bowling again

well, hi
certainly been a while since i've said, well, anything
[i think april was my last actual blog post]
so i think today i'll break that streak and actuall write something
and that something obviously isn't going to why i don't have a job yet,
it's gonna be football
it's goddamn bowl season, son,
let's get rolling with the picks.

a quick note, to those who remember from last year:
my bcs bowl boycott has come to an end ,
since they finally decided to institute something else
[whether the four-team playoff will be good is anyone's guess,
but it's sure as shit better than the system we have now]
which means i can watch and prognosticate them again
[hah, prognosticate, like i'm a fucking expert]

at any rate, here's my list in all its glory:
1] las vegas: boise state over washington
2] holiday: ucla over baylor
3] russell athletic: rutgers over virginia tech
4] meineke car care: minnesota over texas tech
5] pinstripe: west virginia over syracuse
6] fight hunger: navy over arizona state
7] alamo: oregon state over texas
8] buffalo wild wings: michigan state over texas christian
9] chick-fil-a: louisiana state over clemson
10] gator: northwestern over mississippi state
11] outback: michigan over south carolina
12] capital one: georgia over nebraska
13] rose: wisconsin over stanford
14] orange: florida state over northern illinois
15] fiesta: oregon over kansas state
16] cotton: texas a&m over oklahoma
17] ncg: notre dame over alabama

obviously i'm hoping for a lot of b1g/pac12 wins
as well as simply hoping instead of objectively picking a winner
so, let's get down to why

1] purely at simply, washington has been far too erratic this year for me to pick them
they lost to unranked arizona by 35 and unranked wazzu 3 in overtime
they beat ranked stanford and oregon state by 4 and 3 respectively
boise, at least, has been playing consistently
and their pair of losses [at msu and at sdsu] is much more understandable

2] ucla/baylor is a complete crapshoot
ucla won their division outright for the first time since '98,
and followed it promptly with back-to-back losses to a ranked stanford team
baylor barely beat louisiana-monroe by 3,
but also upset then-#1 k-state by 28 points
i just think ucla has a better chance of pulling this out

3] rutgers won their first big east championship this year [albeit shared with 3 other teams]
va tech's 3 conference wins came against teams that are combined 12–24
simple as that

4] this one is more wishful thinking, i suppose
texas tech's beaten two ranked teams this year, but also lost 3 straight to ranked teams
minnesota's got an intact coaching staff, but also only beat illinois and purdue this year
course, last time texas tech had a coaching team, they beat msu by 10, so who knows

5] i guess i just have faith in wvu's ability to run up the score yet again
they were uncompetive in just two of their games against better competition
whereas syracuse was co-big east champion at 7–5 [at least rutgers was 9–3]

6] this one's also mostly just wishful thinking,
mostly cuz i've always cheered for navy, and todd graham is an ass

7] oregon state has played better football all year long,
and i think they're less susceptible to a season-ending disappointment
this game is in texas, though, so it might go down to the wire

8] just have to have faith that msu will pull this out
msu and tcu have been equally terrible this year, so it's really anyone's game

9] this one is simple: lsu is just the better team that's played better all year

10] again, wishful thinking, but one of the more realistic ones i think
northwestern's had its best season since 2008, played competitively in all 3 losses
and came damn close to winning its division
mississippi state, on the other hand, only beat the four worst teams in the sec
and lost their other four conference games by at least 17 points

11] again wishful thinking, but i think michigan does have a shot
i don't really have much to say about this other than i hope michigan wins

12] i really, REALLY want to go with nebraska on this [mostly for the b1g's bowls' sake]
but there's just no way i can justify it
georgia came within five yards of playing for a national title,
nebraska lost the b1g championship to the 3rd place leaders team by halftime

13] picking the upset in this one purely off gut instinct
i think the badgers will have enough emotion riding on this to finally get over the hump
remember, they've lost the past two rose bowls by 2 and 3 points, respectively
so it's not like they rolled over to their competition either time
besides, with their a/d back as one-time coach, it'll be a hell of a show

14] the only no-brainer of my group of picks
i'm not gonna berate niu for being chosen, because i do think they played well this year
and they've earned their spot in a quality bcs game
i just think they're insanely overmatched [like uconn and oklahoma two years ago]

15] k-state and oregon did give me pause for a while, but i had to go with the ducks
even though both teams ultimately failed to go undefeated and play for the ncg,
i think oregon has more of a chip on their shoulder
[they also lost their game at home by 3, instead of on the road by 28]

16] i love this matchup simply because last year it was a regular season game
though i think tamu takes it because they've played better competition
the sec is deeper than the big12, after all

17] purely because i want the sec's ncg streak to end asap,
and who better than the traditional independent power of notre dame?
[even though i think notre dame needs to get off their high horse,
i'm willing to let them have this moment if they stop alabama in their tracks]




ADDENDUM:
it seems boise beat washington by 2 as i was compiling this ridiculous thing
i'm off to a good start at least
let's see how badly i do this year

èirinn

or, an update on culling and other things

first up, since none of you really care but i'm gonna post it anyway
after round 1 of the music pogrom [taking approximately one month],
i've trimmed my library down to 79.77 gigs, 13418 songs, and ~904 hours
which, for those of us keep score,
means i've knocked out 12 gigs, 1684 songs, and 104 hours
i gotta say, i feel good about this so far
it's going much smoother [and faster] than the great cull of 2008
in which i deleted a full fourth of my music over the course of fall semester
and now that the first round has come and gone,
it's time to pull out all the stops and move to round 2
dun dun dunnnnn

in my only other news,
i have loved this week of basketball SO. GODDAMN. HARD.
i wish that every weekend in march was like this one
i haven't enjoyed sports this much since the weekend of the msu/wiscy game [part 1]
half of the reason i like college bball is tourney upsets,
and boy has this weekend delivered
it's made my depressing reality of unemployment/brokeness much more bearable
and for that, i thank it
and as such, i'm looking forward to plenty more of it for the next three weeks
ladies and gents of the tourney, bring it on

well damn, i lied
one more thing:
in the spirit of the occasion [st paddy's], i leave you all with this:
alba gu bràth, you fake irish cocksuckers



ADDENDUM:
round 2 has been a rousing success
at the end of this five day lighting round,
i'm down to 75.78 gigs, 12724 songs,  ~856 hours
screw weight loss, athletic training, and other self-improvement activities
this is the way you improve your own life
at least, in my own twisted mind it is

tân yn llŷn

it's been a while since i've posted twice in twelve hours,
and i actually don't remember the last time i did so
though i'm sure a quick scroll through my archive would tell me,
i'm too lazy/apathetic to actually bother looking
mostly cuz it's all the way on another tab
WHO HAS THE ENERGY FOR THIS SHIT?

[a quick interlude, because this is too priceless not to share
as i'm talking with a friend of mine online, this little gem comes my way:
"i listened to judy and watched jackass at the same time.
most peculiar experience - it's the one where ryan dunn stick the car up his ass"
i really hope 'the man that got away' was playing during that particular stunt]

i had a really long phone conversation tonight with a friend of mine,
we were actually talking long enough for me to get slightly hoarse
[which is why i'm now enjoying a delicious cup of tea]
i have to say, i enjoyed it more than i thought i would
i'm normally not a fan of phone conversations being longer than they have to be,
but it was nice to just have a long, free–wandering conversation,
talking about our worries, motivations, our accomplishments, current state of affairs
i'm glad i'm not as insane as i keep fearing i am
there isn't a particular reason i'm sharing this,
nor i am building up for a tantalizing and shocking revelation,
it's just a thought that sounded better in my head than it looks in type
but there's no real point in deleting it,
so instead i'll just keep rambling until i get to something else

this may not be interesting, but it is on a different topic:
the delightfully folksy tale of how ian mcshane got me to reread 'wicked'
so this christmas i was gifted with a metric shit–tonne of dvds
[a friend of mine recently got a blu–ray player and is steadily replacing his collection]
one of the dvds i got was the miniseries 'the pillars of the earth'
[which, by the way, is fucking awesome and incredibly riveting]
i wasn't initially that interested in it,
but i gave it a shot because ian mcshane is in it, along with a few others
[i've loved ian mcshane ever since i first watched deadwood]
so i watched it, and ended up almost marathoning all 8 hours of it
and then resolved to read the book its based on
so i went up to the mount's pitifully–stocked library hoping to get lucky,
and of course its checked out [though the fact that they had it is a small miracle]
so while i was perusing the shelfs for something vaguely interesting to read,
i found out quite by surprise that gregory maguire wrote a fourth 'wicked' book
i didn't even know he was planning to write a fourth one,
let alone that it had been out for damn near two months
so, since my life has lately consisted of applying for jobs and watching espn,
i figured i'd reread the series in one go and finally get around to reading the third book
[which i've had since christmas 2008, the year it was published]
it's less exciting than you probly imagined,
but considering that i like in the boring, rednecky asshole of genesee county
[itself the boring, rednecky asshole of michigan,
which in turn the boring, rednecky asshole of america]
that's about as exciting an adventure as one can have here

[for the record, while the mount may be the boring, redneck asshole of the county,
flint is the hellish, post–apocalyptic eye of the shit hurricane
a nightmarish vortex from which there is no return]

as much as i really, REALLY, want to,
i'm not going to go off on a psychotic rant about the average gander's aversion to winter
because really, what's the point?
people i know keep having the same fucking reaction every year,
so instead of complaining about it, i'm going to offer a little bit of insight
hopefully it'll make their eternally–suffering lives better:
michigan has winter
winter comes every year at the same time
every winter is roughly the same: cold, windy, wet, snowy, and icy
occasionally there's lots of snow, sometimes there's not that much
but it's always cold, always wind, and always icy
winter has come every single year you've been alive,
and will continue until some sort of catastrophic climate event prevents it
thus, i recommend you stock up on whatever you need to,
in order to best prepare yourself for the calamity that is winter
if you're prone to being cold, buy warmer clothes and/or put on more layers
if you don't care for the wind, wear a scarf and a hooded coat
if the ice befuddles you, buy ice melter and sand
and if you don't like the snow, shut the fuck up and move somewhere else
those are the most practical ways to survive winter in michigan,
a winter that is both harsh and perennial
now that you are no longer caught off guard by its inevitable coming,
hopefully next year will be less complainy and more proactive
thus concludes my newest blog segment,
"SHUTTHEFUCKUPGODIEINAFIREYOUSTUPIDPRICK"

now that i've exorcised that particular dæmon,
let's wax philosophic for a moment:
what is it about winter that causes such anguish among the average gander?
seriously, i don't get it
winter comes every fucking year, like clockwork
it's always a bit harsh and is always treacherous
why is it a constant source of complaint and whining for people who live here?
are they living in some sort of victimized delusion,
where they are plagued with snow for their sins and transgressions?
do they think if they wish really hard that winter won't come this year?
or is it simply trendy and socially acceptable to bitch about it online,
and that is their only collective chance to fit in and go with the flow?
elucidation completely eludes me on this one
thoughts?

in other news,
i just realized i apparently don't take notice of anniversaries anymore,
and i think that's for the best
that probly makes no sense to any of you [hopefully, at least]
but take my word for it that it's for the better

on that oddly–cryptic–yet–heartening note,
i promise that i'm done putting off my thesis post
[which was incidental, not intentional
not that any of you are interested in eminent domain at all]
i'll probly get around to it in the next few days
and i promise that i'll blog more if one of you will hire me
and i'll blog about everything and anything you want
kthnxbai? kthnxbai


ADDENDUM
after going back over this,
i realized it reads like i'm either drunk, high, or both
i promise you that i was neither,
mostly i was just tired and insomnia–laden [as is often the case]

domain

blogablogablogaBLOGaBLOGABLOGABLOGablogablog
why? because i haven't in a while,
and there is no word more fun to say than 'blog'

as much as i hate doing that sentimental, end–of–my–time–here bullshit nonsense,
since i am, after all, averse to prolonged goodbyes and maudlin displays of emotion,
i decided to temporary suspend my aversion
[yes, i am able to suspend such things, for i am both amazing and powerful]
this isn't going to be a list of things i'll miss most about msu,
people i'm going to miss, things i wish i'd done, и так дальше
i don't have time for that sappy shit

what i have decided to do is write an open letter to the profs who've affected me most
true, quality education is most apparent when students like their teachers,
and carry on knowledge and skills they learned from those teachers
so instead of the stock 'college is ending oh no sadface' reflections
i present: ben says thank you to his favorite profs
they are not in order of preference or ranking, they just are

dr thomas
you were my first history prof at msu, and man am i glad of that
the way you approached your discipline is was perfect for me to learn from:
decidedly old school, but in a refreshing sort of way
you didn't get caught up in all the technological ways to teach or lecture,
you had us sit in a circle and talk and analyze and discuss
you taught me how to read like a historian [yes, that is a thing],
and you taught me how to use the library well, as opposed to just using it
but beyond what you taught me, you showed me just as much
your passion for history is what sets you apart,
and it's what drew me back to you for my second history class
you love everything about it, from the analysis, the effects,
and more importantly, the quirky little shit that makes you go 'huh'
you were the most enthusiastic teacher of history i had at msu,
and if nothing else, you helped foster that in me
i loved history before, and i still love it today
hopefully i'll continue loving it my entire life
i don't know that i would've stuck with it all these years, though, if you hadn't taught me to
you gave me a lot, which is really more important than teaching me subject matter
you didn't lend out your time, or grudgingly agree to help me when i needed it
you GAVE me the tools and resources i needed to be a good student and great historian
i wouldn't have traded my classes with you for anything
i only wish i took your classes more
enjoy your retirement — of everyone i know, you've earned it the most

dr breedlove
i gotta say, you were the most unexpectedly likable prof i've had here
beyond the fact that your name is hilarious [especially considering your subject],
you have the most ridiculously engaging way of teaching:
telling dirty jokes before class, encouraging us to talk about our sex lives,
hell, even lambasting ignorant folks who open their mouths when they shouldn't
your class was worth getting up early and trudging across campus for
and THAT, let me tell you, is a rare thing
and what's more, you taught your subject in a way that unabashedly intrigued me
i'm not an overly sciencey person, unfortunately
while i do love maths and natural sciences, i can't do them to save my life
but i've never been closer to trying than i was after your class was done
you completely sold me on neurobiology and sexual psychology
i've never been as good at science as i was when i took your course,
[to this day, i can still remember what 5α–reductase is]
and i've never wanted to be a scientist more than i did that semester
if nothing else, thank you for reminding me that science is something i can love
though truly, thank you for being both hilarious and insightful
would that every scientist i knew was like you

dr khalil
you are by far the most recent addition to this list,
considering i just took your final yesterday,
but you are definitely deserving of a spot on this list
your charisma and expertise mixed with humerous humility were just too much
i don't know if anyone could not enjoy having you as a prof
you mixed in personal anecdotes seamlessly with lectures,
and you left me wanting to learn more about islam every day
i wasn't expecting my last semester to be graced with as good of a prof as you,
and that pleasant surprise practically saved me through this semester
you're another prof i'll wish i'd gotten another chance to have,
but this one is all on you, since this is your first semester back at msu since 2007
you better believe i'd jump into your class next semester in a heartbeat
thank you for giving me a class worth going to this last semester,
and thank you for just being an all–around awesome guy

dr merrill
purely and simply, you are the reason i'm a russian major
there's really no other way i can describe it
every aspect of you class was perfect for me to learn russian,
and frankly, that's a rare gift for language professors
you made me want to keep learning after class was over,
and you pushed me in just the right way to keep my interest piqued
your knowledge extends far beyond what your class taught,
and it was all i could do to not keep talking and questioning you after every class
you made the challenges fun, accessible and worth doing,
you sold me on studying abroad when i was unsure about doing it,
you broadened my horizons in ways i can't even fathom
and you did it all within a year and a half
it's amazing to think that i only had you for three semesters,
and that i haven't taken one of your classes since spring of 2010,
because every time i was in russian i'd think of you and the way you helped me learn
спасибо большое for being an overall wonderful man,
and for convincing me to take chances when i was unsure

honorable mentions: dr fine and dr moch
you two are here by virtue of my thesis
i'd had dr moch before in a class and loved her
[even though it was team taught, so she only taught about half the lectures],
and was excited to get to work with her again on my academic magnum opus
she was the one who got me to meet with dr fine to discuss her possibly advising my thesis,
and i'm eternally grateful for that
dr fine, you were everything i could've hoped for any more in an advisor
you were understanding, challenging, resourceful, and supportive
the advice you gave me was always sound and pertinent,
and you gave me the space i needed to do my best work [and occasionally, my worst]
you were never hard on me when i did something wrong or wasn't meeting deadlines
and you gave me extremely help and constructive criticism when i needed it most
you and dr moch were both understanding about my time issues at the end,
and i am grateful for your leeway in getting the goddamn thing done
you two are both wonderful, intelligent people
and i'm glad that you were the two i got to finish my undergrad work with

грінго

father says head down, we don't want them finding you
mother says practice now all the words you now
oh, arizona's burning, they say the fence turned round
and now the razor wire keeps us out
mother says with luck we'll sleep under a roof tonight
father says in the truck we'll be crushed in tight

oh chicago, don't forget me as the miles between us grow
keep the maple tree carved with the name of my love
the hills we would sled down
lake michigan stay endless and painted in sky, goodbye

mother says years ago, the whole world was ours to rule
father says let it go those days are gone for good
all the signs read 'no gringo', but somehow we'll find out way
maybe waiting at dawn by the factory doors,
sun burnt and bent in the fields
hey don't us in, we'll be silent as the grave this time

no gringo, no gringo aquí, words as levies against the flood
hoy cerrado, there's too many to feed, room for only our kind, our own blood
no gringo, no gringo aquí, you have stayed in this land for too long
tan amargo, but there's no time to grieve, you just pack up your things and move on

µήδεια

inside the labyrinth walls there lies a tiny child who sleeps alone
and as the daylight falls the wind becomes so wild across the stone
for i have made her prison be her every step away from me
and this child i would destroy if you tried to set her free

so come to me, my love, i'll tap into your strength and drain it dry
can never have enough, for you i'd burn the length and breadth of sky
for it's my thoughts that bind me here, it's this love that i most fear
and this child i would destroy, for i hold her pain most dear

no haven for this heart, no shelter for this child in mazes lost
heaven keep us apart, a curse for every mile of ocean crossed
for i must die for what i've done, a twist of fate, a desert sun
for i see what i destroy, sweet reflection knife into me
for i see what i destroy, i can see what i've begun

grand meadow

two quick things before i finally begin my halloweekend:

[i preface this by reminding you that i am one of you]
hey mid–atlantics/new englanders:
guess what? weather fucking happens
quit acting like this october snowstorm is the end of days
the fact is that you guys got snow in october
GET THE FUCK OVER IT, WOULD YOU PLEASE?
for christ's sake, michigan gets snow nearly every october
[except for this one apparently;
i will admittedly say that it's weird you got snow and we didn't]
so, put on your big boy/girl pants and quit yer bitchin'
chances are you've got plenty more a–comin' before the season's through
so just enjoy the nice wintery weather,
take a few extra minutes to make sure you're driving safely,
and get on with your lives
and please, leave the complaining about weather to californians
it is, after all, what they do best


... i have now forgotten the second thing
goddamn it, i knew that would happen
let's hope i remember it before i have to leave


ah, yes, i remember now:
baseball is officially done
apparenly st louis decided to win the world series in game seven,
denying us the chance to be rid of that boring sport a week ago
i know there are baseball fans out there
i'm sure there's at least one who trolls my ramblings
but seriously, and i mean this in the least judgmental way possible:
your sport is boring, it's playoff is boring
and your championship is boring
and it's on ALL THE TIME
seryusly, your season has 162 FUCKING GAMES over SIX MONTHS
what kind of self–respecting bullshit is that?
football fans have to wait EIGHT MONTHS for 16 GAMES
[or in college, 12–14 games]
college basketball has to wait SEVEN MONTHS for 30
you've been monopolizing the sports channels for waaaaaaaaay too long
so please, gtfo of my sports world
and let me watch my college basketball and football in peace
also, please have a lockout next spring so i can see less of you
kthnxbai


[in completely unrelated news,
florence + the machine's new cd comes out monday
best get yourself prepared for it
god knows i am]

deuteragonist

christ in a cock bucket that was a ridiculous game
but now that i've at least come down from that euphoric high,
i might actually be able to relay coherent thoughts
and talk about the game like the giddy schoolgirl manly bearded man i am
yup, that's right
MICHIGAN STATE–WISCONSIN REDUX TIEM

[as a preëmptive warning,
troll me and i will kick your ass
this isn't espnchat, this is serious shit]

msu 37, wisconsin 31
i think the most notable thing about this game was the scoring pendulum
both teams managed to blow 14–point leads at different points,
with wisconsin blowing a 14–0 lead, and msu blowing a 31–17 lead
it's not common to see that happen once,
but twice? c'mon now, that's some rare shit
i would say it's sadly typical for msu to do such a thing
but we no longer live in the days of bobby williams, john l, and the 'same old spartans'
which means msu was able to care of its business
albeit in an incredibly desperate and frenetic way

a lot of the comments about the game revovled around msu's lack of penalties
but i don't think that's really the stat to be talking about
[and i DON'T want to hear complaints about refs missing calls
i will unreservedly admit that the refs missed calls on both teams
but that happens in every. single. game in college football
so don't act like this was an egrigious one–time scandal]
i think wisconsin's six penalties is a much more telling statistic
three of those penalties were false starts
[which shows that they were uncharacteristically jumpy]
one of them was just a bad choice [the safety]
and one of them was completely unnecessary [the personal foul]
i think those fouls show that our team and atmosphere was getting to them
and were being more disruptive to their normal scheme than they were expecting
intimidation is just as much of a factor as talent
and i think this game showed what happens when wisconsin feels intimidated

another stat that was brought up was the amount of yards wisconsin gained
443, or roughly 370 more than our average coming into the game
lots were down on how much the badgers rolled over the spartans' d
BUT, i happen to remember a tidbit of a prediction i saw,
which noted that wisconsin's d was ranked basically on par with msu's
which means, in theory, that they should've held msu for less than 200 yards
when, in actuality, msu gained twice that at 399
so while msu's defense gave up a lot of yardage, wisconsin's did too
and i think it's pretty indicative of another issue of theirs:
they don't know how to handle being behind
this was the first game wisconsin more than one drive behind
[the only predecessor was when they hosted nebraska:
nebraska scored first, then they answered,
nebraska scored again, then they rattled off three scores just cuz they could]
it's something they're gonna have to address
granted, wisconsin's d stepped up in a big way in the second half
but they can't have that kind of drought if they want to stay competitive
just cuz they came back this time doesn't mean they'll always be able to

i think the key to this whole game was msu's ability to contain russell wilson
seriously, that kid is a fucking stud at qb
he'd only played six games with wisconsin, but already had:
95/128 completions for 1557 yds, a 210.9 passer rating, 74.2% completion average
so naturally, pat narduzzi decided to go after him
and msu kept him to season lows for completion %, passer rating,
and tripled his interception numbers
it also didn't hurt that kirk cousins stepped up and played like he usually does
i really don't see why everyone was so down on him this year
i'm sorry that he can't reach the absurdly lofty expectations some people desire,
but i'd rather have a dependable, solid qb than a showy one anyday
and today, that 'rather' paid off big time

finally, that last touchdown
that last glorious, improbable heave
the drive leading up to it was sloppy as shit, i'll admit
and i'll admit that i was afraid of a fourth quarter collapse,
but if there's anyone, ANYONE, to blame for that lose
it should be bret bielema, not the officials,
and there really shouldn't be any blame for bielema in the first place
his strategy wasn't unsound, in fact dantonio had done the same thing
don't let the other team run out the clock,
force them to make plays while on the field,
and then get a turnover on downs and do what you gotta do
it's a pretty standard strategy for those last two minute drills
so, in light of the game's ending,
you could argue that poor clock management gave them msu that hail mary opportunity
and thus won them the game
but that's kind of a specious argument
had that pass not been caught, bielema would've gotten praise for his decisions
he just had the unlucky fortune of being on the losing side of that pass

as for the last pass and td itself,
i defer to the officials
because a] they get paid to officiate, b] they actually are neutral
and c] i'm not gonna play that idiotic 'what if' game
that's by far one of the most irritating things fans do [and yes, msu fans included]
"yeah, well, if that one play had gone differently, then blah blah &c"
bullshit. bullshit nonsense.
a typical justification response from people unwilling to accept outcomes
so yes, wisconsin could've batted that pass down,
but they didn't
michigan could've kept driving in the 4th quarter instead of throwing the pick 6
and yet, they didn't
and so we are left not with what 'could've happened', or 'should've happened'
but what actually did fucking happen
i understand wanting to dissect and analyze the game,
but please, just let the game be the game
if you didn't like the refs call on the hail mary, so be it
but don't get your panties in a twist and go off the deep end about
shit happens, man, and teams lose in the last seconds sometimes
god knows i've watched my teams do that enough times
[yes msu, i AM looking at you]

in other words, the officials saw it, reviewed it, and called it like it was
we got lucky that nichols caught the deflection and pushed in
we got lucky that he got just enough of the ball to break the plane
and we got lucky that the refs felt it was indisputable evidence
yes, it is luck, and it was on our side
it's not a conspiracy, it's not a scandal, it's not karma or fate or what have you
it was luck, and this time it was on msu's side
have a good scream, take a breath, and then get over it
[that goes retroactively for you too, fairweather/walmart wolverines fans
god knows no one holds a pissy grudge like you guys do]

in short, damn was that a good game
i think the last game i enjoyed that much was the 2009 msu/iowa game
you know, the one msu lost in the LAST TWO SECONDS
man, that game was a great defensive showcase
that's what i enjoy most about big ten football,
a great, hard–hitting, defensive game by two smashmouth teams
and this one certainly fit that description

as a side note, both wisconsin and oklahoma lost tonight,
along with west virginia last night,
and south carolina had a bye week
which means that msu might just sneak into the #10 spot
it'd take some finangling and some leapfrogging of other teams,
but i'm gonna hold out hope regardless
last–second–yet–decisive wins against top ten opponets mean a lot
definitely more than blowout wins over terrible teams
[yeah, that means you oklahoma state, clemson, oregon, and kansas state]
so i think there's a distinctive possibility we crack the bcs top ten list
only 17 before we find out

souhait

i wish, i wish my baby was born
and sittin' on its papa's knee
and me, poor girl, we're dead and gone
and the green grass growin' o'er my feet

i ain't ahead, nor never will be
till the sweet apple grows on a sour apple tree
but still i hope the time will come
when you and i shall be as one

i wish, i wish my love had died
and sent his soul to wander free
then we might meet where ravens fly
let our poor bodies rest in peace

the owl, the owl is a lonely bird
it chills my heart with dread and terror
that's someone's blood there on his wing
that's someone's blood there on his feather

iodoform

dear weather,
let's cut right to the chase
i really don't like when it's hot outside
and i HATE when it's humid,
unfortunately, you like to do both here during the summer
[which, by the way, is a poor choice to make]
and sometimes, when you're feeling particularly vindictive,
you give us good citizenry a little teaser of what's to come

take this week, for example
coming off of last week, which was relatively decent for early may,
you decided it was time to blow past spring
and plunge headlong into late–june weather
not only was i not expecting mid–80s this past week
i also wasn't expecting it to get so damn humid
i gotta tell ya, i was pretty pissed
especially yesterday,
when i faced to prospect of 82º, super humid, and moving shit outside

but, beyond my annoyance about the heat
what really cuts me to the quick was the your lies about the rain
see, what got me through that shitty heat wave was the prospect of rain
glorious, long stretches of thunderstorms
coming in to sweep away the heat and humidity,
but then, in what can only be described as a bitch move,
you decided there would be no rainstorms
[and there would certainly be no thunderstorms]
and instead taunted me with 2 minutes of quick drizzle
which, of course, made the humidity worse
again, i was pretty pissed, even more so than before

and then, like i said before, came yesterday
after mercilessly mocking me with florida–like muggyness
it got a tiny bit cooler and much grayer
and then wonderfully, implausibly, it began to rain
and not just rain, either
it poured for damn near three hours, and then kept going
nearly 10 straight hours of solid, glorious raining
and, even though i had to walk through it to get back
and, ESPECIALLY because i had to walk through it to get back
i was giddy like a five year old
and, upon checking to see what the forecast would be
saw a solid predicted week of cool, rainy, ~60º days

so, even though it goes against my better judgment,
and the inevitability that more shitty weather approaches,
and my certainty that you're doing this just to fuck with me
i forgive you for this past week's hideous conditions
now let's keep it coming, eh?

route 8

it's 5`30 in the morning on a saturday
and i'm doing homework

am i the only person who can go out to a party on a friday night,
drink, hang out with people, have all–around good time
come home around 4`30 in the morning
then almost immediately start doing this?

i feel like this kind of behavior is frowned upon
some sort of intervention should probly take place

dy' sadorn

saturday, what a day, what a silly little day
time to kill, take a pill, as i sit and contemplate
how i'd like to be around all the people in the town
with their fancy cars and things
but i, i've got time

in the haste, in the grace, i've been up to my waist
it isn't real what you feel when you find love in a chase
i've been waiting for the day when someone takes me away
and i never get replaced
but i've got time

as i sink, one more drink, i am running out of ink
feeling void, paranoid about every little thing
and i wonder if i try to get up and say goodbye
if i'll have the strength to leave
cuz i don't have much time anymore

stop pushin' all your tragedies away
each moment has got a lesson for the day
take something with you if you drag your heels in yesterdays
oh, these saturdays

brooke marine

no, i'm not

huracà

no walls can keep me protected
no sleep, nothing in between me and the rain
and you can't save me now,
i'm in the grip of a hurricane
i'm gonna blow myself away

no home, i don't want your shelter
no calm, nothing to keep me from the storm
and you can't hold me down
'cuz i belong to the hurricane
it's gonna blow us all away

i hope that you see me,
'cuz i'm staring at you
but when you look over,
you look right through
then you lean and kiss her on the head
and i never felt so alive,
and so dead

i'm going out,
i'm gonna drink myself to death
and in the crowd,
i see you with someone else
i brace myself,
'cuz i know it's going to hurt
but i like to think at least things can't get any worse

rossinyol

ríu, ríu, chíu
la guarda ribera:
dios guardó del lobo
a nuestra cordera

el lobo rabioso
la quiso morder,
mas dios poderoso
la supo defender;
quisola hacer
que no pudiese pecar,
ni aun original
esta virgen no tuviera

este que es nacido
es el gran monarca,
cristo patriarca
de carne vestido;
hanos redimido
con se hacer chiquito
aunque era infinito,
finito se hiciera

muchas profecías
lo han profetizado,
y aun en nuestros días
lo hemos alcanzado.
a dios humanado
vemos en el suelo,
y al hombre en el cielo
porque el le quisiera

yo vi mil garzones
que andaban cantando,
por aquí volando
haciendo mil sones,
diciendo a gascones:
"gloria sea en el cielo
y paz en el suelo,
pues jesús naciera"

hladový

rien de dormier cette nuit
je veux de toi
jusqu'à ce que je sois sec
mais nos corps sont tout mouillés
complètement couvert de sueur
nous nous noyons dans la marée
je n'ais aucun désir
tu as ravagé mon cœur
et moi j'ai bu ton sang

tout le monde est à moi
je l'ai gagné dans un jeu de cartes
et maintenant je m'en fous
c'était gagné trop facilement
ça y est alors ma belle traîtresse
il faut que je brûle de jalousie
tu as ravagé mon cœur
et moi j'ai bu ton sang

mais non pouvons faire ce que nous voulons
j'aurais toujours faim de toi

no matter what i do,
i'm still hungry for you

रोग

i awoke, only to find my lungs empty
through the night, so it seems i'm not breathing
and now my dreams are nothing like they were meant to be
and i'm breaking down,
i think i'm breaking down

and i'm afraid to sleep because of what haunts me,
such as living with the uncertainty
that i'll never never find the words to say,
which would completely explain
just how i'm breaking down

i've become the simple souvenir of someone's kill
like the sea, i'm constantly changing from calm to ill
madness fills my heart and soul,
as if the great divide could swallow me whole
oh, how i'm breaking down

someone come and, someone come and save my life
maybe i'll sleep when i am dead,
but now it's like the night is taking sides
with all the worries that occupy the back of my mind,
could it be this misery will suffice?

北

all i know is where i wanna be
but the sky is trembling
green trees are flashin' by me
but the road ain't changin'
when this story comes to it's end
will i be with you?
maybe angels have the intent
to carry me to you

can you hear my trembling heart?
it beats with an engine
bright lights and shapes through the glass
reveal your reflection
through the mist and into the night,
my fears are fading
i know i'm gonna be by your side
i know you'll be waiting

say you'll always be
my guiding light, protecting me
my angel of the north,
angel of the north
take me in your arms
show me the way, away from harm
angel of the north
my angel of the north

odpoczynek

holy shit, son

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8612825.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8612888.stm

i wonder how many conspiracy theories are out there already
god knows there's gonna be plenty
especially since they were flying back after the katyń memorial
the worst part of this is, it wasn't just the president and his wife
there was an 85 member delegation with them
including members of the polish cabinet, military chiefs of staff, and others
thankfully the prime minister wasn't on that flight, too
shit's gonna be really heavy in eastern europe for the next few weeks
damn


[for those of you who don't know,
the katyń massacre happened in april 1940;
soviet soldiers and officers received a letter signed by the entire soviet politburo:
it authorized them to gather polish prisoners, politicans, intelligentsia and police,
and then kill them all
around 22,000 were shot in all, and buried in mass graves
all this happened in a large forest outside the village of katyń on russia's border
it was covered up for years,
then, in 1943, while they were scouting the area,
nazi wehrmacht officers discovered the graves, and radioed it in
it caused a huge firestorm between the poles and soviets,
the soviets denying responsibility and blaming germany,
with everyone else [including germany and poland] blaming the soviets
they continued denying these claims until the soviet union fell,
and then, in 1990, the russians finally admitted culpability
there's been tumultuous treatment ever since,
with some russian newspapers still blaming the nazis,
but all three russian presidents have memorialized the event,
this year they invited polish president kaczyński and p/m tusk to the memorial,
since this was the 70th anniversary]

blue boar club

as a male in the 18–35 age demographic,
i love me some video games [big surprise, yeah?]
and this week i finally got to play some again
after a few weeks of abstinence/lack of time
and as i was playing one of my favorites from high school,
[the one with, among other things, the angry bitey rabbits]
i could hear a song playing in my head,
but i couldn't remember what the hell it was
i stopped playing and looked it up
turns out, it was 'everything burns',
a song i used to listen to all the time when i played it

i'm not sure how often this happens with the rest of you,
but for me,
every game i play has a song/album i associate with it
going back all the way to my old computer games
and i every time i hear these songs
i always really want to play those games again
[kinda like my part–of–speech/color connection]

dunno if this is gonna interest anyone in the least,
but i'm gonna put some of these song/game combos up
maybe you'll find something you like from them
or, at the very least,
it'll give you something to make fun of me for


wolfenstein 3d – eric clapton, cold turkey
starcraft – craig armstrong, hanging
weird world – straylight run, existentialism on prom night
dune 2000 – frank klepacki, land of sand
midtown madness – matchbox 20, downfall
empire II – weird al, amish paradise

gta III – craig gray, fade away
gta: vice city – imogen heap, daylight robbery/diane reeves, how high the moon
gta: san andreas – ludovico einaudi, andare
gta liberty city stories – mobb deep, shook ones, pt. 2
gta vice city stories – the cult, she sells sanctuary
bully – the honorary title, stuck at sea
maximo: ghosts to glory – korn, thoughtless
maximo vs. army of zin – anastacia f/ ben moody, everything burns
mafia – duke ellington, the mooche
killzonee – john murphy, sunshine [adagio in d minor]
call of duty: finest hour – red army choir, там, вдали за рекой
call of duty: big red one – christopher lennertz, to stalingrad
the godfather – stephen sondheim, johanna
true crime: streets of la – goon squad, royal blunt
true crime: new york city – we are scientists, callbacks
metal gear solid 2 – don davis, navras
metal gear solid 3 – starsailor, way to fall
star wars, episode III – john williams, the droid invasion
left4dead – charlie clouser, hello zepp
left4dead 2 – dirty dozen brass band, i shall not be moved
medal of honor: frontline – michael giacchino, er lässt mich niemals allein