Cranky

Am I getting old or what? It takes me forever to piss. I look at every young person and want to yell at them to put on jeans that fit. Skinny jeans? Really? Especially the guys. It looks like shit. Facial piercings. Come on! Reserved for real punks or people that have been maming themselves for years. Your lip piercing looks like you have eaten a fish hook. The saucers in the ears. Fuck, enough already. Sorry was at the mall twice this week.
Music. What is it with the music of today? Here ajust a few of the bands that released albums this year. Kesha, Shout Out Louds, Broken Bells, MGMT, Broken Social Scene, and Vampire Weekend, just too name a few. I listen to KROQ in the morning and immediately turn the station after Kevin and Bean. The music is just unlistenable. Crappy synths and re hashed turds. Sorry emo douches your music sucks. R&B, rap and hip hop are a joke. James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Run DMC, Sugarhik Gand, NWA and the Beastie Boys should bee looking at what is there today and say, what happened to what we created. Sorry, that music is sooooooooooo played out. It sickens me that there is no good rock music in the Billboard Top 10 anymore. Read Rolling Stone and see what music is top of all the charts. I miss music.
I may be getting to the point where I ant to yell at kids to get off my lawn adn spray them with a hose, if I had a lawn. When I go into shops like Hot Topic, I fell like a lifetime has passed me by and kicked dirt on me along the way. I can remember when MTV played videos and the Video Music Awards were for videos actually played on the channel. I remeber cassette tapes and vinyl albums. I remeber walkman, having to take your film to the drugstore to have pictures developed. I remember Atari 2600, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Tony Gwynn, Magic Johnson and Al Unser Sr. Thank you reading my rant.

Am I Getting Old?

Strange stuff this week. I walked into Henry's Market this week. For those that do not know Henry's, it is a boojie market similar to Trader Joe's but lower on the food chain than Gelson's or Bristol Farms. Anyhoo, I am walking through the produce are and saw something rather frightening. I saw FRESH ingredients for holiday fruit cake. Am I so old that I can remeber fruit cake being a punchline in every sitcom and knowing that it was a gift from every old relative or quasi family member or friend that felt obliged to get your family gift. Some were even considered better if they were spiked with rum. But, in all, they were nasty, shitty and just bad. So it creeped me out that there was a display and people were actually checking it out and entertaining the thought of creating the beast. Jeeebus!
My other getting old thing is that I will be getting a hearing aid. Funny, as I right this I am grooving to Black Label Society with my old school headphones. Screw the ear buds. Anyway, my hearing has been getting worse and worse over the last 10 years. It got to the point that my 3 year old monster was getting tired of me saying "What?", he now just walks away when I ask him to repeat himself. Tlak about being bummed. Amy just rips for not listening, not true I say, well maybe. So, thanks to all of the concerts and drag racing and loud stereos without using protection, I am no oficially old. So, no I may be able to hear my dad fart a few miles away. I guess that already happens, as anyone who knows him can attest to. So, getting old sucks.

October3rd, A Day of Happiness and Sadness

October 3rd holds so many emotions for me. First, it has a great meaning to me as Amy and I were married on October 3, 2004. It is so rare that you marry someone and they become your best friend. We just celebrated our six years 5 days after Amy had surgery. I look back on that day on the beach in Maui and smile. The greatest day of my life along with the birth of our son Jackson.
Another happy memory is the anniversary of my best friend Jason Cabana and his wonderful wife, Heather. They were married 12 years ago overlooking Puddingdtone. I have known Jason since we were 11 and is like a brother to me. Congrats you guys.
Unfortunately, October 3rd also holds a very heartbreaking event for many others besides myself. On October 3, 1996, one of the most awesome people I have ever had the honor to know, Tim Crowther, passed away. The world lost a gem that day. I have blogged about Tim in the past and have espoused his genius. I cannot say enough about him. Tim was the true meaning of selflessness. He gave his time to so many in the Glendora community. He always had time for everyone. If he didn't, he would make time. He was the man that you only read stories about. He could be a hard ass but give you a hug at the same time. I know because I experienced it.
He left behind an awesome wife and two great kids. Donna is just great. She has a kick ass sense of humor and a laugh that is infectious. Dan has followed in the footsteps of his dad and became a peace officer for the City of Arcadia. He was recently promoted to Sergeant. Tim would be so proud. I haven't seen Dana since she was about 14, but through Facebook I see that she has two beautiful daughters and loves being a mom. Good for you Dana.
Tim brought so much to many lives, mine especially. It is hard to share a day of so much happiness and so much sorrow. I love my wife and my friends and miss Tim so much. That day is such a bittersweet one for me.

Arizona

I have been called a liberal by many of my family members. This was never more apparent when I decided to vote "no" on Prop 8 a few years back. Prop 8 was the California Proposition that banned same sex marriage in the state. I feel that no one has a right to tell a person who they can and cannot be unionized with. I had some folks in the family make absolutely retarded comments like"If they get to marry the same sex, next they will want to be able to marry their sibling or an animal and make beastiality legal." Are you fucking kidding me? Must be listening to too much Bill O'Reilly, Glen Beck or Sarah Palin. Either way, I find myself to be tolerant of all no matter of race, religion or sexual being. However, I do not subscribe to ANY single thought system. I am not a republican, democrat, etc. I am a human that thinks and can have thoughts for myself and not tow any company line.

This being said, the State of Arizona has established Senate Bill 1070. Log story short, the State of Arizona has established a version of Federal Immigration law that now makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally. Very many people have assailed this bill as setting up Police Departments statewide for legal racial profiling. Others have called in Nazi like laws of ridding the state of Hispanic residents. Hearing all of this makes me wonder if any of these people have read the bill.

Here is an important part of the bill: E. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WITHOUT A WARRANT, MAY ARREST A PERSON
38 IF THE OFFICER HAS PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON HAS COMMITTED
39 ANY PUBLIC OFFENSE THAT MAKES THE PERSON REMOVABLE FROM THE UNITED STATES.
This basically means that an officer has to have probable cause to investigate a crime or potential crime. During the investigation of said crime the officer must have probable cause to inquire with the individual as to their immigration status. So, there are 2 requirements that law enforcement must meet before they can even question the person regarding their status. So, if and individual is not doing something illegal they have no worries.

Unfortunately, there are certain groups that are alleging that the state is going after the Latino communities in Arizona. I would not be naive as to think that Arizona does not have a large population of immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. I am pretty sure that this is the bulk of the immigrant population in that state, just as California. However, this applies to ALL illegal immigrants. Those from Asia, Middle East, Europe and the friggin' Canucks from the north. It just so happens that we have many visitors from the south. Don't get me started on the douche bag municipalities in California that are adopting resolutions boycotting Arizona and declaring that the state is anti Latino.

My biggest issue with this whole deal is that it has invaded my sanctuary. It has infested the sports world. FUCK! It just kills me that the sports page is now and a second area for editorials on this issue. Here are a few of the fucktard things that people are stirring up.

Ozzie Guillen, Chicago White Sox manager, had this to say:

"I’m not going. I have to support my people, people I believe in. If those people were bad people, hell no I wouldn’t support them; but they’re good people," Guillen said. "I’m very proud to be a [U.S.] citizen, but meanwhile I ask, "Wow, why did this happen?’ We didn’t do anything wrong here. We support this county and this country supports us. That’s why I’m confused about this thing.

"As a coach, no [I won’t go]. As a player it’s a different thing. If the commissioner wants to play the All-Star game in Arizona, we have to show up. As a coach, I’m not going. They don’t need me. The show’s going on without me."

"My people"? Douche nugget.

Rod Barajas:

“It’s disappointing,” Barajas said. “I have a lot of family born in Mexico. You would like to hope there is no stereotyping going on, but it’s hard to see that there would not be. If they happen to pull someone over who looks like they are of Latin descent, even if they are a U.S. citizen, that is the first question that is going to be asked. But if a blond-haired, blue-eyed Canadian gets pulled over, do you think they are going to ask for their papers? No.”

Darn white devils.

The Major League Baseball Players Association want the league to pull the 2011 MLB All Star Game to pulled from Phoenix. And that proves what? The bill will still be in place and that you guys are still overpaid and pompous asses with the strongest employee union in the world. OK.

Then locals feel that the Lakers should, as an organization, should produce a show of solidarity for the large LA Latino population by showing opposition to the bill. Phil Jackson was skewered by showing indifference and asking a simple question about the state just adopting a federal law as a state law.

Everyone should have their opinion and be proud of it. I just ask that they actually do their homework and leave my fucking sports alone.

Someone Finally Has a Fucking Brain

In a recent blog, I unloaded on Gloria Allred and Jasmine Jaymes and their idiotic idea that Tiger Woods owed them some sort of apology. Today I was listening to my favorite sports talk show, PMS and they did something that I could not believe. As you may, or may not know, PMS is a sports talk show on local AM 570. The show is hosted by Matt "Money" Smith of "Kevin & Bean" fame and Petros Papadakis, former Southern Cal football player. They are immature and sophomoric and I absolutely enjoy it. Anyway, they were set to interview Jaymes on tomorrows show. Petros decided to really think about how the show would evolve and came to the conclusion that this would be an interview that would have given her more airtime than she really needed and it would be dictated by Allred, as well. To them it was just a bad idea all together.
I applaud you Petros. This woman needs to go somewhere and just wither away. You do not deserve the press that you are getting. You fucked a married athlete/celebrity. You were jilted and then published text messages that were private between you two. You have no class and your attorney has no class, either. Allred states that she stands up for women's rights. No, you stand up so that your withered ass can be on TV. PMS was right to boot them to Steve Hartman's show. He will kiss her ass and make her feel good and then destroy her after the interview.
PMS, please listen to another piece of advice. Please keep David Vasseigh off of the air. He is not entertaining or even close to and "on air" personality. Dude is a douche. He is a good producer and did a great job of getting all of Joe McDonnell's contacts. But, he is horrible on Bruin Talk and even worse when you guys go on vacation. Eradicate his voice from the LA airwaves!

I Went Down the Road of Cheese

I did not want to even approach the whole Tiger Woods subject, but, fuck it. I keep hearing Gloria Allred, attorney, fame whore and just plain retarded person keep harping on the fact that Tiger Woods owed her client an apology. Joslyn James, her porn star name, says that she quit doing porn for Tiger. She claims that she was twice impregnated by him and lost both pregnancies. She says that she chose not to tell him about either pregnancy. Each pregnancy coincided with the pregnancies of his wife. Convenient! Her own family has come forth and said that she had numerous other partners and is a compulsive liar. On top that she is wanted in Washington State for not paying child support. I say this.........FUCK YOU! I do not condone the action of the guy. However, you knew that he was married and had kids. You are just as guilty as he is in the affair. So, for you to go get the high priced ambulance chaser Gloria Allred to stump for you getting an apology is just plain retarded. You are not a some exploited woman. You are complicit in this and you should be offering up an apology to Elin for screwing her husband.
The second rant is on so called celebrities. I was flipping through the DVR a few nights back and saw that Nicole Richie was on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The show description had her listed as a "TV personality". WHAT? She was on a piece of shit reality show because she was friends with another "celebrity" Paris Hilton. Let me say this the following are not celebrities, they are fucking morons that have no reason being on TV or in mags: The ENTIRE Kardashian Family, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Brody Jenner, any other person that was on the Hills or Laguna Beach. Just fucking dry up and go away.
The LA Times just really fucked up by putting a story of Tila Tequila on the front page of the Calendar section of this past Sunday's paper. Really? Her? The article was a big steaming pile. She has no talent. She was a Playboy model. That's it. She has bled the media dry. She is worthless. Go away and do not come back. Sham on you LA Times. Jesus with these fucktards already!

The Baseball Hall of Fame Screws the Pooch and other genius ideas

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Andre Dawson was the lone inductee in Class of 2010. They went on to decide that he was to be inducted as a Montreal Expo. Why do I have a problem with that? Because, he was not given a choice of which cap to be displayed on his plaque. In 2005, Wade Boggs was voted into the Hall with 91% of the vote. 75% is needed for induction. Wade's best years were in Boston and with the Yankees. He finished up with 2 lackluster years with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (as they were then known as). He had a combined 200 hits in his time with Tampa and got his 3000th hit with them. Now, upon his election to the Hall, Boggs was going to be inducted as a Devil Ray because they were going to pay him a large sum of money to do so. This same issue came up when the Padres paid Dave Winfield a huge amount of cash and a high level administrative position in exchange for going in as a Padre. I get the fact that the Hall doesn't want a pay for play deal here, but, JEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSUSSSSSSSS CHRIST!
Andre Dawson was the first player to win an MVP for a last place team, the Cubs. He brought life to a moribund club in 1987. He should have had more say to go in as a Cub, as he alluded to in interviews. I am absolutely happy that he is being inducted. He is one of 3 players to have 400 homers and 400 steals over the course of a career. Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are the others. I say Good deal Andre.
Now, the genius sportswriters fucked up again. Bert Blylevyn was 5 votes short of induction. He finished his career with 287 wins and 3701 strikeouts. He has more wins of any other Hall eligible pitcher and ranks 27th on the all time wins list and 5th on the strikeouts list. The knock is he is 10th on the losses list and had an ERA of 3.31. Not great for his era, but Phil Niekro and Don Sutton had more losses and higher ERA's and less strikeouts and made it to the Hall because they won 300 games. Douchebag writers.
The writers also left Roberto Alomar out of the Hall. He missed by eight votes. Here's what he accomplished: 17 seasons, Rookie of the Year in '88, 12 straight All Star Game appearances, top 5 in MVP voting 5 times, 10 Gold Gloves, 2700 hits, and a career .300 hitter. Several writers left their ballots blank because they felt that Alomar disgraced the game by spitting is John Hirschbeck's face in '96. The writers failed to realize that Hirshbeck called Alomar a "maricon". For those that are not bi lingual, maricon is basically equivalent to calling someone a "faggot" in english. However, in most Latin cultures this is a term that will get your ass kicked for calling someone that. Writers have long punished players for things that have nothing to do with their on the field credentials and are a bunch of bitter, jock sniffing elitists. I believe that the Hall change the voting formula to include Hall of Famers in the voting and not just for the Veterans Committee. Pete Rose belongs in the Hall!

Bitchin' Again

I saw today that former professional wrestler "Dr. Death" Steve Williams passed away on December 30, 2009 from throat cancer. Pro Wrestling was a huge part of my life as a youngster. Steve was one of my all time favorites. He was a fucking beast. He was a 4 time All American wrestler at Oklahoma and an All American football player for Barry Switzer, as well. Steve was teamed with the late Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy in Japan. They were the most vicious and destructive team, outside of the Road Warriors, that Japan had ever seen. They were portrayed as vicious enemies here in the states. RIP Steve.

LA Radio

I listen to a bit radio. The radio got too boring and too many commercials. The same songs were being played over and over. So, I decide to get XM. Loved it. Then, you get the same songs over and over and a ton of commercials, as well. So, XM is gone and I am back to regular radio. I have come to realize a few things. Growing up in Southern California I have been privileged to have been subjected to many great radio stations. I have seen KMET (rock), KNAC (Hard Rock), KLSX(once classic rock/talk) and too many sports talk stations come and go. KLOS and KROQ have been a staple on my pre set for close to 30 years. I am a sports talk AM junkie.
I have been witness to the greatest DJ's here in LA. Jim Ladd, Jed the Fish, Rodney Bingenheimer, JJ Jackson, Rita Wilde, Kevin and Bean, The Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna to name a few. The sports announcers are a king's court. In LA we have had the pleasure of welcoming Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, Bob Miller, Dick Enberg, Ralph Lawler, Chris Roberts and Charlie Steiner into our lives to bring us the best play by play of their respective sports. The talking heads that bring the sports talk have been many an varied. They include Jim Rome, Steve Hartman, Chet Forte, Lee Hamilton, Joe McDonnell, Doug Krikorian, Jim Healy, Matt Smith and Petros Papadakis. These guys have brought news, laughs and tears to the many they entertain. With that being said I heard only what I can describe as an absolute abortion on the airwaves yesterday.
Driving home from work, I tuned in to KLAC 570 AM. Looking for a best of for Petros & Money, I instead got Bruin Talk, as the Bruins played an early New Years Eve basketball affair against the Sun Devils. Well, the call in show is hosted by David Vasseigh, who is a producer of the Petros & Money Show and got his start on the Joe McDonnell/Doug Krikorian Show on ESPN Radio a few years back. For some unknown reason, they let him on the air periodically and he just ruins the show every time. Vasseigh has a wooden delivery that will bore you to sleep. He tries to be funny. His bad humor is only rivaled by the reviled Sam the Armenia Comedian of the Kevin & Bean Show on KROQ. David cannot find any fluidity when giving an opinion and just sounds like he really tries way too hard to be witty. He is just plain bad. He is far better as a behind the scenes guy. Now I know why I never listened to the Bruin Post Game Show for football. Vasseigh, you suck! Stay off of the waves.