Coupla Things...

* I don't have a particular video to show you in this instance; instead I'd like to point out a new site called Hulu. This is apparently network TV's answer to youtube. It has many popular TV shows in excellent quality on it, with about 3 commercials per episode. It's a good site, and it's growing.

* Congratulations to Nick Johnson, one of my buddies from college and a frequent reader. Nick got married this past weekend. You da man Nick!

* This is old news, but I just saw it the other day: part of me respects Tracy McGrady for being brutually honest whenever you ask him a question. Part of me, though, doesn't respect him because the reason he is so honest is he is apparently one of the most selfcentered people in the world. I find this article from the All Star game last year indicative of that dilemma. I agreed with him pre-All Star game (which, in fairness, ended up being safe and a good experience) that it was a very risky decision to host the All Star game there that soon. However, this is yet another example of TMac just looking out for number 1 at the expense of anyone else in the world.

* Some further thoughts on this week's list, My Top Five Favorite Weapons in Halo 3, while emphasizing that these are my favorite weapons, not necessarily the most powerful, most effective, or most frequently used weapons:

+ Energy Sword: The timeless classic.
+ Flame Thrower: If roasting your enemies alive in their armor is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Nothing beats lighting an opponent on fire while screaming, "Burn Bitch!" at him. Unfortunately, this is probably the least effective weapon in the game.
+ Spiker: I consider the spiker to be one of the most underated weapons in the game. Dual wielded spikers are excellent close quarter machine guns, just as effective as the Assault Rifle and dual wielded Submachine guns, and much more effective than the Battle Rifle, Plasma Rifle, or Needler. They are also OUTSTANDING melee weapons--the best melee weapon of any gun. Great weapon.
+ Gravity Hammer: One hit kill, incredibly loud slam, so powerful it throws you towards another wall. What's not to love about this bad boy?
+ Submachine gun: Not only is it an extremely effective close quarter weapon when dual wielded, the Sub makes the coolest noise of any weapon in the game. It sounds like you're firing 10 million bullets in a second. It's awesome.

* I hate that song Hey There Delilah with all my heart and soul. It drives me up the wall, for two reasons: one, it's a shitty, ridiculously sappy and boring guitar solo of some hippie promising his girlfiend that one day, his band will make it big. Any rational human would of course encourage her to dump said loser and move on with her life.

What's even more frustrating, however, is that this piece of crap song has actually made it big, so the guy's right! His guitar has paid off in the end! And for that piece of garbage. It frustrates me to no end.

* So I work out from time to time at the Rowlett LA fitness (usually I work out at the Plano one). This place is different from any place I've ever worked out, ever, and mostly not in good ways, but in kind of creepy ways. For example:

# The place is made up almost eqclusively of white people. Like, 85%. I've never wroked out with this many white folks before in Texas.
# I would say that 75% of the men working out there are active steroid users. These guys are fucking HUGE, and have many of the other telltale signs of roid use.
# Even more suprisingly, I'd say about 10% of the women there are also roid users. I've seen at least five women there who are twice as defined as I am, and look like they would have no problem at all kicking my ass--and I'm 6'7" 240.
# Almost everyone there has a tattoo. It's amazing. Guys, girls, high school kids, old people: everyone. It's creepy. I saw a dude in the locker room the other day who had angels wings tattooed on his back. His entire back was covered in this! It was like the serial killer in Red Dragon! And of course, this guy was your stereotypical roid meathead: shaved head, goattee, 5'10", 240 with arms as big as my thighs, looked like he would drop dead if he had to run a block to catch the bus. With his entire back covered in angel's wings.

Let's just say it's an interesting place.

* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sadly, for the first time ever, I've had to censor myself. A dark day, my friends.

* This is some of the craziest shit I've ever heard of. That poor guy. It's not part of the article anymore, but when the story was reported all the Canucks would say was that they were investigating a "major incident". Yeah, I'd say this is a major incident eh.

* I've played basketball with some of the best basketball players in the world. That being said, I'd still say that David Boguslawski is the best defensive player I've ever played with. He alone is worth coming to our Sunday night league to watch play.

* Maybe this has happened already, but if it hasn't, I'm betting in the next five years it happens: I expect the subjects of a song to sue for royalties. I thought of this while listenting to Taylor Swift sing about that dude Drew in Teardrops On My Guitar (can you tell they pipe in XM at work, or what? I hear nothing but the top 100 of the last 30 years). It dawned on me, "I wonder if Drew could sue for royalties, saying she would never have this huge hit without him?" It's almost like alimony. Do I support this? No. But I bet it's going to happen that someone tries to make some money with this route.

Another funny thing about that song is that on XM (I think it's channel 25) they play that song every other day at 3:30. Literally, like within 10 minutes of 3:30. Obviously XM is warping what is left of my fragile little mind.

* I'm starting a new list: The "Special Place in Hell" list. It's for people who do those ridiculously rude/annoying/dangerous/egotistical things that make you think, "Man, I hope there is a Special Place in Hell reserved for you. Obviously this isn't for run of the mill evil stuff, like murder or being friends with Pacman Jones. This is for stuff like:

! People who don't rack their weights in the weight room
! People who don't pick up their puppy's poop
! People who pace alongside 18 wheelers on the highway
! People who drop out of XBox Live games when they are about to lose

Feel free to leave comments as to who you think should be added to the SPiH list.

* My NBA Offseason moves blog is coming. I'm waiting for Josh Smith and AI2 to sign before I write that. As soon as they do, it's on.

* And, finally, a bit of good news for the world. I am a huge fan of the Thin Mint, the riciculously good Girl Scout's cookie. Well, Dairy Queen has a Thin Mint blizzard out right now, and--for the first time in years--I stopped by DQ and tried one.

Now, I'm not one who's prone to exaggeration...but this might be the greatest creation man has ever wrought. The culmination of our existance is quite possibly The Thin Mint Blizzard. All of recorded history could have led to this act, and everything the future holds is simply the downward slope leading to our inevitable oblivion.

Now, I'm just saying it might be. I'm not saying for sure. But there is a strong possibility.

So go enjoy yourself a DQ Thin Mint Blizzard. You deserve it :-)