Saying Goodbye (with Help from the Coen Brothers)

Peyton was a good quarterback, and a good man. He was one of us. He was a man who loved Indianapolis... and football. And as an athlete he dominated the playing fields of the NFL, from Jacksonville to Denver and... up to... Foxboro. He left, like so many great men at his position, he left before his time. In your wisdom, Lord, you took him, as you took so many capable, accomplished quarterbacks from Baltimore, Green Bay, and San Francisco. These men fully dedicated their lives. And so would Peyton. Peyton, who loved football. And so, Peyton Williams Manning, in accordance with what we know your current wishes most definitely are, we release your convalescing body to the bosom of the free agent market, where you will fare so well. Good luck, sweet prince.

"I Am Not a Robot"

So I thought of something that I want to post on this blog rather than just on Facebook.

This song by Marina and the Diamonds has been stuck in my head for a week now...and pleasantly so. The lyrical content is similar to Katy Perry's "Firework" but this is a much better pop song all around. The video I could take or leave, but it has a certain entertainment value (hand choreography did not die with Tiffany's career). Click the link and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_oMD6-6q5Y&noredirect=1

From the Mouths of Babes

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook. In short, it is awesome.

The Colts Lost the Super Bowl

Back when I was updating this blog on a very regular basis, one of the storylines I followed oh-so-closely was the Indianapolis Colts' championship season. Seeing Dungy and Manning finally win "the big one" in Super Bowl XLI was truly a wonderful experience. As a fan, I could feel the monkey slide off the collective back of the Colts players, execs, and fans. I relished that victory for weeks. I saved tons of clippings from the Indianapolis Star, I watched the parade live on television, and I even watched a couple quarters of the Pro Bowl just so I could watch Peyton, Reggie, and Dwight play just a few more downs (even if they were meaningless ones). I wanted to soak it all in as much as possible. I didn't know if this sort of thing would ever happen in my life as a sports fan again.

My favorite moment of this championship run, however, came two weeks prior to the Super Bowl in the AFC Championship game. The Colts were going up against the New England Patriots for the third time in the last four post-seasons. Only this time, the game was taking place in the RCA Dome, far from the winter Foxboro conditions that had hampered the Colts high-powered offense in '03 and '04. Leading up to that game, I had the sense that, "This is finally our time, and it's only appropriate that we beat Tom Brady on our path to glory." My excitement level was so high that I even bought my first official jersey: Marvin Harrison's #88. All that enthusiasm turned to disgust in the game's 2nd quarter when Asante Samuel's Pick-6 gave New England a 21-3 lead. Peyton and the boys dramatically changed their posture in the second half, and the final score was 38-34 in favor of the Colts. The exhiliration I felt over that game ranks up in the Top 10 most joyous moments of my life. Definitely the biggest sports high I'd ever exprienced.

In a manifestation of karmic symmetry, the Colts loss in Super Bowl XLIV produced one of the lowest feelings I've ever experienced. Tracy Porter's Pick-6 late in the 4th quarter (pictured above) was not a mistake my team would overcome. Leading up to that game, I had so much personally invested in an Indy victory. The nation had sided with the Saints because of their feel good story, and I had grown sick of johnny-come-lately's and casual viewers of the NFL rooting against my team for two straight weeks. I kept telling myself that my team would show them what's what when the big game finally rolled around. In short, my pride was on the line. Sporting a brand new #18 jersey, I attended a Super Bowl party where only one other voice among dozens cheered on the Colts, and total strangers talked smack to me for 4 hours. In the end, a Purdue quarterback and a Hoosier corner put the dagger between the shoulder blades of our title hopes. My only consolation is that, given how the game actually played out, the better team won that night.

Two weeks later, the sting has transformed into a dull ache. But for over a week there, I felt ill and depressed. Maybe I'm too much of a fan. Whatever the case may be, I'm still equally aware of how difficult it is to reach the Super Bowl. Of how good the chances are Peyton's team may never reach the grandest stage again. And that, my friends, is what truly bums me out still...14 days after the last second of the season ticked off the clock.

Here's to next year.

Gilmore Randomness

While browing the My Pictures folder on my laptop, I came across the following photo. I have no real memory of why I created it, but it is too random and ridiculous not to share with the world.

Apparently, about three years ago, I was going to post something concerning the Gilmore Girls. As for what sorts of words were to accomany this image, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm even harder pressed to explain this one.

Doostman Speaks

As long as I'm not contributing anything to this blog, I might as well direct you to one that remains active. My good friend Dustin Lafferty (a.k.a. The Doost, Doostman, or El Doosterino...if you're not into the whole brevity thing) has been maintaining his own corner of Blogger for several months now. You might check out what he has to say from time to time, esp. if you're a sports fan. I have posted a link to Dustin's blog "You Should Apologize" on the right side of this page.

Pretty Much Just an Archive

That's what the Kingdom of the Madness has basically become.
Once again, you can catch what I'm up to on Facebook. I'm on there multiple times a day.

Dark Campaign

As many of you know, the only entertainment awards show I still give a rip about is the Oscars. But this Movie Year, I saw pretty much none of the movies that are getting the most Oscar buzz, and the more I read the hype about most of those films, the less I want to see any of them. Of the movies I DID see, "The Dark Knight" was the one I thought was most solid through and through. I'm not going to give a case here for why I thought that was. Instead I want to remind those of you who might share my opinion that films based on comic book aren't exactly popular with the Academy. Sure, they certainly stand more of a chance in this post-"Return of the King" world, but the very idea of a movie like "The Dark Knight" being nominated for Best Picture is outright laughable to the self-styled "serious" moviegoer.

The following video comes from Dark Campain,"an unofficial grassroots effort" aimed at bringing the movie the Oscar attention its organizers believe it deserves. Take a look at it and consider joining the campaign's group on Facebook. I just did.

I have witnessed the Obama-non

Here's a random (and brief!) piece of reflection I just shared with a Facebook friend regarding last night's presidential election results. See what you think of it.


In thinking about how this election panned out, my mind keeps going to the NBA. It's like American is a struggling franchise that's had a losing regular season record and missed the playoffs several years in a row. It has a lottery pick as a result, yet only a modest amount of cap space available to dabble in free agency. They could try to solve their personel problems by bringing in a solid yet aging veteran (McCain) who's not likely to make a huge impact on the team's situation but the GM and coach know what they're getting. Or they could place their hopes on a high-profile draft pick (Obama) whose college career points to huge potential but whose ability to be a great pro isn't certain. The franchise, at the end of its rope after years of poor team performance, goes with the high potential rookie over the aging but solid veteran. The people in the front office are taking a risk, but if the draft pick lives up to his potentional, the best possible results will be realized.

I'm Still Alive...

...and I'm really damn busy. So my blog is "mostly dead." Sorry, folks. At least it's still "slightly alive." Hopefully you're linked up to me through Facebook so you get at least random tidbits of what I've been doing, thinking, and feeling since the quarter started. To be honest, it's not likely that I'll resume regular posting before December.

FYI, I have a presentation due in a week, a German proficiency exam in just under two weeks, a brief respite and then the madness of finals; two, 15-20 page term papers to write and a lecture on Kant to give as part of my gig as a TA. On a note related to that last comment, I just finished my first ever round of paper grading, and I've learned I care far too much about my students. In the name of protecting my personal time and sanity, I cannot devote 30 or more minutes to every midterm I grade. God bless the prof I'm working with for splitting the pile with me.

Anywho...That's all I've got for now.