The 112th Congress, Thanksgiving Weekend NFL, and YouTube Suggestions

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

And...we're back! After a four day hiatus due to the Thanksgiving holidays, I'm back and ready with seven brand new random thoughts. The following were on my mind between Monday, November 21st and Monday, November 28th:

- According to a recent poll, more Americans prefer hepatitis, porn, polygamy, the BP oil spill, a communist nation and even herpes that the nation's current Congress. Not only that, but Congress is barely getting more support than Fidel Castro (9% to 5%), and this poll was conducted before the failure of the "supercommittee"! I have nothing witty to add about this one other than the fact that if the federal government is now competing with "Jack and Jill" in popularity, then there really is some time for change.

- It's so nice to be able to type "Black" on YouTube these days and see "...Keys" suggested ahead of "...Eyed Peas"

- Reason #3421 to love NFL RedZone: Scott Hanson's play-by-play while on the air, arguably better than 75% of the announcing teams on the air every Sunday.

- Ndamukong Suh's explanation for how he didn't mean to step on Evan Dietrich-Smith was like seeing a nine year old trying to defend himself when accused of breaking a flower vase.

- Late November is like Friday the 13th to Stevie Johnson, apparently. Last year, you might remember his critical overtime drop against Pittsburgh and his God-tweets hours after. Yesterday, he had that rather interesting touchdown celebration against the Jets that cost his team a fifteen yard unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Jets good field position to score (which they did), and then those two costly drops at the final two minutes of the game. If I were Chan Gailey and still the coach of this next year, I might have to reconsider playing him next time the post-Thanksgiving games roll around.

- Nice try, "The Walking Dead"! Unfortunately, your entertaining final scene to last night's episode still doesn't excuse the usual batch of "bad characters, bad writing" that you put up these last five weeks! Not this time
/is going to watch this show to the end out of spite

- I'm not sure who in my family hates what more: my dad's hatred of Caleb Hanie or my sister's irrational hatred of "The Muppets"?

More random thoughts to come on Thursday. Enjoy the post-Thanksgiving return to normalcy!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Ten Things That mj15 Is Thankful For: 2011

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! As you know, outside of spending hours watching football and eating some delicious food, Thanksgiving is also the time of the year where we celebrate the things that each of us are grateful for. Now, any veteran reader of this blog knows that The mj15 Blog loves to recognize this time-honored tradition, because every year at this time I write a post dedicate to a list of things that I'm thankful for (outside of my friends and family, which is a given). I did it in 2009 and in 2010, and I've decided to do it yet again this year, with a brand new list. Enjoy!

Making Fun of AMC

What a difference a year makes! In last year's column, I spent over 200 words praising the network for their fabulous original programming. This year, I mostly dedicate space in this blog bashing them and their programming outside of "Breaking Bad" (which had another fantastic season this year, by the way)! In my defense, it's not like the network didn't deserve it. After all, they did almost everything they could this year to try to eliminate the goodwill they had from years past.

First, they had an intense negotiation with Lionsgate and Matthew Weiner that, by the time it was over on March 31st, it effectively delayed the production of season five until this past summer and it's premiere until February 2012 at the earliest, making this the first year since 2007 that fans of arguably the best show on TV would not be able to see the newest 1960s shenanigans of Don Draper and the rest of the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce gang. Then, they aired "The Killing," the beyond frustrating cop mystery drama that is by far their worst show to date, with a season finale that practically made the Internet self-combust with rage. Then over the summer, they had another frustrating negotiation with another one of their great shows, "Breaking Bad," before officially renewing it for a sixteen episode final season, while also slashing the budget of "The Walking Dead" in a move that you could say was responsible for the departure of showrunner Frank Darabont. And then this November, they premiered "Hell on Wheels," which wasn't that great of a show either. Maybe the network will rebound in 2012 and we will all look back at their mistakes this year and laugh. But for now, I'm just glad that there was another network besides NBC and ESPN that I could ridicule, and I thank this network for making it possible.

The Short Return of the "Community"/"Parks and Recreations" Power Hour

During the 2009-2010 TV season, NBC aired one of my favorite two-hour comedy block of all time with "Community," "Parks and Recreations," "The Office," and "30 Rock." What was the best thing about this two hour comedy block was being able to watch "Community" and "Parks and Recreations" slowly morph into what were arguably the two best comedies on TV, almost regularly outperforming the hour of veteran, award-winning comedies that succeeded them. This past fall, after NBC shuffled the Thursday line-up last season, the network decided to once again bring these two shows (still the best comedies on TV) back together again into one fabulous one-hour line-up, and (as you might have guessed) I have enjoyed it immensely. However, because of NBC's decision to bump "Community" off the midseason schedule," this wonderful hour of comedy will be coming to an abrupt end on December 8th (when the last scheduled episode of 2011 for "Community" is set to air), which is a damn shame. While I am glad "30 Rock" is coming back to fill that 8 p.m. ET timeslot, having this line-up gone after only ten weeks is the epitome of bittersweet.

The A.V. Club

I first discovered this wonderful website in the fall of 2010, and since then it has quickly into what is by far my favorite pop culture website on the Web. Great writers, wonderfully written reviews and articles, interesting features, a tolerable group of commenters (one of the few ones on the Internet), and an overall great place to spend your time online. What more could one ask for?

The Resurging Bulls

While the NBA may be in a crippling lockout between two sides stalwart in their demands that has lasted for nearly five months and counting, it was at least nice to be able to see what was one of the most entertaining NBA seasons in a long time earlier this year. One the best parts of watching it for me, as a Chicago sports fan, was being able to see the Bulls playing their best basketball since the days when Michael Jordan ruled this city with an iron fist. And even though they lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference championship back in May, I have a feeling that with the presence of coach Tom Thibodeau, and the leadership of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and, of course, last year's MVP Derrick Rose, they will be in contention for the NBA title for quite a few more years to come.

Netflix

The network took quite a pounding to both their reputation and their stocks this year thanks in large part to their many poor decisions this year, including their infamous July price hike and their announcement/quick removal of their Qwikster DVD program in the fall. But I don't care. As a subscriber, I still enjoy Netflix just as much today as I did six months ago. After all, even with their 60% price hike, it's still cheaper and features a lot more choices than when I had to rent movies and TV shows at my local Blockbuster. Besides, they're bringing back "Arrested Development" in 2013! How can I possibly stay mad at something that's bringing me back one of my all-time favorite shows?

The Success of Adele in the United States

What the hell? A very talented musician dominating the U.S. pop charts this year?!?! What kind of a country is this?

The Last Day of the MLB Regular Season/The 2011 World Series

Two things this year that helped remind me why I love the game of baseball so damn much. The last day of the 2011 season was simply fantastic, filled with many great moments and wild finishes that helped draw the competitive wild care races to a dramatic close, while this year's World Series (the first seven game series since 2002) was one of the finest the game has seen in years (highlighted largely by the instant classic that was game six). Doesn't get any better than that, to be honest.

An NFL Season Without Brett Favre For a Change

On the other hand, it has led to an NFL season with the media coddling Tim Tebow, so I'm taking this reason for thanks with a grain of salt.

Louis C.K.

What else can I say about this man that hasn't already been said? The man is, to put it simply, the best working comedian in the bu siness right now. His material is both brilliant and hilarious and he puts out a new stand-up special seemingly every year now (what other high-prominent comedian can say that?) with fresh stuff that is great every single time. Plus, he has an Emmy-nominated TV show on FX, "Louie," that is coming off a pantheon-level season two that was just as much compelling and artistically moving as it was funny and one-of-a-kind. I'm a big fan of his, and you should be, too. If not, well...

You, The Reader of This Blog

I know I end this column every year saying this, but I just have to reiterate it. Thank you for stopping by here day after day, week after week, just so you can read my latest batch of pointless drivel. After all, this is a free blog done in a labor of love, and I'm just glad that someone, anyone (you) stops by to it.

Enjoy the rest of this holiday! I've decided to take the rest of this weekend off from writing, which means that there will be no "End of the Week" this time around. So, I guess I will see you Monday, then. Now, here's a brilliant Beetlejuice-themed Easter egg from the folks behind "Community" to end this post?

And this show isn't widely accessible...how?

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL Predictions: Thanksgiving Weekend Edition (Or, "Holy Crap, An Actually Good Lions Game on Thanksgiving!")

(The undefeated Packers and the resurging Lions are set to square off tomorrow in Detroit's biggest Thanksgiving game in years.)

Thanksgiving is here, y'all! WOOOO! Fantastic turkey dinners, time with the family, parade floats, and (of course) traditional football...all in one fantasic 24 hour span! And looking ahead to this week's slate of games, I'm proud to admit that the three games that are set to start in about 12 hours are, well, surprisingly decent: an undefeated team going up against arguably the best Detroit Lions team since Barry Sanders left, a potentially-playoff bound Cowboys team against a mediocre team with a three game winning streak in a rematch of this memorable Turkey day classic,and a matchup between two different first place teams whose coaches just happen to be brothers. Basically, these three games (arguably the best slate of Thanksgiving games ever) are a far cry from last year when the games were so bad that I proposed that the NFL should start flexing games if necessary just to get more enjoyment out of the day's pigskin action. As you might have guessed, I am getting pretty excited about it, moreso than usual.

But tomorrow isn't the only great day of football planned. In fact, you could say that the entire weekend is filled with a lot of great games to look forward to, from the Bears/Raiders showdown on Sunday afternoon to the Saints and the Giants on Monday night football (there's also all those big college football games being played on Friday and Saturday, but for the purposes of this column, I will not be discussing it). So, what are we waiting for? Let's get right down to the picks!

Both mj50 and myself finished week 12 with a 9-5 record. How will we do this week? Only one way to find out...

Let's begin (As always, game time are based on the Central time zone):

Green Bay Packers (-6) vs. Detroit Lions: Thanksgiving- 11:30 a.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
If there was any better time for the Packers to finally lose their first game of the season, it would have to be now: on the road, in a pivotal NFC North matchup, against a team playing what is arguably their biggest game in over a decade and for the chance a win one in the Thanksgiving spotlight for the first time since 2003, with a loud and hostile crowd in Ford Field going against than that once caused an opposing team to false start nine times earlier this season in their last big game of the season. Besides, they're one of the few teams in the regular season that have, and are going up against Green Bay that feature two key elements that are absolutely necessary to have if you're expected to beat them: an offense that can match Aaron Rodgers, and a defense that can stop Aaron Rodgers.

As I write this, Detroit is one of the eight teams in the league this season to average over 270 yards passing. Combine that with their league's third-best points average (30.1, behind only New Orleans and, yes, Green Bay) and a Green Bay defense that is one of the three worst in stopping opposing offenses from scoring, and you have yourselves an average that can compete toe-for-toe with the Packers throughout the game. Also, while Aaron Rodgers' has had a season that is arguably one of the greatest ever in the league's modern era and one that will most definitely earn him his first MVP title if his team keeps steady, he hasn't really been up with a pass rush as good as the Lions. I say Rodgers only, and not Green Bay's entire offense, because the Packers are largely as good as they are because of his stellar play, with the defense being (as mentioned earlier) rather terrible and their running game being a non-factor most of the time. Now, that offense is up against a defense that's in the top three in interceptions, top five in passing yards allowed, and the top ten in sacks. Will the Packers' explosive offense continue it's magic again on Thursday? Considering that they're also going to face that raunchy crowd in Detroit along with that remorse-less offense that the Lions have, I think that there will, in fact, be some struggles, more than usual for them.

In other words, this game has the making of the perfect conditions for the Packers to get taken down for the first time and for the '72 Dolphins to pop the bubbly in celebration without any sense of self-consciousness. And as a result, I see the Lions as being the likely Thanksgiving victors (at long last).

mj50's pick: Green Bay

Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys (-7): Thanksgiving- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Dallas
The Dolphins may have won three straight (a rather startling development considering how lifeless they looked after their 0-7 start), but the Cowboys have been just as hot (if not hotter), winning four out of their last five. Not only that, but this team has been pretty much money in the bank at Cowboys Stadium this season, losing only once and having a combined score of 101-27 there since week 7. Consider this recent stretch of good feelings in Miami to end faster than Herman Cain's popularity in the polls (BOOM! CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL HUMOR! BEAT THAT, SETH MYERS!).

mj50's pick: Dallas

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens (-3): Thanksgiving- 7:20 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
I don't know if you have heard, but this is a pretty big game being played tomorrow night. Both the Ravens and 49ers are both first place, both with basically a similar style of play (great defense and running game, so-so passing game) in their divisions and both have one of the Harbaugh brothers as their head coach. So as far as the hype goes, I'd say that this one is doing pretty well. The Ravens when up against another good teams are the games where they actually play well the most, and since there at home as well I'm going to take them (and younger brother John over older brother Jim). Besides, as good as the 49ers have been (and they have been great), I just don't like the fact that they have to travel coast-to-coast on a short week to play this game. Kind of a turn-off, actually.

mj50's pick: Baltimore

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: St. Louis
Ugh, picking this game is like having to choose between "Jack and Jill" and last year's "Yogi Bear" revamp as the better film. I guess I will go with the Rams in this one. The Cardinals only barely won in their meeting earlier this year, and that's only because Patrick Peterson had one of the five best plays of the season. Also, you gotta like the fact that the Rams are at home, the only place that they've ever won this season.

mj50's pick: St. Louis

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets (-9): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: New York

I always secretly knew that the Buffalo Bills would crack during the season. I just didn't think it would be before Thanksgiving. Also, Ryan Fitzpatrick is basically the new Chris Johnson ever since he signed that $59 million, isn't he?

mj50's pick: New York

Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-7): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: Cincinnati

Cleveland Browns record: 4-6. Bengals record this season against teams currently at or under .500: 4-1. Not a difficult game to choose, if you ask me.

mj50's pick: Cincinnati

Houston Texans (-3.5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: Houston

Here's the thing: even though the Texans are now without Matt Schaub in addition to Mario Williams, I still feel that they're good enough to at least win this game. After all, they still have Arian Foster and that 2nd ranked rushing defense lined-up behind center, they still have one of this season's best defenses to match with the Jaguars' equally good defense, and Andre Johnson is finally coming back after being injured for eight weeks. Matt Leinart also had the convenience to prepare two weeks for this game, so expect him to at least be slightly less terrible than you would expect him. Finally, let's not forget the most important thing here, and that's the fact that Jacksonville's offense is pure crap. I would rather take a back-up who hasn't started in 2 years than Blaine Gabbert any day at this point.

mj50's pick: Houston

Carolina Panthers (-3) vs. Indianapolis Colts: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: Carolina

Cam Newton is going to have a field day against the league's 29th best defense. Also, Andrew Luck should just begin preparing a speech for his 04/27/11 Colts introductory press conference by now. Everyone knows that the "Suck for Luck" campaign is essentially over by now.

mj50's pick: Indianapolis

HALFTIME! On Saturday, Comedy Central aired "Weirdo," the first one-hour stand-up special of Donald Glover, who you might also know as the guy from Derrick Comedy, rapper "Childish Gambino," and the guy who plays Troy on "Community" (of which I have a fondness for, in case you haven't heard). Basically, the man can do a lot of things really well. Anyways, the stand-up special itself was pretty good; not as good as his "Comedy Central Presents" special mind you, but still filled with its share of hilarious moments.. Here is just a sample of the funny:

Donald Glover: Weirdo
Donald Glover - Making Sex
www.comedycentral.com
Comedy Central Funny Videos Funny TV Shows

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: Tennessee

This one was a tough one for me to choose, mostly because of the status to Matt Hasselbeck. Currently, he's suffering a broken right elbow and is being ruled questionable. Because the Titans' NFL.com page lists him as the only injured player on the team to actually go ahead and practice, I take it as a good sign that he will play. If he plays, then I strongly believe that he will take advantage of one of the league's worst defense at stopping the pass just like almost every other team before them has done this year. Besides, Chris Johnson is up against the league's 26th best rushing defense. I know that he just came off a 12 carries, 13 yard game last week, but Atlanta is ranked #2 and features a far more better defensive front seven than the Bucs. I don't know about you guys, but I'm sensing a return-to-form performance by CJ2k this Sunday.

mj50's pick: Tennessee

Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons (-9.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.

mj15's pick: Atlanta

The Vikings have been outscored 105-41 in their last three road games. Add in the possibility of Adrian Peterson being ruled out of the game after the injury he suffered last week, and consider that to be a terrific recipe of impending disaster for Minnesota.

mj50's pick: Atlanta

Washington Redskins vs. Seattle Seahawks (-3.5): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.

mj15's pick: Seattle

Here are some things this week that I would recommend for you to do this weekend instead of watching this game:

-Eating turkey dinner and spending time with your extended family.

-Watching "The Muppets"/"Hugo"/"The Artist" in theaters, all in one big six-hour block

-Standing outside in the cold waiting for your local Thanksgiving parade to start five hours before it begins.

-Watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" and point out all the unintentional racism in it.

-Sending your son to spend three hours alone with Jerry Sandusky

-Anything else.

mj50's pick: Seattle

Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders (-4): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.

mj15's pick: Oakland

As I mentioned here earlier this week, I still have some optimism for the Bears even with the loss of Jay Cutler. That said, I'm still not confident enough to pick them to win in this game. Carson Palmer continues to get better in this Raiders offense by the week (a far cry from his rusty start in week 7 against Kansas City), and the Raiders running game has tallied an average of 152 yards in their last four games. The Raiders defense will also probably stack eight or nine guys in the box regularly, stopping Matt Forte and pressuring Caleb Hanie to make some throws. Will Hanie be able to handle that pressure? My mind says "not yet." Obviously, my mood on the Bears will be much different next week once I get a good sampling of their play this Sunday.

mj50's pick: Chicago

New England Patriots (-3) vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.

mj15's pick: New England

Almost every time that the Eagles have won a game and the pundits start to have another "Can Philadelphia still make the playoffs?" debate this season has almost always been followed by a loss. LeSean McCoy will probably rush for over 100 yards again this week, but he has done this in seemingly every game this season, so that really won't matter much in the outcome. Also, expect Philly's defense to have troubles stopping Tom Brady from finding Wes Welker and the tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez on the inside, and for the Patriots' rejuvenated defense to give the Eagles passing game some troubles.

mj50's pick: New England

Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers (-6): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.

mj15's pick: Denver

TEEEEEEEEEBOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!111

(In all seriousness, it really has been quite fun to watch Tebow play this season, hasn't it? It seems like in every game he's played this season, he's had fifty minutes of action where it looks like he proves his doubters right, and then ten minutes or plays like his 56 yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker that felt like it was coming from a running back, where he proves his supporters right. It's like watching the sports version of "The Walking Dead" every week with him, and I don't whether I'm angry about this or happy.)

mj50's pick: Denver

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Sunday- 7:30 p.m.

mj15's pick: Pittsburgh

So much for the resurging Kansas City Chiefs! Three straight losses, and one brutal four game schedule to come. On the bright side, it at least makes picking games like these a lot easier!

mj50's pick: Pittsburgh

New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints (-7): Monday- 7:35 p.m.

mj15's pick: New Orleans

Because both teams are evenly matched on the defensive side, this game really comes down to which of these teams have the better offense, which is New Orleans by a longshot (they are #1 in total yards, after all). Besides, like Cowboys Stadium for Dallas and Lambeau Field for Green Bay, the Louisiana Superdome has proven to be quite the homefield advantage for the Saints, as they have yet to lose in that stadium this season. Expect to see this home streak to continue once more on Monday night.

mj50's pick: New Orleans

RECAP

The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: Atlanta over Minnesota

The Chiefs over Vikings in Super Bowl IV Upset of the Week: Detroit over Green Bay

"The Godfather" vs. "The Godfather: Part II" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Tampa Bay over Tennessee

So, there you have it. To conclude, I have both of the NFC's top two teams losing tomorrow, along with the Colts staying winless, the Schaub-less Texans off to a good start,the Cutler-less Bears off to a bad start, and an overall good week for teams that are in cities starting with the letter D, among other things. So, enjoy the games,and enjoy the entire four-day weekend as a whole! I will be back with more NFL picks same time next week.

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Justin Verlander, "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," and Jay Cutler's Injury

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, September 17th, and Monday, September 21st:

- Good for Justin Verlander on winning the AL MVP award today (first pitcher to do so since 1986). He had a truly remarkable season (251 innings, 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 0,90 WHIP, 250 Ks, 9.0 SO/9, 8.6 WAR), and helped lead the Tigers to an AL Central title. And while I was never one of the biggest supporters of him winning the award (I still think that maybe someone who played more than 34 games should have won, like Ellsbury or Bautista), I'm certainly not going to write a bunch of paragraphs angrily opposing this, because I'm really not. After all, his season was one-of-a-kind, and if baseball writers felt that they should have rewarded him for it besides that unanimous Cy Youg victory last week, then so be it.

- Of course the first episode of "Community" that aired following NBC's announcement that it will go on hiatus after December 8th was one of the finest of season three. Of course it was.

- Speaking of "Community" (and, don't worry, I'll try to keep the discussions of it to a minimum after this), last week was a surprisingly big week for co-star Jim Rash. On Thursday, he had quite a showcase for himself on "Community" while on Friday, "The Descendants," of which he co-wrote with Nat Faxon and Alexander Payne, premiered nationwide in theaters and has gotten some pretty big Oscar buzz over the past few weeks. Oh man, just thinking about the possibility of Dean Pelton winning Best Adapted Screenplay is already getting me the most hyped up for any Academy Awards show in years (and by " in years," I really meant "since 2009" when the late Heath Ledger was up for Best Supporting Actor for "The Dark Knight.").

- I wonder how the people who questioned Jay Cutler's toughness after January's NFC Championship game feel about him now that they heard he played the rest of Sunday's game against San Diego after suffering a thumb injury that will cause him to probably miss the rest of the regular season. Also, call me a naive homer/optimist, but I do think that the Bears still have a good shot to make the playoffs even without the loss of their star QB. Four out of their next six games are against under .500 teams, and I think that the defense, special teams and running game are solid enough to temporarily give the Bears wins on their own. It could be like the end of the 2006 regular season all over again!

- For anyone that is sick of the "Twilight" phenomenon and all their crazy female fans (especially now that "Breaking Dawn" premiered this weekend, making some seriously big bucks along the way), here's a simple technique to avoid it: just ignore it. There's a reason "ignorance is bliss" is a well-known phrase, and it's been working for me like a charm for these past few months! Or you can just go ahead and read "The Hunger Games," the soon to be next big craze among the tween and young adults demographic in the coming months. And unlike the drivel that Stephanie Meyer wrote, I heard that this one is actually pretty good.

- So now Newt Gingrich has risen in the Republican presidential polls now. I repeat: Newt Gingrich, the guy who everybody called dead for the last few month, has risen in the polls! (sighs) I swear, the Mitt Romney/"Forrest Gump" analogy that "Saturday Night Live" made a month ago just gets more and more accurate by the day!

- I don't know which is the worst disappointment of the month: Congress's "supercommittee," or...actually, you know what? There isn't anything more dissapointing than the "supercommitte." But then again, with these set of Congressmen and all that they've done since the beginning of the year, I guess this isn't really what one might call shocking.

A quick programming note: because of the Thanksgiving holidays, I have decided not to post a Thursday installment of the RTs for this week. So, as you might have guess, this means that the next one won't arrive until this very same time next week. To compensate the void, here's a picture of a pig humping a cow, just so you can imagine the uber-delicious spawn that it could create (if cows and pigs were allowed to do that, of course). Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!













Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 11/13/11- 11/19/11

Pictured: Image of a 19 year old protesters beaten and bloodied during an Occupy Wall Street raid by the NYPD on Thursday.

END OF THE WEEK:

I have a friend's birthday celebration to attend in a few hours, so I apologize if this column is more half-assed than it usually is. As always, here are the best and most memorable people, stories and moments from the past seven days:

Divorce of the Week: Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore
Whether it was because with Kutcher's infidelity or by Moore's bisexual urges, the fact of the matter is clear: the world's most famous old woman-young man relationship is done. At least now Ashton can have more time reading the news so that dumb tweets like these never happen again.

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week (Besides Occupy Wall Street): Silvio Berlusconi Out as Italy PM After Parliament Approves Austerity Measures
Bunga bunga parties for everybody!
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Natalie Wood Drowning Case Re-Opened
(cue people 25 years and younger trying to remember who Natalie Wood was)

This Week in OCCUPY: Well, my friends: it happened. After nearly a full two months and multiple "We are the 99%!" chants later, officials in the city of New York did something that many thought would've happened weeks prior: they finally gave the NYPD an excuse to put on the rioting gear! On Tuesday, police finally evacuated "Occupy Wall Street" protesters from the movement's center in Manhattan's Zuchotti Park, in an effort to finally clean up the damn joint from all those hazardous wastes and drum circles. The full-frontal evacuation by the police began roughly around 1 a.m., when they handed out a notice from the park's owners.Most people left peacefully, although there were some (including New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez) that were arrested in the raid (which the media was barred from covering, so most of the news from it came from eye-witness reports). The police evacuation also sparked many additional raids by police, including ones over at good ole Occupy Oakland and also in Occupy Melbourne. And while we finally got to see the park all squeaky-clean and without any sight of the protesters, it would not mean the end of the movement...at all.

Hours after the evacuation began, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that prevented the owners of Zuchotti Park (in this case, Brookfield Proprieties) from continuing to evict protesters or from preventing them to come back along with tents and other property previously used before the evacuation (earlier that day, the city said that they were allowed to come back, but not with any of those things). However, while protesters did try to come back to the park, court ordered papers in hand, police would still not allow them in. As a result, for the first time ever, Occupy Wall Street was without a home.But, like "Community" fans signing petitions to save the show after it was announced that NBC bumped it off the midseason schedule, these protesters did not give up, deciding on kicking off a major day of action on Thursday with marches across Wall Street. Nicknamed "#N17," nearly 30,000 protesters marched across the streets of New York in an effort to stop traders from getting to the NYSE on time, with many of them gathering in and around Zuchotti Park, Union Square, Foley Square, the Brooklyn Bridge and even the many New York Subway stations around 3 p.m and the Verizon Building come nighttime..No surprise, fighting with the police came out of it.

New York wasn't the only site of the so-called "Global Day of Action." All across the country, thousands more joined in the cause as a showing of solidarity to their New York brethren, and all across the more arrests and clashes with police came out of it. Overall, there were 25 arrests made in Occupy Portland, 30 in Occupy Los Angeles, and 18 in Occupy Dallas, to name a few. In other related news, protesters over at Occupy Boston and Occupy Spokane were issued a restraining order of their own in case police wanted to prevent them from protesting some more, while Occupy Seattle protesters marched towards the University Bridge, blocking traffic and another case of violent police brutality occurred over at Occupy UCDavis.

The number of evictions may be increasing, but "Occupy" is still going. This begs the question: if those didn't stop the protests from ending, what will? Come back here next week for another quick recap of all these developments, and more.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Video of the Week: "Best Door-to-Door Salesman Ever! Kenny Brooks"
This man both sells to you a useful cleaning product and gives you a half-hour stand-up special in five minutes. This right here, ladies and gentleman, is what I'd like to call a "national treasure."



Person of the Week: NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas
for having one of the finest hours for any broadcaster this past year. On Monday, NBC aired an all-new episode of "Rock Center with Brian Williams" featuring a segment in which Costas would discuss the sickening scandal at Penn State, one which saw the firing of one of college football's most recognizable figures in Joe Paterno. Originally what was planned would be for Costas to just interview Sandusky's attorney, Joseph Amendola, hours before the live airing of the show and nothing more. It wasn't until around fifteen or so minutes before the scheduled taped interview that Amendola asked Costas, rather surprisingly, if he would like to speak to the man/alleged monster himself. Costas, being the experienced broadcaster that he is, accepted the interview request despite not coming into the studio with that intention, and this fascinating yet chilling interview (the first major TV interview that Sandusky has given since these allegations broke) is what followed:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Considering the short amount of time that he had, Costas was nothing short of brilliant in the interview. He was well-prepared, he showed no signs of a guy who was not planning to speak with this guy in less than ten minutes, and he basically downright destroyed Sandusky all while doing so in his smooth, cool-cut demeanor. He came on the offensive, with straightforward question like "Are these allegations true?" and "Are you a pedophile?," and he made Sandusky admit quite a bit of interesting information, including the part where he mentioned how he would shower with young boys and "horse around" with them (sadly, Costas did not let Sandusky specify what he meant). It was one of the finest hours by a man who is one of the most well-liked and respected in his profession. Just wish that some of his work on "Sunday Night Football" would be just as good

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

"NBC Is the AT&T of TV Networks!" and Other Thoughts Related and Non-Related To "Community's" Midseason Bump

After Christmas, except to not see Annie, Troy, Abed, the Dreamatorium or anything else "Community"-related for anytime soon now that NBC sadly bumped it off the midseason schedule.


RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Monday, November 14th and Thursday, November 17th:

- As someone who has loved the NBC sitcom "Community" since the very beginning and who has constantly found ways to praise it (whether it's by naming it my favorite show on television, saying it's one of the ten best shows of the year, or occasionally ranking it #1 on the Thursday night comedy power rankings from earlier this year), it really pained me to hear the news that NBC bumped the low rated comedy off the midseason schedule in favor of burning off the rest of the season sometime in the spring or so. In fact, it's been three days and over 37,000 "Save Community" petition signatures later, and while my initial shock and despair is gone, the anger still remains.

After all, it's one thing to bump the low rated but much adored by critics and fans alike comedy off the network for two months, but it's another thing to do so while also keeping the God-awful "Whitney" on Wednesday, albeit on a newer, much less comfortable time slot that will get them eventually cancelled for sure as a result. Does Bob Greenblatt and the rest of these buffoons working on NBC realize that's there's only one million viewers and a 0.5 18-49 ratings demo separating between "Community" and "Whitney," and that "Whitney" is only getting these ratings because of its post-"The Office" timeslot and the network's constant promotion of it ("Community" hardly gets promoted, even on their own website)? And do they know that while "Whitney" may be getting more viewers than "Community," that "Community" is not as trashed by critics and the American viewing public as much as Whitney Cumming's show is? GAHH, I HATE YOU NBC! I HATE YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF BATMAN!

Unfortunately, it appears that NBC has remained firm in their decision to go through with this. Let's just hope that the backlash that came from this week will launch a full scale movement by fans to keep the show on the air for another season. I'm talking about an increase in ratings, DVD sales, & Hulu and NBC.com viewings of the episode, a large scale fan support of the show on Twitter (the #sixseasonsandamovie hashtagging is just the beginning), a bunch of strongly worded letters to Bob Greenblatt, more criticisms of the network by fans on their Facebook page, celebrity support from people other than the co-stars and Blake Griffin, a bunch of purchases of the show's merchandise at the NBC store, an increase in black goatees, a boycott of "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea?," an increase of signed names under the "Save Community" petition...basically anything that will make the network take notice and allow this show to continue. After all, "Community" is a great show, arguably the best comedy on television since "Arrested Development." To take it away from us before creator Dan Harmon is allowed to create a proper ending would be a terrible shame.

- Two mini-bright sides to "Community" being gone during midseason, though (and they are pretty mini):
1) "30 Rock" is coming back!
2) It should be back without any repeats, so that could potentially build up some momentum ratings wise.

Otherwise, this has not been a good week to be a fan of the show, to say the least.

- It was so weird having ABC airing a "20/20" special on Gabriel Giffords' recovery the same time that NBC aired Bob Costas' interview with former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on "Rock Center with Brian Williams." Flipping between these two specials back and forth, it was like going from a re-run of the inspirational "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" to a re-run of the very cynical "A Clockwork Orange."

- As long as the ending to "Mad Men" doesn't insult the audience, Matthew Weiner can end the show however he wants.

- Aww, cheer up, little girl! Some Vikings fans have gone decades before realizing that their team is never going to win anything of importance!



- And I thought that arithmetic was hard! Ladies and gentleman, you're new Academy Awards nominating system! (http://gawker.com/5860650/the-new-oscar-nominating-system-doesnt-make-any-damn-sense)


More random thoughts to come on Monday! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to quickly rush down the nearest TV to watch a certain low-rated comedy on NBC before the official screwing of it by the network begins.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL Predictions: Week 11- Can It Be Thanksgiving Already?

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (left) and Broncos QB Tim Tebow (right) are set to face each other in the first matchup of week 11.



Happy Thursday, football fans! Before I get to the picks, a big shout-out to the other half of this column, mj50. Last week in a rather surprising turn of events, he had what was by far his best week ever picking games, going an incredible 14-2 (I finished the week 12-4, still respectable but not good enough). Overall, my old man has come a long way since the beginning of this column. Three years ago, he initially started out poorly, regularly finishing weeks with under .500 records. Now, over two years have passed and he, like yours truly, is off to his best start in a season yet with an impressive 92-54 record through nine weeks (just slightly below my 101-45 record). Not bad for someone who didn't start following football until he turned 34!

Of course, all of that is in the past. Now, we're in a new week with 14 brand new games (because apparently the league couldn't allow the Colts/Saints/Texans/Steelers to have their bye weeks last week and be done with them) on tap, nearly half of which are games within the division. Will both of our lucks continue? We'll find out in time, but for now here they are just to give you an idea of how we believe this week will play out. As always, the starting game times are based on the Central time zone here in the U.S.

Let's begin:

New York Jets (-6) vs. Denver Broncos: Thursday- 7:20 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
You have to give credit to the Denver Broncos for what they have done in the past two weeks. Coach John Fox and offensive coordinator saw the flaws that their offense had with horrendous pocket passer Tim Tebow throwing under center and changed the system to a more run-friendly one and one that would benefit from the skills that Tebow currently has. The results have definitely shown that, with the team having won two in a row and getting in contention for the AFC West, and their running game has worked so effectively they've ran for over 200 yards on average (even when their third string running back was playing for the majority of a game) and helped their team win even when Tebow finished 2-8 for 69 yards and only 1 touchdown. That said, I'm still not convinced that the Broncos will be able to defeat the Jets tonight. All of the three games that the team won under Tebow have ranged from average to mediocre, and the one good team that they did face (Detroit) destroyed them at home. The Jets are a team just as good as (if not better than) Detroit, having won three out of their last four (just like Denver has, only in a tougher schedule), and feature a defense that definitely has the capability of stopping Denver's red hot rushing game.
mj50's pick: Denver

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens (-7): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
The Bengals are really this year's version of the 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't they? They, like last year's Bucs, are a promising young team that no one expected to do well, only to prove everyone wrong by starting off the season with one of the league's best records at 6-3. They also happened to get to that record by winning the majority of them against team with a record at .500 or worse (their only exception was against the Bills week 4). I bring this up because around the same time last year I just decided to choose for or against Tampa based on the record of their opponent (Under .500? Yes. Over .500? Not a chance) unless proven otherwise, and now I've decided to do the same with Cincinnati this season. Baltimore is 6-3 (4-1 against teams currently with a winning record), and also more focused after last week's disappointing loss to Seattle, and as a result I am siding with them in this case.
mj50's pick: Baltimore

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns (-1): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Jacksonville
Momentum in the key phrase in picking this game. Both teams are awful, but Jacksonville has been the less awful of the two, winning two out of their last three. Cleveland, meanwhile, have lost three in a row and are so bad that their kicker can't kick a field goal in under 30 yards to win against the Rams of all teams! In this case, it is prudent to go against the hotter team.
mj50's pick: Jacksonville

Oakland Raiders (-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Minnesota
Why not? The Vikings are a significantly better team at home than they are on the road, and they have the rushing defense (ranked 6th in the league) to stop Michael Bush, who put up 242 yards last week against the Chargers. However, with the Raiders coming off a long time to prepare for the Vikings and with Carson Palmer's resurgence, I would not stop you from going against me in this case.
mj50's pick: Minnesota

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers (-14): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Green Bay
Obviously, this is an easy one. The Packers have averaged 40 points at home this season, while Tampa Bay (losers of four out of their last five games) is ranked 28th in the league defending the pass. Expect to see Aaron Rodger's magical season continue, and expect to see a 10-0 start for Green Bay following this game.
mj50's pick: Green Bay

Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins (-2): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Buffalo
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. A few weeks, back the Miami Dolphins were undefeated. Now, they're winners of two in a row, and are actually favored to win by Vegas to win against a much better Bills team. Having said that, I believe that he goodwill from the past two weeks will last for just that: two weeks, as they will most surely lose to Buffalo. After all, the Bills have the running game to match the explosive play of Reggie Bush these last two weeks, and I have a good feeling that Ryan Fitzpatrick (who has struggled as of late) will finally get back on track against the league's 25th best passing offense. It's an important divisional matchup for the Bills, and I have a feeling that they will put those last two weeks behind them to get this win.
mj50's pick: Miami

Dallas Cowboys (-7.5) vs. Washington Redskins: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Dallas
Dallas put up 44 points against Buffalo and have won 3 out of 4, while the Redskins lost five in a row, including one to the Dolphins, for Christ sakes! Another obvious choice in this week's slate of games.
mj50's pick: Washington

HALFTIME! On October 26th, it was reported that stand-up comedian Patrice O'Neal (who most of you might recall from his recurring appearances on "The Opie & Anthony Show" from his co-roasting gig on Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen this past September) suffered a stroke as a result of his diabetes, leaving him in critical condition. We here at The mj15 Blog (and by "we" I mean "I") wish Patrice a speedy recovery overtime, and hope that he can get back to doing what he does best ASAP. With stand-up comedy like this one just below, it would be a shame to see just a great comedic voice leave this world too soon, like so many others before him.



Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit Lions (-7): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
Look, Detroit's loss last week to the Bears (in which they gave up six turnovers and two INTs for a touchdown, among some of the other highlights) was indeed horrendous. That said, you can't not like the Lions to rebound with a win at home over the Panthers. Matthew Stafford and the 9th ranked Lions passing game should have little to no troubles against a Panthers defense that has given up the third most points of any team this season, while on the other side of the ball I think that Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Lions defense will do a much better job stopping Cam Newton (who is slowly but surely getting figured out by opposing teams) with their 4th ranked passing defense. In other words, expect this Lions team to head into their big Thanksgiving matchup against the Panthers with a feel-good victory.
mj50's pick: Detroit

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers (-9.5): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Arizona
BECAUSE I'M A RENEGADE, GOD DAMMIT! In all seriousness, I've decided to pick the Cardinals in an upset simply because this game has that kind of "upset in the making" vibe heading into it. Why do you ask? Well, for one thing, Arizona has won two in a row thanks to Patrick Peterson's heroics against the Rams and Larry Fitzgerald being Larry Fitzgerald against the Eagles last week and it looks like this team maybe, sorta, kind of is clicking on some level. Also, it's a divisional matchup and you have to wonder if this is going to be a trap game for the 49ers, what with the big Battle of the Harbaughs set to take place in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.

Am I crazy for picking the Cardinals over a team that could be undefeated right now had it not been for the week 2 heroics of Jessee Holly? Probably, but is it more crazier than the idea of the San Francisco 49ers starting the season with a 9-1 record? I thought so.
mj50's pick: San Francisco

Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams (-2): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Seattle
Marshawn Lynch has rushed for over 100 yards two games in a row, and that's against teams like the Cowboys and Ravens. Just imagine what kind of damage he can bring upon against the league's absolute worst rushing defense. Also, if you had to pick a matchup between a bad team that beated the Ravens and a bad team that just barely beat the Browns, it should always be the former, right?
mj50's pick: St. Louis

San Diego Chargers vs. Chicago Bears (-3.5): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Chicago
There's so much to like about this Bears team heading into this game that's it would be crazy of me not to pick them to win. They have won four in a row, while the Chargers have lost four games in a row. Matt Forte, on track for the single-season yards from scrimmage record if he keeps his insane play going, is going up against the league's 24th best rushing defense while Devin Hester, fresh off yet another punt return for a touchdown last week against Detroit, now has a chance to make an impact against what is arguably the worst special teams in all of professional football. Meanwhile, Phillip Rivers continues to struggle (with as much turnovers as touchdowns last week against Oakland), and his bad play as of late should not bode well heading into a match-up against a team who had a Super Bowl winning caliber defense last week against Detroit. In conclusion, the Bears will win one at home, and Jay Cutler will have some sweet revenge against his one-time enemy Rivers.
mj50's pick: Chicago

Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons (-6): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Atlanta
A big game for both teams, with the Titans trying to take advantage in the AFC South with the news that Houston has lost Matt Schaub for the rest of the season, while Atlanta is trying to avoid losing two in a row following last week's devastating overtime loss to the Saints. As predicted in this blog last week, Chris Johnson had a big game against the Panthers, rushing for a season high 130 yards, and continues to get back on track. However, with the 3rd best rushing defense in his rearview mirror, I don't see CJ2k's return to glory continuing. His opponent, Michael Turner, is another story. The Titans are 22nd against the rush, and as a result I expect him to do well. Also, the Titans offense isn't nearly as good as the Saints offense, while Matt Ryan should have himself another good game (he's had over 275 yards passing in his last two games). It should be close, but in the end I see the Falcons rebounding with a much important victory over Tennessee.
mj50's pick: Tennessee

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants (-4): Sunday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
Michael Vick broke two ribs late against the Cardinals last week, so expect him to not have the same impact that he would normally have against the Giants. New York has been a great home team, losing at Met Life Stadium only once, and Eli Manning should be able to do some damage against an Eagles defense that couldn't even stop John Skelton from winning against them. In short, I've got the Giants sweeping the Eagles in the regular season and holding their decent lead in the NFC East.
mj50's pick: New York

Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots (-15): Monday- 7:35 p.m.
mj15's pick: New England
New England's win over the Jets + Game at Foxboro + No Matt Cassel for Kansas City = Why the hell shouldn't I pick the Patriots?
mj50's pick: New England

RECAP
The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: Green Bay over Tampa Bay
The Jets over the Colts in Super Bowl III Upset of the Week: Arizona over San Francisco
The "Ratatouille" vs. "Wall-E" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Minnesota over Oakland

Be sure to stop by this Wednesday for my special Thanksgiving week edition of the NFL picks, along with the usual recap of my picks for the previous week. Otherwise, enjoy the games, everyone!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15






If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

"Django Unchained," Armond White, and "Homeland"

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, November 10th and Monday, November 14th:

- Reading the constantly updated list of cast members for the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie "Django Unchained" (set to premiere Christmas Day 2012) has now really got me wishing that the Mayans aren't right.

- Of course film critic contrarian Armond White loved the critically-panned "Jack and Jill"! That man's whole career has been based on writing the opposite opinion of what the majority of his filmgoing peers think just so he can get attention (see: his reviews for "Toy Story 3," "WALL-E," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," "Norbit," and others). I would've found it more surprising if he actually hated it.

- I've been re-watching "The Twilight Zone" on NetFlix Instant now that the AV Club has decided to review every episode of it, and I have to say that I'm fascinated at how there's a stark contrast in quality per every episode. At one moment, they could run a tremendous, spellbinding piece of entertaining and then the very next one could be one of the show's worst (a great example of this is when the show aired "The Last Flight," a marvelous episode about a WWI fighter pilot finding himself in the 1950s, right after the awful anti-gambling episode "The Fever"). I don't blame them, though. With an average of 35 episodes per season, a far cry from this day in age where 10 and 13 episode seasons are the norm, a few clunkers are to be expected.

- I still don't understand how into their 18th season covering the NFL, FOX still allows Terry Bradshaw to give the highlights during halftime and on "The OT." Is it part of some contract stipulation that Bradshaw demands to have during every renewal? Also, isn't that essentially the reason that Curt Menefee is even there?

- Matt Schaub is now out for the season with a leg injury. Consider this to be the "Major Kong drops the bomb on Dr. Strangelove" moment for the Texans. Unless Matt Leinart has himself a career Renaissance, I see this as the moment where the entire momentum for Houston gets blown up in their face.

- Maybe the Detroit Lions should stop worrying about their bad boy image and start worrying about winning football games.Just sayin'.

- In case you missed it, "Homeland" (the freshman Showtime series) aired a fantastic episode last night.. A riveting episode that was well-acted by Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, that was a big game changer in how the rest of the season might be playing out. It also did a great job of easing the fears that some people had about the show (like series favorite Saul Berenson possibly helping out terrorist organizations) with a sign of assurance as to the fact that they know what they're doing. It's already proven itself to be fall's best new show, and with "Parks and Recreations" failing to match it's season 3 greatness, "Community" having their ups and downs, and "Boardwalk Empire" still failing to carve their name into the upper echelon of TV dramas, you can even make the case that it's the best show on TV, period.


More random thoughts to come on Thursday. See you then (I hope)!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 11/06/11- 11/12/11

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team, heading onto Beaver Stadium for the first time without Joe Paterno since 1966.


END OF THE WEEK:

You know what this is. You know what you're about to see. So, let's get started.

Death of the Week: Boxer Joe Frazier
The man was one of the greatest of his generation, a man whose relentless fighting technique and left hook that could knock out Goliath helped him immensely in accomplish his 32-4-1 record and multiple heavyweight championship victories in his career. He is also best remembered for his three fights against Muhammad Ali in what is still remembered today as one of the most legendary trilogies in sports history, three fights which put the two side-by-side in boxing lore forever. He will be missed.

Story of the Week (meaning both the Actual Story of the Week and the Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week):
The Penn State Scandal
A once respected defensive coordinator officially charged with molesting over a handful of young men. A cover-up that lasted for nearly a decade between some of the school's top officials. A head football coach who for years has been celebrated for his numerous accomplishments fired in disgrace (with others, including the school president and the redheaded assistant coach who saw the egregious acts take place, following him on the pathway down). A senseless riot among students that took place because of the firing, and the immediate public relations nightmare that followed. If this isn't the biggest scandal to come out of sports in the past thirty years, then this sure as hell better be considered a part of the discussion.

This Week in OCCUPY: It just seems like we just keep getting a new "first" every week in what is now America's second biggest protest of the week, usually one worse than the last. This week was probably the saddest "first" of them all when on Tuesday, a man was found dead over at an Occupy New Orleans tent, the first recorded death at the protests. Detectives identified the dead body as a 53 year old man, and from the reports coming in, it appears that the man was lying in the tent in Duncan Plaza across city hall for over two days without any visible sign of trauma. As if that weren't enough, on Friday over at Occupy Salt Lake City, another man (this time in his 40s) was found dead in a tent as well, most likely by a combination of carbon monoxide and a drug overdose. Meanwhile, near the site Occupy Oakland officially the Britta Perry of the movement), a man was shot to the death just before 5 p.m. Thursday evening (although unlike the first two deaths the suspected gunman was in no way related to the protests), while in Occupy Vermont, a 35 year old Iraq War killed himself in an act of suicide. These four sad stories, more than any other negative news coming out of the protests (including the terrible hygiene, the risk of catching diseases during flu season, and the high risk of rape), has led to massive (and understandable) pressure led by city officials across the U.S. to shut down the "Occupy" encampments.

But if you thought the news coming out of 'Occupy' was entirely bad, well I have some good news: they all weren't. For example, there's a chart put together by Politico's Dylan Byers that lists how Occupy Wall Street has increased the discussion amongst Americans (well, the media mostly) about income inequality in this country, so while the protests have done nothing of sorts to actually create any legislative action, it at least made more people talk about one of the protests more fundamental issues. Over at Denver, a dog, yes, a dog, was named the leader of the movement in order to meet Mayor Michael Hancock's demands of electing something to deal with city and state officials. So, congrats to Shelby (the border collie), for proving that if you're at the right place at the right side and have a leadership as powerful as your adorableness, you can achieve anything!

And there's this video of police at Berkley whacking protesters with batons during a protest against the privatization of schools and a showing of solidarity with the movement...hey, wait a second! That's not a good thing at all! Why would people do that? Oh well, at least the cause was for something not related to the firing of a coach who protected a child rapist.

The movement is about to reach it's second month. After what happened this week, at least things couldn't possibly get any worse...can it?

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Verdict of the Week: Dr. Conrad Murray Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of Michael Jackson
There really isn't much to say about this. He was much deserved in both the guilty verdict of being too negligent as a doctor to lead to Michael Jackson's 2009 death, and in his rather miniscule sentence (what with his entire career being ruined and all). I just wonder if what he did was still all worth it, now that he's the most hated doctor in America since Jack Kevorkian.

Transformation of the Week: Chris Birch
who was allegedly a "straight" rugby player until he had a stroke, at which point he just magically transformed himself into a gay hairdresser.Part of me wants to say that this was all a hoax, that either he's just playing everyone or was a closeted homosexual this home time and used this incident as his golden Willy-Wonka ticket to finally coming out with his stroke as the blame...but where's the fun in that?

Video of the Week: "Liam Neeson- Life's Too Short"
So, the show premieres in 2012, eh? Damn! If only Liam Neeson's fierce intensity could help shorten the premiere of the show, too!



Person of the Week: Former Penn State Head Football Coach Joe Paterno
There's an old adage that goes "It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it." Over the past seven days, no other person has shown to be the clearest example of this than Joe Paterno (and really, Penn State University as a whole). Just a week ago, he was a man universally praised for being a great head football coach for the university, the all-time winningest head football coach in fact (he passed Eddie Robinson's record with 409 wins two weeks ago), a leader of young men, and a person whose efforts over the years have greatly shaped and influenced Penn State for the better (more than any other man in its history). And now, with the blink of a judgmental eye, he's faced to live at his home now, having just been fired in disgrace for the awful act of failing to stand up to some of society's most vulnerable, and living with the fact that he will no longer be coaching a football team for the first time since 1966.

As mentioned, Joe Paterno's fall from grace occurred in a relatively short span of time (less than a week, in fact). It began last weekend, when a grand jury indicted Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator under Paterno who helped the Nittany Lions win two national championships as an assistant, of sexually molesting eight young boys during the 1990s and 2000s. A couple of days later, the full 23-page grand jury report was released to the public for all to see, featuring all of the graphic details of the molestations and how Sandusky was able to keep this all a secret up until now. Among the most notable things mentioned in the report was the passage described how in 2002, Mike McQueary (who later became the school's wide receivers coach up until this week, when he was placed on administrative leave) saw Sandusky molestating a teenage boy in the shower and then later told Paterno about the horrifying account. Rather than simply going straight to the police, Paterno only reported what he heard to the school's athletic director, Tim Curley, and Gary Schultz, who oversought the university's police, and the only thing those two did was notify it to school president Graham Spanier. So, in essence, for nine years after reporting what he had heard to the school's AD, Paterno did nothing else and essentially took part in a massive cover-up to protect Sandusky from seeing harm.

It was with this disappointing news of Paterno's inaction that led to a justifiable movement to fire the coach for what he had done. On Wednesday, that movement lead to it's tumultuous climax. It began in the afternoon when Paterno released a statement saying how he realized in hindsight was he did was wrong, and announced his decision to retire as head coach following the end of this season. But, just like in February when Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said that he will remain leader for the rest of his term (not the same circumstance, of course, but still somewhat similar), the story did not come to an end. Around 10 p.m. local time at Happy Valley, in an act of self interest (a.k.a. protecting the reputation of the school), the university made the big news that it was going to cut Paterno's time at the school much sooner, firing him effective immediately (along with Spanier), and replacing him with interim head coach Tom Bradley. Those of you who paid attention to the story thereafter know what happened next (Paterno's Nixon moment, the student riots, the backlash to the student riots, the game Saturday against Nebraska, etc).

And that was it, the sad, sudden end to the career of one of the most respected individuals in his profession. While you can't help but feel somewhat bad for the guy, let's be honest: it's not like he didn't deserve it. After all, he kept something terrible under wraps for nearly a decade until those boys that were violated were brave enough to stand up for themselves and indict the guy who had done it. Anyone who would do such a thing should be punished, whether it's being charged with perjury (as is the case with Curley), or, in the case of Paterno, being let go so that he can no longer be the wrecked face of the school. In a few years, this story will fade and we will most likely remember Paterno for what he did before we knew about the Sandusky cover-up. But for the time being, I'm afraid that the first thing we will think of Paterno are the events of this past week involving him, and it's damaging repercussions.

-Runner-up: Texas Governor Rick Perry
for basically ruining any remaining chance he has of a Republican presidential nomination this week with this gaffe he had during the CNBC debate on Wednesday (boy, that was a pretty busy date, wasn't it?). With this and Herman Cain's sexual assault allegations, it's like these candidates are just begging for Newt Gingrich to rise in the polls for no good reason whatsoever.

And that's the week it was! Sorry if this week's post was more sober in its tone. I guess that's what happens when the top story of the week involves the raping of over a half-dozen young men. Let's hope that next week will bring us a lot more joy than this one. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.