:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Week 8 Picks ::

A little late but here this week's picks. It seems, this weekly column has developed a small but dedicated (for lack of a better word) following so I'm gonna keep doing this for the rest of the season (apparently, I have the time). Also, quick shoutout to CL and GB just because. Anyway.

Jaguars over Rams:
Since I can't think of anything interesting to say about this game, I'm going to break out the "what would happen in nature" theory and say that a jaguar could easily kill a ram. Not the best way to start out the Picks but it'll get better. I hope.

Redskins over Giants:
Someone told me that the Redskins are actually favored to win this game? Why, just because they anally screwed the 49ers last week? My weekend flag football team from three years ago could have beaten the 49ers last week. The 7-year old Pop Warner football team that plays here could have beaten the 49ers last week. Just for that I'm, um, picking Washington.

Panthers over Vikings:
If not for the Texans, the Vikings would be the biggest joke of an NFL team this year. Let me rephrase that: ever since the boat sex incident, they've become the biggest joke of a team in all of sports. If not for the Texans, Vikings players would have no one to look at to help them feel better about themselves. This is the same thinking behind the existence of Monster Truck races. It's so that fans of professional wrestling and NASCAR have someone to look down on.

Browns over Texans:
At least Houston has the Astros... oh wait. At least they have the... Rockets? I'm trying here. I really am.

Bengals over Packers:
I probably should have mentioned this weeks ago but ever since that movie, I love guys who play football named "Rudy." Or in this case, "Rudi." Hey, how about "Rud-E?"

Cowboys over Cards:
As bad is my team's QB situation is, I'm just happy I don't have to deal with trying to root for Drew Bledsoe. Anyone else think that he was accident prone as a child? And did anyone else see Parcels take a swipe at his assistant on the sidelines during that umpiring dispute last week? I've seen more coordinated hits from a 98 pound girl after three Coronas. You can't tell me that after seeing this replay that his players still have the same level of respect for him. Especially a brutal guy like Roy Williams: "yo, I know coach been to two Super Bowls and shit but... he hits like a girl!"

Bears over Lions:
A little explanation about last week's pick: the Lions losing was predicated on the fact that Joey Harrington was playing on the road... and that I didn't think Trent Dilfer could possibly have played this horribly against a such bad team. (Just outta curiosity, did anyone draft Dilfer their FFL? Anyone? Really? Put your hand down. You're embarrassing yourself.) But Jeff Garcia started and actually made the Lions look decent despite not having two of the (not so) Big Three receivers. That, and in nature, I think a bear could beat a lion.

Raiders over Titans:
So I guess I screwed the pooch last week in picking Oakland to lose last week since Kerry Collins picked a hell of a week to minimize his mistakes. New Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow is probably looking at the season USC is having and thinking to himself why the HELL did I ever leave that?

Chargers over Chiefs:
San Diego will win this game because they absolutely HAVE to win this game. There's absolutely no reason they should have lost last week playing a banged-up Igles. Thanks to Wilma, I couldn't watch the game but I'm pretty sure Marty Schottenheimer screwed it up somehow. My guess is he went into playoff (read: choke) mode and playing way too conservatively in the closing minutes. Am I right? Someone let me know.

Saints over Dolphins:
I've listened to a lot of sports radio this week and the local opinions about replacing Miami QB Gus Ferotte with backup Sage Rosenfeld has been adamant support... or abject apathy. I side with the latter since the Fish have a lot more problems than just the QB position. For starters, their logo SUCKS. Outdated, ugly, and really, just utter crap.

Bucs over 49ers:
After being tossed around like the drunk midget at a Kid Rock concert (and by saying "the" drunk midget and not "a" drunk midget, I'm essentially confirming that there is indeed a designated midget for the sole purpose of being tossed) by the 'Skins, first round pick and hopeful savior to the franchise Alex Smith has been benched in favor of perennial backup Ken Dorsey. While Dorsey couldn't possibly be any worse, it's like bringing a knife to a gunfight, realizing you make a mistake, and reaching for a lead pipe.

Broncos over Igles:
I wonder what it's going to take before McNabb is pulled from the game because of his injury. Is he gonna keel over? Start spitting out blood? Courtney Brown, after a sack, reaches into his chest and rips out his heart "Temple of Doom" style? There's also halfback Westbrook who's unhappy about both his lack of carries and a contract. McNabb publicly stated that Westbrook is a valuable member of the offense and should be paid properly. I wanna hear him say the same thing about Todd Pinkston just so I can see TO's head explode.

Patriots over Bills:
If things get any worse in Buffalo, they're going to start pining for the return of Bledsoe. Kelly Holcomb filling in behind center is akin to fixing the levees in New Orleans with sandbags (what, too soon?), and it'll be a while before J.P. Losman develops into a good QB, the same way people once thought my dimples would help me develop into a lady's man.

Steelers over Ravens:
After bitchslapping the Bengals last week, one can only imagine the pillaging that Pittsburg will unleash on feeble and faltering Baltimore. By the way, (and I'm excluding injured players when I say this) other than Daunte Culpepper, has than been a bigger Fantasy Football letdown than Jamal Lewis? I feel for the poor bastard who drafted both these guys. Ok, not really. It's stuff like this that makes me glad I decided to take a year off from Fantasy Sports.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 8:59 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Miami vs. LA ::

Another nice thing about Miami (sort of) is that it seems all the Jehoavh's witnesses here are little old latin man and women. So when they knock on my door and see this big white guy open it usually their only question is " tu habla espanol?" A quick "no" and the coversation is over and I can go back to watching football.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 4:32 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Playing Dress-up ::

Halloween is almost here and I've been inundated with "what are you dressing up as?" I haven't decided what, if at all. Cool thing about South Beach is the entertaining levels of freakishness that costumes can reach. I've seen garishly color dresses and fishnet stockings, catsuits tight enough to cause whiplash, enormous cone bras, and some lurid clown-whore makeup (as well as a few clown whores. I honestly didn't know whether to be horny or scared for my life).

And that's just the guys.

As for the women, I find it amusing how most of them go into these descriptions about the elaborate costumes they're planning. A girl I met at Starbucks, sitting on a couch next to my table just now told me how she's planning on going as the "Biblical Eve" (her words... she looks familiar for some reason). It amuses me because all these girls are doing is dressing up as various permutations of one thing: slut.

Think about it. Halloween is the one time of the year you can be someone you're not. You also get to wear things that would be completely inappropriate any other time because it's either ridiculously outlandish, or quite possibly illegal in some states. Just so we're clear, I don't have a problem with any of this.

Sure a girl might say she's dressing up as a cop, devil, mummy, or the St. Pauli girl but all she's doing is dressing up as slut; it just happens to be a slut with a theme. (For that matter it's the same with restaurants. Sure they may have a theme but the menu isn't that different from a Johnny Rockets. Also, prices are higher. I don't even know why I typed that last sentence.) Some girl once tried to dispute this but conceded my point when I pointed out that most people from the Wild West usually wore something more substantial than her denim thong underneath their chaps.

And the timing of me typing this post couldn't have been any more perfect since Starbucks girl was just telling me how her Eve getup consisted of a few leaves and a fake snake. My first response was "wait, leaves... plural?" To which she responded with a hearty laugh. (Because, at least how I was picturing it, you really need just one leaf.) Anyway, she looked familiar to me because I met her a week ago at an art exhibit. I must have left an impression. Enough that she seemed pretty eager to give me her number.

Must be the hair. Or not.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 10:48 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Chicago White Sox: 2005 World Series Champions ::

My congradulations to the White Sox. it wasn't pretty but they won by making the most of every opportunity given to them. They deserved it. Now, just a few thoughts and observations on this year's World Series:

- I can't believe how calm Ozzie Guillen was this entire series. Even when his team was down 0-4 in Game 3, he never looked like he was going to leap out of the dugout and maul someone.

- As much as Ozzie has been second-guessed through the regular season and the playoffs, nothing is going to incite more questioning than this photo. Seriously Ozzie. WTF???

- Last year, the Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918. This year, the WSox win their first since 1917. Does this mean that next year, the Chicago Cubs, who haven't won one since 1908 will finally get it done? I don't think baseball is equipped to deal with something like that.

- Assuming that happens, that means the average number of years between Titles for the three teams will be 90.667 years. Let's say that becomes a trend. That means my Dodgers won't win another World Series until 2079. That also means the Frisco Giants could win one in 2044. Not only does that mean I won't see another WS in L.A. in my lifetime, it also means I'll have to deal with the prospect of SanFran finally getting over the hump and I don't know if I'll ever be emotionally prepared to handle that. The fact that Barry Bonds will be dead from "supplement" poisoning is of little consolation.

- As a matter of fact, this did keep me up last night. This is also the kind of crap my mind does when it has too much free time.

- As an avowed sporter of scruff, I'm totally loving Houston's playoff beards.

- Someone file a missing person's report on Roger Clemens immediately.

- I love the unintentional comedy provided by Jeanne Zelasko's various outfits during the pre- and post-game shows. I haven't seen this sort of unfortunate combination of material since Lisa Guerrero's unfortunate stint as sideline reporter for Monday Night Football.

- I know it was a sweep but has there ever been a closer, harder-fought sweep? Both teams had many chances to score but the pitching just shut everyone down. Each game was won by one or two runs. If I was Phil Garner, I would have thrown more than a chair. I probably would have grabbed Ezequiel Astacio and tossed him into the Crawford Boxes. Kinda the same way ancient Romans threw Christians into a pit of lions.

- Not a single moment of A.J. Pierzynski-related chaos. Not one. I would loved to have seen him mouth off, only to get bum-rushed by Jeff Bagwell, after which he rips off his right arm from his surgically-repaired shoulder and beats him to a pulp with it.

- When I saw Pierzynski jump on Bobby Jenks after the final pitch, the first question in my mind was "what happens when an irresitable force hits an immovable object? (For the baesball retarded, they're both really fat.)

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 9:47 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Photos of South Beach after Hurricane Wilma ::

I took over 300 photos while wandering around the past couple of days but I obviously couldn't post all of them so here's some of the better ones. You can click on them to see it full-size.

Early morning shot. What the photo can't show is the speed that the clouds were moving. Totally breathtaking.



















Michigan facing north
























































9th and Washington



















Ocean Drive



















The Colony Hotel, a landmark, all boarded up.




























Espanola Way





























































































Despite a lot of these scenes, there were no reports of looting anywhere on the island.



















Lincoln Road



















Open for business















































































































Noooooooo!
























































I have no idea why these cars were blown over while almost every other car was left intact.






































Looking at some of these day-after photos, you'd have a hard time believing anything happened.






































Amazing how this jetski ended up here. This spot pretty far from any of the docks.















































Downtown Miami skyline at dusk.


































































Just another beautiful day in Miami.



















We hate Wilma.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 5:03 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Hurricane Journal ::

I've kept running journal of my time during Hurrricane Wilma and everything except the last two entries have been pasted unedited from Word.

October 24. Day 1
6:53am
I just got jolted awake by a loud noise and I'm having trouble going back to sleep. Naturally, the first thing I do go to my laptop since I've decided keeping a hurricane journal might be fun. Or at the very least, something to keep me occupied if the power goes out.

There's a really strong wind whipping around and a lot of rain coming down out there. I don't know what it was exactly that just came crashing down but it must have been huge to wake me up. I mean I've slept through earthquakes for crying out loud. I'm going back to bed.

8:56
The wind is still blowing pretty strong and I think I just heard a cat fly by. Oh, and the power is out. Good thing I bought candles but there?s no TV or radio. Dammit. Walked outside to see what it was like. The wind was quite furious but that's nothing: when I looked up, I could see the clouds swirling around in the tail end of that hurricane. You probably saw how a hurricane moves on the news via a Doppler radar. Well, it?s one thing to see that whirling from a satellite image from outer space but it?s completely different to see it from underneath it while it?s passing through. It leaves you totally in awe of Mother Nature.

12:04
I stepped outside to survey the damage and it doesn?t seem too bad. At least around my apartment, the worst is just a bunch of fallen branches. I also saw a few crazy people walking/driving/riding their bikes around. I?m gonna join them. I just realized I have no cell phone reception.

12:13
Had to come back to grab my camera and take photos of all the damage. And I had to pee.

5:01
Just came in to get new batteries for my camera. (And I had to pee again.) It's kinda funny how many people are walking around surveying the damage out there. Out on Ocean Drive the wind blew a lot of the sand from the beach onto the street. Half the trees lining the center islands of Washington are blown down. Fallen trees seem to be the bulk of the damage, though it?s amazing to see the size of some of the trees that got knocked over. Property damage seems to be limited to a few blown out windows and some cars that cushioned some of the tree?s falls. It looks like all of South Beach is without electricity.

There?s still a few local convenience stores open so I walked into one to grab a Coke. Everyone else to be trying to stock up on emergency rations, which was surprising. I thought with all the hurricanes that came through in the last two months, most people would be prepared but I guess not.

8:15
Did a little more walking around and took quite a few photos of all the crap that happened yesterday. While walking around, I ran into the our school's maintenance guy. Being lucky enough to have a working radio, he said that it's not just South Beach but almost all of Miami that's without power (roughly 3.2 million customers). He said that while Miami was relatively undamaged, Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach/West Palm suffered a lot of damage, which kinda worried me since I have a good buddy that lives up in that area (you know who you are. Let me know you're ok as soon as you read this).

I noticed a couple of bars that are open to the public, which I thought was pretty cool. One of them is Dewey's and the place was packed. The owner probably has a couple of generators running in the back, which apparently is sufficient to keep the kitchen going.

Something I noticed while walking back; I have a pretty clear view of Downtown Miami across Biscayne Bay and at night, when all the hi-rises are lit up, it's a beautiful view. Other some minimal emergency lighting, the entire skyline is pitch black. It's a little eerie.

10:00
I wonder if the blackout in the northeast part of the United States was anything like this. I really don?t know what I?m going to do if this power outage goes for more than just a couple of days.

October 25. Day 2.
12:54am
And God said, "Let there be light!" Or in this case, Florida Power and Light said that. I didn't realize I left some of the lights and the clock radio on but I've never been happier to be jolted awake. Alas, no cable/Internet. But at least my beer is gonna stay cold now.

Ok this is weird. I poked my head outside and it seems only part of the island's power is back up. Most of the hi-rise apartments on west side of the island now have power, but everything from Michigan on east is still in the dark. Not that it seems to be that much of a problem since I heard a few voice chatting and laughing.

10:38am
It was cold last night. I actually had to sleep under the covers. I've been listening to the radio and it looks like Florida Power and Light is working quite fast, since there seems to be reports of power going back up every few minutes. I'm gonna go for another walk after breakfast.

3:21
Some cleanup has started, though with the amount of branches that have fallen, what used to be scattered piles of branches are now larger, somewhat neatly stacked piles of branches. Again, I've yet to see any major structural damage, fortunately. The worst I've seen is at South Beach Community Hospital, where all the windows on one side of the building were blown out. Also there were shards of glass all over the street. Thanks to the lack of power a lot of the businesses that have previously weathered hurricanes are still closed.

4:54
It's definitely fall. Except it's not your typical, muggy Miami weather. I can't remember the last time the weather down here was this cold. "Cold" being relative and all but I don?t think it got above 75 today. And the air is quite dry. It's almost like being back in L.A.

I've had the radio on all day. Earlier reports had Wilma gradually weakening as it passed through South Florida. What happened was that it grew from a category 2 to a 3 and the gusts were a lot stronger than meteorologists anticipated. We were lucky enough that it was fast moving so it could have been a lot worse.

Right now, there's always updates about places that's handing out free water and ice as well as gas stations that are open. I'm only guessing but I'm thinking the ice is for people who are throwing hurricane parties and need the ice when they whip up a Hurricane (1 oz vodka, 1/4 oz grenadine syrup, 1 oz gin, 1 oz light rum, 1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum, 1 oz amaretto almond liqueur, 1 oz triple sec, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice). I haven't heard much in terms of which areas were hit hardest but it seems property damage was minimal structural damage. A lot of towers had their windows blown out and trees everywhere got knocked over, which caused rumors of activists from Earth First to start picketing against Forces of Nature. Ok, I made that last part up.

9:48
Been listening to the World Series Game 3 on the radio. Color commentator Joe Morgan is someone I can barely stand on TV and on the radio he?s even worse.

Poked my head outside again to get some air and some of the surrounding blocks are still dark. I have no idea how power grids work but it?s odd how some blocks have power and some don?t. Not that I?m complaining since our block is one of the lucky ones.

October 26. Day 3.
1:15am
Game 3 has gone into extra innings and it seems like I'm missing the makings of classic. I shouldn't complain 'cuz it could be a lot worse. It could be the Giants playing in the World Series again.

11:54am
I don't know what it is about hurricane lockdowns and finals weeks but they seems to bring out the munchies in everyone. I ran into a few people I know and it seems I'm not the only one who stocked up on junk food and beer. In case anyone was interested: Guinness Extra Stout and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale makes a great Black and Tan. Guinness Draught and Yeungling, not so much.

It looks like all schools are closed until next Monday.

7:02
I've spent my time either sleeping, listening to the radio, talking on the phone, or walking around. Did some more walking around with my camera to see what else might be photo-worthy. Walking along Biscayne Bay, I saw a couple of cruise ships heading out. The streets seem a little cleaner and it looks like residents with chainsaws did most of the cleanup. In other news, residents of South Beach, a city far away from any sort of wilderness, own chainsaws. I'm surprisingly OK with this knowledge.

I walked by Dewey's on the way home and saw that their TV AND cable are working. I'm gonna stop by and watch Game 4. Go Astros!

Also, I saw a bunch of students from my school sitting outside of Taste Bakery even though they're closed. It seems that even though the restaurant has no power, the wireless signal is still working. I love technology.

9:51
The power suddenly went out in the middle of the game. I was gonna go home but the bartender told me that this happened earlier and the power should go back on in about 20 minutes. Lo and behold, she was right. I love how you can still get the WiFi signal from Taste over at Dewey's.

10:19
Just like she said it would, power is back and the game is on again. Pitcher's duel. Nice.

There's an 8:00pm curfew in affect through all of Miami but being as it no police have come in here to break up out little hangout, it seems to be rather loosely enforced.

I'm gonna keep this journal going until things return to normal but the next post is gonna be a series of photos I took of the surrounding area.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:10 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: By the way ::

This is one of the key differences between Miami and Los Angeles: here, it takes an act of God to shut down the entire city. In LA, all it takes is a high-speed police pursuit.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:52 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: WILLLMAAA!!! ::

If there's anything good about hurricane Wilma (who thinks up these names anyway?) it's that it's during the baseball playoffs. Not that I needed an excuse to stay holed up in my apartment, watch baseball, and drink. Lucky for me (albeit not so much for the Astros) World Series Game 2 has been a pretty good game.

Growing up in LA with the thought that an earthquake could hit at any random moment seems to have prepped me somewhat for natural disasters so I'm not really freaking out like others have been. (HOLY CRAP THE ASTROS JUST TIED THE GAME!!!) And in any case I've been ready for a while now. I have plenty of potato chips and enough beer to last the week so I'm set. (I have real food, too.) Still, say a little prayer for everyone in South Florida.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:14 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Week 7 Picks ::

This week's picks is a little late since my short term memory seems to be gone this week. So anyway, here they are:

Chiefs over Dolphins:
Maybe it's just me but with the first-hand coverage I see of the Dolphins here, I thinking Ricky Williams still looks stoned. And the next time someone tries to tell me that I look "scruffy," take a good look at him. Last Ricky bit, I promise: I wanna see him score a TD and see a celebration dance that mimics him taking a bong hit. Just because.

Packers over Vikings:
Ever time I see Daunte Culpepper throw yet another INT, I keep thinking of a friend of mine that had an yearly hard-on for Culpepper for his Fantasy Football team. While I'm not playing this year, I can just imagine that he's been attending some sort of FFL support group for guys who own Daunte. Assuming he hasn't already set himself on fire. Also - and this is just me - but if worked the PA at the stadium where the Vikings were the visiting team, I'd be playing "Love Boat" anytime the Vikings did anything.

Chargers over Eagles:
I don't care if McNabb had a week off to recuperate. He's hurt, he can't move, and the Eagle's running game is a joke. (I was gonna say "running" joke but that's too easy.) Tomlinson is gonna absolutely shred the Igles' defense. How do you say "there's always next year" with a Philly accent? Donovan's mom is gonna need a lot of soup to console the team after this loss.

Saints over Rams:
The Saints always played the Rams tough, even back during their high-scoring Kurt Warner era. I'm of the theory that fatigue eventually gets replaced by anger and after last week's pounding from the Falcons, the Saints are PISSED. Also, Bulger is replaced by Jamie Martin. That's almost as bad as being replaced by Tommy Maddox.

Redskins over 49ers:
This one's personal. The Niners trading away Tim Rattay and handing over the tattered reins to Alex Smith might say "we're committing to the future of our franchise." What it really means is "we have every reason to suck donkey nuts this season." I don't care if Smith is the second coming of Peyton Manning. He's gonna look like Ryan Leaf since he's surrounded by talent equal to that of baseball AA minor league team.

Colts over Texans:
At least Houston has the Astros to fall back on.

Steelers over Bengals:
Sure Cincy has a great record but they've played teams that have a combined record of 5-17. Carson Palmer is very good but he's also played mediocre defenses. As for Pitt, Big Ben is back in the huddle for the Steelers this week. I don't care which one of the receivers are available. Just the fact that Tommy Maddox isn't playing is good enough for two extra scores.

Browns over Lions:
I don't wanna say things are bad in Detroit but I just read that both Chrysler and Ford are getting better customer satisfaction ratings than the Lions.

Seahawks over Cowboys:
Seattle always plays well at home and Dallas... excuse me... Drew Bledsoe is ripe for a four-INT game.

Cardinals over Titans:
Anyone out there think that Cade McNown won't start? Not only will he start but he's gonna have yet another game that gives desperate FFL owners ulcers. 27-48, 371 yards, 2 TDS, 4 INTs. I say this with no disrespect or irony, but those are vintage Kurt Warner numbers.

Broncos over Giants:
I never thought I'd see the day where Tom Brady would be out-QB-ed by Jake Plummer and Mike Shanahan would out-coach Bill Belichick but there it was. Granted, Brady almost engineered yet another miraculous comeback but he?s no Plummer. At least not that week.

Bill over Raiders:
Raiders are playing with a hyperactive Kerry Collins and without an injured Randy Moss. It's like giving the pyromaniac the Zippo and locking him in a fireworks factory: it may look pretty from a distance but it's really, really bad for everyone directly involved.

Ravens over Bears:
Hmm. Team with a great defense and a crappy QB versus a team with a great defense and a crappy QB. I say go with the team with the crappy QB that has tenure.

Falcons over Jets:
Jets on the road, playing against a hungry Falcons team led by a young, mobile, and often spectacular QB. The jets are countering with an old, banged-up team led a by a washed-up, plucked-from-retirement, QB that moves slower than I do after three hours at Brazilian BBQ buffet.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 5:24 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Nice to Look at but... ::

South Beach is a city where you could throw a stone down any street and have pretty good odds of hitting a girl who's a model, part-time model, or trying to get into modeling. The women I've met and been on dates with here have all been either students or have "normal" jobs. Sure models are nice to look at but since I've never gone out of my way to meet any, and annecdotal evidence tells me they're usually shallow, insipid, vacuous, naive, etc. That's literally all I've heard. But they couldn't all be that way, could they?

After tonight, I can see why people might think that way.

I went to an art exhibit of a former teacher at a local restaurant and I got to meet a few of her friends. One of them was this model that she photographed. She ended up sitting next to me at the table and apparently she found me friendly enough to share quite a bit about herself. This isn't exactly new to me. I can't pinpoint why but despite having just met, women tend to feel comfortable enough with me that they tend to open up quite a bit. It wasn't so much what she was telling me as the way she was saying it.

Talking to her, you'd think she was the first person in the history of humanity to have had trouble with roommates. The way she described living on her own for the first time, you'd think she just discovered fire. In fact, everything she talked about was said with this dramatic, emotional flair. She could probably lend an air of discovery to something as mundane as opening an envelope. It got to the point where I had to leave the table a couple of times before I suffocated from the drama.

Don't get me wrong, she was really sweet but everything about her screamed "DRAMA QUEEN." I was confirmed of this suspicion when I walked her to her car at the end of the night and she offered to perform a bit of slam poetry for me right there in the parking lot. I said, out of morbid curiosity, "sure." (Now, I love reading, I love writing, I hate poetry. And don't get me started on slam poetry.) So anyway, she starts reciting her poem... about bad roommates. Good gawd. My face might have been stoic but the whole time I was thinking "I'm gonna need a six pack or three to erase this from my memory." I mean, Suzanne Vega couldn't rhyme to save her life but her lyrics weren't this horrible.

Anyway, after I got home I turned the TV on to SportsCenter, sat down, and thought to myself "what the hell just happened tonight?" Oh yeah, in a moment of weakness, I might have given her my number and I'm honestly a little frightened.

(For you sports fans, football picks tomorrow.)

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:30 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Eat a Sandwich ::

It's not exactly a secret that I like food. Take one look at me and it's plainly obvious that I'm not someone who misses a meal often. So much that when I picked a Maxim magazine a few months ago, the very first article I flipped to was one titled "America's Top 10 Meat Hogs." I've had numbers 9 and 8 and they're both excellent. (Though I have to say with some indignance that I can't believe they left out the roast beef and cheese from Primanti Brothers.) Same thing happened with this month's issue, where they had an article with the Top 5 reader's Sandwich Recipes. (I know what you're thinking: "hot girl on the cover but dude, sandwiches!" That is really a. sad b. very sad.)

One of the things I miss about L.A. is the Double Double burger from In 'n Out. All of my friends know this. One of them in particular knows it quite well since the last two times he picked up me up from the airport, I insisted we go straight to In 'n Out before dropping me off at home. It's also the last place I go before I'm dropped off at the airport. What can I say. It's a taste of home. Chicago as White Castle, New York has Grey's Papaya, Los Angeles has this. (And Tommy's and Pink's and Wahoo's but that's an entirely different post.)

So knowing that, another buddy of mine found this gem on the Internet and I just have to share it with all of you. No joke, my mouth started watering the moment I saw it.


I've had 3x3s and 4x4s before but that thing is a 25x25. I think I could finish it. Seriously.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:27 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Gee, really? ::

Well DUH.

In other (shocking) news:

- ugly people have a hard time getting laid

- fat people get that way by eating too much and not doing anything else

- President Bush invaded the wrong country

- beer is good

- drunk sorority chicks are easy

- I need a job

- people found "Alexander" a little gay

- the WNBA is boring

- so is soccer

Feel free to add anything else in the comments link.

I guess considering the source, I shouldn't be surprised it took this long for this news to get to Gainseville.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:03 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: The World Series is Set ::

Go Houston Astros!

I have to hand it to the Cardinals and the way they were really grinding it out there. They have a hell of a team and they're gonna be back next year, but it just wasn't their time.

Also, while we're finally saying bye to the last cookie cutter stadium, St. Louis baseball will live on. (Just not this year.)





















Photo of Busch Stadium Courtesy ESPN/James A. Finley

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:02 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: There's gonna be a what? ::

So there's gonna be a Rocky VI. Except it's gonna be called "Rocky Balboa" to remove the stigma of it being a sequel, as well as trying to get people to forget how much "Rocky V" sucked.

Rocky's gonna be 60 in this movie and yet, isn't it a little late for this? Someone already beat him to the punch (I'm SO sorry for that one.) Hear me out. This is the first place my brain went to: remember a year or two ago, when one of those national movie theater chains (AMC or Regal, can't remember which) ran those commercials that featured a bunch of geriatrics acting out the first "Rocky" during movie night at an old folk's home? You can't tell me I'm the only one who remembered this.

Edit: I added the link to the page with the news.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 5:50 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: I'm not 27 any more ::

As much as I love to play sports, I'm starting to see the effects of aging in that it takes a lot longer for me to recover than it used to. Last weekend for example Sunday morning, I played some beach volleyball for a couple of hours after not having played in over two years. Later that afternoon, I went out to play soccer, which wasn't really that bad since I'm always the goalie. But then again, having a large being propelled in your general direction isn't exactly a cakewalk. I figured I'd be sore the next day but I felt fine Monday morning so I go ahead and play tennis that evening.

So I guess it shouldn't surprise me too much that I woke up this morning with my legs feeling like someone took a meat tenderizer to them. I've been sore and I have a pretty good pain tolerance but this sucked. And it wasn't even that "good" sore. You know what I'mt talking about? It's when stretching that sore part of your body feels really good? Well, stretching my legs this morning just hurt. Ugh. I was gonna run this afternoon but.... no. I'm getting too old for this.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:35 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Sports Weekend in Review ::

It's weekends like this that sports fans live for: teams you like winning, teams you hate losing, and just the sheer number of tense, well-played, nail biting games that could possibly happen in a two day period. For example:

- Houston's Houdini-like hijinks when they won Game 4 yesterday. I got home from soccer just in time to see the last inning. Astro's closer Brad Lidge, stuck in a two-on one-out jame, managed to induced a game-ending double play was absolutely spectacular. My favorite part was the announcer who said something along the lines of "here's the pitch/slow roller to second won't have to turn the double play/he goes to Everett/Everett throws to first/HE GOT HIM!!!"

- Not that I have anything against the Cardinals. David Eckstein represents everything that is right about baseball. Image just how great the sport would be if everyone played like him. Also, take Manny Ramirez, add a large serving of work ethic, and take away the weekly brain farts, and you have Albert Pujols.

- It's Monday, 3:30 EST and for reasons completely beyond explanation, Minnesota Vikings coach MIke Tice hasn't been fired yet. If the "boat sex" thing wasn't enough, then being mauled 28-3 by division rival Chicago should be. I haven't seen anything so FUBAR-ed becaused of a cruise since, well, Katie Holmes.

- White Sox are going to the World Series for the first time since 1919 after completely dominating (read: bitchslapping) the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim. Cubs fans weep. Could they be this year's Red Sox? There are similarities: great pitching, solid defense, finds ways to score, and a coach that sometimes seems like he doesn't know what he's doing. But then again they were playing an LAAAA team that looked sluggish. Early reports were that the players just wore down from the weight of all the letters on their uniforms. (Not revel in their loss or anything but I just wanna say that there is only ONE baseball team in Los Angeles and they're NO ANGELS. Ok, rant over.)

- For a guy who likes to watch good pitching, seeing the WSox string together 4 complete games in a row was just amazing, especially in this age of pitch counts and bullpen specialists. And my absolute favorite part of the playoff series: typically spasmodic Ozzie Guillen watching calmly throughout that game while Tony LaRussa flies off the handle and gets ejected. I LOVE irony.

- Michelle Wie turns pro at age 16. What the hell were YOU doing at 16? Me, I didn't even get my driver's license yet, I was still waiting for my voice to stop cracking, and I just came home with a "C" in algebra.

- With their long, storied histories and tradition of winning, did anyone ever think that The Raiders and 49ers would be usurped by the San Diego Chargers as California's premier football team? Anyone? On the plus side, my 49ers didn't lose yesterday. Quite possibly because they had a bye week. But still.

- Not quite sports related but it was somewhat disheartening to read all those bad reviews for Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown." He's one of the few directors who's movie I'll see just because, especially considering his string a great films: Jerry Maguire (You had me at hello), Almost Famous (I am a golden god!), and even Vanilla Sky (Tech Support!!!). I'll probably still check it out but it just doesn't look good right now.

- Tedy Bruschi is "cleared to practice" a mere eight months after suffering a mild stroke. He's one of the classiest guys in the sport and his presense in any manner is welcome. But I still can't help but wonder if they're rushing it a little.

- The NBA preseason started. Everyone goes back to sleep. Oh wait, that's hockey.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:47 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Week 6 Picks ::

I never realized that trying to do a set of picks for every week of the Football season would so tedious at times, but it may be because I'm not only trying to decide the winner, but I'm also racking my brain for funny things to say about each matchup. If you guys actually enjoy this (or have nothing else to read) let me know and I'll try to keep it up. I didn't post last week's picks even though I had them listed and I'm kinda glad I didn't. Let's just say I was a little off and leave it that. Anyway, here's Week 6:

Falcons over Saints:
They have no real home games, their offense is playing bad, they're coming off a 52-3 raping from Green Bay (sans lube), and now their best guy on offense Deuce McAllister is out for the season thanks to a torn ACL. And sad thing is, the biggest complainers are Fantasy Football managers who drafted Deuce in the first round.

Steelers over Jaguars:
This is my Unsure Pick of the Week. As good as the Steeler's pass is, as immobile Bryon Leftwich appears this could go either way because there's a very good chance the starting QB for Pittsburg is Tommy "INT Waiting to Happen" Maddox. Did I mention he's injured? If he can't start, his backup is Charlie Batch: a guy so bad while at Detroit that they had to bring in Joey Harrington to replace him.

Buccaneers over Dolphins:
The biggest impact this game is gonna have is again on Fantasy owners: are they gonna start Cadillac Williams? Will Ronnie Brown get most of the carries? Will my gamble on starting Ricky Williams pay off? What they really should be asking is "if I win the fantasy pool this season, will it be enough to finally move out of my parent's place?" (Answer: no.)

Browns over Ravens:
If it wasn't for that Sex Cruise Fiasco over in Minneapolis, Baltimore's myriad of meltdowns would have been this last week's big stories. I mean, I tried to keep track of all the penalties but I lost count at 73. Also, two players tried to punch out refs. People used to joke that they got rid of all that crime in Baltimore by offering them professional sports contracts. Then I remembered that people from Baltimore are incapable of humor.

Bears over Vikings:
Speaking of meltdowns, remember all that feigned indignance the NFL spouted about the "inaccuracies" portrayed in ESPN's football drama "Playmakers?" There were reports from that boat trip about finding "used condoms, K-Y Jelly, handi-wipes (?!), and wrappers for sex toys" and yet, there's a group of guys from Bakersfield driving to Vegas right now thinking "dude, we're gonna make the Vikings look like a bunch of preschoolers."

Giants over Cowboys:
The perfect matchup of two QBs going in completely different directions. I'm starting to think Eli is for real after the way he put up all that ultimately useless yardage against San Diego two weeks ago. (And last week's performance was pretty good, too.) Drew Bledsoe on the other hand, is looking at Eli and mumbling to himself about the good ol' days when he was the next young star QB and trying to figure out where it all went wrong. He's been solid so far this season but it's only a matter of time before Bledsoe becomes, well, Bledsoe.

Panthers over Lions:
Another game featuring QBs with very different paths: perpetual benchwarmer Jake Delhomme comes out of nowhere to lead his team to the Super Bowl two years ago and develops into one of the league's better passers. First round pick Joey Harrington plucked out of a promising college career has yet to turn in a winning season. Here's a thought, maybe it's 'cuz he insists on calling himself "Joey?"

And speaking of which, why do the Lions keep drafting QBs who insist on being called on like they were still 12? Charlie? Joey? Who's next, Kenny?

Bengals over Titans:
After seeing his former study Carson Palmer beat the living crap out of his Titans, I can almost imagine this scene unfolding midfield during the postgame handshakes: new Offensive coordinator Norm Chow is gonna embrace Palmer, kiss him on the cheek, and saying something like "you ungrateful bastard." Kinda like that scene from "The Godfather II" where Al Pacino says "I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart."

Chiefs over Redskins:
Kansas City will pull together and finally hold on to a lead this week but I'd be lying if there wasn't a part of me that wants to see yet another defensive collapse. For no other reason than to see Dick Vermeil start to weep during a press conference. Yes I have a mean streak.

Chargers over Raiders:
I know I'm not the only one thinking this so I'll just put it out there: odds are better than even that after every Randy Moss score, his endzone celebrations are gonna be choreographed to mimic sailors, sex toys, lapdances, and possibly even a circle jerk.

Patriots over Broncos:
I was around back in the 80s when the Lakers and Celtics were in their heyday and from what I've seen and everything I've read, I have a feeling that Boston sees Tom Brady as this generation's version of Larry Bird. They should have lost the Steelers game and last weeks was a squeaker, and yet Brady uses a Jedi Master-like trance to pull wins out of those situations in the same improbably serene manner that Yoda willed Luke's X-Wing out of that swamp.

(And to think I was gonna go with a hackneyed "Jake Plummer throws so many INTs..." joke. I'm such a geek.)

Jets over Bills:
Trying to pick between these two teams is like trying to arguing between "The Day After Tomorrow" and "The Island" when all it boils down is that what once started off like a promising idea ended up being was an empty display of loud noises causes by stuff crashing into each other.

Seahawks over Texans:
My initial reasoning in picking Seattle was last week's road victory over the Rams. It's significant because recent Seahawks teams have been horrible on the road and this could be the sign that they've finally gotten over that hump. Then I remembered they're playing the Texans.

Colts over Rams:
Even if you don't account for their radically improved defense, you have to notice the many similarities between the Colts and the Rams during their miracle 2001 season. On the other hand, even if you discount how badly they've been playing this year, you have to notice the many similarities between the Rams and, well, the Rams during all those crappy years in L.A. (No I'm not bitter about them leaving. Why?)

There you have it. I just hope you're not looking to me to win your office pool.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 8:39 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: (So called) Truth in Advertising ::

I've had a few moments to ruminate about life in the last week thanks to my current state of unemployment (I was "unemployed" while at school but I was student at the time so it was ok; now I'm just an out-of-work slacker). I was looking over some mail about my student loans and I was reminded of a conversation I had with a buddy of mine who graduated last quarter.

We were discussing our current financial state and how we look forward to the day our student loans are completely paid off so we can officially be elevated to "broke" status. We both owe so much (not quite as much as say, med or law school students but we don't make as much either) that I'm certain it'll be a whole new decade before it?s paid off. When it does eventually happen, we agreed that we'll invite each other to our "We're Finally Broke!" parties.

I also thought about the few times I talked to a good friend of mine who's getting her MBA at MIT. She was telling me how she has a 15-year plan after graduation to becoming a real-estate mogul. I told I thought it was cool and that I'm sure she'll succeed. I countered by telling her that I have a 15-year plan to pay off my student loans. She laughed since she knew I was joking. It shouldn't take more than twelve.

This is the kind of humor advertising creatives have, by the way. As far we're concerned, it's ok to be tortured and long-suffering as long as we're not suicidal or social miscreants as long as we make self-deprecating jokes and drink a lot of beer and/or hard liquor. (It also makes me wonder why in the two years I've been doing this, I've only been drunk once.) Part of that is because a good number of us are beleaguered, frustrated artists and writers who basically sold out after realizing that things like paying rent and eating are required of us. So we choose advertising since we do get to exercise our visual and literary skills. It also providing us with material to gripe about and in some cases, keeps the pot stash full. (I'm only sort of kidding.) Having a sense of humor (and a Herculean liver) is a necessity.

It's also the only industry where "creative" is also a noun.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 7:54 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: More U2 on Conan ::

I couldn't help myself. I stayed up to see the rerun of last week's Episode of Conan to see U2 again. In case you haven't noticed, I do like the band, somewhat. Just a few more screencaps from last week.




















The Edge emerging in Year 2000 wear.



















The Bono offers his own predictions.



















The sad thing is, if you take away the highlight, that's exactly how my hair looked in '88



















Who says they don't have a sense of humor.



















The Edge during a whiskey-fueled "solo" project.



















U2's fat period.



















That hot string section again. I really couldn't help myself.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 4:09 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Interview at Starbucks ::

It's amusing, and also a little disconcerting, how literally all my friends that knew about it said "you're perfect for that job." One girl even added "and they wouldn't even have to train you."

This morning's interview went pretty well, although it was a lot more thorough than expectied. I guess being a multi-national corporation, a little bit of formatlity is to be expected. Their questions were your typical questions about work history along with inquiries regarding past experiences with customer service, problem solving, and after they told me there would be a secondd interview. For a job at a coffee house! I even had to give a urine sample. Ok I made that last part up.

And I though it was funny how the lady interviewing me was the regional manager that always says "hi" to me whenever I go to the one three blocks from my place.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:27 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Only in South Beach ::

I was at the local Publix yesterday shopping for groceries and I saw a couple of women sporting two extremes of what I guess is trendy fashion these days. Both were blonde, one was about my height, slender, nice legs. The other was shorter (about 5'5"), curvier, little bit of a pooch, great ass.

- The tall one was wearing a skirt that was so short that even when she bent over to grab some fruit that was around waist level, she'd expose some of her lower butt cheeks as well as a pair of lacy black boy-short panties.

- The curvier one was wearing these white, not-quite opaque pants that were so low-cut that not only could you see the thong-induced tanline on her lower back, but when she turned around and started walking in my direction, I think I saw - though I may have been imagining it - her clitoris peeking out.

(Keep in mind, I'm not complaining. It's not like they were sporting cameltoe. At least not that time. Although... ahh never mind.)

On a different note, while playing tennis, there's this woman that sometimes shows up wearing a tube top. Which I guess compliments what seemed to be a pretty thick layer of makeup. I mean, it's either makeup or plastic surgery done one too many times.

And it's not just women either. Remember my post about old guys in speedos? I also want to point out that guys wearing see-through shirts, or fishnet anything is just WRONG. But again, not nearly as wrong as wearing nut-huggers away from the beach or outside the gym (or outside the privacy of your own place). I realize that guys may go slack-jawed at the sight of a woman wearing a really tight halter top but women don't react the same way. If they're looking and pointing, they're not looking at you, they're laughing at you. Ok?

Seriously...

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:41 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Wish Me Luck ::

This Thursday is my first post-graduation job interview.

At Starbucks.

My parents would be so proud.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:39 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Playoffs! ::

I love the month of October. It's fall, the weather starts cooling (or in Miami's case, gets less hot), and for sports fans, we're treated to the start of Football season and Baseball playoffs. The beautiful thing about the playoffs is that anything can happen, and sometimes those "anythings" become one of the greatest games in the history of the sport. (And it takes the sting out my 49ers getting pummelled by the Colts.)

I'm rooting for the Houston to win the whole thing and they're making me look smart thanks to yesterday's classic. It's not as if the series pitting the Houston Astros against the Atlanta Braves wasn't lacking in drama. The Astros started off shaky, being down 6-1 at one point. I figured it'd be just another blowout so I pack my gear and and head out to the soccer field. That was around 5:00.

I get home around 7:30, turn on ESPN, and see the start of a postgame press conference with Astros coach Phil Garner and his killer 70s porno-stache smiling, spouting superlatives about the team and what "The Rocket" did in that game and I'm instantly confused. What happened?

Apparently, while I was out playing soccer, the Astros decided to make a game of it by coming back in the 8th innning and tying it up in the 9th. From there it was another nine innings of spectacular pitching until Astros' scrub Chris Burke said, "dude, I wanna go home. I don't wanna miss 'Desperate Housewives'" and yanked a walk-off homer into the left field stands. (There is a possiblity that he said something else entirely.) For all the talk of the spectacular regular season performances by Atlanta's "Baby" Braves, it's an Astros rookie that sends them home.

And no one could have predicted that. I love October.

*Photo courtesy of ESPN/AP Photo/David J. Phillip

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:18 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: I'm Published! (Sort of) ::

How cool is it that on the same day I started this blog three years ago, one of my posts was deemed worthy enough to be featured as a contributing article on someone else's site?

The author of one of the blogs I read from time to time started an online magazine about love, dating, and living the life of a single person in this day and age. Living up to its tongue in cheek nature, it's called "Baggage Reclaim."

Since I have a talent for leading people into thinking that I know what I'm talking about, the otherwise bright editor liked my article enough to put it up. It's brief (yeah right) commentary (read: rant) about metrosexuals that I wrote a while ago. Check it out!

On a somewhat less self-promoting note, I can't believe it's already been 3 years since I started this blog. And its amazing to think about ways my life is changed and to see how my blog has developed over the years. Especially now that my readers number in the double-digits (10 is technically double digits. I'll never get sick of that joke and yes, I'm gonna use that every year =P)

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 5:37 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: U2 - The Greatest Band in the World (get comfortable, this is a long one.) ::

You've seen the images in the previous post but they don't do justice to convey what it was like to see My Favorite Band perform for the first time in - I was a about to say years but I just remembered that I saw them on "Saturday Night Live" recently - months. They can't show you the goosebumps I got just from Conan announcing "ladies and gentlemen, U2!" They can't show how surreal and funny it was to see My Favorite Guitarist do the Year 2000 skit and completely nail it, only to have that moment stolen by God...er...Bono exiting the curtains in full Year 2000 gear and delivering his own quip. They certainly can't express that my level of excitement was such that I literally stood in front of my TV for the entire first segment during the intro and their opening performance of "All Because of You" as if I was at a concert.

(I'm such a dork.)

SNL was one thing but this was an entire show devoted to My Favorite Band. U2 on Conan. The last time I felt like this was in 2001 standing in front of the door leading into the Arrowhead Pond, where I was about to see them perform for the first time... except amplify that feeling a few ticks. I was fortunate enough to see them again later that year and those were among the greatest nights of my life. My first kiss pales in comparison. Getting accepted into Miami Ad School and moving to South Beach didn't match that. Dancing with and getting felt up by Cameron Diaz wasn't that good. Possibly because that never happened.

U2 is the reason I became a huge fan of rock music. I blogged about my love of classic rock before but a lot of that started with my purchase of "The Joshua Tree." Actually, it started the first time I heard their single "I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking For." All I listened to at that point was Top40 fluff and hearing that song on the radio was a revelation. It didn't sound like anything else and the lyrics were eloquent and insightful. Then I heard "Where the Streets have No Name" and "With or Without You" and it snowballed from there. I was one of the only ones who realized immediately that "With or Without You" was about the anguish of unrequited love, not some romantic prom song.

I borrowed a friend's copy and practically wore the CD out. Forced to return it, I bought my own and wore that CD out (I know wearing out a CD is a scientific impossibility but work with me here). I loved it so much I bought all the previous albums, and when those were done I bought all the new stuff. I banged my head at the industrial brilliance of "Achtung Baby," felt perplexed at the peculiar tones of "Zooropa," and rejoiced at the return to the guitar-drenched soundscape and hope-filled lyrics of "All That You Can't Leave Behind." I also collected almost every single and import out there. That first purchase led to a collection of almost sixty U2 CDs.

Bono became a role model at a point in my life when I was disillusioned at the idea of role models. Sure it was cool to perform at the Live Aid Benefit Concert but Bono was the only one who flew out to Africa and volunteered his time as a relief worker. He's still married to his wife Alison for 20 or so years. He openly mocks the concept of celebrity but uses his own celebrity clout to try to influence policy. And it's not some empty celebrity endorsement for a cause that's trendy and sexy. It's the same thing he's been fighting for since his time in Africa. And perfect for my tastes, he's provided some unintentional comedy for me. My favorite being Clinton's second inauguration when he dedicated the song "One" to the President. A bitter pill of a breakup song that asks "Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

Part of the reason I play guitar is because of The Edge. Sort of. I always wanted to play after listening to U2 all those year but when I had to deal with yet another failed relationship back in the late 90s, that was the catalyst I needed to finally pick it up because I desperately needed something else to think about. (Ironic how my reason was to take my mind off girls while the other 99.999% of guys learn it to pick up girls. But that's for another post.) I had nothing else to turn to. The first few songs I tried to learn were by U2 and I was quite horrible at it. I tried some easier songs. Then I started learning and practicing fundamentals. What started off as an entertaining diversion developed into passion. U2 songs suddenly became easy and my appreciation for their music, and music in general, increased.

But the thing that really drew me in was their lyrics. I felt at the time that Bono and The Edge just seemed to get it. I was going to church then and the happy-go-lucky gospel and choir music often felt hallow. U2 were the only ones willing to say that sometimes, being a Christian is struggle. That it's a journey that does have moments of joy [I have kissed honey lips/Felt the healing in her finger tips/It burned like fire] but is often littered with doubt [Desert sky, dream beneath the desert sky/The rivers run but soon run dry/We need new dreams tonight] and questions. Every other band was singing about how relationships (to put it one way) are so great but U2 sang about how it's often a source of pain [Through the storm, we reach the shore/You gave it all but I want more]. But underneath all that was a current of hope [I believe in the Kingdom Come/Then all the colours will bleed into one/Bleed into one], an exit for the forelorn [I've seen you walk unafraid/I've seen you in the clothes you made/Can you see the beauty inside of me?], an unwavering, yet wistful grip on the belief that better things [Touch me, take me to that other place/Teach me, I know I'm not a hopeless case] are just ahead.

Yeah, I know I'm gushing. It's a bit of an overstatement to say that I'm the man I am today because of U2 but there's a part of me that takes to heart the underlying meaning of many of the songs. I still strive for certain ideals. I may never be the guitarist that The Edge is but that doesn't prevent me from playing with verve, and that will never cease to be a thrill. I've failed in many things in many ways but I learned a while ago that scrapping my way out to the other side is what makes life better. Long live Rock.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:41 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: U2 on Conan Photos ::

A few screen caps from the show. You can click on them to see it full size.



















The Edge participating in the "Year 2000" skit.



















The Band during a thankfully brief interview section.



















Conan talking to God...er... Bono. Obligatory product shot.



















Performing "Original of the Species."



















The string section. I had no idea violin players were so, like, hot.



















My Favorite Guitarist (The Edge) on acoustic during "Stuck in a Moment."



















Three of the Max Weinberg 7 helping out.



















The Band during "Vertigo."

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:54 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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