Sunday Funday Monday VII

Today's edition of Sunday Funday Monday is a recap of the good, the bad, and the ugly of yesterday's basketball game, the Sooners versus the Baylor Bears, or lesbian round ball.

The Good



Great seats! While I'm not a huge fan of women's college basketball and probably less of a Sooner fan, you have to admit the Sooners are playing the best basketball in the state right now, men or otherwise. The game was a great grudge match with two top 25 ranked teams in a hostile environment. Kudos to the Sooner faithful, the crowd was fantastic especially considering the lame environment that the Lloyd Noble Center can be.

The Sooners got down early thanks in part to some insane three point shooting by Baylor but the home team was able to battle back and take a one point lead with less than a minute to go in the game. Baylor went ahead by one point with a few seconds left and the Sooners had one final shot to win the game. Unfortunately the shot barely rimmed out and the Sooners lost. I really wish the shot had gone down, the kids from Texoma behind us was ready to storm the court in the event of a win, something I really wanted to see!

The Bad


Kimberly Mulkey! She never sat down during the entire game. Throughout the game obnoxious fans (me included) could be heard screaming "sit down Mulkey" or "get off the court Mulkey!" And what was with the pirate shirt she was wearing? Avast Mulkey!

The Ugly


This is a tie between Boomer and Sooner and the OU band. Pictured above is either Boomer or Sooner, the ridiculous mascots for the Sooners. I hate, hate, hate this duo, they look like demented pig dogs! Top Daug is rolling in his grave...

My beef with the band is always a complaint when I attend a Sooners sporting event, basketball or otherwise. All they ever play is freakin' "Boomer Sooner" over and over again with maybe "Oklahoma" thrown in every now and then for good measure. I understand that the fight song is going to get the majority of plays by the band but it's all they ever play!!

Honorable Mention

Sooner fans. These people are out of control and angry! Apparently it doesn't matter what the event is, football, basketball, underwater basket weaving. Every call by the officials was vehemently challenged by the fans. Ever. Single. Call. Chill out Sooner Nation, give your screeching voices a rest already!

I'm Mr. Blue

"I won't tell you
While you paint the town
A bright red to turn it upside down
I'm paintin' it too
But I'm paintin' it blue"

Perhaps it's just the estrogen overload from today, I've been in the company of women all day, but I'm feeling a little blue as the night comes to an end.

I've been in a good place for a while now, even my friends have made comments on how happy I seeem. But this time on my hands gives me more opportunity to think (there's a song in there somewhere). And thinking is always bad.

I'm really lonely.

Even the second Gay Christmas of the year can't cheer me up (the Oscars).

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. It's just Mr. Blue...

Pass the Flavor Aid!

Did anyone else see the Yahoo article about the Indiana restaurant that got into a little trouble over a billboard advertisement?


This is outrageous! Everyone knows those Jonestown idiots drank Flavor Aid not Kool-Aid! Admittedly the billboard is probably in bad taste, that's why I love it.

So today's question is this, what's you're favorite flavor of Flavor Aid? I do like grape, sans the cyanide...

Happy President's Day!

Today state and federal workers all rejoice with a day off from the government cheese to celebrate Washington's birthday, and others, depending on where you reside in our glorious Union. I thought I would take the time to discuss a couple of my favorite Presidents in honor of the holiday.

Naturally it would be an easy and worthy pick to claim one of our founding fathers as my favorite President. Adams or Jefferson if you like. Instead I'm going to focus on my two favorite Presidents of the 20th century, namely Harry S. Truman and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Harry Truman as everyone knows succeeded Franklin Roosevelt after his death in 1945. Truman, as often quoted, disliked being President but surely he knew that one day he would hold the office after being the compromise pick for Vice President during the 1944 Democratic Convention. Of course Truman is probably most remembered for giving the order to drop two atomic bombs on Japan in order to bring a swift end to the war in the Pacific. While this is an historic event, the man from Missouri brought so much more to the office of the Presidency. His visionary plan for America and even the world post World War II still have ongoing repercussions today. He used his pulpit to help create and support the United Nations as well as the implementation of the Truman Doctrine, a philosophy still carried on today, for good and ill, by our government. Of this he said: "the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." He seemed to follow a path of what he thought was right regardless of the political consequences and with his stubbornness he enjoyed great successes and crushing defeats. I think today's politicians could use a little of that attitude today.

Lyndon Johnson is kind of a mixed bag with me. I greatly admire the man for continuing the civil rights legacy that John Kennedy left behind as well as many aspects of the "Great Society" program. The elimination of poverty and racial injustice was part of Johnson's sweeping domestic legislative agenda in part through the creation of Medicare, Medicaid, and public funding of education. It couldn't have been easy for a southern Democrat to push this legislative agenda during the mid to late 60's. Of course on the other hand Johnson has the distinction of being the Commander-in-Chief who escalated the Vietnam conflict resulting in unnecessary loss of life of both Americans and people of Southeast Asia. Ultimately this proved to ruin his political career and by all accounts left him a broken man until his death in 1973.

Just a couple of my thoughts on this holiday. Who is a past President that you hold in high regard?

Happy Birthday Zelda!

No, I don't really know anyone named Zelda. On this day in 1986 the game The Legend of Zelda was released in Japan on the Nintendo Entertainment System. That would make Shigeru Miyamoto's classic game 25 years old. The game revolutionized video gaming by incorporating a non-linear approach to gaming where the player was free to move all around the world map as well as to back track to find previously inaccessible items. Not only did the game offer a unique and satisfying quest, but it also had a completely new quest accessible after finishing the game where items and redesigned dungeons were moved around to different areas throughout the world.

On Christmas morning 1986 I was gaming heaven at the ripe old age of 13. I remember playing the game for hours on end and being disappointed that I had to put the game down for a few days when I went on a school trip to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta shortly before winter break ended. Since that time I have played ever version of the game from the NES all the way through to the latest version on the Wii. My favoirte game in the series? Like most fans I'd have to pick The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time released on the Nintendo 64 and about to be re-released on Nintendo's latest handheld system, the 3DS. Good times!

Check out 1UP.com's coverage of the game and its 25 year history here.

The Very Late Meme

Today's meme is brought to you by the letter "Y" and of course Sunday Stealing.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Make a list of 5 things that you can see without getting up:
1) Your mom (she's right next to me in the bed)
2) A pack of Camel Turkish Royal
3) Two Sony batteries
4) A copy of "Crime and Punishment"
5) A black beanie

2. How do you style your hair?
I just put product on my hands and run it through my hair.

3. What are you wearing now?
A Cubs shirt and jeans.

4. What's your occupation?
I work at the County morgue.

5. What do you hear right now?
The people bowing and praying to the neon god they made.

6. Who was the last person you hugged?
Felicia.

7. What is/was for dinner?
Eating some left over pulled pork right now. Nom nom nom.

8. What did you do today?
The day is just starting! Yeah, I was out late last night.

9. Dog person or cat person?
Definitely a dog person. I don't brake for cats...

10. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?
Smeed.

11. What was the last thing that you bought?
Beer and smokes.

12. If you could afford to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
East Asia, the Amazon, or New Jersey.

13. Where do you see yourself in five years?
42.

14. Where's your birthmark?
I don't have one.

15. What are you doing this weekend?
Well it's pretty much over. I'm sure I'll enjoy some Sunday Funday today.

16. Which book are you reading at the moment?
"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

17. The last movie you've seen?
"The Eagle."

18. What are you doing tomorrow?
Celebrating President's Day of course!

Metroid Prime Marathon

Why no book updates? I've been spending a large amount of time playing the Metroid Prime Trilogy on my Wii. I have played some version of each game though at least three times trying to gain a 100 percent complete, meaning collecting all items and scanning all creatures throughout the game. Once again I was foiled:

Metroid Prime - 90% complete - 9 hours and 8 minutes
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - 89% complete - 16 hours and 33 minutes
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - 97% complete - 12 hours and 13 minutes

Apparently the fifth time wasn't the charm for the original Metroid Prime! Has anyone played these games and if so has anyone finished them completely without the aid of a guide?

What am I playing now? Metroid Prime, again. The sixth time has to be the one! I really need to get a life...

New Blog I'm Reading

An old friend of mine recently started her own blog called Brilliantly Blonde. All I could think of when I saw the title was:

"I just want to say that being chosen as this month's Miss August is like a compliment I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm a freshman in my fourth year at UCLA but my goal is to become a veterinarian cause I love children!"

Check it out.

Happy VD, Ugh

I swiped the following from Dann's blog from 2006. Enjoy the "holiday!"

"Valentine’s Day has a lengthy history dating back to 500 AD when Pope Gelasius I declared a feast in Saint Valentine’s honor. It didn’t take on its current form until the American marketing engine got a hold of the idea. It has now become synonymous with candy, greeting cards, roses, diamonds, and the clogging of restaurant arteries with happy couples. It will be virtually impossible to dine out tonight without witnessing a barrage of couples starring wide-eyed into one another’s eyes while they sip champagne and share desserts, most likely forgetting that a part of the cost of their meal should include a proper tip for the waiter serving them. This day has become quite the profit center for chocolatiers, florists and other purveyors off love the world over. I however, take a more cynical view of this 'Holiday'. I believe this day was created by happy couples with the sole purpose of making those of us who are single feel bad. It is a chance for the joyful couple to rub it in our faces as if to say 'See how happy we are and how miserable you are?'”

The Sunset Meme

Courtesy of Sunday Stealing.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?
Chips and salsa or tamales.

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?
A little of both, it depended on what year I was in and what subject I was studying.

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?
A local place that closed recently.

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?
Not really. While in High School we had an open campus so I ate out or went home to eat.

5. Is religion a crutch?
I think it can be. It's not for me but to each their own.

6. In your region, what is the “big” high school sport?
Definitely football.

7. Do you consider yourself rich?
Not even close.

8. Which of these would you have the best chance administering:

A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire
CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver.

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:

A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing
I can already waltz so I would have to go with salsa from the list.

10. What’s the worst news you’ve ever delivered to someone?
Unsure. I've never had to notify anyone of a death or anything awful like that. Probably break up news.

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.
How to make jello shots.

12. New variation on an old question: If there’s a song in your head that just won’t get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?
Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.

The Eagle

A very mediocre movie; however, Channing Tatum is anything but mediocre...

Together Again

So Carah Faye is returning to the new Shiny Toy Guns album. Awesome...

The Ace Meme, Part Three

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! Once again another meme from Sunday Stealing.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
Futurama, Mad Men, or Breaking Bad.

69. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE?
Put out a hit on them.

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Chocolate.

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
All eleven of them! Just kidding. I do have a couple of webbed feet.

72. SO IS IT GOING TO BE THE STEELERS OR THE PACKERS?
Ugh, not a fan of either team and their cult like fans. I guess I'm rooting for the Steelers.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
I'll probably camp out on the sofa and watch Adult Swim.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU RETIRE?
Anywhere but Oklahoma.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
When the questions turn out like this perhaps the meme is too long.

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
The television, the morning news.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Water.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I think it was my friend Matty.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE SEX(ES) YOU'RE ATTRACTED TO?
Wasn't this already a question in this meme? The eyes.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Read and hang out with my friends.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
Conservatives.

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?
Spring.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
Giant chewy sweet tarts.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
Probably not, I'll let you know in a few years.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Brown.

86. EYE COLOR?
Blue.

87. SHOE SIZE?
9.

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Subway.

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
Sushi Neko.

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
See the last question.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
Watching it right now.

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
April 26th.

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
Used to play the trumpet and French horn back in the day.

94. POLITICAL PARTY?
Democrat unfortunately. Third parties kind of stink in Oklahoma.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
Oral sex.

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
One night stands.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
A pack of Camel Turkish Royal.

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSE SPOUSE?
It is my ultimate dream to one day be a Haus Frau!

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
Nonexistent!

The Street Lawyer

During "Snowmageddon 2011" I popped over to my parents house to raid my mother's book shelf. I found "The Street Lawyer" (312 pages) by John Grisham, and since the inside of the book said: "David, Happy Birthday '98, Love Always, Mom and Dad," I thought it was probably time I read the book! From Goodreads:

"Michael is a rising star scrambling up the ladder of a giant D.C. law firm. Then one day a violent encounter with a homeless man leads him to discover that his firm harbors a nasty little secret. Michael bolts with a top-secret file and lands in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer, and a thief."

Another by the numbers book by Grisham but entertaining nonetheless. It's an obviously older work of his so I think I enjoyed it a little more than his newer works of fiction. The story centers around an up and coming lawyer in a large D.C. firm who has a life changing experience with a homeless man that leads him to re-evaluate his life and his quest for greed. The story is pretty straightforward and doesn't offer too many twists and turns, unfortunately. As I said before, highly readable and the subject matter of the homeless and their plight, though set in the late 1990's, is still relevant today. Quick, easy, and recommended, especially for fans of John Grisham. This must be one of his few novels that hasn't materialized as a movie over the years.

I'm really going to try to read some heavier fare sometime soon but I've been bogged down with training and studying with my new job...

Armageddon in Retrospect

Nothing to do but read during "Snowzilla 2011!" My latest read is "Armageddon in Retrospect" (232 pages) by Kurt Vonnegut. From his web site:

"The first and only collection of unpublished works by Kurt Vonnegut since his death — a fitting tribute to the author, and an essential contribution to the discussion of war, peace, and humanity’s tendency toward violence.

Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace. Imbued with Vonnegut’s trademark rueful humor, the pieces range from a visceral nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II — an essay that is as timely today as it was then — to a painfully funny short story about three Army privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war, to a darker, more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence. Also included are Vonnegut’s last speech as well as an assortment of his artwork, and an introduction by the author’s son, Mark Vonnegut."

I'm usually not a fan of collected works or short stories but this isn't necessarily true when it come to Vonnegut. In fact I've read more of his essays and short stories than his novels. As stated above the collections here represent previous unpublished musings on war and peace, a subject dear to any Vonnegut fan. I found every essay or story satisfying but especially "Wailing Shall Be in All Streets," his retelling of his time as a prisoner of war during World War II in Dresden after the horrific leveling of the the city. If you're familiar with Vonnegut's works, read this collection. If you're not familiar with Vonnegut's works, I suggest you start with "Slaughterhouse-Five," right now. Recommended.

The Ace Meme, Part Two

Since I'm snowed in today and I didn't get a chance to finish the Ace Meme from Sunday Stealing, I thought I would do it today. It's been an extremely boring day playing video games, reading, and shoveling snow...

Cheers to all of us thieves!

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF YOUR HOME COUNTRY?
A few times. Deutschland was my favorite.

35. WEAKNESSES?
Besides Kryptonite, I have a weakness for putting things off until the last minute.

37. FIRST JOB?
A summer job working in the warehouse for a food distribution place. Basically unloading trucks.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
Indeed, back in the stone ages when people had land lines.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOUL MATE?
You might, I'm beginning to believe I do not.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU DID STEALING?
As in today or as in on my blog? Today I was playing some Wii. In general around here I tend to blog about all kinds of random things and topics.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
I have not, knock on wood.

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Probably my eyes.

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
Yes I had them put on (installed?) the day before my Senior pictures in High School.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
Besides a winning lottery ticket? The ability to travel somewhere.

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND WHAT DO YOU WANT THEIR NAMES TO BE? (OR IF YOU HAVE KIDS, TELL US ABOUT THEM.)
I don't want kids and I'm not a fan.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I was named after my dad who was named after his dad.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE SEX(ES) YOU'RE ATTRACTED TO?
Bad teeth or a bad attitude.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKED ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
I'm drawing a blank. Graduation?

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
I usually just use soap or body wash. My skin is very sensitive so there's a particular brand I use on all parts of my body.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not really, it's pretty sloppy. Not that I use it much.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey, something spicy.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
Too many to list. Smoking would be at the top of the list.

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
Sometimes. Most people are at one time or another.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Probably not, I'm kind of a dick.

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
Sure, if you can find the right person.

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Of course but so does a personality.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
I beat up little old ladies.

58. WOULD YOU RATHER GAIN 58 POUNDS OR LOSE 58 POUNDS?
I would definitely rather lose weight. That strung out heroine look is in right now, right?

59. WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
To be independently wealthy. I'm failing miserably.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
I really liked Legos (and still do) and video games.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
I have no clue and I'm not going to count. Only people I would call.

62. WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
Barney was way after my time.

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Too much.

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
Mashed potatoes, now I'm hungry.

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A LOVER?
I've stopped looking but if I had to say, someone easy going and fun to be around.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
DB to some of my friends and Pooh or Pooh Bear to my family.

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
Not really in to super powers. I liked the heroes that were mortal like Batman!

Screw This! Snowzilla 2011!

This is what I love about Oklahoma weather, a couple of days ago it was in the 70's! They expect anywhere from 6 inches to a foot of snow in Oklahoma City with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. I think I'll be staying in all day today...