let out your inner "yee-haw!"

i know, i know. i've been on hiatus. now that it's summertime, it just seems as though there are many more things that are more fun than being online! regardless, i am no stranger to online networking sites.... myspace, facebook, okC, match.com, etc. what can i say? i even have a blog. i'm a total nerd. in most cases, these sites have a section for a person's musical tastes. this of course, is my favorite part since music is such a big part of my life. you can simply list the genres that interest you or, with more effort, you can create a big collage of your favorite artists. but one thing i've found curious is that you will often see an entry that reads "i like all music except for country". what is this stigma that country seems to bear? i would venture to say it's the most hated genre of all time. but is it really that bad? i admit, i rarely listen to it myself, but i've gone through my phases where i need a little change and country music is it. i've decided to give it a whole-hearted effort... start playing the country station in my main rotation. and guess what? i've already found a few songs that i really like. just today i was listening and heard a familiar voice... it was darius rucker, aka "hootie" of the blowfish. for the record, i LOVE hootie and the blowfish as well as his solo work. who knew he did country? i'm just sayin'.... give it a chance. and if you don't like it, give it a break... others do!

play ball!

it's april, folks. i do not hear birds chirping nor do i see sunshine or green grass yet. there is, however, one thing that makes the arrival of april a wonderful event... wait, make that two things... first of all, i can officially say that we are traveling to hawaii "this month", but more importantly IT'S BASEBALL SEASON! actually, the Tigers marked opening day in March this year, but let us not speak of that game. let us pretend that april is the official beginning. "uh, yeah, can i get a do-over? the sun was in my eyes."

i like the liner that CBS Sports used in their roster report: "the Tigers could be a 1,000-pound weight (the lineup) hanging by a single strand of sewing thread (the bullpen)." seriously, we are so stacked and our defense this year is going to be amazing. but our pitching staff is real questionable. don't get me wrong, they're all good pitchers, but when the pressure's on, this well-oiled machine falls apart. watching a Tigers game is real stressful... especially after the 7th inning stretch. you just never know what might happen. i heard Zumaya the other day on the radio saying he had thoughts of retirement already. i hope he can get better, ALL the way better, and bring the heat he did back in early '07. also, i love me some Justin, but he definitely failed to live up to the hype yesterday and fell apart in the 6th and 7th. big ups to Jones and Bautista though. they did their best to hold it down. but we're not talking about that game, right? it didn't count. by the way, can you take a mulligan in baseball? just curious.

there are a lot of promising puzzle pieces though this year. shifting Guillen to the right side of the field to replace Casey was a smart move. with Renteria and Cabrera on the left side now, our infield should be quick all around and able to knock anything down. Granderson (once he's healthy) and Ordonez will be right back where they belong, but I might miss Thames. we'll see how Jacque Jones and Thomas do though before I make my final decision on that change. not a huge fan of Inge at the plate, but i'm happy for him that he'll get to start a few games with Granderson out. as for the underdog, i'm routing for Raburn to get some more PT this year. he got a few games in in '07 and he did really well coming up out of the minors. he hit well, he played outfield well... we may even see him catch a few times this year to relieve Pudge. long story short, i think he's going to be a big asset to the Tig's in the long run. he may need a few years to mature and put in his dues, but you can't put a price on a really good utility man.

so anyway, if you like baseball, probably none of this is new to you. but i'm just excited. if anyone wants to go to a game or two, let me know. i found the holy grail of "cheap" tickets on craigslist - and they're decent seats too. both of my game-going/watching buddies moved away this year, so it's just me, my beer and my bbq. the Tig's have been predicted to win the World Series... which pretty much means they won't! still, it's gonna be a fun run. PLAY BALL!

mos lame?

let me begin by telling you that it hurts my heart to write this. i love mos def. he is my favorite celebrity of all time. my celeb crush. seriously, def poetry has changed my life. so has brown sugar and black on both sides. also, the highlight of my year so far has been seeing him in person on mlk day.

but dude, when it comes to picking your scripts, what are you doing??? the big name movies he was in started out good. brown sugar, the italian job, etc. he even voiced ganstalicious for the boondocks, which was hilarious... "i don't wanna do this anymore. i'm tired of gettin' shot. heeeelllllp!" but c'mon, lately, it's been not hot. has anyone seen the hitchikers guide to the galaxy? i thought not. well, i did because it was mos and it was terrible. i don't think i ever did make it to the end. now it's be kind, rewind? seriously, who wants to see that shit? it's about the stupidest plot i've ever heard of. you put mos and jack black in it, two huge names, and it still is completely unappealing. i'm still trying to figure out how the producers got these guys to do it in the first place.

look, all i'm saying is that you need to step up your game, player. with more than a handful of films in some level of production, i'm really hoping for a home run soon. one that i can shelve next to my cherished copy of brown sugar as one of my all-time favorites. or at the very least, just one that i actually want to see. but in the meantime, i'll just remind myself that i can always close my eyes and listen for now...

hoodwinked!

as i may or may not have mentioned before, job hunting is far less fun than pretty much all of the other things i hate:
grocery shopping on sunday afternoon;
arguing with a 3 year old;
moving your entire residence without the help of any sober individual;
listening to hilary talk about how she is going to "let" barack run on HER ticket;
waiting for comcast to attend to a service problem;
running into a significant ex at the gym;
you get the picture...

it's a game. it's like your goofy best friend from high school. it will lift you up just high enough to see over the fence into your kick-ass future, only to pull your legs from underneath you and laugh as you fall to the ground. i think that i've learned to play... the trick is to grab onto the fence before you fall and figure out how to swing up and over. i'm still hanging...

so last week, i got a phone call letting me know that i'd finally scored an interview at the company i've been wanting to work for ever since i went back to school. my interview at ann arbor radio group was yesterday and it went like this: i arrive, feeling good, looking professional and i meet the guy who's going to interview me. he seems like a pretty cool, laid back guy... he's in jeans and a button-up so that puts me at ease since i'm definitely more comfortable with the "casual" crowd. we have what i think is a great interview, although he does throw out a few questions that make me wonder "why did he ask me that?". he wraps it up and asks the customary "do you have any questions?" question. of course i do. i'm prepared. so i go into what it is i do understand about the position and ask if he could tell me a little more about what my responsibilities would be. the look on this guy's face was one of pure confusion and embarrassment. turns out, my resume was passed along to the sales department and he was interviewing me for an ad sales position, unbeknownst to me. let's pause and imagine my shock and dissapointment. i thought this job was going to be my ticket into the radio biz, out of the U, and perhaps into my own condo. i know my great future is out there, i just don't know how to get to it.

another pause, this time for a tom petty lyric: "god, it's so painful when something is so close... and still so far out of reach"

subsequently, i went home with my tail between my legs and drank it away. today, i am able to laugh it off but haven't shaken the disappointment yet. it reminds me of my time in california job hunting and/or soul searching. i went in for a sports marketing interview one morning and was somehow tricked into going door to door in dress shoes for 9 hours in the rain. i don't even remember what the hell i was selling. note to potential employees: if you have to be tricked into a position, you probably shouldn't take it.

although i can say i'm in quite the predicament now. i don't want to sell shit, but i can certainly think of less appealing things to sell than radio advertising. people think they are straight celebrity status once they hear their name or voice on the air. the salary is higher than my current salary and i'd be earning commission on top of that. maybe it's something to think about. when i was first offered an internship at greater media, i originally turned it down. it turned out to be the best thing that has happened to me in the business, and regardless of where i go from here, i will always credit the people i've met there for jump-starting my career. maybe this is another "door close - window open" situation. everything good that's ever happened to me has happened on accident and has been the result of me taking leap of faith. analysis and advice is welcome...

can a sista get a shovel?

please help me find the logic in this... it is february. there is about 6 inches of snow blanketing the midwest. it is 10 degrees today with a windchill of 0. i check 4 different stores for a snow shovel and everyone looks at me like i'm crazy. "we haven't had snow shovels in awhile", a pimply-faced 18 year old tells me at Lowe's. and i got the distinct feeling he was rolling his eyes at me as i walked away. there is, however, a vast selection of patio furniture, grills, garden hoses and lawn mowers... none of which will prove useful for at least 3 more months, more likely 4.

am i crazy? there's snow on my sidewalk... can i get a fucking snow shovel??? or maybe a bag of salt? there's ice out there too.

apparently not. according to the logic of retail, i must buy a snow shovel in september - 3 months before it actually snows - and a sun umbrella in february, so it can clutter my basement until springtime. and springtime in michigan = june. but it's not just seasonal home and garden sections that are completely retarded. if i want anything remotely cute and in my size, i must buy my swimsuit now. have i mentioned there's 6 inches of snow on the ground? my kid is already growing out of her winter clothes that were given to her back in the fall, but i won't even hope to find a hoodie or a long-sleeved tshirt until july. perhaps i'll just blast the A/C and put it to good use then.

seriously, who comes up with this stuff? i need to cuss them out.

smart Seuss!

well, i was going to do a series this week. a series about dr. Seuss and his not-so-subtle socially concious children's books. the plan was to do one a week and discuss, but since none of them are published online and i am far too lazy to type the words to each of the books out, you can just go read them for yourselves. seriously, this dude was really about something. i've been reading my old favorites to my daughter and 25-ish years after i was introduced to Seuss, they have a whole new meaning. for starters, try these on for size:

-The Butter Battle Book (for anyone who needs a little perspective on the meaning of war)
-Yertle the Turtle (regarding power, authority and the civil obedience of the minions)
-The Sneetches (a look at discrimination and the ability of some people to capitalize on our fears of differences)

check 'em out. as much as we like to analyze and debate all of society's flaws, sometimes it's so much simpler than that. so simple, in fact, it can be reduced to a child's terms and still make plenty of sense.

economic stimulus?

well, the more extensive economic stimulus package got rejected today - not unlike a swat from shaq, sending your perfectly constructed jumper into the stands. on a selfish level, i am a little disappointed. i mean, lets be real, less money for me sucks. at this point, i'm looking at $900 vs. $1100. here's what i don't get: this whole idea of injecting money into the economy to "stimulate" it seems like a good idea, but will it really work?

recently, i read a study somewhere (i forget where or i'd link it) that your average citizen receiving this rebate will less likely put that money into the economy and more likely use it to pay off debt they already have. hey, that was my plan. i don't know the numbers, but i do know that personal debt is a mutha right now and it's ruining people's shot at the american dream. i guess maybe that means the economy will reap the benefits of this plan eventually.... i.e., you pay off your debt now, get your credit back together and then buy a house in five years. i just have a feeling that 5 years isn't fast enough. politicians are going to be looking for stimulus before the regime change, because that's what this is really about: the american people generally hate the leader of the free world right now and he needs to do something to "make up" the last 7 years to them. who am i kidding though? it won't happen in that round-about way anyhow, considering a few hundred dollars on debt is like punching a brick wall.... you're not gonna dent it.

but maybe, just maybe, the greed and the selfishness will take over and we'll all run out and buy a new wardrobe or an MacBook Air instead. i had also considered a new bedroom set. i'm not gonna lie here - large lump sums of money equal instant gratification for me. i'm trying real hard to be financially responsible here. perhaps the government is counting on the general public to be just as self indulgent... and financially irresponsible... as i am?

the writers' strike

please oh please will someone please pay these people what they are asking for? really? is there not enough money in hollywood to go around? this strike is seriously fucking up my whole world. i love television... pathetic, i know, but what can i say? when i get home every night after a long day of work and the little one is finally put to bed, this is my way of losing myself. destressing. whatever you want to call it. sure, i could be doing more productive things like washing dishes or clothes or just general cleaning. but to be honest... i don't want to. by the time 9pm rolls around, i'm over it. no more work!

i cannot deal with the fact that there's only one new episode of desperate housewives every other month. and brothers and sisters maybe once a month. NO. I NEED MORE. i must have my senator mccalister fix every week! my sunday nights are completely ruined, save the L Word and Vh1's lousy attempt at reality tv. the only tv night i have to look forward to is friday. FNL was gone for awhile, but it's back and it's still good. if their show can still go on, so can everyone else's. and, on a side note, i am begging for the second season of Californication. hank is my imaginary boyfriend and i need him.

i'm hoping someone will get smart and resolve this nonsense soon, considering sweeps is quickly approaching. pay the writers. most of hollywood's actors/actresses are overpaid anyway. i'm sure that the writers are not asking for much, relatively. after all, these people make the shows what they are. every once in awhile, an actor (like David Duchovny) will define the show, but rarely does this happen. i mean, damn, why they try to stick them for their paper?

out of the mouths

kids crack me up, especially my own. here are two related, totally un-coached exchanges between amaia and my father:

papa: amaia, why do you have an "S" on the bottom of your socks?
kiddo: because i'm a star.
papa: (laughing) and why are you a star?
kiddo: because i do everything good.

the next day...

papa: amaia, why are you a star? (hoping for the same hilarious answer)
kiddo: because i ROCK OUT!!!!! (answered with an eruption of uncontrollable, tears-in-your-eyes kind of laughter from myself and both my parents)

where do they get this stuff???

come out, come out...

wherever you are. kwame does it again. while in hiding, he's successfully secured detroit's slot as the most shameful city in the country. and he's THE MAYOR! seriously, i don't know whether to be amused or angry with the dude. last week, kwame "i like titties" kilpatrick (nickname courtesy of Brown Guy - keep an eye out for his blog regarding this... it's guaranteed to be funnier than this one) was busted. he was having an affair with his chief of staff, but more importantly, he lied about it on the stand. well, there goes his law license. did someone say "that's mighty clinton-ish of you, kwame"? the super-cool, sneaky way he was busted? text messages (in which he stated to his lover "never busted")!!! i love it. for all the juicy verbage, check out the story on click-on-detroit. it does make you think twice about what your thumbs are saying to your cell pals, though. sure hope they never subpoena my texts!

when he was brought forth in a whitsleblower lawsuit, back in september, i thought what was going on then was nonsense. but this really takes the cake. dude thinks he's straight tony soprano.... above the law. he's throwing parties at his mansion where strippers beef with his wife, then end up whacked. he's bangin' the chief of staff and firing her employees for investigating it (their whistleblower trial is when he "allegedly" committed perjury). he had a secret get-away home down south that he was staying at last week until he was tracked down there. i wonder if the manoogian mansion has a batcave with a super speedy get-away vehicle too? and now he's totally AWOL. he will not come out of hiding or issue any public statement. hellooooooo? is anyone out there who wants to lead this city? do you feel the shame yet, detroit? remember, it was you that reelected him.

to you, mayor kilpatrick, i raise my peach-flavored swisher sweet and my mad dog 20/20 and say here's to you... oh silver tongued ambassador of motown. you could have done a lot of good for the city if not for your one weakness. seems like every issue you've had stems from one thing. it's like The Roots said: "everytime i turn around it's more pussy galore".