These Five Things I Know Are True

- It's especially nice that today the sky was a perfect shade of Carolina Blue. :)

Okay, okay, I'll get it all out of my system soon, I promise. But I figure that I get a few days leeway for a national championship, right? Especially since I don't know a single soul in this town who is also a Tar Heel alum who can share the glory.

On another note, there's a great big misconception that I need to clear up for the sports media of this country right now, so that they can shut up about this already - Matt Doherty was not going to win a national championship at Carolina. Never. I don't care if Sean May was healthy, I don't care if he had been given another year to coach, I don't care if he found a freaking genie at one of those Franklin Street thrift shops and it gave him three wishes. He might have managed to recruit some of the best talent that ever hit the hardwood of the Dean Dome, but they hated his everloving guts once they got there. As did pretty much everyone else in that town. He fired a lot of folks, thumbed his nose at the Rams Club, and above all else, he pissed off Coach Smith. What was hell was he thinking?!? It would have never worked. And those "spoiled brats" that the press whined about two years ago became a team with heart under Roy. There's a lot more to coaching than recruiting. If there wasn't, Coach of the Year should go to an assistant coach somewhere, because they usually do the real legwork on that end. That was Roy's team, and if Doherty is so talented and wonderful and has been screwed out of a job because of this, I have one simple solution. Someone give him a coaching position and three years. Then let's see where he is in the tournament and we'll talk.

Now that I have that off my chest....
- I have discovered that as soon as your team wins it all, and you're so excited that you can't sleep and you get about 3 hours total, and you're wearing your lucky blue rugby shirt that you love but that looks horrible in pictures, and your hair is a mess and you don't have makeup, you are certain to end up in a news story. No, I'm not going to say which one. But if I needed some incentive to get back on a diet, I found it. Incidentally, that same shirt was my incentive for last year's diet, which probably means that I should throw it out.

I'm definitely not a vain person. Anyone who's seen me on a regular basis knows that. I don't have enough fashion fundage to be vain. And it's very hard for me to find the motivation to stick to a strict diet, because I'm a big believer in having what you want, when you want it, if you can have it without bothering anyone else with it. For example, if I'm at home alone on a Saturday night, I might want Keith Urban with a little jazz, a bottle of champagne and some strawberries (and not much else) but that ain't happening. However, I can have a pizza and my TiVo. So dammit, why should I do without on everything? Somehow, sitting at home on a Saturday night, watching TiVo and eating a salad just doesn't work.

And on to a much better subject...
- One of my all-time favorite shows has managed to do something that rarely happens on TV. They've reinvented themselves and actually made the show more interesting. This is the BBC America version of What Not to Wear (not the Americanized TLC version - it's truly unwatchable) where two British fashionistas named Trinny and Susannah take an unfashionable girl, throw out the worst of her old wardrobe, give her 2000 pounds for new clothes and then teach her how to shop for things that make her look gorgeous. And it actually works! At the same time, they teach all of us fashion-deficent women stuff that we probably need to know (i.e. never wear sleeveless shirts, and show off your best parts in a tasteful way, like cleavage and ankles.) But after about four seasons and a zillion makeovers of dowdy British women, I thought that the only way that the show would be interesting again would be if they came to America and made me over (hint, hint.) But this year they've taken a new slant - each week has a theme, and they pick two women out of a group of 100+ that fit the theme in some way for the makeover. The first week it was mothers who dress their children better than they dress themselves, and one of the women they helped was a young mother of triplet toddler boys. This week's theme were unfashionable mothers of fashionable teens. Doing two makeovers at a time gives a little bit of contrast and breaks the monotony, and they even delved more into their real lives as part of the whole process. All in all, it's a nice change of pace, and it's good to see that two old hands in the fix 'er up biz can learn new tricks to keep things going. And I'm going to keep pitching my Blue Collar TV version, which involves $250 and a trip to Wal-Mart.

And I can't think of a good way to transition this one...
- I haven't been to a real movie theater in a very, very long time. Too long. Movie theaters are good for the soul. But suddenly it's beginning to look like a very busy spring for me. I really, really love the look of Fever Pitch. I mean, c'mon, it's a love story about sports fans! I also think that it's going to inspire a long-overdue post about the myth that men think that girls who are into sports are hot, but that's for another post. There's also a new Batman movie coming out that actually gives me hope that the franchise can be saved after Schumacher, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which has the potential for being the first film that compells me to see it five times in a theater since, um, The X-Files movie (shuddup.) And, oh yeah, the final Star Wars film. I have mixed feelings on that one, for a variety of reasons.

And finally...
- Somehow I have managed to win an award! Not sure how this happened, but I am now listed as one of the Best Blogs in Tennessee. Thanks Lynnette and Jim! Now I have to post more often, right?

Wow

They actually did it. They won it all. North Carolina Tar Heels, 2005 National Champions.

For some reason, I don't quite believe it yet. Even though I saw that weird-looking trophy in Roy's hands. I'm still in shock. I think I will be for a long time.

Who would have thought two years ago, when we were 8-20 and didn't even have a tournament berth, that we would win it all two years later? When Roy took the job, I predicted to my friend Pax that we'd be back in the Final Four in two years. But I was never arrogant enough to think we'd win.

But here we are. And it's a great place to be.

And contrary to rumor, I am not here tonight. Although it is a testament to how much I love my job that I'm not driving eastward right now. I feel like I should be at the Groundhog on Franklin Street, 500 sheets to the wind. I wonder if there are any trees left on campus?

A great excuse to eat out today

Dining Out for Life has been a national event in many cities for years to raise money for AIDS/HIV outreach organizations. Today's the day for Nashville's restaurants to donate part of their proceeds to Nashville CARES. Here's a list of participating restaurants. So if you needed a good reason to fork over the bucks for a big night out at the Sunset Grill, here's your chance!

Just a thought for the Metro Nashville Police

Obviously, I'm not a cop, so I could be talking out of my you-know-what on this. But since the West End Attacker seems to be doing the same thing time after time (looking for homes where purses are in plain view through a window, breaking in a window or door, snatching the purse and fleeing) why don't the police set up a sting operation? Find some concerned homeowner in one of the targeted areas who's willing to cooperate, set up a purse in a conspicuous place, and have some cops hide in a closet or outbuilding in wait for him to strike? It might take awhile (or it might take more than one house) but he'd probably eventually take the bait. Sure, it might not work, but so far the "let's wait in the neighborhood with the police 'copter and squad cars at the ready" hasn't done the trick, has it?

*clears throat*

Tar Heels on Hand,
To steal the Thunder from the Sky:
Then take our stand,
As every man does right
By blue and white
We'll give the Tar Heels a Hand
And cheer them on to do or die.
YEA, all of us are for U-N-C
And you can betcha we're proud to be the
Tar Heels on Hand.

Boy, I wish I were on Franklin Street right now. I wonder if there are any trees left...

Well screw you too, ESPN

ESPN has ticked me off for the last time. It's bad enough that their radio commentators have become completely obnoxious and unlistenable, but they're getting rid of the two best parts of my day - Kit Hoover and Thea Andrews on Cold Pizza! Don't know if you've ever seen this morning show, but it's a hidden gem on ESPN2. Now it's going to be turned into more blowhard commentary with Skip Bayliss and Woody Paige, who together are the most biggest waste of space on air. Today they even added a scoreboard. Oh please. Are we supposed to tick off how many viewers they're losing per second?

Now my friend Joe Greenlight has come up with the idea to boycott ESPN, and I'm all for it. After all, what exactly are we losing? Except for Pardon the Interruption (which I admit I will really miss) and that unwatchable Around the Horn show before it, there's 10 reruns of SportsCenter a day, a few episodes of that horrible poker drama series, Dream Job (which is almost painfully entertaining) and some after-hours outdoor programming. These guys have yet to acknowledge that there are sports in the world that exist on networks that they don't hold the exclusive rights to, like NASCAR and soccer. Oh, excuse me, Colin Cowherd said on ESPN Radio today that the only places in the world that care about soccer have Sally Struthers shilling for money or worship a queen. So I'm not supposed to care. My mistake.

An Open Letter

To whomever tried to remove my bumper stickers in the Donelson Y parking lot this afternoon:

I guess you thought you were being clever. After all, you probably disagreed with the sentiment that "My Kids Can't Afford For Me To Vote Republican." (incidentally, I have no living children, but the bumper sticker was on behalf of my future kids...not that you would know this.) And since the election is over, you probably thought you would be helpful and remove my Kerry-Edwards sticker for me, right? Well, forgive me if I don't thank you.

I'm not sure if you care very much about the concept of free speech, but it's something I care very deeply in. And it not only applies to what you write in the newspaper or say on television, but what you put on your car. Personally, there's a lot of bumper stickers that I see in this town that I really don't like. I've seen some pro-war, anti-Arab sentiment that's chapped my craw, so to speak. And I really, really loved those "Don't Be A Girlie-Man - Vote Republican" stickers soooo much the last few weeks of October. But I would never think about touching your car. Because it's your right to put things on there as you see fit, just like it's my right to curse under my breath when I see it. Because I actually believe in the First Amendment for all.

But I do appreciate your help in one way. Since one of my stickers was torn in half thanks to you, I now have to put up a replacement. And you are definitely not going to like it. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine pointed me toward this site with Religious Left merchandise. And I'll be sure to pick out the most obnoxiously liberal item on the site, just for you.

Love,
The Girl With the Brown Minivan

More This 'n That

- D-Mase got his cash money and he's going to Baltimore. Not a bad move for him. The Ravens had an excellent defense last year but needed some good hands up the field, which Mason should provide. However, Mason told a local sports-talk show this evening that he came very close to going to New England but decided to go for the cash. Interesting choice for the guy who was one yard from a Super Bowl ring five years ago. True, the Pats of next season will be minus some key players and two seasoned assistant coaches, but I daresay they're closer to a repeat than the Ravens are to making a return appearance to the big show.
- Dear Randy Moss, No, everyone doesn't love the Raiders; no, you won't be going to the Super Bowl; and you'd better be loving all this love you're getting from Al Davis, because the breakup's going to be ugly. Now put your pants back on and grow up.
- I am possibly the most naive, hopeless romantic on earth. Or maybe I just fell for the hype. I thought those crazy kids would make it. For her to file the papers in her sixth month of pregnancy, he must've really screwed up. And yeah, I'm jumping to conclusions, but past offenses are allowed in court.
- Several of us in the newsroom are devoted American Idol fans (well, I was, but I'm losing interest since the auditions are over and I don't have anything left to mock.) I decided to give Nashville Star a try, since it's local and the potential for wacky costumes is high. What a disappointment. With the exception of one guy who's doing a fairly good Buddy Holly act, they all look alike and sound alike and dress like they're onstage in LA, not Nashville. It really makes me wonder - would Johnny Cash have a chance starting out these days? Or Patsy Cline? Or anyone who doesn't have a perky smile and a trendy haircut and a prepackaged biography?
- Cool link: This copycat site gives you recipes to some of your favorite restaurant foods. And not just stuff like KFC chicken and McDonald's muffins (um, I might be missing something, but I've never had one of those I wanted to make at home.) They have a recipe for an Orange Julius! If you've had one but don't live where there's a Orange Julius stand, you probably know why I'm so pleased. But me, I'm more happy about the recipe to make Olive Garden's salad dressing. That stuff's addictive.
- Speaking of food, check out this very cool Flash site that teaches you how to make "fast food" with a French chef that resembles Ron Popeil. Not sure how the food is, but I want the house.
- Nice to see that some musicians are putting their names out there in favor of P2P file-sharing, at least for non-copywrited works. Not surprised to see that it's artists like Steve Winwood and Heart, who undoubtably have seen their highest-gross years in record sales come and go. But they're making the point that I've been screaming for years - P2P opens up new kinds of music to people that they wouldn't normally have any access to, and once you get into it, you start spending money on it. I'm thankful to Napster for opening my eyes and ears up to all sorts of electronic music, especially European trance that isn't exactly on the shelves down at Ye Olde Wal-Mart. Good times. All obtained legally, of course.
- There should be more, but somehow it's hard to blog on a day after events like this.

Just a little Oscar snarking

I didn't see the entire telecast (frankly, I lost interest somewhere around the time that Beyonce' started singing in French.) And I decided that the Oscars were pretty much a crock around the time Amelie got shafted two years ago. Yeah, I know, silly grudge to hold. But a couple of things...

-Chris Rock didn't do a bad job. I have a feeling most of the reviewers will say he was boring as hell, but I think that's just in comparison to his other work. I mean, if you gave Eddie Murphy or Dave Chappelle the hosting duties but told them that they couldn't cuss, couldn't be sexual and had to have all their jokes reviewed by the network heads beforehand, they'd look bland too. And I'm not singling them all out as black men, but as comedians who make comedic statements with the "no, you didn't" effect. Rock's style hasn't been quite as strong as theirs, but he's made a career by saying the things that no one else had the guts to say about race relations. That didn't necessarily mesh well with the Oscars, who try to leave the controversy to the MTV Music Awards.
- That said, I did like Rock's visit to the Magic Johnson Theatres to talk to "the people". I think it was probably a shock to some of those in the audience that most of Middle Amercia would rather see The Chronicles of Riddick a thousand times than see Million Dollar Baby once.
- Speaking of which. Hilary Swank's dress, frankly, sucked. When you win an Oscar basically for killing yourself in a gym for six months, don't you want the world to see the body you got as a result?
- Didn't see most of the red carpet, but from what I saw, Virginia Madsen had the best dress of the night, with Salma Hayak winning a special award for Best Use of Superior Cleavage. That said, has their been a rule implemented at the Oscars that all the actresses have to wear a sleeveless. tight-to-the-knees dress with a poufy train? Seriously, folks, I know that Nicole Kidman looked lovely in those for the past few years, but you're beginning to make me miss Cher. At least I give Hilary some props for being unique.
- If Renee Zellwegger gets any skinnier, I'm going to start sending her In 'n Out Burger gift certificates.
- I think the tribute to Carson was possibly the best segment of the evening. A classy way to say goodbye to a classy man.
- Speaking of classy (or not so much), I did like Halle Berry's dress and her very proper Oscar presentation. However, I liked her Razzie acceptance speech even more.
- Boy, I would not want to be anywhere in the vicinity of Martin Scorsese right about now.

My Sunday Dinner Pick - Sitar

There are a few foods that I think that I could probably live off of exclusively for the rest of my life (or at least a few years) without ever tiring of them. One is good pizza (note the word "good", which means straight from a pizza oven, pan crust, fresh ingredients. I've only found a couple of pizzarias who come close to qualifying.) Another is my Granny's chicken and dressing with my aunt's twice-baked potatoes. Yet another is sushi, in particular Philadelphia rolls (okay, I know the real sushi snobs are screaming at this, but something about the combination of cream cheese and crab makes me very, very happy) and miso soup. But above all of this is chicken tikka masala. Absolutely adore the stuff. If it weren't a bitch and a half to make from scratch, I'd probably be cooking it at home at least every 2-3 days.

But alas, I am not the least bit Indian, have no Indian friends to teach me how to cook the dish as well they can, and unfortunately I don't live in London, where curry shops are like fast food (so I hear.) So I have to go to the local Indian restaurants to get my fix. And while they are excellent, they're a bit pricy for my po' budget. So I'm limited to getting the best chicken tikka masala I've found in Nashville (Taste of India on Church) every few weeks as a treat. But in the meantime, there is one good alternative that I find myself using quite a bit. That's the Sitar lunch buffet.

Sitar's food is excellent - maybe not quite as flavorful as some of the other Indian shops in town, and their rice, frankly, is often disappointing. But other than that, it's consistant and dependable, which is not something that you can say about many of the buffet places in town. And it has a good variety of choices - as with most Indian places, they have tons of vegetarian options. Their naan (flatbread) suffers under the heat lamps, but if you catch it out fresh, you'll be tempted to eat it instead of anything else. And they always offer two dessert choices which I can't do without - kheer (a custard they make with pistachios and almonds added) and a rice pudding.

Sitar has a very nice dining area and a great wait staff, but it tends to be very, very crowded at lunch. Most of the time that I go to the buffet, I get it to go and feast through the afternoon at work. But in the evening, the ambience is very nice - all candlelight and cool Indian music playing. Also, my sister, brother-in-law and I recently found out that it's not a bad place to take a very energetic 3-year-old for an early weekend dinner. Not only were the wait staff very patient with my niece, but they made excellent suggestions on foods that she would like to eat.

All in all, Sitar is an excellent lunch value for a good $7 meal ($8 for take-out) and a solid choice whenever. And until someone opens a curry shop on Nolensville Road (hey, every other nationality is there) I've got a cheap fix for my masala cravings.

Reminders we must never forget

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville is premiering an exhibition devoted to the stories of Holocaust survivors living in Tennessee and the soldiers who liberated them. It was created by a UT professor who went across the state getting these stories, and after its time at the Frist the exhibit will be going on a statewide tour. This is an excellent idea, and I'm very glad that someone took the time to create this before this part of history is lost. Even if we're halfway around the world, people (especially children) need to be reminded that we are connected.

In somewhat unrelated-but-related news, it looks like Holocaust revisionist Ernst Zundel will be taking a nice long trip to a German jail cell, after being booted out of Canada by their Federal Court. Goodbye and good riddance. No one's a bigger believer in free speech than I am, but as the folks over at Nizkor can tell you, it doesn't go both ways with him. And frankly I'd rather not be on the same continent as the guy who wrote "The Hitler We Loved and Why." Incidentally, he spent a few years in the early-90s in Pigeon Forge, and his wife - who runs his lovely revisionist website while he's incarcerated - still lives there. Yuck.

Something kooky and neat

I love newspapers. All newspapers. And newspaper history is particularly fascinating when you get down to it, since they've basically been around in some form or fashion since the printed word came about. So for some reason I find it very fascinating that this guy has scanned and blogged the very first newspaper ever printed in Scandinavia, published back in 1749. It's amazing when history and technology meet and become intertwined, and now this old piece of newsprint (well, not exactly) will probably survive in some form into infinity. Who said that blogging was all hot air and hyperbole?

This 'n That

- Just a couple of weeks ago I picked up a Titans 2005 calendar on clearance and hung it at my desk. Since the cuts yesterday, I think I'm going to have to take it down, because I don't think I can handle Kevin Carter's picture looking down on me much longer. Up next is Lance Schulters (a rumored future cut) and Mr. April is Eddie George (guess they print these things months in advance or something.) A couple of yesterday's cuts are really hard to stomach. Carter's not only a key defensive player, but a team leader and beloved in the community. He and his wife have raised a ton of money for Nashville charities. We're gonna miss him a lot (but maybe he'll be back?) And yeah, D-Mase is one of the key ingredients of the Titans' playoff runs of years pass, not to mention McNair's favorite target. But yeah, it had to happen. The Ravens did it themselves a few years back, and they were competitive again within a year. And they still have some very strong pieces to our puzzle - if McNair's truly doing as well as they say since his sternum surgery, he is only one year removed from an MVP award. Not to mention a strong backup QB, some veteran wide receivers who can now stay with the restructuring (and Tyrone Calico, you'd better be healthy this year), a running back who proved himself admirably last year, and a defense that has hopefully learned a few lessons the hard way. They've had their injuries and their bad luck. Now it's time to see what Norm Chow really can do with a young team.
- The obligatory Hunter S. Thompson salute: I was late learning about the man, growing up in a non-Rolling Stone environment. However, reading his writings in college and beyond was an inspiration to me and countless others. And above all, I admire him for living his life on his terms, openly and unapologetically. And for all those out there who are dumping on the man for killing himself - note the sentence above.
- This has unfortunately been largely overlooked in the HST aftermath, but one of the last vestages of classic Hollywood is now lost to the ages. Goodbye, Sandra Dee.
- If people are already flipping out this badly over what Chris Rock is saying before the Oscars, the actual telecast should be a treat. I'm beginning to become seriously concerned that in the post-Nipplegate era, the entertainment industry has lost all sense of irony.
- So Patty is the gay Simpsons character. How sweet. Seriously.
- Speaking of gay marriage, one of the new Republican state senators in the Midstate has decided to introduce an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting adoptions by gays or lesbians, either singles or partnered. In a story this weekend, Sen. Black said that she thought this was a good idea because the ideal environment for children to grow up in is a two-parent household with a mother and a father. This is offensive on so many levels - not only to the gays and lesbians who have raised children in happy, stable homes, but to the millions of single parents throughout the country who have done the same thing. And this is a slap in the face to all the kids in foster care who need a family, period. Please, Tennessee, we really don't need to become that state.
- This is one of the most disgusting ideas I've ever seen. And I've lived in a dorm, so I've seen some truly disgusting ideas. If you want the curse to end, Cubbies, stop sucking. The BoSox can tell you that stunts don't work. Admittedly, dumping Sosa is a move in the right direction.
- My constant refrain about marrying my TiVo doesn't come from nothing - sometimes I think it knows my tastes better than I know my own. Witness last night, when I discovered that it had taped the special 25th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" edition of Pardon the Interruption. It was actually a pretty entertaining walk back through history, and something I appreciated, since I have absolutely no memory of the actual event when I was 6. And that bugs me, because I remember lots of other things from that time period. I remember drawing yellow ribbons in Kindergarten and my teachers marvelling about my developed political knowledge. I remember wearing my plastic peanut necklace and crying when Carter lost (gee, how the politics ran in my home?) I remember the split-screen at Reagan's inaugural. I even remember the oil crisis. But somehow I get the feeling that in our particular patch of rural South, people didn't much care about a hockey game, no matter what the political implications were. And that makes me sad.
- Just saw on the wire that Rashad McCants isn't going to be playing for the Tar Heels when they go up against N.C. State tomorrow night. Uh oh. Last time McCants was out for a game was against Santa Clara in Maui, and we all know how that turned out.
- Bill Cosby cancelled a town-hall appearance in Pittsburgh in the midst of the sex allegations made against him last month. However, he made good on his promises and gave a phoned-in message to schoolchildren today. That's class, ladies and gentleman. I have no idea if any of the things that the two women have said against Cosby happened - that's not for me to judge. But I do think that his message is relevant and needed, regardless, and I'm glad that he hasn't been silenced.

My Sunday Dinner Pick - Hot Diggity Dog

I think that one thing I'm going to do as a regular feature is feature a favorite dining spot of mine, usually in the Nashville area. It's not usually the trendiest and fanciest stuff, since I'm po' (although I will happily accept dinner invitations to hot spots like The Boundr'y so that I can consider them for future Sunday Dinner Picks) and it's often stuff that I can run out and get for lunch and eat at my desk. I'm also big on ethnic foods, so it will definitely have that slant.

This week's pick is a very new find, and maybe slightly trendy, since Kay West named it as one of the best places to eat in Nashville just two weeks ago in the Scene. However, it's just too good not to rave about. I became a fan of good hot dogs about 10 years ago in North Carolina, when I discovered a joint in town that served Nathan's Own and knew how to cook them. Since then, with the exception of a pub or two, I've rarely found anything similar. Until now.

Hot Diggity Dog serves their dawgs either "char" or steamed, and the char is as good as anything you'd have on a Sunday cookout. They also know how to make a proper Chicago Dog (not my thing, but I know there have to be some transplanted Midwesterners in town that are now screaming in delight.) Even better, they make hand-cut fries and serve them in paper sacks, just like proper crisps should be. They also serve a couple of types of sausages (note: add brats soon, please) and an Italian beef sandwich that's supposed to be great.

The best thing about Hot Diggity Dogs is the value. I got a coworker and I lunch for $6. The only thing that's the least bit dicey about the place is the location (Ewing Street, two blocks from the Union Rescue Mission) but the building itself is charming, and during the daytime it shouldn't be an issue. And it's right down the street from my job! So I can go get my kraut dawg and pretend I'm in New Yawk for a few moments, at least.

Best quote I've heard on TV in awhile

I'm not going to sit here and say that Reba is highly intelligent television. It's never going to be a critically-acclaimed darling like Arrested Development (which, BTW, I really need to start watching already before they cancel it, since it's already past my normal 6-month lagtime on catching onto the trendy shows.) But it's one of the most realistic sitcoms around, and has some of the best quotes ever. And this one takes the cake:

"There are three things that men think of - 'I want a sandwich,' 'I want a woman,' or 'I want a woman to make me a sandwich.'"

Deny it if you want, guys, but you know it's true.

I miss all the good stuff

Wow, I leave work early today with the flu and take the past 12 hours off from the internet and news, except for the occasional email, and what happens? Gretzky and Lemieux save the NHL! Amazing! Tell you what guys, I'm still sick, so I probably won't be around much for the weekend. Why don't y'all bring peace to the Middle East too? Or sanity to American politics? Or at the very least, get Bugs Bunny back for me?

Note: Blame my liberal use of sarcasm on the hour and the high fever. Obviously, I know this has been in the works behind the scenes since Bettman said his "famous last words". It's just weird to get a phone call from a friend asking me if I knew that the season's been uncanceled. That's just about as surreal as the morning I got on the internet and saw the name Monica Lewinsky for the first time.

This 'n That

- A memo to the Tennessee Titans: Please, for the love of God, stop getting arrested. Twice in three days is more than enough. McNair's unfortunate PR flop last off-season was bad enough, really. I really don't want the national press to start comparing you to the Oakland Raiders.
- Kid Rock has provided Music City with a ton of amusement this week. I've seen a lot of great Night Court video in my day, but his beats all. And when you've got Metro cops holding your hat and asking for autographs after your booking, you have to be a pretty charming bloke. However, the Vandy cop who asked for a script instead of a Breathalyzer screwed up big time. And you look pretty damn rough at 8 am, Robert Ritchie.
- I, along with most of the lacksidasical hockey fans in the U.S., am pretty much over the NHL. Mike Wilbon pretty much summed up today how the sheer arrogance of Bettman et. al. is appalling. But despite the last-minute heartbreak of this whole process, I will remain a Predators fan and will be right back at the GEC when they hit the ice next fall (unless, of course, they hire replacements - my union-prez daddy didn't raise no picketline-crosser.) The Preds took out a full-page ad in The Tennessean today apologizing to the fans for the lost season. They are also refunding season tickets plus 3%. That's class. Craig Leipold is one of the best owners in the league, and he's the reason that this mid-market team will still be around after a year off. In the meantime, at least there's Nashville Kats football to watch.
- Here's an interesting article about who's downloading the mostTV t0rrents and which shows are the most frequently downloaded. Really, it's little surprise that the UK leads the way in downloads, considering the lagtime they have in getting hit US shows on their cable. The one thing that might be surprising on some level, to an extent, is how sci-fi heavy the top t0rrents are. 24 and Stargate lag behind Desperate Housewives and Lost not only in the Nielsons, but in the TiVo Top 25, which to me are indicitive of a true fandom. Maybe it's because t0rrents cater to a techie crowd, or maybe Brits have better taste. Who knows? I would be interested in knowing where downloads of international shows fall on the list, because until BBC decides to launch BBCA2, people will be forced to download Spaced and Green Wing. Just sayin'.
- Ah, Steve Jobs, haven't you ever heard of leaking information anonymously? At least you're willing to stab your competitors in the front and not in the back. BTW, where is that URL? I know some people who might have purchased some iTunes music at some point in the past who might be interested. Once again, just sayin'.

Of memories and boxes

On Valentine's night I watched Amelie. Thought that was a fitting movie for the evening, and romantic without being overly gooey or making me want to throw things. And as usual, it made me think. This time it was about the little metal box that Amelie found in the floorboards and later returned to Breteaudeau with his childhood treasures. And it made me think - does everyone have a box like that? And what would end up in it?

I did have a box like that, and possibly still do somewhere in my parents basement. It's a carved wooden box with some sort of painting on top, and when I was younger I pretended that it was some sort of puzzle box that you had to have a secret code to get into. Most of what it held was old hair ribbons from the first time that I had long hair (up until I was in the fifth grade.) Later I think it held my vain attempts at song lyrics, letters from my pen pal in Canada, and my stupid unsent love letters to the unrequited love of my high school years. Nothing nearly as cool as what was in Breteaudeau's box.

If I could go back in time, I would probably put my very first copy of The Little House of the Prairie that I got in the second grade - the one that I read so often that within six months it no longer had a cover. I'd probably put my first copy of Little Women in there too. I would also have some scraps from the fabric store where my mom would take me in the afternoons after we got off from school. Fabric stores are extremely boring for kids, so I would go to the remnant box and wrap myself in assorted scraps and make up plays in my head and pretend. I would also have a picture of me and my first dog Jessica, a very beautiful and very proper Doberman pincher, who in the shot was wearing an old cheerleader's skirt. She was one of my two only playmates until I went to Kindergarten. And in honor of the other, I would have to have a picture of my cousin Shelia, and an old 45 of "Love Will Keep Us Together", because I loved that song and she used to goad me into calling the local radio DJ to request it over and over. And finally, I would have to have some of the pictures that I used to draw of my future wedding dress during class. They all had hoop skirts that would put Scarlett O'Hara to shame.

But that's the funny thing about boxes of memories, at least in the movies. When Breteaudeau opened his up, he was reminded of his childhood, and it inspired him to make things right in his own life. What if there is no box to be opened, and nothing that can ever be made right again? Even if you could get your heart's desire, or if anyone even knew what that was, there's no such thing as an Amelie to grant it.

In any case, feel free to tell me what would be in your childhood box.

Grammy Thoughts

I agree with Bono that tonight's Grammys were possibly the best ever. Great performances, pretty decent distribution of awards, and lots and lots of U2 (see a trend here?)

The Best:
- Very glad that Loretta Lynn won, and what Jack White had to say about her lack of country airplay was pretty funny (and dead-on.) If Tim McGraw had won, I would've puked. And Loretta was wearing the best dress of the night, period. And I'm not just saying that because I'm country and I love purple.
- Melissa Etheridge now beats Sinead O'Connor for best bald head ever. She also had one of the best performances of the night, competing with...
- U2, who played what's become one of my all-time favs of theirs. Maybe it's not as memorable as "Vertigo" or the stadium-killer of "City of Blinding Lights", but "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" just has unbelievable emotional resonance. Just in case I haven't said it in the last few days, I have to see this tour. I'm just reminding myself of this so the ticket price will go down easier when the time comes.
- Very nice Ray Charles tributes. And the tsunami relief ensemble was just cool enough to justify an iTunes buy at some point.
- Kanye West showed a ton of class in his acceptance and in how gracefully he lost to Maroon 5. And somewhere a PR flack got her wings.

The Worst:
- Okay, a disclaimer here - I'm not a big fan of Lynard Skynard. Sue me. I come from a part of Tennessee where you don't play "Sweet Home Alabama" unless you're wearing a Roll Tide shirt and/or you don't value your life much. And I'm sick to death of "Freebird". I think if they were going to do a "tribute to Southern Rock", they needed to include more legends. And with the exception of Gretchen Wilson (who had a cool tribute T for Merle Kilgore, by the way) the selection of "new artists" to sing with them sucked. Tim McGraw does not rock. And not only does Keith Urban not rock, but he's not even Southern (okay, you can now label me jingoistic, but it makes a difference.) And where the hell was the live performance by Big & Rich that CBS promoed? I understand that they were showcasing the nominees, but this wasn't a great way, IMHO.
- Something's weird in the universe when the lead singer for Green Day is wearing more eye makeup than Britney Spears did in her latest video. But I've always kinda thought that the only men who could really pull that look off are David Bowie and the Cure.
- Is it just me, or aren't Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony starting to look more and more like the modern version of Taylor and Burton?
- Did the makers of "Sahara" buy slots for their cast to present awards? That just seemed strange.
- And what was that crap at the beginning with all of the "Record of the Year" nominees singing their songs all at once? I thought that the point of good radio was to try to prevent trainwrecks.

Death of a Legend

"The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you're a salesman, and you don't know that."

Today the world lost a quiet but powerful voice, and one of the greatest playwrights to ever write for the American stage. I just hope that he is remembered more for the body of his work than for the woman he married half a century ago. Rest in peace, Arthur Miller.

When I was in the second grade, completely by chance, my teacher persuaded me to buy Little House on the Prairie at a Scholastic book fair. Somewhere I owe Mrs. Mayes a big ol' hug and thanks, because that book changed my life. I was already a big reader, but I literally wore that book out, and it transformed my imagination into the world of a simple pioneer girl traveling through the plains of Kansas. Imagine how excited I was at Christmas when I opened a gift from my aunt and found out that there were eight more books! Even now, twentysomething years later, I could sit here and tell you the storyline of each book chapter-by-chapter, and could probably even quote portions of them.

So now I'm very happy to hear that the true adaptations of the original books are finally coming to television next month. Yes, yes, everyone knows about the Michael Landon series and everyone else of my generation thinks that Melissa Gilbert is Laura Ingalls. I don't. My mom didn't let me watch that show because she said that it didn't follow the books, and she had a point. The few times that I've watched it as an adult, it's annoyed me. Mary never got married! Walnut Grove never blew up! I understand artistic license, but cmon! I'm glad to see someone attempt to do a version that's true to the books, and I hope that they even fill in the unpublished Iowa years (yes, I'm a true fan.) And in the meantime, I'll keep saving my pennies to make the Homesite Tour.

A few short Super Bowl thoughts

- The main reason that the Pats won tonight and the Iggles didn't is because the Pats had been there before and it showed. When it came down to crunch time, the Eagles acted like a small-town high school team that ended up in the state championship by a fluke and imploded when they reached the spotlight. Their idea of a "hurry -up offense" the last five minutes was laughable. The last two times they played, the Pats won with a big play at the end that resulted in a field goal. This time the shoe was on the other foot, but McNabb stumbled. That truly shows you how great Brady and his team really is.
- T.O., I, along with most of the armchair commentators of America, owe you an apology. My hat is off to you. As someone who suffered a major ankle injury that was most likely nowhere near as bad as yours, I have no clue how you played a whole game on that leg. Hell, I can't even walk in a mall for an hour without ending up off my feet almost four years later. You deserve an amazing amount of credit, and I hope you get it.
- If I thought that FredEx was a truly altruistic, team-player guy, I would say that he mouthed off just to draw all of the defense onto him and leave Pinkston open for receptions. If he did, that worked for awhile.
- Does Tedy Bruscih have a twin brother that I can marry so that I can have little boys that cute? I swear, watching him play with them pre-game made my ovaries hurt.
- Can't fault Deion Branch for getting the MVP (and I would like to point out that I recognized his superior talent a year ago, when I had him on my fantasy team, except that he never generated many points for me.) But I think that Tom Brady had a strong case for a third MVP. simply because he managed to pick apart the blitz so well. Honestly, I have never seen a QB so comfortable and adaptable in that position. It was his ability to see the openings left downfield under pressure that gave Branch the chance to make such incredible plays.
- Missed a lot of the commercials since I actually spent half of the game on the road and listening on the radio. And since the NFL Network defines "postgame" as 4 minutes before the game actually ends, I didn't get to see their postgame commercial show. But having worked in call centers that closely resembled Office Space, the CareerBuilder.com commercial with the apes was spookily realistic.

A little bit of this 'n that

- How many American shows can say that the actor playing the main character married the actress playing his grandmother? Somehow I find that strangely cool. As I do most things, I discovered The Kumars at No. 42 about six months after everyone else and find it fascinating. However, I find Indians in Britain generally fascinating. Plus they get the best food.
- Rumor I heard - Green Wing has been bought by BBCA. Commence cheering. It's supposedly funnier than Scrubs.
- Speaking of American sitcoms, once upon a time somewhere I said that Joey had potential. I have officially taken that back. Whomever decided to make him into a big Hollywood star before February Sweeps of the first season should be taken to Santa Monica and thrown off the pier.
- Okay, I am rooting for the Pats tomorrow. They remind me too much of the 2000 Titans not to. But on behalf of the rest of America, I beg the Pats (and 4/5 of their fans) - please dispense with the overconfidence. Sure, Terrell Owens is running on a leg that will probably break like a Thanksgiving wishbone by halftime, and sure, the Iggles have a history of choking. But Ty Law just put a ton of fire in their bellies by saying that they might as well not even show up tomorrow. And with a few exceptions, people in New England are too busy making reservations for the victory parade to remember that there is a game to play first. You are setting yourselves up for the biggest upset in history. Even if you think that the McNabb has no chance against the line that has made Peyton into their personal bitch, do yourselves a favor and get a little bit nervous. Frankly, cakewalks are boring anyway.
- Speaking of boring, could SNL do that halftime Weekend Update thing that they did two years ago? McCartney is pretty much shaping up to be the snoozefest of the century.