Home of the Theo

The Chicago Cubs have not won the world series in 103 years. Some people say it may be because they are cursed by a tavern owner and his pet billy goat. That's ridiculous. Curses are just as real as ghosts. If you believe the reason why the Cubs haven't won in over a century is because of a curse you are a lunatic.

The reason they haven't won in over a century is because of terrible front office moves and even worse luck. Yesterday they made a move to fix at least one of those problems. They made their first move of the off season by bringing in Theo Epstein from the Boston Red Sox to be their General Manager/Position to be named later. If you don't know who Theo Epstein is you must not watch a lot of baseball.

Theo Epstein took over as Boston's GM and two years later won the World Series. Boston's first World Series win in 86 years. Three years later his Red Sox won yet another championship. He is widely regarded as a baseball genius. Now he is at the helm of the Chicago Cubs.

If anyone is going to end over a hundred years of misery it's Theo Epstein. He is a great GM with an even better track record of winning. He is by far the best candidate to take over a struggling Cubs team. Especially after two years of the team making themselves difficult to watch. All the guy does is post one winning season after another. He does however have a lot on his plate right away with the Cubs.

The Cubs have many pressing questions that he needs to answer. Who will be the manager of the team? It seems about time that they give the job to Ryne Sandberg. He absolutely deserves it. What should be done about Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, and Aramis Ramirez? They either have expiring contracts or aren't worth what's left on their contracts. One of Theo's first moves should be to get rid of all of the players. They don't belong on the team anymore and it would just be better to start over with a clean slate. Do they resign Carlos Pena or make a play at either Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder? Although he had a good season defensively saving who knows how many errors for Starlin Castro is he the answer at first? Epstein has a history of going after big name free agents so it wouldn't be a surprise if he tried to sign either Pujols or Fielder and just let Pena go.

As if perhaps already feeling the pressure of what may be in Chicago, Cardinals fans are not taking this well. They are writing it off as if it's not a big deal. There have been posts such as "What position does Theo Epstein play?" and "What was Theo's batting average last season?" We get it, you are frustrated and a little flustered that the Cubs are actually making moves to improve their team. It doesn't matter that Theo is not a player. He is bigger than any one single player. Without great GM's like Theo Epstein putting great individual players together the great players like Albert Pujols would have zero championships. So Cardinals fans, it's okay to be jealous, but stop acting like children. That is all.

Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:


"Vagabond" by Wolfmother

Home of the Worst: TV Shows of the 2000s

This week marks the season premieres of many television series. Some are returning for another season while others are brand new. Some of these shows may be very good. Some of them will be very disappointing. This makes me think back to other shows which were very disappointing. Shows that looked like good ideas on paper but turned out to be catastrophic flops. Today I bring you my top ten worst shows of the 2000s. That means 2000-2009. These shows may have been poorly recieved, had a promising concept but failed to get viewers, or just had a terrible concept to begin with. Here are the worst television shows from 2000 to 2009.

10. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Studio 60 makes this list because of how disappointing it was. It wasn't really a bad show, it just failed to deliver. It was a very clever concept that fell flat. With a great cast that included Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet it's hard to believe this show didn't succeed. One of the, if not the, reason why this show was cancelled is because it premiered around the same time and on the same network as "30 Rock." They both had the same basic concept but one had to go. NBC chose to cancel the less popular "Studio 60" and stick with "30 Rock." One went on to win multiple Emmys while the other is considered one of the worst shows of the 2000s. I think NBC made the right decision.


9. Meet the Browns

Can somebody please explain to me why Tyler Perry is funny? I don't get it. And why does TBS continue to pick up these terrible TV shows? I don't understand what is funny about this show at all. I don't understand why people love his movies either but that's a different subject. The combination of this show's racial stereotypes and flat jokes lands it on our list at number nine.

8. Joey

I get why this showed was made. NBC had great success with it's "Cheers" spin-off "Frasier." So why not try it again with one of the most succesful sitcoms of all time, "Friends." I get that part. The part I don't get is why they chose Joey. Of all the "Friends" cast they decided to give Matt LeBlanc the spin-off? This show did a great job of showing the world that Matt LeBlanc is not funny without Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe.


7. The Cleveland Show

Seth MacFarlane is the Tyler Perry of cartoon shows. The only difference is that sometimes Seth Macfarlane is actually funny. "The Cleveland Show" is not one of those occasions. He had great success with "Family Guy" and I was okay with "American Dad" but this crosses a line. That line is called comedy. Which is one thing this show is not. It may try to be a comedy, but let's be serious. This show is a cartoon version of "Meet the Browns." It is not funny and they focus way to heavily on the racial stereotypes. How this show is still on the air is a mystery.

6. Brothers

Theirs only three things you need to know about this show. Michael Strahan, although a great football player, is a terrible actor. Carl Weathers is a boxer and should always be remembered for just that. Finally, no matter how much they try, a guy in a wheelchair is never funny.

5. That '80s Show

"That '70s Show" was a great television show. So one would think that a similar show based in the '80s would be just a great. One would think that, but one would be wrong. It's a good thing that Glenn Howerton found success with "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" because this show was awful.

4. Viva Laughlin

Let's base a show in a casino in Las Vegas. Sounds good so far. Let's get Hugh Jackman to star in said television show. I'm liking the sounds of this. Sounds like a good show. Now, let's have the stars of the show break out in musical numbers at random parts of the show. I'm sorry, what? That sounds like an awful idea. And it was. Sorry Hugh Jackman, maybe you should stick to playing a mediocre Wolverine.

3. Kath and Kim

NBC found a gem by remaking a British show for American audiences. This was not that show. After having success with "The Office" they decided to try the same formula again. The result was "Kath and Kim." It starred Molly Shannon, formerly of "Saturday Night Live" and Selma Blair. The show also co-starred John Michael Higgins, better known as "that guy from everything." It was a complete disaster and failed to live up to the huge expectations NBC had for it.

2. I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Of all the reality TV shows out there, this has to be the worst of them all. The premise of the show wasn't bad. Take a bunch of celebrities, dump them in a forest, and watch happens. The problem was what they considered celebrities. Here are a few of the "celebrities" they had on show: actor Lou Diamond Phillips, professional wrestler Torrie Wilson, former basketball player John Salley, Stephen and Daniel Baldwin, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, and ,my personal favorite, Patti Blagojevich. The wife of former Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich. Well done NBC. Way to put together the worst group of "celebrities" ever. That is why the show was so awful.

1. Cavemen

Turning a character from a commercial into a television show never works. Especially when they take one of the worst commercial characters ever and make an entire show about it. The caveman was and still is one of Geico's 247 commercial characters. Seriously, how many different characters are you going to have for your commercials? But that's not the point. The concept of the show was to focus on cavemen living in modern times. If I wanted to see that I would just watch the New England Patriots every Sunday. I'm pretty sure Tom Brady is a caveman. They should have just gone ahead and made a show about the Geico gecko. That's a show that I might actually watch. "Cavemen" not only goes down as one of the worst shows of the 2000s but also as one of the worst shows of all time.

There you have it folks. My list of worst TV shows of the 2000s. Feel free to comment. Do you agree? What shows did I miss? What are your worst shows of the 2000s? Also, don't forget to follow. Until next time. Goodbye.

An Anthem for All Awful TV Shows:

"Can't Get It Right Today" by Joe Purdy

Home of the Media: Part II

Last week I wrote about an assignment I had in one of my classes. The assignment was to document every time I used any kind of media. It has been a week and I have completed the assignment. Today I decided to follow up on last week's post. These are my observations from that assignment.

The media controls my life. That might be the truest thing I have ever said. The media runs all aspects of my life. There is very little that I do that doesn’t involve the media. I often wonder what it must have been like to live in the time before radio, television and movies. After doing this assignment I can state for a fact that I can no longer even begin to imagine what that must have been like.

Music is a great passion of mine. Although I cannot play any instruments nor do I have any great musical abilities, I still listen to music all the time. I listen to music in my car, in my room, at dinner, at bars, all over the place. I find it hard to imagine what life would be like without music. The great benefit of music is that it can change my mood like the flick of a light. When I’m feeling bad I listen to music and I instantly feel good. When I’m stressed I put on my “Cat Stevens” record and am relaxed right away. Music does what nothing else can and that’s why I love it.

Although I love music, I can’t seem to keep my eyes off the television. It’s as if my eyes are amazed by the bright colors and the technologies swirling around on the screen. I use television as source of great entertainment. Television had the most minutes of any other media for me. Keep in mind that this was a week before some of my favorite shows come back on. I can imagine that if I were to do this same thing next week that the minutes would be much higher.

The internet is by far the greatest invention of my life time. The internet just makes life easier. I use it as a source of entertainment as well as education. I learn things just by reading articles online. I will say that if it weren’t for the internet I probably still wouldn’t know what I wanted to major in. The internet provided me with the tools to write a blog which then sparked my interest in writing which then made me want to major in journalism. Thanks internet.

Music, television, and the internet are great, but the film industry blows them out of the water. Movies are the greatest thing ever. They tell stories like nothing else can. Movies evoke all different kinds of emotions. They can make you laugh, cry, or jump out of your seat. Nothing can do what movies can do. Movies ranked second in minutes but they are my number one joy in media. I cannot even begin to think of life without movies. I think it would just be boring.

In conclusion, media is my life. I hardly go anywhere or do anything that doesn’t involve the media. Some people may be ashamed or surprised by the amount of time they spend using the media, but not me. It’s 2011, the media is such a big part of today’s culture and I am going to use it all the time.

Thank you for reading. I'll be back next week with more. You can follow this blog to keep up to date with my updates. Have a good weekend. Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:

"American Eyes" by Wildlife

Home of the Media

It has been a while since my last post, but I can assure you that I am back and better than ever. Here are some quick updates on me; I am no longer training for the marathon(that didn't last long honestly), I am still a Cubs fan although they have given me many reasons not to be, and I am going back to school. I decided to go back to get my life going in a direction that hopefully leads me far, far away from the Quad Cities. My major is journalism, appropriately. I decided that if I'm going to school for journalism that I should probably start writing again. So I am back in the "Land of the Steve" for what I hope to be a long and glorious stay.

The journalism class that I am taking is Intro to Mass Communication. In this class we have been learning mainly about media and how it works. I have learned that Rupert Murdoch is a terrible person but at the same time a genius. If you don't know who he is I would highly suggest that you look him up and read a little about him. He is just an overall awful human being.

Our latest assignment has been to document every time we use media. That includes television, movies, music, internet, books, magazines, radio, etc. Every time I participate in one of those mediums I have to write it down. I have to write down what show I watched, what band I listened to, what sites I visited, and so on. Today is day one of the one week assignment. Already I can not believe how much I use media. Almost everything I have done today has involved some kind of media. I listen to music in my car, I come home and start watching tv. Then I move to my computer and start surfing the web at the same time I'm listening to music. So I'm partaking in two different types of media at the same time. In just half a day I have already realized what an incredible effect media has on my everyday life. I'm not sure that it would be possible for me to go an entire day without using some sort of media.

The part I find to be sort of crazy is that I am writing right now. So let me try to make sense of this as best I can. I am writing in a blog, which is considered media. When I finish this entry I will read it back to myself, so therefore I will be participating in media. So technically I am the media that I am partaking in. Does that mean I should write this down in my notebook? This is almost as confusing as my post on writer's block.

I am going to end there before it gets even more confusing. Thank's for stopping by. Go ahead and follow this blog if you would like, if not then you are a loser. That is all. Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:

"Up Up Up" by Givers

Home of the Return

As the very great Michael Jordan once famously said:

I'm Back!

After nearly a month without a post and after much demand I have made my return to the Land of the Steve. I hope you readers didn't miss me too much. A lot has happened to the Steve in the last month. I recently got a job at a video store. It's a good job, easy work but plenty of it to keep me busy. I have celebrated the birthdays of my mother and my little sister. I drove roughly 275 miles to two different destinations to pick up two different siblings and bring them home in one day. There was something else too, what was it?

Oh yeah, I also turned 21 a week and a half ago. I am all growed up now. The first night of my 21st weekend was a great time. My brother and sister(whom I had to drive roughly 275 miles to get) were home to celebrate and we hit the town like only we know how. As soon as I walked into the bar someone had a shot ready for me to take. I see someone else I know and walk over to talk to him. He also buys me a shot. Upon seeing him buy me a shot and wish me a happy birthday a random person at the bar decided he was going to buy me a shot as well. Who am I to say no to that? After three shots in less than five minutes I finally get a beer. That's more my style. I then ventured to the bar next door. As I'm walking I see someone I went to high school with. He buys me a whiskey/coke. I then walk over to my friends. As soon as I get there a bar tender walks up to me and asks me if I'm the one who just turned 21. I answered yes. She replies, "This is for you" as she hands me a Smirnoff Ice. Very clever guys. After hanging out at that bar for a while we walked across the street to a different bar. I'm not going to lie, I don't remember a whole lot about this bar. Next thing I know my dad is there to pick us up. My brother, sister, my brother's friend, and some kid named Austin pile into the car. As we pull up to Austin's house he says the quote. We are all packed in the car and talking all kinds of nonsense when he says, "So does this make me part of the family?" I look over at my dad and see that even he is laughing at what Austin just said. We arrive home and my brother starts cooking something. 4:30 comes around I decide it's probably time for me to hit the sack. What a great way to celebrate my 21st.

The next day I actually felt pretty good considering the night I just had. We go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and I get tequila poured down my throat. Not a fan. After that we had cake and ice cream. Then I had my experience with what is simply known as "Harley's." What a place. Right up my alley, literally and metaphorically. Stayed there for a while then went to "The District." Not really my style but it was still a good time. As far as the end of the night went let me just say that when I got home my shirt was no longer on my body. That's all I will say about that.

I wake up Sunday, it is Easter, I feel like death. I couldn't wait to stuff as much of my grandma's cooking in my mouth as I could. Once I ate I was feeling much better. Still very tired, but not hungover. I even found enough strength to participate in the annual game of "Annie Annie Over," if you have to ask what that is you don't need to know. It was a great weekend and I thank all of my friends and family members who could make it out. You all made it one of the best weekends of my life.

I think that is all the catching up that needs to be done for now. So I am done for now. Thank you for reading. I'm glad to be back and I promise my next post won't be a month from now. Have a great day. Goodbye.


Random Song of the Day:
In case you forgot, this where I pull up my iTunes, hit shuffle, and whatever song comes up first is what I post here. It is a flawless system for choosing songs to post.

Today's random song of the day is...

"Tighten Up" by The Black Keys

Home of the Playlist

Yesterday I wrote about how I am going to attempt to run a marathon. If you missed it you should stop here and go read that. I started a training schedule put together by a guy named Hal Higdon. First three days are all three mile runs. Today was day two.

Day two went much better then day one. I ran the entire first mile(high five myself). That may not seem like a big deal but for me that's huge. I started the second mile walking. That quickly turned into running. I picked up my speed. I picked it up again. I was completely zoned in like those people you see on Nike commercials. I continued strong into the third mile. That didn't last long. I walked for about a minute before I started running again. I noticed I only had about a quarter mile to go. I cranked up the speed and next thing I know I'm done. Three miles ran in 29:47, not great but very good for me. I was very satisfied and I felt great. I walked around for a few trying to catch my breath. Much like yesterday I felt much better then I expected I would.

That's all about the running. Today I'm going to talk about a different part of my training. The music. I have compiled a playlist of 50 songs that I listen to while I run. The song choices were based on tempo. I needed songs that are up-tempo and have a good beat that I can run along to. After all, with great training comes great playlist. Here are those 50 songs in no specific order.

"We Used to Wait" by Arcade Fire
"The Fire Inside" by Bob Seger
"Float On" by Modest Mouse
"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by Beastie Boys
"Trick of the Light" by The Who
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys
"Walcott" by Vampire Weekend
"Limelight" by Rush
"Ice Melts" by Matt & Kim
"I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash
"The Leaving Song Pt. 2" by A.F.I.
"Block After Block" by Matt & Kim
"Run This Town" by Jay-Z feat. Rihanna & Kanye West
"My Body" by Young the Giant
"In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
"Electric Feel" by MGMT
"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire
"Olympia, Wa" by Rancid
"Bro Hymm Tribute" by Pennywise
"Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning" by Senses Fail
"Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
"The General Specific" by Band of Horses
"Ma-Ma-Ma- Belle" by E.L.O.
"The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco
"Cousins" by Vampire Weekend
"Time to Pretend" by MGMT
"Up Around The Bend" by C.C.R.
"Jump Around" by House of Pain
"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
"Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root
"Sirius" by The Alan Parsons Project
"Fall Back Down" by Rancid
"Cameras" by Matt & Kim
"Fire It Up" by Modest Mouse
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by B.T.O.
"Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys
"You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates
"Tripping Billies" by Dave Matthews Band
"Sweet Disposition" by Temper Trap
"Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
"Miami" by Foals
"The Boys of Summer" by The Ataris
"Ready To Start" by Arcade Fire
"Journey to the End of South Beach" by Rancid
"Ants Marching" by Dave Matthews Band
"Baba O'Riley" by The Who
"All That's Left" by Thrice
"1901" by Phoenix


That's my playlist. If you are also participating in this marathon I would suggest you listen to some, if not all, of those songs while you run. To me running isn't the same without some music to run along to and get you pumped up. If you have songs that you like to listen to while you run I would love to know what they are. Just simply type them in the comments box and click the button to post them.

That's all for me today. I leave you with my favorite song to run to. Have a great day and good luck to anyone else who have accepted this challenge. Goodbye.


My Favorite Song to Run to:

"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire

Home of the Marathon

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever done. But perhaps it is the smartest thing I could do. What is this thing? I am going to run a marathon. Take a second to stop laughing. Now, let me explain why I am going to run a marathon.

Two nights ago I get an e-mail from my Uncle Dennis. To give you a quick background of Uncle Dennis, he has ran a marathon in all 50 states. He is a marathon runner and has been for a very long time. I always thought it was crazy that someone would not only volunteer but actually pay money to run 26.2 miles. That was until I get an e-mail challenging everyone on the Jennings side of the family to run a marathon. My first thought while reading this was something along the lines of, "there is no way in hell I'm going to run a marathon!" That was until I read the rules, which are:

1.  All of Grandpa Gene's/Grandma Lola's grandkids are eligible as well as their significant others (limited to spouses or engaged).  

2.  The participant can run in the Quad City Marathon on Sept 25 or as needed if can't be at QC marathon  - ANY other 2011 official marathon.  

3.  If you "beat" the crazy old uncle's QC Marathon time, you win(earn) $1000.  If you just finish the marathon before cutoff, you win $500.

4.  For males, beating means having a better clock time and/or being within a minute (in case my incredible kick leaves you behind in homestretch).

5.  For females, beating means being within 30 minutes of crazy old uncle's clock time (this is based on Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards which allows a 30 minute difference to females).

6.  I will also reimburse for registration.

 

After 24 hours six people had already accepted the challenge. One of them accepting it even though she has never ran more then two miles at one time. Me being the type who loves a challenge just couldn't refuse. My uncle posted a website that has a training schedule. First day was a three mile run. That was today.

 

I woke up early this morning, ate a couple granola bars and was ready to go. The first mile was very rough, but I managed to run most of it. The second mile was terrible. I thought I was going to die. I walked half the mile and ran the other half. For the third mile I decided I was going to alternate walking and running every tenth of a mile. I started the mile running. Before I knew it I had completed half the mile. I decided to walk for a minute. That minute went by very quick because before I knew it I was running again. Then the next thing I know I had gone over three miles. It was time to stop. I walked around panting while trying to find my legs. To my surprise I actually felt much better after the three miles then I thought I would. This meant the challenge was a go.

 

Why did I accept the challenge? The thousand dollar reward plays a huge part seeing as how my bank account has never seen anything close to that amount of money. Really though, I am doing it for myself. My health has been getting worse and worse the last couple of years. I need to do something to get back in shape. Even if I don't complete the marathon or even compete in the marathon, this training is exactly what I need to get in shape. It's a perfect excuse to start eating healthier and to quit smoking. Two things I have been trying to do since I started this blog.

 

Everyday from now until the day of the marathon I will be giving short updates on how my training is going. Writing it here is the only way I know to keep myself focused on the big prize. I wish myself the best of luck because after all, it's a marathon not a sprint. Goodbye.

 

 

What I'm Listening To:

 

"Cousins" by Vampire Weekend

 

 

Home of the Baby

Michael Yeater, Austin Walker, Christina Richmond, Josh Orth, Jaclyn Cahill, Doug Brickner, and Brian Hogan. I idolize all of you. You are all my heroes. Who are they? Only the greatest people alive!

Let me explain.

At 9:31 PM last night Michael Yeater posted this on my Facebook wall, "Just heard the news!! Ur gonna be a great dad!! Congrats man." A very funny joke that has been used before by him on Facebook. Little did I know what was going to come next. Here is a timeline of what went down on my Facebook page last night.

9:31 PM: Mike makes a joke on my wall.

9:37 PM: Austin Walker - "CONGRATS STEVE!!! your gunna be an awsome dad!!!"

9:49 PM: Christina Richmond - "Congrats Steve!!"

9:56 PM: Josh Orth - "Awww steve congats!!!! If u need anything let's us know!! Happy fatherhood"

9:57 PM: By now I am laughing uncontrollably.

10:00 PM: Jaclyn Cahill - "omg christina just told me!! congrats!!! youre gunna be an amazing dad!!"

10:10 PM: I can not believe what is happening on my Facebook.

10:15 PM: Doug Brickner - "Way to go steve whatcha gon name it?"

10:15 PM: Austin Walker - "so im thinking austin if its a boy or austina if its a girl..."

10:25 PM: I decide his name will be James Earl Jennings and that he is going to have an amazing voice.

11:00 PM: I have now spent the last hour and a half laughing without stopping.

11:03 PM: Brian Hogan - "congrats steve. do you know when its due? let me know"

11:38 PM: Michael Yeater - "guys quit being rude let him and the lucky gal decide on the name...this is a life changing experience...good for you man ....if you ever need a babysitter lemme no"

12:36 AM: After multiple comments on those posts you have seen I chime in. Me - "Can't decide if his favorite band is gonna be Boyz II Men or K-Ci & JoJo.. Suggestions?"

12:37 AM: Austin Walker - "Ace of Base." Me - "perfect."

12:41 AM: Michael posts a video of a baby laughing on my wall. Icing on the cake.


Here's the kicker. I am not having a baby and I am not becoming a father. A funny joke that made me laugh to myself turned into a huge joke that had me laughing for a solid three hours. You then add in the event that Austin Walker and I participated in outside of facebook. Here's a quick explanation of that.

Austin informs me that I will be taking over a fantasy baseball team in his league. Apparently someone was complaining too much so they kicked him out. I don't know the whole story. So the first thing I do is write on the message board introducing myself to the league. Then some guy, we'll call him Little Nicky, starts complaining about who knows what. Instead of making us mad, Austin and I decided to be post the most smart ass comments on the message board just to see how mad Little Nicky can get. He tells us to meet at his place so he can gives us bruises. I respond, "Will there be nachos? Because if not, that's kind of a deal breaker." Little Nicky doesn't like this very much and continues to post things trying to make us mad. Not gonna happen buddy. Austin and I are in agreement that getting made and talking crap on a fantasy baseball message board is a little dumb. So as he continues to say stuff trying to either make us mad or get us out of the league we are having fun with him. We made some jokes that he did not find funny. So Austin, thank you for getting me into the league, even if I do get kicked out before the season even starts. It was a lot of fun while it lasted.

Last night was quite possibly the funniest night I have ever had. Thank you everyone involved. You are truly awesome people. Don't ever stop being so awesome. That is all. Goodbye.


Random Song of the Day:

"Dashboard" by Modest Mouse

Home of the Tripping Billies

This post comes per request of some guy named Brett Carter. You see, I'm like a blog DJ, if you request a post I will write it. If you are asking yourself who Brett Carter is, that's a good question. I don't know him, I have never actually met him, and he may or may not be joining my family in the next year.

So what is this post about you ask? Well judging by the title and using common reasoning it appears to be a post about Dave Matthews Band. It is exactly that. Sort of. I'm not going to sit here and write about Dave Matthews Band. Instead I will write about my change of attitude about the band.

Where do we start? Oh yea, I hate Dave Matthews Band. His songs are annoying and I will never be a fan the band. From the first time I heard "Ants Marching" I have hated his annoying voice. I will never have any of their music on my iTunes, ever. It's just not my kind of music.

That's what I thought a year ago. Last year I had big plans for the 4th of July weekend. I was going to go to Des Moines and go see one of my favorite bands Modest Mouse. I was very excited for this. That Thursday I learn that it was supposed to rain hard in Des Moines. There goes those plans. Now what will I do with my weekend? I get an invite from a friend of mine, we'll call him Josh, to go camping in Wisconsin and see Dave Matthews Band. I jump at the opportunity to go camping and hang out with people. I couldn't care less about seeing Dave Matthews Band. I knew maybe three songs and I was not a fan of the band at all.

The first day/night of camping was great fun. A lot bags playing, sausage eating, fire burning, and of course, drinks flowing. However I still wasn't sure about the concert the next night. How much fun am I, someone who knows essentially nothing about the band, going to have at this Dave Matthews Band concert? But I stop questioning it and take another sip of my drink as I swat away bugs trying to get my blood.

We wake up the next morning, the day of the concert. We start drinking right away, and by "we" I mean not me. I sat in the car sipping a beer trying to recover not from a hangover but the 6 hours of sleep I got in two night combined. I soon come around and we start playing more bags and eating more sausages. We hang out at the campsite for most of the day. We then get in the car and start driving to the concert, I'm wondering why I am going, I don't even like the band. We get to the site of the concert and begin tailgating. I grow tired of drinking nothing but beer for two days straight. I tell Josh to get me a drink that isn't beer. He comes back with a Whiskey and Coke. I have never had this drink and until then I had a firm no hard alcohol policy. I took a sip. I took another sip. I took a drink, and another, and another. This is delicious. Since then whiskey/coke has been my drink of choice.

It's now time for the concert. Zac Brown Band is opening as we walk in. I hate country music so I pay little attention to them. All these drinks have caught up to me by now and I really have to go to the bathroom. The bathroom is packed. As I stand in line something completely unexpected happens. The crowd in the restroom start singing "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis, better known as the song played every time the Chicago Blackhawks score a goal. This is followed by a stirring bathroom rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", better known as the National Anthem of the United States of America. This is by far the greatest bathroom break I have ever had.

I walk back out and it's now time for Dave Matthews Band to come on. They play a bunch of songs I had never heard before. They played the three songs I did know. But most importantly they completely changed my mind. I went from not being fan to completely loving the band. After the concert I decided I needed to see them again after I listened to more of their songs. That concert was on July 4th. I saw them again on September 17th at a little known place in Chicago called Wrigley Field. More than likely the best concert I have ever been to. That weekend was also very fun. I enjoyed two things I hated just a month and a half earlier, Dave Matthews Band and whiskey/coke. Now I have a bunch of their songs on my iPod and I even have one of their albums on vinyl.

It's amazing what seeing a band live can do to your perception of said band. I went from not liking them to loving them in the matter of one concert. That's all for me today. I hope you enjoyed. Also, if your name is Brett Carter, you're welcome. If your name is not Brett Carter, thank you. Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:

"Everyday" by Dave Matthews Band

Home of the Fans

Football is by far my favorite sport and it has been for many, many years. However the NFL is making it difficult to be a fan of the league. The collective bargaining agreement(CBA) controversy is a joke. You have one side who has billions of dollars fighting with the other side who has billions of dollars and they both want more money. They have played it all out in public and it has not been pretty. They are going back and forth through the media. They are changing rules that don't need to be changed. The owners might force a lockout and that means no football at all next year. It's one giant public slap in the face to the people that mean more to the NFL than the players or the owner, the fans. Without fans their is no NFL. All the fans want is to watch their favorite teams play. We don't care what it takes. We want to watch our favorite players run back kick-offs. We want to see our favorite teams win games even if they get a little lucky from time to time. We want to have our fantasy football leagues. Basically the NFL and the NFLPA need to get over themselves and focus on what is most important, giving the fans exactly what they want. This sport makes more money than any other sport in America, there aren't supposed to be issues like this.

That's enough of the negative. I had to get that off my chest because it bothers me to no end. Let's get some Derrick Rose to lighten the mood:

That's better. If that man doesn't win MVP this season I will never watch another NBA game again in my life. That's a promise. He's just "Too big, too strong, too fast, and too good."

A Couple Things Before I Go:

-I didn't watch it but apparently Ralph Macchio is a force on "Dancing With The Stars" and why wouldn't he be?

-Did you know that Michael Jordan went 22-22 with 44 points in the game against the Monstars in "Space Jam"?

-Happy 80th Birthday to William Shatner.


Random Song of the Day:
Today's random iTunes song is...

"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

Home of the Mad Marchness

I spent the majority of today trying to watch college basketball. However my brain was making it very hard for to do so. I don't know what it is about college basketball but I just don't care. I really don't care about college sports in general. But especially college basketball. It's boring, sloppy, and the least bit riveting. I am completely amazed at how many people actually love this sport. I'm not sure if people actually like college basketball or if they just like filling out brackets and betting on games. That actually makes sense to me. But I am entirely confused by those people who watch it just because they simply like watching it. That makes no sense to me. I just don't nor have I ever understood the intrigue of watching college basketball. Why would I waste part of my day watching basketball players shoot lay-ups?

This brings me to my next point. The people who say they like watching it because it's fundamental basketball. That is just completely false. Someone who says they love watching fundamental basketball is lying. Why do you think nobody watches the WNBA? It's because people want to see dunks and not lay-ups. Dunks are exciting, lay-ups are boring.

I'm not saying that the NBA is so exciting either. Quite frankly if the Bulls aren't playing I will more than likely not be watching. Basketball in and of itself is a boring sport. Exciting things rarely ever happen in the sport of basketball. It's a sport where the object is to throw a ball through a hoop and if you touch an opposing player it's a foul. I'm sorry, that's not going to keep my eyes glued to the television. I'd much rather watch a sport like football or hockey then watch basketball. Especially college basketball.

I know I'm probably going to get crucified for what I just wrote but I don't care. My views and opinions on college basketball are not going to make millions of people stop watching and filling out brackets. I'm OK with that. To me college basketball is like Pearl Jam. I understand the appeal and I won't take that away from anyone but I'm also not going to stand in line for it. That is all. Goodbye.


Random Song of the Day:
Today's random iTunes song of the day is....


"Blue Ridge Mountains" by Fleet Foxes

Home of the Herm's Herms

After a very fun weekend I took a day off. We're gonna go ahead and call it rest. This last weekend was filled with surprises, fun, excitement, and a little game called in between the sheets(not what you think). So let's not waste any time and get to the recap of last weekend.

Thursday: Like all good weekends this one started on a Thursday night. I was sitting on the couch watching "Idol" when I get a text from my sister. I open it to read the good news. She had just gotten engaged. So I feel I should take a minute to stop and say congratulations to my sister Amanda and her now fiancee Brett. Congratulations Amanda and Brett!


Friday: The family assembles. Thomas and Tommy(no relation) from DuBuque, Eric from work, Stacey and Joe from Des Moines, and me from my bedroom. We hop in a car and head for Oswego where the previously mentioned Amanda and Brett live. We get there around 10:15 PM and waste little time getting settled before the drinks start flowing. Then the iPods come out and music starts playing. Next thing I know I'm handed a shot of vodka, I hate vodka. I decide to take it in celebration of my sister's engagement. I cringe inside and out for about two minutes before I finally get my mind right. About an hour and a half later I am handed yet another shot of vodka. I cringe at the site and smell of it. I say to myself that their is no way I am going to take this shot, not a chance. I take the shot of glorified motor oil and immediately regret the decision to do so. This one hit a lot worse than the first. My sister sees my distaste over the vodka and decides to make me a bloody mary. I had never had a bloody mary before and I knew that if it contained vodka I would hate it. So I drank the bloody mary and to my surprise it was actually quite good.

Next thing I know someone has a deck of cards. Joe introduces us to game called "in between the sheets." So like all card games we all get our money out. After about ten turns of not getting anything good to work with I hit a hot streak. I win my money back plus more. I am in a very good mood at the time. We switch to poker, I think about going to bed but decide to stick it out and play for a little bit. All the money I had won from in between the sheets I quickly lost in poker. It's 4 AM, time for bed.


Saturday: Wake up and somehow avoided a hangover. My body is awesome. East breakfast and relax all day. At about 4 my parents show up along with Cloie and at the same time as Ellen. We chat for a little bit before it's time to leave. We went to a pizza place. Good pizza, good people, good times. But that's only the tip of the good times iceberg.

We leave the pizza place and head to downtown Joliet. It's time for Herman's Hermits, or as the cool kids call them, Herm's Herms. I must say, I love Herm's Herms but I did not expect them to be as good as they were. They were funny, played really good music, and made it a good time for everyone in attendance. Could life get better, I submit that can not. To quote my little sister Cloie, "It was thrilling, entertaining, and I've never yelled so loud in my life." But that was only the start of a great night for the youngest Jennings. Once we get back to the house we all had a big surprise in store for her. We all wore different items associated with movie characters and told her that for her birthday she was going to Disney World. Her reaction was exactly like those you would see on the commercials.

After that we all just relaxed and went to bed. But the weekend was a success. It was good to see all the family that I don't get to see a lot. I also want to give a nice round of applause to Amanda and Brett for being such awesome hosts.

I want to thank you for reading this. Please be sure to bring your eyes back tomorrow to see more letters and words form sentences. Have a great day. Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:

"I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits

Home of the Updates

A lot happens with different stories. A lot happens to or about stories that I write about after the fact. So today I've decided to write updates on stories I have written about, starting with the latest. This will be a short post today because I have things to do. That's actually a lie, I have nothing to do I just don't want to write a big long post today. So let's get started.


Charlie Sheen- This story may never end. It keeps getting more and more piled on top of it. Sheen was fired from "Two and a Half Men" and is now suing Warner Bros. Television and show creator Chuck Lorre for an astounding $100 million... Winning!

Chicago Bulls- Well let's see what has happened since I last wrote about them. They moved up to second place in the East, they continue to beat very good teams, they made the Miami Heat cry, and oh yeah, Derrick Rose gets an MVP endorsement from the one and the only Michael Jordan. No big deal.

Worst Songs of the 90's- Some songs I unintentionally left off the list: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something, "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, "Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65, "Steal My Sunshine" by Len, and "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground.

That's it for today. I told you I would keep it short. Now I gotta go do somethings I don't gotta do. Have a good rest of your day and goodbye.


Random Song of the Day:
Once again, I am going to my iTunes Library, hitting shuffle, and playing whatever song comes up first.

Todays random song of the day is.....

"Lifetime Lover" by J. Boog. I heard this song when I was in Hawaii and it might just be the best thing I brought back with me.

Home of the Trolls

Holy Charlie Sheen! The man's life has completely spiralled out of control in a matter of weeks. He went from being a good actor on a good show to being a complete head case with a web show. That's right, he has started his own web show. Because the obvious thing to do when your losing your mind is to broadcast the entire debacle on the internet. In his most recent episode he called a phone "a piece of plastic designed by trolls covered in lights and buttons, obviously a weapon but I will turn it against them."

I almost feel bad for the guy. How can someone who is directly related to Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez be so messed up? He has reached a level of insanity that even Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn would be envious of. He even got a tattoo on his wrist that says "winning". If he's winning I'd hate to see what losing looks like.

Then I read today that he is in talks with billionaire Mark Cuban to start a new television show on the Cuban-owned HDNet. So let me get this straight. The craziest actor in Hollywood is going to be teaming up with the craziest owner in sports. And everyone's okay with that? I'll say one thing, that should be very interesting. And by interesting I mean awful.

A word to Charlie Sheen, I really hope you get better and get back to making semi-funny television. If not, could you please send a few of those goddesses from Neptune my way. I'd really appreciate that. Thank you and goodbye.


And now for a completely unrelated sidenote...

Miami Heat, quit your crying. It's basketball.

...This has been a completely unrelated sidenote.


That's all for a Monday. I may not be back tomorrow due to the release of MLB The Show 11, but I will be back soon.


Random Song of the Day:
Instead of posting the song that I am listening to at the time of the post I will change it up. I will be going to my iTunes library, hitting shuffle, and posting whatever random song comes up first. I must warn you that this could be just about anything. I have close to two thousand songs on my iTunes so I have no idea what might come up .This should be interesting.

Today's random song is...

"Don't You(Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds. And how fitting. I mention Emilio Estevez in the post and the song from "The Breakfast Club" comes up.

Goodbye.

Home of the Writer's Block

I really wanted to post today, but I can't think of anything to write about. I have writer's block. I know their's so many things I could write about. I just can't think. In a way I have already found something to write about by writing about my writer's block. So by not having anything to write about I have actually found something to write about. This might be my most intellectual post yet. I think I just wrinkled my brain.

It's crazy how writer's block works. I've never actually had it until now so I never knew what it would be like exactly. It's actually quite intense. I have so many thoughts and ideas in my head that I can't land on one. I could write about all of them but that would be the biggest cluster of a post ever. I could choose one thing but then there wouldn't be anything substantial. This must be what Dane Cook goes through every time he has to write for a Comedy Central special that was blindly handed to him. I always thought writer's block was just the product of lack of creativity. Now I know the truth. Sometimes you can be so creative and so thoughtful that you can't choose what to write about. Then again, maybe I am creative because I just turned my having nothing to write about into an entire post about how I have nothing to write about. Once again, brain wrinkled. You never saw Mark Twain writing about his inabillity to come up with something to write about. Land of the Steve - 1, Mark Twain - 0.

Writer's block is always a tricky thing to deal with. Every English teacher I have ever had has said that if you encounter writer's block you should clear your mind and just started writing about the first thing you think of. It's the getting started that's the head part. But once you get started you get on a roll and can't stop. Well this post is the product of that strategy. Really worked out well huh? Cause when I have writer's block all I think about is that I have nothing to write about. So this is what you get.

For those of you reading this thinking "what the hell?" You are not alone. I am just as confused as you are, and I'm the one writing this. So for your benefit and mine I think I will end this paradox of a post right here. I want to thank your eyes for reading this. Have a good day. Goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:
"The Gardener" by The Tallest Man On Earth

Home of the Bulls

If you don't know by now I am a big sports fan. If you didn't know that, where have you been? Of course if you know I'm a sports fan then you must know I'm a fan of every Chicago team. Yes, I like the Cubs and the White Sox, crucify me. I think Chicago fans have overlooked the fact that the city has been graced with two baseball teams. That means every year the city of Chicago has two chances of winning the World Series. I am not going to pass up those odds and wait until the Cubs win it all. That just seems unreasonable. But I digress. The sport I'm talking about today is basketball and the Chicago Bulls. For the first time since the almighty number 23 retired the Bulls have put together a team that is great. The Bulls have managed to somehow make the playoffs a handful of times in the last several years, but this year is different. This year they actually have a legitimate shot at going very, very far.

I remember the day clearly. It was July 26, 2008. A beautiful day in Hawaii, like always. I'm in my hotel room getting dressed. The television tuned to ESPN. The NBA Draft, Bulls had remarkable won the first overall pick in the Draft Lottery. Two great things happened that day. My sister got married and the Chicago Bulls drafted Derrick Rose.

Fast forward two and a half years, Derrick Rose is the leading contender for the MVP award. The Bulls have one of the best records in the league. Also at the top of the Eastern Conference are the Boston Celtics, who continue to win despite getting older and older every year. The Miami Heat, who made big headlines by becoming the only three player team in the league. And the Orlando Magic, who have good depth but are falling fast. Another team that now could be a threat in the East are the New York Knicks, who have jumped back into rellevancy with by teaming up Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

With just a little over a month to go in the season things are starting to get interesting. I said before the season started that the Bulls would need another year and a couple more players before they become true contenders. I am here to say with great pride that I was wrong. Turns out all they really needed to do was sign half of the Utah Jazz and they'd be on their way to great things. Their biggest off-season acquisition was Carlos Boozer who missed the first month of the season. Their center Joakim Noah missed a good amount of games as well. If those two were healthy the entire year the Bulls could have the best record in the East and possibly even the best record in the league.

Derrick Rose(I just can't shut up about this guy) is the best thing to happen to the Bulls since Jordan made that shot against Utah. I am not saying he's as good as Jordan or will ever be as good as Jordan because that'd be outlandish. What I will say is that Derrick Rose means as much to the Bulls now as Jordan did in the 90's, or atleast as much as Pippen. Without Derrick Rose this team is still a team that barely makes into the playoffs every year with an average record. With Derrick Rose this team has become a force. They are not getting much attention right now, but I think I like it that way. Let the media focus on the Heat and the Celtics and blow everything about them out of proportion. The Bulls will be there, flying under the radar and into the playoffs, as a great team. I look forward to what this team can potentially do in the coming years. I am a Chicago fan, and for the first time since MJ I can say with great pride that I am a basketball fan again.


What I'm Listening To:

"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens

Goodbye.

Home of the Oscars

This year's Oscars was a success. If you like to take three hour naps. That was incredibly boring and I can't believe I wasted my night watching that. "The King's Speech" won for Best Picture. An award that should have gone to either "The Fighter" or "The Social Network". If they want to appeal to younger audiences they should stop giving the biggest awards to movies that young people have never seen. They tried to appeal to younger audiences by having young-ish hosts. That was a terrible mistake. Not that they shouldn't try to get younger viewers, but that they should maybe choose some better hosts than James Franco and Anne Hathaway. As I was watching I couldn't help but think of a handful of people that would have been much better choices than those two. So that's what I'll write about today. Here are ten people who should host the Oscars:


Steve Martin- I know he doesn't really get the younger audience but he has one thing you can't teach and don't have to force like they did with those two last night, he's funny. He is a true comic genius who has done the Oscars before and has done a very good job as well.

Steve Carrell- How has this guy never hosted an awards show? He already appeals to the young with his role as Michael Scott in "The Office" so you'd think it'd make sense to have him host the Oscars. He is far and away one of the funniest guys in the world.

Stephen Colbert- Pretty much anyone named Steve/Stephen should host the Oscars. They tried having Jon Stewart host it a few years back and that didn't turn out so well. But maybe they got the wrong Comedy Central personality. Colbert is perfect with his "in-your-face" style of comedy. If the Oscars want a host who can bring in a huge audience this is their guy. He already has an entire "nation" of fans that would be sure to watch if he was hosting.

Tina Fey- I know she's an obvious choice but sometimes the thing that is most obvious is the best thing. As a bonus they could have her team up with Amy Poehler because they work perfectly together.

Jon Favreau- I think people underestimate how truly funny this man really is. Vince Vaughn would not be the actor he is now if it wasn't for Favreau. He has a very sarcastic form of comedy that would be great for the Oscars.

Robert Downey Jr.- Talk about sarcastic comedy. This man has it. Every time I see him either accept or present an award I think to myself, "why isn't this man hosting the damn thing?"

Kirk Douglas- I don't care if the guy is 95 years old, when he was presenting last night it was the funniest part of the entire three hours. You know, I would watch if he hosted.

Jimmy Fallon- Although he should be the host of the Emmys for many years to come. But if he isn't chosen for it this year he would be perfect for the Oscars. He already get's many young viewers on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and he has a very good stage presence.

Conan O'Brien- Why not? He's at the height of his popularity after the whole "Tonight Show" debacle. As a bonus he could have Andy Richter with him as a co-host seeing as how they are the male version of Tina Fey/Amy Poehler.

Jim Gaffigan- This is kind of a joke pick on my part. However at the same time I think he'd be a great host. He is a very funny stand-up comedian who doesn't get as much attention as he should. Could you imagine him bringing his Hot Pockets and bacon jokes to the Oscars? I can, and I love it.

Now I want to hear from you the reader. Who would be your pick for ultimate Oscars host? You've seen mine, now I want to know yours. That's all for me. I'll be back tomorrow with more writings and such. Until then, goodbye.


What I'm Listening To:
For those of you reading this and thinking to yourself, "who's Jim Gaffigan?" This is Jim Gaffigan. You're welcome.