It's Friday! Random, Spazmodic Thoughts

Three weeks since my last post? Wow, I'm going to lose my two followers.

I don't want to focus on one topic today. I feel like jumping around. It has been a very busy two weeks, and other than the daily Twitter updates (follow dentedfretboard!), I haven't really surfed the ol' Internet lately, so it feels good to have a free Friday night to explore.

So, funny story. When I got home, I took a nap so I could be rested to watch the huge Yankees/Red Sox game at 7. Well, it turns out that the game was at 2 o'clock. I missed all of it. Classic me.

But that has been a model of my typical days lately. I wake up, drag myself through eight periods of high school, and come home to watch baseball. Actually, that is what every baseball season is like for me. (I will have to post more about it eventually, but my family's love for baseball is crazy. During baseball season, it is all I think about.)

The Yankees are doing pretty good, even after that rough loss against the slumping Sox. I hate to jump the gun, but I don't see any other team in the AL East that will stand in our way. I mean, come on. Who ISN'T afraid of this guy?

Obviously, no one is afraid of Manny Ramirez anymore. Right? That guy quit steroids after getting caught once, correct? Nope. According to a report released today, he tested positive last season as well. Way to go Manny. Buster Olney on Twitter hit the nail on the head:

@Buster_ESPN: The guess from here: Manny will never get in the Hall. The precedent from McGwire voting is in place, and Ramirez tested positive twice.

Well put, Buster. As a Yankee fan, I wonder if Alex Rodriguez will ever get in. He admitted to it, but the same offense deserves the same punishment. Oh well. The commish will cross that bridge eventually.

Anyways, my best friend got me a CD from her boyfriend, an album that I have been anticipating for months: Hollywood Undead's American Tragedy. After listening to it all the way through four times today, I still don't know what to think. They sound completely different. I was a huge fan of Swan Songs, so this new sound may take a while to get used to. I will do a full album review when I actually develop an opinion! Here's my favorite song so far:



Okay, it's time for a much needed rest. Bed time! Have a wonderful weekend, world.

A Sunday Afternoon at the Cinema

I spent this wonderful Sunday at the movies with my friend. It was SO beautiful outside today. I can't believe Pittsburgh had sun. Anyways, we saw the new end-of-the-world, aliens-from-outer-space flick Battle: Los Angeles. I had very high expectations because, except for 2012, I love these type of movies. Anything with aliens/zombies invading the world gets me hooked.

I really can't say the same for this one, and I have my reasons. It was nothing more than two hours of fast-paced action that was too much to handle.

The best movie ever made is I Am Legend. You know why? Because it is REALISTIC. It is hard to believe that a human being would survive 150 chemical explosions and thousands of alien laser shots.

Oh, and it is equally hard to believe that one military squad (with less than ten people) can save the world and defeat endless waves of extra-terrestrial creatures. Things don't work that way.

Plus, it started too quickly. They barely introduced any of the characters and provided no background story. The plot was also very predictable. In the first five minutes, I could tell that the old, washed-up vet would somehow find a way to save the planet.

And that is exactly what he did. Hey filmmakers- if you want to keep me entertained, think of the REAL WORLD.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Irony in the Final Minute: NCAA Rant

It was a great day today, but the night didn't end too well. Pitt's ended another NCAA Tournament run in disappointing fashion. But what did you expect? We got an unfavorable early matchup with a Butler team who isn't any different from last year (remember, they were inches away from winning the championship game against Duke).

Still, that isn't what I am going to talk about tonight. Let me start by using my journalistic skills to paint a picture in your mind:

There are 40 seconds left in a matchup between two conference rivals. They have been battling all game, back and forth. It is tied up. Everything rests in the last 40 seconds. I, the fan, am standing inches away from the TV biting my nails. I am about to see an incredible end to an intense game. Coach #1 takes a timeout. They take the court again. The ball is inbounded, but Coach #2 takes a timeout. I sit back down in frustration.

I don't get it. The most exciting part of a sporting event is the last minute. With every timeout and intentional foul, the intensity decreases. The multiple stoppages in play are ridiculous.

In football, teams are given two timeouts. I realize that basketball is a fast-paced game, but what is getting accomplished when a coach calls three timeouts in half a minute? I can't imagine that the game's result would be any different if coaches were only allowed to use one timeout in the final minute. That is the only resolution I can think of. Or maybe they should add a "one-minute warning". All I know is that there needs to be a change.