Trending Now; The Sun?!?; The Blues

Trending Now
Thanks to our friends over at bing.com. I'll list some of the things the general public are searching for on the good old Inter-nerd.

- Maya Moore (women's basketball stud from UConn) - She's the first woman to represent Jordan Brand - yes, she's that good.

- Olivia Munn (actress) - She's been tapped for a role in HBO pilot (as of now) "More as the Story Develops", which will revolve around a cable news channel.  Sure, she's nice to look at, but HBO will not get my money.

- Next Top Model (TV show) - Who cares?  Brittani upset Molly.  Congratulations you waif.

- Mildred Baena - Ah-nold's baby momma.  Way to go you dimwit.  Just shut up and clean the house.  Looks like you could probably use a bigger size pair of pants, unless you're going for that "sausage in a casing" look.  Yeah, that's her with T4.

The Sun?!?
What the hell is the sun doing out here in the Bronx?  The last time he/she made an appearance was like 8 days ago.  I feel like I live in Seattle, or in a concrete rainforest.  Either or.

The Blues
Not as you'd think.  I'm talking about the music genre.

Nolan had a rough time falling asleep last night - I think it was last night - so I decided to take a seat in the glider in the bedroom and tune to Channel 887 - Blues.

I think I found a new kind of music I actually can relax and listen to (as opposed to my typically aggressive music/bands/songs).  I even found myself singing the words - to songs I didn't even know!  It's kinda like country songs, it's pretty predictable - there's a lot of repeat lines.

Here's a few of the songs and artists I was belting out last night, much to Nolan's approval (he ultimately passed out in my arms to the blues):

- Big Maceo - "Texas Blues" - sample lyrics: "Well, I'm goin' back to Texas, Just to ride this Texas train"
- Billy Ray Charles - "Johnny Walker Red" - sample lyrics: "I went to bed with Johnny Walker Red, And woke up with Bud Light"
- Muddy Waters - "Rollin' Stone" - sample lyrics: "Well, I wish I was a catfish, Swimmin' in a oh, deep, blue sea"

I mean this stuff is epic, life changing music.  I am officially a blues fan.  Not the recent shit (besides Joe Bonamassa, who's pretty damn smooth) because the recent blues they play on 887 is no good, not to me anyway.  I am going to do some research on the blues (and maybe buy Joe B's new album).

Nolan is sleeping in his lamb swing.  Take a peek:

In the zzzzz-one

Trending Now

Some things that people of the world (or Bing.com) are searching for the answers to.

1.  The Bachelor - reality bullshit show - Brad made his decision.  Woo woo!  Lindsay still has to watch the episodes she's DVR'd, so I'll air on the side of caution and not do too much research into this topic.  Blah!  I watch when it's live and she watches - and my favorite part is when the host comes out and says "Ladies...Brad...this is the final rose tonight...when you're ready" - priceless!

2. Nuclear Reactors - device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction - Radiation is leaking from the reactors because of the devastation in Japan.  They're telling people to stay 19 miles away, at least.  I heard on the Today Show, from an expert, that if you stood at a fence nearby for two hours, you'd have a significantly high chance to get cancer.  Scary shit going on over there, I mean I'm not trying to sound like a horse's ass, but I watched some of those videos to see what it was like, and it is some intense, scary, sad stuff - all rolled into one.  My thoughts go out to the victims and the 5,000+ missing/dead and their families.

3. NCAA Brackets - March Madness - If you've never heard of this, you've been under a rock.  Ohio St., Kansas, Pitt, and Duke are the four #1 seeds.  One of those four should win the thing, but the thing is, it really is madness.  There are always a few Cinderella teams who knock off the big dogs (maybe Belmont, Gonzaga).  Just saying.  This is probably my second favorite time of year, but it coincides with my favorite time of year, baseball season.  Tune in.  It's always exciting.

4. AFLAC Voice - was Gilbert Gottfried - Until he was canned after tweeting jokes about the earthquake in Japan.  It's one thing to be funny (which I guess he is) and there's another to try to be funny.  Joking about thousands losing their lives is fucked up, plain and simple.  This guy is a douche bag and should be fired.  I didn't even know he was the voice of the duck until I read the article.  Scummy dude, real scummy.

Trending Now; Big East Tournament Day 1

Trending Now
Topics that are trending today on Bing.com are topics that I'm sure are popular in almost any country (with electricity and television).

1. Charlie Sheen - actor/winner - The self-proclaimed "bi-winner" has been fired from the hit show "Two and a Half  Men", according to Warner Bros.  Can't say I was surprised by this decision.  Now all he needs to focus on is him and his two ladies at the Silver Valley Ranch, depending on how long they decide to stick around.

2. Sarah Palin - politician/Alaskan - She's been going at it with D-lister Kathy Griffin lately.  I had no idea of the barbs going back and forth, but I guess Kathy offered "reality star Sarah Palin and her reality TV crew" tickets to her Broadway show.  Low blow.  Plenty of people I know actually are in to the Alaska show she has out.  Oh well, at least she hasn't broken out the guns yet!

3. Libya - North African country/hell hole - Maniacal leader Moammar Gadhafi is reported to have ordered a bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 back in 1988, according to an ex-CIA official.  This guy needs to get killed or captured - it's getting ridiculous over there.  Government forces began new air attacks on rebels yesterday.  News flash - they're rebelling your asshole of a "leader".

4. Gas Prices - outrageous - Up $0.33 from two weeks ago?  This is getting out of control as well.  The average for a gallon of self-serve, regular gasoline is $3.50.  It's all tied into the output reduction in Libya - bastards.  Head on over to Gas Buddy to see where you can find cheap(er) gas near you.  Or just walk or take mass transportation - go green!

5. Mardi Gras - New Orleans "Carnival Season" - Purple and green and gold are the typical colors down in the Bayou during this celebration.  Mardi Gras actually translates to "Fat Tuesday" in French, which is why the festival ends the night before Ash Wednesday - it's supposed to be the last night eating fatty, richer foods.  Beads are thrown all over the place, hand grenades are consumed, hurricanes slammed down.  Sure, there's plenty of debauchery and alcohol consumption, but every city has those - New York has championship parades and happy hour's down in the city; Boston has the Red Sox and any day ending in -day.  It's fun.  Something to experience once - and before you're too old (25, I'd say).

Big East Tournament Day 1
DePaul and UConn at noon.  Rutgers and Seton Hall at 2 pm.  South Florida and Villanova at 7 pm.  Providence and Marquette at 9 pm.  

My picks:  UConn, Seton Hall, Villanova, Marquette - I  know, not really going out on a limb.  Day two on is usually the better days of this grueling tournament.  I would be able to go Thursday to Syracuse vs. ??? (Lindsay went to Cuse) but we are leaving for Knoxville, TN. 

A few years back we went to the seven overtime thriller between UConn and Syracuse.  That was the best basketball game I've ever been to and will probably never be trumped.

Time to go measure the softball fence - 205' to the lines, 210' to center.  I thought I did it right the other day, but I guess I was wrong.

Later Charlies!

Trending Now; THE Ohio St. Loses, Again; Duke at 7:45; Shower Success

Trending Now
As per my (randomly) recurring post topic, I will review the topics being trended  upon on BING.com. 

1. Daytona 500 - 500 mile NASCAR race.  Generally regarded as the race, the Daytona 500 is a long and grueling race.  It is close to being over, but I have not watched one lap of it.  Typically, I don't watch.  David Ragan is in the lead, but they're on Lap 204 of 200 since they're racing under a yellow flag (caution laps).  Stay tuned, unless you're me.

2. Blake Griffin - NBA star and Dunk Contest champion.  Last night was the Dunk Competition (which I did not watch) and Blake - a man-child - won it.  No one really doubted the fact that he'd win.  His last dunk was impressive, although everyone who watched said it wasn't his best - dude jumped over a car to dunk (a Kia).  If you haven't watched this guy or watched ESPN, it's time to check him out.  As much as I despise the NBA, this guy is gold.

3. Alex Pettyfer - English actor and model.  The "I Am Number Four" star apparently broke up with his girlfriend and co-star, Dianna Agron.  This guy might be a little fruity - just saying - it wouldn't surprise me.  That's enough about this shlep.

4. Brooke Ann Coats - Bullrider.  This is a sad story.  16-year old Brooke Ann Coats was thrown from a bull and kicked in the chest during a rodeo in Tampa, Florida.  She walked away from the scene, but later on had trouble breathing and collapsed.  Everyone involved understand the risk involved in bullriding - you're messing with a large, mean animal.  Here is a link to her GuestBook - I dropped a line on this.  No one deserves this.  Very unfortunate.  But if she was doing what she loved, I am sure she had no regrets.

That's the range of topics being searched.  Personally, I had only heard of two of the four prior to doing a little research for this post. 

THE Ohio St. Loses, Again
For the second time in three games, THE Ohio State University lost in men's hoops.  They were number one - briefly - and no one thought they could be caught in the Big Ten.  Purdue had other ideas.  They avenged their earlier 23-point loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.  Ohio St. now holds a one game lead in the standings, over a hot-and-cold Purdue team.  They look like world beaters some days (read: at home) and others decide not to show up (read: on the road).  The Big Ten is a great conference, probably running second to the Big East.

Ohio St. finishes the season at home against Wisconsin.  Purdue has three of their last four on the road.  They had better learn to win away from Keady Court or they have no chance to win the Big Ten regular season.

Duke at 7:45
The Duke Blue Devils are home (and 20.5 point favorites) against Georgia Tech at 6:45 tonight.  GT is 11-14 overall and have only played one ranked team (at the time of the game), #9 Syracuse and only lost by four.  They had a pretty easy tune-up last game, beating Chattanooga by nine.

I am guessing Duke wins, but underestimates a Georgia Tech team that always seems to give them trouble.  Hopefully the Cameron Crazies get loud and crazy.  86-71 Duke.  Why not?

Shower Success
The baby shower yesterday was great.  Lindsay had an awesome time and based on the look of our apartment, this baby has more stuff than either one of us.  There's diaper cakes (diapers formed to look like a giant cake), a changing table I still have to assemble, a stroller, clothes, rattles, more clothes, bibs, socks, and a Diaper Genie II, among a lot of other things.  Nathan seems to be put off by all the gifts - I hope he isn't the jealous type.  If he is, he might find himself a new residence in LI with my parents.

Just wanted to thank everyone who attended (and those who didn't) for their generosity.  Baby D will never be short on stuff.

I'm done.  Going to help Lindsay get some of it away before the Duke game.

Trending Now

According to our friends at BING.com, here's a peek at what the people want to find more about.  Kind of a weird group of topics.

1.  Aretha Franklin - American singer.  Apparently, the Queen of Soul was spotted in Detroit with Reverend Jesse Jackson for the Heat/Pistons game.  Didn't know she was a fan of hoops - but I guess every Queen needs a King.  In this case, it's King James, but I have a feeling she's not his type.

2. Dog show - Westminster Dog Show.  Every year around this time, the WDS comes to town looking to crown Best in Show.  Speaking of Best in Show, if you haven't seen the movie Best in Show, you should.  The movie is hilarious and I saw it even before I know of any dog show on television.  Give it a whirl - half.com is and buy it.  NOW!

3.  Maksim Gelman - Accused serial killer.  Early Friday morning, he went on a killing spree in Brooklyn.  Early this morning, after a city wide manhunt, this animal was finally caught.  He murdered his stepdad, killed his ex-girlfriend and her mother, and ran over a 60-year old.  Quite a busy day for this piece of shit. 

4.  Algeria - Country in North Africa.  Over 400 people were arrested at reform rally's even though they were heavily outnumbered by police.  A ban on public protests apparently led to this massive rally.  There have also been riots over high food prices, which led to three deaths.  Wacky stuff.

5.  Tonya_Harding - American figure skating champion.  Infamously known after her ex-husband's attack on Nancy Kerrigan in 1994, she's expecting a baby boy with her husband of 7 months Joseph Price.  Though she's probably out of skating shape (based solely on photos I've seen) and 40, I'm sure she'll grow in to a old cat lady eventually.  Or maybe she'll try the boxing thing out again - after her son's birth.  Good luck to the whole family.

I am dead tired, but I will post a photo later on on DDP.

Have a great day, I am going to wrap up this basketball game and take a little power nap before deciding on what to make for dinner. 

Naps are severely underrated, and it had been a while since I'd taken one before last weekend.

Happy Saturday!

Trending Now; Blue Bloods; Blue Fingers; Blasting Music

Trending Now
According to the world's favoritest search engine, BING.com, the following topics are the most trended for today.  Here we go...

1. Olivia Wilde - Actress and model.  So I guess she's going to be back on the market after divorcing her husband of eight years.  The story broke courtesy of "MTV News" - I mean that channel doesn't even play music anymore.  The TRON: Legacy actress is also a staple on House M.D.  Tao Ruspoli is a filmmaker and musician and a complete tool.

2. Cavaliers - NBA team.  The one time home team for LeBron James, the Cavs have fallen on some tough times lately.  They set a league record for futility by losing their 25th straight game Monday night, 99-96 to the Dallas Mavericks.  Antawn Jamison is the King of Shitsville, averaging a team-high 17.2 ppg.  He needs to average 37.2 ppg for them to be good.  Maybe their owner should look himself in the mirror.  I feel bad for the guys on the team, no one should have to go through this - but I guess their salaries aren't too bad.  Go Cavs!  Just get a win.

3. Selena Gomez - Actress, singer, and UNICEF Ambassador.  The #1 Belieber (even though they aren't an item) is starring in the upcoming film "13 Reasons Why", which will be her first leading role.  She's a Disney star I guess, but all I ever see is her hanging on Bieber's coattails (and his hair) or making out with the little guy.  No shocker here - MTV reported this story as well.

4. High-Speed Rail - Passenger rail transport system.  Apparently, Obama plans on spending $53B for a national high-speed rail network, according to several reports.  In his January State of the Union address, he announced his goal of providing said rail for 80% of Americans withing 25 years.  Good luck with that one Barack.  I am guessing this is sort of an Amtrak thing, but faster.  Cool idea.

5.  Scientology - A "new" religion.  Apparently, they're being investigated for human trafficking.  Couch-jumping Tom Cruise is a member, as is fat/not-fat/fat Kirstie Alley.  The basic belief of this religion is that man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes.  I don't really care, so I'll end it at that.  Human trafficking.  Very illegal.  As is couch-jumping.

The five points above will surely make that long ride in an elevator with a stranger more pleasant - at least you can spout off a few ice-breakers.  And if you don't like elevators, just start talking to a stranger about one of these things.

Blue Bloods
Tonight is UNC vs. Duke.  The rivalry in college basketball.  If you're a fan of college hoops, you watch this one even if you can't stand either team.  I get to sleep in tomorrow since we have a mandatory day off, so I hope I can make it through the game.  As an appetizer, Syracuse hosts Georgetown in another great game at 7 pm, I'm guessing on ESPN.

Watch these games, for the love of sport.

Blue Fingers
That's what you'll have if you stay outside in this brutal cold for too long.  I walked in this morning and kept my hands in my pockets the entire time, but they were still freezing cold when I got here.  I ran them under hot water, which some say is a bad idea, but for me, it was the only idea.  Frostbite felt like it was about to set in.  And living by the Hudson River doesn't help - the wind rips off that sucker and funnels into the back of our building.  Global warming my ass!

Blasting Music
Had a pretty good workout this morning and the playlist was quite random, as the shuffle feature would indicate.  Here's a rundown, with links, of the 8 songs that got me through my morning routine:

1. Muse - "Resistance"
2. Nine Inch Nails - "Into The Void"
3. Kid Cudi - "Down & Out "
4. Brand New - "Sowing Season"
5. Every Time I Die - "Apocalypse Now and Then"
6. This is Hell - "Destroyer"
7. Cancer Bats - "Raised Right"
8. glassjaw - "When One Eight Becomes Two Zeros"

If that doesn't pump you up, go back to sleep.

My Wednesday feature is coming later on, but for the time being, like the Terminator said, I'll be back!

Trending Now

This is another running topic I will try to keep with.  I plan on using BING.com as my search engine for these posts because they only have four topics trending where Yahoo! has ten.    I do not have the attention span to briefly touch on ten topics.

1. Super Bowl - The Big Game.  NFC Champions Green Bay Packers (-2.5) vs. AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  Super Bowl XLV.  Kickoff is scheduled for 6:25 pm at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas.  I am picking the Packers because of one B.J. Raji.  Big man in the middle against a backup center for the Steelers.  Watch out you rapist.

2. Ronald Reagan - 40th President of the United States.  He would have turned 100 today and still hits home with younger people who weren't even alive or old enough to remember his time in office.  The Gipper, as he was known, was a true leader.  My father loves him, and I may have to delve deeper into what he was all about.  I lack on my political knowledge, but I'm intrigued by Ronald Reagan.

3. Christina Aguilera - American recording artist.  This Staten Islander (she was born there, anyway) will sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.  Since released her first album in 1999 with "Genie in a Bottle" as the main track.  She's always been quite the performer and besides music has been in four movies, including Burlesque in 2010.  I think the over/under on the time of the anthem is set at one minute and fifty-four seconds.  I'll take the over.

4. Muslim Brotherhood - Islamic transnational movement.  They're basically an oppositional group to the government in Egypt.  They've come to their senses and decided it's time to sit down with the government to try to end the country's political turmoil.  The thing Egypt needs to do is simple, and this is a sentiment shared by President Obama - get Hosni Mubarak out of office.  This would end all this camel-charging nonsense going on in Egypt.

Hope this provides you with some insight into what the world is interested in today. 

Me, I'm interested in getting the hell out of this gym after the game and whipping up some food before I pass out on the couch only to be awaken again by my alarm at 4:39 am to head back here for practice.

Take care.

Trending Now

According to search engine BING.com, there are five things Bing users are really fiending to learn more about.  Here they are, along with a little information about all five.

1.  SAG Awards - Screen Actors Guild Awards.  It's basically another awards show to recognize outstanding performances by actors and actresses.  It seems the awards season rarely has any time off.  The award handed out is called "The Actor".  Just another opportunity to collect praise, booze, and free swag.  Entertaining nonetheless.

2.  Suez Canal - A waterway in Egypt.  According to Bloomberg.com, the canal operating at 100% capacity and is responsible for carrying 8% of global seaborne trade.  Pretty staggering numbers if you ask me, but I'm no water expert.

3.  Kim Kardashian - Celebutante/Socialite/TV Star.  She is always in the news and tabloids for basically anything she does.  If she farts, there's a story.  If she chooses to date half the NFL, there's a story.  She has her own television show and her Twitter account - @KimKardashian - has over 6 million followers.


4.  Henry Cavill - British actor.  The 27 year-old has been named the to the role of Superman for the upcoming film due in December of 2012.  He also auditioned for the role of Batman in 2005 but that role was given to Christian Bale (another Brit).

5.  Pro Bowl 2011 - NFL All-Star Game.  In the past, it has been played after the Super Bowl, but the league has changed the date to before the Super Bowl, meaning the best players on the two best teams in the league do not participate.  Not sure what kind of stunt that is, but it's working.  A near sellout crowd of 49,338 watched as the NFC jumped out to a 42-0 lead before holding on for a 55-41 victory.  Each player on the NFC side took home an additional $45,000.  Nice bonus.  (For the record, the losers get $22,500).

If you have the urge to trend the aforementioned topics, fret no more.  I just did the work for you.

Enjoy your Monday.