Curses

I am happy to report that on Friday morning, I weighed in at a 17-pound loss since March 1st. I am sad to report that over the weekend, I gave back a nice little chunk of that progress. A number of elements factored in to this taking of two steps back, not the least of which was "cheat day" turning into "cheat weekend". I wasn't feeling well for most of the weekend, and I turned to some comfort foods (and beverages) to pull me through. Oh well. I am still down a little over 10 pounds - and it's back on the points wagon.

I was listening to the radio Sunday night after Villanova's loss to Florida in the NCAA Men's Basketball national quarterfinals, and the topic that was being bandied about ALMOST prompted me to call the station to tell the host and the listeners how off-base they all were. Almost everyone was referring to a "curse" on Philadelphia sports fans, a theory that continues to gain momentum as our sports teams extend a 22+ year championship drought. While I do not feel there is any curse working against Philadelphia sports fans (although Philly sports fans have done a lot to DESERVE a curse, but I digress), this was not what got me riled up. What got my eyebrow raised and my temper flaring was the suggestion that a Villanova national championship would be considered an end to the suffering for a championship-starved city.

As many of you know (well, you should), I am and have always been a huge Philly sports fan. I am proud to be a Philly sports fan. But man, sometimes I hate Philly sports fans. Philly fans are lauded nationally for our loyalty to our teams. However, Philly sports fans will turn on a player in a heartbeat. Janet Jackson's 1986 hit "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" might as well have been written about Philadelphia sports fans. As loyal as we are, most of us are just as fickle. Most of us will go to the grave rooting for our teams, but we will just as passionately try to run a struggling player out of town. We are the most feared, toughest fans in the country - yet we morph into the biggest collection of loudmouth crybabies who can't scream loud enough about how bad we have it and how much we DESERVE a champion. The passion of the fan base of this city is legendary, but so is the level of negativity that surrounds us. It is my argument that it is this negativity that has shrouded our teams in whatever "curse" that has befallen us. As an aside, if there is a curse or a pox upon the fans of Philadelphia, who laid it on us? Santa Clause? Jimmy Johnson's hair? Wendell Davis's knees?

Red Sox fans deserved their championship in 2003. Cubs fans deserve a championship. The fans of these franchises support their teams through good times and bad - always packing the stadium to root on their clubs. Now, I am not suggesting that a poorly-run franchise deserves our hard-earned money - or that we should fork that money over for tickets to support a lost cause, but there has to be more than a 23-year championship drought to justify an argument that we deserve a championship.

Back to my original point: a Villanova championship, while enjoyable, would NOT constitute a break in the collective Philadelphia 22+ year championship chasm. First of all, not everyone in the city is a Villanova fan. While I follow all of the teams in the Big 5 and root for them during the season - I am more of a Temple guy. Plus, I married a St. Joe's girl. Only a championship in one of the four major sports (although some could argue that a Flyers championship wouldn't quite do it for them) could constitute a breaking of the "curse". And from the looks of it, we might be languishing awhile longer.

[Currently Listening: Mustard Plug - "Beer (Song)"]

Ejection, Pestilence and Scientology

There are a couple issues that have me ready to launch into rant mode, but first let me catch you up on my life happenings since the last entry.

Thursday night I cost my basketball team a game as I got myself two technicals and an ejection from a wound-way-too-tight referee. No matter how much of a spaz this guy was, the ejection and the loss are totally my fault. I had at least 4 opportunities to minimize the damage and walk away from the confrontation. Something I should have done given I am the team captain and we were in a tie game. The other team made all 4 of its technical free throws, and my team lost by 4. Here is what happened: one of our guys was complaining to the ref (actually, there were many players complaining) and during a timeout, the ref was grumbling and turning pink. This is significant because the referee was African-American. I went over to him to try and calm him down with a joke. He responded by telling me to “walk away” and that he was “not talking to me”. I was taken aback by his response, as I have a pretty good relationship with most of the officials in the league (a development that is most surprising given my history of Rasheed Wallace-esque incidents). I just stared at the guy after he said what he said and asked simply “so, it’s like that?”. He said “yeah. It’s like that”. So I made a dismissing waving motion with my hand and he T’d me up. I them lost my mind. I took the opportunity to tell him what I thought of him, referring to him multiple times as a “retard” (no offense to any readers with developmentally-challenged relatives or loved ones). I also failed to leave the premises in prompt fashion after my ejection, thus I have earned myself at least a 1-game suspension. But, since I have yet to be notified of said suspension, I plan to head to the gym tonight for our 8 o’clock…

God decided to punish me and my house for my bad behavior on Thursday night with a plague of pestilence that enveloped all three members of la familia. The Man Zachary was already sick with a cold, and he seemingly loves to share, as Kim and I both came down with it as well. Normally a cold bug isn’t that big a deal, but we had a lot to do as we were hosting Superkid Gabby’s 5th birthday party on Sunday afternoon. I was a cranky mofo for most of the weekend. However, Kim was 10 times the trooper I was, and we were able to put together a nice little party for the Superkid. I still cannot believe she is 5. I love that kid so much, but I am growing increasingly worried about her. The combination of her being born to a crack-addicted mother and being raised by my parents is enough to cause anyone problems. Kim and I are trying to be very active in her life, but it has been hard of late. We must do a better job. If she is left to the upbringing my Mom is going to provide, I worry for her development and her future.

Last week I got a call out of the blue from a person I never expected to see or hear from again – our childhood babysitter, Angela. She moved out of the neighborhood in 1990, but my mother removed her from our lives a few years prior to that. Angela was always very good to the four of us, and my mom’s turning on her was rough on us. It was good to hear from her, and also good to hear that she and her family are doing well. They live fairly close to me, and I am looking forward to catching up with her. We talked for a couple of hours – and she cried for a good portion of it. She saw back then how I was treated at home, and she (like most of my extended family) was powerless to do anything about. Hearing her talk about what she saw of past was painful – but affirming. My Mom swears that everyone who was around us growing up has conspired to form some sort of revisionist history of abuse. While re-living some of the stuff I have tried to put behind me was hard, at least I know I didn’t imagine any of it.

I am happy to report that I am either in 1st or 2nd place in all of my pools for the NCAA tournament. However, my chances of cashing in a victory were mollywopped by the Pitt Panthers. Yours truly had them going all the way to the Finals. Ooops. I looked at the results of the 1st round and thigns looked good for my Final Four picks. I watched the Pitt/Bradley game on Sunday and watched my chances of winning grow smaller and smaller as the game wore on. F’n Pitt!!! This is my best job of bracket predicting in almost a decade. Pitt, you broke my heart. Now, my only chance is for Bradley to make it to the Finals. Better luck next year, I guess!

Now to the first issue that has me on rant mode – Scientologists (click the link to read the excellent Rolling Stone piece on the religion "Inside Scientology"). I do not judge anyone for their religious beliefs. I actually agree with some of the basic tenets of the Scientology faith. What sets me off is when a religious group, or any group for that matter, tries to strong-arm freedom of speech and expression. Apparently the Scientologists have a mean reputation for litigating to death anyone who attempts to expose their belief system secrets or who may otherwise criticize or lampoon them. Enter free speech champions Matt Stone and Trey Parker – creators of South Park. An episode of South Park aired last fall entitled “Trapped In the Closet” (follow the link to the CNN.com story on the bruhaha) which lampooned Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Scientology in general. Apparently, the Church of Scientology has filed or threatened lawsuits which seek to effectively remove any possibility of the episode ever re-airing, and Tom Cruise reportedly has threatened non-promotion of the upcoming Mission Impossible III unless the re-run is yanked. Give me a break! My stance on this is the same as it was against the rampaging Islamic fundamentalists who torched embassies after European newspapers published the Muhammad cartoons – ACQUIRE A LIFE! I think it is great that people are able to embrace their religions with passion and zeal. I also have no problems with religious types that try to evangelize to others by spreading the word about their chosen faith. But, I am sick and tired of religious leaders who try to control others with their particular dogma. Kudos to Parker and Stone for their response to the Scientologists. It was brilliant, and very very funny.

Why can’t any of these people just be happy that they are able to practice their religions? Why do those in the religious right, the Muslim extremists and the Scientologists try to impose their wills on those of us who do NOT follow in the same religious belief systems? Not all Americans feel the same way as far as what is wholesome family entertainment. Most of the world’s population does not subscribe to the belief that it is sacrilegious to depict the visage of a religious prophet. And what makes Scientology different from any other group that has been an object (victim?) of satire? It makes me ill. I am a failry religious person, but the intrusion of religious groups into the secular world has gone well beyond the point of annoyance.

In a related development, Isaac Hayes (a Scientologist) has quit South Park. Hayes voiced the character of "Chef" - one of the truly great animated t.v. characters of all time. Will South Park fans ever hear the signature "hello children!" ever again? Stay tuned...

[Currently Listening: The Aquabats - "Super Rad"]

Brackets, Diets, Roll-overs and Idolatry

I have again taken over a week off from my blogging, but when the most exciting thing to happen to me in a weeks' time is a tie between making both of my free throws in my game last week and the connection of my XBox Live membership, then you can see why I have kept silent.

The NCAA Men's Basketball tournament started an hour and a half ago, and I am, as usual, in a handful of money pools. If the form I have shown over the past two years holds true, then I will be eliminated from contention for all of them before 3:30pm today. In each of the past two years, I have lost one of my Elite 8 in the first game of the tournament (the Thursday 12:20pm start time game). This year's first handful of games will again let me know where I stand right away. The 12:20pm game only affects me through to the Sweet 16, and Wichita St. is currently winning. However, my National Champion (Boston College) is tied at halftime against a team it is favored to beat by 8.5 points. From now on I am picking all of my Champs from the last batch of games on Friday night, so I can at least hold on to some hope for that long.

The diet is going okay. I no longer cry during pizza commercials, so that is an improvement. I've been counting points a la weight watchers for two weeks, and I have lost right around 10 pounds. I am hovering at that mark however, so I am looking to tonight's basketball game to give me another nudge in the right direction.

We had been a little worried about The Man Zachary's lack of rolling over, but within the last week he has gone from rollover rookie to rollover machine. You can't stop The Man Zachary, you can only hope to cotnain him. His first tooth broke through the other day, and there are more coming. I am bracing myself for some long nights in the weeks ahead...

I am still watching American Idol like it is my job, although I lunched on Tuesday night and allowed Halo 2 online to distract me long enough that I did not vote this week. I am of the school of thought that dictates the following: if you are not going to participate in a process that dictates an outcome, then you should not EVER complain about said outcome. This applies to life, sports, professional decision-making, elections and of course, American Idol. Yes, I vote. If I didn't have a wife and son, and ex-girlfriends to vouch for me, I'd openly wonder if this made me gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you. This week, I wasn't impressed with most of the performances. I really like Kathryn - she and Mandisa are the best singers. I totally wish I looked like Ace. I am not a country music guy in any way, but I like Bucky - even though he looked like a cocker spaniel (Kim's words - can;t take credit for that one). The young kid Kevin seems like a nice enough guy but he does nto have a pop star voice. Every time he sings I keep expecting the Munchkins to launch into "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" or "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead". What makes him more annoying to me is that he gives Simon attitude. He might be a chach, but he is the only person on that show that has any clue as to what they are talking about. Kevin strongly resembles the animated movie character "Chicken Little". To quote my boss from yesterday's discussion, "I can't stand that little @#$%. It's time for that Chicken Little mu#$%&&*$%er to GO". True indeed. Ok, my biggest paragraph on the first day of March Madness is about American Idol. This can't be good. The only thing that gives me some optimism about this development is that yesterday - my boss, the sales manager, the purchasing guy and myself were "outted" by the receptionist after she overheard the four of us talking about Idol. So, at least I am not alone.

[Currently Listening: Madness - "You'll Lose a Good Thing"]

Abortion Hypocrisy From the Right

F#%&*ing conservatives. Why is it that none of them realize their hypocrisy? All of these holier-than-thou Republicans in the heartland are ready to follow South Dakota’s lead and pass anti-abortion legislation aimed at challenging Roe v. Wade, defending the the rights of the unborn and all of that good stuff. Funny how most of the people who are SO against abortion are also against higher taxes and welfare. Basically, these people want every conceived embryo to be born, but then want to leave these unwanted babies and their mothers left to their own devices on how to make it in the world. Where is the accompanying legislature aimed at providing health care benefits and other help to the hordes of not-ready-for-motherhood new moms and their until-recently-unwanted offspring? It doesn’t exist, because the Republican Religious-Right hypocrites believe 100% in every sperm/egg combo having a right to life - and its right to grow up poor, unloved, uneducated, with no access to health care and little chance of being able to compete with the more affluent children of the ultra-conservatives.

Speaking of hypocrites, I am one. A few years ago I used to blast people for watching American Idol. Back then, I was not much of a TV guy – btu since my exile from hockey I find myself in front of the tube regularly for a good number of shows – Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Idol, Desperate Housewives, etc. In what might come as a shock to those who have known me awhile, I was actually more amped for the season premier of Lost than I was for the Eagles Monday Night opener against the Falcons last September. But I digress. I blame my wife for getting me hooked on most of these shows. Without the never-ending stream of games and ref shifts to provide a buffer against what I thought was girlie-t.v., I was a sitting duck. But anyway, I LOVE American Idol. I find myself more riveted to it than I am to some sporting events. I even vote. It has gotten so bad that I told Kim she was “pitchy” the other night when she was singing The Man Zachary to sleep. I also believe that Idol judge Simon Cowell and I share a brain, or at least an ear (definitely not a tax bracket). It has been uncanny in recent weeks as I have made a comment on a performance only to hear it nearly repeated by the ill-tempered Brit critic a few moments later. I have to say that the other hosts on the show (Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest) have been driving me crazy this season with how they continually cut off and rebuff everything Simon says when it is his turn. People, the man is RIGHT. Instead of trying to be liked, listen to the man and learn something.

I have a basketball game tonight at 9. Looking forward to seeing how my 8-pounds-less-ample frame gets up and down the floor. I have not had a good season so far, but I need to start asserting myself tonight. I haven’t been demanding the ball as much as I should. I must say that I am shocked that teams continue to double-team me when I touch the ball. It’s frustrating, given that I am scoring 4 to 8 points a game this season, but it’s also an honor of sorts. I must have done something right for awhile if I am still commanding double-teams given how I have been playing the last couple of seasons.

[Currently Listening: Three Mile Pilot – “Inner Bishop”]

Streaky Blogging

I have become quite the streaky blogger. A week has passed since my last entry. Trying to figure out if the lack of posts over the last 7 calendar days is a byproduct of my being busier of late, or more lazy. Most likely, it is a combination of both.

After over 10 years of talking about it, I finally started a diet last Wednesday. Kim and I are using the WW point-counting system, which has done wonders for a number of our friends. After one week I have lost 7-8 pounds, and I haven’t killed anyone yet. The first few days were rough, but I am guessing that my body is adapting to eating smaller portions. Looking back at how poorly I have eaten over the last 14 years, I am lucky that I don’t bleed cheese or grease when I am cut.

The weekend was a bit rocky at the Casa. The Man Z had his 6-month round of shots, which are supposedly the worst on babies. Friday night he was up most of the night fussing – so we did not sleep much. Saturday night, Gramma V stepped up and took him for the night, which was hugely appreciated. Friday apparently was just a warm-up for Sunday night, as The Man showcased his lung power from 12:40am through the 4am hour in a fit of screaming likely never-before-seen on planet Earth (ok, so I exaggerate a bit). Losing sleep to take care of the baby didn’t affect me much, but I was pretty worried about him. Zachary is NOT a fussy baby, and for him to carry on like that meant that he was really not well. The guess here is that he was suffering from a combo of shot after-effects and teething. Poor little guy. The good news is he had his 6-month checkup and he is doing great! He weighs 20 lbs, 6oz and is in the 90th percentile for height. YES!

Kim and I took Superkid Gabby into Philly to see her first play, a production of the Wizard of Oz for kids. The actors were very good even though they were performing a brutally-written, stripped-down version that was at best very-loosely based on the movie that did not use a single song from the original. Gabby was clearly intimidated by her first foray into a crowded theater, but she did get to take a picture afterwards with “Dorothy”, which we are going to get blown up for her room.

Went to the Flyers-Canadiens game at the Wach last night. Almost didn’t go, as my traveling partner Brother-In-Law Brian got locked into working late. After unsuccessfully scrambling to find a replacement, he called me at 6:10 and said he still wanted to go. I was already in my lazy mode (plus worry over the structural integrity of my recently-patched tire) and had already thrown in the towel. However, the tickets were given to me by El Padrino Numero Uno Johnnie S., and I really wanted to hang out with him, so I jumped in the Blazer and picked up Brian. We got into our seats with about 4 minutes left in the 1st, and we missed little of consequence. The game wasn’t very exciting until the 3rd period, during which we got to see a little of everything. We got hits, we got breakaways, pretty goals, what may have been the hottest girl ever to grace the Phanavision, overtime, and we got to see our first live shootout. It was awesome! The Flyers won 5-4 and got a much-needed 2 points even though they were badly outplayed at home.

Today, I am pretty tired, but feeling pretty good about things. Scored some points with the boss yesterday by helping chase a suspicious vehicle from in front of his house. That was fun. Felt like old times. Tonight, I am looking forward to American Idol and more sleep.

[Currently Listening: “O.A.R. – “Wonderful Day”]