I had a great weekend. Poker on Friday night with some people from work. I did ok. I was trying to play cards, host the party and get loaded all at the same time. Multi-tasking is not my strength. I think the only thing I managed to accomplish was to enjoy several Heineken’s. Goals people. Have goals.
Then Saturday I sat on a stool at Claddagh’s most of the afternoon watching soccer. When Roman scored a goal for Spurs after 5’, I was worried. Then United turned it on and that was that. The second half was painful as Spurs knew that they didn’t want a replay and couldn’t overturn the deficit and win the game. BORING!!
Then I watched Juve v Fiorentina. Fiorentina got robbed. Simple as that. Gila wan’t offside and they really deserved a point, but Juve took all three and kept the pressure on Inter. There are several rumors in the internet re: transfers. Hopefully some of them wil come to pass. Zanetti is past it. He’s got to go. Looks like Sissoko and Marchisio is the best paring for the rest of the season.
Sunday I played a double header at the new LISA. My back held up ok, so we’ll see that goes. Then a couple of pints of Magic Hat to round off the evening.
I finished the Shield Season 1 and can’t wait for more. Great show with a great ensemble of characters. Plenty of material to develop and I’m waiting for Season 2 to come in.
From Netflix, I have been going through the History of Football (soccer to all you Americans out there). It’s fascinating, with tons of footage from the first quarter of the 20th century. It’s seven discs, so I’m 2 down, 5 to go.
Keeping it short this week. I plan to add a poll question later this week. Good to see Bristol back on track.
Ta Ta.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
My New Hot Button: "Social Mobility"
I've been thinking a lot about race and culture and tolerance lately. Especially since the election and inauguration. And as happy as I am for Obama and as excited as I am for the nation (I did vote for the man), I don't agree with a lot of the reasonings I've heard.
For instance, the idea that a black man has been elected president despite his color is flawed and cliche. Too many people hold onto this statement without taking into account what it "really" means or how reasonable the statement really is considering the number of voters in America and all of the different motivations for voting. I would have to say, with all honesty, that for some voters Obama was elected president BECAUSE of his color. I give two reasons for this.
1) Black people want a black president. I can't say it any straighter than that. That's not a racist remark, that's just the truth. I can't blame people for this. If there was a decent white man running for president in a country that had been run exclusively by men of another race I would most likely vote for him. Sadly enough, this was also proven by none other than Howard Stern. I must preface this by reminding the general population that I do not support Howard Stern in any way shape or form and only know of his experiment through NPR. The man is tasteless. But I do have to admit, it was a pretty slick trick. I think when push comes to shove, an election is still a popularity contest. Everybody plays favorites...everybody.
Reason #2) People are sick of white rice. Yes, rice. Try eating white rice, and nothing but white rice for...let's say...200 odd years or so. Not wild rice, not chicken fried rice, not cilantro lime rice, just white rice. There's lots of it, it's all the same, and it's tasteless (but not in the same way as Howard Stern). White rice has been a decent meal supplement, I don't have anything against it per say. I'm just sick of it, and sick of the status quo. Let's change it up a little big. Yes, CHANGE. So many times during campaign season I heard that McCain was just another Bush. I would go further than that. McCain was just another rich old white man. The US has been run by rich old white men for far too long. They are less and less representative of the American people as time passes...except for the 'old' part I guess. Obama brings a lot of diversity with him, not just African American, but diversity at its most....diverse.
"Obama proves that social mobility is improving for black Americans", I read this in a news article somewhere. This is a basic misunderstanding of how social mobility works.
Reason #1) Obama isn't from Detroit. He didn't grow up in the ghetto, on welfare, with a foster mom with no high school diploma. He grew up in Hawaii, raised by his white grandparents and was surrounded by a family that believed in higher education. The expectations placed upon him growing up were that he would continue his education, and that his actions, choices, and speech would be acceptable to a majority of society. Many African Americans in this country are raised with very different expectations. Many are taught from a very young age to give up on education because they'll never make it and it's a white man's game anyway. They are taught that the world is against them and the only way to get ahead it to have the biggest attitude, the biggest gun, the baddest gang. Everything they see in life tends to prove this is true and if they try anything different, they get eaten alive by both sides. Yes, Obama had conflicting cultures he had to deal with and find out who he was but he doesn't really prove anything, in fact, I am a better example of social mobility than he is. I was the poor ignorant country girl that should have gotten pregnant and dropped out.
Reason #2: It is not societys' job to make everyone socially mobile. It is everyones personal job to choose where they want to be and what steps they are willing to take to get there. Society is not going to hold your hand and pat you on the back and open doors for you. Society will judge you based on your family, your fortune, and your education. It always has and it always will. This is true for everyone. There is a give an take involved. Everyone has to take a realistic look and see how much they're willing to adapt to the larger society.
Let's face it. If you choose to speak and dress in a manner that clashes with socially acceptable norms because "you can't get ahead anyway", then it will be a self fulfilling prophecy. Subcultures can be hugely alienating to the general public. If employers feel your attitude, speech, or clothing is too different than the norm, then you are not reaching as many customers as you possibly could and you are not an asset to the company. This is not about racism, it's about money and it's not about color, it's about "flavor". I don't expect that I would be where I am today if I continued wearing plaid polyester pants (I do miss them). Nor should people expect to be socially mobile if they choose to speak in a dialect that only a few subcultures can understand.
I'm not saying people should totally give in to society. It's a strange concept that there is acceptable and unacceptable diversity but that's where we are at. Society will take away your personhood if it gets the chance. Everyone has to decide for themselves what things are worth fighting for and what things are more divisive than they are worth. Barack Hussein Obama has a name which some people find offensive or suspect but it's his name and he's not going to change it. However, you don't see him with his belt buckled under his butt and you don't hear him calling people "dawg" and "homeslice".
Yeah, we'd all like to see society bend to whatever culture we're comfortible with, we'd all like to be socially mobile without meeting any of the expectations of society. Get over it.
And speaking of the 'name' issue I'll say this. There were "Adolf"s before there was Adolf Hitler. I don't blame them for what Hitler did and I don't think they're going to try to massacre an entire race of people because they happen to share a name with some guy they've probably never met. Barack was Hussein before Saddam ever came on the scene. It's just a NAME people. Again, get over it.
For instance, the idea that a black man has been elected president despite his color is flawed and cliche. Too many people hold onto this statement without taking into account what it "really" means or how reasonable the statement really is considering the number of voters in America and all of the different motivations for voting. I would have to say, with all honesty, that for some voters Obama was elected president BECAUSE of his color. I give two reasons for this.
1) Black people want a black president. I can't say it any straighter than that. That's not a racist remark, that's just the truth. I can't blame people for this. If there was a decent white man running for president in a country that had been run exclusively by men of another race I would most likely vote for him. Sadly enough, this was also proven by none other than Howard Stern. I must preface this by reminding the general population that I do not support Howard Stern in any way shape or form and only know of his experiment through NPR. The man is tasteless. But I do have to admit, it was a pretty slick trick. I think when push comes to shove, an election is still a popularity contest. Everybody plays favorites...everybody.
Reason #2) People are sick of white rice. Yes, rice. Try eating white rice, and nothing but white rice for...let's say...200 odd years or so. Not wild rice, not chicken fried rice, not cilantro lime rice, just white rice. There's lots of it, it's all the same, and it's tasteless (but not in the same way as Howard Stern). White rice has been a decent meal supplement, I don't have anything against it per say. I'm just sick of it, and sick of the status quo. Let's change it up a little big. Yes, CHANGE. So many times during campaign season I heard that McCain was just another Bush. I would go further than that. McCain was just another rich old white man. The US has been run by rich old white men for far too long. They are less and less representative of the American people as time passes...except for the 'old' part I guess. Obama brings a lot of diversity with him, not just African American, but diversity at its most....diverse.
"Obama proves that social mobility is improving for black Americans", I read this in a news article somewhere. This is a basic misunderstanding of how social mobility works.
Reason #1) Obama isn't from Detroit. He didn't grow up in the ghetto, on welfare, with a foster mom with no high school diploma. He grew up in Hawaii, raised by his white grandparents and was surrounded by a family that believed in higher education. The expectations placed upon him growing up were that he would continue his education, and that his actions, choices, and speech would be acceptable to a majority of society. Many African Americans in this country are raised with very different expectations. Many are taught from a very young age to give up on education because they'll never make it and it's a white man's game anyway. They are taught that the world is against them and the only way to get ahead it to have the biggest attitude, the biggest gun, the baddest gang. Everything they see in life tends to prove this is true and if they try anything different, they get eaten alive by both sides. Yes, Obama had conflicting cultures he had to deal with and find out who he was but he doesn't really prove anything, in fact, I am a better example of social mobility than he is. I was the poor ignorant country girl that should have gotten pregnant and dropped out.
Reason #2: It is not societys' job to make everyone socially mobile. It is everyones personal job to choose where they want to be and what steps they are willing to take to get there. Society is not going to hold your hand and pat you on the back and open doors for you. Society will judge you based on your family, your fortune, and your education. It always has and it always will. This is true for everyone. There is a give an take involved. Everyone has to take a realistic look and see how much they're willing to adapt to the larger society.
Let's face it. If you choose to speak and dress in a manner that clashes with socially acceptable norms because "you can't get ahead anyway", then it will be a self fulfilling prophecy. Subcultures can be hugely alienating to the general public. If employers feel your attitude, speech, or clothing is too different than the norm, then you are not reaching as many customers as you possibly could and you are not an asset to the company. This is not about racism, it's about money and it's not about color, it's about "flavor". I don't expect that I would be where I am today if I continued wearing plaid polyester pants (I do miss them). Nor should people expect to be socially mobile if they choose to speak in a dialect that only a few subcultures can understand.
I'm not saying people should totally give in to society. It's a strange concept that there is acceptable and unacceptable diversity but that's where we are at. Society will take away your personhood if it gets the chance. Everyone has to decide for themselves what things are worth fighting for and what things are more divisive than they are worth. Barack Hussein Obama has a name which some people find offensive or suspect but it's his name and he's not going to change it. However, you don't see him with his belt buckled under his butt and you don't hear him calling people "dawg" and "homeslice".
Yeah, we'd all like to see society bend to whatever culture we're comfortible with, we'd all like to be socially mobile without meeting any of the expectations of society. Get over it.
And speaking of the 'name' issue I'll say this. There were "Adolf"s before there was Adolf Hitler. I don't blame them for what Hitler did and I don't think they're going to try to massacre an entire race of people because they happen to share a name with some guy they've probably never met. Barack was Hussein before Saddam ever came on the scene. It's just a NAME people. Again, get over it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Long Time, No Post. For What It's Worth.
I just wanted to post to everyone this week to share with you my joy over my new brother I got this week. I didn't think I needed any more brothers, but it appears that God had different plans for me. I thought my two other brothers were the best, but everyone keeps telling me my new brother is awesome. PEOPLE WON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT MY NEW BROTHER! I'm so excited.
My new brother is great, except he follows me everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I get in my car and I can't drive more than a mile without my brother waving and smiling at me. I go to the coffee shop, he's there. People are talking about him. Holy crap, the women love him. Any guy looking to pick up a girl could honestly wear a mask with my brother's face and the chicks would squeal. I guess he's attractive. Katie Couric was practically in heat and totally humiliating herself as a journalist the other night. Apparently journalists can't be objective around my new brother. Wolf Blitzer was sporting wood on national TV.
I go to the gas station, there's my brother. I turn on the sports station: my brother is there. I read the sports section (now listen, my brother hasn't played sports since high school--and that was a long time ago) and he's there. I guess professional athletes like my brother, too.
I open up my web browser and celebrities apparently REALLY like my new brother. This makes me distrust him. I generally distrust anyone that celebrities like because they are generally completely out of touch with reality.
I go to church, and guess who's there. My brother.
Today I went into 7-Eleven and out of the 24 different magazines that they sold he was on the cover of 21 and he's still on the cover of every newspaper.
Now, If this was anyone else besides my brother, even if it was someone important, like the guy who invented the internet or something, I would be a little irritated. But, because he's my brother I'm just supposed to swallow this media poop-parade! I turned on my F-ING X BOX last night and the first thing I see is more pictures of my brother!
I think my new brother is being over-exposed. This is alienating me from my new brother. When I thought this was going to be a happy fun CHANGE that I could believe in it is just starting to piss me off.
Here is something I read and I hope my new brother reads it well.
Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. Luke 6:26.
If you are wondering who my new awesome brother is, here's a picture of him
My new brother is great, except he follows me everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I get in my car and I can't drive more than a mile without my brother waving and smiling at me. I go to the coffee shop, he's there. People are talking about him. Holy crap, the women love him. Any guy looking to pick up a girl could honestly wear a mask with my brother's face and the chicks would squeal. I guess he's attractive. Katie Couric was practically in heat and totally humiliating herself as a journalist the other night. Apparently journalists can't be objective around my new brother. Wolf Blitzer was sporting wood on national TV.
I go to the gas station, there's my brother. I turn on the sports station: my brother is there. I read the sports section (now listen, my brother hasn't played sports since high school--and that was a long time ago) and he's there. I guess professional athletes like my brother, too.
I open up my web browser and celebrities apparently REALLY like my new brother. This makes me distrust him. I generally distrust anyone that celebrities like because they are generally completely out of touch with reality.
I go to church, and guess who's there. My brother.
Today I went into 7-Eleven and out of the 24 different magazines that they sold he was on the cover of 21 and he's still on the cover of every newspaper.
Now, If this was anyone else besides my brother, even if it was someone important, like the guy who invented the internet or something, I would be a little irritated. But, because he's my brother I'm just supposed to swallow this media poop-parade! I turned on my F-ING X BOX last night and the first thing I see is more pictures of my brother!
I think my new brother is being over-exposed. This is alienating me from my new brother. When I thought this was going to be a happy fun CHANGE that I could believe in it is just starting to piss me off.
Here is something I read and I hope my new brother reads it well.
Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. Luke 6:26.
If you are wondering who my new awesome brother is, here's a picture of him
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
media shame spiral
So I finished the Watchmen trade paperback in preparation for the movie release. What an amazing book, especially for the time. The issues raised re: power and responsibility, the nature of being a hero, and the neurosis of dressing up to fight crime were not new, but the application to a superhero world was new.
I can’t wait for the movie, but I’m a little worried it will be a let down. Here’s hoping.
I have started the Shield. Talk about blurring the lines of right and wrong. Vic Mackey is a highly complicated character that is able to be a mirror and foil to all the other characters on the show. Who of us is perfect and what are your motives seem to be the underlying themes of the show.
I really like the Dutch character and find myself despising the captain although I could see him turning completely to the dark side over time. Great show. Check it out.
When I got back from Alabama, I picked up an issue of the Noise and saw their top ten albums of the year.
I immediately decided not to listen to Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne. Yes I am closed minded. So I put the rest on hold at the library and plan to go through them over the next couple of months.
First up, Elbow, “The Seldom Seen Kid.” Imagine Coldplay mixed with My Morning Jacket mixed with ethereal downers. Definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for this album. Not something to turn up to 11 in the car and cruise. I plan to come back to it and see if I change my mind.
Next Los Campesinos, “Hold on Now, Youngster . . .” This is high energy punk/pop and every song sounds the same. So if you like it, it’s great. If you’re like me, and you don’t, not so great.
So 0 for 2. Hopefully some of the other albums will deliver.
One of the movies I picked up on Netflix was “The Beautiful Century”, which is basically a recap of the first 100 years of FIFA. It was a good overall history and highlighted key moments. This would be a great introduction for someone unfamiliar with soccer.
Watching it reminded me of how great South Korea was in 2002. The passion of the team and the crowd was something to behold. And then there’s Al Gore handing the World Cup Trophy to Dunga in LA, with this huge dorky smile. He has no idea what is going on but just smiles and claps.
One editorial point. The video does serve as a propaganda piece for Sepp Blatter’s legacy. He is not responsible for the rise of women’s soccer, great strides in Africa and the worldwide appeal of the game. Those things were in place long before him and one could say have developed in spite of him.
Finally, watched Juve v Lazio on Sunday. With a win, Juve would trim Inter’s lead to just 1 point. After 20 minutes I was praying for a draw. Lazio played at a frenetic pace and should have been 2 up after 30’. They did get one goal after Manniger made his first major error of the season. After that Juve got back in the game, snagged a goal and finished the first half on a high note. The second half they really took control of the game but couldn’t create the right opportunity for a second. In the end a draw was fair result.
Only 3 points behind Inter. I cannot believe that. I haven’t completely turned around my opinion but you can’t fault the fight of the team and the results. They still need to sign some players. Like Mauro Zarate from Lazio. Wow. Pacy, tricky and aggressive. I’ll take him please.
United v Spurs on Saturday in the FA Cup. Cannot wait.
Ta Ta.
I can’t wait for the movie, but I’m a little worried it will be a let down. Here’s hoping.
I have started the Shield. Talk about blurring the lines of right and wrong. Vic Mackey is a highly complicated character that is able to be a mirror and foil to all the other characters on the show. Who of us is perfect and what are your motives seem to be the underlying themes of the show.
I really like the Dutch character and find myself despising the captain although I could see him turning completely to the dark side over time. Great show. Check it out.
When I got back from Alabama, I picked up an issue of the Noise and saw their top ten albums of the year.
I immediately decided not to listen to Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne. Yes I am closed minded. So I put the rest on hold at the library and plan to go through them over the next couple of months.
First up, Elbow, “The Seldom Seen Kid.” Imagine Coldplay mixed with My Morning Jacket mixed with ethereal downers. Definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for this album. Not something to turn up to 11 in the car and cruise. I plan to come back to it and see if I change my mind.
Next Los Campesinos, “Hold on Now, Youngster . . .” This is high energy punk/pop and every song sounds the same. So if you like it, it’s great. If you’re like me, and you don’t, not so great.
So 0 for 2. Hopefully some of the other albums will deliver.
One of the movies I picked up on Netflix was “The Beautiful Century”, which is basically a recap of the first 100 years of FIFA. It was a good overall history and highlighted key moments. This would be a great introduction for someone unfamiliar with soccer.
Watching it reminded me of how great South Korea was in 2002. The passion of the team and the crowd was something to behold. And then there’s Al Gore handing the World Cup Trophy to Dunga in LA, with this huge dorky smile. He has no idea what is going on but just smiles and claps.
One editorial point. The video does serve as a propaganda piece for Sepp Blatter’s legacy. He is not responsible for the rise of women’s soccer, great strides in Africa and the worldwide appeal of the game. Those things were in place long before him and one could say have developed in spite of him.
Finally, watched Juve v Lazio on Sunday. With a win, Juve would trim Inter’s lead to just 1 point. After 20 minutes I was praying for a draw. Lazio played at a frenetic pace and should have been 2 up after 30’. They did get one goal after Manniger made his first major error of the season. After that Juve got back in the game, snagged a goal and finished the first half on a high note. The second half they really took control of the game but couldn’t create the right opportunity for a second. In the end a draw was fair result.
Only 3 points behind Inter. I cannot believe that. I haven’t completely turned around my opinion but you can’t fault the fight of the team and the results. They still need to sign some players. Like Mauro Zarate from Lazio. Wow. Pacy, tricky and aggressive. I’ll take him please.
United v Spurs on Saturday in the FA Cup. Cannot wait.
Ta Ta.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Media Update
Just an update on the media I have been watching lately.
I have caught up on the 2 ½ seasons of 30 Rock. Funny stuff. Lemon’s character reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld in many ways. She is intelligent but often circumstances conspire against her which set up the humorous situations. I will say that although this show is hilarious at times, I don’t see why it gets more industry acclaim than “The Office”.
I have also started a new show, “Leverage.” So far it is okay, but I have only seen 2 of 7 episodes. Basically a bunch of high end criminal types get together to pull of jobs to teach someone else a lesson. It is Ocean’s 11 with some morality. Kind of Robin Hoodish I guess. While the jobs are interesting and I enjoy seeing how they are pulled off, I don’t know that that the storylines are compelling enough for me. I guess time will tell. (A shout out goes to Tom and his Facebook for introducing me to this show).
Also, there has been some debate in other posts about Monk, The Mentalist, and Psych. Let me set the record straight. Monk was first, and Monk's phobias and their impact on his ability to solve crimes make it funny. Psych is silly funny, in an Adam Sandler vein. And the Mentalist contains a more refined comedic element. All are similar in that they include hyper observant main characters. All are funny in different ways. But each is different and, I believe, worth watching.
Moving on. The previews to a new movie, “Taken”, look very intriguing. Though I doubt I will see it in the theatre, I hope I remember it when it makes it to the Library.
I watched the NFL playoffs this weekend. I was happy to see either AFC team in the Super Bowl but think the NFC is a joke. Maybe the Cardinals will pull off a feat like the Giants of last year, but I just don’t see it happening. Early Super Bowl pick – Steelers 27-Cardinals 13.
All for now. Get outside an enjoy the snow (all of you who live north of Tennessee and East of Illinois).
I have caught up on the 2 ½ seasons of 30 Rock. Funny stuff. Lemon’s character reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld in many ways. She is intelligent but often circumstances conspire against her which set up the humorous situations. I will say that although this show is hilarious at times, I don’t see why it gets more industry acclaim than “The Office”.
I have also started a new show, “Leverage.” So far it is okay, but I have only seen 2 of 7 episodes. Basically a bunch of high end criminal types get together to pull of jobs to teach someone else a lesson. It is Ocean’s 11 with some morality. Kind of Robin Hoodish I guess. While the jobs are interesting and I enjoy seeing how they are pulled off, I don’t know that that the storylines are compelling enough for me. I guess time will tell. (A shout out goes to Tom and his Facebook for introducing me to this show).
Also, there has been some debate in other posts about Monk, The Mentalist, and Psych. Let me set the record straight. Monk was first, and Monk's phobias and their impact on his ability to solve crimes make it funny. Psych is silly funny, in an Adam Sandler vein. And the Mentalist contains a more refined comedic element. All are similar in that they include hyper observant main characters. All are funny in different ways. But each is different and, I believe, worth watching.
Moving on. The previews to a new movie, “Taken”, look very intriguing. Though I doubt I will see it in the theatre, I hope I remember it when it makes it to the Library.
I watched the NFL playoffs this weekend. I was happy to see either AFC team in the Super Bowl but think the NFC is a joke. Maybe the Cardinals will pull off a feat like the Giants of last year, but I just don’t see it happening. Early Super Bowl pick – Steelers 27-Cardinals 13.
All for now. Get outside an enjoy the snow (all of you who live north of Tennessee and East of Illinois).
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Chelsea & Sir Alex v Rafa aka Keegan
Chelsea can still win the title, but if you look at their performance against the mighty Manchester United then they will have to improve dramatically.
The worrying thing for everyone at Chelsea is that they just fell apart under the pressure. When they went behind to Vidic's header, their heads went down. It was a very un-Chelsea-like performance in my opinion.
Over the years, the one thing you could say about Chelsea was that they'd be mentally strong. If they went behind they would grind and they'd never know when they were beaten.
But on Sunday, the team spirit, which has been such a feature for Chelsea, just wasn't there and that would be a worry for manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Where does Scolari go from here? Who does he pick in the team? He has got major problems all over the pitch.
The 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford is only one result and Chelsea have some influential players due to return from injury like Essien for instance who has been a major driving force in recent years, but the way they've been playing for the last six to eight weeks is a major concern and, in terms of the title race, they're definitely third favourites to win it in my eyes.
Chelsea need to vary their tactics because against United they played exactly the same way from start to finish, no invention, no drive, no passion and if i was a Chelsea fan i would be disappointed with that.
If you're playing in a game like that you've got to test the opposition by playing it to the front men early - play it short, long, wide.
Chelsea just kept playing six or seven passes in the middle of the park which allowed my boys Manchester Untied to get behind the ball, break Chelsea down quickly and hit them on the break. Chelsea were unable to counteract that and deal with top performers like Giggs, Park, Ronaldo and Rooney.
Scolari's men had some nice possession in the first 30 minutes but they never threatened and, again, that would be another major worry especially given the enormous talent of Didier Drogba.
A vast majority of these players won back-to-back titles with Jose Mourinho and they're still good enough, but Scolari needs someone like Arjen Robben, someone who has that extra pace and ability. The big worry for me would be Chelsea's lack of steel - mentally - in certain areas.
When Chelsea played with Robben on the left, he wasn't always everybody's favourite but he could go past people, get the ball to the bye line and make defenders turn.
Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda have been hit and miss and it looks like Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can't play together. Chelsea have also missed Michael Essien's drive, while Deco started the season brightly but has been non-existent lately.
Manchester United have that great blend of youth and experience and they gave a great performance.
Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville showed incredible hunger and desire for players who have won everything. Giggsy, at the age of 35, gave an awesome performance.
Gary Neville had a shocker against Arsenal and it looked, to me, like he might not play again but it just shows that he is amazing professional and needed games to get back into the swing of things.
Everyone keeps going on about United's centre-backs, and rightly so, but for Neville to put in a performance like he did in a big, high-pressure match was remarkable. It was a lesson to any footballer about what can be achieved.
United have some hard games this week against Wigan and Bolton (away). They've got a massive schedule coming up so we'll wait and see what happens, but they've certainly hit a run of form and that display against Chelsea will give the players a lot of confidence to go on a lift #19 on May 24th.
The title race is certainly between Manchester United and Liverpool and it could go either way - the big tests are yet to come.
Liverpool, even though they had a bad performance against Stoke, have done remarkably well, are still strong and have a great chance of winning it.
I thought what manager Rafael Benitez said about United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in his press conference was true to a certain extent, but he talks about facts like they are clear happenings in the con finds of the Premier League, in my opinion he has no proof to justify a good portion of his Kevin Keegan like rants during that 4 minute press conference. Is he folding under the enormous pressure of being top of the league?
However, as a player you don't want that extra pressure and the pressure is now on Liverpool because of what happened at the weekend, if you going to run your mouth in the Premier League you must back it up and Liverpool failed to do that and that is no 4 points dropped against Stoke.
Benitez would probably have been better off saying 'Alex Ferguson doesn't say anything about teams who finish fourth or fifth so he must think we're his biggest challengers' and let it go, let the players do the talking on the pitch, instead he put more pressure on his team when they enter the most crucial stage of the season. Sir Alex must of been licking his lips at the sight on Rafa's rant.
Ferguson said what he did to get a reaction and he got a reaction. If Liverpool had beaten Stoke and Manchester United had drawn against Chelsea everything would now have been forgotten, but as history tells us it doesn't happen that way.
Manchester United were fantastic on Sunday, the defended their 18 yard box very well to keep Van Der Sar very quiet indeed. They looked refreshed its almost as if they were waiting until January kicked in because of that old saying "United don't turn it on until January" well.......... signed, sealed and delivered United sent out a statement of intent to Liverpool "your in for a fight".
Lets hope that come May 24th, Sir Alex is lifting his 11th league title.
The worrying thing for everyone at Chelsea is that they just fell apart under the pressure. When they went behind to Vidic's header, their heads went down. It was a very un-Chelsea-like performance in my opinion.
Over the years, the one thing you could say about Chelsea was that they'd be mentally strong. If they went behind they would grind and they'd never know when they were beaten.
But on Sunday, the team spirit, which has been such a feature for Chelsea, just wasn't there and that would be a worry for manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Where does Scolari go from here? Who does he pick in the team? He has got major problems all over the pitch.
The 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford is only one result and Chelsea have some influential players due to return from injury like Essien for instance who has been a major driving force in recent years, but the way they've been playing for the last six to eight weeks is a major concern and, in terms of the title race, they're definitely third favourites to win it in my eyes.
Chelsea need to vary their tactics because against United they played exactly the same way from start to finish, no invention, no drive, no passion and if i was a Chelsea fan i would be disappointed with that.
If you're playing in a game like that you've got to test the opposition by playing it to the front men early - play it short, long, wide.
Chelsea just kept playing six or seven passes in the middle of the park which allowed my boys Manchester Untied to get behind the ball, break Chelsea down quickly and hit them on the break. Chelsea were unable to counteract that and deal with top performers like Giggs, Park, Ronaldo and Rooney.
Scolari's men had some nice possession in the first 30 minutes but they never threatened and, again, that would be another major worry especially given the enormous talent of Didier Drogba.
A vast majority of these players won back-to-back titles with Jose Mourinho and they're still good enough, but Scolari needs someone like Arjen Robben, someone who has that extra pace and ability. The big worry for me would be Chelsea's lack of steel - mentally - in certain areas.
When Chelsea played with Robben on the left, he wasn't always everybody's favourite but he could go past people, get the ball to the bye line and make defenders turn.
Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda have been hit and miss and it looks like Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can't play together. Chelsea have also missed Michael Essien's drive, while Deco started the season brightly but has been non-existent lately.
Manchester United have that great blend of youth and experience and they gave a great performance.
Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville showed incredible hunger and desire for players who have won everything. Giggsy, at the age of 35, gave an awesome performance.
Gary Neville had a shocker against Arsenal and it looked, to me, like he might not play again but it just shows that he is amazing professional and needed games to get back into the swing of things.
Everyone keeps going on about United's centre-backs, and rightly so, but for Neville to put in a performance like he did in a big, high-pressure match was remarkable. It was a lesson to any footballer about what can be achieved.
United have some hard games this week against Wigan and Bolton (away). They've got a massive schedule coming up so we'll wait and see what happens, but they've certainly hit a run of form and that display against Chelsea will give the players a lot of confidence to go on a lift #19 on May 24th.
The title race is certainly between Manchester United and Liverpool and it could go either way - the big tests are yet to come.
Liverpool, even though they had a bad performance against Stoke, have done remarkably well, are still strong and have a great chance of winning it.
I thought what manager Rafael Benitez said about United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in his press conference was true to a certain extent, but he talks about facts like they are clear happenings in the con finds of the Premier League, in my opinion he has no proof to justify a good portion of his Kevin Keegan like rants during that 4 minute press conference. Is he folding under the enormous pressure of being top of the league?
However, as a player you don't want that extra pressure and the pressure is now on Liverpool because of what happened at the weekend, if you going to run your mouth in the Premier League you must back it up and Liverpool failed to do that and that is no 4 points dropped against Stoke.
Benitez would probably have been better off saying 'Alex Ferguson doesn't say anything about teams who finish fourth or fifth so he must think we're his biggest challengers' and let it go, let the players do the talking on the pitch, instead he put more pressure on his team when they enter the most crucial stage of the season. Sir Alex must of been licking his lips at the sight on Rafa's rant.
Ferguson said what he did to get a reaction and he got a reaction. If Liverpool had beaten Stoke and Manchester United had drawn against Chelsea everything would now have been forgotten, but as history tells us it doesn't happen that way.
Manchester United were fantastic on Sunday, the defended their 18 yard box very well to keep Van Der Sar very quiet indeed. They looked refreshed its almost as if they were waiting until January kicked in because of that old saying "United don't turn it on until January" well.......... signed, sealed and delivered United sent out a statement of intent to Liverpool "your in for a fight".
Lets hope that come May 24th, Sir Alex is lifting his 11th league title.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
as we all know, the BCS is BS
Started the first season of Monk. My question, what is the difference between this show and the Mentalist?
Both are “consultants” to law enforcement; both operate outside the system with unusual methods; both have a keen eye for observation and putting seemingly unrelated pieces together; both lost their wives in tragic incidents.
I didn’t race to get to get through the season. I only watched 4 or 5 episodes and I don’t think I can commit to Monk going forwards. If he is reinstated to the force, who cares? There is no way he should have a gun, so that aspect of the story is a non-issue. At least with the Mentalist, he is trying to capture a criminal and get justice and closure.
You take these shows and House and the new show Liar coming out and it’s like we’ve got some sort of Sherlock Holmes obsession. Is it because we all want to be genius, observant misanthropes or do we just like mysteries that can be contained within 44 minutes? Some realistic, some not.
Moving on to Burn After Reading. I think I went into the film with the wrong level of expectation. I didn’t really like it at all. Brad Pitt was hilarious and Malkovich throwing F bombs all over the place was funny, and who can forget the contraption in the basement, but I heard the final piece of dialogue, what did we learn?, and was like exactly. I was expecting some sort of story but it was just a random 90 minutes with several characters interacting then dying. I think I need to watch it again knowing what will happen, which is nothing. I’m sure I’m overthinking this.
Went to Art’s bar for the BCS National Championship game, which, when you think about it, is the most ludicrous name for the game. It’s not a championship game in any real sense. It is a game between the top teams in a series of polls and algorithms. I won’t go into a rant about the need for playoff in the FBS division (another stupid name), but will just say that I was shocked that actual defense was played by both sides. I totally expected and wanted a 38-35 game and got a defensive stalemate for 3 quarters. Oklahoma really should have put more points on the board and paid the price for not doing so. A good game, not great, and how much better would it have been if the winner of this game got Utah or USC?
Finally, I started subscribing to the Dan Patrick podcast. Since the Tony Kornheiser show is not coming back, I had to find an alternative sports/pop culture show. What a great show and I highly recommend it. I don’t know when I’m going to find time to listen to it, but I will work on it.
Ta Ta.
Both are “consultants” to law enforcement; both operate outside the system with unusual methods; both have a keen eye for observation and putting seemingly unrelated pieces together; both lost their wives in tragic incidents.
I didn’t race to get to get through the season. I only watched 4 or 5 episodes and I don’t think I can commit to Monk going forwards. If he is reinstated to the force, who cares? There is no way he should have a gun, so that aspect of the story is a non-issue. At least with the Mentalist, he is trying to capture a criminal and get justice and closure.
You take these shows and House and the new show Liar coming out and it’s like we’ve got some sort of Sherlock Holmes obsession. Is it because we all want to be genius, observant misanthropes or do we just like mysteries that can be contained within 44 minutes? Some realistic, some not.
Moving on to Burn After Reading. I think I went into the film with the wrong level of expectation. I didn’t really like it at all. Brad Pitt was hilarious and Malkovich throwing F bombs all over the place was funny, and who can forget the contraption in the basement, but I heard the final piece of dialogue, what did we learn?, and was like exactly. I was expecting some sort of story but it was just a random 90 minutes with several characters interacting then dying. I think I need to watch it again knowing what will happen, which is nothing. I’m sure I’m overthinking this.
Went to Art’s bar for the BCS National Championship game, which, when you think about it, is the most ludicrous name for the game. It’s not a championship game in any real sense. It is a game between the top teams in a series of polls and algorithms. I won’t go into a rant about the need for playoff in the FBS division (another stupid name), but will just say that I was shocked that actual defense was played by both sides. I totally expected and wanted a 38-35 game and got a defensive stalemate for 3 quarters. Oklahoma really should have put more points on the board and paid the price for not doing so. A good game, not great, and how much better would it have been if the winner of this game got Utah or USC?
Finally, I started subscribing to the Dan Patrick podcast. Since the Tony Kornheiser show is not coming back, I had to find an alternative sports/pop culture show. What a great show and I highly recommend it. I don’t know when I’m going to find time to listen to it, but I will work on it.
Ta Ta.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Potpourri of Artists
I attended the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention this weekend, and as usual they brought in a variety of talented folks to provide entertainment. The following are a few of which I took notice that you are welcome to check out on you own.
First up was illusionist Jared Hall. He did quite a few cool illusions and tricks. He incorporated more comedy than most of the more popular illusionists which made his illusions take longer than necessary. But they were good nonetheless. Here is a video of one illusion that I saw in which he levitated a table. And here is a video of him getting out of a straight jacket in less than a minute. Not bad, if you’re into that.
Next up is comedian Jeff Allen. He is an old guy and used a lot of older reference that I found hilarious, but which probably fell on deaf, teenage years. He has a style similar to Brian Regan and self deprecating mannerisms which make for a very entertaining show. Here is a quick bit from his repertoire.
Joe Castillo is an artist whose medium is sand on a light board. He tells unbelievable stories just by moving sand around a table. It is incredible. Here is video of “The Passion.
Finally, the big musical group was Family Force 5 who are reminiscent of Korn with their droning guitars highlighted with electronic beats. They were okay, but I don’t think I am going to pile the family in the minivan and follow them on tour across the country. You can listen to some songs on their myspace page.
It is always tough to get acts that will appeal to the most people in attendance. But, I think the planning committee did pretty well. If you see any of these guys in your neighborhood, check them out.
First up was illusionist Jared Hall. He did quite a few cool illusions and tricks. He incorporated more comedy than most of the more popular illusionists which made his illusions take longer than necessary. But they were good nonetheless. Here is a video of one illusion that I saw in which he levitated a table. And here is a video of him getting out of a straight jacket in less than a minute. Not bad, if you’re into that.
Next up is comedian Jeff Allen. He is an old guy and used a lot of older reference that I found hilarious, but which probably fell on deaf, teenage years. He has a style similar to Brian Regan and self deprecating mannerisms which make for a very entertaining show. Here is a quick bit from his repertoire.
Joe Castillo is an artist whose medium is sand on a light board. He tells unbelievable stories just by moving sand around a table. It is incredible. Here is video of “The Passion.
Finally, the big musical group was Family Force 5 who are reminiscent of Korn with their droning guitars highlighted with electronic beats. They were okay, but I don’t think I am going to pile the family in the minivan and follow them on tour across the country. You can listen to some songs on their myspace page.
It is always tough to get acts that will appeal to the most people in attendance. But, I think the planning committee did pretty well. If you see any of these guys in your neighborhood, check them out.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Interesting!!!!!!
So i know i was supposed to blog on Wednesday, but given the 3 mile long paper trail on my desk following the holidays i thought I'd wait until Friday to unleash my interesting blog which i hope all the soccer fans out there enjoy.
As my mind wandered whilst making the journey across Michigan last week, i asked myself a question that i have been itching to find the answer for some time now "who are the Top 10 greatest English Premiership Players ever?"
As you can imagine it was quite a long ride home and the thing that was eating away at me was, there are too many good players to name a Top 10.
So i began to filter through the players from the last 16 years of the greatest league in the world today.
In my opinion the 2 sets of Top 10 players below are the greatest players to grace the Premier League. See if you agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Top 10 Greatest Players (OLD SCHOOL)
As my mind wandered whilst making the journey across Michigan last week, i asked myself a question that i have been itching to find the answer for some time now "who are the Top 10 greatest English Premiership Players ever?"
As you can imagine it was quite a long ride home and the thing that was eating away at me was, there are too many good players to name a Top 10.
So i began to filter through the players from the last 16 years of the greatest league in the world today.
In my opinion the 2 sets of Top 10 players below are the greatest players to grace the Premier League. See if you agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Top 10 Greatest Players (OLD SCHOOL)
- Eric Cantona (The King in my eyes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvSjpgIgCnU
- Alan Shearer (260 goals scored what a gifted finisher, pure brilliance in front of goal)
- Dennis Bergkamp (sheer brilliance every time he touched the ball) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jirzCkR-jSY
- Thiery Henry (174 goals scored Dynamic forward, great 1 on 1 finisher & a pure technical genius)
- Paul Scholes (arguably the best attacking midfielder of his generation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQXrMbArqSs
- Paul Gascoigne (If he hadn't lost his way after his serious injury he would be my #1)
- Peter Schmeichel (was their anyone better) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvZf5Zp-27Y
- Roy Keane (the hardest central midfielder of all time, a true captain)
- Robbie Fowler (161 goals scored & the most naturally gifted striker in history) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcv11hWfzMI
- Ryan Giggs - (10 league titles is enough to get anyone on this list)
Many will argue that Eric Cantona is not deserving enough of top spot, but i feel that Cantona was the real deal, he retired too early much to every ones disappointment, but he was The King. He changed more games with pieces of brilliance that i was so privileged to see first hand, he danced around the pitch with such elegance that at times you had to pinch yourself to make sure it was real.
Top 10 Greatest Players (Modern Day)
- Steven Gerrard (Captain fantastic, Liverpool rely on their skipper and he delivers consistently) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOetwV1zISw
- Cristiano Ronaldo (42 goals last season, European footballer of the year. World Player of year??) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GJetwg_nGs
- Frank Lampard (He is Mr Chelsea for me not John Terry, he is the driving force behind the blues)
- Fernando Torres (Class apart, one of the best forwards in the world) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9L91Gd0mXY
- Wayne Rooney (He can be England's white knight if he scores more goals, technically brilliant) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuXXuVqehDk
- Rio Ferdinand (Worlds best defender, don't argue he is. Calm on the ball and reads the game so well)
- Didier Drogba (Jose's special one and he is, fantastic forward with such presence)
- Cesc Fabregas (classy little play maker, can he be Mr Arsenal)
- Jermain Defoe (I like Jermaine Defoe, he is quick has an eye for goal and reminds of Micheal Owen)
- Joe Cole (Gazza like ball skills, has pace and an eye for goal)
20 talented players, it was tough to name them and i am sure i have missed some great players, but in my mind and my love for the game these 20 players will be remembered for so many good things.
Take a peak at the video clips, truly amazing.
Until next time........................... C'mon United 3-0 v The Blues Sunday
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
holiday follow up
So I spent the holidays in Alabama with the fam. Good times. Had decent success with the online poker. Didn’t really watch that much football. Not enough compelling match-ups in college or pro. Weather was pretty nice down there and a nice touch was that it started to snow the moment we got back to Michigan. Why do we live here again?
Watched The Dark Knight again. It really is a great movie, not just a great comic movie. I now appreciate the contribution of the Two-Face character. Will they continue the renegade Batman storyline? My guess is that the next movie will be about his redemption and how Gotham comes to accept the caped crusader. Who will be the foil though?
Erin got me a 6 month subscription to NetFlix. I had movies waiting for me when we got back and I’ve already loaded up my queue. Right now I’m focusing on soccer and movies that are hard to get a hold of (independent, foreign, etc.). Any suggestions out there?
Finally I finished the second season of 30 Rock. Absolutely one of my favorite shows of all time. Each show is 22 minutes of comedic ecstasy. The interplay of the characters is hilarious and the guest appearances are the perfect accessory. Greenzo!! How great was that? And James Carville giving Cajun style advice to any and all?
This week I’ll be watching the first season of Monk and Burn After Reading. Maybe even the BCS Championship game. Not too much soccer on TV this weekend, but a huge clash between Manchester United and Chelsea that should influence the destination of the Premier League trophy.
Ta Ta.
Watched The Dark Knight again. It really is a great movie, not just a great comic movie. I now appreciate the contribution of the Two-Face character. Will they continue the renegade Batman storyline? My guess is that the next movie will be about his redemption and how Gotham comes to accept the caped crusader. Who will be the foil though?
Erin got me a 6 month subscription to NetFlix. I had movies waiting for me when we got back and I’ve already loaded up my queue. Right now I’m focusing on soccer and movies that are hard to get a hold of (independent, foreign, etc.). Any suggestions out there?
Finally I finished the second season of 30 Rock. Absolutely one of my favorite shows of all time. Each show is 22 minutes of comedic ecstasy. The interplay of the characters is hilarious and the guest appearances are the perfect accessory. Greenzo!! How great was that? And James Carville giving Cajun style advice to any and all?
This week I’ll be watching the first season of Monk and Burn After Reading. Maybe even the BCS Championship game. Not too much soccer on TV this weekend, but a huge clash between Manchester United and Chelsea that should influence the destination of the Premier League trophy.
Ta Ta.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Guitar Greats
I have this friend, and we have gotten into a few discussions about guitarists - specifically, who is the best guitarist ever. Now he is a moron because he thinks Eddie Van Halen is the best guitarist ever – which is INSANE! I tell him that he is so limited in his understanding of music. But he stands firm.
The problem with this discussion is the same problem with trying to pick the best song or group ever. Besides being extremely subjective, one also has to deal with different genres. Even with guitarists, they play different styles and in different ways. How do you compare great Metal guitarists with Blues players? How do you compare Classic Rock with Hair Band Rock? It seems an impossible task. So, determining who is the “best” ends up comparing apples to oranges rather than comparing Fugis to Granny Smiths. But, it must be done or else we have little to talk about. I propose using criteria such as technique and difficulty of skills in addition to producing music that is pleasing to the ear. Again, it remains subjective, but at least puts us at the same table.
To such ends, Rolling Stone put out their top 100 list of guitarists of which I have reproduced the top ten below:
1) Jimi Hendrix
2) Duane Allman
3) B.B. King
4) Eric Clapton
5) Robert Johnson
6) Chuck Berry
7) Stevie Ray Vaughan
8) Ry Cooder
9) Jimmy Page
10) Keith Richards
All these guys are great. No doubt about it. But some are before my time and some are WAY before my time. So, my top 3 would be the following (in no particular order) – Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton. The reason they are not in order is because they play different styles, but do so exceptionally well. Whenever their songs come on the radio or Pandora, I will listen. Other guitarist’s stuff is hit or miss for me depending what mood I am in. And as for Eddie Van Halen, well, would be lucky to make my top 50.
So, who is in your top 3 or 5 guitarists?
Do you agree with the Rolling Stone list or feel they have overlooked a monumental influence?
The problem with this discussion is the same problem with trying to pick the best song or group ever. Besides being extremely subjective, one also has to deal with different genres. Even with guitarists, they play different styles and in different ways. How do you compare great Metal guitarists with Blues players? How do you compare Classic Rock with Hair Band Rock? It seems an impossible task. So, determining who is the “best” ends up comparing apples to oranges rather than comparing Fugis to Granny Smiths. But, it must be done or else we have little to talk about. I propose using criteria such as technique and difficulty of skills in addition to producing music that is pleasing to the ear. Again, it remains subjective, but at least puts us at the same table.
To such ends, Rolling Stone put out their top 100 list of guitarists of which I have reproduced the top ten below:
1) Jimi Hendrix
2) Duane Allman
3) B.B. King
4) Eric Clapton
5) Robert Johnson
6) Chuck Berry
7) Stevie Ray Vaughan
8) Ry Cooder
9) Jimmy Page
10) Keith Richards
All these guys are great. No doubt about it. But some are before my time and some are WAY before my time. So, my top 3 would be the following (in no particular order) – Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton. The reason they are not in order is because they play different styles, but do so exceptionally well. Whenever their songs come on the radio or Pandora, I will listen. Other guitarist’s stuff is hit or miss for me depending what mood I am in. And as for Eddie Van Halen, well, would be lucky to make my top 50.
So, who is in your top 3 or 5 guitarists?
Do you agree with the Rolling Stone list or feel they have overlooked a monumental influence?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Back to Reality--More work, less board games
So it's back to reality tomorrow. No more five day weekends...sigh. Nice holidays for Megan and I. There was the usual pre-Christmas stress of figuring out where we were going to be and when, but once we had our plan, things worked out quite nicely, spending one day with my Dad, one with my Mom, and one with the in-laws. It was as restful as one could expect. Lots of good food and lots of board games.
I love board games--we have a ton of them and are always looking for an excuse to haul them out. Got a chance to play three new games over the holidays--Munchkin, Settlers of Kattan, and Gobblet.
I was introduced to Munchkin a couple New Years parties back--it's played with a deck of cards, and is a little roleplay-y--so the basic idea is you draw a card to open a door, if it's a monster, you have to fight it. If you kill it you get its treasure, such as armor (in picture) or other weapons, which make you stronger and you go up a level. The first player to reach level 10 wins. It's a little nerdy, granted, but the illustrations are all very funny and the gameplay is quick with a lot of negotiations between players when the monster is too big to take on by yourself.
Settlers of Kattan was given to me as a gift, and we got a couple chances to play this while we were back home for Christmas. Interesting game--lots of strategy--the basic idea here is you're on an island and you start with two settelments that have limited access to resources needed to build more roads and settlements, the object to essentially build 10 settlements. You have to do a lot of trading with other players to gather the resources needed, which requires a lot of politicking. There's really a lot of additional detail that I'm leaving out, but I'm hoping we can find a couple people locally to play with (as opposed to Margaret and Kenny who live in Detroit), because you can't play it two player.
And then there was Gobblet--I thought it looked interesting so I bought it for my Dad last year for his birthday, but we only just now got the chace to play it. It reminds me a little of Othello, in that it's really simple to learn how to play, but there's a ton of strategy that you pick up as you go along. It's two player, and played on a 4x4 board. Each player has 3 sets of 4 nesting pieces (check out the picture). The goal is to create a row of 4 of your pieces, doesn't matter what size, though, of course, your opponent can always use one of the larger pieces to swallow (er...gobble) one of your smaller pieces. You can un-gobble a piece too when you move your larger piece back off of it--but that could inadvertantly end up helping your opponent if you didn't remember that was there. A little hard to do it justice in the description. But, um, just bought it for $15 on Amazon, so this is sure to end up at the office. Maybe Austin can better relate it.
So what are some of the best games you've played lately? What are your top ten, for that matter? Here's mine, excluding games played with a standard 52 card deck:
. Taboo-Better the better you know your teammates--my wife is wicked at this game, though we're never allowed to be on the same team--boo.
. Perquackey-This is maybe the game I'm the best at--It's like boggle, without the structure, a little more fast-paced, think, and a bit more fun because of it.
. Chess-I haven't played in a while, but have always enjoyed it. Used to play it over email with my Dad...maybe time to get that going again?
. Guesstures-Charades, but on the clock--always a riot.
. Boggle-While I still think Perquackey is more fun, there's still a lot to be said about good ole fashioned Boggle. Plus there's a pretty decent version of it on Yahoo games to play one player.
. Scene-It-I'm a movie buff, so have always enjoyed Scene-It, though last I knew it was in despearate need of an update.
. Trivial Pursuit-We have a few different versions--I think my favorite currently is the Pop Culture edition which comes with a dvd for some of the clues.
. Stratego-Played this some when I was a kid, but on my previous model of phone I had a version of this that was a lot of fun to play one player when you're killing time.
. Scrabble-This is a fave for when we're up at the cottage, playing with my stepmom, sister, and sister-in-law. Yep, I'm the only guy who plays it up there, but I'm still pretty good at it.
. Risk-Haven't played this in a while, but always struck me as a fun way to pass an evening with a few friends.
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