http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-05-29-sect_N.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-05-30-jeffs-dna_N.htm

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2008052913

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2008053008

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,700230281,00.html

http://www.sltrib.com/collegesports/ci_9424645

http://unlv.scout.com/a.z?s=86&p=8&c=1&nid=2399122

http://byu.scout.com/2/758609.html

http://www.bleacherreport.com/articles/26151-Riley-Nelson-is-a-Cougar-So-what-s-the-big-deal--290508

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/268448/163/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-02-judge-polygamists_N.htm

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b139500_wilson_rainns_on_transformers_parade.html

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b140672_simpsons_do_have_cash_cow_man.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20080605/cm_ucac/obamawasselectednotelected

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080606/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_bonds_indicted_8

http://mormontimes.com/MITN_entertainment.php?id=1287

http://thesockobama.com/

Riley Nelson & The Mormon College Football Recruiting Controversy

If you don't know who Riley Nelson is, read this blog.

Coming out of high school in 2006, college football coaches knew him as the 6'1" 195 pound Quarterback from Logan high school in Logan, Utah. You know, the All-State / Parade All-American / Deseret Morning News Mr. Football Utah / Gatorade Utah Football Player of the Year kid that set a new national high school football record for touchdowns (84--53 passing and 31 rushing), averaging six TDs per game. He also set nine Utah state records, including career total touchdowns (130), career passing touchdowns (79), season completions (277), season passing yards (4,041), season passing touchdowns (53), season total touchdowns (84), season total yards (5,815), single-game completions (38), and single-game touchdown passes (7). His senior year Nelson led Logan High Grizzlies to the 3A state championship game, which they won in a massive blow-out.

Unfortunately, the QB of the losing team (Pineview HS of St. George, UT) was also a 4-star record-setting high school football leader in the state of Utah (3800 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 650 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs), James Lark (6'3", 200 lbs.). Lark was taller, bigger, had been more visible for longer on the recruiting scene, and was one of three quarterbacks who had already accepted a scholarship that year to play at BYU (choosing the Cougars over Arizona State, Oregon, and Utah), along with fellow QBs Max Hall (a 6'2" 201 lb. transfer from Arizona State) and Sam Doman (a 6'4", 200 pounder from Oregon).

Riley Nelson was offered a chance to walk-on at BYU to try to earn a scholarship later down the road. Utah State, where his father had played football and his grandpa had been the athletic director (back when it was USAC, or "Utah State Agricultural College"), offered him a full-ride, tuition and everything. The Utah Utes came late to the table and tried to match USU's offer, along with Stanford and Washington. Nelson committed to play for his hometown Utah State Aggies of Logan, Utah. One news article declared "USU Lands Local Hero!"

Nelson was supposed to redshirt his freshman year. He made it about half the season, but after his team had played 5 games without a single offensive touchdown among them, his coaches got desperate. His first start came as a true freshman against Fresno State, one of the strongest football programs in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference, former conference home of BYU). And in one of the greatest upsets of the year, Nelson threw a 30-yard touchdown in the final minutes to lead Utah State to a 13-12 victory over the FSU Bulldogs. That made Riley the first USU QB to win his 1st career start since 1992! He continued to trade time at QB with the original starter for the rest of the season, experiencing very minimal success on a team that seriously lacked talent (925 yards passing, 7 passing TDs, 55.4% completion rate, 277 yards rushing on the partial season). He did manage to set another record though, completing 84% of his passes (21-of-24) against San Jose State. Not bad for a true freshman on a very poor team!

And this is where the story begins to go a different route. You see, Riley Nelson is LDS, and he wanted to go on a Mormon mission. He left after one year at Utah State to serve in Barcelona, Spain full-time for two years. Unfortunately for Latter-day Saint football players, this doesn't always work out well for them in the college football world. Many coaches don't appreciate missions interrupting their football plans. When the missionary get back, they may no longer have a scholarship waiting for them. They might not have the same head coach or assistant coaches in the program, due to firings or better offers. Their team may have gone downhill in their absence, or the team may have brought on additional players for their position who have taken over their spot on the starting roster. No matter what happens the returned Mormon missionary will be two-years out of shape (two years away from football entirely), rusty and older and more easily injured, and sometimes even lacking that same competitive fire.

It doesn't always work out well for their original college of choice either. The usual college football player who decides to leave their school of choice and transfer to another must sit out one year, unless they transfer down to a lower division school (from I-A or FBS to I-AA/FCS). That means they either use their redshirt or lose a whole year of eligibility. BUT, the LDS missionary is released from their contract after 18 months away from school (the same as with a military man, a Peace Core member, etc.). This makes them completely recruitable again, with no negative repercussions. In other words, they can transfer schools when they get back home without having to sit out a year. It happens all the time, and the NCAA is just fine with it. That's how BYU lost 5-star QB Ben Olsen, and it's how they gained Max Hall.

While Riley Nelson has been gone, a lot happened with the quarterbacks at BYU. James Lark broke his leg and left for a mission of his own, along with 4-star QB Jason Munns (6'5.5", 226 lbs.). Max Hall replaced John Beck as the Cougar QB. Sam Doman, 4-star Cade Cooper, and 3-star Jacob Bower all transferred out of the program. 3-star Brenden Gaskins (6'5", 220 lbs.), Kurt McEuen (6'2", 213 lbs.), and Stephen Covey (5'11", 185 lbs.), a recently returned missionary, remain.

So now we're finally getting to the point of the story- This week, 15 months after Nelson left on his mission to Spain, his father Keith announced that Riley has accepted a scholarship offer to play for BYU and will transfer to the Cougars in March of 2009. And boy did that set off a firestorm of public opinion!!

This is how it all went down: BYU quarterback coach Brandon Doman and BYU wide receivers coach Patrick Higgins are friendly with Riley's ex-high school head football coach, Logan's Mike Favero, who they talk with casually from time to time. Favero asked if BYU was still interested in Nelson, and he was told that they were. Favero then contacted Riley's father and passed on the interest. Keith Nelson emailed his son on a preparation day and asked if he was open to transferring to a different school when he gets back, and the answer was yes. Mr. Nelson then emailed his son's Mission President to ask if it was okay for BYU to email Elder Nelson. BYU sent an email offering a scholarship which Riley quickly accepted, informing Utah State coaches of his decision at the same time. Listen to Keith Nelson tell the story himself!

BYU's head football coach Bronco Mendenhall is strongly against actively recruiting missionaries away from other schools, but at the same time he isn't going to ignore a player with interest in the Cougar program if they are dissatisfied with their own. But when they make a commitment to Brigham Young University, he expects them to act like men and not boys, and for their word to him to be their bond.

Now, Utah State fans are NOT happy about the transfer, for obvious reasons (though many saw this coming). The Aggies have always been in BYU's shadow, so this incident is just adding insult to injury for them. You can read some of their comments at THIS blog, including: "Shame on Riley... Now, he'll just be one of a thousand nameless Zoobies" and "Someone should really get the NCAA to investigate BYU. Let's be honest here, they are using the mission field as their recruiting grounds... [they] prey on the poor twenty year old with all of their religious mumbo jumbo". The reality is that USU's football program has gone 3-21 over the past two years, while BYU has gone 22-4, including two bowl wins to cap two Top 15 ranked seasons. BYU has won 18 of the last 19 games against Utah State.

The reaction of Utah Ute fans to this story is harder to explain. Yes, they also have to live in the wide shadow of BYU's storied football program. But this doesn't directly involve them. Yeah, they offered him a schollie when he was in high school. Yeah, they've offered him again while he's been gone on his mission. But he's leaving Utah State to go to BYU, leaving the Utes to their lonely selves. With Utah fans, though, that doesn't matter- BYU has always been their primary concern, not their own school. Read THIS Utah blog for an example. The author states "The immediate concern now, rather than worrying about how the Utes are going to stop the guy when the teams play, is how the recruitment of Riley happened... Were the Cougars wrong in recruiting Nelson? ...I'd say Mendenhall wasn't thinking things all the way through... Coaches need to be concerned with is how the church is going to handle such recruitings. Supposedly, Nelson's mission president approved the contact between BYU and Nelson. I have to wonder if such permission would be granted to BYU's biggest rival, Utah? ...Is the church going to treat all schools equally or give BYU, its private institution, favored access? ...We can't be naive to think athletes haven't been recruited while on missions by BYU coaches or others, but how much is the church going to get involved in approving such matters?" Like Utah's main concern should be the LDS Church, instead of going 10-6 in conference play the last two seasons, while BYU went 16-0.

Some recent transfers that BYU has lost:
DL Isley Filiaga
QB Cade Cooper
QB Sam Doman
QB Jacob Bower
RB Ray Hudson
WR Joe Griffin
DL Michael Marquardt
TE Antwaun Harris
OL Ofa Mohetau
DB Greg Lovely
DB Billy Skinner
QB Ben Olsen

Other suspended players that might leave:
RB Manase Tonga
DL David Angilau
DL Kyle Luekenga
DL Russell Tialavea

====================================================================


My Blog News: Phoenix Spacecraft Successfully Lands On Mars

The Bull-whipper fights aliens in his terrible new movie and still manages to rake in the cash: Indiana Jones Unearths $126MM & The Indy 151

And in "They don't have to follow The Law in Texas" news: FLDS Win Big Victory & Texas Appeals To State Supreme Court

What I respond to for a living: A Typical 911 Call -or- Photographer Speared By Javelin

Twilight Trailer & NBA's 100th Game 7

This is for the ladies (who don't like reading my sports-related blog posts):The Twilight Trailer
Behind the Scenes: Making the Twilight Movie


For the guys (who don't like romantic teen vampire novels):When the 3-seeded San Antonio Spurs beat Chris Paul and the 2nd-seeded New Orleans Hornets, not only did they become the first team to start out 0-2 and win the series this post-season, but they also won the 100th Playoff Series Game 7 in NBA history. Fitting for the defending champs. Still, the NBA has got to be hoping that the Lakers win the Western Conference Finals, for ratings sake. And I'm still wondering just what the 6-seeded Phoenix Suns did so badly to get beaten in the first round. I really thought they would still be around at this point. Shaq sucks shooting free throws. But the Suns former Coach-of-the-Year head coach D'antoni still didn't deserve to get fired. I digress.

Both #1s are still in it, the Las Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Expect both to win, thanks to this year's amazing home court advantages. I'm foreseeing Game 7s 101 and 102. The NBA doesn't want the 2-seeded Detroit Pistons to win either, for ratings sake. Unfortunately, the Celts just can't seem to win on the road in the post-season, despite leading the league in road wins in the regular season. They can't afford to lose any at home in the Eastern Conference Finals or they just might be done for.

And yes Sis, I'm ordering your hat today. So Odom and Oden are two different people. Dang it. I never claimed to have a great memory did I? I still hate losing bets.


P.S. I heard back from the Phoenix Fire Department. It's good news. I'm through to the oral interviews.

A Visual Tour of the Presidential Candidates

Barack Hussein Obama refuses to salute the American flag

Barack Hussein Obama grew up in Indonesia and Kenya. He was raised by his father as a Muslim. His parents are now divorced. Obama became a heavy drug user in college, as he describes in his first book "Dreams from My Father". Obama promises if elected to meet with the terrorist leaders of Cuba and Iran without requiring any changes from them.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.

Wright (quote): "God Damn America!"

Of 9/11 (quote): "We have supported state terrorism... and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is brought right back in our own front yards... America's chickens are coming home to roost!"

Barack Hussein Obama has attended Jeremiah Wright's Trinity Church for the past 20 years. Wright married Obama to his wife Michelle. Obama asks Wright to speak at the announcement of his presidential candidacy.

At first- Obama (quote): "The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation... he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children... I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother... I will not repudiate that man!"

Later- Obama (quote): "Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes... [My chosen pastor of more than twenty years presents] a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for... [Wright has given] a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth... [and is] giving comfort to those who prey on hate."

Barack Hussein Obama's wife, Michelle Robinson Obama.

Michelle Obama on her husband's presidential run (quote): "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country."

Barack Hussein Obama embraces the Reverend Al Sharpton

(Sharpton's Mitt Romney quote to come later in this blog...)

Billary

A fake Hillary photo

Probably, a fake Hillary Clinton photo

A real Hillary photo

Hillary Clinton forgets her make-up

John McCain is really really old and has a bad temper.

"Thanks for the question, you little jerk." -- John McCain, after being asked by a high school student if he was too old to be president.

"F**k you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room." -- to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), during a testy exchange about immigration legislation.

"Only an a**hole would put together a budget like this... I wouldn't call you an a**hole unless you really were an a**hole." -- to Budget Committee Chairman and fellow Repulican Sen. Pete Domenici, during a Senate budget hearing.

"No, I'm calling you a f**king jerk." -- to fellow Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, when Grassley asked "Are you calling me stupid?"

"I had something picked out for you, too - a little IED (improvised explosive device) to put on your desk." -- to Jon Stewart

McCain was in talks with Democratic Party officials about joining their party back in 2001:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop-2007-03-28.html

McCain's crazy old mother attacks Mormons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSqmWC30ZRY

Mike Huckabee (quote): "When we were in college we used to take a popcorn popper -because that was the only thing they would let us have in the dorms- and fry squirrels in the popcorn popper."

Huckabee supporters created a website on why Mormons aren't Christians:
http://pastors4huckabeeblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/the-biblical-case-against-voting-for-a-mormon-for.pdf

Huckabee wishes to donate to my blog (quote): "Whether we need to send somebody to Mars, I don't know. But I'll tell you what, if we do, I've got a few suggestions, and maybe Hillary could be on the first rocket."

"As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyway." -- Al Sharpton, on Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney

"I think the reason that some 28, 29 percent are not comfortable voting for a Mormon is they think they're voting for Harry Reid." -- on Senate Majority Leader Democrat Harry Reid, who is also a Mormon

A John Kerry Classic!!!


And, why not? Just for fun. The Miss Teen USA South Carolina quote!

$100 for Elite Fight Night

Tickets for the Elite Fight Night cost a little less than half of that. The fighters make a little more than double that. But I got in for free and made that much money just to have an ambulance on hand outside, a stretcher easily available inside, and a box of Large disposable gloves sitting at our table for the refs. It was awesome! We sat ringside- literally. On my right hand was one of the three scoring judges. I could reach out a foot and a half and touch the cage, and sometimes the fighters (had I wanted to).

22 fighters. 11 fights. 1 Knock-Out, 1 Judges Decision, and 9 TKOs or Tap-Out Submissions. The 10th fight was the best, featuring an undefeated fighter (10-0) vs. a taller opponent from the same weight division (5-1). The undefeated guy was from New York and had a N.Y. photographer and video camera crew following him around for an upcoming story on his flawless rise in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world. He lost. In the 2nd round, he took his opponent down to the mat and started to drop elbows towards the face. The fighter on the bottom put both knees on either side of the top fighter's head, locked his ankles beneath the chin, and began squeezing his leg muscles. The undefeated fighter picked his opponent up 6 feet into the air and then slammed him down hard. But the lock just got tighter... until the man on top finally passed out. When he woke up, the crowd around him was chanting "10 and 1!". His local news following had a sad story to write about their hometown hero.

I realized that night that Ultimate Fighting was very different from Renaissance jousting (not to be confused with American Gladiator joust). Each fighter has a guy in his corner that smears his cheeks and face with vasoline. This helps blows to glance off, instead of busting open the skin and head. It also adds to that shimmery split-second after a fighter is hit hard when the air is filled with light-catching particles of sweat, drool, blood, and the like (including our previously mentioned product). But with Medieval games of Horse-Chicken, we learned recently that they actually cross-thread their shields with wire so that the jousting lances will stick their blows. If they do not, instead of simply breaking the lances slide off the metal dangerously in an unpredictable direction. But even that trick of iron forgery cannot completely erase danger. As we watched, on knight's lance splintered, then got caught in the rope separating the two horse lanes. He flew off crazily and hit the ground in a hundred pounds of steel armor, hard. I don't know if he was knocked out, or if he experienced merely a brief syncopal episode, but as I prepared to go over and render medical assistance his page helped him back to his feet. Good times reliving The Sword and the Stone.I had to pay to go to that event though. The world still isn't perfect I guess... yet.

Ice Ice Baby

NEWS NEWS NEWS
NEWS-I'm Too Cold.

~NEWS- And married American mommies are too hot (more than 1 out of 3 cheat)...

TV- Archuleta is favored to LOSE to Cook in the American Idol Finale (he is given a 23% chance to win). Many blame Dad. Is Simon Cowell holding a grudge against Archie Sr.?

*TV- And Crush (Gina Carano) fights in the first televised female MMA bout May 31st on CBS (Carly's 1st birthday!). Her fact sheet: 26 years old, 140 lbs, 5'8", 5-0 professional fight record career, Christian, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, favorite movie is Braveheart, one person she wants to fight is Hitler. Time for me to join the FLDS Church!

NEWS- Speaking of which, some of the "underage mothers" taken from the Texas ranch have proven to be adults. One was 18, another was 22! She says the authorities refused for weeks to consider her driver's license and birth certificate as proof of her age. Yeah, the Texas officials are on shaky ground.

~NEWS- Did you know that liberals bug me? President Bush recently gave a world address stating that sitting down with modern Iranian terrorists is akin to those in the past who thought they could talk Hitler out of his mad war. Barack Hussein Obama angrily responded by saying "Hey, it sounds like he's talking about me!" Bush had not used any names as examples and did not even mention the Democratic party. Oops Obama, you just outed yourself as terrorist-friendly.

MOVIES- Narnia:Caspian is reportedly quite violent for a rated-PG movie. Supposedly it is much darker than the first movie.

*BOOKS- Twilight series authoress Stephenie Meyer just released a new book about Aliens, "The Host". Her 4th vampire book is due out August 2nd, 2008. P.S. Did you know they are currently making a Twilight movie?

A Bad Week for BYU Sports

Both major sports at Brigham Young University, football and men's basketball, had banner years this past season. BYU football went 11-2, going 8-0 in Mountain West Conference play for the second year in a row and capping the season with a bowl game win over UCLA. Bronco Mendenhall's team finished #14. BYU men's basketball went 27-8 (including an early win over #6 Louisville on the road), won the MWC regular season for the second season in a row going 13-3, finished 2nd in the conference tournament to UNLV in Las Vegas, made the field of 64 for the second year in a row, and lost a close game in the first round of the March Madness National Championship Tournament to Texas A&M. Dave Rose's squad was in and out of the Top 25 all year long and finished just outside of the final rankings.

Both squads were favored to win conference championships again this coming season to make it back-to-back-to-back, but both also suffered major losses to their team this week that could make winning a bit more difficult.

The football team lost 2nd-string running back and star blocker Manase Tonga due to academic ineligibility. He has been removed from the University and must re-apply if he wishes to come back in January. No word on what will happen to his scholarship. Manase was suspended for the season opener last year after running a stop sign and giving the police officer a false name, as well as unpaid parking tickets. His older brother DL Matangi Tonga was booted from BYU for stealing laptops the year before. He was expected to rejoin the school and team for the coming season, but inexplicably transferred to a Junior College instead. Tonga ran for 305 yards last year. 1st and 3rd string backers Harvey Unga and Fui Vakapuna return, with promising blue-shirt freshman J.J. DiLuigi looking for field time as well.
http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=10790 The men's basketball team lost star center Trent Plaisted to an early draft declaration after he offically hired an agent. Lee Cummard is also testing the early departure NBA draft waters but is currently expected to come back from next season. Though Plaisted is big, he sometimes couldn't tear his way through a wet paper towel under the rim, and many expect he will end up playing in Russia like ex-BYU star Rafael Araujo. Plaisted's schollie may not be used until next season, instead of potentially wasting it on a late unsigned kid. Chris Miles and Chris Collinsworth will fill in the gap.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=498&sid=3311878


These things do happen in sports. Cheer up! Watch a funny YouTube video (or two):

The Robot Song

Snow is Dangerous and Evil and is Trying to Kill You

"Americans": Archuleta and Crush

I worked EMS for a recent American Idol David Archuleta show (getting paid to get entertained!). Luckily, I only had to treat one little girl who twisted an ankle jumping up and down while screaming. David sang only 3 songs (including "Stand By Me"), but boy were they good! The kid may appear to be just 5'2" or so, but his voice is amazingly large and carried across the stadium easily.

In other Archuleta news, David's dad has been banned from the American Idol set. Who knows what affect if any it will have on the show itself? Archuleta joins the other David (Cook) and soon-to-be-voted-out Sayesha in the Final 3; his making the Final 2 looks like a near lock. And his dad, by all accounts, is nowhere near as bad as Jessica Simpson's father.

As far as the best "American" tv show, that goes to "American Gladiators" hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali! Season 2 -featuring 40 new competitors- begins tonight (6:00-8:00pm PST on NBC). Season 1 winners "Rocket" and "Jet" return, along with a new face, the violet-haired "Phoenix". Yes, 3 gladiators from last season were fired (and I bet you could guess which ones!). There are also 2 new events this time around ("Vertigo" and "Rocketball"). Watch Titans' thighs destroy another firefighter during this evening's new episode (EDIT: Nevermind- This firefighter is a woman). There are also rumors of 5 other new events and at least another new gladiator, the 7-foot tall Beast...

P.S. Did you know that before American Gladiators, Crush was a female Mixed Martial Artist fighter? Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgRtBM-hWm4

I Got Paid to see a Lakers-Jazz NBA Playoff Game

Just a brief amount of Utah Jazz history. First, there's no jazz music scene in the state of Utah. Second, they've changed their jersey colors a lot. It started out white, bright purple, yellow, and green. Then it became light purple, teal, white, and black (in the 80s, of course). Now it's navy blue, baby blue, and white (kind of BYU meets UCLA). I guess you sell more stuff if you change the look often.

The game itself was great. There are more Lakers fans in Utah than any other out-of-state NBA team (for the NFL, it's the 49ers). It's all the California transplants. This means that Laker-Jazz games always provide a lot of rivalry energy. Each side had signs for Game #4. Utah fans showed "The Only Good Laker Is A Salt Laker". A Los Angelan group threw up "All Roads End In L.A." (where the Jazz will likely eventually lose the 7-game series). And as this was the first Jazz home game on a Sunday in 4 years (Wow!), there was a sign dedicated dually to Carlos Boozer and alcohol stating "We Love Booz! Even on Sunday." (with a similar signed for "Brew", or Ronnie Brewer). It WAS funny seeing the kegs getting rolled past me on their way to different food stands. Sadly, there were all too many "Bryant" jerseys, which makes for a lot of pitifully lame people. The Jazz fans retaliated with "MVP" chants every time hometown favorite Deron Williams made a basket. And both teams' fans were guilty of women sporting their teams' jersey in white-and-pink, a terrible new crime against Sport that is ever-growing in popularity. Besides which, the Lakers aren't the only team with a rapist as a hero; Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone impregnated a 13-year old girl back when he was a sophomore in college at Louisiana Tech (can you say "Statutory"?). http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080507
And yes, there were a bunch of fistfights after the game (Of course! It went into overtime and people had a bunch of pent-up emotion to let out). A couple of split lips, but no major injuries requiring transport or hospitalization.

You know, I don't go to near enough professional sporting events. The state of Utah is starting to come together. They've got the NBA Jazz, the semi-pro basketball Flash, the MLS Real Salt Lake, the arena football Blaze, the semi-pro hockey Grizzlies, and the semi-pro baseball Bees. Utah's not a huge pro-sports state, but it is growing.

Motorcycle = Deathtrap

Please, don't ever buy a motorcycle! Don't ride a motorcycle. Don't accept a ride from a friend who rides one. If you own one, sell it. It doesn't matter if you are a safe driver; The cars around you are not, and they will be the one that both causes the crash and walks away from it safely. And if you are going to ride a motorcycle, please, please, at least wear a helmet. Seriously. If you don't, you will die. I already went on that 911 call this week- I don't want it to happen again to someone I know. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is a great way to commit suicide. Don't be stupid.

"A motorcyclist is approximately 16 times more likely to die in a crash than an automobile occupant. Head injury is a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes." http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/crash.htm

I Got Paid to Go See Iron Man

I was paid to watch Iron Man on Tuesday. But not because of my blog about the movie's success. No, I was working on an ambulance that day. We were posted in an area right by a movie theatre that lets us in for free, in case somebody ever has an episode watching a film while we are there. We sat in the back row with our pagers and a radio on low (this is standard practice at this location, don't worry). And it was an incredibly slow night, so we made it all the way from trailers to FIN. Getting paid to watch a movie. Nice! We deserved it after moving a 420 lb. man earlier in the shift.I love movie theatre posters! There was one for a new X-Files movie (it's been awhile). There was one for "The Happening", M. Night Shyamalan's sequel to Signs. And there was one for Ice Age 3, among others.

The trailers were great too! Indiana Jones 4. The Dark Knight (Harvey Dent is introduced... 2 Face?). Incredible Hulk (he fights Abomination). Mike Myers' new comedy The Love Guru (some of the jokes in the preview made me laugh out loud).

Iron Man itself... Well, it seems like I talked about it a lot already. It was as good as advertised, perhaps the 2nd best comic book movie I've seen, and I've seen them all. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a redhead in the film; She almost looks like a girl I knew in high school, April O'. "The Dude" is funny as an super-villain. And you gotta wait until the end of the credits, just like with the X-Men movies.

Announced this week is a new Super Friends-esque cartoon show for TV, "Marvel Super Hero Squad", featuring Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Thor, fighting bad guys like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Loki, and the Abomination. The 26 half-an-hour episodes should begin airing in 2009.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b135368_marvel_activates_super_hero_squad.html


Other Movie News:

- "The Hobbit" will be not just 1 movie, but 2! The same actors who played Gandolph the Grey and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings have signed back on. But the movie won't be done by Peter Jackson (which is too bad, but maybe they won't each be 4 hours long). Look for the first in 2010.
http://scifi.about.com/b/2008/05/03/hobbit-update-del-toro-ian-mckellen-are-in.htm
- "Terminator 4" will star Batman Begins actor Christian Bale as John Connor. This is the first movie of the series that will be set in the future, during the war against the robots, and not in the present. It's also the first film in a new Trilogy ("Salvation"). Look for it summer of '09.
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=9864803c-63b6-42a6-b26f-4c2b3d101a6b
Yeah, this has turned out to be quite the guy blog. Movies, sports, TV, food, and video games. Who could ask for anything more?

Comments

I don't get enough Comments ("Thoughts"). At least my blog doesn't. Probably because it's mostly private. Only a select few are allowed to link to it, or you have to know the exact address. So it's not a made-for-comments blog, per say. But those who CAN read it should comment more. That means you. Comment often. Starting now.

The Day I Invented The Ham-Burger

I'm not the inventor in my family- That would be my twin brother Rusty. Yes, his patent-pending Star-B-Q could cook you up some game-day food on a train or under a tree... It can even char-fry your balcony! Now I cannot say more about this true innovation, as it is a well-kept family secret.

But the other day, I stumbled upon a thought of my own. Guys like Bacon.Yes, a man's love of bacon is not a well kept secret. In fact, it's commonly known by just about everyone (save perhaps my cousin Rachel, who exists on a higher plane of culinary existence). And here's the thing- I don't get it. If bacon is overcooked, it turns out crispy, crunchy and gross. If it's undercooked, it ends up floppy, soggy, chewy and gross. Either way, it's always greasy... and gross. I'm a guy who doesn't like to eat plain bacon, not even for breakfast.

Here's the catch: Bacon is delicious on a burger! Carl's Jr has the Six Dollar Western Bacon Cheeseburger. Wendy's has the Spicy Baconator. I don't even know if it's the bacon itself or the sauce that's usually applied liberally on top of such a burger, but they're hard to resist. And this is a product based on a meat-topping I don't even like all that much, despite my manly guyhood!

Which got me thinking about burgers in general. There's a lot of variety in the burger world.

Some burgers are Big.Some are expensive (this one costs $110 in Madrid):Some are made out of ugly women-In fact, there are a LOT of different topping choices for a hamburger...You've probably even seen those hamburgers that are topped with an egg!
But there's one delicious breakfasty topping that I've NEVER seen on a hamburger (I'm not talking thinly-sliced deli lunch sandwiches here). HAM!
Which doesn't make any sense really (even aside from the name itself). Let me ask You a question: Which would you prefer to eat when you wake up in the morning -- Stomach-upsetting bacon, or a scrumptious, filling Ham steak?

I haven't actually put together a working model yet, but I will soon. Scientific research requires funding first. But the idea has merit I think. I should probably look into the details of patenting my invention before one of the larger corporations catches wind of the genius and steals it from me. It I play my cards right, I could sell millions through McDonalds! And if I took just a dime of profit from each one I would be R.I.C.H. in no time at all!