Restive State

It seems my cat has been posessed by the spirit of Al Bundy.

In a grim reality check, Team USA was eliminated from the World Cup this morning. What is funny is that no one will really care. Football is seen as a youth sport, not a major sport here in the States, with none of the hysterics reserved for it in our worldly brothers. We have no soccer hooligans, people don't call in sick to see important matches and frankly no one really cares.

For the US to compete at the world level is still impressive, even if we are the short-bus riding special kids on the playground. Maybe one day we'll wake up and realize that 300lb. behemoths crashing into each in between commercial breaks is not sport, but spectacle reminiscent of Rome's gladiators. Until then, I'll be watching world football however I can.

Til later...

I never got into "American Idol", or for that matter that Nashville-Idol show, or even back in the day, "Star Search." They are the spectacle of a nation thirsting for "entertainment." But I have to admit, I'm hooked on "America's Got Talent" that wonderful mash-up of the "Gong SHow" and "American Idol" in spite of the wonderful trainwreck it is.

I mean what were the producers smoking when they thought re-hashed this one up?
Lessee, let's get 3 "celebrity judges. David "I haven't worked since Baywatch, but Germans love me" Hasselhof, Brandy "A TV Camera hasn't been trained on me since 'Moesha' and I have only one name," and Piers "I wish I was Simon Cowell" Morgan. Then we'll parade all the freaks you see performing on many street corners in nearly every major metropolitan area in front of them. Sprinkle in some folks who think this is American Idol or Star Search who may actually have talent to make the show not look like so much of a set-up. Then, the stroke of brilliance: instead of a giant gong, we'll give each judge their own buzzer. Of course if the judges want though, even if the act gets "gonged", they can still pass on to the next round, if the judges vote them through. At least that way we can show favoritism to old people and young children and not look like total jerks.

And so it was created.

Tonight we had an 8 year-old stand-up comic, a dancing inflatable cow, a rappin' granny, a juggler who until playing with knives couldn't juggle, a gospel singer, a geriatric stripper and many more. To say that show will be a smash is a little early, but knowing our nation's love for the strange, odd, and those moments in life where you shake your head and go "why?", it's going to do well.

So for you viewing pleasure, the geriatric stripper:




'Till later...

I realized the other day, it had been a very, very long time since I had updated, well, anything in my life. So I'm sitting here with the smell of fresh burning Ponderosa pine in the air thinking about the last month.

So let's do the re-cap:
May 12th, last day as an extern...no more student life for me. Soon I will be a professional.
May 13th, graduated from nursing school. Yes, 3 of the hardest years of my life finally have the pay-off.
May 17th, turn 30. "Nuff said.
May 27th, sister-in-law graduates from high school. Starting to feel old.
June 3rd, wife has 10-year high school reunion...feel a little bit older.
June 9th, learn I had been turned down for a job in Oregon, life falls apart.
June 14th, still trying to pick up the pieces of my life.

Oh yeah, the town's on fire too...

So it's been crazy, beyond many things. Still trying to get myself back together once again, which seems like a neverending task, but someday, it will happen!

'til later...