Welcome to Earth

Tblog recently underwent something of a face-lift. For whatever reason, it's now harder for me to use, as this blog no doubt makes obvious. Apparently you need a working knowledge of HTML to even indent a paragraph with this site, so I've decided to dump this place and move somewhere new. My new site is brorizzo.blogspot.com Check it out: Although it's still a work in progress, it's prettier, and the posts will be of a higher quality (I hope).

It's been a while since I posted - I've been busy, between working two jobs, trying to start up another job selling insurance, and giving away all of my money to other people, because I'm such a nice guy. Throughout all of this, I've spent most of my free time either soaking up the news and politics, from every source under the sun (internet, tv, papers, people at the coffee shops and bars, etc.) I'm starting to worry about the state of our world again. Devestating natural disasters are all but the norm these days. Anti-Western sentiment seems to be intensifying daily, over things as serious as military incursions, to things as ridiculous as Danish political cartoons. N. Korea is popping off missiles by "accident". Iran is seeking nuclear power. Stateside, things don't look much more promising. Working in schools, I've been seeing petitions to write to senators about recently proposed cuts to the federal and state education budgets. A young nurse occasionally appears on tv to plead for resistance to proposed cuts in the healthcare budget. Meanwhile, the military budget continues to climb, with estimated war costs since 9/11 approaching $400 billion. Long-haired hippies appear in small groups around city corners to ludicrously protest everything from the war to animal cruelty in the circus. Rumors abound that Hilary Clinton might actually run for president in '08. The Iraq war is appearing more and more every day like a massive staging point for an all-out invasion of Iran, and who knows where else from there. Energy costs continue to climb, and getting your roommate to chip in for the astronomical gas bill remains difficult. Other than that, things have been pretty good! Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl! I'm looking into pursuing a master's degree in business, starting this fall. I still need to put in some research/interview time before I nail down anything for sure - but I'm tired of having to work two jobs just to pay the bills. Perhaps when I'm down to one, steady job, I'll be able to put in a little more time online to update this page - I'd really like to get into the whole political side of blogging, because I feel than as a person who has nothing but hatred for all the major political parties in our country, I could contribute something that the usual partisan hacks refuse to. Who knows? Meanwhile - try to be nice to someone. And if someone's nice to you, don't rip them off and take their money. That really pisses people off, and makes them more bitter about the overall condition of the human race. --Rizzo

I picked up a second job at the beginning of the year, working with kids in schools. It was going good at first, but due to a recent shift in my caseload, I now truly and utterly despise it. So for a few days over the last week or two, I've been going to work in a shirt and slacks, and throwing a tie and suit-coat on after I leave, so I can interview with other companies. It's kind of like cheating on my current job. I've been offered a job as an insurance salesman. Not exactly glamorous, but it's a hell of a lot better than the current job I'm pulling - I had a more stimulating place of employment when I was 14 than I do now. Plus, I can make some half-decent money, and maybe start making a dent in my 3-month overdue gas bill. Somehow I thought life after school would be more glamorous than all this. Oh well. Better go call up my company and drop the two week notice - two weeks into the job.

Sorry about the last post - I actually did structure it into separate paragraphs, but tblog is apparently so advanced these days that I can no longer write how I want to. It runs all of my sentences together, giving me no control of spacing, paragraphs, etc. So read on, but until I figure out how to fix this mess that tblog has made, it's going to be a little ugly.

I'm late writing on this one, because tblog went apeshit and became good-looking all of a sudden. It'll take me some time to get my old graphics up (maybe some new ones, if it goes well) because I've never allowed myself the time to learn HTML. ANYWAYS, onto the story of the year. Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers were 15-1 to close off the regular season. Number 1 seed in the AFC, which is clearly the more dominant of the 2 existing NFL conferences. So why didn't people in Pittsburgh feel like the Steelers would win the Superbowl? Seriously - despite the incredible record, people weren't sure that the Steelers could go all the way. These thoughts proved to be realistic when the Steelers got pounded in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots, who went on to win their 3rd Super Bowl title in 4 years. Things are different this year. Late November, not even a full 2 months ago, Pittsburgh fans were gloomy. The Steelers had dropped 3 straight games, to fall to 7-5. The injury to Ben Roethlisberger looked like it might have cost the Steelers their chance at the playoffs. The Bengals were hot, and clear favorites to win the division (which they did). Only by winning the last 4 games of the season, 2 of which were against tough oppenents, could the Steelers even hope for a wildcard berth. Then came the machine. The onslaught. The power, passion, and play-making. The Pittsburgh Steelers. The final 4 opponents of the regular season fell to the Steelers' resurgent effort like lambs to the slaughter. The Steelers put together a scoring effort that ranked in the top 5 3-game scoring totals of Steelers history. The defense held the opposition to paltry totals, holding the Bears to 9, the Vikings to 3, and the Browns to 0, before giving up a few touchdowns to the Lions in the final game of the season. The Steelers cemented their playoff berth in a convincing manner. Still, it was a #6 seed. The bottom of the wildcard. A spot typically reserved for the team that's all flash and balls, and no real potential. Never in NFL history had a #6 seeded team made it past the first 2 playoff games, much less to a Superbowl. Pittsburgh might put up a fight against Cincinnati, the division winner. They might even win. But they wouldn't hold a candle to the almighty Colts. The Steelers were doomed to an early playoff exit, and a city full of disapointed fans starting gloomily into their beer mugs, dreaming about what could've been. The wildcard playoffs began. The Patriots spanked the woefully inept Jaguars. The Redskins upset the Buccaneers. And the Steelers soundly beat up the Bengals, but the injury to Pro-bowl Bengals QB Carson Palmer in the opening moments of the game caused many to question the legitimacy of the Steeler's attack. Could they have beaten the Bengals had Palmer remained healthy throughout the game? After a week of half-hearted sports debate and shallow analysis on the limits of the remaining skill players (finally, no more talk about Chad Johnson), the teams were gearing up for the divisional playoffs. The real playoffs. Here, in these four games, we would sort the contenders from the pretenders. We would learn who had a shot at greatness, and who should've just stayed home to begin with. It started with a predictable Seattle win (go Seahawks! - closet fan, since I was born in Washington state) over the offensively challenged Redskins. It continued with the defending champion Patriots visiting the formidable Denver Broncos - a game in which the Patriots outplayed the Broncos, but lost due to mistakes and sloppy play. But the real game of the weekend was the Steelers vs. the Colts. Not because it was going to be a close game, no.. but because it would be a chance for the world to see the soon to be champion Colts unleash their offensive power against the hard-working but hapless Steelers, who would never be able to keep up with Peyton Manning and his scoring machine. The game started, and as I watched from my perch on the ugly old couch at work, I found myself expressionless in those opening minutes. I wanted the game to be over before the first ball had even been snapped. It's just a game, sure - but I've been watching this team for the last 4 months, living and dying with every win and loss they've endured. To see it all end in such an anti-climactic fashion was almost painful. I didn't want to watch the Colts beat up on the Steelers again. (See my earlier post for my reaction to the regular season matchup). Yet I felt an obligation to watch. I wasn't going to abandon my team, win or lose. And hey, as they say... any given Sunday, right? Roethlisberger bulleted a pass into Randle El's gut for a touchdown on the opening drive that was effortless and perfect. My fists clenched with excitement, but I wasn't going to get carried away. We hadn't yet seen Manning and the Colts take the field. One good drive wasn't going to amount to much over the course of 4 quarters, right? Manning got the ball next. Incomplete on 2 passes. James couldn't find any running space against' the Steelers stout defense. Three-and-out. My palms might've started to sweat a little under my tightly-clenched fists, but I wasn't ready to celebrate yet. Dwight Freeney was just waiting to sack Roethlistberger's ass all night, right? No way could we repeat that opening drive. And we didn't. The Steelers marched down the field again courtesy of Big Ben's immaculate passing, but a perfectly timed hit on Roethlisberger's arm as he tossed an end-zone oriented ball turned what would be a touchdown pass into an interception. The Colts weren't going to lose this one. The Championship belonged to them, and that's all there was to it. Then the Steelers' D shut out the Colts offense again. Then the Steelers' offense marched down the field and scored another touchdown. It all happened so fast, I could really comprehend the fact that the Steelers were whooping the Colts. It was too good to be true. Still, I remained the eternal cynic. 14 points wasn't much for the Colts. As soon as they got that offensive juggernaut in gear, the lead would melt, and the Colts would pull away without a problem. Boy was I wrong. Entering the final quarter of the game, the Steelers led the colts 21 to 3, courtesy of a flying Jerome Bettis touchdown run. Despite the fact that they were on the road, against a team favored to win the Superbowl, and against biased referees, they were kicking some serious ass. My throat was hurting from the cheering and yelling. Then the shit hit the fan. The Steelers' coaches made the mistake of trying to close off the game in a conservative fashion against a pissed off Colts team. The Steeler's blitzing, that had been so effective all night long against Manning's offense, backed off for a more conventional pass-coverage scheme. The Steeler's offense left the passing game and committed to the run, with the intention of knocking as many minutes off the clock as possible. And the Steelers paid for it. Manning fired a pass to Dallas Clark for a 50+ yard touchdown, putting a sudden end to the Colt's offensive woes. After the officials raped Troy Polumalu of a clear interception on the next possesion, (read about it in ANY major sports publication) the Colts put James in position to run another touchdown in. A 2-point conversion pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne brought the score within 3 points. The Steelers couldn't get the offense moving on the next possession, the Colts got the ball back with time left, and suddenly things looked bad. My entire body felt worn out. I didn't know what to do. My head started to hurt. That's when Pittsburgh brought back the blitz. Manning was sacked, and sacked again. The final play of the Colts' drive was a 4th and 16, and Manning was team-tackled by pro-bowl linebacked James Farrior and Joey Porter on the 2 yard line. The ball belonged to the Steelers, the game was over. All Pittsburgh had to do was give the ball to Bettis and run it in. One easy 2 yard touchdown, by the most reliable short-yardage back in NFL history was a no-brainer. My headache seemed to have vanished. Euphoria replaced my previous anxiety. All was right with the world. An almost zen-like peace took hold. Then Colts' LB Brackket put his helmet right between Bettis' chest and the football. The ball went spiralling out into the air, in the wrong direction. In the Colts' direction. Colts' cornerback Neil Harper, still recovering from a knife wound to his knee (inflicted on him by his wife, apparently) leaped onto the ball, and took off running. There wasn't a Steeler in sight to stop him. Harper surged forward as the remaining Colts fans filled the RCA dome with thunderous roars - only the big, lumbering Roethlisberger was left to stop Harper from stealing what was a guaranteed win for the Steelers only seconds ago. Somehow, Ben managed to fall backwards and catch the legs of the much faster man, tripping him up and saving the game. While the Colt's super-kicker Vanderjagt's miss of a 46 yard field goal might get more attention, it was this tackle by Roethlisberger that won the game for the Steelers. At that point, my brain had fried, my eyes were bloodshot, my throat was near breaking-point, and my entire body was near collapse (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but that's how I felt from and emotional standpoint). It was the greatest game of football I've ever watched. It was truly an experience. I don't know. Maybe the Steelers will win the Superbowl. Maybe they'll lose to the Broncos this Sunday. At this point, I have no idea what to expect. It's wide open. But if you get anything from reading this entire rant of a tired, slightly inebriated football fanatic, understand this: It's about passion. And seeing a team as passionate and dedicated as the Steelers defy all odds was something special. So tune in on Sunday, at 3 pm, I think on CBS. It's going to be either a great beginning or a great end for a football team that means more to me than is probably reasonable or healthy. But in these times of scumbag politicians, lies, corruption, and self-serving, bigoted assholes running our lives and telling us what to believe - it's refreshing to have something so pure as football. Try it. You might like it. Rizzo

I finally got my hands on a digital camera, courtesy of my very generous parents, so I'm trying to figure out how to use it. Here's a shot I took of my parrot, Sam. He (or she, I guess) looks nice, but don't be fooled - Sam is pure evil.

Merry Christmas to everyone out there- hope you have a good one. I'll be working from 7 am to midnight on the 25th, but at least I can pretend I'm having a "happy holiday".

Makes me feel like this:

Yesterday was a busy Wednesday for me, which is honestly a rare thing. I had an interview with a large finance corporation for a financial advisor position - not really my line of work, but I've decided to leave the social work field, because I finally figured out I don't want to be piss broke for the rest of my life doing something I don't enjoy. It was strange to leave my dilapitated little apartment, set in the slums of the South Side Slopes, and drive South to an area known as Canonsburg. I was expecting another little subdivision of Pittsburgh as I pulled off exit 48, complete with houses, gas stations, and mom'n'pop stores. Wrong. Instead, I found myself driving through a strangely quiet little city of office buildings. Big office buildings, small office buildings.. even a country club. The roads had such creative names as "technology drive" and "corporate avenue". All very surreal. It just struck me as weird - like being in some cynical music video that uses a stereotypical corporate setting as the backdrop.

Regardless, the interview went well - the VP sold me and a few other suited job-seekers the position, I passed a qualifying examination, and I'm going back into office-world for another interview in a couple of weeks. I got home and hopped online to find out how legit this business is - turns out Forbes and several other major business publications list financial advisor as one of the best job fields to get into right now. Sounds good enough to go back for the second interview, at least.

There are a few other big things on the horizon for me - I'll consider updating this neglected site when they further develop. Till then.

:arrow: Rizzo

I know the Steelers are all I write about anymore, but that's about the only exciting thing going for me at the moment. Anyway, here's a great article I came across while reading the Post-Gazette yesterday - it really captures the spirit of Steelers fandom here in the Burg - and throughout the world.



A Steelers fan in sunny California yearns to be freezing in Heinz Field

Wednesday, December 14, 2005
By David Hollander

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Eight years ago, I brought home a big lab puppy. Her father was a champion, a 110 pounds of muscle, her mother no less impressive. When my wife and I were coming up with names, I strongly lobbied for "Bettis."

My wife talked me out of it -- not because she wasn't a Bettis fan, but because the professional sporting world had rushed into a cynical age in which players like Jerome bounced from team to team. She simply did not want me to hate the dog if and when The Bus ended up in Dallas or Tampa Bay or Cleveland. I relented to this point of view and we gave the dog another name.

Last Sunday I sat on my couch with my 7-year-old son and my sleepy, now old and gray 8-year-old lab (Franny), and watched the Steelers play the Chicago Bears. After Bettis ran over Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and dove into the end zone, my boy looked at me with alarm and asked why Daddy had tears running down his face.

It's hard to explain to a kid being raised in Southern California the meaning of loving a team as much as any kid from Pittsburgh loves the Steelers, harder still to explain that the game on Sunday was the epitome of why any Steelers fan feels for our team the way we do.

We love our Steelers because, at their best, our Steelers love the game. We love our Steelers because they play with power and joy and clarity, through pain and age and sore knees and contract negotiations and the changes that take place in every other city with every other team. We love Jerome Bettis because he is a Steeler through and through; he brings the kind of fearlessness, power and rawness to the game that can move a grown man watching the game from nearly three thousand miles away to tears.

So I cried a little bit when Bettis ran over Urlacher.

Because watching that run from sunny Southern California made me yearn to sit in the stands freezing and still drinking cold beer, because the Steelers have remained the Steelers, and because Bettis is one of the best to ever put on a Steelers uniform. I didn't say any of that to my son, however.

All I said was, "I should have named the damn dog Bettis."

(David Hollander is creator of "The Guardian," a CBS TV series set in Pittsburgh, which ran from 2001 to 2004. He is at work on a feature film and two TV pilots.)

Good day for the Steelers. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, they put together a game that looked like the best of last season - the running game reemerged, and the Steelers trampled the #1 defense in the NFL, the Chicago Bears, who were riding an 8-game winning streak. While Willie Parker managed to get some decent yards, it was Jerome Bettis who carried the offense in the win. Over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns - looking like the Bus that Steelers fans have always loved.

So much for this season. The Steelers were obliterated last night by the league leading Indianapolis Colts, who held the struggling Pittsburgh offense to under 200 total yards. It was pathetic. The Steelers looked very strong earlier this season, but the offensive line, and subsequently the running game, have fallen apart. Gone is the dominant, clock-controlling rush attack from last year. The defense did all they could - including an interception by Polumalu that set up the only Steeler points of the night - but with an offense that can't even get a first down, it's tough to win games. Peyton Manning was perfect as always - the very first offensive play by the Colts was an 80 yard touchdown- Edgerrin James easily rushed for over 100 yards - the first back to do so against the Steelers since early last year - and the undersized Colts defensive line beat up on the uninspired Steelers.



All is not lost - the Bengals come to town next week, and the Steelers whooped them in the last meeting. This will be the biggest remaining game on the schedule, and the Steelers absolutely have to win it to hold on to their playoff hopes. Earlier in the season, I'd be confident that Pittsburgh would squish the Bengals, but right now, I'm not so sure. I can only hope that the Steelers find their offensive rythm again - they look like the friggin' Ravens right now.

On a personal front, I've got a job interview coming up, part-time job with great pay. I'll write something on this forgotten blog of mine if I get the job.

Here's Steelers wideout Antwaan Randle El, dropping back for a pass. He was a quarterback in college - and it showed here. The Steelers pulled off a reverse (a play in which the running back takes the ball in one direction to get the defense to follow him, then hands it off to a receiver, who runs in the reverse direction), but instead of taking off down the field, he bombed a pass to Hines Ward downfield for a monster 51-yard touchdown. Highlight reel stuff, but it's not getting much play on sportscenter due to Nate Vasher of the Chicago Bears pulling off the longest play in NFL history. It made me jump off the couch, at least.
The Steelers looked great on Sunday night, putting together big plays using a lot of backup players. Roethlisberger is probably out for next weeks' game in Baltimore, and with backup Charlie Batch's hand broken in Sunday's game, we'll likely have to rely on Maddox again. Maddox's first pass downfield Sunday (he played the second half) was directly into the arms of a Cleveland Brown. Not good, especially against a solid defense like Baltimore. I hate to say it, but I don't think the Steelers can win with Maddox behind center. I'll be pretty pissed if they lose a game to the worst team in the division. Given the accuracy of Randle El's pass, I'd almost be tempted to stick him in, instead of Maddox. Probably not realistic, but I like Randle El, and everyone knows he's just dying for a chance to play at QB.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Nothing interesting happening on this side of town. The only real news is that I managed to somehow bomb the police qualifying tests, so that's out of the picture for now. There's a local bureau hiring that I might stick my name into, but I'm no longer going to be putting all my eggs in one basket.

Now I'm stuck somewhere between conventional, scholarly pursuits such as getting into a grad school for whatever subject strikes me as appealing, or going completely insane and traveling around the world. I've looked back on the past year or so and realized that I've accomplished absolutely nothing, so it's time to get moving again. Whether I start getting in with the professors at the local university or taking a job in Alaska shooting pictures of fish, I need to get off my ass and do it.

As for the Steelers - they're heading into Green Bay this weekend to face off against the struggling Packers, who are 1-6. Normally I'd be comfortable with this game, but Monday night's game against the Ravens was a nail-biter when it should've been a blowout - and now our quarterback, Roethlisberger, is injured, and out for Sunday's game. Which is a very, very, bad thing. We'll see how it goes.

Apparently our fine city isn't ready to take a full-scale zombie attack. More info here http://www.theonion.com/conte...

I have nothing to really write about. I'm still in the same job, falling further into debt, and the Steelers lost, because the backup QB forgot how to play football. So here's some Red Meat. This stuff is sick but funny:

My gal and I just spent the night at a sweet little lounge in the strip, where there was a live taping of the "Joey Porter Show"... see my ealier post. In any cast, Hines Ward was there, and while I didn't actually get to talk to him (it was hard to even get near him) I did manage to get him to sign my Ward jersey. My girlfriend was making fun of me.. saying I was like a little kid in a candy store. To be honest, I was... I've seen a number of famous people, but I was seriously star-struck. I mean.. the best reciever in Steeler's history? We went to FatHeads (greatest bar/eatery in the ENTIRE WORLD) afterwards, and I got all sorts of attention for the cool little squiqqly on the left arm of my shirt. I'd wear it all the time, but... I'm framing it, and it will never adorn my body again.

Regardless, I had a good night. I sipped DogFish Head 90 Minute IPA (Best beer in the world... expensive, but worth it) all night, and hung with Joey Porter, Chris Hope, and Hines Ward.

Life is good. Most of you won't understand. My own girlfriend of 5 years didn't understand. But I will sleep with yet another stupid grin on my face tonight.

:arrow: Rizzo

Here's a play for the highlight reel.. Harrison leaps over Ladanian Tomlinson after intercepting a tipped pass. Tomlinson looked solid, but the Steelers held him under 70 yards, in a tense game that went back and forth. Pittsburgh ultimately got the win, with the ever reliable Jeff Reed kicking the game-winner with seconds left on the clock.

My throat was sore from screaming at the TV. Hell of a game. I was in a bad mood yesterday morning. Today I woke up with a stupid grin.

:arrow: Rizzo

I think the world is ending or something. There have been more disasters, attacks, death and destruction in the past 5 years then there were in the previous 20. Between 9/11, the war in Iraq, the tsunamis in Asia, terror attacks in Europe, the hurricanes in the gulf coast, the earthquake in Pakistan (the death toll has now sky-rocketed to over 20,000, and continues to climb) and now threats of avian flu outbreak -- it's only a matter of time before somebody launches a nuke or something. It's like there's a race going on between man and God - who can wipe us out first?

At least there's a Steelers game on tonight. They're underdogs for the first time this season, because they're up against a team that just pummeled the patriots last week, 41 to 17. The Steelers better win. I need a lift.

:arrow: Rizzo

Who woulda guessed? A recent EIU survey ranked the world's most livable cities. At the top of the list is Melbourne and Vancouver (which I've been to, and it's like a paradise). Other high ranking cities included Vienna(been there, too!) and just about everywhere in Switzerland. The highest ranked US city came in at 26th... Pittsburgh! (Tied with Cleveland, but our football team is WAY better).

A lot of people are probably surprised by this, but the old stigma of Pittsburgh being a dirty old steel town still lingers, despite the fact that the air quality is outstanding here, the water is clean, and the industry no longer lives here. The low crime rate and low cost of living also contribute to the ranking. Pretty cool town.

Exciting news upcoming! My lady and I are going to a lounge in the Strip Tuesday night for the "Joey Porter Show" (all-pro Steelers linebacker, does a short weekly sports-talk show with local newscasters). The guest for the night will be Hines Ward. I'm pumped!
I'm hoping he'll hit on my girlfriend so I can talk to him.

I'll fill you loyal readers in (both of you) on how it goes.

:arrow: Rizzo

I'm not really sure why my blog has decided to inflate like this. I have no idea how to code this stuff, so I don't really know how to fix it. Tblog sucks.

Yesterday (Sunday) was kind of depressing. The Patriots met the Steelers at Heinz Field for the 3rd time in the past year (it's like they're divisional rivals or something) and came out with the win. The Steelers fought hard, but they played loose. They simply didn't look like the same team that dismantled the Titans and Texans in the past two weeks. Belichick (or however the hell you spell it) seems to have the Steelers' number. It was a close game, but it ultimately came down to a Vinatieri field goal in the last few seconds.... something we've all seen too many times before.

Suddenly, we find out that the game officials completely screwed it up. Early in the fourth quarter, 52 oh so valuable seconds were added to the clock. 52 seconds that shouldn't have been there. 52 more seconds for the successor to Joe Montana to work his way down the field so that the best kicker in NFL history could do his thing.


It pisses me off. Pittsburgh didn't play that well... the defense made some big plays, the offense made some big plays... but they never found the groove that they needed to put the New England team away. Despite all this, they still had a chance to win. Most likely, if we stripped 52 seconds off the clock from the final Patriots' posession, we woulda seen overtime. Anybody's ballgame then... at least the Steelers have a chance to move it down the field and put it away. Hindsight is 20/20, however, and we have to accept the loss.

In any case, I want to give the "Player of the Game" award to Hines Ward, who pulled a leg making a catch in the final Pittsburgh drive, but quickly taped it up and returned to the line, only to make the game-tying touchdown catch moments later. This guy is what football is all about, and we here in Pittsburgh are happy to have such a classy, talented player on our side.

:arrow: Rizzo

This boy can run. Anyone watching the Tenessee/Pittsburgh season opener this past Sunday could see that. I saw it watching last season's final regular season game in Buffalo, where the Steelers' 2nd and 3rd teams beat up on a strong, desperate Bills team, and Willie Parker busted some serious moves. This past Sunday he proved that not only does he have speed, but he's strong and smart to boot. Top backs Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis are going to be fighting for a starting job now. I knew it. I just knew it. I even picked up Parker for my fantasy team at the last moment (he was undrafted) and started him... he's player of the week in just about every fantasy football organization. He had over 200 total yards in the dominating 34 -7 win over the Titans. I think Willie Parker may be this year's Roethlisberger... a young and inexperienced player fills in for an injured veteran... and blows everyone away.

Speaking of Roethlisberger, he put to rest all the fears of a "sophomore slump" by having a career day, posting the first perfect passer rating the NFL has seen in 2 years. He looks confident and talented, and with the rookie year under his belt, Roethlisberger could become a pro-bowl caliber QB very quickly. Week 3 will be the big test, though, with the champion Patriots coming to town. New England has a way of making even the best teams look bad (see last year's AFC playoffs).

I'm so happy that football is finally back. Life is good.

:arrow: Rizzo

The kickoff for the 2005 NFL season is tonight at 8 (EST) on ABC. Watch it.

Raiders vs. Patriots. It'll be a one-sided game, but it's still football.
Sunday Pittsburgh hosts Tennessee.
In other words.. my life just got a whole lot better. Bye bye, baseball, nobody's watching you anymore.

Oh man.. looks like I'm going to need a scooter or something to get around on from now on. That's not going to be fun once the snow starts up.

My car takes premium fuel, so I'll be paying anywhere from 3.50 - 4.00 per gallon until it goes down. Which might never happen. Stupid high-quality German engineering! It's pretty clear that something has to be done about our resource situation, and soon. Our dependence on oil is already hurting us, and it's only going to get worse in coming years, if recent trends are any indication.
I read about a car that BMW created a couple years ago that runs on liquid hydrogen. And it was fast... up to 200 mph or so, if I remember correctly. Liquid hydrogen, think about it. Unlimited supply, extremely cheap, and it burns clean. When you consider how much more advanced our cars are today than they were even 20 years ago, much less 60 to 70 years ago, you'd think we could've upgraded to a cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient fuel system.
Apparently, the technology for cleaner fuels (such as liquid hydrogen and other natural gases) has existed, in some form, for years. But the money hasn't been put into the development and manufacturing yet. Why? My guess is that it has something to do with the massive amounts of dough the oil companies command. Yeah, it's a bit of a cliche to point at big oil and squeal about how evil they are- but nobody seems to have a problem with talking about the evils of Wal-Mart, right?
If you buy stock (which I don't, because I'm piss poor) look into hybrid technology and motorcycles. Sales are going to go up. Meanwhile, folks like myself are going to be canceling their cable to make up for the extra strain at the pump.
What I wouldnt' give for some good news. Anything, seriously. Pittsburgh better win the damn Superbowl this year. That'd cheer me up.

All for now, I'm off to clean up after a hellish run. Never been a runner, but I'm going to have to be to pass the fitness tests, and getting into running shape after never having been a runner is proving to be very painful. It'd be easier if there weren't so many delicious beer selections at Fat Heads.

:arrow: Rizzo