We Traded Vazquez for what?!?!

So I’m back digging being a frequent blogger again.  Good news for me, and even better news for you true believer.  Let’s start with how I woke up this morning, which is news out of the ATL that staff ace Javier Vazquez has been traded to the Yankees for Melkey Cabrera and what I believe to be Garbage Pail Kids Adam Bomb and Drew Blood (unconfirmed).  Good for Wren for getting a couple of tough to find old school Garbage Pail Kids for his collection, bad if you’re a fan of the team that plays its games off Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.  Let’s take a look at how this bad boy went down.

October-ish – the Braves re-sign one time Wunderkind Tim Hudson (picked up his team option for ‘10), thus giving us 6 starting pitchers.  In case you didn’t know, most teams go with 5 starters during the regular season.  The most attractive trade option (and the guy most trade rumors swirled around) was Javier Vazquez, because he was a power pitcher who had a fantastic ERA at 2.87.  He probably wins the Cy Young with an ounce of run support, but we’ll never know.  Know what, I just realized something, I forgot a key element to this Vazquez for Cabrera deal.

Sometime in the summer of 1957 – Frank Wren’s dad forgets wrap up whilst engaging in relations with Ms. Wren.  Flash forward fifty some years, and Javier Vazquez gets traded to the Yankees for a very average outfielder.  Back to the timeline.

November ‘09 – With 6 starting pitchers, Wren begins to shop the services of Derek Lowe (Carolyn Hughes not included.  Don’t get that reference?  Google her).  Derek Lowe is the pitcher we signed to a roughly $60 million deal last off-season to help shore up the staff.  Lowe wasn’t our first choice of starting pitchers brought in, as we were able to land Javier Vazquez in a trade with Chicago (I still think Shuerholz had more to do with this trade, but that’s another discussion for another time).  So we over-pay for Lowe, thus making him the ace of the staff.  Then the season started, and it became clear that Vazquez had the nasty stuff to be a legit staff ace, he just lacked run support.

*Back story – Lowe wasn’t our first choice, we tried to land A.J. Burnett from the Blue Jays (he ended up signing with the Yankees).  Back in the day (I miss the Ted Turner owned Braves; an ass with a billion dollars, finally got it together when he let John Shuerholz run the team and brought back Bobby Cox).  The reason I bring up A.J. Burnett is because he took the offer from the Yankees because it was a shorter drive for his wife, who hates to fly (they live in Baltimore).  A fairly legit reason, but the thing is Wren and the Braves were rebuffed by almost every free agent they pursued.  How did the Braves go from the hot girl every guy wanted to get with to the worn out has-been with the herpes sore over her lip (apologies for the graphic image, but the analogy is so apt in this instance).  Furcal re-signed with the Dodgers, Griffey told Chipper he was coming to the Braves, only to re-sign with the Mariners.  So in the ‘08 off season, Wren proved that he couldn’t close, which also makes me think that he’s less than stellar as a wingman (a topic we can discuss later).

December ‘09 – Wren’s having a bitch of a time moving Lowe (Really?  Teams don’t want to pay $15 million a year for a guy with a 4.67 ERA?).  See, the Braves payroll is around $95 million (give or take), and they stick to that number.  It’s not like we’re the Marlins or the Pirates by any means, but if the Braves are going to move that guy off their payroll, they want whomever takes him to pick up a large (i.e. all) portion of his salary, and that’s just not happening.  Enter our ace, Javier Vazquez.  He’s in the final year of an $11.5 million per year contract, and he’s probably due a nice raise.  Wren should’ve nutted up and not re-signed Hudson, thus leaving the staff the way it was (Vazquez as your ace, followed by Jair Jurrgens, Tommy Hanson, and Derek Lowe).  That’s a very good staff right there, with the Braves needing a bat (or 2) to go from potential wild card contender back to where we belong amongst the league’s elite.  So what does Wren do?  Deals our ace and a reliever (Boone Logan, I guess he just comes with Vazquez now, since he was dealt to the Braves initially with him from the White Sox) to the Yankees and gets their BACK-UP CF and a couple of prospects.  Let me point that out again.  I live in New York, literally about 5 minutes from the Yankee Stadium, so I’ve seen my share of Yankee games.  They have a plethora of OF’s, and we got the guy that Brett Gardner beat out.  I guess it’s better than a dozen baseballs and a NY Lotto ticket.  Oh, and we still need a bat.  I’m not a psychic, nor am I a prophet (I can play one on TV), but here’s how Wren will sell Braves fans:

1)  Well, I couldn’t move Lowe, so I had to move a starter.  We just re-signed Hudson, so that wasn’t going to happen, and since Jurrgens and Hanson are the future of the organization (at least until Scott Boras takes them to free agency), they’re untouchable, which leaves us with the Kenshin Kawakami (how do you say “middle relief” in Japanese?), Derek Lowe, and Javier Vazquez.  Lowe’s too expensive to move, so Vazquez makes for a nice one season rental with low risk for a team.

2)  The money we save on paying Vazquez represents about $9 million a year we now have to spend on a bat, while we still have a good starting rotation (it’s OK at best now, sort of where the Phillies are…maybe not as good, since they now have Roy Halladay as their ace).  So we’ll use that money to lure in the (mark my words, he’ll say it) “best power hitter we can possibly get.” (We’ll end up with Mark DeRosa).  If you’re thinking Jason Bay or Matt Holliday are coming to Atlanta, you probably also liked the movie “Good Luck Chuck.”  It’s not going to happen (those guys will get in the neighborhood of $18 to $20 million a year).  Difference makers like the aforementioned players make considerably more than $9 million a year.  Essentially, Wren did not make the Braves better (I’m confidant in that fact even if we do bring in an alleged “bat,” you subtracted your biggest arm, the trade-off being the rotation isn’t as good as it was and you’re not going to get the difference making bat the Braves desperately need.  Nice job Wren. 

2 updates in 1 week?!?!?!

I know, it sounds crazy, but I’m doing it.  It also makes it easy that I have Windows Writer on my laptop, and with the click of a button, I can update my blog.  I think it’s a good idea for an aspiring writer to update his blog as much as possible (let’s gun for 2 times a week), since practice makes perfect.  Also, a big shout out to Alicia for giving me the news update idea.  I think I’ll be incorporating it into the blog sooner rather than later.  Anyway, let’s move on.

First, a rant on buying books for school.  What a scam.  Seriously.  If you’ve been to college, you know the routine, you pay a shitload of money for classes, and once you get said classes, they tell you that you have to buy another shitload of books for said class.  Oh, and when you try to “sell” them back at the end of the semester/quarter/whatever the hell your school is on, you get maybe 10% of what you initially spent.  While I don’t necessarily have a problem with this practice (pawn shops work in a very similar matter), I have a huge problem with an establishment making a certain economic system the bad guy (in this case capitalism), when in fact said university/school fully engages in all of the benefits and privileges offered by the aforementioned economic system.  To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever brought that up.  Glad I could be the first (of sorts).  Anyway, let’s wrap up the week and what has happened.

Christmas is upon us (or Festivus if you’re a devotee of “Seinfeld”).  I usually spend the holidays (or day, since it’s one day, but you get my drift) with my family in Jacksonville, FL, but I won’t be able to make it down this year.  Not the end of the world by any means.  I love seeing my cousins at Christmas, and it’s really the coolest thing for Kevin (my brother) and I to head down there.  It’s like we’re total rock stars heading in.  I’m gunning for a January visit since tickets are a bit cheaper, I’ll have more time (possibly….if I sign up for a level 5 class at UCB, we’ll have to play it by ear).  Anyway, I’ll be lobbing a call the St. John’s River area on Christmas to say hello to the fam.  If you’re reading this blog and you’re estranged/pissed off/angry/MIA with your family, lob them a call.  And there goes my public service announcement for the day.

“Avatar” is looking pretty sick.  Most of the previews I’ve seen concerning this film have had me kind of “meh.”  Visually, it looks bad ass.  However, everything I’ve heard about the movie since it’s debut has been über positive.  If “Thundercats” the live action film ever gets made, they need to bring James Cameron and the production crew of “Avatar” on board.  Wow, I just got an Avatar-style image of “Thundercats,” with Wesley Snipes as Panthro and Tim Roth as Tygra.  OK, make THIS movie NOW!!!

On the nerd side of things, the “Iron Man 2” trailer hit the internet this week, and I can’t WAIT for this bad boy.  It’s so refreshing to see a director, writer, and cast so solidly on board with this project.  Memo to Hollywood when making a comic book movie:  these things are cash cows.  They won’t NOT make money.  There are a plethora of nerds with disposable incomes (because they’re not spending money on girls) to spend on the movie.  Give the nerds the movie they want, get a cast and crew that want to do the movie and care about it, stick to the source material (as close as possible), and you’re gold.  God, I hope “Avengers” doesn’t suck.

On a sad note, actress Brittany Murphy passed away today at the age of 32.  While 32 would’ve been considered ancient in the Bronze Age, it’s incredibly young by today’s measures (a year older than yours truly).  Cause of death is listed as cardiac arrest (heart attack for my readers who aren’t that well read).  OK, a couple of things; I’m not making any jokes.  When Rick James died, I gladly made jokes because the cause of death was listed as “natural causes,” and anyone who holds another person hostage at hot crack pipe point (true story) doesn’t die of natural causes.  I’m a given skeptic, so the first inkling is to think drugs since women don’t typically have heart attacks, and it’s even more rare for a woman in her early 30’s to suffer a heart attack.  I hope foul play wasn’t or substance abuse wasn’t involved, but that’s where the autopsy comes in.  My deepest sympathies and condolences to her family and friends for this untimely tragedy.  

That’s all I have for this week.  Let’s hope I can stick to Alicia’s idea and keep updating on a regular basis and keep her idea (I can’t take credit for it) going on a regular basis.  OUT!

Waxing Philosophical regarding Tiger Woods

So it seems like old news, and everyone and their mom has had an opinion regarding the matter, now it’s my turn.  In case you’ve been under a rock or rolling with an Aborigine tribe, you’ve heard about Tiger Woods and his endless line of honeys.  Without further adieu, here we go.

Tiger cheated on his wife and the fit is hitting the shan.  Let’s point a few things out.  First, Tiger isn’t a private citizen.  If it’s John and Jane Doe down the street, and no one knows who the hell they are, it’s a private matter.  When you’re the “Athlete of the Decade,” the face of the PGA, and you roll with Michael Jordan on the golf course, guess what?  You’re not a private citizen.  Unfortunately, you’re not a private citizen and your dirty laundry because public knowledge.  Don’t believe me?  I’ll give an example; Bill Clinton placed a cigar in an interns nether-regions.  If no one knew who Clinton was, he’s just another old dude who’s banging his intern.  Not terribly uncommon (unfortunately).  However, Clinton was the President of the United States and he was married (not to the intern).  It’s not a private matter.  You want to be a household name?  Get ready to deal with the proverbial shit-storm that’s going to follow.  Want to keep that stuff private?  Don’t be famous.

The next thing I want to point out is the fact that arguably the most recognizable, wealthiest athlete on the planet cheated on his wife.  “He seemed like such a nice guy,” etc.  If I’ve learned one thing in my three decades on this planet it’s nothing is what it seems.  Just because Tiger seems like a super nice guy doesn’t mean that he is.  He’s not Christ or Ghandi, but he’s not Pol Pot or Stalin.  He is human.  Having said that, he’s an athlete.  He’s loaded.  He can get any woman on the planet.  Are we really that surprised that the highest paid athlete in the world cheated on his wife?  That’s what these guys do.  It’s not limited to just athletes, but it’s how they roll.  It’s not out of the realm of their behavior.  I’ll give another example; you meet a woman who’s profession is “exotic dancer” (PC for…well, you know).  Let’s say you meet her out and about, and not at her place of employment (location isn’t important).  Whilst getting to know this young lady, you come to find out she’s got a kid and the baby daddy is behind bars.  Would you really be surprised to learn that this young lady had a substance abuse problem or ran away from home at 17?  I’d be more shocked to learn that this exotic dancer were a Julliard trained cellist, since that’s not something that really follows the pattern set.  My point; high paid athletes cheating on spouses shouldn’t surprise anyone and it’s not newsworthy.  High paid, prominent athletes who dabble in creating cold fusion or are Proust scholars?  You don’t come across those things everyday.

Let’s look at the other side of the coin, Tiger’s wife Elin.  She’s a victim here in this whole mess, but if I’m being honest (this is my blog, and I get to say what I want), I have to call this one like I see it.  I’m sure she loved Eldrick (Tiger’s given name) on some level, let’s see a show of hands from the audience out there as to who thinks she really loved him.  Yeah, I thought so.  Elin would’ve never married Tiger if he worked at Payless Shoe’s (those guys aren’t getting top notch ladies).  So let’s give a more reasonable set up.  If Tiger was making 80-90K a year, he’s probably not getting a looker like Elin.  Tiger is worth hundreds of millions of dollars (of which Elin's taking half, since she’s filing for divorce), and that makes him very attractive to a number of ladies (let the record show, as jaded as I can be, I recognize not all women out there are gold diggers.  Those women give the good ones a bad name).  Also, Tiger is no David Beckham, he’s an average dude playing a pretty boring game, which lends more water to my argument. 

Sorry for the late update (if anyone out there still reads this bad boy).  I’m going to try to get an outline up for a new Spank show idea I came up with tonight (involving talking animals, a forest, and a ton of adult issues….not perverted, just problems we all face).  That being said, GOOD NIGHT NOW!

It's That Time of Year Again

And so it's upon us. Oh, greetings everyone, and welcome back to...well, my blog. One last continuation from last weeks "LOST" temper tantrum. Where did Vincent the dog go? OK, back to writing...

So today is April 15th, or tax day in America. I really, really, really try to leave personal politics aside and I try oh so hard to make this a New York experience blog, but since it's still ultimately my blog, I figure, let's just wax poetic on the good 'ole American tax system.

I don't think anyone in their right mind enjoys filing taxes. Seriously, it's a tedious, monotonous chore, where by you pay someone a nice chunk of money, only to find out you owe more money (not everyone of course, but you see where I'm going...by the way, many thanks to my friend Janet for knocking my taxes out so quickly this year).

I've been reading about a number of tax protests around the country. Most of these protesting involve teabags, or teabagging (I know, I'm laughing as well, but mind out of the gutter people). Every article or story I've seen or read has involved the word "conservative," as if to further divide this country and to depict people who genuinely want to see tax reform as a nut (not that conservatives are nuts, but I've noticed if people in New York think you're of the conservative mindset, they basically regard you as almost a pedophile). So of course, the little hamster upstairs got to running, and I got to thinking...

I get that we have to pay taxes. I think most reasonable (if not most all) Americans understand that in order for the government to function at its proper level, it needs money. No arguement here. We need to fund a military, take care of veterns, police, firemen, etc. Of course, last time I checked, we didn't have a federal police force (for now) thanks in part to that pesky 10th Amendment (and no, the FBI doesn't count). So with exception to a very small majority, we can surmise that people are willing to pay taxes. Now, let's take a serious look at how they're collected. Anyone want to take a stab at this one? In a nutshell, the US needed to raise quick capital to help fund WWII, since people had been paying income tax since 1913 (or thereabouts....oh, and it was like the wealthiest of the wealthy). Essentially, when April 15th came around, you figured out how much you owe, and you would cut a check to Uncle Sam. So since the military needed that cash quick, say hello to the era of "take home pay." It was supposed to be a temporary measure, just to help fund the war effort, and then we'd go back to writing a check once a year based on income. I understand we're the global police force and what not, and we're fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, but we're not fighting the Axis, at least no one has consulted me on this matter, so I'm going to assume we're not. If you've gotten a pay check in the last 60 years (from an employer, not including anything off the books), you should see you're "take home" amount. OK, so they stretched the truth a bit. Who hasn't, but that little fib should stay in our minds. Remember, they make the laws, they can change them as they see fit (and if you think any member of Congress is benevolent and has your best interest at heart over their own...seriously take some time to answer that one).

Lately (and I'll go back over the last 10 years or so), Congress really wants your money. There was the Republican Revolution of '94, which was a promise to reduce the size and cost of government. Unless you're devoutly in love with the idea of the federal government being involved in every aspect of your life, again, it's a pretty good idea. Unfortunately, didn't really happen. Fast forward to the next guy in the White House, and he became the biggest (well, now 2nd biggest) spender since Lyndon Johnson. Also, the government GREW under W as well. So much for that promise, but still a good idea (the idea of shrinking the government and reigning in spending).

Speaking of reigning in spending, does anyone else hear alot of talk about this concept, yet zero action? Again, I'm a realist, and I understand that our founding fathers really couldn't forsee all of the great things we all take for granted on an everyday basis. Things like getting milk from a grocery store and not directly from a cow, penecilin, and living past the age of 40. However, they were able to forsee one thing specifically: there is no limit to the thirst for power some people and the government have. So, knowing this, they came up with a system based on economic liberty and personal freedom governed by the rule of law (your friend and mine, the Constitution). So yes, while it may be a "living document" in some senses, remember, these were smart guys that set this bad boy up, and they knew exactly how tyrants and despots operated. So anyway, back to teabagging...

Teabag protests, in honor of the Boston Tea Party. You know, the intruiging thing I always thought about the Boston Tea Party was that these dudes dressed up as Native Americans when they dumped the tea. So I imagine the thought process would be something along the lines of "OK, if someone sees us dumping tea in the distance, it's OK, because we'll just rock a few feathers in our hair, slap on some war paint, and go topless...BOOM! Let's frame some Indians!!!" Could you imagine the British riding into a camp the next day, "ah yeah, we got a report that some of your men dumped some tea into the harbor." How shocked would they be. And yet, I never heard of any Native American complain about it. So in the spirit of the 70's (1770's that is), people have been sending tea bags to their reps in Congress. Yeah, because that will get their attention. Right now, most of these guys are tripping all over themselves to lambast the AIG's of the world and every bank for A) giving tax dollars to executives as bonuses and B) banks actually being able to pay back the loans they borrowed from the tax payers. I can understand the frustration with A, since if a company is failing to the point of borrowing tax money, it's not in the best interest to turn around and shell out a few million in bonuses (then again, you have the government involved, and they're good at throwing money at problems and not really solving them, so what did you really expect). I'm a tad concerned about B. It seems that alot of the banks are finding ways to pay back the TARP money because they really don't want to be indebted/told how to run their business by the government (facism was never really all that popular anyway). Kind of scary if you think about it. Anyway, back to taxes.

I was reading an article on CNN.com today by Paul Begala. He was saying today should be "Patriot Day." Again, he made some fair points, as in taxes are inevitable, and we all need to pay. It comes down to what's "fair." I think people inherently want to be fair, however Begala goes to the extreme when he goes on to compare any one who has wealth to Paris Hilton. I think most people can agree that Paris really didn't work hard to get where she is, and she basically was very lucky to be born a Hilton. Hey, sucks, because I'm sure there are more deserving people out there, but that's life; it's not always fair, so there's no sense bitching about it. However, for every Paris Hilton, how many Tyler Perry's, or Oprah Winfrey's, or Warren Buffets are there out there? The biggest difference between the latter and the former is that the latter group worked hard, made sacrifices, and made good decisions to become exceedingly wealthy. To my knowledge, they've never taken advantage of anyone or anything ever. That also doesn't include all of the other people who aren't household names who worked hard, saved, and made difficult decisions to finally get to a point where they really don't have to worry about it. Honestly, I hope to get to that point some day, and you know what? I'll probably leave most of it to my family to spend on candy and shoes. I really don't want to government coming in and taking half of my money once I go belly up like some vindictive ex-wife. Seriously, 45%? That's fair?

I'm currently reading Neal Boortz and John Linder's book "The Fair Tax: Answering the Critics." I strongly encourage any one to read it (Neal, if you happen to be reading this, you're welcome for the plug). Even if you truly hate the idea of a national retail tax, the book is a very interesting read about our current tax structure, and how a 23% national sales tax would affect the economy and we'd still be able to fund the day to day functions fo tht government (for the record, no, 23% is NOT added to the final price of the good). The book does a great job of explaining how it could replace our current system and ultimately streamline our government and businesses. Wow, I never thought I'd be recommending a book on taxes. Oh well, almost time for "LOST." Until next time!

Why the television show "LOST" is becoming irksome

In a quick acting update, I auditioned for UCB House Harold team this past Friday. It's my first audition for the team (you become eligible after completing Improv 401), so we'll see. Anyway, on to the matter at hand, which is title of this particular entry. We're going to chat a little "LOST."

Some of you may follow the show, and some of you don't, so I'll really try my best to avoid any spoilers to any potential viewer out there. When the show began back around 2004 or so, I really didn't give a crap about the show. Fast forward a season and a half, and I was told by multiple sources about how great this show is, how you have to pay attention, and basically that I had to watch it. So I watched the next episode and enjoyed it. I had no idea that my roommate at the time was really into the show, and he scolded me for watching episodes out of sequence. He promptly let me borrow season 1 (and a few months later season 2) so I could get completely caught up. I became hooked. Plot twists and sci-fi stuff, and really cool back stories (let the record show that the afforementioned "sentence" is not a sentence as there isn't a subject or verb, I'm really just writing as if I were talking now, so all of you grammarphiles, knock it off...you know who you are).

The show is currently in season 5 out of a possible 6 seasons, and I don't know if any other fans are as frustrated as I am, but I intend to outline some major plot points that have not been answered, or completely abandoned, or God only knows what happened. For the record, it's my understanding that the writers of "LOST" are contractually obligated to answer every question/mystery/etc. by the series end.

1) We're four and a half seasons into the show and not a single person has a freaking idea what the hell this damn island is. At a certain point withing, oh, I don't know, the first or second season, we should have some kind of idea. All we know as of right now is that the island can be physically moved, it's been inhabited by a group calling itself the Dharma Initiative, and a group of hostiles known as the Others. I'm not going to dwell on this one too much, but I don't think it's too much to ask for a bit more clarification on what in the name of all things holy this place is.

2) Where happened to the other survivors of Oceanic 815?
*Spoiler Alert*
At the end of season 4, Ben pushed this big magic wheel knocking the islad off it's "timeline" (we're going to cover that bad boy as well), a group consisting of Locke, Sawyer, Miles, Faraday, Julliet, and the red head (forgot her name) began to travel through time, seeing many past incarnations/inhabitants of the island. That's fine and dandy, but there missing something kind of huge here. There were SEVERAL survivors of 815. From a production standpoint, these are the extras. Still not clear on whom I'm talking about? OK, remember the couple on there, the wife had cancer and the island cured her? Her husband was the guy who played Mr. Dewitt on Growing Pains? Mr. Dewitt, he was Kirk Cameron/Mike Seaver's high school principal...Ben Seaver ran into him one night while he was out with Stinky and Boner looking for potash for a school project. OK, now you know who I'm talking about. Back to "LOST." Jack and Kate tried to get to the freighter, but Locke and Sawyer didn't find it prudent, so they took a captured Ben Linus back to Eggtown (the houses formerly of the Dharma Initiative that were then inhabited by the Others). OK, so you have a picture, after I went on a "Growing Pains" tangent and what not. The point? Yeah, where the hell did all those people go? Everyone I've posed this question to who's a follower of the show has given me the same answer:

"Oh....yeah...where did they go?"

2) Where are the Others?

I can sort of answer this question. Ben gave them instructions, I want to say that he sent them to the Swan, or the Flame, or the Orchid...something along those lines. They're in hiding. It's just that they were such a big part of the show for 3 seasons, we havent' heard from them at all, we were starting to get a beat on what's going on, and then...nothing. Oh, and they had extensive files on 815 survivors, were able to bring Locke's dad to the island (which it sounded like he knew something about this place, but we'll never know now), they wanted to kidnap kids, wore disguises, would routinely invade the beach camp, and had a list of survivors who were "the good ones." Again....nothing.

3) Why doesn't Richard Alpert age and who is this guy?

We met Richard back in season 3. I can look past not getting to his age-defying theatrics for now, but we should at the very least have an idea of who this guy is. The only time we ever saw him look different in any way was when young Ben Linus met him (in a Ben back story) and Alpert was rocking a sweet Grizzly Adams-style beard.

4) Are we ever going to find out about Niki and Paulo?
Don't give me this "filler episode" nonsense. They dedicated an entire episode to these 2, only to see them buried alive. Thank you for the cliff hanger that will never be resolved.

5) What's up with this Jacob guy that Locke did not see at first, but finally heard his plea for help?

Yeah....bet you forgot about that, since it was forever ago, and they keep adding new stuff to remember. Is he an Other, Dharma Initiative.....what?

6) The Flight 815 "wreckage" was discovered.

Obviously it was planted, and my money is on Charles Widmore. Again, if him and Ben are bad, which I suspect, then great, just freaking get to it already.

7) The freighter crew that came to the island to "rescue" the survivors.

OK...this one has been jogging around my mind a tad. Widmore paid Frank Lepidus, a pilot who was supposed to be the pilot of 815, Miles, a clairvoyant, Faraday, a physicist, the red-headed anthropologist, and Naomi to find the island. Apparently they were there for Ben. We can surmise that their intentions on the island were less than noble. The more I think about it, the more I have a hard time believing that those sent to get Ben would become so buddy-buddy with Sawyer, Jinn, etc. They did give a back story on each one, but I kind of want to know why (outside of Frank's obvious flying skills) each one is specifically needed.

8) Are we ever going to see Claire again?

Don't give me this "Claire is dead," because she's with Christian. She wandered off at the end of season 3 and we haven't seen her since. Does that annoy anyone else?

9) Where did Faraday go?

He travelled back in time with the rest of them, and Sawyer didn't really give a clear account of what happened to this guy. I do find it interesting that Faraday's mom has been working in close conjunction with Ben Linus and Faraday is supposed to be working for Linus's enemy Charles Widmore.

10) Why did some people travel back in time and others did not?

I'd imagine this question will be answered soon enough....I mean common sense would dictate such, but then again, what do I know. Also, before Ben got on the plane, he looked to have gotten the crap kicked out of him. I'd love to find out what happened there.

My issue now is I'm emotionally invested in the show. I love it, and I really want to know what happens (I also avoided asking any smoke monster questions....what it is, where it's from, etc.). I'm frustrated with the show because instead of answering any of the legitimate, aforementioned mysteries, the writers thought the show needed a nice dose of time travel. Because if anything in the world can clear up a muddy story, it's a time travelling island. Oh, and the potential Sawyer-Kate-Julliet love triangle that's starting to be teased. Don't think I forgot about Kate and Julliet fighting over Jack when Kate had a thing for him back in season 3 and part of 4. Wow...OK, if you're a "LOST" fan, your comments/critiques/etc. are welcome.

Sin City

I'm going to stop making promises about updates (even if you are still following this thing, I commend you for your patience). Anyway, I just got back from Las Vegas with Matt, Stack, and Kevin. I never take pictures, even though I'm a proud owner of a Kodak Easyshare camera, but I digress. Anyway, let's review my weekend in Vegas, or Spring Break '09.

I actually could not sleep a wink the night before I left. Seriously, it was like I was 17 years old again waiting for Christmas to arrive. The last time I was in Vegas, it was 2001 with my then girlfriend. We drove up from LA, and...screw it, this is about this weekend. Sorry for getting sidetracked.

I took a cab to the airport, got some breakfast, and got on my flight. Since I was flying AirTran, I had to catch a connecting flight in Atlanta, which is always a bit weird for me to come back to. Everything looks so familiar, yet so different. Anyway, I get on my flight, and thank God for the video iPod, because there is nothing better than watching multiple episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Entourage."*

*I realize I just wrote that "there is nothing better than ____________." Let the record show that I do believe that there are better experiences in life, watching TV shows/movies on a video iPod is a pleasureable experience.

I land in Vegas, and go to baggage claim, and a particular advertisement catches my eye. It's Wayne Brady's new show that's playing at the Venetian (titled "Making &*&%$ Up). A quick reminder will tell you that this is the show I was in the running for a few months back. In case you're wondering, we didn't get a chance to see it (I'm getting there).

I take the shuttle over to the Imperial Palace, where Matt had a free room for us (he's a Harrah's Platinum card member, so he rack's up a ton of points). We grabbed a bite at PF Changs, and then had a few beers (Vegas has no open container law, so you can just wander around with whatever drink you like). Later that night, I got to spend time with Isabella, who now resides in Vegas. I met her back in Atlanta, and she's someone whom I've always had a very special bond with. We hit Mandalay Bay and other assorted Vegas hotspots, and had a great time. The next two days were spent at the craps table with Matt. If you've been reading my facebook status, I enjoy letting the world know the degree of "saltiness" a table has. I won't get into it too much, but it's a good thing (Kevin heard some guys a few years back at a table talking about "keeping it salty." No one knew what it meant). Casino Royale has a $3 table that was great. I shot horribly, but Sunday night, Kevin arrived. Before I continue, if you're wondering about Stack's whereabouts, he could've been found at the roulette wheel back a the hotel. Moving on.

By this point in my gambling, I was only down about $40 or so. Not bad, considering I brought $500 to play with (which means, I was willing to lose that amount). Kevin, Matt, and I hit the $3 table at Casino Royale, and that's where things turned.

Between the 1st time shooter next to me, Kevin, and the guy next to him, I killed it. The lady next to me rolled for about 20 minutes, and Kevin and the guy next to him rolled for almost an hour. They hit EVERYTHING. It was ridiculous. I've never seen anything like it. Once we got up a good ways, we decided to see Old Vegas, which is down on Fremont Street.*

*If you've never been to Vegas, you've seen Fremont St. It has the neon cowboy pointing to his back with the thumb, and it has an LCD screen covering the street.

We got down there, and tried to find some cheap gambling. In my confident state, I found a $5 craps table, and proceeded to lose $91 in the blink of an eye. Not cool. Since there wasn't much going on down in that neck of the woods, we decided to hit the MGM Grand back on the strip.

Kevin told us about this mechanical horse racing game. In a nutshell, you bet at least a quarter on these mechanical horses racing in a circle. You're betting on the top 2 finish combination*

*Since the numbers can't repeat, it's a statistical combination. If they were able to repeat, it's a permutation, which is one of the reasons I say "locker permutation" instead of combination. It's a pet peeve of mine.

The game pays out odds based on the winners. So if you bet 2 quarters on a 2-4 combo to win, and they win and it pays 7, you win 14. Make sense? I hope so, because I really can't think of an easier way to explain it.

There's no rhyme or reason or strategy in this game. Press a bunch of buttons, and yell at your horses to win. It's an entertaining game by itself, but what made the game even better was this guy at the end of the table. He was a self-proclaimed expert at the game. Every time a horse combo won, he would exclaim "Just like I expected." Hilarious. It's funnier if you were there, if you could just picture this guy dispensing his advice with all the seriousness of an ESPN "bracketologist," or Mel Kiper on the draft. He claimed he'd been playing this game for 9 years, which raised the question of why he hasn't graduated onto something better than 25 cent horse racing. Kevin thought it'd be hilarious to give me his advice, and told me to bet on a 2-4 combo, and that he bet 5 quarters on it. Once you make a bet, you can't take it back. Oh, and it paid like 68 to 1 or something. The joke was on Kevin, as it hit.

On our way back to Casino Royale for more craps, we're walking down the strip and some Asian tourists started pointing at Kevin. They ran up to him and started asking "tim-bah-lay?" over and over. After a few moments, I asked "Timberlake?" and they pointed at him and nodded. You should now see where this is going. Kevin got mistaken for Justin Timberlake by these tourists. So what's an improv guy to do, but say "yes, and." Unfortunately they didn't have a camera. I know, I could make a very easy joke right here, but I'll pass. I think we made these kids day, because they're going back home to tell everyone they met Justin Timberlake.

Vegas was a blast. I ended up getting on the plane with more money than I left with, Kevin just left yesterday. For those of you wondering how he did, he came in with $100 to play with, and when I last talked to him, he was up $1100. I think he found his calling.

One Year Later

...or thereabouts....who's counting really. So, as of this Sunday, I'll be celebrating my 1 year anniversary of life as a New Yorker. Wow, that looks odd in print, but I got to admit, I like it. Oh, and a very Happy Mardi Gras to all of you. God Bless America and the fact that we really do celebrate diversity in this country. We're all about "Fat Tuesday," Mexican Independence, and Patrick riding the Emerald Isle of snakes some time back in the fifth century, AD. Either all of the aforementioned, or this country really likes to find excuses to get hammered. Anyway, back to the blog, now with EXTRA bullet points.

So, in the year that I've been here, let's look a the highlight reel of accomplishment:

A) I found an affordable place to live in Manhattan in a safe neighborhood, with plenty of access to public transportation, and tons of stores/restaurants/anything anyone could need. Oh, and I found said place approximately 24 hours after my plane touched down at LaGuardia, and me knowing all of 2 people in New York. Boo yeah.

B) I found a job about 2 weeks later, a job which I then transferred to another place in the company, which seemed great, but helped me learn how fake some people can be, and....I'm sorry, I just don't like this massive run-on sentence. In a nutshell, I still have gainful employment, and I take care of myself just fine amidst these less than stellar economic times.

C) I have my level 4 graduation show this week at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Once you graduate from level 4 (no guarantee you will), you are then welcome to audition for the various house Harold teams that perform regularly (a short term goal of mine that is in reach).

D) I begin work on my sketch writing class in April. The ultimate goal is becoming more visible with each passing day.

E) I had an awesome meeting with an A-list agent, that I'm happy to say I work with on a freelance basis, and I whom I keep in regular contact with.

F) I made a ton of new friends, and I still keep in very close contact with all of my friends from Atlanta, many of whom have made the pilgrimedge up to the Big Apple to see me.

G) I've done 4 shows at the UCB theatre, and I had a small role in one film.

H) I auditioned for Wayne Brady's new improv show in Las Vegas, received stellar praise from Wayne himself, and got to do 2 scenes with him. He's quite possibly one fo the nicest, most professional people any one could meet. Oh yeah, and he did recognize the skills.

All in all, not bad. Oh, and I finally bought myself a blackberry, a digital camera, and I cut 4 inches of hair off (the latter happening yesterday). I still don't update this thing nearly as often as I should. Anyway, here's to being further along next year!!!