hello... glass house anyone?

Oh, you tough football boys crack me UP! Thanks for this, though. I did need a laugh today.

I mean, whatev, maybe they are piping in extraneous noise. I just really don’t think the Pats are in any position to point fingers at any other team right now. Sorry, kids, but you kinda forfeited that right when y’all went shady.

Not that all the football teams aren’t being shady. Cause they’re all pulling something. They are guys, after all.

Now I’ve gotta stay up late to see what Dave’s gonna say about this. Cause Dave films his show around 4-ish, & the story’s out already, & the Colts are his team.

*click on the pic to go to the story. Oh, & ProFootballTalk.com has audio of it.

UPDATE: Dave's in reruns this week due to the Writer's Strike. So, I'll be in bed by 9:30 pm (since I only got about 4 ½ hours last night).

playas gonna play, & haters gonna hate

That's just the way it is.

Here's what James Black of Yahoo! Sports wrote:

Ugly uni alert: Apparently, there will be a weekly mention in this space of attire. Here's hoping the references to hideous jerseys are kept to a minimum. A week after the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to take unis from three eras – bad, ugly and worse – and create a new look, their in-state rivals decided to upstage them. The Eagles rolled out a yellow and baby blue throwback ensemble so ugly that any further description won't do justice. See for yourself.

I don't know, I kinda like it. I mean, it's supposed to be a tribute to what they used to have. Styles change. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate what came before. The ppl who played for their team before they came around used to wear those colors, & they're just giving homage to that.

The only reason I even know about all this hating is b/c Mr. T is a huge Eagles fan. And I'm a big ole fashion fan. I also love wasting time online, & sooooo....

I've created this nifty slideshow using Flickr. And then I surfed the web until I found a way to embed it into my bl*g. Cause I'm cool like dat.



UPDATE: I thought the outfits were cute & colorful & happy-looking. Mr. T thought they were horrible.

at a loss

You know how there are some ppl in this world that have a talent so profound, it just stops you? Like, you hear Pavarotti start singing, you can feel yourself gasp?

It's been a year & 2 months since I posted about his pancreatic cancer. You can read all the posts I've written about him all together by clicking here. You don't have to click to read the posts, but I am very fond of the pics I put up to accompany the posts. I picked out older photos of him that I thought showed a lot of who he was beyond a maestro.

So, there's not much to say; I'm sure you all have heard by now that he's passed on. Instead, I'm going to post a bunch of things he's said over his 71 years.

Above all, I am an opera singer. This is how people will remember me.

Am I afraid of high notes? Of course I am afraid. What sane man is not?

At the age of 4. I jump on the table. I am a little tenor. And I begin to sing, La Donna e Mobile.

Children should be given the chance to play instruments, to sing.

Every Italian play football. The first gift they give you when you are 3 is a ball.

For me, music making is the most joyful activity possible, the most perfect expression of any emotion.

For an Italian, being honored in America was a big privilege.

I am open to everything.

I am proud to be a messenger of peace for the United Nations.

I haven't seen the Elton John, but I have seen Rent on many occasions.

I made 12 duets. It was such a pleasure to know these people from the inside, not from the cover of an album.

I smoke cigar in the summertime. Probably in three months, 10 cigar.

I want to reach as many people as possible with the message of music, of wonderful opera.

I would like to raise money for the kids from the world. To do that, the only way, it was to call pop singer. If you call pop singer, you can sell the ticket.

If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them.

If you see me once, you cannot confuse me with another.

If you want to do something really bad to me, you invite at your home, and put one record of mine. And my digestion will be finished before begin.

In opera, as with any performing art, to be in great demand and to command high fees you must be good of course, but you must also be famous. The two are different things.

Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail.

People have a right to criticize.

Sometime to be called Pavarotti is not always an advantage.

Why should be elite, music? Excuse me. Music must be for everybody.

We just baptized my daughter, and we have 300 people in the church. When we are going to be married, we will be alone.

With the piano, at the age of 18, I was already singing for $1, $2 a performance.

You don't need any brains to listen to music.

No regrets, no regrets.

If music is central to a person's life, it can be something very special and life-affirming.

I am a very superstitious person.[When he performs, Pavarotti wants nails strewn all over the stage, and won't tolerate the color purple. In former times, priests wore purple, and artists couldn't perform during the season of Lent. So, purple, to an Italian, to an artist, means no eating, no money, no work, no women.]

Olive oil is so incredibly healthy -- as a digestive. I love it and I use it despite the fact that it's the most caloric thing in the world.

I am not a boiled potato -- I am a fried potato.

I have lost twice 85 pounds. Can you imagine? Twice.

Despite the fact that I was born under the sign of Libra [balance], I am a person who calculates little and dreams a lot. With the grandissimi advantages and the grandissimi disadvantages. But, the advantages are 90% and the disadvantages, 10%. So it's worth living as a dreamer.

I love Ballo [Un Ballo in Maschera -- The Masked Ball, a Verdi opera] for many reasons .... The tenor character Riccaredo is a good man who is deeply in love with his friend's wife. I sympathize with him, not because I have ever been in love with a friend's wife, thank God, but because I know how pwerful love can be and how it can make a man do things that he knows are wrong.

I know one second before if is not going well. Absolutely. I feel it.

Teaching I think is the most difficult thing. Teaching is more difficult than singing. ..... Why? Because you have to transfer a thought from your brain to the brain of the other person and the throat of the other person. [2005 - This was when Pavarotti announced that he was retiring from performing, & was now going to teach for free.] I'm going to teach for free. I don't want to teach people just because they pay me. I want to teach people who really are good. I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation."

Person of the Week: Joe Pa

I’ve decided that every week, I’m going to have a person that kicks ass. I’ll likely post this at the end of the week; Thurs, Fri, or Sat. But I’m not promising. I can’t handle that kind of commitment.

I thought of this b/c I read these stories about ppl who I think just rule in the best way possible.

Our 1st Person is Joe Paterno. Joe Pa, as he’s called, is not gonna stand for any BS. He is the coach of the Penn State football team. A couple of his guys were punks; so he decided that the whole team’s gonna clean up Beaver Stadium after each home game. Everyone. B/c they’re a team, & he will not have them called trash.

"We're all going to do it, everybody. Not just the kids that were involved. 'Cause we're all in it together. This is a team embarrassment. I wouldn't call it anything much other than that."

"I just thought that, hey, we had 14, 15 kids – I don't even know how many – that were involved in something embarrassing, and I think that we need to prove to people that we're not a bunch of hoodlums."

In addition to cleaning up the humongo stadium, they're also gonna build a house for Habitat for Humanity, & volunteer over SUMMER for the Special Olympics.

Most football coaches let things slide. "Boys will be boys." That sorta thing. But if you just let boys be boys, then how will they EVER become MEN?!

This is a man, a real man, to admire. He has character & principles & ideals. He knows right is right, & wrong is wrong. He will not have ppl talk trash about HIS ppl. He'll chase down a ref if he thinks he's wronged his ppl.

He will teach his ppl to rise above. And that makes him good ppl in my book.

Um, did I also mention that he's 80, has been the coach or assistant coach there for 57 years. AND, Penn State has never been under NCAA probation, and has never been under any serious investigation for wrong-doing since he's been there. Why? Uh, b/c he RULES!

my fantasy football dilemma

Ok, so I've been teasin y'all w/ my fantasy football post. It's not so much a post as it is a question. One of my daily blog-reads was offering expert advice to anyone who had a fantasy football question. Since I'm new to the whole concept of fantasy football (uh, or any football for that matter), of course I have a ton of questions.

Here is my fantasy football question. This question is now OPEN to all responses & any advice. I'd appreciate your input on my fantasy football problem. This is a real email I've really sent to someone trying to get help. And I got NO response. hmpf!

Dear Football Expert,
I've got Ricky Williams on my fantasy football team, & he swore to me he wasn't gonna smoke pot during the season anymore. But I suspect he's still gettin high.

I've confronted him about it, but he says that this doesn't count cause it's fantasy football, & they don't have the same strict drug rules there. I don't know that much about the regulations, so I don't know if he's just making that up! And then, he tried to make a pass at my mom! I just can't control him & want to get rid of him, but he's signed an ironclad contract. My only out is if I trade him for T.O., but hell hasn't frozen over yet, so I can't.

Please HELP!!!
Respectfully yours,
yllw.

I have no idea why I got no response. I thought that was very unprofessional to offer fantasy football advice, then not respond when asked a question.

Are you ready for some football?

So, the ppl who know me best, know that I’m such a hardcore football patron. Heeheehee. Ok, so that’s totally not true. But it was funny.

But every now & then, I do have football comments. Now, I think “real hardcore football ppl” should really NOT read my football posts. B/c in all seriousness, it’ll prob just piss you off that someone who knows absolutely nothing about a subject is posting as if she does. So, that’s my disclaimer. Don’t come bitchin to me when you get mad if you keep reading.

Ok, now for the actual post…

So, yahoo is always putting up certain “featured articles” on my home page that they think the mass Yahooing public might find interesting. They actually posted this about a week & a half ago, but what can I say, I’ve been busy.

The article was about the possible trade of Randy Moss. Now, most ppl I know would know that normally I don’t even know the names of football players (well, except Eagles players, b/c my bf talks about them). But I do know Moss well. How do I know him? Well, that’s not important, is it? Fine, fine, I’ll tell ya. I know Randy Moss b/c they mentioned him in an OutKast song. So, whatever, maybe I exaggerated when I said I knew him “well”.

So anyway, I know Randy Moss plays for someplace warm. I’m not exactly sure where, but it’s def someplace warm. And they’re thinking of trading him to New England. Or, maybe New England wants him & want to trade someone for him. Either way, I know New England is in the NE somewhere & is cold.

Now, in my football expertise-opine, I think that this trade wouldn’t work simply b/c Randy used to play for someplace cold, & he went to someplace warm. I’m pretty sure it was b/c his fingers were too cold up there. Football players can’t really wear gloves when they’re playing b/c, you know, they have to like grip the ball & stuff.

Therefore, this trade will not happen. That’s all. Stay tuned for my ‘fantasy football’ post coming up!

update on Pavarotti

or, "He will not be silenced".

I don't want to start something, or talk about something, & then just drop it. So, I just wanted to write out a quick note to y'all that Pavarotti has finally been able to return home. Well, I really shouldn’t say ‘finally’ like that; it’s not like he’s been in the hospital forever. I do know that even 4 days in the hospital seems like forever when all you want is to go home. But I also know that many cancer patients spend months & months in the hospital. And we all know that you can't really rest there. There’s always someone who needs to check your vitals or take blood or something. Not that there’s anything wrong w/ that. Most nurses & doctors are just very caring individuals; you have to be to go into a field like that.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you ppls on Pavarotti’s condition. He’s home & says that he’s planning on finishing up his farewell tour next year.

The photo I've posted is from the Student Championship in Modena (1954). Betcha didn't know that our boy Luciano used to be a fabulous football playa (um, football-soccer, not American football). He chose to pursue a career in opera, for which we are all grateful, but know that he has many talents.

Tags: music, cancer, news

world cup fever

Everyone knows someone who's got it. Monday, at a cookout, I met a girl who's got it bad. Her prob right now is that since the US is outta contention, she can't find the game on her tele. ESPN, ABC, & ESPN2 are still broadcasting games, but she couldn't find them. I guess they're just airing whichever games they want all sporadically. So, I told her how I watch it. Now, mind you, I don't have 'the fever'. If I'm dusting, vacuuming, or straightening up the living room, I do turn it on. I’m not glued to the set, but I’ll watch it for a few mins, then turn off the tv, & go onto whatever is next.

So, I told her to find her Telemundo channel, cause they’ll play the World Cup all day & all night, like it’s 1999. So, I’ve made a list.

Reasons to watch the World Cup on Telemundo versus the American sports channel:
1. No 5 sec delay.
What do they seriously think is gonna happen? Oh, wait, maybe it’s cause of all the streakers during the games. Ok, so maybe that’s why. Forget it then. But still, no 5 sec delay.
2. The commentators talk in Spanish.
Do you really need a play by play during the world cup? We don’t know the players names or anything. So you can clearly see the one dude passed it to the other, who bounced it off his head to some other guy who kicked it all sideways-like into the goal! Yeah! You can see all that, you don’t need someone explaining the obvious. BUT, it does sound cooler when they’re all talkin in Spanish all fast, & rollin ‘r’s, & what-not. I guess if you know Spanish, it may help; but I don't & I totally enjoy watching it in Spanish anyway. It's just plain, good clean fun.
3. You don’t have to check your tv guide to see what games are playing & when.
They’re always on, all the time. They barely even interrupt w/ the news. Screw the regularly scheduled programming, they’re (like the whole rest of the world) excited about the World Cup.

Now, I don’t really watch it, like I said before. But I do love seeing ppl all excited & passionate about stuff. They’re playing commercials in Europe about it, & U2 did a couple of the spots. Here’s what the Edge says in one: “…every 4 years in June, sick days increase 300 percent. And yet not one employee is fired. Not one doctor's note is required. Not one important meeting is ruined. Because bosses are out sick, too.”

I think that’s just crazy. I mean, by 300%!?! That’s insane! But I do like crazy, & it’s totally insane in a really cool way. So, I just wanna say that I’m totally diggin all the ppl who are all ga-ga over da Cup.