Ever notice at Chinese restaurants they have pictures of food and no matter which one you go to the pictures are the same. Is there someone out there who specializes in selling those....I think I want to decorate using those. They are so artistic and provocative. I'll place my order based solely on those pictures.....yep, sure would.

YAO Supporters

Is it me or have the Yao supporters become surprisingly quiet suddenly? Strangely enough, there is no talk about how Yao matches up with Shaq. No discussion about Yao whatsoever. Did Shaq have a dominating game? Offensively, no. Defensively, Yao was servicing Shaq like a prisoner does a salad (some of you know the reference to tossed salads...with yo' dirty asses). I've never seen such a collective cold shoulder given in such a short time. From a week ago when the Houston offense was being told to go through Yao to today where Yao is only mentioned in highlights when he's getting his shot blocked. Comparable to Shaq? That's like saying Denny's is comparable to Outback! And if you believe it is then you have more issues than Cosmo.....

The Olsen Twins

Are there seriously people out there that think these two children are talented? Their stint on Full House doesn't really count because they were like 3 or 4 years old so there are automatically 'too cute and cuddly'. Since then they have made a bunch of pubescent films that I have been fortunate enough to only see horrible trailers for.

But I hear there are grown men out there counting the days until these two turn 18? They aren't particularly cute in my opinion. They aren't ugly either but if I saw them at a bar (unless they have a body that I truly don't think they have), they would be hard pressed to get a tasty libation from me.

Truly though, I just wanted to have something to put in my blog and I heard something about them on CNN Headline News. Speaking of Headline News, I was telling my pops the other day that Robin Meade from Headline News is a low key hottie, my favorite kind!!! She comes off as just an attractive woman, but when you wake up to her everyday she becomes more and more of a hottie. Yes indeedy.....or I could just be horny as hell and missing my fiancee....On any account, Robin is a hottie....she anchors Headline News from I think 5 am to 9 am so check her out. And she lives in Atlanta, and I live in Atlanta.....okay now I'm just getting carried away.

Check the links on the bar over there --->

The news parodies are hilarious. Seriously, if you need to kill some time at work, you must go to these places to do so. Unless your panties are all twisted in a knot.....

Eli 'What have I done' Manning

Can someone, anyone explain to me what the hoopla over Eli Manning is? He didn't lead Ole Miss to anything special. He may have broken some passing records at Ole Miss but that's pretty insignificant since I can't name 4 other quarterbacks to come out of Ole Miss. He didn't win a conference championship, never made a BCS bowl, and his team was unranked for a good part of his career. So, again, why is he so coveted? Oh because he shares the name of a great quarterback....that's right.

Have we not learned that athleticism is rarely evenly spread among siblings?

Ronde and Tiki Barber: One is a super bowl champion....the other fumbles the bowl every third carry.

The Hasselbecks: One has a relatively successful career, and I can't even remember who the other one plays for.

The Vicks: Michael (I will still call him Michael, screw that Mike Vick stuff) led Va Tech to a national championship game, the other hasn't even been able to take the starting role yet and may be on his way to a little jail time.

If anything, it seems like if you have to have family in the league, it's best that you have a cousin in the league. That way your genes can obtain athletic contribution from another source.

And what in the hell is Archie Manning doing sticking his nose in the Chargers business? If I were the Chargers, I would draft the hell out of Eli, just for spite. He doesn't walk to the podium, fine. Sit on the bench all year. Let his ass be like that Nebraska QB a couple of years ago who retired in the third week of training camp.....during his ROOKIE year!. NFL teams draft players, players don't draft teams.

And while I'm on the topic, the whole Maurice Clarett thing is out of control. The NFL has a rule. That's that. I feel bad for Mike Williams because he may not be able to play college football again since he declared for the draft but at the same time, that was his choice to haul ass into the draft....maybe the NCAA will reinstate his eligibility. Let's hope so, it's the right thing to do. Clarett on the other hand better start thinking about getting on a squad in the CFL if for no other reason but to stay in shape. Though he was only suspended from his team, he dropped out of classes after the winter quarter so chances of him playing college ball are about the same as Jessica Simpson getting a post graduate degree.

Okay, going back to work now.....

An Anti-Anniversary

One year ago today, in about 2 and 1/2 hours, an event occurred in my life that really scared me. And pissed me off. And still pisses me off every now and then. Due to some corporate politics, I was laid off. During my damn annual review no less. There was one person responsible for it. Wait, I take that back. There were two people responsible. I was responsible for not kissing the ass of the other person who kissed ass to gain leverage in our department. When the 'new' head of our department needed a name of someone for cost cutting purposes, it was nothing for the butt cheek chaser to give out my name.

My name! Despite being the only person on the team who had worked on every system for which the team was responsible. Despite being one of the senior members of the team. Despite never receiving a negative annual review. Despite being in the good graces of everyone on the team and countless people in the company as a whole. Despite being the lowest paid member on the team which I know I was (how do you call yourself cutting costs when you cut one of the most valuable and least paid members of the team?). Despite being the trainer and oft-times saviour of the person who replaced me. Despite these facts.....

When have you ever heard of people outside of your department being contacted by HR to let them know that another employee was being let go just to ensure there wouldn't be any issues. Well it happened when I was laid off, twice!

Yet, I must take some of the blame. After all, I could have simply sucked it up and kissed that trick's ass or the very least played the role as others did in my department. But that's not me. If I don't like you, I won't go out of my way to make it known and at the same time I won't play nice either. Ah, but perhaps it was the best for me. I'm making more money than they ever would have paid though I still have no health insurance (thank you God for watching me over the course of this past year). Though I'm out of town most of the time, I feel like I will eventually find a full time gig in the ATL and probably for more than they would be paying me if I were at that hellhole now (including any annual increases).

But all I want in relation to that former employer is to be in the mall, and to see the butt cheek chaser. Have her come up to me with that fake smile and fake accent (which I think she uses to her advantage as well but no need to get into that). And then I lay into her like crabs into a crack whore.....oh one day it will happen...and I won't be the bigger person for it.....and I won't care.

When I have children, I hope I don't become one of those people that talk about nothing but my children. I find that to be overly annoying. I want to be the best parent I can be but I don't want being a parent to define who I am. I don't want to give up hobbies, or doing things I enjoy to be a parent. I understand that I will have to sacrifice things but I don't think I should sacrifice everything. I work with someone now whose whole personality seems to be defined by her being a parent. Granted, it's her first child and the child has had some rather serious problems but she still seems a little overboard. Almost every other conversation anybody has with her has to do with labor, pregnancy, or some other aspect of babyology. Her child is like 8 months old and she sometimes acts as if the child was born yesterday. Maybe I'm just finnicky and not fit to be a parent.

I need to work with some people that have no kids and\or don't use the fact that they have children as an excuse for doing nothing else.

Cee-Lo green is the soul machine! Seriously hot album....deep fried chicken soul for that ass!!! Okay, I don't know where that last statement came from but I meant it.

Usher's album starts off well but then kinda loses me the further I listen.

Fight Night 2004 is off the chain for PS2. I've had it a couple of weeks and I still haven't gotten a title. Or even beaten a real boxer yet for that matter. See that's what video games should be like.

So I'm trying to decide if I am going to go to the Georgia Force game this weekend. If I do, the weekend will become quite busy. I leave Winston tomorrow around 4:30 (assuming I get here by 8:30 which is a big assumption based on the assumption that I don't venture out to the fox and hound tonite which is an assumption that I don't go play basketball which is a 50/50 shot right now). That get's me to Atlanta by 9. The fiance lady doesn't have to work tomorrow night so I may be forced to watch the 9:30 Lakers game at the house. That's bad because the Lakers never win when I watch it in the comfort of my wonderful abode.

Saturday morning we wake up and drop my truck off to get it looked at for this rattle sound it's been making for a few years. Yeah, better late than never. After dropping the truck off, we go workout. Then we head out to buy yard stuff for the day of yard work ahead of us. Saturday night, we go to the movies or do something lovey dovey because she doesn't have to work that night either.

Then there's Sunday. The Ga Force game is at noon. The Lakers play at 3:30. I also have to drive back to Winston at some point. And I should probably wash my dirty clothes as well. L-Boogie (the fiance lady) doesn't want to go to the Ga Force game, so I'd probably being going solo which is fine by me. But I also can't put 4 brews down during the game which is my modus operandi. But if I don't go to the game I won't see the Force for a good 3 or 4 weeks. And I missed last week's game while I was in VA visiting the parentals. There's also the risk that the game runs long and I miss the tip off for the Lakers game. One thing I could do is drive back to Winston early Monday morning and that why I can enjoy tasty brews for both events while having a chance to wash clothes etc and so on.

Yep, I think that's what I'll do. Thanks for listening!!!

It's official!!! ESPN.com is now officially better than cbs.sportsline.com. For years I have been loyal to the cbs site. But the past year has been a disappointing experience for me. Besides the fact that their reporters have become ho hum to say the least, or the fact that they either started charging for features or simply dropping them, now no matter what page you click on in the site you are bombarded with an advertisement for something or other. It's horrible.

Plus, ESPN has Page 2 which has slowly evolved into my morning paper with that first cup of coffee. Entertaining, funny, dynamic in it's various viewpoints, controversial, off topic, oh the joy of sports journalism like it should be. And to top that off, they have Page 3 which is a serviceable if somewhat less entertaining alternative/follow up for Page 2.

So I'm sitting here waiting for a report to run that is taking a long time. My current task is to figure out what's wrong with the report. Only two problems, everyone says the data is inaccurate but no one can tell me exactly why, what, or how it's inaccurate. And number two, I'm still learning the business so I don't even know exactly what the damn report is supposed to show. But as I've stated earlier, I'm good so I will persevere.

Have you ever noticed that in the four major American sports, the referees are never former players? They are never even big enough to be former amateur players. I don't like referees at all. They are the little guy who didn't get picked as a kid who is now power tripping on being able to 'rule' over the jock. I wasn't a jock as a youth but I wasn't a little guy either. Referees suck in general. They are rarely held accountable for their actions. They expect respect while barely ever earning it. I'm not quite sure how you become a ref either. Is there a referee school or something???

Taxes are good!!! I'm getting a refund and the world is a beeeeautiiiiiful place. Yep, it sure is!

I feel bad. I had a friend who was supposed to do my taxes for me this year and I hadn't heard from her. So mentally I'm cursing her out as I scramble to try to get them done. Well she called this morning and she had a house fire so that's why I hadn't heard from her, fortunately she was unhurt but she's been going through her share of hard times. I'm scum.....

What exactly is a son of a gun??? Is that like a slingshot??

Yep, I am a crowd pleaser.

Just so you know, random statements like the one above come from when I figure something out at work that really has nothing to do with me....and yeah I just did that . . . . .again! Geesh...sometimes it hurts being this good.....

Well, playoff time is here and what a Western Conference battle we have in store. Being a Lakers fan, I am actually much more nervous this time around than I have been in years past. With our early exit last postseason, and the strides that Minnesota has made and the consistency that San Antonio has maintained, I see potential disappointments if we don't come with our 'A' game.

And there's no reason we shouldn't come with our 'A' game. Everyone is healthy. Horace Grant is out but I hardly consider that a particularly large blow to the team performance on the floor as much as it may be in the locker room. But Ho Grant should be in the locker room so that shouldn't be seen as a weakness. Speaking of weaknesses, I think one of our weaknesses right now is we are not feeding off of Shaq as much as we should early in games. Give Shaq the rock down low, maybe get some folks in foul trouble, and run the triangle off of him. Also, we need somebody running with the Glove down the court. He wants to run oh so bad and a lot of times he ends having to take it himself. There is no reason we shouldn't be scoring six to twelve points off of fast breaks per game. And that's being conservative!!

Defensively, we are playing decent ball but our problem, as it has been over the past 5 years or so, is the pick and roll. And it is not only a problem when Shaq's man is setting the pick. I hate to say it but at some point the NBA needs to enforce the moving pick foul. San Antone and Sac-town have the moving pick down to an art. Also speaking of rules, I think the flagrant foul should be called during 'Hack-a-Shaq'. Some will argue that 'Hack-A-Shaq' is a gameplan. That's idiotic. In no other sport are the rules purposely broken as part of the 'gameplan'. If you hug a player, flagrant. If you foul player intentionally and he doesn't even have the ball, flagrant. Dr. James Naismith, who would be sickened by the 'zone' defense being used in the pros, would probably disown the game if he had known that intentionally fouling a player was a gameplan to some teams. I know it disgusts me, so it must be worthy of discussing.

I spend most of the day trying to wake up and most of the night trying to fall asleep. Such is the life of a night owl....hoot hoot

Did I ever tell you how hot Macy Gray's last album is? Very nice piece of work....uncommon flow and beats. Because I guess I'm getting tired of the same ol same ol in hip hop and r&b or maybe I'm just getting old! That's probably it. Old ass X

I forgot I had a livejournal blog. Wow, I sucked at the blog thing back then. Although judging by the lack of visitors here, I can't say I've gotten any better.

I am amazingly good at what I do....just thought I'd let you in on that!!

Am I the only person confused about the whole Nick and Jessica phenomenon? Two mediocre singers at best are everywhere on the tube and I don't know why. Throw in the fact that I've taken shits that are smarter than Jessica and you see why the fate of popular culture leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I can't really say too much about Nick; he seems like a regular guy except for that gay boy band thing but do what you gotta do I suppose. But how can we preach education to our kids and then allow them to watch stupidity prosper in Jessica Simpson? It is not an act....she's really that stupid. If it is an act, she deserves one of those little statues they give out on Sunday nights at those award thingies.