Items from the Random Bucket

Several items from the random bucket this evening:

- Just an unbelievable story about how being a sports fan can actually be hazardous to your health. This Pittsburgh Steelers fan had a heart attack only seconds after Jerome Bettis fumbled the ball late in the 4th quarter of last Sunday's game. (Thanks goes out to Andy for originally linking this article in his profile, and to Julie for passing it along as well.) Julie's comments: "It's fortunate that the paramedics who happened to also be watching the game at the bar weren't sloshed like everyone else there!" Remember, if anyone ever tries to convince you that sports aren't as dangerous for the athletes as they are for the fans, just point them in the direction of this story.

- From the "Go Figure This One Out" Department, I didn't have any cold water in my apartment for about 24 hours. Usually, the problem is reversed and apartments are left without hot water, but not this place. Last night, I turned on the faucet in the bathroom and I had hot water when I turned the hot on. I also had hot water when I turned the cold on. Same thing happened in the kitchen sink. Figured, "Oh well, this isn't the end of the world, let's just hope I don't burn myself in the shower". I think I might know how all this came about: A couple weeks back, the washing machine (it's right next door to my apartment....one washer and dryer per floor) decided to have problems with the spin cycle, the rinse cycle, or whatever. Either way, the washing machine cycle would end, and the clothes would be soaking wet. So I decide to be a good samaritan and call the maintenance issue in to the company who handles the laundry facilities. They said they'd send someone out. Stupid maintenance worker shows up, apparently just to take a look at the damn thing, and then realizes he needs to get a new part. Way to go jackass, you should have been able to figure that out because they had the same problem on the machine on the other floors in the building. So finally, on Monday, this clown comes to fix the washing machine, and must have been futzing with the hot water heater. It all makes sense, huh? I think the cold water just came back at around 11pm Tuesday night. Such is my life.

- For my fellow diehards of "The Sopranos", we have confirmation that this will indeed be the last season for our favorite mobsters. The good news is that we'll be treated to 12 new episodes beginning on March 12th, and then we'll have to wait for the final 8 episodes coming in January 2007.

In other TV news, I did watch the new CBS show "Love Monkey" this evening about the life of a record executive in New York City and I'd say it was pretty good. Might have to add it to my TV repertoire. Again, I'd like to remind everyone that I have issues getting into wildly popular shows like "24" and "Lost", yet I'll latch on to a new show like "Love Monkey". I have a tendency to shoot wide of the bullseye on my choices sometimes. Hey, at least I'll admit it.

- In breaking news, the AP finds out that "blacks are more likely than whites to commemorate Martin Luther King's birthday". Somehow I find that absolutely hard to believe.

- I watched The Doors a couple weekends back...you know, the Oliver Stone flick with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison. Well, besides the fact that it was completely off the wall and a gripping film, it also renewed my appreciation for the music of The Doors. So, I instruct all of you who own music by The Doors, whether it be on CD, MP3, or if you have any records (!), to go back and enjoy this excellent music all over again. By the way, Mom does have a copy of the self-titled debut LP, and swears that it isn't hers. Yet it's in the house. The mid-1960's must have been a wild time...

- I'm gonna go ahead and pack it in for the night. Back tomorrow night with some more of whatever I can dig up.