Boston's Independence Day

FYI- This will not be a completely sports related post.

I can only imagine how it feels, to wait your entire life for this to happen. Wednesday, October 20, 2004: The day the Yankee dominance over the Red Sox Nation finally ended. Other teams had beaten the Yankees in the playoffs over the years, but not like this. Nobody had ever beaten the Evil Empire like this. Nobody had ever beaten anyone like this. As a newer Red Sox fan of about 3 years, I can’t claim this as the defining sports moment of my lifetime (Patriots 1st Super Bowl and the Av’s most recent Cup), but it was monumental and inspiring, like watching a team version of “Rocky.” The Yankees won 3 out of the first 3 games, meaning Boston won 4 of 4 to take the Series. It’d be like Dubya catching Osama Bin Laden, getting us pulled out of Iraq, curing cancer and STILL losing the election. Four more wins and 1918 (the last BoSox championship) becomes 2004.

By the way, this has been one of the worst weeks ever. I have a punishingly painful canker sore on my tongue the size of a large county. I know what you’re saying: “Quit cryin, you baby!” No. Everyone who’s seen it has told me it’s the worst and largest canker in history. Wednesday I had to go to the doctor (who apparently had seen bigger as she wasn’t that impressed) she gave me a prescription for a mouthwash (that included an “oral steroid” which will apparently allow my jaw to power lift.) that she faxed over to Walgreen’s on Northland Ave. Upon going to pick up this prescription, I was told this by Mr. Walgreen:

“That’s gonna take about 24-48 hours for us to mix up.”

Are you serious? It’s 2004 and you are the largest drug store chain in the world and you need two days to put this scrip together. Thankfully the Walgreen’s on College Ave was able to accommodate my immediate need (after about 13 fax failures and 3 phone calls) and I had my prescription. Now all I need is some Anbesol and a new toothpaste.

“We’re out of Anbesol.”

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I just want my prescription, toothpaste and Anbesol and I want it right now, that’s all I want to do! I turned into a cross between Veruca Salt and Ben Stiller talking to the flight attendant in “Meet the Parents.” There I am in a ”drug store” where I can by the Sopranos Trivia Game, but I can’t get Anbesol. There’s just a big open space where it’s supposed to be, forcing another stop at Target (where Anbesol is actually cheaper than Walgreen’s sale price.) Good job, Walgreen’s. Way to lead the industry.

This lead me to have this thought. Why can’t I ever just get mild stuff?

Some people get canker sores. I get one with its own zip code.
Some people get cold sores. Earlier this year I got one that I ended up having to go to a doctor for because it had infected a gland in my throat.
Some people get sinus infections. I get ones in which my sinuses bleed out for two days.

OK, now I am complaining…like a little A-Rod, but the fact remains that I could use some good luck when it comes to bodily afflictions. Hopefully I won’t ever get athlete’s foot, as they would probably have to amputate. Well, that’s me signing off for the week (heading to MQT tomorrow for the hockey series!)

I'm finished,
Nate

The best movies ever.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Wow! To see that one sentence, that blue type on the black screen, it’s something that borders on spiritual and divine. Star Wars. You know this is gonna be good. And yes, I am going to write about the holy trinity because I got the idea where most good ideas for blogs come from: Jaime. Thanks. No other movies get me going like these. They made Mark Hammill look like a legitimate actor, introduced James Earl Jones as the “Guy with the coolest voice of all time”, and, get this, made Carrie Fisher the second highest grossing actress ever, behind only Julia Roberts (and this is a woman who did “Hollywood Vice Squad” and “From Here to Maternity.”) A few things about these movies:

a) The special effects are unrivaled. Even today, the visual and sound effects look legit in all of the movies. My personal favorites are the space battle scenes, especially those at the end of Jedi, accompanied by a stellar John Williams score driving the action. This is the late 70’s early 80’s we’re talking about here. Sure, every kid with a computer can do these effects today, but back then Lucas was doing this stuff with model Millennium Falcon’s and such. They actually had to dress people up as Ewoks. You can’t CGI an Ewok and have the same effect! In addition, the locations were phenomenal: Endor, Hoth, Tattooine and Dagobah? Are you kidding me! Just a kick ass collection of exquisite locales.

b) The acting. The trilogy got every single bit of talent out of what they had. Seriously, Mark Hammill isn’t playing with a stacked deck and he just nailed the role of Luke. They went the same route in the prequels casting Hayden Christiansen as Anakin, a semi-unknown in a huge role, except for one difference: Hayden Cristiansen can’t act. Harrison Ford was ready for superstardom, Carrie Fisher was awesome as well as becoming the adolescent fantasy of 3 out of 5 young males, Billie Dee Williams (and his gheri curl), and of course Obi Wan, Sir Alec Guinness. The astonishing part about this is that, besides Harrison Ford, nobody was really ever heard from again. Except for Billy Dee, who loves him some Colt 45 malt liquor.

c) The story. Honestly, looking at George Lucas, do you think that would be a guy that could write a story including so many various themes? He looks like the guy who’d be writing a screenplay for D&D: The Movie. The love story was actually believable: the rugged loner and the princess. He eventually did basically the same story for Anakin and Princess Amadala in the prequels and has fallen flat on his face so far. Han & Leia were the odd couple that we all rooted for. Anakin and Amadala talk like two whiny kids who’ve read too much poetry. The other story lines are solid: The redemption of Han and Lando, Luke’s coming of age, Leia’s ascension from spoiled princess to freedom fighter, the opression imposed by and eventual overthrow of an evil empire, and of course the relationship of father and son. We get it, we can feel for the characters, we want the rebels to win. When a movie makes you feel like that, it’s a winner.

d) The posters. Check them out on IMDB.com sometime. The best artwork on any movie posters…ever.

e) Darth Vader. He is without a doubt, the most ruthless villain of all time. He’s just a straight up bad ass. Finally, just when he’s about to allow and even help some old wizard kill his kid, he snaps and saves him. Awesome.

I’m finished (for now),
May the force be with you.
Nate

And later, on "Health Watch..."

A medical report I saw last week proclaimed a “breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s.” I’m sure there were many a scientist pouring over years and years of empirical data and case studies, working tirelessly to discover and develop new ways to promote this breakthrough. Do you want to know the secret in the fight against this dreadful affliction?

Jogging.

Yep, a big study by the University of California-Irvine came up with…jogging. Let me just save all these researchers a ton of time. I have come out with a study, analyzing data I have seen on the news in the “Health Watch” portion over many years and Dr. Nathan Holtslander has come up with this theory: “JOGGING IS GOOD FOR YOU. It can prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, kidney disease, osteoporosis, gout, common cold, *deep breath*, arthritis, brain tumors, herpes, turf toe, carpal tunnel, and of course bad breath.” There. We don’t need any more studies to tell us that jogging is good. I think that fact has been established by every health organization and gym teacher in the country. I’m sure there’s never been a segment, “Next on Health Watch, eating potato chips and being inactive may be more beneficial than you think. We’ll explain after the break…” Supposedly exercise cures anything. Let me get this straight, when you get the heart working, increasing stamina, and enlarging lung capacity so as to better circulation through the body, that’s GOOD for you? Get out of here! Next your gonna be telling me that cigarettes are bad for me!

Speaking of Health Watch, is there a more useless portion of the news broadcast than Health Watch. How many people want to sit through a 5 minute story about how their fat ass is going to die young because they eat garbage and don’t get enough exercise? It’s depressing, just one more thing to get in the way of the Sports. Also, are they required to call it Health Watch? Maybe they call it different things on different stations, but as far as I know, that portion of the news carries no other name.

Finally, how can you believe any of these studies that come out on what seems like a twice-weekly basis? Remember what they said about eggs? Eggs used to be good for you (protein and all.) Then they were bad (like plague of locusts bad) because of cholesterol, and nobody wanted anything to do with them. They were like the OJ Simpson of foods. Then I think scientists decided that cholesterol wasn’t that bad. No, fist they decided that only the egg yolks were bad for you then they decided that cholesterol wasn’t bad and then that eggs were OK if only eaten twice a week. Then last month I think I saw something on Health Watch: “Eating eggs (with breakfast sausage) may reduce the risk of Alzhe...”

My head just exploded.

I’m finished,
Nate

Makin' busy.

I know I probably talk about work a little too much but, like Whitesnake, here I go again. My job today from 8am – 9:30am was to “make myself look busy.” That was a direct order from my supervisor who was sitting within sight distance of me as I read articles about the Red Sox for the first hour and a half. I was thinking back to all my previous employers and can’t think of one time I was told to “look busy.” Like at the gas station they would say things like, “We’re not paying you to just stand there. Go clean something.” Um, actually the definition of the job cashier is, in fact, just to stand there. There’s a register and I push buttons, that is all your $5.75/hr is getting out of me, bucko. The moral of the story is as always, I love my job. On a sad note, we lost a soldier yesterday to the Series 6 as one of my fellow CSP’s didn’t pass the test for the second time and decided it was just too much for her. We miss her already.

I almost forgot to comment on last weekend which was, um, good and bad I guess. I did get to see two good friends get married in a ceremony that I believe should be the blueprint for all weddings. Some girl did have it in for me by breaking her leg at the volleyball game and making Ashly late to the reception. She was a great sport though when she finally got there. Kudos to her (even though apparently those who are late do not get fed…or clean forks for that matter. Those wenches in the kitchen at the Masonic Center can go… forget it, it’s too nasty to say.) I got to see a lot of folks that I wanted to see some I didn’t get a chance too, and some that I saw, but didn’t necessarily want or need to see. All in all, it was a good, bad, happy, sad, and overall drunk weekend. The best kinds usually.

Well, my “busy” time is up. Later.

Random Movie Quote!

Joel : Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating.

-"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004)

I'm finished,
Nate