Mistah...Kenney!

I cannot fall asleep and I (heart) college football. Since we had an upset-filled weekend last week, and its showdown Saturday this weekend (seven games with ranked teams facing each other), here, in no particular order, are a bunch of things I know about college football. Thumbs up.


MY TOP 15 (actual rank in brackets)
1. LSU [1]
2. USC [2]
3. California [3]
4. Ohio State [4]
5. Wisconsin [5]
6. South Florida [6]
7. Boston College [7]
8. Florida [9]
9. Kentucky [8]
10. Georgia [12]
11. Oklahoma [10]
12. South Carolina [11]
13. West Virginia [13]
14. Virginia Tech [15]
15. Oregon [14]

-Yes, five of my top dozen teams at this point play in the SEC. That conference is far and away the best, maybe ever. The depth is obscene, and any team is capable of beating another at any given point. The Big Ten is lucky to have Wisconsin still undefeated after close calls in three of their games (@ UNLV, Iowa, Michigan State), but quietly, Ohio State still looks to be really strong, since they can ride that defense. Cal and USC's game may replace this weeks LSU-Florida showdown as the biggest game of the year. And this provides the smooth segway into...

RANKING THE MAJOR SHOWDOWNS THIS WEEK

1. (9) Florida @ (1) LSU
2. (8) Kentucky @ (11) South Carolina
3. (10) Oklahoma vs. (19) Texas in Dallas
4. (4) Ohio State @ (23) Purdue
5. (25) Nebraska @ (17) Missouri
6. (15) Virginia Tech @ (22) Clemson
7. (20) Cincinnati @ (21) Rutgers

-Good God, that's a ton of fantastic football. As a bonus, each game has a great subplot or two:

-LSU lost at Florida last year to basically eliminate itself from national title contention. They also are the team that gave up UF QB Tim Tebow's famous fadeaway jump shot-turned-touchdown. The Gators will be motivated after last week's loss to Auburn at home, but talent will trump emotion. LSU wins by at least 10 and the defending champs are knocked out of a shot to defend its SEC and National Titles.
Prediction: LSU 27, Florida 13

-Kentucky and South Carolina are not used to being ranked this high, especially the Wildcats, who haven't even been this high in basketball in three years. This will kick off the weekend's festivities on Thursday and I have a sneaking suspicion we will be seeing a blackout from USC fans at home. They also are the better team and have the better victory (Georgia is much more legit at this point than Kentucky knocking off Louisville and Arkansas). Plus, a quarterback with the last name Smelley plays for a team whose nickname can be shortened to the 'Cocks. That's all I need.
Prediction: South Carolina 35, Kentucky 31

-In the Red River "Don't You Dare Call It A Shootout" Rivalry, we have two wounded jaugernauts. Texas was manhandled at home by Kansas State last week, losing by 20. But Oklahoma's loss at Colorado is more bizarre, seeing as the Sooners held a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter and seemed to be one of the few legit national title contenders in the nation. As it stands, the loser of this game will move to 0-2 in the Big XII and would have to settle for the Cotton Bowl at best this year. However, still make sure you watch this game at some point, if just for the camera shot showing one half of the stadium in Sooner crimson and the other in Longhorn burnt orange. Goosebumps, people.
Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Texas 24

-You may have heard that I tend to support The Ohio State University. That said, I am still scared to death of Purdue this week. The Boilermakers are 5-0 and just crushed mighty adorable Notre Dame. They actually deserve to be ranked in the Top 20 this week, but alas, they sit at 23. Also going against  my beloved Buckeyes is the last visit ended badly, with a 24-17 loss in West Lafayette. That said, we have the number two ranked defense in the country and have not allowed more than 14 points in any game. Purdue, get ready for the pain! Of course, at this point, I think Coach Tressel could beat anyone in anything, including Coach Ditka in any kind of race...
Prediction: Ohio State 30, Purdue 14

-Since the Big XII formed in 1996, the North division has been represented by either Nebraska, Kansas State or Colorado in each championship game. But for the first time, there is a different team that clearly has the most talent, and that team is Missouri. Will the Tigers finally break that glass ceiling and knock off the mighty Cornhuskers? Yes, and they will put up offensive numbers on the pathetic Husker 'D' that may triple Congress' approval rating.
Prediction: Missouri 53, Nebraska 27

-Clemson has this annoying habit of starting off hot, then losing a game in which they clearly have the talent edge which then sends the team into a tailspin that has them ending up in such venerable holiday locales like the Champs Sports or Music City Bowl. Naturally, this year is no different, as they beat Florida State on Labor Day, feasted on several cupcakes, then scored a whopping three points against an underachieving Georgia Tech squad last weekend. Can they pick up a victory to salvage any hopes of winning the ACC? It will be tough. Virginia Tech was supposed to be America's Team, but they have been mediocre at best and got destroyed in an early season showdown with LSU. Call me crazy, but I like the underdog Tigers at home here over the overrated Hokies
Prediction: Clemson 17, Virginia Tech 13

-Last year, I called St. Bonaventure's women's basketball at the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Xavier was the host, and in our free time, my colleagues and I decided to venture over to the University of Cincinnati. It was a beautiful campus, with a downtown and modern feel. We snuck into their basketball arena and watched some Ohio state high school basketball action. We also ran down onto the field at Nippert Stadium, the little bandbox of a stadium located right in the middle of campus, quite literally. It was wide open, and it was a beautiful thing. Why am I sharing this? Because I have never been on the Rutgers campus, and I am going to pick against them for that reason.
Prediction: Cincinnati 27, Rutgers 23

So there you go. Enjoy the games. You best be believin' I will. Peace...

I am voodooangle...my sister is icyangel...


IcyAngel0088 (1:40:04 AM): dad would be proud
voodooangle (1:40:15 AM): its funny...
voodooangle (1:40:42 AM): my last memory of him was from when i was about 8
IcyAngel0088 (1:40:55 AM): your last memory?
voodooangle (1:41:08 AM): i asked him from the back seat of his chrysler...do you know what fourth down means?
IcyAngel0088 (1:41:21 AM): did he know?
voodooangle (1:41:22 AM): he did
voodooangle (1:41:25 AM): of course
IcyAngel0088 (1:41:26 AM): good
voodooangle (1:41:41 AM): he was way smarter than i will ever be
voodooangle (1:42:25 AM): do you think mom gets upset at the way we remember him?
voodooangle (1:43:01 AM): just cause its so long ago...its almost as if we build him up to something that there is no way he could have been, even though he may have been...
IcyAngel0088 (1:43:31 AM): nooo, i think she would rather us remember him in a positive way
IcyAngel0088 (1:43:43 AM): to me, he was my hero
voodooangle (1:43:50 AM): and he was mine
voodooangle (1:44:00 AM): he was flawed...
voodooangle (1:44:06 AM): but that makes him even more so
IcyAngel0088 (1:44:09 AM): everything bad about him i learned after he died...for the most part anyways
IcyAngel0088 (1:44:14 AM): but he was our dad
IcyAngel0088 (1:44:22 AM): i miss him all the time
voodooangle (1:44:36 AM): she tells me all the time how i remind her of him...
IcyAngel0088 (1:44:44 AM): you do
IcyAngel0088 (1:44:53 AM): thats a good thing
voodooangle (1:44:56 AM): ok...
voodooangle (1:44:58 AM): good
IcyAngel0088 (1:45:02 AM): he was loved by a lot of people
voodooangle (1:45:07 AM): yes he was
voodooangle (1:45:23 AM): i wished i could have appreciated that more...
IcyAngel0088 (1:45:58 AM): it was amazing to me how many people were at his memorial service
IcyAngel0088 (1:46:13 AM): because they loved you and me and mom and obviously, dad
voodooangle (1:47:00 AM): i do not remember any of it...except of crying into gummy the whole time
voodooangle (1:47:13 AM): it was really hard for me...and i am sure it was for you too
IcyAngel0088 (1:48:39 AM): i remember all the people
IcyAngel0088 (1:48:46 AM): and i remember kathy
IcyAngel0088 (1:49:16 AM): she spoke and then she came and sat next to me, and i thought she just needed a tissue and she was going to go back up
IcyAngel0088 (1:49:24 AM): but she didn't go back up
voodooangle (1:49:48 AM): he was a republican...
voodooangle (1:50:27 AM): and i remember always listening to rush limbaugh in the car
voodooangle (1:50:48 AM): and i have always wondered what he would thin about my political thoughts...
IcyAngel0088 (1:51:21 AM): yeah
IcyAngel0088 (1:51:23 AM): i don't know
IcyAngel0088 (1:51:34 AM): i wish i could call him
voodooangle (1:51:49 AM): i did the first days we moved into this house...
voodooangle (1:51:58 AM): every night, actually
IcyAngel0088 (1:52:03 AM): and i wish he could come see me at school
voodooangle (1:52:20 AM): he'd be proud...
voodooangle (1:52:26 AM): very proud
IcyAngel0088 (1:52:34 AM): and I wish that i could say the name dad and mean it
IcyAngel0088 (1:52:56 AM): cause i won't ever be able to call anyone dad ever again the way i would have called him dad
IcyAngel0088 (1:52:59 AM): and that makes me sad
voodooangle (1:53:17 AM): yeah it sucks but it happens for a reason
voodooangle (1:53:21 AM): everything does
voodooangle (1:53:32 AM): and i believe that
IcyAngel0088 (1:53:39 AM): yeah
voodooangle (1:54:22 AM): it does, i promise
IcyAngel0088 (1:55:46 AM): okay
IcyAngel0088 (1:55:49 AM): i have to go to bed
voodooangle (1:55:55 AM): ok
IcyAngel0088 (1:56:00 AM): what were you going to say?
voodooangle (1:56:11 AM): only that i love you
voodooangle (1:56:13 AM): a lot
voodooangle (1:56:19 AM): like a sister
IcyAngel0088 (1:56:34 AM): well thats good because i am your sister
voodooangle (1:56:39 AM): thank god
IcyAngel0088 (1:56:46 AM): i love you too
IcyAngel0088 (1:56:57 AM): but i love you in more ways than just my brother
voodooangle (1:57:06 AM): and i more than just a sister
voodooangle (1:57:25 AM): no matter how different we seem to be...which is quite
IcyAngel0088 (1:57:41 AM): i mean....honestly?
IcyAngel0088 (1:58:17 AM): you're my best friend...my role model, my "dad" and my brother
voodooangle (1:58:43 AM): and you are my little girl...and I am so proud of everything you do..
voodooangle (1:59:16 AM): even if you are taller than me
voodooangle (1:59:34 AM): ;-)
IcyAngel0088 (1:59:45 AM): hahaha
voodooangle (1:59:54 AM): go to bed
IcyAngel0088 (2:00:04 AM): i am
voodooangle (2:00:12 AM): goodnight
IcyAngel0088 (2:00:15 AM): night 

Wednesday afternoon, I went back to St. Bonaventure for a couple of days. It was unique to say the least. I have made that drive from Fairport to Bonas at least 50 times, but this one stood out like the first time visiting and moving down there.

There is a connection you make with your alma mater. It sounds corny, sure, but it is true. I enjoyed every second of the visit. I stayed with Jes most of the time, outside of a couple of hours here and there. But it was fun to stay in the townhouses again. It was fun to go to the Third Base again. It was fun to go to the O.P. again. It was fun to visit The Buzz again. It was even fun (well, amusing more than anything) to get a parking ticket again.

But at the same time, it is the best move on my part to have moved on. There is no exact reason as to why, but it was a visit that almost put me at ease. I am glad I am ready for the next chapter of my life. Hopefully, the words are written at a more rapid pace soon, but beggars cannot be choosers. Thank you Bonaventure, for a wonderful four years, but thank you even more for prepping me for the next 60. To quote Jimmy Eat World tonight:

"Back when I was younger
I was someone you'd have liken
Got an old guitar I've had for years, I'd let you buy
And I'll tell you something else
That you ain't dying enough to know
There's still some living left when your prime comes and goes"

ESPN currently is running a 25 hour preview up to the kickoff of their first college football game, LSU-Mississippi State. I am giddy. I purchased a neon sign and mini helmet for THE Ohio State University in celebration. So I figured, why not throw a quick preview on here? I will be picking conferences, BCS games, best players at positions and the like. If you don't like college football, you are evil. Please leave this blog. With the strains of the Buckeye Battle Cry...AWAY WE GO!

ACC: Virginia Tech

BIG EAST: West Virginia

BIG TEN: Wisconsin

BIG XII: Texas

C-USA: Southern Mississippi

MAC: Kent State

MWC: TCU

PAC-10: California

SEC: LSU

SUN BELT: Troy

WAC: Boise State



BCS GAMES

Rose: California vs. Wisconsin
Sugar: Florida vs. USC
Fiesta: Texas vs. TCU
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State
BCS Championship: LSU vs. West Virginia

I would like to announce something...mic please...

THE NEW YORK STATE LOTTO JACKPOT IS NOW...

Just kidding.

No, actually, Sunday September 2nd is my official debut as a co-host of "The Shootaround" on Hot Talk 1280, WHTK. My co-host Brian Guck and I will be on from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on our debut. After that, the show will be on 10-11 a.m. each Sunday.

Basically, I just want someone to listen. If you live in the ROC, its on 1280 AM. If you live outside of New York's third largest metropolitan area, you can go to http://www.whtk.com, and there is a link for streaming audio. I am not asking each of you to sit down for 3 hours at your computer and listen to sports talk. You would all kill yourselves. Instead, if you could just listen in for 10 minutes and give me an honest critique.

Thank you.

(throws microphone on the floor, raises hands and walks off...)

The last Saturday in August is a magical day...

Many of you will be heading back to St. Bonaventure today/tonight...

I will be the guest Emcee at a dance party at Darien Lake and then be doing a club night at Liquid in the city...

Stay young....

Have fun...

I should have been a business major...

Back in December of 2005, we were having a Buzz Banquet at the Storm Center. It was the typical affair. There was beer pong. Lots and lots of beer pong. People were drunk. Making out with each other. Scaring each other. There was some tackling. People had friends come over. Some had already left. But late in the evening, the best song of that semester, "Sugar, We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy, came on the stereo. For some reason, everyone dropped what they were doing and started huddling in the middle of the room. Everyone raised a cup or can and started singing the chorus. And since it was so catchy, it was easy to participate.

"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex-cock it and pull it"

Maybe not everyone sung those exact words, but you get the gist (hey, it's my memory). After several semesters of infighting and angry disagreements, it seemed as though the old guard had passed tradition down and the new guard grabbed it in one motion. As the bridge to both, I thought it was a great moment, one I will always carry with me.

Flash forward to today, August 20th, 2007. I just got news about an hour or so ago that WSBU-FM, 88.3 The Buzz, has been named the number one college radio station in the country. The voting had been done in or around November 2006, which means that I was still a board member at that point. I have spoken with several current and former members of the radio station in the past ninety minutes or so, and everyone is so proud. We have done what seemed to be impossible: passed the mighty Emerson College, who has been number one the previous three years, and probably number one before then as well.

Today, I consider this to be the last moment of my college career, and I am so proud of everyone who has worked to get us to this point. To any and all from the station that reads this, congratulations. I love each and every one of you. We did it.

We are number one...with a bullet, of course.

So the search for a job is continuing...I am looking at several places...please check out the latest Rolling Stone for how I feel about the To Catch A Predator...that pretty much sums it up...I need a job,,,and you know how much I love to use the ... in my blogs. Please help me...Thank you. Goodnight...

Of all the actions that bother me in the world, pushing religion on others is right at the top of the list. To me, religion should be something that is a private relationship with God or various gods that should have some, but not total, control over someone's life.

This weekend, there was both a mass religious gathering at our downtown arena, as well as a gay pride celebration in the city. Naturally, the two could not avoid each other. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a group of individuals who had a sign, amongst others, that read "Ask Me Why You Are Going To Hell" (that'll have people lining up), stood outside and used a megaphone to yell at people for allowing homosexuals the right to live.

Grrr...

Here's the thing: I do not truly understand homosexuality. I freely admit this. I have no close friends who are gay, and like many males in their early 20's, I use derogatory terms for someone who is gay. However, I also believe that if someone loves another, they should have the right to marry, or at the very least form some kind of civil union. I think that what really scares people is that they do not want to give the full rights to gays and lesbians because they do not want to give them the social and financial benefits a married couple has.

However, there are lot of people who also hold up the Bible to say that is why we should not let these people live a fulfilling life. I have read the passages that most Christians quote, including Leviticus 20:13 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. These verses are not black and white. There is much open to interpretation and ambiguity. That means that no one can be sure, and no one is truly right or wrong.

So with no right or wrong answer, and the odds of Jesus coming down and telling us what the Bible really means about all of the grey issues in the Book means, maybe we should just stop persecuting others. Almost everyone should be able to agree on this.

I have not posted for a while because I was hoping to have some good news on the job market. Yesterday, I was hoping to hear the news from Clear Channel Denver that I would be flying out there for the chance to obtain their promotions coordinator position. This did not happen. Instead, they said I interviewed well, and that I was the best of the Thursday people, but I could not cut it.

Obviously, this was really disappointing. I had two phone interviews and all indications were that things were progressing nicely. However, much like several times at Clear Channel Rochester, what was said was not what actually happened.

So now I am still looking for a permanent position. I have been entertaining the possibility to maybe go back to school for my master's, most likely in marketing. I am also trying to look other places. Instead of looking at Clear Channel, I looked at Entercom and CBS Radio, and also at an editing job in NYC. It has just gotten to the point where I want to get moving with my career. Things have always come to easily to me. Now, even when I think that I am what a company wants, it is not happening.

June 30th is always a difficult day for me. On June 30th, 1998, my father died as the result of an intentional overdose on prescription medication. He was just 42 when this happened. I was 13 and my sister was nine. When my parents divorced, we were just six and two, respectively. After living in the area for a year or so, my father had to move to a special ranch area in Vermont.

The reason he was sent there was because my grandfather insisted upon it. My father suffered from chronic depression. He also was a pathological liar and suffered from kidney stones on a sometimes weekly basis. It was hard for him to function on a day-to-day basis by himself. The ranch, we hoped, would send him on a better path.

For a few years, it seemed to work. He lived in the city of Rutland and discovered a love for cooking. He worked as a chef at some various stuff-on-the-wall restaurants like Red Lobster and Applebee's, as well as a hotel up in near Kilington. He even had remarried. Things seemed to be on the up-and-up.

Then Dad moved to Saratoga Springs, and things went downhill again. After about five months, another divorce for my father happened. There were times where he said he would be coming to visit my sister and I and would instead not show up. It was disheartening. For about a year, I refused to speak to him.

Then, almost by accident, one day Dad called to speak with my sister. She was not home and I was, so we spoke. Things had been rekindled. Again, things looked good.

The last time I saw my father was in April of 1998. We stayed with him at the Microtel off of Exit 45 on the Thruway. After my sister went to bed, I was in the bedroom where he was staying. He took some pills that night, and they seemed to make him not aware of what was going on. At 13, its scary to see your father slurring his words and not even being aware that his pants were partially off. I had never seen him in that way.

Over the next couple of months, Dad and I would speak almost every night. He had set up a 900 number where I could call him and not be charged. After everyone would go to bed, we would talk, sometimes for an hour or more. It was fantastic.

On or around June 20th, Dad promised that he would be coming to see us again. He did not show up. I called him, and finally I had enough. I told him that I was mad, and that should talk to me again when he was ready to apologise.

That was the last conversation I ever had with him.

When the news broke, I remember sitting on the kitchen room floor with Mom and Lauren and just crying forever. It had to have been over an hour, I think. It was terrible, obviously. Despite him being in and out of my life, he was still my father.

To this day, people will mention how much I look or sound like my father. My passion for sports comes from him. My desire to make sure everyone is comfortable and they have whatever they want. My Mom says I have all of his good qualities, which are great character traits. I still live much of my life in his honor. Rarely does a day go by where I do not think about him. I know that many of you reading still have your father. Tell him that you love him. It's difficult to know that the last words you said to someone were in anger.

Dad, I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean it. I love you. Take care. See you again someday.

As more details are coming out, it appears that one of the greatest wrestlers of my lifetime, Chris Benoit, killed his wife Saturday and son Sunday before taking his own life on Monday. All the details are still being pulled together by authorities, but the confliction I feel inside is something I cannot remember ever feeling before.

When you watch professional wrestling, you feel like you know who the wrestlers are. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. You forget sometimes that they are just playing characters, and that more often than not, the character is not even how the individuals are. We think we know. We do not. All stories that I had heard was that Chris Benoit was a devoted family man and an intensely private man. I actually saw him with his wife and children in Toronto back in 2004. They seemed to be content, although it was three years ago.

It's just difficult. I know the mainstream media will be using this to show why wrestling is evil, and that it's terrible for children and the same tired arguments that I've heard almost my whole life. But this seems to be an isolated occurrence of a man who was sick in the head. I will try to remember Benoit as a champion in the ring, but the fact is that he killed his wife and son. You cannot excuse that, ever. Chris Benoit is a murderer. And it sucks, but its the facts now. The only question that remains is where do we go from here?

Recently, I have rekindled a relationship with what is probably my favorite show ever, Mystery Science Theater 3000. The show was just too perfect. Perhaps it is my warped sense of humor, but whenever I watch either Joel Robinson or Mike Nelson and their trusty robot sidekicks get stuck watching another terrible film, it moves me to tears of joy. Literally, the show makes me cry from laughing so hard. If you have never seen the show, the premise is rather simple. It just is a show that makes fun of terrible movies, with a few sketches thrown in between for good measure. The sarcastic nature of the show has stuck with me through the years. I remember in 1991, when I was six, watching this show on the newly created Comedy Central network. My Dad came into the room wondering why I was laughing so hard. In between chuckles, I explained how funny this show was. Few people since then have thought the same that I have. No matter. If you love to laugh, try to find some MST3K videos somewhere. You will not be disappointed.

I just saw yet another terrible commercial in the government's futile battle against pot. This time, a girl's dog jumps onto her counter and tells her that he liked he more when she didn't smoke pot. That's it. They even CGI the dog's mouth to make it look like it was talking. As a general rule, talking animals do not do well when they are trying to convey a serious message. 

But this is a continuing cycle of terrible ads designed (I guess) to stop marijuana use in this country. Aren't you sick of all the commercials involving the poorly drawn cartoons with no animation? Or how about the ones with people losing their bones and shape because smoking weed makes you less apt to go outside? I do not understand what the goal of the ads are. To me, its almost as if the government is trying to make kids laugh so hard at the pathetic nature of them that they forget to light the bong.

It is my belief that marijuana should be legalized. It's impossible to overdose on. It seems to make people less combative than alcohol. It has been shown to have some medical benefits, including helping to alleviate symptoms of glaucoma. And there's more. Since the 80's Big Tobacco have trademarked names for when pot is legalized. At this point, it seems our Victorian-era values are all that stand in the way. Many want to say the right things, but chances are that those who rally against pot have tried it themselves. A recent study said that 54 percent of all adults in the U.S. have tried it at one point or another. So really, what are we trying to beat here? America has already lost the war on drugs a long time ago. But by admitting defeat and allowing a few concessions, we could end up winning the later battles. It's either that, or being subjected to Summer of Sam dogs on TV over and over.

I have been waiting a while to confirm this would be happening, but I am now happy to report that on Saturday, June 23rd, I will be doing my first ever show on commercial radio. The show will be airing on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Lucky for all of you, the show will also be broadcast live over the world's very wide web of networks at http://www.whtk.com. All you have to do to listen is click the icon in the upper right hand corner. Yes, the show will be mostly about sports. It is called The Shootaround, and I will be filling in for my boss Brian who has other obligations on that day. If at all possible, please listen in either at 1280 AM or online. It would be great, and if I don't suck, this could be the start of something big. Now you can all continue on with your lives.

For the first 18 years of my life, we all knew the big three anchors of Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. Those three were beloved because they were faces we knew and they could be trusted. Sadly, when Jennings retired and subsequently passed away, a major shift in the face of network news occurred. Jennings was eventually replaced on ABC by the multi-talented Charles Gibson. Brokaw left NBC and replaced by the very competent Brian Williams. And after Rather self-destructed with his agenda against the Bush administration, Katie Couric eventually settled into the anchor's chair in a historic hiring, becoming the first woman to be in charge of the national nightly news while flying solo.

Since this shift, Rather has moved on to the Mark Cuban-owned HDNet channel for a weekly hour-long program, but you have to believe that the heads at CBS wish he would just go away completely. He recently said in an interview that the hiring of Couric as head anchor has resulted in a "tart it up" newscast. CBS News President Leslie Moonves has decried the comment as sexist. While his word choice may not have been great, Rather is right.

The man was head anchor for almost 25 years, and some believe he did not choose to leave on his own terms. Moonves is an entertainment-first director, not news. And Couric seems to be better on fluff pieces that she used to do on Today. Her hiring has not been the Veronica Corningstone moment that CBS intended.

I applaud Rather for his statements and standing up to his former employer. Although his wording was off, his message was right on cue. Moonves has done a poor job since moving over from the sports arena. Rather was cut because he was third in the ratings, and guess where Couric is? I just hope that "tart it up" becomes a phrase in news circles the way "wardrobe malfunction" showed up in the entertainment realms.

Sorry it has been a while...there have been several reasons, including work and travel, that have prevented me from being able to write. But today I saw an event that convinces me we as a nation are closer and closer to our moment of Nero playing the fiddle around the fire. That, of course, is the Paris Hilton bullshit that has gripped our nation even after we turn blue in the face.

Even the company I work for, Clear Channel, was not immune. Our Top 40 station, 106.7 Kiss FM, had updates on the station and website all day. Thank God.

But what really stuns me is the manner in which Miss Hilton has been behaving. The deal is that if you get a DWI, then continually violate the terms of probation attached to said violation because your "handlers" did not explain it to you, you deserve a few days in prison. She is not starving, folks. Her cell is 100 feet. That's way bigger than my bedroom. Sure, it doesn't have her fluffy amenities that I'm sure she is used to, but she could be pissing in the same sink she washes in, too.

There are people who really feel bad for her. Why? Why would you feel bad for her? She is not a victim of her success. She hasn't had any success, actually. Her films, television shows and CD's have been flops. Even her porno wasn't that good. If I want to see someone violated in that manner in night vision, I can watch some troops violate prisoners in Abu Ghrab (yeah, I went there. Sorry.). Point being, you cannot be a victim of success if it is not there.

Seeing Paris in a car sans makeup and crying for her mother really gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction. The one thing that bothers me more than anything is when people cannot accept responsibility for their actions. Hey Paris, you f---ed up. You now can serve your prison sentence. And now we should not have to worry about you for the next few weeks. You'll be safe from yourself behind bars.

My favorite writer in the world is Bill Simmons. He is a columnist for ESPN.com and usually contributes two or three stories a week. One of his trademarks is the "running diary." In it, he shoots off a sarcastic sentence or two every few minutes during an event. His best annual ones are done during the NCAA Tournament and the NBA Draft, which reduce me to tears...tears of sheer bliss. Right now, I am praying to the heavens that somehow he is watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee that is on ESPN right now.

It's not right to make fun of kids for being smart. Most likely, they will be my boss at some point with the intelligence they possess. However, today I have seen two separate protests (at a spelling bee...) that make me wonder.

First, after his elimination, a kid went back to the dictionary and found a obsolete spelling of the word he had just blown. Apparently he did not know the definition of obsolete, because he would have then known that we do not spell that word like that anymore. Needless to say, his appeal has been denied.

The second, and certainly more dramatic event has been involving a kid who had finished third and second the past two years. He misspelled a word that was only six letters, clevis. He spelled it with "-ice" at the end, and in a post-spell(?) interview with ESPN's Stuart Scott said that he knew the word and just spelled it wrong. End of story, right? If you said yes, then you just got that teacher's bell they ring for wrong answers.

We are currently awaiting the results of a protest filed because, get this, the slightly altered pronunciation of the word was not said at the beginning, and should be rendered illegal. The best part is that the kid's mother/coach is the one who filed the protest. We hear all the time about parents pushing their children too hard in athletics. This is the same situation, just on the academic end. You can tell the pressure that these children, no older than 14, are under from their parents. It seems unfair, and the last thing we need in America is more kids with no discernible social skills.

1. Aaron Hill stole home against the Yankees last night. I would argue that's a sure sign that it is not your year, as the Yanks sit 21-29 and are tied for last with (ahem) the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the East Division of the American League. Yikes. We expect more from the premiere professional franchise in sports. Even teams like Manchester United are frightened by what the Yankees have done so far in the season's first 60 games have produced. I hope then Yanks finish a really distant 2nd. I am not an Red Sox fan, but as a fan of parity (and a firm believer that Roger Clemens is a terrible steroid abuser, which benefits muscle recovery more, not building of muscles) I would love to see the Red Sox, Indians (my number 1 team), Angels and Tigers show us something exciting come October.


2. The World Bank is one the few groups in which we, as Americans, still have some sort of respect in the international field. So, with Paul Wolfowitz resigning, why should we expect anything else than a Bush loyal like Robert Zoellick to be named predecessor so we can piss away anything left. In fact, how can we give this administration anything more than complete apathy at this point. To call this grouping a lame duck administration would be an insult to all limping ducks in our nation. Just pull the plug, George. You are not fooling anyone at this point.

I visited Jes down in Olean this past weekend. It was creepy in a way. The only time we went on campus was on Friday night. I was able to get a piece of the old Reilly Center floor that they have torn up. It will make a nice table at some point.

But man, that place dies without any college students. I understand that the towns have a love/hate relationship with the inhabitants of the university, and at some points it is obvious why. But without any major entertainment besides a stop by Wal-Mart or watching a movie, there is little to do. When we were driving home on Saturday night, it looked like the Burton was even closed. There were no lights on outside or in. It seems kind of sad in a way. 

Just do not let anyone tell you in Allegany that the town is better when students are gone. They are lonely people.