Ted's Polish-Mexican Page

Moved...

2010-04-10T07:53:00.002-07:00

The last time I "moved" a blog, a nice little note automatically appeared telling wayward users where the new location was. Not so this time, I guess...

So...the new location with the slicker interface is at...

polishmexican.net

Thanks, y'all.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Because You Are All Dying for My Opinion

2009-11-20T20:51:00.002-07:00

Yep, the league did not get their Beckham/Donovan v Blanco/McBride showdown that would have made for easy promotion. Instead they have the Scruffy Underdogs v Glamor Boys contest.

Yep, this means Alan Gordon is now a glamor boy.

The commentary from LA fans I have read say they are worried about these "Underdogs" of Real Salt Lake. I dunno. There have only been two "scrappy underdogs" that I can think of that made it this far: New York (who weren't so much scrappy as lucky) and Colorado. Both ended up losing in the end. My prediction for the final: 3 - 1 LA.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Just a Place Along the Way...

2009-11-03T18:02:00.002-07:00

I decided to stop by Lucky Wishbone on my way home from work. It seems that every time I visit Lucky Wishbone, I see a someone who is unusually obese. This has to be just coincidence, right?

There is one major deficiency with the Lucky Wishbone on 22nd...they give you a printed receipt with a number. Everyone knows the proper way to get a number at Lucky Wishbone: a white poker chip with the number written in marker. Pre-printed ticket? An abomination.

I ordered a Jr. Steak Fingers and a Jr. Shrimp. They really oughta have a meal with both, but what do I know?

Anyway, while waiting, the PA system started playing Huey Lewis's "Power of Love." What was most disturbing was that I knew all the words.

It did get worse: the next song was "You're Beautiful." When I am done on this Earth and have to spend some time in Purgatory for the sinful life I have led, this song will be playing. When it came out, I thought we had reached the nadir of smarmy pop songs. We did, but things haven't gone up on a trajectory I'd like.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Halloween Tale

2009-10-31T07:50:00.002-07:00

A couple of Halloweens ago, I went to see Hotel Congress for their annual party. I went with my friend Natalie and my friend Collette. At the end of the night, I had to take both of them home. Collette needed to be dropped off at some neighborhood off of Ft. Lowell. It was one of those oddly laid out neighborhoods in that part of town: short side streets, small duplexes on over-sized lots, architecturally out of place condominiums, higher end trailer parks and of course, no street lighting.

We dropped Collette off at one of those condominiums on one of those short side streets and came back out on to a more main drag to get to Ft. Lowell. On the way, down, I see a woman in a dark dress waving the car down. I hit the breaks but she was swallowed up by the darkness.

Nataile says, "What are you doing?"

"There was a woman waving us down, didn't you see her?"

"Stop it! It's not funny! You know I grew up hearing stories about la Llorona!"

"No, I saw her!"

"Shut up! It isn't funny!"

I did see that woman. I don't know what was up.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Catching Up and Missing Pima Burgers

2009-10-29T07:07:00.003-07:00

I haven't posted in a while...then again, how many of you have been checking?

Made several trips up and down I-10 over the past few months. I was disappointed to find that the Indian Center near Tonopah has shut down. I never checked out the museum, but they had a restaurant there where they served "Pima Burgers." These were regular old hamburgers, but with roasted green chilies. When I worked at the litigation support outfit and had to go back and forth to Phoenix often, I'd time my trips so that lunch or dinner time would coincide with being near that exit.

When I get to pick my last meal, the Pima Burger may eclipse the Sonoran Hot Dog. Heck, if I'm going to die anyway, why not both?

Now that exit just features a Shell station where you can get Noble Roman pizza. There is nothing noble nor Roman about it.

Two news stories: an American sailor took some potshots at a warehouse in Gdynia. And we wonder why folks in other countries have a low opinion of us.

I enjoyed this one too. Money quote: "He then searched the SUV, where he found a Viagra pill and several sex toys, items Corning said he always kept with him, 'just in case,' according to the report." Yeah, don't we all do that?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

We Drive 300 Miles, and there is Al Foul

2009-08-18T06:18:00.001-07:00

Me and Caitlin were up in Flagstaff for a Democratic party meeting. We check the local weekly, and there it is: Al Foul was playing that night.

We joked that we drove 300 miles and now we are about to see a guy that we can probably see next week at the Surly Wench.

As we found out later, he will be playing the Wench on Saturday.

Anyhow, we spoke to him before the show and he talked about how much he loves playing in Flagstaff and how much he loves the venue, the Hotel Monte Vista. The Monte Vista, according to Al, was designed by the same architect as Hotel Congress.

He told us how good he feels about the shows he does at Monte Vista. I could see why. These folks in Flagstaff lionized him. During a break in his set, he was mobbed by adoring fans and some even got their pictures with him. It was a funny sight for me and Caitlin; I suppose we have gotten too used to seeing him.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Silver Thread Trio, Sand Rubies and Gila Bend at Plush

2009-08-02T11:49:00.003-07:00

You look at the bill and see Sand Rubies and Gila Bend and your first thought is to see if it is still 1993. You half expect 35 Summers or Shoebomb to round things out.

The Silver Thread Trio was an odd choice for this line up, but they were excellent. How do we manage to breed so many talented folks like this in our humble burg?

The Sand Rubies went on just before eleven and had a couple of slip ups that lead singer Dave Slutes said were attributable to lack of rehearsing. We don't care, it's the Rubies...they can do what they want.

Here they are performing "Satellite Radio" off of their latest album:

"Bad, Crazy Sun" off of their 1989 release, Witchdoctor:

Playing, by audience request, their hit (yes, it charted) "Witchdoctor." The excited "Yeah!" comes from long time fan Elizabeth Cherry.

"Goodbye" off of the album Sand Rubies:

It made sense for Gila Bend to be at the top of the bill, since we never get to see them play anymore. The lighting was different for them, so the video isn't as clear. It's hard to spot local music demigods Al Perry or Tom Larkins, but they are up there. Here they are doing their tribute to local hippie culture, "Dog With a Bandanna." Loren Dierks hasn't lost any of his chops with either his guitar or his working an audience:

"Me and the Cat:"

Performing "Steakhouse" and "Face of an Angel:"

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T06:39:00.002-07:00

My students seem to think that all Michael Jackson was was the bizarre plastic surgery disaster and accused pedophile that we have seen over the past decade. This is probably the greatest tragedy here. I was never a huge fan, but I recognized that he was genuinely talented and did things that are far more lasting than much of the stuff we see on the charts now.

Unfortunately, something about him brought out the worst in tabloid voyeurism and celebrity hanger-on culture. If you need an example: one of the first press conferences I saw was from Al Sharpton. Sheesh.

I also heard an interview with Barry Gordy. Oh, now he cares about the guy's well being?

Oh well...let's just remember the music:

Michael Jackson - Rock with you
by Discodandan

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

We Are Young...

2009-06-11T18:20:00.003-07:00

Went by the Pima St. Baptist Church and this Sunday's sermon is entitled "Love is a Battlefield." This is a further indication that we Xers are learning to be as irritating as the Baby Boomers by naming everything after songs from our teenage years in some bid to be nostalgic and (so we think) hip.

For those that don't remember the song, here is the video. Yep, our singers dressed like trashy prostitutes too, but ours were trying to look like trashy prostitutes.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Ronstadt Center, not a Chad Everett Reference

2009-06-10T06:04:00.002-07:00

So, I'm stuck carless for a bit. My route to work takes me to the Ronstadt Center every day. Twice a day even.

The other day, I was waiting for the number four. Normally, these leave every ten minutes around this time, but for some reason it took longer. Then I looked around. There wasn't a single bus in the entire center. Those of you that have gone by Ronstadt know that this is highly unusual. I looked out onto Congress and saw no cars. Freaked me out for a couple of minutes.

Finally, a bus pulled in. As that bus pulled in, there was an older lady with a cane that stood on the edge of the curb to get on the bus first. I looked around and missed whatever incident prompted her to start yelling at a guy with a Lewis and Roca briefcase.

She was claiming that he pushed her. "Did you all see that, he knocked my cane away. I'm an old lady. You should be ashamed of yourself," she said.

Just then, the bus pulled up, so I couldn't hear his response to this allegation. She appealed to the crowd to "do something." But no one said anything. I didn't see what happened, but her histrionics made it hard to take her accusations seriously. She ended up boarding the bus first, ahead of the blind woman who thought it was best to hang back.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Tay-Lor Twell-Man!

2009-06-07T16:42:00.002-07:00

Stats courtesy of American Soccer History Archives:

Archie Stark, Bethlehem Steel - 253
Johnny Nelson, Brooklyn Wanderers - 223
Giorgio Chinaglia, New York Cosmos - 193
Dave Brown, New York Giants - 189
Bill Patterson, various teams - 152
Andy Stevens, New Bedford Whalers - 150
Jerry Best, New Bedford Whalers - 138
Bart McGhee, various teams - 137
Harold Brittain, Fall River Marksmen - 135
Bobby Blair, Boston Wonder Workers - 131
Werner Nilsen, Boston Wonder Workers - 131
Alan Willey, Minnesota Kicks - 129
Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago Sting - 128
Tommy Florie, Providence/New Befford - 126
*Jaime Moreno, D. C. United - 126
Tec White, Fall River Marksmen - 124
Ron Futcher, Minnesota Kicks - 119
Bert Patenaude, Fall River Marksmen - 118
*Ante Razov, Chivas USA - 114
Mike McLeavey, New Bedford Whalers - 108
Jason Kreis, Dallas Burn, Real Salt Lake - 108
Herbert Carlson, New York Nationals - 107
*Jeff Cunningham, FC Dallas - 105
Paul Child, San Jose Earthquakes - 102
Illja Mitic, Dallas Tornado - 101
*Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution - 101
Steve David, various teams - 100

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Short Note on Yesterday's USA - HON Game

2009-06-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

That's more like it.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

A Thought About US v Costa Rica

2009-06-04T06:09:00.003-07:00

Of the full squad for Costa Rica, fourteen play in their domestic league. There are a smattering of players that play in the US and Mexico, where they get plenty of playing time. Of the ones that play in Europe, they play in "second tier" leagues but I bet those guys are starters.

We, on the other hand, have a significant number of players who play for top flight European leagues, but who often get little playing time. We need to start asking if riding the pine, even if it is in a top league, is really good preparation for international play.

Hey, these players need to make their own decisions based on what they need from life. I know that. If a player can make many times more as a little used reservist in Portugal or England than being a regular starter for Columbus, it is hard to complain about the decision. But, the national team doesn't have to play them. We seem to grant garanteed starting spots for these guys because of the resume. Maybe making these guys compete for a spot with a guy who plays and gets knocked around week after week would make them hungrier.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Accidental Poetry

2009-05-07T14:07:00.002-07:00

This is from an actual piece of spam mail that I got. I kinda liked the sound of it:

taylor
set the discord straight
not on the landscape elizabeth.
desire is greed

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Randy Bewley

2009-02-26T21:30:00.002-07:00

Guitarist for seminal Athens band Pylon Randy Bewley has died after a heart attack.

I was never the hugest fan of Pylon, but they were incredibly important in American New Wave and helped start the scene in Athens, Georgia that spawned acts like R.E.M., the B-52's, Black Crowes and Matthew Sweet.

Here is a video of the band playing their song "Danger" in April of 2007.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

What Song Is That?

2009-02-26T08:00:00.002-07:00

I was listening to Onda Suave on KXCI last night in my car. KXCI was still set on my car radio this morning, and it brought up for me an ongoing problem I have with KXCI's daytime DJ's.

Here is the secret formula for KXCI's daytime staff:

Play obscure songs that few people in the audience have heard before
Don't bother to identify the songs for your audience

Hey, I understand: you want to introduce people to all this cool music you know about, but wouldn't it be helpful to tell us great unwashed who is playing this stuff?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Please, Leave that BS to the NFL

2009-02-18T06:21:00.002-07:00

The New England Revolution is holding tryouts for "Rev Girls." In case any of you want to give them the benefit of the doubt, this is from the press release:

Girls must be at least 21 years old, and must bring positive identification with them. Prospective team members must also wear form-fitting clothing to the interview, and also bring both a headshot and a full-body image.

Great.

Other MLS teams engage in this silliness, most infamously Chivas USA (who at least have the excuse of having a Mexican parent club does the same thing), but the Revs have thankfully been free of this.

To make matters worse, it looks as though these aren't cheerleaders. At least cheerleaders are, it can be argued, part of the game. From reading the press release, it seems that the Revs are following the "Chiva Girl" model: not cheerleaders, but ornaments.

What irks me here most of all is that cheerleaders, dance groups and other such nonsense in other sports are a vestige from the days when young women had no chance to participate in sports except to cheer on the guys. The Revs are a relatively new team without this antiquated baggage. Even more infuriating is that the Revs are part of a sport where women are full participants. Maybe this is hyperbole on my part, but I think it is disrespectful of the contributions of women to the sport here in the US for the men's professional game to do things like this.

I don't go to soccer games to gawk at women. I don't even go to women's games to gawk at women (Although, I have to admit that I have my faves for reasons that have nothing to do with skill). Come to think of it, the women's game is pretty darned popular...and no one has thought to dress them up in "form-fitting clothing."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Irony Board

2009-02-16T02:37:00.002-07:00

The second movie about the life of Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest who was active in Solidarity and who was assassinated by the communists, is about to be released in Poland.

So, here is the big irony: during the production about this man who stood up for workers, the producers failed to pay some members of the crew. Sheesh.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

The Carnage

2009-02-14T07:32:00.002-07:00

Geek Game night went longer than I expected (and Caitlin won, again). Because we had a full house, and it went so long, here is the total of what was consumed:

Cock and Bull - 2
Cucapá - 1
Dos Equis - 7
Harnaś - 2
Kopernik - 2
RC Cola - 2
Virgil's - 1
Żywiec (Original) - 3
Żywiec (Porter) - 1

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Quick Take

2009-02-12T07:56:00.001-07:00

It is highly irresponsible for Bob Bradley to keep Michael Bradley on the roster. It is so obvious that Michael is only on the roster 'cause the coach is his dad.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

New Roller Derby Season

2009-02-09T15:49:00.002-07:00

Attended the debut bout of this Tucson Roller Derby season. There are a couple of rules changes from WFTDA, the most noticeable being that the final jam is completed, no matter how much time there is on the clock. It was kind of fun under the old system, when in a close match the audience would count down during that last jam wondering if the lead would change. On the flip side, in lopsided matches, the final jam would feature a minute or so of aimless skating that tended to be a let down. Given the format of this weekend's action (15 minute mini matches between the teams), I can't judge yet how this will affect the matches.

The first new promotion from the Derby Brats made her debut: Luc3f3r. She definitely has the speed, but has not yet figured out how to take a hit (no contact allowed in Derby Brats). She got jossled pretty badly by the Copper Queens and FTW. But, her speed gave Iron Curtain fans something to look forward to this season, with a victory (albeit in a short exhibition match) against an underpowered FTW.

FTW looked overmatched. In an attempt to make the league more "Fair and Balanced," Deadlock Doe, the lynchpin of the team for years, was transfered to Vice Squad. They also have suffered from the retirement of Sloppy Flo. They didn't win any of the "mini matches" and rarely had a lead jammer. I gotta keep reminding myself that FTW has traditionally started matches even or sometimes behind, only to pile up leads late in the match. In a fifteen minute mini-bout, there is no "late."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Yeah, Who Needs It

2009-02-04T07:09:00.002-07:00

We went to J C Penny's last weekend to buy some pants, apparently it was close to closing time. I can't remember where the fitting rooms are, so we ask an employee. She said, "We're closed." So, we had to leave.

On our way out, there were people being helped at the register, so we could have bought the pants.

But hey, with the economy as wonderful as it is right now, they can afford to turn customers away, right?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Clear Lake, Iowa

2009-02-02T08:17:00.003-07:00

I never bought that Rock and Roll "died" between the death of Buddy Holly in 1959 and the day the Beatles first got American attention in 1963. That period included memorable songs from the likes of Del Shannon and Roy Orbison, so quality was not exactly an issue.

Even if Rock didn't "die" fifty years ago tomorrow, Rock lost three of its early icons. Those of us that consider ourselves rock mavens are left to wonder what more they could have contributed (imagine Holly or Ritchie Valens doing a tour or a single with the Beatles). Even the most obscure of the bunch, The Big Bopper, is underrated today and only remembered for "Chantilly Lace," which many regard as some one off novelty, but he also embodied the fun and naughtiness of early rockabilly, and has many songs that are still being covered today.

Ritchie Valens, "Ooh, My Head" from the movie Go, Johnny, Go! Looking nothing like Lou Diamond Phillips. Yes, that's Chuck Berry.

J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson doing his biggest hit, "Chantilly Lace" from American Bandstand way back in 1958. Unfortunately, I couldn't find video of his other songs, but I found two of other artists covering "White Lightning": George Jones and the Fall.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets performing "Peggy Sue" on, of all places, The Arthur Murray Dance Party in 1957.

Do zobaczenia. Hasta la proxima.

Snow Days

2009-01-29T07:19:00.004-07:00

Barack Obama was shocked that folks in DC can't handle a little snow and ice. Money quote:

My children's school was canceled today, because of what, some ice?" Obama said during a photo opportunity with economic leaders, who began chuckling. "As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled. In fact, my 7-year-old pointed out that you go out for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors.

Back when I worked at AOL, the stated closings policy was if the federal government was closed due to weather, then AOL folks had the day off. The policy was written for the folks at corporate headquarters, then in Vienna, Virginia. They didn't bother to amend the policy when they opened up the Tucson office. We wondered if it meant we got the day off when DC was shut down.

I read somewhere that one of the status symbols for executive branch employees is whether or not you are considered an "essential" employee. So there are actually beaureaucrats who try to get their jobs to be considered "essential." These are the folks who have to come in when there is a blizzard. So, folks are fighting to be called "essential," which means they have to come to work on the worst days of the year.

We had days off from school when I was young due to flooding, but the closest thing to a "snow" day I ever saw was three years ago. It snowed, not even much snow (this is Tucson!), but few students showed up. It was decided to send everyone home. I, however, had to stay to do some CYA paperwork for one of the bosses. I guess I was "essential."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Why Pop Culture Continues to Confound Me

2009-01-28T06:49:00.004-07:00

Everyone likes to whine about the pop cultural wasteland that the 1970's were. Yeah, it was pretty bad, but there were moments here and there (punk rock, Barney Miller). With all of this whining about the embarassing kitschiness of that era, it makes me wonder why the two most embarassing and dated pieces of kitsch, Grease and Abba, keep getting brought out for a re-airing every couple of years.

Is this done to prove the point, or is it unintended irony?

I bring this up because all over town there have been posters for a Grease revival here in town. I think it's part of that Broadway in Tucson thing. I dislike Grease for several reasons: one is that it is supposedly about the music and culture of the 1950's, but features songs that sound nothing like actual music from the 50's. Second: every one of these revivals feature actors who are just not plausible teenagers, like Rosie O'Donnell playing Rizzo at age 32. Another case in point: this one advertises that it features Taylor Hicks. Yep, that guy. The one that is famous for being prematurely gray.

I'll have lots of friends, no doubt, who will go to this thing and rave about it. They will have nostalgic twinkles in their eyes despite the fact that none remember the 50's (and few are old enough to even remember the 50's revival that the movie brought on. 50's Day at Lineweaver!). I'll have to either hold my tongue or engage in one of my rants. Dear Lord, grant me strength.

Do zobaczenia. Hasta la proxima.

You Think It's a Sign?

2009-01-27T05:59:00.002-07:00

There's a Baptist Church over on Pima and Rosemont that I often pass by. All week it has been cloudy and rainy, so I was a little surprised drive by on Saturday and see that their sign announced that Sunday's sermon was entitled "Pray for Rain."

Sunday, it was sunny and clear. Warm even.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Sand Rubies at the Hut

2009-01-26T06:23:00.003-07:00

Some videos from the Sand Rubies recent show at the Hut:

"What Am I Supposed to Do?"

"Blood on Our Hands"

"Bad, Crazy Sun"

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Gunrunners at the Hut

2009-01-22T05:37:00.002-07:00

The Gunrunners opened up for the Sand Rubies last week with an acoustic set. Here are videos of them performing "Ordinary Man" and "Two Graves."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Calexico at the Rialto

2008-12-31T15:47:00.013-07:00

I wasn't able to stay at Calexico's show the other night at the Rialto, my sleep has been way screwy from the mix of Nyquil and Dayquil. I did get some pictures. The place was packed, which should answer the question: why don't they play Congress and Solar Culture like they used to?

Opening act: Salvador Duran, of course.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Local Celebrity Sighting

2008-12-29T14:09:00.003-07:00

I spotted former Arizona Wildcats and New Jersey Nets player Bob "Big Bird" Elliott at Office Depot yesterday. He was in the computer section. I said "Hi, coach," and he was quite friendly. Also, hard to miss at 6'9".

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Pierogi!

2008-12-26T11:12:00.005-07:00

The Buffalo News ran an article on Christmas Eve where the writer talked about her memories of Christmas pierogi. I thought about my watching my mother and aunts as they made tamales for Christmas.

She included her mother's recipie for pierogi (that's the plural, no pole would say "pierogies"). I haven't been brave enough to try it yet. I think I'll probably end up just buying the frozen ones and hope they cook right:

Estelle Zoladz’s pierogi

Dough:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

Filling:

1 pound farmer’s cheese
1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)
2 egg yolks

To make: Stir the dough together in a mixing bowl, roll it out flat on a floured surface, then cut the pierogi circles with a pierogi cutter (or rim of a glass; it helps if you dip the rim in flour), filling them with a dab of the cheese mixture and pressing to close.

To cook: Boil a pot of water, then drop your pierogi in, letting them boil until they float to the surface of the pot — that means they are done, so scoop them out and lay them on a plate to cool and dry a bit.

To make them better: Saute in a frying pan with a little butter and some sauteed onions, if you like those. Or, if you are making a lot for a crowd, put them in a baking dish with butter pats throughout, and put in a warm oven to heat.

I'm more used to the kind that are stuffed with potato, these seem more like a Christmas treat. I found a site that has suggestions for fillings, including cabbage and kapusta (sauerkraut) and the tried and true potato.

So, this leads to some ideas for Polish-Mexican pierogi. My father and I one time decided that papas con chorizo could just as easily be pierogi con chorizo. Just thinking about the whole incident makes my arteries clog once again. I suppose we could stuff pierogi with papas con chorizo. Hmm.

Something a little bit less deadly (at least long term) may be to stir fry the pierogi with jalapeños. I usually stir fry mine with bell pepper, so it's only a bit of a step up, right?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

There's No Weather In Mexico

2008-12-26T10:51:00.003-07:00

From a few months back, but still a goodie:

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Responsibilities

2008-12-24T21:11:00.003-07:00

I have a new Facebook pal by the name of Bernardo Mendez Lugo. Sr. Mendez used to be an employee of our local Mexican consulate, and is also fluent in Polish. This fact I learned when he heard my last name and threw several rapid phrases at me that I had little hope of keeping up with.

Sr. Mendez posted a link to my blog on his Facebook page and told people they can learn about Polish-Mexicans by checking it out. Well, I haven't been posting much lately, and the content has been lacking in the Polish-Mexican department. Sorry folks. Maybe this is something I should be better about doing for the New Year.

Along those lines, I'll be missing out on Polish mass tonight. I try to go for Christmas Eve, but with family obligations this year, I won't be able to. It's too bad, I really like the tradition of sharing Oplatki with the other congregants after the mass.

I also will miss out on singing carols in Polish. The tunes are the same as for ours, but it is still hard for me to keep up with the melody while tripping on the pronunciation. My southwest borderlands tongue has trouble with making "rz"s and "szcz"'s sound right.

Here is Silent Night with Polish lyrics, plus a YouTube video of a guy doing a great job singing it:

Cicha noc, święta noc,
Pokój niesie ludziom wszem
A u żłobka Matka Święta
Czuwa sama uśmiechnięta
Nad Dzieciątka snem,
Nad Dzieciątka snem.

Cicha noc, święta noc,
Pastuszkowie od swych trzód
Biegną wielce zadziwieni,
Za anielskim głosem pieni
Gdzie się spełnił cud,
Gdzie się spełnił cud.

Cicha noc, święta noc,
Narodzony Boży Syn,
Pan wielkiego majestatu
Niesie dziś całemu światu
Odkupienie win,
Odkupienie win.

I was going to give you the translation, but why not just paste the parts that confuse you over at Poltran.

Feliz Navidad. Wesołych Świąt.

Yep, Now I'm the Monty Rodrigues of Tucson

2008-12-17T19:52:00.002-07:00

I was interviewed by Fox 11 last night about the Tucson Toros. This was because a couple of months ago I, as a lark, started a Toros fan group on Facebook. Now, I guess, I am the go to fan guy.

Is this too much responsibility?

On a related note, I might be Santa Claus at the Eckstrom Christmas wrapping party. The usual Santa, Joel Brown, has another commitment. I am the only guy tall enough to fit a suit that was made for Joel.

Ho Ho Ho.

What's a matter kid, you'll put your eye out.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Pics That Have Layed Fallow On My Phone For Too Long (Parte Uno)

2008-12-16T15:17:00.006-07:00

Okay, these have been on my phone since, I think, last February. These are from when we did first aid training at work.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Me Complaining Again

2008-12-05T07:06:00.002-07:00

So, I hear that leading the Grammy nominations this year are Lil Wayne and Coldplay. Is boring the tar out of me now a qualification to get nominated?

One time, Coldplay came up in a conversation, and this woman I know actually noted to me that Chris Martin goes out with Gwyneth Paltrow. She said this as if this made their music interesting. Yeah, if your lead singer dates a pretty actress, your band is as great as U2 or the Smiths or whoever these wankers are trying to ape.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Where I Finally Learn My Lesson

2008-11-30T17:42:00.004-07:00

So, I've been trying to start this tradition of "Political Geek Game Night." That can be read as "Political geeks having a game night" or "Political types playing geeky games" or "Geeky games that can be considered political." You know.

Anyhow, I was hoping for a game of Machiavelli or possibly Road to the White House. Instead, I let my brother cajole me into having folks play Illuminatti. The rule should be "My House, My Game," but no, I had to be a push over.

As I have done for the more than two decades of playing the game, I played the Servants of Cthulhu. This owes to my affection for the works of H. P. Lovecraft, and, I have finally concluded, little to do with an appreciation for the strategies of the game.

You see, the Servants of Cthulhu have a "special" victory condition that involves them destroying groups. This is probably the showiest of the victory conditions. The Discordian Society controls another "Weird" group that no one wants anyway, who notices? The Servants of Cthulhu try to destroy California? Everyone notices and goes after you.

I was out to destroy a second group (I needed to destroy eight) and sure enough, everyone wants to stop me. Bear in mind: they all were closer to winning than I was.

Next time, I'm playing The Network. Enough of this BS.

Those of you that have played Illuminatti before know that every game there is some sort of action that makes you giggle for it's conspiratorial beauty. For this game that attack was the CIA with the backing of Big Media attacking to destroy Christmas. Bill O'Reilly would be having a conniption, but how would you tell?

It would have worked too, but the Bavarian Illuminatti ruined it.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Lights!

2008-11-26T07:26:00.002-07:00

I was a bit taken aback when my neighbor put up Christmas lights about two weeks ago. I was going to take a picture, but he seems to have dialed back on them. The "icicles" have been taken down, leaving only a row of tiny white lights around the eves. They actually go off rather early. I popped out of my house last night at 8:15 and they were already off. Plus, they aren't nearly as bright as the guy across the street's security lights, which never turn off.

Funny thing about those security lights, the man has so many vehicles parked in his front yard that they would provide cover for anyone trying to break in to his house.

Do zobaczenia. Hasta la proxima.

It Didn't Help the Red Bulls Win, Though...

2008-11-24T07:38:00.002-07:00

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Too Funny

2008-11-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Attractive Girls Union Refuses To Enter Into Talks With Mike Greenman

Do zobaczenia. Hasta la proxima.

To Think That His Life Sounds Duller Than Mine

2008-11-20T19:26:00.002-07:00

I've been assured that this is for real: THE_REAL_SHAQ

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Another Astronomy Related Post

2008-10-19T20:33:00.003-07:00

I was listening to the Astronomy.com Podcast and they brought up a rather unfortunately named star: Beta Pegasi, an irregular red variable star that is currently overhead. The narrator on the podcast gave the traditional name, which I thought I heard wrong. When I got home, I consulted Burnham's Celestial Handbook.

Yep, I heard right. The name of the star is Scheat. That's pronounced with two sylables, but that really isn't that much better, is it?

Apparently, according to Burnham's, the name comes from an Arabic word Al-S'ad, so named because the star is in the foreleg of Pegasus.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Asteroids!

2008-10-10T07:08:00.002-07:00

I don't check the Planetary Society website for a few days, and this is the sort of thing I miss.

Apparently, the folks up on Mt. Lemmon observatory were among those who tracked 2008 TC3, a newly discovered asteroid that, well, isn't there anymore. Shortly after it was discovered and named, they realized that its orbit would bring it into collision with Earth. This makes the first time that an object was discovered before it collided with the Earth's atmosphere. This particular asteroid burned up over northern Sudan.

The full known history of the asteroid (about 20 hours!) is over at the Planetary Society's blog.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Step and Fetch This...

2008-10-02T06:40:00.003-07:00

An ex-student showed up at work yesterday. She was given the assignment of doing an analysis of song lyrics. She wanted my help finding a song for her. I gave her several and she didn't like any of them, until I found "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" by Public Enemy.

I forgot how much I liked this song, PE at their best. Ironic, though, given what Ice Cube and Flavor Flav are up to these days.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Wanda!

2008-09-23T08:35:00.003-07:00

There has been a lot of buzz about Metallica and Run-DMC being nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. In the news about these two acts being nominated, one other nominee has been ignored: Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly.

I, for one, am very happy that Jackson has been recognized. She was a pioneering artist in rockabilly and continues to serve as an inspiration for women in both rock and country. Even though she's well known among musicians and rock journalists, she hasn't gotten the due that she deserves among the broader public. Hopefully, this nomination will change that.

Plus, it will be fun to see Lars Ulrich, Reverend Run and Wanda all up on stage together.

Here are some videos I caught on YouTube. The first is Wanda performing "Hard Headed Woman," a fan favorite (and covered by Elvis Presley, who she toured with). The second is Wanda with Tejana country-rocker Rosie Flores performing "Rock Your Baby" in 1998.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Tom Reviews Calexico

2008-09-22T19:07:00.002-07:00

My brother said I hadn't written about the Calexico show (I did, but never mind), so he wrote a review:

I find it interesting that, while Gabby was able to find talent from within the community to do such an event, Mr. Bee has to go outside the state to dig up Fred Thompson.

Highlights of the Calexico show on Saturday:

Craig Schumacher appeared on stage, materializing as if out of the ether, to perform a harp solo on “Not Even Stevie Nicks” which was a swirling mass of awesomeness and seemed to go on forever.
Nick Luca was out of town, playing with Neko Case and Howe Gelb at a festival in Chicago, which meant that we got to see Paul Niehaus perform standing up.
Did I hear Congresswoman Giffords call Jim Adkins “Trace Adkins?”
“The El Burro Song” is by far one of the best songs that Joey Burns has ever written, and Johnny Contrerras’ vocals were perfect.
Lulu.
Ruben Moreno, leader of Mariachi Luz de Luna, is the brother-in-law of former State Representative Steve Huffman. Am I the only one who appreciates the irony of this?
Salvador.
Hearing Jim Adkins join Calexico for what amounted to an alt.country version of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” It actually worked.
John Convertino, as usual, sat unpretentiously behind the band, holding his sticks like he was tossing a salad, somehow appearing fully in control of everything that was happening on stage.
Mariachi Luz de Luna performed “Canción del Mariachi (Mi Morena de Mi Corazon)” twice and nobody raised a stink.
Joey Burns insisted that Jim Adkins join Calexico and Mariachi Luz de Luna for a song. He seemed nervous, but Joey talked him through it.
Does Martin Wenk speak Spanish or does he fake it really well?
“Crystal Frontier”
Oh yeah, well, Tim Bee’s got Fred Dalton Thompson. Uh, I guess that’s really not the same thing at all, is it?
Where was Calexico fan Jonathan Paton?

Did he just say that John Convertino was tossing someone's salad on stage? Can't you get arrested for that?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Calexico at the Rialto

2008-09-21T21:40:00.002-07:00

Something I've been meaning to write for a while: the Official TPMP Calexico drinking game.

Take a drink whenever any of the following happens:

Joey mentions a previous show in Europe
Joey kneels near floor and messes with effects pedals
Joey switches to Airline guitar with far too many knobs on it
Joey introduces new backing musician that you have never heard of before
Jacob switches to vibes
Jacob is on stage, but has nothing to do (playing incidental percussion counts as "something")
Johnny switches to "trad grip"
Paul swiches to pedal steel
Two supporting acts are called up on stage to back up Calexico on one of the supporting act's songs, but the other support act doesn't know how to play it
There are more than twelve musicians on stage
There are more than eighteen musicians on stage (two drinks)
The words "Mariachi Luz de Luna" are mentioned
Ruben states how important the vihuela is
Guy next to you says "Hey, these guys are pretty good" as if he is the first person ever to hear them
Maximum amount of musicians are on stage, and they play "Crystal Frontier" (Show is over, finish your drink)

We here at TPMP will be happy to take further suggestions.

Here are a couple of videos I caught of the band when they played the Rialto on Saturday night. One is a song off of their new album called "Man Made Lake," the other is their cover of Love's "Alone Again Or."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Um, Yeah

2008-09-16T07:22:00.002-07:00

I was riding the bus from work last week. The bus stop is about half a block south of a place called Scooby's, which I think does either auto body work or installs stereos. Heck, I can't tell.

Anyway, guy pulls up to the stop on his bike. He was wearing one of those big hats that post-hippie types wear to keep the sun out of their faces. He see's a guy up the sidewalk, wearing a Scooby's t-shirt, presumably going to work.

"Hey, Scooby, stop ripping people off. Stop ripping people off, Scooby! South-SIDE. South-SIDE. I stay away from the meth and the crack; I just like a little weed. South-SIDE. South-SIDE."

Yeah, I don't get it either.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Reno Air Races

2008-09-15T07:05:00.004-07:00

My uncles are headed back from the Reno Air Races, and they report that William "Tiger" DiStefani and his plane Strega has won once again. I saw Strega, a race modified P-51 Mustang, win back in 1995 in the now defunct Phoenix Air Races.

This is expected to be the last of the Reno races for DiStefani, who has announced his retirement a couple of times before. His son is expected to take over racing Strega.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Spearminting

2008-08-14T07:50:00.004-07:00

I just got a new video camera, and I downloaded some software with it. Here are some shots I took of Trent Oeltjen, a member of the Tucson Sidewinders that I kind of know. I tried to do this in two different styles.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

In Memoriam

2008-08-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Some Pictures

2008-08-10T13:07:00.008-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures I've taken over the last few weeks that I've been meaning to post:

My friend Caitlin Jensen watching the fireworks after the Revolution - Los Angeles Galaxy game. The only time she'll ever get caught dead in a Revolution jersey, or any soccer jersey.

Anyone remember A. J. Bayless? They are doing some renovation on a shopping center at Pima and Alvernon and -gasp- history is revealed.

At the Circle K, this car parked next to me. It is the official vehicle of the F*ckin Kennies. Every band needs an official vehicle, right?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Upstairs at Eric's

2008-07-24T20:52:00.003-07:00

So, if the medicine is called Yaz, why do they play Scandal on the commercials?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Long Stem Rant

2008-07-23T06:51:00.002-07:00

So, if you ever are leaving the Viscount Suites, Pima College's Central District office or even TGI Friday's on Broadway and have the absence of mind to go North on Arcadia, you know that this is one of the most inconvieniently engineered streets in town.

First off, it is a twisty little road. Once you get north of the Viscount, you have one of those over large apartment "communities" on your right, and Rincon High School to your left. Once you are on that street, there is no leaving (or turning around, due to the median) until you get to Fifth Street.

Then you get to Fifth and find that you can't make a left turn. There is a sign that says so, plus the median on Fifth makes such a thing impractical (although, the guy in front of me tried). Here's the funny thing: that is the only median on Fifth for quite some distance in either direction, and those are at stop lights. This median seems to exist only to prevent northbound traffic from making a left turn.

And, it gets even worse. The median continues for some distance, so even making a left from fifth into a parking lot and turning around is impossible. Then, you get to the end of the median, and guess what? There is a sign enjoining us drivers from making a u-turn. I understand that making one at that spot probably isn't all that safe. But, the fact that they needed to put a sign up means a lot of people were making unsafe u-turns. You'd think someone would have wondered why.

So, you have a couple of solutions: you can turn around in the parking lot of the Domino's Pizza (convienently located in the strangely named "Ju Lo Building") or one of the other small buisinesses along the way, or you can drive all the way to the light at Rosemont (where you also can't make a u-turn) and turn North there.

Anyhow, that corner sucks.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Two Trailers

2008-07-22T06:04:00.001-07:00

Two more comic book movie trailers are on the internet, Watchmen and The Spirit. I remember them talking about a Watchmen movie fifteen years ago (the word was that Arnold Schwartzenegger was interested in playing Dr. Manhattan), but it is only now that the thing has finally been released.

By the way, the role of Dr. Manhattan is played by Billy Crudup. Rorschach, the favorite of many fans of the comic, will be played by former child actor Jackie Earle Haley. The site for the movie is here.

Also coming out later this year, The Spirit. This is particularly exciting, since the Spirit is possibly the greatest comic ever written. And yes, I can back that up. The film's site is here.

For those that are curious, the producers have decided against portraying Ebony White, the overly stereotyped black sidekick that made fewer and fewer appearances as the series went on.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Note to the Producers of In Plain Sight

2008-07-06T22:43:00.003-07:00

Our town is spelled "Tucson." Hey, you guys are able to spell Albuquerque.

UPDATE: Wait, never mind, it looks like they got it right.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

¡Chubasco!

2008-06-30T07:05:00.003-07:00

Yep, it worked. We did our Día de San Juan on Tuesday, and what happens on Thursday? Monsoon!

We got lots of rain on Friday, but yesterday's storm was a disappointment. Yes, yes, lots of wind. But where is the rain? Isn't that the purpose of this whole exercise?

It smelled like rain though...

I called this post "chubasco" in an attempt to bring that word back. You are all entitled to join me in this noble and righteous cause.

The monsoons are one of those things that are part of living in Southern Arizona. They are hard to explain to someone that has never been through them ("It's just rain, right?"). We take the heat because we know the monsoons come with it.

This seems tangential but bear with me. My friend Laura and I were at the gym this week and we overheard a woman complaining to her friends that the coyotes are threatening her cats and wrecking her garden. She even called some county agency and they "wouldn't do anything about it." To anyone with an ounce of sense, this is perfectly reasonable. You might as well call the sheriff to ask that he turn down the heat.

Until recently, people that would move out here would have to make some accomodation with the desert. Even the folks who came out here to exploit the land and its people had to make some accomodation (ever see those pictures of conquistadores tromping across the desert with those fancy Dutch helmets? I've had more than one historian tell me that they didn't actually wear those out here.) Nowadays, people bring their entire past life here, and they actually expect that this place will change to meet their needs. This place has been here for a long time, and thank God, will outlast them and their messed up attitudes.

And luckilly, they can't do anything about the monsoon.

Word of advice to that woman and those like her: I like cats, but if you live on the edge of town, those are going to be indoor cats. Outdoor cats fare better in the city, believe me.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

George Carlin

2008-06-23T06:42:00.001-07:00

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Furious Truckstop Waitresses 62 - VICE Squad 88

2008-05-19T16:35:00.004-07:00

Well, all streaks must come to an end. Otherwise, things would get pretty darned boring.

Sloppy Flo showed why she is still the strongest jammer in the league. She was able to pile on points, but unfortunately for the Furious Truckstop Waitresses, Peaches Rodriguez was unable to find any seams in the VICE Squad pack. VICE seemed to be in control of just about every jam.

Toward the end of the bout, Rodriguez was able to score some points and prevented a blowout of thirty or fourty points.

VICE deserves a great deal of credit here. Last season, I thought they were too depedendent on Penny Tenchery. With her gone, their offense is a lot more three dimensional. They also learned FTW's method of building a big lead and killing the game off with a tight defense. FTW deserves credit for staying in this until the end.

Iron Curtain mascot Che had me take a couple of pictures of him early in the season. I had trouble getting them off of the camera. Here they are for his downloading and your amusement:

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Four Killer Flats at Plush

2008-05-12T06:04:00.004-07:00

I caught the Four Killer Flats this weekend at Plush (not to be confused with the Flat Duo Jets). They recently came back from a bit of a hiatus, but they are still as strong as they ever were. Jim Cox has one of those voices that would be perfect for Nashville Country, and I don't mean that as an insult.

For some reason, Jim Peeken's guitar strings kept breaking (it's that damn high E). The band was able to go on without him at various points while he furiously replaced the strings and got his guitar re-tuned. Heck, Tom Walbank wouldn't have bothered...

Which brings me to a coincidence that only a long time Tucson music geek like me would appreciate: Jim Peeken is refered to on the band's MySpace page as "Sloppy Guitar." Well, everyone knows that the Sloppy Guitarist is really Chris Morrison of the gone and lamented Lonely Trojans. Oddly, the Four Killer Flat's bass player is named Chriss Morrisson.

One of the openers was Cheepness, Randy McReynolds's latest outfit. The band has several other long time Tucson musicians including drummer Ernie Mendoza. Excellent.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Stone Ave Two Way

2008-05-05T06:18:00.002-07:00

Stone Avenue has been two-way for about a week now. Of course, I, your humble correspondent, has some thoughts.

It is actually weird going North on the street. I am getting a perspective on some of those buildings that no driver has gotten since the 1950's. Yeah, not up there with seeing North America from space, but hey.

My first ride down the two-way Stone was early on Saturday morning last week. The street was empty. I expected to see cops, especially since the main police station is right there. I found out later that the cops came out in force on Monday when the traffic was expected to be heavier.

I thought the traffic would be worse along Stone, since all the cars going South would now be squeezed into one lane. Hasn't seemed to have been a problem.

The only trouble has been crossing or turning on to Stone from one of the side streets. I'm still not used to the fact that they have repainted the stripes to allow for left turns. Heck, some of those streets were unpainted before.

I've only seen two folks drive the wrong way. On Saturday morning, there was a guy that slipped into the Northbound lane in an attempt to make a left. I think he did this more because the signs on the center lane telling us that this was now two-way traffic blocked the turn, so he had to make it a bit early.

Last night, a guy was headed right for me. He was going freakin' fast. I flashed my brights and he returned to the Southbound lane behind another car. He was driving a sportscar, and I think hated that he had to be behind someone.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

TMA Mural

2008-04-30T07:05:00.006-07:00

Yesterday's Star has a story about David Tineo's attempts to save a mural he painted years ago on the side of the Tucson Museum of Art. The website also has a second feature with more pictures and a video.

Suprisingly, the comments section is free of the usual racist rants that accompanies any article touching on local culture. Although, there is one guy calling himself Peter V. who says that Tineo is no Diego Rivera. Oh yeah? Well maybe Rivera is no Tineo. And maybe Peter V. is no Clement Greenberg.

(Always fun to engage in a little name calling in the morning, ain't it? Especially when this pedant used three friggin' posts to give us a rundown of Mexica history. Thanks dude.)

There is also one guy who is claiming that Tineo is asking for taxpayer money to move the mural and this will lead to firing police officers. Um, if this jackass read the article, he'd see that Tineo is looking for grant money, the only city involvement is providing a location to put the thing. Typical redneck douchebaggery, a free service provided by the Star's comments section.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

But What Team is Mozart's Sister?

2008-04-24T07:38:00.005-07:00

Goal.com's Starting XI column had a feature (ripped off of an earlier one in Four Four Two) on what different soccer teams would be if they were bands. DC United as Johnny Cash? Puhleeze.

Anyhow, our local boys Calexico earned a comparison to Chivas USA. Well, at least it wasn't the Galaxy. Joey Burns would be Ante Razov, John Convertino would be Jonathan Bornstein, I suppose. Jacob Valenzuela would be...um...Brad Guzan? I dunno.

How long before residents of 10th Avenue spot Joey wearing a Claudio Suarez jersey?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Is There No God?!?

2008-04-02T20:12:00.003-07:00

I read the news today that Mariah Carey has now surpassed Elvis Presley's record for number one singles.

I checked the Book of Revelation. This is, in fact, a sign of the Apocolypse.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

I'm Sorry Dave...

2008-03-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Gary Gygax

2008-03-04T16:06:00.003-07:00

It was only yesterday that I made a Gary Gygax reference on my other blog. Turns out that this morning he died.

The man's work all but guaranteed that I didn't meet any girls during my high school years.

Somewhere in a box is a letter that my brother wrote to Gygax. We were both confused by the magic system in the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons. Gygax sent back a reply, written on the back of the original letter.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Serendipity

2008-02-11T17:39:00.001-07:00

Roy Scheider dies right at the end of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week. Go figure.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Bloggers With Too Much Time On Their Hands

2008-01-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Nonetheless, somewhat interesting. Check here.

It does show one of the advantages that LPs have over CDs. And you can't do that with no MP3 player either.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Arachnophobia...Tedski Style

2008-01-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

I am trying not to be one of those lameasses that writes about their dreams, but this was too weird.

I had a dream last night that brown recluse spiders went nuts and descended on Tucson. They'd build webs that went for blocks. These webs were so large that the spiders would hang out in packs of six or seven, waiting for people who would dare try to walk through their webs.

To top it off, I was trapped by these webs on a schoolyard, where there was a free concert by Bob Seeger (who seemed to be without the Silver Bullet Band). When Seeger would take a break, Paul Eckerstrom would take the stage and rant.

Eventually, people with pick-up trucks would run through the webs. I woke up about then, so I don't know if it worked.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Shah Mat

2008-01-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bobby Fischer has died. Given that in the end, the guy turned into a paranoid, anti-semetic screw-loose freak, it is hard to admit that this guy was a hero of mine when I was young. When I was in elementary and jr. high, I thought that I'd be a chess guru. Somewhere, I still have a copy of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess that I picked up when I was thirteen.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Evening Schadenfreude

2008-01-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

On the corner where I live, there is a too often ignored stop sign. Since I've been here, there have been two accidents caused when folks, often speeding, have run the sign.

Last night, a guy ran the stop sign at a high clip, hit a rock or something and had a blowout.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Ah, Saturday Morning

2008-01-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

If you remember this, you are as old as I am:

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

What Year Is It Again?

2008-01-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

So, I ran across this story yesterday:

Bedouin Attack Sinai Border Post

Eh?

This stuff is still going on? Why when I read this do I anticipate that the next story will be about General Kitchner meeting with the Khedive to come up with a plan of action?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

No...You Suck...

2007-12-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I caught the ad for Shoe Pavillion the other day. The ad has been ubiquitous for the last couple of days. I swear, everytime the guy says "Shoe Pavillion" it sounds like he says "Chupa Villain."

No, really...that's what he says.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

True Tales From the MLS Cup (Part 4 - Wherin I learn the definition of Dan Loney’s neologism “Tooligans”)

2007-12-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

[Blogger's note: my reports on the MLS Cup are also posted at How Flair is Punished! complete with replies of a sort from HooverDam.]

Okay...I've hemmed, hawed, dawdled, procrastinated and otherwise delayed. But here it is, a full two weeks after the game...an actual account of...well...THE GAME.

First off, I was still operating on MST (God's own time zone), so I woke my tired body up at around 8:30 and stared at the ceiling for a while. This meant I didn't actually stir until after nine. I wandered into the living room where Brittany and Catherine were. With a quick shower and all, we wouldn't leave the house until nearly ten. We'd surely miss the tailgate and our only opporitunity for food at the expense of Monty Rodrigues and company.

I had brought extra Rev jerseys for Brittany and Catherine. Brittany wore the Red colared 1998 jersey; she said it looked more "Butch." Heck, I don't see it, but whatever. We had cvonvinced Catherine to wear my old 1996 jersey, but she was apparently turned off by the ring around the colar. Instead, she wore the blue practice jersey that Brad Feldman gave me the day before. I wore the 1997 game worn Leonardo Squadrone jersey. Yep, Squadrone.

We arrived and found a parking space a bit after eleven. I brought my melodica. Hey, works for Roller Derby.We looked around to see if we could catch the Midnight Riders tailgate, instead we spotted a small group led by HooverDam, who informed us that the tailgate had already broken up.

As we got to the gate, I spotted a guy with a Greg Lalas Tampa Bay Mutiny jersey. I would have asked if it was game worn, but well, you know...

Anyway, I get to the gate and the two security geeks told me that I could not take my melodica into the game, as it is a "noise maker." Apparently, "musical instruments" are okay, but a melodica is a "noise maker."

So, let me get this straight: drums, cowbells and tamorines are "musical instruments" and allowed, but a free-reed 18 key instrument is a "noise maker" and not allowed.

I was thinking of saying, "Hey, it is good enough for Tucson Roller Derby, I think your little pissant operation can handle it..." but thought better of it.
Bastards.

I had to take it back to the car. I turned to a guy next to me and said, "Can you believe this shit, they won't let me take this in there."

"Man, I can't believe that."

Turned out, it was Eddie Pope.

The walk back to the car meant that I had to walk into the stadium behind Houston fans. Oh, and some DC United fans holding signs that said "We hope both teams lose." Funny, that's usually how I feel when DC plays...

Anyhow, I made it into the stadium and found some spots pretty close to the field in the section taken over be the Midnight Riders and the other thousand or so Revs hardcores. Brittany and Catherine were further up, but I motioned them to come down, since there was room. The guy standing next to me entrusted me with his Rev banner. He is the guy that markets those tricorns with the soccer balls that you see at Revs games, as well as the "Patrihat," which is the same basic idea with a football that you see among Patriots fans.

Of course, our great spot didn't last long, as a couple of guys said that they paid for those seats. There is an "open seat" policy for the Fort, but it is hard to enforce that at other stadia. Brittany and Catherine made it up to their seats, but I managed to stay down there. The two guys that took the seats, by the way, were quiet and barely cheered throughout the game.

We Rev fans met this game with a lot of hope. I myself had attended two "cup" matches that New England participated in: the 2001 US Open Cup and the 2005 MLS Cup. Both games went into overtime and resulted in Rev losses. In fact, three other Rev cup appearances were losses in overtime. Oddly, Matt Reis was present for all of those games, either as a Rev, or on the bench for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

So, this is why we cheered a bit louder than necessary when Taylor Twellman scored. See, not only had the Revs not been beaten in regular time, they hadn't scored in regular time in all those previous cup appearances. In the back of our heads was the idea that Twellman scoring, along with the Open Cup victory over FC Dallas, may finally be the thing that snapped whatever boogieman was riding on the Revs' shoulders.

I had no breakfast, and I wasn't at the tailgate. At halftime, I had so get something to eat. Unfortunately, I found out that RFK is not the place to do that. Despite there being nearly 39,000 people in the stadium, the managers of RFK only opened about half of the concession stands. Not only that, after waiting twenty minutes in line, I got to the register and found out that there was no food. Yep, they'd run out of hot dogs, soft pretzels, chips, everything except popcorn. I believe that the word for the people who made these decisions: "F*cktards."

In the meantime, Brittany and Catherine had found me and told me that they were leaving early. They told me they would talk to me about it later.

In line, I talked to a couple of members of the Sons of Ben, the Philadelphia supporters' club. There is no team in Philadelphia. No MLS team, and the closest USL squads are the Reading Rage, Delaware Dynasty and the Ocean City Barons. No matter, guys we have a fan club! I asked what they would like to call the team when they get one. Suprisingly, the guy said Philadelphia Athletics or Philadelphia Field Club, both of which call up names from decades ago. It would be like New England calling itself the Boston Wonderworkers or Fall River Marksmen.

Anyhow, I found a concession stand that wasn't only open, but had...concessions! Unfortunately, this enterprise was taking so long that I was surrounded by orange clad yobbos when Joseph Ngwenya scored his goal.

As I made my way back to the seats, there was still orange smoke hanging in the air from the Houston fans' celebration. Yeah, melodica: not okay, smoke flares: okay. Once again: F*cktards.

(Also, souveneir stands only sold DC United merchandise and generic MLS Cup t-shirts. And not enough of them either. F*cktards.)

Despite the goal, the Rev fans were still singing and enthusiastic. There were a few good chances, but the Revs were struck by the bug that has been afflicting them for the past month: all offense seemed to go through Twellman. Houston, unfortunately, actually watched a few Rev games and seemed to know this.

Also unfortunately, Houston had a second guy. Ngwenya got caught up more than once, but round about the 79th minute, he passed the ball to Dewayne DeRosario who slipped it past Reis. Gawdammit.

The Revs were already noticeably deflated from the first goal. Now, we fans were deflated. Maybe tense was a better word. Meantime, the Sons of Ben, who were behind us, had switched allegiances and were now cheering for Houston. I couldn't hear them anyway.

Sometime in there, the whistle blew. Reis did his customary tossing the gloves to us. The one thing I can say is that the fans didn't seem as disappointed with the team as they were in 2005.

At least it wasn't in overtime I guess.

Disturbing Post Script: As it turns out, Brittany and Catherine left early because of the fans. Catherine is from France and said that some of the catcalls and epithets thrown around by the fans in the upper rows of our section reminded her too much of the hooliganism that she saw back home. The fact that some of these fans got into a near ruckus with the Sons of Ben after the game seems to bear this out. One guy, apparently, liked to fart as a way to cheer. There were also fans who shouted racial epithets and the word "faggot." Given the demographics of the security staff, it probably wasn't the best idea to throw the "n bomb" around. Given Brittany and Catherine's lifestyle, displays of homophobia made them less than comfortable. The folks in the row where I was were potty mouthed, but they were also focused on the game. The two of them didn't get that sense about these guys. There were also folks with kids that left too.

It makes me a bit reluctant to invite friends to sit in "The Fort" next time I go to a game.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

True Tales From The MLS Cup! (Part 3 - Wherin I make a futile effort to recover from jet lag)

2007-11-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

After visiting with the USA fans, I decided to head back to Brittany and Catherine's house for a bit of a nap.

On the way back, I encountered two Houston fans at the Metro station. Although this game was not "huge" by US sports standards, it was hard to spit without hitting folks decked out in orange or blue scarves.

I approached the Houston fans.

"Excuse me, I'm supposed to kick your asses, which one of you first?"

"Oh, me first, just be careful with the face."

I got back to Brittany and Catherine's for an hour long nap. Well...I thought it would be an hour long. I woke up with enough time to take a shower and get on the Metro to Crystal City for yet another supporter's gathering. This one was at a sports bar with the creative name of Crystal City Sports Pub.

The "Pub" was three stories, with the first two floors packed with Rev and Dynamo fans. The third floor was being used by a group of Clemson fans watching a gridiron game. At first sight, we thought the room was full of Houston fans, since they share colors.

Midnight Riders instigator Monty Rodrigues was holding court on the second floor balcony. You could actually hear them clearly from the first floor. It made me wonder what the Clemson fans thought they had gotten into.

I was still remarkably tired, but so was everyone else, so I skedaddled around 9:30 or so. Catherine's admonision to me that I couldn't catch the Metro after 2 AM was well meaning but rather useless that weekend.

Had to wake up early for the big game, right?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

True Tales From The MLS Cup! (Part 2: Wherin I inadvertently crash the Media Cup)

2007-11-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

[Blogger's note: my reports on the MLS Cup are also posted at How Flair is Punished! complete with replies of a sort from HooverDam.]

Woke up later than I would have liked on Saturday, although it was a bit after five MST (God's own time zone). I packed the backpack I got for free when I worked for the Tucson Amigos, the one with the special compartments for shin guards and boots. It makes me feel as if I am a for-real footy player.

Went down to RFK where, if my addled memory served me, the fan cup was supposed to have been played on a nearby field. I wandered around for a bit. I saw a group of thirty and fourty somethings playing short-sided soccer. Seeing the paunches and male pattern baldness, I figured that was my crowd. I went over there.

"I hope I am not late," I told the woman who was staffing a table at the entrance.

"Not at all. Here is a jersey, you are on the dark blue team." I was a bit taken aback. A Screaming Eagles muckety-muck I spoke to the night before told me that they were providing pinneys, but didn't say anything about jerseys. Cool though, I got me a free jersey.

I went over to where the dark blue team was playing (Los Azules Oscures? Les Bleus Foncés?) I waited for a bit while they were getting hammered by a team wearing maroon (Colorado? Sparta Praha?). I opened my bag to find that I had not packed shorts. It was sub-50 degrees out anyway (if that warm) and two of my teammates were wearing street pants. One was wearing green pants. I asked a woman that was waiting to go in, "Hey, is that Greg Lalas?"

"Yes."

Halftime.

"Hi, I'm Greg."

"I'm Ted."

"I'm Brad," it was Brad Feldman. Somehow, the Revolution's broadcast team was playing on my fan squad.

I got called into the second half. I sucked...but so did everyone except Greg. I was very, very stiff. I was still on Mountain time which left me playing the game at somewhere around seven in the morning.

They put me in goal for a little bit. An attendant ran over to me and handed me a green goalkeeper jersey. I made a few saves. Greg even turned to me and said, "Nice save 'keep." Fanboy moment: people that would have heard that previously would have been Scott Garlick and Walter Zenga. Cool.

At the end of the game, I talked to Brad and that is when I found out that I had ventured onto the wrong field. This was the Media Cup, not the fan four on four tourney. He told me, "If someone shows up and needs a spot, you'll probably have to give the jersey back, but don't worry about it."

Media Cup. That would explain why the other team featured Fernando Fiore, Presidente de la Republica Deportiva.

It's okay, I'm media, right? Heck, the Arizona Republic called me a "must-read."

Second game, I ended up messing up my knee while trying to get a ball Brad sent me. At the end of that game, the record of Ciemny-granatowy was now at 0-2. This concerned Brad and Greg, as their squad was runner up last year. They figured if we could beat this last team, they could escape with pride intact and possibly make it into the next round.

I talked to Greg after the game. I tried not to be the overeager fan boy. I remember something that John Convertino of Calexico told me once at a Sleater-Kinney show about talking gear. So, we talked about guitars.

I played 'keeper in the second half of the last game. Here is something for y'all to know: when playing any sort of pick-up game like this, always shoot low. Why? Poorly maintained ground causes weird bounces and the 'keepers suck. I know I did. None of us know how to go down (insert joke here) for the ball. This happens most when I play indoor over at Bladeworld, where even the good 'keepers develop an aversion to diving for a ball when it means going face first into "Sport Court."

These guys were actually quite predictable. I was able to block their few low shots with my feet. They ran up on me a few times from the right. I would look to the left to see if there was a runner that was unmarked. Each time, no runner. This made it easy to just stand there and let them take shots right at me. I only let one by.

We won 4-2 against a that team, a light blue clad one that included Will Kuhns.

At the end of the game, it was announced that due to time constraints, only the top two teams overall would be in the final. Someone (I will not say who...) groused, "Changing the rules in the middle? Just like MLS..."

Greg and a couple of others organized their own game on a free field. I thanked Brad the opporitunity to play. As I left, he called me over and gave me his jersey. "Wow, just like Mean Joe Green!"

I met HooverDam and crew over at a restaurant in Crystal City where they had just gotten done watching the US against South Africa. I showed Evan "Magpie" Whitney the Revs practice jersey that Brad gave me.

"Game worn Feldman, very rare," he said.

Well, checking out the picture of the team (which also included Frank Dell'apa), it actually wasn't "game worn," but why ruin the moment?

NB - Jack Bell has an account of the Media Cup over at his New York Times blog.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

True Tales From The MLS Cup! (Part 1: Wherin we re-appropriate pint glasses for the proletariat)

2007-11-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

I arrived at BWI at around 5 PM and met my friends Brittany and Catherine. Just so y'all know...don't ever, ever book a flight on a 737, especially when the seating has been configured by the folks at Continental. I'm up for a case of deep bone thrombosis, just like Lainie Kazan. I called HooverDam, and I was supposed to meet her at her hotel. Of course, I was late. Darn that Washington traffic.

The get-together for fans was at a bar in what turned out to be the headquarters hotel for the Cup. There was also a more toney get together at another bar across from us. That one featured a guy carying the cup. Soccer celebrities spotted: Brian Hall, Marcelo Balboa, Dante Washington. We figured out pretty quickly that the toney celebration wasn't ours (I had a habit of crashing the wrong events this weekend. More on that later.) We went to the other bar after being informed by a fellow fan we were in the wrong place. I spotted Washington, and I told him I played lacrosse with an old roommate of his. Of course, I couldn't remember the name of the roommate for the life of me.

They had certificates that they handed each one of us that allowed us to get ten dollars worth of stuff for free at the bar. I guess they know that most MLS fans would easily drink three times that much. However, our little group included a teatoatler and a vegitarian. I was not the vegetarian. I took advantage of the discount and ordered the ribs.

Our drinks were served in glasses bearing the 2007 MLS Cup logo. We thought, cool...our first souveneir. However, the staff at the bar was remerkably efficient in taking the glasses away the moment they approached empty. I don't know anything about this directly, of course, but I heard a rumor that several fans snuck these glasses out of the bar.

I was approached by one self-identified "uni-geek" who admired my Tucson Toros hat. When I informed him I own a complete Toros uniform (mid-90's vintage) he got way too giddy. I told him that I also own a jersey from the first season they affiliated with the Astros, a particularly infamous and ugly one. I think he actually orgasmed at that point.

I was the designated driver on the way from the bar (that was, after we got lost trying to get to where the car was parked.). I managed to maneuver my way home somehow.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Rocco, You Geek

2007-11-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sign at Rocco's Pizza this week:

Pizza Saves for Half Damage

Now, is that second or third edition?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Lame

2007-11-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have been lacking in interesting dreams lately. Take last night's dream.

I go to Kentucky Fried Chicken and they hand me my order. I get home, open the bag and find a note that said "sorry" and an empty box.

That was it. The whole dream.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

I Move Away From The Computer to Breathe In

2007-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this thing was the talk of the internet this summer. How the heck did I miss that?

Of course, this thing prompted a million (like totally a million) parodies, which I also missed. This one wears thin very quick, but the caption at :32 is beautiful.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Another Entry in Your Overrated Book

2007-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

Most Overrated Alternative Tuning:

Drop D

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Awhatahoo?

2007-10-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. Sorry.

Anyway, I heard a new term this morning..."Biomedicine." Hmm. Isn't that, I dunno, redundant?

That's it, I'm creating some new fields...mathematical accounting...astro-cosmology...veterinary zoology.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Another Marker That I Am Officially Old

2007-09-28T06:15:00.001-07:00

She's 40 today...

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

It Never Takes Long

2007-09-24T02:38:00.000-07:00

My brother saw the New Pornographers on Friday night. Just for grins, he checked YouTube yesterday and sure enough, someone had already posted a video of the show.

Of course, he first complained that someone would post the video without the band's permission, then complained that the guy could have picked a better song.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Marcel Marceau

2007-09-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Marcel Marceau has died. Click here for an audio clip.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Win One For Joe Gaetjens!

2007-09-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

US vs England today...hey Kelly Smith, just remember what happened last time.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Best Matchup So Far

2007-09-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

The first round of the Women's World Cup is over. What has been the best matchup so far? Howzabout US v Nigeria? This isn't because of any special play or anything like that. This is why:

United States
GK: Hope Solo

Nigeria
GK: Precious Dede

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Hooligans Acting Like Gentlemen...or Ladies

2007-09-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

I was watching one of ESPN's broadcasts of the Women's World Cup. Tony DiCicco talked about the new tie-breaker, the "Fair Play" ranking. Each team starts with ten points, and then loses 1 point for a yellow card, two points for a sending off for a second yellow and three points for a red card. DiCicco's broadcast partner remarked that this was so complicated it might require a calculator.

What, to subtract two from ten?

I thought, hey, what if they did this in MLS. It turns out that they do something like that. Their "Fair Play" system is a heck of a lot more complicated, but comes down to reds and yellows, with consideration to teams that have "clean games." You can find them at the bottom of this article.

Note to those of you that think that New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution are a bunch of hacks (me for New York, and I'm looking at you Dan Loney for New England): guess what the number one and two teams are?

In last...the "class" of Major League Soccer, DC United.

Then I thought...let's apply a rough version of this system to TRD. I went by the same system used in the Women's World Cup, since there are as few games being evaluated. I started them at 10 (good a spot as any), and took one off for anyone sent to the box for minor penalty accumulation, two off for a major, and three for an expulsion. Note that the stats do not include the final and the third place match (which included the only expulsion I can think of this season), since the stats have not yet been posted.

Copper Queens: -48
Furious Truckstop Waitresses: -56
Iron Curtain: -109
Vice Squad: -110

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Hey Natalie, This Explains Everything

2007-09-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Prairie Rose sent me this article that was published in the Orange County Weekly a couple of years ago. It is an attempt to explain Morrissey's popularity among American Latinos. Good article, but comparing Morrissey to Pedro Infante? Puh-leeze.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Never Have I Been Prouder that Pablo Mastroeni Once Played for the Tucson Amigos (Pt 2)

2007-09-16T18:55:00.001-07:00

SI.com's Extra Mustard feature includes responses from both Pablo Mastroeni and Adam Christman. Pablo's responses veer towards the...well, lets just say that he has a one track mind.

I can't complain too much, at least he was honest. If that had featured elected officials, they would have all claimed the Bible as their favorite book growing up.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Let's Rock With the Tough Girls

2007-09-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

I decided not to do do a full blown preview of tonight's match. Suffice it to say this:

The Furious Truckstop Waitresses have only lost one game against a TRD opponent in their entire existence. But...
That game was a championship match against VICE Squad
VICE Squad had a tougher than expected time beating novice squad Copper Queens last week. But...
FTW had a suprisingly difficult match against perrenial last place Iron Curtain last week.
Unlike the last championship, FTW will be without stalwarts Fisti Cuffs and Jezebelle. But...
VICE Squad has lost Dirty Teri to the Copper Queens and Hard Anya has left the league.

Suffice it to say...close match.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Midweek Soccer Notes

2007-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure even how to take this. Evidently, Morrissey is a Chivas USA fan. Yeah, doesn't make any sense to me either.

One of Abby Wambach's goals today was scored after Stina Segerstrom fouled Lori Chalupny.

What sort of person would foul a sweet redheaded girl like Lori Chalupny?

Charlie Brown would be pissed.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Boring Week

2007-09-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to have something to write. My responsibility as a blogger. What do you do when you have nothing to write though?

I picked up a game called Justinian. It was over at Game Daze for 20% off. Maybe that should have warned me off. The rule book is four pages in small print, but it didn't take me long to explain it to one of my students. Then he went on to almost beat me. Almost. I'm supposed to meet Eric Lybeck tonight to try it again. We'll see how it goes.

I saw an ad for the KIIM Country Music Festival. The ad starts with Max attempting to play "Courtesy the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" before being interrupted by Shannon. Oh, those morning DJs, so whacky. Where was the Porkchop?

Anyhow, Max and Shannon proceed to tell us about the KIIM Country Music Festival featuring country music "legends." Who are these legends? Conway Twitty? Alabama? Loretta Lynn?

Nope. Clay Walker and Neal McCoy. This is what qualifies as "legends" in country music these days. Next up: KFMA features punk legends Sum 41, and KUAZ features jazz legends Rudder.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

United States 2 - Korea PR 2

2007-09-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

Note to the coaching staff: Put Tasha Kai in earlier. I'm not saying start her, but she's got this ability to mess things up for tired defenses. Game like this, she could have at least opened things up for the other players up top.

The Terry Butcher - Brian McBride award goes to Abby Wambach, who played the match in a jersey stained in her own blood. It would have only been more hardcore had it been Ri Kim Suk's blood.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Idiomatic Notes

2007-09-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

When using "freaking," "effing," or "frigging" (or, a profane equivalent) as an adjective in combination with a proper name, there are some idiomatic oddities that a speaker or writer must keep in mind.

When constructing an exclamation, using one of the above gerunds as an adjective in front of a full name indicates a negative feeling about the actions of that person. For example:

Effing Luciano Emilio

This, sent in an instant message by the author yesterday, says "I am not in approval of the actions of Luciano Emilio," or "Luciano Emilio has made me quite angry."

On the other hand, placing the gerund into the middle of a name, indicates a generally positive view of the subject. For example:

Brian Freaking McBride

This has been used by one blogger as a way to say, "Brian McBride continues to impress me," or possibly "Brian McBride has done something that meets with my approval."

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

"Hatch, I Think We Can Win..."

2007-09-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

I neglected to do a preview of the Iron Curtain - Furious Truckstop Waitresses match. It's okay, none of you noticed and I would have been dead wrong about the match.

Not only did Iron Curtain make it a match, there were several points where they were in danger of winning. Granted, the Reds took advantage of some serious mistakes that FTW made in the first period (including a problem Betty Anarchy had with her skate that left her at less than top performance), but the fact that IC was able to take advantage of those mistakes is a huge improvement. I don't think you could have seen that even a couple of months ago.

In the end, FTW did what it does best: slowly opening up a lead that shut down offensive options for Iron Curtain. In the end, they had a still impressive 113 - 82 point victory.

The 82 points is the most they have scored since a bout in March of 2005 against a still new VICE Squad.

In the second bout, the VICE Squad had an equally tough match against the Copper Queens. They were always able to keep a little bit of a lead, but star jammer Penny Tenchery was unable to pile on the huge leads that she has been able to against weaker teams before.

Interestingly, we stood a good chance of both teams scoring in triple digits. Final score was 112-92.

For some reason, the crowd was a bit smaller than usual, no line at the snack bar. But, the fact that Iron Curtain looked like they could win their first game ever got the crowd amped. Not too many folks stayed for the second match though. Maybe they were played out. Eh?

I think I'm looking forward to next week's third place match more than the championship. Yeah, FTW vs VICE...been there, done that. IC vs Queens? Now that both know they can win that game, it'll be fun.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

Scouting Report: VICE Squad v Copper Queens

2007-09-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight's first playoff match will be VICE Squad v Copper Queens. Doors open at 6:00 at Bladeworld. Yeah, I said six...that means you gotta leave the house earlier.

Copper Queens:
Previous Match: Furious Truckstop Waitresses 102 – CQ 62 (21 Jul)
Season Record: 1 - 2
Leading Scorer: Cheap Ore (P/J) – 128 points in 26 jams
Leading Defender: Ferocious Oxide (P/J) – 81 blocks, 12 penalties (1 major)
Probable Absences: None

VICE Squad:
Previous Match: VS 122 – Iron Curtain 46 (18 Aug)
Season Record: 2 – 1
Leading Scorer: Penny Tencherry (J/B) – 131 points in 39 jams
Leading Defender: Whiskey Mick (P/J) – 113 blocks, 22 penalties (7 major)
Probable Absences: None

Previous Meetings (Winner in bold):
VS 102 – CQ 28 (14 Apr 2007)

Ted's Expert Analysis (unless otherwise noted, stats for jammers from last bout played):

Don’t let the score from their last meeting fool you. The Copper Queens have improved greatly over the intervening time. In that first match, they depended largely on veteran Dirty Teri (who scored over half of their points in that match). Over the last few matches, both their offense and defense has become stronger and less dependent on her, as evidenced by their win against Iron Curtain (106-71) and their performance (albeit in a losing effort) against champions Furious Truckstop Waitresses.

Despite the improvements, expect VICE Squad to win this one. Copper Queens are strong enough now to take advantage of a mistake here and there. Expect them to keep this interesting deep into the match.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

More YouTubin'

2007-09-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Del Effin' Shannon. Here he is performing "Keep Searchin'" on Top of the Pops back in Nineteen Hundred and Sixty Five, complete with extras from the next Austin Powers movie.

Okay, before a certain woman writes me, I know Del Shannon's middle name wasn't "Effin'". For that matter, his name wasn't really Del Shannon either.

As fantastic a song as "Runaway" is, I always liked this one more. Don't know why really. (Oh, you can check out a kinescope of Del's performance of that one here. I have no idea what is with the women parading around the podium.) "Keep Searchin'" was Del's final top ten hit here and in the UK, although he made the top 40 several more times.

Had he not committed suicide, Del would be 73 this December.

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.

New England Revolution 2 - Carolina Railhawks 1 (OT)

2007-09-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Who cares about the details about who scored and who had assists? here is the fun part:

Misconduct Summary
NER - Avery John - 41st minute (Caution)
CAR - David Stokes - 41st minute (Caution)
NER - Shalrie Joseph - 42nd minute (Ejection)
CAR - Connolly Edozien - 42nd minute (Ejection)
CAR - Kupano Low - 55th minute (Caution)
NER - Jeff Larentowicz - 73rd minute (Caution)
CAR - David Stokes - 80th minute (Ejection)
NER - Adam Cristman - 88th minute (Caution)
CAR - Joel Bailey - 106th minute (Caution)
CAR - Chad Dombrowski - 110th minute (Caution)

Unfortunately, the crew usually worked USL games, so we don't have those lovely euphamisms for the reasons for the cards...things like "Unsporting Conduct," "Professional Foul," "Dissent" and, my favorite, "Bringing the Game Into Disrepute." John was carded for a reckless foul, and Stokes, formerly with DC United, was carded for his behavior in the resulting argy-bargy. Joseph and Edozien were carded, apparently, for menacing each other. Edozien and Joseph, it is rumored, were less than pals during Edozien's time in New England. Stokes was ejected for a violent foul against Christman.

Ah, we love the beautiful game, don't we?

Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.