Working Out for a Better Me - Week ???

Hey there. I'm supposed to be on a mission to better myself and my health. For the first month or so, I saw some gains in my arms and chest and losses on my waist. Now... I said it was going to be semi-serious and this is why... I haven't been to the gym in like 2 weeks. lol Yup, it's been that long and it doesn't help when I'm chowing down on a bag of cookies or stuffing my face with ice cream for a midnight snack. Now, here's my philosophy when it comes to dieting... Men don't diet. It's as simple as that. I don't see why we would have to diet. In my honest opinion, we just eat less of what we want. Instead of 4 slices of pizza, go with 3, pass on the ranch when you're chowing down on your fries, and when ordering your super omega too big to hold with one hand ultimate cheeseburger, go with medium fries and drink as opposed to large. lol Yeah, that's how I see it.

What are you looking at?!  I'm NOT sharing!

Now, the wife hates this philosophy. As I'm chowing down on cookies, she's chewing on baby carrots and I can see the jealousy and disbelief that is emanating from her eyes. lol One of her favorite commercials that used to run on TV was for some stuff you would add to your water to help lose weight. What's the name of it... Let me find it on Youtube. Slimquick! There it is.

Pretty hilarious, no? There's a few different commercial for this stuff and some are pretty funny.  She'll laugh and say things like, it's sooooo true! lol  It's just not very hard for a man to lose weight, I guess.  I've been thin for most of my life and now that I actually have some weight on me, I'm not so sure that I want it off.  But then again, I don't want to be huffing and puffing while doing extra curricular activities.  I need to get back on the ball and get back to the gym.  I knew this was gonna happen, though.  That's why I didn't say this would be "super serious" workout sessions.  lol  I'll keep you posted.  Later!

Teen Mom: Some Thoughts

Hey there.  I was watching Teen Mom last night with the wife and I noticed the disclaimer right before the show stating something along the lines of teen pregnancy being 100% preventable.  There is this one couple on the show that smoke pot.  Now, I'm thinking to myself, they're underage, smoking pot is illegal (it wasn't for medicinal purposes, that's for sure) and they're filming and talking about it and broadcasting it on TV.  Am I missing something here?  The girl has a child and she's smoking pot to "get away".  Now, I understand that it's nowhere near the level of teen cocaine addiction, but don't you think that someone at MTV should be telling this girl that she may need help?  Her mother has custody of the girl's child, the girl has nowhere to stay, and it turns out that both her and her boyfriend smoke pot on a regular basis.  It's safe to say that the girl's family life is in shambles.

At the end of the season, Dr. Drew has a reunion type show with all the mothers and follows up on how their lives have changed since the show.  Dr. Drew is awesome.  He has his own show on MTV, Celebrity rehab with Dr. Drew.  Some of the testimonials that come out of that show are amazing.  These are spoiled celebrities who can be stubborn and if they make it through the show, express nothing but sincere gratitude to Dr. Drew.  But he doesn't just deal with adult treatments, he also specializes in teen addictions and helps with all sort of treatments such as teen cocaine treatment.  Anyways, I like how he gives them guidance on how to move forward depending on their situation.  What I don't like about the show is that there even is a show about it. 

I understand that teen pregnancies happen.  Hell, I was a father in my teens.  But MTV and other networks shouldn't be glamorizing it.  I think I read somewhere that one of the mom's on this show said she was a role model.  No she's not.  It's difficult as it is to be a parent, let alone do it while still in high school, without a job, and without family support.  It's tough and I think it sucks that shows like this potentially add to the notion that if you do get pregnant at an early age, they can be on TV.  In my opinion, if you're about to have a baby and you don't have the slightest clue on what you're going to do, the last thing that should be crossing your mind is to be on TV.  

I understand that some TV is meant for entertainment purposes.  I get the extreme stuff, the fashion stuff, the crazy stuff, but I don't get the teen pregnancy one.  Tell me again why people would care to watch a child raise another?  If it's a documentary or a movie, I can see the appeal, but this is a TV show that is meant to entertain the young demographic that MTV caters too.  And let's be real, here.  This is NOT a reality show.  The pregnancy is real, but when you're getting paid a 6 figure salary, see previous teen mom train wreck Amber, there is no way that MTV is not staging some of the stuff on the show.  If you want to watch for entertainment purposes, by all means go for it, but don't believe that the "stories" and "drama" behind it are real.  Later!

Looking for Great NBA Ticket Prices

Hey there.  I am looking for a great price on Los Angeles Lakers Tickets. I've been a fan of the Lakers for as long as I can remember. My brother and I would watch NBA basketball for long periods of time in our youth. Actually, we'll do that now. lol Especially after the All-Star break, since this is the time where teams get serious and start vying for playoff positioning.  Now, my son is getting sucked into the games.  He started watching the Laker games with me and, I believe, is now a fan for life.  This is why I'm looking for tickets to a game.  It'll be his first NBA game and I want it to be a good one.

The Staples Center is an awesome venue and I haven't been there in about a year now.  They recently unveiled a Jerry West statue outside the arena.  The NBA logo himself. I'm sure the boy wouldn't mind walking around seeing the statues and maybe even have a few seconds of air time on TV if we're lucky enough to pass by LA Live while they're filming.  You go in for a great NBA game and you come home with an experience.

If you're a fan and have not been to an NBA game, you need to definitely consider it.  Whether you're looking for Boston Celtics Tickets (to see the "Big 3"), Chicago Bulls Tickets, (to see Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and recently acquired Carlos Boozer.), Dallas Mavericks Tickets (To see Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd), or Houston Rockets Tickets (to see Kevin Martin and a cast of young talent), the NBA always delivers when it comes to a great game.  You should pick up tickets for when the Lakers are in town and witness Kobe Bryant, the Mamba himself, in all his awesomeness.  Man, am I looking forward to the game!  Later!

Ancient Aliens: Zues is Odin and Odin is Zues?

Hey there.  I love the show Ancient Aliens on the History Channel.  I think it's thought provoking and I love that each show has a different center of focus to lend credibility (or discredit) the ancient alien theory.  For those of you not in the know, the ancient alien theory suggests that many of the wonders of the world were made by not only man, but with the assistance of aliens.  It suggest that mythologies and art across the globe have striking similarities and they could very well in fact be depicting the same "alien figure".  The episode that I caught last night mentioned the similarities of gods throughout the mythos of ancient civilizations. 

The episode I caught last night were trying to lend credibility to the ancient alien theory by saying that many of the gods in mythologies were in fact aliens and the fact that many mythological gods were striking similar, were more than likely the same alien god.  This is a stretch in my opinion.  The show argued that both, Zues and Odin, were sky gods, both were the rulers of "all gods", both had epic beards, and Odin is a shapeshifter where as Zues could be symbolized with an eagle, and both fathered many children with "mortals"  Now check out their appearance.

Now don't tell me that these two do not look like twin bothers.  Considering that cameras didn't exist back in the day, we can only go by descriptions written on ancient texts but they're both described in a similar manner.

Now, I believe in aliens.  I believe that it would be naive to think that we are alone in this vast universe.  Somewhere out there, other civilizations are present.  I'm sure that some are more advance than ours and I'm sure that some are more primitive than ours.  Nevertheless, the law of averages say that they exists SOMEWHERE out there.  This show, Ancient Aliens, can provide some pretty convincing evidence.  Especially when you bring in artifacts and art work believed to be depicting aliens and UFOs.  But sometimes I think that the show reaches out on a limb, as it has with the theory of mythological gods being aliens.  Then again, what do I know.  I'm not the expert here.  lol  Take a look.  If nothing else, it's an interesting show and I always watch it when it comes on.  What do you think?  Aliens:  BS or real deal?  Later!

Is Poker the New National Past Time?

Hey there. The last few years, there has been a poker boom on national TV. It's almost as if there's a tournament always going on and the tournaments are being televised. I've also noted a lot more commercials for poker sites, such as PokerStars.com, getting repeated air play. Card games have been around since forever but is it time to take this poker boon seriously?

I've been playing poker since I was child.  The family would gather around a table and play 5 card poker or Texas Hold 'Em.  I learned the game from family and have been playing ever since.  I've never played in a tournament though and since I remember seeing in the commercials that they have free tournaments online, I decided to use a PokerStars Bonus Code to see how the online poker world works.  Fist off, there are many players so you'll never be sitting at a table by yourself and there are many tournaments that go on all the time.  The best part about those is that you can win a seat in the World Series of Poker Tournament and try your luck against the best of the world.  I think that's pretty awesome for nothing.  Especially if you're using a PokerStars Bonus Code. 

Now, PokerStars is a free site.  You do not need any money to play.  But for those of you that are curious and are high stakes players, here is a PokerStars Marketing Code you can use for some bonus cash.  I try hard to find coupons and codes online before I sign up for anything so I can help you guys out with what I find, I will.  lol  Best of luck friends.  Hope to see you at the upcoming tournament!  Later!

Motivational Monday - Exercise

And here I thought that the "forklift" was some kind of strength training

Egyptian President Steps Down

Hey there.  I try not post news type stuffs on this blog, since I figured that the same story is posted just about anywhere else on the web, but this one intrigues me.  As you may or may not know, things in Egypt have been bad.  Very bad.  There is so much turmoil between the people of Egypt and their leaders that the people have turned to violence due to the authoritarian ways of their president.  Today, the president finally steps down and the military has taken power.  Can you imagine something like that happening in the States?  Where the people of the US say, "Screw you prez!" and marches, and protests are rampant throughout the States because the people are standing up to what they believe in.  I think that the police force would start taking advantage and use their authority to have their way.  I can imagine that police harassment would be up, similar to the stuff that went down in Orlando, Fl .  Imagine the military coming in and taking control?  That's just an insane thought to me.

I'm glad that the people of Egypt are rejoicing over their president stepping down.  It's good to see that the voice of the people still has a purpose.  What's awful about the whole thing is that the voice used was not only that of reason, but that of violence.  Congrats and best of luck, Egypt.  Your people have spoken, changes are being made and democracy is on it's way.  I hope that all turns out well for you.  Later!

Super Bowl XLV is in the Books

Hey there.  I know, I know.  I'm late to the party.  The Super Bowl is now 3 days removed and I am just getting the chance to add my 2 cents to the whole thing.  The game itself was awesome, the halftime show was eh, and the commercials were simply hit or miss.  First the game:

The game was great.  I think that the NFL has had a nice 4 or 5 game string of awesome Super Bowls.  I believe they all were close in the end, they all had some sort of theatrics going on, and they all were decided by a single score.  This was no different.  The Steelers, even with their 3 turnovers, were in position to win the game in the 4th qtr.  Down by six point and possession of the ball, the script was written for Steelers QB Big Ben to march down the field and take the win.  But it wasn't to be.  Not this time.  Packers QB Aaron Rodgers played the best game of his life and earned himself the MVP and the Lambardi Trophy.  He can finally emerge from that huge Brett Favre shadow that has followed him ever since Favre left Green Bay.  Congrat to all your cheeseheads.  You guys deserve it.  Now, on to the entertainment.

Christina Aguilera botched the national anthem and the Black Eyed Peas are so outdated I'm extremely surprised they were chosen to play the half time show.  You would expect that Christina would practice the national anthem a billion times considering that this is the biggest of stages in all of sports.  She completely missed a line and added words to the song.  As for the Black Eyed Peas, I'm not the biggest of fan of theirs, but at least their light show was good and it was cool to see Slash on stage.  I feel as if the NFL has gotten the jitters when it comes to their shows and are playing it extremely conservative.  Ever since the "wardrobe malfunction" incident, the half time shows have not stood out like they used to.

As for the commercials, some companies got it right while others completely bombed.  I'm looking at you, Coke.  Really now?  Drink a Coke and you're dragon will start spewing fireworks?  What are you trying to say?  That was one stupid commercial and there was no appeal what so ever.  And considering that it was CGI, I'm sure it was a pricey mistake on your end.  One commercial that definitely got it right was the Volkswagon commercial featuring a young Darth Vader.  That one was awesome.  It was funny, intuitive, and all around fun.  Awesome job WV.  Awesome job.  Check out the commercial below.

All in all a good experience.  Can't complain about the product that the NFL has given us.  The game is as popular as it ever has and it has continued to produce awe inspiring performances.  Great job NFL!

On a side note, I want to give some thoughts on the whole thing being in Dallas.  There is no doubt that the stadium is awesome.  Top of the line, state of the art type stuffs.  However, Jerry Jones greed was a complete embarrassment to the league.  Jones wanted to break the NFL attendance record for the Super Bowl.  That records sits somewhere around 105,000 people.  Jones added extra seats to the stadium in an attempt to break it.  Sold the tickets and everything and then on game day, the fire marshall explained that they were not safe and had to be removed.  You know what that means?  That some 500 people or so were turned away from the game.  TURNED AWAY!  Can you believe that?!  You've just managed to get a ticket to the Super Bowl and have made travel arrangements, got a week off from work and what not only to be turned away at the gate.  What a HUGE black mark on what was an awesome day.  There was a letter that was handed out to those who were turned away but don't you think that letter would have served a purpose a few days before the game?  And even if they knew that they couldn't seat all ticket holders, they should have created an area where those that could not be seated could have hung out, watched the game, and still say that they were there.  The NFL tried to make it right by offering some $2500 to each ticket holder.  I just don't think that's enough.  In my opinion, that's just soul crushing.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Jay Cutler

Jay, you are a QB playing in the NFC championship game!  If you can walk, you should be able to play!

Pee Wee Herman Intervention Sketch on SNL is Hilarious

Hey there.  I caught this at my brother's house not too long ago and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Man, I love these SNL clips.  Check it out.

WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

My Love for Horror and Disturbing Films

Hey there.  I don't watch as many movies as I would like to.  Don't get me wrong, I do watch plenty of movies, but rarely do I come across that gem that makes me go, whoa.  Movies like Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door or 3 Extremes are movies that I not only enjoy watching but highly recommend that people watch them.  These are not films that one would describe as "good".  I would describe them as "wow" or "damn".  A movie that can stir inner emotions is definitely one that is worth the time to check out.  And with that, I came across a list of "disturbing" movies that I definitely want to check out this year.  The quick synopsis are all from IMDB.com

I Love My DVR

Thanks for the post from Barney Crosby

I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for my DVR. This is the one electronic device that I have in my home that I actually know how to operate. I use it on a daily basis and I am not ashamed to say that when my old one broke, I had a new one within one day. I just cannot be without it. While my cable tv always has great shows on, I work crazy hours at the local hospital. There are many times that I cannot watch TV until late at night or early in the morning. Thanks to my DVR, I can still see all of my favorite shows like CSI, 16 and Pregnant, and Desperate Housewives. All I have to do is make sure that I set the device to record them while I am gone. Then when I do get to actually sit down, all of my faves are there waiting. This thing has completely changed how I watch TV and I will never be without one as long as I can help it.

What a Way to Kick Off the 2010-2011 NFL Playoffs

Hey there.  Hope you all had a great weekend.  For all non football fans out there, this Saturday was the beginning of the NFL playoffs.  Where games matter more and the losses stay with you until next year.  This Saturday's lineup included the Seattle Seahawks vs. the New Orleans Saints followed by The Indianapolis Colts vs. the New York Jets.  Being a fan, you'd figure that the Saints will roll over the 'Hawks, since the 'Hawks  being the only team in history to enter the playoffs with a record below .500.  Man.. that was not the case.

Simply put, the game was freakin' awesome.  Everything you want in a football game.  High scoring, hard impact, 4th qtr drama and it was all capped off by this killer run by Marshawn Lynch that has everyone who watched it say, "WOW!". To everyone's surprise, the "lowly" Seahawks came up and defeated the defending Super Bowl champs.  Brees had his chance to bring the team back but the unsuccessful onside kick sealed their fate.  If you missed this game, you MUST watch it when the NFL Network replays it sometime this week.

The Colts vs the Jets game was just as good.  The poster boy on NFL QBs, Peyton Manning, is set off to make another run to the Super Bowl against the loudmouth Jets.  Classic stuff.  And after what seemed to be the game winning 50 yard field goal by K Adam "I don't miss big kicks in play off games" Vinitieri, Jets QB Mark Sanchez came up big by setting his team up for an easy field goal for the win.  All in all, an awesome set of games to usher in the playoffs!

Sunday morning featured the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Baltimore Ravens.  I'll admit that I was rooting for the Chief's to lose.  In my opinion, Oakland should have been in their place, but the Raiders screwed up their chance to represent the AFC West.  Anyways, The Ravens just destroyed the Chiefs, and just to throw salt into the wound of Oakland fans everywhere... the dreaded "tuck rule" made an appearance in the game.  Bitter or not, that tuck rule is a stupid rule and it should be changed or completely scratched out of the NFL rule book.  I'm just saying.

The afternoon game featured the game of the weekend, The Green Bay Packers vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.  The felon turned savior, Michael Vick vs back up to Mr. Favre turned uprising star, Aaron Rodgers.  This game had classic written all over it and even though it wasn't a high scoring game like the Seahawks/Saints game, this one was still decided in the 4th qtr in the final minute of the game.  QB Vick had the Eagles at the 27 yard line with seconds to go and he was looking for the win when his pass was intercepted in the end zone.  Awesome, awesome game.

In all honesty, I don't remember a better Wild Card weekend in the NFL.  The games were exciting (except the Chief/Ravens game) and they all had their big play moments.  If you are an NFL fan you have to be happy with the games this weekend.  And wow... I'm still thinking about that Marshawn Lynch run!  Here's a video of the play that I found online.  The run looked so much like it came from a video game that someone decided to add Tecmo Super Bowl sounds to it!  Freakin' awesome!  I know for a fact that all football fans everywhere simultaneously said, "UUUHHHH!  GET OFF ME!!!!" at the .13 second mark of this video.  If you didn't, you are not a fan.  lol  Enjoy.  Later!

Auburn Takes on Oregon

Contribution by Prince Raymond

If you love college football than you are probably looking forward to the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game that is coming up in a few weeks. The Auburn Tigers are taking on the Oregon ducks and it should turn out to be an offensive showcase. Both of these teams have some of the highest scoring offenses in all of college football. They also both have some of the most dynamic athletes. Cam Newton is the Heisman Trophy winner and promises to always put a show and put up points on the board. LaMichael James for Oregon is also the top running back in the country and should prove a tough test for Auburn's defense.

I got my tickets to go to this game weeks ago and decided to take my friend George. We both said goodbye to our wives, switched on our home alarm systems from ALL HOME SECURITY, packed out bags and boarded the plane for sunny Glendale Arizona got the national championship. The game should be really exciting because it is the premiere game of the college football season. All of the hype and trash talk leads up to this point. This game will decide the best team in college football and George and I will be there to see who wins it!

Glendale Arizona should be a perfect place to host a national championship because the weather should be perfect and the city of Glendale has something to offer almost anyone.

Always Be In The Know With ESPN

Guest post written by my buddy Lavern Small

Almost everyday I manage to catch ESPN on my expert Satellite tv. Even though I'm a woman I do love my sports. ESPN provides me up-to-date segments on all the teams I love. The commentators are very personable and often very funny. There is a bit of analysis on different teams and also several opinions on many subjects as well. There is also the very helpful ticker on the bottom that will display the scores and highlights from the night before.

ESPN is great because they have fun with sports. It's not always a serious subject. For example, my favorite show is Pardon The Interruption of P.T.I. which airs in the late afternoon and early evening between segments of Sports Center. Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser are perhaps some of the funniest sports commentators I have ever come across but yet they still provide the material that the people are interested in.

What I also enjoy about ESPN is not only it's sports analysis and breakdowns. They also broadcast wonderful programs that a truly enjoyable. These programs can showcase athletes giving back to their community, granting a child a wish, or even a program about the adversaries that an athletes has had to overcome to be where he is. This network allows people to see athletes as more than just a sports figure. It makes them human and we as an audience can connect deeper to the people who deliver our favorite sports.

Thanksgiving, A Long Weekend, and Surgery

Hey there.  Hope everyone had a blast this Thanksgiving weekend.  Nothing quite compares to a 4 day weekend!  Especially after eating some turkey and stuffing your face with... well... stuffing.  lol  So let's go to the highlights!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my uncle Peter's place.  He's been the go to guy when it comes to holiday madness.  Most of the family gathers at his place and we all have a good time.  Thanksgiving was no different.  Most of the guys were ourside, hanging out, watching football and boxing, while most of the ladies were inside "cackling " (as Psycho Mike would say) and hanging out.  All in all, a very awesome experience.  Food and drinks were in abundance and you know damn well that I had myself more than a few plates of food.  And that's not counting desert!  lol  At the end of the night, the "secret santa" exchange was determined and we were on our way home, stuffed as a bird, a little after midnight.  Here are a few pics of the evening.

Serving salad from a cracked bowl cause that's how we do it.

The ladies enjoying a little bubbly

The young ladies enjoying a drink, like thier mothers.  It better be soda in them cups!

Daaaaaaaaaaam!  That bird looks delicious

So much food, they don't know where to turn!

Long Weekend

Once we semi-recovered from Thanksgiving, Black Friday reared it's ugly head.  Here my thoughts on Black Friday...  I'm not a big fan of it.  Every year, we hear about some people trampling and stomping over people because they just had to have whatever it is they're buying.  I'm more of an online guy.  If I can't find it online then I more than likely will not buy it.  I just hate hearing that a child was killed because a mob of people couldn't control themselves just to save a few bucks.

With that being said, we stated home most of Friday and didn't really do anything.  I avoided stores like the plague and just hung out with the family at home.  My son and I took advantage of the free XBOX Live Weekend (decided to let my membership end until I get my hands on the XBOX Live Family Pack) and played us some Bioshock 2 multiplayer matches.  I've always been a fan of the first person shooters and I like the way Bioshock 2 changes it up just a bit to differentiate it from all other first person shooters.  Anyways, we caught up on some gaming and decided to put up some holiday stuff.  I ended up getting a new tree, since our old tree is somewhere around 5 years old and needed to be replaced.  Also ended up getting some of that long green string type thing that people hang for Christmas, and started decorating the place.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  I don't have any pics of that yet so I'll get on that as soon as I'm home and there's still daylight.  lol


Monday's Surgery

Monday morning, I'm up at 5:30 am.  My brother was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder at or around 7 am so I drove to the hospital to meet my brother and mother.  I arrived shortly after 6 am and my brother had already checked in.  The nurse was supposed to let us know when we would be allowed to see my brother before his surgery was to begin and when it was 7 am and still no word from the nurses, I asked her what's going on.  She pretty much said to walk on in and look for him.  lol  We find my brother, in his "purple" mumu strapped into a bed, getting ready for his surgery.  The doc comes in and starts to give us the run down of what is going down.  He grabs a purple marker that surgeons use to mark their patients and notices that it's a little on the small side.  He then makes a comment about how "they" seem to be cutting corners everywhere.  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the doc then shows us where the incision will take place and lets us know that he will be shaving off some of his bone and remove scar tissue.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy.  Once they whisk him away, my mother and I have coffee in the cafeteria while we wait for an update.

Them magic drugs are in full effect. lol

My wife arrived soon after and the three of us waited a bit before the doc came in with some photos of the inside of my brother.  He explained the pictures to us and told us that the surgery was a success.  He also explained how the recovery process will be a long one.  6 months worth of recovery time.  My brother will also need to attend therapy sessions to strengthen his shoulder. 

Once we were allowed to go see him, I asked how he was doing and what not.  Before long, we're watching America's Funniest Home videos and cracking jokes.  I know that it probably wasn't the best of places to mess around in, considering that there were other patients close by that didn't look too happy, but there we were, goofing around.  While the nurse was giving my brother his home care instructions... I interrupt her and say to her, "To give to us straight doc, is he gonna make it?"  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the nurse seemed to find it amusing.  My brother then starts to reference The Office and says that even though he had shoulder surgery, he's probably going to be going home with a limp.  lol 

Once they dismiss him, my mother grabs his clothes to hand to him.  Since he's buck naked under the mumu, I closed the curtain before he started getting dressed.  I stayed with him, just in case he needed help.  He managed to put on his underwear and his sweat pants with what looked like slight discomfort.  That's when I said, "Bro, I love you, but I'm not getting you dressed."  lol  That's when we hear my mother and a few other people outside the curtain laughing.  It's good to know that we both can laugh during something like surgery.

He then gets wheeled off to the street where we wait for my mother's car to be brought to us.  We then see a smart car pass by and my brother says to the nurse, "smart car...  there's nothing smart about that car.  Kitt from Knight Rider.... now that's a smart car."  The nurse laughed, I chuckled.  Damn you, The Office....  invading our lives like nothing else can.  lol 

I told them that we would go to my mother's place to make sure my brother was well situated.  I soon after get a text from my brother asking me to go get him FIFA 11 for PS3.  This guy... already trying to use the "woe is me, I'm hurt" thing against me.  When I said, no way, he turned his attention to food.  He asked if I'd bring him some brownies.  lmao!  My wife gets wind of my brother's brownie craving and decides to make the "baby" some brownies. lol  Oh man... good times.  We cap the night off with some Street Fighter IV.  I haven't played Street Fighter since Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES!  I managed to kick some butt with Blanka (old school favorite) and then gave up the last game to my brother... just so that he can feel better about himself.  lmao!  Now, he's at home not knowing what to do with himself.  6 months is a looooooooooong time.  I'll try to stop by and kick his butt on Street Fighter more often.  lol  Until then, later!

Dragon Ball

Guest post written by Jeramy Sparks
 
One of the best animated cartoon series that I have ever seen is Dragon Ball. It's really cool. I caught it on satellite TV from DirectTV and have seen every episode ever. The fight scenes are the best. They build it up slowly with lots of drama to the point that you are all tensed up for the actual fight. The actual fighting action is totally sweet too. It's a coming of age tale about an orphan boy named Goku. He meets a girl named Bulma who is tracking the dragon balls, 7 mystical balls that when all gathered together grant a single wish to the gatherer. Goku happens to own one of these balls, which was given to him by his grandfather as a keepsake after his death. Bulma, witnessing Goku's incredible strength, convinces him to join her in her quest for the magic balls and her wish to get a boyfriend. Meanwhile, other evil forces are also interested in the Dragon Balls. This includes the evil emperor, Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army and both the evil alien Piccolo Daimao and his offspring Piccolo Junior. Goku and Bulma meet many new friends along the way. Goku meets many martial arts masters and undergoes rigorous training to master his special moves. He gets stronger and stronger and eventually he fights in he World Martial Arts Tournament to compete to be the best martial artist in the world.

Pinky and the Brain

Written by my friend Constance Hayden

Pinky and the Brain was a spin-off of the hit cartoon show Animaniacs. They were regular side-characters on the show and the basic premise was that they wanted to take over the world. The only catch is that they are mice living in a lab.

It's pretty self-explanatory, but Pinky was the dopey one and Brain was, well, he was the brainy one. Brain's mission in life was to escape his wretched entrapment as a lab mouse and take over the world. Every single episode was about Brain trying to come up with an elaborate plan to escape, only to have Pinky do something dumb to spoil it all.

Brain hated Pinky because of how he always messed up his plans for world domination, but he still put up with him and acted as his mentor. Pinky was pretty much mentally retarded, honestly. He wasn't just dopey, there was clearly something wrong with his brain and he was always making goofy noises at random times and the way he talked was just insanely stupid. But that's what made it funny.

Like Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain also had a very catchy opening tune that always got stuck in your head. In fact, it's now stuck in mine. I will probably have to watch an episode of Real L Word on Directv to get it out of my head.

Feeling Like Death

Hey there.  I've been sick these past couple of days.  Not just, feeling like crap sick, but sick in the way where it hurt.  I take pride in the fact that I don't get sick very often.  I can go years before I'm actually feeling any kind of sickness coming... and if I do feel something, it's usually gone by the end of the day.  This wasn't the case on Sunday night.

As I was lying down, I had a strong pain in my stomach.  To the point where I'm lying down in a fetal position.  On top of that, chest pain was beginning to settle in.  Once the chest pain came in full swing, it settled in on the left side of my body near the rib cage.  Quite frankly, it sucked.  I took some meds and went to bed, hoping that my body will do what it does best and I'll be back to normal come morning.

Once I got up and started to get dressed, my body felt like it was pummeled as if I've been in some boxing match.  I was extremely sore and it hurt to move.  I fought through it and went to work anyways.  While I'm sitting on my desk, trying to get through the day, my stomach rumbles...  Whoa...  I didn't think much of it cause to be honest with you, it's been rumbling all weekend long.  I'll be sitting in bed or on the couch and the rumble would be soooo loud that the wife and kids could hear it even though they weren't that close to me.  It wasn't hunger, and it didn't hurt, so I brushed it off.  Then, it happened...  I felt the stuff coming up my throat.  I rushed to the bathroom and let it all out in the bathroom.  It sucked...  I guess I was pretty loud cause when I got out of the bathroom, more than a few coworkers were staring at me and a few asked if I'm ok.  I said no and I went to turn the computer off.  I wasn't planning on staying.  That's when the manager sent me home.

I spent most of the day on the couch... It felt weird to lie down so I sat up.  I watched Gunslinger Girl and the movie Gamer.  I also got some Bioshock 2 game time.  Come night time...  I was feeling a lot better.  Not 100% better, but well enough where the pain is gone and all I'm dealing with now is a slight headache.

I did make a huge mistake yesterday though...  I was drinking a powerade, to replenish some of the fluids that I lost, and absentmindedly gave some to my baby boy.  That evening, he started spitting some up.  Oh man... I'm hoping that I didn't pass on whatever I had to him.  I didn't realize at the time that I shouldn't be sharing anything to anyone that I am drinking out of...  Hope that doesn't cause him to get sick.  I'll just have to keep eye on him to make sure.  I'll let you know what happens.  Until then, later!

Cowboy Bebop Movie

Written by my friend Teodoro Martin

My favorite animated movie is Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door. I love watching this movie on satellite TV from http://www.directstartv.com/compare_directv/directv_cut_cable.html, as the quality is amazing and seems to just draw me into the flick even more! Though the movie is only about two hours long, the movie is an outstanding piece of work.

Cowboy Bebop, first of all, is set in the year 2071. The series follows the bounty hunters of Spike, Jet, Faye, and Edward as they try to make a living hunting bounties in outer space. The movie is set around Halloween in the year 2071, and crew is after a 300 million bounty (largest ever) who has released a deadly virus into a city on Mars. The bounty, Vincent, is not as simple as many would like to believe. As Spike hunts down this mastermind, he has to face others who are willing to kill anyone to destroy Vincent.

Like the series, the movie is fast-paced and with plenty of action scenes. The music is legendary among anime fans, and at times shines brighter than the film itself! I'd recommend anyone to check this movie out if they see on satellite TV, this film will not disappoint!