Didn't get the memo

It seems someone handed out notification that everyone was supposed to act like a complete dickweed this weekend. First we had Michael Jordan's acceptance speech when he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Now, I've seen several of these when players I love have gone in (Larry Bird rocks!) and often they make me teary eyed. Jordan's left me disappointed.

How wank-ish is it to fly in your former high school teammate just to essentially say "I'm better than you are at basketball..." No shit, really? Now, if he wanted to make the point that disappointment can make a great motivator, he could have said something along the lines of "thanks to the coach picking you over me I learned that I had to improve my skills, improve myself and show that I deserved to be a starter...thanks for giving me the chance to pick myself up after being knocked back a few." How hard would it have been to take the high road and not the douche road?

Next, we had Kayne West at the MTV VMA's. Now, I don't watch this show live because it usually gets too annoying. I taped it so I could see Muse live (they were fabulous by the way...see below). While zipping through, I saw Kayne take the mike from Taylor Swift and rant about how Beyonce had the better video. Seriously? You can think of nothing better to do than hop up on stage, snag the mike from a sweet 17 yr. old kid and act like a jerk? Poor Taylor looked like a deer in headlights. If Beyonce really wanted to help, she should have hopped up on stage right then, slapped Kayne upside the head and gave the mike back to Taylor.

Lady Gaga, Pink and Muse gave the best performances of the evening. I'm not a fan of Lady G, but she did the one song I do like from her, Paparazzi. And, her performance was enjoyably strange and she sang really well. Pink also pulled a weird one out of her hat. I give her major points for being able to sing while paying tribute to Circus of the Stars. (Note that Beyonce only really sang for part of her song...most of the time she just danced. Pink was flipping all over the place and held her own vocally.)

Here's Muse's performance.

Muse - New Music - More Music Videos

Jane, you ignorant slut

I think that is the correct line. It's been a long time since I've seen the Dan and Jane era of Weekend Update. But, since I seem to only have time on Saturdays to write anything, a nod to SNL seemed appropriate.

So how is everyone doing? Nice to see our politicians can still excel at rational discourse. (I really hope you are catching the sarcasm.) I think I've seen similar tactics by high school students at sporting events (yeah, blatantly ignoring someone by texting while they speak, that'll show 'em). The following day at work I was waiting for one of the reps to get off the phone so I could ask a question. I was standing outside my big boss's door and heard him angrily re-hashing the whole insane theory that our President isn't an American citizen. Sigh. Now, I'm all for a good conspiracy theory, but that would be one seriously far reaching plot. Psychics would have to be involved and I doubt they would be as cute as James Roday.

Italian Fest last weekend was a good time. Nice weather, no bees; though, we did have some crazy gnat action. My friends and I took the kiddies out to a park after supper and came upon a scene that I think only happens in small towns. When we got there, someone had their radio cranked in their vehicle. The windows were open for the music to spill out. One guy was sort of using the swings (and smoking) while another guy and a girl were on the ground laying on top of each other.

Now doesn't that sound like fun. Hey, Dave! Me and Jane are going to go dry hump in the park...want to join us?

We eventually went over there way so we could use the merry go round. Our bold move with pre-teens in tow sent them away eventually. It seems there was another person in the vehicle so maybe swing guy had a fight with his girlfriend and that's why there weren't two sets of scraggly looking hormonal folk rolling about in the grass.

I think I may need to start taking something to improve my concentration. While heading home from Jinn's house (a drive I've done a thousand times), I went right past my exit and didn't even notice till I was almost a good 5 miles away. How early does dementia start to set in?

Finally, now that summer is over, here is my fave movie wrap up for the season:

1. Up
2. Hurt Locker and District 9
3. 500 days of Summer and Moon
4. Brothers Bloom
5. HP 6
6. Star Trek

Okay, I have a birthday party to get to. Don't forget, the new Muse cd, The Resistance, comes out on Tues. You can see them on the MTV video music awards on Sunday. I've been listening to their album via their website and so far I am digging it. They are over the top in the best way possible.

Later gators!

Tired

Here is my "drafting" table, or the tilt-y table as I sometimes call it. In the time since I took this picture, the second row of paperwork has extended to the full length of the table.


As you can see, we seem to favor ordering the crazy, neon colored post it notes.

Once again, it was a very busy week. I worked for two solid days on a bid for a hospital (the file for which is big enough to take up two large expandable file thingies). After putting in some overtime this week, I decided to use some of those earned hours and leave work early on Friday. When I was discussing this with one of the reps, he told me that the door blocking assistant owed him hours. I was glad to hear that he was aware of this situation. He's such a nice guy that I worry he does not always see people taking liberties with his niceness.

This weekend brings the Italian Fest here in town. It has blossomed into a nice sort of gathering. There are big, bouncy, blow up things for the kids to jump in. There is food (natch), a baseball game, a basketball tourney, a race, tomato chucking (sort of like pumpkin chucking) and more of the usual fest type activities. Last year, part of the entertainment featured a group doing songs from Mamma Mia. Nothing like some Swedish flair at an Italian festival. We are a melting pot.

Is anyone else as tired as I am of all the crazy anger that seems to be coming out of every media pore? I am fully aware that there are insane people on both sides of the political spectrum (and that they all seem to have television shows). But, really...people are pissed that the President wants to talk to their kids about the importance of staying in school? What the f*ck?

Having the President talk to our country's youth is nothing new. Somehow I doubt that the President giving a short speech to the kids is going to "indoctrinate" them in any way. I don't have kids, but I have friends with kids, and seeing how much their own children do and don't listen to them ( and this is after years of being in the same household), I question that the message of staying in school will get through to them, let alone any secret agenda the right seems to think Obama has up his sleeve.

So, instead of teaching their child to at least be respectful to the office of the President, and perhaps using the opportunity to discuss the many sides to what the President says, they are going to be pissy and keep their kids at home. Again I say, really? The broadcast of the President's speech for some of the kids will probably have the same lure as a personal hygine film from health class. I'd wager several of the kids will be doodling on their notebooks, texting each other, staring out the window, etc. Pretty much behaving like they normally do when an adult is talking to them. Having said that, I'm sure for some kids this is going to be a cool moment; the President is talking to them. They don't have to share his views, but to actually be spoken to in a rational manner would be exciting.

I won't even start on all the mis-information being tossed about in regards to the health care debate...if you can even call it a debate. It all makes me tired.

I think this song is sort of fitting, though maybe not the video...try and ignore the half naked chick, unless that works for you of course.