Friday's Off The Wall Blog: "One Saturday Morning" Edition

Yawn. Good morning, and happy...er...Saturday. Alright so I didn't do the blog on Friday, and I have no excuse except laziness. And if that's acceptable, then so be it. Anyway, this is going to be the final blog of this sort until further notice. What does "until further notice" mean? Probably next semester, maybe never. Who knows? Who cares?

So let's look forward to next year with the final "Friday Fun Blog" of this semester.

• From the world of entertainment, Paris Hilton was recently sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. See, in the real world this wouldn't be news and in fact, shouldn't be news....but for some reason it is news. Only in America you can become famous for being famous. I guess those are the joys of being rich. Again, not newsworthy, but news that makes me want a hammer to my forehead, that's all.
• Smooth transition here, a lot of people think Paris is sexy. I'm not one of them. There's nothing sexy about a girl who has had more sausage in her than a meat packing plant. Okay, not the best analogy, but you get the point. As for the transition, in Peru they have this drink that allegedly can cure bronchitis, asthma, sluggishness, and a low sex drive. That's what this article says. So why is this news? Because everyday people don't feel up to par when it comes to feeling good about themselves, myself included. Why not promote something that can make people feel good. I like feeling good...anyway, read the article.
• Something that always gets on my nerves is PDA....public displays of affection. Call me the jealous type, but nothing irritates me than being the single guy with happy couples---that's just me. Anyway, looks like this guy got quite a punishment. Carl William Persing's "mile-high make out" will likely land Persing in jail. Prosecutors said Persing threatened a flight attendant who told the couple to stop---and for not stopping, he might find himself in jail for 20 years for disrupting and interfering with flight attendants. A part of me feels bad, but the little devil on my shoulder says he deserves every day of that sentence.
• Finally, my favorite story has to do with one of my favorite music acts Justin Timberlake. This USA Today article details JT's recent success in signing, song writing and crossing over into acting. The interesting part of this article is where JT wants to extend his creativity into. Writing country songs. Shocking, I know, but funny because my roommate and I joked about what a country version of his hit My Love would sound like. But on a serious note, I don't think writing country songs would be too far fetched for JT, a Tennessee native. Everyone knows the best country songs are about heartbreak, so songs like Cry Me A River and What Goes Around...Comes Around could make for successful crossover tracks if covered by the right country artists. My concern is that JT would go away from what made him successful; songs about how Britney broke his heart. JT going away from that formula would be like me not writing poetry about well....you know what I write poetry about. It just wouldn't be right. Maybe one day, JT and I could collaborate---that'd be a lot of heartbreak in one room.

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five songs blowing up on my I-Pod.

1. Sweat 'Cha Perm Out by Katt Williams (featuring Lil' Jon, Lil' Scrappy & Too Short)
2. Go Getta Remix by Young Jeezy (featuring R. Kelly, Jadakiss & Bun B)
3. Crazy by Ne-Yo (featuring Jay-Z)
4. Settlin' by Sugarland
5. Never Again by Kelly Clarkson

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five old school songs that I like, and that you should like.

1. The Same Old Song by The Four Tops
2. That Lady (Part One) by The Isley Brothers
3. Sing A Song by Earth, Wind & Fire
4. Turn Off The Lights by Teddy Pendegrass
5. Never Can Say Goodbye by The Jackson 5
   

Sunday Morning's Off The Wall Blog: "What Happened To Friday?" Edition

So last week, no OTW blog and it made me think about how much longer I'll be keeping this Friday staple around. As of right now, I'm not quite sure how much longer I'll be doing the Friday blog.

• Friday May 4th marks the end of classes. That means no more having to worry about Monday morning classes and stuff like that.
• Friday May 12th marks the end of Spring Semester. My last final begins at 7:50 AM and after that, it's off to sweet home Chicago for a week. That's when I'll get my working situation in order. I'll come back to Carbondale for a weekend, then it's back to Chicago to work my balls off.

So after that who knows how often I'll be blogging because I'll actually be busy. So with that said, this JUST MIGHT BE the final "Friday Blog" until next semester.

• European astronomers say they have found the first Earth-like planet beyond this solar system. Interesting news because the way this planet has been treated as of late, it wouldn't be far fetched to find another place to plant our flag before this planet blows. We're not sure if it has water yet, which will be a major key if we decide to send people to live there, but it has potential. And potential can go a long way. Speaking of going a long way, British bookies set the odds at 100-1 on proving that there is life outside of this planet. Now this could get interesting.
• A good story from Hays, Kansas where a 95-old woman will enter the Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest person to graduate college. Nola Ochs of Fort Hays State University will be graduating with her 21-year old granddaughter. After graduation, Ochs says she might take more classes at a community college and after that she says she will, "Seek employment on a cruise ship as a storyteller." If this story doesn't motivate you to graduate (eventually) nothing will....because if she can do it, you can too!
• A bit of a controversial story from the sports world. Baltimore Orioles announcer Gary Thorne announced during a Red Sox-Orioles game that BoSox catcher Doug Mirabelli told him that Curt Schilling's infamous bloody sock was just for publicity. The next day, Red Sox Nation was up in arms about the accusiations. Mirabelli said what Thorne said was a 'damn lie.' Schilling is offering a $1 million reward for anyone who can prove that the sock wasn't bloody and put the media on blast on his blog, which is quite entertaining.
• You've heard that "sex sells" but how about the idea that "sex smells?" Some experts are saying that how you smell enhances your attractiveness. Or something like that. I'm not sure where this article is going. It makes some valid points, because I'll agree that certain scents are attractive. But I'm also the guy who turns to putty because of a Southern twang. Anyway, read the article and learn something.....cuz at this point I could care less.

FRIDAY'S FIVE PART I. Five hot tracks on my I-Pod.

1. Laff At 'Em (Give It To Me Remix) by Timbaland (featuring Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake)
2. Last Night Remix by Diddy (featuring Keyshia Cole, Yung Joc, The Game & Big Boi)
3. We're Getting F*cked Up by Three Six Mafia (featuring Josey Scott)
4. Lock U Down by Mya (featuring Lil' Wayne)
5. Pickin' Wildflowers by Keith Anderson

FRIDAY'S FIVE PART II. Five Songs For The Summer.

1. Summer Love/Set The Mood by Justin Timberlake
2. Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
3. Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang
4. School's Out by Alice Cooper
5. Saturday In The Park by Chicago
   

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: I'm Going Home Edition

I was so close to not posting this week, school work has been kicking my ass of late. However, I've got three hours of downtime 'til my next class and I have enough material so I figured why not waste some time and computer space writing this weeks "Off The Wall" blog before I'm off to Sweet Home Chicago where I'll see my one true love. Nope, not a girlfriend---the Cubs! I'll be catching game two (weather permitting) of the three game series against the Reds. My boy Rich Hill goes Saturday at noon at Wrigley Field. Why is "Richie Rich" my boy? Dude racks up strike outs like crazy, wins ball games, is left handed and has a wicked curve ball. And he's on my fantasy team. Now to this week's blog:

• The first story of the week comes from Saudi Arabia, where a man's two wives attacked him after he joked that he would marry a third wife. Islamic law does allow men to have up to four wives. It reminds me of a quote (which I will paraphrase) "One woman is a problem, having two is two problems." Again, it's a story like this that makes me think: "it's hard enough to land one girl---how do people land two...or three?" I just am perplexed that the two wives don't have issues with each other. Whatever.
• In other marriage news, more than 7 percent of the 59 million marriages are between interracial couples. I might have mentioned it before, but I did learn that it is the 40th anniversary of the legalization of interracial couples. That's interesting to note that our generation isn't too far removed from that time period, in fact that is our parents generation. It's good to see that some of us have moved forward and have come together.
• However some of us haven't. Don Imus, the radio personality that referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy headed hos" was fired yesterday which also coincided with MSNBC removing the simulcast of Imus's show from its morning viewing. Imus did apologize to the Rutgers women's team at the Governor's mansion in New Jersey, and the apology was accepted. In other news from that story, the New Jersey governor was in an automobile accident. Reports say he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.
• China's back in my news radar again. First it was the story about the story of there being 30 million more men of marrying age than women, now this. The Chinese government is going to great lengths to crackdown on online pornography because it has "perverted China's young minds." I kinda feel bad for the Chinese kids, first they're resigned to the fate that there aren't enough women to satisfy their "man needs" and now the government's trying to take away the women they fawn over online. Poor kids....stay over there and don't come over here thinking you're gonna take our women. When are they building that wall again? Just joking people, I don't feel like catching fire from my own blog.

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five of the songs about baseball!

1. Take Me Out To The Ballgame as performed by Harry Caray
2. A Dying Cubs Fans Last Request by Steve Goodman
3. Centerfield by John C. Fogerty
4. Cheap Seats by Alabama
5. You're My Cubs by Alan Barcus

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five songs, not about baseball---but that's cool.

1. Everybody Know Me by Paul Wall featuring Snoop Dogg
2. Put It Down by Redman
3. Make Me Better by Fabolous featuring Ne-Yo
4. What I've Done by Linkin Park
5. Read My Mind by The Killers

Hope everyone has a good weekend without me!

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: One Day Late Edition

I'll be the first to say that I'm a little slow, but that's not why Friday's blog is a day late. I was on or around campus 'til 6 or so, then it was a combination of nap time and the Cubs game. So that's why Friday's blog didn't come. Translation: I was lazy and sleepy! But as they say, better late than never.

• This is a combo story. I'll preface it by noting that this has all come about because rapper Tony Yayo allegedly slapped some 14-year old kid whose father happens to manage The Game, a rival rapper of Yayo and his G-Unit crew. Now that we got the propers out of the way, enter stage left rapper 50 Cent, who referred to his team of lawyers as the "J-J-J-J-J-Jew Unit." Looks like members of the Jewish community have taken offense to it, can't blame 'em. Now this week has been full of idiots making dumb racial remarks. Like Billy Packer's "fag out" comment and Don Imus' 'apology' after making some disparaging remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Yeah, you can thank an over sensitive America for its reaction, but maybe you should think about what you say before you say it. Because if you think it might offend someone, then it probably will. Just a thought.
• In more entertainment news Fergie, of Black Eyed Peas fame, admits to having lesbian experiences. That's hot! Seriously, Fergie's got this overly sexual musical thing going on. From My Humps to London Bridge, there are so many sexual references in her songs how can you not be attracted. Oh, did I mention that she's hot? She also talks about how she was raised as a "good Cathloic girl." That's what they all say. Personally I'm not surprised because you'll be surprised by how many girls over 18 "experiment" with their sexuality once they graduate high school and go to college.
• In this week's story of irony, a pit bull dog owner bit a policeman after his encounter with the police. The cops stopped him for walking the dog without a leash. That would explain the pit bull running away during the confrontation. The dog owner is under house arrest, the dog is still missing.
• In a story that's a bit disturbing in my eyes. Five fifth-grade students are facing criminal charges after four of the students had sex in front of a classroom full of students while the fifth student was on "look out" duties. I remember when I was in fifth grade, I still thought girls had cooties. Sex was the last thing on my mind. As the story goes, the class was 15 minutes without an instructor and then four kids just started having sex. What in the world was going though those kids minds? What possesses fifth graders to have sex during class? Who knows? Who cares? Makes for an interesting (yet disturbing) story.

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five songs on my I-pod that got me through this week.

1. Get Buck by Young Buck
2. International Players Anthem by UGK featuring Outkast
3. Rock Star by Da Shop Boyz
4. Do Dat Heisman by Dem Heizman Boyz (not sure about the artist, but it comes with a dance)
5. Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5

FRIDAY'S FIVE OLD SCHOOL EDITION. I wonder when I'll run out of old school songs.

1. Yesterday by The Beatles
2. Tainted Love by Soft Cell
3. Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics
4. Superstition by Stevie Wonder
5. What's Love Got To Do With It? by Tina Turner
   

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Quiet Evening Edition

I'm not sure if there's anything I like more than Friday. Well, maybe money--but unlike money--Friday comes every week at the same time. So that means another blog about nothing in particular, just some interesting stories and such that I've found while coming across the news wires. This week is no exception, another great week of stories.

• This is a case where some people have too much damn money. NBA superstar LeBron James is building a 35,440 square foot mansion in suburban Cleveland. That's good for Cavs fans who were/are worried about LeBron possibly leaving Cleveland for a bigger market such as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. But I could care less about where 'Bron Bron' goes, check out the house. It will include a two-story walk-in closet, a limestone sculpture of LeBron--among other things. As first reported on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption, the house will also include a barbershop, a bowling alley, an NBA regulation size basketball court, a movie theater and 11-bedrooms. I know you're asking: why would someone build something like this? I have the answer: because they can.
• More news from the courts. Last night, the West Virginia Mountaineers won the NIT Championship with a 78-73 victory over the Clemson Tigers. However, that's not where the news comes from. The shirts given to the Mountaineers after the game commemorating their championship misspelled "Virginia," with the second 'I' missing. Of course no authority figures could be reached for comment, and why would they be? People stress over if these kids should stay in school or go pro---maybe we should look at our institutional figure heads that can't even use spell check to see if Virginia, the name of a damn state--two states in fact--is spelled correctly. Ahhh, the joys of being a journalism major and English minor.
• One last sports story, I promise. This one is less of a story and more of a public service announcement. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rawlings Gold Glove, the good folks at Rawlings have put together a list of the best Gold Glovers in the history of the game. You can vote on who you think is the best here. The list is packed with great defenders. So who did I vote for? P Greg Maddux C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez 1B Don Mattingly 2B Ryne Sandberg 3B Brooks Robinson SS Ozzie Smith OF's Roberto Clemente, Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays. Those are my guys. There were some close decisions I had to make, such as choosing Robinson over Scott Rolen at 3B. Though he's a Cardinal, Rolen is the best defensive 3B I've ever seen--but Brooks is a Hall of Famer, not to mention my father's favorite player. Another deserving Cardinal was Jim Edmonds, but the fact of the matter is that he's the 4th best CF I've seen behind Griffey Jr., Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones. Personally, I found it hard to vote for guys that I never saw play live and in person, but I've seen enough file footage of the "old timers" to know who was worth voting for.
• Finally, my favorite story of the week which begs the question "How quickly can I get my passport?" The genius behind those 'Girls Gone Wild' videos is looking to open GGW-themed restaurants in Mexico. I use the term "genius" loosely because he's more of a "right place, right time guy" because really---making money manipulating ...err... capitalizing on drunk college girls isn't something you can necessarily talk about at the dinner table. My problem is that how can u have a GGW-themed restaurant without the topless girls? It's Mexico, they'll be topless by the end of the night so why bother with the clothing in the first place. I wonder how many girls will sue him for exploitation? Only time will tell.

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five Songs On The I-Pod That Helped This Week Be Awesome!

1. I'm Real, What Are You by Paul Wall featuring Juelz Santana
2. Go Getta by Young Jeezy featuring R. Kelly
3. One & Only by Timbaland featuring Fall Out Boy
4. Beautiful Liar by Shakira & Beyonce
5. Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Old School Edition.

1. Play That Funky Music White Boy by Wild Cherry
2. Give Up The Funk by Parliament Funkadelic
3. Sunday Kind Of Love by Etta James
4. Can't Hide Love by Earth, Wind & Fire
5. Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes
   

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Bittersweet Ending Edition

I believed 'til the last second. When Tony Young launched that desperation three pointer from around half court I hoped it would find the bottom of the net and would send SIU to overtime. It didn't, and SIU went home with a 61-58 loss to Kansas.

I stood in stunned disbelief, I couldn't believe what just happened. We were so close. I'm sure experts wanted to predict a KU blowout, but couldn't out of respect to SIU. No one expected us to be this close---at one point I believe we had a 6 point lead. But it was such a back-and-forth game, anyone who watched figured that it would come down to the final possession.

Despite the loss, there are silver linings in the clouds this evening.

• With their second Sweet 16 appearance this decade, SIU finished with 29 wins, the most in school history. They also finished in the top 15 of both the Associated Press Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, and in the top 10 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI.) Nothing to hang your head about, it was an amazing season--from start to finish.
• With this Sweet 16 run, SIU solidified itself as not just the best of the so called "mid-majors" but a lot of people are calling them the "Gonzaga of the Midwest" which is a much higher complement than being the next George Mason. Gonzaga, a private West Coast university known primarily for being John Stockton's alma mater and a perennial Cinderella school, has solidified itself over the last decade as a "mid-major" powerhouse to the point where people are expecting the Bulldogs to be in the tournament every year. SIU's made the tourney the last seven years and are on the verge of being a program, not just another school. Randal Falker put it best when he said (and I'm paraphrasing) that as good as it is to break the records of the last great team he can't wait until this team's records are broken---that's how you know the program is still successful.
• In addition to building this university's basketball team into a basketball program (and I'll get to the difference between a team and a program in a later blog because it's worthy of it's own blog), this Sweet 16 run also has put SIU firmly in the spotlight. Not only in this state, but nationwide as well. The success of the basketball team this year gave the school free PR....good PR at that because everyone associates a good basketball school with a good university---except for Cincinnati because they don't graduate players. Not only will the hoops squad benefit, but hopefully the school will as well.
• A really cool thing about the loss (if there is a such thing) is the press we're getting from the north. I (among countless others) have chastised the northern press for not giving the Salukis enough love. While Illinois dominated the headlines with stories of DUI's, inconsistencies and calling for Coach Bruce Weber's head---SIU was taking care of business dominating the MVC and kicking down the door of exclusivity that generally keeps prorams like ours out. DePaul (of course) gets a lot of pub from the press up north--a talented team on the rise in the rigorous Big East Conference. They earned their press by making it to the final eight of the NIT, coming one point short of the semi-finals in New York City's Madison Square Garden. Loyola, Northwestern, UIC, NIU all got their fair share of publicity....but only U of I and SIU were dancing in March. We got ours in the end.
• Personally, I don't believe in moral victories. In my book, it's either a win or a loss. There is no column for "moral victories." But in a situation like this, I guess you just have to tip your hat to Kansas and take the moral victory, along with the pats on the back from the media. Jay Mariotti has been praising SIU for a while now, saying in today's article that he has never been more impressed with a team on the short end of the stick. I think that Mariotti is used to the sore loser mentallity brought upon by Ozzie Guillen and Dusty Baker in recent baseball years. That article is a must read. The Trib's Mike Downey also sang our praises and metioned the dreaded "moral victory." In the end, all the press SIU has gotten recently can only be good. Maybe it will get kids up north interested in playing for SIU. Who wouldn't want to play for the next big thing, a team that is consistently winning and seemingly on the rise. What kid wouldn't want to come to school here where the weather hits 80 degrees in mid-March when in Chicago it's fiftysomething if you're lucky.
• In the end, if you're a student or a fan or a distant admirer---you have just got to be proud of what the Salukis have accomplished this year. I know I am.

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five songs on my I-pod that will hopefully get me over the loss.

1. B.U.D.D.Y by Musiq Soulchild
2. Pop, Lock & Drop It by Huey
3. Pose by Justin Timberlake (featuring Snoop Dogg)
4. This Is Why I'm Hot by MIMS
5. War Remix by Nas featuring The Game

FRIDAY'S FIVE OLD SCHOOL EDITION. Because maybe some old school tracks will make me feel better.

1. California Girls by The Beach Boys
2. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Pt. 1) by James Brown
3. Gangster of Love by Johnny "Guitar" Watson
4. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding
5. Living For The Love of You by The Isley Brothers
   

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Spring Break Freedom Edition

For us SIU Salukis, Spring Break begins after our last class on Friday ends. Granted a lot of us have gotten a head start on the festivities, but some of us are still here writing last minute papers and studying for the last mid-term before we get a week of being free. Which reminds me: school vacation equals blog vacation unless something "newsworthy" comes across the wires. Personally I doubt it'll happen, but it's Spring Break so you must be prepared for anything and everything. With that said, it's time to get the Friday fun started.

• Really, I should probably call this OTW blog 'Sports Edition' because I've got three pretty interesting sports-related stories. But I'll start off with some 'Idol' talk. American Idol that is. Friday morning is generally regulated for Idol lovers to talk about who got offed on Thursday night. I'm not going in that direction though. AOL brings a great point about last year's winner Taylor Hicks: Where is the Soul Patrol? Hicks might just be Idol's first flop, his album hasn't even cracked a million sales yet and it doesn't look good. Heck, I've yet to hear Hicks on the radio....well, Taylor Hicks....I can listen to "hicks" on the radio all the damn time in Carbondale. Anyway, Hicks is bad now. He was bad then. Back then I predicted that hottie Katherine McPhee would emerge as the true winner, predicting that she would out sell Hicks and will be more popular than Hicks given time. McPhee is getting major radio airplay with her single "Getting Over" while Hicks ain't getting jack diddly. In the order of Idol operations it's: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Ruben Studdard.....and whoever else won. Daughtry, the third place winner of last years show, is outshining both McPhee and Hicks with his likable rock stylings.
• A well written piece from the best student run college newspaper in the state of Illinois, the Daily Egyptian here at SIU Carbondale. This piece is about Saluki senior guard Tony Young and his rise to prominence as a Saluki. Young has gone through some rough times on his way to the top, but his toughness (both mental and physical) got him through it. The Chicago Tribune, who rejected this original piece, later tried "biting" it (AKA ripping it off as one of its own) in a later article, but Saluki Nation knows where the truth is. If TY was at U of I, the Tribsters would be tripping over their own drool over this guy. I'm glad he's on our team.
• Speaking of good things about Chicago sports, Forbes has come up with their list of the best general managers in sports. Two Chicago GMs top the list. Jerry Angelo, GM of the NFC Champion Chicago Bears comes in at number eight while Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson comes in at 10. Angelo, who came in third place among NFL GMs, is the brain behind putting together the most complete and deepest team in the NFL. We'll see how Angelo does with free agency after a Super Bowl year. Paxson, who ranked third among NBA GMS, is the man who saved the sinking ship abandoned by resident boob Jerry Krause. Paxson has brought in an emerging core of youngsters who excelled in college such as Kirk Hinrich (Kansas), Ben Gordon (UConn), Luol Deng and Chris Duhon (Duke) to go along with veteran leadership (Ben Wallace, PJ Brown, Adrian Griffin), championship experience (Andres Nocioni) altogether coached by Scott Skiles. Cubs GM Jim Spendry..er..Hendry came in at 59 while White Sox GM Kenny Williams came in at 67. My personal favorite GM the Athletics Billy Beane came in at 26th overall, but 1st among baseball GMs.
• And finally a story a year in the making....J.J. Redick's poetry. I fought with myself if I should include this, in the end I decided why not. Everyone knows I hate Duke, which means I hate all of their players (until they're on the Bulls.) Everyone also knows that I have a specific hatred for the "sweet shooting rich white kid" from Virginia nicknamed by Tar Heel fans "JJ Redneck." Enough with the Redick bashing (for now) and let's take a look at the poetry. I'm surprised it doesn't consist of "Roses are red, violets are blue/Duke sucks and I do too." JJ's got some interesting things going on, and he's got this whole Devil versus God thing going on and it's quite interesting thinking of it from a poet's point of view. I'm sure a lot of his poetical insecurities come from being the most hated man in college basketball for the last four years. Still, no one told him that he had to go to the most hated university in college basketball. No one told him he had to be a pompous ass on the court. No one told him that he had to be a bitch ass whiny cry baby when he didn't get his way. No one told him to choke and disappear when the Dookies needed him the most. Damn, I guess I can't go a minute without bashing the kid. Well, he deserves it! GO HEELS!

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five songs that I probably overplayed on my I-pod this week.

1. Don't Matter by Akon
2. I'm Throwed by Paul Wall featuring Jermaine Dupri
3. Not A Criminal Remix by Chamillionaire featuring Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes
4. Watching You by Rodney Atkins
5. U Center Me by Robin Thicke

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Old School Edition. Because Old School Is Really Where It's At.

1. Do You Believe In Magic by The Lovin' Spoonful
2. Soul Man by Sam & Dave
3. I Want You Back by The Jackson 5
4. Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
5. I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye

Have A Safe Spring Break Everyone! Fun and Safe!

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Spring Has Sprung Edition

Finally, it's Friday. Nothing due tomorrow. Nothing to study for. Nothing to bitch about. I can actually smile because again the weight of the world is off my shoulders (at least for the next two days.) Interesting news week. Let's get to it, shall we?

• An interesting story about ice cream being good. Well, that's not breaking news because everyone knows that ice cream is good. What we probably didn't know is that ice cream may lower the risk of some types of infertility. Despite the buzz, there's a hint of skepticism from medical experts. Still, it makes for an interesting story.
• It's very easy to point out that the youth of today is going to hell in a handbasket. However, one should also note that adults aren't helping matters much. This mother taught her kids to fake retardation and gained over $280,000 in benefits. All that could be worth anywhere from six months to one year in prison. That's just special, no pun intended.
• This story from the "no sh*t" category. A study recently found high amounts of narcissism and self-centeredness in today's college students. That's not really shocking in this generation that is slowly gaining the nickname "Generation Me." As a college student, it doesn't surprise me at all because really college kids are sharks. That phrase "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" really puts college into perspective. An old friend of mine taught me a lesson early in my collegiate career. "It's okay to be selfish, sometimes you just have to be selfish." It's too bad I learned that lesson a little too late for my own liking.
• From the "rich getting richer" department, a freshly minted billionaire is trying to make the team pitching for the Dodgers. Left-handed pitcher Matt White struck it rich when land he bought had precious stones, instantly making him a billionaire. Now White's stuck trying to figure out what he wants to do. He could just sit back and rake in the good life, or he could try to play the game he's loved since he was a child. If I was White, I'd do both. I'd buy a team and then insert myself as the Opening Day starter, then retire. Sounds like a good plan, huh?

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Five really good songs I've been playing on my I-Pod this week.

1. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race Remix by Fall Out Boy (featuring Kanye West)
2. Beemerz and Benzes by Trick Daddy & T.I.
3. Complicated by Robin Thicke
4. Birthday by Flo-Rida and Rick Ross
5. Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Old school songs, because "Old School" is really where it's at.

1. She's A Brickhouse by The Commodores
2. Volare by Dean Martin
3. I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
4. Daydream Believer by The Monkees
5. Doo Wah Didee by Rick Springfield
   

Friday's Off The Wall "Almost" Special Edition

Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone has survived this week, I know I have (barely.) Folks, I was this close to making this blog "Friday's Off The Wall MVC Champions Edition" but decided not to. I might post one Saturday, making it truly a special edition. I love the Dawgs, they are one of the few things that brings me absolute joy when I'm in Carbondale. Anyway, enough with the chit-chat, I got some good stories this week.

• From the Why Do I Care? department, A-list celebs ditched Paris Hilton's b-day bash to go to the 40th birthday party for Untitled Entertainment founder Jason Weinberg's party. I don't know Jason Weinberg and I wish I didn't know who Paris Hilton are. In fact, this really isn't a big story. No one should really like Paris, she's famous for being famous and that's all she'll ever be. That, and a whore. Not the greatest things to be. Still, the party ended up being "special" with a report that Hilton was playing with a monkey in a room with a midget band leading a herd of goats. Personally, I hope they weren't Billy Goats.
• Headline writers, you either love 'em or you hate 'em, it's as simple as that. Sunday night while checking out AOL.com, I saw a headline saying "Asteroid Speeding Toward Earth." As my heart jumped and flashes of the movie Armegeddon and Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" played in my head, I clicked the link and read the entire article. I guess it's why they say don't judge a book by its cover. Astronomers are monitoring an asteroid named Apophis, which has a 1 in 45,000 chance of hitting Earth on April 13, 2036. 2036....I won't even be 50.....and in April too? Is this really necessary. Knowing my luck and the luck of Cubdom as a whole, the Cubs will be working on 128 years of futility and the 2036 Cubs will be the best team they've fielded since the 2007 team and would be the odds on favorite to win the World Series. Someone better go take care of that damn asteroid or else I have to start confessing my love in an attempt to get married before the asteroid hits. Though come to think about it, that'd make a great movie. The 50 Year-Old Dude That's Trying To Get Married Before The Asteroid Hits.....just a working title for starters.
• This is a nice little story about a mutated duck named Stumpy. I had a teacher we nicknamed Stumpy in high school, definitely not as adorable as the duck. A four-legged duck found 95 miles south of London, that's special...it really is.
• And finally, a very sad story to close out Friday's Four Stories. A big rig on Texas' Interstate 10 (don't I get a special phone call from a certain young lady when she's on the I-10???) crashed and caught on fire, destroying all of the Nestle Chocolate Bars it was transporting in the process. That's sad, heck that's depressing. I'm sorry, we're talking chocolate here and that's totally NOT COOL TO DESTROY CHOCOLATE! That driver should have been much more careful.

FRIDAY'S FIVE SONGS. Five songs on my I-Pod that I think are really good.

1. The Second Coming by Juelz Santana (Produced/Featuring Just Blaze)
2. Give It To Me by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
3. The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani featuring Akon
4. Gravity by John Mayer
5. Woozy by Ludacris featuring R. Kelly

FRIDAY'S FIVE, Classic Old School Edition

1. She Used To Be My Girl by The O'Jays
   
2. Isn't She Lovely? by Stevie Wonder
   
3. You Really Got A Hold On Me by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
4. I Wanna Get Next To You by Rose Royce
   
5. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love? by The Stylistics
   

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Post-Valentine's Day Edition

I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day. The fact that I'm writing this blog is proof that I did survive V-Day. With that said, I've got to do a normal Off-The-Wall Blog. It's a must. Happy Friday everyone, and away we go...

• It's winter time folks, be smart and stay safe. A German paraglider obviously didn't follow my advice when she found herself encased in ice after paragliding into a major "tornado-like thunderstorm." I'm happy to report that she survived this, but hopefully this will teach you daredevils out there to be careful!
• Since I was a child, I always wondered what was the point of the urinal cakes in stalls. Maybe it was just me. Anyway, New Mexico has found a use for these things. A woman's voice activated by a sensor is activated when a man approaches and advises the man to call a sober friend or a cab for a ride home. Statistics say that men are more than three times as likely to be involved in a drunk driving incident than women. Stats aside, it's an interesting use of technology to get into the suggestive minds of drunks. Next, I want it to give me some personal advice. Such as "you should ask for that waitress' phone number" or "be careful with that girl you're dancing with" or even maybe it could be used as another place to promote safe sex (yes, it's still Nat'l Condom Week) maybe saying "use a rubber big boy...double bag it!" Let's take full advantage of our technological advances.
• Sometimes you have to realize that it's time to hang it up. Other times, you have to realize that you have to put some clothes on when running through a park. A nude jogger in San Jose was recently fined $95 for indecent exposure for jogging in only a pair of jogging shoes. His "liberating feeling" was seen inappropriate by several residents. I hope liberation was worth $95.
• Unfortunately, or fortunately from what everyone has been telling me, I missed the Grammy's last weekend. From all accounts, it was a lackluster awards ceremony. Here is a list of Grammy winners. Upon looking at the list, I was bothered a lot by several winners. How did the Dixie Chicks win album of the year over Justin Timberlake's Future Sex/Love Sounds or John Mayer's Continuum, both critically acclaimed albums that actually featured good music? How did James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful' lose out to the Dixie Chicks for record of the year? Other notes: My Humps won a Grammy...and i'm not sure how. How do neither Dierks Bentley's Every Mile A Memory nor Rascal Flatts What Hurts The Most win country song of the year? I love you Carrie Underwood, and hope that one day you'd marry me, but I can't get behind you winning over two of my favorite country acts. Now that I take a closer look, the Dixie Chicks won a lot of awards. I'm sure they whored themselves out to someone to win that many awards. On the brightside, my boy JT didn't leave empty handed. His track 'My Love' won an award and he got to go home with Scarlett Johansson. Sounds like a winner to me!

FRIDAY'S FIVE. My Grammy Winner Edition.

1. What Hurts The Most by Rascal Flatts (Best Country Performance by a group)
2. Don't Forget About Us by Mariah Carey (Best Female R&B Vocal Performance)
3. You're Beautiful by James Blunt (Song Of The Year)
4. Crazy by Gnarles Barkley (Record Of The Year)
5. The Saints Are Coming by U2 & Green Day (Best Rock Performance By Group Or Duo With Vocal)

FRIDAY'S FIVE. Old School Edition.

1. Let's Go Crazy by Prince
2. Bad by Michael Jackson
3. Jungle Love by Morris Day & The Time
4. Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang
5. Where Did Our Love Go by Diana Ross
   

Wednesday's Off-The-Wall Blog: It's Just Another (Valentine's) Day Edition

I tried getting the point across yesterday, but I guess my words were unheard...evidenced by two phone calls wishing me Happy Valentine's Day already. I guess it's not just another day after all. So now that I'm up and listening to the DreX morning show online, I figured why not do an Off-The-Wall-blog. I've gone back and forth on writing a V-Day OTW blog because of my pure dislike for this "holiday." And since I've found quality material to post on the blog, I figured "Why Not?" So here it is, Wednesday's OTW Blog: It's Just Another (Valentine's) Day Edition.

• Today just doesn't mark another Valentine's Day, if you read my Cubs blog, you know that today Cubs pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. As I've made it quite clear on this site and anywhere else I'm allowed to say my opinion that the Cubs just might be the one true love in my lifetime. That's kinda sad, come to think of it. Anyway, MLB.com has a nice article where players and fans are asked why they love baseball. Mr. Cub Ernie Banks makes an appearance in the piece. He's got quite a long quote but here's my favorite excerpt, "It creates a lot of joy for people and memories for people who follow it. It's a family. You like it because it's a family. You started with it and know all these people -- it's family, it's friends, it's fun, it's a beautiful game. "
• Here's something I didn't know, but as a college student probably should have known. This week is National Condom Week and today is National Condom Day. I'm not here to push an agenda or to throw my opinion in your face (not with this issue at least), I'm just here to let it be known that today is Nat'l Condom Day. I'm just going to recommend that if you celebrate today, celebrate responsibly by wearing a rubber. That's it, just a suggestion...take it or leave it.
• Today's Daily Egyptian, the newspaper here at SIU, has some pretty interesting articles on Valentine's Day. This article talks about people who are against the holiday and references what I would call a semi-Anti-Valentine's Day movement. This next article, is an opinion piece which I'll admit struck a chord with me. Yes, I understand that Valentine's Day is this day where you're supposed to show love to others. But let's scrap the idea of significant others and show affection to those in your life that make a positive impact. With that said, Happy Valentine's Day to my family and friends. My family, who go out of their way to make sure I get Fannie Mae chocolate so I don't spend today completely depressed. And to my friends, who understand my genuine hatred for this day and for the last few years have attempted to help me get through this day with little incident (though that has failed...whatever...good lookin' out folks!)
• Last year, MSN had a page giving you reasons to not like Valentine's Day. They hit it on the mark, of course....but do not limit yourself to reasons to not like this day. I, myself have several reasons I shun this holiday like a red-headed step child.
• And finally, when The History Channel isn't busy covering Hitler or World War II, they do good work outside of those two topics. Here's their page on the history of Valentine's Day. Generally, I like history and if you have time and love to read as much as I do, then read some of this stuff. Did you know according to one legend, St. Valentine (a priest at the time) sent the first "Valentine" himself while in jail when he fell in love with a young girl who was thought to be the jail-keeper's daughter. Everyone knows I'm a big fan of legends and tall tales.

It's not Friday, so I can't do a Friday Five. So instead, my version of the 10 Greatest Love Songs Of All-Time (in no particular order):

1. Every Time I Close My Eyes by Babyface
2. Anytime by Brian McKnight
3. At Last by Etta James
4. Your Body Is A Wonderland by John Mayer
5. All My Life by K-Ci & Jojo
6. One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
7. Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden
8. Practice What You Preach by Barry White
9. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
10. My Girl by The Temptations

It's so hard to limit a 200+ song playlist of great love songs on my I-Pod to My 10 Favorite. That's the best I could do folks.

Now, enjoy the rest of your Valentine's Day....bitches!

Friday's Off The Wall Blog: No "Special Edition" Edition

Unfortunately (from my point of view) the Bears lost to the Colts in Super Bowl XLI 29-17, putting an end to what could have been a third straight week of an "Off The Wall Blog: Special Edition." That would've been nice: Friday's Off The Wall Blog: Super Bowl Champion Edition. I guess it wasn't meant to be. So now it's back to the normal Friday fun with news stories and songs that I really like. It's been a pretty good news week, let's get crackin'!

• I'll lead off with a post-Super Bowl story. A Bears fan from Decatur, IL will now share a name with Colts QB and Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning after losing a bet in a bar when the Bears lost the Super Bowl. Scott Wiese, a 26-year old worker at Staples, said that he's not sure how long he'll be willing to keep the name...but since he is a man of his word, he will make every attempt to legally change his name to Peyton Manning. Stupid bet in my opinion. Sure it's easy to say that now after the Bears lost, but had they won what would have happened? Would Peyton Manning have to change his name to Scott Wiese? A word to the wise: he who gambles lives in shambles!
• Another popular story in the news this week involves an astronaut charged with attempting to murder her competition in a bizarre love triangle. Lisa Nowak, a married woman, was relieved of her NASA duties after being charged in Texas for trying to kidnap and attempted murder on a woman who shared the affections of a fellow astronaut. For the record, the dude that they were supposedly both going for is not the woman's husband. Talk about weird and bad. I'd love to provide a punchline for this story, but the sheer insanity of the story itself is punchline enough.
• This story is a month old, but I absolutely had to bring it to the forefront of the Off The Wall blog because it, in fact, is off the wall itself. In an attempt to rid itself of the distinction of being the US capital of HIV/AIDS, New York City is giving away free condoms that are color coded like their subway system. This news makes NYC the first known city to have it's own brand of condoms, that's something to be proud of....I think.
• And of course with Valentine's Day coming on Wednesday I had to throw in a story I read in the New York Times this week. The article has to do with how the color red is seen and what people think when they see the color red. You know around Valentine's Day everything is red or pink, mostly red. Red roses, cards with red envelopes....everything is flippin' red. It's got me seeing red. Actually, the article is a good read on how we interpret the color and is backed up with research done by Auburn University and the University of Texas at Austin. A must read if you're interested in how the mind works.

THE FRIDAY FIVE. Five songs in heavy rotation this week on my I-Pod.

1. Lost Without You by Robin Thicke
2. Throw Some D's (Official Remix) by Rich Boy featuring Andre 3000, Murphy Lee, Lil' Jon Jim Jones & The Game....among countless others that have done mixtape remixes (find Kanye West's freestyle over the beat!)
3. Give It To Me by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
4. She's Everything by Brad Paisley
5. Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye

THE FRIDAY FIVE. Classic "love song" edition....for those of you who decide to celebrate Valentine's Day, I thought I'd be nice and give you my five favorite love songs.

1. My Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
2. Because I Love You by Lenny Williams
3. Always and Forever by Luther Vandross
4. Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye
5. What A Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong

Now, I know what you're thinking. No Boyz II Men, Babyface, Barry White, Temptations, etc. Well, I've got a back up list for next week's Friday Five which will be a post-Valentine's Day blog in which I'll have more songs. Really, you don't know how hard it is to narrow down a list of 100 songs on my I-Pod that I call "Lu's Collection Of Awesome Love Songs." Hell if you have a suggestion on one I should get, leave it in a response! 'Til then, I hope everyone has a safe and productive weekend. Go Dawgs!

Friday's "Off-The Wall" Blog: NFC Champion Chicago Bears Edition!

First of all, Happy Friday! Now, to the blog. Call me a homer, call me what you'd like, but when your team wins their first championship in your life time when all of your other friends teams win championships then you can post a blog in dedication to your team. And yes, I'll stick with the whole "four topics" and of course the well-reviewed "Friday Five" songs will be there. Actually, since there's been so much newsworthy material this week, I'm tempted to do a part two on sometime next week with news not concerning the NFC Champs. But be warned, next Friday's OTW blog will be a Super Bowl XLI preview. So let's get to crackin', shall we?

• I'll start off with this story from ESPN and their "experts," all of whom chose the New Orleans Saints to beat the Bears. All of them, each and every "expert" analyst chose against the team with the best record in the NFC, home field advantage, the advantage of playing a domed team outdoors in poor weather conditions. Shame on all of them. Specifically, Sean Salisbury who does a radio show on ESPN-1000 in Chicago who has no basis to stand on to be an expert at anything. Salisbury makes John Kerry look like he never flip flopped. Salisbury's "teams to beat in the NFC" included (but weren't limited to) Carolina, Seattle, the New York Giants, Dallas, New Orleans and Philadelphia. Never the Bears, despite the fact that they beat Seattle and New York. The Bears have played the underdog card very well, hope they play it to a Super Bowl win against the Colts who are an early 7 point favorite in Las Vegas.
• Of all of the "experts" only Gene W. (I don't feel like spelling his last name) who came out with his own "mea culpa" admitting he was wrong and on top of that he was called out by Lovie Smith at the post game press conference who knew that Gene W. was one of the many who picked against his Bears. The article's pretty well written, a must read for Bears fans.
• Even though "America's Team II," the New Orleans Saints are out of the picture, CBS still has several really good story lines for the Super Bowl. I'm sure they wanted a Colts-Saints match up pitting Manning versus Daddy's Team. But it's not like the Bears didn't have any available story lines. A Bears-Patriots game would've given a rematch of this years thriller in Foxboro and a rematch of Super Bowl XX. A Saints-Pats game would've given a whole "American Pride" storyline out there with America's Team II against the team America rallied around after 9/11.
• When playing a game of Madden earlier this semester, my rooommate noticed that I (playing as the Bears) had put up 100 points against the Packers and asked why I was punishing the Pack like that? Well, besides me taking out my frustrations on Brett Favre (and eventually Aaron Rodgers) I have my own video game theory. Somewhere out there is a fan of another team pounding the crap out of the Bears in Madden. Might as well have my own payback and even the score, right? Well folks, Super Bowl XLI has already been played, check out this article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

THE FRIDAY FIVE. Five songs in heavy rotation in my I-Pod this week.

1. You (Remix)** by Lloyd featuring Andre 3000 (of Outkast) and Nas
2. Promise by Ciara
3. Love and Memories by O.A.R.
4. Heaven (Remix) by John Legend featuring Pusha T (of Clipse)
5. Diamonds In My Damn Chain by Fabolous featuring Lil' Wayne
6. Super Bowl Shuffle*
7. Bear Down Chicago Bears*

THE FRIDAY FIVE. Old School Edition.

1. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss** by PM Dawn
2. Party All The Time by Eddie Murphy
3. Lovefool by The Cardigans
4. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
5. Children's Story by Slick Rick

*Denotes bonus tracks. GO BEARS!
**Denotes a sample. Last week, I mentioned that Jibbs and Melody Thornton (of PCD) sampled Janet Jackson's 80s abstinence theme Let's Wait Awhile in Jibbs' track Go To Far. This week, the remix of Lloyd's You featuring hot verses from Nas and a resurgent Andre 3000 of Outkast samples the early '90s hit Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn, who sampled Spandau Ballet's True which is a song you hear in every 80s teen movie! Just thought I'd drop a bit of musical insight!

Have a Happy Friday everyone!

The Friday Off-The Wall Blog

Oh, so this is what it's like to be in a good mood on a Friday. Cool, I like it. A good week of class, personally I'm revitalized mentally; and now it's time to go drinkin' this weekend and complete a positive seven day period! So why keep waiting. The Happy Friday Topics:

• Good story to start the week when Illinois Senator Barack Obama began preliminary paper work in his quest for Presidency in 2008. This country is in need of change and Barack is the type of politician that rekindles my interest and faith in the political system. I for one, will vote for him. The question lies within others. Can the simple minded look past the color of his skin? Can his perceived lack of experience cost him in the eyes of voters? Only time will tell.
• As an avid Facebook person, I found (and joined an interesting group.) As a Bears fan, I've been told by media giants that I'm un-American for not cheering for the Saints this weekend and that not cheering for Drew Brees and Co. is unethical. I understand that Katrina did horrible things to New Orleans that I wouldn't wish on my own most personal enemy but it's a football game. I think if the people down there (and I'm talking from the big wigs down south, to the big wigs in D.C.) helped the rest of the Louisiana area as much as they've helped the football team and the stadium and downtown....the NOLA would be in a lot better shape! And we know the NFL doesn't want to be named in the same sentence as the word rigged, but if the Saints do win, all bets are off. With all that said, Go Bears!
• From Vallejo, CA. A cell phone apparently ignited in a man's pocket and started a fire that burned his hotel room and caused severe burns over half his body, fire department officials said. Damn people and their hi-tech, new fangled cell phones. Later, investigators have thrown out that theory, attributing the fire to a flame not being put out properly. Damn phones get hot, what are ya gonna do?
  
• From the department of "here comes the apocolypse" comes this story about resident whore Paris Hilton. Paris is supposedly trying to get serious about her acting career. *Let me stop right here and say that Paris' best acting is done on her back.* Back to the story, she's going to be starring in a movie called "The Hottie and The Nottie," a story in which Hilton's character claims she won't get married until her not-so-hot friend gets married. Wow, Hollywood is desperate for new and original scripts. If you think that's bizarre, check out the story here where Paris declares sex as sacred. And by 'scared' she means only to be performed for money on camera. Or the story about her wanting kids after hanging out with new gal pal Britney Spears (who reportedly might be pregnant again...my guess this time is that the baby's daddy is resident assclown Brandon Davis.) Oh gosh, that's just scary!

THE FRIDAY FIVE. Five songs in heavy rotation in my I-Pod this week.

1. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arm Race by Fall Out Boy
2. Through The Glass by Stoned Sour
3. Ridin' Overseas by Chamillionaire featuring Akon (yet another Ridin' Dirty Remix)
4. Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood (also known as a potential future wife)
5. *Go Too Far* by Jibbs featuring Melody Thornton of The Pussy Cat Dolls

THE FRIDAY FIVE PT. 2 (Old School Edition)

1. Parents Just Don't Understand by Will Smith (when he was known as The Fresh Prince)
2. Wanna Be Starting Something by Michael Jackson
3. *Let's Wait A While* by Janet Jackson
4. OPP by Naughty By Nature
5. Shoop by Salt-n-Pepa

*Denotes Lu's Extra Point: On Jibbs (of Does Your Chain Hang Low? fame) album, there's a song, Go Too Far, which features Melody Thornton of the Pussy Cat Dolls. The thing about the song is this. It's basically a song promoting abstinence (which I have no problem with) and on top of that it samples Janet Jackson's (I know, hold your laughter) abstinence theme Let's Wait Awhile. I just see something wrong with a member of the Pussy Cat Dolls who did songs like Don't Cha, Pushin' On My Buttons, etc. singing a song...let alone singing the sampled hook...that promotes abstinence. Maybe it's just me. Enjoy peeps!

And For My 300th Post

I'd like to try something new. It's a bit of an adaptation from blogs that I read that I thought I'd like to try myself. See, the way I see it, I don't have enough fun with the blog and I'm not happy enough. So this is the new deal. Friday's a free blog. I'll call it "Lu's Friday Off The Wall Blog." In the Off The Wall Blog (OTW from now on) I'll cover 4 things whether they're news stories, rumors, opinions....whatever is hot and in my mind. In addition to that I'll have my Friday Fave Five which will be 5 songs (5 new school, 5 old school) that I'm really into. So here goes nothing.

THE FRIDAY FOUR: TOPICS

• UNC IS #1. That's not breaking news to anyone, they are the number one team in men's college basketball. However what does count as breaking news is from Kiplinger.com's Top 100 Public Universities where the University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill ranks number one in the entire nation! Ahh, what could've been. I could've gone to UNC where they did win a National Championship my freshman year, and wouldn't that have been something? Affordable (only $20,000 a year after Financial Aid) I wonder why I didn't go there in the first place. Do offense to SIU, I love you dearly, but you're talking about one of the most prestigious public universities in the country. Imagine the stuff I could've avoided by going to UNC. I can't help but think what could've been. Sighs, oh well....who says I can't transfer?

• Interesting news from overseas. China will have 30 million more men of marriageable age than women in less than 15 years as a gender imbalance resulting from the country's tough one-child policy becomes more pronounced, state media reported Friday....The tens of millions of men who will not be able to find a wife could also lead to social instability problems, the China Daily said in a front-page report.....China imposed strict population controls in the 1970s to limit growth of its huge population, but one side effect has been a jump in gender selection of babies. Traditional preferences for a son mean some women abort their baby if an early term sonogram shows it is a girl. Look, I have enough working against me in this country. All I need is competition from overseas from guys who are obviously desperate for women; and they're geniuses to boot! But hey, I thought I had it bad. Looks like I gotta refine my game.

• According to ESPN.com, Dodger stadium is ousting their $10 seats in the right field corner to put an all you can eat section. Sounds interesting, I'd be willing to pay $40 a seat for all you can eat Dodger Dogs. I'd be willing to do so. What inspired this you ask. The success it's become in St. Louis' Busch Stadium. All you can eat at Busch...that explains a lot to me about Creepy Cardinal Nation. (Okay, that was my jab at the Cards tonight....don't kill me!)

• Barry Bonds tests positive for amphetamines according to reports. I'm not surprised. What else doesn't surprise me, he snitched on his teammate Mark Sweeney who Bonds said gave him some type of supplement and that's what he tested positive for. Not only is he a liar, not only is he a cheater, but he's a snitch too. There's your Greatest Player Of This Generation argument right out the window!

THE FRIDAY FIVE MIX (NEW SCHOOL)

1. Black Republican by Nas (featuring Jay-Z)
2. Cupid's Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes
3. Gallery by Mario Vazquez
4. Irreplaceable by Beyonce
5. Hate (I Really Don't Like You) by Plain White T's

THE FRIDAY FIVE MIX (OLD SCHOOL)

1. Ain't That A Kick In The Head by Dean Martin
2. Friday, I'm In Love by The Cure
3. Now That We Found Love by Heavy D & The Boyz
4. Bust A Move by Young MC
   
5. Regulators by Warren G