Fantasy Football Update

Since the last update, I've made 3 transfers to my fantasy team and set up a league so Jules and I can keep tabs on each other better.

My transfers:
Carragher for Mellberg due to injury.
Saha for Crouch
Bridge for Toure

These transfers were probably the best of my career so far. Saha is an ace choice compared to Crouch who hadn't played a minute on the pitch for the first few games. And Bridge was an incredible deal compared to Toure who wasn't getting me the points.

I've also reached my goal of ranking in the top half already. I'm #237,952 out of 856,198 players. In week 3, I gained more points than the overall average and only 1 point less than the overall leader did. Something I'm really excited about.

Book Review: A Long Way Down

By Nick Hornby. Yeah that's the same guy that wrote the book About A Boy that ended up becoming a movie (a good one might I add) starring Hugh Grant.

I have to say this was unexpected subject matter for a beach vacation. I just expected to buy a light reading type of book. But when I saw the author, I figured I had to get it. Besides, I couldn't find any other books that interested me.

Ok, without giving it all away, it's about 4 people who happen to meet at the top of a popular building to commit suicide and what happens when they all decide to stay alive. It reminded me a little of the Real World Series on MTV because these guys certainly didn't make fast friends with each other, they were completely different personalities and backgrounds and reasons for being at the top of the building, ready to take the plunge.

All four characters were great and the reasons they were ready to die ranged from the ridiculous to the "yeah, I would jump too". You just have to read it, trust me it's not all morbid and sad. It's quite entertaining and in the end, you'll be satisfied. I promise.

4 eggrolls out of 5

Coat Racks Reunited

Fantasy 'Football' Team:

GK: Van der Sar; Lehmann
D: Campbell; A Ferdinand; Carragher; Young; Toure
M: Sinclair; Neville; Essien; Reo-Coker; Fabregas
F: Heskey; Hasselbaink; Crouch

I've already transferred Carragher due to injury for Mellberg.
The first week of the season and I have a measly 33 points and ranked somewhere in the bottomhalf in the 500,000's.

Anyone else up for some fantasy footie and see if you can beat me?

Two Cases for AB

I just noticed that 2 of my favorite food/ travel personalities bear the initials A.B. That's Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain. I own both their books and enjoy their shows for entirely different reasons.

Firstly Alton Brown has always made sense. Like, ok, I get it now. I know why my meat isn't all that tender and now I know what to do about it. He's scientific about things, yes, but that's what's entertaining. He's not one to follow recipes, because once you know how stuff works, you don't need no freakin' recipe! Yahoo, freedom!

Second, Anthony Bourdain is like a food master of the subversive. He takes you to far and away places and really gets to the heart of a city. Never mind doing the usual touristy shit. He wants to take you to the hidden dive underneath an alley, because that's where the locals go and of course, where the food is real. And real good.

Right now, Alton has his normal (encyclopedic in nature) show, Good Eats and now has a new show called Feasting on Asphalt, where he travels to find the food culture of highway restaurants. And don't forget he hosts Iron Chef America too. All shows are on the Food Network.

Anthony Bourdain is currently on the Travel Channel on his show called No Reservations. Tomorrow is a new episode on his trip to Beirut during July and documents his experience there as war started to erupt all around him. It should be a really incredible episode.

This Music Tastes Like Limes

So I dug out of my slow fall into old-peopledom by installing LimeWire on my computer. But I'm not so cool as to install on my A computer, I installed it onto my B computer in case I download something nasty. One of the computers has to take the fall and I don't want it to be my precious laptop.

Now, I feel like I'm young and cool like the rest of you lot.

So anyway, I'm interested in what everyone out there is downloading nowadays. I'll consider any suggestion you make and then maybe post a list of downloads.

The Planet Mars

Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that if you got an email about Mars coming close to Earth this month, don't believe it. It's fake.

This email is just making its rounds again 3 years after it actually happened in August of 2003. And the part where it's suppose to be the size of the moon is quite extraordinary, seeing as though if Mars were ever the size of the moon in the sky, we'd be in some deep doo-doo.

Sorry to spoil the fun.

How Much Fish Can a Cat Handle?

Lookalikes

Apparently, I really like Sweden. A lot.

It's Tony's Line

Remember Tony Slattery? You know, the guy on Who's Line Is It Anyway that was really funny? I almost forgot how funny he was until I caught a few episodes on BBC America. He is so funny.

Mom and Dad Like It Because It's Commercial

My sister sent me an email telling me how her trip to Hawaii was with my parents. She said that mom and dad really liked Oahu, because it's commercial. That's so funny. Yet so true. I remember one time when my mom said she didn't like Rome because it was dirty. Like, they should renovate more often and make the buildings look nice.

Anyway, Jules recommended Kaui for the snorkeling and activities. The food was good and they brought back some cheesy gifts for me. I asked specifically for a beach towel and got a brown beach towel with a graphic of a hula dancer. Don't get me wrong, it is what I asked for, I just wasn't expecting the whole thing to be poop brown. I also got a black "Hawaii" t-shirt with gold embroidering, a poncho, a key chain, a fake Burberry handbag, and a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts.

You Think Mead is Cool, Don't You?

Yuck! Mead is gross. I don't care if you are one of those Renaissance faire geeks and think that mead is awesome. Or if you're a goth and think anything medieval is sweet. Mead is not cool. It's gross and you are weird for liking it.

Still Waiting for My So-Called Life

It's nice to have Netflix on days you don't have a damn thing to do. And it's nice to finally be updated on the latest and greatest flicks so you don't feel excluded in conversations. But I tend to look for obscure titles that they don't have or titles that are perpetually in the waiting list. This defeats my purpose of subscribing to Netflix.

What's taking so long for me to get the "My So-Called Life" tv series? I can't imagine it's because there's no demand. I want answers!

Conspiracy Theory

My whole theory on Suri Cruise is that there must be something wrong with her. Like a physical deformity or something. If it were some internal problem, her operations would be all over the news and hell, we'd be watching telethons till the cows come home. My guess is that they are embarrassed of her physial deformity which would explain why no one's seen her. Down's Syndrome would be my first guess, but I've got cleft palate and underdeveloped limbs in the running too.

Yo Mama So Old...

Ok, so it took Zidane 3 days to think through things. So it took me 4 days to think through things too.

The truth is, there's no such thing as a yo mama joke in Europe. They just don't have them there. So to tell them that a yo mama joke is a term of endearment or a brotherhood thing, they just won't understand.

But if the scenario Zidane describes was actually meant to be an insult, then I can understand where a headbutt (or in my case, a brick up the side of your head) would be necessary. I come from an Asian family, and family honor is #1. What do you think all those kung fu movies are about anyway? Everything else comes after. And certainly a sporting match comes way after, even if it is the World Cup.

So in my eyes, he was justified. But, of course, it was unfortunate that the whole world had to see it and it happened to be the last match of his well documented career. If it were at any other place at any other time, this wouldn't be headline news.

By the way, yo mama so old, when she went to school there was no history class.

Strange Attraction

For your information, I'm really pulling for a French win on Sunday. I really want Zidane to have his fairy-tale ending. I think he deserves it.

I find myself strangely drawn to the man. He seems like a genuinely normal guy, aside from the fact that he's filthy stinking rich. He has a normal wife and four normal kids. He looks great in clothes, like he could be a model. He looks even greater now that he's shaved his head, which now brings out his rough and tumble facial features. "Rough and tumble" looking guys were never my type, but there's something different about Zizou. It just suits him.

But I also get the feeling that behind the tough exterior, that he's a softy inside. Photos of him with his kids are so adorable. And then there are some cultural parallels that I feel like I share with him.

He's a child of Algerian immigrants, raised in Marseilles. The Algerian national team didn't want him because "he wasn't fast enough". So he chose to play for France. Yet the French president (underscore, emphasize, bold) said that more and more, he can't recognize a French face on the team. (The top players in the team are of non-French heritage) Talk about not being wanted!

Anyway, sometimes I feel like that just walking the streets in my own small town neighborhood. Being a minority sucks sometimes, like you're constantly being singled out as different. Yet I know that if I went to Vietnam, I would instantly be recognized as non-vietnamese. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong anywhere and anywhere I go, they won't see me as being one of them.

So the sense of belonging and doing something to show everyone that you belong somewhere is something I feel like Zidane is out there proving, with quite remarkable results. Being touted as possibly the best in the world of all time is no small feat. If only I could be as successful.

Anyway, Go France! Go Zizou!

I Know Nothing

It's official. My World Cup bracket sucks. None of my picks for the Semifinals made it through. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I don't.

My picks = Argentina, Czech Republic, England, Brazil.
Reality = Germany, Italy, Portugal, France.

Boy was I wrong about Czech Republic, they never even made it out of Group round. And I never factored France or Portugal to be in it at all. What the hell do I know? But looking at the final four, I think all four teams deserve to be there. It's going to be tough matches ahead.

You should log onto Boom Chicago to see The Unlikely Fan's World Cup videos. Daily commentary on the World Cup...It's hilarious.

God Save the Queen

God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble queen
God save the queen
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God Save the Queen

Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour
Long may she reign
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen

COME ON ENGLAND!!!

The Hand of God

This is what Argentina needed today to win against Germany when Pekerman made some awful substitutions early in the game.

Messi and Saviola did not start. What!?
Then Abbondanzieri gets injured and has to sub out at a crucial time in the match. And then they sub out Riquelme?????? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!!!!!

I had Argentina going all the way this year. ALL. THE. WAY.
I wouldn't have made this prediction if I knew their manager was a complete loon. Why do you sub out Riquelme when there's still 20 minutes and Ballack, Podolski, and Klose are still on the pitch?
I bet you feel like a real ass when minutes later, Klose equalizes.

And now you have to play extra time without your A game.

And now you are pitting Jens Lehman against your second goalkeeper? No contest. I knew what was going to happen when I saw your substitutions. I just knew it.

Way to go Pekerman. You blew it.

Breaking the Law!

Yes, he made a conscious decision not to get a license this year. Yes, it was a Sunday night. Yes, I was with him, of all days. So of course we got caught for fishing without a license. It was our fault and we admit it. But we've learned our lesson (a costly decision at $112 each), that even though a park ranger has never actually been seen monitoring the park in your entire life, you will get caught on the day you don't have one.

They're Dropping Like Flies

This past weekend, I attended one of Joe's cousin's wedding. Ryan was the last of the Metzger grandkids that was to get married in the family. Excuse me, SECOND to last. The last would be us. And boy did we know it. Every aunt and uncle made it a point to tell us that we were next to be married. Oy vey!

Patience, people! I promise your patience will be rewarded.