Match 2.9 The Setup: DCU v Red Bull New York 6-10-07 or the Atlantic Cup Leg 1

I'm having difficulty forming my thoughts on the match this week. I really, really, really, really want to win. I feel a little sick inside though. JP Angel will punish us for our fondness of letting the ball bounce around in the box. Something else that keeps nagging at me is their defense. I believe they were two starters down against Chicago two weeks ago and still kept a clean sheet. Maybe Chicago can't finish, but maybe the Red Bull's defense was a brick wall. Probably a combination of both but still, that is worrisome. We don't need any help not scoring goals.

We can control the pace of the game and we can play decent defense minus our giveaways. The one thing we have not shown we are able to do is score. We will have to score this weekend in order to win because I am almost positive (94.5%) New York will. They like to score and they do it a lot (tied with KC for most goals in the MLS at 19). I think most of us fans, including me, have been so worried about the defensive depth and mistakes that we have overlooked our inability to score. We are allowed to score more than 2 goals in a game, I promise we are allowed to do that.

As a fan of the MLS I'm happy that this rivalry will be renewed, as a DC United fan I am worried that we will stop owning RBNY. Come on you black and red!

Hopes and Dreams for Match 2.9

1. The full three points.
2. We give a goal away because RBNY earns it, not because we give something stupid away.
3. Luci gets his groove back.
4. Erpen scores from distance.

Why do I have to be so loyal? (MFLS Update Week 9)

My only experience in fantasy sports is with the NCAA Basketball Tournament, if that even counts as fantasy sports. I usually compete quite well for last place in the bracket pools because I always pick my favorite teams to win. I can't pick a team that I don't like or pick against a team I do like. This is one of the many reasons I don't gamble. It is so important to me that all faith be placed in the team I want to win. I don't want to show the sports gods that I am not fully committed to supporting my team. The happy ending to this story is that after years of picking the University of Florida they pull off two championships in a row and I destroy everyone in my brackets.


The MFLS is my first actual experience with fantasy sports. At first I tried to pick good players, paid attention every week and put forth my best effort to win our division (BobbyBoswell.com, I hope Bobby doesn't mind). But after 3 weeks I was down at least 75 points and second from the bottom of the table. Then I tried to get the latest, hottest players. I hit rock bottom when I bought JP Angel and I actually earned a bunch of points. I felt sinful and dirty inside. Something had to change.

This week I decided to only have players on my team that I like. That excludes all NE Revolution players and most of the other really good players in the league. At least now I can accumulate good karma and maybe the gods will look favorably upon me and my team. It is the least I can do to help DC United win, especially this week as we face the evil Red Bulls from New Jersey. Go Scorpions!

Soccer Saturday

Quite the busy soccer day yesterday.

11:30 AM - U14 PWSI Tidal Wave vs Fauquier County (Faquier County)

PWSI 6 Fauquier 0

We've got sunburns to prove we were there.

After chalking up 3 goals and an assist in the first half El Goleador rests in the shade.

1:45 PM - U18 PWSI Green Balls vs BRYC Good Team (Woodbridge)

BRYC 10 PWSI 2

We missed the first half but a sometimes Edgell Supporter associate is reported to have assisted on one of the two goals scored by PWSI. I also believe that the BRYC team was only playing with 7 players in order to make the game "competitive."

3:30 PM - Colorado Rapids vs TFC (MLS TV)

Colorado 1 TFC 2

Anytime the Rapids lose it is a good day. Unfortunately one of our least favorite MLSers (full list to come), Hercules Gomez, still scored.

5:30 PM - Brazil vs England (DVR fast forwarded)

Brazil 1 England 1

Eh.

7:00 PM - West Virginia Chaos vs NOVA FC Royals (Robinson Field GMU)

WV Chaos 0 NOVA Royals 2

First off, thanks to Quarter Volley for making us aware of the games. We meant to get to the Freedom vs Majestics game at 5:00 but couch delivery delays prevented us from doing so. Does anybody know who won?

The Royals controlled the pace throughout the first half and went up 1-nil. Then they came out flat in the second half which led to several Chaos attempts on goal but nothing the Royals couldn't handle. After several substitutions were made the Royals got their second wind and were able to seal the deal with a second goal.

The game was exciting and eventful. After suffering a hard tackle in the first half a Chaos player left the field at half on a stretcher in an ambulance.

We hope he is ok and thank him for the excitement. There was also quite a bit of scrappy and physical play which is the way I like my soccer. We quite enjoyed ourselves and we will probably go again. Maybe by then we can settle on our favorite players and refer to them by their appropriate names, not just nicknames and numbers (way to go #15 Leroy Chimbonda, #9 Bambi on Ice 2, and #18!).

I'm not sure what we were expecting but the level of play impressed us and the fans amused us. Quote of the event from what I would describe as the most vocal Majestics/Royals supporter in attendance:

In some sort of UK accent (I'm terrible at discerning between the accents) and I assume commenting on the Washington Freedom's keeper ,"Did anyone do a set test on that girl? Their keeper looked like Lurch from the Adam's Family."

Set test- (noun) a test performed to determine the gender of an individual by checking for male genitalia (at least that is what I gathered from context clues).

I almost forgot that we (when I say we I mean Dirty) finally got something that was thrown/kicked into the stands. Although it may have belonged to another spectator we (again it had nothing to do with me, it was Dirty) wrestled it away from them. We (and I do mean we, as much as I scream and wave my arms) never get that stuff at the United games. We like you Royals.

10:30 PM - DCU vs LAG (FSC)

DCU 0 LAG 0

See here for full review.

Match 2.8 The Result: DCU v LAG 6-2-07

DCU 0 LAG 0

Two teams looking for a draw found one. Both teams seemed content to go through the motions and earn a point. We had some rough spots in the first few minutes of play, luckily LA could not capitalize on our breakdowns. D at DCenters described it best:

"Also fortunate for DC was the fact that Nate Jaqua couldn't finish a croissant if you took two bites out of it for him, or United would have been down 2-nil early."

As the Edgell Supporters sat in the Lorton headquarters watching the game we made several observations. First, as good as Namoff is on the right side of the field he is equally terrible on the left. Thankfully we dropped Gros back and sent Namoff to where he belongs. Second, Fred is always there. He is picking up balls when others are losing them, he is getting open to be an outlet and he is always hustling for the loose ball. And lastly, we want Erpen to be our Valentine.

I am disappointed that we could not finish off a team that started hurt and slowly died throughout the game. We could have easily dismantled them with constant pressure but all we could muster was 10-15 minutes of good form in the second half. Hopefully we were just looking past LA to next week and forgot to prepare for this game because we will need the two weeks of preparation against RBNY.

Facts and Reality for Match 2.8

1. We got the clean sheet. I think we should thank Nate Jaqua for that more than anyone, but at least it proves it can be done.

2. I am not sure you can say that we did anything to the Galaxy. We kind of left each other alone.

3. Moreno is amazing on the ball. His touch is always right and he finds open spaces. Can we find him some fitness?

4. Facundo had a header that went towards the goal, the Galaxy's goal not ours.

Match 2.8 The Setup: DCU v Los Galacticos Angelinos 6-2-07

This is a blue collar week for DC United. We are not the best team in the East, we are no longer in danger of being the worst. This is when the long hard grind of the season begins. It is time for us to get to work. This week we face a Galaxy team that has played the fewest games in the league so I don't think we know exactly who they are yet. Based on what I have seen, I don't think they know who they are yet either. It is almost as if they are waiting for the arrival of Beckham before they define themselves.

It appears as though we might be without our usual starting defensive midfielder Brian Carroll (the same source also counts at least 8 players out for the Galaxy).

Hopes and Dreams for Match 2.8

1. A clean sheet. It is time for our defense to shut down an opposing offense. Come on ya back line!
2. We exact revenge on los galacticos for the way they treated us last year.
3. Moreno's playing time is reduced. Hey, everybody is talking about it now.
4. Erpen scores from distance.

Jaime Moreno spotted in section 210

Contrary to what is being reported in most other places, Jaime Moreno was at the game yesterday. Apparently he told a lot of people that he got called up to play with the Bolivian National Team. He very well may have been called up but he definitely didn't go. As you can see from this picture (taken by the edgell supporters' photographer, also known as wifey), Abuelito Moreno was in section 210 at RFK yesterday. You can tell it is him because of the jersey and the gray hair. Remember, you read it here first.

Oh and one more thing, I believe Bobby Convey accompanied Moreno to the game. You would think these guys would keep a lower profile but they seem to always wear their jerseys in public. Weird.

Match 2.7 The Result: DCU v Dynamo Houston 5-26-07

United 2 Dynamo 1

Another win, the unbeaten streak is extended to four. The bad things about actually going to the game are that a) I can't see which player is doing what (mostly because I need to get new glasses) and b) I get so busy hating the refs for no real reason that all objectivity is lost. On to the one sided review. Gomito is back. He controlled the middle of the pitch and our wing play bought him more space to work with. His set piece goal in the fourth minute was important for his confidence and his assist to Benny sealed the Gomez revival. Houston looked unorganized and frustrated evidenced by their bad passes and molestation of our strikers. Ching could not hit a quality header to save his life. Houston played their usual game and controlled most of the second half. Perkins' PK denial was almost as amazing as his goal post kicking celebration. DeRo was frustrated most of the game (I think he was carded for dissent perhaps it was for whining) and only scored because Fred and Gros jumped past him in some sort of synchronized gymnastic display. All in all not a bad performance by United, now if we can just string together two good halves in one game.

Facts and Reality for Match 2.7:
1. The passion was definitely there in the first half. You would think after leading by the most dangerous spread in soccer (2-0) they would step up the pressure in the second half but we almost let Houston back into the game.
2. Benny got a goal and guess what... IT WAS IN THE RUN OF PLAY!!! AMAZING!
3. My voice was damaged by the celebration of the first goal but it was destroyed by booing for the no call on Kpene in the box.
4. Erpen did not get a goal but he did get a bicycle which almost cost us a penalty. Way to go Facundo. He actually had a very good match and cleared the ball very well. I love you Facundo.

Pictures from the match still to come including a Moreno spotting.

Explanation of the Edgell Numbering Scheme and piracy isn't all fun and adventure

Q: Why do The Edgell Supporters use such an oddly fantastic match numbering system? (Pheidippides, Greece)

A: Dear Feety Peedies, thanks for your interest and loyal readership. The Edgell Supporters number the matches based on our MLS DC United experience. This is our second season of support so all the matches for this season will be prefaced with a 2, next season with a 3, and so on until the end of time. The second number is not nearly as exciting as it is merely the sequential order of regular season MLS matches. Again, thanks for the question and please encourage your other friends to criticize and comment as they please.

Due to a recent shortage of rocket sauce within the DC United realm we have done a little research as to what might be causing the problem. Luckily one of our dear friends is already on the case and has issued the following public service announcement.

Match 2.7 The Setup: DCU v Dynamo Houston 5-26-07 or The Clash of the Teams That Played in CONCACAF and Could Not Get Their Act Together

I am by no means a euro soccer snob, in fact I follow the MLS much closer than I follow any other league but the MLS names need some work. In my effort to change some of the names you will see that the Houston Dynamo is listed as Dynamo Houston in the title above. All I want are some small simple changes like SC's instead of FC's and some city names before the mascots or whatever you call them. Red Bull New York sounds much better than New York Red Bulls (that is if it were possible for their name to sound "good"). Anyway, back to the matter at hand the clash of CONCACAF qualifiers... the two best teams in the MLS last season. On to the preview:

Dwayne De Rosario got a haircut. I was never a big fan of the braids. He kind of looked like Alicia Keys with a beard.

In other DeRo news, I have him on my MFLS team and all he does is give me negative points. (editor's note: the author has since transferred DeRo for Onstad) Having watched several Houston games, including the game last Saturday against the Revolution, I have come to the conclusion that they are DC United without the PKs and set piece goals. They usually control the game and have a few good chances, but they can't put anything in the net. Much like United they give up goals in the run of play and just can't get dangerous enough to get any points. Let's hope that they continue with this trend on Saturday. United is looking to continue their 3 game unbeaten streak but this time without MLS record tier Jaime Moreno. I would classify myself as a Moreno naysayer but I think we will miss him more than I want us to this week. The only lineup change I see is Kpene or Addlery starting for Moreno both of which can bring the rocket sauce to a struggling Houston team.

Hopes and Dreams for Match 2.7:

1. Soehn sufficiently scared the starters a few weeks ago so they will still play with passion (Brian Carroll that means you, Moreno is off the hook this week).

2. We learn how to score in the run of play and subsequently apply said learning on the pitch this Saturday.

3. I don't lose my voice from yelling at the refs but from celebrating our multiple goals.

4. Erpen scores from distance.

Match 2.6 The Result: DCU v TFC 5-19-07

A win is a win. The first half was usual 2007 United play, we control the ball, never look dangerous, and we give up a goal because we don't clear the ball. Namoff as usual was great on defense and creative on offense. The second half was a bit of a different story. We started to look dangerous and take control of the game. Kpene is dangerous, every time he touches the ball it looks as though he might score or create for someone else to score. Moreno has shown that he should come into the game after the 60th because that is when he likes to actually start playing. He even played impressive defense late in the game and made an effort at 50/50 balls. This game still left me wondering if we will ever learn how to score in the run of play.

Facts and Reality for Match 2.6

1. Erpen almost got himself double-yellowed out of the game while still managing to get a bicycle kick in.

2. Gomez had a genuine smile on his face at one point during the game. The assumption is that his lover at least texted him some time during the last two weeks.

3. Emilio gets more phantom fouls called against him than any other player I have seen. Maybe the refs just don't like his taste in music.

4. Abuelito Moreno started playing at about the 60th which I guess is about the same as coming in the game at that time. Congratulations on the goal and tying the record. Now you should do the right thing and tell Soehn to start Kpene over you.

Wax On, Namoff

DCenters recognized the omission of Bryan Namoff's name from the all-star ballot and subsequently called for an arts and crafts campaign to add his name. Soccer Insider notified the authorities and got Bryan's name on the all-star ballot. I am disappointed that I did not get to exercise my artistic abilities on Bryan's behalf but I would still like to honor him today.

This is the second season that I have been a DC United fan and it also marks the second season that I have been worried about DC United's wing play (until very recently with Fred on the outside). The only bright spot that I have seen in the last two seasons on the wing has come from the back when Bryan Namoff ventures across midfield. He is fast out on the flank and I dare say even creative. Maybe creative is going a bit far but his play is definitely unexpected, which for the time being passes as creative for DC United. One of my chief complaints with the MLS since I started watching last year is the lack of quality crosses. The complaining turns into frustration when it comes to DC United. On a team that can rarely put a good ball across the box Namoff has definitely been a ray of hope. Since Soehn made the decision to go to a four man back I have been excited to see what new freedom this will give Namoff to push up and show us what he's got. Bryan, show us how creative you can be and punish those Canadian upstarts tomorrow.

Match 2.6 The Setup: DCU v TFC 5-19-07 or Fried Chicken Battle Royale

VS.

I am trying to get past the fact that every time I hear or see "TFC" I think of KFC which makes me think of a friend of mine that loves fried chicken although he prefers Popeye's. With the whole fried chicken relationship skewing my view of the team from our friendly neighbor to the north, I had a hard time taking them seriously. In my head 11 Colonel Sanders in the TFC kit looked pretty ridiculous. Last weekend my ridicule turned to jealousy as I saw the Frisbee/seat cushions litter the stadium. It was like a real soccer atmosphere in a real soccer stadium. Then TFC picked up their second win beating Houston last night leaving the Black and Red alone in the Eastern Conference basement. The ridicule and jealousy has now turned into a slight irritation.

I am pulling for Toronto this season but obviously not this week. My Popeye's loving friend is a DCU supporter so this week it will be Popeye's United v Toronto Fried Chicken.

Hopes and Dreams for Match 2.6
1. Erpen scores from distance
2. Gomito's lover comes back to him and cures what ever is ailing him
3. Emilio gets back on his scoring track
4. Abuelito Moreno does not come in until the 60th

In an effort to increase love in the universe here is what I like about TFC:

Danny "Mike Tyson" Dichio just looks like a bad mother and from what I have seen he plays like one too. I love hustlers.

Esky we hardly knew ye and thus far we still love you. I want to see you score and score a lot, just not this week, ok?

Guilty Pleasures 2.1 or my ESPN does not work, give me a break!

when i have extra time in the morning my wife and i usually watch sportscenter on ESPN. we like to catch scott van pelt dropping tenacious d references or the dry wit of neil everett (these two are by far our favorite anchor team). on this particular morning i had about 20 minutes before i had to get ready for work. i turned on the tv and dialed up ESPN to watch sportscenter. it turns out that COX, our ever-reliable cable provider, would not grace us with ESPN this morning. it was not simply a blank screen but it gave us the "you have not bought this channel, call us at 1-800-COX to order ESPN" message. on a separate note, COX has been turning off our cable box at random times to keep things exciting. this is a special service you can get FOR FREE, but only from COX. it gets really fun and crazy when you are trying to watch a DCU v. Chicago Fire game and the cable box goes out right before your team gets scored on. anyway, COX is not a guilty pleasure it is merely guilty.

so ESPN was not working and i needed to watch something for the next 20 minutes. i flipped through the channels and found what i was looking for.

it brought back (full disclosure: i freudian slipped the first time i typed this and wrote 'broke back' instead of 'brought back' by mistake, oops) a lot of good memories. early 90's fashion was so awesome. i think that i will start wearing my suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up. i love suits, but now i can really tailor them to fit my fashion sense.

i sure hope that zack and kelly end up together. in the episode this morning they decided to date other people. what that really meant was that zack was trying to get with the new nurse, but then she tricked him into wanting kelly back. but it was too late, damn that melvin nerdly!

who knew that a true friend would have told AC Slater when he was really not that great on KATY, Bayside High School's radio station, instead of letting him read it in the school paper? i was not able to finish the second episode that came on, but i sure hope that they can save the Max from being turned into a parking lot.

if, and only if, your ESPN is not working check out TBS in the morning.

who is hallam foe?

as i have discussed previously, i am a sucker for coming of age stories. there is a new movie coming out by director david mackenzie called HALLAM FOE. from my limited interaction with a sort of production turned marketing blog and hallam's myspace (which is kind of cool that he has a spot on "the porch" in character) it appears to be a darker coming of age story. i like dark. dark seems real. maybe that's just pessimism, but i tend to learn more from the dark. the best description i have found of what i think the movie will be like is at gapingvoid. hugh at gaping void spent some time living with the director when they were younger. their experience, i believe, directly feeds the movie:

This summer was the first time for both of us being on our own without family or adult supervision, making money and let's say [cough], meeting women. Proper women, not schoolgirls. Up until this time, we'd both had girlfriends and all, but this was when we both started... how do you say... climbing up the sexual learning curve by having experiences with older women. Which, believe me, was a totally different scene from dating the respectable young "gells" from Edinburgh's finest private schools, which had up till then been our only experience with the fairer sex.

And this vibe is what Hallam Foe is about. Forget the plot details, Hallam Foe leaves home and starts having experiencing older women, in the Biblical sense. That's what the movie is really about. Coming-of-Age for boys is a very paradoxical phase of life. We're still kids, and yet, we're not. And for Dave and myself, it was these rather random, strangely existential experiences with older women who ushered us through that phase.

go to gapingvoid to read the rest of this post. it is really quite interesting. i will continue to follow hallam foe's path. i would really like to get to know who he is. at the very least i know he is the kid from billy elliot, so it cannot be all bad.

Real Suck Lake's Jeff Cunningham

as the DC United v. Real Salt Lake game approaches, i thought it appropriate to spotlight one of the bad guys. as if we needed any more fuel, this should add a little more to saturday's fire (no not chicago's fire, let's not speak of them right now).

Dear MLS and American sports fans,

"I have no problems with anything that's been said of me. It's been said all my career. I think people fancy me. They can't figure me out. I'm an attractive guy. I make good money and I score goals. I'm the kind of guy I believe people love. And, at the same time, they can't figure out why they love me so much, so they decide to hate me." (rest of the article, read up Ackerman)

Delusionaly yours,

JC

it is almost as if Jeff thinks there are not enough T.O.s in American futbol. i do not know about you guys but the reason i hate him is because i loved him too much and i could not for the life of me figure out why.

(thanks to kali for bringing this to my attention and i hope you will not be too humiliated by losing to our reserve team on saturday).

Hustle and Putt

I am not a golfer. In the past I have been know to refer to the game of golf as "a rich white man's sport." At my current place of employment, upper management has made a recent habit of putting in the hallways. Last week when the power went out (which it tends to do on a monthly basis) they set up a 25 foot putting competition. I watched as each of my colleagues grossly over or under estimated their putting attempts. One fellow's closest attempt hit a kind lady in the foot about 10 feet behind the putting cup. My associates taunted me and offered me the putter. I politely declined each offer. I do not mind embarrassing myself on the internet, but at work I try to maintain a certain cool composure. All of these men are golf guys. You know the kind, various golf memorabilia on their office walls. You can catch them actually watching the PGA tournaments on their computers at work. These guys dedicate spring/summer/fall weekends to improving their "short game" (whatever that means). I did not have a chance against them. I have not even played miniature golf in over a year. Their incessant badgering and peer pressure finally worked. I stepped on to the "green" (actually a weird like navy blue checked brown carpet, you know, like office carpet always looks).

I decided to get it over with quickly so I teed up and took my first stroke with no practice swing. The ball gently rolled towards the cup and IT WENT IN! Surely this was beginner's luck. BUT NO! I went on to sink 4 out of 5 putts. I was easily the best putter in the building. My associates were amazed and worried about me hustling them in a variety of other activities. Who knew that a simple task such as putting could strike fear into the hearts of men? Men do not like to have an inferior beat them at their own game (see also: Saturday Soccer Matches). I do already have the putting game down, how hard can the rest of it be? I will just practice up on my "short game" and I should be destroying my work mates on the links in no time.

I already have the "white man" part down, perhaps the "rich" part only comes after playing the sport. I am definitely willing to find out.

Gypsy Punk Cabaret

Presenting, Gogol Bordello with front man Eugene Hutz in Start Wearing Purple.

I urge you to see the movie Everything is Illuminated. Mr. Hutz provides us with one of the funniest and most endearing performances of all time. You will not be disappointed. Elijah Woods takes the lead and does pretty well himself. Not only is it funny, but also enlightening and touching. Go rent it! Now!

Guilty Pleasures 2.0 or The New Equation

"Why do you look so familiar? I could swear that I have seen your face before. I think I like that you seem sincere. I think I would like to get to know you a little bit more," said Avril (in her song Who Knows on her album Under My Skin). I replied sincerely, "I probably look so familiar because I am usually rocking with you while I sweat and pant along my way at speed 5.2 incline 3.0. I am not sure why I have to tell the world these things but an open world is a loving world right? It is all out there and it is all true. Just love me for who I am. Maybe we would all look more familiar if we shared these things with each other, right?

Dear Ackerman, Why was RSL able to beat DC United?

maybe it was because we were tired of winning, ever think of that? i mean come on, you can only dominate so long before it gets boring. or maybe it was because RSL plays on the WORST athletic field in the known universe. seriously it's barely astro turf, it is like the green stuff underneath the fruits and vegetables in the grocery store. how can any self respecting soccer team be expected to know how to play a game meant for grass on worn mormon church carpet? and seriously, how can you call a win from penalty shots a win? that's cheap and unmanly. bring something besides cunningham to the field next time and maybe we won't feel sorry for you and let you win on penalty kicks.

now, i hope you have noticed what we have been working on since we graciously allowed RSL to chalk up their 6th win on the season. we have been quite busy making ourselves a world soccer power. we made up 8 of the 18 member all star squad (including Facundo Erpen who at the last minute had to replace the sole RSL allstar eddie pope because he is old) that handed premiership champion chelsea a 1-0 defeat. we then went on to tie La Liga power Real Madrid, which took care of RSL with no problem. did you see the united play Real Madrid? in the first half we looked AMAZING!

anyway, that's why you were able to beat us. you will not be so lucky next time.

Until September 9th!

one more thing, how was rice eccles able to come up with real grass for the Real Madrid game? that is unacceptable.

death behind their eyes

it is not an exclusive club. they are the humans that wake up each day to do the same thing. at one time they were full of dreams and hope. there were moments of sheer brilliance and creativity. they were angry about injustices or maybe just angry enough to do something. they were committed enough to take part in things that were not logical or part of the prescribed remedy. the prescribed remedy for life. simply a path to take until death do they part. i do not make a habit of looking at myself in the mirror very often. i am not sure why, but i do not like to do it. recently i have caught my eyes in the mirror. obviously being attached to my face these have to be my eyes. but i know my eyes and they have life behind them, the eyes i have been seeing in the mirror do not.

moses has started to share a story about one of these individuals. read about frank or the spirit of frank (the story starts on 7-26-06).

last night's storm

even for the locals it was a hot sweltering day. we were huddled together in what seemed to be a church or a school. maybe it was a school, used as a church on the weekends. there were about ten of us trying to avoid the next explosion crashing into the building. the philippines had erupted in civil war a week or so before and we were on the run. our attackers' weapon of choice were quarter-sized explosives that were launched from sling shots.

glass shattered and spread across the room as yet another "quarter" shot through the window. we tried to escape but unfortunately several of our group did not dive out of the way in time.

there were only five of us left: momma e, moses, banana, andec, and myself. we had lost five other family members throughout the morning. after several failed attempts, we finally made our way outside to the cars. we piled into my car and moses followed in a circa 1974 lincoln towncar. as we tore through the dirt roads we aimed for any pedestrian we could see. at this point, everyone was an enemy. we arrived at a beachside resort that was much too fancy for our ragged clothes and mud stained skin. nobody seemed to care about our desperate pleas for help. even an american soldier was among the guests and he had but few encouraging words for us. the roads were blocked off in every direction with military and militia fighting for ground. for some reason none of us thought to contact the american embassy.

this dream brought to you by a predawn thunderstorm, lebanese and israeli blogs, driving by a catholic school last weekend, and an active imagination.

free to a good home

frequently in my place of employment there are items placed on the table in the break room. these items are usually identified with a note indicating, "free to a good home." yesterday as i came into work i noticed there were new items on the table. it appeared as though someone brought in their old cds that they could not sell on half.com or any other respectable website. my elitist streak defeated my curiosity as each time i passed the table i declined its open offer to take one of these albums and make it my own. what would i want in this pile of has been popular music? the stack of cds slowly disappeared throughout the day. by this morning there was only one album left. now i did not have to rummage through them, i could plainly see what i had been neglecting; the sign by ace of base. normally i would not have paid any attention to this particular album but today was different. last week was a nostalgia ridden, emotion filled week. i might have been driving in my car and a particular hit song from 1993 might have come on the radio. i might have turned up the volume and there is a slight chance that i sang along. i mean... come on...who wouldn't. after all, all that she wants is another baby, uh ah ah. so here i sit at my computer, right down the hall from this cd that i totally kind of want to listen to. it is FREE to a good home. i am positive i could provide acceptable accommodations for this swedish pop. on the other hand, there is no way that i could allow my associates to see me take an ace of base album. i really would like to listen to a couple songs on there though. is it really this hard? maybe if i can kind of hang around in the break room i will have a chance to quickly place it in my pocket. will a cd jewel case fit in my pocket? seriously, it is ACE OF BASE, i will NOT take it. the frustration! maybe my wife has the cd, i bet she does. how lame, who listens to ace of base?!

d, do you have that album? shhhh.. do not say a word to anyone about this.

what don't you do?

"hate is but a crime-ridden subdivision of love"
"I am Cee-Lo. I am a humble trumpet, and the wind of God blows through me."
-found on the Gnarls Barkley website

if you have not experienced the soul machine you should take a moment from your day and visit him. luckily gnarls barkley has successfully brought him into the public again (any popular radio station will introduce you). cee lo green has the most amazing southern soulful voice i have ever heard. what he does with his vocal cords are what all good singers should do. stop holding it back, let it go, wail. let us know how you feel. let the wind of god blow through you.

and the devil is six, and the devil is 6

six years have passed. nothing has changed. the characters, the plot, and the setting are still quite intact. six years ago my father passed. this time of year usually catches me by surprise because it is not a date i keep in my calendar nor do i care to remember. i have tried so hard that i do not know the exact date that it happened. this year i was reminded a week in advance by a well-meaning associate. a word to the well-meaning, keep your good intentions to yourself. instead of dealing with this on the day of or the day after, i have an entire week to anticipate its arrival. in an odd attempt to pay tribute to the dead, each year i google my father. this year's search yielded two pieces of the web that i feel are worth sharing. every year i find articles detailing my father's induction into the military intelligence corps hall of fame. this year i found an article that names the inductees, shares a short bio (you will find my father's at the bottom of the first page), and can be understood by civilians. the other piece is a little more disturbing. the night my father died a young man attempted to resuscitate him. the young man detailed his experience in a letter to the boy scouts heroism award review board (this award was presented to ethan in february 2001). it is not easy to read and there are details that i never knew before. feel free to shed a few tears with me this day as you read.

god rest his soul
Douglas Clyde Edgell
May 11, 1955 - the last few days of July 2000

laying on the floor unfed, and evicted

a tale of ecstasy and boy loving

As a rule I am not bothered by inebriated folk, many times I enjoy their presence and company. I am especially understanding when I enter their environment (see: bar, club, bbq, dc united v. celtic game). I understand why people drink to excess and why they are so friendly. I do not however understand why an intoxicated male would show his body parts (chest- with special presentation of the nipples, private area- although I turned my head so I cannot be sure what was shown) to another male repeatedly. All visible clues told the story of young heterosexual interns on the hill looking to have a good time. He and his friend looked as though they might be attempting to relive some of their days as fraternity brothers. Their actions however spun a tale of ecstasy (possibly the drug) and boy loving. I can understand an ironic flash of the male chest to another male in an attempt of humor, but the repeated tapping of the shoulder to make sure I was aware of what he was showing me was bothersome. I was at the club trying to show my wife her first taste of small club live music and unfortunately we were met with these nudie boys. Fortunately, after successfully ignoring them they proceeded to touch upon one another. I think they found what they were looking for. Maybe if my wife was not there with me the story would have had a much different (better, more flaming) ending.

Oh and the drive by truckers did what they do best. They did it so well that we had to leave early to tend to the casualties of the evening.

a blessing and a curse

the new album is out. they are still rocking, albeit in a different way. the album has taken a little longer to grow on me but it is definitely making its way into my heart. a little more power pop and a little less south. all hail the greatest rock band on the planet!

Strong Enough for a Man, PH Balanced for a Woman

Secrets... who do you tell your secrets to? Do you tell anyone your secrets? I am sure most of you have visited POST SECRET but if not, check it out. Very interesting and touching. This is both sharing and caring. Consider THIS a formal invitation to attend an event they are having in Alexandria, VA. Let me know if you are in and we will share and care together.

The Unbinding

I recently read the novel Thumbsucker by Walter Kirn and thoroughly enjoyed it. Before reading the book I also watched the movie by the same title which was equally enjoyable. The story is about a kid growing up in the 80's and his struggle with obsession/addiction. Topics covered include: religion (mormonism), chemical substance, herbal substance, thumbsucking, performance recognition, and more. I cannot vouch for the artistic quality of either because of my disclaimer below, but what I will do is extend an invitation to you. Walter Kirn is currently providing the world with a biweekly installment online novel for free. Will you read Walter Kirn's The Unbinding twice a week and then tell me what you think? Will you?

DISCLAIMER: I am a sucker for coming of age/adolescent life books, movies, and even music. We need not theorize as to why I am so interested in this genre, that could get ugly and embarrassing for the both of us. So back to being a sucker... the problem with being a sucker for anything is that you become a poor judge of quality. I want to think that I can enjoy something and still be a decent judge of quality so I need your help. Please accept my invitation above.

PHD Lifestyle

GO GATORS!!! It's great to be a FLORIDA GATOR! What a great day it was. They came in and took care of business. They played like dogs. Brought out their PHD style of play. Poor, hungry, and driven. Joakim even looks like a poor, hungry, and driven Jesus Lizard (credit due- bshiz). Speaking of PHD, shouldn't we all live that lifestyle a little more? I really should start to live like I am poor, hungry, and driven to fulfill those basic life needs. There is one problem though, I am wealthy, well-fed, and there is no drive to fulfill basic life needs because I, quite honestly, have arrived. I have no need for this so called dog-like, hunter gatherer lifestyle. It would be dishonest of me to live a PHD lifestyle. GO GATORS!!!

Dear UF Gators,

Do not let the fact that nobody watched the game get you down. Let us be honest with one another, you made UCLA look like a junior high school girl's mathletes team, it just was not that exciting to watch. Unless of course you are watching your lifetime lover (and friend... you know ursher, john, and luda had to do it again) win their first tournament, which I was, in which case it was a terrific display of manliness and athleticism. I will be dreaming of you tonight and doing the GATOR CHOMP. I love you.

Love,

bean jah

merry christmas

No, not happy holidays... MERRY CHRISTMAS! This winter (which according to the calendar does not start for another 4 days, but I think everyone can agree that snow=winter, unless of course you live in utah, in which case it can snow in any season... not sure all of this should have gone in parenthesis but I am sure you will get over it) has brought cold and hibernation like any other. Natural instincts to grow more hair and eat more to stay warm have slowly overtaken my daily activities. There has to be a way to exercise during the winter. Any ideas? Let me know because heaven knows I cannot gain all the weight back that I have been working so hard to lose. Speaking of Christmas, there are some great posts on the holiday on this blog that I have been reading lately. Looking at Christmas, it's traditions, and it's media spawn from a different perspective.

ENG 320

Moments after emerging from the birth canal, I was given a label, a label by which I am still known to this day. That label is Benjamin Edgell. Much like this label, which I took no part in choosing, other labels are applied to me each day. Some of my current labels are newlywed, procurement manager for Lockheed Martin, Accounting Major at Strayer University, and music participant.

I have a great interest in applying labels to other people and the things around me through writing. Affixing labels to the things around me allows me to understand them more fully. In this course I would like to take the time necessary to explore my labeling rather than hurrying through the task merely to achieve the approval of a professor. I would like to learn to write for personal enjoyment and expression.

Interesting Study

There is an interesting study going on currently that you might want to keep an eye on. A colleague of mine has begun research on an interesting species in Provo, Utah.

category 2

I am not in the office due to tropical storm Katrina. I will check my e-mail if at all possible.

Thanks, Rob

random

i am bothered by those who call completely logical events 'random' and i say enough already! few events, if any, are random and even fewer people are random. autumn is back and so is the soul. does anybody read or write out here anymore? let's talk again friends.

some like it hot

every winter i trick myself into believing that i like warm weather better, but then god throws me a day like this. 200 degrees and it feels like 300, Celsius and Fahrenheit, what do i care. i really do like cold weather better. as a colleague of mine stated, at least in the winter you can put on more and more clothes until you obtain a satisfactory level of warmth, in the summer you can only get down to nothing, then you still die from the heat. the problem with winter is the sunlight. we have got to solve the problem of daylight during winter. i cannot do darkness, it eats at me. makes me nuts.

slightly shifted

i woke up yesterday and everything had changed, not some great 180 degree turn but a slight shift. people at work showed up 21 minutes late. my boss called to say he was coming in late and i swear i heard video games in the background. he did not come into work until 1:43 PM. they are doing construction in my building so everything is still in the building but in a different location. as i have recently been married, new things are all over my living area. i share a bed with someone... every night. even my work area feels as though someone shifted everything slightly to the left. it seems as everyone has new feelings for or against other people as well. none of my relationships seem the same as they were last week. they've all shifted slightly for the better or for the worse. nothing is constant. these events would not even be worthy of publishing except for the fact that the same things happened today. who shows up 21 minutes late to work? 5 or 10 i can understand, i can even deal with 1 or 2 hours, but 21 minutes?! seems as though life itself is screwing with me.

a cackle

i escaped the hibernation. 15% of unneccessary hibernation weight has been shed and i'm ready for warmth. welcome back you say? well thanks. it is good to be back. surprise of surprises tis eventide. i have made the decision to allow a member of the female species to enter my life for good. she will have several functions, like a lion she will be used for gathering food and like most species she will be used for the creation of an entire revolt of militantslaves. oh? what was that? a revolt is like a pod or a murder or any other cool name for a group of things. like a stack or a platoon. i hear that congratulations are in order. well thanks...

"And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so that Man could fight the dinosaurs. And the homosexuals."

I love it when my expectations are totally exceeded. Happy New Year from the hibernation cave. Hope you are having a wonderful season.

there is no sunshine when the sun is gone

The sun is gone away. There is nothing we can do until April. The only solution is to hide away, grow hair, and keep warm. I'm doing my part. I hope the rest of the humans will also hibernate because I do not want to fall behind in evolution. If I am hibernating (let us be honest with one another... there is no if, I am totally hibernating) and the rest of the world does not, then I will fall behind in the rhinoceros race. In reality it will not matter because I am so far advanced in rhinoceros evolution that I could take a few years off and still be ahead. I better get to packing a basket full of warm little bizkits and hot beverages and then I will be on my way. I will miss you all dearly, but do not worry, I will write from my cave or spider hole.

polar ice caps

"Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative." -Kurt Vonnegut

Humans. Humans. They are out of their minds or maybe completely in their minds. Here's the problem. In our attempt at individuality or standing up for a particular cause we push everyone else away and down. We polarize ourselves. It's like if we are better than everyone else things will be good. But that's not true. Then you make other people want to take you down, and the cycle continues. We need some human stew. You know how they used to talk about the melting pot. Each flavor makes the stew taste better. But not if we have too much of one flavor that drowns out the others. Add some rice and beans and some humans and you have yourself a fine well balanced meal. Man... I am getting hungry thinking of this. Add some carrots and spices and a little bit of meat. Then some nice dessert. I'd like a peanut butter chocolate shake right now... ok that was a little off the topic. Humans love to eat. We should be able to relate to this concept. If our stew combines all the flavors it will taste better. Time for lunch.

you can grow one too

The other night I told people with whom I was hanging out that I just started growing my beard a few days ago. They were like "wow... that is impressive." All the guys were jealous and rightfully so, I mean how manly am I to grow a HUGE beard in like 3 days. It may not have even taken that long. I lose track when it gets going that fast, like POOF! BOOM! and there it is, a full beard like a small pillow on my face. Nice and comfortable.

Centralization

I am not one for political blogging. I find it quite boring and repetitive. But I found this Op-Ed in the NY Times quite beneficial. I just thought I'd pass it on to you all.

It breaks down the Bush/Kerry presidential race into what I think it is: centralization vs. decentralization. They have two opposing ideologies.

"One is based on a presumption of a world in which individuals and nations should be self-reliant and free to develop their own capacities - forming voluntary associations when they want - without being overly coerced by national or global elites. The other is based on the presumption of a crowded world, which emphasizes that no individual or nation can go off and do as it pleases, but should work instead within governing institutions that establish norms and provide security."

Check it out.

a story

Once upon a time there was a boy. He was part human, part robot, and part dinosaur. The dinosaur was a Hibernasaurus. The basic traits of this class of dinosaur are eating and sleeping during the colder months. The Hibernasaurus is one of the few dinosaurs left roaming the earth. As the colder months crept upon the boy, his dinosaur side came out in a ferocious display of hibernation, which in reality isn't very ferocious at all, but the opposite of ferocity. The dinosaur was getting his mildness on in a major way in the beginning of the 10th lunar month. As we all know robots are very violent and active creatures, so this exhibition of slothful activity made the robot very displeased with the dinosaur. The robot shot his rocket fists into the dinosaur. The dinosaur died. Then the boy turned into a humanbot or a humanoid because the dinosaur was no longer a part of him to keep the tenderness alive. The boy could no longer relate to humankind. And he was very angry.

Oh yeah. The boy also met a human girl who had a thing for humanoids and they fell in love and had baby robots. The End.

Author's Note: This very well could be an autobiography. COULD BE! I'm not saying it is.

please don't strike me down

My intention for the title of this blog was to follow it up with a detailed account of the most awesome action dream I have ever had. Probably the most awesome action dream EVER had by ANYONE. After a small internal debate, which I lost (yes I realize losing to myself isn't something I should announce), I have decided not to post it. I'll just leave you with two thoughts: a flaming head and a samurai army.

"Are you the bomb diggity?"

Here I sit in the warehouse minding my own business, dutifully working away the best years of my life. Every now and then, if I am lucky, one of the technicians (or engineers) will pop their head in my office and share something with me. Yesterday I was audience to one of the best pop-ins ever beheld by the human senses.

REMINDER: THIS CONVERSATION WAS CONDUCTED IN ALL SERIOUSNESS. NO GIGGLING, NO SMILING, JUST STRAIGHT WORK TALK.

EIT (engineer in training): Are you the bomb diggity?
Me: Actually, yes, yes I am.
EIT: Cool, I've always heard about the bomb diggity but I've never actually met him... well... see ya.

Ethereal Floating

Remember when I asked about the word euphoria the other day? Well I think I have found an answer. The word is ethereal. I often find myself in a state of etherealness. Floating and drifting.

"Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. Of the celestial spheres; heavenly. Not of this world; spiritual."

Floating away from the earth's surface imposes a different set of rules or lack of rules on the floatee. One is no longer bound by society's definition of who one is or one ought to be. There is an overwhelming feeling of weakness, both physically and spiritually (composed of emotional, mental, and spiritual elements i.e. the soul) when confronted with the power of this realm. The difficulty lies in facing the earthly realm in which the physical body still resides while floating in this ethereal existence. The inability to meet the standards of the real world provides an environment of internal warfare. Here I am floating in this beautiful light blue crisp sky with out a care in the world, but the ugly ground keeps reaching up at me, attempting to remove me from the clouds. Unfortunately, because I have given up all defenses and weapons in order to feel the pleasant ethereal euphoria, I cannot keep myself from crashing back down to earth when its forces become too persistent.

"The pathologist hasn't called yet, they sent it into the Armed Forces Pathology Institute for a second opinion."

I've been patient for long enough. I was anticipating a grandiose post to announce the total and utter annihilation of the alien baby (and it's subsequent sale to Satan), but he just won't leave. This supposed "lymph node" they took out of my neck is now being tested by the Armed Forces Pathology Institute. Maybe they think I'm clueless to what is growing in my body. They think they are going to get the alien baby to study and perform research. I fear for them if they think they are going to steal Satan's booty just like that. He won't be very pleased to say the least and he knows that I can't do anything about it because it's the government right? But luckily Satan runs the government so he can manipulate them to retrieve what is rightfully his. I'm also anxious to hear the report from the pathologist to see whether or not they got all of the alien out this time. Chances are they only took his main nerve center for their purposes and left the rest of the rotting, poisonous parts in my body. Why are they so selfish like that?

Euphoria

I'm looking for a word and I'm thinking that maybe some of you wordsmiths out there can give me a hand. A word that is similar to euphoria but with more floating involved. Dictionary.com defines euphoria as "A feeling of great happiness or well-being." While that definitely describes the feeling I'm looking to express, I need something a little more... ummm... light, floating, and drifting. Any ideas? Imagine a perfectly light blue sky at the beginning of fall, and now you are floating through that sky at your command. It's not too cold, nor is it too hot, it's just right... OK! Now tell me what word describes this! Go!

i've got green and i've got blues

The Smithsonians Group has officially been buried. Thank you all for the time and effort spent with it. I'd like to do something similar soon. If you have any suggestions or would like to be involved in the creation, please email me or just comment here. In the meantime, I will post the five most recently published blogs here on my blog. Online discussion is becoming a prominent method of communication. Few have mastered the art of efficient and effective online discussion. As a step closer to the goal of having meaningful online discussion, Howard Rheingold has provided a well thought list of ideas to improve hosting of such discussions. I'll put the list out there for your reading as I am currently studying it as well. Let me know what you think. Is this a useful means of communication? Should we be putting effort into improving our methods in this vein?

by some ungodly cataclysmic event, i won

so i have been in this argument with an acquaintance of mine for about 6 months now. it goes back and forth, month to month. i hate you, i hate you not. to be honest, i'm running out of petals. luckily in this day and age, argument can be conducted electronically and we never have to see each other. the part where it starts to get weird is this: i'm not contributing to the argument. i don't say a word, not only do i not say a word but i don't type or write or anything else a word either. i feel bad for not participating in this power struggle because it is not my intention to hurt them by making them look ridiculous. i just wanted to announce that this month by some ungodly cataclysmic event, i won. go me. urggghhh...

Zach's Blog

He is seriously so funny. I encourage everyone to go check out his Garden State blog.

I've heard one **** before, but ever since I heard the second one I've had this insatiable desire to rob a liquor store and refer to all women as "ho's".
-Zachary Braff

"Your mom goes to college."

Two movies of the summer that you may or may not MUST SEE.

Napoleon Dynamite- A fantasy boy in his fantastic world. The first movie I have ever seen more than once in the theater. I've seen it three times. Maybe I should find it bootlegged. The real reason I keep going back, besides it being the tightest spot between a queer and a cowboy (thanks bobby), is so that I can take more people. There are certain things that should be shared with loved ones, Napoleon is one of them. In today's popular culture we are fond of quoting movies to the delight of our associates. If anything, this movie is quotable. In fact, every single line from this movie is a valid soundbite, it's just that vivid and memorable. It's pretty much the best movie ever made. It's weird, it's creepy, it's clean to an extreme, and it's hilarious. MTV's Kurt Loder called it a "revelation." I call it another installment in movies that succeed because of their skewed, ridiculous view of "cool."
Mount Bensuvius Rating: 7.5 VEI* (Super Colossal approaching Mega Colossal)

The Garden State- Starring Zachary Braff and Natalie Portman. You know the guy from Scrubs? Well this is his baby. He wrote and directed it. It has his humor written all over it. And that is a good thing. It's New Jersey and suburbia. It's everyone you know that never moved out, that never went to college, and still parties with the high school kids. To sum it up, it's about everyone that never moved on. So what if that's me. Maybe that's why I liked it so much. Hilarity only describes half of the movie. The other half is touching (it touched me, and no it wasn't inappropriate touching) and inspirational. Touching because we can all relate to the inability to communicate with other human beings and the difficulty of opening up to said beings. Thankfully self deprecation can be a great communicator.
Mount Bensuvius Rating: 7 VEI* (Super Colossal)

*Volcanic Explosivity Index (Read more here)

phlow

no one will find us in this

how come you started a lap ahead?

Yes we all get the opportunity to jump the 43rd hurdle on the 5th lap, but some of us start at the 42nd hurdle thereby making the 43rd a lot easier to tackle. Others of us start at the Starting Line and have to run a mile and 42 other hurdles first, making that 43rd, or even the 10th for that matter, nearly impossible to jump.

"Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple. "
Barry Switzer

Spitz Suflower Seeds

A possible cure.

the cliche' king

does anything come out of your mouth that hasn't been reduced, reused, and recycled? environmentally friendly you may be... but where is the original content that i paid for?

used to be a killer, best killer in the land...

it is not the many, but the one. it is not the quantity, but the quality. it only takes one to shut us down. one day, one event can cause us to retire. after you have perfected what it is you do, what is there left to do? the smell of competition, the taste of winning... no longer brings me pleasure. everything you hold close is negotiable. it is done.

...she was the most beautiful thing that i have ever killed.

sellout

"If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity."
Bill Vaughan

The Cure August 6, 2004

I have an extra ticket for the show on August 6. That means this Friday. If anyone is interested let me know.

4 Years Have Passed... and still only music

i can still hear the voices ringing in my ears and see the images in my eyes. time is the only cure and the only enemy. time will always repeat that day. for as long as i live this day will come once a year. and i'll get to relive that hole.

May 11, 1955-July 29, 2000
god rest your soul dad

"in my place, in my place were lines that i couldn't change, and i was lost oh yeah"
"tell me you love me, come back and haunt me"
(thanks be to Coldplay for being the musical sponsor for this day two years running... without music where would we be?)

Behold... A Lady

"so sad... but, one day our kids will have to visit museums to see what a lady looks like, so if you find one, i beg of you hold her tight... yes, spot one good sir, treat her right. Benjamin Andre signing off..."
-Winner of Sexiest Male Vegetarian 2004

the quest for a lady is not a new endeavor.  this path has been tread and re-tread throughout the centuries.  how do you find one?  how do you know if she really is a lady?  i guess what the real question is... what is a lady?

The Reconciliation of Humankind

it's impossible. 

Poo for Fuel

i'm on a roll for back to back matching blog titles.  so the english have about the most SS idea i have ever heard.  they want to use human feces to generate power.  they figure that patrons of the London Science Museum should give back to the museum.  i wonder if you get a discount on admission if you can guarantee to drop a huge load. 

check out what winds of change and boing boing had to say about this.

Food for Fuel

we feed those we care about... what are we feeding them... do we care about ourselves according to that model? 

we have similar beards

 
Contributed by Shaniqua

we have similar mustaches

"Let me say, with the risk of appearing ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of love."

Che Guevara has been an object of my admiration and intrigue ever since I had the opportunity to live in Argentina for two years.  Yes I know... "ewwwww he's a bad communist revolutionary," but he is a lot more than that.  He is an example of loyalty and commitment.  A movie is coming out in September of this year based on his Motorcycle Diaries.  These diaries chronicle his travels throughout South America and his conversion to the people... the working poor.  In 2006 Benicio Del Toro will play Che in another movie directed by Steven Soderbergh.

 

10 things i hate about ninja/pink pirate ben

15. Is BALD (or was... you change your hair so much I don't know anymore)
14. Has a beard
13. Has RED hair
12.  doesn't dress like a real ninja/pirate
13.  Is really an ass pirate
10. Likes the new Cure album
9. Didn't come to Florida this year
8.  Is obessed with "danger zones"
7.  Is a closet redneck
6.  But a very intelligent closet redneck
5. Communists suck
4.  Has alien children (out of wedlock!!!!)
3.  speaks spanglish (japanese is better!)
2. Pitties the fool
1.  Did I mention he's a red head??
 
Contributed by MooFoo

so i got my yearly review at work

stan: do we not have the packing slip?
militantslave: yeah we just found it
militantslave: crisis averted... because i was "proactive at solving bla bla bla"
stan: I think someone needs to throw themsleves onto their box cutter......
militantslave: luckily i'm ahead of you and bleeding all over the warehouse
stan: Please make sure you are dragging a mop behind you...
militantslave: consider it done
stan: with all that blood someone could slip and fall
militantslave: we wouldn't want that

we all remember stan don't we?

and then i woke up

these days my sleep is longer, my dreams are more vivid, the sleep in my eyes almost seals them together in the morning, the breaths are shallow... and then i woke up... and everything seemed in its place again.

the assumption

blin your post hit me today.

i am not an elitist. i do not feel superior to those around me. i assume that those around me are of equal or greater intelligence. when i make fun of a subject or a person i expect that those joining me share the same motivation and sense of humor. i assume that they don't really mean to belittle the person or the subject but just to enjoy the humor that life requires. humor to me is being sarcastic and making the most heinous and off the wall comments imaginable. thereby demonstrating that there is no possible way for what i have said to be taken seriously. it hit me today that i am making the wrong assumptions. having seen these other humans in action i know they really are serious about their joking. they are malicious. of course this doesn't make sense to you, we aren't on the same page. we are rarely ever on the same page.

we never have been and we never will be.

Life Sucks, Get Over It!

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are often more dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey - delays, side tracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jots interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Jenkins Lloyed Jones

i'm spicey today

Check out Ugoff's Ugoffliments (specifically May 26, June 18, June 22, and July 9)

Burger King does it again! Do you remember the Subservient Chicken?

chronic bipolarity of the soul

#1 i'd like to say that technology is not working out for me today.

#2 i'm on my planet, as usual, but i have gone out of orbit. i can no longe communicate with other planets. farewell earthlings.

American Royalty

"One of the few good things about modern times: If you die horribly on television, you will not have died in vain. You will have entertained us."
Kurt Vonnegut, "Cold Turkey", In These Times, May 10, 2004

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. For as long as I have known her she has been a fanatic of the entertainment industry. She is very interested in the last happenings in Hollywood, up to date on the current romances and drama with our beloved celebrities, America's royal family. Yesterday, she just went off on how ridiculous it is that we support these people. She couldn't understand why we pay them millions, even billions of dollars to entertain us. I didn't say so at the time, but in my head I was like "it's about time!" I find the growth of people interesting. As they think more, the more they question their previous obsessions. This isn't neccessarily a rant on entertainment as much as it is an observation of personal growth.

Does anybody watch television anymore? This isn't a rhetorical question... I'm actually asking you... Do you watch television? What do you watch and why?

"Googlification of MSN"

Today's New York Times hit it about right: "Microsoft's greatest hits have been clones of other people's successful work, including Windows (based on the Macintosh), Pocket PC (PalmPilot) and Internet Explorer (Netscape Navigator)."

If they've ripped off everything else... why not bite a piece out of the freshly baked Google pie. Take a look for yourself and don't miss the above article... it's downright side-splitting.

The Good



The Bad



and The Ugly

the monster within

this comparison of the Kerry/Edwards ticket was too accurate to not pass on. here is my own personal take on John Kerry or should i say Nosferatu.

NYC 4th of July

"...honestly, to tell the truth, i'm mad at the internet."

there is nothing like night classes at community college to make you feel like you really don't belong.
1. a teacher that is more concerned with being the "unlikely" professor than his history of western civilization. don't get me wrong, he's cool, he's hip... but if you have to tell me that you voted yourself "most unlikely to be a professor" every five minutes, something is wrong.
2. a girl that thinks because you have a skull and crossbones on your t-shirt (GO PIRATES!) and she has one on her purse she should sit next to you. maybe even date you. or at least invite each other to parties.
3. another student that goes to a four year university that knows everything and then some. oh yeah... she won't be able to make it to the second half of the term because she has a soccer tournament in Europe.
4. the eyebrow pierced girl that says, "i don't have email. well, i might but i don't remember it. i just don't really like it, honestly, to tell the truth, i'm mad at the internet."
5. "how many of you in here are vegetarians?"

wow... boy am i in for a treat. as a side note... never offer information where it's not asked for.

who are we...

who are you to decide what is right and wrong for everyone else? who am i to decide that you don't fit the bill? who are we to tell everyone how they must live their lives? is it that hard to listen? is it that difficult to lay down arrogance? don't we all live on this planet together? why can't i see more than just 3 feet in front of me? what is this "bigger picture" i'm supposed to see? what if it's too big to fit on my screen? what if i'm too big to fit in the film? pushing and shoving to make it all match. making the corners fit together just as nicely as their 90 degree angles. there is just too much to fit into the container. there is just too little to merit such a large container.

The Beautiful Faces of Competition

Here we see Kobe imitating Beloki (last summer's greatest face of competition).


The original BelokiWitted. Such pain, such anguish. Notice the similarity to Kobe above.


The message they are trying to convey to the world, "Boom Baca, I got served."

"Smells like something's burning, smelled that way before..."

Today is Fun Day + 2. Or F-Day + 2. There is only one problem with this day... it should be called Smell Day. The attack of the aromas began this morning when I woke up, probably because I only bathe every other day. Now most of you might think that is not very hygienic, but much like those of medieval times, I believe that bathing makes you sick. The dirtier you are the less diseases will invade your tabernacle of clay. So I smelled myself this morning and it was surprisingly pleasant. But I knew I had to stick to my schedule of every other day... I smell good today. Like a freshly opened stick of deodorant. I smell so good you could rub me on your armpits and smell better yourself. And come to think of it, my bald head would probably fit nicely into that body cavity... which reminds me, I smelled some mad B.O. today. Sometimes I really enjoy human body odor, as intoxicating as it is, it makes me feel alive. But what I smelled today was like the onion brand of humanness. I can't find it within me to appreciate that. This morning as the train came by and I boarded, my nasal passages were crowded with hot dog water smell. And although I am a connoisseur of many smells... that is not one of my favorites. Then today at lunch, like most days, someone heats up some sort of frozen fish food meal in the microwave. I haven't smelled food smelling that bad since the Germany days of the BO Burrito. Good mother of mercy! It was terrible. And just then when I thought Smell Day couldn't get any better... there was a definite distribution of gurgley vomit burps. Happy Smell Day.

Baby Update

I birthed about 15 pounds of my alien baby. He is a lot bigger than I had originally planned for... about 45 pounds total. So I've decided to birth him in parts. 15 pounds was one arm. Yeah I know... he's not going to be attractive. Many of you may be wondering why it has taken so long. I'd like to take this time to explain. Little Alien found out I was going to trade him to Satan for my soul. Needless to say he was not pleased about this. We had talked about all the fun things we would do as Father/Mother and Alien Baby. He was disappointed that he would have to be potty trained by Satan and extremely dismayed that Satan would be the one teaching him how to tie his shoes. He didn't like the sound of a fire and brimstone tricycle. All of these things kept adding up in his little alien brain and he finally told me he wasn't coming out unless I agreed to keep him. I haven't completely agreed to keep him which is why it took me so long to just birth one arm. Try birthing a baby with that weighs 45 pounds against his will. NOT EASY! Anyway... just wanted to let you all know, I'm working on it.

by the way: Blogger spell check is TERRIBLE. Their substitute for TRICYCLE (which according to Microsoft Word is spelled correctly) is TRAGICALLY. hmmmm... yeah

Its just knot write.

I like to spell phonetically sometimes. It doesn't make me spell poorly, I just spell the wrong words. Let's see what else... I went two the U-tang four a week. I encourage desert haters too go during the spring. The mountains are absolutely beautiful, like giant dumplings with perfect astro-turf spread across them, or like those model train set hills. like someone hand glued green trees and grass to every inch of them. I used to think Chipotle was the best Chipotle-like food ever, but after partaking of Cafe Rio, I think that Cafe Rio is the Chipotle Champion. Kinda odd how you can lose your own award. I also got really really sunburned. It's so fun to be bald and get a sunburn on your scalp. Then you peel it's like MASSIVE dandruff. I'm talking like quarter and half dollar sized pieces of leprosy head just falling off. Not necessarily socially acceptable, butt very fun.

Who will it be?

You might be the lucky one. Come and see. Thanks Dotty.

Porkchops for breakfast

I was in this mall discussing the merits of taking college classes, when a spotlight shown, illuminating two gargantuan hot topic-esque stores. One of the stores had a haunted house. Boy was I eager to get the shite scared out of me. There I went, climbing the rickety wooden stairs to the entrance. The stairs went flat into a steep incline. You know like in Scooby Doo the stairs turn into a slide of sorts, yeah that's exactly what happened. Can you believe it? I totally wasn't scared. Boooring! Then Norelco the Alien Life Force, who bestows an "Earthling of the Week" award upon the kindest human for said period, went up to the haunted house. From one of the upper windows in the store leaped a kung fu MASTER. (I could tell he was a master by the way he dressed) Norelco did a 360 spin and in a flash he was also in his kung fu gear, looking fresh as a green plantain. The Alien Life Force did what he calls "move number 17" on the kung fu MASTER and it was quickly over. Then my girlfriend wouldn't talk to me. Who knows why? I certainly don't, I rarely do.

"I cannot sleep I cannot dream" last night?

why do i do

my brother questioned me about a particular life situation today. he asked "how can you do that? why do you do that?" and most days i think i know the answer and other days it's a little more hazy. i guess it all comes down to believing. the belief that what i do today will better my life tomorrow. a supreme faith that what lies ahead is worth all the work, pain, frustration, and pain... oh did i already mention pain. lots of pain. i just saw a movie called "Pumpkin" starring Christina Ricci. sorta cheesy, not a particularly good movie. but it shows what happens when someone discovers pain. not only does she have the worst days of her life, but because she experiences that pain she is able to have the best days of her life. pain can only lead to healing. today i'm just tired of the aching wounds that just keep getting deeper, i'm ready for some of that healing. buenas noches.

in with the new

what have we done? we are all in love with google. i love gmail (yes i'm one of the "few special" people that get to beta-cize it). i love blogger (fueled by google). i won't mention the search engine. and then there is google news. and google image search. they will slowly begin (if they aren't already) to rule our lives. but this time we'll be happy about it. weird.

gmail is the new communism.

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Thanks Doto Roboto the Ninja.