What about Jamie Foxx?

NFL.com – Minnesota at Washington Game Recap Big things are expected of the Redskins this year, a confidence reflected in an attendance of 90,608 that set a new record for the largest stadium in the NFL. Even Hollywood made an appearance: Actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were guests of owner Dan Snyder, who has recently entered into a partnership with Cruise’s production company.

Okay, let’s focus on the total whack job who hasn’t made a good movie in years instead of the recent Academy Award winner who visited the booth to, sort of, hang out with the fans.  I didn’t like Ray, although I thought Jamie Foxx did a great job.  I liked Tom Cruise a lot in Top Gun and in Top Gun II (on the ground) – Days of Thunder.  But that was before he took the path of Michael Jackson and Mel Gibson and forgot that he lived on Planet Earth with the rest of us.

It is nice that 90,000 fans showed up for the game.  Not so nice that our brand new offensive genius decided that the screen pass to Santana Moss needed to be run three times.  I wish Moss would stop breaking those for 15-20 yard gains so they’d realize that it’s really a terrible, terrible play.  If it works, and he makes 6 guys miss, he gains 20 yards.  If it doesn’t work, best case scenario is he loses five yards.  Worst case is it’s picked off, which is an almost guaranteed touchdown for the other team because there’s no one back there to catch the guy.

We still can’t run the ball, and Portis seemed pretty healthy.  If he wasn’t, Ladell Betts is a perfectly adequate backup.  The game was close from beginning to end, so there’s absolutely no excuse for running the ball only 18 times.

Anyway, it was a pretty disappointing game.  And I lost my fantasy football game, as well.  And our flag football game.  Everything football-related for me this past weekend was bad.  At least Virginia Tech won, but that was pretty much a given.

Five years ago yesterday

On September 10th, 2001, I moved to Northern Virginia.  I was a few months out of college and unemployed, looking for a job in computers, and some friends were renting a place in Fairfax, so I went along with them.  I brought a bed and some odds and ends.  On the 11th, I was heading back to my parents’ to pick up more stuff.  I had arranged with a friend to help me load my truck.  I had just left the house when I heard from Howard Stern about the WTC towers.  At first I thought it was a joke until the WHFS morning show confirmed it.  My roommates were both off at work, and we didn’t have a landline, and of course my cell phone wasn’t working because of all the stress on the system.  My dad worked in DC at the time, and I had no idea how far he was from the Pentagon.  And I couldn’t get a hold of anyone.  I finally managed to get through at the pay phone at Wendy’s (Although the calling card I had and rarely used decided not to work.  Luckily by that time I had memorized my dad’s calling card number).

It was an interesting welcome to the DC Metro area.  And now, five years later, where are we?  We’ve destroyed the beauty of much of Washington DC with jersey walls and iron fences.  We’ve made flying in and out of the US completely ridiculous.  We’ve given our President an excuse to spy illegally on our citizens and to deny basic human rights to prisoners of war because we’re calling them “enemy combatants” instead.  The site of the WTC is still a big hole.  We haven’t found those responsible for the attack.

It’s been a great five years, huh?  I hope this will be the legacy of the Bush administration.  They were quick to put a nice bandage on the wound cause by 9/11, and tell everyone that things would be okay.  But then they embezzled insurance money for expensive plastic surgery, and accused those who complained of being unpatriotic.  Patriotism is not a flag sticker on your car and blindy supporting every action of the President, no matter how misguided or illegal.

And football is back

NFL.com – Miami at Pittsburgh Game Recap

After the World Cup and watching a little Australian Rules over in Melbourne, the game seemed a little slow, but it feels really good to have football back on tv.  The Orioles are all but eliminated, so it’s time for a little Redskins action.  I watched the first half of Miami-Pittsburgh last night, mostly to make sure my dogg Hines Ward got in the end zone for my fantasy team, which he did.

I think I’m going to finally bite the bullet and invest in High Def cable.  After the third time I thought the Dolphins had faked the punt snap because I didn’t see the ball, I’d really had enough.  My only problem is that I already send over $100 to Cox Cable for tv and internet, and I hesitate to send them any more.  I mean, their service isn’t really that good.  But I can’t take it any longer.  Until Verizon gets around to offering their fiber tv/internet service in my area, Cox will continue their localized monopoly and have zero incentive to provide me with better service.

Welcome back to me

I’m back.  I’m sure there are tons of things to post about.  Gas prices are down 20-30 cents.  The Crocodile Hunter died while I was in Melbourne.  I’m sure someone did something stupid regarding one of BoingBoing’s hot-button issues.  Our fearless leader probably did something ridiculous.  I could complain about stupid airlines.

Instead, though, I think I’ll just ease back into this whole regular life thing.  Being gone for nearly three weeks has made everything seem a little off.  And then there are little things, like the fact that they moved the little stand where you get milk at the Caribou Coffee I frequent.  Not a big deal, I know, but strange that it just happened to occur when I was gone for three weeks.

In any event, soon things will be back to normal, and the complaining will return, to the delight of all half-dozen or so of you who read this regularly.

Also, for the record, being married doesn’t really feel any different than not being married.

On hiatus

So, I’m getting married the day after tomorrow.  As a result, I will be away from a computer until September 7th or so.   Which means that you’ll have to look elsewhere for your complaining needs.   But, rest assured that I will be thinking about each and every one of you, Loyal Readers, the whole time I’m on my honeymoon.  Seriously.

And I’ll be back.  But not until next month.  Try not to miss me too much.

You mean THAT Ramsey? Really?

Suspect Held in Ramsey Slaying

First, I can’t believe it’s been ten years since JonBenet was killed.  Second, I had no idea anyone still cared.  But apparently they arrested some guy in Thailand, who claims the whole thing was an accident.  I’m sure everyone will believe that.  When you get arrested on sex charges, and happen to admit that you were involved with the “accidental” death of a six-year-old beauty queen, most people are going to throw the whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing out the window. I wonder if this will be all over the news again.  They LOVE showing the pictures of her with eight pounds of makeup on.

I told you ethanol wasnt the answer

Appetite for destruction – August 21, 2006

The grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV gas tank with ethanol, for instance, could feed one person for a year. If today’s entire U.S. grain harvest were converted into fuel for cars, it would still satisfy less than one-sixth of U.S. demand.

While it’s nice to see GM trying to save the world, they are heading in the WRONG DIRECTION with corn-based ethanol.  It is not sustainable.  It may mean that we’re less dependant on the Middle East, but it means were more dependant on somewhere else.  Not a solution to the problem, just pusing the problem off into the future.

Security? What security?

CNN.com – Boy, 12, evades security clampdown – Aug 16, 2006

LONDON, England — Despite a high level of alert at British airports, a 12-year-old boy managed to board a plane at Gatwick without a passport, ticket or boarding pass.

The important question, though is, “Was he carrying any liquids or an iPod?” Seriously, why do we have security at the airport if it’s not meaningful? Are they really just trying to collect nail clippers and screwdrivers to sell on eBay?

Edit: Again, I say something, and BoingBoing backs it up.  The letter they link to, from a chemisty grad student, is pretty funny.  And makes our security measures look pretty ridiculous.