I can't take this!!

NBA Playoffs 2007.
This was supposed to feel like Christmas! It was supposed to be simple, easy, and quick! Who are these Golden State Warriors we are playing? I for sure have not seen them this year.
This was OUR YEAR!!!

I'm so devastated over this first round of the playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks. I'm sick over it. I just cannot believe that we are down 3-1 right now, and have to win 3 straight games over this team in order to get into the second freaking round.

I'm not mad at them. I'm just mad. And I'm sad and embarrassed for them, because this is not the team they have been all year. Their legacy should not be set in stone as the only NBA team in history to lose their first place status in the first round of the playoffs!!!

If you're not a basketball fan, a sports fan, or especially a Mavs fan, then you probably think it's ridiculous that Ive spent so much time mourning these losses. But for some reason, it just really feels crappy. I want them to win so badly...

I realize they are not playing as well as normal, and I also realize that the Warriors are playing exceptionally more outstanding than they have for this entire year. But that doesn't soften the blows. I'm thinking of their reputations. It's just NOT STINKIN' FAIR.

I am a dedicated Mavs fan, and nothing that happens at the conclusion of this season will change that. If anything, I will show MORE support and MORE dedication!! But, I can't hide the disappointment. It's just gutwrenching.

On Alec Baldwin

First of all, I've always thought that he seemed like a jerk. So no matter what, my opinion of him is more or less just confirmed by the recent incident of his.

Second of all, I realize that this is ridiculous that I'm making time to comment...
BUT.

I'm sorry. If I were his ex-wife, and he was calling up my ELEVEN-year-old daughter and yelling at her like that, you better believe I'd be telling everyone!! Especially if he were famous.

She's E-LEVEN!! Hello?!?!?

Let's Think About This for A Brief Moment...

"The procedure at issue involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus, then crushing or cutting its skull to complete the abortion."

This is an excerpt from an article I just read about the Court upholding, thankfully, the ban on partial birth abortion. Let me rephrase the above sentence with the appropriate verbiage:

"The procedure at issue involves partially removing the BABY intact from a woman's uterus, then crushing or cutting THE BABY'S skull to complete the abortion."

Really. Does that seem like something that should even be up for discussion? Much less made legal??

Ironic that April just happens to be National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

I am so disgusted by the fact that someone could even try to legitimize this procedure, and turn it into something "positive". What's even more sickening is that the ban was only upheld by a 5 to 4 vote.

Sad. So, instead of just choosing not to have sex with someone whose baby you don't want let's just crush its skull to make your life more convenient. HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE TEENAGER WHO GETS HER BOYFRIEND TO JUMP ON HER STOMACH TO KILL HER BABY?????? She was on Oprah having the whole world gasp at her inhumanity. Are we going to do that with the doctors who perform this "surgery"???

(Understand here, I realize that some people choose to have abortions because of pregnancy due to rape or molestation, etc. But statistics show that those numbers are STAGGERINGLY minimal compared to those who are choosing abortion because it doesn't fit into their current lifestyle. Look it up before you decide to throw that argument at me. Even then, it still doesn't justify the means I'm talking about.)

Mere Christianity...

The one good thing about my fake Intro to Adult Education class, (which is really a way of asking while simultaneously substantially charging me for this elaborate means of introspection... "You may be an adult, make a living, have a career and parent little future adults, but do you really know what you're talking about and are you worthy of getting a degree?") is that I am forced to read a little Christian philosophy. Which I always pretend I would love to read, but if I did really want to read it I would have done so... So, for my research paper which is due Thursday, I'm reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

What a genius.

Today's gem: (on the topic of pride vs. 'proud of')
"To love and admire anything outside of yourself is to take one step away from utter spiritual ruin; though we shall not be well so long as we love and admire anything more than we love and admire God."

"...if you really get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble - delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life."

On the topic of faith:
"Now Faith, in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change, whatever view your reason takes... Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole things looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable... unless you teach your moods 'where they get off,'you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion. Consequently one must train the habit of Faith."

What Just Happened Here?

I'm sorry...

I'm in a bit of a daze... I just finished watching tonight's results episode of American Idol. Or did I? I'm still waiting for Ryan to come back on and say it was all a big practical joke. I mean, considering they can't air on April Fools Day, maybe tonight was their only night to play any practical jokes. After all, he never did say "Seacrest.Out." So it can't possibly be over...

Or am I truly just reeling in the unbelief of Sanjaya and Haley sliding by once more into safety?!?! Is this really happening?

What.the.hell.

Many "props" to Gina. For being awesome. I'm sorry you got a bum deal tonight.

Let's just pretend that Sanjaya and Haley don't exist. And if they continue to remain on the show, that's the only way to stomach the whole debacle. Or we (I'm saying "we" here, because I'm assuming you are all on my side. Because you're good, caring, thoughtful, TASTEFUL and awesome) will need to spend the two hours following Tuesday night's show on the phone, voting continuously for the 6 remaining good singers. I'll let you know the verdict after next Wednesday.

Till next week's rant...

Don't Trust Time Warner Cable!!

In the interest of protecting future consumers, and more importantly my friends, I've decided I must let you know of the CRAP that is Time Warner Cable DVR.

Now, I watch a lot of shows. It is by far a huge weakness that I have chosen to ignore. That said, I am mostly a devotee to only shows that are saved on my DVR. I know the shows I want to watch, and I pretty much stop there. This is why DVR is wonderfully handy. I look up my shows, set them to record, and go about my way. Since the primary, scratch that.... ONLY function of DVR is to tape shows in the event that you are able to watch them at will, when said function is not being performed, DVR then becomes void of purpose or point. It is nothing.

Let me relate to you the recent events that have me seething:

1. As you know I am a complete American Idol wreck. I realize it's lame, and there's no need to reinforce that in your comments should you care to leave one. That's just a fact. So, imagine my devastation when TWO, not one, but TWO weeks in a row, my beloved show is just carelessly tossed aside, simply because my TIME WARNER CABLE DVR decides it just feels like maybe it's been working a little too hard lately. YOu know, with all the constant updating and then having me record something and then go back in and delete it, maybe TWC just decided it wasn't that big of a deal, because maybe I wouldn't watch it later, and why do all that work for someone who may not take notice of all that hard work?! I'm not bitter. Oh no. Just a little peeved that I missed Sanjaya's mohawk. Or whatever that mess was.

2. House. Repeate scenario above, but replace AI with House. Jackie, I know. devastating.

3. Grey's Anatomy. YES, you heard me right. GREY'S FREAKING ANATOMY. In the middle of the episode (granted it was a repeat, so maybe TWC thought, "eh, she's seen this one before... why bother?") the screen starts pixillating and acting as if I am watching a badly loading YouTube video. You know, the whole "buffering" frustration??? Try having that on your TELEVISION.

4. Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns game today. Okay, so, maybe TWC had a point here. The game was going badly for Dallas, and maybe TWC was feeling as if I deserved a break from my emotional stress of watching this game. So, repeating the YouTube-esque scenario, throughout the game, I eventually had to turn it off. (ok, secretly, I did turn it off because I was getting so upset over the lack of shooting skills the Mavs were putting up against the Suns who couldn't miss a shot - damn! - but still!!)

5. Tonight - The Apprentice. Right before the crucial deciding discussion between Trump, the executives and the Apprentii... again. Pixillating, "buffering", sputtering, freezing... everything BUT letting me enjoy a smooth watching experience. Thank God it was during real-time, so I could at least see the last half. (poor Tim. I liked him.)

6. Tonight... Brothers and Sisters. I adore this show. For the last forever weeks it has been playing reruns. But not tonight! Tonight was a new episode!! Not that I get to watch it, because once again, the freezing. To the point where the show actually went black and TWC kindly informed me it wasn't "able to process my request". Well, I don't remember requesting anything, I was merely sitting enjoying Kitty meet the Senator's children. IS that a crime?!?! IS IT!?!

People, I've had it. TIME WARNER CABLE DVR is going DOWN.

DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT get this cable service. It is a disgrace to all cable services. It is a disgrace to DVR. It is a disgrace to me.

Tomorrow we will examine our DVR options, and will shortly remove the devil box from our apartment, anoint the room with some sort of Catholic oil, and go about our Verizon Fios way. (or some other way... I'll keep you posted as events unfold)