both the steelers and the packers got off to great starts and it looked like they were going to run away with their games, but then they forgot how to play or something.  check out big Rapey’s stat line.  10 of 19 for 133 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  and that’s good enough to get you to the superbowl?  i did like the bootleg they ran for Rothlisberger to score.  i can’t believe the jets weren’t ready for that one.  they got the steelers on that play the last time they faced off.

looked to me like in the first half the jets just simply got out schemed.  the steelers did everything they wanted.  well, that and the jets couldn’t tackle me out there.  mendenhall just ran through the defense.  how many missed tackles can you have in a half of football?  oh, about a million.

but then in the second half the steelers looked like they were already on the bus headed to the superbowl.  um, guys, you got another half of football to play.  terrible.

and the packers looked like world beaters at the start of the game.  jumped up 14 zip and looked ready to coast the rest of the way in.  only they did try to coast the rest of the way in.  the best player on the bears team was their 3rd string quarterback!  and they still had a chance to tie in the final seconds!  are you kidding me?  and i’m not buying the torn acl, Jay Cutler looked like a chump from the get go.  if he’s injured he did it in warm ups and tried to play through it.  he was terrible.  like can’t hit the broad side of a barn terrible.

yeesh.  talk about two teams backing their way into the superbowl.  i hope the commercials are good this year ’cause i have a feeling this game is going to be nearly unbearable to watch.  but i suppose i should pick a winner.  i’m going with Green Bay.  27 to 24.

oh and check this out, my quarterback, Carson Palmer is demanding a trade from the Bengals.  a trade demand the Bengals will not honor.  nothing better to spring board you into the off season like a disgruntled quarterback.  go team.

With three recent examples it is seen that your corruption knows no hipocracy.  How is Enes Kanter ineligible to play basketball for the University of Kentucky?  He accepted $33,000 from a pro team in Turkey for whom he’d been playing professionally for three years.  That’s like my son working at the local grocery store to save for college as soon as he turns 16.  His family turned down millions in guarenteed money so he could come to the US and play high school and college basketball.  Probably so they could cash in on the multi millions he’s going to make in the NBA after one season.

Five Ohio State football player are suspended for the first five games of next season for selling or trading off their personal items for gain.  I thought that was in the Constitution that everyone is allowed to do that!  Isn’t that the American Dream?  To take what you have and make more if it?  Not unless the NCAA says so apparently.  This information came out weeks before the team played in the Sugar Bowl and the NCAA made their decision on punishment weeks before the Janruary 5, 2011. (the NCAA made their ruling on December 23, 2010)  But the five players weren’t suspended from the upcoming bowl game.  They were suspended for the first five games of next, the 2011 season.  How do you rationalize first, suspending these players for taking their personal possessions and profiting off of them, and second, how is this such a heinous infraction that you suspsend them for what seems excessive five games?  And yet it’s not such a big deal that you gotta make them miss the upcoming bowl game?

Cam Newton.  2010 Heisman trophy winner.  College football’s greatest award.  The award was stripped this year from Reggie Bush for accepting what was deemed improper benefits from fans or boosters as they are called.  Things like automobiles for himself, a home for his parents to live in.  I don’t know, reasonable compensation if you ask me, but I can definatly understand these being improper benefits.  So okay, strip Reggie Bush of his Heisman.  Cam Newton’s father approached at least one University in the SEC asking for a hundred grand in cash for his son to attend their school and play football!  But this kid is still playing ball?

But our boy Enes Kanter who worked his tail off for his local grocer, or in this case the local pro basketball team, saving up his money, $33,000 for three years of work, to attend an American university so he can provide for his family like most of us can only dream of, is inelible to play.

You suck NCAA.  I call for a class action lawsuit.  I hope the Kanters sue you.  There’s gotta be some slimy high dollar attorney salivating right now at the chance to stick a foot up your ass and change the landscape of college athletics in this country and revolutionize sports the world over.  I hope somewhere there’s a greedy, crafty sports agent on the phone right now with the Kanter family getting their lawsuit in order.  Because he knows of the cash this kid is going to be rolling in once he hits his second and third NBA contract.  And if not this kid, the next one.

Maybe we can even get a football playoff.

and consume they did.  and waste.  waste and consume.  i felt like i was in a george romero film.

i love walking down the hall with people line up against the wall like cattle waiting for the slaughter, only waiting for their movie to seat, and comment towards the garbage cans over flowing with cardboard and paper, “cinemark, doing our part to keep the world green.”  some people laugh.  some people look offended.  and other reach out searching for brains to eat.

had some woman today tell me it was rediculous i wouldn’t give her another popcorn bag so her family could split their one bag of popcorn they paid for.  i asked her what they were giving away at target today?  and asked her to go pick me one up too.

i love it when they get all impatient and stamp their feet and roll their eyes and look at me like i have some magical power to make the line go faster.  then they get there and take up another five minutes debating with their group what they want to get.  duh.  you been in line for fifteen minutes staring at the menu board.  this is why you have to wait.  i’m sorry you only come to the movies on the busiest day of the year.  not my fault.  where were you last week when there were no lines?  fools.

consume and waste, consume and waste.

next year will most def be the third annual cancer sucks rock and roll benefit show.  thinking about adding a 5 k.

but this benefit thing is kind of a big deal for me.  facing court mandated community service, and community service is the way to go.  they’ll oftimes ease up on the fines if you’ll volunteer community service.

but anyway, i had a brain flash to put on a rock and roll concert to benefit three specific people in my life afflicted with cancer.  my father being a cancer survivor.  three people that were friends with me, probably my best friends at different stages of my life.

that and i was trying to get my fledgling rock band out of the garage and figured this was a perfect opportunity!

i had an in at the rudyard kipling.  maybe the coolest joint in all of louisville.  the coziest little nook, the most eclectic and interesting place i’ve found.  i’ve seen a death metal band and a husband wife comedy duo perform on the same stage in the same week.

ken, the old cat runs the joint says he’s been trying to sell it since he bought way back in the 80′s, is the absolute nicest dude you’ll ever meet.  the first time i walked into this place ken and his wife sheila were singing a duet just because.

i’ve been a fan ever since and had the opportunity to work there as a server for a brief time.  so i called ol’ kenny up and ask if i can book the place for my benefit show.

sure, no problem.

so i had some friends help me make some flyers, hollered at some boys from lexington come down and play some rock and roll with us.  hollered at a couple lousville bands come rock and roll with us.

we made almost 800 bucks.  of which we divided four ways and sent four checks to David Blair, Jason Newby, Preslie Leathers and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Louisville.  The LLS because i though it would be a good idea to put a credible logo on our flyers.  and they were the only organization i approached didn’t want the bulk of the funds raised.  they didn’t want any of it.

they said, sure you can use the logo.  yeah, no problem.  oh, you want to give us some money too?  even more better.

they didn’t really say that.  or use such poor grammer, i’m just saying.  they were super cool so i’m splitting the funds raised with them again this year.

this year i decided to add a silent auction.  and as the day draws near i’m starting to doubt myself a bit.  i don’t know anything about a silent auction.  i’ve never been to a silent auction.  i don’t even think i asked anyone how to do a silent auction.

i just figured i’d go out and see if i could get some stuff to auction.  and i got some pretty cool stuff.  some horse riding lessons, some music lessons, a man at church donated corporate training sessions.  i’m not sure the audience that will draw, but it sounded expensive so i put it on the flyer.

and i’ve got some smaller, gift basket type stuff too.  a kentucky headhunter gift basket with a t-shirt, hat, cd and framed autographed photo of the band.  i’ma bid 20 bucks on that one myself.

oh, and i added online donating too.  which has already yielded an eighth of last years total funds raised.

so i’m feeling a little better about the whole thing.  if folks show up, we’ll have a good time and help some people out.  and if no one shows up, we’ll have a good time and help some people out.  ’cause i’m already back in black.

thank you troy reynolds.

5 kids in the first round.  three in the top 14.  0 national championships.

i appreciate all you kids did.  bringing that hype and excitement back to kentucky basketball, but i hope the next group of thorobreds practice some free throws.

and if you’re young point guard wanting to play in the nba you probably lining up to play for coach cal.  the last two rookie of the year awards have gone to point guards coached by one mister john calipari.

brandon knight.  you’re next.

john hood, i’m watching you.

hgh.

eh, that’s really about it.  but it’s early.

it is pretty cool though.  better than i thought it would be.  of course i try to go into things with low expectations.  but this film surprised me.  i was entertained though out.

there are some high profile actors doing voice overs to help american audiences get into it.  names like matt damon, liam neeson, betty white, tina fey, cate blanchett and lily tomlin to name a few.

it’s a really cute story and the animation is interesting.  take the kids to see it.

3 1/2 magic jellyfish out of five.

i cannot begin to describe how positive i’m still feeling about the whole thing.  we raised almost $700 which i think is great.  that means at 5 bucks a head, we got a lot of people into the rudyard kipling last saturday.  and those folks also spent a lot of money at the rud.  which is great as well.  ken, the dude that owns the place is one of the best people you’ll ever want to meet.  and his staff is the best.

the rudyard kipling is a place you can walk into and feel the good vibes.  its awesome.  and the rock show was awesome.  and i’m not even going to get into how awesome my band sounded.  and we did  sound awesome.  first time playing with a sound guy and on stage monitors made a huge difference.  we killed.

i think i may have found myself a new career path.  i’ve pretty much done nothing but take and take and take my whole life, i feel really good about giving a little.  really, really good.  and i’d like to live my life feeling that way.

more to come on that…

everyone kept coming up and telling me he had passed and i kept waiting for the punch line.  so i made one up myself.  a friend text me with the info so i replied with “yeah, i heard he choked on an 8 year old.”

she didn’t think it was funny.

then someone else said something about him dying and i said, “kindergarten classes around the world are now safer places.”  no one thought that was funny either.

they are funny, my jokes.  but i guess since he’s dead now we can just forget about the last 20 years of his sordid life and just remember the music baby. 

whatever.

not that i wish any man to die, and not that any man deserves to die.  shit just happens sometimes.  the fact he was able to endure so many plastic surgeries is quite amazing as it is.  and he did rock out some killer tunes back in the day.  but the dude was a nut case.  he had very questionable relationships with young boys who’s families he essentially paid off with huge out of court cash settlements.  ha dangled his own son over a balcony to give photographers a snap shot.  (of course i believe it was a cabbage patch doll because of the towel on the babies head, but whatever)

i guess i’m sorry you’re gone jacko.  i suppose there are several large banking institutions that will never get their money you owed them.  and that’s cool with me.  screw those guys anyway.  i’m sure barry is gonna take care of them.  i’m sure citibank will get a bailout because you owed them money. 

i suppose regardless of what kind of child molesting weirdo you were, you have left us iwth a treasure trove of killer pop tunes and funky jams we will always have.  and thanks.  i guess.

i’m sure there were some american soldiers, and police officers, and firefighters, and responsible fathers, and great humanitarians, and highschool football coaches that positivly ifluenced the lives of thousands of people, and all kinds of people died yesterday that deserve our praise and respect.  i just don’t think you are one.

but thank for thriller.

i’ve not seen the whole thing yet but i’ve got three words to describe the crowd that has been selling out my theater seeing it.  lowest.  common.  denominator. 

i just checked imdb.com and the first user review says, “best sequel i’ve seen since jeepers creepers.”

i really don’t think i need to say any more.  my hope for western culture has come to an end.  there is no hope.  we are screwed.  better get your food storage going and fortify your homes.  judgement day is upon us.

not only is this film a pile of flashy lights, big explosions, giant robots and low IQ humor, it’s sponsored in part by your US government.  if you’ll notice from the trailers all the vehicles in the film are General Motors, or as i like to call it now, Government Motors.  remember just a couple weeks ago when the federal government bailed out GM by essentially purchasing a majority of the shares?  nice to know the country is in a deficit like we’ve never seen but there’s at least still money to shovel into hollywood.

where’s my money, barry?

when i showed up for work tuesday i noticed a GM tent and some GM girls hanging out.  i’m all for marketing products with sexy ladies, but not when my tax dollars are paying for it.  GM had a booth set up with these chicks and brought over some new camaros and poeople brought there camaros to the theater and they gave out free tickets for a special screening of transformers 2 and t-shirts and all kinds of stuff.

makes me really consider just never paying those back taxes i owe now that i can see at least one place they are going.  still waiting on that check, barry.  and i’m of course talking to barry obama.  barack hussein obama.  whose momma calls him barry.  where’s my check?

but other than that debacle, this film is still a pile of crap.  it’s produced for the masses.  a film with the broadest appeal possible.  which is a good thing i guess.  because i’m all about making money.  and this thing is gonna make some bread.  at our theater, the opening day for transformers 2 beat opening day for dark knight.  i have a feeling spiderman 2 is going down as the biggest opening in movie history.  we sold out every show after 6 yesterday.  and i’m sure we’ll do the same today.

and the people that are selling this thing out are idiots.  they don’t understand how to stand in a line and wait.  they crowd around the theater door before the movie showing before theirs has let out.  blocking the people from getting out of the theater, blocking people walking down the hall and blocking my ushers from cleaning the theater.  then they start to rush in after they’ve been asked to please wait until we’ve had time to clean the theater.  then they complain the theater is dirty when they get in there.

i worry about the future.

i did like the GM girls though.  i need to talk to someone about having some Tinseltown girls brought in for other big openings.  i’ll of course be in charge of them.