so, the New York Rangers laid the egg i feared last night, and now are tied for the final playoff spot with the Islanders. if we miss the playoffs and those ass clowns make it, i'll be quickly transported back to my youth in the early 80's. please, god no.
also, only got 2 of the 4 college basketball games right last night and one of the losses was, of course, a team i had playing in the title game. i have to have Louisville win it all just to be over .500 on my main bracket. this is the absolute worst i have ever done on this, and that goes back to 1986.
so, needless to say, i was a bit pissy this morning and didn't take the camera into town. but, i did take some photos on the farm a bit ago. below are my favorite 3 of the 17 i took.
you can see the other 14 shots i took by going to my Google+ page. and if you go there and aren't following me already, what are you waiting for? and i would suggest following this blog as well. thank you.
Manchester United plays tomorrow morning. hopefully they win so i can get out of this funk of losing. it's bad enough that i'm expecting a shit year for the Yankees. United might be the only hopes i have for a title.
the Rangers play Saturday night in Montreal. i'll do my best to avoid that disaster as they never play well up there. NEVER! i think it's been over 3 games since they have scored up there. not good.
hope everyone has a great weekend. for the religious ones, enjoy your Easter. for the C & E Christians (Christmas and Easter are the only time my ass shows up in church Christians), enjoy playing dress-up. and for the rest of us, enjoy the candy. be safe and be well.
music today:
Beach House - Bloom
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
looking forward to the Sweet 16 games tonight. that will give me something else to watch in case the New York Rangers are spitting the bit tonight up in Ottawa. and given how they have played against that team this year, laying an egg is a possibility.
started up my daily fantasy baseball teams today on ESPN.com. no salary caps this year, so i guess i'm going to find out just how much i really do know about advanced statistics. also, i guess it's rather appropriate the New York Yankees start this season on April Fools Day.
the doctor's office called me this afternoon and asked me to call them back. like a good boy i did. all results are normal and their recommendation is just an annual check. i can understand everyone's concern given the family history of just about every fucking disease known to man. but, just like the blood clots that should have killed me at 32, i don't fit any molds or anything that should be. i'm sure not drinking any pop for over a decade and not running to the doctor every time i get the sniffles has actually been a good thing. and knock on wood, hopefully it stays that way.
also, a little f.y.i. for everyone that has my phone number. if you call and leave me a message, i will call you back. if you call and don't leave a message, i won't. i'm pretty simple that way.
i went to bed last night thinking Jarome Iginla was traded to the Boston Bruins. woke up this morning to see that he was actually traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. seeing that if the playoffs started today, the Rangers would be playing the Penguins, to say i'm a bit disgusted with this news would be a vast understatement. but, that's getting way ahead of myself. the Rangers have to make the damn playoffs first before i can start having dreams of Crosby crying over a playoff upset.
did see that the Miami Heat win streak finally ended at 27. maybe the NBA regular season can go back to being boring again now.
was hoping i would come up with some poetry today while cleaning the toilets and vacuuming the first floor. sadly, nothing came to me other than a little back pain. and all those poems have been tapped for the time being.
are all the telemarketers calling because it's the end of the month or is everyone on a crusade to try my patience?
i'm not happy with the weather forecast for next week. yet more chances for fucking snow. i suppose i will be getting a late start this year on mowing the grass. i was already on cut number 2 by this time last year.
hopefully, if the air stays in my shitty truck tires and my synapses still fire, i'll remember to take the camera with me into town tomorrow. maybe get some pictures to post on here over the weekend.
music today:
Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
"Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely." - P.J. O'Rourke
the sun came out today. most of the snow has melted. i have noticed as i have grown older it's the little things that tend to bring me the most joy. and somewhere the evil side of me is now making a penis joke.
last night the New York Rangers looked like the team i absolutely loved last season, destroying Philly 5-2. very fun to watch, as most of the goals were scored by guys on my fantasy team.
i was even happier about team USA's 0-0 draw against Mexico. a HUGE point to get on the road in World Cup Qualifying. the nightmare start of the qualifying round is over and i do believe this team has found an identity. hopefully the good play continues.
podcast goodness to share: check out The Sam Roberts Show Online, episode 48. it's an absolute must listen, especially if you want to laugh your ass off. it can be found at iTunes, Stitcher, and by going to http://notsam.com/podcast.html. and if you are doing some shopping at Amazon.com, use the link on the podcast page to help Sam out.
made my picks for the Sweet 16 this morning. i have been so off this tournament, i will be shocked if the 8 teams i picked will win.
not sure what i'll be watching on tv tonight. i suppose i should be getting myself ready for baseball season and the nightly ritual that becomes.
i did enjoy night two of The Voice. looks like this season will be just as good or better than the previous three.
flirting with the idea of breaking out the watercolors one of these days and letting my imagination out to play. not that i'm any good at painting or anything, i just find it's helpful to keep the creative juices flowing. and here we go finishing off with yet another place for a penis joke.
music today:
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali
went to the doctor's office this morning to get some more blood drawn. i'm supposed to call tomorrow to get the results. i don't see that happening as i really don't give a shit one way or the other.
had to drive my mom around today as something is up with her left eye. i figure this will end up being my "job" before too long. and considering how much she has to go around this state, i better get used to her vehicle pretty damn quick.
i heard from my publisher today. it looks like Sofisticated White Trash has been delayed yet again. hopefully it will arrive in April.
and with all the poetry happenings today, i sat down and wrote 3 poems. not bad for having absolutely nothing going on in my head that i had to write about. 1 of them i really like. got a place in mind that i will be sending these 3 to, probably later on next month.
big tv night tonight. all going on at roughly the same time or running into each other, New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers, New York Yankees spring training game, The Voice, USA vs. Mexico in World Cup Qualifying. another night where i need that Elvis wall of televisions. and hopefully 2 victory beers before i call it a night.
i enjoyed the return of The Voice last night. it's one of the few reality shows that i actually enjoy.
as for Monday Night Raw, any show that ends with John Cena writhing in pain gets a big thumbs up from me. not that i actually watched much of it last night. anytime The Voice was in a commercial so was Raw. that got a little annoying after awhile.
good luck to the Dayton Flyers Women's team tonight against Kentucky. it would be nice to see them make it to the Sweet 16 this season. they certainly deserve it.
until tomorrow or whenever i post again...
music today:
Jim Croce - Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits
The xx - Coexist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist
"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom." - Robert Frost
so, we didn't get the 7-10 inches of snow they thought we would get over the last 24 hours or so. i believe we got around 4 inches, with a few drifts out here on the farm around 5 inches. it's a pretty wet and heavy snow, not much fun for my bad back. but, got the shoveling done, got the cats fed. now, just got to get my lazy ass down to the end of the lane to pick up the trash cans and get into town to get the mail. not sure if either are actually going to happen or not. if they do, it will be before dark.
watched 2 glorious basketball games yesterday at UD Arena. might be the best doubleheader of basketball i've gone to in years. first game was Ohio State vs. Iowa State. a real back and forth affair that saw a little of everything. missed free throws, big time dunks, a string of 3's to get a team back in the game, a few blown calls, and to top everything off, a game winning 3 from a guy who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if you gave him 30 chances to do it. Ohio State wins by 3.
next up was Indiana vs. Temple. i feel bad for the players from Temple. they had the lead for nearly all of the 40 minutes in this game. Indiana took the lead for good with just over a minute to go. it wasn't a pretty game but the intensity of the crowd certainly made it memorable. Indiana wins by 6.
hats off to all the fan bases for making the 10 games i saw over the last few days really fun. as a guy behind me said yesterday, the hatred flowing in the arena was spectacular. especially once all the Ohio State fans started rooting for Temple to beat Indiana. out of all the fan bases, Indiana had more fans than anyone. kudos to Iowa State's fans though, even with the threat of a huge snowstorm, i don't think any of them left early.
mom and i got home with a little pizza just before the storm started to really hit. pretty damn good timing as just a few hours later it was pretty close to a whiteout. after some pizza, i settled down to watch the New York Rangers. sadly, another must win that ended in a shootout loss. time is starting to run short on this season. hopefully they can find something other than inconsistency to be consistent with.
big game tomorrow in World Cup Qualifying for team USA at Mexico. if they could come out of it with a draw, i would over the moon happy. a win would be so mind boggling that i'm not even allowing myself to think it's possible.
also tomorrow i get to go to the doctor's office and get more blood drawn. i guess they finally got around to reading my lab report from awhile back. fun fun fun.
not exactly sure what the fuck the New York Yankees are doing trading for Vernon Wells. i don't think he's had much left in the gas tank for the last few years. he's simply sticking around because he's making a ridiculous amount of money. even at my most optimistic i would think this move is borderline insane. the season starts soon enough. maybe i'll be wrong and he'll rediscover some power and decent play. hopefully.
in fantasy sports news, i won last week in hockey 8-2. still going strong in 3rd place in the league. as for the NCAA brackets, got 9 teams right in the Sweet 16. that's basically one step above pathetic. i do have the 2 teams i picked to play in the finals still alive. but, those are the only teams i have left for the Final 4 as well. basically, if i somehow finish this March Madness with a winning record, it will be a minor miracle.
i'm really looking forward to the return of The Voice tonight. should be interesting flipping between that, Monday Night Raw, and whatever hockey game i feel like watching.
hope everyone is well. hope the weather where you are isn't the cold, sloppy fucking mess it is here. until we meet again.
music today:
The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band
Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell and Angels
"Sports is the toy department of human life." - Howard Cosell
i spent 12 hours yesterday watching basketball at UD Arena. 4 basketball games, with only 1 being competitive. and sadly, that was the first game.
Temple Vs. NC State - NC State started out brain dead and got down big early. so, as i've seen a few million times, they didn't have quite enough to dig themselves out of the hole. i give them credit for making it interesting, but, still a loss by 4 points.
Indiana vs. James Madison - this game was over about 3 minutes in. when one player is outscoring the entire team for nearly the first 10 minutes of the game, saying a game is lopsided is an understatement.
then, thanks to the NCAA having their heads shoved up their asses, the next game started less than 60 minutes after the previous one finished. so, everyone has to leave the building and go wait in line with session 2 tickets. thankfully, mom and i parked in handicap parking, so we just waited in the car, had a few snacks, and stayed out of the cold. more on the cold later.
Ohio State vs. Iona - why the dumb fucks from Iona would provide OSU with bulletin board material before the game is beyond me. foolish youth. Ohio State flirted with 100 points in this game and by the end had 3 players on the court that people from Columbus were saying never play. that pretty much sums up that game.
Iowa State vs. Notre Dame - was a little surprised with the lack of Notre Dame fans there, as was the fuck behind me who couldn't shut up 2 minutes to save his life. Iowa State destroyed Notre Dame fairly easily. easily enough that there was probably less than 3 thousand people left at the end. both sessions drew over 12,000.
so, on Sunday i will see Indiana vs. Temple and Ohio State vs. Iowa State.
thankfully, these games will start at noon. i say thankfully as they are calling for 6-10 inches of snow on Sunday. and here i thought it was spring. it appears (as of right now) that most of that snow should come after the games are over and my mother and i are back home. sadly, mother nature has a tendency to not go as planned. my fingers are crossed. and my back is already being iced. good thing i didn't put up the snow shovel just yet.
don't ask about my brackets. when you lose a final four team (Georgetown) before the first weekend is over, you can absolutely forget about winning anything. now, i have to hope i have some magic in the round by round games.
and now for the fire.
the guy who farms out here is finally burning off the brush he cleared to help with our drainage problems. if i wasn't so damn tired i might have actually walked down there to get closer shots. be thankful i walked up the stairs to get the camera at all.
and here's one of my cat Kit Kat just for shits and giggles
i will try to get pictures if we really do get all that snow. and i will try to get some pictures of the cats so names can be put with images. i imagine that will be mostly for my mother as she can't keep any of their names straight.
music today:
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Beach House - Bloom
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein
well, since New Mexico lost to Harvard and blew up my main bracket, i figured i might as well post tonight since i will have no chance to do so in the morning.
if all goes as planned, i will be mailing poems out in the morning to ZYX and Presa Magazine. when i hear back from these places, i will post the responses here on the blog.
i was totally disappointed with the New York Rangers 3-1 loss tonight. not sure if it was just running into a goalie standing on his head or if it was a bunch of guys who thought they were going to win and didn't need to pay the price to win. either way, if they happen to miss the playoffs, this will be the game they can look back on and say what could have been.
that is all. if i have any energy left by tomorrow night, i will try to post my experiences at the 4 games tomorrow. knowing how Ohio State fans act, i'm sure i will have something to talk about.
"Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil." - Niccolo Machiavelli
i've been running on empty for most of today. 4 basketball games in 2 days can do that to you. of course, i have 4 games to go to tomorrow. i think my Saturday may be either a coma or one powered by alcohol.
did manage to sell off some music today. got $15. that's the most cash i've had on me in 3 months. certainly enough to cover the poems i need to mail out. i'm hoping to get that all done before having to get down to UD Arena for the afternoon session of basketball. which means plenty of the little shit to do tonight. cover letters, bios, etc. etc. i guess i can get that done between basketball, hockey and the dishes this evening.
as for the 2 games last night. neither were that close. both had much better flows than Tuesday's games. made the evening go much quicker. actually got out of the arena before midnight. not sure if that's going to happen or not on Friday.
another must win for the New York Rangers tonight. with the way Florida is playing right now, hopefully the boys put the foot on the neck early.
my brackets are ok of right now. (fingers crossed)
my order from Amazon.com arrived early. so, you'll be seeing a few new music (at least new for me) selections popping up.
had a very nice lunch with my mother today while watching some tourney games. helps that i was drinking. and not having to pay.
i'm interested to see how i survive tomorrow. i'll be sitting in a section of the arena that i haven't sat in in over a decade. should be interesting. i'm really hoping the games are good enough to trick my mind into not giving a shit that i'm around nearly 13,000 strangers and i really don't like people for the most part.
at the very least, i'm hoping for a few poems to pop up out of nowhere.
hope this finds everyone well. until i grace you with my presence again.
music today:
Guided By Voices - Down By The Racetrack
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
"Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you." - Ogden Nash
i heard back from Jeremy Benson on my poetry submission from the other day. my poem "nuclear winter" has been accepted for volume 2 of the Potters Wheel Anthology. when it hits the streets i'll be sure to put all the links here on the blog.
it says today is the first day of spring. the sun was out earlier. but, it has struggled to get into the 30's today so far and there was a little blowing snow while i was feeding the cats. oh spring, just another lie...
today's blog is brought to you by the Sam Roberts Show Online. i highly recommend episode #47, especially if you are a pro wrestling fan. you can find #47 on iTunes, Stitcher, and at http://notsam.com/podcast.html. check it out and tell a friend. and while you're at it, check out a young Sam Roberts on Nickelodeon in 1998
the basketball games were pretty good last night. if the second game would have been like the first, i would be raving about them. the first game was really good. both teams were evenly matched and the game came down to a final shot. North Carolina A&T with a 1 point victory over Liberty. as for the second game, i almost felt bad for the couple thousand fans that drove up from Tennessee to see St. Mary's just completely dominate and outplay MTSU. how they could leave St. Mary's best player open so many damn times was dumbfounding to say the least.
after we got out of the arena and made it back to town, it was around midnight. and of course, i live in a town where most everything closes at 10. so, it was a late night meal at the only place open, Waffle House. after not eating for about 10 hours, i was pretty much up to eating anything. of course, i thought better of it 2 hours later on the shitter.
did see that the New York Rangers won again last night. 2 much needed wins in a row to get them back into a playoff position. if i wouldn't have been tired as hell when i got home, i would have watched the game. instead, i settled for the highlights on the NHL Network.
i did come up with names for the cats finally. any name with a * after is a cat that has made it through its first winter and now will be called something other than hey. 16 cats in total. Kit Kat, Whitey, Neal Cassady, A Boy Named Sue, Weezie Jefferson, Gizmo 2.0*, John Prine*, Michael Jackson*, Tito Jackson*, Jermaine Jackson*, Rita Dove, Tolstoy*, Walt Whitman*, Irvine Welsh*, Phantom of the Opera*, and Langston Hughes.
2 more games tonight and hopefully something other than Waffle House afterwards. hope this finds everyone well. i did figure out what music i'm selling off later this week, so i got some poems in order to get to the post office. more on that tomorrow most likely.
music today:
Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
"It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody." - Spike Lee
i got my shit together (a little) and sent out some poems today. 6 poems total. 5 to Zygote in My Coffee and 1 to Jeremy Benson for his next Potters Wheel Anthology. if you're interested in sending Jeremy some poems, check out this link for all the information: http://jeremy-benson.com/issues/PWissue2.html.
i wasn't too pleased last night after watching the New York Rangers get completely manhandled in the first period last night. thankfully the rest of the game was the complete opposite. a much needed 2-1 shootout victory. highlights are below. a huge game tonight against the Devils. another 2 points would be very nice. and needed. of course, i won't see it until much later on as i'll be at some basketball games tonight. not sure if i will try to keep up on the score at the game or not.
congratulations to the Dayton Flyers women's team on making the NCAA tournament. of course, they got completely hosed by getting a 7 seed. that's a tough pill to swallow for a team with just 2 losses all season. but, that should give them a nice huge chip on their shoulder.
enjoyed a few parts of Monday Night Raw. didn't catch all of it as i was sneaking peeks at the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics last night. i laughed when the Heat were down 17 early and watched them win the game by 2. a quick rule of thumb i have developed over the years. if you ever want to watch a NBA game, you only really have to subject yourself to the last 5 minutes. that's really the only part of a regular season game that is great. this rule does not apply for the playoffs.
back to Raw, the triple threat match last night was excellent. wouldn't mind seeing that again. also, the look on Triple H's face after the career on the line stipulation was revealed was perfect. not a perfect show by any means, but good enough to keep the car moving on the road to Wrestlemania.
hope everyone has a great day. updates on this blog may be a little spotty given all the basketball games. but, if there is a great night of games, you might see a 3 in the morning update. who knows. until we meet again.
music today:
The Steel Wheels - Live @ Ignition Garage
"If you want to be thought a liar, always tell the truth." - Logan P. Smith
another damp, dreary day here on the farm. had some freezing rain overnight. no down power lines or anything, but it certainly didn't do any favors for my back. i always love waking up stiff as a corpse.
found out last night the teams coming to Dayton for the NCAA tournament. i was half right in my guess. Indiana and Ohio State are the big teams. i suppose i could throw Notre Dame and NC St. in that mix as well. here are the 10 games i will be seeing in person this week:
Tuesday:
North Carolina A&T vs. Liberty
Middle Tennessee St. vs. St. Mary's
Wednesday:
LIU-Brooklyn vs. James Madison University
Boise St. vs. La Salle
Friday:
Indiana vs. LIU-Brooklyn/JMU winner
NC State vs. Temple
Ohio State vs. Iona
Notre Dame vs. Iowa State
Sunday:
Indiana (most likely) vs. NC St./Temple winner
Ohio St/Iona winner vs. ND/Iowa St. winner
the thought of Ohio State playing Notre Dame on Palm Sunday has me thinking of how much money the tickets could be scalped for. also, thought it was a little cruel for the outgoing Xavier AD to put 2 A10 schools here while the Dayton Flyers season is done. of course, Xavier isn't playing in the postseason either.
filled out a few brackets. a few less than last year. my main bracket has Louisville winning it all. i think i filled out about 15 or so brackets, plus a few round by round ones as well. my fingers are crossed. i'd really like to win something this year. anything would be nice.
spent a little time today thinking of names for the new cats. got a few good ones in mind. the key will be what ones i can remember. plus, so many of these little fuckers look alike, it probably doesn't matter what i name them. i'll probably call them the wrong name anyway.
i am going to try to weave some poetry submissions around the basketball games this week. not sure how i'm going to do that, seeing that a few have to be sent via the post office. but, i enjoy the chaos of running around at times. it would help if the sun or some heat would make a surprise appearance this week. neither are expected for some time.
the New York Rangers play tonight. hopefully, i won't have many reasons to stop watching them tonight. at least until Monday Night Raw starts. if their past few games are any indication, i'll be grumpy sometime way before 8 pm.
music today:
Jamey Johnson - Living for a Song (A Tribute to Hank Cochran)
Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See
Trampled by Turtles - Stars and Satellites
"A man is given the choice between loving women and understanding them." - Ninon de L'Enclos
i'm not sure a Saturday morning gets better than waking up to see Manchester City lose 2-0. add to that, albeit a totally fucking lackluster game, a 1-0 Manchester United victory and now the lead in the Premier League is 15 points. with 9 games to go. i'll step out on a limb and say i think United has it in the bag now.
i watched maybe the first 3 minutes of the New York Rangers game yesterday. watching them give up a goal and having to listen to the Pittsburgh announcers was simply too much for me to handle. they lost 3-0, which sucks. but, since i have the Penguins starting goalie on my fantasy hockey team, the shutout helped me. i've got a 9-1 lead going into today. would be nice to get on a roll before the fantasy hockey playoffs start. and it would be nice if the Rangers woke the fuck up soon and realized the season is already half over.
i noticed the Yankees didn't score a run in 2 different games yesterday. wow, i'm really looking forward to this season. fuck me.
i'm thinking i'll probably end up seeing Louisville and Ohio State next week in the college basketball games at UD Arena. i'll know for sure at 6 pm tonight. all i'm really hoping for is some great games.
enjoyed ROH last night. i'm really hoping the SCUM angle doesn't become yet another NWO poorly done rehash of a gimmick from the 90's.
i'll try not to get too drunk that i sleep through my Sunday night shows. no guarantees though. i feel like 37 going on 70.
hope everyone has a great day. be safe. get the hangover food ready.
music today:
Shrug - Whole Hog For The Macho Jesus
Cat Power - You Are Free
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." - William Butler Yeats
yesterday was not a good sporting day for me. spent the afternoon watching the Dayton Flyers lose to Butler. they did what they have done all season, tease. play good, get some rebounds, get some stops, get a lead, make stupid turnovers, quit playing smart defense, panic when the lead goes away, dig out of the hole, rinse, repeat, lose. a fitting end to one fucking frustrating season. 17-14. one less win than i thought they would have after watching the first few weeks of the season. well, hopefully next year will be better, regardless of what conference they are in.
after dinner and The Big Bang Theory, i sat down to watch the New York Rangers. yet another lifeless game where they couldn't capitalize on any chances in what was basically a playoff game in Winnipeg.
that went off just in time to flip over and watch team USA lose in the World Baseball Classic.
as you could imagine, i was a little less than pleased when i went to bed last night. thankfully, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has been pretty damn good all week. that has helped get rid of some of the tension at least.
i woke up this morning to 3 deer walking across the front field. it was just light enough that i could see them. i doubt my camera would have been able to get them. hopefully one day i'll have the damn thing on me when i see some wildlife out here.
at least the New York Yankees won a meaningless spring training game this afternoon. no victory beers for that though.
as for the weekend, tomorrow will be a double dipper of the Rangers playing in Pittsburgh and Manchester United playing a classic trap game against Reading. both are on at the same time basically. i get the feeling i'll be watching United more to begin with. if both lose, this weekend will be a little hard to escape a complete shit storm. so, hopefully one will win at the very least.
i've got to come up with a little money to get some poems out. i figure i will be selling off some music, if the truck gets me to the music store. fingers will be crossed for the next few days. for the truck and for the weather. at least it made it to the 40's finally. of course, there might be snow on St. Patrick's Day.
also on the 17th is Selection Sunday. i'll get to find out which teams i'll be watching in person over the next week at the UD Arena. hopefully some good ones with some decent fan bases. or some rivals would be nice as well. any emotion makes the games pretty fun. especially when you're only rooting interest is whatever your bracket is. i'm going to win a damn bracket challenge sometime before i die. and by the looks of things, i better get to it quickly.
hope everyone has a great weekend. be safe and enjoy the alcohol.
music today:
The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach
Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers
"I don't have a moral plan, I'm a Canadian." - David Cronenberg
first, a quick flashback to Monday Night Raw. you know you have been watching pro wrestling too long when you're watching the Undertaker make his slow ass walk to the ring for the Paul Bearer memorial and your first thought is this would be a great place for CM Punk to get some heel heat. and when Punk does come out you can't help but think you'd certainly work cheaper than the ass clowns that are writing this currently. i certainly laughed at all the hatred CM Punk got after Monday. i suppose some people still think it's real. or some people just can't give a guy props for doing a great job. people are supposed to hate him. i don't think there's a better heel around these days. as for the rest of the show, other than the great wrestling between Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan, i couldn't help but thank god The Voice comes back soon so i'll have something to flip to when i get bored. and a quick note to the WWE, no matter how hard you try, i couldn't give a shit that The Rock and John Cena are facing each other again.
this weather is slowly driving me nuts. i managed to get home today before a white-out quick snowstorm hit. of course, 10 minutes later and the sun was out. maybe the warmer weather will come sometime. maybe not.
in the middle of doing my laundry, i did a little shopping at Amazon.com. i got my usual madness of music from a slew of genres. always nice when you can get 12 CD's and not pay anything for them.
i was really hoping The New York Rangers had turned the corner. but, after the boring ass defeat last night to Buffalo, i suppose that corner is still far away. i believe their coach summed up the night perfectly in his post game press conference.
i'll be watching the Dayton Flyers tomorrow against Butler. i don't think they have much of a chance. i wouldn't mind being wrong. the whole A10 tournament is pretty wide open. honestly, any of the 12 teams could win it and i wouldn't be completely shocked.
lastly, i did watch the new pope get elected today. i'm not a catholic but i do have a great appreciation for history. it was nice to see a bit of history made today. of course, i suppose time will tell if it actually means anything or not.
i will now go back to folding clothes and wondering if the temps will get above 40 anytime soon.
music today:
Shovels & Rope - O' Be Joyful
Futurebirds - Exhume
The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
"I'm sure I have a process, but it mostly takes place in my dreams." - William H. Macy
so i started off this weekend wondering has it really been 19 years since Charles Bukowski died? fuck, i feel old.
after watching the New York Rangers lose Friday night to Ottawa (who are somehow 12-1-1 in their last 14 games at MSG) i didn't have a very good feeling for the weekend.
i listened to the Dayton Flyers lose another heart breaker on the road and eventually back their way into the A10 tournament. i have never seen a team be so snake-bitten in my life. 0-7 in games decided by 3 points or less. and oh joy, on Thursday they get to play Butler. i will be shocked if they advance.
Saturday Night Live was excellent. of course, if you bring back almost 10 people or so, i guess it should be. i really enjoyed ROH on Saturday Night. i love how they are setting up this SCUM angle. although, it smells like a Kevin Steen face turn. i'm interested to see if they go that way. i have no doubts that Kevin is versatile enough to pull it off, just not sure if the fans will buy it or not.
so, after getting some trash picked up, cats fed, a little breakfast with my sister and mother, i sat down to watch Manchester United. a great first half that saw beautiful goals from Chicharito and Wayne Rooney. and then, a second half where they allowed Chelsea to control just about all 45 minutes and eventually tie the game. just fucking great. so, they now have to play Chelsea on the road in a few days. for some reason, the collapse of last season is suddenly creeping back into my head.
thankfully, as United was frustrating the living shit out of me, i could flip over and see the New York Rangers destroy the Washington Capitals. a nice 4-1 win that was really a matter of fact dominating victory. i didn't see the first 10 minutes that everyone said Washington was controlling the game, so technically i don't think it happened. another 5-5 week in fantasy hockey. at least no major injuries to deal with this week.
throw in a little golf, a little NASCAR, a little World Baseball Classic, MLS and another Miami Heat win and you can see i had a full sports pallet this weekend. not that i enjoyed much of it. i sometimes amaze myself at how much i hate losing.
really enjoyed the Sunday night shows. "Girls" really made me laugh. i enjoy this hipster generation and how i just couldn't care to understand it.
a late night dishes session, all done while listening to a little public radio and the rain starting to fall. and seeing how i can barely stand for more than 15 minutes at a time when my back is barking, the 30 minutes to do the dishes was just fucking lovely.
this fucking time change completely surprised me. not that losing a hour of sleep is a big deal to me. just seems to have thrown off my flow for some reason. of course, it could have been the temps near 65 degrees over the weekend. what the fuck is normal anymore?
music:
Charles Bukowski - Uncensored (From the Run With The Hunted Session)
AC/DC - Back in Black
The Steel Wheels - Live @ Ignition Garage
"The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware." - Henry Miller
amazing how different my mood is when the sun is out for nearly all day long. or maybe it's that my sports teams are winning. who knows.
i watched the New York Rangers game last night knowing it was going to be a struggle as the Islanders are much better than the pieces of shit they normally are. but, being down 1-0 in the 3rd period, i felt confident as the Rangers were getting chance after chance. and of course, Rick Nash ties the game with his 8th goal of the year, all in the 3rd period. and below is the game winner from Marian Gaborik in overtime, on the power play nonetheless
amazing the leaping ability of Captain Cally on that play. i never knew he had hops. 4th win in a row for the boys. hopefully they get number 5 tonight against Ottawa.
big game tomorrow afternoon for the Dayton Flyers. i didn't get to go to Senior Night (bad weather and my shitty truck don't mix) but they won again. if they win on Saturday, amazingly they make the A10 tournament. even with a loss, they have a chance to make it. i really hope they don't count on the help from others route. just win baby.
Manchester United plays on Sunday against Chelsea in FA Cup play. i'm really hoping for a victory and maybe a rub your face in it kind of one. i think i'm still a little bitter from earlier in the week.
also, anytime Justin Timberlake is hosting Saturday Night Live it's usually better than normal, so i'll check that out.
i will close this blog post with a bit of sadness for me. i guess tomorrow morning the Hammer of God makes it official and announces this will be his last season with the New York Yankees. it's been an absolute pleasure and joy to watch Mo his entire career. he will go down as the greatest relief pitcher of all time and it will never be close. also, i get a good laugh from all these people writing off the Yankees already because of all the injuries and advanced ages. how many times have i seen this before? i don't understand why people refuse to learn their lessons. hopefully, when the Yankees win the division, these idiots will understand. age and experience are two different things. you're never old when you are still producing. now, if they suck this year, please forget the last 4 sentences or so. thank you.
music:
Beck - Guero
The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!
John Prine - In Person & On Stage
Cat Power - Sun
Heartless Bastards - Arrow
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin
i was completely dialed in for the Manchester United vs. Real Madrid match yesterday in Champions League play. i was a little surprised when Wayne Rooney wasn't starting. but, after watching the first 20 minutes and seeing what the plan was, defend and counter with speed, i understood the decision. i love Wayne, but speed isn't something he is blessed with. 0-0 at halftime. then, United goes up 1-0 on an own goal from Madrid. and then, the ref decided he was going to decide the game. if you have any interest in this at all, you've already seen the red card given to Nani. should it have been a card? yes, yellow. the red card sent me fucking flying off the handle. i might have spent the next 20 minutes or so pacing and screaming at the television. no one will ever question my passion about anything i'm passionate about. Real Madrid of course wins 2-1. i expected it when they were essentially given nearly 40 minutes of being a man up. i'm happy that CR7 is advancing. i respect the fact he didn't celebrate scoring the winning goal against his former club. i'd take him back in a heartbeat. sadly, no treble this year for the red devils. hopefully, they will have all their wounds licked by Sunday when they play Chelsea in the next round of the FA Cup.
thankfully, the New York Rangers won last night in their game against Philly. never a dull moment, which really helped me get my mind off the crushing defeat earlier. helps when Rick Nash scores 2 more goals. crazy enough, all 7 of his goals this season have come in the third period. i didn't enjoy watching Marc Staal take a puck to the face. it didn't look good seeing where it hit him. near his right eye. i haven't seen any updates, but i am certainly hoping for the best. not only for the player, but for the person. i won't post a video of it here, but you can certainly find plenty on the internet. just nasty as hell.
so, after a victory beer and responding to a few needless emails, i decided to hit the bed. below is what i woke up to this morning.
not nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be. but, just enough that my back felt it while shoveling. that's always fun. but, mom made it out with no problems. i think i will wait until tomorrow to hit town for the mail.
not sure how the rest of my day will go. i have some books to finish up and maybe if the creativity urge hits me, i'll break out the watercolors. i won't be holding my breath though. and neither should you.
music today:
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
"Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect." - Shaquille O'Neal
my poems "sex dream", "reluctant", "hanging from a tree", "ten years later", and "devilish innocence" were published today in Hidden Animals 0.5 Would-Be Electric issue. these were all poems that were going to be published by another zine but never were. my thanks to Eric Kennedy for making sure these poems did get published. you can find the poems by going here http://www.hiddenanimalslit.com/ click on the photo and you'll find the poems in there.
probably one of the better weekends i've had in some time. below are the details.
let's start off with a tidy 4-0 win for Manchester United on Saturday. the first half was kind of boring until the end where the first of 3 straight Kagawa goals came off a pass from RVP. the next two were set up beautifully by Wayne Rooney, who added a beauty of his own to make it 4-0. i, like most of the rest of the world, will be watching tomorrow as United takes on Real Madrid. BIG game. i'm really hoping for a win, and not a dramatic loss.
next up, the Dayton Flyers and their must win game against Richmond. first off, the refs in this game were atrocious. totally sucked ass. Dayton won by 4. the spread was 5 1/2. i can't imagine why i believe some refs have money riding on games. a bunch of huge plays from the freshmen down the stretch in the game. that gives me some hope for the future. below are the highlights. look for monster dunks from Dyshawn Pierre and Jalen Robinson. 2 moments that got UD Arena rocking big time.
Saturday Night Live was good, as was Ring of Honor. all in all, not a bad Saturday.
woke up Sunday with trash to pick up and dishes to do. got all that done, got my fantasy hockey and racing teams in order and got ready for a big sports day. i know, most of them are for me.
as for NASCAR, used the same 5 drivers i had from the previous week and all 5 finished in the top 13. not too bad at all.
as for fantasy hockey, thanks to some goals and power play points from the New York Rangers (more on that in a bit) i won my match this week 7-3. still 3rd overall in the league. big match this week with the leader of the other division. thankfully my team is getting healthy.
Sunday night had the New York Rangers facing off with Buffalo. an absolute snooze fest for 2 periods. i was so bored i was watching the MLS at times. then, that absolute fuckhead Patrick Kaleta woke up the Rangers with a truly nasty cheap shot on Brad Richards. what resulted after that you can find below.
always nice when the pp can score some goals. now, the short-handed one they gave up sucked. but, the Rangers did end up winning in a shootout 3-2. a much needed 2 points. as for Kaleta, he has a hearing later today. since it's on the phone, he will get no more than 5 games. personally, i wouldn't mind if this piece of shit just rotted in hell. i did like Brad Richards' quote after the game "I don't know which sport he plays. It's not hockey.", something to that effect. well put.
the Sunday night shows were all good, although the Rangers game went longer than i wanted so my viewing schedule was all fucked up. not always a fan of getting to bed at 3 in the morning, guess i'm still young enough to pull it off. barely.
best of all, the fucking sun made an appearance today. i was stunned walking down the steps this morning to see it. of course, it was 18 degrees outside at the time. i guess some weather is coming this way in the next few days. i've heard anything from freezing rain to 6 inches of snow. just great. mom has to travel to Columbus for a conference and any bad weather will probably keep me from attending senior night Wednesday in another must win for the Dayton Flyers. well, at least i don't mind pacing the first floor like a maniac when i listen to games on the radio. hell, maybe i'll get inspired and do some painting. maybe.
i did go through some poems today to get ready for another round of submissions. got a few places in mind. i'm thinking of later in the week or early next week. i definitely want to get them out there before i get consumed with March Madness.
hope this finds everyone well.
music today:
Guided By Voices - The Grand Hour
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." - Ellen Glasgow
i really wish the New York Rangers could play Tampa all season long. they have been the only team the Rangers have played against this season and looked dominant against. a total ass kicking last night in a 4-1 victory. no complaints from me at all. a power play goal, taking the body, out-shooting them by a wide margin, always on the jump, was very nice to see. of course, it helps when you get most of the injured players back. most importantly Rick Nash. below is a video of the awesome, sick hands the Rangers and my fantasy team had been missing for the last week or so.
hopefully he stays healthy and the team takes off from here.
hopefully spring training is no example of how the Yankees will play this season. the few times i have caught a few minutes of the games, no other way to put it, just god awful. i really don't want one of those seasons from my youth again. the early 80's Yankees were just good enough to tease you and then fail miserably. i'd rather not live that again.
big sports weekend coming up. Manchester United plays Saturday morning. hopefully, they can get the 3 points and no injuries as well. (please) they have a huge game with Real Madrid in just a few days after Saturday. they need to be as healthy as possible for that one. i know CR7 will be inspired, more than usual to be back home.
was a little sad to see the Dayton Flyers aren't going to be included in the catholic 7 new big east. as a season ticket holder, i would have loved to see that. hopefully it happens in the next few years as everyone in the media believes it will. i will be in attendance on Saturday as they face another must win game against Richmond. those games are usually nail-biters, so i will be prepared for last second elation or heartbreak. but honestly, i wouldn't mind another blowout.
Sunday night will be tricky for me. the Rangers play at 7:30 and the Sunday night shows i watch each week start at 9. i get the feeling it's going to be a late one for me. damn, i need a DVR.
another day with no sunshine. not exactly how i wanted to start the month. but, hopefully it will warm up some in the next week or so.
hope everyone has a great weekend. be safe, take it easy. and if it's easy, take it again.
music:
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Anthrax - Worship Music
"When I looked at the tapes, I remember thinking how thin I looked. At the time, I was always saying, 'I need to lose weight, I need to lose 10 pounds'." - Bonnie Franklin (Jan. 6, 1944 - March 1, 2013)
my poems "the elusive white tiger", "the letters to santa", "already a lucky soul", "soul crushing", "a way to cure loitering", and "confronting dysfunction" have all been published in ZYX #63.
others with work in the issue include Normal, Alan Catlin, Nathan Whiting, David Stone, B.Z. Niditch, Guy R. Beining, Jean Esteve, Richard Kostelanetz, Simon Perchik, Spiel, and David Chorlton.
for more info:
ZYX
c/o Arnold Skemer, Editor
58-09 205th Street
Bayside, NY 11364
