NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. New England Patriots
10. Tennessee Titans
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Arizona Cardinals
13. New York Giants
14. Denver Broncos
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Atlanta Falcons
18. New York Jets
19. Houston Texans
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Carolina Panthers
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Oakland Raiders
24. Buffalo Bills
25. Washington Redskins
26. Chicago Bears
27. Cleveland Browns
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29. Seattle Seahawks
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. Detroit Lions
32. St. Louis Rams

Being Great

It's finals week, and I should be studying, but I just gotta dish dis shit before I forget dis shit.

First, I just wanna say that I freakin love finals week. Everybody is freaking out all week about all the stuff they gotta do, and wonder why I don't freak out too. Child, please! Here's why I don't freak out:

What's the point?

Christmas break is so close! The weather has been beautiful this week! Some say cold, but I see sunshine and refreshment. Also, I've only got five classes this week, which averages to one per day, of course. That rules. I don't have to go to any boring lectures this week. I get to sleep in later than usual. No 8 am labs. I think the main thing is that tests don't bother me at all. I've always been a good test taker, and that helps. I've never been one to cram, I firmly believe that 8 hours of sleep will do you more good on tomorrow's test than a few more groggy hours studying. I also believe that you are better off (and this is true for all aspects of life) approaching things like tests confidently, rather than worrying about what you might not know. It really helps to slow your mind down when you get in there to take the test, and you just think a lot more clearly.

Chad Ochocinco is quickly becoming one of my favorite role models. I am 100% serious about this. If you guys Twitter at all, you should really follow him @OGOchoCinco. He also hosts a daily show called The OchoCinco Show, which you can find on ustream.com. He has generally been viewed in a negative light, but I'll tell you one thing: this guy has got his shit figured out. He is insanely dedicated to becoming the best he can be, but I love the upbeat confidence he approaches everything with. I've been trying to live by his words: be great. It doesn't matter what you do, just do it the greatest you can.

Today, for example, I was walking across campus, when I remembered "be great." How can you be great at walking across campus? Look forward, not at your shoes. Straighten your back. Don't scurry. Smile at people you pass. I did this today, and it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. I smiled at everyone that looked at me, and every single one of them smiled back. During finals week, no less!

I went to lunch, and thought "be great." How can you possibly be great at eating lunch? I'll tell you how: I ate the most balanced meal I've had all year. I had a plate full of peas for Christ's sake!

Now I'm sitting in my room studying. Every now and then, I feel a little unmotivated. Whenever this happens, all I need to do is look slightly to my left at my friend Kevin Garnett here being great, and that gets me going again.



In fact, looking at it now, I'm thinking I need to get back to the books if I'm to be properly prepared for my tests tomorrow and still get my 8 hours tonight.

I want to leave you with this 3 part series on YouTube about Chad Ochocinco. Watch it. He knows how to be great.

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Denver Broncos
8. Cincinnati Bengals
9. Arizona Cardinals
10. New England Patriots
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Baltimore Ravens
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Tennessee Titans
15. New York Jets
16. Houston Texans
17. New York Giants
18. San Francisco 49ers
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
20. Atlanta Falcons
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Chicago Bears
23. Washington Redskins
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Buffalo Bills
26. Oakland Raiders
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Detroit Lions
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. St. Louis Rams

Dis Blog

dis blog be turnin into nuttin but pow'r rankins itz cuz i ain't got shit ta say ta y'allz.

updatinz afta finalz week?




dat be a tree ta tide y'allz ova til den.

NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. San Diego Chargers
6. Arizona Cardinals
7. Denver Broncos
8. Cincinnati Bengals
9. New England Patriots
10. Green Bay Packers
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. New York Giants
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
15. Tennessee Titans
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
17. Baltimore Ravens
18. Atlanta Falcons
19. New York Jets
20. Houston Texans
21. Buffalo Bills
22. Seattle Seahawks
23. Washington Redskins
24. Oakland Raiders
25. San Francisco 49ers
26. Chicago Bears
27. Carolina Panthers
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Detroit Lions
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Kansas City Chiefs

DECEMBER??

First of all, BOOM!




A Goofy Movie was one of my favorite movies growing up, and this is one of the primary reasons. Legit soundtrack.

Second of all, KABAM!



Yeah, it's a bro playing a Funeral for a Friend song into his mirror. So what? They're Welsh and this song fucking rules. More specifically, the half-time outro at around 3:00 rules. Makes me want to listen to Creed.

I made a phat beat with one of my plastic cups today. Get ready for me to burst onto the hip-hop scene very soon. Just as soon as I get me some of these (Santa take note):




Yup, I want spikey hair for the holidays.

Uh, oh! I said "the holidays" instead of "Christmas!" Get over it. But first, get over yourself.

Kewl Beans, BYE!

PS: KA-CREED!



LOLZ?

NFL Week 12 Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Denver Broncos
6. New England Patriots
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Arizona Cardinals
11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. Tennessee Titans
13. Baltimore Ravens
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
15. Houston Texans
16. Atlanta Falcons
17. San Francisco 49ers
18. New York Giants
19. New York Jets
20. Jacksonville Jaguars
21. Miami Dophins
22. Buffalo Bills
23. Washington Redskins
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. Chicago Bears
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28. Oakland Raiders
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Cleveland Browns
31. Detroit Lions
32. St. Louis Rams

NFL Week 11 Power Rankingz

I'm way late on these, but I promise I had most of the list written down on time...I just forgot to put them up.

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. New England Patriots
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. San Diego Chargers
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Denver Broncos
11. Green Bay Packers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. New York Giants
14. Miami Dophins
15. Baltimore Ravens
16. Houston Texans
17. Atlanta Falcons
18. Jacksonville Jaguars
19. San Francisco 49ers
20. New York Jets
21. Tennessee Titans
22. Chicago Bears
23. Buffalo Bills
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Kansas City Chiefs
26. Washington Redskins
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Seattle Seahawks
29. Detroit Lions
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Cleveland Browns
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Week 10 Power Rankings

I don't have much conviction about this set, if you have a problem, I probably won't argue. Some teams are just hard for me to figure out after this week, which is weird since we are so deep into the season.

1. Indianapolis Colts--It wasn't pretty but they remain number one. Their defense came up big in stopping the Pats on 4th down. They beat a very good team. Manning is a machine.

2. New Orleans Saints--They struggled more than they should have against the Rams.

3. Minnesota Vikings--They had a dominant win over the Lions, even if that doesn't say much.

A fly just flew into my desk lamp and died.

4. Cincinnati Bengals--I still have my doubts about this team, even though all they've done is swept two of what I thought were the best teams in the league. I don't know what they have left to prove to me...

5. New England Patriots--They have three losses, but I keep them at number 5, because they dominated the majority of that game on the road against a great team. They are still a very good team, especially when they don't make boneheaded play calls.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers--Everyone talked about how the Bengals dominated that game, but it was actually very even. The Steelers are still a great team.

7. San Diego Chargers--They make a huge jump this week. They've been on a roll lately, and now find themselves tied for the division lead.

8. Arizona Cardinals--Another team that made a big jump this week. Not because they beat a good team, but because they've been hot lately. When Warner is on, these guys usually win.

9. Denver Broncos--Is it time to start worrying? That wasn't a game they should have lost, and they now find themselves tied for the division lead. The defense doesn't look as good as it once did.

10. Dallas Cowboys--I honestly didn't see the game, but what I do know is that they faced a desperate team on the road. Losses like that will happen. They are still pretty good.

11. Baltimore Ravens--No style points there. They are going to sink or swim with Joe Flacco's right arm. Everything else is in place for a great team, but Flacco is still young.

12. Miami Dolphins--Many may argue that this is too high for a 4-5 team, but look at who they've lost to: at New England, New Orleans, Indianapolis, at Atlanta, and at San Diego. And they were close in most, if not all of those games.

13. Philadelphia Eagles--That was a tough game for them. They have a ton of talent though...

14. Houston Texans--Great bye this week.

15. Green Bay Packers--I still can't forgive them for losing to Tampa Bay. Their offense can roll if they get help from that O-line. The defense is inconsistent.

16. Atlanta Falcons--They've been floundering. They are very talented, but as long as Matt Ryan is struggling, it is going to be hard for them to win those tough games.

17. New York Giants--No one needed a bye more than these guys. I wonder if they sorted anything out...

18. Carolina Panthers--As long as they can run the football, they are going to compete, and usually win. That's exactly what the Panthers of last year (14-2) did. Just don't ask too much of Jake Delhomme. It's time to find his replacement.

19. Jacksonville Jaguars--This team confuses me, but that was a good win on the road.

20. San Francisco 49ers--How do you intercept Jay Cutler 5 times and only have 10 points to show for it? That was an ugly win.

21. New York Jets--They are going downhill fast, now at 4-5.

22. Tennessee Titans--These guys have been on fire since their bye. Chris Johnson is unstoppable, and the defense has really upped its game, finally forcing turnovers. Vince Young doesn't have to even do much.

23. Washington Redskins--They desperately needed that win. I still don't trust them.

24. Chicago Bears--U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi. This team seems like it will never get all the pieces together.

25. Seattle Seahawks--This team is constantly cursed by injuries that keep them from ever reaching their full potential.

26. St. Louis Rams--They've had a lot of fight in them the last few weeks, which is very promising. Steven Jackson is having a great year, and Marc Bulger is looking pretty sharp.

27. Kansas City Chiefs--They are better off without LJ. Fix that offensive line, and these guys would jump much higher.

28. Buffalo Bills--This looks like a team that has given up. That sucks for Dick Jauron.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers--They fought, but fell short.

30. Oakland Raiders--You know how I feel about these guys.

31. Detroit Lions--Things are looking right back down. Matt Stafford is going through lots of growing pains, and it pains the whole team.

32. Cleveland Browns. 5 offensive touchdowns in the last 15 games. Horrible.

I Am Blown Away

by my computer speakers. It's like...there's sound coming out of them, but I just don't get them. How are the producing crystal-clear sound right now? I feel like I could stare at a wall and see the same thing, only walls don't make music. These speakers do. But I don't know how. I can't see any movement. They are as stationary as my wall, but they are making sound.

WTF YOU GUYS!

I made a pretty kickass doodle today. The best part is, I only took up half the page with it, so at some point in the future, I'm going to be able to come back and add to it, like seconds! I haven't just sat and doodled outside of a classroom since like...4 years ago.

Damn, I just can't get over these speakers. And electronics. Who was like...hey, I've got some silicon (which is like...sand) and some copper. Let's make the copper into a wire, and make the silicon into a computer chip that can do whatever the fuck we want it to? Have you ever thought about how the world is literally nothing but a bunch of rocks and metals and organic compounds and liquids and gases formed into these crazy things? Like...cars! Everything about your car--or your computer or your iPod or your SPEAKERS was once just a pile of raw materials in the ground. I can't imagine coming across some sand, and thinking..."I bet I could make a laptop out of this." We created things that can think, that can move, that can do all kinds of crazy stuff like make sound come out of speakers with a bunch of sand and metal and organic compounds. We created these little virtual storage units--bytes and stuff--that can hold all kinds of information. Information held by sand.

I wish I had a toaster, so I could have an Eggo waffle every once in a while. Thems delicious.

K bye.

NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

1: Indianapolis Colts
2: New Orleans Saints
3: Pittsburgh Steelers
4: New England Patriots
5: Minnesota Vikings
6: Cincinnati Bengals
7: Dallas Cowboys
8: Denver Broncos
9: Houston Texans
10: Philadelphia Eagles
11: San Diego Chargers
12: Atlanta Falcons
13: Miami Dolphins
14: Baltimore Ravens
15: Arizona Cardinals
16: New York Jets
17: New York Giants
18: Green Bay Packers
19: San Francisco 49ers
20: Chicago Bears
21: Carolina Panthers
22: Buffalo Bills
23: Seattle Seahawks
24: Tennessee Titans
25: Washington Redskins
26: Jacksonville Jaguars
27: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28: Kansas City Chiefs
29: St. Louis Rams
30: Oakland Raiders
31: Detroit Lions
32: Cleveland Browns

Macarron Chacarron

This video will never stop making me laugh

Dear Toby,

I remember when we first brought you home as a puppy 10 years ago. I was only 9! That seems like forever ago. You were so shy, but so playful. You were probably the best dog a guy could ask for. It didn't even matter that you packed on all those pounds and slept all the time. Or that you had some funky smell that no amount of shampoo could wash out. It made you unique. And you were the nicest of all possible dogs. Everyone would tell us how friendly and well-behaved you were. You were a good boy. You didn't deserve this.

I'm so sorry. I'm sorry we couldn't figure out what was making you sick. None of the vets had any idea. The vet said those steroids would ease your pain, but the trade off was the possibility of quicker organ failure. I'm sorry if they didn't help. No one realized how bad it would get so fast. It was tough to see you in such a state. All your hair was gone! And you could barely stand up. I never wanted to have to put you down. I was so firmly against it. It's not fair to you that we should be able to just decide when you were done. I know that, and I'm sorry. You just didn't seem like you had anything left. Most of all, I'm sorry that I wasn't there today to say a proper farewell.

Maybe we were doing you a favor. I can only hope so. Otherwise we're all just complete assholes.

Rest well, buddy.

All The Pretty Girls

fun.'s video premiere released about 45 minutes ago:

NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts
1a. New Orleans Saints
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. New England Patriots
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Denver Broncos
8. Philadelphia Eagles
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. Houston Texans
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Miami Dolphins
15. Arizona Cardinals
16. New York Giants
17. Chicago Bears
18. San Diego Chargers
19. New York Jets
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Carolina Panthers
22. Seattle Seahawks
23. Buffalo Bills
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Washington Redskins
(insert a bunch of CFL, NFL Europe, and Arena teams here)
47. St. Louis Rams
48. Oakland Raiders
49. Detroit Lions
50. Kansas City Chiefs
51. Cleveland Browns
52. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is Quick, but Not Quite Painless

(complete with high definition photos!)

Concert in Iowa City tonight. The journey started in Ames, then to Pella, where I briefly got to hang with my sister Kate. She's so cool. Then I drove to Iowa City. It was easily one of the top 5 most terrifying drives ever. Right up there with driving to Minneapolis through an ice storm, falling asleep at the wheel on the way back from Davenport, and a couple instances of driving through tornado zones. This was bad, because it was really windy, really rainy, really dark, really foggy, and I was by myself. It looked kind of like this:



I got to Iowa City a bit late, due to the weather, and missed the opening band. I walked in, and Nate Ruess followed me through the door. That was kind of cool, I guess. fun. took forever to sound check. They had four microphones, and could only seem to get any combination of 2 of them to work. They finally figured it out, but they continued to have some mega feedback issues, and they played their entire first song, "Benson Hedges" with the house music playing in the background. Way to go sound guys. It's like everyone knew it was playing EXCEPT for the guy in charge of shutting it off. Awkward.



Nate was nonetheless in good spirits. Apparently he was born in Iowa City, and all of his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are from the nearby town of West Liberty, where he also used to live. His grandmother was in attendance, and he dedicated "The Gambler" to her. It was sweet. Iowa needs to stop emigrating all of it's musical talent. Brian Fennell's (of Barcelona) grandmother is from Des Moines...

Anberlin actually rocked my face off. I think I'm going to try to see them again this winter when they come back around with Thursday. They pretty much sound exactly like Thursday, only no screams. They had a lot of bass noise, with his vocals piercing over the top.



After they were playing, I saw Eddie from Taking Back Sunday out on a smoke break. He was visibly annoyed by this elderly couple talking to him. I heard the man ask him who gets to drive the bus, and Eddie's like "...the bus driver..." Awkward.

Taking Back Sunday was better than expected, even though both their singers had broken feet. The new Fred/John Nolan guy was wearing a boot, and Adam was on crutches, with torn tendons in his foot. Weird. It actually made him look really cool, because sometimes he used one crutch and looked pirate-ish, and sometimes he limped slowly around stage with one hand in his pocket while every one else went nuts on stage. He looked like he was the shit with all that cool around him. And he's a magician with the microphone twirly maneuvers. The drummer rocks so hard. Damn.

(see him with his crutch?)

Other notes: lots of drunk people, lots of cute girls. One cute girl actually told me I was cute. I could smell the alcohol on her breath, but I high-fived to that anyways. Then she wandered off.

Cool beans.

K bye.

Bunny and the Bull

I heard earlier this year that the greatest TV show ever, The Mighty Boosh, was coming out with a movie! Well, it turns out that is partially true. By the way, if you haven't heard of the Might Boosh, Google that shit. It's completed its third season on the BBC over in Britain, and was syndicated to Adult Swim over here in the States earlier this year (I don't know if it's still on or not, but it used to be on Saturday nights at midnight). All three seasons were released on DVD over here in the States back in July.

Anyways, this movie, Bunny and the Bull, isn't really a proper Mighty Boosh movie, but it was directed by Paul King (Boosh's director) and written by Mark Everson (one of the Boosh writers). It also features cameo appearances by Mighty Boosh characters including Noel Fielding and Julian Barrett: here's a sneak clip, with Julian Barrett as the dog breeder:



The movie was filmed on a budget of 1 million British Pounds, and is apparently about two guys who sit in their apartment and goes on an imaginary journey around Europe. This film did well at the Toronto, London, and Rome film festivals, and is scheduled for release in the UK on November 27 this year. It remains to be seen if and when it will come across the pond.

Fake Plastic Trees

EPIC!

NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

Yeah, the Monday night game isn't quite over, but I've seen enough to rank both the teams. I'm not saying why again. If you've got beef, I'm prepared to defend my position.

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Denver Broncos
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. New England Patriots
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. New York Giants
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Arizona Cardinals
13. Green Bay Packers
14. Philadelphia Eagles
15. San Diego Chargers
16. New York Jets
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Houston Texans
19. Chicago Bears
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Buffalo Bills
22. Seattle Seahawks
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Washington Redskins
26. Tennessee Titans
27. Detroit Lions
28. Kansas City Chiefs
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Oakland Raiders
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. St. Louis Rams

Movie Sunday (10/25)

So basically what you've got is whatever.

Not too many films out this week. You've got a Michael Jackson documentary coming out on Wednesday, and that guy's only gonna be in theaters for like two weeks. So if you are a Michael fan or whatever, see it sooner rather than later.

Friday's just got some limited releases (weird for Halloween, I know...)

Gentlemen Broncos, from the maker of Napoleon Dynamite, obviously looks fucked up. Funny, though. If you watched Stella, the plot looks the same as the "Novel" episode. Dude writes a book and a desperate author steals the story. It stars Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jermaine Clement. It's rated PG-13.



Also out is Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

It's the sequel to a movie you may have heard of: yup, the Boondock Saints of 1999. That was a cult classic, and has a pretty devout following, so I'm thinking this one is going to do alright. Honestly though, the best part of the first movie was Willem Dafoe, who is not in this one. Other than that, the same main characters are back: Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus are back to kick some ass, it's still directed by Troy Duffy, and Patrick Connolly is back as Il Duce. Looks legit. Rated R.



PEACE!

The Best Night Ever

Barcelona/Copeland/Relient K concert = awesome.

Talking to Barcelona both before the show on Twitter, and after in person = awesome.

Meeting LIGHTS outside the venue = awesome.

LIGHTS asking me for a ride = AWESOME.

LIGHTS deciding to take a taxi instead = not so awesome.

Talking with Andrew Lopez for the next 4 hours about how close we were to hanging out with LIGHTS/having her ride in the front seat of my car = bittersweet.

90's dance party back at ISU = awesome.

French toast and eggs at 2:30 a.m. = awesome.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

Weird week. I'm handing out lots of mulligans. We're starting to see some distinct tiers developing. Tier 1 is the top 9 or so, tier 2 (teams that I can't figure out) is 10-20, and tier 3 is the rest. I feel like these warrant explanations again, so here goes...

1: New Orleans Saints - This doesn't need much explanation. They haven't just been winning...they've been dominating, with formerly-number-one New York the latest victim.

2: Indianapolis Colts - They will be even more dangerous after a bye week.

3: Denver Broncos - They went to San Diego and won a game I wasn't sure that they could win. The division is theirs, and they continue to impress me. I really like the way Kyle Orton plays.

4: New England Patriots - They may be 4-2, but their record-setting blowout win this week reminds us that they are still a dominant team. When they are clicking, they're unstoppable.

5: Minnesota Vikings - They deserved to lose that game, the way the defense played. That has to be fixed if they want to keep their unbeaten streak going. The good news is the offense had its way with the Baltimore defense.

6: Atlanta Falcons - This is one of the most complete teams in the league. They took advantage of Chicago's mistakes and won a tough game this week.

7: New York Giants - They may have been exposed in a big way this week. They just got manhandled. The defense that had been so stout before needs to regroup if they want to climb back up.

8: Pittsburgh Steelers - They've found a running game in Rashard Mendenhall, and Troy Polamalu is back from his injury. This team is back in business. Watch out.

9: Baltimore Ravens - Despite the three-game losing streak, this is still a very tough and talented team. Their only real issue is the pass defense, and something tells me they get that resolved sooner rather than later.

10: Philadelphia Eagles - Wow. That one will be a mulligan. They moved the ball fairly well and didn't turn it over, but they need to score touchdowns. Injuries to the offensive line hurt, and it is very unlike an Andy Reid team to lose a game they should win. I'm betting he'll fix that quick.

11: Chicago Bears - They kept shooting themselves in the foot with all those penalties and turnovers in the red zone. They need to clean that up. They didn't play too poorly against the Falcons though. Where is Matt Forte?

12: Cincinnati Bengals - Their (supposedly) outstanding secondary got shredded by Matt Schaub and the loss of Antwan Odom for the season hurts in a big way. At least the offense still has talent with Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer. They'll be feisty, but I just don't think this is their year.

13: Green Bay Packers - When they play as well as they did Sunday (which isn't too hard against the Lions), they are tough to stop. Aaron Rodgers is really good when he's not getting beaten up and sacked. The defense was good, but has been inconsistent over the year.

14: Arizona Cardinals - Where did that defense come from? They completely shut down the Seahawks' offense. If the defense can keep up a high level of play, they are going to be a dangerous team again.

15: San Francisco 49ers - A week off couldn't have come at a better time, after getting embarrassed at home. Michael Crabtree should help the offense, but what would help the most is the return of Frank Gore. He makes them a lot better.

16: Miami Dolphins - They were starting to look like the Dolphins of last year: protecting the football and running the ball well. That controls the clock and usually is a good formula for wins.

17: New York Jets - They probably aren't this bad, but as long as Mark Sanchez is in his funk (and his receivers aren't helping much), they aren't going to win much. They ran the football well and still play pretty good defense, but you just can't turn the ball over that much.

18: Houston Texans - This team is VERY inconsistent. The offense (namely the passing game) have been playing at a high level every week, but the defense can never seem to decide whether or not to show up every week. At least this week was a good one. Who knows about next week?

19: San Diego Chargers - This team is still very good (Philip Rivers is very good), but have to be a little deflated after falling to 2-3. They are playing for a wild card spot now. Their defense still needs to generate more pressure. Shawne Merriman has been a ghost.

20: Dallas Cowboys - Here's hoping they figured out some stuff on their bye. It was bad going into it...

21: Carolina Panthers - They won the way they should have been playing all year: running the ball down the defense's throats. I don't have a lot of confidence in Jake Delhomme any more. He turns the ball over too much.

22: Jacksonville Jaguars - Here is another inconsistent team. Last week they got blown out by the Seahawks, then this week they barely beat the Rams at home (it wasn't as close as the score indicated). Yet they still managed to play very well against the Colts and Texans. Weird.

23: Seattle Seahawks - Talk about a bipolar team. They won 41-0 last week, then didn't bother to even show up this week. Matt Hasselbeck gives them a better chance than Seneca Wallace, but he didn't do much of anything this week.

24: Buffalo Bills - They got a good win on the road Sunday night against the Jets. The defense played very well, and I liked the way the offense kept fighting, even with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. Maybe that will jolt some life into this team.

25: Oakland Raiders - I hate rating them even this high, but you've got to like the way they came out and actually played with emotion this week. They changed their defensive strategy and it effectively confused an Eagles team that was caught completely off guard. Maybe this will be a stepping stone towards improvement. JaMarcus Russell was better, but still not very good.

26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The defense can't stop anyone. Time to see what the rookie quarterback has got.

27: St. Louis Rams - They are showing signs of life finally. Marc Bulger played well, and the defense was pretty good (considering past outings)

28: Kansas City Chiefs - The defense played very well, but the offense needs to score touchdowns. I think Matt Cassel is the right guy, but has no support from his offensive line. I'm looking for them to take a tackle early in next year's draft.

29: Cleveland Browns - Josh Cribbs is the only guy on this team worth his salt. Sorry, Josh. Sorry for having to play for Cleveland.

30: Detroit Lions - That was ugly. They need Matt Stafford back.

31: Washington Redskins - I don't think they are actually the second worst team, but they are indeed dysfunctional. They are shifting up the front office, and their offense looks sickly. What's Clinton Portis on your team for anyways, guys?

32: Tennessee Titans - While they probably aren't the worst, they deserve this ranking in every way for this week. 0-59! Ouch. I think it's time to bench Kerry Collins.

Sunday Update

Sweet weekend. Two good friends had an awesome wedding followed by an awesome reception. The reception included best sandstorm to ever hit the Earth. It still hasn't quite soaked in that they are married now. Weird. Taylor and Clayton: I'm proud of you guys.

The best part is seeing all the cool people who I don't see often enough. You guys rock. And I met some pretty awesome people too.

Movies coming out this week:

Amelia (looks boring)
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (looks retarded)
Motherhood (doesn't interest me)
Astro Boy (kid's movie)
Saw VI (no comment)

I'm supposed to have this ethnography about intimate economies in Bangkok or some shit read by tomorrow, but I can't read more than 3 or 4 sentences before I find something better to do. Dumb.

One thing I've learned: grades don't matter. Experience does. Communication skills do. Sorry, GPA, I've decided to just hang out ALL THE TIME.

Crazy NFL week. I've got one thing to say about that: RIDE ON PATRIOT!

Lazr Tag

I played laser tag tonight. This is what I looked like:



This is what my enemies looked like:

NFL Week 5 Power Rankings

I'm going to continue to see how long I can get away with not giving an explanation before someone complains.

1: New York Giants
2: New Orleans Saints
3: Indianapolis Colts
4: Denver Broncos
5: Minnesota Vikings
6: Atlanta Falcons
7: Philadelphia Eagles
8: New England Patriots
9: Cincinnati Bengals
10: Pittsburgh Steelers
11: Baltimore Ravens
12: Chicago Bears
13: New York Jets
14: San Francisco 49ers
15: Miami Dolphins
16: Green Bay Packers
17: Arizona Cardinals
18: San Diego Chargers
19: Dallas Cowboys
20: Seattle Seahawks
21: Houston Texans
22: Carolina Panthers
23: Jacksonville Jaguars
24: Detroit Lions
25: Washington Redskins
26: Tennessee Titans
27: Cleveland Browns
28: Buffalo Bills
29: Kansas City Chiefs
30: St. Louis Rams
31: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32: Oakland Raiders

Sexman

Most badass kid on the internet:



ahahahahahahaha! He just gets up and says "sexman."


This dude's hilarious. His YouTube channel is here.

Movie Sunday (10/11)

Time to look at this week's upcoming movies!

Let's start with Black Dynomite. Starring Michael Jai White, it essentially looks like a more badass version of Pootie Tang, which I am okay with. Unfortunately, this one is only coming to select theaters. If it restricted content doesn't offend you, you can catch the red band trailer here.
The movie is rated R.



Next, we have Law Abiding Citizen. Starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, it's about this guy (Butler) who's family is killed, so he gets revenge on everyone. It's a pretty generic plot, but I feel like it could still be pretty suspenseful. Butler and Foxx are more than capable actors. This one is also rated R.




Also in theaters this Friday is The Stepfather. I think this one is going to be the worst of the bunch. It's about this guy who's skeptical of his mom's new husband, then it turns out that the dude (presumably) is a wanted murderer. Stupid plot. I'm not convinced of Penn Badgley's ability to act, and I don't like Sela Ward. Dylan Walsh looks like he might be okay, and Amanda Heard is essentially eye candy. Also, it's PG-13. I find PG-13 horror movies to be the WORST.



Last, but certainly not least, is Where the Wild Things Are. Based on the book by Maurice Sendak and directed by Spike Jonze, this is one of the more anticipated films of the year (certainly for me). I've already posted about how excited I am for it's release this Friday. This one is rated PG.

We Can't Control Our Lives.

I used to think we could, but tonight I changed my mind.



Wait. Yes we can.


Hell, I don't know.


rapidly losing my ability to function,
BRYAN

I Don't Care if This Post Even Has a Title.

I went to a funeral on Saturday. The lady that died was Esther Stenzel. She was my dad's old neighbor, and kind of part of our adopted family. She was 96. I didn't really know her, but she was close to the family. She didn't really have much of a family of her own. Everyone had either died or moved thousands of miles away. Our family was really the only crowd at the funeral. As I looked at her during the visitation (reluctantly--embalmed bodies weird me out), I couldn't help but think of my grandfather whom I went to visit in the hospital the day before; and about my dog, who is scheduled to pass away within the next month; and about my parakeet, who can barely move because she has a tumor the about the same size as her on her breast; all she does is sit and cry. I thought about all the people I knew who died, and even the people I didn't know. It's crazy when you stop and think about how short life is; how it's subject to change without a moment's notice.

It's getting colder now. I hate it. My room is an icebox. My feet are always frozen, and I wake up in the night shivering. I think that the temperature has a direct correlation with my mood.

I've been all out of sorts ever since school started again. I can't seem to get it figured out. I'm having a terrible time making decisions. I change my mind abruptly and frequently. I can't focus on anything. I can't get motivated to do anything. I am absentminded. I don't feel like I am heading in any particular direction right now. I've just been kind of waiting out the days, letting myself drift aimlessly until it works itself out.

I should be more pro-active in life. My fortune cookie yesterday told me to leave nothing to chance. I should be making positive steps towards what I want.

I have no idea what that is.

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

Here's my rankings. I'm feeling lazy cocky tonight, and decided that my rankings need no explanation, because I don't feel like it they are inherently correct. So there.

1: New Orleans Saints
2: New York Giants
3: Indianapolis Colts
4: New England Patriots
5: Baltimore Ravens
6: Minnesota Vikings
7: Denver Broncos
8: Philadelphia Eagles
9: New York Jets
10: San Francisco 49ers
11: Atlanta Falcons
12: Chicago Bears
13: Pittsburgh Steelers
14: Cincinnati Bengals
15: Green Bay Packers
16: Jacksonville Jaguars
17: Miami Dolphins
18: Dallas Cowboys
19: Houston Texans
20: San Diego Chargers
21: Arizona Cardinals
22: Carolina Panthers
23: Buffalo Bills
24: Washington Redskins
25: Detroit Lions
26: Tennessee Titans
27: Seattle Seahawks
28: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29: Cleveland Browns
30: Kansas City Chiefs
31: Oakland Raiders
32: St. Louis Rams

Movie Sunday (10/4)

Another week, another round of film releases! Let's go over those slated for release this Friday, October 9.

The big one is Couples Retreat. It's got a pretty good cast, featuring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Fazion Love, Malin Akerman, and Jon Favreau. I think it will probably be pretty funny, but my hopes aren't too sky high, mostly because Vince Vaughn is pretty trite, and the PG-13 rating will hold it back.



Also out this week in select theaters are: Bronson, An Education, Adventures of Power, and St. Trinian's.

Bronson, starring Tom Hardy, is about a boy who is sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing a post office, but ends up spending 34 years after he develops an alter ego and becomes violent. It looks like one of those funny-bloody British movies that Guy Ritchie would make.



An Education, while having a pretty good cast (Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike) looks downright boring.



Adventures of Power looks hilarious. It's about a guy who worked in the copper mines of the West, but his real passion is for air-drumming, so he goes to Newark to chase his dreams of being an air-drummer. It kind of sounds like the plot to a Ben Stiller movie (Zoolander meets Dodgeball?) but it looks really funny. Plus it's got Jane Lynch and Adrian Grenier in it.



I don't know what to think about St. Trinian's. It was released like 2 years ago in the UK, but is just making its way to US theatres. I'm betting it is going to be dumb-funny. Russell Brand makes it worth seeing.

Take Apart Your Head

I went to Chicago yesterday to see Brand New and Manchester Orchestra at the Aragon Ballroom.

It was probably the sweetest venue I've been to. It looked like a big Spanish Courtyard, surrounded by balconies and turrets and porticoes. The ceiling had a cool painting on it. It looked like the night sky, partially obscured by clouds and tree branches. There were at least 1000 people packed into this courtyard, and it was therefore insanely hot. It was raining outside, so it was really humid in there too.

The band that opened was pretty good. They were a local band with a female lead vocalist/guitarist, which is nice. They made a lot of cool sounds, but didn't really have any catchy hooks or anything. The other problem was, I never figured out what they were called. I just looked it up, and apparently they were "Sybis."

Manchester Orchestra was good, just like the last time I saw them. They just sound really good and put on a great show.

Brand New blew my mind. I was a little disappointed that they didn't play an encore, and didn't play much of their old stuff. They only played "No Seatbelt Song" off their first album, and "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades," "Jaws Theme Swimming," "Okay I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't," and "Play Crack the Sky" off of Deja Entendu. From The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me, they opened the show with "You Won't Know," followed with "Degausser." They also played "Sowing Season (Yeah)," "Jesus Christ," and "Archers." I'm still not too familiar with their new album, but I counted 5 songs off of it. "Vices" was sick. They also played "You Stole," "Bought a Bride," "Sink," and "At the Bottom."

I really wanted to hear more off of Your Favorite Weapon, and I can't believe they didn't play "The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows." I also really wanted to hear "Not the Sun." Oh well. Still a great show.

NFL Week 3 Power Rankings

1: Baltimore Ravens - They certainly didn't prove that they deserve to drop from my top spot. They manhandled the Browns this week.

2: New York Jets - They did well to come back after blowing a big lead. That defense is phenomenal, and that's what it takes to win.

3: New Orleans Saints - They looked sluggish before putting up 17 points in the 4th quarter to seal the deal. They move up because their defense is starting to look good. Uh-oh, NFC.

4: New York Giants - Maybe they're a better team than 4th in the league. They made it look easy against a hapless Tampa Bay team. I still wonder about their secondary, though. Plus, I just plain don't like them. Never have.

5: Indianapolis Colts - These guys made Arizona look silly at home on Monday night. I was reminded of just how scary good Peyton Manning is.

6: Philadelphia Eagles - The dominated the Chiefs. That isn't particularly hard to do, but I feel more comfortable moving them up after seeing two pretty impressive weeks out of Kevin Kolb.

7: Minnesota Vikings - They probably deserved to lose that game. Can someone please explain to me why they came out throwing? At least they showed they can when when Adrian Peterson is more or less neutralized by a surprisingly good 49ers team.

8: New England Patriots - They had a tough opponent this week and handled it well. Their run defense looked a lot better. Tom Brady still doesn't look quite the same. The receivers weren't as stellar as usual. They'll be happy to have Wes Welker back.

9: Atlanta Falcons - They went on the road and lost to the New England Patriots. I'll give them a mulligan for that one. They really didn't play that poorly...

10: Denver Broncos - They look worthy of a top 5 spot so far. They are playing great defense and protecting the ball well on offense. The only thing keeping them down at number 10 is their underwhelming strength of schedule thus far.

11: San Francisco 49ers - They deserved to win that game. They contained Adrian Peterson, made Brett Favre look old, and Shaun Hill had a pretty good day throwing to make up for Frank Gore's injury.

12: San Diego Chargers - They looked pretty good this week. Philip Rivers can get it done without a running game. They may be a bit concerned with having to settle for all those field goals when they get down near the end zone. Those should be touchdowns.

13: Cincinnati Bengals - These guys may be for real. They didn't look great against a tough Steelers team, but they got the job done. Carson Palmer's health is the key for the season.

14: Dallas Cowboys - They beat the Panthers, but looked pretty ugly in doing so the first half. So far this year, they just haven't been that impressive.

15: Pittsburgh Steelers - How bad do they miss Troy Polamalu? The defense has given up too many uncharacteristic game-winning drives. They've got to clamp down on those. Giving up 2 fourth down conversions on that final one this week stings.

16: Chicago Bears - Jay Cutler is settling in and playing well. As long as he avoids his turnover habits, they will win plenty of games.

17: Jacksonville Jaguars - The defense still doesn't look too good, but they found a way to bear down and hold on for the win. Maurice Jones-Drew is where it's at.

18: Green Bay Packers - They made plays when they needed to, and Aaron Rodgers had a pretty good day, but they just didn't look as in control of the Rams as they would have liked to have been. We'll find out if these guys are for real or not next week against the Vikings. Watch out, Favre.

19: Houston Texans - The offense is playing pretty well, and they managed to get the running game going this week. The defense completely sucks.

20: Tennessee Titans - I hate to rank them this low, but at 0-3, it's tough to cut them much slack. Kerry Collins wasn't very good, and the defense just isn't as physical as it was last year. The 4th quarter of that game was awful.

21: Arizona Cardinals - The Colts made them look pretty bad. They are starting to look like the Cardinals from last year (the defense isn't stopping much).

22: Buffalo Bills - They hung around for awhile, but imploded at the end. The offense really should have put up better numbers against the Saints. This team seems to be plagued with bad luck of every kind.

23: Miami Dolphins - This is another team that I'm surprised is 0-3. The passing game was sickly this week, but they continue to run the ball fairly well. They just look all out of sorts.

24: Carolina Panthers - They played well in the first half, but the defense let them down in the second, with the Cowboys running for almost 200 yards. Jake Delhomme simply isn't effective enough throwing the football for them to play catch-up all the time.

25: Seattle Seahawks - Seneca Wallace didn't look too bad, especially in the start. Olindo Mare is the goat, missing 2 field goals. The pass defense looked pretty bad. Getting Hasselbeck back should help them out.

26: Detroit Lions - VICTORY!! I thought they were going to give it up towards the end, but they held on. The defense needs some work still, but they finally seem like a competent football team.

27: Washington Redskins - How bad does it feel to be the first team the Lions beat in two years? They move the ball well, but don't score enough. The defense isn't as dominate as they thought it would be, plus Albert "$100 Million" Haynesworth is hurt.

28: Kansas City Chiefs - 0-11 on third down conversions is the critical stat of the week. Cassel needs to throw down field more. More importantly, he needs more protection. The Eagles harassed him all day. Larry Johnson is a nonfactor.

29: Oakland Raiders - Is there a worse starting quarterback out there than JaMarcus Russell? Everything they did out there was terrible. McFadden fumbled 3 times, and Russell had a grand total of 1 passing yard in the entire second half.

30: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Here's another team that can't figure anything out. They couldn't run the ball, they couldn't pass the ball, they couldn't stop the run, and they couldn't stop the pass. That's how you get shutout.

31: St. Louis Rams - Kyle Boller looked not-too-shabby, and Steven Jackson was productive. They still simply don't have enough talent to compete.

32: Cleveland Browns - Holy smokes. Brady Quinn gets benched, so what does Derek Anderson do? Throws 3 picks in 25 minutes. This team has issues at every position. It is going to be a long year in the Dawg Pound.

Human Jumbotron

This was Today's Big Thing today or yesterday. I forget. The days are all kind of a blur. But it's nuts. Crazy Koreans.

See more funny videos and Technology Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Foam City

Anybody remember this Sony ad from awhile ago? If you don't, it's one of the most awesome things ever.

The Informant!

I saw it tonight. It was pretty good, I thought. It wasn't quite as funny as I was expecting, yet sufficiently funny. It was one of those movies that you thought should end long before it did--but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it kept you guessing. Some movies (like The Benchwarmers) have no point after a short time, and feel like they should be done, but have a ton of filler just thrown on the end. Everything on the end in this one seemed necessary. Plus, I think Matt Damon is good.

Where the Wild Things Are

I know this video is kind of old, but at the same time, it isn't really dated. I'm pretty excited for this movie. It looks like the coolest thing ever. Plus, Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is credited with the soundtrack, so that should be interesting/awesome. The background track in this video gives a faint hint as to what it is going to sound like. I think she can make this whole playful/terrifying thing work about as well as anyone.

featurette
by ThePlaylist

Plus, in the trailer, the song choice with the Arcade Fire works perfectly.



It's out in less than a month!

NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

What a mess. Teams we thought looked bad last week looked good this week. Teams we thought looked good last week didn't look so hot this week. A lot of my predictions from earlier this year may not be true any more. I think this is going to continue to be tough to sort out for at least a few more weeks. Then things should settle into place.


1: Baltimore Ravens - Got a great road victory against what is supposed to be a very good Chargers team. The defense is dominant, and the offense has really come alive this year.

2: New York Jets - That was impressive. I think their defense is for real, and Mark Sanchez has proven to be effective. They are also running the ball well. Remember when we were all saying the Jets were going to go to the Super Bowl at the beginning of last year? This year's unit looks much improved.

3: New Orleans Saints - I don't care how many yards their defense gives up, they are still able to force turnovers. Besides, Brees and co. can keep pace with any team in the NFL.

4: New York Giants - Mario Manningham may be the missing piece to this team. There is a lot of talent and a great coaching staff. Eli Manning has already shown he has what it takes to win.

5: Atlanta Falcons - Another team I'm very impressed with. Matt Ryan looks like he's been doing this for years, Michael Turner is a constant threat, and the defense is playing well.

6: Indianapolis Colts - They gave up a ton of passing yards, but Peyton Manning will continue to be among the best in the business for a long time. The guy just wins.

7: Minnesota Vikings - They started out sluggish, but picked it up. They definitely have the talent to push for a Super Bowl, and have been doing everything right so far...

8: Pittsburgh Steelers - They still haven't found a way to run the ball, which is really holding them back. Something has to be done about that offensive line.

9: New England Patriots - Tom Brady doesn't look quite the same, and the losses of Jerod Mayo and Richard Seymour are showing more than we thought they would. Nevertheless, they still have Brady and Belichick. I'll bet money they get it figured out in a hurry. Next week we'll find out just how good both they and Atlanta are when they duke it out.

10: Dallas Cowboys - Not a bad showing against the Giants. Romo is looking fine without TO. The defense may be a concern, however. They aren't getting enough pressure and forcing mistakes.

11: Houston Texans - I wrote them off as losers last week. But now I'm thinking maybe the Jets were just that good. They certainly looked much better against the Titans. They need to find a way to cut down on the big plays on defense though. Chris Johnson destroyed them.

12: Tennessee Titans - What happened to that pass defense? They aren't generating enough pressure up front, and it's hurting. Maybe they do miss Jim Schwartz and Albert Haynesworth. At least they know they can run the ball well.

13: Denver Broncos - Here is another team that just may be for real. For all the bad Josh McDaniels did in the offseason, he's got his team playing pretty well right now. I don't think the Browns were much of an opponent, but maybe the Bengals were for real. Orton is doing what he does best: controlling the ball.

14: San Francisco 49ers - Michael who? They don't appear to be missing Crabtree right now, which sucks for him and his leveraging of the offer. The defense is playing well and Frank Gore is back to his 2006 form. Mike Singletary has really toughened these guys up.

15: Philadelphia Eagles - Injuries are killing this talented team. The defense didn't offer any resistance to the Saints' high-powered offense. Vick comes back soon, so we should see some better offense. Until McNabb comes back, though, this team is just average.

16: Chicago Bears - They knocked off the defending champs, which says something. I still don't trust Jay Cutler to protect the football. Especially when they are struggling so much in the running game.

17: Green Bay Packers - That didn't look good at all. The offensive line had a lot of trouble keeping the Bengals off of Aaron Rodgers. They looked almost the complete opposite of last week. They need to be more consistent.

18: Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner looked good, setting a single-game completion percentage record, going 24-26. That's reassuring. But last week's loss looms large in my mind still. I'm going to wait a couple more weeks to see which is the true Arizona Cardinals.

19: San Diego Chargers - Injuries are plaguing this team too. They just haven't looked that impressive yet, barely beating the Raiders, then losing to a good Ravens team. Rivers threw for over 400 yards, and they still lost. That isn't good.

20: Miami Dolphins - They aren't looking bad by any means, but they are still 0-2. They ran the ball well, and controlled the clock, which will normally win you games. You just can't give the ball to Peyton Manning with 3:00 left when you are only up by a field goal. Late-game drives are what he does best.

21: Cincinnati Bengals - I can't tell if this team is for real or not. Cedric Benson has looked good, and the defense was able to get a lot of pressure on Aaron Rodgers. But, then again, these are the Bungles we're talking about.

22: Buffalo Bills - They haven't been playing bad by any means. Injuries have hurt them, and I simply don't like that TO is on their team. I have a feeling he's going to ruin both Dick Jauron and Trent Edwards. Fred Jackson looks good, though, doesn't he?

23: Carolina Panthers - They shaped it up a lot better after last week (particularly Jake Delhomme's play) but they are still 0-2. Something about this team doesn't look right to me, and I think they will continue to hover near the bottom of the NFC.

24: Washington Redskins - Ugh. This is a team with plenty of talent that just can't seem to get off the ground. Their offense is stagnant.

25: Seattle Seahawks - I've been saying it all along. Hasselbeck would get hurt early again this year...and here he is with a broken rib. Seneca Wallace just doesn't have the skills to carry this team, as we saw last year, and he will have no shot if the defense doesn't tighten things up. They couldn't tackle my 2-year old sister.

26: Jacksonville Jaguars - This team looks a lot like it did last year. That isn't a good thing. Garrard isn't making plays, and neither is the defense. Who does that leave? Tiny, fragile little Maurice Jones-Drew. The guy is talented, but he needs help.

27: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Losing Monte Kiffin hurts bad. The defense can't stop anyone. On the plus side, I think the offense can have a very nice year. They're going to have to if they want to make up for all the points the defense is going to hemorrhage.

28: Oakland Raiders - They won, but they didn't deserve to. They have a lot of individual talents, but they all don't add up to a whole. JaMarcus Russell just isn't very good.

29: Kansas City Chiefs - This team has played pretty well in both of their first two weeks, but they just can't seem to finish it off. Matt Cassel looked just okay in his first game. They'll get better as they mature.

30: Detroit Lions - They started off the game well, but let it go. I think this team is going to win a few games this year. They drew the long stick having to face the Saints and the Vikings in their first two weeks. Stafford will improve.

31: Cleveland Browns - This team is u-g-l-y. They have the exact same problem as last year: no offense.

32: St. Louis Rams - A little better, but still leprosy team.

Midnght Special

Sometimes I wish I was alive in the 70s, so I could maybe perhaps see a band like Steely Dan in concert. Seriously. Everything about this video claims victory: musicality, fashion, facial hair, regular hair, stage presence...

I wish bands played music like this today. Maybe one day I'll be in a 70s rock band...

Rocky Roolz

"Portland is Leaving"
Rocky Votolato
"Makers" (2006)

NFL Week 1 Power Rankings

1: Pittsburgh Steelers--they had a tough opener against a good Titans team. They need to find a way to run the ball better (it probably starts with the offensive line). With Roethlisberger and that defense, they will continue to win a lot.

2: New England Patriots--their defense has been depleted, but Tom Brady is back, and he hasn't lost a regular season game since December 2007. The guy just wins.

3: Baltimore Ravens--this is a dangerous team. Their defense is suffocating, they run the ball well, and the passing game is making big strides. Granted, they were at home against Kansas City; nonetheless, they have all the right pieces of a winning team

4: New York Giants--they handled the Redskins in the opener. The big question has been how the passing game would fare. Eli Manning is good, and their defense will cause lots of turnovers. That generally translates into wins.

5: Atlanta Falcons--this team is complete. Their offense is dangerous, and their defense continues to play well. I can easily see them pushing deep into the playoffs this year.

6: New Orleans Saints--they made it look easy against a struggling Lions club. The defense is improved from last year, which is all they needed. With that offense, they are never out of a game.

7: Tennessee Titans--they played very well against the Steelers. They are returning much of the same group as last year, only without Albert Haynesworth and Jim Schwartz. They didn't seem to miss them too much.

8: Minnesota Vikings--they have the best running back in the league, a monstrous offensive line, a tough defense, and developing weapons in the receiving corps. As long as Brett Favre doesn't flop and the special teams gets their act together, this team can easily make a Super Bowl push. They'd better if Childress likes his job.

9: Green Bay Packers--Dom Capers turned their defense around on a dime. Aaron Rodgers is good, and their defense will provide him with a lot of opportunities to score.

10: Philadelphia Eagles--this is possibly the most talented team in the NFC, but they have just had too much bad luck with injuries. McNabb had better heal that rib soon.

11: New York Jets--Matt Sanchez played very well, and their defense played even better. Sanchez may or may not be for real, but I'm willing to bet the defense is. Rex Ryan is one of the better defensive minds in football. They embarrassed the Texans.

12: San Diego Chargers--this team is good, but they didn't look great against the Raiders. I have a feeling they'll get things picked up before too long.

13: Dallas Cowboys--they played very well this week against a suspect Tampa Bay team. They have the Giants this week. We'll see if they are for real...

14: Indianapolis Colts--they just aren't as scary as they used to be. Peyton Manning is still one of the best, but something just doesn't feel right. Losing Anthony Gonzalez will hurt.

15: San Francisco 49ers--they got an impressive win on the road against the defending NFC champs. The defense looks good, and the offense has potential. I'm still not completely sold, but they could surprise me.

16: Arizona Cardinals--Kurt Warner looks old, doesn't he? I'm not too worried about this team. They are well coached, and have a lot of talent. But dang, Kurt Warner looks old.

17: Jacksonville Jaguars--I don't think these guys are as bad as people say. Jack Del Rio is a very good coach, they have a offense that can move the ball, and an underrated defense.

18: Seattle Seahawks--They got the shutout this week. Against the Rams. For some reason, I'm not sold. They will be better than last year if Hasselbeck can stay healthy. I'm just not sure he can.

19: Denver Broncos--their defense showed up and played very well against the Bungles (except for that final drive). Even with all their issues, the Broncos may actually be better than we all thought. Or maybe they aren't. Orton has to play better.

20: Chicago Bears--Cutler looked pretty bad in his opener, and losing Urlacher will hurt. I feel like they have been over-hyped. Cutler is good can light up the scoreboards, but he doesn't win enough. Turnovers are a great way to lose a game.

21: Buffalo Bills--this team played very well in a place they historically don't. That fumble at the end stings. Nevertheless, they have an offense that can score, and a defense that has proved nothing to me. I feel like they could very easily go either way from here.

22: Miami Dolphins-- this team isn't going to be as good as they were last year. The wildcat jig is up. They won last year by taking care of the football, and they didn't do a very good job of that against the Falcons.

23: Washington Redskins--you'd think sooner or later this team would live up to its expectations, or get a return on its offseason spending sprees. Until I see it, I won't believe it. They are mediocre in my book.

24: Houston Texans--that was awful. Their offense was shut out at home by the Jets. With all that talent, that wasn't expected. They need to run the ball better, and tackle better if they are going to contend in the AFC South. They've got the Titans this week. Good luck.

25: Tampa Bay Buccaneers--they didn't play too awfully against the Cowboys. But they still have a completely new and unproven coaching staff, which is a major red flag for me.

26: Cincinnati Bengals--I thought their offense was going to rebound this year, but they looked pathetic against a Denver defense that was more porous than cheesecloth last year. Still the Bungles.

27: Oakland Raiders--they played well against the Chargers. I still think they are a bad team, and will continue to be bad until Al Davis dies. His puzzle pieces don't fit.

28: Kansas City Chiefs--Brodie Croyle played pretty well against a very good Ravens defense. They didn't move the ball well, but they protected it which is pivotal. They are feisty. I imagine they will only improve as the season wears on.

29: Carolina Panthers--there's no way they're this bad. They looked completely awful last week, and I can't envision them winning many games as long as Jake Delhomme is in his funk. He is a quarterback on the decline. Show me the last two games were flukes, and these guys will soar up in the rankings. Until then, they will be bottom dwellers.

30: Cleveland Browns--they didn't look very good at all. There just isn't enough talent on this team to win many games.

31: Detroit Lions--they had some good things happen against the Saints. Regardless, they still haven't won in over a year. Stafford will come around.

32: St. Louis Rams-- leprosy team.

Pubic Options...

lol!

Roadmap to lolz

Guys: Make H1N1 Prevention Fashionable This Year!

What if...

we smelled things with our butts? Would we walk around putting our butts on everything to sniff it like it's no big deal? Even things like fresh baked pies? Or would it still be considered weird putting things like pies near our poopers?



The 2-test studying session is going fantastically, thanks.

When I die,

I want my body turned into a fucking sword. <--- CLICK HERE!

needz moar moniez.

I'm in negotiations with Jeff Kummer (Early November drummer) to purchase a ride cymbal from him. How cool is that? Too bad I'm broke right now...

Politics!

I've been quiet about politics because I know it makes for nasty conversation material. But this blog isn't so much a conversation as a one-sided "this is what Bryan thinks" outlet. So I'm going to let you know what I think.

The political state of our country is sickening. This has nothing to do with whichever party controls Washington at any time. I was sickened by what happened under the Bush Administration, and I'm sickened by what's happening now. The problem has a lot to do with our 2-party system. It makes for an environment where unless someone makes the most neutral and inconsequential of statements, he or she is going to be waved off as a right or left wing nut job by half the country. If I were to open up this blog by saying something like "the public option health care may not be such a bad idea" half of you would call me a socialist and a communist and an enemy to American values.

Tomorrow, President Obama will be giving a speech to students addressing the beginning of the school year, just like Reagan did. Just like George H.W. Bush did. Just like Clinton did. Just like George W. Bush did. Only this year, there is a huge uproar from the right with parents threatening to keep their kids home from school so Obama can't brainwash their children with his leftist agenda. The text of the speech is here. Tell me if you see any political propaganda. I don't. The right has recently been on this trip, convinced that all mainstream media (which, incidentally, plays host to such names as Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, and O'Reilly) is completely controlled by the left, and is trying to turn everyone into a socialist.

Earlier this week, Van Jones resigned from his post as an adviser to President Obama on the creation of environmentally-friendly jobs, after what he called a "smear campaign" spearheaded by Glenn Beck was launched against him. It is a sad day for America when an extremist (I don't believe I am overstating anything with this word) radio show host holds enough conference in our government to be able to pick-and-choose which guys he doesn't like, and have them removed. This is all while Beck complains that the media (except for his buddies at Fox...duh) is brainwashing us.

To be fair, Jones had his faults and made his mistakes, and it was a terrible oversight for the Obama administration to appoint someone who signed an "anti-American" petition and freely called Republicans "assholes" to any position of power, even one as trivial as green jobs adviser. How his attitude towards conservatives hinders his ability to adequately fulfill his job of creating environmentally friendly jobs for disadvantaged and unskilled workers, I'll never know. I guess one of the requirements for holding public office includes a lack of opinion and/or courage to openly share said opinion.

This is why our government cannot function properly: people like Glenn Beck. People like him leave no room for compromise--a critical part of American society, especially in his sacred US Constitution. No decision Washington makes will swing far enough to his side of the spectrum, and he will consequently continue to undermine our government by tearing out the pieces he doesn't like. It starts with Van Jones. Where does it end? People like him seem to be hell bent on bringing down Obama's administration. It's as though they are trying to make our government fail. But for what? Bragging rights?


Forget the left and the right. We're all Americans, and we're all in this together.

The Rumors are True

Remember when I told you about Aim & Ignite? I just went back to Pella this weekend to find my copy waiting with my mail. I gave it a listen, and I can confirm it is one of the best albums you'll hope to hear. SO GOOD!

No Homo.

-"Hey man, what's up?"
-"Oh, nothin' bro, just hangin' out in my singlet"
-"Cool! Mind if I come over and hang out in my singlet too?"
-"Yeah man! Oh, and hey, could you bring your laptop too, I want to show you my favorite, totally heterosexual, video ever!"
-"Yeah bro!"
...10 minutes later...
-"Hey bro! Nice laptop!"
-"Thanks man! It's super thin!"
-"I know man! Try putting it in my butt crack! I bet it fits!"
-"Huh?"
-"Dude, just try shoving your laptop up my ass! It's gonna be so sick!"
-"Umm...okay..."
-"Right on dude! It fits! Now try throwing it at my ass and I'll catch it between my cheeks!"
-"Umm..."
-"Dude! I caught it! This is so awesome! Let's call up our buddy Jeremy and see if he wants to hang out in a singlet too!"
-"Yeah! And then we could make a video of insane things like me throwing my laptop at your ass and you making all these totally sick catches while we all wear singlets, and then post it on the internet and all the girls will date us!"
-"Yeah, because I'm not gay, are you?"

The Sinking of Santa Isabel

This movie comes out on DVD September 22. It is about this guy who's life is all out of sorts, so he returns to his childhood home to fulfill an old dream of his: to build the world's best treehouse and live in it all summer. It looks pretty good.

The best part, I think, is that it features an original score by Sam Means, Nate Ruess' "other half" in The Format. It also features Marko Buzard and Don Raymond from The Format. You can download a free track here.

The Sinking of Santa Isabel Trailer from Phelps Harmon on Vimeo.

9

9 days until 9 comes out on 9/9/09!!! I'm so 9xcited f9r thi9 movi9!!!

GET TWITTER. EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT.

bscheckel is the name. do it.

Lazy Sunday

I didn't do jack today. Tomorrow is the first day of classes. I feel way under-prepared, but I realize that's pretty impossible for the first day.

We had our hall meeting tonight. I'm the 2009-2010 Hewitt-Johnson Hall Treasurer!!!!!! It's so...whatever. I'm supposed to put a sign on my door denoting it, but I think I'm just going to go ahead and cover my door in $100 bills and call it good. I think I'm going to put the house funds towards a hot tub for the lounge. That would be the cat's meow.



LOL!
What are those catz gonna do with moniez? They've got no thumbs!

Over and out.

(1) Day of Ames

I'm in Ames now. I have asbestos in my ceiling, and I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure there's no internet access in my room. I don't see an ethernet jack anywhere, and the wi-fi doesn't penetrate the cement walls. FML. Flipside: (500) Days of Summer was the best movie ever. And Jimmy Johns really is freaky fast.

The Summer Ends

Last night in Pella.  No one else is here.

So long, summer '09.  You have been good to me, but you came to a very abrupt end.

Everyone gives Pella a bad rep, but I personally love it.  Nowhere else in the world are so many great people in the same spot at once.  Except maybe the Oscars.  But seriously, to my Pella friends...you guys are fantastic.  I only wish we could have had a bunch more days of chill time before we all went our separate ways again.  I don't feel like I got to see half of you half as much as I would have liked.  I'll make it up when we meet again.  Promise.

But in the meantime...

Ames, you have roughly 12 hours to prepare yourself.

I saw The Goods tonight.  Jeremy Piven plays essentially the same character as he does in Entourage.  He even has an associate named "Babs".  Will Ferrell's first scene is incredibly funny.  The movie as a whole was really choppy and disjointed, but there was some pretty hilarious shit in it.  I would recommend it for a laugh.

Upcoming on my list: Inglorious Bastards, Shutter Island, Halloween 2, and 500 Days of Summer ... I realize the clock is ticking on the last one, but I'm optimistic I'll catch it before it leaves.

Kinda like summer?