Ramblings

I am stealing the “Ramblings” idea from Sports Guy on ESPN.com, but the random thoughts are my own.

• I suspect the writers of “How I Met Your Mother” are regretting the whole format of the show. It probably seemed like an interesting idea when they pitched it to CBS – every episode would begin with omniscient narrator Bob Saget telling his children (from 20 years in the future) a new story that would eventually lead to how he met their mother. The show is very good, but no one really cares who Ted marries and it is somewhat creepy that future Ted is telling future Ted’s kids about every girl he dates and every drunken night he endures. Personally, Barney (formerly Doogie Howser, MD) is what makes the show worth watching. The writers are already centering more episodes around Barney’s antics. We are three seasons into the series, and we still have not met the mother of Ted’s children. Wake me up when this show evolves into more than just Barney being awesome.

• 2008 has been a good year for music so far. I cannot remember a six-month span during the post-Napster era in which I cared so much about new albums coming out. It would be an understatement to say that I have not been very impressed with more than a handful of albums during this decade. I started using Napster in 1999 and have paid for three or four CDs since then. I have bought dozens of songs on iTunes, but never an entire album. I may not even buy the entire album for these bands, but check out new albums from My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, Death Cab for Cutie, The Black Keys, The Black Crowes, Coldplay (if you have some anti-depressants around the house), and Radiohead.

• I joined Blockbuster online last year, and I have been on a documentary kick lately. Here is my list of the top 10 documentaries:

10. Spellbound: This documentary follows 6 or 7 pre-teens who are preparing for the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C. The kids are major nerds, but the suspense will get to you.

9. Murderball: All about quad rugby -- basically "kill the man with the ball"...in a wheelchair. Very good flick.

8. The Thin Blue Line: This is about a man who was convicted of a murder he did not commit. A year after the documentary came out, the inmate’s conviction was overturned and he was released.

7. Wordplay: A documentary about crossword puzzles. Put on your glasses and pocket protectors for this one! No seriously, it’s worth watching.

6. Shorty: This is about a man with Down’s Syndrome who is Hampden-Sydney football’s number one fan. I am biased but this is a great documentary, even if you know nothing about Hampden-Sydney.

5. Air Guitar Nation: Did you know there is an international air guitar competition in Finland every year? This is a highly entertaining 90 minutes.

4. Hoop Dreams: I own this on VHS. Interesting look at the world of college basketball recruiting from two high school ballers’ point of view.

3. King of Kong : A Fistful of Quarters: I highly recommend this documentary about arcade video games, namely Donkey Kong. I know it sounds dorky, but this movie is great.

2. Devil’s Playground: This is a very interesting glimpse at the Amish tradition of rumspringa, in which 16-18 year olds dress in normal clothes, drive cars, and drink heavily for months or years at a time until deciding whether or not to join the Church. I did not expect to see Amish teens with meth addictions.

1. Supersize Me: This was a well done documentary and I get the point he is trying to make, but sometimes people just want a bucket of fries. Most people are not stupid enough to eat at McDonald’s every day. I can no longer supersize because of you, asshole.

• E! has overtaken MTV and VH1 for celebreality supremacy. I am hooked on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Living Lohan,” “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated,” and “Girls Next Door.”

• Speaking of celebreality, remember when “The Osbournes” was the number 1 rated reality show? The other day it took me hours to remember the youngest daughter’s name. Quick, see if you can think of it. There’s Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and…still thinking? It’s Kelly. I guess her music career didn’t work out.

• It’s beach season and that means one thing for me – load up on sunscreen. I don’t get tan. I go to the beach to get less of a farmer’s tan.

• Jalen Rose is my favorite ESPN basketball analyst. The former member of Michigan’s Fab 5 freshman class is intelligent, insightful, and funny. He even wears a bow tie. Unlike most former players-turned-analysts, Jalen does his homework and doesn’t just read the teleprompter.

• I think it’s ironic that my brother (financial advisor who is a good cook) watches “Boston Legal” in the same time slot that I (attorney with no culinary skills) watch “Top Chef.”

• Office league co-ed softball is more fun when you don’t take it too seriously. Especially when every other team has players that don’t even work for their team’s company. It also doesn’t help when the commissioner of the league makes up stupid rules like pitch to your own team and use different size softballs for girls and guys. But I’m not bitter that my squad is 0-2.