Friday, May 30, 2008

Penguins Score And Win

After 2 games many thought Detroit could sweep the Penguins since the Pens hadn't scored a goal in either of the first 2 games. But the Penguins notched a win on Wednesday to put the series at 2-1 in favor of Detroit. Even though Detroit lost in Game 3 I thought Detroit is still the better team. Pittsburgh was up 2-0 after the first period and one of the goals was a gift when Detroit turned the puck over in their own zone on a very sloppy pass by Stuart. Pittsburgh did seem to be playing better and generate more scoring attempts then the first 2 games, but Detroit scored 2 goals and had several opportunities to tie the game in the third. To me, the Penguins were able to play with the Red Wings but the Red Wings still appeared to be the better team. I think the Wings' will want to wrap this series up as quickly as possible and with a win tomorrow night...and if done in convincing fashion, might be the blow that sucks the life out of this Penguins team.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

2nd BALCO Conviction

Not that a person really needs any more proof that those athletes that have been to related to BALCO were indeed using steroids, today the trainer for steroid users Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery was convicted of lying to a grand jury... which is what all the cheaters have done since the beginning of the BALCO investigation...

How Barry Bonds thinks anyone can take him seriously when he says he never used steroids is beyond me.

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, both would be baseball immortals...instead are now viewed as baseball's biggest cheaters....

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Cup Finals Ratings Up

After years of hearing how the Stanley Cup finals weren't being watched by anybody, this year ratings are up. Really not that surprising either...the matchup is really good and of course the Penguins have one of the NHL's young superstars, Sidney Crosby, playing. The Wings have shutout the Penguins in the first 2 games outscoring Pittsburgh 7 to nothing. Home ice usually means little in the NHL but the Penguins need something to make this series interesting...

As a side note, like last year, the local NBC station here will not be showing game four of the Stanley Cup, choosing instead to host a telethon... morons...!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Memorial Day Holiday: Long Time Coming

For at least the past 10 years...and likely even more...I have worked every Memorial Day weekend. For the past 6 years it has been the same event, high school graduations - you talk about a total buzz-kill for a holiday weekend, work back-to-back high school graduations that you have absolutely no care about...

But as luck would have it, it appears as if the high schools have moved their graduations a week later meaning that starting this year, I will have the entire Memorial Day weekend off! To celebrate this and because I put in some long hours this past weekend...I will be taking an extended break that starts today...should be a nice relaxing time!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Cup Finals Set:: Wings vs Penguins

I have been able to watch quite a bit of the NHL playoffs this year and am getting psyched up for the finals which will have the Detroit Red Wings playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. I think this matchup should make for an exciting cup final. Both teams are fast skating teams with some unbelievable skill players.

I think Detroit will edge out the Pens, but I think the series could easily go 6 or 7 games. I just think Detroit's experience between the pipes might make the difference. Hasek started out in net during the first round but after looking shaky, was pulled for Chris Osgood...and I wouldn't be surprised that if Osgood begins to falter that Detroit will not even think twice about throwing Hasek back in there and after resting for much of the past month, would be fresh and may be the difference for the final push.

Games 1-4 are this Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and next Saturday. The first 2 games are on Versus and the rest on NBC.

Monday, May 19, 2008

SNL - Steve Carrell Video Clips (5/17/08)

Here are the clips from this past weekend's Saturday Night Live hosted by Steve Carrell... I think every sketch except 2 A-Holes Singing Karoakee sketch are available...unfortunately, the 2 A-Holes are 2 of my favorite characters...anyways, enjoy...

Promos for the show:


Commencenet Open:


Monologue:


Clinton/Obama Commercial:


Deal Or No Deal:


SNL Digital Short: Japanese Office


McCain in One:


Weekend Update: John McCain


Weekend Update: Al Sharpton - Jesse Jackson


Charlie Flitt Show:


CPR Class:


Bless This Child:

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

SNL - Shia LeBeouf Video Clips (5/10/08)

Here they are, the videos from the SNL hosted by Shia LeBeouf from this past weekend. Lots of videos available from this episode...

Promos For The Show:


Cold Open: Message From Hillary


Shia LeBeouf's Monologue:


It's A Match:


Scared Straight:


SNL Digital Short: Best Look In The World:


Weekend Update Part 1:


Weekend Update Part 2:


Vinny Vedecci Talks With Shia LeBeuof:


MacGruber: Father And Son:


He Likes You:


Girls Trying On Clothes:

Friday, May 09, 2008

Patriots Cheating Scandal Won't Go Away

The scandal that just seem to die...which leads me to believe that there is potentially more that we don't know yet...is the New England Patriots spying scandal. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, did his best to sweep the entire issue under the rug, destroy the evidence, issue a penalty and try to move on. But with the new tapes submitted by former Patriot employee, Matt Walsh, it shows that the spying on opposing teams wasn't just limited to stealing defensive signals but also offensive signals. Also, the attention to detail the Patriots put into their cheating is also quite impressive. They would edit their spy footage with different angles of the ensuing plays...meaning that there was a concerted effort being made...so the question then remains, how much cheating did they really do and is it only limited to video taping?

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Cowherd Interview With Tomlinson

Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio interviewed Chargers' runningback LaDainain Tomlinson recently and they chatted for just a short while. The best part of the interview is at the end when Colin asks LT if the offseason has been an angry one because of the criticism that LT took at the end of the season last year. LT's reply...No, it's more like motivation...take the bad criticism and use it to fuel the fire. Tomlinson remains classy...

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Iron Man: Predictable Plot, Still Decent

I don't critic too many movies on my blog mainly because I usually see many movies after they have had their run in the theater, rentable for some time and quite possibly air(ing) on television...so for me to comment on Spider Man 3 right now really is pointless...but I did see Iron Man.

I had seen the commercial for this movie and the graphics/cgi looked pretty good...whereas you will sometime go to a movie where the cgi is so obtrusive and overwhelming a person can barely hold their disbelief.

Overall the movie is alright...I didn't realise Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man but I think he did a pretty good job. The humor is corny enough for the kids and there was very little 'sexiness' in the film which does make it better for the youngins'.

Ok, if you haven't seen the movie and do plan to see it, you may want to stop reading this review now because I may have inadverntly plot spoil but I do not intend to and if you want to go in 'fresh', stop reading now...

Saying that...is it just me or does every super hero movie now just follow the same cookie-cutter plotline? A wealthy person decides that their wealth and intellect would be put to better use fighting bad guys around the world. Like Dark Knight, Iron Man, is betrayed by someone he trusted and must battle the baddie to right the world. What usually makes these initial Super Hero movies a little better then the usual sequels is the actual process the person takes into becoming the super hero...how they create their identity. Super hero sequels usually have the daunting task of then creating a 'villain' for the movie in a normal world with the exception of the super hero protector...so instead of following the progression towards super hero, you usually get 2 major battle scenes with the first battle scene the super hero gets hurt or nearly destroyed and of course the final battle concluding the film.

But saying that, I stil give the movie high marks for the quality the movie was put together...there really isn't a 'slow' time for the movie and the just over 2 hour run time went by quick and as I started out with, the computer animated portions have been blended well with the live scenes that Iron Man does look very realistic when engaged in battle...

Be High Profile But Not Logical

Last year I posted how charities are becoming scam and to further elaborate that point and to fully display their ignorance, PETA comes to the rescue. The Kentucky Derby this year had a tragic end where the 2nd place horse, Eight Belles, had to be put down after breaking both of its front legs. PETA quick to cease any spotlight they can instantly issues statements demanding the jockey be fired because they 'think' the horse had broken it's legs prior to the finish of the race and the jockey kept whipping the horse, and thus, forced the horse to fatally hurt itself...do they have any proof of this or even a hint of evidence? Of course not...but that doesn't mean they can't demand for someone to pay and in this case they feel the jockey is to blame. And then, of course, the media grants the members of PETA air-time for them to further elaborate their stance and that's when they babble about how these horses are mistreated and this incident just spotlights how cruel these owners, trainers, jockeys, etc. are to these animals. Well, that's where you lose me...I don't know how anyone involved in PETA or any other organization can claim that this multi-million dollar horses are mistreated in anyway. Theses horses are the 'superstars' of the animal kingdom...they are pampered and catered too in a manner that even the moderately wealthy folks would envy. And then after their 'career' is over, the best horses are set to 'stud' for the rest of their life...being only fed the finest of foods, roam the greenest pastures and rest in the nicest stables.

Also, to think that the owner of these horses would enjoy or, at the very least, not care in the least that one of his multi-million dollar animals had to be put to death after the biggest horse race in the world, this is all preposterious yet PETA incinuates that is the case.

I wish the media would not view PETA as a respected, non-profit organization but their entire cause and action from the organization never seems to make any sense or be logical...but rather, I think PETA has set the benchmark for most all non-profits....doing anything of substance is actually optional, but focus solely on getting exposure.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Clemens Offers Broad "Apology"

Big time cheater Roger Clemens has taken his first 'baby step' into admitting some sort of guilt...but of course not for steroid use. Clemens issued an apology today that he simply has made some mistakes in his personal life but does not detail anything. Really this is a non-statement and is just another weak attempt by Roger to get someone, anyone in the media to listen to him and how wrong the truth is about him. With reports of what might be an inappropriate relationship with a minor, Mindy McCready, released last week and then her subsequent confirmation of those reports continue to paint Roger as a liar and a cheater in yet another area in his life, obviously showing a pattern of deception and lying for the Rocket.