Summer Lovin' Had Me a Blast, Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast

Summer. It's the time when you find new loves and rekindle old flames. With all the changes channels make to their line-up of shows, it's hard not to get sucked in. You thought I was talking about something else? It's not love, it's television!


This summer, I found my new love on VH1, with their new show, The Great Debate. It's perfect for the pop-culture junkie, or for anyone who's ever held an opinion, ever. With a structure similar to Best Week Ever, various comedians, D-list stars, and VH1 personalities weigh in on pop-culture issues that you may or may not have ended friendships over. Past debates have included such topics as: Who is the more believable man in drag--Mrs. Doubtfire or Tootsie? Who is the more controversial rapper--Eminem or Snoop Dogg? Which was the crazier toy craze--Cabbage Patch Kids or Elmo? Who stole the show, Urkel or the Fonz? Which is the ultimate prime-time game show--Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune? And, of course, Boxers or Briefs?

In addition to the general debates, there are also two catagories that appear in every episode: Genius or Not? and Insane Debate. Past "Genius or Not?" topics include Kanye West, and the Snuggie, and the best Insane Debate so far has been: If you were stuck on a desert island with the members of the view, who would you eat first?

As soon as the debate is announced, it is nearly impossible to not pick a side, even if you have never heard of either person/thing. You'll find yourself yelling at the screen, and ranting when your views don't match the shows.

The best part of the show is all of the random things the commentators come up with the support their idea. Like when debating who is more badass, Rambo or Rocky, Scott Ian informed us that "With Rambo, you won't even see him and he'll kill you with a raindrop and a leaf."


So The Great Debate is my new love, what is the old flame? Well, since Nickelodeon has added it to their Nick at Nite line-up, it's the sorely missed Malcolm in the Middle.



Why is this show awesome? Come on...it's theme is a They Might Be Giants song, and it won 7 Emmys! But seriously, no character in this show is a "filler" character. Malcolm is a genius trying to survive a dysfunctional family, Reese is ridiculously dumb (and in one episode pretends to have friends), Dewey befriends bugs and inanimate objects, Francis is a lazy troublemaker trying to survive millitary school, Lois is a psychotic control freak, Hal is a neurotic pushover, Craig is the human version of the Simpson's Comic Book Guy and is in love with Lois......I could go on, but I can see this list has gotten too long already.

The next time you get stuck at home, take some time to fall in love with the old and the new.

Babies, Roller Skates, and Rapper's Delight

This could quite possibly be the most interesting ad for the most boring product ever. And I love it.

Baby, it's 3am, I must be lonely

A couple days ago, I went to the midnight premiere of the latest Harry Potter film. The AMC played the film in nine theaters, and they all sold out. But that's not what this post is about.

Because the movie was so long, when I left the theater, it was 3am. I had never been on the roads at that time, so I learned some new things about my neighbors/neighborhood.

Some quick background info: I live in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood, inhabited predominately by white families with younger kids. So when I even saw people on my drive home, you can bet I was surprised. I thought everyone would be asleep.

Driving down a dark street that isn't usually all that busy, I encountered the first sketchball. I didn't see him at first, but when I did, he scared the crap out of me. No, he wasn't misshapen or anything, but he was walking in the road, and I was afraid I was going to hit him. What was this guy doing? There was a sidewalk just a few steps over. I guess walking in the road at 3am isn't that weird*, but he wasn't just going for a stroll. He had his thumb out, and was hitchhiking. It was a somewhat small road in the middle of a subdivision, and it was the middle of the night! Even if it were daylight, I seriously doubt anyone would have picked him up. I mean, it's not like he had any Bud Light.



A few right turns later, I encoutered sketchballs 2 & 3. Actually, I encountered their car first. I drove up to a 4-way stop to see a car in front of me. It looked like it was turning right, as it was partway around the corner, but it had its hazard lights flashing. Confused, I slowly drove around it, peeking inside to see if there was anybody in it. Nope, it was empty. Did someone decide to ditch their car mid-turn? That question was soon answered, because as I rounded the corner, I saw a burned-out looking couple stumble out of a house a couple doors down from the stoplight. Enter, sketchballs 2 & 3. The guy was carrying a big red leather purse and was shirtless, and the girl had the most frazzled hair I've ever seen and wasn't wearing any shoes. Cute.

Finally, I turned onto my street, expecting I might encounter a fourth sketchball. But the coast was clear. I pulled into my driveway and climbed the stairs, ready to sleep (I had to wake up in 4 hours for work). But as soon as my head hit the pillow...I had the hiccups. It must've been karma for not giving sketchball 1 a ride.


*yes, it is weird

"Did you see the non-catch?"

That was the first question my mom asked after the Cardinals/Cubs game last night. Even though the Cards won, and Franklin closed the game effortlessly, the big talking point was Reed Johnson playing off a short-hop as a catch, ending the inning, and ending my chances at getting quarter drinks at Mobil.

Why did he do that? Well, everyone does. Players are taught to always act as if they caught the ball, touched the base, etc. And they can get away with it because there is no instant replay in baseball (except for homerun calls).

But it's not just baseball that could use instant replay. It seems to me that the more instant replay is implemented in sports that need it, the more honest the game becomes, leading to an overall better game.

Some sports don't need replays because the structure of competition leaves no room for cheating (like golf--the ball is in the hole or it's not) or because other methods keep it honest (like swimming--touch pads and weight-sensing starting blocks prevent disputed finishes and false starts).

One of the best examples of how replay or the ability to challenge a call has improved the honesty/sportsmanship is in tennis. When John McEnroe played, every call was a battle, as neither he nor the chair umpire would yield. But how could they? There was no way to prove who was right. But with ShotSpot, or Hawk-eye, it could easily be made clear whether a ball was in or out. And with players allotted a number of challenges, the tantrums seemed to have gone away.

In football, the big arguments seem to arise after the challenges have run out, or when a coach refuses to accept the official decision after a replay. But how often do you see a bench-clearing brawl in football? Not as often as baseball.

What might also help to end the dishonesty in sports during the game (I'm not even going to start with steroids...) is changing the way it is taught.

From an early level, players are taught how to over-exaggerate fouls & sometimes taught to argue for the beneficial call even when they know they are incorrect. In soccer and lacrosse, I was taught to fall dramatically if an opposing player brushed past me, or sometimes even if I was losing control of the ball. In waterpolo, I was shown how to make it look as if an opposing player pushed me underwater (which is not allowed).

What if coaches taught that honesty is the best policy? That it is better to play aggressively when the other team gets a little rough, instead giving an Oscar-worthy injury performance? That playing the game as it was intended to be played is better than winning?

So no more non-catches. If you drop the ball, own up to it.