NFL Picks – Week One

The Dolphins won, so I don’t really care about the pool.

Still,
I did pretty bad in week one of The Annekenstein Monster pool (where a huge 4 players are participating), going 6-10.  Good enough only for (a distant) second place behind jweale.  Right behind me sits Graham the conquerer at 5-11, and the "I don’t want to play anymore" award goes to reverseflash with a paltry 2-14 record.

The first week is always pretty much a coin-toss (in a system where a coin toss can pretty much do better than me every week anyway), and now is the week where legitimate teams will begin to show themselves, and the fakers will fade.
I vow at least a 9-7 this week, or my name isn’t Rob MacD.

If you’d like to join the fun (it’s not too late – you’re only two correct picks behind reverseflash), sign up at The Weekly NFL Picks Page and search for The Annekenstein Monster pool. Password is sketch22

Or, are you chicken?  Bwawk Bwawk Bwawk

The Blame Game: Tag, You’re It!

Check out this quote from a Fox News commentary:

Every American kid should be required to watch videotape of the poor in New Orleans and see how they suffered because they couldn’t get out of town. And then every teacher should tell the students ‘If you refuse to learn; if you refuse to work hard; if you become addicted; if you live a gangsta life; you will be poor and powerless, just like many of those in New Orleans’.  That’s the truth.

Holy shit!

from this quicktime movie link (you need to click-through a ‘daypass’ ad to access this on Salon, but it’s worth it).

Pledge of Arbitrary Allegiance

It’s stupid, really.
20+ some odd years ago, I became interested in NFL football. Because Dan Marino was a young phenom at the time, his rookie season, I decided to root for the Miami Dolphins.  Really, for no other reason than Dan Marino looked like a great qb and the Dolphins looked like they were ready to create a dynasty.
The choice stuck, and I’ve been a devout DolFan ever since.  Sometimes I rue that decision.
Sometimes I wish I could cheer for the New England Patriots.  It would make so much more sense for me.  All their games are televised on Boston tv stations, which I receive, so that’d be great.  I’d never have the dilemna of deciding whether or not to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket.  But I can’t.  I can’t cheer for the Pats.  For one, they’re hated division rivals of the Dolphins.  For two, they’re hated division rivals.
They’d be a great team to root for, though.  They’ve had their terrible seasons. Dreadful seasons.  And now, for the past 4 years, they’ve been on top of the world.  Oh how great it’d have been to be a Pats fan for the past 20 years.  Even to be on the opposite side of that sickening snowplow incident.  Oh how I’d love to be able to laugh at DolFans about that.  But I can’t. I wasn’t a Pats fan, and I won’t be.  I’m a Dolphins fan.
But it’s stupid, really.  What’s happened to my brain, my phsyiology, that makes it impossible for me to root, really root, for any other team than the Dolphins?   It was such an arbitrary decision all those years ago, how can it have imbedded itself so deeply into me?
Now, I’m stuck with the NFL Sunday Ticket decision.  Pay money (much needed money) to watch the Dolphins lose probably 12 of 16 games this year?  That’s a tough call.  I’ll likely have to go upstairs to the booth (where my wife makes the final decision) on that one.  But what if they’re the surprise team of the season?  How sweet would it be if Gus Frerotte gets injured in game one and Sage Rosenfels becomes the next Tom Brady?  Shouldn’t I be there, watching and waiting for that highly improbable scenario.  Isn’t 20+ years as a disillusioned and disappointed DolFan worth it?  I don’t know.

Last night, the Pats played the Raiders.  The Raiders are a team I’ve hated (sorry Dylan) since in my mother’s womb, I think.  I still hate them.  Last night, watching the parts of the game I watched, I really found it hard to pick a team to root for.  I think that’s why I ultimately stopped watching it.  Friggin’ Pats win it, of course.  I really thought Randy Moss, with that touchdown pass he caught, was gonna lead the Raiders to victory.  I suppose that’s the outcome I was really wishing for, only because that outcome has a positive affect on my Sage Rosenfels wins the Super Bowl fantasy scenario.

Please forgive me.  I’m a Dolphins Fan. 
I don’t know why.

Down, Set, Hut! Hut! Hut!

The NFL season begins this Thursday night.
Just a reminder to anyone who wants to join The Annekenstein Monster pick’em pool at The Weekly NFL Picks Page can do so.
You’ll have to register (it’s free, and there’s no annoying email cultivation or anything like that), then once you do, search for The Annekenstein Monster pool and sign up.  The password is sketch22

Isis Oh Isis, You Mystical Terrorist

Bush Government Vows To Hunt Down Katrinal-Quieda Leader Known as “God”

With a handful of papers and documents under his arm that he claims show undisputed evidence of the connection between the devastation caused by the recent hurricane attack and a new Al Quieda off-shoot terrorist cell known as Katrinal-Quieda , White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan today vowed, on behalf of “the good and suffering people of America, and all the free world nations that are free and suffering along with us in our time of need and suffering and freedom”, to use all available military and intelligence resources to “hunt down and capture and kill the leader and all high-level members of the terrorist group, conveniently named and pictured here in this newest package of Terrorist Bubble-Gum Trading Cards” ™.

When asked by a reporter for the names of the terrorists in question, McClellan said “Well, we know they were in allegiance with Saddam Hussein, and right now we are concentrating on extrapolating that information from Saddam.  So far, we have four names.  First and foremost on the list, at the top of the list, is the terrorist known as God.  He has a number of aliases, of course, but here in America, he’s known as God.”

Research indicates that God has been suspected in many previous natural disaster attacks all over the world, including a massive world-wide flooding that devastated all of civilization except for one family and a menagerie of animals, led by a man who called himself Noah.

McClellan went on to warn that if any so-called Americans knew of God by any of his other aliases, such as Vishnu or Allah, they “could well expect to be visited for questioning and possible detention”.

Other terrorists that McClellan mentioned in today’s press conference that “America is dutifully and single-mindedly searching for… well, single-mindedly except for, oh, what’s his name?  That other guy we’re supposed to be hunting, the one that claimed to be responsible for Saddam Hussein’s attacks on the World Trade Centres and Philadelphia?  What is it, I’m serious.  I honestly cannot think of his name now… Pretty sure it had, like, three names in it, kinda like Tiffany Amberson Thiessen.  It’s right there, on the tip of my tongue… Starts with ‘K’?…  I wanna say Kevin Bacon, but I know that’s not right… Osama!!!  Osama Bin Laden!!!  That’s it!!  It’s been so long since he’s even been mentioned anywhere, that I’ve almost completely forgotten his name.  And that’s funny, because he’s like a pretty serious dude we should be getting, right?  I mean, not as serious as Saddam Hussein, but still, not one to forget the name of.  Sorry ‘bout that,” are “an Iraqi named Poseidon, who we believe may have been responsible for the rising of the waters, and Thor, who most likely had something to do with the dramatic increase in wind.  The fourth of the terrorists we have a handle on is Isis. To be honest, we’re not really sure if Isis was involved, or really, what Isis would have done to assist in the devastation.  There are solid facts that indicate that Isis may have caused a snake to come out of the dust.  Possibly a snake full of weapons of mass destruction.”

At this point, Press Secretary McClellan allowed only one more question from the press corp, then drew two eyes and a nose on the side of his fist and began moving his thumb as if it were a lower lip, and asked himself, “Mr. McClellan, how serious is President Bush taking this latest attack against freedom, and how serious is he upset about the loss of life thus far?”, to which he replied “Well, President Bush is totally serious in his devotion to go after these guys in his total pursuit to save freedom, and is also seriously upset about the loss of life this far.”

The Agency for Homeland Security asks that anyone who may see God, or the other suspected Katrinal-Quieda terrorists, or anyone who looks suspicious or foreign, to immediately shoot them and then phone for cartage pickup.

A Sketch22 Dating Question

If you’ve seen our show, then perhaps you remember some of the characters.

So here’s a queston for the Ladies.  And/or for the Ladies inside the Men:

If you were to choose, which character would you pick to go on a date with:

Used Tampon, the happy Young Company Festy
Jim Simmons, the political correct word nerd
Hat-Trick, the one-night-stand mental midget
Debbie Gaudet, the foul-mouthed lesbian
Punchy, the stand-up Robot

Extra! Extra! More Shows Added!

So, you thought you could get through the summer without seeing Sketch22, did you?  You’ve been breathing easier this week, thinking that the run of that interminable in-your-face sketch comedy show was done, and now you could brave the streets of Charlottetown, not caring if you ran into "sketchers" because now you had your "Yeah, I was planning on seeing your show, but something always seemed to be coming up, and now it’s too late" excuse speech practically memorized?
Not so fast, fast-pants.
We’ve added more shows.  Yes, Sketch22 has been held over for two more weekends.  There’s still five more shows you’ll have to avoid.  This Thursday and Friday, Sept.1&2, and next Thursday and Friday, Sept.8&9. 
"Ah-hah!" you say to yourself. "I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a field of labour that causes me to work on Thursday and Friday evenings, most likely in the food service industry.  Because of that, I’ll still be able to avoid the show that people either really enjoy or really despise, but mostly really enjoy."
Again, not so quick, quick-shorts.
See, we’ve added a Super Special No Holds Barred Final Show on Sunday September 11.  Yes, Sunday.  So unless you have, like, the shittiest work schedule ever, you’re gonna have an evening free to come to this show. 

And better yet, if you do go to the Special Sunday show, you don’t have to worry about your $15  admission going to support the filthy-minded reprobrates who wrote, produced and act in the show.  No, if you go to the Special Sunday show, your $15 admission, every penny, will go towards food for the filthy reprobates who populate this town and rely on the Food Bank for sustenance.
Our Special Sunday performance is a show for charity, and every single dollar from tickets sold at the box office is going to the Food Bank.  Maybe you’d want to pay more than $15?

We hope to have one of those "presenting a giant cheque" photos taken for The Guardian.  Our dream is to have the character "Used Tampon" present a cheque to a street person.

Un-Labour Day

So now that I’m a famous media pundit (really the only person one should talk to in reference to all things The Office), it’s time to say good-bye to the humdrum boredom of a bi-monthly paycheque and start the next chapter in my quest for financial stability.
This Friday is going to be my final day at the job I’ve held for the past 6 or 7 years.  Earlier this month, I informed those that needed informing that I was quitting. My reason for leaving is primarily one of feeling under-appreciated, as far as being paid what I should for the work I do.  I probably should have left two weeks after giving my notice, but, being the nice guy I am, I offered to stay on until the end of the month, to help train my replacements. Plus the extra couple of weeks of income will come in handy.
I quit without having any solid (or even loose-stool) prospects of a replacement job or career.  I have a couple of small projects that will get me through the next month or so, but after that, it’s a serious question mark as to how my family manages to maintain the low middle class lifestyle to which we’ve grown accustomed.
Qutting a job at the age of almost-40 (only days away), with a wife and a kid and a falling-down house and breaking-down car may be the most moronic thing I’ve ever done, but I’m hoping it will lead to a more fulfilling life.
It’s a rather scary step to take, but a step that I take with no concern that it’s the wrong move to make.
It was time for a change.  Rather than wait for the change to come to me, I’ve decided to find the change.  (yes, I’m going to be a pro-active bum).
So, this Labour Day, as the world celebrates, um, Labour… I’ll be celebrating Un-Labour.  Or De-Labour? Or Dis-Labour?

The People That You Meet

I am worried for a) the internets, and b) the state of journalism in today’s universe.

Why?
Because someone thought me worthy enough to be interviewed for a People magazine piece on the TV show "The Office".  Worthy, based on a couple of posts I made regarding The Office on this here blog here.  Yes, I was interviewed via telephone yesterday by a writer for People magazine (at least, he claimed he was a writer for People magazine).  He wanted my opinions on the NBC version of The Office being nominated for The Emmys.  I answered his questions.
I had mixed emotions about the whole affair.  It was nice, I guess, to be singled out from the pack and asked my opinion.  But, really, why should my opinion matter?
Seriously, if this is the state of journalism (even if it’s "entertainment" journalism), where a hack like me potentially (I honestly doubt I’ll get mentioned in the article) becomes a source in such a piece, and the things I say thereby achieve some level of legitimacy because they’re in this magazine (even if it is just People), then I wonder about the legitimacy of sources in every piece of journalism I see or read in the future.

In the grand scheme of things, I am a Nobody With A Blog (and I am not being self-deprecating, just honest).  Since when have we started caring what Nobodies have to say?   I realise that blogs have become a popular buzz-phenom in the mainstream media, and I know that the media has begun to masturbate itself all over the fad, but when I am the chicken that the media begins to choke, then I think it’s gone quite a bit too far.
I should not be interviewed for a People magazine piece on The Office.  I just shouldn’t.
Should I?

I think somebody, somewhere, made a big mistake.

Midnight At The Oasis

We are performing a special midnight show of Sketch22 tonight.  We usually do this for the Festies and assorted people who aren’t normally available to see the 8pm shows…  It’s usually a pretty fun show and the audience is usually, um, primed for a good time.
Check it out, if you’re up to nothing at midnight tonight.
Believe me, you’ve not lived ’til you’ve seen Debbie Gaudet at 2 in the morning.