If suspended Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick should play another game in the NFL, I think it should be for the Cleveland Browns.
Their home games come complete with a Dawg Pound in the stands.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Just 102 days 'til Halloween
Tonight I attended a community parade that began in one of the 50 United States and ended in another.
In tonight's Wannigan Days parade, which moved from St. Croix Falls, Wis., across the St. Croix River to Taylors Falls, Minn., I saw a business entry with a sign advertising not custom woodworking but rather, "costum" woodworking.
I suppose that it's such a woodworking shop you'd want to call when you'd like to attend a Halloween party dressed as a tree, a bookshelf, or maybe a cedar chest.
Place your orders now!
Seriously, I literally took a picture of the sign (you know, so that it might last longer).
In tonight's Wannigan Days parade, which moved from St. Croix Falls, Wis., across the St. Croix River to Taylors Falls, Minn., I saw a business entry with a sign advertising not custom woodworking but rather, "costum" woodworking.
I suppose that it's such a woodworking shop you'd want to call when you'd like to attend a Halloween party dressed as a tree, a bookshelf, or maybe a cedar chest.
Place your orders now!
Seriously, I literally took a picture of the sign (you know, so that it might last longer).
Friday, July 20, 2007
Cranked up
A local video store runs a 99-cent special on all titles every Thursday.
Yesterday, I walked out with a widescreen copy of the 2006 summer actioner "Crank," co-starring a 31-year-old actress Amy Smart ("Varsity Blues," "Rat Race," the NBC miniseries "The '70s"), which is really the main reason why I rented "Crank."
But it offered a really interesting DVD feature, one that I'd never before seen on a disc I've had in my player. This special feature allowed you to change all F-bombs you'd hear in the regular version to "frickin'" or another variation.
This, a movie where the main character knocks over an IV stand that's in use while he's running down a hospital corridor. This, a movie where the same main character holds a gun to the head of a nurse for quite a while on the same hospital visit.
This, a movie where our main character assaults a convenience-store clerk (yanking the clerk front-first over a counter) before robbing cans and cans of energy drink from a store cooler.
This, a movie where our main character hijacks a police officer's motorcycle.
This, a movie where our main character snaps another character's neck ... and, a movie where our main character shoots an enemy in the corner of an alley, splattering blood over the face of one of our main character's friends who was being threatened by the enemy. And let's not forget the severed hand.
This, a movie where our main character fornicates with his girlfriend in the middle of a Chinatown public square (to the horror of some witnesses, and the humor of others).
And this, a movie where our main character drives through floor-to-ceiling glass windows in a shopping mall, leading police in a chase past clothing stores before our main character's car turns up on its side straight onto an upward escalator. (It was, to use a vulgar but relevant term, flippin' awesome to see that car ride the escalator on its side.)
Would anyone who would be encouraged to watch this film on the condition that they could remove all F-bombs from the script really want to see theft, robbery, public sex, terroristic threats and murder in the movie? (Believe it or not, the main character engaged in most of that to save his own life. It's a complicated tale.)
For what it was, I'd recommend "Crank." But if you couldn't handle the F-bombs, you couldn't handle this movie.
The disc's dialogue option was a waste of space.
Yesterday, I walked out with a widescreen copy of the 2006 summer actioner "Crank," co-starring a 31-year-old actress Amy Smart ("Varsity Blues," "Rat Race," the NBC miniseries "The '70s"), which is really the main reason why I rented "Crank."
But it offered a really interesting DVD feature, one that I'd never before seen on a disc I've had in my player. This special feature allowed you to change all F-bombs you'd hear in the regular version to "frickin'" or another variation.
This, a movie where the main character knocks over an IV stand that's in use while he's running down a hospital corridor. This, a movie where the same main character holds a gun to the head of a nurse for quite a while on the same hospital visit.
This, a movie where our main character assaults a convenience-store clerk (yanking the clerk front-first over a counter) before robbing cans and cans of energy drink from a store cooler.
This, a movie where our main character hijacks a police officer's motorcycle.
This, a movie where our main character snaps another character's neck ... and, a movie where our main character shoots an enemy in the corner of an alley, splattering blood over the face of one of our main character's friends who was being threatened by the enemy. And let's not forget the severed hand.
This, a movie where our main character fornicates with his girlfriend in the middle of a Chinatown public square (to the horror of some witnesses, and the humor of others).
And this, a movie where our main character drives through floor-to-ceiling glass windows in a shopping mall, leading police in a chase past clothing stores before our main character's car turns up on its side straight onto an upward escalator. (It was, to use a vulgar but relevant term, flippin' awesome to see that car ride the escalator on its side.)
Would anyone who would be encouraged to watch this film on the condition that they could remove all F-bombs from the script really want to see theft, robbery, public sex, terroristic threats and murder in the movie? (Believe it or not, the main character engaged in most of that to save his own life. It's a complicated tale.)
For what it was, I'd recommend "Crank." But if you couldn't handle the F-bombs, you couldn't handle this movie.
The disc's dialogue option was a waste of space.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Fifteen for two
I learned how to play cribbage a few years ago, and usually take my board out for a game or two a couple of times each month.
Playing cribbage well certainly takes skill and understanding of the rules, but you also need the right cards. My usual cribbage opponent is either my father or my brother, who both understand the rules of the game. When we play two games, it's rare when one of us will win both.
That's why I was so surprised last Saturday to win five straight games in a cribbage tournament that was held in conjunction with a local town festival in my Minnesota county. After paying a $10 entry fee (as did some 25 other cribbage players into a pool), my winning streak earned me a first-prize cut equalling more than $110. (I'm awaiting the check this week.)
My first of five games was the closest on Saturday, when my opponent reached the 120-point mark (or the "stink hole") after counting his points for a hand only to see me sneak past him for that magical 121st point from my hand without even needing to check the cards in the "crib."
Man, did he think he was hot stuff, as though there would be no way he could lose in the first round.
It was my most satisfying win of the day.
I was dealt some great hands in later games; I remember trying to let my poker face conceal my glee when I was dealt three 10's and a 5 at one point. The card that was cut for the deck in that hand was another 5. Read the rules, and you'll know that was a blessing.
In a couple of my games on Saturday, I led my opponent by more than 20 points at the end, even "skunking" my opponent in one of the wins (meaning that opponent had not gotten past 90 points before I reached 121).
Except for my first opponent Saturday (the guy that seemed to act like everyone else there was beneath him in ability), I struck up good, cordial conversations with each of the others. Cribbage is a friendly game, and should be treated as such. And it can be a great game to teach to children (dare I say better than Texas Hold 'Em?) to build and reinforce counting skills.
My only regret? That I'll have to make a point of registering for the same cribbage tournament in 2008. But I'll enjoy being there.
What will happen with my weekend windfall? Well, my brother was one of the 25 other competitors Saturday in the double-elimination tournament. He won his first game, but lost the next two to send him home early. Before the tournament, he and I had talked about wanting to catch "The Simpsons Movie" together on opening weekend (July 27-29). After telling him that I'd won the tournament, I promised that the movie and a dinner on Saturday the 28th would be my treat.
I'm looking forward to it.
Playing cribbage well certainly takes skill and understanding of the rules, but you also need the right cards. My usual cribbage opponent is either my father or my brother, who both understand the rules of the game. When we play two games, it's rare when one of us will win both.
That's why I was so surprised last Saturday to win five straight games in a cribbage tournament that was held in conjunction with a local town festival in my Minnesota county. After paying a $10 entry fee (as did some 25 other cribbage players into a pool), my winning streak earned me a first-prize cut equalling more than $110. (I'm awaiting the check this week.)
My first of five games was the closest on Saturday, when my opponent reached the 120-point mark (or the "stink hole") after counting his points for a hand only to see me sneak past him for that magical 121st point from my hand without even needing to check the cards in the "crib."
Man, did he think he was hot stuff, as though there would be no way he could lose in the first round.
It was my most satisfying win of the day.
I was dealt some great hands in later games; I remember trying to let my poker face conceal my glee when I was dealt three 10's and a 5 at one point. The card that was cut for the deck in that hand was another 5. Read the rules, and you'll know that was a blessing.
In a couple of my games on Saturday, I led my opponent by more than 20 points at the end, even "skunking" my opponent in one of the wins (meaning that opponent had not gotten past 90 points before I reached 121).
Except for my first opponent Saturday (the guy that seemed to act like everyone else there was beneath him in ability), I struck up good, cordial conversations with each of the others. Cribbage is a friendly game, and should be treated as such. And it can be a great game to teach to children (dare I say better than Texas Hold 'Em?) to build and reinforce counting skills.
My only regret? That I'll have to make a point of registering for the same cribbage tournament in 2008. But I'll enjoy being there.
What will happen with my weekend windfall? Well, my brother was one of the 25 other competitors Saturday in the double-elimination tournament. He won his first game, but lost the next two to send him home early. Before the tournament, he and I had talked about wanting to catch "The Simpsons Movie" together on opening weekend (July 27-29). After telling him that I'd won the tournament, I promised that the movie and a dinner on Saturday the 28th would be my treat.
I'm looking forward to it.
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