Begley's Best

Actor Ed Begley Jr.'s home cleaning product. As stated on his website,

"Begley's Best™ is a terrific all-purpose cleaner designed to replace all other household cleaning products! Discover its unique effectiveness, versatility and safety for yourself."

Super Bowl Rap

2009 SUPER BOWL RAP BY PAUL BROGAN

Coachella 2009 Announced!

Country Girl Fairytale

Here is my middle school friend who is trying her hand at the Nashville music scene. She was on CMT's Can You Duet and I think she is truly amazing. Here she is singing her new song "Country Girl Fairytale". She is awesome and I want you to check her out and spread the news about RUTH COLLINS!



Here is the link to her MySpace and her YouTube pages.

More CMT Shows More CMT Videos

The Woman of Nurburgring

NHL All-Star Game

The NHL held its 57th All-Star Game in Montreal this weekend. It resulted in the first shootout since the 2003 All-Star Game in Florida. Here is the highlight reel from NHL Video on YouTube.

Daft Punk Coachella '06

Here is Daft Punk's entire performance at the 2006 Coachella Art & Music Festival.



I'm still hitting myself in the head that I didn't go that year. Oh well - I went for the second day in 2003 and both days in 2005 and both were awesome experiences. If you have the opportunity I highly suggest going to Coachella.

Introducing the next great American pastime: BEER PONG

by ESPN.com's Rick Reilly

Courtesy Claire Corbin/Corbin Photography

There is only one place I know that combines tiny balls, plastic cups and vats of beer. Besides Jose Canseco's house, that is.

It's a beer pong tournament. This is a sport that requires a steady hand, faulty hearing and a titanium liver. It's believed that 73% of all tuition money goes toward it.

Beer pong is played on a table slightly smaller than Ping-Pong's, by teams of two. Ten cups, filled about one-third with beer, are set like bowling pins at the ends. As you try to toss or bounce a Ping-Pong ball into the cups on the side opposite yours, opponents jump and yell unspeakables about your mother. If you make it, they must drink it. First team to sink all 10 cups wins. It's very sophisticated.

"I HAD THAT MONEY SPENT."

But the beer pong I play is nothing like the kind in the World Series of Beer Pong, which I covered recently at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. That's where North America's 414 best pong teams competed for the $50,000 first prize. Second prize: bubkes. Gulp.

You have never seen such large people throw such tiny objects into such small receptacles with such hair-raising frequency. The best teams hit about 70% of their shots on the eight-foot tables. That's like pitching a quarter into a parking meter slot seven times out of 10.

More shocking was that it was more about pong than booze. Four of the 10 cups were filled with water, which worked out to one beer per player per hour. Regular pongers pour more than that on their Raisin Bran.

In fact, drinking was optional. One team used only water in the first round—Mrs. and Mrs. Lara and Kristin Mendez of New York City. That's right, two married women. Beer Pong: changing the world.

• What else can you do with a ping-pong ball?

Still, there were quality team names, such as: He Sucks … I'm Good; Beer Pong … Because Jesus Would; and Chase's Mom ATM. There was also Francois the Butt Dusters, made up of my sons, Jake (21) and Kel (23). The Dusters started off 4–0, including a W over a team from Rochester, whose members, no joke, would, out of nowhere, slap each other hard on the face. The slapee, red-cheeked, would look at his partner—stunned—and then yell, "Yeeeeahhh!!!" One guy from Jersey ripped his shirt off just before a crucial point. One team played sitting on each other's shoulders.

The real drama centered on Albany's the Iron Wizard Coalition. These guys made last year's finals and sank their final cup while their opponents, Chauffeuring the Fat Kid, still needed four. They went triple Gramatica, jumping and dancing and hugging. "I had that money spent," says Mike Hulse, 28, of the Wizards.

But they forgot about beer pong's diabolical redemption rule, which allows a last chance as long as you don't miss another cup. Fat Kid never did. Four straight sinks. Pong history. Kid wound up winning the game and the cash. "Do I think about it?" says Hulse, who doesn't make much working for a cable company. "I think about it every time I look at a bill. Every freakin' time."

Alas, the Wizards wound up 49th this year. The Butt Dusters finished a valiant 182nd. The finals came down to the tourney faves: Smashing Time (Ron Hamilton and Michael "Pops" Popielarski, both 25) vs. Getcha Popcorn Ready (Brian Nentwig and Joe Radesco, both 23). The 6'4", 280-pound Hamilton chugged a bottle of Jack Daniel's beforehand. "The key today," he said later, "was me getting real drunk." (Maybe it wasn't always more about pong than booze.)

Popcorn, winner of the loser's bracket, needed to win both games to be crowned King Pong. Smashing Time had to win only one. Popcorn won Game 1. The next would be for everything. And that's when I saw something I've never seen in sports.

The two teams had made a secret deal before the match: If Popcorn won Game 1 and the tourney continued, the winners would give the losers $3,000. Can you imagine? "Tell you what," Kobe says to KG before Game 7. "Winner buys the loser a Rolls. Deal?"

Bad move for Smashing Time, which then proceeded to sink little white balls just like in Tiger's dreams. They used only 12 shots to make their final 10 and win easily. Twelve balls, 10 cups. Try that at home.

It should be noted that the final was filled with honor. Nobody mentioned anybody's sister or flashed unwelcome appendages. That's good. All this bush league stuff will have to go if we're going to take beer pong to the next level: the Olympics.

Hope they don't test for whiskey.

My Message to President Obama

As a foreign-born naturalized citizen of the United States I want to thank you for breaking down yet another barrier in society. May there come a day when someone like myself who was adopted at 2 months old can become President too. I have been an American for all of my conscious life. Throughout that time I have always been a student of American history and a believer that we are the greatest nation in the world. Thank you President Obama for restoring hope and character to the highest office.

Poor Air Quality Persists in Casino Restaurants Despite Indoor Air Act

From the Green Lodging News - 01/11/2009

LAS VEGAS—More than two years after Nevada voters passed legislation banning smoking in a majority of the state’s indoor public places and all of its restaurants, researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Kentucky have found that restaurants in some Southern Nevada casinos still contain unsafe levels of secondhand smoke.

With the close proximity of nonsmoking restaurants to smoking-allowed gaming areas, UNLV assistant professor of nursing Nancy York and Kiyoung Lee, associate professor of public health at the University of Kentucky, measured air quality samples from 16 casinos in Southern Nevada to gauge the relationship between overall indoor air quality and restaurant air quality.

Researchers tested eight on-Strip and eight off-Strip casino restaurant and gaming areas in Henderson and Las Vegas between November 2007 and March 2008. While all tested casino restaurant areas had less secondhand smoke pollution than casino gaming areas, 12 of 16 restaurants tested contained air pollution levels exceeding the annual U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendation for air quality. Three of these 12 restaurants exceeded levels recommended by the EPA as safe for children, the elderly and those with heart or lung diseases.

Secondhand Smoke Migrates

“Even though casino restaurants are supposed to be nonsmoking by state law, the open air floor plan of casinos creates a shared air space, resulting in secondhand smoke migrating from the gaming floor into the restaurants and creating health hazards of secondhand smoke exposure to those present, whether it is workers or patrons,” said Nancy York, UNLV assistant professor of nursing and lead investigator on the study. “Secondhand smoke naturally drifts in the air currents and ventilation systems can distribute secondhand smoke throughout a building.”

Air quality in gaming areas of all casinos tested exceeded levels the EPA recommends as safe, confirming previous studies showing that the majority of casino gaming areas have unsafe levels of air pollution.

“These findings have serious life-threatening consequences for casino employees and patrons,” said York. “Previous research has found smoke-filled casinos can have up to 50 times more cancer-causing particles in the air than highways and city streets during rush hour traffic. Our research helps to confirm this.”

Risk of DNA Damage

Chris Pritsos, a University of Nevada, Reno professor, found in his previous research that casino employees exposed to secondhand smoke at work suffer from increased DNA damage, which can lead to greater risks of developing cancers and heart disease.

York plans to expand the study to include additional nonsmoking areas in casinos such as daycare areas, movie theaters, arcades and bowling alleys.

The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act was enacted in December 2006 and prohibits smoking in all indoor spaces in Nevada with the exception of areas typically off-limits to children, including casino gaming areas.

Go to UNLV.

ESPN Looks at Race Relations

Star Wars According to Dack

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Best Reggae Covers

Here is my list for the best reggae covers ever!

15. Big Mountain - Baby I Love Your Way : Original by Peter Frampton

14. Ali Campbell - Every Little She Does Is Magic : Original by the Police

13. Jimmy Riley - Sexual Healing : Original by Marvin Gaye

12. Chaka Demus & The Pliers - Twist & Shout : Original by the Beatles

11. UB-40 & Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe : Original by Sonny & Cher

10. Derrick Laro & Trinity - Don't Stop Til You Get Enough : Original by Michael Jackson

9. Pat Kelly - Whiter Shade of Pale : Original by Procol Harum

8. Dennis Brown - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay : Original by Otis Redding

7. Peter Tosh - Johnny B. Goode : Original by Chuck Berry

6. Easy Star All-Stars - Karma Police : Original by Radiohead

5. UB-40 - Can't Help Falling in Love : Original by Elvis Presley

4. Toots & The Maytals - Hey Jude : Original by the Beatles

3. The Heptones - I Shall Be Released : Original by Bob Dylan

2. Eek-A-Mouse - D'yer Maker : Original by Led Zeppelin

1. Easy Star All-Stars - Money : Original by Pink Floyd

Reggae Temptations

Just My Imagination - Reggae Acoustic

Wedding Favors

Make custom t-shirts at CustomInk.com

Sabres Stun Stars

Goldfish Racing

Here is Goldfish Racing at Bar 24 in South Lake Tahoe.

Yeah, I'm having my Bachelor Party there! WOO HOO!

"Not Alone Any More" The Traveling Wilburys

Satan Has a Bunny Named Scooter

Look Ma' - They named a song after me!

Satan Has A Bunny Named Scooter

I Call Them Family

Umm . . . yeah

*NOTE* Contains nudity.

Check out this video from a Danish Ad.

I didn't embed it because of the nudity. But that is one weird but bad-ass commercial.

Fishing with Mike & Mike

Gift to our Wedding Party

Here is a t-shirt design I've been working on for our wedding party.

Make custom t-shirts at CustomInk.com

PRESS THE SPACEBAR!!!

Here is a repost from one of my favorite boredom games.

PRESS THE SPACEBAR!

Press the Spacebar 2000


I got:

42 in 5 seconds

90 in 10 seconds &

155 in 20 seconds (OH THE PAIN!)

This time around!

Jen's Vegas B-Day

For those of you who don't know, Jenny and I don't buy gifts for each other for Christmas, Valentine's, Easter, or any other odd reason you can think of. Instead what we do is go over-the-top for birthdays.
We feel that its the only holiday that truly matters. A holiday celebrating simply the fact that you exist. You're here, alive another year, and it's time for those around you to thank you for your precense and for all the things you do. So finally, after tossing around several ideas it seems as though Jenny and I have decided on what to do for her birthday. On what is likely to be her last birthday in Vegas we're going to go all out with a Vegas birthday.

We start the day checking into our new remodeled Widescreen View Room at the Excalibur. Hopefully we'll receive a Strip view and not the classic Vegas mountain/rooftop view. With our hotel check-in we get lots of free perks: 2 VIP Admissions to ROK Vegas AND LAX Nightclubs, 2 Free Pints at the Monte Carlo Brew Pub, a Free Appetizer at Dick's Last Resort AND Company American Bistro, 2-for-1 Breakfast at Il Fornaio, and 2-for-1 tickets to the Tournament of Kings Dinner Show. Not to mention the 25-30% off at Criss Angel's Believe, Lance Burton's Magic, and the Zumanity shows.
Then we'll gamble and drink some more before heading over to the Tropicana where a Mizuno's reservation will be waiting for us. Eating over Hibachi-style grills and classic Japanese Teppan tableside cooking we'll fill our stomachs.

Then if all that wasn't enough we're going to the Comedy Stop at the Trop to catch some up and coming comedians on the Las Vegas Strip. And I can't forget to mention the free drinks we get with our tickets there too!

Finally we'll walk back over to the Excalibur and if we still have any ounce of energy left we'll hit up ROK Vegas, LAX Nightclub or our favorite, Dick's Last Resort. A crash and rude bar, Dick's is an awesome place to grab a fun drink while hammered late night. Don't forget to ask for your paper hat, customized to each recipient, they have bold statements describing the fun faults of the wearer.

Hopefully we can make it back to the room before sun-up and bare witness to the Las Vegas Strip aglow. It looks good in the planning stage, lets see if it can all pan out!

'NHL 09' beats 'NHL 2K9' in a slick shootout

By Brett Molina, USA TODAY

Time again for the annual faceoff: Electronic Arts vs. 2K Sports. Both companies usher in the start of the professional hockey season with the releases of NHL 09 and NHL 2K9 respectively. Which one has the edge? Here's a closer look:

'NHL 09'

Competition thwarted, and it didn't require an exclusive licensing deal. Instead, Electronic Arts dominates the ice through innovation and a stellar level of control.

Much like they did with the Madden NFL franchise, EA takes career modes a step further with Be a Pro. When you first boot up, you create a player and receive a quick lesson on analog stick-handling.

Be a Pro uses experience points and leveling up to transform your rookie minor leaguer into an NHL MVP. Take my rookie center, for example. As a Playmaker, he rates high in passing stats but lower on shot power. I can take those points and shore up my slapshot weaknesses or further bolster my passing.

During games, your coach grades you on positioning, team play, and stats. The higher your overall grade, the more experience points you net. You'll also receive a short-list of goals you must achieve to reach new experience levels.

Each moment on the ice is viewed from a tighter third-person perspective. When your player steps off ice after a shift, he'll sit and rest up while watching your teammates. Think fights are fun? Not when you have to sit for five minutes peering through the glass of the penalty box.

Most intriguing is the ability to take your player online and develop him in online leagues via the EA Sports Hockey League. You'll play solely with human-controller teammates on clubs of up to 50 players.

On the ice, controlling players feels very natural. The shot stick is precise, allowing you deftly to maneuver the puck left and right as you deke defensemen. Tenacious computer opponents sweeten the reward of scoring goals. On offense, they're equally smart. Miss a body check, and your opposition faces the goalie unopposed. Keeping players in front of you becomes crucial.

The weak spot this season is fighting. Scraps are short. Two punches and the opponent is floored. No need to grab or dodge. Because hook and fight share the same button, you can find yourself in unintentional brawls. But that's the lone rough patch in an otherwise smooth, gratifying hockey experience.

'NHL 2K9'

Visual Concepts is used to owning EA in NBA circles, but it's got some work to do before approaching them in the NHL.

Taking over the series starting this season, the developer has created a solid hockey simulation in need of more creative ideas.

The most notable element to NHL 2K9 is its debut on the Nintendo Wii. With flicks of the remote, you fire off slapshots. Faking out defenders requires only a shake of the nunchuk. Defense is just as easy. Slash opposing forwards with the remote and deliver hard-hitting checks by shaking the nunchuk.

Passing is trickier. Using a target on the screen, you point to a spot on the ice with the remote and press a button to pass. Sounds simple enough. The tricky part is keeping track of your player while lining up the remote for the pass.

What's surprising about the Wii version is a lack of casual challenges. Other than a Zamboni driving mini-game and maybe the shootout, there's little else. The game would be more engaging with some simpler challenges to entice novices.

The action on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is satisfying at times but not very memorable. The innovations touted most have been the Zamboni game and the debut of playoff beards.

On ice, the action is fun but could use some tweaking. Puck handling with the analog stick feels slow. Defenders aren't aggressive enough. Your defense boils down to one strategy: Body-check opponents into oblivion. Fighting now adds a neat balance dynamic, where you have to maintain your balance while throwing punches.

Online, 2K includes a Reelmaker feature to capture and share highlights. For the first time, players can also participate in online team matches with all human teammates and opponents.

All versions of the game also revamp the presentation with a slick broadcast television-style layout. Sideline reporters offer mid-game accounts while periods conclude with a polished highlight package.

Visual Concepts has a strong track record in hoops, so don't be surprised if they translate that success into hockey. Just don't expect it this season.

Australian Open 2009

Men's Singles

The Main Draw will be released on Friday 16 January and play begins Monday 19 January, 2009. The Australian Open Website will have full draw sheets from the five main draw tournaments, the four junior tournaments and the wheelchair tournament. These pages display completed match scores and the progression of the players in each event (Men's Singles, Women's Singles, etc.) and allow you to view the next and previous round match-ups (where available).

Draws for Qualifying may be found here:
Qualifying Men's Singles
Qualifying Women's Singles

2009 Winter Classic

Il Divo - Winner Take All

Rick Jeanneret's Top 10 Calls

Better Attempt in '09

We'll try and actually post this year. . .