2 blockbusters on your hands.

But what is still perplexing to me is still...what was so good about the 80's? I actually lived and remembered the 80's and I don't recall the music, television or movies that were so life changing that they need to be relived, remade and redistributed 20+ years later...but again the answer is rhetorical and always reverts back to money... the fact is those of us that lived in the 80's are now the 'prime' demographic for advertiser's to push their products upon us...so it may be likely that in 2018 the entertainment industry will be covering the 90's... But imagine the task of the writers/producers in 2028...they are going to rehash this decade and all this decade has done is rehash the 80's...but with the technological advances that are sure to have happen by then the 2028 version of the A-Team will be totally kick-ass!

You Suck At Photoshop #9

Here's the latest installment of "You Suck At Photoshop". At the end of this episode, you find out that Donnie's status in his gaming clan is in jeopardy...

Time Off Recap - Snow, NCAA

Back to work today after a nice little break... I didn't do too much, but the weather we had it was probably the best option...we had over 7 inches - yes, 7 inches - of snow... it literally started snowing Thursday night and didn't stop until Saturday. The temperature(s) during the day were warm enough that once you had your driveway and sidewalks shoveled, they stayed clear. I really should have taken a before and after picture because the snow was just about all melted away and now we have just as much snow as we did before...the forecast has a chance of snow tomorrow...at least the temps will be seasonable for the area and it at least won't be so cold.

And I really don't know why I didn't make this declaration when I posted my NCAA bracket, that is, I traditionally do fairly well over the first two days but by Sunday, I will be all but eliminated from any pools...this year is no exception... I had Duke and Georgetown in the final four and neither make it out of the first weekend of play...I'm sure I'm not the only one but to me, it seems, this happens every year. One other thing I like to do is go back to all the 'experts' that I had heard all last week run down their analysis of teams...I recall USC was "going to go deep", actual result, they lose their first game to K-State. Another 'expert' I had heard said that Duke will have little opposition until they reach the next round when they would likely have to face off against UCLA for a final four bid, actual result, they lose to West Virginia. And of course all these 'experts' will be back on the radio and tv shows today and they can first 'explain' why those picks didn't materialize but then go on to continue to make bold predictions about the next round...like weathermen, they are the only people I know that can be completely wrong about something and still retain their job...but, again, like weathermen they simply start out their forecast with "Ok, I was a little off yesterday on my forecast but here's why...."

CentSports

I just stumbled across the 'next best thing' to real gambling... CentSports.com. It is a legal gambling site that gives you $0.10 (10 cents) and you can place bets on sports and if/when you make $10 you can 'cash out' and collect the money for real... insane or what?

So far I have played it for 4 days and I've gone broke twice and am starting today with another donated 10 cents... I doubt I will ever hit $10! But being the 'novice' gambler that I am, I like trying some fun bets like picking over/unders and doing some crazy parlays...I lost it all yesterday picking a 3 game parlay on home underdog teams...2 out of 3 panned out and if that would of hit, I would be sitting on a cool 38 cents right now...instead, I have a dime...

Out Of The Fire, Now To The Beach

Last week I was working like a dog and now this week I am taking some R&R... I will be around but posting will be light until I return to some normalcy after Easter... I really don't have any plans yet and right now that sounds about right...

Weather around here has been fantastic lately...temps in the 30's, feels like spring! Maybe me and the boy will have to get outside and do some bike riding...

NCAA Basketball Bracket

Here is my 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket...

I openly admit that I am by no means an expert in NCAA Men's Basketball and my picks are as good as anyone else's guess...

I have grown tired of trying to 'guess' what upset(s) will happen and will just ride a lot of the favorites throughout the tournament...

You Suck At Photoshop #8

Here's the latest episode of one of my favorite video web series...You Suck At Photoshop...

SNL - Jonah Hill Video Clips

Here are the video clips from the SNL hosted by Jonah Hill (3/15/08)....

Eliot Spitzer Cold Open:


Six Year-Old:


Digital Short: Andy's Dad:


MacGruber: The Bank


MacGruber: Paint Factory


MacGruber! (Jonah Hill)


Really!?! with Seth And Amy:


Tracy Morgan on Update: Black Is The New President:

Summer Time Movies

I don't go to movies that much because 93.8% of them suck...and it also seems that any movie that is 'ultra-hyped' prior to its release will ultra-suck. But there are 2 movies coming out this summer that I think I will try to go to the theater to check out and both are sequels...the new darker Batman movie series has it's second flick in the series "The Dark Knight" and Indiana Jones returns for his fourth adventure, "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull". Just my 'perception' from the trailers, I think Spielberg might disappoint me in the latest Indiana Jones...just looks like there is too much cgi...but who knows...both movies interest me...

Here's the trailers for both of them you haven't seen them yet...

Batman: The Dark Knight trailer:


Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull trailer:

Slow Blogging Lately

Last week and continuing through this weekend I have/will be extremely busy and won't be able to post much. Sorry...hopefully next week I'll be able to do some blogging...

SNL - Amy Adams Clips

Here are the clips from this past weekend's Saturday Night Live with host Amy Adams:

American Idol Jumped The Shark; Viewers Awakening

I really don't pay a lot of attention to how many hits my blog receives at any given time. But it seems that every year for the past few years I've noticed that from late January until the end of the May sweeps the visitors to my blog increase and this year it has been a dramatic increase. So, being the curious individual that I am, I did a little investigating and have found out why... American Idol has started up again and this year it seems as if more and more people have grown tired of American Idol or actually have gotten a clue and realized that the show is just a glorified karaoke competition...but who was the first (to my knowledge) to point this out? Me of course! And because I have been the original, and probably the only person in America at the time, to express an open disdain for the lame show back in '05 with my first rant "Why American Idol Sucks" I have begun to attract others that agree with that sentiment. A simple search with the phrase: "American Idol Sucks" in Yahoo or Google will garner you a few other articles by others...but none with the clear and concise title that they are now seeking...Why American Idol Sucks.

Yes, I am sure that I am getting a fair amount of viewers that still love the show and simply think that this season sucks and want to know why...but little do they know that the show has always sucked and will continue to suck even more...those folks are on the fence. But there are those that have finally had enough of the show. Their eyes have been opened and they have been drawn to the 'dark side' and are willing to join my ever growing legion of people that think the show sucks. I am sure the show will remain popular with 13 year-old girls but I think it has officially "jumped the shark"...that is, it's glory days are a thing of the past and it is just a matter of time before it will no longer be the 'sensation' that it once was. I do know from my personal observations that I hear and see less talk about American Idol in general then in years past so I think the downward slide is in full gear...and I am pleased about it.

Packers Have Their "Elway"

Brett Favre apparently...and for real this time...will be retiring from football. I've never been a big Brett Favre fan for several reasons, most of which are not for actions on the football field, but rather because of the media and his fans. I have never thought Favre was anything super special...just a good player on a good team but, to me, it seemed that Favre was always a 'me first' type of guy. I couldn't stand his 'I don't know.' press conference a few years ago about whether he was planning on retiring then and there was plenty of talk about how Favre was seeking to be traded out of Green Bay but the Packers would hear none of that. I also think that the only reason he didn't retire until this year was to insure that he broke more records, which he did primarily because of his longevity in the league and not necessarily his skill.

So Packer fans will begin to resemble Bronco fans, in that no matter what quarterback they have next or in the near future they will only be compared to their past 'legendary' quarterback. Since John Elway retired from the Broncos the fans of the Broncos barely go 5 minutes without somehow referencing John Elway. There is at least 5-8 "John Elway" days at Bronco home games and if John Elway were to announce he would be interested in returning to the Broncos fans would demand that he not only be allowed too, but be signed for life. I can see the same thing with Brett Favre... Of course he will be honored every year in Green Bay until he dies, a street will surely be named for him and every quarterback from this point on has the daunting task of being compared to Brett Favre with every fan and media person simply saying "He's no Brett Favre." Man, I am already get sick of it and it is only the beginning...

UPDATE: Chris Mortensen (ESPN) was saying that once Randy Moss re-signed with the Patriots and the fact that the Packers made no effort to get Randy Moss was a mitigating factor in Favre deciding to retire at this time...are you f'n kidding me? Favre has such a 'man-crush' on Randy Moss that he pouted last season on the Packers not getting Moss and now will retire when the Packers, again, make no effort to get Moss. Some sports 'analysts' are beginning to speculate that Favre may not truly be done...that he has been disgruntled with Green Bay for several years and with the Packers not following Favre's demands to get Randy Moss he will 'retire' from the Packers but may seek to sign with another team. Well, he's really showing what a team player he really is...I doubt that this will effect any of the 'love' that will be poured upon him from Green Bay fans...unless of course he basically tells Green Bay and their fans to fuck off...

SNL - Ellen Page Videos

Juno herself hosted SNL this past week. What's weird is I thought the writer's strike was over but you couldn't tell that from this SNL which seemed to just rehashed several elements from last week's show into this week's episode (ie: Hillary endorsement, GOP politician on Weekend Update, Democratic Debate).

Here are the sketches that have been released on the internet for that episode:

The open was very similar to last week's in that it mocked the latest Democratic debate between Obama and Hillary. And then to further show SNL's endorsement of Hillary, like last week (again) when Tina Fey gushed over Hillary, SNL took it a step further and had Hillary on and let her open the show...




The digital short this week (The Mirror), I think was fairly weak...they also seem to become increasingly nonsensical...which sometimes is funny but because it is becoming a reoccurring theme in these digital shorts make them less funny...


The TV Funhouse video was something I thought the show could have actually done as a sketch and be even more funny... Obama pulls out all the stops to keep Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton from 'helping' his campaign...


Guiliani gets a cameo appearance on Weekend Update, like last week with Huckabee, a politician sits in on Weekend Update to make fun of themselves a little bit somewhat humorious...


And Viginiaca, like the Dakota Fanning show, is a reocurring sketch that was never funny, imo, to start out with and yet is continues to be a regular occurring sketch...


Other sketches were The Dakota Fanning Show where Amy Poehler plays Dakota Fanning and basically 'disses' her band leader "Reggie". Page played Hannah Montana and my 12 year old daughter is constantly playing Hannah Montana songs and I couldn't recognize the song "Best Of Both Worlds" that Page sang very badly at the end of this sketch.

College of Excellence sketch was a pretty poor fake late night television commercial in which it will educate you on the best business terms which was basically phrases that involved the word 'file' and ways to redirect blame and questions to someone's assistant.

The Other Boleyn Girls was just a bad sketch that even Jason Sudekis couldn't save...basically starts out with Page as a Boleyn girl trying to get it on with the king (Sudekis) and then being interrupted by another Boleyn girl and repeat with each Boleyn girl becoming more homely until Keenen Thomas is flatly rejected and the sketch basically ends there...

Weekend Update had some moments...along with the Guiliani appearance they had Fred Arminson as a political comedian Nicolas Fehn in which he just rambles off disjointed, incomplete thoughts...mildy amusing but far from funny.


A Peter Pan sketch might have been the best one of the show, imo. Page plays Peter Pan and Captain Hook becomes upset with his crew because instead of killing Peter Pan his crew becomes mesmerized with Peter Pan.

The final sketch was Page returning from a Melissa Ethridge concert where she revels in all the lesbians and their activities rattling off all the classic lesbian stereo-types yet, denying that she has 'turned gay'.

Falcons Snagged Turner, Chargers Release 3

NFL free agency started this past Friday and a few teams are already wheeling and dealing for some of the bigger free agents out there. The Chargers' couldn't afford to keep LaDainian Tomlinson's backup any longer...Michael Turner signed a six year deal with the Falcons today. I thought Turner was a capable back, but I think his numbers are little deceptive...Turner oftentimes accumulated the bulk of his yardage and scores in 'mop up' duty for L.T. Not that should diminish his accomplishments and, in fact, instead of just diving forward and getting tripped up to keep the clock running during his mop-up stints, he would rip off a long TD run against a game-weary defense...forcing the opponents to play a full 60 minutes against the Chargers.

The Chargers also released Shane Olivea, Marlon McCree and Lorenzo Neal. Olivea lost his starting job last season to Clary. McCree is a hard hitting safety but has made more than one mental error that cost the Chargers dearly...namely the 2006 AFC playoff game against the Pats...if he would have taken a new after intercepting Brady the Chargers would have won that game...instead, he makes the interception and tries to run the ball, fumbles and the Pats get a gift first and ten and go on to win the game. Lorenzo Neal, who broke his leg last season, worked great in Schottenheimer's offensive scheme, but several times this year looked out of place and unprepared...getting hit in the face mask with a pass (twice) that he wasn't prepared to receive. Neal was a great blocker for Tomlinson but is getting up there in age.

In other news, the Chargers signed Billy Volek to a 3 year deal...just goes to show that you just need to play good in a playoff game and you are likely to have some job security for a while.