poor mel

the jews really are out to get mel gibson (insert sarcasm). joking aside, there is no need to sabotage him, as he is perfectly capable of doing so with his threats, arrests, and disgusting, religious snuff films. this guy is a shit actor and a major a-hole to boot. mel, please go away you anti-semitic jackass.

smokin' grooves

it is never easy when someone who you admire or appreciate disappoints you. yes virginia...michael jordan is a degenerate gambler and magic johnson and james worthy were sharing "loose women" in the 'showtime' eighties of la. add to the list, mfd favorites the french kicks, who as the opening act for french new-wave band, phoenix, have found themselves on a tour that is being subsidized almost completely by camel cigarettes. the kicks do get some leniency for being the opening act, but it is still uncool to shill for a tobacco company who is looking to feast on the impressionable young minds that will flock to hear phoenix's dreamy, sophia coppoloa approved tunes en mass. i find that the world seems to be a darker and darker place with every corner you look around.

how many starbucks is enough?

i know that you have heard this bitching and moaning a million times and you are tired of hearing it, but let me just make you suffer through complaint 1 million and 1. passion and i were walking through an area of midtown that we both used to work in and as a result of our office moves, no longer spend as much time in. we came upon a nice small independent coffeeshop/cafe, only to see that it was shuttered and being remodeled to accommodate a new tenant, starbucks. why do i have a sneaking suspicion that where small independent coffee shop failed, starbucks will flourish? the worst part is that starbucks mines small coffee shops like the one they are replacing for new ideas and recipes and when they have what they need they fill the void left by the departure competitors and drive rents up through the roof. there is a place for homogeneous food, entertainment, and lifestyle but it is a bit hard to swallow when it takes the place of something unique and original. i guess the solution is to enjoy and support those things that you enjoy while you can, because ultimately you can't control the tastes (bland/non-existent) of the general public, which drives society.

jåzza

try as i might, i have never been able to fully appreciate the art form that is jazz. don't get me wrong, i have tried repeatedly to become more familiar with it, i guess it is the need to find symmetry in the music that has always thrown me off the trail. however, i may be turning the corner, as passion and i went to scandinavian house to see norwegian jazz guitarist lage lund last evening. a few song into the set i found myself appreciating the flow of the music, enjoying the spontaneity. we shall see where this takes us...maybe a soul patch and gauloise cigarettes are in my future.

last temptation

i saw this picture of the conflict in the middle east and it immediately called to mind the apocalyptic imagery of hieronymous bosch (the temptation of st. anthony c.1500). the scary thing about this free-association is that we no longer live in times where massive demolition is out of the realm of possibility. this shit is all f*%ked up.

hot in here

(click to enlarge)
although not quite the mind-bending existential thought that raced through my head yesterday, i have recently been troubled by (thanks village voice) a reoccurring realization that we are totally destroying the world (i.e. eco-system) that we inhabit. i know what your thinking, robb has been watching too many of his boy, al gore's, documentaries., however i can assure you that i am troubled by more than some slide shows committed to celluloid. as we sit and watch the man-made hell that is over-developed california struggle with brushfires and blackouts, one can easily see this shaping up to be the meta-crisis of our generation. we can only hope that someone in a position of true influence will step into the total void that has been the bush whitehouse's environmental policy.

bbc/discovery channel documentary on the global warming crisis

hope springs eternal from scandanavia
(oil-free zone; have to love the sound of that)

existential thought of the day

i was recently reading an article about the role of science in civilization, in particular the idea that science has effectively debunked a great deal of the mystery in the world, leaving us with the reality of our modern times (which at present time is rather troubling). that being said, what are we left with and/or what do we look to for inspiration to help us through tough times? we have created a scenario where we possess a knowledge base that makes it impossible to believe their is a system in place that governs our world.

i guess the inspiration could be a re-examination and or re-contexting of things that we already know. maybe it is looking at intangible ideas/emotions like love, hate, joy in a new light. does love mean the same thing that it meant 10 years ago? will joy continue to emanate from the same sources it currently does? my life to date has taught me that no, ideas and emotions and the perception of those concepts is constantly changing. so i guess while we learn more and more about the physical world around us, we can cling to the notion that our personal world is in an equal state of flux.

existentialism 101

blessed nuptials

it only seems fitting to offer yet another congratulatory note to the new mr. and mrs. jon emigh, as news of their pending nuptials were one of mfd's initial posts. it was an honor and a pleasure to be in the presence of such a joyous and heartfelt celebration. cheers to the both of you and best of luck in your new life together!

¡viva bo jackson, viva tecmo!

since i am on a football video game jag (see previous post), i figured that i should drop some science on the only game that can compete with ea ncaa football. obviously, that game would be tecmo bowl! you big dummy! what other game lets a pixelated bo jackson (aka thilo panzerbieter) wear the silver and black and wreck havoc on your ass for like 2000 yards...in one game?

as for being over video games...apparently i lied, as a wave of nostalgia has overcome me and i am itching to break of the 16bit nintendo as i sit here writing. in fact, i am contemplating quitting my job and dusting off the old warren moon jersey and trying to avoid lawrence taylor rushing off the end (no chance). in retrospect, playing tecmo may be as close to heaven as this sinner is ever gonna get to heaven.

one-eyed big ten refs in danger of extinction

llyod carr has referee fired...for having one eye.

just another reason to hate on llyod "floyd" carr of michigan fame (or infamy). this guy is going to have one hell of a next life if there is karma in the universe.

have it your way

not that i am into video games (even terribly addictive ones like ea ncaa football) as much as i used to be (i guess maturity can catch you no matter how fast you run from it), but if i was...i would have a few choice words for the marketing department at electronic arts for their choice of promo photos for this year's game. bastards...no gd spartan would jack jking up like that! shameful.


you better recognize.

the old lady don't like it

i found this on the nyc craiglist and thought that i should share it.

what i may ask is wrong with the old lady, that bed puts craftmatic to shame. all that for $10...i could rent that thing for $10/15 mins at parties, bar mitzvahs, etc!

goodbye henke

sweden's greatest footabller of the last 50 years, henrik larsson, has retired from international football today. this news is not a suprise as he has been playing for the national team for 13 years, but it is sad none the less as he is the only player whose name i have on the back of a jersey. whoever fills larsson's spot in the attack for sweden will have a very large shoes to fill.

the night before...

remember christmas eve as a wee little one? the anticipation was palpable in the air as you waited on the 24th for jolly old saint nick to bring a bounty of gifts. well, i am experiencing what it must have been like for my parents, having to deal with this unbridled joy and longing, as i watch my lovely ashley wait with baited breath as the release date for the french kicks new album, two thousand, draws nearer. thankfully, my estrangement from ash will come to an end as she voraciously rips and tears at the wrappings to unveil her latest obsession, 10 great tracks of independent rock/pop. let us give praise to the cd heavens above.

in honor of miss manion's groupie status with the kicks, i have loaded the musical machine with a selection from two thousand. enjoy.

table manners

i guess when mom & dad told you not to talk with your mouth full, they knew what they were talking about. georgie should have listened.

watch w at the g8 dinner table.

always sunny

i know that i have waxed poetic about my love for all programming fx; the shield, thief, rescue me, etc. well, add another one to the pile...it's always sunny in philadelphia. in addition to name droppin' pennsy in the title, this show has got a lot going for it. it is funny as hell and it is the closest thing to an arrested development substitute you will find. it reminds me of curb your enthusiasm when it was the best show on television (see season 1 and the beginning of season 2). give it a try, drunk underground street fighting and girls on growth hormone tends to be quite amusing..don't ya think?

happy bastille day!

grab yourself some frog legs, pour a glass of champagne, and wear a beret...it's bastille day!

wc overload?

i know that by now the wc is a distant memory for most people, but there remains a number of very interesting news items that linger from the month long party that was deutschland06.

the first is the zidane headbutt incident. you have no doubt seen the footage and read the comments (but have you played the game?). my take is that is was a totally asinine thing for the captain of a team to do, regardless what was said on the pitch. that being said, international football has historically had and continues to have serious problems with racism, so i hope that whatever comments the italian defender materazzi made were your typical competitive banter and not something racist and ugly like what has been suggested.

the second issue is germany's notable success (3rd place/several ticks of the clock from going into penalty kicks with eventual champion italy) and the resounding disappointment that was the usa campaign. that brings us to the second major talking point in the post-wc landscape: juergen klinsmann leaving germany and bruce arena doing nothing with a team that entered the tournament ranked #5 in the world rankings. instead of trying to explain the complicated feelings that inhabit your typical german football fans mind concerning this issue, i have enlisted the services of an actual german football fans to summarize the nation's feelings for me. that's right, live from germany...i give you the ramblings of mfd correspondent, mr. thilo panzerbieter.

Klinsmann leaving the German Team is very sad. It dominated the news here yesterday.
On the other hand, almost everyone highly respects Klinsmann for his decision and knows to accept it. Just in March of this year, the media was tearing him up and so were all other decision makers in German soccer (including Beckenbauer). He has
not forgotten that. They gave him such a hard time during his reforms. Each step - which has now turned out to be worth gold - was questioned and almost prevented. Some further reform steps that he wanted to make were actually stopped. He has fought a hard battle and has stuck to his plan. No one apologized to him for the previous hardships or critique. Everyone praises him now and acts like they were supporting him all along (including Beckenbauer). Klinsmann deserves a lot of respect for
his high principles and the fact that he does not (like so many politicians) cling to power until it is taken from him. He is truly a great guy and has changed the mentality of the whole country with the joy that he has brought to the German people during the World Cup. He has given the Germans national pride again (one that is not dangerous and quite fun and playful) - he has changed the perception of our people by the world and by ourselves. He did some incredible work - probably the best that any national team coach has ever done for us. That is what people will remember.

As the next coach, he leaves us his assistant. The whole rest of the coaching team also looks to stay. Klinsmann therefore will have the best side of it no matter what happens. If the team continues to win and accomplish great things at the next tournaments, he will be remembered as the one who laid down the foundation and did the reforms. If the team fails, he will be remembered as the best coach that no one can measure up to. If he would stay, it could only go downhill (and that can happen
very fast!).

Klinsmann says that he wants to rest for half a year. Everyone knows that Bruce Arena's contract runs out at that stage. Klinsmann lives in and loves the USA. He has an American wife. The USA disappointed in the World Cup and the next coach can only do better. Klinsmann's market value is at its peak and the USA will want him. He can only become a big hero in the USA as well. It is a win-win situation for him.

He made a very smart choice and is a wise man.

there you go, i could not have said it better myself. so now you know the german perspective on the matter and as g.i. joe says, "knowing is half the battle!"

goodbye from germany

comfort food?

i must admit, i have never been a big astrology fan. with all it's patchouli scented tapestries and weird iconography, it has always seemed more suited to shut-ins with two dozen cats as housemates. however that all changed when i saw my horoscope (sag dude) by accident on the back of a discarded newspaper on the subway today. it reads as follows:

As I take my daily bike ride into the hills, I pass a place where a beer-truck driver named Elijah lives. It's a trailer with old tires and rusty tools littering the driveway. Today there was a new addition: a 1975 Chevy El Camino, a vehicle that's like a car up front and a pick-up truck in back. It had a bumper sticker that read "Theresa and Johnny's Comfort Food -- Live Free or Die." The whole scene reminded me of the message I want to convey to you, Sagittarius. First, I believe you should bring into your sphere a fresh old thing that's an amalgam of two different categories, akin to Elijah acquiring a brand new 31-year-old vehicle that's half-car and half-truck. Second, I think you should make sure you feel extremely secure--stocking up on the equivalent of "comfort food"--as you initiate a major push for liberation.

well, well...i have absolutely no idea what that means. should i order mac 'n cheese for dinner tonight or should i watch nostalgic psu football highlights while wearing my state high sweatshirt on a bean bag chair? am i going to buy an el camino from someone on severn drive (oops..already sold!). and what exactly am i liberating? brain hurts, can not compute!

beer, brats, and bohemians

as the world cup drew down to it's final weekend of action, mfd decided to milk it for all it was worth. for the 3rd place match (germany v portugal), mfd decided to head out on the n train to astoria, queens to cheer on the deutschland football/soccer team in the largest beer garden/bier garten in the states. we had a grand old time and for a few minutes here and there we actually felt like we were back in the old country. the place was filled with german fans who were happily cheering in their mother tongue (thanks to lessons by our german hosts several weeks prior, we were able to cheer along!). we were delighted to learn that in addition to the great atmosphere there was also a plethora of tasty european brews ready for our consumption. in particular, we enjoyed pilsner urquell and starapromen (both from the czech republic) in large old-world mugs, along with a few other libations with names so full of consonants no western tongue could manage to pronounce it. as is the case with a long day of watching football and drinking beer in the summer sun, food was a must...and did the bohemian beer hall ever deliver. orders of sausage and pierogi were plentiful and savory. as for the match, we were quite happy to see the host nation take a much deserved 3rd place in the wc. as we picked ourselves off the garden floor at the end of the game, a wave of sadness washed over us, as we realized that it was to be 4 more years before we would see a party of the magnitude of that which we had heartily enjoyed over the last month.

some birthday

well, well...230 wasn't such a great b-day for the good old us of a! it rained, i cut my finger, and the crazy koreans are firing off nukes. ¡aye chiwawa! however all was not lost, as yesterday's world cup semi-final was a cracking good game with a final 2 minutes that were as entertaining and dramatic as anything in sports. we were so content with the italy v germany game that we decided to skip the fireworks and instead listen to the thunderous pops from the comfort of our couch as we watched the tour de france. here's hoping that everyone's potato salad was tasty and their firework viewing was festive.