Borderline Fantastic

A week or two ago I had my DVR all set to tape NBC’s Thursday night lineup. I’ve finally gone all in for the comedies after catching a 30 Rock promo I decided to give it another chance. So on this particular night it was some combination of My Name Is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, and Andy Barker, P.I. They seem to change it every week. I wonder why they are 3rd in the ratings. My lineup of choice for the night would be: The Office, Scrubs, My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock. Actually it can be any order, as long as The Office is up first.

I’ve been DVRing Andy Barker, P.I. since it started. I try to give new comedies at least one shot and anything Andy Richter is guaranteed a chance. This night my DVR must have really liked the episode. It taped it for eight hours. It was still recording it when I got up in the morning and I told it to stop. Who knows how long it would have gone on without my intervention. My recordings list had it split into three parts. It was interrupted for some reason, twice. The DVR held strong and started right back up. Sadly the episode was only a half hour long. The extra seven plus were just there to make sure whatever I had been keeping around to watch on a rainy day was lost. That probably included some random movies from HBO or Starz and a couple of the Planet Earth episodes from Discovery.

I’ve enjoyed Andy Barker, not quite as much as Andy Richter Controls the Universe, but still worth watching. I don’t expect it to get renewed. I get a very similar feeling from both Andy Barker and Knights of Prosperity. Both have odd premises. They both have the ability to be hysterically funny. Which isn’t a surprise since Andy Barker comes from Conan’s crew and Knights of Prosperity comes from Ed (which came from Letterman’s crew). With each I feel like something is missing.

I had the thought that these two should have been combined. Andy could have been Mick Jagger’s Private Investigator who tracked what the Knights of Prosperity were up to. I think that would have provided enough material to fill in the down periods in both shows.

I’m just trying to figure out why the DVR enjoyed it so much. I didn’t notice anything DVR references in the show that it might have liked. I’ll have to keep an eye out for its future habits. Maybe I’ll record something just for it every once in a while.

Would you believe next month will be two years since I graduated college? Crazy, right? Let’s not even discuss the question, ‘What have you accomplished since then?’ That question is for another time. Maybe when I accomplish something.

What really shocked me was realizing that I will have lived in the same place for more than two years for the first time since I was twelve. After that age I lived in the same place for the following: one year, one year, two years, two years, then college. In college twice I managed to live in the same place for consecutive semesters. I moved between the Fall and Spring during my Freshman and Junior years. Junior year I moved to Minnesota for my co-op where I was for seven months. You’d think I’d be good at packing and moving after all that. You’d think.

With all that, I never really settle in anywhere. I get everything set up for functional use. Why take the time to decorate or unpack unnecessary items if I’m just going to be moving them somewhere else very soon?
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Gym Class Heroes’ Cupid’s Chokehold, their ‘new’ song, is getting pretty popular. I say ‘new’ because I first heard this song three years ago. I like it and I’m glad that they are getting attention, they just should have gotten in when the song first came out.

The song features Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. It was on their last CD and they also added it when the re-released their latest CD. It works better on the CD it was originally on because in Cupid’s Chokehold there is a reference to the last song, which comes a few tracks earlier and is called Make Out Club, it is essentially a list of all the women he’s been with.

One problem that I noticed when listening but never really took the time to think about … what is he talking about? He goes on and on about his girlfriend but then the chorus talks about how she’s not much of a girlfriend. After watching the video it all makes sense. Actually I still don’t think the lyrics work, but the video explains what they were going for. The chorus is talking about his old girlfriend and everything else is about how great the new girl is. The old one must have just been one of the girls from Make Out Club.

Interesting thing I found about the chorus when looking around: Its the chorus from Supertramp’s Breakfast In America.

The first song that I started hearing on the radio was New Friend Request. A song about meeting someone on MySpace.

They are really creative and catchy, even corny at times. But if you get corny right, then I’m going to be a big fan and they get it right.

Cupid’s Chokehold

Make Out Club

If you aren’t aware, Fueled By Ramen is my favorite label. Their bands: The Academy Is …, Cobra Starship, Cute is What We Aim For, Gym Class Heroes, Less Than Jake, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore, Punchline, and others that I haven’t listened to but I’m sure I’d like. Oh, and Jimmy Eat World and Yellowcard used to be on the label.

Pretty soon the Previously on 24 clips are going to make up half the show.

At Best Buy today the hot item was Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360. I’m very tempted. Very tempted.

While I think its ridiculous that CBS is only putting One Shining Moment in iTunes for $1.99 its really cool that they have them all going back to 1987. Still, these should all be free on their site.

Take Me Out to the Twins Game
I really like The Hold Steady but I’m not sure how I feel about this. I think the Twins are going to play this at their games. I really like the changes in there for the Twins. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone try and do anything different with Take Me Out to the Ballgame, so the attempt in itself is pretty cool.

Welcome to the Gil Meche Era. This Royals team could be a lot of fun. At least offensively, their 5th starter is Brandon Duckworth.

Do the Phillies ever win on Opening Day? We’re done. Season’s over. Pack it up.

The Rangers changed the name of their stadium to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Apparently for the past three years its been called Ameriquest Field in Arlington. I love the name Ballpark in Arlington, probably why I apparently ignored the sponsor. I guess I can live with having Rangers in the front of it, people get confused.

Everywhere I’m reading how Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is some sort of genius, firing his coach and taking over the team. Last year he did it midseason. This year with three games left in the season. I think he’s some sort of genius too. Not because he makes these ‘bold’ moves. He’s a genius because he gets to coach the Devils in the playoffs each year without going through a whole season then getting to coach at the best time of the year. If it doesn’t work out? Not the coaches fault, he just started. Blame the GM, but everyone is fooled.

Billy Packer doesn’t think players should foul out in basketball because it doesn’t happen in any other sport. Imagine if Billy would have found football all those years ago, I think he’d be a lot happier.

Ok Gators, time for someone else to have some fun.

Happy Opening Day!

I will not be discussing the following
Opening Night on ESPN2 and Women’s College Basketball on ESPN
The new ESPN score bug; the bottom line
Tony LaRussa being drunk when he put Yadier Molina in the 5 hole
The K Zone having a sponsor

Things I’m willing to discuss
Is Peter Gammons creeping out fans in the stands again this season?
Is there a better baseball call than ‘That is So Taguchi’? It doesn’t even have to be a call related to So, I’d still be for it.
Is the Kit-Kat Blizzard any good?
Is Google the greatest company ever?
My latest addition to my favorite alarm clock ideas.
Which Oregon hat do I want?

I’m just as excited for the baseball season this year. Just not as excited about the Phillies chances. I’m trying some reverse psychology this year. Last year I tried to do the same thing. Then Gavin Floyd tore it up in Spring Training and I thought we’d be unstoppable. It turned out to be the same as the last few years. Weak start. Just when its time to give up they get hot and get all the way back into contention. Then you’re holding on, chewing your fingernails, until the last weekend, then there is disappointment. I fear this year we will start off hot but then fizzle out. Hopefully I’ll be wrong (or exactly right).

I’ve almost forgotten what its like to have the Phillies in the playoffs. Its only happened twice in my life, and the first one doesn’t really count, since I wasn’t even 1 yet. I just remember the entire city going nuts. Billy Penn had a Phillies hat on, there were stores that opened up all over just to sell Phillies shirts. I’m not sure it could be the same as it was then. I’m ready to find out.

I do have some extra reason for optimism. The biggest problems with our lineup have been Burrell, Lieberthal, and Bell. Two of them are gone and Burrell having fun gives me hope. More hope than any other other middle finger has before.

Some things still concern me with the pitching. I have little confidence in Lieber, Moyer, and Eaton (confidence drops off steeply in that order). I’m also worried that Tom Gordon’s arm may fall off. I’m not even talking in September, it could happen sometime in May.

Red Means Go.