Question of the Day

How do you feel about the US's involvement in the United Nations?

We're Moving, part 2

Hola quesolitos. So hows about another list, but this time things I won't miss.

I won't miss the worst drivers ever. I won't miss belching factories. I won't miss oil spills in the river. I won't miss cement. I won't miss abandoned row homes. I won't miss urban blight. I won't miss DYFS visits next door each month. I won't miss abandoned cars stacking up in parking lots (as opposed to lawns down south). I won't miss dirty streets. I won't miss shoveling snow. I won't miss having cement for a front yard. I won't miss 13000 residents in 2.7 square miles. I won't miss stop lights. I won't miss the Brooklawn shoprite. I won't miss road construction. I won't miss dudes that sit outside in nothing but briefs and a beergut. I won't miss shirtless joe (the drunker less famous cousin of shoeless joe). I won't miss so many drunk people in general. I won't miss anti-church group stances in politics. I won't miss global warming. I won't miss lawyers, and their lawyers, and their lawyers, and their lawyers...

I won't miss any of that.

There are some people I am going to miss greatly though...but maybe we'll talk about that next time.

God save the cheese.

Question of the Day

Who was your favorite Muppet?

We're Moving.

Hola Quesolitos. Don't be worried. This isn't one of those weak attempts at a life-metaphor, where someone uses a real life phrase or commonality to refer to some on-line activity in a hokey kind of old-fashioned way. Breathe easy, the High Cheese is staying right where it is.

The real news is that the most wonderful woman in the world and I will be soon moving. Honestly, I never thoght that I would say this: I am going to miss South Jersey like crazy. I mean, I will miss the little things, like diners everywhere and not one good one anywhere. I will miss the boroughs that seemlessly flow into one another without much notice. I will miss the row homes. I will miss the WaWa (if you don't know, now you know). I will miss the look of respect that is earned the moment you say that you are from New Jersey. I will miss the street fights. I will miss cheesesteaks. I will miss the abandoned homes and factories and the crooked town governments. I will miss traffic circles. I will miss Irish cops. I will miss being so close to Philly and NYC that our state halves itself in allegiance to either. I will miss living in a football state--and a hockey state. I will miss being a part of the northeastern bias. I will miss people who assume that yous guys is good english. I will miss the perazzelli's lemonade. I will miss being offered a drink every time I say God's best friends are Irish in public. I will miss actually walking past mafia storefronts. I will miss being at a place where a majority of people take the train to work. I'll miss blue collars and blue states. I'll miss bruce springsteen being quoted as an authority on any subject. I'll miss bridges. I'll miss Jersey peaches. I'll miss paying a toll to leave the state. I'll miss my southern accent being as much of a novelty. I'll miss living next to the most dangerous city in America. I'll miss having 12 urban music radio stations. I'll miss going down the shore. I'll miss really good buffalo wings. I'll miss catholic schools. I'll miss local brewing companies. I'll miss local history that is national history. I'll miss it all. I will miss it all.

Then again there are some things that I won't really miss...But we will talk about that tomorrow.

God save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

So who is your favorite current Sportscenter Anchor? How about of all time?

Congrats, Complaints, Catching it, and being a general disruption (i.e. life ain't fair, but it's good most of the time)

Hola my quesolitos! Hola indeed. It is a really crappy day outside here in beautiful south Jersey, but that is not going to hold us back is it? No sir. I want to start off with an important message congratulating the Chapmans on their baby boy--sure he's just been found out and there are a few months to go before he sees the light of the sun, but still, it's exciting that he will be joining us all so soon. Welcome to you, David Wayne "Tucker" Chapman.

So, last night, the wind howled, I didn't get much sleep, and I ended up sleeping late once it finally calmed down. My bad. Needless to say, I was late to work, but didn't catch too much crud for it.

Important Update: My NFL Supersar RB ran for 112, caught for 45, and scored three TDs as we clinched a playoff birth and homefield advantage in the AFC. His popularity jumped, but by guaranteeing the playoffs then delivering, amazingly I moved in personality from being a loner to being a "disruption." Is that a disruptive move? I don't think so. Oh well...

Making a couple of movies this week, so I will be pretty busy. Nevertheless, you should hear from me. You know i wouldn't...couldn't leave you hanging.

Peace.

Question of the Day

My new law:

Late to bed, but early to rise,
Makes your thinking as blurred as your eyes.

Anyways...

Who rocks the dirtier 'stache:




Adam Morrison, G/F, Gonzaga Bulldogs,



or

Jake Plummer, QB, Denver Broncos

Enough With the Tag Crap

Nevertheless, here are my answers, but I don't advocate this.

Five Things I Plan To Do Before I Die: (in no particular order)
1. Have two kids
2. See a Crimson Tide Football National Championship
3. Finish my PhD.
4. Coach a High School Football Team
5. Have something published

Five Things I Can Do:
1. Play guitar
2. Play sports video game dynasty modes with an extraordinary high success rate
3. Write papers well
4. Make people laugh
5. Praise God at all times

Five Things I Can't Do:
1. Modern dance
2. Evaluate modern art well
3. Beat anyone in Halo
4. Say I'm a doctor (see #3 in the first group of Qs)
5. Lie well

Five Things I Find Attractive in the Opposite Sex:
1. Named Kelly
2. Green Eyes
3. Blonde/Brown hair
4. About 5 feet tall
5. Christian

Five Weird Habits You Possess
1. Play sports video game dynasty modes with an extraordinary high success rate
2. When I'm angry, I clean
3. When I concentrate deeply, I stick out my tongue a bit (like MJ)
4. My cold chills are more like nuclear seizures
5. I could eat at Moe's every day for the rest of my life and die happy.

Five People I Tag (fill this out and post it for yourself)
1. Sean (already filled it out)
2. Melissa (already filled it out)
3. Matt Jag (already filled it out)
4. anyone who has already done this.
5. James Yasko (sticking it to you, sweat boy.)

Alright...enough.

Question of the Day

So now that the favorites (along with my favorites) are out, who ya got winning the Super Bowl?

What Were They Thinking?!?

Outrage! That's what it is! Outrage. My Bears lost in the playoofs in a game they might have had a small chance in, but instead they gave the game away before they even started it. And you know who I blame? (allow time to guess)....

That's right! Ron Turner, the offensive coordinator. I mean, here you are at 11-5 on the regular season, and you did it by running the ball and playing good defense. Sure, I give Carolina and especially Steve Smith props for putting to the defense, but let's face it: our QB who was starting his tenth game ever threw 41 times!!! 41 times! And it was not because the run wasn't effective--Thomas Jones had 20 rushes for 80 yards--a 4.0 ypr avg. That is successful! Instead, we went pass happy, and then we went home...all without ever playing to our strengths. We lost without even playing our game.

If I'm ever a coach, I'm going down doing what I do best. Power football teams don't have to gimmick their way to a win--just ask the Steelers.

God Save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

What is your favorite breed of Dog?

Detox, Day #2

Quesolitos, I'm in pretty tough condition. It was a lie when I thought that I could quit anytime I wanted. Lies....Lies. I still shake, but now I have the sweats and can't stop thinking about how much time I am letting slip through my hands. I could have broken the single season touchdown record by now--then I would be famous. I could lead the league in rushing...then I would be visible.

Of course, I am getting a lot of housework done. So kudos for that. How about some exposure and a new contract for that! Anyways...

James' grape juice post gets him the BOTD award. Congrats.

Well, off to paint a bedroom and fix a stairrail.

God save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

First off, Chopper1 wins the coveted blogger of the day award for his response to the QOTD yesterday. It was clearly apparent that he had way too much time invested in his answer for it to be a spontatneous idea. Personally, I appreciate that sort of devotion to mindless chatter. Wonderful answer. And so in your honor, I will now do the pants dance......Good.

Okay, now Chris will question this as she was so deeply offended that hockey was not on the list of major sports. Honestly, perhaps you put it on the list alongside the other three, but viewership alone demands that it is a distnat fourth. Also, the strike really hurt their popularity and revealed that indeed revenues in hockey just don't match any of the others. Sorry Chris, no harm intended. I hope you still talk to me.

On to today's question:

What is your favorite kind of fruit juice and how often do you consume it?

Detox, Day #1

Okay, so here's the good news: the mother of the High Cheese is coming to visit. It has been too long since I have seen my mum, so this is a good thing.

Okay, so here is the scary part: The guest bedroom is where we keep the PS2. That means no Madden 06 NFL superstar for three days. What will I do. I have already started getting the shakes.

I don't know if I can do this.

God Save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

If you could change one rule in any one sport, game, or contest what would it be?

Example: You could make basketball have to be played on roller skates; or allow goaltending in basketball.

I'm a Superstar!!!

Okay, friends and readers, I have to level with you. The Fastball Up and In (baseball term)--aka high cheese--is struggling with a small addiction. I recently purchased Madden 06 for PS2. Now I know that this game is so old that I paid like thirty bucks for it. Still, my heart was longing for a fantasy draft of real NFL players (something only superdorks long for...I know, just let me be cathartic for a moment). But in the game was something I simply neveer expected to find...

Create an NFL Superstar is the stuff of lives lost. I mean it. I am hooked. I created my HB by choosing his parents (no lie--my dad was an NFL RB and my mom was a hand model). Then I chose his size and his college (Bama of course). I waited and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the 24th pick of the 3rd round--the good news is that I went on the first day of the draft; the bad news is that I went to the team with Willis McGahee, Travis Henry, Tyrone Wheatley, and Shaud Williams. Needless to say I had some fighting to do to get into the depth chart.

So the game factors your popularity, visibility (pretty low in Buffalo), exposure, appearance (I'm hot...people want to be like me), expectations, and some other stuff; as well as updating your skill stats as you practice and improve. Every season you improve or decline as you practice or don't. You have an agent that can help or hurt you. You have to do interviews and those get graded. You have opportunities to get movie deals and become a superstar. It's like the Sims meets the NFL.

Needless to say, I am not sleeping enough right now. Days are packed with job and house work; nights are full of my RB and his dreams of the Probowl. Meanwhile, my brain is quickly losing its edge...Curse you John Madden.

God Save the Cheese...he really needs it now.

Question of the Day

Have you ever listened to the band Ringside?

Their album is actually really good. Check them out.

If you don't know, now you know...sharing the love--Cheese style.

***For all of you who thought that this didn't count as a QOTD: What's your favorite/lucky number? So there.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Hola my wonderful quesolitos. The High Cheese is happy to give a special blogger of the day award to brighton luis ramos-gaffney. Indeed, he was not just celebrating the anniversary of his birth, but indeed his actual birthday on the day the question was asked. Way to go champ! We're proud of you. Everyone raise a glass and toast the little fella. Sorry to all others who came so close and got so excited about their near win.

So I slept wrong last night and now I have a crick in my neck. It hurts, and undoubtedly I will spend the rest of the day trying to see just how far I can move my head to the right before it hurts like crazy. Am I the only one who does this? I mean, I know it's gonna hurt. I know it's not working just right. Yet the rest of the day is spent in slow torture. Meaningless, it's all meaningless.

Speaking of things that are probably meaningless, the Cubs have actually impressed me this offseason. They have acquired two greaat outfielders who are solid leadoff guys and can flat out run and defend--Jacques Jones and Juan Pierre. In addition they passed on Jeramy "(1-4, 3K)" Burnitz and his $17 million, bringing up a young stud to patrol right. They even moved Patterson for two minor leaguers to the Orioles, who are apparently trying to reassemble the steroid era Cubs outfield, not realizing that there are significant reasons why guys used to hit .320 with 35 dingers, and now hit .215 with 13 dingers. Hmmm...

Talking about aquiring talent, some lucky team in the NFL (they say Titans) will acquire the talents of Texas QB Vince Young who turned on his word and declared himself eligble for the draft. Y'know, I'm sorry for being cynnical (not really) but having to choose between a senior year in college where he is royalty and treated like it in every way any time while winning the heisman he should have won this year, and going to the NFL to make multi-million dollars, well that no longer counts in my book as a "really hard decision." No! That is a choice between two very appealing options in which either choice is praised as the right one. It is not like the choice to have to sever one limb from the body and being forced to choose which one, or which of your drowning kids to save. Those are hard choices. But are we really expected to empathize with this analogical Brad Pitt--Anniston or Jolie...oh no, this choice is so hard...I've lost so much sleep over it...wah wah wah. Get real man. Either way, you are set. So, even though it wasn't a really hard choice, congrats VY, you deserve it.

Alright, enough. God Save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

Whose birthday is closest to today's date?

Painting, Playoffs, and Shirtless Fridays

Hola Quesolitos. Did I ever tell you about the time my cousin mocked a kid with a prosthetic arm...three times? Yeah. Those were the good old days.

Anyways, so now that college football season is over, it seams that I have little choice but to turn my attention to the long and growing list of things that need to be done around the house, but take a saturday to get done. Wait! I still have the NFL playoffs this SAturday and a few to come. Hahahaha, saved by football. You see, this is why we love football so much--because deep down it keeps us from having to do things we would rather not do. Nevertheless, I do eventually have to paint my office and our master bedroom. Painting is not so fun.

By the way...has anyone noticed that my bears who I thought would contend for the number one pick (VY!), managed to finish #2 in the NFC. They even have a punchers chance at going to the superbowl. THe most incredible woman in the world and I have some close friends in Detroit--if her Colts and my Bears meet, we're headed up to watch the battle in person. Very nice.

Well, everyone have a wacky, but safe friday. Oh yeah, this is shirtless friday at work, so don't forget that company spirit = no shirts!

God save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

Two parts and a lot of analysis involved in this one:

1. Is Vince Young, now that he has won a title and shown that he was worthy of the Heisman, going to enter the draft or stay for another year?

2. If both Vince Young and Reggie Bush do indeed declare for the draft, who should be the first pick? Put yourself in Houston's place as you consider this.

Hook 'em

Alright, quesolitos. James definitely wins the freakishly accurate score prediction as he called for a 41-39 UT victory, and we all saw that it was a 41-38 UT victory. James, what do you got on the pick three this weekend? Also, kudos to Rell for stepping up and admitting his man-crush (James' is Clive Owen); however, Rell, I question whether or not you had this man-crush before you knew about his extraordinarily lazy speech pattern--which, by the way, lost him the heisman in my book.

Well, that's it, another year of college football--the best sport in the universe heretofore--has come to its completion. This means that we who are more than casual fans of the game begin watching the recruiting battle very closely. Now, mind you, I watch it year round, what with my handy link to Tide Sports on the right of this very blog (aren't I helpful). But now the races really heat up. An extra kudos, by the way, to Mack Brown for his unabashed recruiting ploy as he thanked Texas High School Football after UT's win. God bless him, he got five new kids with that one alone.

Now, no one I know comes out of this happier than my cousin James (VY included). But it raises an interesting discussion in my mind. James' Astros blew the World Series--and I mean they sucked it up--but his Longhorns won the National Title. So I put the question to everyone, as a bonus question of the day, per se: Would you rather win a National Title or a World Series? Why?

God Save the Cheese.

Question of hte Day

Prediction time:

Give me your national championship pick and score prediction.

Texas vs. USC.

All the Marbles

So, my beloved quesolitos, The Tide pulled out an ugly but acceptable victory. Roll Tide. By far i thought the kick was at least 15 yards short. Somehow it got there and got over. Whew. But a win's a win--that is not original with me if you were wondering.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether or not it will be a win for Texas or USC tonight. Big business is at hand. Good luck to both. Personally, I would like to see Texas come out on top by...ooohhhhh...35 or so, but I think it will be closer than that. Texas, like Alabama combines rich history with a promising present, but Texas has been caught cheating a lot less. Oh well.

So, I plan to be watching, but this time no party. I am out of root beer. Sorry folks.

Enjoy your night;s entertainment, and God save the Cheese.

Question of the Day

So Donnie Fricks has bested James Yasko again.

Now, I do want to take a moment to let you know that most of you disappointed the old coach just a bit by letting the simple detail of whether or not you knew the people involved in the question limit your ability to choose an answer. C'mon people. Life consists in two things--choice and commitment. That being said (by Kierkegaard, not me), sometimes our choices don't come with all the necessary information, or even all of the information we would like to have going into decision time.

Nevertheless, on to today's question:

Which defensive scheme do you think is most effective against an I-formation counter to the strong side?

A. 4-3 zone cover two
B. 4-4 man strongside blitz
C. 3-4 man weakside blitz
D. Nickel quarter halves QB spy

Explain your answer.

Roll Tide!

Hola my beloved quesolitos! Today is the national championship for the High Cheese. It might as well be the end of the college football season, because today is the Cotton Bowl. no it is not that I am simply nostalgic enough to think that the Cotton Bowl is the most important bowl, it is that the team nearest and dearest to the old fastball up-and-in's heart is playing in the Cotton Bowl.

Roll Tide! Roll!

I need the Tide to shut down the nations most prolific passing offense. The Red Raiders of Texas Tech avg. over 400 passing yards per game. The Tide defense has only allowed two teams more than 200 passing yards all season. Hmmm...Looks good on paper. But games aren't played on paper, they are played in TV sets. So the superior talent and athleticism of the SEC elite beats out the Big 12 wannabe--Tide wins by one or two touchdowns.

Roll Tide!

BTW, if you can get here, Cotton Bowl Party at my house. Plenty of chips, dips, crackers, snacks, drinks, shouting, and angry neighbors. Be sure to make it if you can!

God save the Cheese.