Las Vegas

Why is it so hard to convince people to go to Vegas?

Friend #1: Question: Vegas? Will the trip cost me more than $500 all expenses included? Answer: Quit being cheap and pony up

Friend #2: Comment: I will have to check with my wife. Translation: Uh, no but I wish I could.

Friend #3: Excuse: But I'm going in January and my wife probably wouldn't let me go again. Translation: I won't even ask because I do not want the shame in being told "no"!

Friends #4: Comment: Maybe, I will have to see when Reading Week is and if the plant will be shut down during that week. Odds of coming: 30%

Friends #5: Excuse: I am just about done law school (read: expensive) and my boyfriend is going snowmobiling that week. Translation: Actually, I am okay with Bentleys excuse. She's cool and said she would come with me next year.

Friend #6: Excuse: My wife is pregant and may need my help. Translation: She is not due for 3 months after the trip so he is just scared as well.

Friend #7: Answer: Sounds good. Book it and let me know how much I owe you.

I can only imagine how hard it would be to find someone to go to Vegas if IA had any sort of life.

VK wishes everyone a safe new year and will return in January.

Why Do I Hate the Holiday Season?

This Christmas Day I found myself at home watching terrible movies (War of the Worlds, Fantastic 4) and thinking about how much I can't stand this time of year. And then I tried to remember why I hate it so much. Did I not get the gifts I wanted when I was a kid? Was there a traumatic moment that occurred when I was 3? Are people unbelievably phony to those around them at the holidays? The answer is probably yes to all of them.

Let's see what positive things I can remember that happened to me during the Christmas break.

1. I got a cool Deathstar (from Kenner) when I was 7 or so. It came with the some figures and even featured a trash chute from the prison to the garbage compactor. It was really awesome and ranks as the best Xmas gift ever. I wish I still had it but that is another story.
2. I went to California and Arizona with the folks while I was going to college. I really enjoyed the trip and it was great to see my late Grandparents. I actually have discovered how much I really miss them. We may not have always agreed on stuff but I respected them a lot.
3. And this year, Mom sent me a New York Yankees logo that she had made herself. Now this may not seem all that interesting but to me it meant a lot since I know that it took quite some time to make. (Thanks Mom).
4. The first Christmas with my nephew. He was 2-3 months old and was adorable. This was also before my sister went crazy (not literally, but close enough).

So, there you have it. 33 different Christmas days (so far) and only 4 memories that jump out. Now I do not mean to say that Christmas was a terrible time but not very memorable.

Now, what kind of negative things can I think of?

1. Any Christmas spent with certain relatives. When I look back at these so-called "Christmas reunions" I have to laugh. I don't think many of liked each other. Oh sure, we spent hours and hours in the same room, talking the same inane crap, and just dealt with it but they were just so boring. I can't see these ever happening again. However, I like the summer reunions. That way we all have hotel rooms and can get the hell out when we want to. Plus, they tend to be at my Aunt and Uncle's in Vancouver and I really like and respect them. I like all the Vancouver relatives. If I don't see the rest it doesn't really bother me. I should see my grandmother more, though (New Year's resolution?).
2. I think there is something mildly upsetting about being a kid living in the Great White North. The only real way to see all the toys you wanted was the Sears Christmas Wish Book. The parents said, "Write to Santa and ask him for the gifts you want. Be sure to include the page and item number on your list". I think the last comment should have made me suspicious. Any how, Xmas morning came along and I can barely contain myself. The catalogue made the toys look so cool. And yet, only 1 or 2 of the things I had asked for were in the pile. Lots of clothes and "crap" like that. Now, I don't want to come across as ungrateful but there is something cruel about making a kid do a list up and then not deliver.
3. I worked in a retail establishment every Christmas from 1990 until 1999 (except for the year I went to CA and AZ). Anyone who says the holiday season brings out the best in people is full of shit. I had people yell at me on Christmas Eve because I did not have the precious CD or Walkman (or some such crap) that they needed to buy for their kid. My response was usually something like, "Well, I had it yesterday. I guess you should not have waited until the very last minute". At this point they would usually turn red and threaten to complain to the "manager". Oh well, too bad, I was the manager. The stunts that went down at Wal-Marts this season where people got trampled is just another example. People are assholes and bring the misery on themselves.
4. Finally, the music and TV specials are so repetitive. Every year, I had to watch the same stupid specials and listen to the same garbage Christmas music. I want to kill someone when I hear any Christmas tune sung by Bryan Adams or Jessica Simpson. I have to admit that I do like some of the classics though.

So, why am I talking about this? Well, this year I actually caught the "Christmas Spirit" a couple of times. This really surprised me since it had not happened in quite some time. I have to ask myself if this is because I would hate to think I was getting soft. What next? I start to like kids or even dogs?

New Year's isn't usually so bad. I have seen and done many fun (and stupid) things on New Year's Eve and Day. The best part of New Year's is making resolutions and then breaking them 24 hours later. Oh yeah, and the 12 hours of football.

VK

Game Shows

I have never been a big fan of game shows (well, except for Dog Eat Dog - the fake boobs on the contestants always made me smile). However, this week NBC has been airing Deal or No Deal and I hate to admit it but I am enjoying it. Like most other game shows of the modern era, DoND is a rip-off of a foreign TV networks concept. This show is arguable the simplest game show since Card Sharks. I loved Card Sharks as a kid and I watch it once and a while on GSN. The conceited part of me says I should not watch this show since there is no skill at all involved with this game. At least with Millionaire or even the Price is Right you have to have the faintest of intelligence to be successful. With DoND you only need to be able to read numbers. The premise is simple. You pick a suitcase with a number on it. In the case is a card that has a dollar value on it. That is the amount you win if you eliminate all the other suitcases. I won't bore you with how you get the money (read the rules on the website). The only thing I don't like about the show is Howie Mandell (I guess his rating success with DoND means no more Boston Pizza ads). He is cheesier than Wink Martindale (although Wink was pretty cool back in the day). The voice overs are like the ones on the Apprentice, poorly dubbed. As a gambler, the show certainly appeals to me. What would I do if I was in the contestants place? Would I go for it? Or would I take the deal? I have no idea and that is what makes the show work in my eyes. Oh yeah, they have models from the Hooters modeling agency holding the cases. Who knew there was a modeling agency called Hooters? I wonder if this is any way affliated with the restaurant chain.

Its Christmas (or is that holiday) time. For a brief moment I had some holiday cheer. That feeling was short lived for reasons I will not go into at this time. It doesn't even feel like Christmas time as the temperature is warm and there is no snow. It is supposed to get as warm as 10C on the 25th. Yikes.

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays and I promise to not take two weeks to put up a new post.

VK

Funny Blog

I have been reading a pretty funny blog for the past few weeks and thought I would share with it with you all. Check it out!

It can be somewhat offensive at time so if you are are friend of Bill O'Reilly or not into un-PC writings, this site is not for you.

Afraid of the Dark is permanently posted under Links on the top right of my blog.

Ricky Gervais

I must have looked like an idiot on the bus yesterday. I had downloaded the Ricky Gervais podcast from iTunes and was listening to it on my iPod. It was seriously funny. Ricky Gervais is the comic behind the hilarious BBC series The Office and its US counterpart on NBC. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing. I definitely recommend you download it and give it a listen.

VK

Religious Beliefs

On Tuesday of this week I had an interesting conversation with two guys on the street while I was waiting for the bus. To set this up it was -20C with the wind blowing down the canyons of downtown so it felt even colder. Normally I would have the iPod on but it was too cold for the headphone cord so the iPod stayed in my pocket. Any how, these two guys approached me and I knew exactly what they were looking for before they opened their mouths. They were Mormons on their mission for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Now, there was a time that I would have blown them off in some way. Maybe it would have been disrespectful, maybe not. However, as some of you know, one of my dearest friends is the Stormin' Mormon. We worked (maybe this is a bit of a stretch since very little work ever was completed) together for about 1.5 years. During this time he told about his faith and I told him of my lack of faith. The discussions we had certainly removed the misconceptions I had about the Mormons.

With this understanding I allowed the two missionaries tell me a little of their pitch and when they asked me if I wanted further info, I politely declined. They wished me well and went on their way. I must say I respect what they are doing even though I don't believe in any of it. One of them was from Seattle and the other was from San Francisco. I can only imagine what they thought of the cold. I thought back to my conversations with the Stormin' Mormon and he had done his mission in Atlanta. I guess he got the better deal. For these two guys to be out in the freezing cold looking to spread their gospel to others deserves at least a little respect.

So the next time a Mormon comes to your door, or stops you in the street, give them a moment of your time and just be polite if you decide to decline to hear about their faith.

Karla Holmolka

Yesterday a judge in Quebec struck down 14 court ordered conditions of here release from jail. Of course, Karla was in jail for her participation in the sex slayings of two Ontario schoolgirls. We all know the story so I will not re-hash it but I have a problem with this way she is being treated.

Karla is obviously one sick bitch. There are so many other words to describe her but I think I have made my point. Anyone who can serve up their sister to a serial rapist/killer is a not deserving of our sympathy but she is being treated unfairly by having to have all sorts of conditions set on her release.

Here is my problem. She made a deal with the Crown on sentencing and we as a society must stick to the deal. Was the deal a terrible? Absolutely, but she has served her time and should be set free. Is she reformed? Probably not, but the Charter of Rights applies even to the worst of Canadian humanity. Where do we draw the line? Can we make deals with drug dealers to get drug lords of the street? Why not. But what happens if we cancel the deals as soon as we get what we want? There is no incentive for a criminal to turn in partners or bosses that may be worse people.

Is Karla worse than her husband, Paul Bernardo? Maybe. After all she did play a part in her sisters death and she welcomed company into her home while one of the teenage victims lay encased in concrete in the basement of her house. But this does not mean that we as a society should tear up a deal we made with her to ensure her husband was convicted of the brutal crimes he was charged with.

I suppose that in a perfect world Holmolka could be locked up forever and we would never her about her again. With any luck, this will still occur as she settles into her life and never, ever breaks any law again. Is it fair to the families she and Bernardo affected? No, but we have to live with it.

What if she kills again? It seems unlikely but if she does, Holmolka should be charged and tried as the citizen she has been released to be. Will there be regrets? Absolutely, but it is the price we all must pay for a free and open society.

Guess Which Political Genius Said This...

"Like A thief who yells fire in a crowded restaurant". What the F*** does this even mean?

Is it:

A George W Bush

B Stephen Harper


Both are the really the same but the answer is below:

A Bloodless Coup pt 2

The opposition was able to bring down the government yesterday. I am disgusted by the politicians of this country. All of them. This is all about ego and has nothing to do with making Canada a better country. The PC, NDP and Bloc are all complaining about waste in the government and yet elections are extremely expensive and do little to improve our way of life. And what exactly is going to be accomplished with this election? The results will show another Liberal minority government and we will be right back were we started. And with seperatism raising its ugly head in Quebec again, a minority government does not help Canada in any way.

Did anyone notice the kiss that my MP laid on the leader of the opposition yesterday during the vote of non-confidence? Don't tell me their is nothing going on there.

On a lighter note, the Edmonton Eskimos won the Grey Cup. It could have been the most exciting game ever played in the CFL. I am proud to say I am a fan of the Green and Gold but I did not feel the level of anxiety that I usually feel when my favorite teams are playing. I guess the CFL just doesn't work that much for me.

IA is off to LA-LA land. He needs to remember to ask for "Whiskey and Coke" not "Rye and Coke". Many Americans have no idea what rye is. Weird?

A Different Kind of Illegal Aliens?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20051124/bs_prweb/prweb314382_1

A Bloodless Coup

Now I know I have ranted about this before but the whole issue of the Conservatives trying to bring down the government of Canada with a non-confidence vote really bothers me. I know I live in Alberta and it is a given that I must support the PC party but I just can't. I wrote this piece at the beginning of November and I am bending in my beliefs at all. In fact, I think my stance is getting more solidified against the PC party and all their lackeys. The pure arrogance of Harper to preach about ethics and the such is bordering on ridiculous. I mean c'mon, does he really expect Canadians to believe that their party will be any less corrupt than the Liberals? Airbus, patronage, and theft were some of the many stories the PC's had come to the forefront during the days of Brian Mulroney. And I was Mulroney supporter.

I understand that Harper has to say these to be elected but is Canada really any better off with a right wing hack controlling the country? No is the simple answer.

I guess this is all moot any how. There is no way that any party in Canada will carry a majority and we will have another election and be right back where we are now.

Funny thing I noticed today. I think my MP is sleeping with the party leader. I am a pretty good reader of people and her longing looks today in the House seemed a little more than just ones of respect. Can I verify this? No so I will end this note by saying this is merely my opinion and not meant to slander Ms Ambrose or Mr Harper. Of course, this is the same MP that seemed to take huge pride in advertising in her quarterly report to the masses that she spoke the third most amount of words in the House this session. Yikes.

VK and IA are going to Vegas. More details later.
VK

Late Shift

Today I start two weeks of working the 10-6 shift at my job. There is nothing worse than working this shift. Now I imagine there are actually worse jobs and shifts to work but I have my reasons.

I wake up an hour and a half before I needed to go to work. So I get up, have breakfast, watch some CNBC, chase Marmie around and then wait. And wait. And wait some more. Finally, 9am comes along and I drive to the mall to catch the bus.

Now it is one thing to roll out of bed, shower, eat Cheerios and then catch the bus all in the space of about half an hour. Not a lot of time to reflect on how you don't want to work that day. The time I waited this morning made me think about how nice it would be to stay at home lounging on the couch.

In other words, this is going to be a long two weeks.

Thoughts of the day:

1 Colts beat the Bengals. bengals4ever is lucky he is on vacation or the mocking would never cease. No defense but it sure was exciting.

2 The Esks pulled it out last night. I went Moe's to watch the best part of the game with IA.

3 I went to BBY this weekend looking for 4 items (Sinatra CD, Rome computer game, House season one on DVD and Nip/Tuck season two on DVD). They were sold out of each item. I wandered around for half an hour looking for something to spend my money on and could find nothing. How sad.

Time to talk a little TV

The new TV season is a quarter of the way through so I thought it might be to do an evaluation of shows I am watching. Enjoy.

Before I get to the TV talk just a couple of notes about other stuff.

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. All of our soldiers should be honoured. The Canadian military is a great institution that we all take for granted (even our government). We should put more money into defense and pay the soldiers like they should be. Also it is my late Grandparents anniversary. I miss them dearly and wish they were still around.

The public transportation note of the day: This morning, a holiday, I was the only person on the bus for almost the whole trip. I am thinking that ETS would have been better off not running my route this morning.

If you will remember I did a rundown earlier this season of what I was going to watch. There have been a couple of additions but several subtractions. Here we go:

Sunday night:

The Simpsons has been just okay this season. Granted we have only seen a couple of episodes due to the break for the baseball play-offs. The "Treehouse of Horrors" episodes was probably the weakest one ever. Grade C+
The West Wing has been good at times and terrible at others. I thought the live debate was interesting but the outcome of the election is pretty apparent when Jimmy Smits is under contract through next season. Grade C
Desperate Housewives was a bore the first couple of episodes and I stopped watching. I have heard it has gotten better but I will probably never watch this show again. Grade D
Law & Order: CI has tried something different by alternating stars of the show from episode to episode. I like it. It has been a strong season and the 2 hour movie last week was pretty good. Grade B
Rome has been excellent. As with most HBO series it has been full of good writing and interesting plot work. Too bad there are only 3 more episodes left this season. Grade A-

Monday night:

Arrested Development has been put on hiatus by FOX and this is a disgrace. I still think this show is the funniest on TV. Charlize Theron has been a guest star for the past few eps and hilarity ensued. Hopefully the show will be back later this season but it seems it is gone for good. Grade A
This season of Prison Break has been up and down. I love the prison scenes but the conspiracy stuff seems a little over the top. I think the producers are unsure of going the 24 route of improbable plot twists and such is achievable. I enjoy the show but I am worried it may be taking itself a little to seriously. Grade B+
Las Vegas started off a little slow but seems to be picking up the pace. The retro episode this last week was great. And Vegas Sam is as hot as ever. Someone dies during sweeps. Ideas? Grade B-
CSI:Miami has bored me a bit this season. Maybe I am watching too many crime shows. This weeks episode had a plane crash in it. If my math is correct, this is the 3rd plane to crash on CSI:Miami in 3 seasons. Note to self: drive to Miami, do NOT fly. Grade C+

Tuesday night:

The season long mockery of those on anti-depressants on Rescue Me has been pretty funny. See Dennis Leary take Prozac, see him write poetry. See Leary off Prozac, he start brawls in the FDNY vs NYPD hockey game. Good stuff. Watch this show. Grade A
Commander in Chief has been different than I originally expected. I thought it would be like West Wing but it has been more of a "family in the White House" kind of show. Steven Bochco has taken over the producing of the show so I expect it to become a little grittier. Grade B-
House is a riot. This could be my favorite show on TV right now. It is like a medical detective show. I had no idea that all these maladies existed. Grade A+
NCIS is poorly written and the acting is mediocre, at best. And yet I continue to watch it. Car wreck, anyone? The stories are at least interesting. The repeats I saw during the summer were definitely better. Grade C+
Bones is a new show on FOX starring David Boreanez (from Buffy and Angel). I am not sure how to describe this show but it keeps getting better each week. Grade B
L&O:SVU had an excellent episode last week involving American Nazis. This could be the best season on SVU since its first. Grade B+

Wednesday night:

How could they kill Shannon? Poor IA! Lost keeps bringing out the surprises. The new group of survivors has added a new dynamic to the show. This season is as strong as last and looks to keep being the best drama on TV. Grade A+
Invasion has been a little disappointing to me. I am not sure if I have ADD or not but I can't seem to sit through an entire episode. I think the show is moving to slow for me and I find myself fast forwarding through it. Will I keep trying to watch it? Probably, but I hope it picks up the pace soon. Grade C+ (but something tells me I should rate it higher)
I watched one episode of Law & Order this season and stopped watching after that. I can't explain why. Maybe I have way to much TV to watch. Grade N/A
Note to NBC: Please cancel E-Ring. Grade D-
Who would have thought a show about a soccer mom selling pot would be funny? Apparently the writers of Weeds. And you know what? I agree. Watch this show. Showcase in Canada. Grade A-

Thursday Night:

The OC has been a huge let down for me this season. The writing is weak and the story lines suck. Marissa goes to a new school and falls in with a crowd exactly like her old friends only poorer. It kind of reminds me of when Elaine found the bizarro crew on Seinfeld. I hope it gets better but I am not holding out much hope. Grade C
Like The OC, Alias has disappointed me this season as well. Perhaps it is the death of Vaughn or Sydney's pregnancy, but the show seems to lack the spark it once had. This is the last season of Alias so hopefully they turn it around and allow the show to go out with a bang and not a whimper. Grade C
CSI continues to plug along. I think the show needs a new character or two just to spruce things up. Grade B
And I finally gave up on ER. I made it through one episode and abandoned the show. It is just pure crap now. Grade F (it should only be a D but I really liked this show in its prime and it is just a pale copy now)

Friday night:

I have a tough time following all the math talk in Numb3rs. And I am not sure if math would really even help solve some of the crimes they are investigating. But, the show is fun and fills a void on Saturday mornings. Grade B-
Threshold continues to intrigue me. The show is not as slow as Invasion but needs to pick up the pace a little. Carla Gugino is good in her role and is a smokin' hottie as well. Grade B
Bernie Mac is predictable but funny at the same time. Grade B-

Saturday night:

Nip/Tuck is probably my second favorite show on TV. It is bleak and disturbing yet also, highly entertaining. Where else on TV are you going to see a firm marketing a facial mask whose main ingredient is semen? Or Joan Rivers? Or a porn star with a heart of gold? Grade A
Saturday Night Live is terrible this year. Even the return of Tina Fey has not salvaged this season. It almost makes one long for the days of David Spade and Adam Sandler. Almost! Grade D-

That's it.

VK is out!

Happy 30th Birthday

To my girl, Tara Reid.



VK loves the drunken chicks!

Why? Who knows.

Dangers of Hi-Def TV

I briefly watched the Category 7 show last night on CBS. What did I learn? Well, apparently there is such thing as a Cat 7 storm. I don't think this is true but if it is on TV is it a lie?

The second thing I learned is that Hi-Def is not friendly to women (and maybe men) who are not aging well. Shannon Doherty (90210) and Gina Gershon (Showgirls) did not look all that good. Maybe too much HD is a bad thing.

And thirdly, Washington DC, New York and other US cities look remarkably like Winnipeg.

Cheerleaders who have sex with each other are good. Cheerleaders that beat up bar patrons are not so good. I think!

VK and IA are going to Vegas this winter. This looks like a great place to stay. I think it is the old San Remo, I wonder if you can get wings and beer from room service. Maybe some Gibsons 12 year old for IA.

And on that trip we are going to Needles, CA. WTF is in Needles you ask? A memorial to the late, great, profane Sam Kinison.

Time to watch the game.



Go Lakers

Sunday Morning

Last night I went to the movie with Bentley and Dirty Dan. Good times. Dinner was excellent at Joey's and part of the fun was watching Indian Assassin drink Crown instead of Gibson's. Is IA selling out?

We went and saw Jarhead. It was pretty good. It was an interesting war film that didn't actually have any fighting in it. There were some very funny scenes and some very disturbing images as well. I had read reviews saying the movie really never went any where. I agree but I didn't necessarily think this was a bad thing. The first Iraq didn't really go anywhere and barely accomplished anything. I gave the movie 7 out of 10.



Disappointing Customer Service Moment of the Week:

This morning I went through the drive-thru at McDonald's and ordered my breakfast. The first total the girl gave me was about 50% higher than the bill normally is. (I usually order the same thing for breakfast every time I go). I politely told the clerk that this total seemed quite high. It turns out she had tried to charge me for two super sized orange juices. I actually order apple juice but whatever. So the girl changed the order and still was charging me too much. I explained that I had just ordered the same thing two weeks ago and it was about $2.00 less. She argued with me saying she had done it right. I said "fine" and went through to pick up my meal. After going through the drive-thru I parked and went inside to get to talk to the manager. End of story: I was credited the difference by the manager with a half-hearted apology. Why is there such a lack of competence in retail today?

Big game tomorrow. The Colts are playing the Patriots. Go Colts.

And go Lakers!

Gomery Report

Back to the hard commentary you have all come to know and love.

Yesterday the Gomery report came out and essentially said that a bunch of senior Liberal Party guys were responsible for the "theft" and "fraudulent activities". No blame was placed at Paul Martin's feet however there was some blame assigned to former PM Jean Chretien.

Here is what I am thinking: Who cares? I mean really, what difference does this make to any of us? VK's dad said that "stealing is stealing" and those who commit such crimes should be "punished". I, obviously, have a slightly different take on things. It is so funny the way people react when they realize that politicians and their cronies have had their "hands in the cookie jar". Every government has had scandals and such, yet every thing it happens you would think it was the first time someone in power have done something wrong. Time after time, politicians do something unethical, or worse, illegal and we let them off. At what point does this whole process become like the story of the boy who cried wolf.

The theft in question was valued at approx $1-2 million and yet the Canadian government spent $74MM to hold this damn commission. The result of the commission, something we all knew would happen all along. The former PM would be implicated somehow and Martin would not be. Well, PM Martin is guilty but not of what you think. He is guilty of ignorance. If he did not know about the theft (since he was finance minister) then he is quite possibly the most incompetent world leader since GW Bush. Should Martin take responsibility? Sure, why not. It would not make any difference. We have an election and the Liberals win again and we wait 2 or 3 years until the next scandal. God forbid that Harper and his gang of Nazis get into office. Imagine the corruption then. And this is coming from a former PC Canada party member. (for the record, I canceled my membership the day the Reform Party joined with the Conservatives).

Just be thankful we don't live in the US. It appears that the Chief of Staff for the Vice President may have committed some sort of treason. And yet the VP escapes smelling like a rose even though there are documents that states the CoS and VP spent hours together every day.

I would like to know what you think so make some comments.

VK

Say it Ain't So Jessica

Jessica Biel may not be as cool as I thought.
And this is some funny stuff!

Hello Everyone

So for the lack of posts. I kept putting off updates and then I realized it had been nearly 10 days without a note. Well here we go.

First off, mad props to Perogy Power. He has changed jobs here at the Firm and is now a Resource Officer. He will be missed from our team.

Today I sold my soul to the Devil for a ride home from work. In order to get a ride home today, I had to agree to say nice things about the Los Angeles Lakers to the Indian Assassin for a month. This will be very difficult for me but I am sure I can do it.

Last week I was on vacation. It was not as relaxing as one might expect. I went to the dentist 3 times and took the Trailblazer into the shop for an oil change and such. I had not been to the dentist in at least 7 years. Just one of those things you try not to do without insurance. Long story short, I had to get three fillings. This was not as bad as I thought it would be. Very painless procedures and I would recommend my dentist to anyone who needs one.

My truck needs a little work. Tire rod ends, I think is what they said. I was quoted $560.00 plus tax to fix this. Obviously I will be getting a second opinion.

I played a little PS2 over the week off. I bought two new games from EA for cheap. Good times.

I promise I will post more later on today or tomorrow.

I love the Lakers!

VK

Music

Thursday Morning QB makes a good point about the music that is around these days. As some of you readers may know, I am holidays yet again. So I decide to sit here and play a little Madden this morning and perhaps listen to a little digital radio. What do I hear? A remake of possibly the worst single ever, More Than Words. Now I am sure you all remember this horrid piece of dreck from Extreme. Why, oh why, did somebody need to remake this song? Someone show find Frankie J and put him (or them) out of misery. There is no clearer sign of the upcoming apocalypse is remakes. Herbie The Love Bug with Lindsay "The Cokehead/Bulimic" Lohan, anyone?

VK is vomiting.

Radio

Hello faithful readers. Sorry I have been away for the past little bit but I have been sick and not very chatty. However, due to some complaints from readers lamenting the lack of updates I will post something that has been bothering me for a while.

I hate local radio. I don't mean talk radio on AM. That is not so bad and it serves a function. I am talking FM - 91.7, 92.5, 97.9, 100.3, 102.9, etc. The other day I had to drive somewhere and I figured I would listen to the radio. Now normally I listen to The Team 1260 but I don't care for any of the local programming. I turn on the radio for the 10 minute drive. I heard a commercial so I changed the channel, it was another commercial, another channel, yes another commercial. I clicked on 7 different radio stations (on a Saturday afternoon) and they were all playing commercials. During the 10 minute drive, I did not here one song even though I was scanning through the stations. This is ridiculous.

This is why I will be the first in line to buy either XM or Sirius when they become available in Canada. The morning shows are juvenile and for the most part the playlists suck. Do yourself a favour. Stop listening to local radio. If you must, try CBC Radio 2. Yes, its classical, but at least you won't hear a freakin' ad selling mustard at a car dealership.

VK

Happy 36th Birthday Vegas Sam

My Name is Domino Harvey...

Olive Garden

The folks were in town last night and they wanted to go to the Olive Garden since they don't have one where they live. We piled in the Trailblazer and drove on up the road to dinner. We get to the restaurant and walk in. The friendly (if not slightly peppy) hostess proceeds to tell VK Sr that the wait would be 20-25 minutes. Of course, we agreed to wait. Herein lies my issue. Restaurants that don't take reservations should not be allowed. I find it ridiculous to make people wait to sample their product. Could you imagine going to Best Buy and being told to wait outside until a salesperson could help you?

I have an idea to alleviate this problem. If a potential patron wants to make a reservation, have them leave credit number. The restaurant tells the patron that their credit card will be charged "X" amount if they don't show. That way, the owner of the establishment in question can take an advance reservation with the risk of lost revenue. I think if I ever own a restaurant I will put this rule into effect.

Despite having to wait, the dinner was good and I had a good time.

VK

A Brand New Day

No, this is not a reference to the hauntingly beautiful Celine Dion album of a few years ago. (Sarcasm entirely intended.) No, I am referring to the fact that I am over my Yankees and their wonderful choke-job. Next year will bring better things.

Tomorrow night is poker night. We are welcoming a new player so that should be interesting. IEX guy will be bringing cash and will be leaving it with me. The nights festivities are taking place at bengals place. No word on whether or not Mrs bengal and bengal, Jr will be there.

My folks are visiting. It is always good to see them and I am sure they enjoy their visits. Last night I think they were bored though. I was watching TV while they hung out. My mom played on the laptop and dad read a book. Ah, what the hell. They are retired.

Indian Assassin watched 24 episodes of Lost in 4 nights. That is a lot of Lost. However, as you all may recall, I did the same thing on my September vacation. Speaking of vacations, I am looking forward to my last vacation time of the year next week. I am off from 1130am on Oct 20 to Oct 31. I look forward to doing a whole lot of nothing. IA and I will be playing a lot of PS2 football and hockey.

Today, I have been reading peoples blogs. It is really interesting in the type of information people put out there about themselves. I am sure in many cases they use anonymous identities but I sure found some interesting sites. I also read about the new Apple video iPod. I will certainly have to buy one. It would be great to watch last nights TV on the bus on the way to work.

I am looking forward to going to see Domino this weekend. Keira Knightley is hot.

VK is done for now.

Oh the pain.

My beloved Yankees lost last night in a terrible fashion. Shoddy pitching by Mussina and bad fielding by Crosby cost the Yanks a trip to Chicago. I guess there is always next year. Biggest disappointment was A-Fraud. Terrible hitting. Too bad we can't get rid of him.

Back to my depression.

VK

New York Yankees

Tonight is game five of the ALDS and I am getting more nervous by the minute. In fact, I am off of work in 20 minutes and heading out to get some comfort food. That's right, Wendy's is offering the Bacon Mushroom melt again.

I will enjoy one of these and then settle in for a night of unbearable stress. Mussina was sharp last week. Are two games in a row too much to wish for? Of course, by 8pm I will be screaming at the TV and Marmie will be looking at me like I went insane. By 930, it will all be over and I will either be laying in bed crying myself to sleep or contemplating the Yanks staff against the ChiSox.

I guess the real thing that gets me through this whole ordeal is that the Red Sux are already shining up the clubs and the Yanks are playing.

Speaking of sleeping, I had a nightmare last night. Wanna hear what woke me up at 3am this morning. Here is what I heard in my dream, "New York starting centrefielder, Johnny Damon". George, say it ain't so.

VK

Happy Thanksgiving...

Another holiday is upon us. Last night I went to my good friends, The Stormin' Mormon's, house for Thanksgiving dinner. What a meal. There was turkey, potatoes, and all the fixin's. It was a great meal with great company. Too many highlights to mention.

The Yankees pulled it out of the hat last night. Tonight they play the final game of the series against Anaheim. I am a little nervous about this game since I left my lucky hat at the bosses house. I hope he brings it in today.

This weekend saw Indian assassin, The Professor, and myself head out to see the new Al Pacino movie, Two for the Money. It was pretty okay. An interesting story but I thought was a little too neatly tied up at the end. I wish that American movie studios would take some risks every once and a while. Oh well, what can you do. This weekend, the Indian assassin and I are heading out to see the new Keira Knightley movie. I hope it is as cool as it looks.

This weekend there was a terrible earthquake in Asia. I have seen reports that there have been 20000 killed and many more wounded by this. Where is the outcry for support and financial aid from the press? I have a theory and some may disagree with it and may even find it offensive but here it is: Pakistan is not somewhere North Americans or Europeans visit so there may be a feeling of "Oh well, not our problem." Plus, Pakistan is perceived as a nation of terrorist supporting crazies. The south Pacific tsunami hit a nerve since it affected places that we like to vacation at but who wants to visit the northern mountains of Pakistan? I feel that this disaster deserves the same amount of attention as the New Orleans flood but it never will. Its a shame that we treat one group of affected people differently than others. But you can do something about it, contact the Red Cross and make a donation.

VK

And sadness sweeps across America (and maybe Canada)

VK Asks:

If these two kids can't make it, what hope is there for the rest of us?

On the upside, there are rumors of a Britney Spears, uh, sex tape floating around. It is coming to a Kazaa site near you (pun sort of intended). Okay, maybe this is sad news too.

Life just keeps getting better...

First the Yankees win the East and then we are informed of this great bit of news (okay, maybe not great but good?). What does this mean? Yes, it's Cocaine Girl (see below) on the big screen. Good times!!

NFL Quick Thoughts Week 4

1 The Colts appear to be the best team in the NFL.

2 Eli Manning is starting to look like the QB the Giants wanted when they traded for him.

3 Gruden has to drive Caddilac less (and may be forced to with the hammy injury).

4 Skin's - no "O" but the defence is very impressive. Not sure about benching Arrington though.

5 The JP Losman experiment appears to be over, Holcombe should spark Buffalo offense.

6 Pat's first home loss in 3 years. End of the dynasty?

7 Nice to see the Saint's play well at "home".

8 LT, best player in the league?

9 Cincy let the Texans stay in the game for too long. Overconfidence? Yep!


And did I mention the Yankees won the AL East?

Good Times Are Here Again!

Baby Watch

Last night, Jennifer Garner of Alias fame let it slip that she was going to have a baby girl and this got me thinking about something that bothered me about famous people and their pregnancies. It seems the more famous the woman the less likely the baby is carried to full term. Now this is pure speculation on my part but the last few famous women who have announced that they are having babies and announced a due date have had the kids at least 2 weeks before the date previously announced. And the kids are usually smaller than normal babies. Can I back this up with solid statistics? No, but I certain of this point. Look at Britney's pregnancy. All the press reports said the baby was due late September, early October. Yet, baby Federline came sliding out on September 15th. Same with Julia Roberts (she maybe had an excuse because of twins). So why do these women possibly endanger their own children. I am convinced they are driven by an egomaniacal need to always look good. And let's face it, having kids can be bad for ones figure and flawless appearance. The fact that having babies before the due date is bad for the child probably escapes them. Besides, they are rich and famous, the kids will be fine. Now all of this is not to say that they will be bad parents. I don't agree with this at all. I am sure that the children will be loved just as much as another kid. Well, except for Britney. Anyone else think that this kid is just another fashion accessory to her. She and her husband have about 47 brain cells between the two of them. I give her 3 months and this kids will only ever see his nanny.

In other news, House is starting to become one of my favorite shows. And did anyone catch the season premiere of Lost? It was awesome.

Perogy Power is getting married this weekend. How exciting. I hope there is Ukrainian food at the reception. Hopefully I will have a photo to post next week. Good luck to Perogy and his lovely bride to be.

Yanks/Sox this weekend. I am stressed.

VK out!

NFL Quick Thoughts

Morning sports...

1 The Bengals are the real deal.

2 What has happened to the Indy offence? The D is carrying the team.

3 Flood or no flood, the Saints are sinking fast.

4 Griese looks like the QB Denver always thought he was.

5 Ronnie is looking like the future of the Miami running game.

6 I hate Steve Smith, he destroyed my fantasy team. And Jimmy Smith, huge catch against Jets.

7 Best running team in the NFL? The Falcons, no question

8 The Yankees won again. Has Bernie Williams played his last game in NY? I sure hope not.

More later.

VK

Angelina...

Brad and Angie are creating quite a stir down at the Mall. I guess people were not allowed to take pictures of the happy couple. If a person got caught they would be permanently banned from the mall. How does the mall enforce this? Do they use the surveillance crew from a Las Vegas casino? Maybe Big Ed Deline? Ridiculous. I firmly believe that celebrities should be entitled to their privacy when they are out in public. At least Canada is not as caught up in the Cult of Personality phenomena like the US.

In sports news, the Yankees have retaken first place in the east. I hope this continues but I am a little stressed about next weekend when the Yanks play the Sox. It could be a dogfight to the end.

TV premiere week got off to a good start. Las Vegas and CSI: Miami were great. Prison Break continues to shine. Arrested Development was as funny as ever and I also watched a show called Kitchen Confidential. I am not sure how long it will last but it was damn funny. SVU was okay and the premiere of NCIS was not that good. I found it a little weird.

Tonight I am going to go home and watch the first Lost episode of the season. I lent the DVD for season one to Thursday Morning QB and he has watched 16 eps in two days. Been there.

Finally, I would like to comment on the $400 being given to each Albertan by King Ralph. I don't agree with the payment as I feel it is shortsighted but I will certainly cash the cheque. Eastern Canadians are bitching and moaning about this. To them I say, "shut it". For years, Ontario and Quebec were the dominant provinces and they never wanted to share. Well, now that the shoe is on the other foot all we hear is "boo hoo". This windfall of oil money will not last forever but let Alberta enjoy its time in the limelight. The control of federal government will always be controlled Ontario and Quebec so we westerners will always play second fiddle.

VK

Thank Goodness

With all the hurricane and war worries, it is so good to see that Tyra Banks has her priorities in order. And I quote "I'm tired of this rumor. It's something that's followed me forever," the supermodel said Tuesday on "The Tyra Banks Show." I know I feel that the weight of the world has been lifted from my mind now that I know. What's next? Is she going to admit she doesn't have many brain cells?

Fall TV Preview

This is probably my favorite time of the year. NFL is back, baseball is coming down to the post season and the new TV season starts. Every year I invest my time into a series only to see it get axed by the network. Which of the following will be cancelled? Not sure but these shows are what I will be watching this fall (the new shows are bolded):

Sunday Night

Simpsons - duh
West Wing - Hopefully it continues to improve like the end of the last season. It has struggled.
Desperate Housewives - I liked the show at first but I found it became repetitive. I will try ti again for a while but I suspect I will tire of it.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Cool show and Chris Noth is coming back as Det Mike Logan.
Rome - See my previous posts.

Monday Night

Arrested Development - Funniest show on TV. If you have not seen it, watch it.
Prison Break - Love this new show, could be the new 24. See previous posts.
Las Vegas - See Vegas Sam, nuff said.
CSI: Miami - This is my favorite CSI. Caruso is the best overactor since Shatner.

Tuesday Night

Rescue Me - Great stories and good acting.
Over There - New Iraqi war show from Bochco (NYPD Blue). Violent but poignant.
Commander In Chief - This is new and I may only watch it once. It looks like it could be interesting.
House - I had never watched it until the season premiere this past week. I may have to watch this instead of Commander in Chief. It seems pretty good.
NCIS - I did not watch it last season but watched the summer re-runs. Good stories and a great dynamic between the leads keeps bring me back.
L&O: SVU - I have watched it for 6 seasons, can't stop now.

Wednesday Night

LOST - My favorite new show from last year. In fact, I watched the whole season again on DVD during my holiday. Ask me to lend the DVD to you, you won't regret it.
Invasion - I am sucker for Sci-fi so I will see. Threshold (on CBS) was better, see Friday night list for more on Threshold
Law & Order - Still entertaining after all these years.
E-Ring - Like Commander in Chief this show will get one viewing. I suspect that this show will be cancelled before Xmas.

Thursday Night

The OC - You all know how I fell about this show.
Alias - Last season was pretty good but I have concerns. Garner is knocked up and still a spy? WTF?
CSI - I am not the biggest fan of this show but I love Vegas. Gotta watch.
ER - This show pisses me off every season. It keeps getting worse and worse, yet I keep watching it. I guess I just hope it will get better someday. Unlikely, this will probably be the last year for it.
Night Stalker - This will likely be cancelled but I kind of like spooky shows.

Friday Night

Numb3rs - Like NCIS, I did not watch this last year but caught it during the summer. This is probably the smartest show on US network television.
Threshold - I watched the two hour series premiere on Friday night and it is excellent. Aliens, spooky story and a hot lead actress. I am not sure if the premise is sustainable over time. I would hate for this show become like V. Check it out.
Bernie Mac - Bernie Mac is hilarious and this show is pretty entertaining.

Saturday Night

Nothing except SNL. No Tina Fey for a while so no VK until she is back.


As you can see, I like my TV. Thank good for VCR's and PVR's. Let me know if there something you watch that is good and I am not watching it.

VK

NFL Quick Thoughts Pt2

1 Culpepper looked horrible.

2 Leftwich could be the toughest QB in the league

3 Houston could be the worst team in the AFC.

4 Cadillac is the real deal.

5 Harrington may have finally run out of time.

6 Brady finally showed he is human.


The afternoon games should be fun!

NFL Quick Thoughts

For the morning games...

1 I think I may have been wrong about Minny

2 The Colts D is waaay better

3 Peyton Manning is trying to hard

4 Maybe Big Ben is better than I gave him credit for.

5 Two weeks in and what team could be the best in the AFC? Bengals?

6 McNabb to Owens. Are they talking yet?

7 SF really stinks even though they won last week

More later

VK

By Request - Week One NFL Analysis

Oakland 20 NE 30

This game was pretty good. Randy Moss made some great catches but yet again NE has been able to win. Tom Brady is probably the most efficient QB in the league. The Oakland O-line is weak. Could Robert Gallery be overrated? I certainly believe so. NE misses Johnson and Bruschi.

NY Jets 7 KC 27

Yikes. Several publications have the Jets contending for the SuperBowl. I believe Chad Pennington had 5-6 fumbles. This can not be blamed on poor arm strength. This is just plain bad football. I know that KC has upgraded their D but is this domination a sign of things to come. I don't see. Is there a better one-two RB tandem than Holmes and Johnson. Wow. The best offense in the NFL continues to look strong.

Seattle 14 JAX 26

I did not watch mush of this game but from I did see that Hasselbeck stunk it up. For Seattle to be a contender, their QB needs to maintain a measure of quality play. 2 TD's are good but 3 INT's and 1 Fumble will not do it. On the Jax side of the ball, the ageless wonder Jimmy Smith looks great. It looks like Leftwich might be the real deal.

Cincy 27 Cle 13

Could the Bengals be the real deal? Well, if this game is any indication, they are. Carson Palmer looked excellent and Rudi ran wild. Granted this came against a team which I am not sure I even know one player (KWII not withstanding) but I see good things. I like the Bengals schedule as well. I may have to rethink my rankings of the Bengals in the North. One of the friends of this blog, bengals4ever, had problems with his NFL Ticket this weekend and almost missed the game. Now that would have been funny.

Chicago 7 Wash 9

Yuck. No comments other than I see that Mark Brunell is starting for Wash this week. Does this mean the Patrick Ramsey era is over? Almost makes you wish for the Danny Wuerffel era. And yes, I am fully aware that Wuerffel was arguably the worst draft pick ever made in a fantasy football draft. Who took him?

NO 23 Car 20

Most uplifting game of the week? Probably. However, there is no way Carolina should have lost this game. Carolina lost Kris Jenkins for the season. This is bad news for Panther fans. NO did not look that good but somehow got the field goal with 3 seconds left to win. Next week they play a home game at Giants Stadium. Why can't they play in San Antonio?

Ten 7 Pitt 34

I was wrong about this game. I figured Ten might even be able to win. Willie Parker is probably the best 3rd stringer RB in the game. Tennessee looked bad and when your star for the game is a mediocre TE like Ben Troupe then you know you have not won.

Hou 7 Buf 22

This game showcased the Bills defense and new QB JP Losman. Both looked pretty good. David Carr did not. When will Houston fans start looking for a more dynamic QB? The expansion honeymoon is quickly coming to an end.

TB 24 Min 13

First of all, I must preface this by reminding the faithful readers that I have predicted that Minny will win XL this year. That being said, they had better pull it together. Now I know that this is only week one but c'mon. They lost to TB at home in the dome. Culpepper looked brutal. TB on the other hand was made to look awesome but the Minny D. Cadillac had a great game. And the other Alex Smith looked great as a rookie TE.

Dal 28 SD 24

Are the 'Boys for real? Nope but they did pull one out. Let's see SD play this bad with Gates back and maybe we will see the end of Martyball. Bledsoe threw 3 TD's, maybe the Tuna is Drew's magic elixir.

Den 10 Miami 34

What the hell is this? The second worst team last year rolls over Denver. Could it be we have all overrated Denver? Yes, I think we have. I am now officially a Jake Plummer basher. He sucks. Bring in Van Pelt!! This defense was supposed to be great and yet Miami scored 34. Wait, I think they just scored again. To quote the Indian Assassin,"Gus Frerotte is a God". Now I am not sure about that but maybe he can hold this team together.

This was sent to me by a friend of the blog. Thanks to Paydirt:

SUPER BOWL XL by: The Mush Ninjas (jolyan)

A few things that would help the Dolphins get to this year's super bowl.

1. 27 Pittsburgh Steelers come down with the ebola virus at the same time.

2. R. Williams gives up weed for steroids and someone ships him the whizzanator.

3. Brady, Manning, and Holmes all plan a mid-season trip to Bermuda - plane never heard from again.

4. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Chris McAllister, and Dion Sanders all start the XFL2.

5. Gus Ferotte changes his name to MAX POWER and buys a bionic arm for 6 million dollars.

6. They get to play Denver 16 straight times in Pro Player Stadium.

7. The Buffalo Bills are forced to either play OJ Simpson or forced to play "Whose that bringing home the sunglasses?" with OJ Simpson. One or the other.

8. Jacksonville decides to rest Leftowhich for the 2005 season and start the first woman ever to play in the NFL.

9. Quit worrying about how good the Browns and Titans looked in the late 90's.

10. If the first 9 really happened, I would take the Dolphins at home against the Bengals 60% of the time.

STL 25 SF 28

So the worst team in the league last year beat a contender. This score is not even indicative of how well the SF defense played. They were on the field for over 40 minutes. I hate the Rams more than SF so good for them. The number one draft pick did not play.

Ari 19 NYG 42

I did not watch this game at all but I see that Arizona actually led 13-7 at the half. I still think Arizona will be a contender in the West. Of course, a pee-wee football team could contend in the NFC West. Eli's stats don't look impressive. Special teams won it for New York.

GB 3 Det 17

Is Brett done? We may have seen the beginning of the end. He did not appear to be even interested in playing. And I don't blame him. He has had a crappy couple of years in his private life`and now his best receiver is out for the year. I say Brett should walk away proud and not look back. Detroit won in spite of Harrington. Rookie Mike Williams caught a TD. Wrong Williams, Joey. Throw it to Roy and help my fantasy team out.

Indy 24 Bal 7

Indy has improved their D and made Boller look foolish. Of course, that is not hard but the D pressed nonetheless. Actually, Boller was knocked out of the game by a Larry Tripplett sack. Anthony Wright will start the next game. The Kyle Boller experiment could be reaching its end. Even though the score was 3-0 at the half you just knew the game was already lost for the Ravens. Peyton came out and lit up the Ravens D for 24 points. I don't think 15-1 is out of the question for a Colts record this season.

Philly 10 Atlanta 14

Boy Mike Vick is fun to watch. He can't pass well but man can he run. McNabb made some questionable plays last night. I think we could be watching the demise of the Eagles. Nice pre-game action with two players being ejected. This was so exciting that The Indian Assassin called me in a state of giddiness to report the fights. It is good to see players fired up but lets fight it out in the trenches not during the warm-ups.

Well thats it. I can't guarantee I will do this every week as this took me an hour but I will try my best. Back to my vacation. More later.

VK

Vacation

I am on vacation for the next week. I will keep everyone up to date on what is going on. Let me know if you want me to rant on a particular subject.

VK

The OC

So Thursday night was the season premiere of The OC. It was pretty bad. I am a huge OC fan but the show seems to be losing its luster. Let's review where we left off last season. Trey was involved with Cocaine Girl (ah, Cocaine Girl) and up to no good. Marissa had been attacked by Trey. Summer and Seth were up to their stuff and Ryan was brooding. Anyways, Ryan found out that Trey had tried to rape Marissa and he was out for blood. Trey had a gun, Marissa and Ryan went to Treys and well, Trey ended up shot.

Fast forward to this season. Trey is in a coma. Oh no. The dreaded coma. Somehow, he had gotten his hair styled while in a coma. Episode rundown. Ryan feels bad. Goes to see Trey. Leave just before Trey wakes up. Trey awakens. Julie Cooper-Nichols finds out. Julie Cooper-Nichols goes to bribe Trey to say Ryan shot him, not Marissa. Trey tells police that Ryan did it. Ryan and the gang try to escape on Jimmy Coopers boat. Jimmy Coopers rats out the kids. Ryan gets arrested. Tears ensue. Summer and Marissa dress up as Candystripers (sigh, not Candystrippers). Marissa talks to Trey and gets him to tell the truth. The police release Ryan. More tears. Coopers are not happy. Seth is happy. Trey escapes from hospital and jumps the losercruiser to somewhere. Meanwhile, Kristen, enjoys rehab, befriends Seven of Nine, and doesn't want to go home. Apparently, she has no idea what is going on at home. Seven of Nine looks to be up to no good. Long glances at Sandy when he was at rehab visiting Kiki and such. As far as the shooting stuff goes, I don't know how the Newport Police solve crimes but the Grissom from CSI, Horatio for CSI:Miami, and Lt Dan from CSI:NY would have solved the shooting in ten seconds. Ever heard of a GSR (Gun shot residue) test? It would have determined that Marissa not Ryan had fired the gun and this whole episode would have been for not. Oh well. The OC is rapidly becoming 90210 which is okay with me. I liked 90210.

Great sports weekend. Yanks took 2 of 3 from Beantown, Colts hammered the original Colts of Baltimore and Kim Clijsters won the US Open.

I saw a couple of movies. Both not that memorable. One was Wicker Park and the other was Garden State.

More later VK

Did Someone Mention Vegas Sam?

For you, Perogy Power!

Good News and Prison Break

If you are not watching Prison Break on FOX, you are doing yourselves a disservice. Last night was the second episode and it was awesome.

The good news is that it appears anyone can make comments again. So that means you don't need to be a member of this blog. All you have to do is do the word verification. However, if the spam returns I will have to make this a members only page.

With the new TV season upon us, let me know what show (or shows) you are most looking forward to. I will do a TV show review as the premieres hit the air. So far, here is what you should be watching: Prison Break (FOX), Rome (MC), Rescue Me (Showcase) and Over There (History).

Oh yeah, I am on vacation against week. Good times.

VK

Do you know what time it is?

That's right, it is TARA Time! Enjoy!

2005 Football Season Predictions

Tomorrow is the start of the NFL season. Today I will posting my predictions for the season standings.

NFC North 1. Vikings 2. Lions 3. Packers 4. Bears
NFC South 1. Panthers 2. Falcons 3. Buccaneers 4. Saints
NFC East 1. Eagles 2. Cowboys 3. Giants 4. Redskins
NFC West 1. Seahawks 2. Rams 3. Cardinals 4. 49ers

Wildcards: Rams and Falcons
Champion: Vikings

AFC North 1. Ravens 2. Bengals 3. Steelers 4. Browns
AFC South 1. Colts 2. Jaguars 3. Texans 4. Titans
AFC East 1. Bills 2. Patriots 3. Jets 4. Dolphins
AFC West 1. Broncos 2. Raiders 3. Chargers 4. Chiefs

Wildcards: Patriots and Bengals
Champion: Colts

SuperBowl XL Final Score: Vikings 28 Colts 17

I know I am picking against my own team, but I must be realistic.

Let me know what you think. Post a comment!

VK

Okay, maybe Bush is an idiot!

Read this article and see how New Orleans was destroyed so that Bush could invade Iraq.

So let's see, the invasion of Iraq made Bush's cronies rich (oil from $35/bbl to $60/bbl). But now the destruction of New Orleans and the surrounding areas have made them even richer ($60/bbl to $70+/bbl).

Pat Robertson, sir, you picked the wrong president!

VK

PS: Can you tell it was slow tonight?

Prison Break and Rescue Me

Yesterday I watched the 2nd season opener of Rescue Me and the series premiere of Prison Break. I have to say that Prison Break looks like the new 24 for me. I love 24 and this new show looks pretty good so far. The shows premise is far fetched but so is 24 when you think about it. I look forward to the next few episodes. If they are as good as the pilot then this could be one of my favorite shows. Rescue Me is interesting. Dennis Leary plays a FDNY firefighter with a drinking problem, marital issues and a pregnant girlfriend who happens to be his dead (9-11) best friends wife. It is pretty bleak, like most FX shows but the secondary story lines are always entertaining.

I also watched the season premiere of Rome on Monday. The first episode was fairly slow, save for the full frontal female nudity and bloody gore. However, from the reviews I have read, the series just keeps getting better. Oh yeah, wasn't Entourage just money on Sunday night. Watching Ari melt down was classic. If you don't know what I am talking about, watch the damn show. Only one more episode this season.

The price of gas is insane. I filled up at 97.9/l this morning. I long for the days of 49.9.

VK

PS 8 days to NFL kick-off. If you are interested in a pick em pool, see VK and get the hook-up.

US Cable News sucks

I started at noon today so I spent the first few hours of the day on the couch watching hurricane coverage. Never have I seen such shameless exploitation of people in a bad spot. Essentially, they are pulling people who have lost everything onto the air and asking them stupid questions like, "How are feeling?". Just disgusting. The CNBC coverage was better. The funniest thing I saw today was a woman coming out of a Footlocker store (which was being looted) saying that she needed them for her family. She had 7 pairs of shoes. Now I can appreciate that she may have needed the shoes but she should not have had the attitude of entitlement. The situation in New Orleans is certainly going to get much worse before it gets better.

This site was sent to me by a friend of the blog (babs). The nuts are coming out.

Anyone else wonder when Bush is going to blame Osama or Saddam for the hurricane? Maybe it was friends of Bush who caused this catastrophe. After all, oil has hit $70 and gasoline has gone over $2.80 a gallon on the futures market. Seriously though, I hope everyone who is affected by the hurricane remain well.

Bad News

Due to spamming, I will not be able to allow comments to be made to the blog. I am looking into a way to see if I can have members of the RoVK. If you are interested in being a member let me know. You all should know my e-mail address or how to contact me.

VK

Flip Flops follow-up

This article was brought to my attention today. I wonder if this mayor read the VK blog.

VK

George W Bush is NOT an idiot!

Do I have your attention with that comment? I bet I do. Any one who knows me, knows of my disdain for GWB even though if I was an American, I would be a Republican. But let me share with you my reasons. It is safe to say that GWB's presidency so far has been an unmittigated failure. What has he accomplished or presided over? Let's see: 3500 Americans died on 9/11, over 1000 soldiers and civilians have died in Iraq and Afganistan, and a massive tax cut that created a runaway deficit and really on benifited only the wealthiest Americans. Okay, I will concede that the US economy has grown and that Americans have experienced a growth in their net worths. This can be attributed to many things (including record low interest rates and the willingness of banks to lend money to anyone so that overpriced homes could be purchased thus creating a possible catastrophic collapse) but not to the leadership of GWB.

So, why is GWB not an idiot?

GWB raised a huge amount before he ran in 2000. A large portion of these dollars were from corporations. And not surprisingly good portion of the corporate money (http://www.opensecrets.org/2000elect/sector/P00003335.htm note: these totals do not included personal contributions from presidents and CEO's of energy companies. Same with the list of lobbyists, they have many oil company clients - Enron being a prime example) came from oil companies and yes, Haliburton. How have these companies benefited by supporting GWB? Well, oil has gone from a price of $19/bbl in 2000 to over $70/bbl today. Natural gas prices have quadrupled. And of course, Haliburton has received billions in military money for the war in Iraq.

You are wondering, okay VK but, why is Bush not an idiot? Well here is my reason. Bush knows that his legacy is all but destroyed. It is time to pay back the people that got him to the White House (Cheney included). The US government has done nothing to try to control the price of energy. Who benefits? The men and companies that donated to his campaign. Haliburton continues to receive government contracts for military and civilian contract work in Iraq. These contracts are given out without going through the regular tender process under the pretense of national security. So Bush has made everyone around him richer than ever before and when he is done being the president these same men who donated will hire Dubya to "work" for them and be handsomely compensated. GWB has, arguably, been the dumbest president ever to lead the US but he certainly is NO idiot.


Yesterday was movie day at the VK abode. I watched 5 movies. The first was The Grudge. It was okay but I did not find it as scary as I had heard. The second was Copland. I really enjoyed this movie. It was funny to see half the cast of the Sopranos in it. Thirdly, I watched Tombstone. Great movie, watch it and see what Billy Bob Thornton looked like pudgy. Fourth, I watched He Got Game. Ah, Chasey Lain and Jill Kelly, nuf said. And finally, I saw The Killer. John Woo and Chow Yun Fat rock. This is probably the most violent movie I have ever seen. Well worth it.

I may have more later. Let me know what you think of GWB.

VK

Happy 2nd Birthday G-Man!

Sorry it is a few days late! You rock G-Man!

Flip Flops

A few weeks ago there was an article (http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0507/19/B01-252312.htm) about flip flops that I read and sort of chuckled at the ludicriousness of the whole. Well, yesterday, I think I began to understand what the whole issue was about. I have never been one to pretend I am an expect on women's fashion but the lack of expertise certainly will not stop me from ranting about flip flops. So here we go: Yesterday on the bus ride home I saw the perfect storm of bad fashion sense. There was a lady (25ish) who got on the bus wearing low rider jeans, a cut-off T, and flip flops. Now, on Tararrific Reid or Angie Jolie this would be perfectly acceptable attire but on this woman it was anything but perfectly acceptable. Now I don't intend to be mean or insult anyone but please people, think about what you are wearing and if one is going to wear low riders and small T's, we should not see flab over the sides. And if you have bad feet, for God's sake, leave the flip flops at home. Nothing is worse than bad feet. More on that some other time. A comment was made to me about teenage girls dressing this way and I don't think it is as bad as when "adults" wear clothing that should not be viewed by the public. With teenage girls you can blame fashion faux pau's on hormones and their need to "find themselves".

Let me know what you think!

VK

Thursday Bus Update

So, I have been riding the bus for the past three weeks, and I have to say I am enjoying it. I wasn't so sure I would and Uncle Rico said I wouldn't last a month. Well, the month is almost up and there I sit day after day. Any how, that is not why I am posting today. I wanted to comment on the grey haired lothario I see every day on the bus. This guy is pretty funny to watch. He is well-dressed (save for the shoes) and has perfect hair. He sits on the bus and waves at all the regulars (myself included) whenever people get on the bus or off. However, when he is getting on or off the bus, he leans in real close to the ladies (who are all 55+) and says some witty comment to get a chuckle out of the ladies. I think the ladies sort of enjoy the attention and it is amusing to watch. I could also talk about the woman who has OCD but I don't tend to make jokes at mental disabilities.

I watched an interesting documentary last night on the Yukon/White Pass Railroad. Funny thing, I lived a fifth of my life in the Yukon and had not heard of half the places and things that were talked about during the show. And I only lived 50 miles from the railroad. I guess it is true that you only see what you want to see.

Football draft on Saturday. Should be a good time. The football season starts two weeks from tonight. I can't wait. The Yankees blew it huge last night. 8 runs in an inning is a disgrace. Hard to come down to hard on Mussina though, he has been the best starter in the rotation this year.

Tara Reid is up to her craziness again. Read this quote and try to tell me she was sober: "I wish all the mean people, if you want to be mean to each other, just buy a country together and blow each other up. Then we'd have no terrorists left. Like, don't kill innocent people for no reason. It's not fair. We love everybody. We'd even like them if they said they're sorry. It's not fair that innocent people are getting hurt. It makes me sad." Ah, Tara Reid, what would entertainment blogs be like without her. They would not be Tarariffic, that's for sure! See this picture (right) of Tara and her sister. Whoa, that's not too bad.

That's it for me. Cya when I cya.

VK

Yo Yo!

Welcome to a new week. Did y'all check out Entourage last night? Good stuff. I also watched the final episode of Six Feet Under. I have to say that I am glad that the show is done. It wasn't an good after the third season. Rome starts in its place next weekend. I am looking forward to it.

I saw The 40 Year Old Virgin (http://imdb.com/title/tt0405422/) this weekend. Definitely a lot of fun. I recommend you see it but be prepared, it can be a little offensive.

Poker was good. I won two of five tourneys. Good enough scratch to pay for the weekends dining out. Surprisingly, Uncle Rico won a game. I guess even blind squirrels find nuts once and a while.

I read today (http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/kravitz%20eyes%20$50%20million%20home) that Lenny Kravitz is looking at buying a $50 million home in NYC. Something tells me that I should have picked a different career path. The best part? Its a fixer-upper requiring $10 million in renos. Crazy.

So a player for the San Fransisco 49er's died this weekend (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2139454). It is a shame but the league really must address the size of some O-line fellas. The average size is well over 300lbs and we all know that can not be healthy.

Finally, the line of the day goes to Sarah Silverman (pic right). She used to be on SNL and recently has been dating Jimmy Kimmel. From the Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson, " Some say Pam would be nobody without her breasts. That's just not true," Silverman cracked — "She'd be Paris Hilton." Good times.

VK

Labels

The weekend is here. Hooters and poker tonight. Should be fun taking money off of RB, kaya2, uncle rico, airdomin8, and biz. Like stealing candy from a baby.

Read this article (http://www.alternet.org/story/18841/) and see how ridiculous of a society we are becoming. The North Americans want to be less responsible for their own actions every day. Warning labels on fries? Of course they are not good for you. That is why we love to eat fries. Any idiot who thinks that fries are good for you deserves to keel over at the age of 40. Why do we have to label everything? Hot coffee from Tim's (caution: contents are hot)and cigarettes (smoking causes cancer). Duh! Check out this site of moronic (and real) labels on products (http://rinkworks.com/said/warnings.shtml). Supposedly, we are the smartest humans in the history of the earth and somehow I doubt this.

More later. Send your comments.

VK

Delays

Sorry for the time between posts. I have been a little busy. And I have been distracted by the collapse of my beloved New York Yankees. I am ready to say that the Yankees will NOT make the playoffs. It pains me to say this since they have a $200MM payroll but if they can't beat the lowly TB Devil Rays, what chance do we have.

3 weeks tonight football season starts. Starting next week I will give my predictions for the upcoming season. I can not be more excited. NFL Ticket is ordered and I am primed and ready. I have been listening to a NFL Fantasy Football podcast every morning on the bus and it is cetainly stoking the fire.

I watched a movie that was even worse than Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid. That movie was Catwoman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327554/). I was thinking, "how bad could it be?". Let me answer this for you, it was terrible. The movie did not even make any sense. The best actors in the movie were the cats. You would think that Halle Berry would at least make the movie somewhat watchable, but you would be wrong. Avoid this movie at all costs.

If you have a daughter and you want her to grow up to be like Lindsay Lohan (and who wouldn't their daughter to be like Lindsay - alcohol and drug addictions aside), buy this toy (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007WX1HA/t/104-4230278-1210336?v=glance&s=toys&me=A3UN6WX5RRO2AG&vi=pictures&img=1).

Entourage was awesome again this week. The show becomes better and better every week. If you have not watched it, do it. You will not regret it. Speaking of HBO series, I am glad that the Six Feet Under run is about over. The show has become so depressing that after each episode I feel like cutting myself. However, the new HBO series, Rome, looks pretty cool and I am looking forward to the premiere at the end of the month. I hope it is available in HD.

Finally, a happy 36th birthday to Donnie Wahlberg. Stop by and see my bro, RB and he can tell you all about the NKOTB concert he went to. Good times.

VK

People and Animals

Just when you think that the world is going to hell (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3376275a11,00.html), you read a story like this (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/08/09/cat-ceasarian-050809.html) and think maybe not.

Sunday Morning

There can't be anything worse than the alarm going off at 340am on a Sunday morning so you have to get up to go to work. I don't think I have ever gotten up this early (at least since I was a baby). At least tomorrow I am off so I can sleep in on a Monday morning. Not a bad trade-off.

I went out to dinner at Moxie's on Friday and then went to see The Island (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399201/) with my good friend, KzJ. Dinner was good and the movie was pretty good as well. Interesting premise and excellent special effects. This film has been a bomb at the box office and I am not sure why. Sure, there are not any big name stars (Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson) but it was interesting. Yes, it was somewhat predictable and lots of Michael Bay over-the-top action but I would tell you to go see it if you have a couple hours to kill. Cloning seems like a good idea to me but the moral issues certainly need to be addressed before it can be allowed to occur on a large scale.

Yesterday, I watched one of the worst movies I have seen in years (and I have seen some horrible movies). The movie was Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366174/). Holy crap, it was bad. I should not have been surprised. Let's face it, any J-Lo movie that has a sequel, you know will be brutal. Every J-Lo movie made since Out of Sight has been terrible (except for The Cell). She is one of America's very worst actors. And as bad an actor she is, her singing career is worse. If Hollywood never made another Jennifer Lopez movie, I am sure no one would ever notice. Wow, Friday I ripped Julia Roberts and today J-Lo. Maybe I am being to hard on these girls. Doubtful, but maybe!

This article was sent to me on Friday (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2005/08/12/1169814-sun.html) and I am a little perplexed. My first thought was "atta boy" and then I started to thinking about it. We have a 13 year old boy and a 28 year old woman teacher. She is attractive and doesn't look like a monster. Yet, would my reaction have been different if it had been reversed and it was a 13 year old girl and a male teacher. I suspect it would have been. Will the boy be psychologically damaged by this or does he think he just got "lucky"? I am still not sure what I think. And then today, I see it has happened again (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0811051kristen1.html).

I am looking forward to the upcoming TV season. I am not sure what show I am most excited to see return. It is probably 24 (but that is not until January). I guess it would be The OC. Speaking of The OC, enjoy the picture of "cocaine girl". If you don't know about "cocaine girl" just ask myself or RB.

VK

Friday is here

So here we are at the end of the week. It is good to see that the weekend is upon us. However, I am working on Sunday at 430am. Yikes. I am off Monday though, so it should not be that bad. How do I get myself into these messes?

I plan on heading to the movies tonight. I want to see The Island but it will all depend on what the others want to see. I have been watching all the Sopranos (in HD) for the last couple of months on MC. I forgot how good the show is. I read yesterday that the 5th (and final) season could be extended by up to 10 episodes. That would rock. The only problem I have with The Sopranos is the long time in between seasons. When S5 premieres it will be nearly 2 years between seasons.

Last night I had my first of three fantasy football drafts. I think I made some suspect picks. I guess I will wait until the end of the year to really know.

I read that Julia Roberts is thinking of quitting acting. Is yesterday soon enough? Seriously, is there a more over-rated actress in Hollywood? I think she is barely more talented than Tara Reid(see right). At least Tara Reid seems like she would be fun to hang with.

Today begins my list of top 10 favorite movies of all time. I may do the list in 10 straight posts or over the next month. No decision has been made yet. I may have forgotten some so I might change my mind as I go and make some changes but enjoy. So, here we go:

#10 The Terminator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/)
This might possibly have been the first R-rated movie I ever saw. The story was cool and Arnold was the epitome of bad-ass. "I'll be back" is a classic line. The special effects may seem a little dated now but the film stands up extremely well even to the sci-fi films made now. Let me know what you think by clicking on the comments button below.

Stay tuned for #9.

Well, back to work as my lunch is over.

VK

Drunk guy

Just a quick, early morning post saying I encountered my first really drunk guy on the bus today. Quite funny but a little sad.

More later.

VK

Anniversary

Ten years ago today Netscape went public and I bought the IPO. Wow, time flys when one is having fun. This IPO arguably set off the internet bubble of the late 90's. I remember thinking at the time that the internet was a cool idea that could become quite popular. I had no idea that it would become what it is today. Netscape opened huge and slowly moved back. Then the bubble started. Netscape was then taken over for a huge premium by AOL. I kept the AOL shares and eventually unloaded them the day AOL announced their takeover of Time Warner. 4500% return in 5 years was not bad at the time. Of course, now TWX is in the tank and no one uses Netscape anymore. I still use their browser at home out of nostalgia more than anything else.

Jerry Garcia also died 10 years ago today. I am not a big fan of the Grateful Dead but he was certainly a talented musician and showman.

So I rode the bus again today. The trip was made better by my discovery of Podcasts on iTunes. You can download all sorts of programs and most are free. This morning I listened to a show about the Yankees and one about poker. On the way home I have a show on Fantasy Football to listen to. If you have an iPod, check it out. I am sure you can find something cool to listen to.

I read that Keira Knightley is back on the market after breaking up with her boyfriend. I should let RB know, since I know he likes her. Enjoy the pic, Igga!

VK