We're All Going Streaking

ESPN's "Streak For The Cash" may be the most addictive quasi-gambling opportunity on the internet. I have been thoroughly obsessed ever since I discovered it. For those of you who are sports fans and not aware of this little contest, get involved!! It's great. ESPN simply picks a certain amount of situations to bet on. For instance, it could be as simple as who will win a particular matchup to which golfer will have a lower score on a certain hole. Not to mention the amount of times I've bet on a Cricket match (which I am now determined to understand). As you continue to make your bets, they tally your current streak. For instance, I am currently enjoying the ride of a 3 game losing streak and, thanks to Mr. Nadal, it's looking like 4. My largest winning streak was a weak 3 games and the largest streak by any streaker (that's what I'll call us) is 22. I believe the top 7 total streaks are invited to Bristol, CT to compete at the ESPN Headquarters. I guarantee you will be quickly addicted to this phenomenon, and watch out for Super Streak Thursday - it happened last week and proved to be an insanely exciting day. There were bets about 3 times an hour and the longest streak of the day won $5,000.

The best part may be the discussion boards, which I've only recently started following. It's hilarious to see how into Cricket people can get. I, personally, can't wait to find out what a wicket is. Check out the site, which can be found at http://espn.go.com and look for the Streak For The Cash section. Give it a shot, I hope you enjoy. Now back to this Nadal match . . . 26 total games or more, please!!

Equilibrium

I love music.  Sometimes I live, breath and spoon music.  Music is what makes my world go round.  I love classic rock.  I love alternative.  I love acoustic and electric.  I love the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and today.  My collection of albums is pretty tremendous.  I listen to music when I wake up, when I commute to work, at my desk at work and on the way home.  When I'm out at a restaurant or bar, I pay attention to what is being played and one of my favorite activities is going to concerts.  Music is art.  Music is poetry.  Music is one of the most powerful elements in my life.  Sometimes I think I love music more than life itself.  I even make attempts, every now and again, to write my own music.  Music is love . . . and I love Equilibrium.  It's release in June is going to rock, shock and sock the music industry in a way that may restore eardrums.  I know mine are now fine tuned.  The air now is harmonious to me.  Do yourselves a favor and hit your local music store or log on to Itunes and find the future of music, the future of song, the future of life . . . Equilibrium.

My last post was about great shows that are unappreciated and cancelled far too early. As I was reading the paper this morning, I noticed yet another show, a favorite of mine, that has been cancelled by NBC. "My Name Is Earl" is one of the funnier shows on television. With an amazing cast including Jason Lee and Jaime Pressley, a consistantly hilarious script and the best soundtrack on television, "Earl" kept me engaged and laughing every Thursday night (or whenever I caught it on DVR) amidst other comedies such as "The Office" and "30 Rock". I truly believe Jaime Pressley should be an Emmy winner for her role on the program. Her delivery is amazing and her dialogue hilarious. The entire cast brings about one of the smarter, funnier shows on television - bringing "trailer trash" into our lives on a weekly basis. Each scene is usually accompanied by some of the best classic rock songs around. The sitcom itself is truly a dying breed and "My Name Is Earl" was one of the best out there, most likely to be replaced with a subpar 1/2 hour program that won't make it on to my DVR list. If you have the chance, buy or rent a season of "Earl" and enjoy - you won't be disappointed.

Brilliant, Forgotten

I find that some of the best shows on TV follow a similar path. They are extremely well written and the cast is above par. The shows are directed perfectly and the overall product proves that the brains behind, and in front of, the camera knew exactly what they were doing. And they did it well. Unfortunately our national television audience has more of an appreciation for celebrity downfalls, reality hoopla and poorly written programming. Excellent shows are usually award-nominated and/or award-winning yet receive very low ratings. In fact, if "Seinfeld" came out today I doubt it would last two seasons. It's ratings didn't blossom, and it's extraordinary humor not appreciated, until a few years into its run (thankfully the audience climbed on board and the show lasted as long as it deserved). Such shows include "Arrested Development", "Sons and Daughters", "Family Guy" (I believe it was cancelled and brought back 3 times) and one of my favorites of all time - "Deadwood".

My father is a huge fan of classic westerns and he, after years of buying him the DVDs and telling him what a great show it is, immediately became a hardcore fan. He called me after watching four hours in a row explaining what an amazing program he thought it was (which I had been trying to tell him for years). He finished Season 1 and the next day I went home with Season 2 as a gift - he had already received the first disc from Netflix.

"Deadwood" truly brings the wild west alive. With such known characters as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok amonst a slew of others on the largest tv set in history (they literally built an entire town) the viewer finds themselves in the center of a lawless territory surrounded by killers, lawmen, thieves, drunks, whores and about any sort of person who would find solice in a town without rule. The look and feel of this HBO Original give you the sense that you are watching, perhaps, a John Huston western. The dialogue is that of a Shakespearean tone, with a variety of expletives intermingled.

There are so many characters and storylines that collide you will have to watch each and every episode (while severely paying attention and understanding the script) to truly know who and what you are watching . . . and you will not be disappointed. In fact, much like my Dad, I imagine you will run out for Season 2 (which opens with a bang) the second the Season Finale ends.

It is hard to explain in detail the brilliance of this show. It's harder to explain why it only lasted three seasons. Do yourself a favor and pickup Season 1 and prepare for life in the cruel, rough and tough outlaw-driven town of Deadwood.

"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back."

Shade of Gray

Whether you are a fan of news, current events, dogs, Anderson Cooper, sarcasm, hilarity, Twizzlers or just bizarre, yet knowledgeable and current, commentary you must visit the blog site of Jack Gray. Jack is a friend of mine who is a Producer/Writer for Anderson Cooper 360 and he spreads a comedic take on daily and weekly newsworthy events through his blog which you can find at http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/category/jack-gray/ - bookmark it, it's rapidly updated and always newsworthy and interesting . . . . and I've only wet myself laughing to it once. If you are on Facebook, you can even check out his fan group (of 357 members) called Gray Groupies. He is a great producer, blogger, comedian, shortstop and friend. I urge you to get with it. Oh, and you can follow him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/jackgraycnn with over 27,000 followers) . . . whatever that is.

Best Regards to all.

Zip Flies or Bust

I remember when button-fly jeans first came on to the scene, or at least when I realized such a thing existed. I actually think I thought they were a good idea for a while, which I can't comprehend today. Clothing companies should immediately discontinue the production of all button-fly jeans. It's really ridiculous. Let's see which of the following seems like a more optimal situation when you really need to do one:

1. A quick zip-down, job's pretty much done. Let loose and zip back up.

2. Get to the bathroom, undo your belt, unbutton every button on this "fly", do the deed, redo each button, one by one, re-tuck your shirt, re strap the belt. Might as well be back in kindergarten where it seemed pants-to-the-floor was proper urinal etiquette. Hey, the Rolling Stones knew what was what.

Just my two cents . . . hope you all had a great weekend.

Jake and Amir

I'll admit to not being (or wasn't originally) a big CollegeHumor follower, though I am overly impressed with two of it's writers - Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfield. As an avid fan of sketch comedy I tend to be a fairly tough critic and I am never let down when I go to check out what's new on http://www.jakeandamir.com/. Usually using their own workspace as a backdrop, the two have built themselves into hilarious characters and use unique and outrageous situations to poke fun at through short sketches. The more you watch, the more you understand where they are going with their characters and plotlines (some stories carry over through mulitple sketches). And apparently I'm in love with a blonde out west.

A couple favorite sketches are as follows, and probably not named correctly:

March Madness Part 2

Sick Day 1-3

Scared

Locked Out

Happy Holidays

Internship

Dating Service (my first website viewing - still my favorite)

Safety first.