tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36444601448230982222023-11-16T07:54:12.745-05:00Just Being JoshThe Life and Times of Josh MahlerJust Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-89046068199312801702015-05-17T14:07:00.003-04:002015-05-17T16:19:57.634-04:00The Times of Your Life<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Good morning, yesterday</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">You wake up and time has slipped away</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">And suddenly it's hard to find</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The memories you left behind</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Remember, do you remember</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">I'm in the middle of a very weird week.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;"><br />It was announced that Bill Simmons was officially done at Grantland on Friday, Mad Men ends tonight and Dave Letterman signs off for the final time this coming Wednesday.<br /><br />One the surface those three things have very little connection, but they do have one simple thing in common:</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">Me.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">Finding Simmons in 2004 directly inspired me to pursue my short-lived but oh-so-fun writing career. I was published in a few newspapers, spoke on the radio, opined on a television show and got linked to on Sports Illustrated's website. None of that happens without Simmons.<br /><br />More importantly, I found a life long best friend.<br /><br />Paul Phipps and I discovered our shared love for Simmons while at a comedy club with the Turley family in early 2005. We ignored every single comedian that night while dying laughing over Simmons columns. Because of that night, we decided to take a road trip together to see Lebron play the Sixers in March '05. Neither of us read Simmons' columns for the two weeks leading up to that trip. Printed them all out the day of and read them all during the 5 hour road trip to Philadelphia. Then James Delaware was born. The rest has been history.</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br />The laughter and the tears</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The shadows of misty yesteryears</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The good times and the bad you've seen</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">And all the others in between</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Remember, do you remember</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The times of your life</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">I watched the very first Mad Men episode live in July of 2007. I loved it. I watched the next couple of episodes and was entranced. The only problem? No one else was watching. There wasn't Twitter back then so I have no idea how we talked about television shows. Or how they got any momentum. Literally no idea. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">I gave up on the series, figuring it would die away (like most things I enjoy do on television), but then it didn't. In the summer of 2009, Paul says to me over the phone (I was in Denver at this point, he was in Atlanta), "Have you heard of this show, 'Mad Men'?" </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">I was irate. I couldn't believe the show was starting to catch on, now after 2 full seasons on the air. I walked to the Best Buy in front of my apartments that day, bought the first two seasons on DVD and caught up in the two weeks leading up to my wedding.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">Summer and I got married on August 15, 2009. The season 3 premiere of Mad Men aired on Sunday, August 16, 2009. Instead of jet-setting off to a honeymoon, Sum and I spent that evening with all of our best friends on planet earth and watched the season premiere with our old TV Group.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">Have been watching live ever since. Not only a great series, but a fantastic origin story on a personal level.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">After each episode aired, I would instantly go online to figure out what I just saw. Not just the spoken words by the actors we saw but the context of the time period and what was happening around the characters. My favorite "game" was to take the clues that were given in each episode and try to figure out where in time the show was. Based on a minuscule detail in the background, you could then google it and find out exactly when the show was at that point.<br /><br />Mad Men showed better than it told better than any show ever.<br /><i><br /></i></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Reach back for the joy and the sorrow</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Put them away in your mind</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The mem'ries are time that you borrow</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">To spend when you get to tomorrow</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">A lifetime ago, that I barely remember, I was an intern for 6 months at the Late Show with David Letterman.<br /><br />I regret that I was still so sick while that happened. That's a big reason why I have blocked out a lot of that time of life. But I mostly regret that I didn't take more advantage of the opportunity. I was honestly too awe-struck. Not with the celebrities but with the surroundings. I wish I had taken the bull by the horns and turned that into more of a career. <br /><br />But then I wouldn't have wound in up in Denver, with Summer and Ruxin and my amazing career with amazing friends.<br /><br />So it's always been a weird thing for me to reconcile in my mind. It was what was supposed to happen exactly as it happened so I still have regret but have no regrets at all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Might take the rest of my life working on that one.<br /><br />Regardless, Dave Letterman invented self aware comedy as we know it today. Fallon and Stewart and Colbert have blown him by in recent years with quick hitting YouTube clips, but it's important to acknowledge a creative giant.<br /><br />And it's fascinating to me that it's happening - to me - this week.</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Here comes the saddest part</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The seasons are passing one by one</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">So gather moments while you may</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Collect the dreams you dream today</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Remember, will you remember</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The times of your life</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px;">Throughout</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;"> this entire nostalgic journey, did you notice how much I talked about how things were done?<br /><br />I was published in newspapers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;"><br />Paul and I printed Simmons columns.<br /><br />There wasn't Twitter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Letterman being blown by on YouTube.<br /><br />This week isn't so much about shows ending or columnists leaving. This is truly the end of an era in my life.<br /><br />On a shelf in my basement. there is a bookshelf that holds books of paper written by Simmons, Mad Men DVDs, and my Late Show lanyard from my time at Letterman. My wife and I have a child on the way that not only won't know who/what Simmons/Mad Men/Letterman are, they will be confused by the way I consumed them.<br /><br />That's what's hitting home today.<br /><br />My pop culture future is, at worst, cartoons and Disney movies.<br /><br />My pop culture future is, at best, falling asleep during Better Call Saul (that's already happening).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Even if a show as good, or better than Mad Men started tomorrow, I'm not hunting down what year it is in that show on google anymore.<br /><br />I've been there. Done that.<br /><br />These were my shows, my mediums, my way of doing things... my era.<br /><br />And it's all ending this week.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. My future is bright. Brighter and more stable than it's ever been before. But just allow me a moment to say goodbye to some dear friends.</span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br />Reach back for the joy and the sorrow</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">Put them away in your mind</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">The mem'ries are time that you borrow</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13.3999996185303px; line-height: 19.1428565979004px; text-align: center;">To spend when you get to tomorrow</span></i></span></div>
Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-67236281875612462422014-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:002014-03-31T12:49:30.777-04:00How I Met "How I Met Your Mother"<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The television series “How I Met Your Mother” ends after nine seasons tonight. This was my personal experience with that show:</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Well this is just a simple song<br /> To say what you've done<br /> I told you about all those fears<br /> And away they did run<br /> You sure must be strong<br /> And you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun</span></i><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> <br /><br />- Interning at the “Late Show with David Letterman" in the spring of 2001, I met two young staff writers, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays. On the side, they had a band, The Solids, and they would play dive bars in the city on the weekends. The interns would go listen to their shows because Carter and Craig were cool and we were not. One night, a bouncer didn't believe my Virginia ID was real (it was) but Carter talked him into letting me into the bar. I worshipped them. I was an intern in the production department but because of Carter and Craig, I got to sit in the writers’ room and watch comedy crafted by professionals. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- Four years later, in the late summer of 2005, I was reading the annual “Entertainment Weekly” TV preview issue and saw that Carter and Craig had a new sitcom called, "How I Met Your Mother" premiering on CBS. I will randomly never forget where I was when I read that either: I was riding home from one of my cousin's college football games with my parents. That’s how excited I was. It felt like a big moment even then. I don’t know if I would have tuned in that first night if I hadn't seen Carter and Craig's names. But because I did, I have seen every episode on every Monday night for nine solid years.</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When I was just nine years old<br /> I swear that I dreamt<br /> Your face on a football field<br /> And a kiss that I kept<br /> Under my vest<br /> Apart from everything, but the heart in my chest</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- The first episode was amazing. A story told from the future presented so many possibilities. Felt fresh. Felt vibrantly creative. I was immediately hooked. As the show progressed, they only mastered the time traveling element. They would set something up in one episode and then come back to it a few episodes later or even a few seasons later. The story telling was so crisp and tight.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- I started dating my eventual wife, Summer, at the beginning of Season 2 - just as Ted and Robin started dating. Sum was instantly hooked. It became the first of OUR shows together. It will forever hold that distinction.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- Got my buddy Paul hooked during Season 2 and I remember that we stayed constantly incredulous that no one else was watching and that the series was always on the verge of getting cancelled. If you remember - they even wrote the Season 2 finale as a potential series finale in case they didn't get picked up over the summer. Fortunately they did.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- By this point, we finally had enough friends watching that we all got together at Paul’s house for every episode of Season 3 in what became the greatest TV Group I will ever experience. The show was at the height of its powers and we gasped and screamed in delight week to week. That season contained the March Madness episode, the goat fakeout, Barney and Robin kissing for the first time (which made our group stand up, scream, and run around Paul’s house), among so many other classics. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #999999;">- Season 3 also featured The Two Minute Date. I wrote </span><a href="http://justbeingjosh.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-just-feel-sorry-for-you.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">this</span></a><span style="color: #999999;"> about it then.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- It's been six years but I still miss Chris, Michelle, Gray, Paul, and Emily (among others that dropped in from time to time) every single Monday night.</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I know that things can really get rough when you go it alone<br /> Don't go thinking you gotta be tough, and play like a stone<br /> Could be there's nothing else in our lives, so critical<br /> As this little home</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- I moved to Denver midway through Season 4. I was very alone those first few months, but texting the guys from the TV Group after a HIMYM episode kept me grounded and connected. It also launched lengthy week episode recap text convos between Paul and I that still happen to this day.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- That’s when something very good happened for the show. Thanks to a brilliant syndication strategy – the show sold reruns to FX to attract more males AND to Lifetime to attract more females – new episodes started gaining ratings on Monday nights. Instead of wondering when the show would get cancelled, we started watching a runaway hit.</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">My life in an upturned boat<br /> Marooned on a cliff<br /> You brought me a great big flood<br /> And you gave me a lift<br /> Girl, what a gift<br /> When you tell me with your tongue<br /> And your breath goes in my lungs<br /> And we float over the rift</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- And then that’s when something very bad happened for the show. The show started to lose its way with more and more filler episodes in Seasons 4 and 5 and then it derailed completely from Seasons 6-9. You could feel the poor writers stretching and stalling more and more to meet the increased episode demands. The awesome macro premise of the series all of a sudden became a massive micro burden week to week. Fans were insatiable, wanting to meet the mother and we became more indignant with every Zoe, Quinn, and the back and forth incestuous love triangle between Barney, Robin, and Ted. My weekly text sessions with Paul quickly turned into bitch sessions about how terrible things had gotten (seriously though –Ted CAN NOT STILL BE FRIENDS with Barney and Robin after everything they’ve been through. Wow. That was the last time I will complain about that. Sad day.).</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- No matter how many times we all threatened to quit the show, we just couldn’t. I don’t know if we were just pot committed or we just naively believed it would somehow turnaround (other than a few goosebump inducing moments, it hasn’t with one episode left to go), but we kept soldiering through. We kept watching.</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Well this would be a simple song<br /> To say what you done<br /> I told you about all those fears<br /> And away they did run<br /> You sure must be strong<br /> When you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- And while the show’s storylines might be ending on a somewhat frustrating/negative note, my experience with the entire series is not. This was OUR show. Not just for me and my wife, not just for me and my friends, but for our generation. I didn’t start watching “Friends” until Season 5. I claim that “Frasier” is my all time favorite sitcom, but I only started watching that live and weekly in Season 6. I was there for the “How I Met Your Mother” ride on Day 1. Through the good and bad, it was MY bandwagon. The little series that only my friends and I were watching somehow became a cultural “thing.” You hear out-of-context references to “Haaaaave you met…”, “It’s going to be legend – wait for it – dary”, "Suit Up!" and “slap bet” (among others) all the time now. That’s pretty cool.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">- Paul texted the other day that HIMYM had “it”… whatever “it” is. I couldn’t agree more. There was something magical about this show. It nailed big moments better than any other series ever. It used great music in key spots better than any show since “Scrubs” (the lyrics I’ve included in the post are from The Shins “Simple Song” which was used for the moment we saw the mother’s face for the first time). It fought for survival and will wind up leaving a legacy. There’s no way to know yet if I’m going to miss the weekly antics of Ted and the gang after tonight. But I can promise you I’m always going to feel the void of TV group on Monday nights. I am going to miss rehashing all the mother clues with my wife from season to season. I am going to miss recapping the episode from the night before with Paul on my way to work. And I’m going to miss that awesome feeling that I got every Monday afternoon around 2pm when I remembered there was a new episode on that night. No other show has ever done that for me. I doubt any other show ever will. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Turn off your cell phones, beepers, and sense of shame, baby dolls. One way or another, we’re saying goodbye to one of the all time great television experiences tonight.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Remember walking a mile to your house<br /> Aglow in the dark<br /> I made a fumbling play for your heart<br /> And the act struck the spark<br /> You wore a charm on the chain that I stole<br /> Especial for you<br /> Love's such a delicate thing that we do<br /> With nothing to prove<br /> Which I never knew</span> </i></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-52169309148594041012013-05-16T19:47:00.000-04:002013-05-16T19:48:17.765-04:00Remembering "The Office"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Office" series finale airs tonight and I'm starting to get nostalgic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure the past two seasons have been an embarrassing nightmare (I gave up early in Season 8 and haven't watched most of Season 9 until the last few eps), but we can't forget that for a few minutes in time, it was the best show on television and one of the all-time greats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I caught on to "Friends" and "Frasier" later in their runs, but "The Office" was the first of my favorite shows that I watched the first episode live.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just sat there thinking, "They made this for ME."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was so quiet. So subtle. So painful. So awkward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was... an office.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How zany and cartoony it got over the years was my biggest problem with the decline of the series because it was the antithesis of why - and I'm guessing, so many other people - fell in love with it in the first place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before they lost their collective minds, the co-workers were stranded on this deserted corporate island, just trying to survive together and that's what made it work... then again, in hindsight, maybe it's why they all lost their minds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also appreciated the show because it served as a connecting point for me and my dad. Our tastes in entertainment have changed over the years but "The Office" always brought us together on Thursday nights. Pops visited us over the weekend and we got to watch last week's ep together (which I had recorded on the DVR) and it took me back to a special place. Made me realize how much I missed that time. And him. And what that show had meant to <em>us</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To remember the good times, here are my personal Top 10 favorite episodes of the series. It was a legit difficult task to get down to just 10, but at the end of the day, these were all no-brainers for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about you? What were your favorite eps?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>10. The Convict (Season 3) –</strong> Prison Mike. Andy
singing The Rainbow Connection (in Pig Latin, no less) to Pam on his banjo.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>9. Goodbye Toby (Season 4) –</strong> Michael’s unbridled
happiness at Toby leaving (He gives Toby a rock with the words “Suck on this”
written on a Post-It note strapped around it). The trainwreck that was Ryan
working for corporate was finally mercy killed. Michael meets Holly.</span></span></span><br />
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<strong>8. Dinner Party (Season 4) –</strong> This was the return ep after
the 5 month writer’s strike back in 2007-08. It was almost as if they had been saving up all
the uncomfortable crazy they could and it eventually exploded in the form of
this episode.</span><br />
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<strong>7. Christmas Party (Season 2) –</strong> This episode gave us one of
the greatest punch lines ever uttered on any sitcom of all time: “So what line
of work are you in, Bob?” </span><br />
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<strong>6. Michael’s Last Dundies (Season 7) –</strong> “Nine million nine
hundred eighty six thousand minutes. That’s how many minutes you’ve worked
here.”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<strong>5. Niagra (Season 6) –</strong> Before Parks & Rec, The Office
was the first great show at handling typical sitcom clichéd disasters like
weddings. I remember thinking in the moment that this episode could have been
the series finale and I would have been ok with it.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<strong>4. Casino Night (Season 2) –</strong> This ep established The Office
as masters of the season finale. Jim professed his love to Pam and they finally
kissed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. The Job (Season 3) –</strong> The greatest season finale of any
show ever and also closed out one of the best seasons in network television
history. The stakes were high and I remember having NO idea who was going to
get the job at corporate. Jim finally asked Pam out on a date and Ryan takes
the gig in the closing tag. My jaw was on the floor all summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. Diversity Day (Season 1) –</strong> Maybe the best episode
on a technical level of the whole series. The Chris Rock routine, “Oh man, am I
woman??”, and “Diversity Tomorrow, because today is almost over.”</span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><strong>1. Sexual Harassment (Season 2) –</strong> The 2nd episode
of the 2nd season and the episode I will always remember as the
moment "The Office" really started firing on all cylinders every week. The
episode featured </span><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/74128" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my favorite moment from the entire run of the series</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.
Regardless of content, the moment is perfectly played by Michael (Carrell), Jim
(Krasinksi), and Todd Packer (Koechner). Here are the ingredients: 1. Michael’s
over the top, petulant retirement from “comedy”, 2. Jim baiting him, 3. Michael’s
mind boiling at the opportunity, 4. Packer nudging him with a wry smile, 5.
Michael’s explosion of “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID”, 6. Jim's satisfaction. 7. Michael’s genuine pride with
himself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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</span><br />Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-4638885823140169782013-04-29T20:43:00.002-04:002013-04-29T20:44:44.061-04:00How Mad Men Will End<div>
Haven't been able to stop thinking about last night's episode of Mad Men all day today (minor spoilers ahead). Been almost a full day and can't stop thinking about it.<br />
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Some random thoughts, I just had to get out:<br />
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1. Starting to really realize the show really isn't "about" anything that's going on in the actual story we are watching. Don's marriages, Peggy's career path, Pete's jerkiness, etc. Doesn't really matter (more on this at the bottom).<br />
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The whole episode I was going nuts trying to realize the significance of Bobby ripping off the wallpaper in his bedroom. So mundane. But then I realized that he had to get grounded by Betty for something so that he couldn't watch TV so that Don had to take him to the movies so that Bobby would say one of the most profound things ever so that Don would have the biggest catharsis he's ever had on the show. <br />
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Jon Hamm's performance sitting on the bed talking about faking it as a dad was (A) an acting CLINIC and (B) so comforting to someone like me that is freaked out about faking it as a dad. If you don't inherently love children then you just have to wait for these little people to have a profound moment for you to respect them and feel proud that you influenced them. I completely get that. I'm on board with kids now. Actually feel a little relieved.<br />
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2. I love how they didn't even acknowledge that Megan won the award, other than a throwaway shot of the award sitting lopsided on the couch. I know that MLK's assassination was of greater import, but it also jumped out to me that Megan's just good at everything she does. Copywriter? Awesome. Actress? Awesome. Winning awards? Awesome. Wife to a crappy husband? Awesome. Mother to crappy husband's kids? Awesome. Sexy singer and lap dancer for crappy husband in front of his friends? Awesome.<br />
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Megan Draper is LeBron James-level otherworldly right now.</div>
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She is just good at everything. Crazy Betty may not have deserved Don but now Don doesn't deserve Megan. Love that we have gotten to experience this dichotomy. <br /><br />3. MLK's assassination must have been WEIRD to live through. Joan's awkward hug of Dawn summed it all up. Joan felt like she needed to do <em>something</em> but Dawn was like "Uhhh... thanks?" And brilliantly played by both actresses. Pretending to be awkward doesn't always work. Awkward is such a pure state of being, it can be hard to replicate. But they nailed it. Strange times for sure.<br /><br />4. Biggest point I can't stop thinking through: now that we are in Season 6, everyone is talking about how the show is going to end/what's going to happen at the end. Based on last night's ep, I am now convinced that NOTHING is going to happen in the end. Do we really think Weiner is going to tie loose ends up in a tidy little bow after refusing to do that kind of nonsense for 6 full seasons? That would be completely contrary to the spirit of the entire series.<br /><br />I can't even tell you any other specific events that transpired last night (other than the character's experiencing the news of MLK) but I have spent an entire day thinking about being a dad and what it would have been like to navigate race relations in the 60s. </div>
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Isn't that what Mad Men's always been "about"? </div>
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In that regard, it's the most "what's life all about" show of all time. Our real lives don't happen all at once in dramatic season/series finale fashion.<br />
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It just happens. <br />
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That's what Mad Men does. Sure, Don went from creative director at Sterling Cooper to founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce but it didn't happen in grand guest-star-sweeps-week style. <br />
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It just happened.<br />
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So I don't care what "happens" to Don or Peggy or Roger or Pete, etc. to me anymore. I'm just enjoying watching the camera roll the footage of these people's lives during this era. I essentially consider it to be a documentary at this point. <br />
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Don will cheat on whoever he is with at the time. Some major cultural even will be taking place that will affect the characters. He will step outside and smoke a cigarette and take a confident sip from a tumbler. We will see the back of Don's head. There will be no answers because there were no questions to begin with.<br />
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The end.</div>
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I will almost be disappointed with anything else.</div>
Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-83219930830771760772010-11-02T13:47:00.006-04:002010-11-02T18:09:22.239-04:00LIVING LIFE: Sports Time Zoneology<span style="font-family:arial;"><em>*Pulled this one out of the archives from March of 2009</em></span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ha0naiXvFEcCnK2W1Ei84jwHXpz5Ij-b9ItZHfjk1GsqTKImXTz6IkgPzV2moGSPkoUB2tygSZQaCEgmrhcxo7vWhLj2vDsCXI7XqZ3O53soDlowqzd1spTUzLaFhWqBkq67h_Jz4ik/s1600/jbj5.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535074291288627634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ha0naiXvFEcCnK2W1Ei84jwHXpz5Ij-b9ItZHfjk1GsqTKImXTz6IkgPzV2moGSPkoUB2tygSZQaCEgmrhcxo7vWhLj2vDsCXI7XqZ3O53soDlowqzd1spTUzLaFhWqBkq67h_Jz4ik/s200/jbj5.JPG" /></a>I knew that when I decided to move to Colorado from the East Coast a few months ago that my life would be changed and affected, I just didn't know how much my life as a sports fan would be changed and affected.<br /><br />I got excited the other day when I saw a commercial for all the college basketball conference tournament coverage, so I planned out my week accordingly to make sure I was home in time to watch the games I really wanted to see.<br /><br />One of those particular games was scheduled for this past Thursday at 7 p.m., so I raced home from work that evening, heated up a cardboard pizza, poured myself a cold beverage, lounged back in my recliner and was ready to enjoy the Madness of March.<br /><br />As I turned on the television at seven o’clock on the dot, I was confused as to what I found playing out before me on the screen.<br /><br />Not only was the game already on, it was almost over.<br /><br />Suddenly, a wave of reality crashed over me as I realized that they game had indeed started at 7 p.m... Eastern Standard Time.<br /><br />What a Rocky Mountain rookie mistake.<br /><br />Spending my entire life by the Atlantic Ocean, I had always heard of an “East Coast Bias” but never knew what the fuss was all about; mainly, I suppose, because I had never been affected by it. I always thought it just had something to do with Heisman voting or college football polls or everyone’s misguided fascination with Derek Jeter. But now that I realize that the national sports networks only promote games to one time zone, I can understand why everyone west of the Mississippi hates the East Coast.<br /><br />I'm still trying to get this straight: we are so technologically advanced as a species that there are scientists who are currently developing contact lenses that will transmit your favorite TV programs and sporting events <em>into your eye</em>, but we can’t come up with a way to run regionally specific commercials for those events?<br /><br />Just unreal.<br /><br />And it’s not just the TV ads, either. After the college basketball debacle, I began noticing other forms of skewed East Coast bias in the sporting universe. I have a fantasy NBA basketball team through a national sports website and in our league you have to have your lineup set by 7 p.m. – again – Eastern Standard Time.<br /><br />On more than one occasion, I have logged on to set up my nightly lineup around 6:30 p.m. only to find that games are already in progress and my team is locked. It’s always fun to watch Carmelo Anthony put up 31 points or Chris Paul dish out 14 assists… on my bench.<br /><br />Good times.<br /><br />But despite any bias by the national media, I have to admit that there are some bonuses to everything starting two hours earlier than what I am used to.<br /><br />It's nice to have Major League Baseball games start at five in the afternoon from the East Coast and there aren't any more annoying “late games” listed in the paper the following day. I can’t wait for football season to roll around and have the luxury of waking up to college football starting as early as 10 a.m. on a Saturday. It will also be the greatest getting home from church on a Sunday and not having to sit through those obnoxious pre-game shows anymore because the early games kickoff at 11.<br /><br />And with Monday Night Football starting at 6:30 p.m. instead of 8:30, I will actually be able to watch an entire game without having to down a case of Red Bull and stumble through work like a zombie the following day.<br /><br />I guess those perks will make the sacrifice of having to get my degree in Sports Time Zoneology a little more tolerable.<br /><br />All I know is that I can promise you that my little scheduling faux pas from last week won’t ever happen again while I'm out here. When I heat up my cardboard pizza, pour myself a cold beverage and lay back in my recliner for the rest of the NCAA basketball tourney, I’m going to be on time this time.<br /><br />Case in point: I just saw a commercial for the game I want to see this weekend and the television coverage starts at noon in the east and it’s being played in Indianapolis and that’s in the Central time zone, so I need to subtract one, divide by eight, carry the three… oh, wait… no, I need to divide by five and multiply by the square root of 47 and then…<br /><br />Ok, can somebody help me?<br /><br /><br /><em>To read more of Josh's stuff, </em><a href="http://www.indenvertimes.com/category/arts-entertainment/josh-mahler/"><em>click here</em></a><em>.<br /><br />Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><em>@Just_Being_Josh </em></a><em>and follow </em><a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></a><em>for entertainment updates</em></span></div>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-46110478202453453712010-10-23T12:36:00.029-04:002010-10-26T10:41:19.043-04:00LIVING LIFE: The Sports Wedding Calendar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO0wVL94JUU7jMks1ht2oZ3RZIHr5t28xx04Tth_ljIthv_97CIvAgluJttXMsKg7molKuWEmYJzXBf_aJbph09IMVFo9llEtEfb9f7S8jAj5w1r05Pnhrv5ZqnPhD26wWKqEHua-Fss/s1600/lunapic_12881039584888_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532364780812749026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO0wVL94JUU7jMks1ht2oZ3RZIHr5t28xx04Tth_ljIthv_97CIvAgluJttXMsKg7molKuWEmYJzXBf_aJbph09IMVFo9llEtEfb9f7S8jAj5w1r05Pnhrv5ZqnPhD26wWKqEHua-Fss/s320/lunapic_12881039584888_1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbFK-K-kSKAm_orvsRAE44-EGmvfS46CHbSuBGXKbCHPzmmzdMx_1Pqf0YOcEO5HSxJlKV9J3xfAA64HzTSFuLgDHx7omFOpEyZ3hCTynpptFm1AsZcapiuxXuzTPOPcUV74yj8aQXZQ/s1600/jbj5.JPG"></a>I don't think my love of sports – OK, obsession with sports– is any big secret to anyone that really knows me; however, here lately I'm beginning to believe that the rest of the world isn’t sharing in my passion.<br /><br />One of my best buddies, Paulie, just got engaged. He and his fiancé decided to have to have their wedding next month.<br /><br />In November.<br /><br />During one of the best annual sports stretches of the year.<br /><br />“I know, I know,” Paul said. “Don’t even start with me.”<br /><br />“I just want to make sure that you realize that you will be getting married during a college football Saturday,” I responded.<br /><br />“Yes,” he said, becoming more dejected. “I'm well aware of the situation.”<br /><br />“Then you will be leaving on your honeymoon and missing the NFL on Sunday, Monday Night Football on Monday, and a whole week of NBA games during the week,” I added.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9hmnsJklfoNjBm8LCtJTosDHowbEFqd9x10-P5iElzFTZFwsi0kmIK1m-ojkw9OXzh2AmApQEzrbT9zK4_9gaICknpzRcDYur4QoL0lQlgQHWRhLFYij9QezwUlNrPUnhfLLRauQQ34/s1600/man-card.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532342039502416626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9hmnsJklfoNjBm8LCtJTosDHowbEFqd9x10-P5iElzFTZFwsi0kmIK1m-ojkw9OXzh2AmApQEzrbT9zK4_9gaICknpzRcDYur4QoL0lQlgQHWRhLFYij9QezwUlNrPUnhfLLRauQQ34/s200/man-card.jpg" border="0" /></a>“Just tell me where to turn in my Man Card," he said, now sulking.<br /><br />Paul’s wedding will be just one more instance in what’s becoming a disturbing trend as of late. Within the past two years, I have missed a lot of March Madness basketball, tons of college football, almost missed Game 3 of the World Series featuring my favorite team, and the PGA Championship all because of weddings.<br /><br />(In the interest of full disclosure, I did miss the PGA Championship because of my <em>own</em> wedding, but still… you get the point)<br /><br />The problem isn’t that my friends are maliciously scheduling their nuptials during prime time sporting events on purpose, it’s just that we haven't been better informed as to when all of the prime time sporting events are being played. So, that’s what I’m here to do.<br /><br />You’re welcome, world.<br /><br />At the most recent wedding that my w</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ife and I attended that was scheduled during an important game, I started to get a little chirpy. I began to pontificate profusely about how if you do get married during a huge sporting event, then you should have to be required to take into consideration all the men that have no desire to even be there in the first place (I lost it during that eternity between the ceremony and the reception, when you have to wait for the wedding party to finish taking pictures. Gets me every time).<br /><br />I added that it should be mandated to have televisions strategically placed throughout the reception area because there will always be some big game on somewhere throughout the year.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl5ftxkPJohr_0908XCy7LZhaEqgF1evwWUuYCXuAbptw_CFes6T3I-Uh8jYARcqUE1MpxwFDVOk6ZCVhdpNiN5o3MsfDwBfhU0lVfs0yjDmiNUlizzvK6oeeX4_B5VUwikUKFj16ksA/s1600/Premium-On-Wall-TV.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532344937365281906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl5ftxkPJohr_0908XCy7LZhaEqgF1evwWUuYCXuAbptw_CFes6T3I-Uh8jYARcqUE1MpxwFDVOk6ZCVhdpNiN5o3MsfDwBfhU0lVfs0yjDmiNUlizzvK6oeeX4_B5VUwikUKFj16ksA/s200/Premium-On-Wall-TV.jpg" border="0" /></a>Not wanting to force brides into having to deal with installing extra television sets, my wife wanted to know when the best times of the year are to have a wedding based on the annual sports calendar to make everyone happy.<br /><br />And to shut me up.<br /><br />After careful consideration and extended research, I have come to the rescue and have compiled a very helpful calendar that everyone can now use to schedule their future weddings around major sports events.<br /><br />Men, I would suggest printing this out immediately and keeping it in your wallet because information this revolutionary tends to “disappear” quickly.<br /><br /><strong>DATES YOU CAN'T HAVE A WEDDING BECAUSE OF CONFLICT WITH SPORTS:<br /></strong><br />- January 1 (NHL Outdoor Winter Classic)<br />- The rest of January (NFL Playoffs)<br />- First weekend in February (Super Bowl) </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Second weekend in February (NBA All-Star Weekend)<br />- March (March Madness)<br />- The first weekend in April (the Final Four and MLB opening weekend)<br />- The second weekend in April (The Masters)<br />- The last weekend of April (NFL Draft)<br />- May (NBA playoffs)<br />- June (NBA Finals)<br />- September (College and NFL football return)<br />- October (MLB playoffs, NHL returns, football every weekend)<br />- November (NBA returns, glorious football)<br />- December (NBA, NFL, NHL in full swing, college football bowl season)<br /><br /><strong>DATES YOU CAN HAVE A WEDDING THAT WON'T CONFLICT WITH SPORTS:<br /></strong><br />- Last two weekends of February<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">- July<br />- August<br />- The third weekend in April* </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">*July and August are always the safest because baseball is the only sport being played at the time and no one actively wants to get married at the end of February. Besides, even if you do dodge a bullet with scheduling your wedding on that open weekend of April <em>this</em> year, your subsequent anniversaries will inevitably come back to haunt you for the rest of your life.<br /><br />No need to be a hero, pal. As you can clearly see, there are pleeeeenty of other acceptable dates.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's my ultimate point: guys know that when we are in relationships, situations are going to come up where we are not going to get to watch every minute of every sporting event during the calendar year. But we just want women to understand that before you came along, this is all we did.<br /><br />There's no grand mystery to solve about us.<br /><br />My answer to every one of my wife’s questions pertaining to my life before her is always some variation of, "I was at my buddy's house watching the game."<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532345806649768242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi0I7BPuKb-M1zFqyvzeMi8IAG6nqfe9rk54jrqsqBD_iVZ6Qh4jgkPwJUrdz5JWtpamPD9BgoMH-74XBt5J5b0OSogBM2CC_FvLeIXoezFTI9D7FlIhzF3BCjeYG6OfsSIVwGyz-AFY/s200/huge_39_199104.jpg" border="0" />How about a compromise? For every regular season game that we miss because we were at the mall with you, can we just please stop scheduling our weddings during MAJOR sporting events like March Madness or the World Series or the PGA Championship? And not just for us, but for every man that will be forced against his will to come be a part of our special day.<br /><br />Is that really too much to ask?<br /><br /><br /><em><br />To read more of Josh's stuff, </em><a href="http://www.indenvertimes.com/category/arts-entertainment/josh-mahler/"><em>click here</em></a><em>.<br /><br />Follow Josh on Twitter <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh">@Just_Being_Josh </a>and follow <a onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','twitter.com']);" href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture">@INDT_popculture </a>for entertainment updates</em></span></div>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-20670747735448121912010-10-19T07:24:00.000-04:002010-10-19T09:24:42.685-04:00LIVING LIFE: Giving Me the Business<span style="font-family:arial;">Our one year of marriage is the longest my Wife has been without a dog in her house since she was in elementary school and it’s starting to get to her. Everywhere we go, she oooh’s and ahhh’s at every dog we see. She even has a “Puppy of the Day” feature on her iGoogle homepage that I’m forced to suffer through looking at every evening.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t want a dog. I love dogs. I can’t wait to have a dog. But I keep trying to explain to my darling bride that the only issue keeping us from having a dog is that we can barely afford to take care of the two of us right now. Let alone one of man’s best friends.<br /><br />Fortunately, I have found a decent alternative to keep her temporarily happy while we wait on getting our own canine companion. Our friend, Laura, lets us occasionally puppy-sit her Lhasa-Poodle mix, Millie, whenever she has to go out of town or if my Wife just desperately needs a doggy fix.<br /><br />We have watched Millie a hundred times in the past and Laura asked if we could watch her last weekend because she had a lot of things to do and didn’t want to leave Millie alone for an extended period of time. Normally, this wouldn’t have been an issue, except for the fact that this particular weekend, my Wife was ALSO going to be out of town for a friend’s wedding.<br /><br />Not wanting to leave Laura – or her dog – in a jam, I offered to take care of Millie by myself for the weekend.<br /><br />Much to the surprise of My Wife.<br /><br />“What’s the big deal?” I said to her. “I used to take care of my parents’ dog all the time by myself.”<br /><br />“I know,” she said. “But this is someone else’s dog. What if something goes wrong?”<br /><br />“What could possibly go wrong?” I responded defensively.<br /><br />I should really start reading my own columns.<br /><br />Laura dropped Millie off at our apartment on Friday night and we had a great evening. We played with her toys. We went out for walks. We watched the baseball playoffs (that reminds me, I still owe Mils money on the bet we had).<br /><br />And as I drifted off to sleep that night with Millie cuddled up next to me, I was hooked. When my Wife got back in town, we were going to get our own dog. No matter the cost.<br /><br />Saturday morning started off as pleasant as Friday had ended. I took Millie for a long walk and it’s important to note that she… um… took care of her business while we were out. We came back in the apartment and I jumped in the shower, only to find another nice little surprise when I got out.<br /><br />She took care of business on our carpet.<br /><br />Not a big deal, dogs do that kind of stuff all the time. Quick clean up and we were good to go.<br /><br />Or so I thought.<br /><br />About an hour later, I took her out for another walk and she took care of business three more times. I was getting a little concerned because, while I’m not expert, this seemed like a lot for a small dog in one morning.<br /><br />We weren’t back in the house 10 minutes after the walk before she handled her business on the carpet again.<br /><br />At this point, I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to call Laura just in case something was medically wrong with Millie but my pride stepped in and convinced me there was no way I was going to fail at dog sitting.<br /><br />I decided to have a little pep talk with Millie.<br /><br />“Hey Mils,” I started. “Any chance we can tone down the business <em>inside</em> the house?”<br /><br />Millie looked directly into my soul and I could instantly tell what she was thinking.<br /><br />“You’re mine, buddy. I own you. I’m going to do whatever I want and you’re going to like it.”<br /><br />Uh, oh.<br /><br />After business was conducted on two more walks in the afternoon, I thought we were done for the night. Millie snuggled up next to me on the couch while I was watching television and I was starting to nod off when I noticed her getting up off the couch.<br /><br />In what could have only been maybe a full minute, Millie did her business in three different places on our carpet.<br /><br />Naturally the shock and smell caused me throw up on the carpet too.<br /><br />Realizing something must be really wrong, I finally had to call Laura to come pick up Millie and spent the rest of the night cleaning the business filled war zone that had become our living room.<br /><br />When my Wife got back home the next day, she couldn’t resist.<br /><br />“How did it go?” She chuckled.<br /><br />“Great,” I snapped. “Guess who is NEVER getting a dog?”<br /><br />“Oh, come on,” she said. “Just consider it good diaper changing practice for when we have a baby.”<br /><br />“BABY?!”<br /><br /><br />Follow Josh on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh">@Just_Being_Josh </a>and follow <a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture">@INDT_popculture </a>for entertainment updates<br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-18631907707476160192010-10-12T08:07:00.006-04:002010-10-12T10:24:31.752-04:00LIVING LIFE: Pretty Fly for a White Guy<span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526936851336459650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2kS4QDUD7t-VxdCQXYn9Yoanqa9gfw3qO2uF7wzta2IE0WfHIFakA9ui-3FQnJ70uXb5AgvpFYA5aU-t1jtQZYPAgsv3TSpggrR2sgM_Apg7USvF9OsI1P8nn9us-DrCELZ9ftD824A/s320/plane_flying.jpg" /><br />Now that I’ve gotten a little bit older and have a little bit more money, airline travel has become one of my new favorite past times (and let’s remember to keep the emphasis on “little” in both of those cases).<br /><br />I've always loved traveling in general, but driving back and forth across this great country of ours four times already has burnt me out on long road trips for a while. In the meantime, I'm appreciating being able to travel more conveniently through the friendly skies.<br /><br />The only problem is that every aspect of flying goes against every aspect of my nature.<br /><br />There’s too much waiting that goes into flying. You have to wait in line to check any bags. Then you have to wait to disrobe in the security line. Then you have to wait at the gate to board the plane. Then you have to wait for the plane to take off.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAs3R39n4kSPflUc1_ao-GobnK6GGAyzBvXcAA9Wlk34VQQXCopyeidmdyFsgX0rbedAnFpz9b3SopdlOVJwmXiiKcnl_7tvwv7dooPyj2zYBwdZayT4zHMw_2-n4dRPiSCzyoglHaSI/s1600/airplane-focker.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 199px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526936660180402050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAs3R39n4kSPflUc1_ao-GobnK6GGAyzBvXcAA9Wlk34VQQXCopyeidmdyFsgX0rbedAnFpz9b3SopdlOVJwmXiiKcnl_7tvwv7dooPyj2zYBwdZayT4zHMw_2-n4dRPiSCzyoglHaSI/s200/airplane-focker.jpg" /></a>Then there’s the worst wait of all: when you’ve landed and you’re dying to get off the plane but you have to wait for the flight attendants to help the one idiot dislodge his slightly too large bag from the overhead compartment.<br /><br />Considering how I flip out if I have to wait at a stoplight longer than a minute and a half, this is not a doctor recommended list of activities for me.<br /><br />Oh, and then there’s the actual flying.<br /><br />I know it is all science and physics but if I can’t even comprehend how it’s possible for me to program my DVR at home from my computer at work, I’m never going to get past a man-made aircraft lifting off the ground and flying through the air.<br /><br />At the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of people climbing into a metal tube and hoping for the best.<br /><br />But when my Wife and I decided to move almost 2,000 miles away from most of our family and friends, flying suddenly became a necessary evil.<br /><br />I’m proud to admit that almost two years in, I’m finally starting to calm down, relax, and borderline enjoy it. During take-offs and touch-downs, I no longer have to cling on for dear life to my Wife or, worse yet, the absolute stranger sitting next to me.<br /><br />Baby steps.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVEHz-Qt5asSVVvkF8rtUSYpGaG-yRlmTUoZ087SfBv16BDf87Oy5ZdoVSEVS7I2xU1X2xtYWl9JtISIP3_pmCSNRkhinWdLk01QLmS0bMrWpRpmGgNRpx1PLaps4acmLbNJZ0hk_810/s1600/bixby.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526936525506876914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVEHz-Qt5asSVVvkF8rtUSYpGaG-yRlmTUoZ087SfBv16BDf87Oy5ZdoVSEVS7I2xU1X2xtYWl9JtISIP3_pmCSNRkhinWdLk01QLmS0bMrWpRpmGgNRpx1PLaps4acmLbNJZ0hk_810/s200/bixby.jpg" /></a>What’s really strange, though, is that when I went to meet a buddy in Missouri last weekend, I realized that I am slowly starting to take on somewhat of a Clive Bixby alter ego when I fly.<br /><br />First, I noticed that during that aforementioned wait at the gate, I always buy the most recent issue of Esquire magazine. I know that’s that not ridiculously abnormal; Esquire is a well-known, widely read publication. But it is kind of abnormal when you take into account the fact that after buying the magazine a few times at airports last year, I even subscribed to receive it at our house... only to never read it… unless I was on an airplane.<br /><br />We finally had to plan random flights just to unload the stack of unread issues that were piling up on our coffee table.<br /><br />Then I observed something unusual when the attendants come by mid-flight for my drink order. I always order tomato juice. In my everyday life, I NEVER drink tomato juice. It’s basically thinned out ketchup. Once again, after ordering it a few times on flights last year, I picked up some tomato juice to keep at our house... only to never drink it… unless I was on an airplane.<br /><br />Is there some kind of clinical diagnosis for this kind of alternative behavior?<br /><br />I mean, other than just being a weirdo?<br /><br />Finally, I have become increasingly aware that I spend money like a drunken sailor whenever I fly. At home, I am militant when it comes to our finances, but when I get out of town I spend it like we got it. I also become a very generous tipper and will tip anyone for doing anything for me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A9hsKhc06kXSQ1A7y-D_8-H_elVNcLgEURT1l7Eyk5sxGoFzxOmftTlkgJiSGR-DucocLAqlrASd644sfU8hP-MLwqHveOQosuwyj2K-ra0B34CSso6q-0e7l3J5j-Guop7bS-OHnU8/s1600/ThankYouCards--big.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526936305819079954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A9hsKhc06kXSQ1A7y-D_8-H_elVNcLgEURT1l7Eyk5sxGoFzxOmftTlkgJiSGR-DucocLAqlrASd644sfU8hP-MLwqHveOQosuwyj2K-ra0B34CSso6q-0e7l3J5j-Guop7bS-OHnU8/s200/ThankYouCards--big.jpg" /></a>It’s no coincidence that every city I visit experiences a temporary economic spike. I’ve actually received a few “Thank You” cards from town officials.<br /><br />I genuinely like who I am as a person, but my alter-ego seems to be having more fun than I ever do. So the truly bizarre question then becomes that if this world traveling-Esquire reading-tomato drinking-free spending son of a gun is fundamentally 36% cooler than I am, why can’t I be him all the time?<br /><br />Maybe it’s because when you get bogged down in the routine of everyday life, you just need something different – or someone different – to look forward to when climbing into a metal tube and hoping for the best.<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><em>@Just_Being_Josh </em></a><em>and follow </em><a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></a><em>for entertainment updates</em><br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-81616552163483916442010-10-05T07:12:00.000-04:002010-10-05T09:12:07.476-04:00LIVING LIFE: The Playoff Beard<span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524208790715096738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BCS9FYwp7xNXwRBIkaHJ9s2JdDppsPeX7-UlGRPz2175FyhIB5_zRa7GvXZGEd_iQ1umKRM3a7jmIKWkQip3vkVDo1KhSlrlSg5Vlz1Lan19oYC0tDN1OlIWNZ8inaaCViMvdlygZQQ/s320/Beardlong.jpg" /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />As I have mentioned before, my Wife and I never argue about anything of actual importance; but our disagreements are always of the utmost significance to us.<br /><br />Here is the transcript of a recent hum-dinger:<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> It’s officially October! You know what that means, don't you?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Yes! Cooler weather and awesome weekend trips to the mountains!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> And if by “awesome weekend trips to the mountains” you mean staying home to watch a ton of football and baseball playoffs, then you are correct!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Ugh, is it really baseball playoff time, again?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Yes… it is <em>finally</em> baseball playoff time again.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZPyFRrcrbPDCTn2Ae8zvAQG4OAYmSzoME68HUQC0nMTzOKIMsYp-vQTDtka3zg7M2I9kmjBw4apedLrxE3-alRAUt_iia2WytmxJofgx0hWjoaHIdVUDig-W7s3oqn5YiFNnY4OO06Y/s1600/imagesCAR9SXF6.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524208488786390434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZPyFRrcrbPDCTn2Ae8zvAQG4OAYmSzoME68HUQC0nMTzOKIMsYp-vQTDtka3zg7M2I9kmjBw4apedLrxE3-alRAUt_iia2WytmxJofgx0hWjoaHIdVUDig-W7s3oqn5YiFNnY4OO06Y/s200/imagesCAR9SXF6.jpg" /></a>MY WIFE:</strong> You’re not going to grow that gross, scraggily playoff beard again are you?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I HAVE to!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> No you don’t. It makes no difference on how your team plays!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Umm… let’s review the facts.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Here we go.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> In 2007, I didn’t grow the beard and they got swept in the first round. In 2008, I grew the beard and they won the World Series. In 2009, I grew the beard and they made it to the World Series and then I shaved the beard for that stupid Halloween costume and then they lost. I rest my case.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvI68SK6QFGV6mUe2CH-LR4-TrlAbX0gHaIwkj5BIdMDVtsm4iPy1QVvN9t-hkP_LuCWiv-Ux4SDkg415tyuMNw6bR9OKy7PkZf8tFNoMIlPhpdrUAS7vs1VqjlKdVJKrPdr7ZW8G5qY/s1600/imagesCA86QXPT.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524204813211599490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvI68SK6QFGV6mUe2CH-LR4-TrlAbX0gHaIwkj5BIdMDVtsm4iPy1QVvN9t-hkP_LuCWiv-Ux4SDkg415tyuMNw6bR9OKy7PkZf8tFNoMIlPhpdrUAS7vs1VqjlKdVJKrPdr7ZW8G5qY/s200/imagesCA86QXPT.jpg" /></a>MY WIFE:</strong> But we were so cute as Joan and Roger!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Yes, but I cost us the Series.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> And you almost cost your friendship with your buddy Gray in ’08 when you wore that thing as a groomsman during his wedding.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Yes, but I can’t help that he scheduled his wedding during my favorite team’s first World Series appearance in 28 years.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> But you were in their pictures!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> But it was Game 3!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Is Halloween during the World Series this year?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Yep. Game 4 will be on Halloween night.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> So what costumes are we going to wear?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I have no idea! That's almost a full month away. You can dress up as whatever you want.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPib3bOdfmXicyqwJUR091ogIlxvtv0Uyr1GgulF1Z_R1M16sb_XGxQG0ofXRZ2LHn0ciylfT2SBcP1OEDJoSUvQlKRsnKg1g70eD2oe8Dv9QwBacaajrWyhsRYtBpnO5aOjIt3P7klU/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524341292675380914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPib3bOdfmXicyqwJUR091ogIlxvtv0Uyr1GgulF1Z_R1M16sb_XGxQG0ofXRZ2LHn0ciylfT2SBcP1OEDJoSUvQlKRsnKg1g70eD2oe8Dv9QwBacaajrWyhsRYtBpnO5aOjIt3P7klU/s200/IMG_0008.jpg" /></a>MY WIFE:</strong> No, we have to be a matching couple! We’ve been Fred and Daphne, Joan and Roger and I thought we were going to be Jim and Pam from “The Office” this year.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> We can still be Jim and Pam.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> But Jim doesn’t have a beard!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> That we know of.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> No! We have to look authentic. What famous characters wear beards?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I don’t know. I’ll just go as a baseball player again.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> NO! You did already two years ago!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Because we won the World Series that year!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> You’re not wearing a costume you’ve already worn!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> We were living 2,000 miles away back then! No one out here will know!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> But I will!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Fine. Let’s look online and see what famous characters have worn beards.<br /><br /><em>(We spend a few minutes doing an Internet search)</em><br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MO0r4KZH3_E02Tr8_9EPUF1fvioybWDO2jWyywdpEC8foEPa2eUJ5TlJ4ojwpvqSPqbzCcVCyQM7oIqZscYtcii1Pc0rjNXDak68Uda126EW1AW-FJuBoM5qcnFU5-4UPH5jQCZSmqk/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524205272034936850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MO0r4KZH3_E02Tr8_9EPUF1fvioybWDO2jWyywdpEC8foEPa2eUJ5TlJ4ojwpvqSPqbzCcVCyQM7oIqZscYtcii1Pc0rjNXDak68Uda126EW1AW-FJuBoM5qcnFU5-4UPH5jQCZSmqk/s200/untitled.bmp" /></a>MY WIFE:</strong> Well, it looks like we’re down to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jules Winnfield.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> What if I did Obi-Wan and you dressed up as Princess Leia in her Jabba’s palace costume?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> I can’t.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Sure you can!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Noooo, I can’t.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I will grant you that costume is a little revealing–<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> No, it's not that! It's because she’s not a redhead.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Wait, what?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> She doesn’t have beautiful red hair like me, so I can’t be her.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> So let me get this straight. You can only dress up as female characters for Halloween that have red hair like yours - on a night where the whole point is to dress up as someone else?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> “Beautiful” red hair. Yes, that is correct. Daphne, Joan, Pam… seeing a pattern?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Yeah, but I thought those were just convenient, not mandatory.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Sorry, don’t know what to tell you.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> So what’s the list of remaining, available characters that have red hair–<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Uh, excuse me...<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Sorry, what is the list of remaining, available characters that have <em>beautiful</em> red hair?<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWyLPHETEmrQr6fQlzVp7CGGMkmK85d-O7T8oP9wsr-1m2iI-nDVnWLeNxRLJQ5iCIST-CTjqZPoNdxyhLM_lIhwKbgMgCwPwRtHyAMClUzubHhiidxkhBw3zPeP6nAEBJIF1LjDHfpU/s1600/untitled.bmp"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSrbGFonZlFvS-GE234XImD0O91B_i8FAwEo5QL-8nqzRavEkMrADk4m-Pu9chV0gcp7vZu0Lv0Tndez69uJNYvXvRuqH5gAdQwFCPiWYuDozT9F7thazqPm5T2cNPw8j-usTMTUyI3E/s1600/untitled.bmp"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNocxPLTLPIAf08FnEESbNPgRwp0emS0_urUPDLlbVYGCv6eNobVzpsvW1EUajtE6l2haHWib-noJqH5y9HAO-7ySwBOf0n1O9dC8Q6_U9rLobnYEIccAj9DaEE5R5RI3S9Q7j-5bpKcs/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524228575898851362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNocxPLTLPIAf08FnEESbNPgRwp0emS0_urUPDLlbVYGCv6eNobVzpsvW1EUajtE6l2haHWib-noJqH5y9HAO-7ySwBOf0n1O9dC8Q6_U9rLobnYEIccAj9DaEE5R5RI3S9Q7j-5bpKcs/s200/untitled.bmp" /></a>MY WIFE:</strong> Of the top of my beautiful red head, I can think of Wilma Flintsone, Jane Jetson…<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Hey, I like that one! I could get a wig and be George Jetson!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> But he doesn’t have a beard!<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Well then you just better hope that we lose before we even get to the World Series so that I can find a more accommodating Halloween character to be with you!<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE</strong> (with a devilish grin): Well if that’s an option…<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> DON’T YOU DARE!<br /><br /><br />Follow Josh on Twitter </span><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><span style="font-family:arial;">@Just_Being_Josh </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">and follow </span><a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><span style="font-family:arial;">@INDT_popculture </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">for entertainment updates<br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-21500139448470832012010-09-13T16:50:00.011-04:002010-09-14T11:12:12.111-04:00LIVING LIFE: Fantasy Turned Nightmare<span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516504789861700562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW9oHRHjaMRy-XMeZk9ayEy4s3X_FGcii9jffFv6W69YUCu25XWilvisIYI9KmzMlh0INfMhSaI7ftHvrczzWFPCBPT57s6mBDHZa1hc6ueI0dF99Wb6pawr4wBmekPN8udokCQWaQEY/s320/fantasy-football.jpg" /><br />Seven years ago, my buddy Paulie introduced me to something that would change my life forever: fantasy football.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D-1zNwQE2KOOtTrir6QbrJSHFcqpfNcvUJ-3v1OAEE5yyZNMZC5d4WGFEAEZgZUYpXz-RgVbfs_d_SEIopx3EBhuuYtfYYGLcgTfq_k2NjL7IuSjntRcb_JZsK8J0qUtE6DntRLbfVc/s1600/christopher_columbus.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516505075827863330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D-1zNwQE2KOOtTrir6QbrJSHFcqpfNcvUJ-3v1OAEE5yyZNMZC5d4WGFEAEZgZUYpXz-RgVbfs_d_SEIopx3EBhuuYtfYYGLcgTfq_k2NjL7IuSjntRcb_JZsK8J0qUtE6DntRLbfVc/s200/christopher_columbus.jpg" /></a>Being the raging sports fan that I am, this discovery was the equivalent of the creation of the Internet or man landing on the moon or even Columbus finding America.<br /><br />Fantasy is perfect for people like me who cannot get enough football only on Sundays and want to feel more connected and involved in the sport. And it is exponentially less pathetic than just creating a fantasy team in the Madden video game because you’re actually dealing with real players who are playing real games.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, it’s still ridiculously pathetic.<br /><br />Fantasy also provides me a way to stay connected with my friends who live all over the country. My Wife will call up one of her girlfriends back East and they will talk for hours about their lives and the latest gossip. Yeah, my friends and I aren’t going to do that. I haven’t had an actual conversation with my buddy Chris in probably six months, but we text 10 times a day about potential fantasy football moves.<br /><br />So for the most part, the fantasy pros have heavily outweighed the cons until something unexpected happened.<br /><br />The one league I was a part of wasn’t good enough anymore.<br /><br />Four years ago, I got invited to play in another league that was set up slightly different from my original league and I thought I’d give it a try for a season. If I had been as bad in that league as I was in my first league (and still am), I probably would have been one and done. But no, I had to win the championship that very first year in the new league and then something even worse happened.<br /><br />Two leagues weren’t good enough anymore.<br /><br />Fast forward to the start of the current NFL season and I am in not one, not two, not three but FOUR fantasy football leagues.<br /><br />And I can justify them all.<br /><br />I’m in a 12 team/dynasty keeper league, an 8 team/2 player keeper league, a 10 team/auction draft league, and a 12 team/standard draft league.<br /><br />So, there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQTEGSb7PsegzqcHVpgwMvgtzXdIxxFqPMrbvMbRd4idpV73Dm8uZGBFEOLW88VR2WC4MpUcYpTkWthOtHPlorbSxkyd0bFX5BOz4Xt8Re5U5UuuxQEIcSwj-Hp3Kc2bCDDC1SZxdNjw/s1600/tom_brady_hair.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516505885869153074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQTEGSb7PsegzqcHVpgwMvgtzXdIxxFqPMrbvMbRd4idpV73Dm8uZGBFEOLW88VR2WC4MpUcYpTkWthOtHPlorbSxkyd0bFX5BOz4Xt8Re5U5UuuxQEIcSwj-Hp3Kc2bCDDC1SZxdNjw/s200/tom_brady_hair.jpg" /></a>But now I have problems that I have never dreamed of before. With so many players on four different teams, I will inevitably have too many of my own players playing against myself in the other leagues. It was tough to enjoy Justin Bieber... uh, I mean Tom Brady’s 3 TD performance for one of my teams on Sunday when I knew he was obliterating the Bengals defense, which I had starting for one of my other teams.<br /><br />Even that was nothing compared to the convoluted chaos I found myself in on Monday night. In one league, I had an 18 point lead over an opponent who only had Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles left to play. In another league, I had a 12 point lead over an opponent who only had Ravens running back Ray Rice. And in another league, I was trailing by 10 points but I HAD Charles and Rice. So I needed just enough from both, but not too much from either.<br /><br />Hours later, I’m still confused as to how it all played out.<br /><br />To be fair, the fantasy gods did try to warn me this year. I only wanted to do two leagues but I got roped into playing in the other two at the last minute (by “roped” I mean I was invited and instantly said, “Yes!”) and endured terrible draft experiences in both of those leagues.<br /><br />In one of those leagues, we decided to bring our laptops to a local sports bar and hold the draft there. I logged in a half hour before the draft was supposed to start to check my Internet connection and everything was fine… until two minutes before the draft when I lost the connection.<br /><br />The draft started and I scrambled to get back online and the computer started auto-picking players for me. And it was as if the computer had a personal vendetta against me as it drafted players I normally hate in fantasy and real football – including the starting quarterback, running back, AND wide receiver from my least favorite real NFL team.<br /><br />Thanks, computer.<br /><br />At least missing half of that draft was better than the other draft in which I missed the entire draft all together. Thought the draft was at 7 p.m. but it was at six, so I logged in at 6:45 the draft was already over.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf2icPsTrI0hfoOBUjO_EQT6Sm5ahEGslbxK-7ndA_zvKYzU0QhlfIHrhAbugfLzqpHIQVKDZvwQa1Xa2O4QBYQHPpqFLqilkzOIl4C1BziM6-usTunW_kQqZJvHInD3VNZJg2KOYsBw/s1600/100816_23.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516507109115990530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf2icPsTrI0hfoOBUjO_EQT6Sm5ahEGslbxK-7ndA_zvKYzU0QhlfIHrhAbugfLzqpHIQVKDZvwQa1Xa2O4QBYQHPpqFLqilkzOIl4C1BziM6-usTunW_kQqZJvHInD3VNZJg2KOYsBw/s200/100816_23.jpg" /></a>I'm getting sloppier than Andy Reid blowing through timeouts.<br /><br />After that debacle, I promised myself right then and there that I’m only going to play in one league next year.<br /><br />Or maybe five.<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><em>@Just_Being_Josh </em></a><em>and follow </em><a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></a><em>for entertainment updates</em><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-28618886795889160252010-09-06T17:55:00.000-04:002010-09-06T19:55:41.053-04:00LIVING LIFE: With This Ring<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513466081220398306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN0K-QeA0r8hvjJ6uqsSkmBIRSwhc28SdYT84RQHmkZ7iqDnCBXmV_gM3fa-f4oJXh8Gd_YSSjrRfwbNwqyp3vJKQSk7nrOZeHOLrQjtb1ZpusBUDK5mbwZOvm8lyKvILD2EvvRGtRhA/s320/with_this_ring2.jpg" border="0" /><br />My Wife is very cool about a lot of the nonsense that I put her through. Her life consists of watching a lot of sports, watching me play video games, calming me down on a regular basis, and watching a LOT of sports.<br /><br />I still can’t see her angle on why she married me, but I’m sure she has one.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfkwcbTKk0T4JjVsor9IXmmsTzcXO7WLCzSkU3ppNSRR0ulDztcZ20pg3IMcB6aIMKxwflt8qkgavIEficign0XUt9ss5gsslpEV7lkFefjAohRdZbKyLddNkImIwoZU4bBeu5NVwyIw/s1600/jersey-shore-jwoww-punch-situation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513466312842447042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfkwcbTKk0T4JjVsor9IXmmsTzcXO7WLCzSkU3ppNSRR0ulDztcZ20pg3IMcB6aIMKxwflt8qkgavIEficign0XUt9ss5gsslpEV7lkFefjAohRdZbKyLddNkImIwoZU4bBeu5NVwyIw/s200/jersey-shore-jwoww-punch-situation.jpg" border="0" /></a>But the one and only thing that she is not cool about is when I don’t wear my wedding ring. She’s never said why it bothers her so much and I’ve never asked, but if you want to see her go from normal to Jwoww in .04 seconds, come over to our place and watch me slide my ring off.<br /><br />The only problem with this being her only problem is that I hate wearing my ring. Not because of what it stands for, I just can’t stand wearing jewelry of any kind.<br /><br />So this was a borderline-to-legitimate issue when we were planning to get married.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I don’t really have to wear a wedding ring when we get married, do I?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Don’t even try to get out of this one. YOU HAVE TO WEAR A RING.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> It’s not like I have a cavalcade of women knocking down my door so what’s the difference if I don’t wear one? Can’t I just get a tattoo around my ring finger?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Yes, you can get a tattoo. I will let you get a tattoo instead of wearing a ring if you get one that says “I love my wife more than anything else in the world, she is so beautiful and I’m so lucky to have her and I will buy her flowers every day for the rest of my life.”<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Hmmm… Can I put that on a sign to wear around my neck instead?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXB61eolhmhvskn5p0Z0RiIG9joHmkR3P2fqtUwMYlfpv0RzVIuFzTk6fpfpoeFdVlc_f9AG2uoXgVG-PUbMpQV0sWIhacecs0lH7_Su30xeHJoBZpLfdRqn531Tz8D1kKr5v_05yUpc/s1600/macgruber_poster_m.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513467621234854002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXB61eolhmhvskn5p0Z0RiIG9joHmkR3P2fqtUwMYlfpv0RzVIuFzTk6fpfpoeFdVlc_f9AG2uoXgVG-PUbMpQV0sWIhacecs0lH7_Su30xeHJoBZpLfdRqn531Tz8D1kKr5v_05yUpc/s200/macgruber_poster_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Since that idea bombed worse than MacGruber (sorry, Will Forte!), I suddenly found myself in a jewelry store trying to pick out a ring. I didn’t care about price, quality, or design. The only thing I was concerned with was the weight. I asked the guy at the store for the lightest ring he had and told him I would even be fine with wrapping a few pipe cleaners around my finger.<br /><br />We finally found a ring that was a suitable compromise for the both of us and I started to wear it a few weeks out before the wedding so I could get used to it. I was miserable for about a week. I was constantly aware of it and it felt like my left hand weighed a ton. Even worse, I felt like one of those poor animals that had been tagged in the ear for tracking purposes.<br /><br />But then a funny thing happened, we got married and I got used to wearing it. I got so used to wearing it that I now feel weird when I’m NOT wearing it.<br /><br />Another brilliant tactical development by the female gender.<br /><br />So that - and the fear of my Wife - is what caused me to freak out a couple of weeks ago when I left the house to run a few errands only to realize that for the first time in over a year, I had forgotten to wear my ring.<br /><br />I was grabbing a couple quick items in the grocery store when I looked down at my hand on the shopping cart and noticed the ring wasn’t there. My first thought was, “Where is my Wife right now?” Because if she was home and saw it lying there while I was out, I might as well never go back.<br /><br />Once I had the calming realization that she was out of the house as well, I looked at my phone to see what time it was (I won't even wear a wrist watch). She said she would be home by noon. It was currently 11:45 a.m. and I was at least 15 minutes away from our house. I literally left the cart in the middle of the aisle and sprinted to my car.<br /><br />Now I know why she’s with me – she <em>owns</em> me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGhv0XPyeZE7S8IhxmtedbL_BlIbyVWIFww7pjgsKRiw_86TfuZbtoBrnbKF86ilM_XHzsMSLgj_jhcjHUO4IK7bdoMbwCsBHf9wdqrqQljHTpG0xfL5IUK8QyosFNR7c0UJ8IGGpb2I/s1600/5321693_std.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513468809646781378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 139px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGhv0XPyeZE7S8IhxmtedbL_BlIbyVWIFww7pjgsKRiw_86TfuZbtoBrnbKF86ilM_XHzsMSLgj_jhcjHUO4IK7bdoMbwCsBHf9wdqrqQljHTpG0xfL5IUK8QyosFNR7c0UJ8IGGpb2I/s200/5321693_std.jpg" border="0" /></a>I screamed at every slow driver that I passed (this was before <a href="http://www.indenvertimes.com/living-life-broke-my-back-mountain/">my massage</a>) as I blew through stoplights, racing home like Memphis Raines. I pulled in to my parking spot at our apartment just in time to see my Wife turn the corner in her car. I deftly slipped my left hand into my jeans’ pocket and walked briskly to our front door. Once inside, I ran to our bedroom, found my ring on my nightstand, and exhaled deeply as my lovely bride walked in.<br /><br />I came out and gave her a big, anxiety-ridden hug only to see her pause and stiffen up.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> You haven't been wearing your ring, have you?<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><span style="color:#e1771e;"><em>@Just_Being_Josh </em></span></a><em>and follow </em><a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><span style="color:#e1771e;"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></span></a><em>for entertainment updates</em><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-51703034894901901602010-08-28T16:34:00.018-04:002010-08-30T17:24:25.271-04:00LIVING LIFE: Broke My Back Mountain<span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 175px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510564582221677426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5CIESkR2mbUM4HZ8R7ot3AEYYif2EO4ja_QIkCn_FFuU3jZBjnwjrwOxMJfmMUeqbb9sC-0FDOiZTVIQPHojtyGU4fNU39iuM5mQ1Ib1_XT412cn_0NSiNXFG4OhDc4LSfCUsk8JJJM/s320/male%2520back%2520massage%2520stoke%2520on%2520trent.jpg" /><br />I’ve been a little stressed out lately.<br /><br />Nothing more than usual. I’ve just been feeling more frustrations at work, with our finances, and with all the “Glee” Emmy nominations.<br /><br />You know, typical stuff.<br /><br />Normally, I can deal with life’s simple struggles without breaking stride, but here recently I’ve been incapable of handling even the most insignificant issues.<br /><br />So when my Wife and I were making plans to celebrate our first wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago, she was determined to find me some rest and relaxation. She pitched a weekend retreat to a resort up in the mountains that included a couples’ massage and spa package.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqZJMT0qcoV8VAKN63wpqQG5kn7fTlF7DKTTMzGFv3v05MhPQFjhaGqY3ZBlMnFFHpUS9YwvuYCymFj-O0R3oIyLlOATgJ3EZdRD1HYMcm5gWLw2Nn1t71Lao8ma7g5l-y1kh1v8weMc/s1600/alg_road-rage.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510565022926500082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqZJMT0qcoV8VAKN63wpqQG5kn7fTlF7DKTTMzGFv3v05MhPQFjhaGqY3ZBlMnFFHpUS9YwvuYCymFj-O0R3oIyLlOATgJ3EZdRD1HYMcm5gWLw2Nn1t71Lao8ma7g5l-y1kh1v8weMc/s200/alg_road-rage.jpg" /></a>At first I was hesitant because I’ve never really been into the whole intimate massage scene. But when I found myself screaming at an old man because he wasn’t taking a right hand turn at a stop light as quickly as I would have liked, I knew that these were desperate times calling for similar measures.<br /><br />Besides, I had gotten a massage once before a couple of years ago, and it wasn’t completely terrible – despite the fact that it violated every rule I steadfastly maintain in regards to protecting my personal space.<br /><br />When my Wife and I got to the massage place (is it a “place”? Salon? Parlor?), a woman with a heavy French accent greeted us and took us to our massage room. She invited us to sit in a steam room for a few minutes and that they would be back to give us our massages (more on “they” in a moment).<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> So we just go <em>sit</em> in the steam room?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Yeah. What’s wrong?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> What do you do in there? Just sit?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Yes, it’s supposed to be relaxing?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Well, what do you wear? Your clothes will get wet if you’re just sitting there in steam.<br /><br /><em>(If you can’t already tell, I am painfully new to all of this)<br /></em><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> You don’t wear anything.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> WHAAAAT? You just sit there... naked... doing nothing... just looking at each other?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> It’s supposed to be romantic.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Are you supposed to do… something in there? How is that any fun? It’s already way too hot and steamy in.<br /><br />It’s a minor miracle that she stayed married to me for an entire year.<br /><br />After five minutes of us sitting in the steam room in all of our awkward glory, we dried off and the woman returned to get us set up for our massages.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNzD64j0H5PjiJoQb513z_yttP8jIwyMca7xTti-S5SV9ELfs2ujTeg4C1MxfCIJ-__B0RT6YTxFacLrmjAuC7AhVislsYHZm55hBHHqxeSlRyChFNXUIRphAgdf9sdFi553R_y9nFZ4/s1600/Vulcannervepinch.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510565564877517010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNzD64j0H5PjiJoQb513z_yttP8jIwyMca7xTti-S5SV9ELfs2ujTeg4C1MxfCIJ-__B0RT6YTxFacLrmjAuC7AhVislsYHZm55hBHHqxeSlRyChFNXUIRphAgdf9sdFi553R_y9nFZ4/s200/Vulcannervepinch.jpg" /></a>To measure what kind of intensity we wanted, she said she was going to squeeze our necks with her hand and then we would tell her if we wanted more or less pressure. She then proceeded to give us each a Vulcan death grip and after we picked ourselves up from the floor, we both told her that we wanted less pressure.<br /><br />A lot less pressure.<br /><br />She laughed one of those evil villain laughs and said “they” would return in a minute to begin. In a moment of panic, I pawned my Wife off to Annie Wilkes and ran to the other table, knowing that whoever came in couldn’t be any worse.<br /><br />I’ve been wrong before, but I have never been quite this wrong.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUAF4DkTebUHVM4xq5ijj6IbbgmPrLF2HamtUAaISLouMs9Z4T6FdvGBW6pTzgJmJymYj440ZtQ00F3PtSlE_5IoU2544K18kFocfwi4Tt8DL63CYbc6rNSoOEAIoPHJeK-JmuL18UPc/s1600/richgasparikd7.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 147px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510567303794780274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUAF4DkTebUHVM4xq5ijj6IbbgmPrLF2HamtUAaISLouMs9Z4T6FdvGBW6pTzgJmJymYj440ZtQ00F3PtSlE_5IoU2544K18kFocfwi4Tt8DL63CYbc6rNSoOEAIoPHJeK-JmuL18UPc/s200/richgasparikd7.jpg" /></a>Like from some terrifying horror film, the door slowly opened and a hulking beast of a man walked in. His name was "Steve" and he looked like a henchmen from a 1980’s Sly Stallone movie. He was wearing short gym shorts and a tank top with muscles bulging out of his muscles.<br /><br />Based on the pressure the French lady applied to my kneck, my very first thought looking at him was, “Well, I had a good run.”<br /><br />Like I said earlier, my only memory of a massage wasn’t that bad. As much as I didn’t like being touched all over, it was genuinely relaxing on the whole.<br /><br />This experience would be defined as the opposite of that.<br /><br />Steve crunched and crushed every bone he could find in my body. I kept trying to remember the secret war plans that had I had apparently been brainwashed with so that I could give them up and end this torment.<br /><br />At one point he pressed down on my back so hard that I legitimately saw my soul trying to escape out of my physical frame. The crazy thing is that I didn’t try to stop it.<br /><br />My Wife sauntered out of her massage relaxed and rejuvenated. I limped out and, weeks later, still have nightmares.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> So, do you feel any better?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Well, I’m too broken and sore to feel stressed and angry.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Mission accomplished.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Thanks?<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh">@Just_Being_Josh </a>and follow <a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture">@INDT_popculture </a>for entertainment updates</em><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-24244968787886710562010-08-26T09:46:00.002-04:002010-08-26T10:00:03.613-04:00Classic Sitcom Scene of the Day<span style="font-family:arial;">A pre-"Back to the Future" Christopher Lloyd proves why he is one of the comedic greats in this epic scene from "Taxi". Of course showing this scene as a classic is like showing Jordan dunking from the foul line, but I just want to ease everyone into the new feature.<br /><br />Feel free to comment below with any of your favorite sitcom moments and I'll get them posted in the coming days (and as a bonus, I have also posted the Classic Sitcom Scene of the Day from yesterday since it was only included on my twitter account)<br /><br /><br />"SLOW DOWN"<br /></span><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pvn-tBeLpCk?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pvn-tBeLpCk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Poor Horatio"<br /></span><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4eI689Qxaao?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4eI689Qxaao?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><em>@Just_Being_Josh </em></a><em>and follow </em><a href="http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></a><em>for entertainment updates</em><br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-81270041242198759622010-08-02T18:31:00.013-04:002010-08-02T20:29:56.157-04:00Living Life: My Resolution is Not Working Out<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500946141135801170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 218px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SZVeX-EGfeBNzYLGmo5NsO4pYFq4ae1wqfqoFH53s-7Wh3kOF6tPCfWSmvN8Oj-xfrVFGRSJhtiyEBonqhhDDM-huxEc38q6Mo7mZJI-puRvdNF1QozlbdEC1n219Mpnhw1t6jfsppc/s320/benchpress.jpg" border="0" /><br />I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions.<br /><br />My thinking has been that if I couldn’t make something happen in the first two decades of my life, it’s probably not going to happen now.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYUC3iZCMQqpDkH-Ns9WfbWyErdBmxMLMBmccN8Jsu5nwY0whHsR8rKZg46cpaHw1y7IxmS53VsJHoYp1pHjWx4W8ZqRgO736JkUfpUO4o7NQZRHD0nkJb3C6N6wHq6D-0TAw-CKmx_c/s1600/The_Blob_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500948007751470770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYUC3iZCMQqpDkH-Ns9WfbWyErdBmxMLMBmccN8Jsu5nwY0whHsR8rKZg46cpaHw1y7IxmS53VsJHoYp1pHjWx4W8ZqRgO736JkUfpUO4o7NQZRHD0nkJb3C6N6wHq6D-0TAw-CKmx_c/s200/The_Blob_1.jpg" border="0" /></a>But this year was different. Coming into 2010, I committed myself to getting into shape. Not necessarily peak physical condition – just some semblance of any actual shape, as opposed to the blob of flesh I have turned into.<br /><br />I don’t know where it all went wrong. In my teens and early 20’s, I was one of the most active people I knew. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I got off track somewhere between the introduction of fantasy football and DVR technology.<br /><br />Recently, however, even I had to concede that there were some minor health related issues starting to develop. Simple tasks such as climbing a small set of stairs, standing up from a sitting position, or even breathing had suddenly become more difficult; so I promised my Wife I would start working out with her.<br /><br />The only problem with working out with my Wife is that she is one of those weird human beings that actually enjoys inflicting pain upon her body. I’ve never understood that mentality and that’s always been my biggest barrier to physical fitness.<br /><br />Why do something that hurts when it feels so good to do something that doesn’t?<br /><br />With carefully crafted excuses and "schedule conflicts", I was able to hold her off for a few months but when her dad surprised us with a membership to a gym (that sits in front of our apartment) as an early anniversary present, I knew my goose was cooked.<br /><br />I could sleep easy at night knowing I was blowing off a gym membership that I paid for, but there was no way I could live with myself when it is on someone else’s dime.<br /><br />Part of our package included two free hour long sessions with a personal trainer and I found myself dreading this more than anything else. Blame it on the male pride, but I just pictured some perfectly sculpted Adonis laughing at me as I lay crying on the floor trying to complete a single sit-up.<br /><br />So I was actually a little relieved when I got a call from a perky female trainer to set up my appointment. She was exactly what I needed to get back into the flow of things. She was extremely nice and personable even though we both knew she was probably judging me a little on the inside.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz3DCH7wSp8hcGH9wnK7urMRvDmcJUCif0eDe6zx4hYEVwZmvwnKPK7AQthdfjO_Sb74PR2ql-IwEymxNKLxbzg3-2k3fR5hCyKQypvGUfsVsEbRcnn0uhy_kEvDTBA6jt59ccxgxZJM/s1600/snooki-jersey-shore-snl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500948593703470738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz3DCH7wSp8hcGH9wnK7urMRvDmcJUCif0eDe6zx4hYEVwZmvwnKPK7AQthdfjO_Sb74PR2ql-IwEymxNKLxbzg3-2k3fR5hCyKQypvGUfsVsEbRcnn0uhy_kEvDTBA6jt59ccxgxZJM/s200/snooki-jersey-shore-snl.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, once the clock started on our session her niceness disappeared faster than a thought from Snooki’s brain.<br /><br />It was like one of those hours where time stands still and you think 40 minutes have gone by but then you look at the clock and see that it’s only been 12. Three minutes in, I thought I was going to throw up. 17 minutes in, I was pretty sure I was going to throw up. And 33 minutes in, I knew I was going to throw up.<br /><br />For the last bit of our session, she put me on a treadmill right next to my Wife and of course they had to hit it off. It was one of those nightmarish scenarios that you feared in high school (or at least I did) where two girls were making fun of you... right in front of you.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE</strong> <em>(jogging along at a breezy pace on her treadmill)</em>: It’s taken me so long to get him to come here with me.<br /><br /><strong>TRAINER:</strong> Oh, I know, my husband was a big wimp at first too.<br /><br /><strong>ME</strong> <em>(hanging on for dear life to the treadmill that I’m pretty sure the trainer set to “Rocket Launch” speed)</em>: I’M RIGHT HERE. I CAN HEAR YOU!<br /><br />The pain suffered during that hour was nothing compared to the soreness I felt for the next couple of days. To talk on my cell phone, I literally had to use one arm to prop the other arm with the phone up to my ear. To add more injury to injury, I contracted an annoying head cold a few days later. Between the head cold affecting my balance and the stiffness throughout my body, I lurched around our apartment like a zombie.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTabxji9HgfnmgB8kKiKPHmW6mpRzo4ful-bkaZROC205OUmjCdZI4MiWJIlPwxlshNm30iC3lzy2whT_tK475nznkje1atV_MBogAJp7byOHBc-4our0-MMFPHtMB6Xbem59hyphenhyphenoDKosA/s1600/stretcher.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500949471055569298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTabxji9HgfnmgB8kKiKPHmW6mpRzo4ful-bkaZROC205OUmjCdZI4MiWJIlPwxlshNm30iC3lzy2whT_tK475nznkje1atV_MBogAJp7byOHBc-4our0-MMFPHtMB6Xbem59hyphenhyphenoDKosA/s200/stretcher.jpg" border="0" /></a>I hate to admit it, but now that I’m past the initial push, I’m starting to feel a little better on the whole. Softball season starts this week and it will be nice to get to first base without the aid of a stretcher.<br /><br />It only took me seven full months, but I’m finally starting to make good on my resolution.<br /><br />Next year, I’m going to commit to something I can handle. I’m going to be the best nap taker of 2011.<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter </em><a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh"><em>@Just_Being_Josh</em></a><br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-29758878942778991552010-07-20T13:03:00.000-04:002010-07-20T15:03:37.463-04:00She Knows Me Too Well<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fhyphenhyphenMH3-uMUzNbQE7gMevKvyo9MFGxOdD_sqBudyqruJkmZ-NHJ12rsMhNbMTCthvafUTGIWGRQwECuKwp-tkgolJFpDn2jYkyRsH-ZYRo0J6Zjh3ykUPYbN4CXIKoeVEtnqoc2TUMFc/s1600/jbj5.JPG"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">My Wife is both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me.<br /><br />She is the best because she is loving, caring, and supportive. She is sweet but sophisticated, fun but has depth, and has a vivacious appetite for living life. She makes me want to be the man she needs.<br /><br />She is the worst because I can’t pull anything past her.<br /><br />Since we have been friends for so long, she already knew all of my tricks and schemes when we started dating. At first, this was comforting because I could finally relax in a relationship. There were a few times early on that I tried running from the commitment but she didn’t freak out and just wouldn’t let me go.<br /><br />Being with someone more stubborn than me was pretty much my only hope of ever getting married.<br /><br />But now that we have been married for almost a year, she knows how to handle me a little too well for my tastes. For example: whenever I didn’t want to participate in an event or activity in a previous relationship, I just whined and moaned about it enough until the other person didn’t want to listen to me anymore and finally gave up on my involvement.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg135LbX7fxz4gYdBg445Djct2GNQ0f-hCBPTyx03NVkfw14YFw2Wr2n3KVzjtaKIjYYBuTAIymDVb45CinyI3IW2P7HXOROjyx0f7H6PEBQPMT0B98f5TVas7eXhjqltZ8ifrYJ4PVDa0/s1600/plane_taking_off-13369.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496060554258367442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg135LbX7fxz4gYdBg445Djct2GNQ0f-hCBPTyx03NVkfw14YFw2Wr2n3KVzjtaKIjYYBuTAIymDVb45CinyI3IW2P7HXOROjyx0f7H6PEBQPMT0B98f5TVas7eXhjqltZ8ifrYJ4PVDa0/s200/plane_taking_off-13369.jpg" border="0" /></a>This plane doesn’t even get off the ground with my Wife.<br /><br />It all became obvious last week while I was watching the Major League baseball All-Star game and then I noticed her standing at the front door with a plate of cookies.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Are you ready?<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> For what?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> To take these cookies to Abby and her husband. I told you about this.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> WHO IS ABBY?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> The girl that we met at church a couple of weeks ago. They just got married and live in our apartment complex.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> We have to go now?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Yes. She is not feeling well and I told her I would drop off some cookies and say congratulations on getting married, and oh, I don’t know, maybe be a good neighbor.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> But during the All-Star game?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> They live right next door. It will take all of two minutes.<br /><br /><em>(Two minutes later when we are still walking through our complex)</em><br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> You said they live right next door. We have already passed 20 “next” doors.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> They live at the other end of the complex.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> You said they live “next door”! The other end is like a mile away! We should have taken the car.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> We are not going to drive the car to another building within our own complex. Besides, the walk is good for us.<br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> I will walk with you anytime, just not during the All-Star game! You said it would only take two minutes so I didn’t record it or pause it. I just better not miss anything.<br /><br /><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvBY98tI5iTM8GKKzbsPDnNpEcJNbG0fRe2_cPF9-ktjqx7vpyXoALd3tCpSoouFd2139Qt1QfzcG6m3zkDj1ZS6i8jX2PWZZDwFpP5Ips622vP9d-MsuJk1lZt_cwtshwsUWYpfaCko/s1600/mccann_asmvp_pack_275.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496062204563440146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvBY98tI5iTM8GKKzbsPDnNpEcJNbG0fRe2_cPF9-ktjqx7vpyXoALd3tCpSoouFd2139Qt1QfzcG6m3zkDj1ZS6i8jX2PWZZDwFpP5Ips622vP9d-MsuJk1lZt_cwtshwsUWYpfaCko/s200/mccann_asmvp_pack_275.jpg" border="0" /></a>(Two minutes later when we are still walking and my cell phone is blowing up after the National League has taken a 3-1 lead on a dramatic bases loaded triple)<br /></em><br /><strong>ME:</strong> UGGGGGGGH!!! WHERE ARE WE GOING???<br /><br /><em>(Two minutes later when we FINALLY get to their front door)<br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>ME:</strong> Can you promise that you will just hand them the cookies so we can go?<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Of course, this is not going to take long. She’s not feeling well anyway.<br /><br /><em>(The husband answers and invites us in)</em><br /><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Oh, we were just dropping off the cookies, we really don’t want to bother you.<br /><br /><strong>MY WIFE:</strong> Well, we don’t want to be rude!<br /><br /><em>(She walks in)<br /></em><br /><strong>ME:</strong> Unbelievable.<br /><br />The next 10 minutes were spent talking about their wedding, my Wife asking the other wife about planning a kitchen accessories party, and the other wife showing my Wife some of their wedding presents while me and the other guy stood there in the inevitable husband silence.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyS0eUSCSJlLsAZWBOCtqWNEEluXfCwYEJCqTOBxIoab0Zh1soPRSBUIZmB-BIJ2NChkWSRrGgoLAwV4spxa5uw-wP2TsOJuaif6ZNd6wfzEwrsgpyBXz4cc1PF181qw2SdgoAhKboKM/s1600/Bowler-Hat-Guy1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496062769378530546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyS0eUSCSJlLsAZWBOCtqWNEEluXfCwYEJCqTOBxIoab0Zh1soPRSBUIZmB-BIJ2NChkWSRrGgoLAwV4spxa5uw-wP2TsOJuaif6ZNd6wfzEwrsgpyBXz4cc1PF181qw2SdgoAhKboKM/s200/Bowler-Hat-Guy1.jpg" border="0" /></a>It was in that moment that I realized that my Wife is a genius criminal mastermind. She knew all along how far away their house was, she knew that it was going to take longer than two minutes and she still somehow got me to go with her.<br /><br />I may have been kicking and screaming the whole time, but she still got me to go with her.<br /><br />Her real brilliance is that she is smart enough not to fight with me because she knows that’s what I want. If I can get someone bickering with me, I know that I can eventually wear them down. But somehow she maintains a positive demeanor throughout and doesn’t show any vulnerability to my attacks.<br /><br />Do I really not get to her? That's what I can't figure out. Or is she just sweeping it under the rug for now and one day it’s going to explode in the form of her tell-all memoirs titled, “That Guy Was Such a Pain in My Face”.<br /><br />I honestly can’t tell yet but I’m enjoying the process of getting to know someone better as we navigate through this existence together.<br /><br />Even though she’s already got me pegged.<br /><br /><br /><em>Follow Josh on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh">@Just_Being_Josh</a></em></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-12939019870162101172010-05-19T10:37:00.018-04:002010-05-19T13:55:46.060-04:00Network TV Fall Schedules Announced<span style="font-family:arial;">Since the major broadcast networks announced their respective fall lineups this week, I thought I'd do a quick breakdown of what will be new, what will be different, and a night-by-night listing (all times Mountain Standard Time) of each net's schedule<br /><br />It's the least I can do for taking that extended hiatus.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnpoCqoirOOVskySPq7QLx0iArj4fPzrXDgA8CnfrMkJ2e9DAonYaDMQYpoy61HSaO3LboRqfBPwuNOXL9U0fBvJ4N49lHfc5SVK1H_kvIPGF0MEg_3yyS6vRivA401U__LS0UQ3F5LI/s1600/abc_logo.gif"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6ClowNZvbxCTiI3ZC1UoXI_3EFs5SaCjuZ2S1OBWsyego3IlkKVoD0IjlSOmePzc7yCmTvvUSwqrzcge8mP8IhWzdRhHaGxTqcAXr0YKFmONYL-PgxlBOojKnANh_aOOR_Dd8DkdRBs/s1600/abc_logo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 147px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473036401370520818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6ClowNZvbxCTiI3ZC1UoXI_3EFs5SaCjuZ2S1OBWsyego3IlkKVoD0IjlSOmePzc7yCmTvvUSwqrzcge8mP8IhWzdRhHaGxTqcAXr0YKFmONYL-PgxlBOojKnANh_aOOR_Dd8DkdRBs/s200/abc_logo.jpg" /></a>ABC<br /><br />What's New:</strong> ABC trots out new dramas "No Ordinary Family", "Detroit 1-8-7", "Body of Proof", and "My Generation" as we all try to cope in a post-"Lost" universe. JoAnna Garcia ("Privileged") stars in ABC's lone new comedy for the fall season. "Mr. Sunshine" starring Matthew Perry ("Friends") will debut midseason<br /><br /><strong>What's Different: </strong>Not much. "The Middle" was the only existing show to move to a new timeslot.<br /><br /><em>** - New Show<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPpqCeVz_CugyKpOzwnwe1iGBCH5NhzDroFy_HZveFKMPHrDNX7e-uyU3F9NBfzACiK0Xx3YXEhDPt5eDUG5lwTERqo16xqhsEVcL2Bi8cWtPdt_YLAnD-R_Ac1AErhV2C47jhU_bs3I/s1600/fox_logo.jpg"></a>* - New Timeslot</em><br /><br /><strong>MONDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars<br />9:00 p.m. Castle<br /><br /><strong>TUESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. No Ordinary Family**<br />8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars the Results Show<br />9:00 p.m. Detroit 1-8-7**<br /><br /><strong>WEDNESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. The Middle*<br />7:30 p.m. Better Together**<br />8:00 p.m. Modern Family<br />8:30 p.m. Cougar Town<br />9:00 p.m. The Whole Truth**<br /><br /><strong>THURSDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. My Generation**<br />8:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy<br />9:00 p.m. Private Practice<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. Secret Millionaire**<br />8:00 p.m. Body of Proof**<br />9:00 p.m. 20/20<br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY</strong><br />6:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football<br /><br /><strong>SUNDAY</strong><br />6:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos<br />7:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition<br />8:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives<br />9:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters<br /><br /><em><a href="http://abc.go.com/site/new-fall-season">For more on ABC's fall schedule, click here<br /></a></em><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4co6Cato3rScxTJMC2_RMKHxNe9D8bpAlBBlKHAi6FT4uL_S2xUIdSSNXtun3YGx84cix7_kvyU9WPaX26hHWp-ERtnFOd0scizgR0CRDLd2Y4aRjy_FNWMih5wick7oUZ2MEAsQ3JI/s1600/102_cbs_logo_050807.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 102px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473026721633584722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4co6Cato3rScxTJMC2_RMKHxNe9D8bpAlBBlKHAi6FT4uL_S2xUIdSSNXtun3YGx84cix7_kvyU9WPaX26hHWp-ERtnFOd0scizgR0CRDLd2Y4aRjy_FNWMih5wick7oUZ2MEAsQ3JI/s200/102_cbs_logo_050807.jpg" /></a><br /><strong>CBS<br /><br />What's New: </strong>The Eye probably has the most buzzworthy new shows heading into the fall season. Tom Selleck headlines the new drama "Blue Bloods" and I'm personally interested in the new "Hawaii Five-O" reboot. William Shatner stars in the new comedy "$#*! My Dad Says" based off the now infamous Twitter account of the same name. The "Criminal Minds" spinoff starring Forrest Whitaker will debut midseason.<br /><br /><strong>What's Different: </strong>CBS also made the boldest moves of all the networks by far. "Survivor" moves from Thursdays to Wednesdays to sure up the one glaring weak night in the lineup. The 18-49 demo ratings monster "The Big Bang Theory" will now lead off Thursday night with "$#*! My Dad Says" following, making navigating Thursday nights even more difficult than ever before. Sigh...<br /><br /><em>** - New Show<br />* - New Timeslot<br /></em><br /><strong>MONDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother<br />7:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement<br />8:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men<br />8:30 p.m. Mike & Molly**<br />9:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-O**<br /><br /><strong>TUESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. NCIS<br />8:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles<br />9:00 p.m. The Good Wife<br /><br /><strong>WEDNESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Survivor*<br />8:00 p.m. Criminal Minds<br />9:00 p.m. The Defenders**<br /><br /><strong>THURSDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory*<br />7:30 p.m. $#*! My Dad Says**<br />8:00 p.m. CSI<br />9:00 p.m. The Mentalist<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Medium*<br />8:00 p.m. CSI: NY*<br />9:00 p.m. Blue Bloods**<br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday<br />8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday<br />9:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery<br /><br /><strong>SUNDAY</strong><br />6:00 p.m. 60 Minutes<br />7:00 p.m. The Amazing Race<br />8:00 p.m. Undercover Boss<br />9:00 p.m. CSI: Miami<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJFoaoINPqSZWNJvtSPtrZsQSpzVGZkQvJCbLCoWxyuXTkvEsZ1JW7SzYq_wq3jUrS0rDODVLmN5XbT_vtPBmGoHYM0LkDAWegM1i_lUrI7KpycbxRjARB2fad1jWCSMi1z2uR4UuoFo/s1600/fox.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473025972381169058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJFoaoINPqSZWNJvtSPtrZsQSpzVGZkQvJCbLCoWxyuXTkvEsZ1JW7SzYq_wq3jUrS0rDODVLmN5XbT_vtPBmGoHYM0LkDAWegM1i_lUrI7KpycbxRjARB2fad1jWCSMi1z2uR4UuoFo/s200/fox.gif" /></a><br /><strong>FOX<br /><br />What's New:</strong> Sign me up for anything starring Will Arnett and his former "Arrested Development" writers ("Running Wilde")<br /><br /><strong>What's Different:</strong> Apparently Fox finally got the memo concerning the annual surplus of "American Idol". Starting this season, the performance night of "Idol" with only be an hour and a half and the results show will be 30 minutes. Finally!<br /><br /><em>** - New Show<br />* - New Timeslot</em><br /><br /><strong>MONDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. House<br />8:00 p.m. Lonestar**<br /><br /><strong>TUESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Glee*<br />8:00 p.m. Raising Hope**<br />8:30 p.m. Running Wilde**<br /><br /><strong>WEDNESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Lie to Me*<br />8:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen*<br /><br /><strong>THURSDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Bones<br />8:00 p.m. Fringe<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. Human Target*<br />8:00 p.m. The Good Guys*<br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. COPS<br />7:30 p.m. COPS<br />8:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted<br /><br /><strong>SUNDAY</strong><br />6:00 p.m. The OT (NFL post-game)<br />7:00 p.m. The Simpsons<br />7:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show<br />8:00 p.m. Family Guy<br />8:30 p.m. American Dad<br /><br /><strong><em>Fox midseason schedule</em></strong><br /><br /><strong>MONDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. House<br />8:00 p.m. Lonestar / Ride-Along**<br /><br /><strong>TUESDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. American Idol performance show<br />8:30 p.m. Running Wilde / Mixed Signals**<br /><br /><strong>WEDNESDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. Raising Hope<br />7:30 p.m. American Idol results show*<br />8:00 p.m. Glee*<br /><br /><strong>THURSDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. Bones<br />8:00 p.m. Fringe<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY<br /></strong>7:00 p.m. Human Target<br />8:00 p.m. Kitchen Nightmares<br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY</strong><br />7:00 p.m. COPS<br />7:30 p.m. COPS<br />8:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted<br /><br /><strong>SUNDAY</strong><br />6:00 p.m. The Simpsons (encores)<br />6:30 p.m. American Dad*<br />7:00 p.m. The Simpsons<br />7:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers**<br />8:00 p.m. Family Guy<br />8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show*<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.fox.com/programming/">For more on FOX's fall schedule, click here</a></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjuEG8oTJ_UUgDxZfx1cqOY5-yxLLmzay5k3NBnH-QqeabSTGLUVw9gk5rdPCrutFlFtg_mCIPKFkxw2pYMvs8iL0hj6-axElbJowVMygFmS5IbwVeEJyBhTQvXs_F8gcztg5iOJm4oI/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473026151776816834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjuEG8oTJ_UUgDxZfx1cqOY5-yxLLmzay5k3NBnH-QqeabSTGLUVw9gk5rdPCrutFlFtg_mCIPKFkxw2pYMvs8iL0hj6-axElbJowVMygFmS5IbwVeEJyBhTQvXs_F8gcztg5iOJm4oI/s200/images.jpg" /></a>NBC</strong><br /><br /><strong>What's New: </strong>With the Jay Leno 10 p.m. experiment scrapped from last season, the Peacock tries to get back on track with a lot of new offerings, including the J.J. Abrams spy-drama "Undercovers". And while I will certainly give it a chance, the new comedy, "Outsourced" might hit a little too close to home for me.<br /><br /><strong>What's Different: </strong>This marks the first time in the past two decades that the "Law & Order" flagship series will not return to the lineup. Other than that, "L&O: SVU" and "30 Rock" are the only existing shows to change timeslots.<br /><br /><strong>MONDAY</strong><br />8 p.m. Chuck<br />9 p.m. The Event**<br />10 p.m. Chase**<br /><br /><strong>TUESDAY<br /></strong>8-10 p.m. Biggest Loser<br />10 p.m. Parenthood<br /><br /><strong>WEDNESDAY</strong><br />8 p.m. Undercovers**<br />9 p.m. Law & Order: SVU*<br />10 p.m. Law & Order: Los Angeles**<br /><br /><strong>THURSDAY</strong><br />8 p.m. Community<br />8:30 p.m. 30 Rock*<br />9 p.m. The Office<br />9:30 p.m. Outsourced**<br />10 p.m. Love Bites**<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY</strong><br />8 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are/School Pride<br />9 p.m. Dateline<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">10 p.m. Outlaw**<br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY</strong><br />Repeats<br /><br /><strong>SUNDAY</strong><br />Sunday Night Football</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><a href="http://www.nbc.com/upcoming-shows/">For more on NBC's fall schedule, click here</a><br /><br /></em></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-59920643405246135032010-04-26T12:11:00.008-04:002010-04-26T13:12:58.793-04:00I Hate New Jerseys<span style="font-family:arial;">Until recently, I used to love collecting professional sports jerseys.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoBvkVpl6HRvjKKpiID9ON6ciukMUZh9IujUFCh-TZA7CMvEB6Vfk_VhnhuvmOMOx2IIW9jODpiSLm8wwXUGUX0W3m0gnFp66zhhC7_6ESJAFuswQyCHn3pKhrQD7e-3yFK0AppJ_jIM/s1600/h5apsd71i866gwvfgmh2nqyes.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480763394588178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 192px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoBvkVpl6HRvjKKpiID9ON6ciukMUZh9IujUFCh-TZA7CMvEB6Vfk_VhnhuvmOMOx2IIW9jODpiSLm8wwXUGUX0W3m0gnFp66zhhC7_6ESJAFuswQyCHn3pKhrQD7e-3yFK0AppJ_jIM/s200/h5apsd71i866gwvfgmh2nqyes.gif" border="0" /></a>Growing up as a Philadelphia sports fan, I had a Charles Barkley old school Sixers jersey and the Randall Cunningham Kelly green Eagles jersey. Even my first brush with being a Nuggets fan came with me as a kid designing my own 1980s rainbow styled jersey </span><span style="font-family:arial;">using a white tank top and entire box of Crayola markers (still my favorite uniforms to this day).<br /><br />But collecting jerseys of your favorite players on your favorite teams just isn’t as fun as it used to be because your favorite players don’t seem to stay on your favorite teams as long as they used to.<br /><br />Case in point: as a Christmas present in 2004, my parents got me a Terrell Owens Eagles jersey to wear for the Birds’ impending Super Bowl run (that, as we all know now, ended disastrously). Since T.O. was hurt for the first two playoff games, I didn’t wear the jersey until the Super Bowl, but it was going to be my go-to article of clothing for many seasons to come. Fast forward a few months to the fall out between Owens and the team (that, as we all know now, ended even more disastrously) and I NEVER wore the jersey again.<br /><br />That’s right, I wore that stupid T.O. Eagles jersey a grand total of one time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoA50LiR-ww7pxqtSCgXVEdFMDJD5XkLp1r9ImRo0eGK7l53qpFwo14yKEL46ngQIwvQ27ZA7S5QPpEfX41Q39NTMneuqQRt-7Rcxdw9OXggTWcDrn3d2fDnPorpwvaY_W1JRVmrEFTaw/s1600/brandon-marshall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464495327718749586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoA50LiR-ww7pxqtSCgXVEdFMDJD5XkLp1r9ImRo0eGK7l53qpFwo14yKEL46ngQIwvQ27ZA7S5QPpEfX41Q39NTMneuqQRt-7Rcxdw9OXggTWcDrn3d2fDnPorpwvaY_W1JRVmrEFTaw/s200/brandon-marshall.jpg" border="0" /></a>Another case in point: after Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall single-handedly led my fantasy football team to a championship a few years ago, he became my new favorite player in the NFL. When I decided to move to Denver a year and a half ago, my then-Girlfriend (now Wife) bought me a Marshall jersey as a “Welcome to Denver” gift. But since I didn’t arrive to the Mile High City until after the 2008 season was over, I only got to wear my Marshall jersey around town this past year while the mercurial receiver and head coach Josh McDaniels were at odds (and then, once again, we all know how that ended).<br /><br />In this modern era of sports where players change teams so frequently, a fan's jersey can become outdated faster than technology.<br /><br />And it’s not even the players changing teams that are killing fans in regards to team apparel anymore.<br /><br />It’s the players changing numbers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXltgGH88Cm-o5wNLNd6qdpjV4GhuUfR4NTIJTpdqMiPeYB7zC1QvUNPkyBvd02LRpezmQEzQToouKgu2eoNT_2kEjDbALRqtiGdJ0yIhFpi5VJlr0jgqfZ_3xq6AY9mhM27lgETOhhyphenhyphenw/s1600/nuggets_eclecticcompany.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464495193800382226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXltgGH88Cm-o5wNLNd6qdpjV4GhuUfR4NTIJTpdqMiPeYB7zC1QvUNPkyBvd02LRpezmQEzQToouKgu2eoNT_2kEjDbALRqtiGdJ0yIhFpi5VJlr0jgqfZ_3xq6AY9mhM27lgETOhhyphenhyphenw/s200/nuggets_eclecticcompany.jpg" border="0" /></a>I feel sick every time I go to the Pepsi Center and see the thousands of poor, innocent fans that are stuck walking around with a Kenyon Martin #6 jersey or a Chauncey Billups #7 or a J.R. Smith #1. That’s three players on one team that have changed their uniform number over the past couple of years (Chauncey and J.R. made their switches just this season).<br /><br />I feel even worse for Cleveland Cavalier fans monitoring the LeBron James situation. He is either going to leave for a new team or even if he stays, he’s decided to switch from wearing #23 to #6. So you’re basically screwed either way if you currently own a Cavs #23 jersey.<br /><br />Thanks, King James.<br /><br />This current trend of players switching teams and switching numbers so often has cooled me a bit on throwing down hard earned cash to wear their current incarnation for a limited time. But I still love wearing my team’s colors, so I have been looking for some solutions to this increasing problem.<br /><br /><strong>1. Wear a throwback jersey.</strong> There was a time where I would have resisted this because, while I respect the past, I like to live in the present as a fan. But when the present starts changing faster than the prices at your corner gas station, honoring the past quickly becomes an attractive option. My buddy Kevin was the first of our group to do it. He is a fellow Eagles fan and a couple of years ago, he bought a Jerome Brown (R.I.P.) Kelly green Eagles jersey and I remember thinking to myself, “Hmm… that will never become obsolete.” I followed suit last season when my father in-law graciously gave me an adult sized Randall Cunningham throwback. I wore it during every Eagles game this past year and he is <em>still</em> my favorite Eagle.<br /><br /><strong>2. Order a personalized jersey.</strong> While I love the Cunningham jersey, I still want to sport the Eagles new colors from time to time and I’ve been leaning heavily towards ordering a custom-made “Mahler” Eagles jersey. I would still have the throwback but I could represent the present with one guy I know will never get traded or leave.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWjW3Z_wjJB5mVAd4bSZWnvzZoqZ6q521qJdiHo4Eyr-YKKn0j-fug_0yoZTINcGYrNKqelBseCnzanr6uI1_0uRSgG8Umd0C2Q1KdvbuOW5wWg4WxZFjQjPi2JB1AxqwDSX_P2oItAI/s1600/tim-tebow-denver-broncos-jersey-151.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464489090090713570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 189px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWjW3Z_wjJB5mVAd4bSZWnvzZoqZ6q521qJdiHo4Eyr-YKKn0j-fug_0yoZTINcGYrNKqelBseCnzanr6uI1_0uRSgG8Umd0C2Q1KdvbuOW5wWg4WxZFjQjPi2JB1AxqwDSX_P2oItAI/s200/tim-tebow-denver-broncos-jersey-151.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>3. Redeem an old jersey.</strong> Denver fans are in a very unique situation right now. There are literally thousands of local Broncos fans that got left stranded with an outdated #15 jersey after Marshall got traded (like me). But when the newly drafted Tim Tebow announced that he is going to wear the vacated number as a pro, that provided a very intriguing option to redeem those Marshall jerseys by just changing the name on the back. Now I have no idea what Tebow is going to do as a pro but I just don't want to throw away another obsolete jersey. I’ve done some searching online and of course the NFL doesn’t sell replacement nameplates (and they apparently take legal action on any one that does), but there has to be a way. Even if I have to write Tebow’s name over Marshall’s name with a sharpie, I’m not going to drop another 80 bucks on a jersey with a number that I already own.<br /><br />Any other suggestions to this issue would be greatly appreciated</span>.Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-67356875795909668682010-04-20T19:32:00.007-04:002010-04-20T20:05:54.360-04:002010 NFL Schedule is Announced<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis_9g-esor8bFDCRP6B4CuYsj0iZ1bMDPAmG5rNUULMoWUrVtfdvDMCeAx_uUeIBh5yXbNnSynNArkDcckPli1B_37wfXXQSr6hSsbtimNW8Tc_vDZTe-LQnbUK2t7-R5jtmPYcoVJmU/s1600/josh-mcdaniels-and-kyle-orton1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462371959285312514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 174px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis_9g-esor8bFDCRP6B4CuYsj0iZ1bMDPAmG5rNUULMoWUrVtfdvDMCeAx_uUeIBh5yXbNnSynNArkDcckPli1B_37wfXXQSr6hSsbtimNW8Tc_vDZTe-LQnbUK2t7-R5jtmPYcoVJmU/s200/josh-mcdaniels-and-kyle-orton1.jpg" border="0" /></a>We may not know yet who is supposed to score points for the Denver Broncos in 2010, but at least we know who they will be playing against.<br /><br />The less than stellar finish last season coupled with the lack of star power had to be determining factors in the Broncs only getting one primetime game on the 2010 schedule (week 11 at San Diego), but overall, it looks to be a manageable path for a team trying to get back on the right one.<br /><br />The schedule makers were gracious to Denver as they get the Colts and Jets (at home) out of the way relatively early and while they do have a vicious three game road trip late in the season, Kansas City (a Kurt Warner less) Arizona, and Oakland isn't the worst combination they could have inherited. Besides, they are rewarded with two home games to end the season.<br /><br /><strong>Here is the full Broncos schedule for the 2010 campaign:</strong><br /><br />12 @ Jacksonville<br /><br />9/19 SEATTLE<br /><br />9/26 INDIANAPOLIS<br /><br />10/3 @ Tennessee<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">10/10 @ Baltimore<br /><br />10/17 NEW YORK JETS<br /><br />10/24 OAKLAND<br /><br />10/31 @ San Francisco (in London)<br /><br />11/7 BYE<br /><br />11/14 KANSAS CITY<br /><br />11/22 @ San Diego (Monday Night)<br /><br />11/28 ST. LOUIS<br /><br />12/5 @ Kansas City<br /><br />12/12 @ Arizona<br /><br />12/19 @ Oakland<br /><br />12/26 HOUSTON<br /><br />1/2 SAN DIEGO<br /><br /><br /><strong>Around the rest of the league, here are some of the other noteable games:</strong><br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAG6FcKCzlnAtU56sY6YDlkWnD-qOddvxz3_u05GWGx1DhZacs0tGMf_W_kwpVWG0bgVa5PfFBuI3-b6mZC1ZKeURYzWZuqfg-XXSL0KowC5uSYHluFij-V8j9IBTh3ibqEyEBNzaP1w/s1600/51818379.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462372780007272770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAG6FcKCzlnAtU56sY6YDlkWnD-qOddvxz3_u05GWGx1DhZacs0tGMf_W_kwpVWG0bgVa5PfFBuI3-b6mZC1ZKeURYzWZuqfg-XXSL0KowC5uSYHluFij-V8j9IBTh3ibqEyEBNzaP1w/s200/51818379.jpg" border="0" /></a>- Vikings vs. Saints (Thursday, Sep 9)</strong> Rematch of last year's NFC title game to kick off the new year. Let's all hold our breath and wait for Brett Favre to decide if he is going to grace us with his presence.<br /><br /><strong>- Cowboys vs. Redskins (Sunday Night, Sep 12)</strong> Donovan McNabb makes his Skins' debut against the rival Cowboys in the first Sunday night game of the season.<br /><br /><strong>- Ravens vs. Jets (Monday Night, Sep 13)</strong> New York head coach Rex Ryan faces his old squad in the Jets' first game in their new stadium.<br /><br /><strong>- Giants vs. Colts (Sunday Night, Sep 19)</strong> Manning Bowl!<br /><br />- <strong>Redskins vs. Eagles (Sunday, Oct 3)</strong> McNabb makes his return to Philly.<br /><br /><strong>- Steelers vs. Saints (Sunday Night, Oct 31)</strong> The NFL decides to go head to head with the World Series </span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>- Saints vs. Cowboys (Thursday, Nov 25)</strong> One of the better sounding Thanksgiving Day games in recent memories (Patriots vs. Lions is the other offering)<br /><br /><strong>- Bengals vs. Jets (Thursday Night Nov 25) </strong>Rematch from the playoffs serves as a quality Thanksgiving nightcap.<br /><br /><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/schedule">Click here for full 2010 NFL schedule</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Can't wait for the draft to make it's primetime debut on Thursday night and I'm already looking forward to the new season.<br /><br />What do you think of the Broncos schedule? Are there any other games from around the league that jump out at you?<br /><br />Let me know below!<br /><br /></p></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-40562446884115109612010-04-15T09:06:00.004-04:002010-04-15T09:47:54.219-04:00American Idol Top 7 Power Rankings<span style="font-family:arial;">I can't help but find it ironic that the two contestants that I anointed the respective male and female favorites after Hollywood week were bounced from the <em>Idol</em> stage together last night.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS7hFxrYXFQbBtb8IGQEmEkILds8JdqRArdxkQRfG-ZadS5qrgGrxgE6PQPovHCkljSwBqEDg71Ekqnh03rybca4LUNFZFw7Z4qOCs0v_BP87FnbcjhvseIeYglOgo0_pGhDo7Xyrrg8/s1600/2011148276.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460355644686048434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS7hFxrYXFQbBtb8IGQEmEkILds8JdqRArdxkQRfG-ZadS5qrgGrxgE6PQPovHCkljSwBqEDg71Ekqnh03rybca4LUNFZFw7Z4qOCs0v_BP87FnbcjhvseIeYglOgo0_pGhDo7Xyrrg8/s200/2011148276.jpg" /></a>Andrew was riding high after that ingenious <em>Straight Up</em> performance, but never built upon that through the competition. Instead of coming off cool and hip, he somehow grew nerdier with each week (no offense meant, as I am as nerdy as they get) but you could sense that he was having trouble connecting with any semblance of a demographic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0PaYnKFVd8hyphenhyphenF4zDszO0H6S5b9IYzFyr2_ZLbWLR8ksl0sZl24WeQ9fNbD4Nlwq67PZiq3zjFMfLjzwmzT9G_aXzoniUJ1ix4yi22hC716yAb02idwrUo2p85kbtM8dVGRuerSeZFFU/s1600/2011148291.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460355742685309442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0PaYnKFVd8hyphenhyphenF4zDszO0H6S5b9IYzFyr2_ZLbWLR8ksl0sZl24WeQ9fNbD4Nlwq67PZiq3zjFMfLjzwmzT9G_aXzoniUJ1ix4yi22hC716yAb02idwrUo2p85kbtM8dVGRuerSeZFFU/s200/2011148291.jpg" /></a>In all fairness to me, I did note that Katie was my default female leader after Hollywood, only because I hadn't seen Siobhan yet and was all kinds of concerned over Crystal's image issues (which have been solved to an extent). I thought Katie had one of the only "big" voices in the field this season but she never harnessed those vocals nor delivered that epic, power moment.<br /><br />Had they found themselves as artists earlier (or at all), I still wouldn't have been surprised to see them standing together at the end. But they each lost their way, never found a specific audience to connect with, and here we are.</span><br /><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">On to the Power Rankings!<br /><br />I've got Crystal maintaining the top spot for the 12 billionth week in a row and I have to imagine that Lee, Siobhan, and Casey will be rounding out the Top 4 for the rest of the run unless someone else gets crazy white hot just at the right time (umm... gulp... Tim? Am I crazy or was he actually somewhat decent this week?).<br /><br />How good is <a href="http://www.votefortheworst.com/">VoteForTheWorst.com </a>feeling right now, by the way?<br /><br />I still like Big Mike a lot but it's hard to consider him a legit contender after being up for elimination last week and falling into the Bottom 3 again this week. With Tim (ugh) and Aaron (ugh) starting to gain some traction, it's starting to feel like only a matter of time for Big Mike. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Crystal Bowersox (no change from last week)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Lee Dewyze (no change)<br /><br />3. Siobhan Magnus (+1)<br /><br />4. Casey James (-1)<br /><br />5. Aaron Kelly (+3)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">6. Tim Urban (+1)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">7. Michael Lynche (-1)<br /><br /></span></div></div>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-14058148974256908292010-04-12T09:27:00.002-04:002010-04-12T10:41:04.175-04:00One and a Half Men?<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyBIQY45NM_3aDziez_97r3qNUbVpArxGj5ZZJ5nddMLz7TQDFzva0Rh-cdM5qxvgBPEdVvlsnNg_TVfEajkSuZkP80M0l1Qodnu2JTu8wTMjKQloEmVI5hZ4tsqMXAqVPyFry2hqU48/s1600/sheen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459258334470675858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyBIQY45NM_3aDziez_97r3qNUbVpArxGj5ZZJ5nddMLz7TQDFzva0Rh-cdM5qxvgBPEdVvlsnNg_TVfEajkSuZkP80M0l1Qodnu2JTu8wTMjKQloEmVI5hZ4tsqMXAqVPyFry2hqU48/s200/sheen.jpg" border="0" /></a>In a year where we witnessed the NBC-<em>Tonight Show</em> debacle, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the recent news of Charlie Sheen announcing he is ready to leave <em>Two and a Half Men</em> is shaping up to be one of the most bizarre/fascinating TV related stories I've ever followed.<br /><br />I've resisted the urge to speculate on the matter for 12 full days now, but just can't wait any longer.<br /><br />First the facts:<br /><br />- Everyone thought it was an April Fool's joke (including me) when the story broke from <a href="http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/04/01/sources-charlie-sheen-leaving-two-and-a-half-men/">People.com</a> that Sheen was ready to leave the show after this, its seventh season. According to <em>People</em>, "Charlie’s just done," says a set source. "And he’s quietly telling his friends he’s not coming back." The story went on to say that Sheen had very recently turned down an offer from CBS for the eighth season because “He wants to move on,” says a friend of the actor. “Leaving is 100 percent his idea.”<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />- <em>Men</em> remains one of the highest rated comedies on television, so losing one of the main stars would be a major blow to the series and potentially to CBS and its powerful Monday night programming block (<em>Men</em> has anchored the night from the 9 p.m. EST slot for most of its run). History suggests that a show is doomed when a lead character exits and, ironically enough, one of the best examples is when Sheen himself tried to replace Michael J. Fox on <em>Spin City</em>.<br /><br />- Everyone (including me) instantly took Sheen's statement as a negotiations ploy since his contract was up at the end of this season. Apparently he has been making somewhere in the ballpark of $800,000+ an episode but reportedly asked for $1.5 million per ep sometime last year (Sheen's people have since said these numbers and demands are false). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyzciw5tOjmRBhlc_07EgGSHIETgl2SQWu706UL5NmiVzkjBWEiMoyByB0n-IJeuDDoQBZTecXkgIcohVEqhyphenhyphenrQksBwnZM8NiXaK2jSVg49w2ATxji1FsxyfyHJS1hzvm1QgBms4v5ng/s1600/Two-and-a-Half-Men.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459258538861879906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyzciw5tOjmRBhlc_07EgGSHIETgl2SQWu706UL5NmiVzkjBWEiMoyByB0n-IJeuDDoQBZTecXkgIcohVEqhyphenhyphenrQksBwnZM8NiXaK2jSVg49w2ATxji1FsxyfyHJS1hzvm1QgBms4v5ng/s200/Two-and-a-Half-Men.jpg" border="0" /></a>- What makes the story all the more interesting is that just last year, CBS picked up the series to run through the 2011-12 season, so i</span><span style="font-family:arial;">n my mind, this still feels like the perfection negotiation tactic. Your contract is up, you know the show can't carry on without you but needs to fulfill its contractual obligations, you say you're leaving and the network suddenly has to throw money at you. Makes sense to me. But Sheen and his representatives have repeatedly disputed this point. “Both parties have known the score for over a year,” Sheen said <a href="http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/04/09/charlie-sheen-two-and-a-half-men-11th-hour-negotiation/">in a recent statement</a>. “In no way, has this been a hasty or negligent eleventh hour surprise." “A negotiation ploy is something you do to get the best possible deal," Sheen's publicist Stan Rosenfield added. "Charlie told them what he wanted a year ago.”<br /><br />- <em>Men</em> filmed its season finale this past Friday and according to sources close to the situation, it was "<a href="http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/04/10/on-the-scene-of-two-and-a-half-men-no-goodbye-speeches-just-business-as-usual/">business as usual</a>." Reportedly, Sheen didn't address the studio audience on the subject or make any teary good-bye speeches to the cast and crew (who were supposedly stunned by his recent "decision" to leave the show).<br /><br />So... where do we go from here?<br /><br />As much as I would love to believe that Sheen has actually grown a conscience and this could actually be the end of my least favorite show on television, I'm not going buy into any of the posturing until an actual decision is made and Sheen is no longer on the show.<br /><br />While there may actually be some truth to his desire to move on with his career (to what?), I just can't see him - or anyone for that matter - walking away from the boatload of money I have to believe that CBS is going to throw at him in a few weeks.<br /><br />Why just a few weeks?<br /><br />Because the network upfronts are in May. And for those not familiar with the term, the upfronts are the dog and pony show where the networks announce their fall schedules to potential advertisers (it's worth noting Men has been commanding over $220,000 for a 30 second commercial spot. Not bad at all for a half hour sitcom and you can't see CBS wanting to lose that kind of cash).<br /><br />One rumor that has been floating around that makes the most sense (if he is truly sincere about leaving the show) is to only have Sheen appear in a handful episodes. That way he could get paid more per episode like he wants, the show would be theoretically be able to continue and fulfill its contract, and CBS wouldn't be paying him much more over the course of the season due to his limited appearances.<br /><br />In the words of Michael Scott, that feels like a win-win-win.<br /><br />If I was a betting man, however, I would put my money on CBS buckling, giving him the close to the $1.5 mil per ep and him returning for at least one more full season.<br /><br />I will leave you with one last thought: If CBS thinks it through, they don't necessarily HAVE to buckle in this case. As I've been combing over their potential pilot orders, they actually have some decent sounding comedies in the works that could step right in and help stabilize the CBS Monday night lineup.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALHb2hswIjzqeKr8PLTLdJkCvIPcPv3KukfM0nvlA2Z0Z9BObNAMm4Lvzj0C1-CFWXxcTcaZaexDAE6lcRCD3JTgZ7zEC9w26smX9_bfk7WpqOKk11O4iv9OY52_v3E3v3Cg8bsFeLzA/s1600/season-2-promo-pic-the-big-bang-theory-2847657-2500-1667.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459258758118324210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALHb2hswIjzqeKr8PLTLdJkCvIPcPv3KukfM0nvlA2Z0Z9BObNAMm4Lvzj0C1-CFWXxcTcaZaexDAE6lcRCD3JTgZ7zEC9w26smX9_bfk7WpqOKk11O4iv9OY52_v3E3v3Cg8bsFeLzA/s200/season-2-promo-pic-the-big-bang-theory-2847657-2500-1667.jpg" border="0" /></a>Off of the top of my head, they could keep "How I Met Your Mother" at 8 p.m. EST, slide in "<a href="http://www.buddytv.com/articles/how-i-met-your-mother/news-roundup-new-cast-revealed-35572.aspx">Livin' on a Prayer</a>" (from "HIMYM" scribes) at 8:30, move the widely successful "Big Bang Theory" up to 9 p.m., and lead out with William Shatner's new "family" comedy, "<a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/02/stuff-my-dad-says-cbs-tv-pilot.html">Stuff My Dad Says</a>" at 9:30 p.m.<br /><br />While I can't see them kicking "Men" of the night entirely (regardless if Sheen leaves or returns in limited duty), my point is that if this was NBC, they would have to give in to actor because they don't have any thing in the works to replace a hit.<br /><br />But CBS does.<br /><br />They already have more than <a href="http://reporter.blogs.com/pilotseason/cbs-pilot-orders-201011.html">seven potential comedy pilots</a> being developed for next year. It remains to see how many - if any - actually get promoted to the schedule, but that's a huge number for one network regardless.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZE3kcIYJdxx-zZi_2lhqzyod5zwF1PuHeFsxGSOYytVgP1f1llF9sKRj2NjUtlQANgGAKMHDLnwOsBlCAuPRXqRxZgO9iR0hYLLDeEuwRZ6r9CLGckA8k_qVDzn4FKWm-7UihPYTMLQ/s1600/cbs-logo-o.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459258925129588482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZE3kcIYJdxx-zZi_2lhqzyod5zwF1PuHeFsxGSOYytVgP1f1llF9sKRj2NjUtlQANgGAKMHDLnwOsBlCAuPRXqRxZgO9iR0hYLLDeEuwRZ6r9CLGckA8k_qVDzn4FKWm-7UihPYTMLQ/s200/cbs-logo-o.jpg" border="0" /></a>My humble advice to the Eye would be to call Sheen's bluff, proceed as if he (and possibly the show) aren't going to be around and wait him out until you are actually walking out on the stage to present your fall lineup to the advertisers.<br /><br />Maybe he comes running in and takes whatever you're offering, maybe he really is choosing to move on with his life and career. Either way, CBS needs to realize it holds all the cards and they shouldn't give in to yet another potential greedy actor.<br /><br />Which means they probably will.<br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-56663581338997254382010-04-07T23:42:00.011-04:002010-04-08T09:39:19.784-04:00American Idol Top 9 Power Rankings (Again)<span style="font-family:arial;">WOW!<br /><br />A couple quick thoughts from the <em>American Idol</em> performance and results shows:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL904jSULTP510mQkwasxohgFQA1HgOuCfTKjqmrCaQ5DUTZjS1miqeX5NotDkfSLU7MnTyIxX5cVXwdxD37mQX1r0F5MsVCdT50j21RnKzZ_plMiJJDr8SixfJtPmsRPKrh3ATqQA3c/s1600/2011148283.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457757112259914722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL904jSULTP510mQkwasxohgFQA1HgOuCfTKjqmrCaQ5DUTZjS1miqeX5NotDkfSLU7MnTyIxX5cVXwdxD37mQX1r0F5MsVCdT50j21RnKzZ_plMiJJDr8SixfJtPmsRPKrh3ATqQA3c/s200/2011148283.jpg" /></a>- I personally didn't care for Big Mike's performance on Tuesday night but there was no way I would have put him in the bottom three, let alone had him on the chopping block. Once he was, however, there was no doubt in my mind that the judges were going to save him. So, the moral of the story is that even though the talent this year is less than stellar, at least it seems to be pretty even across the board. Last night's results proved that anyone can head home over the smallest slip-up. Looking forward, you gotta believe Mike returns to form next week - which will only complicate things more now that two contestants will be leaving.<br /><br />- For some reason, I was really glad Katie didn't fall to the Bottom 3. You can see her improving each week and she may be starting to peak just at the right time (maybe I'm just pulling for her because I had her as the female favorite after Hollywood Week. Whoops!)<br /><br />- The biggest surprise of the night was that Tim Urban <em>wasn't even in</em> the Bottom 3! While Tuesday night was one of his "better" performances, all of the contestants should be very aware (and alarmed) that he is only gaining steam as the show continues (congrats to <a href="http://www.votefortheworst.com/">VoteForTheWorst.com</a>. This is an epic run for them).<br /><br />- Hate to say it, but Andrew seemed to take a major step backward after taking a necessary, albeit small step forward last week (I just wanted to use the word, "albeit").<br /><br />- I was glad to finally see Aaron in the Bottom 3. I didn't think it was possible, but he is actually somehow finding a way to get more boring and generic each week. I flipped the channel and watched the commercials during <em>Lost</em> while he was singing and was way more entertained.<br /><br />On to the Power Rankings!<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9iZsN3qcUbuiuGmxgX8adzgYh4lQLSbJ6G0PEBT8EE89kvn5_ASdP_7h8rjMuh0rEhptpwNloH9R5jA9FtkYxZiPdLsspvunI7WuT73Dd5jgqSsQp48Xt2kXcFHQ9S5s65iM_UApwUQ/s1600/2011148271.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457757211279377458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9iZsN3qcUbuiuGmxgX8adzgYh4lQLSbJ6G0PEBT8EE89kvn5_ASdP_7h8rjMuh0rEhptpwNloH9R5jA9FtkYxZiPdLsspvunI7WuT73Dd5jgqSsQp48Xt2kXcFHQ9S5s65iM_UApwUQ/s200/2011148271.jpg" /></a>1. Crystal Bowersox (no change from last week)</strong> - still the most consistent, solid performer of the group. I don't know if she will hang on for the wire-to-wire win but she is the only "professional" singer in the group so far.<br /><br /><strong>2. Lee Dewyze (no change)</strong> - despite his Eeyore personality, Lee is getting better every week and has really started to grow on me. I could actually see myself going to one of his concerts someday (as long as the tickets were free).<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FslyoED5jndI2aORtyTyGI-WtPt3919u8e8JtY9RTa7stfrw9LqfA5XJry8j9iTVnf4noit13AlyELLkbxzE9rTU_lwesQdo2tsPIRsKpspDVHeAymQPh1T0P3rI7NE7lrYS41IjGCQ/s1600/2011148279.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457757322006598898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FslyoED5jndI2aORtyTyGI-WtPt3919u8e8JtY9RTa7stfrw9LqfA5XJry8j9iTVnf4noit13AlyELLkbxzE9rTU_lwesQdo2tsPIRsKpspDVHeAymQPh1T0P3rI7NE7lrYS41IjGCQ/s200/2011148279.jpg" /></a>3. Casey James (+1)</strong> - HUGE night for him. It was good to see him stretch himself a bit and prove that he can be a legit singer in addition to a solid entertainer.<br /><br /><strong>4. Siobhan Magnus (-1)</strong> - There is nothing technically wrong with Siobhan and I still think she will be a major player down the stretch, but it does seem like maybe she peaked a little too early in the competition as there has been increasing Siobhan backlash on the message boards lately.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3jTFRxCheA7W_D6YPv0NQkOaD9tHvvjq0TQuPGcsuxQKDXfck32ni5XAR0DJ-orEOOIX3oUfEBH8TxN2ME0DARts_GQfD2HZwii72dZNmUeEIlSnZGlDCV39wW2wZko3JAvO5kUj5Wg/s1600/2011148291.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457757491906358642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3jTFRxCheA7W_D6YPv0NQkOaD9tHvvjq0TQuPGcsuxQKDXfck32ni5XAR0DJ-orEOOIX3oUfEBH8TxN2ME0DARts_GQfD2HZwii72dZNmUeEIlSnZGlDCV39wW2wZko3JAvO5kUj5Wg/s200/2011148291.jpg" /></a>5. Katie Stevens (+3)</strong> - Best night for her so far this season. I agreed with Simon that her performance had a strong country/Martina McBride-ish element to it (in a good way). She needs to keep picking songs that mean something to her because that's where she is showing to be the strongest.<br /><br /><strong>6. Michael Lynche (-1)</strong> - Even though his neck was on the line, I still like Mike to return to form next week and make some more (good sounding) noise down the stretch.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguguvr8sg1_C3DNk9ZuU52PeN3xzT4cVevzuDZkj2PEpDnGGxJaata7bfKxRy__J1XvGaVw4IAE8OE23PXbIyz2wSE6xv-gZgpJkM11fbHZrNy9AIGCOk3lsWBE4bRJwOVGsIcf-TbmNw/s1600/2011148292.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457757617671171474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguguvr8sg1_C3DNk9ZuU52PeN3xzT4cVevzuDZkj2PEpDnGGxJaata7bfKxRy__J1XvGaVw4IAE8OE23PXbIyz2wSE6xv-gZgpJkM11fbHZrNy9AIGCOk3lsWBE4bRJwOVGsIcf-TbmNw/s200/2011148292.jpg" /></a>7. Tim Urban (+2)</strong> - Tim definitely seems to be gaining steam somehow and he makes it hard to nail down a specific spot for him. Had to move him up a bit this week by virtue of the fact that he finally escaped sweating it out in the Bottom 3.<br /><br /><strong>8. Aaron Kelly (+1)</strong> - With his appearance in the Bottom 3, I'm hoping that proves that people are starting to tire of his generic offerings as much as I am. I just don't know if he has the self awareness and experience to know how to turn it around. Hope I'm right.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzuPuYAET9c6dGEbsvaPoFvpI8zKOO3dVaxvHpjavqGqOyzX8ztkxTq5AfbYxmYwCC0gCI9zkyw_LxxbV6xjZRai4YpcRZ4GGaYt1tHa3ejxCNzlbgSNcv-ln_X-OQm04VPgDb9N_D7c/s1600/2011148276.jpg"></a>9. Andrew Garcia (-3)</strong> - With two people going home next week I already think Andrew could be in trouble no matter what he does. Hope I'm wrong.<br /><br /></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-83242106779541672102010-04-07T18:46:00.006-04:002010-04-07T19:09:10.980-04:00Triabetes Documentary Premiere<span style="font-family:arial;">From <a href="http://www.insulindependence.org/">www.insulindependence.org</a>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8_TUH-CDrJow47xQGRpFsjURgnU_bT8C2ToGWr9YHEa_RT4VYfZgktJMRtiaASMyRBtZxQ7bgG_cmpNuHe2hStWTjzR8TYkc1o9SI8D9_JYUNvT5QHdBQk82FIEFzJZtJZ_eT0uF-fM/s1600/091124TriabetesArizona_BR_0432.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457533428159756914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8_TUH-CDrJow47xQGRpFsjURgnU_bT8C2ToGWr9YHEa_RT4VYfZgktJMRtiaASMyRBtZxQ7bgG_cmpNuHe2hStWTjzR8TYkc1o9SI8D9_JYUNvT5QHdBQk82FIEFzJZtJZ_eT0uF-fM/s200/091124TriabetesArizona_BR_0432.JPG" border="0" /></a>Join Insulindependence for the viewing of the Triabetes Documentary, <strong>"The Science of Inspiration"</strong> on Friday, April 9 at the Oriental Theater in Denver. The full-length documentary was recorded and produced in high definition (HD) digital format by an Emmy-winning video production company, and reveals the magnitude of Ironman training first-hand, from the perspectives of people living with diabetes.<br /><br />The doors will open at 6:00 PM and the documentary screening will begin at 7:00 PM.<br /><br />The Triabetes Documentary is the ultimate story of triumph over adversity. 12 people, ranging from experienced ultra-endurance athletes to the average couch potato, make a year long commitment to test their mind and body in an Ironman Triathlon...while testing their blood sugar.<br /><br />"The Science of Inspiration," shatters preconceived notions of what people with diabetes can do, revolutionizing the way people approach diabetes through inspiration, education of the patient and medical communities about diabetes and exercise, and expolration of the physiological and social foundations of successful diabetes management.<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>The Oriental Theater<br />4335 West 44th Avenue<br />Denver, CO 80212<br /><br />Admission: $3.00<br /><br />Directions: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4335+W+44th+Ave%2C+Denver%2C+CO+80212">Click here for directions </a>to the Oriental Theater.<br /><br />Parking: Street parking is plentiful surrounding the theater.<br /><br />Food and Beverages: Popcorn and beverages will be available for purchase on site.<br /><br />To learn more about Triabetes, or to view the video trailer for "The Science of Inspiriation", visit </em><a href="http://www.triabetes.org/index.php/documentary"><em>Triabetes</em></a><em>.<br /><br />Seating is limited and you don't want to miss it. "Give it a shot," and </em><a href="https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/insulindependence/eventRegistration.jsp?event=101"><em>REGISTER YOUR SEATS TODAY</em></a><em>.<br /><br /></em></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-28209870222901068222010-04-01T10:47:00.006-04:002010-04-01T13:58:59.877-04:00Take Me Out to the Theater<span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Thin Air Theatre Company presents<br /><em>Rounding Third</em><br />By Richard Dresser</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd65h6KBpdrM3_nG6FFCqR57AViof-zDgJ03oawqwie8_UfdV5l7y8jE2g21SXFIdY5c7bgFGf0WbECuLP2QJ9_fLt7s5NVaXlYGk7B4PX7hWEJfvoB_p9FTC57ZVBNVGcpfbbTDZaTQ/s1600/bat.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455184421670395650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd65h6KBpdrM3_nG6FFCqR57AViof-zDgJ03oawqwie8_UfdV5l7y8jE2g21SXFIdY5c7bgFGf0WbECuLP2QJ9_fLt7s5NVaXlYGk7B4PX7hWEJfvoB_p9FTC57ZVBNVGcpfbbTDZaTQ/s200/bat.jpg" /></a>For all of you baseball fans that just cannot wait for the regular season to get underway on Sunday (or Monday, depending on your personal rooting interests), let me suggest taking a road trip down to Cripple Creek, Colorado for the Thin Air Theater Company’s presentation of <em>Rounding Third</em>.<br /><br />Simply, <em>Third</em> is the comedy featuring an odd-couple pairing of fathers who have joined forces (albeit reluctantly) to coach their sons’ little league baseball team. But there is so much more to it than that.<br /><br />Mel Moser plays Don (never “Donald” ), the gung-ho, win at all costs, experienced coach who runs his team like a military unit. Mickey Burdick takes on the role of Michael (never “Mike” and certainly never “Mikey”), the passive, having fun is all that matters, completely inexperienced assistant coach who is just there to spend some time with his boy.<br /><br />I’ll be completely honest: since I tend to skew toward Don’s mentality as a die-hard sports fan myself, I was nervous that this was going to turn into a modern era, politically correct story that ultimately waters down the competitive component of sports.<br /><br />Fortunately I was wrong.<br /><br />Dresser’s script does a great job of showing that both characters are at times right and at times wrong. More importantly it shows how to deal with those issues in everyday life, even beyond the playing field. The story successfully weaves Don and Michael’s personal problems throughout the course of the little league season and ends with a refreshing, mature perspective on our interactions with others as we travel through life.<br /><br />I’m always interested/cautious when it comes to a two man show, only because there’s more of a burden on the actors to fill the space and time. Once again, all fears were relieved after watching Moser and Burdick’s individual and collective performances. Both were perfectly cast into their opposite-end-of-the-spectrum roles, yet displayed the necessary depth to grow and change as the story progress. Both roles demanded broad, comedic moments as well as subtle dramatic points and both actors proved capable – a task that could have been a wreck in lesser hands.<br /><br />If nothing else, since I am still relatively new to Colorado, the show provided an excellent opportunity to get away to a fun, new destination for an evening. I was thoroughly entertained by <em>Rounding Third</em> in the intimate, comfortable setting of the Butte Theater and am now even more excited for Opening Day.<br /><br /><em>Play</em> Ball!<br /><br /><br /><em>Contains mild adult language. Some material may be inappropriate for Children under 13.<br /><br />Show times are Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 7 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. (no show on Easter Sunday, April 4th)<br /><br />Tickets are $15.75 adults, $13.75 seniors, call for group rates.<br /><br />The Butte Opera House is located at 139 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek. For information or for reservations, call 719-689-3247 or 719-689-6402.<br /><br />For more information or to book on line, visit <a href="http://www.butteoperahouse.com/">http://www.butteoperahouse.com/</a></em><br /><br /><http:></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-39658951152849107992010-04-01T09:00:00.001-04:002010-04-01T09:21:50.350-04:00American Idol Recap and Top 9 Power Rankings<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtknme99fpJFZ659gRc5idnRhGg1J895HAjKAuItoEGWakOGakaAtChoAwpA01-bkq_cDknc2jDjpD28KS3EhETvQOxzaHyeG0k3BK2zTHoSY3p3qxpMPMxBjk19f6zjM_DCNP_qGt6Yg/s1600/2011148292.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455156516309523378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtknme99fpJFZ659gRc5idnRhGg1J895HAjKAuItoEGWakOGakaAtChoAwpA01-bkq_cDknc2jDjpD28KS3EhETvQOxzaHyeG0k3BK2zTHoSY3p3qxpMPMxBjk19f6zjM_DCNP_qGt6Yg/s200/2011148292.jpg" /></a>I expect that there's going to be some minor outrage over the fact that anyone but Tim Urban was voted off of <em>American Idol</em> last night, but here's my question: does it really matter? Was there any way Didi was ever going to beat out Crystal or Siobhan? Lee or Casey? Big Mike, Aaron, or even Andrew?<br /><br />I personally don't think so, so the results really didn't alarm me too much (we will have credibility issues if Tim starts lasting beyond most of the names listed above).<br />The real issue with Tim is that while he is bad, he's not outrageous-Sanjaya bad. You can understand why little girls and grandmas might vote for him and do not ever rule out his <a href="http://www.votefortheworst.com/">VoteForTheWorst.com </a>following. I can even see him lasting another week (Katie) or two (Andrew) or maybe even three (if Aaron just bombs one week), but I can't see him cracking any of my Top 5 (new rankings listed below!)<br /><br />Quick thought on Didi: I liked her a lot going into the season (and I still like her a lot as an artist), but she could never fully get control of her emotions, and I have to believe that definitely played a part in her departure this week.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Since I wasn’t able to post yesterday, here is a quick recap of the Tuesday night performance show before we get to the power rankings (written before I watched the results show last night):<br /><br />For the first time all season, <strong>Ms. Magnus</strong> came back down to earth with the rest of the pack. She was a little too screechy on a boring song. Just never a good combination.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm2b81PF_dd3023PiDmEFGtj6WiRpyPqneM4dmOXiTkA_oZRkwo3Yal38UT2MCOLFHUjvPYCL6RAw9qhOgYR2YXdZj4WqLFhS_RhQ4OyCknPfnN1n59VaOAbNdU4u_C-7suVYrwNQRE8/s1600/2011148279.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455156699731080226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm2b81PF_dd3023PiDmEFGtj6WiRpyPqneM4dmOXiTkA_oZRkwo3Yal38UT2MCOLFHUjvPYCL6RAw9qhOgYR2YXdZj4WqLFhS_RhQ4OyCknPfnN1n59VaOAbNdU4u_C-7suVYrwNQRE8/s200/2011148279.jpg" /></a>Have to give <strong>Casey James</strong> instant brownie points for finding a song that hadn’t been done on Idol before. It seems like he is finally starting to develop the (necessary) star persona to go along with his strong vocals. Thoroughly entertaining performance overall.<br /><br />I was really looking forward to see what <strong>Big Mike</strong> was going to do for R&B night so while it was a solid performance, I was disappointed by the song choice. This was a night he needed to dominate and separate from the group, but was completely outdone by Casey before him.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5JV-eBNKrDtngdDhIY6lgPI4ioKktDxdqCD2dONqERbKYNcuUzU6mFhJnyfVne8SM7ckbrKNmd32T-4X2urm0ipU74S-cGpmxlTJb7QmJtf3JiBztvHOgoknpQoZvootORUOTCmbZb4/s1600/2011148270.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455156815434981922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5JV-eBNKrDtngdDhIY6lgPI4ioKktDxdqCD2dONqERbKYNcuUzU6mFhJnyfVne8SM7ckbrKNmd32T-4X2urm0ipU74S-cGpmxlTJb7QmJtf3JiBztvHOgoknpQoZvootORUOTCmbZb4/s200/2011148270.jpg" /></a>I once compared <strong>Did’s</strong> inability to manage her emotions on a consistent basis to Donovan F. McNabb’s inability to throw accurately on a consistent basis. Didi let her emotions get the best of her performance and it was exactly like watching Don six-hop a pass to an open receiver on third down.<br /><br />I respect and appreciate <strong>Tim’s </strong>positive attitude, but the dude’s gotta go. (*whoops!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmIJbf3qw2S3vDwYTtdeGqFdADYJdcJ3ic94wpCvJM7aXtf44Tn9fi9Vk7olrYXHaKXtEQMLl2WhgtSSTC4pxWp-vkshARpXqzT47zzgbDArZA-2z3QG1bhJAEojMWv006OpRkmNDv8Q/s1600/2011148276.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455156903968670898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmIJbf3qw2S3vDwYTtdeGqFdADYJdcJ3ic94wpCvJM7aXtf44Tn9fi9Vk7olrYXHaKXtEQMLl2WhgtSSTC4pxWp-vkshARpXqzT47zzgbDArZA-2z3QG1bhJAEojMWv006OpRkmNDv8Q/s200/2011148276.jpg" /></a>Welcome back to the show, <strong>Andrew Garcia</strong>. It took me a while to recognize the song and I mean that in the best way possible. It was a fresh take on a song that’s almost become a parody of itself (that youtube wedding video and <em>The Office</em> wedding episode certainly haven't helped). Hope that wasn’t too little too late.<br /><br />Despite the judges’ praise (save Simon), the song still seemed too big for <strong>Katie</strong> somehow, which is confusing because she has one of the bigger voices in the competition. That doesn’t even matter because Katie’s main problem is that she still has absolutely no “star” vibe yet.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhT4f3F0KZImdhzUTM11097nY-Svz75_T3dxlIMpRVURYlt1Crw8sSjhXEdAhNfsFRif2j_7lucSoWCvxj0HxGu0AfPNR0BxJIw-bJrv_jG0OVmK6F5gedubVbSHMwHd3zVIKR5izIjY/s1600/2011148274.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455157000347441058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhT4f3F0KZImdhzUTM11097nY-Svz75_T3dxlIMpRVURYlt1Crw8sSjhXEdAhNfsFRif2j_7lucSoWCvxj0HxGu0AfPNR0BxJIw-bJrv_jG0OVmK6F5gedubVbSHMwHd3zVIKR5izIjY/s200/2011148274.jpg" /></a>Lee’s</strong> performance was the perfect example of what I was just saying about Katie. At this point in the show, we know they can all sing. Now we need to be entertained. Lee has made one of the larger leaps (if not the largest) in that area so far this season.<br /><br />I know I talk a lot about the contestants doing some of my favorite songs but <strong>Crystal</strong> did my absolute all time favorite song so there is no way I’m even going to try to do an objective review. I was actually impressed with Ellen’s thought: it was not only good to see her do something different, but do just as well as she normally does. Great point. I need to move on because I still have goosebumps!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cQbwzUiRrvCORaKDSzII0Ha4sGeYy6PzMvanqY3DjVQnWUXxdrXJZUKjemiG2DdmRA6DA44m0hdI1Uw0EYwBeqkMwiNavlm1AG65lFNPfuQ_lQAeHgNyYxyoVo6S4B2mNPGqJP7RuJo/s1600/2011148281.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455157096082979090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cQbwzUiRrvCORaKDSzII0Ha4sGeYy6PzMvanqY3DjVQnWUXxdrXJZUKjemiG2DdmRA6DA44m0hdI1Uw0EYwBeqkMwiNavlm1AG65lFNPfuQ_lQAeHgNyYxyoVo6S4B2mNPGqJP7RuJo/s200/2011148281.jpg" /></a>I think I would have enjoyed <strong>Aaron’s</strong> rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine” a lot more, if he hadn’t done it just one year after Kris Allen’s epic version. Just felt like a cheap knock-off even though his vocals were strong overall.<br /><br /><strong>My Top 3 of the night:</strong> 1. Crystal, 2. Lee, 3. Casey AND Andrew (just because I've been waiting for Andrew to wake up for the past few weeks)<br /><br /><strong>My Bottom 3 of the night:</strong> 1. Tim, 2. Katie, 3. Didi<br /><br />What did you think of soul and R&B night and Usher as the mentor? ALSO, how about that backstage camera? Cool insight to the contestants off the stage or just another annoying TV gimmick?<br /><br /><strong>On to the power rankings!<br /></strong><br />1. Crystal Bowersox (no change from last week)<br /><br />2. Lee Dewyze (+2)<br /><br />3. Siobhan Magnus (-1)<br /><br />4. Casey James (+1)<br /><br />5. Michael Lynche (-2)<br /><br />6. Andrew Garcia (+2)<br /><br />7. Aaron Kelly (-1)<br /><br />8. Katie Stevens (+1)<br /><br />9. Tim Urban (+1 by default of eliminated contestant)<br /><br /><br />Let me know what YOU think below!<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644460144823098222.post-21609148888012438102010-03-29T09:45:00.000-04:002010-03-29T09:50:47.671-04:00I'm Your Handyman<span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453912977161393634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2qP8CLLfKiX_aQ5umSlIuV5aGo7fJCH-loWUZgHsqN1xE-6T8FHMtg7xjnrF-vlJq2xy2F5xnVGrfnp-iUaa-XeP7KJZIAa44KdG-LU8g7lgxyGY3ttk91smGIUKr_Y1m_Jn0FTtkLU/s320/handyman_tools02.jpg" /><br />Last week I mentioned that I inherited my impeccable sense of direction from my dad. On the flip side, however, I think the home repair gene must have skipped a generation.<br /><br />It’s not that I don’t want to know how to fix things around the house. It just doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve always been the creative thinker, the planner, the visionary. Execution and implementation have never been my strong suits.<br /><br />Still, now that my Wife and I are on our own, I’m trying to be somewhat useful around the house.<br /><br />It's the least I can do.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAkntCYMrrEUzbpST3Pqd-J2PNdehSl01Ppm2DKAEfet9cGfUTkDEy7W5ccM039X4lsMt0oD1D-tEBVn_rVTqGt61NlNnUnrzi1q73EBDEfGVDzIro4eQlNHBvWYYHX-GDx-MevGKdQE/s1600/germanshepherd.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbjPJgucWLTD-bsbKcYwqsIJCOGfrp1Yq9SkPHRulFIf9BHLLXKq_AZpaYtwTxiwT_IT975ll1epH5A2sdq4xueosEcDoSXXkR4swzaTeSKPtENIF-JGyJ2QZOJJJ6faUb7I3MVy-FXY/s1600/germanshepherd.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 148px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453913512982326114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbjPJgucWLTD-bsbKcYwqsIJCOGfrp1Yq9SkPHRulFIf9BHLLXKq_AZpaYtwTxiwT_IT975ll1epH5A2sdq4xueosEcDoSXXkR4swzaTeSKPtENIF-JGyJ2QZOJJJ6faUb7I3MVy-FXY/s200/germanshepherd.jpg" /></a>A few months ago, we were having a regular problem with our bathtub clogging up because my Wife sheds more hair than a German Shepherd. The first time around, we actually called our apartment office and had them fix it. Inwardly, I knew this was something I could take care of, so I volunteered my services when the drain got clogged again.<br /><br />My Wife had to stop me short of throwing a parade when a simple cup full of drain cleaner solved the problem.<br /><br />Feeling the momentum from that achievement, I was ready for a bigger task.<br /><br />Last week, I found one: hanging artwork.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccdwSQ-kz1cT-H8gobcIqC6YYJGkY3byrwQSGRQ9Asw6dg882tlw2eOjOoU5l_KCxqE3MFt3sApq7YgaW3_PdqRjV7rISXVNwkjPTJJpTiKLgfydabjaBfGpcF11QhZMXSh98LpprU-I/s1600/dictrac2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453914131637144402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccdwSQ-kz1cT-H8gobcIqC6YYJGkY3byrwQSGRQ9Asw6dg882tlw2eOjOoU5l_KCxqE3MFt3sApq7YgaW3_PdqRjV7rISXVNwkjPTJJpTiKLgfydabjaBfGpcF11QhZMXSh98LpprU-I/s200/dictrac2.jpg" /></a>When we moved from our old apartment to our new one at the beginning of February, I couldn’t help notice how many nail holes we had put in the old walls to hang pictures. To be fair, my wife had hung most of them by herself while I was at work and she was still looking for a job. But if you hadn’t known better, you would have thought that there had been gangland gunfire in our living room.<br /><br />Wanting to reduce the amount of spackling we will have to do again at some point in the future, I agreed to be a part of picture hanging process. We had borrowed a buddy’s drill and measuring level, so we quickly (and successfully) hung up all of our pictures in each room. All that remained was one massive framed painting that was reserved for our bedroom.<br /><br />I think this is a good time to mention that I get a little overwhelmed whenever putting up a picture requires anything more than one simple nail. This bad boy needs to be anchored to the wall and feels like it weighs a metric ton.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5IDwkAvmuvOxyNDSowHc2fLxdNjnWUU3ZOHH0vG0AmeB3bxoS23cfFfHXqYG9d2rtBHjThSADrZqxbpG5WyqSbjgO1YgQXHtqxwCl-wVsLBsjWTFj-lUb8y_bLqO1J0HnlVoISh5Mmk/s1600/russell.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453914506017041570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5IDwkAvmuvOxyNDSowHc2fLxdNjnWUU3ZOHH0vG0AmeB3bxoS23cfFfHXqYG9d2rtBHjThSADrZqxbpG5WyqSbjgO1YgQXHtqxwCl-wVsLBsjWTFj-lUb8y_bLqO1J0HnlVoISh5Mmk/s200/russell.jpg" /></a>Even though I knew there was a better chance of the Raiders winning the Super Bowl, I had to try one last shot at negotiating the placement.<br /><br /><strong>Me:</strong> So where do you want to hang this behemoth again?<br /><br />(you have to emphasis the weight and size to plant seeds of an unnecessary impending struggle)<br /><br /><strong>My Wife:</strong> Directly over our bed.<br /><br />(not picking up on the emphasis at all)<br /><br /><strong>Me:</strong> Are you sure? Because it looks pretty nice right there on the floor lying up against the wall.<br /><br />(you HAVE to provide a viable, alternate solution)<br /><br /><strong>My Wife:</strong> Ok, but let’s go ahead and hang the painting now.<br /><br />(I didn't get the impression that she embraced the full spirit of the negotiations)<br /><br />Again, this was not some flimsy frame that you can just slap up. There were a couple of cumbersome steps that had to be carefully followed.<br /><br />First we attempted the very scientific procedure of trying to place it in the center of our bed. This entailed me standing on the bed, holding the picture while my Wife stood on the floor and told me where to move.<br /><br /><strong>My Wife:</strong> Lower, just a little lower, now a little higher, and a little bit higher.<br /><br /><strong>Me:</strong> WE’RE BACK WHERE WE STARTED!<br /><br /><strong>My Wife:</strong> I’m sorry but it needs to be a little bit higher. And to the right. A little more, just a little more. Perfect! Now just a little lower.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOuPCoixpzR9UG2Iz-uUmJCnjUcXHy_vmYLMqTVFo7bBOOK6RCV-TgbRn_fZv3SoqYSkx1H7jrAjDH5hzHwzv-HYmJC1DqAsw_9cQraEx7-UOXfu4CjhK7mJPQvmhi8DAO3rF5Md08Fc/s1600/3226059006_cda1889aff.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453916537661136898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOuPCoixpzR9UG2Iz-uUmJCnjUcXHy_vmYLMqTVFo7bBOOK6RCV-TgbRn_fZv3SoqYSkx1H7jrAjDH5hzHwzv-HYmJC1DqAsw_9cQraEx7-UOXfu4CjhK7mJPQvmhi8DAO3rF5Md08Fc/s200/3226059006_cda1889aff.jpg" /></a>After she was able to keep me from grabbing my car keys and driving straight to Mexico, we marked where the nails needed to go. After mining our way through the wall, we set in the anchors, hammered in the nails, hung the painting, verified the level, and did the always important eye-ball test from the floor.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Everything checked out.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Of course, I couldn’t live with that. I had never done anything “handy” on the first try so I knew something had to be wrong. I rechecked the nails and the anchors and even put a little pressure on the top of the frame to make sure it wouldn’t come crashing down on us in the middle of the night.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Once I felt completely comfortable, I began dialing the mayor to start planning the next celebratory parade only to have my wife interrupt the festivities. She said that since I did such a great job on the painting hanging project that I could now work on installing a shelf in the laundry room that has 10 times as many nails and anchors.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Where are my keys?<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>To get entertainment updates from Denver and around the world, follow us </em></span><a title="Original Link: http://twitter.com/INDT_popculture" href="http://www.indenvertimes.com/?YcYtnJRF"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>@INDT_popculture </em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>and you can follow Josh’s personal account </em></span><a title="Original Link: http://twitter.com/Just_Being_Josh" href="http://www.indenvertimes.com/?V4S5_xff"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>@Just_Being_Josh</em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>.<br /><br /></em></span>Just Being Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644206992814195780noreply@blogger.com0