USA v. Spain

Spain beat the US today, 1-0. The score was appropriate. Both teams had dominant periods during the match, but the US faded down the stretch and Spain simply has better players to bring in of thier bench. Also, some of Bob Bradley's substitutions left me scratching my head. Why for example would you take out the player who looked the best in the first half...

Freddy Adu: Offensively, the most dangerous looking player for the US today. Freddy demonstrated good one-on-one dribbling skills and some accurate passing. No goals, but he looked the most likely to get one. Worked especially well with Eddie Johnson. A-

Eddie Johnson: Looked great when working with Freddy Adu in the first half and though he seemed to drift out of the offensive flow in the second half, he at least kept playing defense. Had one goal called back for being marginally offside and missed another half chance. B

DeMarcus Beasley: Clearly still rusty after many months out injured The more matches he gets going into World Cup qualifying, the better. C

Clint Dempsey: EPL hangover? Just not his day? Well defended by Spain? Whatever the case, the Deuce was a non-factor during the match. D

Maurice Edu: Looked good in the midfield today. Distributes the ball well, gets back to play defense, and like several other players he seems to get better when Freddy Adu is on the field. B

Oguchi Onyewu: Very solid in the middle of the back line, Gooch seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the ball at his feet, and as a result his distribution forward is improving. A good player who is still growing into his role. B+

Heath Pearce: I continue to be impressed by Pearce. He plays aggressive, smart defense, does not get caught out of position, and always seems to be involved in the offensive without abandoning his defensive responsibilities. I'd love to see Michael Parkhurst playing along side him. A-

Michael Bradley: Clearly a good player on his way to becoming a very good player. He defends tenaciously, gets involved in the offense, but also continues to "play his age," occasionally out of position and occasionally makes the rash challenge. Hence the only player on the US to receive a card today. B

Frankie Hedjuk: I want to find something to criticize (Why don't I like Freddy? Maybe it's the awful hair style...), but I can't. Hedjuk played not good, but great defense in this match. He didn't contribute as much as he usually does to getting the ball forward, but still... A-

Josh Wolff: Made one good pass after coming on in the second half. Otherwise, a non-entity. Which is kind of the point I made in my previous post. D

Eddie Lewis: Another steady, steady, steady outing for Lewis. Moved the ball around well, took a decent free kick, and was dangerous with his crosses from set pieces and from the run of play. "Veteran Presence" would seem to sum things up nicely. B+

Steve Cherundolo: Like Eddie Lewis, another steady, veteran player. Good defense, good distribution up the wings, and he still has some pace. B

Carlos Bocanegra: Best match I've seen from him in a while (which is not surprising given that his playing time at Fulham this year dwindled as the season went on). Good in the air as always, good passing out of the back. B+

Brad Guzan: Only confirmed why so many teams are looking to sign him. Confident, aggressive, and in control of his space and his defense. Made several good saves. Not much he could have done to prevent the goal. B+

Tim Howard: Not called upon to do much in the first half. The job will be his until somebody improves enough to take it. B

Mastroeni: Came into the match too late to make an impact- though it's good to see he's at least on Bob Bradley's radar. Incomplete

DNP: Dan Califf, Jay DeMerit

So, setting aside Mastroeni's "incomplete," the team's GPA comes out to 2.89. That sounds about right, a slightly "weak" B.

Sometimes I forget...

...how much I despise Rachel Ray.

As promised, an ENORMOUS post!

While watching the US National Team's thoroughly mediocre display against England (by whom I am rarely impressed for a number of reasons) a week or so ago I found myself puzzled (enraged?) by some of Bob Bradley's choices to make up the team. So, wanting to be the “solution” and not just the “problem,” I thought I'd take a look at who is in the official USNT Player Pool, who should be, and a few wild cards that are probably not on anyone's soccer radar at the moment.

And, of course, what list would be complete without caveats?

-does not include players who play in below MLS in the US and in minor foreign leagues.
-does not include players who have declared themselves as “retired” from international duty.
-does not include players who have been selected in the past, but won't be again, e.g., Clint Mathis.
-does not include players who are buried on the “depth chart”- goalkeepers, for example.
-does not include players about whom little information is available.

USSF 2008 Player Pool

Brad Guzan: Raw, but clearly talented. Tends to rush around the box like a lot of young keepers do, but he's aggressive and a good shot stopper. I can see why European teams (Aston Villa and Celtic among them) are interested in getting him. The more time he sees on the national team, the better.

Frankie Hejduk: It's hard to criticize Frankie. He hustles, he plays tough defense, and he's not afraid to get forward and cause problems for the opposition. At the same time, he's had little success outside of MLS and while he's deserving of future call-ups, it's time to look for younger players at his position.

Carlos Bocanegra: Carlos has been miscast as a defender. On the back line, he's is good enough to have 100+ appearances for Fulham, but I think he should play in the midfield. His size and tendency to make rash challenges would be less of an issue and he could be incorporated more into the offense. He's managed 10 goals in 54 matches for the national team (most off set pieces I would suspect) and one has to wonder how many more he would have had as a midfielder from the run of play?

Oguchi Onyewu: A year ago I would have said that his game had stalled- good in the air, and an intimidating (if stationary) presence on the back line. However, another year playing for a top team (albeit in a weaker league) has given him a more well-rounded game. He's better on the ball and generally seems to be playing more within himself.

Heath Pearce: The more I see, the more I like. Pearce is a solid defender, has a high work rate, and is not afraid to get forward and take his shots. He strikes me as the kind of player whose game will improve by leaps and bounds if he is surrounded by better players.

Michael Bradley: Forget the “coach's son” tag, the kid can play. He's shown he can score in a good league (Holland) and he plays good, scrappy defense. Hopefully he will continue to be selected regardless of whether his father is the coach or not.

Ricardo Clark: That he's ever been selected boggles my mind- his eight caps are eight too many. Not only does he rarely contribute anything positive, he commits needless and ill-time fouls and is often caught out of position. He makes me long for Chris Armas.

Josh Wolff: He's been a decent striker in MLS, but I've yet to watch a international match (or an MLS one for that matter) where I've had the thought, “Wow! That Josh Wolff is some player!” At this point, every call-up he receives is one taken away from a younger, hungrier, and potentially better striker.

Eddie Lewis: He's getting on in years, but Eddie continues to be a steady player for the national team who brings veteran presence to the side and is still one of the best free kick and corner kick takers on the team. It's probably time to phase him out, but in favor of whom?

Tim Howard: Howard has proven himself in the EPL on big-time teams (Manchester United, Everton) and deserves to be the national team's keeper until somebody else can take the position away from him.

Freddy Adu: It's easy to bash Freddy, but keep in mind that he doesn't turn 19 for another week! If he was any other American playing for a major European team (Benfica), scoring the occasional goal, and already with five national team caps, we'd be impressed. My guess is his best soccer is still ahead of him even if some have already started to sour on him.

Maurice Edu: The jury is out. Edu seems like a decent player, but he's only earned four caps and it's just too early to tell. He will probably have to move beyond MLS before his quality can be assessed.

Steve Cherundolo: I always find myself wondering why he's been selected again, and then he goes out and plays a mistake-free match with occasional flashes of brilliance. This is probably why he's made a decade long career for himself in the top two divisions in Germany.

Eddie Johnson: So far, a reliable MLS striker and a decent one for the national team. However, there seems to be much more potential than production to date. Johnson's time at Fulham doesn't appear to have done his game much good, but he's still young, so there's still hope. I guess.

Clint Dempsey: At some point, somebody is just going to let the Deuce be the Deuce. Clint was successful in MLS and this past season has come into his own in the EPL while playing for Fulham. However, he's not a striker, he's a winger, and an attacking one at that. Once somebody lets him do this and take players on, he's only going to get better.

DaMarcus Beasley: As long as he's healthy, Beasley should always be in the team. He's proven himself in MLS as well as in the Netherlands, England, and Scotland. His speed and his willingness to run at defenders causes problems for the opposition and that's always a good thing.

Nat Jaqua: A “pretty good” MLS forward now plying his trade for a midlevel team in the Austrian Bundesliga. He's only earned three caps so far, so it's a little early to make a judgment, but he also doesn't appear to be the answer as far as scoring national team goals is concerned.

Dan Califf: I'm not sure why, but I like Dan Califf. I think it's because he plays his position- fullback- with a little bit of anger. He did well in MLS, and has done well enough in Denmark to be named captain of his team- not an easy thing for an American. So, yes, give him more matches.

Josmer “Jozy” Altidore: Size, strength, and bags of skill. However, he's also starting to get a bit of a 'tude towards his fellow players and a sense of entitlement when it comes to getting calls from referees. There's nothing wrong with having some competitive fire, but Altidore would benefit from playing in a European league where he could be “put in his place” and grow up a little on and off the pitch.

Brian Ching: I like Brian Ching, but when it comes right down to it, he's a “poor man's” Brian McBride- team first, physical well-being second. I wish him many years of further success in MLS, but I don't think he's good enough to beat out the other potential forwards on the national team.

Jimmy Conrad: Probably has two or three useful years left on the national team and based on past efforts, he deserves them. He's played well enough and earned enough respect from his teammates and coaches to be name team captain on several occasions and that speaks volumes about him.

Bobby Convey: The question surrounding Bobby Convey is, “Will he get his career back on track once he's 100%?” Up until he suffered his knee injury he seemed to be on his way to being a first team selection at Reading and for the national team. If he comes all the way back, both teams will be better off. If not, he'll probably be back in MLS and only sporadically on the national team.

Ramiro Corrales: A reliable MLS midfielder who supposedly came into his own while playing in Norway. Based on what I've seen upon his return to San Jose and his selection to the national team, not so much. To old and not good enough. Next.

Brad Davis: Another reasonably productive MLS scorer who probably is not the answer for the national team. No reason not to give him a few more chances- he only has three so far- but are there any reasons to give him more chances?

Jay DeMerit: Good enough to play 100+ matches for Watford and to be named the club's captain, yet not good enough to play more than six matches for the US?! Watford is probably as good or better than all but the top teams in Austria, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc. (where other Americans are employed) and he's got six caps? Somebody is wrong here, and it's not Watford.

Donovan, Landon: Landy Cakes. When he plays with a chip on his shoulder he's among the best American players ever and I can't even hold his failure to make a European career against him. Unfortunately, he spends too much time “coasting.” He's pretty much said that he stays in MLS because he can be one of the best players without sacrificing much and that's not a great attitude for a team captain. But, that being said, he has to be in the team.

Benny Feilhaber: Recently suffered a knee injury, but looks to be a promising prospect when he's healthy again. He plays with both grit and flair and could really make a difference in the national team's midfield. I hope he gets plenty of call-ups during WC 2010 qualifying.

Clarence Goodson: A tall defender sounds great, but he's already 26 and has yet to make much of in impact in MLS (and has now moved to Norway). The fact that he wasn't protected by Houston in the expansion draft and has only been awarded one cap says to me that he's probably not going to get many more...and probably shouldn't.

Sacha Kljestan: With the exception of his tackle on Andy Williams, I like this kid. He likes to make things happen in the midfield and isn't afraid to take a shot. I've been pretty impressed with his free kick ability as well. Only five caps so far, but should get many more.

Drew Moor: Another case of it being too early to tell, but as a defender, he should be given a chance to prove himself. He's done well so far in MLS, but I'd like to see how he holds up against some better competition.

Pat Noonan: A very productive scorer in MLS who should have more than the dozen national team appearances that he has so far. If the US ever decides to play a formation in which there is a “withdrawn” forward, he could make a big impact. He's been around for a long time, but you might be surprised- as I was- that he's still only 27.

Michael Parkhurst: He's not big, he's not fast, he's not flashy. He's just good, very, very good- calm, cool, and collected. It's not surprising that he has begun to attract interest from European teams. He's only been capped twice but he should be in the national team camp as much as possible.

Eddie Robinson: One goal in one appearance is a good start, but nothing he has done as an MLS defender suggests to me that he is an elite player and he'll be 30 in less than a month. In other words, he's on the downside and probably won't be selected unless there is some sort of defender shortage.

Chris Rolfe: Rolfe is a pest, in the best possible way. I don't think he's a starting forward, your “go to guy” on the national team, but, he's just the kind of energetic, scrappy, goal poacher who could prove to be a handful if he were brought off the bench. Potentially a great “12th man” on the national team.

Jonathan Spector: Spector's nine caps are even harder to explain than Jay DeMerit's six. Spector hasn't played as many matches, but he's younger (22) and has played his matches in the Premier League (Manchester United, Charlton, West Ham United) rather than the Championship. What's not to like?

Taylor Twellman: Twellman is not a “complete” soccer player. However, he averaged more than a goal every other game since 2001 and is one of the top five goal scorers in MLS history. He's made 29 appearances, but not many as a starter. He needs to be in the team more and be allowed to do what he does best- score goals.

Jeremiah White: Has played in Serbia, Greece, France, and Denmark and has only one cap. Maybe he's just a “journeyman,” but how many MLS players with more caps haven't been able to get a contract with even one European team? Worth a longer look.

PLAYERS NOT IN THE OFFICIAL POOL, BUT WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION

Brian McBride: Keep running him out there until he says “stop.” He's proven himself to be a scoring threat in the top league in Europe and now that he's moving back to MLS he'll be playing fewer matches and can probably extended his international career by a year or two if he wants to.

Jeff Larentowicz: No caps? Really? A tough midfielder/defender with a cannon of a shot from both open play and set pieces, he deserves a chance to show what he's made of at the international level.

Bryan Arguez: Only 19 and already under contract with Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga. Worth keeping an eye on.

Kyle Beckerman: Two caps, already 26, and a glut of better midfielders ahead of him. Also, I've watched him play and I don't even think he's a top MLS midfielder. Pass.

Kenny Cooper: I had high hopes for Kenny Cooper- he was a big, young striker with experience at one of Europe's biggest clubs (Manchester United). He's still young and he's still big, but also become injury prone and he's dropped from the EPL, to a mid-level Portuguese team, to MLS. He may still come around, but right now his trajectory is a negative one.

Gregg Berhalter: Probably done as an international, but still a serviceable player and worth having on the bench while the younger generation gets its minutes.

Eddie Gaven: It's easy to forget that Eddie is only 21 years old and that he's become a decent MLS player and a regular player on the national youth teams. Both are good things. However, if he wants to make an impact on the national team he's going to need to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

Colin Burns: Another GK buried so deep on the depth chart that he may never get close enough to get a call-up. That's too bad, because he's on the verge of making a career in Europe and he's a player I've seen in person and been impressed by- don't be surprised if he shows up in MLS at some point.

Jonathan Bornstein: Though a bit small for a defender, Bornstein has done well at the position. However, his ability to score goals from the midfield suggests he is better suited to that position. He seems to have caught Bob Bradley's eye and is like to be given additional matches.

Jorge Flores: Though only 18, Flores has begun to make a name for himself in MLS and on the national youth teams. A gifted forward, it is likely that Flores will feature in the full national team in the near future.

Pablo Mastroeni: Where have you gone Pablo? Once a fixture in the national side Mastroeni seems to have faded into oblivion. I liked him as a player- though he was prone to rash tackles- but I suppose this is what happens as a player ages and the player pool grows deeper.

Dominic Servi: A towering goalkeeper who at age 21 has already drawn interest or been offered trials by top Scottish and English sides. Should he live up to the hype he could be the one who challenges (surpasses?) Brad Guzan for the goalkeepers shirt after Tim Howard retires from international soccer.

Cory Gibbs: A good defender, but one who is approaching 30 and whose career trajectory is heading in the wrong direction. Three years with Charlton without a league appearance does not bode well for him when other Americans playing regularly in England have had a difficult time getting selected.

Lee Nguyen: A player to watch. Left college after a year to play in the Netherlands and now plays in Denmark. I watched him during the NCAA tournament when he played for Indiana and he looked to be a “special player.” Very much in the mold of DaMarcus Beasley.

Danny Szetela: Under contract with Racing Santander (the only American player currently under contract in Spain), but on loan to Brescia (where he is one of only a handful of American players), he appears to have a bright future.
Brian West: Had a decent MLS career and has done well in Norway and earned himself 7 caps as a result. That being said, he's 29, not in the 2008 player pool and finds himself competing against younger, similar, and better players- Michael Bradley for one.

Quentin Westberg: The French-born goalkeeper may be one of the few younger keepers (he just turned 22) who have a chance- along with Brad Guzan- once Tim Howard has moved on. He's been with Troyes FC since he was 17 and is drawing interest from other, higher level teams, outside of France.

Preston Zimmerman: Only 19, did well with Hamburger SV's youth squad, and is now looking for a new club in Europe. Probably a few years away from playing for the full national team, but again, he's a forward so he'll probably get a look.

Greg Dalby: No caps yet, but has captained the U-20 and is currently under contract to a team in Belgium's top division. Probably a player with a future on the national team.

Neven Subotic: A big young (19) who has featured on various US youth national teams and is already playing in Germany. The only problem is that he is eligible to play for the US, Bosnia, and possibly Serbia as well. Hopefully, he chooses the US.

Frank Simek: Another player who has only a few caps (5) despite the fact that he's played over a hundred matches for a good club (Sheffield Wednesday). I would hope that given his young age (23) he will get plenty more chances to contribute to the national team's back line.

Charlie Davies: Not only has Charlie established himself in Sweden's top division, he's a New Hampshire boy and thus, I'll be pulling for him. He's already earned three caps and I expect that he'll get a chance to score some goals for the US before too long.

Robbie Russell: Probably one of the best uncapped American players. He's established himself as top defender in Norway and Denmark and played in the Champions League as well. Almost 29, so his call-up will need to come soon if he's going to make a contribution.

Tally Hall: Another young GK playing in Europe who might have enough time to develop as a challenger for a national team place in the post-Tim Howard era.

FINALLY...

If the USSF is willing to do the legwork, I guarantee there are HUNDREDS of quality players playing in city leagues- especially those which draw from the immigrant population and their first generation American children- who could improve the National Team.

The balls in your court (pitch)...

Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley passed away today at the age of 79. If you don't knew who he was, well, shame on you.

Bo Diddley was one of those musicians who literally changed modern music. The Bo Diddley "beat" as seen in songs like "Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love?" was unlike anything before or after it.

Bo Diddley's songs were covered directly by artists as diverse as The Jesus and Mary Chain, George Thorogood, Buddy Holly, the Who, C.C.R., and the Rolling Stones.

The Bo Diddley “beat” was employed by artists as varied as Elvis Presley, U2, The Smiths, Muddy Waters, and the Stooges.

To me, however, nothing shows how important Bo Diddley was or how highly respected he was among those he influenced than the fact that he was the opening act on The Clash's first U.S. tour.

May 31

Wow.

A pretty miserable day today.

I thought for a few hours that I was going to let it get to me, but I guess I just decided that it wasn't worth it.

Thankfully I have a lot to look forward to in the next six weeks or so.

• working towards a new career
• having dinner with an old friend
• my birthday
• a pig roast

Oh, and there will be a HUGE post (easily my longest ever) coming in the next few days.

See you soon...

Happy Birthday!!

Jimmy Stewart would have been 100 years old today!

I'm okay now...I think.

For the last two days I have been as sick as I have ever been in my life. Wow. Not good.

However, it appears I am on the mend, so more, bigger, better(?) posts to follow.

HIking in Maryland

I'm just back from my yearly hike with my best friend, Dan. Once again I trekked down to Maryland, which is about as boring a six hour drive as you could take in this country.

This year we hiked in Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin National Park. This year's hike was shorter than last year's, but there was much less flat ground, and what there was was studded with rocks- a bit rough on the feet. And, as you can see from my friend's boots, it was a little rough on some of the equipment. Luckily, I brought enough duct tape to get him through the last six miles of the hike.

I am happy to say that next year Dan will be heading north to hike a trail of my choosing for the first time. I am looking forward to it!

Here She Is!

Here's a picture of my niece, Sadie Claire. She is just over a week old now and it looks like my brother and his wife are going to keep her. This is good because I am looking forward to being a bad influence on her much as my aunt was on me. Also, I am happy that I live too far away to be asked to babysit.

A new arrival!!

Sadie Claire arrived at 7:59pm!

I am an uncle.

Pictures tomorrow when I return from visiting with my new (first!) neice!

Last Chance to Play the Name Game!

My sister in-law will have labor induced tomorrow morning at 7:30, so I have to make my prediction as to the newborn's name- the rest of the family only knows that it will be a girl, so to date, we've been calling her "Oprah."

My guess is the following:

• The young lady's first name will be the first/middle name of her maternal grandmother (who died with my sister in-law was young). Unfortunately, I don't know what either of those names are!

• The yong lady's middle name will most likely be Elizabeth as this is my sister's first name, my mother's middle name, and my great-grandmother's first name. However, there are other candidates- Sharon (after my mother), Jean (after my grandmother), or, if he wants to both surprise and impress people, he will choose Charlotte, my father's mother (who died when he was young).

I'll be back within a day or two with the actual results.

Uncle-hood here I come!

Snack Food Review

Pringles "Screamin' Dill Pickle" Potato Crisps/Chips/Whatevers

I'll start by saying that I really should have known better- I know that. But here's the thing...

I've always kind of been fascinated by the ways in which global food products (and believe it or not, Pringles appear to be available everywhere but Africa and Antarctica) are adapted to literally fit the taste of the local consumer. I guess I always wonder what I'm missing out on flavor-wise. I mean, just because a certain flavor isn't sold in the US, or even just my section of the US, it doesn't mean its no good! So, when I was browsing through my local mega-mart I noticed that their Pringles section was quite expansive and contained several flavors I'd never seen before. I decided to go with the one that seemed the most, well, "different."

The point being, they are awful. Awful. This may not seem like much of a distinction to make, but they don't taste like dill pickles, they taste like dill pickle juice/brine. If you're like me- and you can take that either way, trust me- when you finish a jar of pickles you stare at the remaining liquid and think, "That's kind of a waste, I wonder if I could drink it?" But you don't, because common sense takes over and you realize that it just couldn't be any good, and you throw it out.

The worst part? The taste just lingers and lingers and lingers.

So, lesson learned. Until next time at least...

How Am I Supposed To Feel About This?

Local gas prices jumped from $3.07 to $3.44 this week.

Talk about feeling powerless.

You just kind of have to "take it," don't you?

I use my car the bare minimum possible already and it gets good mileage.

Public transportation in my area is both scarce and unreliable.

I live to far from work to bike.

Yeah, so there it is.

It's Official

I have become so embarrassed by our president and his administration that I have lost the ability to express myself on the subject.

I plan on screaming myself hoarse on his last day in office.

The Name Game

I wasn't planning on posting anything tonight, but...

So, the Seattle franchise which will begin playing in MLS next year announced its team name today: Seattle Sounders F.C.

This is both good and bad news.

The good news is that this is what the team's name should have been from the beginning.* It has a history going back over 30 years and it has had popular support since people began lobbying for an MLS team in Seattle. The franchise/league's opposition was to it was that there was already a lower level team of the same name and they didn't people to be reminded of this "lesser" team. The fans didn't care.

The bad news? The bad news is that it took a naming campaign to make it happen, and even then, voters had to write in this choice because the ones offered by the franchise/league were so appallingly bland ("Alliance," "Republic," et al.).

Why make an issue of this? Because it is a modern sports development that has always bothered me. In the past- in both the United States and Europe- team names either came about organically or had some sort of local significance. Perhaps the team name came from its owners ("Bayer Leverkusen" being named after the drug company), reflected the local population ("Boston Celtics"), or reflected the occupations of the players/fans (those who worked at the "Arsenal"). And team "nicknames" resulted from a consensus among the fans- For example, Ayr United became "The Honest Men" after a line from the poet Robert Burns, a local lad.

In modern sports- in the United States especially- team names are generally determined by focus groups and meant to appeal to the most people possible, or to put it more truthfully, to not offend anybody. Using MLS as my example I'll run through the list of what is/was, and what should be. And while I'm at it, a little uniform critique too!

CD Chivas USA: No complaints here. A team name and uniform that pays homage to it's Mexican heritage, and team nicknames that are either fan-created or reflect the team's connection to its parent club.

Chicago Fire: Given the logo- which I like- supporters probably would have chosen the same "nickname," or at least a similar one. However, had the team's name/logo been less "loaded," many other names could have emerged given all of the city's various sobriquets ("City of Big Shoulders," "Windy City," "Second City."

Colorado Rapids: Bland, bland, bland. This one just smacks of lack of effort and imagination. Is it any wonder that the same can be said of the team to this point in its history? They probably should have gone ahead and changed their name to "Arsenal" when they formalized their relationship with the English club of the same name.

Columbus Crew: Probably my least favorite of them all. Horrible crest, horrible nickname, dodgy uniform colors. Supposedly the team name reflects the "blue collar nature" of the city- nothing like a nickname that could fit just about any other city anywhere!

D.C. United: One of the only teams to get it right from the beginning. A traditional name, no prepackaged "nickname," if memory serves, and no ugly uniforms in a league filled with them. Is it a coincidence that they've been one of the more successful franchises?

F.C. Dallas: The name and new traditional looking uniform are a massive improvement over the criminally bad uniforms and name- "Dallas Burn"- they began with.

Houston Dynamo: I can't complain about this one. After relocating from San Jose, they chose the name "Houston 1836," which, while creative, did offend a major part of their potential fan-bas (Mexican Americans). The second choice, and current name, not only reflects Houston's ties to the energy industry, previous Houston soccer teams, and is traditional (Dinamo Moscow).

Kansas City Wiz/Wizards: Only a slightly better logo than the Crew keeps this from being the worst of the group. I could almost stomach the the "Wizards" nickname if it had been given by the fans and not the choice of the club/league, but, of course, the team wanted to inspire the fans with the Frank Baum story/movie- what?!

Los Angeles Galaxy: Again, another team that should have chosen a more traditional name (L.A.F.C. or something similar) and allowed their fan base to create the nickname- "Stars," "Entertainers," or another name that reflected this or another aspect of the city's history.

Miami Fusion: I assume that the name was selected to "include" Miami's diverse population, and while that is admirable (I prefer "including" to "trying not to exclude"), it is also boring and it should have been no surprise when this team went out of business. Maybe something that reflected that Latin culture of the city would have been better- "Sporting Miami" perhaps?

New England Revolution: This is my team, but the best I can say about the name is that it's "okay," and about the uniforms, they're "okay" too. Neither is great. Clearly, the name of the club had to includ the whole region (N.E.F.C., N.E. United, etc.) and the nickname- if one had to be given- was going to be something historical, so one can't complain too much. HOWEVER, given the history of the area, the vibrant ethnic communities that still exist, and the natural beauty, I can't help but think we could have done better. And red, white, and blue as colors? A little predictable, but it relfects the Kraft's ownership of the N.E. Patriots as well.

NY/NJ MetroStars/Red Bull New York: Original name- blah. Original uniform- yawn. Since being purchased and rebranded by Red Bull, they look a great deal more legitimate.

Phildelphia TBAs: Given the amount of effort that groups like the Sons of Ben have put into getting their city a franchise in 2010 I hope that they will not be given an albatross of a team name. My suggestion, adopt the logo the Sons of Ben have created for themselves as the team's logo, and give the team a traditional name, something along the lines of Liberty F.C.

Real Salt Lake: The only good thing about this team's name connection with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. The uniforms make the team look like they might be sponsored by a fast food chain.

San Jose Clash/Earthquakes: First team name- garbage. Second team name- reminds people of a natural disaster causing event...might not be a great idea. Original uniforms- atrocious. New uniforms- generic. I would have gone for NoCal F.C./United.

Seattle Sounders F.C.: See above.

Tampa Bay Mutiny: Basically a disaster from start to finish. The logo (some sort of stylized ray?) and nickname have no logical connection, and the team should have either been called "The Rowdies" from the beginning, or Tampa Bay F.C. and let the people call them "The Rowdies" on their own. And the Rowdies had better uniforms. Good riddance.

Toronto F.C.: Another team that appears to be doing it right. A normal team name, no team-created nickname, good uniforms, a full stadium even with a bad team, and great travelling support.

*Actually, it should be "Seattle F.C." and people would naturally refer to them as "The Sounders."

Champions!!

After one season in the Scottish Football League's Irn-Bru Second Divison Ross County F.C. have bounced right back up to the First Division by virtue of their 4-0 home victory today against Berwick Rangers.

The secures the team's immediate future as the additional revenue generated by returning to the First Division will allow them to remain a full-time team (professional rather than semi-professional), aid in bringing in better players, and allow the club's youth sides to receive the attention they need.

In the long term it would be great to see the team have several successful seasons in the First Division before anyone starts entertaining the idea of moving up to the Scottish Premier League. As Gretna F.C. has shown this year, rising too far, too fast can result in long hard drop in the end. That being said...

...'mon the Staggies!!

(Special thanks to the folks over at www.thejailender.com for the picture of today's post-game celebration.)

Winter Light

I finally watched my second Bergman film tonight- Winter Light. It's taken me a long time to watch my second Bergman film because I love the first, The Seventh Seal, so much- it is one of my favorite movies ever.

I'm not sure I can get too specific about what I liked about the film- and I did like it, but I think it is the sparseness of his movies. I also like that he has this one question, "If there is a God, why is he silent?" that he won't let go of. It is present in The Seventh Seal when the witch tells the knight sees "nothing" as she approaches her death and in Winter Light when the pastor has nothing helpful to say to the fisherman who comes to him looking for assistance.


I'm hooked, I'll be adding Through A Glass Darkly and The Silence to my Netflix queue immediately.

Cool Gift

As I may have mentioned before, my best friend of over 20 years, Dr. McGenius, is "living the dream" and works at NASA-Goddard in Maryland.

In today's mail was a package from him which contained a NASA 50th Anniversary t-shirt with the logo to the left on the back and the NASA logo on the front. Very cool, I'm wearing it now.

Even more exciting, I've been promised some "mission-specific" gear (meaning it's not available to the public) in the future.

What is the moral of this "story?" Choose your friends wisely. Just because he worked at a farm stand for most of high school doesn't mean his future wasn't bright. And who knows, maybe someday, he'll be the first astronaut from Gilford, NH.

Well done, sir.

Turning into a grown up, the saga continues...

Today I bought a chair and two tables for my kitchen, as well as a large kitchen island, and various accoutrement for my kitchen.

Thank you, Ikea.

In sad news, this means that the large green easy chair in my kitchen will now have to find a new home, which may turn out to be the dumpster behind my building.

Jules Dassin (1911-2008)

Jules Dassin, who directed the very recently deceased Richard Widmark in The Naked City, passed away yesterday in Greece- he was 96 years old.

Mr. Dassin direct many notable films, but as readers of this blog would expect, we are indebted to him for a string of brilliant films noir he directed from the mid-1940's through the mid-1950's: Brute Force, The Naked City, Thieves' Highway, Night and the City, and the French classic Du rififi chez les hommes (Riffi).

Among the actors he worked with were Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Mary Astor, Conrad Veidt, Charles Laughton, Lucille Ball, Burt Lancaster, Gina Lollabrigida, Yves Montand, Marcello Mastroianni, Anthony Perkins, Peter Ustinov, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, and the aforementioned Richard Widmark.

In addition to being a gifted director, Dassin was a Greek patriot (despite being born in Middletown, CT- this author's hometown) who opposed the military regime that ruled that country from 1967-1974.

Sadly, like many of the better directors of his era, Mr. Dassin was also a target of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)- one of the main reasons that he began to work in France and lived in Europe during most of his later life.

TV Shows

I'm becoming a big fan of both Ninja Warrior and Unbeatable Banzuke. I'm shocked that- at least to my knowledge- neither of these shows has been "bought" and retooled for American audiences. Oh well, I'm enjoying them regardless!

Today...

...was kind of crappy. Filled with lots of unforeseen, time consuming, menial tasks and frustrating situations.

It's opening night for...MLS!

My New England Revolution gained some small (very small) measure of revenge (2-0) against the Houston Dynamo tonight. I have to admit being more than a little concerned at the lack of movement during the off-season after losing Noonan and Dorman, but the Revs looked to be in mid-season form and the two Gambian players who saw a little time last year looked great. I guess in the future I'll just trust Stevie Nicol to make the right moves.

It is also clear that the L.A. Galaxy still suck (they just went down 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids...the Rapids!?). It would probably be good for MLS and soccer in America in general if the team that fields both Landycakes and Soccer Spice were at least competitive, but it's not looking that way.

All criticism aside, Beckam's crosses really are on a different level. It's just too bad they all roll out of bounds as his teammates stand and watch.

In unrelated sports news, the ageless Tim Wakefield is pitching a nice game tonight in the alternate universe that is the exhibition game being played against the Dodgers in the L.A. Coliseum. And speaking of the Dodgers, Jeff Kent is their second baseman- I didn't realized he was still playing, what is he, 50?

Stop Eight: Glasgow and Home

My final day in Scotland was in Glasgow where I did only one thing of substance and that was to go out to Hampden Park and visit the Scottish Football Museum/Hall of Fame. I've seen several matches at Hampden in the past, but never had enough time to see the museum. It was pretty good. I think my only criticism is that it lacks focus. Specifically, it goes in a great many directions but doesn't fully explore any of them. Nevertheless, it was worth the trip and I bought a nice souvenir in the gift shop.

The highlight of my return to Glasgow, however, was returning to my B & B to find that my kilt had arrived! I can't wait to wear it for the first time- hopefully to a local Highland Games or Scottish Festival this summer.

It was an early night as my flight left for Amsterdam at 6:00am, which meant hopping into a cab at 4:00am in order to make sure I was at the airport and through security on time.

The flight was fine, but being marooned in Schilpol Airport for five hours was not what I needed at the end of a two week trip. Schilpol might be the only place I've ever been that's more expensive than Iceland.

The flight home seemed to last forever, but that might just be because there were lots of crabby small children who had no interest in being quiet for even a few seconds. There was also plenty of turbulence and the worst airline food I've had in a long time. In many ways, it was the opposite of the flight over.

All in all, however, it was a great trip, a much needed vacation, and I can't wait to go back for visit number five!

My favorite "Kids in the Hall" sketch...ever!

I was discussing this with somebody earlier today, so I thought I'd share a link to it. I especially like the last scene with the kid in the park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epa5YZIJU8I&feature=related

Stop Seven: Ayr

In the almost two weeks since I was in Ayr I am no closer to having a handle on it than I was when I was there. On the one hand, it has an incredibly rich history dating all the way back to the 14th century. On the other hand, there's a little too much of a Jersey Shore/Lake George/Weirs Beach vibe to it. I'm not sure if I liked it or not, so, for now, I'm going to reserve judgment on it.

The highlight of my trip to Ayr was going to Somerset Park to see Ayr United face off against my team, Ross County F.C.- I was especially excited for this math because the Ross County home match I had intended to attend a week earlier had been postponed due to a water-logged pitch. The match was made even better because Ross County won 2-0, preserving my impress "no loss" streak (see the new post on this subject for details).

I also spent one afternoon in air watching Dundee United choke away the C.I.S. Insurance Cun Final to Celtic not once, not twice, but three different tiems- ARGHHH!

Also in Ayr I had genuinely spicy food for the first time in half dozen visits to the U.K. I think, thankfully, we here in the States have a better developed palate where hot food is concerned, so I was genuinely shocked when the "spicy baguette" I ordered at a deli was actually spicy, and even moreso when the hot chili sauce I got on my my noodles at...a noodle shop, were not just spicy, but downright hot!

Oh, and a tip to future visitors to Ayr, the town shuts down at 5:30 most days, and on Sunday you better be happy with SPAR and a few chippies if you're looking to get some dinner!

Richard Widmark (1914-2008)

Earlier this week the actor Richard Widmark passed away. In my mind, Widmark was one of those actors (along with Dan Duryea, Sterling Hayden, and the pre-City Slickers Jack Palance) who were "actors" rather "than movie stars." They possessed great dramatic range and could carry a movie without dominating it. As a result, Widmark and the others regularly chosen to"star" in films noir and in westerns (most of which, were, by definition, "B" pictures), or were paired with or against bigger "stars" in "A" pictures. Widmark and his ilk were not character actors, but they weren't Humphrey Bogart or John Wayne either. Within this very respectable "niche" Widmark carved out an exceptional career. Widmark appeared in just over 60 movies, among them were:

• Kiss of Death (1947)
• The Street with No Name (1948)
• Road House (1948)
• Night and the City (1950)
• Panic in the Streets (1950)
• No Way Out (1950)
• Don't Bother to Knock (1952)
• Pickup on South Street (1953)
• Two Rode Together (1961)
• Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
• How the West Was Won (1962)
• Cheyenne Autumn (1964)

He will be missed.

Here are three of the not-available-in-most-of-the-US-unless-you-buy
them-on-the-internet foodstuffs I tasted while in Scotland.

1. Burt's smoked streaky bacon crisps were okay, just not bacon-y enough for my taste.
2. McVitie's milk chocolate digestive biscuits are an old favorite- I love them and they are even better dipped into hot tea. It's actually good that it's hard to find in the States, or I'd eat way too many of them.
3. And then there is IRN-BRU, Scotland's favorite (non-alcoholic) beverage. Do I like it? I don't know, I just don't know. The only thing I do know is that it is not good warm, not good at all.

Stop Six: Ballachulish

The drive from Portree to Ballachulish via Ft. William was yet another one full of beautiful scenery. In this case, the fields along the road were full of stags for large parts of the journey.

The point of visiting Ballachulish for the very first time was to visit the village (pop. 639) where my great, great grandfather was born and worked in the slate quarry (seen in the foreground of the picture). What I was not expecting was how picturesque the area was. Located on the shores of Loch Leven and beneath the twin peaks of Beinn a' Bheithir, with the River Laroch running through the middle of it, Ballachulish was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited in Scotland.

The first day in the village was mainly spent exploring the quarry and the surrounding area and finished with dinner at the village's one pub, The Laroch, where I dined on (venison) bangers and mash while watching a UEFA Cup match- not a bad way to spend an evening.

On day two I walked a mile down the road to Glencoe where I visited the monument erected to commemorate the thirty-seven members of the MacDonald clan killed by government forces in 1692. I returned to Ballachulish where I visited St. John's Church and walked the Brecklet Path above and behind the quarry.

One final fact about Ballahculish, the bank is open two days a week for a total of five hours.

Stop Five: The Isle of Skye

The ferry from Tarbert took me from the Isle of Harris to the Isle of Skye, home of, among other things, my clan, the MacDonalds.

The ferry ride was rough, but I'm not prone to seasickness, so I was just fine. Others on the boat did not fare as well...

I arrived in Uig (OO-ig) on the Isle of Skye and was greeted by very strong winds and what can best be described as "unpredictable" weather the minute I stepped off the ferry and onto the jetty.

However, I had it in my plans to walk from Uig to Portree (15 miles) and I wasn't going to let a little weather deter me, so I geared up and got to walking. The winds at one point were a sustained 50mph- I had to lean sideways into it to avoid being blown into the roadside ditches on several occasions. Oh, and in addition to raining and snowing intermittently, it also hailed. Sideways hail at 50mph hurts, a lot. All things considered however, the walk was fun. I was appropriately geared up and I made better time than I thought I was going to.

Upon arriving in Portree I felt something I had, until that point, only been jealous of in others. I was the intrepid traveler arriving in town from parts unknown. I could just about hear people thinking the things I have always thought about such hearty souls- "Who is he?" "Where did he come from?" "Where is he headed next?" I was, "that guy" and it felt great!

The bed in my otherwise fine B & B was the worst one of the trip, but after my walk from Uig and all of the other walking I did in and around town, it did really matter.

What does one take away from a trip to the Isle of Skye? Simply that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Stop Four: The Outer Hebrides

I next departed Inverness for the very scenic trip to Ullapool where I caught the ferry to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis (Stornoway Harbour is the first picture above). One of the things I was looking forward to doing in Stornoway was going to the Museum nan Eilean (Western Isles Museum), but sadly, and even though I checked their website before leaving for Scotland, it was closed. However, during my unsuccessful trip to the museum, I witnessed an "old-fashioned" funeral- the kind where the women stay behind in the churchyard and the men follow the hearse to the cemetery in pairs.

Also while in Stornoway I heard many people speaking Gaelic on the streets and I was able to wander around the grounds of Lews Castle- a beautiful, but empty and decaying building.

From Stornoway it was a short and also very scenic bus trip to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris.* During the trip I missed the photo-op of a lifetime as I observed- from the bus window- three sheep who had sought relief from the rain and window by taking refuge in a bus shelter! Tarbert is much, much smaller than Stornoway and much, much quieter. In fact, as far as I could tell I was the only tourist in town the day/night I was there, and that was just fine with me.


*Lewis and Harris are actually part of the same landmass despite being referred to as separate "isles." There is a natural change in topography between the two isles (Harris is much more mountainous than Lewis), but there it is.

Stop Three: Inverness

The scenery on the bus trip from Aberdeen to Inverness was, in a word, bleak. With the exception of Elgin, which looked like a kind of interesting little city, I don't see myself spending time any more time in Scotland's northeastern corner.

Whatever the case, it brought me to one of my favorite cities anywhere- Inverness. As I've said before, it's just the right size, a half hour drive in any direction leads to magnificent scenery, it's small enough to walk around, and it's one of the more "wallet-friendly" cities in Scotland.

On this visit, I spent three days in and around the city. Among the highlights were buying a kilt (Modern Clan Donald tartan), walking up to the ruins of the Pictish fort on Craig Phadrig, and visiting a museum and an art gallery.

The lowlights: Being denied a trip to Dingwall to see Ross County FC play Brechin City because torrential rains had flooded the pitch, the small size of my room at the B & B, and eating at KFC (I try to avoid junk food- especially of the American variety when I travel- one needs to try to be adventurous, doesn't one?).

And then there was Kenny. Kenny was the proprietor of the B & B where I stayed. I had already made up my mind about him ("life-long bachelor"...not that there's anything wrong with that...), but then on my way out on the last day I saw the painting on the wall: Kenny in the middle wearing a red sweater surrounded by a ring of individual portraits...of his cocker spaniels. Uh huh.

Observations

In addition to my "travel diary" posts from my trip, I'm also going to share some of the more general comments and questions that I made note of during my trip. Here they are!

• It seemed to me that a lot of the news presenters on the various BBC channels were South Asian. I wonder why that is?
• According to folklore, the sandwich was "invented" in the U.K. If that's the case, when did they forget how to make them? Here's a tip- there are condiments other than mayonnaise!
• And speaking of mayonnaise- which I DETEST- one evening while standing in a "chippie" waiting for my dinner I watched a man put mayonnaise on his fried chicken. I didn't know whether to vomit or seek counseling. Here are somethings that normal people might put on fried chicken: gravy, barbecue sauce, or even honey.
• I encountered some escalators that went up on the "wrong side" like people in the UK drive on the "wrong side."
• English variety shows (the names of them escape me at the moment) are almost as odd as Japanese game shows- and that's saying something!
• I don't care what anyone says, Heinz ketchup in the U.K. has a thinner consistency and a more vinegary taste than Heinz ketchup does in the U.S.
• "Plans" and "Projects" are called "schemes" in the U.K., which always tends to make me- as an outsider- vaguely suspicious of them no matter how well-intentioned.
• There are two kinds of women between the ages of, say, 18 and 35 in Scotland. Those who are stunningly beautiful without any make-up whatsoever, and those who trowel it on by the pound and still look hideous. (I've never claimed I wasn't shallow!)
• How hard is it to make a shower that a) has decent water pressure and b) stays at the same temperature during your entire shower?! This especially bothers me because in Scotland because there is literally fresh, clear, abundant water bubbling out of the ground everywhere that isn't covered with asphalt. All other Europeans should visit Iceland, where the shower head is basically a fire hose spewing super-heated water!
• And speaking of hoses... while public transportation in Scotland is generally abundant, convenient, and reasonably priced, if you're traveling to or from an out-of-the-way place, or- woe is you- from one out-of-the-way place to another, you'll get "hosed" for your ticket.
• In the U.S. we have spurned the metric system. I don't have an opinion on that one way or another. But what's going on in the U.K. In theory, they've adopted the metric system, yet, they still measure body weight in "stone" (14 pounds) and the weight of other objects (automobiles, for example) in "hundredweights" (8 stone). And yes, I'm well aware that a "hundredweight" weighs 112 pounds- I didn't make up the system!
  

Okay, so I'm not exactly Alexis de Tocqueville, but I thought these things were interesting.

Stop Two: Aberdeen

Having not visited Aberdeen during any of my previous trips to Scotland, I made a point of doing so this time. My review is "mixed," but more on that in a moment.

The bus ride from Glasgow to Aberdeen was nothing special, which is "saying something," because there are numerous bus rides and train rides in Scotland that take you through some breathtaking landscapes.

While in Aberdeen I visited the Maritime Museum (it was excellent), visited Pittodrie Stadium (home of Aberdeen F.C.), and Bishop Skene's (pictured)- the oldest private residence in the city. I enjoyed all of these things.

About that "mixed review"... Aberdeen is a "boomtown." The problem is that the North Sea oil that caused the "boom" arrived almost 800 years after the city was chartered. Thus, a city with beautiful architecture ranging from medieval to Victorian is also full of ugly, poorly-placed, and unimaginative office buildings from the 1970s. It is almost impossible to take a picture of one of the beautiful buildings without having the corner of a building that looks like it was plucked out of East Berlin jutting into it. For example, Provost Skene's house is surrounded by just such buildings. If one has any appreciation of architecture or history is just gets depressing after a while.

Add this to the fact that all of the money coming into the city makes the cost of living very expensive (even moreso for a visitor) and that the rides to and from the city are underwhelming and I probably won't return to it. I'm glad I went, but given how many better places there are in Scotland to spend time in, once was enough.

Stop One: Glasgow/Bellshill

I'm going to condense my trip into "stops" rather than "days" so that I can be a little more compact in my posts.

Let's start with the flight, Bradley to Amsterdam. This was the best long-distance flight I've ever taken. Why, because there were so few people on it that anyone who wanted one, could have their own row! I took full advantage of mine and slept more than I ever have before on a trans-Atlantic flight.

I stayed in Glasgow's West End. I like this area because it is relatively quiet, near some major museums, and home to one of the city's universities. This time my B & B (which was "fine") was within walking distance of Firhill Park, home of Partick Thistle, so I went to check that out. Later, I went to see a movie so that I wouldn't sleep all afternoon. That night, while getting dinner, I saw the following spray-painted on a wall, "Resistance is the secret to joy." I wonder what the Latin is for "In vandalism there is truth?"

The next morning- before heading off to Aberdeen- I took the bus out to Bellshill, birthplace of my late grandmother. I'm not sure why I never did this on previous trips to Scotland...maybe because this is the first time I've gone since she died and because I was alone. Anyway, the picture is of 4 Hamilton Road, the house where she was born.

Tomorrow: Aberdeen

I'm home!

And really tired.

Major posts- with photos!- coming in the next few days.

Let's recap, shall we?

Over the last year or so I've scrimped and saved, and then, after my not-really-unexpected windfall at Christmas, splurged, in an effort to turn my palatial imitation apartment* into something that looks like it belongs to an adult and not a college freshman. So, let's see what I've accomplished and what's left.

-New couch: technically it's a "love seat," but it's as big as a couch.
-New bed: a real bed, it cannot be folded up into anything else.
-New mattress: it's a top of the line futon style one, but that's what my back likes.
-New shelving units: they are the cheap "build yourself" type, but they're an improvement.
-New receiver: hey, a stereo upgrade is still an upgrade!
-New PS3: I need my games, and, a big "sorry about that" to those who went for HD-DVD.

From the "addition by subtraction" category:

-My two HUGE crappy/ugly CD racks have been replaced leather CD books that fit on a shelf.
-My old futon and mattress are now in my brother's basement and I have more storage room.
-My closet now has plenty of room in it.

Still to do:

-A table and two chairs for the kitchen.
-A movable island/counter for the kitchen.

These items have been located, I just need to wait until I'm back from vacation to make the trip to IKEA to get them.



*bonus points to anyone who can identify the source of that quote.

VACATION!!!

I've tried to remain somewhat calm about my impending trip to Scotland, but with less than two weeks to go I can no longer contain myself! So with out getting into way too much detail, here's the trip:

March 4
After a changeover in Amsterdam I'll arrive in Glasgow. I'm staying in the West End again, which is nice. The West End has the University, the Kelvingrove Museum, and is picturesque and low-key. My plan is to walk to some of the football stadiums I have not visited before- there are three (Parkhead, Ibrox, and Firhill) within 4 miles of my b & b.

March 5
Only one task for my second day and that is to go to nearby Bellshill where I will visit my grandmother's birthplace for the first time. This will also be my first trip to Scotland since her death, I'm imagine that it's going to be an emotional morning. After that, I'll spend the afternoon on the bus as I make my way up to Aberdeen for the first time.

March 6
For my full day in Aberdeen I plan to visit the Maritime Museum, the Gordon Highlanders Museum, and another football stadium (Pittodrie).

March 7
Ahhhh, Inverness, capital of the Highlands. This is one of my favorite cities. Just the right size, nice people, one of my favorite restaurants, and ten minutes outside the city and you are in the middle of postcard-like beauty. Only one task for my first afternoon and that is to visit Caledonian Stadium, which literally sits at the edge of Beauly Firth.

March 8
Today is the first "big" day of the trip! I'll be hopping on the bus (hopefully the RCFC Supporters' Bus!) and making the short ride up to Victoria Park in Dingwall to watch Ross County v. Brechin City. Ross County are currently on a hot streak and looking likely to get promoted back to the SFL First Division- 'mon the Staggies!

March 9
Sunday in Scotland...so there won't be any-thing going on. Thus, I'll take a nice leisurely walk along the River Ness and the Ness Islands and maybe up to the Pictish fort that I've managed to miss each other time I've visited.

March 10
Day seven brings me to Ullapool where I'll catch the ferry to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. This will be my first time in the Outer Hebrides and I can't wait! Once there, I'll go to the Museum nan Eilean (Western Isles Museum) and then rent myself a bike and pedal myself either to the Callanish standing stones or the Black House Museum in Arnol.

March 11
My goal today is to bike from Stornoway to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris (about 35 miles). If this isn't possible I'll take the bus to Tarbert and hike up Glen Ulladale in the afternoon.

March 12
Today will be a travel day, but a scenic one. I'll take the ferry across The Minch from Tarbert to Uig on the Isle of Skye. This is said to be a breathtaking trip visually and if it's anything like the ferry trip from Mallaig to Skye in the south, it promises to be spectacular. Once on Skye, I'll make the 15 mile walk from Uig to Portree. Not only are there plenty of nerdy historical stops along the way, but Skye is beautiful and wandering around it for five or six hours will be fun.

March 13
Day two on Skye will see me trying to get out to Orbost to Rebel's Wood, a forest planted in memory of the late Joe Strummer. If I can't get there, I'll walk around Portree- especially the harbor. Then it's off to Ballachulish!

March 14
I'll be spending this day in Ballachulish. It will be my first visit to the birthplace of my great-great grandfather, Duncan Livingston, and the second stop on my family history tour. With this in mind, I'll be visiting the slate quarry where he worked, the Miner's Museum, and hopefully getting some information on his/my older ancestors.

March 15
From Ballachulish it's on to Ayr for my first visit to Burns' country and the final stop on my family history tour. However, before I do either of those things, I'll be going to see Ross County v. Ayr United. And yes, since you asked, I did plan my trip so that I could see RCFC play a second time!

March 16
Again, it's Sunday, so I'll be making my own "fun." I may walk along the beach, I'll probably walk to Alloway to see the Burns Monument & Garden, but something else will take priority over both of these things. I will find some way to get to Patna. Once in Patna, I'm going to find a place that doesn't exist, called Tongue Row- birthplace of my great grandmother. Tongue Row disappeared when the iron works that built it for it's workers closed.

March 17
On my last full day I'll be back in Glasgow for a visit to the Royal Highland Fusiliers Museum and the Scottish Football Association Museum. After that, I'll need to get to bed early as my flight out is at 6:00am.

March 18
I will depart Glasgow for home...or will I?

Kosovo

Congratulations to the Kosovars for declaring independence from Serbia! Especially given that they did so in the face of continuing and not-so-thinly-veiled threats from both the Serbians and the Russians.

I was especially happy to see that their parliament ratified the declaration unanimously, that there are specific guarantees for the equality of the ethnic Serbs, and that they recognized the need and worth of having international troops in the country.

Maybe the Balkans have finally, FINALLY, sorted themselves out.

It's Valentine's Day!!

so what.

Today's Developments

First and foremost, I'm typing on my new black MacBook...it's kind of like the "Darth Vader" of MacBooks- and I like that.

Second, my new"Norton Motorcylces" inspired Reverend Horton Heat t-shirt also arrived via FedEx today.

Third, Curt Schilling has an injury that will keep him out until at least the All-Star break, if not end his career. Might have been nice to know this before Johann Santana became a Met.

Finally, Mitt Romney dropped out of the presidential race today, leaving John McCain- the most palatable of the Republicans the defacto nominee- sorry Mike Huckabee. That being said, as much as I admire Senator McCain, I don't see myself voting for him.

Alright, time to put the new machine through its paces!

HUZZAH!!

My new MacBook arrived a day early!

So, my next post, will be from my awesome new machine!

SWEEEEEEEEEET!!!

I just ordered my new, upgraded, super sexy black, iBook!

I was going to get the new MacBook Air, but it has no optical drive, so if you can't get what you need (music, movies, games, etc.) on-line or have a second computer that you can install programs on and transfer them to the MacBook Air via wireless network, you're pretty much out of luck.

The best part? Add together my tax refund and the money from the sale of my current iBook, and I'll actually make 45¢, because, as we all know, your tax refund is "free money!"

"3-5 Business days"...

:)

Is this bad?

I'm going on vacation for two weeks starting March 3...and I'm already packed.

Famous?

So, what the heck, here are the "famous" people I've "met." Some of them won't mean anything to you until I explain them, some won't mean anything even after I explain them!

Direct-

Robert Vaughn, star of "The Man from Uncle" and the "Helsinki Formula" infomercials: Talked to him on the phone.

Peter Jennings, late anchor of ABC News: Talked to him on the phone.

Chevy Chase, actor...you know, FLETCH!: Met him when his daughter toured a school at which I was teaching.

Bill Murray, actor...so, you know, he's got that going for him: Met him when he came to watch his son play football for the rivals of a school at which I taught.

Ally McCoist, member Scottish National Team: One of only two professional athletes I've asked for an autograph.

Bode Miller, Olympic/World Cup skier: I knocked him on his ass during a men's league soccer game about 8 or 9 years ago. I might not have done so if I'd known that's who it was beforehand!

Egon Zimmerman, Olympic/World Cup skier: Was my ski school instructor when I was about ten.

Al Barr, lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys: Of course, when I knew him, his name was still "Alex." We went to high school together for a couple of years, his dad was my German teacher during my freshman year.

Chris Sheridan, director, producer, writer, etc. for "The Family Guy": All this is based on what my mom has told me, but if it's true (there's definitely a "Chris Sheridan" in the credits), Chris and I overlapped for a couple of years in high school, worked on the school newspaper together, and his mom is still (I think!) the school nurse.

Indirect-

Mo Vaughn, professional baseball player: I coached his niece for one season, and she was the team manager for two more after that.

George Soros, international "financier": I taught one of his sons for a year.

And, for what it's worth, I regularly see Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. around town.

Anyway...

I could probably list a hundred soccer players (male and female) that I've worked clinics and camps with over the years, but that would take forever, so I'll just leave this list as is until I remember somebody that I've left off!

HERE'S your problem!

I rarely, if ever, resort to foul language here on my lame little blog, but after reading this story (click on the title of this post for the link) my first thought was, "You've got to be fucking kidding me..." I didn't say it aloud, my "inner voice" wasn't even raised. It was "said" with sadness and disappointment. With all the things that deserve more time, attention, and funding, our federal government- in this case, the FCC- felt it was important to spend five (FIVE?!) years and who knows how many hundreds of thousands (if not MILLIONS) of dollars waging a battle against ABC because NYPD Blue showed a woman's buttocks. Five years...

I'm glad my government has it's priorities in such crystal clear order.

Managers in the Premier League

The data:

Manchester United: Sir Alex Ferguson: Scottish
Arsenal: Arsene Wenger: French
Chelseaa: Avram Grant: Israeli
Liverpool: Rafael Benitez: Spanish
Evertona: David Moyes: Scottish
Aston Villa: Martin O’Neill: Northern Irish
Manchester City: Sven-Goran Eriksson: Swedish
Blackburn Rovers: Mark Hughes: Welsh
Portsmouth: Harry Redknapp: English
West Ham United: Alan Curbishley: English
Newcastle United: Kevin Keegan: English
Tottenham Hotspur: Juande Ramos: Spanish
Reading: Steve Coppell: English
Middlesbrough: Gareth Southgate: English
Bolton Wanderers: Gary Megson: English
Birmingham City: Alex McLeish: Scottish
Wigan Athletic: Steve Bruce: English
Sunderland: Roy Keane: Irish
Fulham: Roy Hodgson: English
Derby County: Paul Jewell: English

Things to think about:

• No English managers currently managing teams that will qualify for Europe next year.
• Of the three non-English managers in the bottom half of the table, two were mid-season replacements.
• Two of the three managers of teams trying to avoid relegation are English.
• With the exception of Kevin Keegan's brief tenure as England manager*, none of the English managers has achieved anything on the national or international stage.

*while he did qualify England for Euro 2000, his 7-7-4 overall record as England manager was the worst among permanently appointed managers.

Whereas:

Alex Ferguson alone has won:

Premier League: (9)
FA Cup: (5)
League Cup: (2)
FA Charity/Community Shield: (7)
UEFA Champions League: (1)
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: (1)
Intercontinental Cup: (1)
UEFA Super Cup: (1)
FA Premier League Manager of the Year: (7)
FA Premier League Manager of the Month: (19)
UEFA Champions League Manager of the Year: (1)
World Soccer Magazine Coach of the Year: (3)

And that doesn't include what he did with Aberdeen before coming to England:

Scottish League: (3) Of the four they've won.
Scottish Cup: (4) Of the six they've won.
Scottish League Cup: (1) Of the five they've won
European Cup Winners Cup: (1) Their only one.
UEFA Super Cup: (1) Their only one.

I'm just sayin'...

I practical use for my blog!?!?

I don't know that I've recorded all of them here, but according to my blog, today's migraine is my first since November 4- not bad.

I only wish it wasn't working in hellish combination with the pulled muscle in my neck.

I think it's time to turn out the lights and stay very still...

NINJAS!?

Today I went to the movies.

I went to see "No Country for Old Men."

Somewhere between buying my ticket and getting something to drink I decided that I didn't want to see something so "serious," so I looked at the other listings and decided to see "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale."

Oops.

Apparently this movie was based on a video game. Had I known that, I might have stuck with my original choice- let's just say that Roger Ebert's views on movies that are based on games are right on target. I can imagine this movie having been written on a laptop, during study halls, by an inhaler-dependent 9th grader who plays too many video games and/or Magic: the Gathering.

I also wish I'd known that this movie was directed by Uwe Boller, but that's another topic for another day.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on this movie- or at least as many as I could jam onto the back of my ticket stub in a dark theater.

The Plot

There really isn't a single "plot," there are many- none of them well-developed. There's the long-lost son of the king, the nephew who wants to overthrow the king, the evil magician who's trying to overthrow thing king, and some other stuff.

There are also subhuman warriors- controlled by Gallian, the evil magician- who run some sort of slave-populated underground mines (complete with flowing lava). They are called "Krugs." "What do they mine? Why must it be mined? These are details the viewer apparently does not need to know. Another question lingers too: the first time I saw this plotline weren't they called "Orcs," and didn't they appear in three other small movies as masters of underground mines? I'm just asking...

The Script

I'm not sure there was one. And if there was, my hat is off to the actors for not bursting into laughter after some of the lines they had to deliver.

The Setting

The movie is set in medieval "somewhere" (in this case, British Columbia) at some "medieval time." Apparently there must have been some disagreement about these things. There is a church and there are some references to Christianity...but then at the end of the movie there is all kinds of talk about "The Gods." Who knows...

The Mistakes

Okay, I'm only going to point out one. There's a scene where two characters are digging some graves with shovels that could have been purchased at your friendly neighborhood ACE Hardware store- I am surprised that they actually remembered to remove the labels from them. Hint to those who make movies about the medieval period in European history- metal was hard to come by and expensive, dirt poor farmers would have wooden shovels.

The Cast

• Jason Statham: I like Jason Statham. No, he's not Olivier, but then, to the best of my knowledge, he has never attempted Hamlet either. If you need a fit, more or less handsome, working-class Englishman to deliver raspy, B-grade, Clint Eastwood dialog in an action movie, he's your man. Keeping that in mind, I cannot fault his performance here, he did the job he was hired to do.

• Leelee Sobieski: I don't even know if she's a good actress or not, I'm simply to consumed with trying to figure out if she is breathtakingly beautiful, or just really odd looking? Also, as an historian, she gets a partial "pass" for being related to Poland's royal family- particularly national hero Jan III Sobieski, who saved Vienna from the Turks.

• Jonathan Rhys-Davies: This man has been making films for over 40 years- what on Earth is he doing in this film? Here are just a few of his prior credits: I, Claudius, Shogun, The Merchant of Venice, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and all of the Lord of the Rings movies. In this movie, he plays a cut-rate Merlin type character.

• Ron Perlman: Once again, let's look at the best of this actor's previous work: The Name of the Rose, Enemy at the Gates, and Hellboy. He plays what there is of his part- grizzled, aging, but wise, soldier, just fine.

• Claire Forlani: This would have been a better movie if all 124 minutes had been spent on her, sitting in a chair, doing nothing but looking at the camera.

• Kristianna Loken: She was in the last Terminator movie, she's beautiful, but her role in this movie is so small that I suspect (and there are lots of other things in this movie that lead me to this conclusion) that large parts of this movie were left on the proverbial "cutting room floor." (Confirmed: according to the film's Wikipedia page, the DVD release will be 45 minutes longer)
  

• Matthew Lillard: This is the "level" of actor this movie deserved. Take a look at his IMDB entry and you'll see that I don't mean that as a compliment.

• Ray Liotta: Ray, you were Henry Hill in "Goodfellas." GOODFELLAS!! Now you're an evil wizard in a movie based on a video game?! I'm going to assume this film was made just prior to Ray's February 2007 DUI arrest, it would explain a lot.

And one more...

• Burt Reynolds: Again, Burt has never been an Oscar caliber actor, but this movie? He was in Gator, Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Semi-Tough, Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, and Sharky's Machine. He couldn't possibly have needed the paycheck this badly, could he?

Oh, right, you were probably waiting for me to get to the Ninjas...

As an historian I know that medieval Europe was a much more multicultural and multiracial society than the modern world assumes, especially in southern Europe, larger cities and where trade routes intersected. Therefore, if a movie about medieval Europe contains some "people of color" in one or more of the contexts, I not only understand it, but I also applaud it for its accuracy. This movie did none of these things, and yet...

...and yet there is one major character and one minor one who are African- no explanation given. There are also several Asian faces seen behind the helmets of the king's soldiers.

And then there are the Ninjas.

During the major battle scene(s) there is a small group of Asians clad in loose black clothing who attack the enemy while spinning, kicking, and brandishing swords in both hands.

Ninjas. Really?

Why I didn't do it.

I walked around the store for almost twenty minutes holding a collapsible snow shovel that I was going to throw in my trunk so that the next time it snowed I could use something other than my feet to clear a path to get my car out.

It was only $6.99

Just in time, however, I realized two things.

First, if I bought it, I would become confident about it and it would then surely break the first time I attempted to use it, angering me greatly.

Second, if I bought it, it would never snow again for as long as I owned it. I like snow, and I didn't want this to happen.

Clear-headed logic- no?

Blarg.

The first 7 days of 2008 can kiss my...

...anyway, I'm tired.

Just because it popped into my head...

...here are some TV shows I've never watched, and never plan to.

• Friends
• E.R.
• Desperate Housewives
• Scrubs
• Law & Order (any variation)
  

How I spent New Year's Eve

Asleep.

For almost 13 hours.

Yup, that's the kind of week it was.