Academy Awards Diary

On Friday you saw my reviews of the seven of the nine films nominated for Best Picture. It was my list and I am sticking to it. I have read that "The Artist" is the movie to beat at the Oscars, however, the same people thought "The Tree of Life" was a great film, and if you read this blog on Friday, you know that my thoughts on that movie is quite the opposite. So tonight is Oscar’s night, I really enjoy this event. It allows my wife and me to keep up with a tradition of going to the movies. It allows us to make a list of other movies to watch and broaden our horizons. However, the show goes too long and this diary may not make it to the show's completion, but I will try anyway. "And the Oscar goes to...."
 8:05p.m. - Wife is putting daughter to bed and I am charged with getting the TV ready. 3D shoots! He Scores!
8:11 p.m. - For you Oscar rookies, they don't start at 7p.m. A few years ago ABC took the ratings away from E! and Joan Rivers interviewing all the actors on the Red Carpet. Robin Roberts is interviewing George Clooney and Stacey Kiebler. Wasn't she a pro wrestler?
8:16 p.m. - There is a Busy Phillips sighting. She walks in with Michelle Williams, those Dawson's Creek roots run deep. It scored Phillips air time on the red carpet. Is anyone surprised that Michelle Williams is the best actor to come out of that show?
8:24 p.m. - I am glad we got the Director of the Oscar's perspective of what is going to happen. Plus, Chris Rock needs to lose the Fro.
8:30 p.m. - From Electric Company to opening the Oscars, Morgan Freeman is the man.
8:36 p.m. - Billy Crystal is too short for a Tuxedo with tails.
8:37 p.m. - Billy is making fun James Earl Jones voice. Seriously?
8:43 p.m. - First prediction correct, Hugo wins for Best Cinematography. Tree of Life was nominated and lost. Seriously, if Tree of Life wins anything I will throw up in my mouth.
8:45 p.m. - Hugo 2-2. Best Art Direction. If the next award is Best Picture it will be Hugo. Everyone who is involved in making this movie seems to be 80 years and need to make it to the Blue Plate after parties.
8:54 p.m. - Did someone let J-Lo know that her breasts are showing? On another note Billy Crystal's jokes are seriously bombing. The tally right now is two bad jokes about the Kodak bankruptcy and their wish to get out of naming rights.
8:58 p.m. - Somebody who can make anyone look like Margaret Thatcher deserves an Oscar.
9:09 p.m. do you think the Iranian movie won Best Foreign Film to ease tensions and bring the price of oil down?
9:12 p.m. - Another prediction correct Octavia Spencer for "The Help". She crapped in a pie for that trophy. I know someone who once crapped in a box as a practical joke.
9:22 p.m. - Mr. Razor meet Mr. Cooper. Bradley Cooper must have finished last in his Fantasy Football league. Only 10 people got that joke. I am kind of like Billy Crystal.
9:41 p.m. - Robert Downey Jr. was just caught Tebowing
9:45 p.m. - Chris Rock really needs to lose the fro.
9:55 p.m. - I have to be quite honest, these Oscars are killing me. Nobody is funny which makes for a long night. Next year they need either Ricky Gervais, Charlie Sheen or Newt Gingrich to be the hosts and give them all creative control.
9:57 p.m. - Number 4 for Hugo
9:58 p.m. - Bets on Melissa Leo swearing this year????
10:16 p.m. - Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis....this is going to be good.
10:25 p.m. - Angelina is showing some leg. Brad is in the front row so he will kick your ass.
10:27 p.m. - The Descendants gets their first win. I thought that movie was done very well. Do you think George Clooney was conflicted being nominate in one and starring in the other?
10:30 p.m. - The Oscars should make the awards like a meat raffle. You must be present to win. That is BS that Woody Allen was not there.
10:34 p.m. - My wife just brought to my attention that John Williams had 40% of the nominations for Best Original Score and still lost. That is the kind of night it has been for Hugo.
10:39 p.m. - Some good phallic talk for Short Film presentations. Where are these movies played? Are they part of the Halftime show at the Super Bowl or are they the ad space corporations pay millions of dollars for.
10:45 p.m. - Animated Shorts? Isn't that what we used to watch on Saturday mornings, religiously?
10:50 p.m. - Final Four people! My picks are Clooney, Davis, The Descendants and Scorsese (no drinking please)
10:52 p.m. - First shock of the Night! Hazanavicius wins best Director. It may not have been a shock had I actually seen "The Artist".
10:56 p.m. - Here is a suggestion. Next year let's cut the Red Carpet by 30 minutes and start the actual show at 8 p.m. and we are done by 11 p.m. The Governor’s Award crap 4 minutes before 11 is just stupid. Just saying.
11:05 p.m. - The annual tribute to people that the Academy has lost this past year. It is always a great tribute and there is always someone that you don't realize or forgot has passed (i.e. Peter Falk).
11:07 p.m. - For the record, Whitney Houston died in 2012 not 2011.
11:16 p.m. - I didn't realize, Esteban Reyes from Weeds is nominated for Best Actor. Looks like he upgraded from Mexican drug lord.
11:18 p.m. - 0-2 on my final four. Should have seen The Artist.
11:22 p.m. - These JC Penney adds with Ellen DeGeneres are dumb after the first one. Maybe just in general. I know I am just babbling now, but they have only given out two awards in the last 32 minutes. See my problem here now?
11:27 p.m. - Bradley Cooper really needs to shave.
11:29 p.m. - Meryl wins Best Actress. I know I didn't pick her but I truly believed she was going to win. I wanted to see Viola Davis win because it is someone different. Meryl's best role is still Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada"
11:32 p.m. - Thank God no commercial between Best Actress and Best Picture. Now we have Tom Cruise to listen to. Baby Steps.
11:35 p.m. - "The Artist" wins the Best Picture Oscar. I didn't see it, I have no comment and can't make the claim that it didn't deserve.

I made it through the entire Oscars and to be honest it was very painful. Billy Crystal missed the ball on this one and the Academy needs to get someone else next year. I know he was a fill in for Eddie Murphy, but still. However, the one shining light on this evening was that "The Tree of Life" didn't win anything, Thank God.

3D
Coming Right Atcha

Academy Awards Preview

In 2006, my wife and I started a common tradition of seeing all the Oscar nominations for Best Picture and formulate our own opinions on who should win.  We weren't married yet, we didn't have any kids and we really had no real life obligations other than work and each other.  That year Crash won the Best Picture, deservedly so, upsetting the much hyped Brokeback Mountain.  It's an annual tradition we look forward to, not just because of the movies, but the quality time my wife and I spend together. 

In 2010, there was a change to the process. We had been married just about 3 years and we added a child to the mix, which was going to make this tradition difficult.  So what does the Academy do?  Add 5 more movies to the nomination, thanks a lot.  Needless to say we don't see all the nominated movies every year, but this year (at the time of this writing) we have seen 7 of the 9 nominated films and here is my ranking of those films.

The movies we have not seen are "The Artist" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", if we don't get to them by Sunday, they will be viewed at some point.

1.      War Horse - This movie took me by surprise.  As an Historian I thought it was going to be about how The Great War was what is known as "the transition war" from man to man combat, to modern weaponry.  It wasn't, although Spielberg does allude to it in the movie.  It was a great story and kept my attention the whole time.  The Direction and the acting were very good, and the horse "Joey" should have gotten some sort of nomination.

2.      The Descendants - There was nothing I hated about this movie and it is an extremely close second on this list, and it will most likely win the Oscar.  George Clooney was great in this film and his Best Actor nomination is well deserved.  It had everything, romance, drama and a little bit of comedy.  The fact that Shailene Woodley did not get a best actress or best supporting actress nomination may make me boycott the Oscars, not really, but she was really good and deserved a nod.

3.      Hugo - I didn't think I was going to like this movie.  I don't understand why, it's Scorsese, he gets me every time.  This movie could have ranked better and maybe even gotten the top spot but the story line was all over the place and it took an extremely roundabout way to tie everything up and get to the point.  Overall I truly enjoyed it and this should definitely win Best Cinematography.

4.      Midnight in Paris -  This is where the list starts to decline and proves that the Academy needs to get back to five nominations.  This is definitely the best Woody Allen movie I have ever seen.  The story was different, yet unbelievable.  It captures the imagination of Allen and what his influences were while writing this.  Owen Wilson was good enough not to screw this movie up and Marion Cotillard was her usual fabulous self as Wilson's alternate life love interest.

5.      Moneyball - I really liked this movie, I really like this story.  I thought Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were great in it.  But to be honest, not Academy Award worthy.

6.      The Help - If this movie was not overhyped, over-promoted and extremely commercialized I would have it higher on my list.  This is a great Hollywood adaptation of a very good book.  It's a true Hollywood story and I found myself wanting more out of it than I got.  Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone (no nominations?) were very good.

7.      and 8 - The Artist and Extremely Loud, and Incredibly Close - We haven't seen either of them, but they can't be worse the #9 on the list.

          9.  Tree of Life - Freakin Horrendous!  What the hell was the Academy thinking, and how in
               the hell did this movie win at Cannes?  Because of Penn and Pitt?  We turned it off an hour
               in.  When I asked my wife the next day if she wanted to finish it her statement was "Hell
               No! I am really looking to get that hour of my life back".  That was it in a nutshell.  Once I
               started to see the birth of dinosaurs, it was time to turn it off.

So, that is my list and I am sticking to it.  I believe the Descendants will win but War Horse was my favorite of the bunch, by a small margin.  Here are some other things I would like to see.

Best Actor: George Clooney - He's won the Best Supporting (Syriana), but Danny Ocean needs Best Actor.

Best Actress: Viola Davis - She was really good but she is going up against Meryl Streep who is the Daniel Day-Lewis of female actors

Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill - How funny would it be if the fat kid from Superbad ended up winning an Academy Award. Can you say Tom Hanks?

And the Oscar goes to.....

3D

Coming Right Atcha

Got Gas?

So this past weekend I filled up my tank and saw the staggering number $50 to fill my tank. That was with a discount from grocery shopping. I have a small SUV and can't imagine what people pay for the huge ones. As we get closer to having our second child we will be definitely looking into an upgrade in terms of a vehicle.
Paying that much made me think back to Labor Day 2005. That was the real first time in recent memory that gas prices were a common subject among people. I remember everyone calling for President Bush to do something about it. His response was not what people were looking for. He simply said, ".....just don't buy gas". What else could he say? He does not control the price of oil or gas. The media kept reporting that the President had to do something because the oil companies from his home state of Texas were making money hand over fist and he was just helping his buddies out by not doing anything. That is the most preposterous thing I ever heard.

I am going to let you in on a little secret. Are you ready? The oil companies are making more now than they ever did under President Bush. Here are some numbers for you that are available to everybody on the U.S. Energy Information AdministrationWebsite . There is a vast amount of numbers and analysis on this website, so I will just give you a snippet.

On January 20, 2009, President Obama's Inauguration Day, a barrel of Brent Crude was $38.74. Significantly down from the previous summer. The average price for a gallon of gas in Massachusetts was $1.81 a gallon. Those are great numbers and if it were still the same, nobody would complain. Last week (2/13/12) a barrel of oil was $100.80, which results in a 160% increase and a gallon of gas averaged out to $3.61 which is a 100% increase. Oil went up, gas went up, that's fair, and gas didn't even increase at the pace of oil. Not happy about it, but it is what is.

The height of gas prices during President Obama's term was on May 16, 2011. The average for a gallon of gas was $4.03 and the price for oil was $97.37. Wait...What? Oil was cheaper in May than today and gas cost more? How can that be? At the height of Bush's presidency the average gallon of gas hit $4.12 a gallon on July 7, 2008. Oil on that day was $141.37 a barrel, the highest price for oil was 4 days earlier, at $145.29. So at what point are the oil companies making more profits? So the question of the day becomes, why hasn't President Obama been peppered about questions about rising oil costs? Especially when he vetoed the XL Pipeline which would have alleviated our dependence on foreign oil, AND added jobs in the U.S. when our unemployment rate is still above 9%.

These numbers could be looked at by people who truly understand how the gas/oil market works and say that the price of oil doesn't necessarily reflect the price of gasoline. They would be right, it's not supposed to, but it does.  That's like saying there is a significant difference in roses from February 13 to the 14th and the prices are according to that difference. The numbers above prove that when oil goes up, gas goes up. However, in recent months oil has stayed steady but gas is rising at almost a record rate . Yet our President doesn't have to answer any questions about it. Another example of what's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.

3D
Coming Right Atcha!!

3D Ramblings 2/17/12

Another edition of 3D Ramblings.  Normally I do this every other week but this week was so full of crazy and whacky stuff I just had to write one this week.  In the Ramblings this week I do mention the death of Whitney Houston, briefly, but yesterday something else happened around it that I needed comment in my opening.  Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is having flags fly at half-mast in honor of the pop stars death.  Sorry Gov. I am normally with you on things, this is not one of them.  Whitney Houston has done nothing for this country to warrant the flag being set at half-mast.  She does have the best rendition of "Star Spangled Banner" in modern time, but that was a paid gig.  On to the Ramblings.

Fuzzy Math - For those of you who think the Stimulus worked check out these numbers.  The City of Modesto, CA received $1.8 million in stimulus money to purchase and rehab five foreclosed homes.  They used the full allotment of money and when the houses all sold, the total back was $1 million dollars.  I'm no genius but $1 million is less than $1.8 million.  So we took a Private Sector loss, bailed them out with public money and then took a loss on that as well.  Ummmm....Yeah

Maine Football Coach - A Maine high school football coach resigned this week after he "accidentally" posted nude photos of himself on Facebook.  Here is another example of Facebook taking the fall in a place where Darwinism should reign.  Most men think that the male body is the most atrocious looking thing in the world.  There is no way in hell that a normal man, let alone a teacher, would take, let alone post pictures on the internet.  Charles Darwin, I salute you.

Newt Gingrich and his women - This story is old and people have probably forgotten about it.  It is widely known the affairs Gingrich had while in Congress and it came out that he asked his second wife for an "open marriage".  The liberal media was all over this.  Apparently this is only acceptable behavior of the President, not someone running for President.  The two most revered Democratic Presidents in recent history were both having affairs while in the Oval office.  At least Gingrich had the decency to ask his wife to accept the fact.

Only in Massachusetts - Can someone who has never held public office, have no political experience, or has even run for a public office be the overwhelming favorite to win a Congressional seat once held by Barney Frank.  Why?  Because his last name is Kennedy.  At least Elizabeth Warren was a Consumer Advocate and took on some businesses for the rights of people.

Say it ain't so!! - A Gallup poll released this week state that 85% of small business owners polled stated they are not looking for workers because they are worried about the overall economic outlook and the cost of having to provide healthcare under the Obamacare mandate.  Well, knock me over with a feather on that one.  So now that businesses aren't going to hire because of healthcare, what are we going to do about the people who can't find work because of Obamacare?

Jeremy Lin - Stop the Linsanity.  How awesome is this kid?  Floyd Mayweather made a comment that Lin is only getting the attention because he is Asian and that black players have been doing it forever.  If that's the case lets scale back the salaries to a more commensurate level.  I suggest Floyd go get his ass kicked by another Asian and leave the basketball to the pros.

Payroll Tax Cut deal - Honestly, is anybody really surprised that this got done?  It's an election year.  I predict that most of the stalemates will stop this year because the bubbleheads in Washington think that the American people are stupid.  Some of them are, but not all of them.

Chicago-style - Two Chicago police officers were arrested by the FBI because they took what they thought was drug money from a "runner".  Chicago corruption is almost as surprising as political flip flopping, but Chicago takes the cake in this whole ordeal.

Who should pay? - This week there have been meetings in Boston to discuss ways to close the $161 million shortfall that faces the MBTA.  Riders of the T were extremely vocal in protest of fare hikes and cuts in services and stated that the legislature just raise the tolls and the gas tax to pay for it.  So let me get this straight, these people want people who don't use the T to pay for its mismanagement?  Well, then just sign me up because that makes perfect sense.  Damn Communists!  Charles Darwin, I salute you.

Death of Whitney Houston - Sad?  Yes.  Tragic?  Yes.  Unfortunate?  I guess.  Surprising?  Absolutely not. Whitney's voice will be missed.  RIP.

3D

Coming Right Atcha!!

Bieber-mania alive and well!!!

I am now a Justin Bieber fan! No, it's not because of his music. I wouldn't be able to recognize a Bieber song if that's all that was playing and I am sure his music would make my ears bleed. Although I was impressed with his New Year’s Eve performance with Carlos Santana playing the Beatles "Let It Be". No, it's not because he is adored by millions of fans across the world. No, it's not because he has made millions of dollars with minimal talent. It's because of one hour of his time he spent on February 13.

Bieber responded to a public social media plea to meet up with a 6 year old who is suffering from a rare form of brain cancer known as ATRT. Avalanna Routh is a big Justin Bieber fan and declared that she wanted to marry the pop star. On Monday, Avalanna and her parents flew to New York to meet with Bieber, who asked that this meet be set up. Bieber and Avalanna spent just about an hour playing games, eating cupcakes and just plain having fun.

Why does this impress me so much? It's because it didn't go public until AFTER it happened and the only camera at the meet was the one that Avalanna's parents brought. That was insisted by Bieber. He wanted to just meet this little girl that wanted to marry him and give her one of her final wishes and give her and her family long lasting memories that will truly always be cherished. The pictures that have been posted on Avalanna's Facebook Page are very moving and it seems that Bieber had just as much fun doing this as Avalanna had meeting her future husband.

Did Bieber have to do this? No. Should he have? Not really, he is under no obligation. But he did, and he did it without fanfare and he was extremely genuine in doing. He only spent an hour with Avalanna because he had a plane to catch. According to the girls dad he would have stayed all day if he could and that is why I was very impressed with this young man. Not many celebrities take the time to do things like this and of the ones that do, not many get the recognition for it. That is the way they want. As far as Bieber knows, this could have come and gone without it hitting the news and he will still have been satisfied with his actions, as he should be.

Avalanna is suffering from a form of brain cancer that only affects 20 people a year, and it is incurable. As sad as it is to say Avalanna may just be a pioneer in ATRT cancer research. She will most likely succumb to this disease, and that is a shame. But her, and her family's pleas to meet Justin Bieber, and his willingness to meet her, has brought attention to a disease that not many people knew about, including me. Who knows? The outpouring of people that this story has touched just may get enough donations to get the research to fight this terrible form of cancer.

Here are the some ofpeople that made this possible:

Leslie Barber (LBarbs35), who is Avalanna's babysitter and began this plea by starting a Facebook page and tweeting celebrities to help

Fox 25 News and Dennis and Callahan Radio show for spreading the news and informing the public.

Mr. and Mrs. Routh, their strength will carry them through

Justin Bieber for making a little girl's dream come true, giving many people hope and gaining a new fan. You mess with the Biebs, you mess with 3D!

Avalanna Routh. This little girl has gone through more than any of us could ever imagine and she still a funny, little happy girl that everyone is pulling for. Go Avalanna! We are all behind you.

To learn more about ATRT please visit this website

 

3D
Coming Right Atcha!

When I was your age......

On Friday I posted a rambling about how there was a report how people were spanked as children grew up to troubled people.  I feel there is a lack of disrespect in the youth today.  I know I sound like our parents and our grandparents talking about us when were kids.  I don't think that is the case.  I would have never acted like some of the teenagers act today.  They have a crazy sense of entitlement and ALWAYS want something for nothing.  It could definitely be something they pick up from their surroundings or is taught from their parents.

This brings me to Tommy Jordan, a North Carolina dad who posted this video on You Tube that went viral last week.  In the video Jordan was simply responding to a Facebook post that his daughter posted on her wall about the poor treatment that she receives from her parents.  To start the video Jordan reads the post that his daughter put on the web.  It could have been the most disrespectful letter I have ever seen.  The language in the letter did not surprise me much as I am around teenagers all the time and their mouths are constantly yapping profanities.  Although Jordan seemed quite surprised by the language.  At the end of the video Jordan stood up and fired 8 shots from his .45 caliber gun into his daughter’s laptop as punishment, after voicing his disappointment in his daughter.

I totally agree with Jordan's approach to this situation.  The gun play may have been a little bit over the top but everything else was spot on.  Teenagers of today use technology today to be rebellious for the whole world to see and they feel invincible when it comes to how they act.  I can honestly say that I never did that as a teenager.  For one thing, I didn't have the technology that 15 year Hannah Jordan has, mainly because it wasn't around yet.  If I wanted to post something like that I would have to type it, make copies and mail it.  Secondly, if I ever got out of line my parents would break their foot off in my ass.  They wouldn't only do it if I disrespected them, they would do it if I disrespected anybody.

I wouldn't not say that my brother and I were spoiled as kids but, we never went without.  We both had paper routes when we were kids.  We both had jobs at the age of 15 and have had a job ever since.  We always did chores around the house and when it snowed outside we were charged with shoveling the snow.  When we were done we did not get a thank you (maybe sometimes we did) or a paycheck.  What we got was a roof over our head, meals to eat, clothes on our back, summer vacations, and a private school education.  If you do the math, I think we made out in the deal.  But we also learned to respect our parents and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Not everyone knows the underlying issues that face the Jordan's.  Mr. Jordan alluded to the fact that this has been a problem before, with his daughter running her mouth on Facebook.  There are issues there that are causing this teen rebellion.  It is obviously a split family with a half sibling.  Hannah may be feeling a little bit like Cinderella.  However, Ms. Jordan obviously was not testing boundaries because there aren't any.  Sure she has chores, that's just work, but there have been times she disrespected someone and it was told to her that it wasn't her fault, and that if it happened again she would be grounded.  I think her behavior was most likely let go to unbearable levels because her parents were divorced and she was playing them against each other.  Like I said, nobody knows what truly is going on.  However, it must have reached a tipping point which led to Mr. Jordan's actions.  He said in the video that he warned Hannah that the next time something like this would happen the response would be more severe.  It obviously was. 

As I stated before I thought Tommy Jordan's approach was phenomenal.  His daughter decided to air the family's dirty laundry on the internet to her friends without any regard to the repercussions.  Tommy Jordan simply complied to this tactic.  I have never given anybody any parenting advice, unless they asked for it.  My only stipulation to that is everyone else do the same in return.  The same should hold true for Mr. Jordan.

3D
Coming Right Atcha!

3D Ramblings 2/10/12

First Rambling in a while and there is so much to talk about. I am still keeping it to 10, I am mixing it up. My experiences with the City of Worcester and this lovely nanny state of Massachusetts would have closer to 100 but why beat a dead horse. Worcester and Massachusetts are designed for the incapables and the residents have resigned to that fact. I digress, so let’s get to the ramblings.

Facebook IPO - The social media website has applied for an IPO to raise $5billion. The list of people to make millions is staggering. Especially the artist who took stock options instead of payment when he painted the first Facebook offices. I bet Erica Albright is wishing she was dating a Stairmaster now, doesn't she.

Beer Pong - A Manhattan judge threw out the lawsuit of a New Jersey man who after playing Beer Pong all night at an NYC bar, thought it was a good idea to walk across a New Jersey Highway and got hit by a car. Four hours after the accident his blood alcohol level was still .26. Good for the judge to throw this case out, now only if the judge was a Darwinist and could sentence on his beliefs, that would be justice.

Spanking - A recent study showed that spanking leads to troubled adulthoods. What happens to adults that were beat down when acting up as kids? If the study is true I want to apologize in advance to anything I do to you. I truly think I am a better man today because when I acted out as a kid my parents did not hesitate to give me a "schiaffo". It taught me right from wrong, I never did it again. Can we please stop making excuses for the vagrants in the world?

Picadilly Pub - This week the Picadilly Pub closed its doors with the hope of re-opening again. I seriously doubt that will happen. I understand the fact that businesses need to close shuttering locations, a heads up would be nice. What happens to the people that work there and had no clue, and the customers that have gift certificates? Sorry!

Komen Flack - Ok, maybe I don't get it. But if a private organization decides it doesn't want to fund something anymore, where do government officials come off bullying them into changing their mind? If the Susan G. Komen didn't want to fund Planned Parenthood anymore, not only are they not obligated too, they don't even have to disclose why. I guess I am disturbed by everyone involved in this scenario. So my suggestion is, if you want to donate to breast cancer research please donate to the Kay Yow CancerFoundation. Susan G, will not be getting anything from this girls basketball coach.

Super PAC reversal - The White House and President Obama reversed course this week and claimed it was in support of Super PAC donations in the upcoming elections. It was mighty big of them since in 2008 they were able to raise $750 million after backtracking on the claim that they would only accept the public funding. I truly have no problem with this, but, Obots hear me loud and clear, the President has said it is ok for corporations to put money into political campaigns. This is the last I want to hear of it.

Gay-Marriage reversal -The California Supreme court this week reversed a law, voted by the residents of California banning same-sex marriage. The opens the doors for gays to marry in California. Seriously, does anybody really care? Why is this topic still news? I have no problems with gays marrying. However, the issue I have, gay marriage aside, is the legislating from the bench. This ruling is another example of the invalidity of elections. The residents of California voted and that should have been it. Ballot questions should go through the Constitutional ringer BEFORE they are put on the ballot.

Gisele - Ok, am I the only one who thinks Gisele is being treated unfairly after she ran her mouth after the Super Bowl? First off, she wasn't saying it to reporters. Some schmuck with a camera phone happen to catch Gisele during an exchange with an obnoxious fan. Whatever happened to stand by your man? What was she expected to say? I do believe someone in Gisele's stature and fame should know better to run her mouth in tense situations because someone is always watching.

Eggs - Making breakfast the other day the Brown eggs commercial popped in my head. So, if Brown Eggs are local eggs, where do white eggs come from? They have to be local to someone, right? Just saying.

Catholics and Contraception - so know some Catholics Democrats are retreating on some of Obamacare because it forces Catholic institutions to cover their employees for abortions, which is against the Catholic belief. I hate to say I told you so, but this law was voted on almost three years ago. It is just proof that nobody read this damn thing before voting on it. I believe more situations like this will emerge. Like full dental coverage for residents of Alabama, there is just no need for it.

Peace!!

3D
Coming Right Atcha

The Best Ever?

Over the past two weeks the legacy of Tom Brady has been up for debate.  Is he the best quarterback ever?  Is he in the same class as Joe Montana and other elite QB's?  Is he all washed up? blah blah blah.  I can't believe this subject not only is up for debate but has had so much legs, and the many scenarios that have been put out.  Why was Super Bowl XLVI the benchmark to determine this argument?

As a Patriots fan watching the Patriots lose to the Giants again in the Super Bowl was deflating.  However, it is just a game and we move on.  Tom Brady did not play his best game but he did not play bad either.  I know I am going to get lambasted for making that comment, so hear me out.  He did make two mistakes that were costly, no doubt, I still contend the intentional grounding call was suspect.  If it's letter of the rule, then fine it was intentional grounding, so in essence it was a good call.  The interception that he threw is a double edge sword.  It was definitely a bad decision, but a long TD to Gronkowski is what Patriot Nation clamored for and he would have been a hero if the completion was made.  Those are the two things that people are keeping Brady out of the argument.  This is where hindsight needs to be 20/20.

Things that have been missed, or maybe even ignored in this conversation.  So we have beaten to death the two mistakes that Brady has made.  But here are two things people aren't talking about.  Brady set one Super Bowl record and tied another in the game.  In the second quarter Tom Brady engineered a 96 yard TD scoring drive, which tied a SB record.  If you want to split hairs, it could be argued it was 98 yards because on the first play the Patriots were penalized half the distance for a false start.  It can be argued that it was a team thing and Brady didn't do all by himself.  True.  But if that is your argument, then be prepared for a Yards After Catch argument with regards to Montana.  The other record that is being left out is that Brady completed 16 consecutive passes during the game.  That's right, 16.  In Super Bowl XXXVI, he completed 16 passes, total!

Despite all that I have stated both mistakes and accomplishments Brady had the Patriots in a position to win the game.  If he played so horribly that would not have been the case.  The most common comment that I have been hearing this post-season is how opposing QB's have outplayed Brady.  That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.  First off, the QB's don't play defense, so you are comparing Apples to Oranges.  Joe Flacco vs. Tom Brady, well Flacco has an advantage because he goes up against the 31st rated defense and Brady gets to lineup against the 3rd rated defense.  That is a built in advantage when going up against the Patriots.

So is Brady the greatest QB ever?  No, Joe Montana has the franchise on that.  But Brady is definitely second on the list.  People all have different scenarios as to what makes an elite QB.  So if a 6th round pick, that has won 3 Super Bowls, two Super Bowls MVP's, two NFL Regular Season MVP's, single season TD record and 16 post season wins doesn't get you a seat at the table, then that is a very lonely table.  So is there a debate between Montana and Brady?  Not Really.  But one point I would like to add is that Montana won all his Super Bowl's in an era with no free agency and no salary cap, so his team was pretty much intact during his run, and he had the lovely #80 to throw to.  However, I still think he is the best ever.  But people, appreciate Brady, because Patriot Nation will never see another one like him.

Super Sunday Diary

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I just love this day of the year.  Especially this year that the Patriots are in it.  This year I decided to chronicle my day.  Not every moment, although it may seem it.   I warn you this is a little lengthy and there are gaps in the day.  But here is my Super Bowl Sunday for you.  Enjoy!

6:30 am - Cecilia comes into our room and wakes us up.  Darcy didn't sleep great so I tried to convince Cecilia to go downstairs with me so Darcy could rest.  She's a momma's girl, wasn't working.
6:54 am - Finally get Cecilia to go downstairs.  The Cat in The Hat is starting in 5 minutes so I watch the last 5 minutes NFL Matchup.  Hoge and Jaworski both pick the Giants.  Love that!
7:45 am - Having coffee and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Cecilia.  Line of the day (so far) from the show, "I'm the genie of the desert but my mother named me Pete".  Don't know why that's funny to me.
8:23 am - I am going to have that damn "Hot Dog" song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in my head all day.
8:38 am - Reading through Twitter and Facebook.  Many people are pumped about this day.  I must say, I am as well.  I have been overmedicating myself all week to be ready for game day.
9:56 am - My friend Mike sends me a text to remind me today is pay for out Fantasy League winner.  I have been doing this for 12 years and nobody has never gotten paid.  Thanks for the reminder though.
11:56 am - My friend Chris who is hosting us for the Super Bowl is complaining about how weird guests get the day of the game.  That is also something I did for 10 years.  I don't do it anymore.
12:39 pm - At my in-laws for a family brunch they do with some of their oldest friends.  I just walked into a room where there are 10 different conversations going on at once.  I immediately turned around and went the other way.
2:10 pm - up at practice.  Since we have a week between games today is a Yoga session and weight lifting.  Watching the kids do yoga is pretty funny.
3:33 pm - Cecilia and I have no arrived at the Simpsons house.  Cecilia is out cold in the back seat because she didn't want to nap today.  She wakes up as soon as I try to lay her down and she gets up and immediately goes to play.  Chris wants to go outside and throw the football around.
4:07 pm - We start our recent tradition which is a viewing of the greatest movie ever, Talladega Nights, The Legend of Ricky Bobby.  Shake and Bake.
4:08 pm - I explain to my friends that I will be journaling the day like a Diary.  Chris says to me "Writing a diary really didn't work out for Anne Frank"
4:09 pm - while the movie is setting up we are watching Bob Costas interview with Madonna.  I originally didn't think Madonna aged well, I then realized she's 53 years old.  I stand corrected.
4:10 pm - The First Beer of the day.
4:15 pm - The MacCartney's arrive.  We notice that Shawn is wearing his new Bruins jersey and not the one the one that he wore while in attendance at Super Bowl XXXVI.  He claimed he retired it after Super Bowl XLII.  This new one was the one that he wore during the Stanley Cup run...so how bad could it be.  There is an importance to these things...it's a total guy thing.
4:28 pm - My wife arrives.  Chris lets everyone know that he personally sat in each chair that he set up and said there was no bad seat in the room.  I immediately thought about the movie "Knocked Up" when Paul Rudd was high and counted how many different types of chairs there were in the room.
4:48 pm - Chris is clearly convinced that bacon makes everything better.  He is arguing that bacon would make cream donuts and ice cream better.  Sorry, I cannot agree with that.
5:31 pm - My friend Jay's son Cam is being very shy and won't give me a high five.  I'll get one before the end of the day.
5:59 pm - WILL KICKOFF GET HERE ALREADY
6:05 pm - I ask the question if it would be wrong of me to ask my pregnant wife to get me a beer so I don't have to get up.  The answer was a resounding YES!  Including my wife from the other room.
6:11 pm - Chris is freaking out that Tom Brady is not wearing a helmet to run out onto the field. "Why is he doing that????"
6:14 pm - The O'Sheas, the last of the guests arrive.  Shawn immediately starts his annual prop bets, these are not normal prop bets.  What will coin toss be, heads or tails?, which commercial will be played after kickoff of the second half.  The race of the man holding the chain during a first down measurement....and many more.
6:16 pm - its national anthem time and I look over and Cecilia and Chris' daughter Abby are standing side by side look up at the TV with their hands on their hearts....Just awesome, no other description.
6:28 pm - Pats win the toss and defer.  I know they have been doing it all season, I would have loved to have seen them take the ball this time.
6:30 pm - KICKOFF
6:32 pm - Manning gets sacks and many profanities were being shouted....need to start yelling "Earmuffs" with kids in the room.  We are not 21 anymore.
6:40 pm - Pats hold and the punt pins them at the 4 yard line.  NBC goes to commercial with a Bud Light Platinum commercial.
6:42 pm - SAFETY....Damn..I guess it was a good call but I just think it was an overthrow...Pats fans have no right to complain since the Pats Dynasty started on a literal translation of the rule.
6:43 pm - A commercial with Flava Flav.  I guess he's gotta work too, times are tough.
6:51 pm - The Pats recover a fumble on their own 10.....there's a flag....too many men on the field....DAMN IT!!!!
6:52 pm - TD GIANTS......*&Y^%^$.......9-0 Giants
6:57 pm - I ask if anyone would be mad if I through the football at the TV.  Once again the answer was a resounding YES!
7:09 pm - NBC just went to commercial playing the saying "You down with JPP?" Really?
7:20 pm - Giants punt again...This guy is killing me with these punts.
7:34 pm - Al Michaels just referred to Welker and Woodhead as the "Smurfs".  Gronkowski just made his first catch of the day.
7:36 pm - Commercial for the new Avengers movie.  Can't wait to not see that.
7:43 pm - The Doritos commercial with the slingshot kid was pretty funny
7:47 pm - There isn't a play in football I hate more than the handoff out of a shotgun....it very rarely works and time is running out in the first half to be making a call like that.
7:50 pm - TD PATS!!! 10-9
7:51 pm - Dane Fletcher just lit up the Giants kick returner.  We had to watch it 3 more times because DVR's are awesome.
7:52 pm - Halftime Pats leading 10-9.  I am not even playing and I am drained.  The Giants are playing better right now but the Pats are not playing bad.  The penalty on the fumble recovery hurt and the safety obviously hurt.  It should be 10-2 Pats.  Although I didn't agree with the safety call, it's interpretation was right, therefore you cannot take it away from them.
8:05 pm - Watching the halftime show and we see that Jackie Moon is one of Madonna's dancers.  Madonna is rocking out this halftime show, maybe the best ever, I still am biased to the U2 one in XXXVI.  The conversations shifts back to Bacon in Peanut Butter chocolate squares.  I swear Chris is menstrual about this bacon thing.
8:30 pm - The second half has started and the Pats have just scored a TD.  Brady to Hernandez.  The Pats take a 17-9 lead.
8:40 pm - The Giants drive down and kick a field goal 17-12.  I am not liking this.  The Pats cannot let these guys stick around.  It will not turn out good.
8:43 pm - John Stamos just got Head Butt in a commercial.  I may just buy stock in that company
8:49 pm - The Bud prohibition commercials are just not doing it for me.  There was no dust in the bars.  They just had speakeasy's that made more money.
8:54 pm - Al Michaels just used the word fondling on TV in reference to praying...hmmmmmm
9:04 pm - Brady is picked off....GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
9:14 pm - Wife just won $75 in a pool
9:17 pm - Jake Ballard just hurt himself trying to get healthy......hmmmmm
9:21 pm - Monkey commercials are always funny...they make me laugh.
9:25 pm - Did Mannigham just catch that f'n ball?????  Yes, Yes he did.  I have that empty feeling in my stomach.
9:38 pm - Two minute warning...this f'n sucks!
9:45 pm - Did Myra Kraft just push Bradshaw into the endzone....let’s hope so.
9:48 pm - CAN SOME PLEASE CATCH A F'N BALL????????
9:54 pm - Last chance....heave ho into the end zone....ball on the ground.....Pats lose

Congratulations to the Giants on winning the Super Bowl.  They certainly deserved it.  I do believe that either Hakeem Nicks or Mario Manningham should have won the MVP except for Eli Manning.  Just my thought.

3D

Coming Right Atcha

So sick of being sick.....

First off, I apologize for being away for so long. I have been busy at work, basketball (coaching and officiating) and I have been sick. Sick seems to be the mantra in this rare mild winter in Massachusetts. It seems that everyone I know have been sick or is sick. I normally don't have long dragged out sicknesses. The last sickness that lasted longer than two days for me the Red Sox hadn't won the World Series in 85 years and the Patriots only had 1 Super Bowl title.
But over the last two weeks I have been fighting a cough, sinus achiness that I still have not completely shook off. However, when I am sick I am my own worst enemy. I refuse to change anything in my life or cancel anything. I rarely take medicine, with the exception of Nyquil just so I can get some sleep. So it is no surprise that I have not been able to fight this thing off for over two weeks. I have nobody else to blame but myself.

Last week I thought the worst had passed and I would be back to normal for my upcoming weekend. So on Saturday I decided to take my daughter to Gillette Stadium to buy her a new jersey since nowhere around here sells them. It was a great trip and a wonderful day. We got home roughly around noon, I fed her and myself lunch and put her down for a nap and decided to rest myself because my wife and I had plans that night. That's when it started to re-emerge. My sinuses were so stuffed that I felt like my head was going to explode, but not bad enough to change my evening plans.

So we dropped off my daughter at my parents for the night and went to dinner at Nuovo and then off to see "Rock of Ages" at the Hanover. I would love to say that the meal at Nuovo was excellent, but to be honest I couldn't taste anything. Mussels Fra diavolo and all I could feel was the spices burning my throat. I had beautiful tenderloin with risotto, and a glass of Malbec. Nothing. I even tried my wife's Lobster Mac-n-Cheese, nothing. It was quite depressing. The show was awesome by the way and if you ever get the opportunity to see, and are a child of the 80's, I advise to do so.

From 6:30pm on Saturday until Monday afternoon all I had was water, my appetite was no longer there. On Sunday Monday and Tuesday I was scheduled to referee, I fulfilled all 3 assignments. On Monday I decided to finally hit the doctor and he told me to take the stuff that is behind the counter. I said that was why I was there. This tells you how long it's been that I bought medicine for a significant cold. All the medicine that actually works, you have to ask the pharmacist for. Sudafed, Advil cold and Sinus, etc. I guess the drug in those, Pseudoephedrine, has been highly restricted. I knew they had limited the amount you could purchase, but I didn't know that I had to get a permission slip from my mom to buy them.

Anyhow, those medicines have worked tremendously and I finally feel somewhat human again. All I know now is that the next time I get sick, I will be better prepared for it. Unless the new healthcare plan outlaws anyone with their own health insurance to buy medicine.

 3D
Coming Right Atcha