Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Does Angelina Jolie Have Mommy Brain?

Angelina Jolie showed up at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in a stunning blue Max Azira gown, with a lovely opening in the back showing off the actress's tattoos. But upon further review, the back was the front, and that opening was supposed to show off her tits, not her tats.



Was she wearing it backwards on purpose or were her kids driving her nuts when she was getting ready and she put it on wrong?

Monday, February 02, 2009

You Drove Me To This

I really didn't want to do this, especially after the uproar caused the last time I went on a rant about multiple births but after reading this latest piece of news I can no longer hold my tongue.

"The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week already has six young children."

The LA Times has had the best most-up-to-date reporting on this story due to repeated interviews with the woman's mother.

The mother, now identified as Nadya Suleman, is a 33-year-old mother of 14 (including the octuplets). She is divorced and she lives with her parents. Her father is going back to Iraq as a contractor to help support his new grandkids.

Suleman had 8 frozen embryos implanted (from a sperm donor) in hopes of having one mroe girl. Her mother has repeated this claim though most people think this is impossible. In fact, Surgeon General Dr. Sanjay Gupta once said no responsible doctor would ever implant more than 3 embryos.

When Suleman discovered that she was expecting multiple babies, doctors gave her the option of selectively reducing the number of embryos, but she declined.

What Suleman has done here (with the help of some unethical people) is the height of irresponsibility. First of all, why does a woman with 6 kids need fertility treaments? Second of all, why did she choose to have 8 embryos implanted? And finally, even though it's an incredibly hard decision to make, she should have reduced. Health risks are so great with mega-multiples she was ready to risk some or all 8 of the babies and her own life (which would also affect her previous six kids).

But what sickens me most about the story is the treatment this woman is getting in the media and will probably get in the future. News anchors on every channel are cooing over what are sure to be 8 little adorable bundles of joy. And Discovery Channel and TLC are probably lining up to give this litter-maker her own TV show, which probably was her motivation in the first place.

And all the religious zealots calling the hospital hoping to donate cribs, diapers and 8 little matching onesies saying "if you think I'm cute, you should see my 7 brothers and sisters" should be ashamed of themselves. What this woman did was not noble, it was disgusting.

In a world where so many deserving couples struggle for years, many unsuccessfully to have just one baby, this freak show popped out 14. Doesn't seem fair now does it?

Too Bad This Didn't Happen on Cox Cable

People watching the Super Bowl in Tucson, Arizona got a little more action than the rest of us.
A short clip from an adult movie channel interrupted Comcast's feed with full male nudity during the final moments of the game.
Officials at Comcast said about 30 seconds from Club Jenna, an adult cable television channel, were shown on the local Super Bowl telecast.
The company was still working Sunday night to figure out how it happened.
The Star newsroom was flooded with calls from irate viewers who said that the porn cut into the game with less than three minutes left to play, just after Arizona Larry Fitzgerald scored on a touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to put the team in the lead.
Callers said that the clip showed a woman unzipping a man's pants, followed by a graphic act between the two.
"I just figured it was another commercial until I looked up," said Cora King of Marana. "Then he did his little dance with everything hanging out."

The Super Bowl was being shown locally on KVOA. The station sends its signal to Comcast through a fiber line.
KVOA's signal didn't have porn on it when the station sent it over to Comcast.

The porn broke into the standard-definition feed (at least they didn't have to see a cock in HD) reaching analog TV sets. It appears the porn only reached homes in the Tucson area, but Comcast did not know exactly how many homes were affected.
Comcast's high-definition feed was not affected.

Pot of Gold

Michael Phelps got caught smoking pot on cell phone camera and the picture made its way into a British gossip newspaper.
To his credit, Phelps didn't lie by saying "I didn't inhale" (thankfully Bill Clinton's "lie til you get caught" philosophy that so many Americans adopted may be wearing off), he took responsibility for what he did and apologized.



With all that Phelps has gained -- money, fame, the ability to fuck just about any hot chick he wants -- it all has come at a price.

He sacrificed his childhood to swim and train and swim some more. Now in his adulthood he can't do anything without someone taking a picture of it. And presumably turning it into financial gain.

Super Bowl Ads

If you're like Mrs. Poop and were too busy cooking chicken wings for your lazy husband or bathing your smelly baby, then here's a quick look at some of the best Super Bowl Ads in what I thought was a subpar crop.

You can watch every single ad on youtube. If you have a favorite not mentioned here, let me know in the comments section and I'll add them to this post.

Doritos Crystal Ball:


Ed McMahon and MC Hammer poke fun at their own financial problems:


Horse Plays Fetch:


Conan's Swedish ad (for some reason they keep taking down this ad):


Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead go for a Drive:


The Banned Ashley Madison ad:


Mrs. Poop's favorite commercial: Matt Light, Ray Lewis and Justin Tuck do ballet:

Saturday, January 31, 2009

My Super Bowl Prediction

Arizona Cardinals +7 Pittsburgh Steelers
Defense wins championships. That old axiom has governed the NFL for years, and it is true to an extent. A good defense can usually stop a good offense. And a mediocre offense can score on a mediocre or weak defense.
And I usually dismiss the theory of the "hot" team even though we have seen it play out several times over the past few years.
And lastly, when underdogs cover, they win 75% of the time. So picking an underdog with the points, but to lose the game is a very unlikely proposition.

But I'm pretty much ignoring all that and predicting a final score of Super Bowl XLIII of Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Arizona Cardinals 21.

I don't automatically think the Steelers are going to shut down the Cardinals, because I think the Cardinals have the right kind of offense to attack the Steelers aggressive defense. I don't think the Steelers (or anyone for that matter) can stop Larry Fitzgerald, so they either commit to guys, or give up a couple of big plays. I think the Cardinals can spread the field with 3 wide receivers then attack the 3-4 with their new, improved running game.

I dismiss the hot team thing because to get to the Super Bowl both teams need to be hot. But in this case the Cardinals haven't just shown improved play, they've shown and improved "style" of play, which makes them more stout on defense then they had been, at least over the last 6 regular season games.

And I'm throwing out my last line of thinking (which says underdogs cover and lose about 12% of the time -- using rudimentary math) because I think the Steelers are just the better team and I think Ben Roethlisberger is going to be able to play the type of mistake-free ball that's needed to win a big game.

After a long string of blowout Super Bowls through the 80s and 90s, we've recently been blessed with some great games, and I think this will be another entertaining, close game, with the Steelers winning by 6, to take their 6th Super Bowl title.

What I'll Be Wearing Tomorrow

I was on the Larry Fitzgerald bandwagon early. Fewer than three months in the NFL career and I already was rocking his jersey. Back in 2005, I declared my love for Fitzgerald and am pleased he's now the undisputed king of NFL receivers. I will be wearing this jersey during Super Bowl XLIII and rooting for the Cardinals.

I feel badly rooting against Blake and Bailey but I want VW to suffer
Fitz like a glove

Super Pick Em

I'm a little late getting to this but I hope all of you will still join me in playing ESPN's Super Pick Em.
Join the group "The Poop" and answer the questions, an idiot could do it, so most of you should have no problem.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Slipping on Ice in Slo-Mo

These pictures come from the Boston Globe. The story they gave is one of their photographers slipped in this exact spot and decided to take pictures of the scene of his accident. And as he was snapping, a random guy walked by, slipped and spilled his coffee. I don't believe that. They sent this guy out there to catch people falling. They should just admit it, the results are hilarious.
The coffee is the best part.





I Hope TY Offices are Equipped With Fire Extinguishers, Cuz Everyone's Pants Are on Fire

TY, the company behind the Beanie Baby has come out with Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia dolls.

TY says the Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia dolls are not based on the Obama girls

Michelle Obama is not too pleased about her daughters being used in this fashion.

But TY says it chose the names because “they are beautiful names,” not because of any resemblance to Malia and Sasha Obama, said spokeswoman Tania Lundeen.
“There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls,” Lundeen said. “It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not.”

I guess legally they can't admit to making Malia and Sasha Obama dolls but no one will believe their lies.

Funny or Douchey?

I was doing a story about Valentine's Day spending and I asked my PA for video of Valentine's Day products and he wrote back "I have V-Day candy."
I replied "that's sweet, but I just need the video."
I don't think he even got the joke.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sasha Obama Thinks You're All Pussies

Recently, every teacher I know (at least 3, none smart enough to read this blog) has been praying for snow days. Well, they all got their wish Wednesday as schools across the Northeast were closed because of a couple inches of ice.
Well, Sasha Obama is a 7-year-old girl and she thinks you guys are a bunch of pussies.

Maybe This is How Coach Died

I'm not quite sure of all the details but I wasn't there but I remember a story about Beers slipping on ice, and getting furious at Coach for laughing.
Maybe this story will help explain what happened to Coach:

"A group of Evanston, Illinois friends thought it was funny when a man fell on the ice, but the situation quickly turned ugly when the fallen man drew a gun and shot one of them.
When the group saw a man fall on the ice, they started to laugh at him, but he wasn't amused. The man pulled a gun and fired a shot, striking the victim in the ankle, the report said."

Should I Twitter?

The last thing I need in my life is another way to annoy my friends, and another diversion to eat up all my time, so I've been avoiding the wonderful world of Twitter.
But then again, I don't want to be like jusTON who despite claiming to be a technological genius was the last kid on the block to get a cell phone, sign up for E-Z Pass, get a DVR and sign up for Facebook.
I don't even understand what Twitter is.
Do any Poopheads use Twitter?

Me and the Pope, We're Like This (Fingers Held Close Together)

Pope Benedict is reaffirmed his "full and unquestionable solidarity with Jews" in an attempt to relieve tensions with Jews after a Catholic bishop denied the Holocaust.
The Pope said the attempt to exterminate the Jews in the Holocaust should remain a warning for all people.
Bishop Richard Williamson has said: "I belive there were no gas chambers."

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Where's Ruth Bader Ginsberg?

Below is more than just a beautiful overhead shot of the crowd during President Obama's Inauguration Day speech. It's a preview of an incredibly high resolution shot. You have to click here to view it but you can zoom all the way in until you can see Aretha Franklin's hat.

Trust me, it's cool, check it out. But be warned, you'll spend a few minuets panning around. And I'm serious, try to find Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Song of the Week

"Life on Mars" - David Bowie
The inspiration for the title of one of my favorite new shows. "Life on Mars," the show, returns to ABC tonight, and "Life on Mars," the song, is often deftly woven into the storyline.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

All the Cousins

Despite the trouble trying to photograph the kids at Tali's party, we tried again this week to much better results.

Chase, Cayla, Lyla and Jenna

This Must Be Heaven

Tee and Cakes bakery in Boulder, Colorado has come up with the perfect combination of breakfast and dessert, the bacon cupcake.
One customer described the allure of this treat perfectly, "I like bacon, I like chocolate, I like cupcakes, so why not?"
I couldn't agree more.

bacon cupcakes

The Tee and Cakes bakery is about 30 minutes from where the Freedos live so I expect them to go next Saturday (they only make these delightful confections on Saturdays) and come back with a full report.
Hell, if they send me pictures of Juice eating balls, it shouldn't be too much to ask for a picture of Amber stuffing a bacon cupcake down her gullet.

I Don't Know What To Believe

Houston's Aubrey Coleman was ejected for stomping the face of Arizona's Chase Budinger. Coleman was suspended for one more game, but says it was an accident. He apologized saying "I never meant to step on him."
It sort of looks intentional but you can also see that he never looks down, and he doesn't step down with force. Could go either way.



Monday, January 26, 2009

Tip of the Iceberg

Check out this list of job cuts announced by major companies so far this year.
It's absolutely staggering, and it's only been 4 weeks.
Monday alone companies cut 71,000 jobs.
Note: Unless you have 20/10 vision you will have to click on the image to read it.

Michelle Obama is a Spicy Little Number

I think we all know what a loving relationship Barack and Michelle Obama have, but this is a little ridiculous.



Or maybe this crazy woman has a different definition of fisting than the rest of us.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Whatever Happened To Kevin Pittsnogle?

The New York Times tracks down one of my favorite players, Kevin Pittsnogle.
Over the course of two years, Pittsnogle he played for nine teams, in the Continental Basketball Association, the NBA’s development league, the NBA’s summer leagues, in France and in Puerto Rico.
But none of it worked out so now he's a middle school special education teacher in West Virginia earning $25,000 a year and wearing Bugs Bunny ties to work.

He's Mr. Pittsnogle now

He is also an unpaid assistant coach for a high school basketball team. He bowls in leagues three nights a week and occasionally plays bingo at Big Bucks Bingo. His wife, Heather, is a bank teller. They have two children and live in a double-wide trailer, and together they wonder how much appetite they have for uprooting their lives again so Pittsnogle can have one more chance at a basketball career.
He was recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition that may be responsible for his weight, which may be responsible for why his basketball career never took off.
But his more immediate concern is to graduate special education students into regular classes.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Why Mama Poop Was Standing on the Porch Shouting "Let's Go Mets!" in the Middle of January

It all started when I decided that Diesel deserved a treat every time the Mets won. So after each Mets victory, since at least some time in the 2006 season, I'd declare "Mets win" and Diesel would run to where we keep his treats and sit impatiently waiting for his reward.
In the summer of 2006 while vacationing in Maine, Mrs. Poop's dad accidentally left the backdoor ajar while he was hanging wet trunks on the line in the backyard to dry. Before he knew it Diesel was sprinting across the street. After a few tries of "Diesel" and "come" failed to have the desired effect, a desperate Poppy yelled out "Mets win!" and Diesel came running.
By the time I got outside, Poppy was holding Diesel by the scruff of his neck and saying "thank God for the fuckin Mets."
Two and a half years later (and probably about 200 Mets' wins and "Mets Wins!" later) this most unusual command was needed again.
While Mrs. Poop and I slept after a night of work, Mama Poop was in charge of her grandkids. She was taking Chase outside for a walk, when Diesel barreled past her and out into the street.
Now I don't think he knows enough to look both ways, but he definitely knows to stay away from cars. He didn't try to run away, he just wanted to play. Mama Poop said he was having the time of his life running in the snow on the grassy median on the middle of our road. He was jumping, and running and rolling on his back in the snow.
But Mama Poop had a problem, a runaway dog and a crying baby and nothing she was doing to get Diesel back was working, until she remembered.
She screamed out "Let's Go Mets" and even though she got the words wrong, Diesel came running back.
So remember the advice I gave nearly two years ago: if you are ever taking care of Diesel and he should happen to run out the door, call "Mets win!" and he will come running back.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

No, The Other John Roberts

The Universe must have misunderstood me when I was rooting for bad things to happen to John Robetrs.
And unfortunately the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court got caught in the crossfire.
When reading the oath to Barack Obama you may have noticed Obama stumble over the words. Most people thought this was Obama's fault and immediately questioned how The Infallible One could have a made a mistake for the first time in his life.
But it was later revealed that Roberts screwed it up and Obama paused because of course, he knew what Roberts had said was incorrect.
The Constitution says the president must solemnly swear "that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But on Tuesday, Obama said, "I will execute the office of president of the United States faithfully."
So, to avoid any possible challenges to his Presidency because of an improperly administered oath, they did it again.
In the White House, with a few aides and reporters looking on, Obama took the oath again, and Roberts did it right this time.
I hope from now on my evil wishes will be visited upon the correct John Roberts.

Taking Pictures of Kids is Not Easy

It's been one of Mama Poop's fondest dreams to get a good picture of all her grandchildren together. But photographing one wiggly rascal is hard enough, never mind 3. And now that Lyla's here, the grandchildren picture seems like a pipe dream. But at Tali's party we tried to do the best we could.
Here's what happened:


No Chase, stay here:


Don't worry Uncle Paul, I'll hold him:


Oops:


Ok, let's try this sitting down:


This is the best we're gonna get:


And a bonus photo of the birthday girl:
tired Tali

Mrs. Poop Reveals Deep Dark Secret

Mrs. Poop is part of a cult (that's not the secret). She's a member of an online community of equally crazy mothers and new brides.
She spends several hours a day ignoring Chase, Diesel and me while reading about the lives of these crazy people she doesn't even know.
They speak in their own language and share pictures of their kids.
Recently they shared their weirdest habits.
Mrs. Poop wanted me to read them because it turns out I share all of them.
All my money has to be facing the same way and arranged in my wallet in order of denomination with the singles on the outside.
I meticulously arrange my closet separating dress pants from sweats and jeans, and hanging all the blue jeans on blue hangers.
I don't like my food to touch. And I always eat my food in a certain order, even when I'm eating stew I eat all the carrots, then all the potatoes, then all the beef.
And when I watch TV, I have to keep the volume reading on a divisor of 5. 10, 15, 20, etc.
So as I'm starting to realize that I am crazier than all of Mrs. Poop's psycho-mommy-cult-freaks combined, I finally get to her post.
She admits to always trying to have a pacifier that matches Chase's outfit. I knew this because she actually got compliments about it in the past. She also freaked out when Chase lost the special orange one she bought him.
But what I read next shocked even me.
Mrs. Poop admitted that she can't have the television volume on 13. Every night she goes to bed with the TV on, and lies on the pillow and closes her eyes. Then she remembers, grabs her glasses and checks to make sure the volume is not on 13.
Mrs. Poop is a triskadecaphobiac.
Just when you think you know somebody.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

There's No Crying on Mass Transit

I'm currently re-reading "Marley and Me" to prepare for another big Friday night out at the movies with Mrs. Poop.
Hopefully I'll give it the long overdue Paulo's Book Club treatment and have a movie review also.
But what should I do when it comes time to read the last chapter?

Song of the Week

"I Believe (for Obama)" R. Kelly

A Lot of People Feel This Way About President Obama

At the first Inaugural Ball of the evening (the Obamas attended 10), Beyonce sang the Etta James classic "At Last" for the First Dance by the new First Couple, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
I love Beyonce, the way she looks, the size of her ass, the songs she sings, and the way she sings them, except when she sings them live. For the most part the recorded versions of her songs are brilliantly and elegantly sung.
But when she gets in front of a live audience she tends to drag out every note for effect.
Thankfully she didn't do that here. She stuck to the script and the results are breathtaking.

The NFL is Poop - Conference Championships

Arizona Cardinals 32 Philadelphia Eagles 25
It seems to me that the conversation after this game has centered on the losers (and I’ll get to them), but a lot of credit should go to the Cardinals here. For the third straight game they had a perfect game plan, and they executed it perfectly. For the third straight week the Cardinals tried to establish the run early, and used it to set up the pass. At this point everyone knew they had to be wary of Larry Fitzgerald, and for the second time this postseason the Cardinals perfectly executed a flea flicker for a touchdown to neutralize the coverage on Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s three first half touchdowns gave the Cardinals a seemingly insurmountable 24-6 lead.
But then Donovan McNabb brought the Eagles back. After a miserable first half where McNabb missed a lot of passes, he led the Eagles on three straight touchdown drives with several perfect passes including a 50-yarder to Kevin Curtis and the 62 yard TD to DeSean Jackson. And he turned over a one-point lead to his defense. And Kurt Warner cut the Eagles defense to Swiss Cheese on a 14-play, 72-yard, 8-minute touchdown drive.
But McNabb had one more chance and he may have used it to permanently cement his legacy. He completed three straight passes to get into Cardinals territory. Then four straight incompletions ended the game the season and maybe his Eagles career.
And that will be the legacy for McNabb assuming he never wins a Super Bowl (with the Eagles or otherwise). Good, but not good enough. So many times he took the Eagles to the edge, but could never push them over.
Does that mean he hasn’t had a great career? No. But to Eagles fans it does.

Pittsburgh Steelers 23 Baltimore Ravens 14
As I suspected, this game turned on quarterback play. Both defenses are so good that it fell on the quarterbacks to try to win (or not lose the game). And despite terrible passing stats (he started 7 for 21) the Ravens were still in the game when Flacco led them on one big scoring driving to get within 2. But with time winding town and the ball in Flacco’s hands he was picked off. Troy Polamalu returned it for a touchdown and the win.
Flacco will be back because with the exception of Ray Lewis a lot of the Ravens best defenders (Terrell Suggs, Bart Scott and Ed Reed) are still young.
As for the Steelers, they’re headed to their 7th Super Bowl, in search of their record 6th win.

Dog Farts

All dogs have gas. It's just part of having a pooch. If you are a dog owner, you learn to live with.
But CNN's Soledad O'Brien doesn't want to live with it.
O'Brien and other members of a Chelsea co-op board are trying to evict a beloved family pet from a the building because they say the dog is smelly and slobbers.
O'Brien, in a 20-page affidavit, complained about the pooch's "size, slobbering, shedding, drooling, gassiness and odors."
"She told me at a shareholder's meeting that my dog stinks," said Steven Lyons, owner of Ugo, a good-natured, 150-pound mastiff.
Lyons, an immigration lawyer, lives with his wife and their three kids in a loft three floors above the journalist on West 26th Street.
O'Brien, the co-op board's secretary, signed a notice on Jan. 5 that terminated the family's lease, the first legal step before asking a Housing Court judge to remove the dog or the family from the building.
"Her behavior has been particularly outrageous," Lyons said of O'Brien.
His wife, Monica Nelson, said, "She did get in my face."
"What's the matter? Aren't you talking to me?" she said O'Brien asked her.
Other board members ridicule Nelson by holding their noses when they ride the elevator with her - even when she's not with Ugo.
Lyons said neighbors had welcomed him to the building after he purchased his $3 million, 4,000-square-foot, eighth-floor apartment in 2003.
But that changed in March 2007 when he got the Neapolitan Mastiff, bred from an award-winning bloodline, in Turin, Italy. By that summer, a newly elected board had begun complaining, despite a co-op agreement allowing pets and the fact that several residents own cats.
Lyons said he began taking Ugo to a pet-grooming salon three times a month and spritzing him with an organic, orange-scented deodorizer. He also offered to use the freight elevator to walk the dog, but the board refused to allow it.
Soon the family will have to defend the dog in Housing Court.
"No family should have to decide between its own shelter and putting the family pet in a shelter," said Michael Schwartz, the family's lawyer.

Seems to me like the pet owners are doing the right thing here. They are regularly grooming the dog to eliminate the offending owner, and even offered a remedy to the situation.
A guy pays $3 million dollars for an apartment he should be allowed to have a smelly dog.
As a mother of four you'd think Soledad would understand better than to rip a beloved pet away from three small kids.
Maybe she needs to read "Walter the Farting Dog" to her kids.

Ugo the Farting Dog

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Maybe Bikini Girl Was Just the Beginning

American Idol is suing an Austin, Texas strip club.
Palazio Men's Club hosts a weekly amateur stripping contest called "Stripper Idol."
Ads for the contest use a logo with a "color scheme, design and font" similar to the TV show's. Waitresses at the club also wear T-shirts emblazoned with the logo, according to the lawsuit.
The suit says "there is a substantial likelihood that consumers will be confused, misled or deceived as to the sponsorship ... of the defendants' stripper talent contest."
And that's the key, will consumers be confused?
And that's why American Idol has no case. No one in their right mind is going to believe that this concert is in any way connected to the show.
So while the club is definitely profiting off the show's images and trademarks, I don't feel it is causing customer confusion.
Except when Katrina Darrell is on the show.

if American Idol doesn't work out for Katrina Darrell, she can try Stripper Idol.  She already has the right shoes for it.

Fur is Murder

I recently got a Facebook friend request from an old friend from elementary and junior high school.
Problem is, she's wearing a fur coat in her profile picture.
I can't in good conscience be friends with someone who wears animals' skin on her back, can I?

Monday, January 19, 2009

Meadow's Side Boobie Action

A little SBA from Meadow. A great way to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

A Virgin? Honey Needed a Slap, Tryin To Tell Me She's a Virgin With Her Yea Wide Gap



A model dressed as the Virgin Mary poses during a performance in Santiago January 13, 2009. A prominent fashion designer has sparked outrage in Chile by dressing up models like the Virgin Mary -- in some cases with ample, near-naked breasts. The Roman Catholic Church condemned Ricardo Oyarzun's plans for a show featuring the models, and a conservative group tried unsuccessfully to block it in court.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Weekly Picks

My season started off great, then hit a snag, now completely blew up in the playoffs with a 1-7 record. If I had done the pool I'd be out of the money contention. But we're not going to phone in the season. There's three games left and we're going to get them all right.

ARIZONA +3 1/2 philadelphia
I'm going with the Cardinals here because they totally changed their style of play once the playoffs started, and I don't believe it's a fluke. They are running the ball and playing great defense, the formula you need to win in the playoffs. They also have Larry Fitzgerald who has the ability to make that one game-changing play. Getting more than a field goal at home they seem like a good bet.

BEST BET
PITTSBURGH -5 1/2 baltimore

The analysis leading up to this game by the idiotic talking heads has gone like this "it's hard to beat a team three times in a season." How many times have you heard that this week. Problem is, it's complete nonsense. 18 times since 1970 a team has had a chance to sweep 3 games against a division rival in the same season. They did it 11 times, for a 61% winning percentage. Not overwhelming, but certainly not even close to an indicator that the Ravens will win. You know what's hard than beating a team that you already beat twice? Beating a team that already beat you twice. Why? Because they're probably better than you are. Since both teams have great defenses it's the offenses that will make the difference in this one and I'll take Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker over Joe Flacco and the Ravens running back committee. I said the same thing when these two teams played last, and true to my prediction Roethlisberger made the play to win the game (albeit a controversial one), and I think he'll do the same thing again. Though admittedly, this spread is larger than I'd like.


Last Week: 0-4 (-1 point)
Season: 45-48 (48 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (11-8)
Home Favorites: 0-3 (10-19)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (4-2)
Road Favorites: 0-0 (20-9)
Road Underdogs: 0-1 (10-17)
Road Pickems: 0-0 (1-1)

Friday, January 16, 2009

I Will Never Eat At This Restaurant

Mrs. Poop and I noticed this new restaurant in Ridgewood that looks pretty nice and decided we might like to eat there sometime. But when I drove by and noticed this sign, I declared I would never set foot in this place:



Smith Brother's? What a disgraceful lack of understanding of how to use the possessive form of a word. Obviously, all Poopheads know this sign should say Smith Brothers' Chop House, because it is owned by more than one Smith Brother.
Smith Brother's would only be correct if it was one of the Smith Brothers going out on his own. But in that case it would just be Smith's Chop House.
Disgraceful.

Methane Found on Mars

But not as much methane as comes out of Uranus.

She's Back

My beloved Minka Kelly (the hottest celebrity going right now, Meadow included) returns tonight as the third season of "Friday Night Lights" begins on NBC.
In case you don't know this part two of one of the greatest experiments in TV history.
FNL was on the verge of cancellation because of bad ratings, despite critical acclaim. But DirecTV swooped in with a deal. It would split costs with NBC in exchange for the rights to air the entire season before the first episode ever aired on NBC.
So the season of FNL beginning tonight on NBC has already been aired to DirecTV subscribers who are asked not issue spoilers.

Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity
nice socks

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Chase At Playgroup

Mrs. Poop takes Chase to a playgroup every Wednesday and this week Mem went along and shot video.

Chase asks Mem to pick him up, or bup or dup:



Chase steals a kiss:



Chase gets poked in the eye:



Chase and his friends sit in the parachute:

Poop Exclusive: Cockpit Recorder From US Airways Flight 1549

The Poop has obtained the cockpit voice recorder from US Airways Flight 1549 which landed safely in the Hudson River after birds flew into the engines.

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger: I'm going to land this plane in the Hudson River.
Control Tower: Surely you can't be serious.
Sullenberger: I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

If you don't get that joke, click here.

Pilot saves 155 people by landing plane in the river
ain't dat some shit

This Looks Like the Logo for That Fancy Italian Place

The Mets unveiled the new uniform patch they'll wear to commemorate the opening of CitiField.



But it looks a little like the logo for that fancy Italian place, the one Jerry Stiller refers to on "King of Queens" as "Duh-mean-ohs."



Even more embarrassing is that the Yankees introduced a beautiful elegant design for the patch in honor of their new stadium.

The Universe is Working Overtime

A few months ago I got an e-mail from a guy who lived on my floor freshman year of college, after not speaking to him for about 10 years.
We exchanged a couple of e-mails and he told me he lives in Hoboken. I mentioned that TON lives there too and he said he actually ran into TON once or twice but that TON wasn't very friendly and blew him off.
Anyway, when I got laid off and my e-mail was disconnected I lost his address.
I assumed that was the end of it since he had no way to contact me, and I had no way to get back to him.
But then the Universe intervened.
I saw him yesterday while walking across 7th Avenue to Penn Station. He screamed my name and we talked for a few minutes. I thought my story about not getting back to him because of the layoff might sound unbelievable to him, but he said he tried to send me something a couple weeks ago and when it got returned to him he knew I left the company, either voluntarily or not.
So he was thrilled to see me, gave me a big hug when we departed and took down my new e-mail address.
Sure it did take two months for us to meet up again, but he doesn't even work in the city so I guess the Universe just took its time arranging some kind of art seminar for him to go to.
Thanks again, Universe.

The NFL is Poop - Divisional Playoffs

Baltimore Ravens 13 Tennessee Titans 10
The Titans should be absolutely sick over losing this game. They absolutely dominated the game, but so many things went against them. They came up pointless on 5 drives inside the Ravens 35 yard line. There were 3 turnovers, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs (with a fumbled snap on 4th down). Any conversions there and the Titans probably win this game.
I also think the Titans got screwed by some bad officiating. The delay of game non-call was tough, but it wasn't as egregious as everyone has tried to make it out to be. Plus, it didn't effect the play, it was the Titans who screwed that one up.
The bigger problem was that the Ravens were playing a dirty game, hitting after the whistle, jumping on piles late, and trying to break Chris Johnson in half, and the refs never called anything.
And speaking of Chris Johnson, his injury really turned this game around. The Ravens couldn't stop him, but they were able to bottle up LenDale White.

Arizona Cardinals 33 Carolina Panthers 13
This was about as good an ass-kicking as a 10-point underdog will ever deliver in the playoffs. This game wasn’t even as close as the final score indicates.
Jake Delhomme is like this sometimes. He’s a pretty good quarterback who puts up great numbers but he’s always capable of a 6-turnover blowup that makes it impossible to win.
Larry Fitzgerald is quite plainly the best wide receiver in the NFL. Other guys put up numbers equal or even better than his. But no one does it the way he does. His ability to leap over two people and make a catch negates double-teams, it covers up for bad throws and it’s pretty fun to watch.

But what is really making the difference for the Cardinals in these two games is a complete transformation in style of play. They went from a finesse, passing team to a hard-nosed ball-hawking (9 takeways in 2 games), run-the-ball (43 carries) team.

Larry Fitzgerald makes catches no one else can

Philadelphia Eagles 23 New York Giants 11
In the days leading up to this game Giants coach Tom Coughlin talked about the teams' last matchup and said if the Giants had converted a couple short fourth downs, the game would have been much different.
He is probably repeating that lament today. The Giants had two field goal misses which set them back and theoretically could count as failures on 4th down. But in the 4th quarter, with the game in reach they were stopped on 4th and 1 with Eli Manning trying to sneak it. Then on 4th and 2 a few minutes later Brandon Jacobs came up short; and that was the ball game.
But really Eli Manning set the tone for another Manning choke job when he tossed one to Asante Samuel to set up the Eagles first touchdown.
One the other hand, Donovan McNabb with less than impressive statistics, piloted his team to another playoff victory (9-5 all-time) despite have to throw the ball 40 times, because the Giants had shut down the Eagles running game.

Pittsburgh Steelers 35 San Diego Chargers 24
This game was mostly competitive through the first half, and the Chargers actually held a lead and kept the Steelers offense off the board for the first 29 minutes of the first half. But then Roethlisberger threw for over 100 yards on 2 consecutives drives (one to close the 1st half, one to open the 2nd half) for touchdowns. After the second one, Philip Rivers threw an interception (the Chargers only play from scrimmage in the third quarter) and by the time the Chargers caught their breath they were down 28-10 in the 4th quarter with no real chance to catch up.

What Exactly is She Doing With Her Hands?

The publicity photo for money.com's Poppy Harlow.
Shouldn't someone have noticed this and chosen a different shot?

Poppy Harlow

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Tina Fey Finally Gets That Pair of Globes She's Been Praying For Since She was 13 Years Old

The obviously insecure Tina Fey won another Golden Globe and used her acceptance speech to trash her critics. Those mean people on the internet who dare say bad things about her. They really hurt her feelings. Meanwhile this bitch spent the whole summer viciously attacking Sarah Palin and her family (and won AP Entertainer of the Year Award for doing the liberal media's bidding), yet those horrible people on the internet who call her flat-chested can "suck it."
I don't like hypocrites and I don't like flat-chested women. That's two strikes against you Tina.

Tina Fey finally has a nice pair of Globes

Megan Fox Uses My Favorite Word (Non-Palindrome Category)

I love Megan Fox, I love that she used the word "doppelganger" but if there is one thing I hate more than a hot chick who knows she's hot, is a hot chick who knows she's hot but pretends she thinks she's ugly so that jealous women won't hate her.
Megan, we all see through your games.
Keep using "doppelganger," keep talking about Salma Hayek's boobs, but cut the shit.












Good Enough for AOL, But Not For Mrs. Poop

Referring to a woman's boobs as globes, golden or otherwise, was funny enough for AOL but not funny enough for Mrs. Poop?

Salma Hayek shows off her golden globes

Btw, PPD even tried to warn Mrs. Poop that Salma Hayek was the perfect target for this joke.

Also, I am so hurt that I lost another poll to Mrs. Poop. I can't believe 12 of you didn't think this joke would have helped Mrs. Poop's social acclimation. I can only imagine that you are doing this to hurt me. But why? I work so hard for you people and this is how you repay me?

Song of the Week

"Just Dance" - Lady Gaga
Normally the songs of the week are chosen only for the music and youtube video is just window dressing. But this one was chosen because this video is a must watch. Just check out Lady Gaga on Leno and I guarantee you won't be disappointed, especially not at 59 seconds in.

Killer Stretch

Syracuse is off to an incredible 16-1 start and is one full-court heave (followed by a good overtime) from being undefeated and ranked #2 in the country.
But all that could change as conference play heats up and SU faces a brutal 10-game stretch.
While I don't expect them to emerge from this gauntlet any better than 6-4, I do love this team.
I think they are perfectly composed with a great point guard, a solid big man, a deadeye outside shooter and a tough guy who makes the outside shots and drives to the hole when the team needs it most.
Here's my game-by-game predictions for the next ten games with dates, times and TV station (for TON who otherwise would not watch and would e-mail me in March to ask how SU is doing this year and if Allen Griffin is still on the team):

January 14 at No. 12 Georgetown 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2
Loss - It's going to be very hard to go on the road and win against the other top teams in this conference.

January 17 No. 13 Notre Dame 12:00 PM ET on ESPN
Loss - Even at home the 1-2 punch of Harangody and McAlarney may be too much for Syracuse to handle, especially because they are perfectly suited to destroy SU's zone, Harangody by getting in the middle of it, and McAlarney by shooting over it.

January 19 at No. 1 Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET on ESPN
Loss - Pittsburgh will very likely still be undefeated and number one, could be very difficult to knock them off.

January 25 No. 20 Louisville 12:00 PM ET on SNY
Win - I'm not a big fan of this Louisville team and I think they already pulled off their big upset with that win over Notre Dame.

January 28 at Providence 7:00 PM ET not sure what channel
Win - The one soft spot in this stretch of games, even though right now they are 3-1 in the conference.

February 4 West Virginia 7:00 PM ET on ESPN
Win - This game may also be a breather. I don't think this team has the size to keep up with SU inside.

February 7 vs. No. 22 Villanova* 12:00 PM ET on ESPN
Win - I'm also not sold on Villanova. They still have Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds but they also lack size inside. Due to the stupidest rule ever this game is considered a neutral site game, not a road game even though it's in Philadelphia.

February 11 at No. 4 Connecticut 7:00 PM ET on ESPN
Loss - It will be interesting to see how Arinze Onuaku and Hasheem Thabeet square off.

February 14 No. 12 Georgetown 12:00 PM ET on ESPN
Win - I don't see Georgetown coming into the Dome and winning. They have a good team, but not that good.

February 22 No. 22 Villanova 1:00 PM ET on CBS
Win - If they can beat Villanova in a "neutral site" game, they can beat them in the Dome.

Think I'm wrong? Post your own game by game predictions in the comments sections.

Andy Rautins throws up the triple threat sign

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Universe Brings Me a Funny Hat

I frequently carry on about the strange powers of the universe (I think this story would qualify as what people like Oprah call "the law of attraction" which states if you think of something, it will come to you) but this latest incident stunned even me.
I was watching "Sesame Street" with Chase (I'm obsessed, I DVR every episode and make sure Mrs. Poop saves them until I watch them. I love Telly but I hate his best friend Baby Bear) and we heard a delightful song honoring "T," the letter of the day. It was sung to the tune of "Hey There Delilah" and spoke of Tina who was wearing a "terrific Tam O' Shanter."
Now you should know that Sesame Street is not my only obsession, I'm also frequently consulting the internet so that I can identify on sight styles of facial hair, airport codes and types of hats.
Since the Tam O'Shanter is one of my favorites I sent Mrs. Poop the wikipedia page dedicated to this cool chapeau.
The next day we were at the grocery store and we saw a man in the parking lot wearing a terrific tam o'shanter.
What are the odds?
I know you non-believers will say someone in a tam o'shanter walks by me everyday and I only noticed this time because I was thinking about this hat.
But I dispute that. First of all, no one wears a tam o'shanter anymore. Second, I would always notice one. Third, I'm always thinking about tam o'shanters.
This was just the universe's way of telling me to keep believing.

tartan tam o'shanters

Reason Why I Love Mrs. Poop #415,777

I sent Mrs. Poop an e-mail warning her that President Bush would preempt Thursday night television with his farewell address.
Here is her reply, in its entirety:

"Mother Fucker."

Eddy Curry Accused of Gay Sexual Harrassment

From the NY Post:

Knicks center Eddy Curry was slapped with a shocking sex-harassment suit Monday by his former driver, who claims the 6-foot-11 hoopster tried to solicit gay sex from him.
The stunning court papers claim Curry, a married father of three, repeatedly approached chauffeur David Kuchinsky "in the nude," allegedly telling him, "Look at me, Dave, look" and "Come and touch it, Dave."
Curry also made Kuchinsky perform "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing dirty towels [Curry had ejaculated into] so that his wife would not see them," the Manhattan federal court suit says.
Kuchinsky, who is straight and Jewish, also alleges racial discrimination, saying that Curry hurled slurs at him including "f---ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK."

And in a disturbing episode reminiscent of some of the evidence in the manslaughter case against former Nets star Jayson Williams, Kuchinsky further claims in his suit that Curry pointed a "fully loaded" gun at him on at least two separate occasions to keep him from complaining about his treatment.
"Look, I have one in the chamber," Curry allegedly said.
Kuchinsky, who worked for Curry from October 2005 through October 2008, says he was initially hired as an around-the-clock chauffeur for Curry and his family at their Burr Ridge, Ill., mansion.
But shortly after starting work, he soon found his duties fell well outside his job description and "progressively became Curry's "house-boy,'" his suit says. He is seeking $98,000 plus compensatory damages from the injured Knick, whose contract pays him $9.4 million this year.
Kuchinsky says he is owed $68,000 in unpaid wages, as well as $25,000 in expenses for which Curry never repaid him.
"Instead of paying him, they discriminated against him, figuring that it would keep him there," said Kuchinsky's lawyer, Matthew Blit. "Imagine going into your boss's office ... and he stands up and drops his pants and he asks you take care of him. Those actions are unacceptable whether it's in a corporate office or a private home."

Story suggested by SCZA who is too busy laundering dirty towels before his wife gets home to post it himself

Monday, January 12, 2009

Somebody Call the Hearse, Cuz We Be Killin Em

Donovan McNabb picks up the phone on the Giants sideline during the Eagles 23-11 win over the Giants.
It wasn't the most sportsmanlike act, but I don't consider it a big deal. I think it was a show of his goofy sense of humor, not his brash arrogance.



The win over the Giants improved McNabb's playoff record to 9-5 all-time, he just never pieced enough of those wins together to win a Super Bowl.
But still Eagles fans won't accept him. They have turned on him three times (when he was drafted, after the Super Bowl including his feud with Terrell Owens, and then again this year when he was benched against the Eagles). And every time McNabb came back and ignored the ingrates.
I think Eagles fans who booed him on draft day have been looking for reasons to hate him so they never have to admit they were wrong.


Here's the video of the phone incident and McNabb's reaction to it: