The Philadelphia Eagles, an organization already known for classy behavior and fans who demonstrate the highest levels of respect, dignity, and hospitality, have taken another step forward in improving their public image by signing Michael Vick.

Please note this is not so much a post about what a bad guy Michael Vick is / was.  For the record, he did plead guilty and serve his time.  It doesn’t change what he did, but he has done all he can to accept responsibility and move forward.

That said, could you ask for a (potentially) better pairing?

I’m a reader.  It’s a habit I formed at an early age, and one I still enjoy.  Recently, I’ve been reading (or rereading in some cases) some of the “should read” books.  I’m currently wading through Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude and, perhaps contrary to the title of the post, I’m enjoying it.  The prose is beautiful, the descriptions vibrant, and the use of magical realism is nearly perfect.  But it is a bit of a struggle, and I’m not sure why.  With just under 100 pages to go, the book has become like the last round of a heavyweight bout.  When it’s finished I know I’ll appreciate the outcome, but really… can we wrap this up already?

Next on the list is Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth, then back to the “should read” list with a little Nabokov. 

Light summer reading at it’s finest.

Or broadcast, in this case.

Every work day, my wife and I start the morning with breakfast and the news.  At 7:00, our local news ends and transitions to The Today Show on NBC.  The first 30 minutes are generally okay, being more “newsy” in feel than the rest of the broadcast.  That said, I don’t think there’s been a day when I haven’t been frustrated by some of the stories they choose to cover (and the depths at which they’ll cover them). 

Michael Jackson?

Nadia Sulaiman?

American Idol?

Honestly, if they spent half as much time covering legitimate news as they do / did those stories, maybe half the South wouldn’t believe President Obama was born outside the U.S. and maybe people would see through the b.s. people like Sarah Palin spread about possible changes to the health care system.  But that’s not what gets the ratings.

To be fair, this is not a problem solely connected with The Today Show – that’s just the one we watch most often.

Anyway, on to the comic…

Because I know you care.

The weekend was a good one.  Friday at work wrapped up with some (potentially) exciting news, then transitioned to drinks with the wife and a good friend.  We were home by 8:45 and asleep within an hour.  I woke up ten hours later. 

Apparently I was tired.

Other weekend highlights include:

• Seeing (500) Days of Summer
• Enjoying homemade beef teriyaki (with homemade teriyaki sauce to boot… I win)
• Getting the house cleaned up

I recognize some would take issue with the last bullet, but I’ve got to be honest.  While the process of cleaning is at best draining and dull, the result is usually worth it. 

As far as (500) Days is concerned, I recommend seeing it.  It’s funny, honest, and I can’t recall seeing a movie like it for some time.  Additionally, the soundtrack kicks ass featuring – among others – The Smiths, Simon and Garfunkel, Spoon, Feist, Carla Bruni (yes, that Carla Bruni; and a “well-played” to the wife for calling it out), and Patrick Swayze.

What.  Like you’ve written anything better than She’s Like The Wind.

Anyway, check it out.

As an update to the last post, tiny Dunmanway Town played a young Liverpool side today.  It was a valiant effort (from the sounds of it anyway), and the result was a respectable 1-0 loss.

In other Liverpool news, Xabi Alonso is gone and – pending a favorable medical exam – Alberto Aquilani will be playing at Anfield this season. 

Finally, Texas A&M football kicks off in 30 days. 

Fall is awesome.

Thursday marks the biggest thing ever to come to Dunmanway Town, Co. Cork Ireland. 

Not plumbing.  Not electricity.  Not even sliced bread.

No, the 2,500 people living there (and, I assume, loads of guests) will welcome Liverpool, last year’s English Premier League runners-up. 

The team has borrowed a local school’s Gaelic Games pitch for the day and has drafted in just over 7,000 seats – from the same temporary stands used in Shamrock Rovers’ narrow 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid in July… The tie was briefly threatened by an invasion of local rabbits, who dug holes in the pitch but have since been scared away by the construction of the temporary stands.

For Liverpool, this represents a fantastic opportunity to strengthen an already strong fan base.  For the Minnows, I assume this could only be described as the chance of a lifetime.  These are amateur players who typically play their games on a farmer’s field.  Now they have an opportunity to play with one of the top clubs in the world and, for 90 minutes, live out the dreams many have likely held since childhood. 

For the record, I’m a Liverpool supporter and, coincidentally, have been since I spent a summer in Ireland.  That summer – 2002 – was a World Cup year, one featuring the Republic of Ireland no less.  The excitement of the World Cup was something akin to a college football game day in the states, only stretched over a summer.  The entire country was decked out in all things Ireland – flags, scarves, shirts, hats, etc.  Come game time, if you weren’t at the pub early, you weren’t getting in.  Watching Robbie Keane score the tying goal in stoppage time against Germany sealed my fate as a fan of soccer.  Surrounded in the pub by friends and fans alike, the celebration was something you pause and take notice of, knowing it will be with you forever. 

With the World Cup serving as my “gateway drug,” some friends started talking Liverpool and it was downhill from there. 

If you’re a fan of soccer, you certainly know what I’m talking about.  If you say you’re not a fan, I’d encourage you to check it out again.  Grab some friends, hit a bar, and enjoy the experience.  After that, if you’re looking for a team to follow, check out Bill Simmon’s (slightly dated) ESPN Page 2 article on researching and selecting an EPL team to support.  Or go here for a handy (albeit generalized) quiz to help you decide.  Lastly, get excited – the season starts in less than two weeks.

One of the more surprising points of concern regarding President Obama is the “question” of whether or not he is, in fact, a U.S. citizen.  As you hopefully know, elected presidents must be at least 35 years of age, a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years, and a natural-born citizen.  Fail any of these tests and it’s no president for you. 

Apparently, there are some who believe Obama’s birth took place outside the U.S. and, as a result, he can’t be president.  For these folks, I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.  Unfortunately, wishing and hoping does not change the facts.

The hilarity does, however, inspire this week’s round of Matt vs. Wild. 

Enjoy.

As previously discussed, we recently took a little trip back west.  Our travel itinerary was complicated and included a stop in possibly the worst large airport ever – LAX.  Honestly, I’ve never seen a more ridiculous setup at an airport that handles a similar amount of traffic.  I suppose it’s fine if you don’t have to change terminals, but God help you if you do.  The airport’s lone saving grace, however, is its close proximity to the Mecca of all fast food hamburger restaurants, In-N-Out.

We first got the idea to try and visit an In-N-Out when our DFW-to-LAX flight was parking at the gate.  Realizing we had six hours to kill, we figured there would be plenty of time to make it out of the airport and back – a feeling that was confirmed when we discovered the short distance to the nearest location.  Using the iPhone’s gps map, we found there was about a 1 mile walk from the actual terminal.  Not too bad, so off we went.

Outside, though, was a different story.  The exit from the airport was not pedestrian friendly, and traffic was fairly heavy.  Deciding against a walk, we opted instead for a cab.  How much could a one-mile fare be, right?

“$17.50 minimum, sir.”
“But we’re going one mile.”
“$17.50.”
“Have a nice day, then.”

$17.50… Right.  Feeling dejected, we were about to give up.  Then we decided to try something novel.  We asked a traffic cop.  He told us we could walk if we wanted to, OR we could do something better.

As it turns out, The Parking Spot has an off-airport parking lot on the same property as the In-N-Out we wanted to visit (Sepulveda and Westchester).  Conveniently, they also run a complementary shuttle to and from the airport (wait under the red “Complementary Shuttle” signs outside and board the “Sepulveda” shuttle).  Eating included, the entire round trip was thirty minutes max., meaning a layover of more than one hour at LAX now = In-N-Out.

Needless to say, the double-double with grilled onions and chilis and fries well-done was great.  So great, in fact, that we repeated the trip on our way back to Texas. 

If you find yourself at LAX with some time to kill, I encourage you to make the pilgrimage yourself.  It’s a trip you won’t regret.

Went on a nice little vacation with the wife last week.  Nice and much-needed, I might add.  We headed back to California (Crescent City, or thereabout anyway) to visit my mom and step-dad. 

First things first, the weather was fantastic.  We’ve had 30+ days of 100+ degree heat in Texas so far this summer, with several records shattered (including the rarely mentioned “record-low high temp”).  We landed in Medford and, after spending the night with temps in the 60’s, we headed to Mom’s where highs were in the 80’s and lows were in the 50’s.  Better still were the temps in Crescent City itself – fogged in with highs in the 60’s. 

I had to wear a jacket.  It was lovely. 

I also managed to squeeze in some golf with my step-dad on a great little course with temps in the mid-70’s and a slight breeze.  My game may have not been stellar, but the weather was. 

Outside of enjoying the weather, we ate well, read some (but not enough), visited with the fam, and on the last day went back to the Medford area so I could take the wife on a tour of my alma mater and downtown Ashland. 

All-in-all, a great vacation.

Not much to this post other than to point out that it’s raining for the first time in 53 days. 

That’s right – we haven’t seen rain in 53 days. 

I spent a considerable amount of time in the Northwest (Oregon) and, odd as it may sound to some, I like rain.  It’s cleansing and it makes and keeps things green.  It also makes you appreciate warm sunny days, of which we’ve had an (over?) abundance of lately.  So thank you, rain, for coming today.  Consider yourself missed.