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Showing posts from January 11, 2009

Another of my jabs at the way people do things, but should change because the way they do things doesn't make sense.

There are a number (a large number) of things that I do that either alienate or bother people. Personal quirks and odd "rules" about life and things that people either never think about or don't want to think about. One of them routinely presents itself at the local liquor store, which I visit on an all-too routine basis. There are two cashiers, separated by a small aisle but no distinct separating dividers. Normally, the store is busy, because we're big-time alcoholics here in Jersey. When both cashiers are occupied, my habit is to straddle the lines and avoid choosing one over the other. I feel it is within my rights as a customer to do so, and you're not going to convince me otherwise. Last night, there I was, standing in my place. Feet shoulder-width apart with my six-pack of Victory Golden Monkey in hand. It's a fine product. The customer to my left had a cart full of stuff. Mostly that crappy light beer and some snacks. Obviously single and ...

Baseball in January.

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One of the cool things about my new position at work is that I'm more on my own than I was before. As such, when the World Series trophy is on display at a nearby restaurant, I am free to take an extended lunch break and take a gander. Chickie's and Pete's is the big-time local sports bar franchise. There are a few of them, and the one in Egg Harbor Township is the newest, I think. The trophy made a stop there today at 1:00pm, with Phillies broadcaster Scott Franske. As expected, the place was jammed. I got there just before one and had to shoehorn my way through the crowd to get close to the thing. My aversion to large crowds and a minor case of claustrophobia made my visit brief. At one point, I entertained thoughts of actually eating lunch there, but one look at the place and those thoughts went out the window - if I could find one. The Phanatic was there - natch - and here, he takes the time to embrace a fan. At one point, he hoisted his shirt up to block my c...

Now, let's absorb some local color by reading about a Philadelphia sports team.

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The playoffs. And not just any playoffs - the NFL playoffs . The local team, the Eagles , is still involved ( are still involved). They're playing the Arizona Cardinals, who most people don't give a snowball's chance in Hell of winning on Sunday. Most people around here don't anyway. I'm not one of them. The Cardinals scare me a little, mostly because most people around here don't give them a snowball's chance of winning on Sunday. That doesn't mean I'm not rooting for the Eagles, it just means that I have a healthy respect for the opponent. The Eagles have been here before. "Here" being the NFC Championship game. For my non-sports fans, it's the game where the winner goes to the Super Bowl - the game with the office block pool. This is their fifth trip under large head coach Andy Reid. Three times they have lost, and on at least two of those occasions, the people around here didn't give a snowball's chance in Hell...

Now this is something I would watch.

Our long national nightmare begins anew tonight, as "American Idol" starts what seems like its 50th season on television - but it's really only the eighth. Critics are wondering if the addition of a fourth judge and some other program modifications will kill the franchise. One can only hope. Meanwhile ... AUSTIN, TEXAS – "American Idol" wants an Austin strip club to take it off. The company that owns the popular television show sued in federal court to stop the weekly "Stripper Idol" contest at Palazio Men's Club. FremantleMedia North America also wants to seize Palazio's profits from the amateur stripping contest. Just what FreemantleMedia and the Idol producers need ... more money. Don't you think that, at some point the producers would be happy to have most of America by the short hairs, making money hand over fist? No, now they have to kill the rest of us. "Defendants are infringing upon FremantleMedia's trademark rights,...

Musical interlude