Crafty Lefty's Thoughts

iLegend

2011-10-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

As word of Steve Jobs' passing spread across Facebook and Twitter today, digested by millions through his revolutionary products that have reshaped the world, I did not know exactly how to react. I scrolled through my Twitter feed and my Facebook news feed, reading what my information graph and social graph had to say about such an incredible innovator.

Two things glaringly stood out. His remarkable vision that built Apple into what it is today. And his presence and message.

I am not smart enough nor am I qualified enough to write about Jobs' accomplishments in technology, product development, and invention. I am in awe of all of it.

His powerful presence and ability to deliver and live his message is what connects with me the most. My first experience with his presence and message took place in a corporate training class on public speaking. After our instructor let us fall on our faces with initial impromptu speeches, followed by the embarrassment of reviewing them on tape in front of the class, he shared a keynote from MacWorld 2007 from Mr Jobs that I'll never forget.

That video represents Steve Jobs' legacy quite nicely. A genius revolutionizing technology, communications, and entertainment on stage in a dynamic and powerful fashion. If I had watched that speech live, I may not have been as moved. Watching it two years later, knowing the impact that his announcements made on society, I was inspired. I YouTube'd as much Steve Jobs content as I could find for three days straight. Part of me hoped to morph into him for my final Public Speaking class test. Most of me just wanted more inspiration.

I re-watched a lot of old Steve Jobs' speeches tonight. His commencement speech at Stanford in 2005 really struck a cord in me.

Many of my friends and people in Twitter land shared snippets of this speech in their updates and tweets. And for good reason. His message is simple, but oh so powerful. Don't be afraid to take chances. Follow your heart. Find what makes you happy. Be foolish in your pursuit of your passion - in life and in work.

Think different.

He also acknowledges that you can't connect the dots to the future or in the present, only the past. You have to believe in something (faith, karma, a lucky egg) that will lead you on your way.

As I approach the dreaded age of 30, I can't help but think of his message and look myself in the mirror. The dots that have led me to this point in my life are clear. My girlfriend, my friends, my family, my job - all in a path of dots. What comes next is the hard part. The part where risks are involved. Leaps of faith that take you to places you've never heard or seen before.

I can only hope that I embody a tiny sliver of the courage, ambition, and passion that Steve Jobs demonstrated over the course of his life. A life that ended much too soon.

- Crafty Lefty

Culture of Complaining

2011-09-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

The easiest and least interesting topic of conversation is and always has been the weather. It has been a go-to in all small talk exchanges for centuries.

Here in San Francisco, the weather is notoriously bizarre. Locals constantly complain about the micro climates, the wind, and the fog. Our jealously towards our neighbors in the north, south, and east bay areas (and pretty much all other parts of the country) during the summer months seeps through our pores. Even during sunny days, we bitch about the rolling fog that always ruins the chance of a warm evening outside.

In the winter, when most of the country is suffering through months of snow and rain while San Francisco stays consistently cool, we are still bitter about our lack of summer. We'll even try to argue that we get screwed for not receiving snow even though it is a royal pain in the ass to live in. Did I mention we have Lake Tahoe only a few hours away where snow is supposed to be enjoyed?

Never satisfied.

And here we are, at the end of September with temperatures topping 80 degrees in San Francisco. Our summer has finally arrived. Our complaining can stop for a few days of sun and warm nights in this beautiful city. What do we do?

We complain.

Our tiny, overpriced apartments don't have air conditioning. Why should they?

So for several days our cold, foggy city takes on a new spicy personality and unfortunately, we don't know what to do with ourselves. Do we take days off? Do we spend our days and nights outside? How long will it last? Are we sure the fog won't come rolling in over the bay?

We keep going to work. Colleagues nag about the AC being too cold. We sit, frozen, staring out of our office windows into the gorgeous sunlight glistening across a downtown desperate for UV rays. We rack our brains to pick restaurants with patios and roof decks with outdoor seating to enjoy a warm evening only to come to the conclusion that we don't really have any.

And here I am, blogging the night away in my stuffy, sauna of a loft. Sweating through the pair of shorts I didn't even know I still had.

- Crafty Lefty

Random Thoughts from a Dirty Floor

2011-07-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

I’m sitting on the floor of an old San Francisco medical building hallway. On a carpet that has been here since the Kennedy administration. I can only hope that it has been cleaned since Marilyn Monroe was getting down in the White House.

Not exactly the ideal setting for a Friday morning.

I know you are probably concerned about the purpose for which, I find myself sitting on the hallway carpet of a medical building. No need to worry, I am only early to a routine appointment with a dermatologist.

Arriving earlier than expected, I pulled out the old laptop and opened up a blank Microsoft word document. It has been awhile since I last wrote. There is something beautiful about a blank word document. However, when uninspired, the blankness can be equally as terrifying. Today, I wouldn’t exactly call myself inspired. I just feel like rambling a bit. That was the original point of the blog, was it not? To spew my uncontrolled and often confusing thoughts on a blank screen and attempt to make sense of them. At the very least, entertain a few readers with a few minutes to spare.

The receptionist finally arrived and has now let me into the waiting room. My ass is no longer living in the 60’s. Though, that would have been a fascinating time to live in.

Anyway, now that I am in the comfort of plush waiting room chairs, old magazines, and elevator music, let me move on to other thoughts.

As I went through my morning routine today: wake up, check email to be sure nothing crazy happened during the 8 hours I was away from my iPhone, check Twitter for the same purpose, and then get the heck out of bed. Why is it that I have to check email and Twitter before taking a morning leak or brushing my teeth? I have to confirm whether or not something BIG happened or not. Just so I know.

What is with our fascination for ground breaking, earth shattering news? I can feel myself, for even a split second when my email is loading and my Twitter feed is updating, almost hoping for something big. Perhaps, a firing, acquisition, or reorganization announcement from the CEO of my company. Maybe a promotion, big opportunity, or random email with thought provoking or constructive feedback from my boss. And what exactly is it that I am hoping to find on Twitter? News of a political coup? Another quasi celebrity doing something moronic? Sources stating that the Los Angeles Dodgers have defected to the Mexican Penal Leagues to play for Rick Vaughn’s former club?

I understand our sensation for becoming enthralled with dramatic news. The Casey Anthony trial is a perfect example of that. There’s a reason why tabloids are such big business. We eat that shit up. What I am trying to wrap my head around, is whether or not it is our desire for discovering sexy, controversial, mind blowing news that feeds the nature in which we lock onto a story and ride it out for years once it breaks.

Maybe.

Either way, my morning ritual will stay the same until Twitter or Facebook develops a feature that wakes me up when something BIG happens that the algorithms know, for a fact, that I personally, will devour and share once I discover it.

- Crafty Lefty

Balancing Sports and Romance

2011-06-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: I wrote this while sitting on the couch watching the ABC Pregame and first quarter of the game.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals or a sushi dinner date with the love of your life?

I raced home from work tonight to catch the final glimpses of ABC's pregame show knowing that I might get a full quarter of live action before my girlfriend makes it home from her miserable commute, which has the tendency to morph her into a stiff cocktail made up of one part hungry, one and half parts cranky, with a splash of impatience. Not exactly the concoction you want coming home during the most entertaining NBA Finals in recent memory.

What do you do? Do you DVR the game, take her to dinner, tip the hostess to sit you away from the bar TV, get her a little tipsy, and attempt to avoid all contact from the outside world? OR, do you sit near the TV and get edamame thrown at you each time your eyes wander towards the screen. At least they aren't wandering towards the hostess, right?

By now, the game has started and her train is delayed. Sweet. More live action, but a shot of rum 151 just slipped in the cocktail to intensify the ingredients that are already simmering with feistiness. The odds of catching this game in its entirety are now less than LeBron James taking his talents back to Cleveland or Rep Weiner getting reelected.

NBA Finals…. sushi with the love of your life?

See, the NBA Finals represent a love of my life, sports. A sports fan needs to witness the greatness at its peak. The Finals! Chuck Klosterman has an excellent piece on the new Grantland.com that exquisitely covers the dynamic of sporting events in the technology era where it is virtually impossible to witness greatness on delay without somehow spoiling the greatness through all of the possible media outlets and methods of communicating with your friends. “If you successfully escape knowing the outcome, the game was merely good. Not great. Therefore, as you are watching, you already know you missed nothing. When you watch live, the possibility of greatness or even the unthinkable are always in play.” Sports might be the only thing left in life that presents that possibility.

Of course, the easy answer to this riddle is, why can’t you combine THE love of your life, with a love of your life? You can. And I do. She appreciates the sports fan in me. That doesn’t mean that some nights need a balance.

And on cue, as I am in the middle of this piece, my phone rings. My girlfriend (the love of my life, in case you were confused) is on the other end, and before I even have a chance to explain my predicament she says, “Hey, why don’t you order sushi in so we can both watch the game?"

A keeper, ladies and gentleman.

- Crafty Lefty

AMC: The Killing

2011-05-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

As the major network shows come to a close, there's one show still on TV that is doing the damn thing week in and week out.

AMC's The Killing.

The show, already nine episodes deep, hasn't disappointed a network that has been churning out quality show after quality show lately. Following in the footsteps of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead, The Killing is an excellent and intense drama set in Seattle, Washington where, evidently, it rains like a monsoon 365 days a year.

The plot centers around a high school girl's disappearance, death, and the aftermath that ensues. The show does a great job of portraying the effect a horrific death has on the family. Some of the most powerful scenes involve the two little brothers of the victim and their parents - struggling to hold it together for their two remaining children. Beyond the family, the show shines a light on how murder connects to and shakes up a community.

Clearly murdered, the police investigation, led by a veteran detective on her way out of town and a rookie homicide detective who is far from polished in his approach to police work begins to connect as the case unfolds. The first connection brings in the show's other main subplot - a mayoral race. Though I don't pay much attention to mayoral races in my city, I suppose the press and some percentage of the population does so the plot still works - barely.

As the show evolves, we learn more and more about the mayoral candidates, their campaign managers, the detectives, the family members, and others connected to the case. Everyone is a suspect.

Each episode sheds more light into certain characters and story lines that answer some questions, but raise many more. Like any 'who-done-it' drama or game of Clue for that matter, the answer to the question, 'Who Killed Rosie Larsen' remains a mystery and nine episodes in, I am more unsure of who the killer might be than ever before.

The most recent episode brought the investigation back to square one and added another violent crime to the mix. Where will the show turn next? How does a season 2 occur if the murder is solved in season 1?

Do yourself a favor and add this show to your DVR if you haven't bought into what AMC is selling already and come along for the ride. Catch up on the first nine episodes online and tune in on Sunday nights.

Everyone is a suspect...

- Crafty Lefty

Finding Inspiration in Paradise

2011-05-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, I am introduced to a piece of writing or a story that motivates me to open up my blog and click, 'New Post'. Inspiration gets the blood flowing and the mind racing in the right direction.

Lately, after taking the plunge into the new post template of my Blogger account, I curl up in the writer's fetal position. My writer's block consistently comes from three questions:

What do I pick to write about?
Why did I choose that content over something else?
Will I have the time to write a quality piece without life's distractions getting in the way?

Do I take my pitiful blog too seriously? Do I really need a focus when I am only writing a handful of times a year? Will a focus increase my content output? Do I over analyze everything instead of saying, 'screw it, write whatever the hell you want'?

Yes and no.

Will I ever get over these blogging insecurities and share more of my thoughts? Hopefully. Will inspiring stories help along the way. You betcha.

Meet Jon Morrow. Jon almost lost his life in a horrific car accident. Jon quit his job. Jon started blogging. Jon moved to paradise. Jon is very successful. Jon has spinal muscular atrophy and is paralyzed from the neck down. Jon will die before most of us.

Jon lives in the same beachfront community as my retired parents. My dad recently shared a guest blog Jon wrote about how he ended up with a successful blogging career with an office overlooking the ocean in Mazatlan, Mexico despite a rather raw deal from the God's of life. After reading that piece, I did a bit of digging and learned more about him. Instead of pouting through life in a wheel chair, Jon has pushed himself and his story is quite remarkable.

Life is about taking chances and how you deal with life's curve balls. Life is about the consequences and opportunities that come from the chances you take and curve balls that come your way. Jon's life is a great example of that.

- Crafty Lefty

Academy Awards

2011-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Predictable. Awkward. Lovely.

In a year with so many great movies and performances, and in an era with a gazillion of award shows, it was almost impossible for the Academy Awards to live up to the hype.

Folks in Twitter land and at the water cooler tomorrow will bash the show, the speeches, and the hosts for lack of excitement and humor, but I simply don't care. Let the Oscars be predictable. The majority of the critics ripping the show through their social networking pedestals didn't see the films anyway.

If you find the Oscars to be dull or an obnoxious showcase of Hollywood glam, change the channel.

Anne Hathaway and James Franco moved the show along rather smoothly and threw in some humor, but I doubt they'll be getting a return invitation. The hope was that they'd provide a younger and 'hipper' telecast and that just didn't happen. That being said, they had a few notable moments and one-liners that worked and they never fell flat. James Franco's stoner routine works for me, but I doubt it goes over well with the older demographics where he might be confused with someone who had no desire to be there.

The producers worked in some cameos to provide the comedic aspect that most traditional hosts can handle with ease. Kirk Douglas provided intentional and unintentional comedy by stringing out the anticipation prior to announcing the Best Supporting Actress. And he is really really old, which was awkward. One of the more touching moments came when Billy Crystal received a surprising standing ovation from the crowd as he came on to present and throw the audience some laughs.

Lately, the show has tried hard to cut down on the length that viewers and attendees often complain about. I thought they handled that well this year with unique transitions between segments, having presenters announce multiple awards (not a new trick), while making the less prestigious awards more relevant to the viewers. I loved how they linked categories with historical references with past winners and got a kick out of the Bob Hope tribute that doubled as using him as the host to introduce the next presenters.

All the acting categories went the way they had gone all awards season. I would have loved to see Annette Bening win considering she's been nominated four times. She's reaching her golden years, and I'm an emotional sap ready for a feel-good upset, but Natalie Portman's performance was second to none so I can't complain. Christian Bale, Colin Firth, and Melissa Leo absolutely deserved to win and at least Melissa belted out the 'F' bomb in perfect Lowell, MA fashion. Bale provided the most awkward moment when he either blanked on his wife's name or (hopefully, for his and her sake) got choked up when attempting to thank her and it just looked like he forgot her name.

Aaron Sorkin nailed his acceptance speech (as he should have, being the genius writer that he is). The writing categories are always fascinating to me and Sorkin is my favorite writer in Hollywood. The script in the Social Network was incredible and he was as much of a lock as Bale. Keep an eye on Sorkin's IMDB page and watch his stuff. If you've never seen the West Wing, Netflix it now. Do it.

The King's Speech was the night's biggest winner, taking home four big awards - Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Picture. While the Social Network was the early favorite after the Golden Globes, The King's Speech picked up momentum leading up to tonight. I would have been surprised had any other flick taken home the big prize.

Steven Spielberg said it best before he opened up the final envelope and reminded us all that regardless of who wins, all the nominated films will forever be linked to some incredible movies that never won Best Picture. Citizen Kane anyone?

Can the Oscars be better? Yes. Will they ever be unpredictable? Rarely. Will I always love them? You betcha.

American Idol Preview

2011-01-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

I created this blog in the midst of an American Idol season in 2009. Idol instantly became a catalyst for my blogging output. I am a sucker for the show. I love it. I know all of you readers are desperately in need of some Crafty thoughts on Idol's post Simon era so why not start with a quick and dirty preview before tonight's 8pm premiere?

What we know:

Simon is gone. Ellen is gone. Kara is gone. I'll be honest, I am bummed about Ellen. I enjoyed her last season. Kara, not so much. She brought nothing to the table and her sexual predator act lost its appeal rather quickly. J-Lo and her man-purse accessory Marc Anthony are in. Ok, Marc might not be in, but you know he'll be behind the scenes ready for a quick fluff between takes. Steven Tyler is in. And yes, he has an absurdly big mouth. I know you were thinking it. Is there a study on large mouths leading to a person's tendency to talk a lot? Or did we just come up with that on the fly? I always hope we are smart enough to use data and history to help shape our lingo, but sadly, that often is not the case.

We've covered the judging changes, but what about the judging constants? The great Randy Jackson and his impeccable fashion are back in the saddle this season. Evidently his MTV dance battle show proved he wasn't capable of building off his Idol success without the Idol brand. Will he be able to succeed as an Idol judge without Simon?

Ryan Seacrest is back. And you better believe that's important for the show's post Simon run. Ryan is now by far the most recognizable Idol brand and the key to the structure and flow of the show. He brings it all together for the audience - we enjoy the little guy. How do I know this? Because the man is everywhere and everything he touches, seemingly turns to gold. Say what you want, but as TJ Lavin would say, "Ryan is killing it".

What We Don't Know:

How the hell are the judges going to mesh without Simon? Who is the alpha dog? Not be confused with Randy's, "Dog" speak. There needs to be an alpha dog. Like in sports, when the star goes down, someone has to step up and take the big shot. Will Jenny From the Block intimidate the rest and take his place? She's my front runner, but if there were ever a perfect fit to step in as an alpha dog, it would be the Dog man himself. Come on Randy, make it happen.

What Has To Happen:

They have to find talent. Like I said when Simon announced his departure last year, the show can survive as long as they keep putting unknown Carrie Underwood's, Daughtry's, and Kelly Clarkson's in front of the country. America loves an underdog story. We will embrace an underdog with talent.

Without talent, Simon's colossal departure is too much to overcome.

With talent, can the new judging dynamic and the Idol producers come together and feed us the contestants to pull for now that Simon's bold opinions aren't there to sway us?

Like we could ever make a decision for ourselves...

- Crafty Lefty

Auburn vs. Oregon Thoughts

2011-01-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

(Blogger's note - I wrote this immediately after the game and was forced to turn on the Bachelor after Gene Chizik's on field post-game speech. There's only so many times a guy can tell his girlfriend there is only a minute left before she snaps. These games need to pick up the damn pace... I haven't heard a peep of a post game reaction other than that, but I can give you the 411 on all the ladies in Brad Wolmack's life...)

First of all, at my core, simply, I am thrilled that I don't have to hear about the Ducks winning a national championship.

Earlier on Facebook, I shared my thoughts on how I will never root for the Ducks and that I absolutely do not agree with people who root for schools simply because they are in the same conference and think that means you must back each other up. That works in situations where the system prohibits an equal playing field of success potential. The TCU's, Utah's, and Boise State's (and Nevada now too) can root for each other in bowl games against the top 6 conferences until a playoff exists that gives them the same opportunity to win a national championship as the big boys.

If the team you root for receives big boy treatment, act like a big boy.

Rivalries are rivalries.

Tonight was no different. I was all War Eagle, all night long. And for at least another year, Eugene, the Ducks, their plethora of uniform combinations, and Phil Knight fail to bring a national title back to the BEAVER state.

Putting my sincere bias aside, tonight's game was a blast to watch. I don't care if it was sloppy, it was fun and fast paced. And it went down to the wire. That being said, Auburn benefited greatly in the end, due to a call that had to be made (based on the current rules), but never should have been in play in the first place.

Yes, his knee never touched, but the rules should have allowed the referees to call Michael Dyer down by contact. My reason is simple - had the referee blown his whistle and called him down (which they easily could have done) a half a second prior to a Duck defender flying in to ensure he didn't gain another yard, a 15 yard late hit penalty would have doomed them anyway. How is it fair to expect defensive players to play at lightening speeds in a game where a fraction of an inch makes a world of difference, while at the same time being able to stop and react on a dime when we now have 12 angles and 3D cameras capturing every millisecond after the fact?

Change the rules. Make the referees call a play dead when it appears to be dead or let defenders come soaring in ready to lay some hat on a shifty running back trying to gain an extra yard. If the running back is allowed to be greedy, so to should the linebackers.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on Gene Chizik's post game reaction. Did anyone else find it obnoxious that he didn't give Chip Kelly and the Ducks an ounce of acknowledgement? I have to be honest, I wasn't a fan of his pre-game and half time tid-bits with Tom Rinaldi. Maybe he was just bitter that Kelly got Erin Andrews and he got stuck with the poor man's Chris Connelly?

- Crafty Lefty

Living with a Woman

2011-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

After a doctor appointment, I ran a few errands this afternoon that my girlfriend and I had been putting off for one reason or another. We needed to pick up a couple things for the house, including a set of dumbbells for our workout room. Our workout room is actually a workout corner - don't worry, if I had an apartment big enough for a workout room, the room would be a man-cave - at least, I'd like to think that.

I stopped in at Sports Authority to pick up the adjustable dumbbells that let you have a better, gym-like workout without taking up a lot of space in your home. I budgeted about $80 for this purchase and I was fired up to add them to our workout corner. Currently, the 'corner' has an elliptical, 10 pound weights, and 5 pound weights. I may not be winning any, World's Strongest Man competitions, but 10 pounds is limiting my strength training regimen considerably.

It didn't take me long to spot the dumbbell area and the specific product I was looking for happened to be on display, front and center. The price tag knocked the wind out of me. $80 wasn't even close to cutting it. The Bowflex Dumbbell set goes for $399 - on sale at that!!

Defeated, I headed for the exit when I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a sale sign for official NCAA basketballs for only $14.99. Now, living in a loft with 18 foot ceilings, I've dreamt about turning our modern oasis into a basketball court - fully equipped with a key, free throw line, and partial three point line. The first thing my dad said when he saw the place was, "Jake! You could put a hoop up there and you'd never have to worry about a rainbow three hitting the ceiling!".

Yes dad, I know. I had the same moment when we saw the place. I just kept it to myself.

While my dad and I shared our hoops haven bachelor pad moment, my girlfriend and my mom shook their heads in disgust.

Not a chance in hell.

Bummed by my dumbbell misfortune, I was in need of a pick me up. The basketball was a sign. It was time to fulfill my loft's destiny as an indoor playground for a Crafty Lefty with a smooth set shot (can't say jump shot when you can't jump).

Adjacent to the basketball sale, I noticed a mini-hoop set. A legit, plexiglass backboard, metal rim, net, and ball that could hang on a door or fit nicely on a wall. I knew I'd never get away with the full dimension court, but this would serve the purpose if in the right location.

The perfect compromise.

On the way home, being the great boyfriend that I am, I filled up my girlfriend's car with gas. In no way was this a sad ploy to improve her mood before I show off the new addition to our home. I am just a really good boyfriend.

Gas or no gas, the hoop didn't go over well. My top two choices, above the fireplace and below the loft balcony didn't stand a chance. I should have known better considering the only thing that made it from my previous apartment to the loft was a nicely framed poster of the movie High Noon - conveniently tucked away and pretty much out of sight from anyone not clowning around in our room.

Guys just want to feel a little like Tom Hanks in Big when they come home from work - that is all.

Like I said, the hoop wasn't a hit. But, like all great relationships, there's a give and take. If the woman of the house wasn't up for a hoop above the fire place, she still knew that I am a kid at heart and she wasn't going to rip the youth out of me completely. The hoop found a home.

On the inside of our storage closet door.

Easy to hide, tough to shoot at, but hey, I have range.

- Crafty Lefty

BCS System

2011-01-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm watching college football's Odd Couple, Mark May and Lou Holtz, breakdown tonight's BCS Orange Bowl and I just cannot get into it. And its not because Lou is a miniature clown with a speech impediment.

No matter how cuckoo Lou can be, the BCS system is far and away the most hair yanking crock of shit in sports right now. How can your average sports fan buy into a prime time bowl game, in place of Monday Night Football, when neither team is playing for a championship - tonight or any other night? If you didn't attend either school, weren't raised by your parents to love either school, or end up working for either school, why do you care who wins an Orange Bowl featuring Stanford and Virginia Tech?

Unless of course, you are into sports betting... But let's pretend sports betting is totally illegal and does not exist. Cool?

I understand that sports are sports and we can all find a rooting interest (betting is not allowed people!), but don't we all want the ultimate rooting interest? A championship?

How can TCU be 100% satisfied with a Rose Bowl victory - albeit a great victory - when they are shut out of a title shot?

If the powers at be can find a way to keep the importance of the regular season at an extremely high level, AND build in a playoff, WHILE keeping the BCS bowl cities, sponsors, and employees in the black, let's get it done already!

Here's how this could almost happen:

If you have 2 losses, you are eliminated from title contention completely and therefore do not receive and automatic berth into the playoff - but you can still accept an invitation to play in Kraft World Hunger Bowl if you really want to - even if you win your conference. This keeps the intensity of the regular season in tact.
You must be undefeated if you do not play in a BCS conference - that would eliminate a Boise State for losing to Nevada and keeps the idiots like E. Gordon Gee happy.
If there aren't enough schools eligible OR (and more likely) there aren't the right number of teams for a clean bracket, the former, 'BCS' committee can select at large teams based on certain criteria/equations (e.g. wins, strength of schedule, etc.). This keeps them from only picking big money schools like Notre Dame.
If you qualify for the, 'Playoff', the previous financial agreements (per conference and independents) roll over and stay intact. This also keeps the conference and university presidents happy.
Rotating each year, the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, and Rose Bowl committees select the match-ups they want in a fantasy draft like-fashion - televised.If there are only 4 teams that qualify for the playoff, then they have to play each other and the bowls that don't get to host them are forced to pick from the non-playoff qualifying teams.

With that foundation, the main flaw(s) in my system are predicting the number of teams that qualify each season and finding a way to minimize the number of extra games (but that also bring plenty of mullah), minimizing injuries, and hurting the emphasis on 'Student' in Student Athlete.

This year, there were five teams that would have qualified for my playoff: Oregon, Auburn, TCU, Ohio State, and Stanford. We'd have to throw in Oklahoma and Wisconsin and award byes to the top teams.

Even with those unanswered questions, why can't we put a committee of informed, intelligent, and unbiased people in a room to dot the I's and cross the T's?

There's money to be had and true championships to be won.

Sports fans want champions. Whether they take a no name fan's flawed approach or a committee of much smarter and more qualified individuals, change is desperately needed - and there's no flaw in that.

- Crafty Lefty

Black Swan

2011-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

After spending the bulk of New Year's day on the couch, watching football, eating poorly, and dozing off repeatedly due to the Big Ten's atrocious showing on the field, my girlfriend and I decided to snap out of it and take in a movie and grab a bite to eat. The traditional, dinner and a movie date was considered, but I've always thought that was a weird order of events. Why not see an earlier movie and then follow it up with dinner? Not only does that provide a setting to talk about the movie - whether it was good, bad, or mind-blowingly fantastic or brutal, it can be discussed. Added bonus - you'll typically beat the crowds at both the theatre and the restaurant.

My advice - go the, "A movie and dinner route". Who really cares if it doesn't sound as cool or roll off the tongue with as much ease?

We jumped in the car and headed across town to our favorite theatre. The Presidio. I used to live walking distance from the place and had a Sunday tradition of sneaking dinner into the theatre to watch a flick by myself. I called it, "Dinner at a movie date, solo" - yes, very original I know. Regardless, the theatre has four screens - one main screen, two smaller rooms with more stadium style seating, and one miniature screening room that seats about twelve people. Sometimes, I would pick the movie in the tiny room just for kicks. I would fantasize about the day I will own a home large enough to fit a man-cave in for my cinematic, tv show, and sports viewing pleasures.

Yes, one year, making the man-cave a reality will be on my resolution list. Sadly, we are a few years away.

This night, the movie atop our, "Must-see this weekend" list ended up in one of the mid-size rooms. Unfortunately, my theory about picking the earlier movie to beat the crowds did not hold up and we were forced to sit in the first row. On the bright side, there was a ledge in front of us that served as a perfect ottoman throughout the movie. While my neck and back sulk in pain today, my legs are fresh so I have that going for me.

The movie of choice was Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. To kick off my thoughts on the film, I'll share the words/phrases swirling through my head as we exited the Presidio:

Holy Moly
What the *^%$
Damn
Shocking
Nuts

I had heard the movie had a touch of Inception in it and in a way, it does. Its a fantastic combination of Inception, A Beautiful Mind, while also introducing its' own style and unique portrayal of mental chaos. I must confess that at times, I couldn't help but think of much less intelligent movies like Flashdance, Save the Last Dance, and even the trashiest of dance flicks - Showgirls. Flashdance, just because its Flashdance. Save the Last Dance because of the urban setting similarities, but maybe just because I am weird. Showgirls only because of the competitive nature of the dancers inside the dressing rooms. Winona Ryder felt like Gina Gershon during her tirades and meltdowns as the star being forced out of the limelight for the younger faces.

Unlike Inception, where I still feel like I need to see it two or three times to fully grasp what happened, Swan, while intense and fast-paced, never moves fast enough to where I felt I was losing control of the movie. The soundtrack plays beautifully to the pressure of life as a world-class dancer and accentuates the danger and confusion happening in the head of Nina Sayers, played by Portman.

Nina is 28 and lives at home with her mother. At first glance, they seem like a fairly normal mother/daughter combo, but as the movie progresses, their dynamic turns absolutely frightening. The performances by both Portman and Barbara Hershey (who plays the mother, Erica Sayers) are stellar.

Kunis plays Lily, a new dancer from San Francisco with an edgy and reckless attitude. This is where the movie steps it up and starts messing with your head. The dance studio is casting for the lead in the new season's premier performance, Swan Lake. A story I am not familiar with, but evidently, in the ballet world, this is a traditional show - it is up to the choreographer to put his or her stamp on the interpretation.

Nina, as a dancer, is technically exquisite. Where she falters is in letting go and allowing the performance to take over and let her shine naturally and above her fellow dancers. She is perfect for a chorus, but she is determined to lead.

To land the role as the Swan Queen, however, she'll need to master two entirely different dancing personalities - the White Swan and the Black Swan. Her fragile nature is a natural fit for the White Swan.

The core of the movie is about Nina's journey to find her Black Swan, while at the same time, attempting to keep her own internal demonic Black Swan hidden from the outside world. The pressure of landing the role and fighting off Lily (Kunis) and the other dancers to keep it is where mental and physical chaos ensues. Lily exudes the characteristics of the Black Swan Nina's dance director demands of her - can Nina leverage that? Is her mind just playing tricks on her? What is her mom hiding and what is she so afraid of?

Understanding what is real and what is in her mind is the challenge - for both Nina and the audience. Several scenes appear so real that everyone is stunned at the outcome - even Nina.

- Crafty Lefty

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I crafted a list of new year's resolutions, but I am feeling a bit more inspired in 2011 so why not give it a shot?

My list reads more like a set of goals than anything else. Is that normal?

1. Run a Half Marathon
I've ran a half marathon before so this would not be a first. That being said, I am a long ways away from being ready to compete in a half marathon without sputtering to the finish line. Over the past five years, I've dealt with a partially torn meniscus in my right knee. That injury has limited the amount of mileage I can endure as a runner. In order to fully embrace this resolution, I'll need to train appropriately and potentially, have my meniscus repaired. Tentatively, I am penciling in an April 10th race in San Francisco as the first opportunity to beat my PR.

Ultimately, this goal is about being healthier and increasing my weekly exercising routine considerably in 2011. Though, I'll never be one of those people that annoyingly crowds the gym in January and pisses off all the regulars who can't get through their workout while the, 'Resolutors' hog the equipment before falling off the wagon again.

I like to consider myself a health freak - from a diet and fitness perspective, but lately, my actions speak otherwise. And until I have children, which is a ways a way (fingers crossed), I will continue to enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages amongst friends and loved ones at a slightly higher rate than your average 28 year old, while conversing about random topics or watching sports. Drinking does my desire for health and fitness no favors. Take today for instance - after a great night out at a friend's place, my girlfriend and I ate mac and cheese for breakfast and I still have my slippers on.

Here's to a year of improving my drinking limit strategy with a major emphasis on increasing the likelihood that I'll bounce back the next day and opt for a morning run and egg whites over slippers and a greasy treat delight.

2. Be Published
Again, technically, this would not be a first. I have been published before. All due respect to Emanuel Levy, in 2011, I'd like to make more of an effort to get my writing noticed. To do that, I'll need to write more frequently than I did in 2010. A lot more. This resolution is a motivation tool to increase the content output on Crafty Lefty, which will heighten my level of engagement with writing, the industry, and potential opportunities for freelance work. I'd love to take on a couple writing assignments a month for a website, newspaper, or magazine. The work could be in blog form, journalistic reporting form, or columnist topic form. At this point, I'll take what I can get.

I had a great drunken conversation last night with a buddy about Bill Simmons' path to blogging immortality. The Sports Guy, at 28, was more of a bartender than he was a writer. It was right around then, that his writing life changed and the rest is history. I am not suggesting that I am ready to ditch the marketing career for a life behind the bar, scrapping for writing work across the country, but I do realize I need to take significantly more initiative to make this hobby more of a reality. Whether that's a supplemental income or enough of a taste to wet my appetite and sooth my soul.

3. Travel to a Place I've Never Been
For the first time in a long time, in 2010, I failed to travel somewhere completely new. Now, I had a crazy year of travel with weddings, bachelor parties, and romantic getaways - all of that adds up and soon enough, the funds and vacation time needed for a new adventure are stretched pretty thin. I did experience new things for the first time while vacationing somewhere I'd already been. My girlfriend and I spent a week in Cabo in November and swam with Dolphins - highly recommend it. Flipper loved me.

This year, I want to get back to Europe or visit a new continent altogether. I have the travel bug and I am craving a rendezvous with Italy and Spain. Two of the most common European destinations are completely foreign to me. The setting, food, and wine are the perfect fit for my taste. I even have relatives in Spain! It is unacceptable that I have not experienced the culture of those two countries first hand. Whether Italy and Spain actually happen in 2011 or not, I have no idea. But I'd love for my girlfriend to be my tour guide as she has experienced them both. Maybe even a couple's retreat?

Perhaps, instead, we'll visit my sister wherever she ends up on the globe next!

4. Experience a New Sporting Event
For the first few years after college, a group of my buddies and I would get together each year to attend a college football game at a new location. The last time I went, it was the Wold's Largest Outdoor Cocktail party in Jacksonville. We had a blast. A group of us would also make it out to the Final Four for a reunion of sorts with our friends in the college basketball coaching fraternity. The Final Four acts as the largest convention of coaches annually - one large sausage fest is what it really is. In 2011, I would like to reconnect with this tradition and expand it to all types of sporting events.

Now, my college basketball friends (one in particular) is about as selfish and cheap as they come so he'll no doubt give me the hard sell on embracing the Final Four again - being that he gets his entire trip paid for and is technically, 'On business' while we sit around making fun of each other over drinks and greasy food (now that I think about it, there isn't a whole of synergy to these resolutions is there?). I'd prefer to take our talents to a new venue - the Kentucky Derby, the Masters, or perhaps a boxing match, or next year's Winter Classic? I'd even settle for a new college football experience - what I love most about the college football tour is how you are exposed to parts of the country you might otherwise never visit. When else will life lead me to the likes of Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge?

I had a 5th resolution - adding a French Bulldog puppy to the household, but I have to refrain from making it official because the timing may not be right. Until then, I can only hope that a little guy comes along and sweeps us off our feet.

What are your resolutions? Good luck to us all in sticking too them.

- Crafty Lefty

TV's Morally Questionable Elite

2010-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of time to myself over the holidays and I've spent the majority of that time catching up on tv shows I've neglected recently - due largely in part to living in an open loft with my girlfriend who isn't always in the mood for violence and sports - even if she appreciates the quality of writing and acting taking place.

During my, 'Man-time' that will be ending in about 24 hours when the lovely, one and only woman in my life returns from her family vacation, I have been hanging out with Dexter Morgan. While we've been reconnecting over his latest murderous cravings and genius attention to detail, I have been fascinated with how well tv writers warp us viewers into rooting for such disturbed and occasionally downright evil characters.

It really is a thing of beauty. And it didn't take me long to rank my top 5 favorite, "Yes I know this dude makes mistakes, breaks laws, kills people, but he is a bad SOB, I dig it, and he almost always has a reason for it, and lives by a code" tv villains of the last five years. I could easily have made this post entirely about the Wire, but in honor of some other excellent shows containing some tv's all-time great morally questionable characters, I had to open this up.

5. Jack Bauer:

Secret agent without limits. Will do anything (ANYTHING) to stop terror - including torture innocent people, get himself addicted to heroin, and yell a lot.

4. Stringer Bell:

An urban drug lord responsible for various levels of serious crime, including murder (pulling the 'string' counts). Attends collegiate business classes. Tries, but ultimately fails to bridge the gap between the illegal street business to the more 'legit' white collar business.

3. Tony Soprano:

The Boss cheated on his wife, ran a mob that stole things, laundered money, and killed people, but at his core, he was a man dealing with deep, personal issues, trying to hold his life together, and always loved his family.

2. Dexter Morgan:

Serial Killer with a code. Emotionally supports his kid sister. Raises another man's children. Marry's the mother and has a baby son of his own. Is a genius blood detective for the Miami PD. Did I mention he is a serial killer?

1. Omar Little:

My personal favorite villain. The man with a code. No character in TV history has ever been as unique as Omar. Bad as they come. Feared as can be. Portrayed on the most real, hard, and fantastic tv show ever put together. Walked the streets of Baltimore with a God-like aura that terrified the drug game's most violent kings. Did I mention he lived in this world as a gay man?

That's my list. I'm sticking to it. I'd love to debate it over beers and a bowl game this weekend.

- Crafty Lefty

Christmas Came Early

2010-12-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Its safe to say I haven't been much of a blogger this year. In fact, I wouldn't even openly suggest that I operate a blog. In 2010, my writing has been lackluster at best. You might assume that I simply didn't have much to write about. That my life bored me to blogging death. In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth.

For the past few weeks, I've started a blog post almost daily, and with good intentions, but could not get past the first couple of sentences. Aspiring writers must write and I owed it to myself to put some words together. Every time I began typing, I couldn't escape a feeling in my gut that told me to stop. How could I launch into blogging zone and ignore or only touch on the large elephant in the room?

Sports Nut. Movie Buff. TV Bum.

That is my writer's mantra is it not? Disappearing for five months when the bulk of that time contained the greatest sports fan period of my life, and I am going to pop back up in December and talk about the Golden Globe nominations and not the bearded Misfits from 3rd and King? How had I not covered the emotion from that historic September, October, and taste of November?

Believe me, I wanted to.

I certainly experienced it.

I made it to every home game from the NL West Division clincher to game 2 of the World Series. I gave serious consideration to flying out to Texas for game 4 and 5. My boss might argue that I took the entire month of October off of work and my girlfriend most certainly would agree that I soaked in every moment to the fullest of my ability.

How could I not?

What happened this fall will never happen again in my life. Never. Period. No questions about it. You cannot duplicate or beat the feeling of the first championship - the long, overdue, desperate, 40 year old virgin moment atop the mountain. The moment where a nation of fans exhale a collective, 'Holy shit, did this really happen?' frenzy of passion and pure, youthful joy, followed by pandemonium of the greatest variety.

The Giants could win ten titles in a row or they could lose for the next 50 years and win it for an again, tired fanbase. Regardless of what happens, my emotions will never peak like that, ever. At least not until my future kid hits a game winning shot in the final four (Men's or Women's - I won't be picky).

This championship took place at the perfect time for me. Hell, I live only two blocks away from AT&T park. One of my best friends (and fellow die-hard) and I have season tickets!! I have no kids or responsibilities that kept me from attending the games, or held me back from drinking a beer with friends after the games and stammering the sentence, 'Is this really happening?' over and over again.

My life will evolve. I may not live in or near San Francisco, let alone in a SOMA loft steps away from the world's greatest sporting venue (yes, this is a very biased opinion, sue me) - that fortunately, is also home to my greatest sporting love. My buddy and I won't always share season tickets (well, maybe..). I may be forced to be a fan from afar. A fan with the MLB package who only makes it back to one series a summer. That was how my dad raised me. I will cherish my fandom regardless of where I am and I will love passing it down to my children.

I got to house my dad during games 3 and 4 of the NLCS and we shared those games with my uncle. Both lifelong Giants fans who, for better or worse, bred me to bleed orange and black just like them. I'd be remiss not to thank my mother for embracing this passion and learning to laugh at, and love our quirks as sports fans - and of course, for letting my dad have a boys weekend to marinate in the exuberance that engulfed the city of San Francisco during the post season.

I shared my first World Series game with my girlfriend and we have a picture from that day that will hang on our wall no matter where we call home - even if it only reminds her of a time when I was bizarrely consumed by something that I had zero control over...totally beside the point here!

I can only hope that new generations of Giants fan will experience what we in the Bay Area, were able to in 2010.

Not only was it that they won, but HOW they won, WHO they beat, and WHO made plays on the field. A team that captured the, "Nobody believed in us" mentality and hammered it down their opponents and the media's throat, each series. It didn't matter who pitched against our hitters or who stepped in the batters box to face our pitching staff - sometimes, the stars align and the "Lights' shine on a city that is simply due. Thank you Steve Perry - I don't care if you embraced the White Sox before - you will always be a Giant.

A team that did the unthinkable.

So why did it take me this long to write about it? Partly because I put too much pressure on myself to write a piece worthy of the championship run. Partly because each time I sat down to share my feelings about it all, excitement and giddiness would rush through my veins, leaving me with an inability to jot down a coherent thought. During the World Series run, I was too busy attempting to balance my child-like behavior, basking in excitement with keeping my everyday life afloat. On top of that, I am far too superstitious of a sports fan to let my writing cause a postseason collapse.

Regardless of the timing of this homage to the 2010 San Francisco Giants World Series run, the beer and champagne may have dried out, but I still taste it and I hope all Giants fans do. It tastes fantastic.

Santa certainly did not need to make a stop at my house this Christmas. I got my gift in November.

- Crafty Lefty

World Cup, Jason Whitlock, and HR Derby

2010-07-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Monday morning thoughts:

1. Mixed feelings on yesterday's world cup final and where I stand on odds of soccer ever truly coming alive in America. I'm hoping to put a column together today sharing the pros and cons of World Cup soccer, the international style (for the three years and eleven other months between events), and how the disparity to the American sports mentality make for an insurmountable hurdle.

2. Rev Jesse Jackson jumping into the LeBron saga for his own benefit. Has Jesse Jackson said anything of true substance or legitimacy in years? Great piece on LeBron/Rev today on Fox Sports by Jason Whitlock. I couldn't have said any better so why even try? Whitlock continues to impress me with his take on sports and society. He ought to teach a Sports and American Society class at Harvard at this point - and Bill Simmons should be a semesterly guest lecturer. It might be worth a column on my part to dig into the reasons why ESPN has yet to snatch Whitlock up from KC and Foxsports.com. Has to be an issue with his, "Tell it Like it is and Don't Hold Back at All Costs" mentality and how a marriage with Disney would ever mesh... Regardless, anyone who references The Wire as often as he Whitlock, needs to be celebrated (he even recently coined himself "Bunk" in the LeBron case). Follow Jason Whitlock on Twitter: @whitlockjason

3. Home Run Derby tonight - I'll be attending this down in Anaheim and I'll be perfectly honest, I am not even the least bit thrilled about it. The Derby is plain turrrible as a live event. The event, at its core, is built for TV and straight up suicidal for fans in attendance. Too many delays, dead time, and when watching in the stands, you never see the player interactions on the field. You are too far away to see A Rod awkwardly try and fit in with his peers while non performers impatiently wait for their appearance commitment to time out so they can hit the clubs. Put me in a suite or please, let me watch from the comfort of my own home.

That's all I got for now.

- Crafty Lefty

World Cup Final Preview

2010-07-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Is a World Cup bandwagon fan really attempting to write a World Cup Final preview? Yep, you better believe it! Do I really think any soccer fan will take this seriously? Absolutely not. But that is the power of the blog - I can write about anything, regardless of the extent of my fandom or knowledge on a topic.

Spain takes on the Netherlands today in South Africa. Who is everyone rooting for? I am thrilled about this match-up, but for whatever reason, I can't bring myself to root for the Dutch. I can't even explain it.

I mean, they have Orange jerseys, which is a major plus for me being a Giants and Beaver fan. They are a 'good story' at this year's World Cup - I typically root for the underdogs when all else fails. But can they really be considered an underdog when they have dominated their competition?

Unfortunately for the Dutch, I have fallen in love with a man named David Villa and I am riding the Villa Villa Villa Can't You See train from here on out. In fact, I am announcing right now, that David Villa is catapulting my soccer crush to international levels.

FC Barcelona is now my team.

David Villa is my guy.

Go Espana!

Final Score: Spain 2 - Netherlands 1

- Crafty Lefty

LeBron Decision: Miami Heat, Wade, Bosh

2010-07-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Wow.

I am still digesting the events of last night. A lot went on over the course of the past several years as this monumental free agency period developed right in front of us. I am sure there were events we will learn more about in the days to come as well as plenty of events we will never hear about. Franchises saw this coming and dumped their rosters for two years thinking they controlled the outcome - when in reality, we as fans, the teams, and the league were duped by the athletes and their handlers the entire time.

Without diving into my thoughts on ESPN's horrific coverage and involvement, LeBron's tarnished (temporarily at least) image and poorly orchestrated production of this decision, I want to touch on what this means for the NBA.

Specifically, my opinion of how this demonstrates a continued dramatic shift from the NBA of the 80's and 90's and diminishes the potential prowess of the next decade of professional basketball.

When Larry Bird and Magic Johnson transcended the sport in the 80's thanks to their fierce competitive rivalry, they did not have a friendly relationship. They were not going to dinners together or joking around with each other before, during, or after games. They were competitors. They paved the way for an era of the NBA where Jordon's Bulls, Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics, and Isiah's Pistons beat each other up.

Regardless of the shifts in free agency and player's unions, they each wanted to win with THEIR team.

So what changed? How did we get to this point? Where did that fierce on-court hatred turn into an NBA where stars pop bottles together and dream of forming super duper all-star teams in the country's sexiest cities?

I will tell you.

Two things happened. The first, youth basketball evolved into a nine figure business and AAU sleazeball coaches and marketing firms built powerful enterprises through the exploitation of young African American prodigy athletes. The second, happened more recently, when David Stern's goal of an international game warped into place, and all of a sudden, the US of A's dominance at the World Championships and Olympics fell apart.

The NBA players of the 80's did not grow up on traveling all-star squads from the age of six on. Players today spend more time with other top players in AAU tournaments across the country than they do with their high school teams. They spend an exorbitant amount of time with other 4 and 5 star players and develop natural friendships at camps, tournaments, in hotel rooms, on buses, and in airplanes. By the time they reach the college recruiting process (and the NBA draft for those 18 year olds like LeBron), the McDonald's All-Americans all know each other extremely well.

We've witnessed this for years at the college level. When one top rated recruit commits to a school, he instantly becomes a booster - promoting his choice to his fellow AAU teammates in an attempt to bring more guys with him.

This attitude has corrupted the natural competitive nature of the NBA. Do these guys compete on a nightly basis? Yes, of course. But it is not the same. Seconds after LeBron's Cavs knock off the Heat, Dwayne Wade is in his ear laughing about the late-night dinner they are about to enjoy together. As fans, it is our own fault for allowing our passions to engulf us to a point where, when our team loses, we take that loss harder than the athletes actually playing do. The Farrelly Brother's film Fever Pitch, captured this fan-player dynamic perfectly in one of the film's better scenes (I'll admit, I love this movie and its cheesiness) where Jimmy Fallon and his boys sit at a bar, beyond distraught after the Sox went down 3 games to 0 to the dreaded Yankees in the ALCS. At the other end of the restaurant Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek enjoy a nice steak and full bodied Cabernet.

How could they possibly not care as much as we do? Well, that is an entirely different piece to the crazy world of sports and the fans, reporters, and media outlets who drive the narcissism of athletes and overall financial juggernaut of the business aspect of games that are supposed be fun. Sports fans will always share this common passion and pain. No matter how many LeBron's let us down with their lack of tact or sense of entitlement.

The AAU upbringing magnified this attitude and we have grown accustomed to players on opposing teams chumming around with one another. Coupled with free agency, we've dissolved the potential for rivalries. With that, the mentality of winning one with YOUR team is gone.

If the AAU virus wasn't enough, our more morally sound efforts to bring basketball dominance back home to America ended up playing a major role in last night's fiasco. We've heard all the talking heads digress about the pact made in Beijing, which may unfold even more in 2010 with Chris Paul. How did we not see this coming?

David Stern wanted a global game. He got it. We no longer needed to simply show up, suit up, and slam dunk the international opposition with little to no preparation. We needed commitment from our guys. We needed an AAU team again.

LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and Paul bonded much like a few 14 year olds would on a traveling team after four years of hard work and constant contact with a similar goal. To win.

We got our gold medal. But did we sacrifice the NBA in the process?

Instead of LeBron's Cavs (or Knicks), Wade's Heat, Kobe's Lakers, Durant's Thunder, Rose's Bulls, Howard's Magic (and their respective Robin's playing to their Batman), all beating up on each other (and pushing the next guy to get better), we have the potential super duper team waltzing through each season like a rock band on tour, while the rest of the league tries to join in on the fun. Imagine a decade with all of the young stars battling it out for a title. The rivalries would be fantastic.

Now, thanks to the AAU mentality, we can only hope that Kobe's Lakers knock off the "South Beach All-Stars" for the next two years while Durant and Rose build their teams to a championship caliber level.

Then maybe, just maybe, we'll have our rivalries. But the LeBron Decision set the tone for a new era in the NBA. Where that takes us, could be a frightening reality.

- Crafty Lefty.

Emmy Nominations - Friday Night Lights

2010-07-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts... Can't Lose!

Friday Night Lights fans around the globe walked into work this morning with a bit more pep in their step. As soon as I finish this post, I'll strut into work much like LeBron James will strut onto the set of LeBron Decision tonight on ESPN. See, as fans of FNL, we celebrate the little things. We do this because Jason Katims and Peter Berg so sensationally crafted a show, which executes the subtle things unlike anything I have seen on TV since The Wire.

What are we celebrating?

The Emmy Nominations came out early this morning. The Emmy's rarely get anything right. Unlike any other awards show, the Emmy's consistently botch their nominations. Often leaving out television's finest work to make room for shows with large audiences, which produce a level of quality that equals, well, shit. I will be the first to admit, I enjoy some of the shows that have bizarrely caught fire with the Emmys. Boston Legal was a stone cold lock each year to snag a chunk of nominations even when the show's quality turned to, you guessed it, shit. Instead of recognizing the brilliance of HBO's one of a kind drama, The Wire, we endured an annual heart breaking trip to the computer to skim through the year's nominations to find no mention of David Simon's masterpiece.

Recently, the same has been true for Friday Night Lights. Even worse, we've been tortured by NBC's attempts to cancel the show due to tiny ratings. The biggest TV victory in history might be the salvation of Friday Night Lights after seasons 1 and 2. Critics, die hard fans, and an innovative partnership with DirecTV came together and managed to resuscitate a show that had already seen the light. Hell, it was six feet in the ground and we finished the eulogy before the post-mortem miracle took place.

Imagine if we had not been given the pleasure to watch season 3 and 4 of Friday Night Lights? That would have been an absolute travesty.

What more could we ask for? Well, we have been screaming at the Emmys for years to show Friday Night Lights some love. Television's most dynamic duo has been killing it on the sets of Austin Texas for 4 seasons now and finally, the Emmys woke up and caught them in action. Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler are extraordinary actors. On FNL, they play Tami and Eric Taylor. Their portrayal of married life in a small Texas town is unlike anything I have seen on TV or in film.

This morning, The Taylor's were nominated for Best Actor and Actress in a TV Drama. This is a win for every working member of that show - actors, producers, directors, PAs, set workers, you name it. And you better believe this is a win for the fans! While I wish the show itself had been nominated for Best Drama instead of True Blood, I'll take what I can get.

The little things, remember?

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!

- Crafty Lefty

Brazil vs. Netherlands

2010-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last night, a buddy and I debated waking up at 6am to visit the Haight to watch Brazil take on the Netherlands at a 'Brazil' bar - Martin Macks. Ultimately, we decided to enjoy the game (separately) in the comfort of our own living rooms with a fresh pot of coffee and a couch to veg out on.

After rolling out of bed at quarter to seven, I texed my buddy and we both agreed that we blew it. As I write this during the beginning of the 2nd half of a 1-0 Brazil lead, I am imagining a festively raucous crowd at Martin Macks. Fans singing, dancing, drinking, and cheering on their team.We both pledged to be there for the next match, should Brazil advance of course.

With the World Cup gracing us with its presence only every four years, one must take advantage of the spirit and passion it provides. A Brazil bar in the heart of Haight Ashbury in San Francisco? Yep.Why wouldn't there be?

Now at the 55 minute mark, the Netherlands have tied it up!! I am sure there are hundreds of bars across the US alone in a frenzy of excitement as they celebrate, 'their' team's comeback against mighty Brazil. Can I be in both places at once?

The stage is set for a dramatic finish as two great teams compete in South Africa for a trip to the World Cup semi-finals. I recommend we all get out of the house for the next game. Find a bar with passionate fans and take in the energy and heart of the environment. The more US sports fans to experience this level of drama and enthusiasm from athletes and fans alike, the better our team will be four, eight, twelve years from now.

For now, the US team is home, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the spectacle of the World Cup. And we don't have to travel far to do so. I promise you that.

And who wouldn't want to witness and participate in a moment like this:

Just like that, the Netherlands score again. Up 2-1, they have a chance to knock off the tournament's top dog. Yelp a Holland bar in your city and sprint there!

- Crafty Lefty

Trending: Summer Sports Rarities

2010-06-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

The sports world, most years, would be settling in for the doldrums of summer. A period where baseball runs the show and runs it slowly. Only baseball purists soak this period in (more on that at a later date). This year, however, sports fans are blessed with two much needed distractions:

1. The World Cup
2. NBA Free Agency

I've already preached about my lack of love for soccer in America. While the US team performed somewhat admirably, I must admit, we need to expect more from our representatives on this stage. We had too many chances and as an American, I cannot accept that a team from Ghana is better at us in anything. All due respect to the people and team of Ghana. They deserved to win and I wish them the best the rest of the way, but we have to put forth a better line-up, strategy, and performance.

My US soccer let down aside, all sports fans ought to embrace the World Cup. The talent is impressive, the technique, overwhelming. If the technology and refereeing were up to par, we would be witnessing an almost perfect event in South Africa this summer. The skill of Brazil and Spain, the flare of Argentina, and the grit of the Netherlands are worth your early morning wake up call. Set your alarms, brew your coffee, and take in the passion of the World's game.

Oh, and bet your money on Argentina. They looked filthy good against Mexico on Sunday.

July 1st marks the beginning of NBA free agency. The Lebron James stakes have been hyped and hyped and dissected every which way for YEARS already. The build up to this free agency is unlike anything we have witnessed in professional sports. For the first time, we have all-stars openly in cahoots about joining forces in a major market. Granted, money, media, and marketing potential will win the day for each marquee player, but for some of those, taking a backseat to Lebron or DeWayne Wade (or both) could bring the most lavish of fortunes.

It all rests on Lebron's shoulders. Where he goes, will cause a domino effect for the rest of the league. The after-shocks, could be epic. If he leaves the small-market comfort of Cleveland for New York City, the Big Apple will be buzzing with excitement - basketball at MSG will be alive again. Maybe he flees for Chicago and the right personnel fit? Or perhaps, he'll choose to anchor a three-headed marquee monster with Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami...

We know this: If he leaves, basketball in Cleveland will die. The city will join Detroit in a category no city wants anything to do with. The, "Why would I ever want to visit?" category.

We also know this: Every media talking head, blogger, and fan will have their theory, their source, their source IN THE KNOW and we will hear them all. The latest, from Stephen A Smith claims a trusted source has Lebron, Wade, and Bosh taking over South Beach. Stephen A. has to make a bold prediction here. He is a "basketball" guy. His career is on a downward trend. This is his time to go big and hope he strikes gold. Smart move on his part. Is he right?

Guess what? I don't know.

If I ruled the world, he'd join the Knicks and I would make my first trip to MSG next winter for a Lebron home game. I'd sit next to Spike Lee and he'd ask me to write the script for his next joint.

Then we'd win an Oscar...

- Crafty Lefty

Idol: Post Simon Era Take 1

2010-06-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

American Idol is already changing their tune in preparation for life after Simon. The reality juggernaut's first change is a smart one: Age Limit.

Idol announced last week that they will now accept contestants beginning at the age of 15. One year may not seem like a large number, but for a show entering it's tenth season with little change to the format over the years, the tweak is vital. The show's antagonists often carp on the lack of talent and potential diminishing returns on a show searching for undiscovered pop stars in the making.

How many more hidden gems are really out there?

Opening the age to younger talent increases their chances of finding more Carrie Underwoods and less Taylor Hicks (though I still rep Soul Patrol!).

With Simon gone, the show desperately needs to bring in quality singing talent more so than ever before. Viewers loved Simon. We did. I would often fast forward through the judges comments until it was Simon's turn to berate a contestant or to bring the house down with rare high praise from the Brit. His opinion mattered significantly.

Do I think the show can survive? Yes.

To do so, the talent must be there and beyond talent, we'll need great stories. Yes, I am talking about contestants coming from nothing (we do not want psycho rich parents with spoiled teen-talent) or overcoming remarkable obstacles to be on stage. Unique personalities, backgrounds, and performance techniques are crucial to the longevity of this show.

With great talent and Hollywood drama, we don't even need a new judge. Leave Randy, Kara, and Ellen and throw in the occasional guest judge and Idol can live on. Unfortunately, Fox will probably overcompensate and hire a big name to replace Simon.

What do you think Fox and the producers of American Idol should do?

- Crafty Lefty

Stay tuned for more off-season American Idol updates.

Making it Official!

2010-06-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine often jokes about his lack of Twitter followers when Tweeting. I feel the same way about my readers when writing - often joking about my pathetic following, which can be blamed completely on my inconsistent posting. On Twitter, a user can't escape their number of followers. On a blog, a writer can track their readers by visits and page views, but they can just as easily ignore their traffic like college kids ignore dirty dishes and burning sensations.

Every so often, I will get fired up to write and feel the need to nag on my writing infrequency like a fat, ugly, and self-deprecating comedian perfoms his stand up routine. Other times, I pledge to my loyal audience of 18 (give or take a few). A pledge of newly inspired writing. However, this is not a pledge nor a humiliating attempt at humor, but more of an announcement. An excuse really, which acts as motivation for a quick post while I watch a scintillating episode of the Bachelorette.

The announcement: Thanks to some motivation from my girlfriend's new company Charmed By Ingrid Anne, I have decided to purchase the domain name www.CraftyLefty.com (let's be honest, her kick-ass and take-names approach to the small-business sector left me in self-reflection mode). Charmed is taking off and receiving praise from across the globe. Recently, a Hollywood Fashion blogger, The Possessionista heard about the up and coming jewelry line and shared her thoughts with her readers. When reviewing www.possessionista.com, a site dedicated to the possessions (fashion, jewelry, you name it) of Hollywood and Reality TV elite, the motivation to secure my URL came to life.

So in summary, ABC's The Bachelorette, my girlfriend's jewelry company, and a fashion blogger pulled a fast one on me and now I am $10 poorer and one website richer.

- Crafty Lefty

PS - "Like" and "ReTweet" this people!

World Cup Fever

2010-06-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit, I dislike soccer. I do. I live in the US. A place where professional soccer is a joke. The MLS is the equivalent of euro-league basketball. The euro-leagues with player-coaches, rubber floors, and no fans.

I realize there are a few cities in the US desperately trying to embrace the MLS, but how can you possibly take a league seriously when the majority of its' players make $15K a year? I can't do it. We may have a scattered few high paid players, but let's be honest with ourselves here - I don't care how much the LA Galaxy pay Beckham when he plays along side guys that make less money than your neighborhood McDonald's drive-thru worker.

However, every four years, I ignore my disdain for the pitch and embrace the passion the rest of world exudes for the World Cup.

"USA! USA! USA!"

How can you not appreciate a global event of this magnitude? Group play begins tomorrow morning with the host team South Africa, taking on Mexico at 7am pacific time. The same guy that hates soccer will be up, eyes glued to the TV, ready to take in the moment. Why? Because I am a sucker for emotion. I'll be damned if I am missing the blizzard of exuberance and intensity vibrating in Johannesburg and spewing out of my plasma.

The US begins play on Saturday in prime time. Ok, not TV prime time, but prime time day drinking for sure. That's more important anyway, right? You are crazy if you choose to ignore USA vs. England at 11:30am on Saturday. Gather at your favorite watering hole, revel in the moment, and cheer on your country.

Just hope its not 3-0 at halftime. But just in case, get your chants and adrenaline pumping during the pre-game.

USA! USA! USA!

- Crafty Lefty

Friday Night Lights: Long Live Dillon, TX and the Taylors

2010-05-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

Three weeks into season four of Friday Night Lights and I could not be more pleased with the stories percolating in Dillon, TX. Tension within a community divided. The Taylors struggle to stay in tact financially and emotionally. The post-graduate sub-plots that remind us of the Panther juggernaut we once rooter so mightily for.

What more could you ask for?

Jason Katims and Peter Berg caught lightening in a bottle with this little television show so many people continue to overlook. It's genius lies in its core: Dillon, TX and the Taylor Marriage.

We've all heard critics rave about FNL: A high school football show not about football. What makes the show appealing to such a vast range of demographics are the people and relationships living within the town. A small, Texas town, constructed and portrayed with a finite attention to detail.

No other high school, 'themed' show has been developed quite like FNL. 90210, Freaks and Geeks, Saved by the Bell, and High School Musical centered around a group of kids. Kids that at some point, ran out of high school years and had to move on. The writers and creators of those shows had to make a choice. Follow them to college or attempt to win over an audience with a new class. The quality of each series' declined over time. They all shared the same dilemma. They did not stand a chance.

FNL will be revered by its audience and will never decline in quality as long as the writers focus on Dillon, TX and package the city precisely with the duo of Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.

The Taylor dynamic cannot be stopped. The show might die a slow death because we failed to provide an audience large enough to support it, but those of us who have witnessed the city of Dillon, the people and players residing there, and the Taylors molding it all together, will never stop raving about it. We aren't just fans of a show.

We are passionate.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!

- Crafty Lefty

Additional Thoughts about the show and episode 3 specifically:

No show on TV provides the exquisitely genuine and touching moments that evoke such strong emotion like Friday Night Lights - it's not even close.

Several happened this week that I have to point out:

1. Buddy finally (and thank goodness he did it early enough in the season and now we get more of Coach and Buddy moments like last week's mailbox and this week's bar scene) standing up to Joe McCoy and the rest of the Panther boosters who seemingly become brainwashed by power and the desire to win at all costs.

2. Coach Taylor's trip to Luke Cafferty's house and leadership speech. Coach Taylor continues to "TJ Lavin" it. I love Luke's character. He is an excellent addition and I am fascinated to see how much mentoring we see Riggins give over the course of the season. They have done a fantastic job of seamlessly writing in Riggins' story-lines and subtle, yet impactful moments back into the mix.

3. Coach Taylor surprising his depleted roster with brand new uniforms and equipment. The timing was perfect, the reaction genuine. As an athlete (yeah yeah, at one time) you can relate, but anyone in position to give can relate. Those guys needed a shot of life. Thank you Under Armour.

4. Every interaction between Coach Taylor and Tami Taylor. Kyle Chandler often does his best work with simple facial expressions and his eyes (giving the check to the Under Armour guy, grunting to Riggins about Luke). Simple, yet powerful exchanges between the couple are a thing of beauty - lying to her and knowing he is wrong and realizing all along that he is going to get it later. Connie Britton's ability to portray a loving, warm, and dedicated wife, but with conviction, pride, and extreme strength to stand up to her husband when she knows he is wrong (and certainly to the Panther boosters and Joe McCoy) is one of a kind.

There is so much more I could discuss. I can't wait for next week!

Here's a taste of Episode 3:

Netflix: The Evolution of the Movie Store

2010-05-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

The race for our entertainment viewing is on. We all know this and we are tough consumers. A race with a lot of players: Cable providers, movie-rental companies, internet/streaming TV, and even social networking start-ups. Each media platform is aiming to provide the best content, at the right price, at the right time.

Netflix leads the movie rental category with innovation and an ability to constantly improve the way we watch films from our homes. However, their recent moves to merge the traditional movie rental world with the new-age technology driven society of streaming online media create a gap in their business model. A gap I do not see improving anytime soon.

A gap big enough, I might slip through and never come back...
Read more »

A New Era

2010-05-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

This Sunday marks the first Bay 2 Breakers extravaganza I will be sharing with the love of my life. No, not my sports, movie, or TV love. My true love.

Yes, the same gentleman who once wrote an ode to his favorite Single Guy, is himself, no longer single. Yes, this is extremely old news... In fact, I am so far removed from single, I cannot begin to remember life as a single guy. No, I was never near the stature of the original Single Guy, who, by the way, is still flourishing in his relationship and continues to balance the act of boyfriend, and guys' guy with finesse and luster. But lets be honest - I was a single guy who cherished his TV time and freedom to make plans with reckless abandonment. The bachelor who hated to date. Why lose money, sleep, and miss out on nightly television and sports programs for a mid-week date? Why spend the ever-so-important weekend nights in an awkward encounter with a person you don't know when you can laugh, bull-shit, and have fun with your friends?

Read more »

Twitter Motivation: Sports, Movies, TV, Social, Apps

2010-05-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm back thanks to @Brainmaker for the kind tweet and encouragement to write more frequently. Evidently my recent tweeting has driven some traffic to the blog, which as we know, has been left alone for several months.

In an effort to blog consistently, I will be changing my writing approach to shorter posts. This ought to inspire my creative brain cells to drive me to write my more traditional pieces. We shall see. Like all things in life, this is a test, and if you survey my teachers and professors from my pupil days, you'll find out that testing aint my thing.

Read more »

Movie Theatre 101 - Watching with Strangers can be Interesting

2010-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

It is Academy Award season. Theatres around the country are filled with intellectually stimulating and ground breaking cinema. Films with legendary performances from unknown, underappreciated, and even famous, but typically woeful actors are plentiful. For a movie buff, this is the time to shine.

I went to the movies last night. I did not shine. Not one bit. I could have seen The Dude in his breakout performance that finally earned him the recognition and standing ovation from his peers he so richly deserved, at Sunday’s Golden Globes. I could have opted to allow James Cameron (or Jim, as his friends like to say) take me for a cinematic adventure of a lifetime in Avatar. I could have gone to the depths of depression and ultimate life changing levels of courage in Precious.

Instead, I took my girlfriend to a cinematic dud filled with a few laughs, average performances, and absolutely no substance. I chose Youth in Revolt.

The crazy thing is that I don’t regret this. We shared a movie going experience that I had never been apart of. A unique experience that ought to be our last…

I typically like to sit high up and away from a crowd when viewing a movie. I like my space and room to operate. Being a crafty lefty, I tend to sit on the left side of the theatre, three quarters of the way up. I am supporting my left-handed brethren and standing up for all the southpaws that suffered ink smears, three ring binder discomfort, and scissors that simply did not do their job for years and years. Also, it significantly reduces your chances of sharing a movie ride with a stranger you would really prefer not to. Up to the left and you are in a safe zone.

Up and to the left did not happen last night. Instead, center and low happened.

Accompanying us in the center and low section of the theatre was an elderly Asian gentleman that proved to be the star of the movie for all the people within earshot. This unassuming character strolled in after us with a roller suit case filled with god knows what. He sat down in the row in front of us and slightly to the right. He immediately made himself at home. In his mind, his seat was a recliner, the screen, his plasma, and no one else was home.

I honestly couldn’t tell you if this man was mentally challenged, a pervert, obnoxious, or all of the above. As the previews ended and the movie rolled, he instantly began whistling and hooting in a mating call-like fashion. A subtle noise that sounded creepier than your normal hoot. In between hoots, he would do his best Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter impression (the bone-chilling call after the famous “Chianti” line).

Initially, his outbursts seemed bizarre and short-lived – like he wanted to set the mood for the rest of us, and increase the anticipation for a hilarious raunch-com about nerds failing to get laid. We quickly learned our assumption could not have been further from the truth.

His antics continued the entire movie. He stole the show from Michael Cera and company. He hooted at every scene in which an inappropriate thought could have been conjured up in the mind of your average sixteen year old boy. While nibbling on what could have been a rib bone or a rolled up napkin (it was dark, he was crazy, anything is possible), his behavior progressed to the point that he actually may have thought he was a character in the movie. He responded to the actors as if he were on screen and written in the script. The craziest part of all of this, no one complained. The audience seemed to eat it up. We came to laugh at a comedy and the comedy failed us, so we turned to the little man in the front row.

Without him, walking out unsatisfied, we might have asked for our money back. With him, we had a story. Great comedies leave you with memorable quotes or new quirks to share with your friends. We got none of that. But this man gave us something to talk about.

I would have walked out kicking myself for not risking the chances of my girlfriend hating Crazy Heart, falling asleep in Avatar, or physically abusing me for making her suffer through Precious.

Thank you little Asian man in the center low section. Thank you.

- Crafty Lefty

Crafty Lefty's Fall TV Thoughts

2009-11-10T22:36:00.000-08:00

TV blogging has taken a serious back seat this season for no other reason than…

I am not watching nearly as much television as in year’s past.

Those who know me, probably cannot believe this, but it is true. I used to be TV guy. I had three or four shows every night that I DVR’d and had to see each week. Now I have three or four shows I watch every week.

The reason for this is rather easy to understand. It is three parts:

1. Only one new show caught my interest.
2. Old shows lost my interest.
3. The new wrinkle in my life I like to call a girlfriend has eliminated some of my TV time – thankfully.

The shows from previous years that are still alive and well in my DVR are, dramas: Mad Men (though, I am several week’s behind), Brothers and Sisters and, sit coms: 30 Rock and The Office. Friday Night Lights makes the cut without a doubt, but is not on the list being that non DirecTV users have to wait until summer of 2010 to see the new season. If any of you idiots took my or any other person with any amount of intellect’s advice, we would have that show on primetime for many years to come.

Mad Men continues to produce exquisite television for the viewers on AMC. Mathew Weiner does a fabulous job crafting each episode with a meticulous level of detail unmatched by anyone now that The Wire is no longer on air. The character building and plot development throughout a season is worth the slower than average pacing. Those of you patient enough to last are rewarded in the end.

Brothers and Sisters has become my one and only soap opera drama I cannot avoid. The ensemble cast provides enough heartwarming moments to keep me coming back for my weekly melodramatic meltdown. In fact, the first three episodes had me in tears at the end of each. The misty-eyed moments more than make up for the over the top drama that can come across as forced and annoying.

NBC’s comedy Thursday dynamic duo of The Office and 30 Rock are staples for most humor seeking viewers. The shows rarely wow me, but always entertain and provide several laugh out loud moments each week. The main draw for me is the potential for each show to be unique and genius with their dialogue. Both creators and casts have the capability to put together 24 minutes of comedic bliss – give me more Tracy Morgan and Rainn Wilson and they’ll reach their performance pinnacle more frequently!!!!

The one new show lucky enough to find my DVR priority list this year is Modern Family. A comedy, Modern Family follows the lives of three very different, but very connected families. The show’s patriarch, Jay, played by Ed O’neil (also known as Al Bundy), recently remarried to a younger, Hispanic “trophy-wife” (who comes with a young boy) has a grown up son and daughter of his own. His daughter is married with three children. His son is gay and in a life partnership with whom, he has just adopted a baby.

The show catalogs each family’s distinct conflicts and everyday incidents that all families deal with – no matter the sexuality or ethnicity of the individuals involved. What makes the show such a joy to watch is the combination of excellent performances and hilarious writing. The show intertwines each story line in such a way that you never feel robbed of your favorite character or overwhelmed by one of your least favorite. With such a diverse cast of characters, there is something for everyone to hold on to. My favorite characters are Cam (The gay son’s very flamboyant partner) and Phil (Jay’s daughter’s quirky and caring husband). Yours might be the Latina sex pot Gloria (Sofia Vergara) with a fiery attitude filled with passion or even Al Bundy himself.

The beauty is that it’s yours to decide. If you have not already, you must give this show a chance. You will not be disappointed.

My lack of TV blogging in no way says that the small screen has nothing to offer. All of these shows are worth your time in spades. Sometimes less really is more. Each time you turn on your tube and peruse the list of recordings, your mood might call out a comedy with subtle witty dialogue from Jim and Pam or oh so not subtle and very slap stick humor from Tracy and Liz Lemon on the set of TGS. Perhaps you feel like snuggling up to someone special for an hour of drama on a Sunday afternoon. If that someone special simply cannot stomach an hour of Mad Men, let them take a nap in your arms while you get lost in the 60’s with Donald and Betty Draper and the office shenanigans of Sterling Cooper or the family dynamics of the Walkers. Better yet, sneak out of bed early to brew the weekend coffee and enjoy it on your own – most likely, they will not even miss you.

- Crafty Lefty

Date Night: Paranormal Moronic Activity to the Fourth Kind of Degree

2009-11-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Scary movies…what the hell are we thinking?

What causes so many moviegoers to opt for the chance to sit through two hours of misery? With so many more intellectually stimulating and emotionally uplifting options available, crowds and crowds of people consistently fill up the seats at their local theatres to view the latest installment of bone chilling, but albeit mostly terrible horror cinema.

The act of attending a scary movie with your girlfriend, group of friends, or even alone (yes, people do this…. not just me) might as well be an American institution. “As American as apple pie”, as they say. I’d prefer, “As American as large portions and fatness”, but that’s just me.

If you question my claim that scary movie viewing is an iconic American event, take a quick second to meander over how many “horror” movies you remember released to the theatres lately. Believe me, it is a full buffet. Hollywood is all about making money. Now that I think about, I’d truly prefer, “As American as greedy money mongers” – much better ring and more consistent with the theme of this post. Hollywood is greedy. Studio execs green light more run of the mill horror movies than any other genre because no matter how formulaic and unauthentic, people will line up and purchase tickets. Heck, we are so dumb we’ll see it twice. Why risk millions of studio dollars to make a potentially genius movie based off a one of kind script, when chances are, no one will see it? Were in a recession remember?

My girlfriend and I are guilty of falling for the horror movie seduction. This behavior is more seriously influenced by her desire to see these movies than mine, but I love the art of attending a movie so I always oblige. Lately, we have been fortunate and oh so unfortunate to catch the sensational Paranormal Activity and equally dismal The Fourth Kind. Both films follow in the footsteps of the Faux Documentary style of The Blair Witch Project. The filmmakers use hand held cameras or footage meant to be from real events. The actors are supposed to be real people or playing actual people supported by home video footage. The goal of the director is to create an allusion of reality. If the audience believes they could be watching something real, the more freaked out they will be – and – most importantly, the more they will tell their friends to go see the movie.

Paranormal Activity has capitalized on the viral impact a horror film can encompass more so than any film in recent memory. A small ad budget on Facebook encouraging viral behavior, coupled with a movie done so perfectly to fit its genre and all of a sudden it is a mega-hit. Is it real? It looks so real. It clearly is not real, but when watching the scenes unfold, you start to believe it could be. Even if you don’t believe, the images, pacing, and developing tension make it impossible not to get lost in the horror of the movie.

The Fourth Kind attempts to combine a Hollywood look and feel with the gritty-realness of a Paranormal Activity. In fact, the combination is so unique, I applaud the effort, but the film fails to deliver. Using known actors and going as far as to inform the audience of who they are and what their purpose is, the film recreates events supposedly documented by a Nome, Alaska psychiatrist, through split screen shots of “real footage” and their respective reenactments. The pace of the film is dull. The few tense scenes often come across as too bizarre to even develop the appropriate level of tension needed to scare an audience. The scariest part of the entire movie is the supposedly real heroine who looks more like an alien life form than anything else I witnessed.

The success of Paranormal Activity will no doubt spark an influx of horror movies signed off on by producers looking to rake in obscene amounts of profits at the box office. I don’t blame them. I’ll be there with my girlfriend in tow. Hell, she doesn’t even like scary movies. She, like most people, loves the idea of a scary movie. Once the experience starts to unfold, she is miserable. After it is over, she is terrified and beyond paranoid.

The sensation of fear and anxiety brought on by a scary movie is intriguing because you share that adrenaline with the people watching with you. With your girlfriend or boyfriend, you seek comfort in one another while also laughing at how you each react to being afraid. My girlfriend shrieks. I have the propensity to jump of out my seat or clench up at inopportune times. I cannot help it. What makes the viewing experience even more memorable in a crowded theatre is feeding off the entire audience. You are all experiencing it together. It becomes more than just a Friday night movie-date. It is an event.

A recurring event that Hollywood loves every second of.

- Crafty Lefty

"Hey Crafty, Where the heck did you go?"

2009-10-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

"And why are you back in my life?"

I know, I know, you all missed me. I understand...sometimes I miss myself.

If my monthly blog archive were a corporate revenue chart, I would have been out of business well before this last dry spell. Take a quick look at the totals from March through July…yes, those trends lead to budget cuts, layoffs, bankruptcy, and if we were in pre depression times, suicidal leaps from city skylines. Luckily, (for me and all my lovely readers), I am not tied to corporate profit margin goals, only personal emotional highs stemmed from writing unique thoughts full of sharp, intelligent wit...among other things of course.

My relationship with this blog, lately, resembles the feeling a contestant on the, "Biggest Loser" must have towards fatty foods – a complete and utter shunning of it, but fantasizing about it always. Okay, maybe I'm not fantasizing about the blog (though, you know damn well those contestants are lusting over cheeseburgers and chocolate), but I certainly long to write more frequently. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for the attention of this blog, I have been overwhelmed the last few months. A plethora of fantastic distractions have held this blog hostage - new love, international travel, and shockingly no free time at work have kept me away from the keyboard and lost in a land of romance and adventure. This new chapter in my life (ode, to Bye Bye Single Guy – this blog should write one about me now) has left no time to slack off and write about the latest TV shows, big screen blockbusters, or any random event that might spur the gift of gab to spew out of my fingers and onto Crafty Lefty’s abandoned pages.

The recent launch of the Facebook fan page and some added pressure from those closest to me should light a fire under my ass and get me back to doing what I love to do – write about mostly nothing, but attempting to do it with a flair and charm worth reading. Heck, the nightly, “word of the day” sessions I now participate in ought to improve the vernacular arsenal of my posts. There are no delusions of grandeur accompanying this page, leading to a commitment of daily or even weekly updates. I will write when my life allows me to. I will write when my mind urges me to the lap top. I will write when things occur in life that can only be digested through a clever blog post.

The goal of the new Crafty Lefty Facebook page is two-fold. By putting the blog out on Facebook networks all over the web (here’s where delusions of grandeur might kick in), I instantly up the pressure anti to produce more content and keep honing my writing skills. Like always, “skills” is a term used very loosely here. At the same time, I am exploring Facebook’s variety of advertising offerings for the betterment of my own career development. As Facebook continues to take over the world, social media becomes increasingly more vital to a marketer. The more I know on the ins and outs of Facebook, the better I position myself for the future.

We’ll see how long I can keep this up…

Thanks for your patience.

- Crafty Lefty

Side Note: Upcoming posts will most likely be snapshot reviews of several movies I have seen recently. My reviews will range from, “must see” to, “don’t even think about it”.

I’m also working on some thoughts on the Faux Documentary Horror genre (think, Blair Witch Project and the current Paranormal Activity) that I will attempt to get published on www.emauellevy.com. Yes, I am actually getting paid to write on a film site…who would have thunk it?

John Hughes: 1950-2009

2009-08-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

John Hughes passed away today after suffering a heart attack while on a morning stroll. Hughes, for those of you who do not know, is arguably the most important director of the 1980’s. He is responsible for a handful of movies that will live on in our hearts for generations. Directors will forever attempt to create the moments Hughes gave us in delightfully re-watchable 80’s comedies filled with all the things we love about the decade. Though often overly cheesy, there is no denying the impact his depictions of the teenage youth had on a generation.

It is a sad day for movie fans as a lot of us hoped for more nostalgic Hughes’ creations for years, but have had to settle for copycat attempts to re-create his genre in films as recent as I Love You, Beth Cooper staring Hayden Panettiere. Hughes had not directed a film since 1991’s Curly Sue staring James Belushi (and a bit part from Steve Carrell), but he had stayed somewhat in the business (from afar) as a writer and producer. His most recent well-known work as writer (story by, not screenwriter) came in Maid in Manhattan (2004 staring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes) and Drillbit Taylor (2008, starring Own Wilson). Though his directorial credit list is short, his imprint on film in the 80’s and early 90’s as a writer was tremendous.

Instead of mourning his loss, we should celebrate the images, characters, and stories he gave us during his incredible run. As a writer and a director, there are countless characters to look back on – over and over again. As a writer, he gave us the Home Alone franchise and introduced us to a baby-faced child actor named Macaulay Culkin. In The Great Outdoors, he hilariously scripted the rivalry between Chet Ripley (John Candy) and Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), while also giving us the scary, yet ultimately funny tale of the Bear that had been shot in the rear (and is now bare).

Hughes executed one of the original mainstream romantic comedy formulas of: unpopular boy loves popular girl; gets help from his best friend - unpopular girl; gets popular girl to like him only to realize he loves the unpopular girl in the end – in Some Kind of Wonderful. A formula we’ve seen in She’s All That, and Drive Me Crazy (among others).

80’s icons were routine staples in Hughes films. John Candy became a staple in his films with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (alongside Steve Martin), Uncle Buck, and the previously mentioned The Great Outdoors (and even the polka band member that drives Mrs McCallister home to her son in Home Alone).

Hughes had an uncanny ability to deliver an ensemble cast of high school characters with an appropriate level of depth within each. The combination of clever writing and great acting from Hughes’ favorites (and other 80’s icons) Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Matthew Broderick created Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club – we could all relate to at least one character in the bunch. At one time or another, everyone has felt like the athlete, the prom queen, the drop out, the nerd, or the outcast…

John Hughes’ cult classic films will be passed down from generation to generation through cable television and DVD anniversary releases for years to come.

Here are my top five Hughes written and directed films of the 80’s (in order of course):

5. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

4. Sixteen Candles

3. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

2. Uncle Buck

1. The Breakfast Club

YouTube Youngsters

2009-07-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

The viral impact of a YouTube video is a wonder in itself. Who knows what can catch fire and turn into a hit? My New Haircut has over 23 million views and all it’s simply a douche bag acting like a douche bag. The recent wedding party intro burst on the scene and ended up getting front page headlines on MSN and Yahoo! (I have several weddings in the works and will most certainly be pleading for one of them to include a choreographed dance in a church) – just brilliant.

The last several years, YouTube has given us a view into some extraordinary (and extraordinarily messed up) kids across America. Youths, now infamous in the online video world wide web of fame. My friends and I pass these videos back and forth on email chains while providing detailed commentary from all angles. Where will this kid end up? How did that kid learn to do that? What caused that to take place? Everyone has an opinion…

The commentary evolution has reached a point where we are now comparing YouTube Youth Phenoms against each other. The simple question of, who would you want to hang out with?

I’ll provide my top 4 YouTube youths off the top of my head, rank them, and provide an explanation of each:

4. Fat Iraqi Kid Runs the Block:

This kid is last for one reason only. He’d kick my ass and I am happy to admit that. Why hang out with someone who will most likely punch me and then throw a brick at my head? I have busted out the arm shimmy on the dance floor countless times though.

3. Little Boy Dancing…Too Funny:

A buddy said it best by stating, “All night dance party at a club with this kid….priceless”. Who teaches this kid the moves? Does he study MTV Jams? I would bet heavily that there is an older sibling in the picture pulling the strings…

2. Dalton Sherman:

The lone bright spot in an otherwise, sad list of characters. The energy of this boy would be fascinating to witness in person. I have watched this clip several times just to get motivated at my own job. And he is 10 years old. I’d love to hear him talk about where his confidence comes from.

1. Latarian Milton:

“It’s Fun to do Bad Things”…What more needs to be said?

Is it appropriate to laugh and make jokes about these children who have been placed on the Internet (most of the time) by someone other than themselves? Probably not…and it raises a larger, more serious question about what viral video could be exploiting. All that being said, you cannot ignore the fact that millions of people are watching them and that Google owns the platform in which anyone can post, comment, and review millions and millions of video. Why can’t we have a little fun in the process?

If there are other candidates out there, please send them my way. While traveling in Ireland, some friends and I ran across a young Irish boy in Dublin that we dubbed, Latarian O’Milton for his outrageous behavior in a Subway restaurant. We went as far as to wager the over/under on how long it would be until he had his own YouTube video making headlines on the net. I wish I had caught his antics on tape that day…

Feel free to argue against my order as well.

- Crafty Lefty

The Proposal

2009-07-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Proposal:

A friend and I took in a matinee viewing of the romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds several weeks ago. I must preface this brief review with the fact that I am a big fan of both Bullock and Reynolds. Ever since 1994, when Annie Porter sprinted onto that Los Angeles bus and into our lives, rigged with explosives, destined to be saved by Officer Jack Tavern, I have had a strangely intense crush on Sandra Bullock. Speed still holds true along with The Rock as excellent re-watchable action comedies on cable. Ryan Reynolds’ unique comedic dialogue delivery separates him from the list of hunky mid-level leads and ought to elevate his status amongst Hollywood’s elite. His presence has resonated with me ever since Van Wilder, but the Proposal is his first Box Office success in an, “above the title role”.

Needless to say, I came in with relatively high expectations. In no way did I expect a sensational movie, but I thought the two of them, at the very least, would entertain me from start to finish. What I got was a film searching much too hard to find a laugh, characters I could not believe in, a romance that just did not work, and one supporting performance that almost had me exiting the theatre early.

Instead of laughing at the awkward moments the characters came upon, I just felt awkward for the movie. Instead enjoying the leads, I kept thinking about how they were able to possibly buy into the roles written for them. Critic after critic has commented on the performance of Betty White as Reynolds’ eccentric grandmother. Most all have raved about her ability to steal every scene she was in. She stole them, but only because she tried so hard to do so. The result is an obnoxious montage of bizarre attempts at humor that climaxed when Bullock goes for a walk in the woods, only to find White doing a tribal chant rivaling the most recent Real World Road Rules Challenge opening credits on MTV.

The only bright spot for me was the subtle, but accurate performance of Craig T. Nelson as Reynolds’ father. Nelson’s an underappreciated actor that always delivers – no more so than as the great Hayden Fox on the TV show Coach.

I am happy for both Bullock and (in particular) Reynolds for raking in such box office success, but I wish it had been for a better movie. The success of The Proposal has already landed Ryan Reynolds the lead in the upcoming Green Lantern. Comic book movies all make a lot of money…..but, will it be a good movie?

- Crafty Lefty

Movie Update!

2009-06-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have provided some thoughts on the movie landscape so below will be a down and dirty rundown of what I have seen and whether or not it is worth your pretty penny to view it as well...

The Hangover:

Everyone and their mother has now seen this. If you have not, then you have been hiding under a rock or simply do not enjoy having fun. There will not be a more hilarious movie this year and there may not be one for some time. An instant classic with one excellent breakthrough performance and a film put together just about as good as it could be done. Vegas must be experiencing a massive influx of drunken idiots making very bad decisions. But it is fun to do bad things....

My one issue with the movie is that they never explained how Phil made it into the hospital. I would not care except that they TOLD us the camera had the evidence and then only showed him in the hospital bed, but how did he get there??!!

All in all, Todd Phillips (Old School, Road Trip) administered a borderline comedic masterpiece.

Go see this and you ought to find an alcohol serving theater or sneak booze in...

Taking of Pelham 1 2 3:

I saw this on Saturday afternoon and the best I can say is that the film kept me entertained the whole time, while never blowing me away. It would be challenging to screw up an action movie with Denzel as the good guy and Travolta as the villain. Travolta is underrated in his ability to play a sociopath. Tony Scott directs the flick and does his best to ruin it with his standard choppy, "I'm trying way too hard to make this movie about me when I should let my all-star cast do the heavy lifting". Scott is over the top consistently in his films and this might be the worst. Thankfully, there is enough of a storyline, cheesy action humorous dialogue, and great actors (Luis Guzman, Jon Turturro, and James Gandolfini are excellent as well).

Movies I want to see: Transformers 2; Public Enemies; My Sisters Keeper (yeah, I said it, I said it)...

That's all I got...Happy Father's Day!

- Crafty Lefty

College Part Deux

2009-06-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

As I approach my four year anniversary in the, "real world" of career paths, 401ks, stock plans, and adult stability, I find that more and more, all I have experienced is a slightly different version of college.

I honestly can't even tell you if it's a better or worse version...but I can absolutely say I have enjoyed the hell out of it.

In a few, I'll explain in detail why I feel this way and why this time around, I may not be gunning to graduate in four years...

Okay...

Since college, I've become a full-fledged tax paying adult. This wonderful status comes with financial and career oriented worries that cause any number of health related symptoms to sprout up at a given time. These worries did not exist in college (they may have, come finals time once a year, but rarely). Why is this wonderful? For one, I am being facetious. Secondly (and most importantly), it comes with MONEY - which is undoubtedly wonderful.

With careers and money, we can do the things we did in college, but do them better. Yes, way better. This distinction is very much three-fold:

Money - we can budget for more elaborate celebrations. It can be the same or similar event, but done with better booze, a better location, a better vehicle (if you don't know my current status, I'm certainly not talking about cars), and relatively guilt free.

Career - these celebrations are often spread out to ensure we continue our growth as working professionals. In college, our closest friends are in a several block radius and always up for a party no matter the reason. After college, we are spread out and working, which forces us to cherish the reunion opportunities that present themselves no matter the reason.

Knowledge - in college, we had NO IDEA how much we would truly miss the lifestyle once stuck in the real world fighting it out with the rest of society (this is a constant discussion amongst friends while partaking in post-college, college-like behavior, which is quite contradictory if you think about it). Safety net, gone. Social bubble, gone. Carefree ability to blow off responsibilities, for the most part, gone. After college, we've realized these things, but we've also realized that the same fun can be had. What makes this great is that we are no longer taking it for granted. In the moment, the enjoyment is more intense.

I can confidently say in the four years at college, I got drunk more than I have in the four years out of college. That's not the point. After college, I can absolutely say I've had more memorable excursions and adventures (whether that's a trip to Europe, a weekend on Lake Berryessa, or a Sunday Funday in the city) with great people, youthful exuberance, and yes, lots of drinking.

The best thing is that I do not see this ending anytime soon. Why should it? The longtime motto is, "Work hard, play hard" right? We are constantly maturing as people and professionals, but I see no reason why we can't easily slip back into the role of college kid and grab a beer bong every once in a while...it's bad for the body, but damn good for the soul. The importance is balance. In college, we still had to juggle a bit of school work, jobs, and/or athletics...it's not a whole lot different now - just higher stakes without the training wheels and now we handle both the, "work" and the, "play" with a sense of urgency that propels their unique rewards to new heights.

As I begin to stare 30 in the face, I only hope I continue to enjoy life the way I have the last 8 years. There will always be an evolution to the enjoyment, but I will not let the crazy kid in me die as my responsibilities increase.

See you all Saturday, with the beer bong...

- Crafty Lefty

2009 American Idol: Kris Allen

2009-05-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Upset City!

Damn Kara for writing that terrible song and damn the producers for allowing them to sing it. I should have gone with my pre-finale gut and stayed the course with the Kris upset prediction, but I let them get to me. Oh well.

Both finalists should have quality careers in the music industry. The table is set for them to do great things and make a lot of money. Somehow, I doubt Adam is all that bummed…

The judges and producers have to feel like idiots though. They did all they could to serve this one up for Adam. Simon begged America to vote for him a couple weeks ago. On Tuesday, the judges all but handed the crown to Adam while consoling Kris for his efforts as a runner up contestant. They freaking chose Queen for the final performance last night as a showcase for Adam’s future career (I don’t care what the name of the song is, they picked it for Adam).

Here are my thoughts on last night’s finale, which has to be the most entertaining one they’ve ever put on.

- Other than the bizarre Steve Martin ensemble with Michael Sarver and Megan Joy and the terrible song with Queen Latifah (and the worst outfit in history) and Lil Rounds, the pairings and performances of Idol contestants and stars were either excellent musically or great comedy (Rod Stewart was wasted right?). The turn out was better than the Grammy’s - every 3rd seat had a celebrity sitting in it and the majority were not there to promote anything - just there to enjoy the Idol celebration. Amazing.

- Norman Gentle brought the house down. We all need a little Norman Gentle in our lives and it was great to have him back.

- The brand new Bikini Girl and Kara together again…well done. And well done Kara – not only does she have a great body, she showed a little personality (does not make up for “No Boundaries”, but I appreciated the effort).

- The initial Top 13 performance flopped big time, but after that, I enjoyed every second of seeing the old contestants on the screen. My only complaint would have been to see more of Matt and Anoop, but that’s just me.

- Megan Joy is a train wreck on stage and with a microphone. Did anyone catch the glimpse of her dancing (I guess we call it that?) to “Boom Boom Pow” in the aisle? What the hell was that???

- Top performances: Kris and Keith Urban; Adam and Kiss; Black Eyed Peas and the Girl contestants (though the girls brought zero talent to the table, it was fun to watch Megan in the pink outfit); and anything with an Anoop solo.

It will be interesting to follow this year’s top 10 and see who can make a career out their success on the show. More than any other year, a handful of them are capable of finding their niche and having success.

Until January 2010…Idol rests.

- Crafty Lefty

Idol Finale Thoughts

2009-05-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

I don’t have much time to recap last night’s finale, but I felt the need to sum up my thoughts before kick-starting my work day…

Simon Fuller and the producers’ decision to grant Kara the honor of writing the final song was bad enough, but to then APPROVE what she wrote for the two finalists and actually conclude what has been a season filled with great performances with the atrocity that is “No Boundaries” (or whatever you want to call that crap) was inexcusable. I would bet the farm on Kara writing that song 5 years ago when she was a nobody and then couldn’t come up with something new for the finale because she can’t write anything anymore without using the word, “artistry” over and over and over again so she pulled it out of a drawer and handed it in – completely ignoring the fact that she wrote it for a 16 year old female pop singer….ugh, I am disgusted.

The show has tried hard to screw up this season by adding the fourth judge we’ve all come to despise (last night’s song was just icing on the cake). The Kara addition (yes, I know, I had a crush on her for weeks, but she was new and sitting next to Paula, and I didn’t know any better) turned out to be a complete nightmare for the following reasons:

1. She never says anything remotely interesting or insightful
2. 4 people who love to hear themselves speak takes up WAY too much time and the show constantly ran over the timeslot
3. It led to the worst Idol blunder in history: Only letting two judges critique each contestant (not letting Simon critique someone is basically admitting they think the viewers actually listen and form their own opinions based on what Paula spews out of her mouth…really????).
4. The aforementioned final song that absolutely ruined what should have been an epic final duel between two unique and talented individuals (it even made Adam look below average as a singer, which I thought was impossible to do).

Somehow ignoring the final song, Kris and Adam managed to sing well in their repeat selections. The Simon Fuller selection turned out to be great for Adam and terrible for Kris. Fuller didn’t do Kris any favors at all with the Marvin Gaye song…and Adam took full advantage.

The judges all, but told Kris to be happy with 2nd place (which could be construed as kind or patronizing – I go with the latter in this instance). Who knows…I believe Simon did the same damn thing last year with David Cook so what the hell do they know???

Anyway, Adam wins and based on talent, he deserves it…I just wish there could have been a better platform for the two to give us the show we all wanted and deserved last night.

In other Idol news, it appears Adam brought out his boyfriend for an Idol get together, which obviously caught headlines….BUT, more importantly, the Adam news allowed some further reporting on two other Idol contestants now dating (I couldn’t be happier about this).

- Crafty Lefty

Idol Finale - Crafty's Reappearance

2009-05-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

My blogging negligence initially began as a re-dedication effort towards my actual income producing, “career job” that I am still far from sold is anywhere near a career path worth exploring, but am either too invested to give up on yet or simply too much of a big pussy to follow my heart elsewhere. All that being said, that dedication effort actually lasted the majority of this writing hiatus until my social calendar shifted to 5th gear and any potential break from work turned into one of two things:

1. An alcohol related social event
a. Mid-week American Idol dinner party
b. Work-related happy hour or dinner party
c. Birthday celebration
d. Full weekend of drunken debauchery
i. Cruise Bustamonte
ii. Bay 2 Breakers
iii. A sunny day serving as an excuse to drink all day
iv. Opening Day
v. A five day bender with my visiting father

2. Hung and over and recovering from any and all of the above

And yes, I consider an opportunity to drink with friends and the ensuing hang over valid excuses for staying away from the keyboard. Trust me you do not have any interest in reading my thoughts on less than stellar brain power. I’m not smart enough to attack this on auto-pilot. Plus, I fear that soon enough, you will realize I’m a big fraud anyway and actually not all that clever or worth the precious spare time used to check in and read this blog.

In any event, with the recent Bay 2 Breakers extravaganza (and more importantly, the aftermath) continuing to seep through my pores, I spent far too much time writing about this season of American Idol to allow a two-day hangover to prevent me from commenting on tonight’s finale. Yes, Idol pulled me out of a dazed B2B stupor and you better believe I’ll be in attendance for the dinner party tonight even though alcohol and social interaction are the last thing I should be doing (besides, writing obviously).

Enough rambling (can you tell I really really want to write a Bay 2 Breakers recap – which I am now convinced has to be listed in the top 5 events in the world for anyone between the drinking ages of 18-65)…

Tonight’s Idol finale contains the best talent duo I can remember. It also presents the biggest, “Who the hell knows what could happen?” question. Think about the two finalists:

Adam – the prohibitive favorite week in and week out. He simply can do no wrong and has the best vocal range I’ve ever heard. You all know I hated this guy from the beginning and I still do not like him, BUT his talent has grown on me considerably. His jaw-dropping ability is unmatched and never before seen on this show. That is seriously saying something considering how pitiful his complexion is (not to mention Idol’s ability to keep his unknown/known sexuality a non-factor when it comes to the voters). He has to be the odds on favorite going into tonight.

BUT

Kris – never before has a contestant progressed like Kris has this season. Look back at my original posts (I never gave him a chance). The show kept him a secret until the semi-finals. We knew nothing about him and he did nothing particularly overwhelming for quite some time. He just slowly evolved into full-blown pop-star and we hardly noticed – until it really mattered! He has the perfect look, the perfect height (short as shit like all stars as you well know), and more than anything, his approach to singing is so damn current that we want to hear more of him. What he did with Kanye West’s recent “Heartless” put him in legit contention to win – not just to make the final two…

What makes tonight such a crap shoot is that we have no idea who the NEW votes will land on after the two perform. Ryan Seacrest said that only one million votes separated the #1 from #2 (I do not believe they ever said who was who, but I have to assume it is Adam in the lead). There were 88 million votes last week and a large chunk were placed for the highly overrated Danny Gokey (odds are, I do not write a post if the finale is Danny and Adam). You have to assume a significant percentage of those votes will be placed on either Adam or Kris – yes, some of Danny’s crazy fans may not vote out of spite, but the majority will.

The higher the amount of Danny votes placed tonight, I believe, the greater the odds are that Kris upsets Adam tomorrow night in the final results show.

Whatever happens, we will be watching the right two compete for the crown.

My pre-performance prediction: Adam Lambert wins (I think Kris needs another “Heartless” – like performance and I do not see it happening tonight)

- Crafty Lefty (hopefully back more frequently)

MTV: The Duel 2

2009-04-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you MTV. Thank you for bringing us the Real World. Thank you for bringing us Road Rules. If you had not, the world would never have experienced a Real World/Road Rules Challenge – the single greatest thing to come out of MTV.

This week, MTV premiered the latest installment of, “The Challenges” – The Duel 2. The anticipation for this season exploded when the first preview leaked on the internet. MTV consistently puts out excellent trailers for The Challenges and this particular one takes the cake as the best ever – I dare you to name a movie preview that rivals this….

The preview showed a montage of dramatic events to take place throughout the season, highlighted by the most vicious TV punch we’ve ever witnessed.

The following is an email I sent out this morning with my thoughts on the episode. In an effort to keep the emotions intact, I left it as is (minus some spelling mistakes).

If you are regular reader of the blog, I highly recommend watching the Duel 2 as I hope to provide regular commentary from week to week.

Here goes:

I must say I spent the first 10-15 minutes terrified of what was to come. It felt like a suspense/horror flick where you know the storm is coming and someone is going to die, but you aren't totally sure when. I couldn’t handle it.

Have ever seen a fight like that? And the post-fight psychotic behavior from CT? There are five beasts on the show that could not hold him back – I’ve never seen anything like it. He literally would have killed Adam if given the chance. I 100% believe that. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that CT has probably killed someone in his lifetime. Do we respect Adam for having the balls to stand up to him or is he just a complete idiot? How about Diem's screaming when CT started chasing Adam around in and out of the house?

Maybe my favorite part of the fight: watching Dunbar catch an Adam haymaker and then see him later bleeding from the lip. Loved that.

Second favorite part: CT telling us he wins every fight and that he would like to kill Adam (he may have actually said he’d like to eat him.

The show will never be able to top that. Will they legally be allowed to bring CT back ever again?

After the fight, the show went downhill - MJ and Neiamiah were pathetic replacements. They could have done so much better than that - Alton, Derelique, Kenny (I will miss Kenny comedy this season)...

MJ needs to perform this season - his track record is pathetic for a beast/ex SEC football player.

Did CT and Shauvon really sleep together on the roof? I couldn’t really tell because I was so focused on the looming punch. It was tough to focus on anything else.

Side note - maybe the worst "to be continued" story in the history of TV. I hope Shauvon slaps Aneesa in the face with one of her gigantic boobs, knocks her out, and sends her over the New Zealand Alps - I wanted to sock Aneesa during the final 10 min of the show.

Side note 2 - Robin's body is the best it has ever been. She's never been this fit - loving it - hot bod and a crazy personality can only bring good things to the show.

Side note 3 - does MTV provide a massive closet full of costumes for them? This show is notorious for epic costume parties.

There are plenty more observations that must be discussed, but I am only providing the initial thoughts….hopefully we can get a discussion going on everything else.

American Idol: Top 8 Results

2009-04-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

How much more can we take?

A better question might be - How much more time do we have?

....with Noop Dogg.

For the second week in a row, Anoop found himself in the bottom two. This time, Ryan made sure to inform us that Anoop's soulful self (sweater/cardigan/hoody-sweater-cardigan self) did indeed receive the second fewest votes. A mere 30,000 separated him from Scott. The frightening thing is, we have no idea how far Lil's safety lives from him. She could have a 500,000 vote cushion on Anoop.

It begs the question of, how much does one performance truly effect a contestant from week to week? Can someone like Anoop pull off a miracle run with phenomenal performances and survive two, maybe three more weeks? Or is his fate already sealed? Seriously, American Idol could have known the order of perish for the contestants three weeks ago. They have enough historical data to know the fluctuation rate based on three things (in no particular order): 1) Vocals; 2) Song choice; 3) Judges/Simon critique. At this point, their respective fans may be intact no matter how those factors play out in these stages.

I guess we will find out next week, but odds makers will have Anoop as a prohibitive underdog no matter how he sings, no matter the song, and no matter if our favorite Brit hands out a standing ovation.

With Anoop safe, someone had to go home. Fittingly, Scott is packing his bags tonight. He is sweet and his story is remarkable, but I am sorry, the man had overstayed his welcome. I respect the elements he brought to the competition this year and I hope there are many more future contestants like him - not blind per se, but capable of overcoming an obstacle to achieve success - and to do so with a class and genuine appreciation for the moment.

Scott has been outmatched vocally for weeks now. I had a hard time buying the sincerity of the judges' struggle to decide whether or not to save him. Maybe they were being honest, but logistically, it would have made no sense to save him. He is the clear cut bottom feeder vocally. He picks awful songs. He botches all the group performances. Think about the time wasted during rehearsal and the Ford photo shoots? Poor Anoop had to focus more on Scott tonight than he did himself. It's just not fair.

Anyone else loses this week and I think the judges struggle to decide on a save - even Anoop. Good thing we did not have to test this theory.

All that being said, I wish Scott nothing but success. He will have a great career as a musician. He is a contestant that Idol fans will never forget.

Down to seven - here are my rankings:

1. Adam - we all know his performance got cut from the DVR telecasts...if you have not seen it, watch it online here. Do not vote for him EVER, but enjoy the performance because it was solid. Simon standing ovation great - not sure I am on board.

2. Matt - I may be placing him too high here, but I think Matt is the man. I want to test my theory that the results are already inevitable because each time a contestant is eliminated, a large portion of that person's fans will vote for someone else - this MUST shake up the totals from week to week, right???? Matt has no where to go, but up if he keeps doing what he is doing.

3. Gokey - sorry, but he bores me. I don't even have much to say. He is a dork who can sing extremely well. An Idol? No way.

4. Kris - struggled mightily this week. He was due for an off week after several stellar performances. He needs to have some form of a run in with a gossip site this week to tarnish the good guy image. I know I've said that before, but it is worth repeating.

5. Allison - I almost put her in front of Kris, but I also spent an evening at an Idol dinner party tonight where for the first 20 minutes, we deciphered the Tuesday show and not once did Iraheta's name come up. And we all like her...she's just tough to remember. Imagine if you combined her charisma, confidence, and voice with Megan Joy/Corkery's looks, legs, and boobs...picture it. Wait for it. Yeah, she would be in the top 3 no questions asked.

6. Lil Rounds - Anoop is going to beat her out next week because Lil has shown no signs of stepping up and he has. Anoop will pick a great song and deliver. Lil will copycat another song and finally get sent packing.

7. Anoop - It's the year of the Tar Heel - he will come through and live to see another week. Guaranteed.

Other Thoughts:

Who sang with Flo Rida? She had a great voice and is sexy.

It's great to see Pickler is still Pickler - even with a new face and boobs. She is trying emulate the great Carrie Underwood in looks, but she is staying true to herself in personality. I respect that.

What is the theme next week????

At our dinner party we discussed the traditional top seven elimination procedure where Ryan breaks out two groups of three and asks the front runner (last year it was David Archuleta) to stand next to the group he thinks is safe. Is there any doubt that they make Adam do this next week? Bet the house on it.

I spent all day and night yesterday celebrating Opening Day with my beloved SF Giants so I viewed the performances under significant influence. I woke up groggy (to say the least), in my Anoop t-shirt, but did not remember if I loved his (or any for that matter) performance. Later this morning I looked at my recent text messages and discovered I voted for Anoop over 20 times - until Idol flat out told me to stop voting (the two hour time limit passed after 20). Sadly, I couldn't tell if my passionate voting behavior was a result of a great performance or a shitty one. Was I celebrating his success or over compensating to protect him from a demise?

Over/Under on how many times I typed "Anoop" in this post - 12

Can't wait for next week.

American Idol: Top 9 Results

2009-04-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Results Show Thoughts: Real Time Notes...

Why is Jason Castro in the audience tonight? And next to my girl Alexis Grace to boot.

The lip syncing continues to be pure comedy. Why couldn't Randy rock out to Journey on the balcony instead of a terrible lookalike? Seriously, would it not have been great to see Randy up there??

I actually enjoyed the Ford commercial – they’ve all been pointless, but tonight’s actually worked for me. I like hearing Kris and Matt show their range of vocal talents.

The behind the scenes did not work for me. It came across forced and almost fake. Though, I loved getting glimpses of Megan throughout – whether I hate on her talent or not, she is quite attractive. And to be fair, Matt seems like a cool-ass dude that I would enjoy partying with - perhaps we could drink and partake in a bit of dueling pianos one evening...

The contestant impressions were awkward and when Ryan put them on the spot, none of them even sounded like the other, right??? Matt did a great Danny on the piano, but the rest were dumb (sans Annop’s facial expression on Kris). Also, did Danny's come across as cruel or am I just being sensitive towards my rooting interest?

All of us Idol historians knew they’d pull the three sets of three act tonight, right? Correct me if I am wrong, but they either select one from each set to be in the bottom three or make one set of three the actual bottom three. This looks more like the latter...

Um, was that Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire fame behind David Cook’s mom???? Is she supporting ANOOP like me????? Was it just a lookalike? I need proof from someone that she indeed attended the show. Is Dev there as well?

I hate that David Cook had an album released pre-Idol. One of the reasons I love Idol is because they locate amateurs and completely undiscovered talent. I worry that it is slowly turning into a major avenue for musicians to make it again or for psycho parents to thrust their overly sheltered and bred for stardom children in our faces (i.e. the new Mickey Mouse Club that gave us JT, Britney, and Xtina, but now it is older kids that failed to even make those shows…) Something about it rubs me the wrong way. I like the contestants that truly needed this show to be discovered purely. Even if they are “professional musicians” that have yet to make it out of their hometown and catch a break.

I love how they tried to, and actually did trick Matt; even though his safety was evident with the background music. Matt probably blacked out due to nerves. Either way, he is safe!!! Our votes counted!!!!

What the hell was Megan quacking at??? It was clear she had that planned when she commented on Ryan making them walk over to the far side before actually being told they are in the bottom 3. The other contestants knew she was planning on it based on their reactions. Megan is morphing into a total whack job. We should have seen it coming when she started thanking a phantom fan base.

Lil definitely got lucky. People are stuck on her potential and not her ability to deliver. Alison is consistently solid to great and is screwed this week because the male judges ripped her outfit and she does not have a niche to develop a strong following yet.

Anoop in the bottom 3 - I almost broke my lap top and TV, but settled for awkwardly spilling a full glass of water all over my living room. Someone please explain how a 26 year old can feel such anxiety over a reality show - is it weird that I love the fact that I can?

In reality, Scott should have been sent home a couple weeks ago (instead of Alexis Grace), but he got to stay due to the unspoken blind factor - someone had to say it....cricket, cricket. I'll admit, he came through last night much more than Anoop did, but he should not have been there in the first place (in case the previous rant did not spell it out for you).

Bottom 3:
Megan
Alison
Anoop

Simon clearly meant he would save Alison. Anoop better step it up next week or else he is screwed - I think he's incapable of being saved even if he drops, "My Prerogative" for a third time.

Anoop vs. Megan and neither will be saved…..

ANOOP!!!!!!!! He's safe!!!!!!!!!!!!! My votes definitely made the difference - obviously.

Even better, Megan and her bad attitude received a big, "Suck it" from Simon.

She is terrible. Was that performance even real???

Anoop lives to sing another day, Matt's safe and out of the bottom 3, and yes, Adam continues to drive the HD TV business into the gutter.

What did everyone else think?

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol: Post Performance Thoughts

2009-03-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ugh, not a good night of Idol. I am starting to feel like we have a batch of quality performers, but only a couple who can raise the bar on a given night and give us chills.

Kris had the top performance of the night and seems to be the only contestant growing from week to week. However, I'd argue that Matt is doing the same and that the judges botched their assessment of his cover of The Fray. I had the pleasure of joining some serious Idol viewers tonight and we all thought he nailed it. I've never seen a room go in the complete opposite direction of the judges - very disappointing.

Good thing we can vote (and we did, a lot).

I want to be blown away by the perfect combination of vocals, song choice, and performance. I feel like this has not happened for me, and yet, we have a solid top to bottom group of contestants; all capable of concocting the wow-me potion. Even Megan and Scott, who are clearly the weakest links, could pull off the trifecta. She is hot and he is blind - so they already have that going for them.

The bottom 3 should be Megan Joy (where the fuck did Corkery go???), Lil Rounds, and sadly, Anoop.

Megan should go home immediately. Don't have an elimination show. Boot her. She even looked bad tonight and that is the only thing working for her. She continues to let her nerves terrorize her on stage.

Lil's had 3 straight sub-par weeks without a bottom 3 appearance. She is due. And when she comes back, someone please tell her to go back to the original hair.

Anoop has a few things going against him. One, he hit lead off tonight and will be forgotten by many. Two, he basically sang an Usher song karaoke style. Three, he sang Usher and DID NOT dance!! Show us the moves my friend. I bought the damn t-shirt and I want a few more wears out of it.

Other thoughts:

It has been brought to my attention (after this lovely viewing party tonight) that Adam has at least one more annoying quality that I had yet to notice: his tongue goes berserk during the high pitch yelps he makes. And he definitely does. Watch for it next week... Some may call it singing, but I witnessed Mark Whalberg belt it out in Rockstar the same way. The man has vocals, but kill me if he ever has a hit record.

I'd buy a Matt Giraud album today. I'd buy a Kris Allen song or two today. I'd illegally download a collection of Danny Gokey and Alison Iraheta songs today.

The only people the judges will save tomorrow if they happen to be let down by America are:
Adam
Danny
Kris
Matt (probably)
Alison (maybe)

Anoop, Lil, and Scott don't have a chance (yes, Simon will break the heart of the blind guy with a fierce honesty just like everyone else)

Megan is toast. If she is not and Anoop is, I'll go into hiding.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol: Top 9 Preview

2009-03-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

I’ve held off on any Idol rankings lately, but I felt the urge today. Like usual, these are in order of, “most likely to win at this point in the show”. They definitely do not represent my personal feelings whatsoever. We all know who’d be at the top if that were the case. I looked and looked and looked, but could not find the theme for tonight so these rankings are as pure as they can get.

Top 9:

Adam Lambert – the guy drives me crazy and I want to punch him in the face (though, that could seriously stir up legal troubles based on some evidence circulating the internet these days). I will admit, his last performance failed to give me an urge to break my beautiful TV, which could be construed as a good thing. The judges love him. The fans seem to love him (though this continues to be mindboggling). Has anyone heard a viewer say anything truly positive about him? Seriously, ask your friends…yes, even if your love for Idol is unspoken – trust me, it’s a Goliath for a reason – people watch, obsess, and buy t-shirts.

Danny Gokey – I still think his sympathy votes and admiration from the judges are what’s keeping him above Matt and Alison, but he does have a great voice. He is too goofy to take seriously and will anyone really buy a Gokey record? He is slowly evolving into an older David Archuleta. I think he’s already peaked.

Matt Giraud – Damn good performance last week. I know I know…he was in the bottom 3, but he WAS NOT in the bottom 2. Ryan’s verbiage is important in those instances. If he does not specifically state that someone is in the bottom 2, the producers are simply toying with the audience and probably trying to wake up a contestants fan base. In this case, Matt’s fans got lazy so the producers slapped them around. I’d buy a Matt Giraud song or two on iTunes – seriously.

Alison Iraheta – I am blown away each week at her presence and confidence at 16 years old – incredible. She should last a while and will probably jump one or more of the boys above her. One poor performance could bow her out early though….she would be a, “Judges Save”.

Kris Allen – He’s been great for two weeks now. I have him ranked ahead of Lil and Anoop purely on those weeks, his decent looks, and the fact that his decent looks are of Caucasian male decent. He shits the bed one time and he could be gone this week. The judges would not save him.

Lil Rounds – Two poor weeks in row has her stock plummeting. How could she possibly screw up Motown week? So many songs that fit her vocal power and she blew it. She needs to wow us this week.

Anoop Desai – He needs to combine his “My Prerogative” charisma with his excellent ballad singing of late. We know he can sing now, but we fell in love with him early for his R&B charm. I honestly do not know how far he can go when the judges have such clear favorites, but he has the potential to blow the roof off with the right song choice. I NEED THIS!!!!!!!!! Side note – please youtube the Clef Hangers (Anoop’s A Cappella group) – some riveting performances on there with Anoop (of course) in the lead.

Megan Joy – She is hot, but the girl simply cannot sing or control her nerves. Very disappointing for a straight male, but what can you do when she picks awful songs and tears them apart.

Scott MacIntyre – I have to stop beating around the bush on this. The man is no where near the level of singer as the rest of the guys. He should absolutely be going home this week – unless of course, he hits the jackpot with the perfect song choice and theme that shocks the Idol World. He continues to pick obscure songs and performs them boringly. He’s blind, yes, but we should be over that by now. Plus, I cannot take anymore of his brother and blind sister in the audience. They don’t even look real.

Scott and Megan are virtual locks. Do they even have the potential to save themselves with an amazing performance? And Kris is due to gag it. I am not sold on his consistency factor. He’ll get poor reactions from the judges and a verbal thrashing from Simon, which will land him in the bottom 3, but will not send him packing.

Can we get some action in the comments after the show tonight?! Many of you text me during and after the show so, why not post a comment as well??? And remember – VOTE ANOOP!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOP DOGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Crafty Lefty

Love's not a Forever Thing

2009-03-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

When something you enjoy leaves for an extended period of time, the assumption is, a certain build up and anticipation arises as its return draws near. Rubbish. The void left during the absence is inevitably replaced. We don't pine away forever.

We move on. Even in love, people move on. A widow dates again - just ask Helen Hunt in Cast Away.

The limit may vary depending on the depth of the enjoyment or love, but we do move on. As kids, we love the sand box, but sooner or later, the sand box is not around. The sand box may not have left us, but the dirty, boring, square of wood left our reality and when we see it again, we are not interested. When was the last time you played in a sand box?

The build up takes place instantly after its gone, but will eventually fade away like a Bell Curve. The, "it" only defines the pace in which the Bell Curve runs its course.

Case in point: Gossip Girl's six week, mid-season hiatus. With the sophomore season firing on all cylinders, the CW decides to halt the momentum by providing weeks and weeks of repeats that no one with a DVR and a life has time for. The initial Monday night unleashes cravings for a Chuck Bass one-liner and Serena and Dan love quarrel. The taste of the Upper East Side decadence lingers from the previous episode; we want to enter their world on schedule. However, as weeks wear on, the dark chocolate lust dissolves and our libido's penetrate something else. The familiarity with the characters and story lines don't merit such a long absence. Gossip Girl is more sand box than soul mate. The lifespan of retreat is short.

When Gossip Girl finally returned last week, I didn't care. Sure, I watched, but I found myself wondering why the hell I ever liked the show in the first place. The writing stunk. The acting fell short. Many of you must be asking a fair question and the answer is, no, I did not evolve above tini-bopper status during those six weeks and mature myself out of the Gossip Girl demographic. I am still very much there. In fact, I hope I never leave. But, my passion for the show is at the tail end of a sloping Bell Curve.

The important follow up question is whether or not the fading of a love during an absence can be revived? Not always - it's a fine line.

Varying degrees of love and said love's depth will determine its' revivability. Sure, Helen Hunt can wait years and when her Fed Ex of a fiance comes home, she still loves him, but it took her less than a year to meet, marry, and have a child with another man. Simply put, her life now has no room for him.

So why risk it? If you are not stranded on a deserted island, do not flirt with losing the love, build up, and anticipation.

Time will run out.

- Crafty Lefty

The Real Christmas Eve

2009-03-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

Every year on a cold December evening, millions of boys toss and turn through the night. Their minds restless with excitement and joy - wondering - what will tomorrow bring?

Every year on a Wednesday evening in March, millions of men wrestle their sheets through the night. Their minds churning with excitement and anticipation - wondering - what will will tomorrow bring?

Boys desperate to know what Santa will deliver through the chimney. Men eager to know what the Hardwood Santa will dish out through their TV set.

Will the new bike glimmer under the tree? Does Cinderella slay the giant or will the giant's stature prevail? Boys giddy with visions of presents swarming a tree; men craving a flurry of upsets and buzzer beaters.

Can Santa shock them with the ultimate gift? What about the ultimate battle? Boys hoping to be blown away by a new toy; men hoping to witness and unknown player's instant rise to stardom.

Whether a boy on Christmas Eve, or a man on the night before the NCAA Tournament, one simply cannot contain their emotions. A restless night awaits them with open arms. And there is nothing that can be done.

As a boy, the excitement is pure and genuine. Even when Santa becomes a fictional character, a boy's emotions on Christmas Eve stay intact. Unexpected gifts await alongside unforgettable moments with family. This continues for several more years until the grandiose expectations on Christmas Eve fade away, and boys turn to adolescent teenagers losing sleep over their first french kiss (or reaching 2nd/3rd base depending on whether puberty hits them like a freight train or slowly consumes them) and not a stocking full of socks and a new pair of shoes.

Overtime, our lives evolve and that pure and genuine excitement comes less and less. There are few instances where it can overtake an adult like a child on Christmas Eve. A big trip, a wedding night perhaps (though a wedding night often contains more apprehension than unaltered giddiness, but I'll leave it for debate coming from a single guy), but it is never quite the same.

No matter the age, March Madness is the one constant that keeps the youthful exuberance alive in all of us.

It is the Christmas Eve we can count on - every year.

What will tomorrow bring?

- Crafty Lefty

Fear the Turtle!

2009-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

March Madness and St. Patty's Day Celebrations - is there a better combo for a sunny Saturday filled with day drinking? No way.

My day will be filled with car bombs, upsets, and bubble busting. I can't wait.

The festivities begin at 1pm for the Maryland vs. Duke ACC Semifinal in Atlanta. Crafty Lefty is a Terp believer to the fullest and will be rooting hard for Gary Williams and company. This is a team that has dealt with an obscene amount of adversity and scrutiny in the media this year. A team of overachieving and passionate players that have willed their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Led by the wonderful and occasionally exacerbating Greivis Vasquez, the Terps have knocked off three top 10 teams this season (Michigan State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest) on their way to a 20-12 record. Vasquez is the heart and soul of Maryland. His moxxy can take over a game and he has carried the Terps all year.

However, the late resurgence is due, in large part, to senior forward, Dave Neal. Neal might be the most unassuming ACC starter in the history of the conference. In fact, he definitely is. You'd be more likely to see a Dave Neal taking kamikaze shots at Bentleys than banging down low with Psycho T and draining 3's in the corner in the ACC Tournament. At 6'7'' (but probably 6'5''), he's asked to take on much taller and significantly more athletic big men night in and night out. He loses a lot of battles on the boards, but he has clawed his way through each game and done so more than admirably. Knocking down big shot after big shot during their run to the bubble, Neal has become the feel good story of the ACC (or he ought to be). The consummate underdog, on an underdog team, Neal has played his heart out and it has carried over to his teammates (most notably, Eric Hayes and Sean Mosely).

Less than a month ago, the greater DC/Baltimore area demanded the departure of Gary Williams. His poor relationship with the media hit new heights and the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and countless blogs were gunning for his job. Tales of poor recruiting and questionable actions within the athletic department had the coaching staff (the great Chuck "the Diesel" Dreisell, Keith "Booby Miles" Booth, Crazy Jo-Jo Joe Harrington, Robert "Juicy Lips Ehsan, and Troy "Massage-Enthusiast" Wainwright) on their heels. Would this be the end of a hall of fame career? Would a school turn their back on a man who has brought such success for years and years - and with the utmost class and integrity?

Not if the intense fist pumping Gary Williams had anything to do with it.

With his team coming together in support of their coach, GW and the Terps vowed to prove the critics wrong and right the ship.

And they have.

Peaking at the right time, the Terps should be a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. A feat that, with this team, should more than silence the critics.

How far can they go? With a leader like Vasquez, a motivator like Williams, and a group of underdogs with a chip on their shoulder, anything is possible.

Fear the Turtle.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol - Anoop Survives!

2009-03-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Anoop Dawg!!!!

Idol put it in America's hands and America delivered.

The show on Tuesday was better than I expected (sans the Anoop debacle). The other 12 contestants sang no worse than, "OK". No one completely botched it (even Anoop was fun to watch) like past years where we could expect several borderline terrible song choices/performances/awkward stage presences at this point in the competition. All in all, a rather entertaining group, but in the end, two had to go.

Though neither Jorge or Jasmine sang distinctly awful, they did not sing well enough to beat out a fan favorite; even after a poor performance. It worked out perfectly.

Megan and Anoop got the early scare, which could catapult them into safety the next couple weeks if they make better song choices. Had each dual ended differently, I would have lost my favorite male and female contestants in one night (Megan is not my favorite singer, but she sky-rocketed to the top of the hotness category this week).

If I had to rank the remaining 11 contestants in order of most likely to win, it would be as follows:

1. Danny Gokey - I know Adam got more judge's praise last night, but I am giving America the benefit of the doubt in that we will not buy into the judges bias and we will see Adam for who he is - a worthless tub of poo that should never be shown on TV; and certainly not in HD. Danny is more likable and a better singer. If it came down to it, he'd get the votes over Adam.

2. Adam Lambert - Sadly, America will be scammed into voting for him with every drugged-out Paula comment that spews out of her mouth (or cleavage if she chooses to let the girls out like tonight).

3. Lil Rounds - Commands the stage, but her lock on, "best female contestant" is loosening up with every Alison Iraheta performance. Lil's feature on her home situation should even the playing field with the likes of Sarver, Gokey, and MacIntyer

4. Alison Iraheta - I'd pick her over Lil after this week, but I'm not sure America is there yet. She is legit. I really look forward to her performances at this point. Is she really 16? Is that in Latin American baseball years?

5. Matt Giraud - Matt is my favorite male not named Anoop. I love that he is a poor man's Justin Timberlake at this point because I have a man-crush on JT. Any similarity to the current King of Pop is a great thing.

6. Scott MacIntyre - He will still get the sympathy vote as long as the judges continue to ease up on him as a singer and focus on his blindness. It is getting more than a bit tiring to listen to. He's a big boy, judge him fairly.

7. Alexis Grace - I really enjoyed her performance this week. Her confidence is rising and her sexy pettiness is flourishing. I think she has the ability to succeed in any of the weekly genres.

8. Megan Corkery - I am blown away at how jaw-droppingly sexy Megan has looked this week. The Glam team deserves a standing ovation. I did not see her in this light until this week - and they only made some subtle changes.

9. Kris Allen - Kris is tough to figure out. He is good looking and fairly talented. He'll resonate with the young female demographic, but Simon was right to point out the blunder of shoving his wife in our face so early. Keep the ladies guessing and they will continue to vote Kris.

10. Annop Desai - I still think Anoop will survive next week. He will come through after a bad performance this week. He is too intelligent to make the same mistake twice. All he needs is one great showing to jump a few people on this list. ANOOP DAWG!!!!

11. Michael Sarver - Michael is one forgettable performance from being booted from the show. The roughneck footage is no longer interesting and he does not have the potential to completely wow the judges/viewers like the people above or below him on this list. He is my pick to go home next week.

Other thoughts:

I like the wrinkle this year with the, "judges save". However, the way they inform the contestants waiting to hear if they've been saved is awkward. The wrinkle works because when they save someone, they do not send someone else home. If their decision sent someone else packing, it would ruin the dynamic of the show that has made it the juggernaut it is today.

Why did Kanye West agree to come on the show just to perform Heartless? So weird. I would have bet serious coin that he'd choose to perform something new and/or controversial on a platform like that. But just to pimp his single? C'mon Kanye, you are supposed to be better than that...or so you claim.

Kelly Clarkson is fat and weathered. I'd heard rumors of said weight increase, but a professional entertainer should be able to lose 10-20 pounds before embarking on a press tour to promote a new album. You are rich Kelly - hire a personal trainer and a nutritionist and get your butt in the gym.

- Crafty Lefty

Friday Night Lights: Season 3

2009-03-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

I've neglected to find the time to focus my TV blogging efforts on the best show on TV right now. The show's greatness puts pressure on a writer attempting to provide thoughts on said greatness.

But, I am in a blogging zone right now (if there is such a thing) and I caught the latest episode of Friday Night Lights last night and felt it was time to get down to business.

This, the third (and hopefully not, but likely the last) season of FNL has been a severe improvement to the sophomore season a year ago. It would not be fair to compare any present or future season to the rookie year as it might be the best season in the history of television. Yes, it is certainly in the argument.

This year, the writers have had a difficult task. A task they have tackled quite well. A show centered around high school football provides a character developing challenge for producers and writers. How can you introduce and develop great characters that either exit the show or significantly shift their position within the show after only a few years when they graduate?

This season, we have already said goodbye to two instrumental main characters: Brian "Smash" Williams and Jason "Six" Street.

The FNL life of Smash is something to revel in. His character bothered me at first. So much so, that I became visibly annoyed when an episode focused on him. But over time, his character became more and more intriguing and heartwarming. A lot of the Smash greatness came in scenes involving his mother, played beautifully by Liz Mikel. Then this season, the show decided to send Smash off into the sunset in a four episode storyline around getting him back into college football (after a serious knee injury). The plot, exceptionally carried by Kyle Chandler, as the coach going beyond his HS duties to fight for the dream of an ex-player in need. The duo of Coach Taylor and Smash gave us several, "chills" moments this season that made me feel almost back in season 1 again. Smash's final episode might be the best of the year so far.

Last night, we said goodbye to Jason Street. I'm not going to sit here and claim I've always been a Street fan. Unlike Smash, whom I did not want to leave, I am completely fine being devoid of Six. However, these last few episodes have been an excellent swan-song for a character I never liked, but began to respect very much of late.

Though, I thought the delusional escape to NYC was unrealistic (not to mention Riggins missing a week's worth of practice, again, with no sign of disciplinary action?), it was entirely plausible in the world of Jason Street. He does not think or act like we do. The best part about the newest addition to the Bromance Hall of Fame's adventure - Riggins saving the day by providing the only reasonable explanation for the writers forcing us to believe Street could indeed walk into the Big Apple and land a highly sought after job with only a HS diploma (a diploma I am not sure he ever actually completed). Great save Riggins.

Is Taylor Kitsch a good actor? I love Riggins so I will say, hell yes, he is. But I could not exactly explain in detail how he is a good actor. I just love his character. Riggins became emotional (when lately, he has been hilarious - and he was again last night) on multiple occasions last night while saying goodbye to his best friend. I could see how some, less emotional, non passionate people might scoff at those tears (or the way they were portrayed by Kitsch), but I was more than misty during it all.

All in all, I am impressed with how the show said goodbye to some of the original cast, while keeping the current story and developing characters in action throughout. I honestly expected last night to be 100% Riggins and Street in NYC, but was pleasantly surprised by the Saracen/Taylor family scenes as well as the Mac illness/new assistant coach story. I do not like that coach and I am not a fan of Coach Taylor bringing him on as I despise JD McCoy's dad, but more than appreciate his purpose and presence on the show.

It has been great to watch Coach Taylor's internal struggle with the McCoy family and their uncanny ability to weave their way into every part of his life. From football, barbecues, and real estate, they are always there, lurking and he knows it. He hates it.

Part of his frustration became intertwined with my favorite part of last night's episode (and my absolute favorite TV relationship ever). The Taylor marriage is remarkable. I am consistently blown away at how well Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton play off of each other. They make this show what it is. They are FNL. Their arguments, discussions, body language, and love are picture-perfect and could not feel more real. Watching them deal with the possibility of moving into a new home was a thing of beauty. And their final scene, when Coach finally broke his opposition down to her; open and honestly, and she knew he was right, but just wanted him to have an open mind while deciding was lovely. How real did it feel when they embraced inside the big house, appreciated each other and then, were quickly interrupted by the obnoxious real estate agent? Coach's, "ugh, are you kidding me?" line - so fitting and fantastic.

The show only has a few more episodes left in the season. How will they play it out? I assume they will do their best to present a final episode that can serve as a series finale and a lead into a fourth season. I do no want the Taylor family out of my life anytime soon. Honestly, marriage counselors should prescribe this show to struggling couples. The examples set by both husband and wife (and how to work as a team) ought to be taught in colleges across the country.

Other thoughts:

- I loved the dinner table scene with Saracen and the Taylor's. Julie successfully put the pressure on her dad to give Matt a chance at receiver. The machismo exchange between Matt and Coach Taylor that led to the 10 catch challenge in the street was great. A very small town, high school football moment. And having Coach throw out his arm and slyly ask Mrs T to grab some Advil - and better yet, her subtle acknowledgment of his over throwing and agreeing to keep the pain under wraps (like all man's men would do and expect their wife to respect). A great scene and one I did not expect at all with the NYC trip.

- I am very much enjoying the Tyra story arc this season. She has so much going against her and she has persevered some much to get to this point, but seemingly always runs into another road block. Based on scenes for next week, her jaunt with Cash is going to get ugly (and we ALL knew it would sooner or later). Is there any chance her desperate phone call is to anyone other than Landry? In the end, I hope we get to see her hard work pay off and she can get the hell out of Dillon and her pitiful home life. I would love to see her say goodbye to her mother and sister and have them finally appreciate and understand that Tyra had what it took to make it out of Dillon.

- Riggins missing a week of practice without explanation is absolutely absurd, but so is the fact that he is still in High School when he felt very much like a senior in season 1. I have come to take any Riggins related plot with a grain of salt because I do not want to be jaded when he is on screen when he is such an important and rewarding character. I heard an interview with Peter Berg (the creator) and he touched on the Riggins' phenomenon. When they initially wrote his character, they did not know he would become so valuable. In order to develop Riggins, they had to bring him back to school. There was not enough time to build him out in that one year. They still needed him in a football uniform. Hence, him all of a sudden being Saracen's year (not to mention having Lila do the same). I'm okay with it. He is that important.

- Two week's ago when Julie and Matt got back together needs to be mentioned here. The work of Aimee Teagarden this season has been a pleasant surprise. Her work in those scenes leading up to Matt inviting her to the lake and then the scenes after they spent the night under the stars demonstrated savvy acting ability from a young actress. She presents emotions effortlessly and without the need of dialogue. Something I think Zack Gilford has also done well throughout each season of FNL and his trials and tribulations.

Clear Eyes!
Full Hearts!
Cant Lose!

- Crafty Lefty

24: White House Take Over

2009-03-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've ignored Jack Bauer lately. One must be careful when shunning the world's greatest rogue operative. I must pay homage (positively or negatively - can you negatively pay homage to something or someone?) to Jack to avoid his infamous torture tactics that have been polarized by years of crossing the line in order to save lives.

I've been outspoken regarding my pleasure of this season of 24. That pleasure still exists after these past few hours, but I must admit, the last episode left me frustrated and borderline terrified of a typical (lately) 24 plot collapse taking place in the near future.

I had a fantastic and thought provoking email exchange with a fellow 24 viewer from Bakersfield the other day. He, like me, has been thrilled with the start of this season, but did not appreciate the White House invasion arc whatsoever. He proposed an interesting idea to change the show's premise from a 24 hour period to a 12 hour period based on the track record of overused story lines, absurd stretches of reality, and plain poor writing. I love this idea, but I have a couple amendments I'd like to add to make it even better.

We cannot change the name to 12, nor can we alter the general idea that all of this takes place in a 24 hour period. Keep it at 24, but reduce the crisis to a 12 hour period of action and use the other 12 hours for pre and/or post crisis character building. Would it not be great to see Jack, Tony, Bill, and Chloe having lunch together in between operations where the threat level is not high? I would be fascinated to learn how Jack behaves in normal everyday activities. Am I crazy for thinking this? Maybe it is 16 hours of action, 8 of character building...

Back to this season...

I HATED to see Jack shift into, "I have to do this alone in order to protect everyone when it doesn't really matter anyway and you would desperately need help to succeed in the first place" mode. Watching him storm into Bill's office and scream at him for information, wave a gun in his face, and then put him in a sleeper hold (all in an effort to keep Bill safe from persecution) was more than irritating. And not needed at all. He could have used Bill to delay the president from stopping his interrogation of the senator's chief of staff and prevented the next ridiculous event to transpire.

The idea that a handful of men could ride a small boat down the Potomac and sneak right into the White House and take over one of (if not the most?) protected buildings in the world was absurd even for 24. AND - I have no idea what the accurate secret service protocol is, but I find it seriously hard to believe that the agent in charge would back off without any proof or evidence that the President had indeed been captured. Especially when the terrorists are so damn close to the safe room in the first place. Stupid.

Agent Aaron Pierce had a safe hiding place for the President's daughter and he decides to move her? Here is a guy who historically makes the right move and goes above and beyond the call of duty. In this episode he makes an inexplicable decision to bring her with him when he could have stashed her and gone out on his own to alert the authorities that Jack had safely put the President in the chamber.

Agent Walker conveniently makes a pitiful leap onto the boat (with zero backup) and happens to get her phone wet (FBI agents don't have waterproof cellphones?). Really?

Again, the writers struggled that much to find a way to pull at our emotions in these episodes that they had to pull out the malfunctioning cell phone bit? They had been on such a roll until this week.

I love 24. I've really loved this season. I will continue to have its back in all debates, but I must ask for some support from the show itself when these discussions arise. Episodes like that, do me no favors.

Right the ship next week. Please.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol Final 13

2009-03-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Damn my DVR.

Or Damn Idol?

American Idol tried to shock the country with a last minute Anoop Desai selection. Most of us missed it.

Idol's stubborn elitism continues to heckle DVR users by allowing important content to take place after the show's slot ends and the recording is shut down. Idol should acknowledge what TV watching behavior dictates and pick up the pace in the "live" format so the only thing they risk cutting is a recap or an ousted contestant's final singing send off.

Idol is a money making powerhouse. They've spent plenty of that understanding the behavior of an Idol viewer. They know a high percentage records the show and fast forwards through commercials, lip-synched group songs, and the majority of former Idol performances. Most of these DVR users are watching the show, relatively "live", by catching up to original broadcast after a delayed start.

One could very much argue that the fiasco I stumbled upon on Thursday night was a result of a faulty DVR (or DVR user-error) and not an Idol blunder.

With that, I pose this question: Does an East Coast viewer's (who presumably watch Idol when it is actually live at 8pm Eastern Time) DVR treat American Idol like a live sporting event and automatically pop up an extended record option when selecting the program?

On the West Coast, we do not receive this luxury because the event is not live. We have to dig into the series recording options to set an extended time for a series. Yes, this is a one time feature and I am probably searching for reasons to be negative, but again, this is my blog, my time, and my opinion. Deal with it.

Evidently folks who have done their DVR do-diligence and set the extended time missed the Matt Giraud/Anoop spectacle anyway.

With the above commentary out of the way, I'll get to the good stuff (though, is it all that good for sure?):

They picked the four best Wild Card contestants to advance. Unfortunately, we did not get the best nine finalists from the fan voting (nor did we get the best eight available for the Wild Card). I am in no way sold on this years final 13 from a talent standpoint.

Two of the favorites (Danny and Scott) have benefited so much from their story lines that it has deluded our ability to rationalize their singing "chops" from an unbiased standpoint. They are not that great, but we perceive them to be great due to the adversity they've overcome to get here. I know that is part of the show's purpose and why we all fall in love with contestants, but are they really capable of making hit records?

Lil Rounds seems to be the most ready to put out a record and go on tour (but how many Jennifer Hudson type vocalists does the music business have room for?).

We have seen the guys take center stage early on, but I predict the females will end up out performing the males in the coming weeks. Lil, Megan Corkery, Jasmine Murray, Allison Iraheta, and Alexis Grace all have the capability to wow us. And they are all unique in their own right.

No matter what happens, I'll be rooting my butt off for Anoop Dawg!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol Group 3 Results; Wild Card Contestants

2009-03-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

It's all coming together...

I know I failed to provide a recap from Tuesday night's performances, but there wasn't a whole lot to say.

Lil Rounds blew it away from the producer's Swagger Spot. Idol made sure America voted their top 3 contestants by placing them in the final slot of each group. You better believe Danny, Adam, and Lil ended up last for a reason. The top 12 may randomize the performance rotation, but the semis certainly do not.

Scott MacIntyre sang admirably, but not overwhelmingly great. Just good enough to get the judges gawking at him to secure our votes. Ju'Not out sang him in my opinion, but could not overcome the sentimentality of the blind man. Don't get me wrong, I am a Scott MacIntyre fan. I probably would not have mentioned my Ju'Not beef had the judges at least selected him for the Wild Card round.

How about the Ryan and Scott high five last night? Had to throw that in there. Loved it.

Jorge Nunez won us over Tuesday and deserved to advance. He is becoming more likable as the show goes on, but I can also see me becoming tired of his commentary between performances.

Idol threw me a curve ball by bringing the pre-selected, "potential Wild Card" contestants to the set tonight. I honestly expected to turn on the show tomorrow to learn who they selected to compete. Give them credit, this route provided more drama and excitement. I assume there were no snubs from previous weeks because I could not think of anyone missing from the balcony that ought to have been invited back.

I enjoyed the format of having each judge announce the eight Wild Card contestants. It felt like a poor man's Oscar '09 nomination presentation. However, Randy's initial selection started the whole thing off terribly. Von Smith is awful. Cheesy. Annoying. What is that wave/euro-hawk thing he has going on with his hair? Seriously, what is it? How could they possibly select him over a Ju'Not or even Norman Gentle.

After Von, the selections are tough to argue with. Even Tatiana sang well enough in her group to merit a second chance (and you knew they'd bring her back for more stage drama/meltdowns, right?). I like Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkery, and Jesse Langseth. Ricky Braddy is an unknown, but sang his butt of in Group one (and could be a dark horse to slide in tomorrow). Of course, they had to make us all sweat out the Anoop selection to the end. I guess that should have been expected, but I would have snapped if he did not make the cut after the likes of Vonn and Tatiana made it through. ANOOP DAWG!!!!!!!!!

One thing that has bothered me is why four guys and four girls were chosen for the Wild Card round. Of the nine finalists already in, six our guys, three are girls. I assume there does not have to be an equal number of males and females in the top 12. If the best three performances are guys tomorrow, will they really select all of them? I doubt it. By evening out the Wild Card contestants, did they truly select the eight most worthy to make the Top 12?

I see Anoop, Megan, Matt, and Jasmine as the favorites right now. My only grudge is that Ju'Not and Kendall Beard will not get a second chance. Neither would have lasted long, but if Von Smith makes it into the top 12, I might go cuckoo quickly.

I predict Anoop Desai, Megan Corkery, and Matt Giraud to advance. That would make eight guys and four girls in the top 12. Not sure if Idol will do this, but the men have stepped it up this season and deserve the extra spots in my opinion.

- Crafty Lefty

Where Have I Been?!

2009-03-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

My blogging has recently taken a backseat to the likes of (in no particular order) friendship, family, work, drinking, and rehabilitation from each activity (most notably, the latter). As an aspiring writer/vent-er/pro-diatribe/opinionated enthusiast, these things just cannot happen.

At this point, any apology ought to be directed to yours truly. In reality, I am the only one benefiting (emotionally, certainly not financially nor career-wise) from this blog at all. Well, maybe the true and genuine love and admiration my parents disperse and take in from my Crafty Lefty Thoughts could be conceived as a benefit in some way.

All that said, I strive to heighten the frequency in which I write. More importantly, I long for a prose of quality and meaning that certainly has tapered off and/or become significantly less frequent since the infant stages of this pet project. Whether it has ever been quality and/or meaningful to any of you is entirely up for debate. Again, need I remind you, I am doing this for me, not you. But hopefully you come back for more.

This new found dedication stems from a number of things:

1. I took a moment today to go back and re-read the latest posts and felt a cloud of American Idol shame swarm me. Even my Idol posts have lacked humor and any real viewer insight (I certainly can never claim, nor strive to provide actual singing/music biz insight).

2. Chuck Klosterman. I've listened to Klosterman on Bill Simmons' (ESPN.com's The Sports Guy) podcast for a year or so now and finally went online at Amazon.com to purchase his work. Klosterman is an extremely intelligent, sharp, and witty writer. He provides unique insight, study, and opinions on all things pop culture. Many of his thoughts may disagree with you, but you will always be fascinated and blown away at his skill with the written word. I am only halfway through one of his books and he has already shot up my list of favorite writers. Go check out his book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. Splendid stuff.

Don't worry. I will still provide commentary on American Idol, 24, and Gossip Girl. I only hope it strays away from the focal point of my thoughts.

Unless I can wax poetic justice on them in a Klosterman-like fashion...

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol Semi-Finals, Group 2 (Results)

2009-02-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

No surprises tonight.

We knew Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert were locks. Beyond those two, no one stood out enough or had made a lasting impression during the auditions to garner a rooting interest (like an Anoop).

Kris Allen performed a catchy, well known song and sang it admirably. His inclusion into the top 12 should come as no surprise.

My wishful thinking did not help Norman Gentle in the end. I honestly have no idea if they will bring him back to the Wild Card round, but I doubt it. My only argument (to bring him back) is that we have yet to see a truly competitive group showcase some singing chops. If they plan to bring 8 or more people back then they have to include him. Its not like they are overflowing with worthy contestants.

I guarantee they bring back Tattoo Sleeve. After her, maybe Mike B., Jasmine, or Mishavonna? Can we really have two big teddy bear guys in the top 12?

Wild Card Round:
Anoop
Ricky Braddy
Megan Corkery
Tatiana
Mike B
Norman Gentle

How many can they bring back?

Next week sets up to be rather interesting. There are at least 3 babes performing. My personal favorite, Kendall Beard will showcase her talent(s). Hello Hello.

My predictions:

A moving performance by blind man Scott Macintyre
Lil Rounds blows it out with a song by either Whitney or Jennifer Hudson
I fall in love with Kendall Beard
I want to punch the cry-baby in the face

- Crafty Lefty

PS - I am missing a phenomenal basketball game between Santa Clara and Gonzaga. I had an opportunity to watch the great John Bryant battle the Zags in a raucous environment, but illness kept me home. The first 30 minutes have been nothing short of amazing.

Go Broncos!

American Idol Semi-Finals; Group 2

2009-02-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

I do not have the time or energy to do a contestant by contestant recap so I'm going to focus on my highlights and favorite performances.

My favorite performance of the night was the Red Head Rocker - bottom braces and all. Allison Iraheta came out of nowhere to rock out with a Heart hit. She should advance. I am a fan for sure.

Second favorite of the night was Jesse Langseth. I love that song ("Bette Davis Eyes") and I think she sang it well. Plus, she intrigues me. I can't tell if I think she is sexy or not, but something tells me I do and just have not admitted it yet.

My third favorite was Kris Allen. I'm not sure if I am picking him because I know a guy has to advance or not, but I enjoyed his rendition of the Michael Jackson song "Man in the Mirror". Sad that Kara and I do not agree on this, but a make-up sex session will clear that right up.

Those are the three I would like to see advance based on their performances (from a musical standpoint).

My favorite contestant of the night was without a doubt, Norman Gentle. I am blown away at how I have continued to embrace this guy. I always hate the obnoxious contestants that are there only for comedic purposes. Norman Gentle won me over by his genuine charm. He is obnoxious, but in a non-obnoxious way. If that makes any sense at all? I would love to have him advance just to shake things up a bit.

All in all, this group failed to impress in their performances. I had high hopes for Jasmine, but she blew it. I do not like tattoo sleeve (Megan Corkery) like the judges do. She isn't even attractive to me. Matt Giraud and Matt Breitzke dissappointed. I was rooting for them both.

I am undecided about Mishavonna Henson. She showed signs of being a damn good singer, but I agree with the judges that she is boring. I could see her getting enough votes to be in, but she will for sure get picked up for the Wild Card round.

I am curious as to what others think of Adam Lambert. I find him annoying. Like Simon said, "People will either love that or hate it". I hated it. He will probably advance because the rest of the judges praised the crap out of him, but I'm not buying it. I hate his makeup. I hate his voice. I hate his look. I hate his attitude.

So, my favorite three:

1. Allison Iraheta
2. Jesse Langseth
3. Kris Allen

My favorite contestant:

Norman Gentle

My predictions for most votes:

1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Norman Gentle (in a shocker or maybe I am just dreaming)

What did you guys think?

- Crafty Lefty

Bay to Breakers Compromise

2009-02-19T16:16:00.001-08:00

Not sure what the recent SF Gate article on the potential Bay to Breakers compromise will do to the alcohol and nudity ban, but it has to be a step in the right direction. Maybe the outcry from the initial B2B post had a role in the coming together of each side.

I can dream right?

If the compromise is mainly limiting keg floats and increasing the amount of paying participants, we may still relive the B2B glory this year!

I could care less if they ban kegs considering my B2B ritual is a meticulous concoction of Captain Morgan and Diet Coke. Who needs beer when you can have six individual one liters of Captain and Diets with progressively increasing amounts of alcohol in each bottle?

See, I will wake up extra early to mix these splendid Cuba Libres (sans a lime) to ensure the strength of each drink multiplies as the morning goes on. At 6am, even the most sophisticated rum and diet drinker prefers easing into the action. Plus, if you start too vigorously, you end up passing out before the day's climax.

So, I hear by pledge to pay for a bib this year. I ask you all to do the same. The $20-$30 fee is worth it for a Bay to Breakers experience.

Trust me. Even though I black out every year.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol: Semi-finals (week 1 results)

2009-02-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am officially pissed off and befuddled.

I'll start with what we do know -

Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, and Michael Sarver are in the Top 12.

NOOOO ANOOOOP!!!!

We all knew Danny was a lock and I think the producers missed an excellent opportunity to really fool us at the end. As much as they tried to convince us that Tatiana stood a chance against Danny, it was obviously his spot. The better play would have been to have Anoop lose to Danny in a battle early (we'd still know beforehand that Anoop was screwed, but the drama would still exist) and the climax would have been Michael Sarver (everyone's favorite Roughneck) and Tatiana (everyone's worst nightmare) as the final 2.

I would have been going nuts predicting a Tatiana upset. Think about the drama presented in that final scenario. We'd be livid about Anoop, confused as all hell wondering if he really is going home, and then they dangle a more realistic Tatiana upset in our face. That my friends, is great television.

Do you think Michael and Alexis sat in their winning seats during the Carley Smithson and Michael Johns duet and dreamt about how much their life had changed in a matter of moments? I mean, Michael Johns has an album coming out?! If you are in the Top 12, you will most likely be signed by someone and make a little cash in the process before sliding away into anonymity again.

Roughneck to record deal would be quite the feat.

On to what I definitely do not know -

The show has done an awful job of explaining the Wild Card format this year. In fact, have they even mentioned it at all?

Do not panic if you are an Anoop fan like me. I am almost positive he is not actually packing his bags and going home. Ryan can elevate the dramatics all he wants, but it is coming across as obnoxious and downright pathetic. We are not idiots. We can do simple math.

36 Semi-finalists broken down into 3 groups of 12. The fans select 3 people from each of those groups:

3 x 3 = 9

Top 12 = 12

Hmmmm....

Are they serious in making us believe Anoop is going home after only losing out to Michael Sarver by 20,000 votes?

The producers are doing the show a disservice in my opinion. They have Tatiana acting like her life is over when we know for damn sure every other contestant knows they may still have a shot. Unless the joke is on her and she simply cannot do the math.

Pretty sure Anoop can because he (and plenty of others) displayed a cool nonchalance when finding out they, "Were NOT in the top 12".

Am I crazy? Did I miss a blatant attempt to explain the rules at some point while fast forwarding 90% of a pointless hour of TV?

Why do I let this show suck me in????

I frantically did some research after the show to ensure I am neither an idiot nor crazy. I know there is a Wild Card round after the final set of 12 finishes in 2 weeks. I do not know for sure how the Wild Card participants are selected (though Alan Sepinwall from the The Star Ledger claims that the 4th place finisher in each group is in). The Associate Press states that the judges will select the final 3 in a Wild Card round taking place on March 5th. They do not tell us how many contestants are in the Wild Card round, or how they are selected.

My best guess is that Anoop and two other 4th place finishers are automatically selected into the Wild Card round. Then the producers/judges nominate an additional 3, 6, or 9 other contestants to join those 3 in another round of performances. From there, I believe the judges pick the final 3 and we do not get to vote.

Does anyone have more legit information on this process? I started out as a sporadic Idol fan and did not watch an entire season of Wild Card voting. This is all new to me.

Thoughts people!?!?

Other Thoughts -

I hope we see more of Casey Carlson. She is seriously hot. Either way, she will be popping up on a CW show any day now. Guaranteed.

I am becoming a big fan of Alexis Grace. Love her vibe.

Tatiana is actually making me laugh now and not annoying me. I'm not sure what transpired in my brain to make this switch, but I am finding her entertaining at this point. Weird.

The group songs are so friggin awkward. I guess they have to find things for the contestants to do to keep them busy and out of the Hollywood night clubs and police briefs, but really? What about more charity work or something?

- Crafty Lefty

Idol Top 36, Round 1

2009-02-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

First Set of 12: (Pay attention the final 'side note' at the bottom, which clears up my earlier confusion on the new format).

I’ll be doing a new version of posting with a running recap of tonight’s show so bare with the thoughts on how things play out in a new version of the Top 36.

Jackie Tohn – she kicked it off with a crazy outfit and great shoes, but a strange performance. I enjoyed her during the auditions, but that was a bit weird. She has a great personality. Judges clearly love her spunk as well. Simon, “you played the clown tonight”.

Side note: They are really giving us insight into each contestant now to make up for the lack of it throughout the auditions. I have never seen this much individual time this early. I like it. This will help people like Jackie who get to show their personality even when they have a poor performance

Ricky Braddy – I’ve never seen or heard of this guy who clearly didn’t provide story lines or drama in the auditions. Or does he have zero personality? I’m impressed by his voice and his look at this point. Congrats to Paula for pointing out the obvious in that he suffered for not being featured. Simon’s comments are accurate in pushing him to be more of a star and gain some confidence. He HAS to make up for that in order to move on further.

Alexis Grace – She has changed her look drastically since the auditions. I actually forgot who she was in the auditions until they showed the clip. Not a huge fan of her song or performance. I do think she is pretty adorable and I’m a fan of the transformation. Simon went as far to say she is a dark horse and reminded her of Kelly Klarkson at this stage. Heavy compliments, but deserving for someone who took the judges advice and criticism and turned it into a major positive.

Brent Keith – a hick going to hickville. I appreciate a country guy showing us his roots right off the bat. His performance lacked any fire at all and I am pretty sure he forgot the words. I do not have much else to say because it was boring. He’s smart for calling out country fans to vote for him though. There are a lot of them.

Stevie Wright – was that not an awful start? Nerves? This is horrible. If the judges are positive about this I am officially confused about the new set up of this season.

Simon quote of the night: Paula and Kara saying, “America Votes, America votes”. His retort, “Yeah, but they listen to me”.

Side note: It just hit me that the producers definitely hired Kara this year to make a smooth exit for Paula Abdul. She is looking bizarre these days and they must be weary that the day when they simply cannot let 30 million viewers see her face is rapidly approaching.

Anoop Desai – love this guy and I love this song, but it isn’t really working for him. The background singers are throwing me off and it feels like they are blowing it for him as well. I’m worried. Simon’s, “massive likeability: comment is reassuring. I am still a huge fan and will definitely be voting for him.

Casey Carlson – she’s our first babe of the night and I really did not like her performance Her voice sounded terrible and her facial expressions were hideous, which is tough for a beautiful girl. She’s done. U2, really???

Michael Sarver – our favorite resident roughneck. He too seems out of place on stage, but has some bright spots throughout. I think the judges saw some of the quality moments too as they were more positive than they have been tonight (but that stems from who Michael is and what they saw in him earlier in the auditions).

Side note – this new format is not working for me. This group alone has five contestants I would want to see longer than two weeks. How in the hell did they pick these three sets of twelve???? Some quality people are going to get left behind in this rush to the final 12.

Anne Marie Boskovich – She is really cute. I love the new look. She seemed to have more confidence than the last few contestants, but she chose a big song (why do they continue to pick Aretha songs????). I’m hoping her babe city factor helps her out.

Side note(s): How hot was her sister? I hate that they really only get one chance this season. This is far from normal right???

Stephen Fowler – Second chance afro dude. If you are singing Michael Jackson, you better bring some serious personality to the stage because you cannot match his vocals. He was all over the place in my opinion. Yikes, the judges were rough on him as well.

Side note – has there been 3 worthy performances yet? This has been awful and we still have Tatiana. This is the most talented season yet? Not buying it yet.

Tatiana Del Toro – oh boy…here we go. Shit, she actually sounds really good. I’m sure my extremely low expectations are enhancing the shock I feel, but I have to admit I am impressed. The judges are clearly trying to influence the voting by their opinions on who the contestants are and not completely on this performance. I think she was the best girl we saw tonight.

Danny Gokey – can we say, “Front Runner”???. I appreciate Simon trying to bring everyone back to reality on Danny after last season’s extremely early crowning of David Archuleta. Let’s chill out a bit, but he is definitely the best right now. People may have matched some of his vocals, but no one matches his story. He’s the one to beat.

Since I cannot control the new format, I will make my picks for who goes through to the final 12:

Top Guy – Danny Goake

Top Girl – Alexis Grace (do not be surprised to see Tatiana slide in here)

Runner up – Anoop Desai – he was simply too good in Hollywood week to ignore, though I really could see Tatiana beating him out as well. Maybe I am way off here, but I think she will find a way to get into the final 12. She proved tonight that she was acting crazy in auditions and enhanced her screen time tenfold. Now, she can continue to surprise was with less annoying tactics and still garner votes. We shall see.

(Side Note: I just learned that this format has been done in prior seasons and is known as the "wild card format" where the judges make the final selections after the initial audience voting. This allows the judges to place contestants they believe have the talent to survive in the finals even if they did not receive significant airtime early on. People like Ricky Braddy can stand a chance in this format).

With the Wild Card Format, my initial Top 12 most likely does not stand a chance.

What did you guys think?

- Crafty Lefty

24 - 4:00pm to 5:00pm

2009-02-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

24: Hour 9

A fantastic Sunday Funday kept me from staying awake late enough to catch 24 last night.

I couldn’t wait to come home and watch it tonight. The previous two weeks have the show on a roll. The pace couldn’t continue could it?

Not really.

I didn’t love this episode like I did the last one. It didn’t wow me. But I understand why.

We couldn’t continue the frenetic pace of the previous two episodes and still develop the main story arc. They needed to slow things down to demonstrate the pain in President Taylor’s shock and dismay over the news of her husband’s gunshot wound.

More importantly, they needed to slow things down to progress the inner-workings of the traitor(s) within the government. They gave us a taste of the intrusion without delivering the main course.

We now have a face to match the man in direct contact with Dubako. We do not know who he is or who he works for. And now we know who the FBI leak is -

Billy Friggin Walsh!!!!

Was there really any doubt after last week? I almost allowed this episode to sway me to Janeane Garafolo, but Billy looked guilty from the start. Is he doing it just for money? Do they have something else on him? It smells of money; greedy bastard.

Other than the unveiling of the two government traitors, not much else happened tonight. I am intrigued at how widespread this conspiracy is. From the look of Dubako’s contact inside, it is massive. That guy alone had 5 plus agents watching him closely.

Is it bad that I found it hilarious when Jack and Agent Walker informed Dubako’s girlfriend about who exactly Dubako is? I loved it. Now, I am aware that mass murdering dictators have an incredible ability to manipulate people to believe and do just about anything, but I wanted the sister to snap an, “I told you, you dumb b*&%$!!!!!”

I mean, really??? She really thought it would be a good idea to leave the country with a man your sister does not trust at all? Someone who just admitted he is an illegal immigrant? Really?

Other Thoughts:

A few things happened this week that wet the appetite of long time 24 lovers. Chloe’s arrival to the FBI office felt right at home, but I want her to clash with the agents much more next week. Her sharp comments on how poorly the server system was set up by Agent Moss (directed at Agent Moss) came off as classic Chloe. She even felt the need to throw in a dig later while on the phone with Jack. Love her.

I loved Bill Buchanan stepping in as President Taylor’s personal security. They are giving James Morrison a lot more to do this season and he has certainly earned that.

My favorite surprise was the return of Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower). He has been a superb supporting character for a few seasons of 24. We have witnessed him deal with the worst President in the history of 24 (and there have been a lot of Presidents), President Charles Logan, and his insane First Lady. He’s an excellent actor. I hope we get to see more of him and the First Daughter (played by Sprague Grayden, from the much underappreciated, Jericho). I think her dynamic as the pissed off First Daughter makes for an interesting character.

Lastly, I know I continue to preach my enjoyment of Agent Walker’s internal struggle with the ways of Jack Bauer, but it came across brilliantly again this week. Her face said it all in the mirror. She is terrified, but she can’t stop the train that is Jack. Deep inside her, she believes he is right, but she will reach her breaking point soon as we saw in the riveting previews. The question remains, will she ultimately trust Jack’s instincts or will she turn on him when he needs her most?

Clearly, Jack will stretch her moral comfort zone significantly more before it is all said and done. I cannot wait for it.

Bay 2 Breakers Bust

2009-02-11T22:40:00.001-08:00

One of San Francisco's longest running parties had a rough day today. Bay 2 Breakers, a 7 mile world class foot race that serves as an appetizer for the largest street party in the nation, made an announcement that will surely disappoint the majority of the event's participants – even if they are non-paying participants.

On average, 70,000 people come out for Bay 2 Breakers. Of the 70,000, about 15,000 actually pay and run. Most do not attempt to run the race. They dress up in themed costumes, build elaborate floats, and drink plenty of alcohol. It is a glorious day in which just about anything goes. Including nakedness.

Well, the city, the race, and its main sponsor agreed to crack down on all that is fun about Bay 2 Breakers this year. There will be no booze, no nakedness, and no floats. Only runners. Who the hell wants to watch runners?

ING is the main sponsor of this event. I have an ING account. I hope ING suffers a slow and painful death for this and I really HOPE they do not receive a government bailout. In fact, I might just close my account to be safe.

I've participated in 3 consecutive Bay 2 Breakers and I have had a blast each year. There really is nothing like it. It is a true San Francisco treat. The city and the people responsible for trying to shut down this celebration ought to be ashamed.

What is just one day of heavy celebration and drinking? Yes, a major clean up is needed, but factor in the influx of people into the city, the boost in the local economy, and the morale it brings and we can afford to pay for that clean up.

The city also complains about public urination. A symptom common with heavy drinking and there is plenty of it. I once walked past a basement apartment charging $3 for people to use their restroom. I happily obliged and even tipped the woman at the door. Why can't the city just increase the number of port a potties so we are not forced to pee on the streets or in bushes? Again, think of all the dumb drunk purchases people make that will cover the cost for this.

Bay 2 Breakers is not like Halloween in the Castro where each year, people are injured or even killed. There are no stabbings or shootings. It is a day time activity. It is a celebration.

Bay 2 Breakers is a tradition. People come from all over to enjoy the day. Whether it is to run in the midst of the madness or to be the madness, people come. Why would someone fly in and pay to run the race when they could easily run in their local 12k race and have the same experience? Bay 2 Breakers is in for an extremely low turnout. Their goal is to deter the rotten eggs who trash the city, but they will also deter the purist of runners and the purist of partiers.

The people dumb and drunk enough to risk ruining the event by damaging the streets are the ones dumb enough to risk an arrest or the drunk tank. They’ll be there and no one else will.

Way to go.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol - Top 36

2009-02-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

Judge's Mansion Results -

Controversy officially hit home in Idol land tonight as the judges made final decisions on the 36 Semifinalists. The judges passed on a few talented singers, while keeping some questionable ones alive due to their obnoxious and very NON SINGING persona.

Now, do not get me wrong, I have praised Norman Gentle (pictured above) from day one and I still appreciate his vibe. I cannot, however, sit here and claim he should be in the top 36 when people like Jamar are sent home. Jamar didn't really stand a chance to make it to the finals and he never would have received such screen time if it he's not Danny's best friend.

Tatiana on the other hand, I am livid about. I loathe her. Seriously, I loathe her. My main gripe about this season is that they officially are allowing America to control the fate of someone like Tatiana when she clearly has no business winning. Even Sanjaya got into the semis on a good voice. His schtick did not surface until well into the Semis. If America starts voting for Tatiana and Simon flips out, he has no one to blame but himself.

I will admit, I enjoyed the sing offs this year, but I thought some of the pairings were strange. The first sing off had two guys that were not even good. And they paired the obnoxious cry baby with a great singer (who sang his ass off tonight) whom we had yet to see AT ALL, which sealed his fate before he walked into the judges' chamber.

I'm not sure if the final 36 is made up of equal guys and girls. Does anyone know?

Simon had some great lines tonight that definitely made me bust up. His interruptions and one-liners are so classic. I loved it when he called out Kara (who looked sexy as ever tonight) and Paula for sending home the good looking blonde instead of the ugly annoying blonde.

I think 11 of my top 12 made it through (excluding Jamar, which I am bummed about, but again, he didn't really stand a chance).

I still like Anoop a lot, but I feel like Danny is the favorite. Stephen Fowler is legit and they saw through his mistakes from the final day. I think the girls are going to be a surprise force once we get to hear everyone sing for the first time next week.

I love Kendall from Texas - babe city.

Top Prediction (take 2):

Anoop Desai
Danny Gokey
Stephen Fowler
Lil Rounds
Adam Lambert
Jackie Tohn
Matt Giraud
Kendall Beard
Allison Iraheta
Scott Macintyre
Alexis Grace
Joanna Pacitti

Next week they will only have 12 performers on Tuesday and then two of them will be sent home on Wednesday. The other groups of 12 will do the same in the following weeks. I assume this will repeat itself until we get to the final 24 at least, but I really do not know.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Where are all my avid readers?

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol - Hollywood Week Conclusion

2009-02-10T21:55:00.001-08:00

Hollywood Week Conclusion - It's Almost Singing Time!!!!

Tonight's episode at the very least, allowed us to catch a glimpse of some of the talent this season. This season, more than ever, the guessing game for who makes the top 36 (semi-finals) has been eliminated from the equation (tomorrow will get interesting). We knew which of the four groups were going to get eliminated because that group did not have one contestant worth a damn. How did we know that? Because they had barely shown ANY of them at all this season (save for Jason Castro's brother).

I guess you could say they tried to trick us by keeping three groups, but it's not the first time we have seen them do this. The final group had too many contestants that Idol had already dedicated too much screen time to let go this early.

Oh well.

All complaining aside, we had more performances tonight than the previous Hollywood episodes. And there were some good ones.

My favorites thus far have to be:

Danny - lost his wife
Anoop Desai
Scott MacIntyre - Blind Dude
Lil Rounds - huge voice
Jamar - Danny's boy
Kendall Beard - Sexy Blonde Babe From Texas
Michael Sarver (Roughneck)
Adam Lambert - too much make up
Matt Giraud - Elliot Yamin - ish

These three forgot the words and still made it in and I still really like them:

Joanna Pacitti
Casey Carlson
Stephen Fowler

For now, that can be my top 12 (I think Anoop is my personal favorite at this point). I hold the right to change this after tomorrow considering there are plenty of the remaining 54 contestants we have yet to hear.

Yes, there are 54 people left and tomorrow they narrow it to 36 without another performance. Basically, the judges were given an opportunity to take a closer look at film from the 54 they saved and will then cut it down another 18 to ensure they do not make any mistakes. This just further proves that tonight's episode did not have much drama at all.

The "Judges Mansion" will host tomorrow's cut. Contestants will face the judges, learn their fate (it looks like some will even be given a chance to sing again to save themselves, but I doubt Simon and company alter any decisions based on performance), and then head down to surprise or shock the other contestants with a "YES!!! I made it!!!!" or a "Nope, they said no".

Part of the reason three groups were kept has to be so the producers can throw excess Tatiana in our faces. You know all of those people's hearts sank in their chests when she walked in after being transferred. If I'm in a room with her and Norman, I'm walking out and packing my bags. But, why not give us an hour of obnoxious entertainment one last time??? Are the other contestants that boring that they have to force feed us those two? I actually like Norman. His comedy is endearing, but Tatiana ought to be stuffed in a suitcase and thrown threw baggage claim and sent on her way. She is awful.

Will either of them make the Semis???

What did everyone else think? Give me some final 12 predictions that we can come back to.

- Crafty Lefty

24: 3pm - 4pm

2009-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

"With all due respect Madam President, ask around" - Jack Bauer

I did not believe 24 could top last week's hour. Even after a great episode, the show had not sold me on a full turnaround from the disaster known as season 6. Then tonight happened.

Boom.

I viewed tonight's episode on time for the first time in a while (partly because Gossip Girl is on hiatus, and I had complete control over the DVR thanks to an absentee roommate). Sitting alone on my couch, this episode had me fist pumping and cheering on multiple instances. I'm not even sure you could call the noise I kept making 'cheering', but whatever the noise, the episode gave me the chills often.

The meeting in the Oval Office was a thing of beauty. Jack did not hesitate to make his presence known amongst President Taylor and the quote above sums up his conviction 100% (one of those fist pump moments). The kidnapping of the First Dude put the President in a position where she had to trust Jack and Bill when everything inside her told her not to. Great internal dilemma going on there. I bet she had been wishing she gave into Dubako's demands earlier. I respect her will to put her husband's life on the line. I can't imagine being in that situation, but I have to believe a President's power unfortunately warrants those types of predicaments.

At first, it bothered me when Agent Walker felt the need to call Agent Moss for help. He really comes across as mental wuss that will end up blowing an operation. I did, however, love his exchange with Jack at the monuments:

Agent Moss: "The rules are what makes us better".
Jack: "Not today".

Did anyone else notice the two subtle moments when first Jack and then Agent Walker made a reference to this crisis and premise of the show only lasting a day? Almost like when a movie script finds a clever way to insert the title of the film into the dialogue in a nonchalant manner. Agent Walker's came later when she started to freak out over their decision to use the secret service's wife and infant as leverage to get the information they needed. Jack told her she could call it quits. Her response, "Maybe I will....tomorrow". Loved it.

Speaking of that, how awesome was it when Agent Walker showed her gun to the wife and fiercely said, "Shut up! Do what I tell you and there is a chance you live through this" (another one of those fist pump moments). Her transformation has been a thing of beauty and I like that they are showing the toll it is taking on her psyche. I assume it is something a raw and young Jack Bauer went through early in his career.

It is too bad that Jack had to kill the secret service agent, but not because he had a wife and kid. The guy had life in prison for treason staring him in the face. His wife and son would probably have disowned him, but even if they did not, there was no future for them. It sucks he died because it clearly looks like Jack did something shady yet again. One of the series' great strengths is the line Jack always crosses for the greater good and no matter how many times it turns out right, very few people respect or appreciate his decisions. This leads to a stormy cloud of doubt halo-ing over his head at all times. It can make the viewer scream at the idiots like Agent Moss who should be treating Jack like the President. Scratch that, they should treat him like God, God Dammit.

I enjoyed watching Bill Buchannon take over White House operations within fifteen minutes of showing up. Why did Chloe get the shaft when they entered the Oval Office? It seemed odd that she didn't appear on screen for the full hour. The previews showed her entering the FBI office like I predicted. I cannot wait for that to go down. Billy Walsh and Janeane Garafolo don't know what is coming for them.

Billy Walsh and Janeane Garafolo are boring thus far. I'm not intrigued by the inner office romance or his suspicions of a cover-up or the FBI "not being in the loop". The show clearly plans to spend a lot of time there so I hope they can lure me in next week once Chloe shows up.

The First Dude will live. I feel like he has to. The look on Agent Walker's face when she realized he had been shot was priceless. She had to have been asking herself, "Did I just kidnap and torture an innocent mother and eleven month old boy for nothing?" I know I would have been asking myself that. Though, didn't it look like Agent Walker was just shielding the mother from her son to make it look like she was doing something to him? I can't imagine she harmed the baby, but the terror and grief on Agent Walker's face made it look so real. Great scene.

Now that the First Dude is secure (dying or not, they have him), the only link to Dubako that we know of is his girlfriend. The previews show Jack and Agent Walker questioning her and the sister, but wasn't Dubako headed to "take care of..." them? How does Jack figure out who the girlfriend is? My first guess was that the sister figures out they are in danger and calls the police, which ultimately gets to Jack, but that is impossible. One, the police have no clue who Dubako is, nor would they know what to do with a complaint like that. Two, if the sister knew she was in trouble, contact with Dubako would need to have happened and I don't see her wheeling away from a terrorist with too much success.

All in all, I thought it was another excellent hour. I feel similarly to how I did in the early seasons where I literally cannot wait for the next episode to see what happens next. I know a lot of the action and classic Jack moments, are well, classic and clearly repetitive, but there is a freshness to the duplicity that has been lacking. Maybe the long break between seasons is helping, but who really cares when it is going this good?

Bring on the next hour!

Other Thoughts:

- I found myself believing in the Warden from Shawshank tonight and that scares me. Everything is telling me to trust him, but I just can't. The producers knew when they cast him that any 24 viewer that has seen The Shawshank Redemption will not trust him. If I am one of those producers, I'm casting him as a good guy and throwing every cynic a curve ball. You have to right?

- Seriously, it was weird to not have any Chloe right?

- Even more serious, where was Tony? They ended last week's episode with a look on Tony's face that screamed drama, action, deception, twists, secrets, and then he receives zero screen time. Intriguing. When does he pop back up? Whose side will he be on when he does show back up? I feel like he is straddling the fence of good and evil, but I might be over looking it.

- Who else is a bad guy? One of the four main FBI people have to be corrupt right? Billy Walsh, Garafolo, Agent Moss, and the long-legged blonde sleeping with Billy Walsh - someone is dirty. My money is on the blonde at this point.

- Any other theories out there? I almost always miss something obvious in the storyline of a 24 season so help me out here.

- Crafty Lefty

Notorious

2009-02-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

(Side Note - I completed a write up of this movie late last night, but when I attempted to publish the post, I lost it all. This is my best attempt to save the beauty that was my initial version. I know for a fact that I missed certain points and added some new lines, but I believe the original voice is there. It just is not quite as eloquent.)

I never quite got around to a full review of Notorious, but I still owe it a Movie Man-Date recap. This is a challenge considering I viewed the movie about two weeks ago. Not to mention the absurd amount of distractions we endured during the viewing (more on that later).

I would not recommend this movie to someone who does not like Hip Hop or care about the 2Pac/Notorious BIG tragedy of the mid 90’s. It's not that this is a bad film. It is actually fairly decent, but the music and the familiarity of the players in the story are what made it the most intriguing.

If you do not know who Lil Kim is, do not go see this movie.

If you do not know who Faith Evans is, do not go see this movie.

I'm going to assume the majority of my readers are aware of those two women as well as Sean Combs, Suge Knight, and all the other people portrayed in this film.

Unlike past movie reviews, I am not going to describe the plot in depth, but rather focus on what I took from the movie. If specific details on Christopher Wallace's life are what you want, check out the VH1 Behind the Music special.

The movie spends a great deal of time exploring the early years of Christopher Wallace, AKA Notorious BIG (and a few other names). Raised by his mother, a strong and disciplined woman, played very well by Angela Bassett, who tried hard to keep her son off the streets. Biggie could have stayed clean, gone to school, got good grades, and ended up in college. Instead, he couldn't resist the temptation of the street corner and the instant money and power it provided. Only after a friend’s ultimate sacrifice, did Biggie commit himself to finding money and power through hip hop, instead of the corners.

The story follows the trials and tribulations of Biggie attempting to make it in music, making it, the ensuing East Coast vs. West Coast conflict, and the ultimate demise of two intelligent and influential super stars way before their musical talents peaked.

Biggie was a lyrical genius. He may have driven a producer crazy in the studio, but when needed, he’d come through in spades. He had an uncanny ability to hear a song, and bust out lyrics with ease without writing anything down. He wasn’t like Lil Wayne in that he never wrote, he did. It’s just that he didn’t need to. In the studio or on stage, the man was a master.

However, that was not the case anywhere else.

Throughout the film, I kept questioning why Sean Combs and Christopher Wallace’s family would agree to and executive produce this story of Biggie. Though they did portray the East Side vs. West Side conflict in a pro-Biggie fashion, the picture painted in the rest of his life was awful. I saw a spoiled kid that did not respect his mother. I saw a selfish star that made poor decisions. I saw a womanizer who neglected his children and roughed up his wife and mistress.

Even as I walked out of the theater, I kept wondering, why is this man a legend? Why were so many people in the streets for his funeral, celebrating his life? Why is he revered?

The answer was simple, but it failed to don on me until later. His music.

No one knew Biggie aside from his music and star persona. They didn’t see what I was seeing. They saw a rare and unique talent. He was their outlet through his lyrics. They didn’t see an immature man neglecting his responsibilities.

Biggie died at the age of 24. I knew this as a fact, but it didn’t register with me at the time. I am only 26. As a boy, he entered the world of men before he knew how to be one. He spent the rest of his life playing catch up. If given an opportunity, I believe he would have matured into a man and the movie attempts to demonstrate that in the final scenes. He just died too soon.

Biggie died before he released his second album. He became a legend after only one album! That is unheard of. Did his death increase his lore? Probably, but he still is one of the greatest rappers ever. I refuse to argue about who the greatest rapper ever is, but Biggie is in the conversation. What if he lived to make ten albums?

Notorious isn’t about a selfish and immature phenom rapper. It’s about a phenom rapper who died before he matured into his talent and his manhood.

Imagine what could have been...

Other Thoughts:

- I’ve never attended a movie where so many interruptions occurred inside the theater. The man behind us spoke on his cell phone and moved several times for no reason. One guy stood up in front of the projector for fifteen seconds before taking a twenty minute break. It was like people were leaving to go get it on in the bathroom and then came back to talk about it. There were only eleven people in the entire theater – including my buddy and me! Bizarre.

- The actress playing Lil Kim, Naturi Naughton, nailed it (damn, she is sexy). I was fascinated by Biggie and Kim’s relationship. I would pay to see a movie solely about them. In fact, why is there not a movie dedicated to Lil Kim herself? Diddy should green light that ASAP. “I want you to be the Marilyn Monroe of Hip Hop”. – Biggie to Kim.

- The actress that plays Faith Evans looks exactly like the real Faith. Great casting.

- You could tell that Derek Luke had a blast with Diddy’s mannerisms. I found myself laughing at scenes and picturing the real Diddy in an episode of Making the Band, set in the late 80’s.

- The Biggie/2Pac relationship, feud, and tragedy should be in the top 10 of US unsolved conspiracies (I’d argue their influence ranks it above many political conspiracies). They were both so young, yet so popular and had so much more to give.

- The actor that plays 2Pac is also the infamous Papa Doc in Eminem’s 8 Mile.

American Idol - Hollywood Week Part 2

2009-02-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Part 2 -

Disappointed again.

I'm not even sure if some of my favorites from yesterday even survived group week. No clue. The hour was a complete mess - completely confusing.

They chose to focus on 2 groups of uninteresting contestants for the majority of the episode. The first 30 minutes did not even have a performance. Did I not predict this??

I really don't have much to say at all. We knew Bikini Babe's love affair with Simon had run its course. Bye bye. Rose Flack, bye bye. Did Crazy Norman make it? I think he did. Anoop?

Of course the group with the two best friends (Jamar/Jamal and Danny) would do well. The cry baby with the lower lip rings is miserable to listen to in interviews. The whacko who auditioned in SF and flip flopped from group to group had me hitting the mute button each time she spoke. Yet, somehow they all made it through? Ugh.

I think there are 75ish contestants left and we still haven't heard many of the sing. I could not be more frustrated with Hollywood week.

How bummed out would you be if you made it to Hollywood, then got cut before the semis, but your saving grace is a certain amount of TV time you assume to receive by making it that far - only to watch all the auditions and two episodes of Hollywood and you are no where to be seen??? Seriously, this must happen to a lot of people. You are sitting there with your family the night the episodes air, ecstatic about some national TV exposure and all you get is a montage of your group getting the Simon Axe and in a flash, its over. You have to re-watch and scour the background to see if you actually ever really went to Hollywood in the first place. Crazy.

Seriously, who is left? Did Crazy Norman make it? I think he did. Anoop?

Anyone? Anyone?

- Crafty Lefty

24: 2pm - 3pm

2009-02-04T21:21:00.001-08:00

Hour seven stepped things up big time. Great action and intrigue. I watched the episode over 24 hours ago so not all the details are completely fresh, but I'll do my best.

What I love about the current plot is that Jack and company are on a mission, but they are ALL in the field. For years (okay, 6 other days), we have seen Jack and his occasional understudy (Chace, Curtis - RIP) in the midst of the action while Tony, Michelle, Chloe, Bill, Kim, Edgar, and every other CTU agent stays back in the lair running the controls. Now, we have Chloe orchestrating a hacker's dream from the back of a moving van (AND in harms way) and Tony and even Bill Buchannon gun-in-tow, blasting people. Don't you think Bill's skills would be a bit rusty? Nope, he is on point.

And just in case you are missing the tension behind the scenes, they are providing plenty of it with the FBI office. Jack, Tony, Bill, and Chloe are so far ahead of them it is silly, but it is great to watch the agents get flustered. Is Agent Moss a good guy? Who is the leak? Have we even met him yet? I know there are many more corrupt people in higher places, but someone in that field office is crooked, right?

I thought this episode did a solid job of progressing the story with Dubako by stopping the power plant attack, demolishing the CIP device, and connecting Dubako to the the First Dude's situation. Plus, we got a glimpse of the double life Dubako is leading in that low priced apartment and the diner waitress girlfriend of his. Who does she think he is? Who is she connected to that has caused him to keep her close? And it is ALWAYS a sibling of that naive girlfriend/boyfriend who can smell a rat, but NEVER can persuade their brother/sister to get away until it is too late. It sounds like this situation is no different with his girlfriend's sister. The shit we do for love.

So, the episode ends with the Prime Minister calling the President and asking for a private meeting. I am happy that Jack is going to get some credit for this, but the President wasted one second before gabbing to someone about the call. And it was none other than the Warden from Shawshank who I can never trust in any role he ever plays. How will that play out? How many people does the President need to tell in order to pull it off. A President really cannot do anything privately so there will be more folks let in on the meeting. I hope Jack and company get their praise and the FBI discovers that agent Walker is alive.

I can't forget to mention the look on Tony's face when he said goodbye to Jack at their hideout. He couldn't turn himself in due to the "bad things" he did prior to this mission. Will we know what that means? I sensed a little menace in his look, which either means he has no intention of turning himself in OR he is still up to something dirty, right? Whatever it is, he is clearly dealing with some demons.

The hour ends with the Prime Minister en route to the President and the President's Husband kidnapped and headed to Dubako. The upcoming scenes show what looks like a team led by Jack coming to the rescue. Of course there will be new FBI field agents, and secret service agents involved, which only means more traitors in the mix. What will they do with Chloe and Bill. Is Bill in the action for the rest of the day? I would love to see Chloe forced to man a station at the field office with Billy Walsh and Janeane Garofolo - guaranteed tension and classic Chloe dialogue.

Other Thoughts:

- Sad to see the creator of the CIP device (John Billingsley II) forced to blow himself up to ensure the safety of his family. Billingsley is a solid actor and I hope their are more roles to come. He has two movies coming out, but I loved him on the TV show The Nine, which of course got cancelled before it really began.

- Also sad that the plant manager died saving his employees when it ended up not being necessary. Heroic move.

What did I miss? What other theories are out there?

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol - Hollywood Week

2009-02-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

Part 1 -

Huge letdown.

After forcing us to sit through hours of schmucks doing anything to get on TV, while only sprinkling a great singer here and there, you come up with this. Really?

After all the build up for Hollywood week returning to its glory, you give us this. Kidding me?

I only hope that this was a sad attempt to waste an episode for the sake of timing and ratings and that there is a light at the end of the Hollywood tunnel. Shockingly, I am giving the producers of American Idol the benefit of the doubt and assuming they simply needed to weed out the mistakes they made during the auditions. It is the only explanation for tonight's disappointment.

Tonight they cut the talent pool down from 147 to 104. Of the 104, we maybe saw 10 people sing for about 10 seconds each. So instead of reinventing the wheel this season, Idol just slowed down Hollywood week with an initial episode featuring almost no singing and really nothing at all.

I can't even claim any front runners considering we haven't seen 90% of the remaining contestants, but I'll throw out a few names: Lil Rounds (first girl, huge voice), Danny (lost his wife, sang Seal damn well), Anoop (UNC student who can sing his ass off), Stephen (big Afro), Osmond Jr., and I don't even know who else would be on there.

Rose Flack (from my previous post), looked and sounded awful, but she made it through. Seriously, I think she gained 15 pounds before coming to Hollywood. And her feet are still stuck in dirty city.

I have a hard time believing things will improve tomorrow during the group rounds. I guarantee Idol will focus mainly on the quarrels between groups and rarely will we get a glimpse of star power talent. Maybe they'll prove me wrong.

I believe next week is also a double Hollywood week, which means they should finally start to introduce the main players to us before they expect us to vote.

Why waste a full 2 episodes on crap when we could be getting to know contestants right now?

Other Thoughts:

- Norman is hilarious and I'm glad they keep passing him through. I don't see the talent with him that the judges claim to see, but he is keeping me entertained for sure.

- Bikini Babe (Katrina) is another bright spot and not really for the skin she shows (though I'm not complaining). Whatever Simon and Randy have going with her is hilarious. Watching Simon mock Kara and Paula by agreeing with Katrina is classic. Simon typically never indulges with obnoxious contestants and I am loving the change. It is providing a great dynamic with the 4 judges. She can't possibly last much longer and it all has to be a ratings ploy, but I don't care.

- I am assuming the producers will show a different set of contestants in the spotlight tomorrow night to keep things fair.

- Who else did you guys like?

Gossip Girl - Carnal Knowledge

2009-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Brief thoughts on tonight's episode of Gossip Girl:

It was great to be back in the mix with Constance and the Manhattan elite, but tonight's episode did not come close to satisfying my guilty pleasure needs. Though it was great to see Lonely Boy get some action with the young Ms. Rachel Carr (who could pass for a freshman) and to see Blair feel some pain for her actions against said teacher, the rest of the episode struggled to impress.

All of the early scenes with Blair and her brainless army failed to even be humorous. In fact, they even came across as tired and annoying. With a week off, they should have built the Blair/Ms. Carr conflict back up a bit with intrigue. Instead, I barely bought into it and tuned out the early part of the show.

The Chuck storyline was such an afterthought compared to the drama at school that we rarely saw our favorite bad boy in action. My favorite scene came when he convinced the real estate agent to give him confidential information. I want to talk to people that way. His delivery continues to be solid. I want more of it and less Blair, although I will admit there were some solid Dorota zingers tonight and watching the sadness and guilt come crashing down on her after Papa Waldorf called her out was touching.

Why the hell is Serena still friends with Blair? I know the show stretches reality into the fantasies of the rich and extravagant, but wouldn't S already have realized B needs to be kicked to the curb? Or at least stop encouraging and supporting her antics. Just stupid.

And why not more blame on Serena for her assumption that Dan and Rachel were guilty? She should be reprimanded too. And yes, I am glad Dan got laid by a young, hot teacher when his idiot girlfriend continues to doubt him and act like an idiot. Atta boy Dan.

And Rufus should know his son better than that. The Rufus we have come to love should trust his son. Instead he didn't and Dan ended up with her when everyone else turned against him. And is Lily and the Upper East Side life following Rufus to Brooklyn? There is a fine line between protecting your children and looking the other way to save their "future" at the expense of someone else. C'mon Rufus. Get your mojo back.

Really happy the writers finally addressed the awful decision to make Jenny Humphrey turn into a "raccoon" (as Dan said tonight) with the awful make-up she had going for several episodes this season. That remains one of the strangest mid-season goofs in the series' history. At least they can poke fun at their mistakes.

Where is the Chuck story going? Elle clearly got got, but why? By whom? Where are they taking this? I'm not sure I like it, but they better spend more time on Chuck in the coming episodes.

So Dan and Ms. Carr get it on and of course she ends up with her job back. Can they put it behind them once she is reinstated? How soon until one of the gossip princesses finds out?

Is it weird that Chace Crawford has blown up so much and he gets about 35 seconds of airtime an episode as Nate Archibald? I want more of him and Vanessa.

Now that Serena and Dan are out (for now at least), I would love to see them take a back seat to Rufus and Lily, Chuck, and Nate. However, the teacher/student sex scandal will dominate for awhile now.

What did you guys think????

XOXO
Crafty Lefty

Super Sunday Funday

2009-02-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

After a whirlwind weekend with the parents (and excess amounts of alcohol), I settled in for what most believe to be the ultimate Sunday Funday - Super Bowl Sunday.

However, the tornado that is my mom and dad (and uncle), burst through my city and left my body incapable of the type of energy needed for a Super Sunday Funday. I spent the better part of the morning (and afternoon) laying in bed watching The Express - another unknown sports story with a greater meaning that pulls at your emotions. Hollywood is damn good at making the stock template, "Based on a true story" sports movie. Most of them are average movies at best, but they will still entertain and end up making you tear up.

Have you ever noticed that when your body and mind are weak from a weekend of partying that pretty much anything can make you cry? It is like your brain uses the movie to release the emotion (regret for some) felt after doing bad things to your body over a 48 hour period.

Ernie "The Express" Davis had me in tears.

When I finally wiped the tears away and hopped in the shower around 1pm, the five hour Super Bowl preview was sixty percent done (I'm still a bit foggy, how is my math?). The typical Super Bowl party is at least an hour into its festivities by now, but I was alone and happy about it.

My roommate came home around 2:30pm and informed me that there would be a few people coming over for the game. I was prepared for this, but he was running so late that I started to believe I may luck out and have the house to myself for the game. I could leave my personality back at the bar I closed down at 2am and not have to socialize. Nope. People were on the way.

Those in attendance at this party would probably argue that I never picked up my personality at the bar, but I do not really care. I had my couch, my snacks, and my beer (okay, I only drank one beer, but I made it last). While they chatted about their weekends and everything else except the actual game, I sat in silence, save for the occasional mumble, rarely offering an opinion on anything.

I might argue that if the topics of conversation were of any substance or relevance to the event at hand, I may have joined in. But my hang over dominated any inclination to schmooze for the sake of schmoozing.

If you are hosting or attending a Super Bowl party, you need to prepare yourself for the inevitable distractions that come from non-football fans faking their way through a viewing for an excuse to socialize. I struggle to do this. I like hearing (and often arguing with) the commentary. I want to critique each commercial. I actually want to watch the halftime performance. Bruce Springsteen is a legend. The demographic at my party scoffed at his selection. You think I heard much of the show? No. Who the hell knows what was said over his dynamic and almost excellent 12 minute event (that I had to watch this morning on Youtube). The man turned a full stage knee slide into a pelvic thrust that knocked a camera over. How can you not enjoy that?

Take my hang over, add in the dynamic of our viewing party, and nowhere will you find ‘Super’ or ‘Fun’ in the answer. Especially when you consider the letdown that often comes with "The Big Game". Rarely, does a Super Bowl live up to the hype. We know this even when we get a, "Helmet Catch" miracle. No way we are blessed with two great games in a row, right?

For 3 quarters, that was the case.

Yes, we got an astonishing 100 yard interception return on a pathetic throw by Kurt Warner (who must not have prayed before that play) to end the first half, but other than that, the game's pace only enhanced my hang over. Plus, the commercials flopped and when I could hear them, only once did they receive a chuckle from our audience (the Dorito crystal ball).

But then the 4th quarter happened. And thank the Football Gods for it. All of a sudden, the best players started making incredible plays at the right times. I went from seriously debating a covert exit of my living room into my bedroom, to not wanting the game to end. I even wanted another beer, but I was too afraid to miss the next play to leave the couch and get one.

What was headed towards a forgettable Super Bowl all of a sudden entered the debate of "Greatest ever". I have to believe there have been better games, but it was surely one of the best in recent memories. And the first 3 quarters were boring! Remarkable.

The 4th quarter made me forget my internal promise to never watch a Super Bowl with non-sports fans present until I am married and have no choice. I no longer cared who was with me.

My hangover was gone and I started to feel the effects of Sunday Funday.

Then the post game interviews and comments from analysts coming from the TV became overwhelmed by a serious discussion over Jessica Simpson’s weight problem taking place in my living room. My internal promise kicked back in. So did the hangover and I was asleep by 9pm.

Nothing Super about that.

I'll take a visit from the parents over a Super Sunday Funday - any day.

Other Thoughts:

It was a great finish and a game I definitely enjoyed despite the rather bleak 3 quarters and much too prevalent officiating. I equally blame the officials for making too many calls and the players for playing with such a lack of discipline.

I cannot wait to see how Larry Fitzgerald’s career goes. He is scary good and rises to the occasion every time. Plus, he seems like a great person. I recommend finding his interview with Tiki Barber that NBC showed during the pre-game show.

Why the hell didn’t they review the final fumble/incomplete pass play? Not happy about this.

I hate that the Steelers now have more Super Bowls than my 49ers, but how can you be mad at a franchise run by the Rooney family? Why can’t all sports teams be run by people like that?

The Clampetts

2009-01-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have family in town this weekend, which will no doubt limit my ability to take the necessary time to update this blog with any hint of thought provoking gab. I feel you need to know this as my audience continues to grow and the anticipation for new and profound posts heightens inside you. If only that were actually true – someday, I swear.

Last night, my parents (also known as the Clampetts) came into town for a long weekend with their favorite son, yours truly. Okay, they only have one son, but is that really an important detail? The reason for their visit is convoluted, but I like to think they would have come just to see me anyway. We will never know for sure, but nonetheless, they are here and I am happy. See, I have a great relationship with my parents. One that is surprisingly open and honest in all walks of life. We are great friends. Best friends. What I am getting at, is that a weekend with the parents is very much a treat, not a chore.

We had a great night last night. Probably too great because I am on the sluggish side today. I hoped to knock out the latest Movie Man-Date, Notorious, but I could not quite focus enough on the review while at work today. I hope to provide some insight on the film when I am able to think appropriately. My opinion on the movie has changed since my initial reaction. Indeed, a movie about Biggie Smalls had my brain in overdrive.

If I have downtime over the weekend, I will try and flush out my thoughts on the movie and/or anything else that might come to mind. If I am unable to post anything until Sunday, I apologize. The booze will be flowing and when I am not drinking, I will be out and about showing mom and dad the city I call home. Their one goal this weekend is to see me in my element.

This should be fun.

- Crafty Lefty

American Idol - Salt Lake City

2009-01-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Salt Lake –

Last night’s episode had some quality talent. I think we will see good things out of Utah again this year and it will not be in the form of the ever so awful David Archuleta.

Utah evidently is the home of many young mothers with ridiculous singing talent. I really enjoyed both 22/23 year old moms. One, recently divorced, sporting a tattoo sleeve on her right arm and the other, more reserved, but charming and happily married.

The class president they let in might top the list of “Hollywooders I would like to punch in the face”. He couldn’t really sing and he had an awful personality. Who says to the judges, “I can tell, you guys really just want to let me in. You don’t want me to fail”. This is a kid who has never heard “No” in his life. The Simon I know would have sent him long gone. What the hell?

The producers found their patented tear jerker final contestant in Utah. The oh-so charming and loveable hippie with a beautiful face (Rose Flack, pictured above) can sing very well. I was touched by the story on how her close friend’s family took her in after her parents died (I think one of a disease and the other shortly thereafter in a car accident). I mean, the entire family drove her to Salt Lake from Idaho. The Hollywood agent inside of me couldn’t help but see her commercial potential. She has a face to die for. All she needs is a nutritionist, a personal trainer, an orthodontist, and BOOM - there’s a superstar. I’m only being half serious. She needs too keep her vibe in tact, but a little work around the edges and she could be dangerous.

Does anyone else find it strange how far some of these contestants seem to travel for an audition? There were people from Los Angeles and Hollywood. Why wouldn’t they just drive up to the San Francisco auditions? Maybe they did and were turned away or screwed up an application somehow. I have to believe anyone willing to travel to Utah to audition did enough research to realize there were auditions closer to home.

American Idol is one audition episode away from Hollywood week. However, it is a two-hour, two city audition grand finale of sorts. Oh well, at least it airs tonight and the good stuff starts next week instead of making us wait. Yes, the juggernaut that is American Idol is dominating the nightly ratings 3 times this week. If only a sliver of their audience would cross over to Friday Night Lights. I can always dream.

I had to do a little research to attempt to understand why Puerto Rico is hosting an audition for American Idol. I figured it had to do with the host/judges wanting an exotic getaway. People born in Puerto Rico are in fact US Citizens through the relationship with the United States as an unincorporated territory. I knew we had a diplomatic and governmental relationship with Puerto Rico, but I wasn’t entirely sure what it all meant. I probably still don’t, but oh well. There’s always tomorrow.

- Crafty Lefty

Happy Hour

2009-01-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

No, I do not have any inside information on where to find the best happy hour in a city near you. Sorry, if I did, I wouldn’t be writing. I would be drinking.

In a tanking economy where airfares, hotel rates, and just about everything else are dropping to kick the newfound frugalness out of our systems, why can’t local watering holes throw us a bone and do the same?

As a drinker, I have my rituals and routines, but right now, I would happily change things up for a deal. I know I am not alone.

I’m not talking to the “it” bars of the current season. I’m talking to the bars next door. The little guys. The underdogs. Business sucked before so why not take advantage of the spending conscious and offer up obscenely cheap happy hours that occur during normal drinking hours? The 4pm to 6pm Happy Hour doesn’t count. All that does is get us drunk so we no longer care that prices double during peak drinking time. 5pm to 2am would suffice.

In the words of the great Terence Mann, “People will come. People will most definitely come”. Seriously, if I knew a bar lowered its drink prices to say, $2-$3 wells and draft beers, with nightly shot and specialty drink deals, I would come. Wouldn’t you?

Said establishment will make money. Profit margins may decrease on a per drink basis, but volume will shoot through the roof. We all know that alcohol consumption is the last thing to take a hit in a downward economy. That’s why bars are sticking it to us. They know we must drink our sorrows away. So, why watch the same bar rake in cash, while kindly asking us patrons to grab our ankles, when you can capitalize on our financial vulnerability and be our savior at the same time? We will remember it was you that held our hand in a tough time.

It is America after all, and things will turn around. The economy will bounce back. Lay-offs will stop and hiring will commence. Salaries will increase. Bonuses will be paid. When it happens, we will remember who had our back in the tough time.

What do you have to lose? Do this, and you could become the new “it” bar.

Other Thoughts:

I find it remarkable that when money is tight, people continue to drink, gamble, and play the lotto. Drinking only leads to bad decisions that often end up being, “drunk purchases”, which is definitely not what we want to see on our credit card statement the next morning.

I am still employed and do not have a lifetime of 401K or savings dwindling in the stock market, yet my spending guilt is severe these days. Why? I should be taking advantage of sales and travel deals, but instead, I’m worried about eating out and bar tabs. What is it about a recession that freaks people out who don’t really need to be freaking out?

TV: American Idol

2009-01-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

Jacksonville Recap:

Not a lot to say about tonight's episode. I found myself searching for any hint of the Jacksonville I remembered, but it was nowhere to be found. In fact, did I even see Jacksonville when I was in Jacksonville?

I thought the final girl was exceptionally good and damn cute. They had no business making her leave and comeback with a make over. Can we even call it that? She had some random woman claiming to be a "stylist" add some make up, took off her jacket, changed her shoes, and messed up her hair. I guess it is the little things that count. I think the producers could not find a single quality singer with a tear-jerk background to ESPN Up Close us with at the end of the show so they settled with making an automatic finalist sweat it out. Yes, she will be a finalist. Guaranteed.

New Hot Judge Kara didn't have any moments of sexual seduction tonight. I kept waiting for it, but nothing happened. The Paula kiss (which wasn't a kiss at all) got her a bit disheveled, but that was it. I was hoping she would try to do bad things to Ryan while he sat on her lap, but nothing panned out. There's always tomorrow.

Simon has been rather tame lately, but I have to admit - when I see that a singer is going to be bad, I have been fast forwarding to the next person without waiting for Simon to kick someone while they are down. I am sick of the auditions and very much read for the new Hollywood week we keep hearing about.

Salt Lake City is next. There figures to be a lot of pretty white people who can sing while coming across as sheltered and absolutely boring human beings - welcome back David Archuleta everyone. Please, please, please DO NOT let the judges over-hype someone like him again.

I would love to see a controversial contestant come out of Utah. Maybe a child from a Big Love Polygamist family with one husband, 3 wives, and plenty of children running around a compound. Better yet, what if we had a 25 year old married man who was already engaged to wife number two and had big dreams for a third down the line? Now that is great television.

- Crafty Lefty

TV: 24 - Hour 6

2009-01-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

As much as I would love to write a Gossip Girl review, the TV Gods have screwed us all. Can anyone explain why all the shows are taking a week off this week? Some are taking multiple weeks off. In fact, I think GG is a re-run next week as well. Don't quote me on that.

I went back and forth on whether or not I would write a weekly recap of 24. It's tough to write anything of substance when so much of it has been said before. It really is Jack always being Jack. How many times can you say it? He's the man. I love him. But he is not an easy person to discover new angles to cover.

All that being said, I went into tonight's episode still undecided. To write or not to write? Writing it will be.

My Thoughts:

Hour 6? Is that where we are? Whatever hour, it was my favorite. I enjoy watching new characters enter the "You cannot trust anyone" world of Jack and company. Agent Walker's confusion and reluctance to accept the reality of the situation was great to see.

This hour contained two separate, "I don't trust you so I am going to turn on you moments". The first, which I hated, occurred when David Emerson realizes something is up and tries to turn on Tony and Jack. It lacked excitement and ingenuity. The come from behind tactic has been done before so many times. And of course, it backfired on him. Will we ever know the kinds of things he and Tony did together that made it so difficult for Tony to accept killing him? I hope so.

The 2nd moment, I loved. Jack and Tony saw right through Dubaku's crew. They were well prepared to set those men up. I knew it. You knew it. Even though I knew Tony had a plan, I was thrown off by the sniper ploy with Jack. The way they shot the scene was excellent. I really thought Tony might get shot. He's already been dead like 3 times in the series anyway. What's one more?

Chloe never fails to provide brevity to the tense situations and it is always unintentional. When she is prepping to place a transmitter on the Prime Minister's tooth, he asks, "Are you with the FBI?" A classic Chloe response, "No, I'm a stay at home mom." I think this is really when the Prime Minister has to start freaking out about who the hell he is placing his trust with. Chloe and Bill Buchannon are such important pieces to the 24 puzzle.

My favorite storyline of the whole episode has to be the First Dude killing the sociopath of a secret service agent right before the guy successfully executes a murder suicide with the First Son's fiance. Some tense moments when the fiance walks in and sees him frozen on the couch. The mind blowing frustration one must feel when their world is crashing down and their muscles are paralyzed.

The psycho agent was working for Jon Voight right? Didn't we learn this in the special 24: Redemption? We don't know his exact job or who he has in his pockets, but he is the guy, I believe. When will he show up??

It's too early for me to tell if I like Madam President or not. She is going with her gut and I respect that. How many lives will suffer for it?

A big pet peeve - if I am a cabinet member who strongly disagrees with a tactic that could risk thousands of American lives, there is no way I am erasing myself from the decision. I think he was the Secretary of State. He knows he is the only one voicing any opposing opinions, which means no one else will stand up to the President. Where will she stop? How can he sleep at night, knowing he left the room instead of staying to fight the good fight?

That's all I have for tonight. TV land better pick it up next week. I know for a fact that I have some 24 fanatics reading Crafty Lefty so I hope I get some of their thoughts on this episode and the season itself.

Movie Man-Date: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

Lightening doesn’t strike the same place twice. But in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, lightening strikes one guy seven times and we see them all.

I’m not sure why I chose to lead with lightening. It serves no real purpose for the rest my commentary, but the moments in which they occur, randomly situated throughout the film, may not serve any purpose to the movie, other than to make sure everyone is still awake.

That introduction would make a reader assume I hated Button when in reality, I didn’t. I just didn’t love it. I didn’t exactly like it either. It was just ok - certainly not 13 Oscar Nomination extraordinary by any means.

The film, set in New Orleans, starts out at the end of the First World War. A mother dies giving birth to a “monster” of a child and the father can’t bear to fulfill his wife’s dying wish to always protect their son. Instead, he first tries to throw the baby in the river, but is caught by the police. He decides to leave the child on the steps of a nursing home. A nurse, played by Taraji P. Henson, takes the baby in and decides to raise him.

She quickly learns that the baby was born old and will grow young throughout his life. The film sets this idea up through a flashback about a blind clockmaker and his decision to make a clock tick backwards in honor of all the fallen soldiers; his own son among them. The symbolism of the clock did not work for me. I would have preferred the medical miracle method to help us believe this movie has placed us in a world where someone can be born in their 80’s and grow into Brad Pitt.

The first part of the movie is bizarre. You’re watching a little old man in a wheelchair fall in love with a 10 year old girl, Daisy. This is not the best way to introduce the epic love story that lives in the center of this movie. Instead of feeling their passion and pain for each other, I’m still thinking about the pedophile-like gaze I witnessed when Ben felt love at first sight.

If you can get passed that part, the middle of the movie provides some solid scenes of love and adventure. Once Ben Button leaves the confines of the nursing home and starts experiencing the world, the journey begins. There’s something very interesting about watching an elderly-looking man experience his first sexual experience and first drink. Less interesting through his eyes and more through the people he meets along the way who can’t understand how a man could live his whole life without being with a woman.

As Ben Button makes a living on a chug-boat, he meets a married woman at a hotel (Tilda Swinton). They begin a secret friendship that turns into a grand affair. All of it, taking place in the middle of the night. I found their affair to be fascinating. Each night, he would sneak down to the lobby and she would be there, waiting for him. They would talk carelessly and freely about anything. Often times, she would teach him about things like fine cuisine and vodka – opening up a world to him that he’d never seen as a 20 year old going on 60. After awhile, their midnight meetings turned into romance. A romance strong enough that Ben felt he had to tell Daisy (Cate Blanchet) about her. But then one night, she was gone, leaving only a simple and certainly not poetic note.

Like most life long love stories, timing is everything. After the affair and he has returned from sea, Ben and Daisy fail on multiple occasions to embrace their love for each other. When they finally deem the time is right, the shelf-life is, of course, short. They cannot grow old together. She is growing old while he is growing young. Yes, they can meet in the middle and when they do, the film captures the love brilliantly, but it didn’t need to be so short.

The film’s key message is that nothing ever lasts. In life, we know this is true. If things lasted forever, how would we know they were worth holding onto in the first place? In Button this is amplified because Ben’s life is going in the opposite direction. Everyone he knows is dying while he is getting younger. But he’s still dying. His life span is no longer than Daisy’s. I mention this because during a key moment in the film, Daisy throws herself at Ben, but he is not ready for their love to come to fruition. Bull shit. Why? He should know their time is short. That he cannot expect her to grow old with him or raise a family with him. He can’t father a child when he’s a child. So why, when they are both so deeply in love, would he turn her away? Is it because he is still a little old looking? She clearly doesn’t care. If nothing ever lasts, why pass on a good thing when it’s sitting right in front of you? It’ll be gone before you know it.

Of course, when their lives meet in the middle and they are both ready to be together, she gets pregnant. How can you explain to your daughter that daddy is getting younger and cannot raise you when he is becoming a child too? So Ben has to leave before his daughter ever knows who he is – a heart wrenching decision of sacrifice for a man deeply in love, looking out for the best interest of his daughter.

Soon after, as I’m really feeling the pain of this love story, the movie ruins it. Ben comes back. His daughter is now 15 or 16, Daisy has re-married, and life has gone on. Fifteen years later, Ben still looks like Brad Pitt. Albeit, a young looking Brad Pitt, but certainly not a 10 year old boy. He could have raised his daughter. By the time she’s off to college, she could comprehend the strangeness of his condition and he wouldn’t be in diapers.

I would have been able to let this slide if the movie made it seem like Ben was much younger. Even if it’s too difficult to make Brad Pitt look ten, at least they could make him act ten. Instead, they had Ben and Daisy sleep together! What are we supposed to think of that? He’s clearly supposed to be older, which confirms he could have raised her. Was it just one last chance to let their true love come bursting out? Was his sacrifice in leaving, more about letting Daisy find a companion to grow old with? Ben needed to let her live her later years without him in his twenties, teens, and infant stages?

In the end, Daisy ends up caring for baby Ben anyway. So instead of a life long love of passion and pain, they got a brief spell of passion and hell of a lot of pain. One could argue that’s the exact point of the story, but they could have provided a better needle to weave the details together.

If this is all sounding a bit disjointed, it is because the movie is just that. Fincher tries to shoot the moon, but despite his grandiose effort, it all falls apart.

Other Thoughts:

- I really wanted to like Brad Pitt’s performance as Benjamin Button and he does a good job, but it is not Oscar-caliber. Clint Eastwood should be pissed.

- I’m very happy that Taraji P. Henson is receiving such high praise. She has been a great actress for years, but was this really Oscar work?

- Did anyone else find the scenes between Ben's father and him (before he knew who he was) oddly homoerotic? Ben's being naive, as he is in most of the early part of the film, but it was still strange to see.

- By now, some of you may have seen this video, but I’m passing it on just in case. I wish I had not seen this before watching the movie. I couldn’t help but look for similarities with Forrest Gump – and there are plenty of them.

- I liked how the story unfolded through the diary and Daisy's full disclosure goodbye to her daughter. Did they really need to use Hurricane Katrina for dramatic effect though?

Vegas Baby - Fight Weekend!

2009-01-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

It didn’t take long for Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao to realize his name alone is not garnishing a big pay day. He might be the pound for pound king in the ring, but he’s definitely not the king of pay per view.

Days after Pacquiao backed out on a 50/50 split in a May 2nd scheduled bout with Ricky “The Hit Man” Hatton, it appears he has changed his mind. The fight is back on, setting up a dramatic clash in Vegas that ultimately, could lead to the return of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. A potential end of the year fight with the Pacquiao/Hatton winner should entice Mayweather out of retirement, putting his undefeated record on the line with a massive pay day.

Boxing needs this.

The growing popularity of the UFC and the lack of polarizing American fighters (especially in the dismal heavyweight division) have enhanced the decline of boxing. There are good fighters out there, but only true boxing fans care. Oscar De La Hoya cannot carry the pay per view weight when he is getting dazed and confused. Mayweather’s rise to stardom coincided with his retirement following back to back victories over the sports most popular fighters (De La Hoya and Hatton). Until HBO’s 24/7 put him on the map, he was relatively unknown. Just as quickly as he rose, he disappeared into retirement.

HBO Sports could document two fat kids with two left feet and two horrible personalities training for a fight, make it dramatic and suck me in to watch, but I’m not going to pay $65.99 to actually watch them fight. I’ll just read it in the paper the next day. Seriously though, how great is HBO Sports? If they showed up to pitch me an idea for anything, I’m signing on the dotted line before they say hello.

But HBO needs good fighters to utilize the show to increase the hype and the number of pay per views for THE FIGHT.

Hatton’s rabid UK fans will pounce on Vegas once again and those who can’t afford the trip across the pond, will line up for the pay per view fee. Pacquiao is a God in his native Philippines and has the Filipino-American community in a Manny-frenzy. It’s a recipe for a mega-fight and we don’t even have an American fighter. We have one waiting in the wings. Add that to the mix and the fight is all the more intriguing.

No matter who wins, the next fight is huge. If Pacquiao wins, the storyline is obvious – current pound for pound king vs. the undefeated pound for pound king. If Hatton upsets, he energizes his fan base and we might even see a Hatton vs. Mayweather rematch in front of 100,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London. Wow.

The second storyline is the most intriguing. The Hatton phenomenon is remarkable. If you are male, ages 21-35, living a short plane ride from Las Vegas, why wouldn’t you organize a “Boys trip” for the May 2nd fight weekend? The city will be on fire with drunken hooligans. You won’t feel obligated to root against him when his fans boo during the American National Anthem (just ask Tyrese Gibson - 3:40 into it). Even if you want Pac-Man to win, you won’t recognize his anthem to notice anyway. Plus, after a couple craps table sessions with The Hit Man’s Brits, you will be singing a different tune:

There's only one Ricky Hatton,
One Ricky Hatton,
Walking along,
Singing this song,
Walking in a Hatton wonderland

Trust me. At 4am on Saturday morning, you and your friends will be chanting that song as loud as you can. If you are at a club, strip club, casino, or brothel, Hatton-mania will chime in. They will be everywhere. Book a flight and join them. Book it now.

No matter how it goes down on May 2nd, boxing got the fight it so desperately wanted. The stage is set for resurgence in the ring (not the octagon) in 2009 as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. comes through on his end. He will if the money is there. It will be there if we support the first fight. Watch 24/7, fly to Vegas, and embrace the frenzy. If you don’t go to Vegas, buy the pay per view and watch it with your boys.

My money’s on each and every one of you singing Hatton’s Wonderland by the end of the night. Will it be with the hooligans on the strip or will it be at your hometown bar where no one knows what the hell you are singing?

- Crafty Lefty

P.S. watch those youtube videos...awesome.

Oscar Nominations Announced!!!

2009-01-22T05:50:00.000-08:00

Here we go people...

I have mixed feelings about the outcome, but to be fair, I have not see all the films yet.

I've listed out the main acting and best picture categories for now (you can get the full list here). I will follow this up with a more in depth Oscar prediction post, but for kicks, I have highlighted my early favorites.

Best Picture:

Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Reader
Milk
Frost/Nixon

Best Actor:

Sean Penn; Milk
Mickey Rourke; The Wrestler
Brad Pitt; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frank Langella; Frost/Nixon
Richard Jenkins; The Visitor

Best Actress:

Kate Winslet; The Reader
Anne Hathaway; Rachel Getting Married
Meryl Streep; Doubt
Angelina Jolie; Changeling
Melissa Leo; Frozen River

Best Supporting Actor:

Michael Shannon; Revolutionary Road
Josh Brolin; Milk
Phillip Seymour Hoffman; Doubt
Robert Downey Jr.; Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger; The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress:

Viola Davis; Doubt
Amy Adams; Doubt
Marisa Tomei; The Wrestler
Penelope Cruz; Vicky Christina Barcelona
Taraji P. Henson; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Thoughts:

You'll notice off the bat that the Golden Globe nominations are not a clear indicator of what the Academy will do.

Button scored 13 nominations this year, making it the new favorite to win big on Feb 22nd.

I was hoping The Dark Knight would score a couple more nominations for Christopher Nolan (Best Director) and for Best Picture, but the given Heath Ledger supporting role was all it received.

Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino did not score a major nomination. I was hoping they give Clint a best actor nod, but I can't really complain about any of their choices. If you haven't seen The Visitor yet, go rent it. It's a little known movie that came out over the summer. And yes, Richard Jenkins is the dad in Step Brothers.

Awesome to see my favorites, Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Anne Hathaway nominated, though it seems Mickey is the only potential winner...you never know.

The Reader and Milk are surprises for its nominations as Best Picture and supporting role for Josh Brolin (great for him).

Another snub for Revolutionary Road and Leo...with only one main nomination for Michael Shannon.

Great to see Robert Downey Jr nominated for his work in Tropic Thunder. I love it when the Academy surprise you like this. A great role for him in a movie typically shunned by the voters.

Movie To Do List:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - I've been putting this off for weeks considering its length, but there is nothing like 13 nominations to motivate a movie-goer.

The Reader

Frozen River

TV: Idol in Kentucky

2009-01-21T23:16:00.000-08:00

Random Thoughts on the Louisville Auditions –

Why did Louisville get two days of auditions when San Francisco only got one?

Favorite moment of the night: When Hot New Judge Kara wrongly assumed the girl from the news was joking with her audition.

Speaking of Hot New Judge Kara, I can’t stop studying her every comment, body language, and facial expression. I’m bordering stalker city, but I can’t help it. She is so sexy. Have I given the producers enough kudos for hiring her? This better receive great reviews all around and become a long term contract. Paula looks like she could curl over and die at any moment so Kara can slip into her seat easily from the chair next to her.

Paula’s breasts were on full display in day 2’s auditions. Can we still call those breasts? They looked foreign to me and really ought to be covered up at this point. They look so much better on her in tight shirts sans cleavage shots. Fire her stylist.

Did anyone catch the Elliot Yamin reference? Anytime I get a Yamin shout out I’m excited. He’s one of my all time Idol favorites. The show thrives on the stories of people who really wouldn’t be discovered without the show. A lot of the top performers have been groomed for show business by their parents and handlers and its annoying. I’m talking to you David Archuleta. Yamin isn’t the best looking or the most charismatic, but he is humble, honest, and an underdog. I love those underdogs.

The final girl who sang her own song has to be an early favorite – original, confident, and talented. I like her overall package, but can she survive the random weeks of oldies or country music?

I don’t have much else to say about this episode. Were ready for Hollywood week to start, but they are giving us another round of auditions; next up, Jacksonville. Why did they choose Jacksonville? In fact, how is there an NFL franchise in Jacksonville? After spending a weekend there, I’m dumbfounded by this. Don’t get me wrong, I had a phenomenal weekend there, but it had nothing to do with the city or its people. Someone should investigate this. Does the city have something on the powers that be? The only good thing about Jacksonville is that it hosts the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party each year.

Check that, it’s a glorious thing. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted each flavor of Jacksonville “Suck N Blow” jello-shots…I’m not joking.

I’m stoked to watch the season premiere of Lost.

TV: Idol Comes to San Francisco

2009-01-20T22:15:00.001-08:00

I had high hopes for the Bay Area.

I couldn't wait for this audition episode. When I switched over from the inauguration coverage, I kept rewinding crowd shots and freeze framing so I could check for recognizable faces. I wanted to catch a co-worker standing in line or a college friend holding a sign looking silly. There are 7 million people in the Bay Area (and we all know people travel many states to audition), but I figured I could spot someone. How silly is that? I feel like I know people that have tried out for American Idol, failed, and covered up their efforts. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. Closet Idol contestants, I am on to you.

Again, I had HIGH hopes for San Francisco. I live and work here. Surely, we can have the next American Idol, right? I know my hometown of Corvallis, Oregon is never going to host an audition so this is it for me.

Ugh.

To say I am disappointed would be a grave understatement. The judges may have claimed to be excited about their time in SF, but give me a break. Only 12 people went through to Hollywood. And of those 12, we met 4 or 5 of them. All of which, came from LA. Who knows how many more.

Each Bay Area audition shown served only for comic relief. A wacky Caucasian woman from Novato, who did not even prepare a song and seemed drunk. And an African American woman from the East Bay (Pictured above with Paula Abdul) who Paula and New Hot Judge Kara had to force out of the room.

Other Idol Thoughts:

They rushed through a brief montage of Hollywoodees and I must point out Raquel for she has joined the ranks of hottest female contestant. Why did they rush through her????? Another reason why San Francisco fell short.

I loved Simon and Kara's feud. It takes some of the focus away from the tiring Paula/Simon battles that have turned into overkill.

Loved it when Simon told the momma's boy to watch him during these episodes of the show to learn confidence. Classic Simon.

I didn't like a single singer tonight. Not a one.

What did you guys think?

Change Has Come

2009-01-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

I’m not going to pretend this blog is a platform for political preaching or discussion, but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the historical inauguration our country witnessed today.

Republican or Democrat, I hope we all can put aside our political differences and put the magnitude of this moment into perspective. I am a firm Obama supporter and believer and therefore biased, but it will forever be a “Where were you that day?” moment for me. The millions who attended and the hundreds of millions more watching across the world demonstrated its importance.

President Obama orated an inauguration speech with Obama-like style and conviction at the Capitol Mall with a sea of people looking up at him in awe. He did not shy away from the challenges ahead. He is ready. More importantly, he believes we are all ready.

Taking on our country’s current crisis is a daunting task and requires the type of leader who can unite a nation and differing political opinions. I have to believe President Obama is the man for the job. He inspires, and inspiration contains the power to influence change.

And change has come.

Gossip Girl: "You've Got Yale"

2009-01-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Another solid episode from the upper east side. Below are my brief and scattered thoughts. I'm exhausted from the long weekend and unable to focus on an in depth write-up. Why can't I ever feel rested after a weekend?

How moving was the Chuck and Lily moment at the end? Easily my favorite part of the episode. It was great to see them work through their differences, albeit most likely for only one episode. Either way, I loved it. Why did the upcoming scenes look like a preview for an episode we've already seen? Maybe the CW inserted the wrong file. It was almost silly to have Chuck going evil on Lily right after their closing scene of reconciliation.

Did anyone else find it hilarious watching the Chuck and Lily plotting scenes? Planting coke, hiring underage prostitutes, etc. to frame uncle Jack - and Lily just laughing playfully at him.

I'm sick of the Blair/Yale saga. I like when Blair schemes and especially when it involves verbal assaults on Dorota (another character getting a lot of love this season), but bitching about getting into Yale is boring.

What is the show going to do when they all graduate and go to different schools? I assume there will be new characters to introduce, but I see the producers following the originals post high school more so than say, Friday Night Lights. A show about HS football needs to stay focused on HS football. But then again, GG is a blog on high school life for the absurdly privileged. Hmmmm, if I have to endure little J story lines as the show's entree, I'm not sure I can watch.

I think the new teacher is really cute. Clearly, they are introducing her as a potential romantic interest for Dan, but in only scandalous GG fashion. She seems so straight and narrow that I don't really buy that she would seduce a student, but this type of show doesn't follow those rules. What's Blair going to do for revenge? Expose the Dan scandal once it hits or come up with something entirely on her own?

How about all the PDA from Rufus and Lily? Even Nate and Vanessa got in on the action from their private box seats at the opera. Nate and V might have the best relationship right now, though, Dan and Serena have done a much better job lately working through their issues instead of shying away from them. No two people struggle more to say what they feel than Dan and Serena, but they seem to be learning from their mistakes. We'll see how long that lasts.

I'm excited to see where they take the Chuck story in the coming weeks. Having him back in the house while Lily and Rufus continue to see each other will be very interesting. Everything seems too happy right now, which only means...shits about to hit the fan.

What did you guys think?

XOXO,

Crafty Lefty

TV: 24 - Jack Back to Being Jack

2009-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

It was a crazy week so I just now got around to finishing the 24 viewing.

After nearly two years off the air (24: Redemption not included), Fox's blockbuster action drama came back to our TV sets last week with their signature two night (four hour) premiere.

I'm one of those 24 fans that has serious trouble admitting the show has stumbled recently. Plenty of fans of the early seasons fell by the waste side as the show's plot lines stalled and regurgitated old trick after old trick. I can't blame them. I just couldn't do it.

Can the producers come back with a fresh take on Jack after two years and win those fans back?

After four hours, the jury is still out for me. Don't get me wrong, I am already hooked into this season. They did a great job appeasing the loyal fans by quickly getting Jack out of court and into the action, introducing new, intriguing characters (Hello Billy Walsh), bringing back the core cast we've grown to love; Bill Buchanan, Chloe O'brian, and of course, the resurrection of Tony Almeida. Though, they've hit my quota for amount of people a show can bring back from the dead before I lose my mind.

But the things a die-hard fan appreciated, others may not. The show caught a break with the writer's strike. Not only did it allow for extra time in the writer's room, it gave audiences the opportunity to erase season 6 from their minds. Without a strike, season 7 opens with a loss of fans, still feeling the effects of the show's decline. I bet those fans gave 24 a second chance with the extra time away. For a show with 6 seasons in the books, getting the chance to truly reinvent itself is one hell of an opportunity. After four hours, have they done it?

They've created avenues in the first hours that could provide a great change of pace. It just depends on how they're played out. Chloe, Bill, and Tony working rogue (something we are all familiar with in 24) to take down the largest governmental conspiracy ever is one. This time, CTU is no longer, they are working for themselves instead of sneaking around within their own organization. How did they get to that point? What is it that they know? Answer those questions and you might get what you've been looking for.

In 24, no one can be trusted. No one knows this better than Jack and he's already rubbing off on the new characters. We've seen Jack's influence convince FBI agent, Renee Walker to go off protocol to track a lead, and use torture for vital information. The torture scene, a regular tactic for CTU, seemed completely foreign to the FBI. I found it refreshing to see someone struggle when using excessive force. We've grown too accustomed to Jack's coldblooded mentality.

We also have Jack and Tony both in the thick of the action. A reversal of roles for Tony in past seasons. He typically pulls the strings in the comfort of CTU, while occasionally getting involved in the field. This time, he's fully intrenched as an undecover mercenary and he's managed to bring Jack with him. Something I struggled with while watching. Would these criminal mercenaries and terrorists really take Jack in? Everyone in their world seems to know who Jack Bauer is, even though he is seemingly always undercover and never aknowledged for his efforts. How do they really know him? It's not because the government parades him around as a savior. He's always the martyr. He can only be notorious for getting in and taking down terrorists (Salazar and co.). If you are a terrorist, would you embrace a guy best known for being an undercover agent? Come on. You can't expect me to think they believe him only for his recent court appearances in front of the Department of Justice or that they think he has finally decided to take down the government that always second guesses his actions.

Either way, I love the idea of him and Tony working undercover together; deep undercover. I'll let the previous paragraph go and prepare for great work out of those two. Especially with Bill and Chloe doing what they do best without a weasily Head of CTU or other government official breathing down their necks.

The show has plenty of time to suck the loyal fans right in with Jack being Jack, but at the same time, developing new fans and securing back the lost ones. They've provided the foundation. Will they follow through?

At worst, you'll get great action, crazy plot twists, and a whole lot of gray area-actions in a good vs. evil world.

Other Thoughts:

- Why does evey president on 24 appoint ass holes to their staff? The Great President Palmer couldn't even marry a good woman, let alone hire a staff. The latest, Madam President, is no better. Her Chief of Staff is up to no good. How could you ever trust the wardon from The Shawshank Redemption???

- I'm finding it hard to care about the President's son storyline because I think the "First Dude" is a pussy. If I liked his character, maybe I would care, but get some balls.

- Will we see anymore old characters return? Why do I still long for a Kim Bauer sighting? AND a Chase sighting???? I loved Chase.

Click Here for Official '24' Merchandise!

Sunday Funday

2009-01-17T23:37:00.001-08:00

What's the best way to attack a 3 day weekend?

Sunday Funday, duh.

The key to a great Sunday Funday is spontaneity. Expect the unexpected. Break out of your comfort zone and try new things. Combine that attitude with great friends and booze (any and all kinds of booze) and you can have a pretty, pretty, pretty good day.

That's all you need. I hope everyone participates in a little fun tomorrow. Take advantage of a holiday weekend and get after it.

This post is short and sweet since I need to prepare for my Sunday Funday.

What are your Sunday Funday "must haves"?

- Crafty Lefty

Keep the Lights On!!!!

2009-01-16T13:58:00.001-08:00

Friday Night Lights kicks off their non-DirecTV, season 3 premiere at 9pm tonight. I will be writing weekly FNL updates, but I had to send a reminder out and ask all of you a favor. If you haven’t already programmed your DVR to record the show, please do so. If you are going out and do not feel FNL is worthy of a nice pre-party, leave your TV on NBC. We need to do whatever we can to keep the lights on!

But why not pre-party from 9-10pm with Tim Riggins? The man is the poster child for boozing. Bring girls over. He’s dreamy to look at. If you are pre-partying with just the boys, why wouldn’t you watch a show about HS Football and beautiful women playing rally girls and MILFS? Don’t worry, I’ve already checked and every girl you are lusting over is of legal age. It’s ALL GOOD.

CLEAR EYES!

FULL HEARTS!

CAN’T LOSE!!!!

Be the Bigger Man

2009-01-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Why do we fight?

At 26, the potential for a physical Saturday night altercation is always a possibility. I do not understand it. I understand why teenage boys fight. At that age, we are going through all sorts of strange physical and emotional changes that can bring out uncontrollable testosterone levels. By our mid twenties (and beyond) we ought to have grasped the capability of our aggression and learned to control it.

Yet every Saturday night, all over the world, men fight - AND nine times out of ten it's over some stupid shit. Last Saturday, I was out of town celebrating a best friend's birthday at a club. One of our friends bumped into the wrong guy on the dance floor. The guy stepped to him, my friend didn't back down, and then two of the guy's friends triple teamed him for a quick and vicious whipping. For accidentally bumping into him. Really???

I realize that alcohol is almost always a main contributing factor, but lets be realistic. At this stage in life, every social thing we do involves alcohol. I didn't make the rules, that's just how it is. Booze isn't going anywhere and it shouldn't be. Drinking is simply too damn fun.

Should men prone to fighting not drink? Impossible to regulate.

Can we segregate fighters and non fighters? We can let all the tough guys hang out at certain clubs and Patrick Swayze can go Road House on them all night. Non-fighters can hang out at their clubs and be civil. Which club would the women go to? Still, unrealistic.

Certain guys go out on Saturday night looking to fight. My question to them is, what do they do come Monday morning? What percentage of regular bar brawlers wear a suit five days a week? How many are blue collar guys working a job immune to facial lacerations and how many have client facing meetings in which a black eye might deter them from closing a deal?

My friend could have avoided his whipping. He chose to stand up to a guy he thought he could handle. It back fired. What would have been so bad about walking away from the get go? None of his friends would think less of him. Was he trying to impress a girl?

There will always be guys looking to fight. Hoping to catch an act they deem worthy of an altercation. Unfortunately, this will not change. The immature, machismo mentality is too ingrained in our upbringing to cure. This doesn't mean the altercation can't be stopped before it gets physical.

Walk away. Let the idiots fight each other. If that's the reason you don't get the girl, then the girl is not worth having in the first place.

Random Sports Thoughts

2009-01-14T23:50:00.000-08:00

A nice change of pace from TV and Movie land -

Sam Bradford staying in school:

Sam Bradford is an idiot if he really stays. What is the benefit? NONE. He is a top 5 pick (probably #1). Ask Matt Leinart about staying for a senior season after a Heisman year. He lost the Heisman, the national championship, got a girl pregnant, and dropped from a sure #1 pick (to my 49ers who got stuck with Alex Smith and set their franchise back a decade - hope college was fun Matt. Hope it was really fucking fun) to a #10 pick - those 9 spots represented millions of dollars. Who knows what happens if he comes out and plays for the Niners. We might have consistency at offensive coordinator and Leinart might be starting in the playoffs instead of holding a clipboard and wearing a baseball cap.

If I was one of Bradford's boys, I would be supportive, but down right manipulative at the same time to get him in the draft. You don't think his best buds are sitting together over beers dreaming about life in his NFL entourage? They should be. Maybe he isn't the type of guy to have an entourage, but call them what you want - his boys will be taken care of. Even Tom Brady has boys he flies around on private jets to exotic places with Giselle's model friends (I made up the last part, but it's certainly not far fetched).

I understand Tebow's decision to stay. His initial NFL career is pretty much set. Mid-late round pick, not a big signing bonus or guaranteed contract, a few endorsements capitalizing on his collegiate image, and a big uphill climb to success as a quarterback. Can he become one? Why not? He pretty much walks on water so the NFL should be easy.

So Tebow should stay, win a 2nd Heisman and a 3rd national championship becoming the greatest college football player of all time. Put that on a resume and the kid will be fine.

Doris Burke, the Analyst:

I was watching college basketball on ESPN tonight and I have to say, I really could not handle Doris Burke (yes, a woman) as a color commentator. Let's be clear here, she was the color commentator (best described as the analyst). This job always goes to a former player or coach. I'm confident Doris Burke has never been a player or coach in men's basketball. If she's good enough to do play by play, I can put up with it on ESPN "The Ocho".

I know I am coming across as sexist, and I can't completely argue against that. It just doesn't feel right. I can't consider her an expert in men's basketball when she has never played it. I should probably feel the same way about John Clayton and the NFL, but at least he probably spent a lifetime dreaming about playing in the NFL. If Doris Burke, at the age of 9, was dreaming of playing for Bobby Knight at Indiana, maybe I let it slide, but I would also consider throwing her in an institution.

Not to pile on against Doris Burke, but it is important to note that only reason ESPN moved her to color commentary is because HD TV priced her out of sideline reporting. Watch a game with her now and you will notice they avoid putting her on camera at all cost. She has this funky thing going on with her cheeks that the producers probably noticed and decided they couldn't fire her for inadequate cheeks so they promoted her instead. If she has a face for radio, send her there. Why not let her sideline report, but just don't show her face?

Your thoughts???

TV: Day 2 Idol Thoughts

2009-01-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

Idol Thoughts:

My love affair with Kara the HOT new judge continued tonight. Is it me or does she seem to undress each male Hollywood singer with her eyes?

During next week's shows, make sure to check out the listed profession for some of the comic auditions. We had some classic ones tonight: Sandwich Maker had me busting up big time. He might have won over the judges with a little "Five! Five Dollar!! Five Dollar Foot Long!!!"

Speaking of Subway - they had me absolutely hooked with the Five Dollar Foot Long until they cut out all the good sandwiches from the approved list. Put Turkey back on and you've got a loyal customer back in business.

I liked the story of the 28 year old music teacher who auditioned 4 months after his wife's death. How does Fox find these people that get me so emotional??? They dupe me every time just like Simon said about that awful Chris Brown singer tonight.

Loved the last woman as well. After 2 shows I can say I have some favorites, based on the background stories. It sucks for the people who are not seen until Hollywood because most of us are ready to start voting for people based on their financial, emotional, or family situation and not necessarily their singing talent. Though she was damn good.

Will they allow hip/hop to succeed during Hollywood week? The sisters, who provided comedy tonight when the small sister tried to pimp out her big (both in age and size) sister for body guarding gigs - clearly the smaller one has the talent, but she needs to show off the hip/hop she has and that never works in Idol. She could provide a fresh new vibe this season.

Carley or Casey something or other (from the very beginning) is my front runner for hottest babe in Hollywood - way cuter than bikini babe.