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"my year of gaiman" part 6 - the sandman, volumes 6-10

2010-07-26T21:35:05Z

in my last "my year of gaiman" post i promised another entry in roughly a month. that was over five months ago. sorry. the last five volumes were interrupted several times by a myriad of things that i won't go into right now.

as in the first five volumes the art is top notch. i've mentioned before that i've never been a fan of comics/graphic novels, but the beauty of the art and the shear quality of neil's story telling had me hooked.

the eigth volume, world's end, was one of the most challenging to read. it centered around an inn at the end of the world where many were gathered telling stories while waiting out a storm. it took me the longest to read because unlike the other collections, it just didn't hold my interest for long periods of time.

the ninth volume, the kindly one's, was the longest, but perhaps easiest read of the entire series. it dealt with dream's battle with, and ultimate demise at the hands of three witches. the whole collection is written as a greek tragedy and also deals with dream sending the corinthian to find the child daniel.

volume ten, the wake is hit or miss for me, the first half of the volume deals with the wake for dream. and ends with daniel becoming the newest incarnation of dream. the rest of the volume deals with seperate stories that, like world's end, were difficult for me to keep an interest in.

ultimately the sandman was an extremely rewarding read. like the novels that i've read of neil's, it took some time to get it's hooks into me but once it did, i found myself completely engrossed. i find it somewhat of an achievement that for a story, and collection that took seven years to complete, i finished it in a mere five months.

just for kicks, here are my top five favorite characters from the series.

5. merv pumpkinhead - the complaining, but loyal servant to dream
4. goldie - abel's pet baby gargoyle
3. dream - aka the sandman, morpheus, lord shaper
2. matthew - dream's raven. one of his most loyal servants
1. death - not personified as the grim reaper but as an attractive woman, dream's oldest sister.

well, that does it for the sandman, but not for gaiman. i've recently started smoke and mirrors, one of his collections of shorter works.

peace
~scott

usa v. slovenia - my thoughts (or, maurice edu was robbed)

2010-06-23T02:30:09Z

on the eve of the final group game against algeria, i thought it was time to give my thoughts on the usa/slovenia match.

the yanks fell prey to a problem that has plagued them for some time. the early goal. the team looked lackluster in the first half and the eager slovenians took advantage of it by potting two first half goals. the jose francisco-torres experiment seemed to not work as i, and i suppose bob bradley expected it to. a 2-0 deficit at the half was worrisome to say the least.

the changes made by bradley at the half were exactly what the team needed. dempsey moved to a more forward role where frankly he should have started.

the second half is a different story. when down by two at the half anyone who knows anything about the sport will tell you that an early goal in the second half greatly improves your chances of making a comback. not only did the usa get an early goal, it got a brilliant early goal from landon donovan. along with maicon from brazil, landon has the top goal of the tournament. the usa fed off of that goal and controlled most of the play for the second half yet it took untill less than 10 minutes left for them to find the equalizer through the coaches kid, micahel bradley. bradley's sliding finish to tie the game would have been just fine with me. a win would have been nice, but a tie was sufficient.

now let's talk about that win.

it should have been a win. moments after bradley tied it the usa won a free kick on the right hand side. donovan did what donovan does and served in a beautiful ball that maurice edu snuck in and tapped home for the win. oh, but wait. there was an offside call. or was it a foul by dempsey? or was it a foul by bocanegra? i don't have a problem with the fact the goal was disallowed. it happens. i get that. what i don't get is the referee and fifa refusing to discuss it or say what the call was. the only fouls i saw were the bear hugs from two slovenia players on bocanegra and dempsey.

moving on. the usa face algeria tomorrow in their final group game and it's quite simple. win and you move on to the round of 16. here's what i'd like to see. i want to see edu start alongside bradley in the midfield. i want to see dempsey starting up front with altidore. clint is better and more effective when he plays in a more forward position. replacing clint on the right wing has to be stuart holden. he has proved himself as more than a worthy replacement for dempsey on the wing.

final prediction. usa 2 algeria 0. goals from altidore and dempsey.

mark my word. micael bradley will be playing his club football in the english premier league sooner rather than later.

peace

~scott

#musicmonday June 14th, 2010

2010-06-14T18:05:20Z

Rush - BU2B

I was brought up to believe
The universe has a plan
We are only human
It's not ours to understand

The universe has a plan
All is for the best
Some will be rewarded
And the devil will take the rest

All is for the best
Believe in what we're told
Blind man in the market
Buying what we're sold
Believe in what we're told
Until our final breath
While our loving Watchmaker
Loves us all to death

In a world of cut and thrust
I was always taught to trust
In a world where all must fail
Heaven's justice will prevail

The joy and pain that we receive
Each comes with its own cost
The price of what we're winning
Is the same as what we've lost

Until our final breath
The joy and pain that we receive
Must be what we deserve
I was brought up to believe

usa v. england - my thoughts

2010-06-14T00:20:18Z

i was going to break down the group as a whole prior to the first match but i decided what i wanted to do was break down each of the usa's games after they've played and talk about what i think they need to do in the next game in order to come away with a win.

the usa have had a problem starting out games recently, conceding a lot of goals in the first twenty minutes of matches, and this game was no different. at around the four minute mark emil heskey slid a slick pass into the box for the three lions that steven gerrard ran onto and slotted a shot passed american keeper tim howard. the defense collapsed for that goal but it wasn't a defender, rather a midfielder, ricardo clark, that was pedestrian as gerrard ran onto heskey's pass. it was shocking defending at it's worst. after the goal, i said to the people that i was watching the match with that if that happened again, tim howard was going to start breaking necks. he didn't need to break necks, but he did take a boot to the chest from heskey which had me worried until he was back up and between the pipes.

i was a little surprised that england went with rob green in between the sticks. i thought for sure that they would go with the veteran david "calamity" james. imagine my surprise when green came up with a james-esque howler as he bundled a tame clint dempsey shot over the line to tie the contest at one late in the first half.

the second half saw several chances for each side but the keepers were making big saves and keeping their teams in the contest. from my point of view the goal of both teams in the second half was to preserve the point that they would get from the draw. a draw which to england may have felt like a loss, while the usa probably viewed it as somewhat of a win as they kept pace with one of the best teams in international football.

the three lions controlled most of the game but the usa's defense kept one of the most dangerous strikers in the world, wayne (shrek) rooney, in check all match long. the usual suspects stepped up and had solid games for the yanks. dempsey, donovan, and howard were all playing as we've come to expect. for what it's worth, my man of the match was tim howard. he stood tall after england scored theiry early goal, and he kept his team in the game with some world class saves.

up next for the usa is slovenia, a team that the usa should beat, but i am a little concerned. after slovenia moved to the top of the group with their win over algeria, they are going to be looking for a big scalp and a win that would all but gurantee their passage into the knockout stages. i look for slovenia to come out and attack and try to get an early goal. if the usa can withstand some early pressure without conceding i think they will pick up a win. slovenia is a small eurpean country and i think that the americans have too much talent not to win this match.

i'd like to see a few changes to the lineup however. i'm not a fan of robbie findley and i don't like seeing dempsey out on the wing. i'd like to see dempsey up front with jozy altidore and have stuart holden inserted on the wing to replace depmsey. i'd also like to see ricardo clark taken out for a more attack minded player like jose francisco torres. someone that can run the game from the center of midfield is going to be key and i think torres, or benny feilhaber can fill that roll quite well.

my prediction. usa 2 slovenia 0. a clean sheet and another man of the match performance from tim howard. goals from jozy altidore and landon donovan.

peace

~scott

#musicmonday June 7th, 2010

2010-06-07T19:35:57Z

A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me

One, two, three
Counting out the signs we see
The tall buildings
Fading in the distance
Only dots on a map
Four, five, six
The two of us a perfect fit
You're all mine, all mine

And all I can say
Is you blow me away

Like an apple on a tree
Hiding out behind the leaves
I was difficult to reach
But you picked me
Like a shell upon a beach
Just another pretty piece
I was difficult to see
But you picked me
Yeah you picked me

So softly
Rain against the windows
And the strong coffee
Warming up my fingers
In this fisherman's house
You got me
Searched the sand
And climbed the tree
And brought me back down

And all I can say
Is you blow me away

why i nag

2010-06-06T04:45:31Z

some of you may have noticed that when we are out together, if i've driven to wherever we are, i drink very little alcohol, if any at all. some of you also give me a hard time occassionally about my lack of drinking. it's ok, i really don't mind, i know there is no malice intended. i also tend to turn into a bit of a nagging, overprotective parent. there are several reasons for this.

since i graduated from college i have had no less than three friends killed by drunk drivers. i attended the trial for the scumbag that killed my friend renee on the fourth of july several years ago and was disgusted at his attempts at making excuses and sickened when he only showed emotion after he was sentenced. he finally cried as he was handcuffed and was lead from the courtroom.

i have people in my past that were convicted of dui. i've seen them pay fines, i've heard stories of what they have had to do, and how they lost their driving privileges.

i have family, that used to babysit my brother and i, have had their quality of life greatly decreased because of their drinking. when i was little i used to think that they were asleep. when i grew up i realized that they weren't asleep, they were passed out drunk. it's disturbing to think what could have happened to my brother and i had someone tried to break in while they were "asleep".

i've driven drunk before, on more than one occassion. i don't mean i had a drink and then went home. i mean i was drinking all day while golfing and then drove home. or i went out after work with some coworkers, got drunk, and then drove home. i count myself lucky that i didn't injure, or kill myself. or the unimaginable, injuring, or killing someone else that didn't make the stupid choice to drink and drive.

i nag because i don't want to see any of you go to prison, hurt, or worse yet, dead. alcohol isn't worth it. so please don't take offense when i nag. i just worry. those of you that know me well enough that, other than crying, worrying is something i do very well.

peace

~scott

23 men headed to south africa

2010-05-28T01:56:07Z

i was going to blog about the stanley cup finals. you know a proper breakdown of how i see the series going, but you know what? i don't really care who wins. i have no rooting interest in the series. i'll watch it because i love the sport. so here is my short breakdown. i don't think the flyers stand a chance. they haven't faced the firepower throughout the playoffs that chicago will throw at them. i'm saying chicago in 6. although i wouldn't be all that shocked if the flyers pulled an upset.

now for the meat of this post

it's the world cup bitches!!

united states national team coach bob bradley announced his final 23 man roster for the upcoming world cup in south africa. here's the roster.

i think bradley picked a solid roster. the only player i don't competely agree with is damarcus beasley. he's been a man without a position on the national team playing at times on the left wing and even an ill-fated experiment as a left back. his club form has dipped as well not seeing as much playing time for glasgow rangers as he has in the past.

there were a few surprises among the forwards. brian ching was left off, and herculez gomez, and edson buddle found roster spots. ching has struggled with injuries which has seen his form dip. gomez lit the mexican league on fire with 10 goals in 14 matches. buddle likewise has been in rare form as he has 9 goals for the los angeles galaxy in just 10 matches. they made bradley's choice easy. heading into a world cup you have to take your in form players. and you don't get much more in form than buddle and gomez. although with jozy altidore and clint dempsey likely to get the starting nod, they may not see much playing time. the future however looks bright at least as far as stiker options go.

here's how i see bradley likely fielding his team:

                             Howard

Cherundolo-----Bocanegra-----Onyewu-----Bornstein

   Holden---------Clark---------Bradley---------Donovan

             Altidore---------Dempsey

you could switch donovan and dempsey but i think the team plays better with landon on the wing and clint up front.

i see the states getting out of the group stage, though i'm not sure how far they will go. i'll break down their group, which includes england, slovenia, and algeria, prior to their first match on the second match day of the cup

come on you yanks!

#musicmonday May 24th, 2010

2010-05-24T15:56:35Z

Maroon 5 - Secret

Watch the sunrise
Say your goodbyes
Off we go
Some conversation
No contemplation
Hit the road

Car overheats
Jump out of my seat
On the side of the highway baby
Our road is long
Your hold is strong
Please don't ever let go
Oh No

I know I don't know you
But I want you so bad
Everyone has a secret
Ohh can they keep it
Oh No they can't

I'm driving fast now
Don't think I know how to go slow
Oh Where you're at now
I feel around
There you are

Cool these engines
Calm these jets
I ask you how hot can it get
And as you wipe off beads of sweat
Slowly you say "I'm not there yet!"

I know I don't know you
But I want you so bad
Everyone has a secret
Oh can they keep it
Oh No they can't

da da da da - da da da naaaaa
na na hoooo
oooh

ooooh lo lo lo loooooo
lo lo lo lo doooh dooon doooon yeah
ho ho ho ho
ho ho ho

I know I don't know you
But I want you soooooo baaaaaaad
Everyone has a secret
Oh But can they keep iiiiit
Oh No they caaan't

oh oh oh-(yeah)
oh oh oh
ye-ah ye-ah
yeah

#musicmonday

2010-05-17T16:04:58Z

i've decided to combine two "theme" post categoriesinto one and make a weekely lyric post on mondays to coincide with #musicmonday on twitter. so my "shuffle surprises" and "the music i listen to post will now become this new theme.

this week's song is emerson hart's "when she loves you"

she's a wild one
but she has her reasons
she can take you in
or just leave you freezing
she'll drag you deeper than you ever thought you could go
you're helpless without her, but somehow inside you know

when she loves you
you'll do anything that she wants you to do
and when she comes to you
you can't deny when she looks in your eyes
she's the one thing you don't understand
but you can't live without
when she loves you
when she loves you

have you ever laid in the arms of your lover?
have you ever prayed the sun wouldn't come up?
'cause you know it would be just another morning
when she goes
and all you really know... is...

when she loves you
you'll do anything that she wants you to do
when she comes to you
you can't deny when she looks in your eyes
she's the one thing you don't understand
but you can't live without
when she loves you

---

peace

~scott

shuffle surprises on iTunes #5

2010-05-15T03:41:41Z

it's been awhile since i posted. i have a few ideas for more substantial posts banging around in my head like they're in the back of the ct 2004 (10 points if you get that reference). i'll hopefully be getting around to posting at least one of them before the weekend is out. until then here's another suffle surprise. a nice sweet song that made me think of, well yeah, you know.

peace

~scott

david gray - be mine

from the very first moment saw you
that's when i knew
all the dreams held in my heart
had suddenly come true
knock me over, stone-cold sober
not a think could say or do
'cos baby when i'm walking with you now
my eyes are so wide
like you reached right into my head
and turned on the light inside
turning on the light
inside my mind, hey

come on baby it's all right
sunday mornin’, day or night
red or blue or white it's plain to see
be mine! be mine!
that rainy, shiny, night or day
what's the difference anyway
honey till your heart belongs to me?

if i had some influence girl
with the powers that be
i'd have them fire that arrow at you
like they fired it right at me
maybe when your heart and soul are burning you might see
that everytime i'm talking with you
it's always over too soon?
that everyday feels so incomplete
'till you walk into the room?
say the word now girl
i'll jump that moon, hey

come on baby it's ok
rainy, shiny, night or day
there's nothing in the way now
don't you see?
be mine! be mine!

winter, summer, day or night
centigrade of fahrenheit
baby till your heart belongs to me
be mine! be mine!

thursday, friday, short or long
when you got a love so strong
how can it be wrong now? mercy me!
be mine! be mine!

jumpin jesus, holy cow!
what's the difference anyhow
baby till your heart belongs to meeee?

my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and i’m losing my sanity
be mine! be mine!

my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and i’m losing my sanity
be mine! be mine!

my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and my heart is on fire,
my body's on fire, and i’m losing my sanity
be mine! be mine!