Here we go again

On January 8 in Glendale Arizona in the We Can Make a Whole Lotta Money College Championship Bowl as presented by Somebody who Paid a lot of Money (I really wasn't paying attention), the SEC's Florida Gators ripped the Ohio State Buckeyes a new one, beyotch slapping them up and down the field and beating the consensus #1 college football team in the country 41-14. This after some speculated that they shouldn't even be there.

(Sidenote - I'll have you know I missed what had to have been one hell of a Gator party cause I really didn't think they'd have a chance.)

Urban Meyer's trashtalking team spanked the more staid Buckeyes, starting what maybe a new rivalry in sports. Of course a new rivalry in sports is hardly a good concept, most of us prefer the old rivalry rife with stories of shenanigans that get people prison terms in today's litgious society. A NEW rivalry is concept that I have a hard time wrapping my mind around. (In this story I'm the old man that the put the what where?) But I digress.

This weekend the Final Four looms, and the possibility of a rematch of the NCAA Football championship teams is a possible for the NCAA Basketball championship game. Somewhere an NCAA marketing exec has ejactulated for the third time today and it still won't go down. A final four with all one or two seeds; the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10 and Big East fans all have a reason to tune in; and one of the semi-final games is a repeat of last year's Championship.

There he goes again.

Now that pony tailed (technically) brother and the rest of them might be about line up against Ohio State. True Florida won it last year, and became the first team to win both the Football and Basketball championships at the same time, but Ohio State was #1 in this sport too. Unlike the winter meeting though, if this happens it will be clear that the two teams that faced off should be there. All that voting foolishness aside.

NCAA Football...pay attention!

Scandol...Scandolous

In the face of a looming scandal about whether the Department of Justice acted properly or improperly" in firing the eight U.S. attorneys who were forced to resign last year, White House counsel Fred Fielding said Karl Rove and Harriet Miers could testify, but only in private, not under oath, and without a transcript.

Um...what would be the point of that?

If they can pretty much say what they want without threat of perjury, then the whole point of testifying is moot.

Wasn't this the administration that was supposed to restore integrity to office? My question would be why would these bastions of moral turpitude and good character not WANT to be sworn in? Do they have something to hide?

Although a liar before congress who is not sworn in, and I understand it's up to the individual committee, can be prosecuted for "making false statements" (is that really a charge?) we in the public know that you go to JAIL for perjury. I mean technically in the eyes of the law, Karl Rove and Lil Kim should be the same person. The concept that some people would not have to be sworn in harkens back to the Animal Farm Orwellian thought that "some animals are more equal than others."

I wish I could say I was neutral in this, that I approached it from neutrality and merely want a fair and honest hearing on the matter, but I am biased because it appears to me that this whole administration believes itself above the law, rules or even in some cases reality.

Closed door meetings on the Energy Policy.
Falsified data to justify war.
Improper use of goverment powers with the Patriot Act.
The VP shooting a man and reporting it days later.
Outing undercover agents for political purposes.
and now this...

The last guy, all he did was get a blowjob. Um...integrity?

Bartender....water. I need to stay sober for this.

The champ is groggy...the champ is down!

Yesterday marked the start of the annual sports frenzy that is the NCAA March Madness. (which in case you didn't know is trademarked and I could get in trouble for saying that). Every year, offices around the country slowdown as mysterious colds arise on Thursday morning and personal time gets exercised to it's fullest. I cannot tell you how many empty parking spaces there were at my job.

But I dutifully turned in my brackets to the office pool (they say I left Texas A&M empty) and didn't bother to check any scores until after 6pm. All day I heard groans and the phrase "last I heard they were up by six" time and time again as people surrpitiously checked scores all day long. Which if you must know is a bitch at my workplace as the they only alot you and hour of "quota time" a day for no approved websites, under which falls anything carrying sports information. Bastiches.

So one of my picks, one that chose with relish, was Duke losing to VCU in the first round.

Usually the much hated Blue Devils (Bill Simmons of ESPN shouldn't have had to apologize, we all hate Duke) are a one or two seed, and a pick against them is spitting into the wind. But this year they had lost three going in and were a six seed. A SIX, do you hear me? Sixes lose to thirteens all the time, don't they?

So I inked it up, put in my money and went back to work.

After work and somebody's "I gotta better job" leaving party, I crawled into the house and checked my brackets. I'd gone fairly conservative this year(although I did have Gonzanga and Texas Tech), lo and behold, it had happened. The champ was in trouble, the champ was groggy, and with lead that lasted maybe two minutes the champ...was down.

I don't know why I don't like Duke. Maybe it's the perceived arrogance of the program, or the smug fans or that they're always there, in the thick of it every season.

I just know I don't like them. And now they're gone.

Ha ha.

Bartender. Let me get some of that Old Crow.

It begins again

So again with the finding of a house I can deal with. I've found a charming little three bedroom two bath that will be turned into an even more charming two bedroom two bath. The price is right, the renovations are coming in well below the limit and dammit the old guy across the street has lived there 47 years so the neighborhood is even livable. In town no less.

After Sporty talked me out of reporting folks for Mortage Fraud and holding properties and dozen other illegal activities (the state of Georgia needs to be ashamed), it seems that things might finally be coming together.

The house isn't big, but it's got good bones. Okay, I've been reading a lot of Renovation and Design Magazines, so I've adopted a few terms. I'm going to gut most of the first floor, put in new floors, new kitchen, new drywall with mouldings, and if they're are a few pennies left over maybe a little bathroom reno and nice deck off the back.

In a shamelss plug I hope will earn me a free gift card, Ikea is about to be my new home away from home. They got everything!

I've been looking a searching for a minute and I have to feel it when I walk in. I have to be able to look at a spot, and envision the possibilities, to see the future just looking at it. The last one I was already placing furniture and picking paint. With this one I can see me whipping up something while a hottie sits and the new kitchen counter waiting for me to the start cooking with her.

At this point all the numbers line up, I just need the inspecitons and estimates to line up. Then it's on.

Bartender, a bit of the Cutty Sark.