Daniel Radcliffe (aka, Harry Potter) is one of those actors that is trying to break out of being typecast into roles. Obviously, by playing Harry Potter, he’s already stuck himself as being a “children’s character.” Jim Carrey did alright moving over into a “serious” role after being in numerous funny movies, but someone like Adam Sandler or Will Farrell… I just can’t see them in a serious role. They’re typecast for life. Look at Kumar—he’s a terrorist on this year’s 24, but I can’t think of him as anything but Kumar. What’s his real name anyway?

Anyway, back to Harry Potter. Did you see the publicity pictures that he put out for his new play he’s in? Our friend, Harry, is using his ‘magic wand’ in a sex scene on stage and people are freaking out about it and these pictures. Obviously, he’s a role model for young kids who read the Harry Potter books. I don’t think it’s a huge deal because I’m guessing the same demographic that is going to watch this stage show are not the same demographic that would take offense to his new sex image.

A funny quote was that one parent wondered by Radcliffe’s parents allowed him to do this. The guy is going to turn 18 this summer… don’t you think he’s old enough to make this decision on his own?

Does anyone care about this? Does anyone read my blog?

Ok, I admit to definitely not knowing the extent of the Cuban/United States relationship or what an ahole Fidel Castro probably is. But I read this article today and found it kind of disturbing.

Miami plans big party when Castro dies

MIAMI (AP) — The city of Miami is planning an official celebration at the Orange Bowl whenever Cuban president Fidel Castro dies.

Discussions by a committee appointed earlier this month by the city commission to plan the event have even covered issues such as a theme to be printed on T-shirts, what musicians would perform, the cost and how long the celebration would last.

Such a gathering has long been part of the city’s plan for Castro’s death, but firming up the specifics has been more urgent since Castro became ill last summer and turned over power to his brother, Raul.

City Commissioner Tomas Regalado, a Cuban American, came up with the idea of using the Orange Bowl, noting that the stadium was the site of a speech by President Kennedy in 1961 promising a free Cuba, and that in the 1980s it served as a camp for refugees from the Mariel boatlift from Cuba.

“(Castro) represents everything bad that has happened to the people of Cuba for 48 years,” Regalado told The Miami Herald for a story in Monday editions. “There is something to celebrate, regardless of what happens next.”

Former state Rep. Luis Morse stressed the need for an uplifting theme for the party - one not preoccupied with a human being’s passing.

Ramon Saul Sanchez, leader of the Miami-based Democracy Movement organization, worries about how a party to celebrate a man’s death would be perceived by people outside the Cuban exile community.

Sanchez also pointed out that, even after Castro dies, his communist government still will be in place.

“The notion of a big party, I think, should be removed from all this,” Sanchez said. “Although everybody will be very happy that the dictator cannot continue to oppress us himself, I think everybody is still very sad because there are still prisons full of prisoners, many people executed, and families divided.”

Isn’t it a little weird to be throwing a party because someone died, regardless of who it is? The only thing I can think of is that Miami knows that people are going to celebrate, so this is a way to “control” the celebrating so there aren’t the usual riots and shooting my pistol in the air to show my pleasure.

It’s just odd to me…

A few weeks ago, a former coach and current friend (and oddly enough quasi-collegue of mine), Todd Hardy, filled me in on an initiative going on in Kenosha. Considering “The Recovery Project” features so many passions of mine (my alma mater-Tremper HS, music, New Orleans), I feel inclined to let you all know of their work and what you can do to help.

The Recovery Project is a partnership between school staff and students in Wisconsin and New Orleans, Louisiana. It began in October of 2006 between Tremper High School in Kenosha, WI and John McDonogh High School in New Orleans LA, and is growing as more schools in both areas join in!

The idea of the partnership is to share academic and life lessons with staff and students from different regions of the United States, as well as, creating, unique ideas and ventures to help the New Orleans Schools move forward after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

It’s hard to not feel an emotional attachment to this initiative. Everyone knows the devestation that Katrina brought to New Orleans (sidenote: Beat the Bears this weekend, New Orleans!!) and all of their recovery efforts on a broad-scale, but it’s always interesting to see exactly what “recovery” means.

John McDonough HS was still missing a lot of things in October of 2006, nearly a year after Katrina hit. For example:

Tremper has taken JMHS’s plight into their own hands. They’ve gotten teachers to donate “teaching books” to help JMHS’s teachers to improve their professional skills; they’ve held a “school supply” drive to help get JMHS materials they need; they’ve held a book drive to help replenish their library. And they now are hosting a music instrument drive to help JMHS’s band replenish their stock. With Mardi Gras coming up, they have been invited to march in numerous parades, but they only have 30 instruments for 80 people in the band.

So, if you need a local connection to New Orleans and the post-Katrina efforts, here’s one for you. If you want to help, let me know–I can get you in touch with the right people.

At bare minimum, just keep your eye on their website, http://www.trempergirlssoccer.com/recoverypremise.html. It’s nice to see some good going on in the world.

I came across this site today which lists a bunch of funny team names (including links to their respective sites). I’m listing the names below, but if you want the links, go to his site. The guy must be from Wisconsin or just obsessed with Wisconsin, because I see a lot of references to our state on here.

What’s your favorite?

From our friend, Heraldblog…

‘Virgin Mary’ Seen In Texas Grocery Store Freezer
(CBS) MORTON, Texas We’ve seen the image of “Jesus” on toast. Even the “Virgin Mary” on a tree.

But folks in the small West Texas town of Morton say they’ve seen the “Holy Mother” made of ice inside a freezer at the local grocery store.

It started as one drip from the ceiling of a freezer at Morton Thrifty Foods grocery store. Now it has become quite the sanctuary for a lot of Catholic believers.

“I wanted to cry when I saw it,” said Stephan Santos, who was visiting the ice formation. “My mom has all saints in her house. But this one just got to me.”

Store employee Alma Avalos first spotted the formation in the back freezer of her store, noticing what had been a few drops of water from the ceiling that had frozen.

“I went in there, and it started forming like some kind of ice, and then Friday I went in there, and it was shaped like that,” Avalos said.

As more and more people heard about the “Virgin Mary,” they started coming in droves to see her, and the grocery store moved her into a freezer in the frozen foods section.

Some have had their prayers answered after visiting the ice statue.

“I had a lump in my breast, and yesterday, when I went home, it disappeared. I don’t have it no more,” said one woman.

“I don’t have it no more.”

Yikes.

When do you think this will show up on ebay?

Continuing on with my rant against stupid athletes this week, I gotta mention Michelle Wie. It’s a simple rant:

QUIT EMBARASSING YOURSELF.

First of all, I never understood why she keeps entering men’s tournaments. I get the premise. Womens’ sports have never been at as high of a competition level as the men. It’s just the way things are. When you think of professional sports, you think of the NFL or the NBA or MLB. You don’t think of the WNBA, or the professional women’s football league in your hometown, or women golfers. Men rule sports in society.

So, I understand why a woman would want to enter a mens’ tournament… IF she is at the top of her game. That’s where the competition is and that’s where the best athletes in the sport are.

But Michelle Wie isn’t at the top of her game. She hasn’t even won a tournament in the LPGA. In fact, let’s take a look at her last 5 tournaments in both the LPGA and the PGA.

PGA
1/16/05—Sony Open in Hawaii—MISSED CUT (+9)
7/10/05—John Deere Classic— MISSED CUT (-1)
1/15/06—Sony Open in Hawaii— MISSED CUT (+7)
7/16/06—John Deer Classic—WITHDREW (+6)
9/17/06—84 LUMBER Classic— MISSED CUT (+14)
1/12/07—Sony Open in Hawaii—going to MISS CUT (+8)

LPGA
Samsung World Championship—17th (+5)
Omega European Masters—MISSED CUT (+15)
Wettabix Women’s British Open—T26th (+6)
Evian Ladies Masters—T2nd (-15)
US Women’s Open—T3rd (+2)

Ok, so maybe she’s not as bad as I thought in the LPGA, but in comparison, someone like Lorena Ochoa has kicked ass in her last 5 tournaments on the LPGA, finishing 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st and 4th. Someone like her, I could maybe see trying out the PGA. But to me, it looks like Michelle Wie should maybe try beating the girls before she hits up the guys.

That way, she can stop embarrassing herself by saying things like:

“If I just get everything right, get the ball in the fairway — get the ball anywhere in play, actually — I think I can definitely tear this golf course up.”

You dolt. That’s what the rest of us amateur golf players say. You’re a professional. Stop embarrassing yourself and get your butt back on the LPGA tour.

Come on, Barry–who are you kidding anymore?

I’m sure most of you have heard the latest on everyone’s favorite Giant, Barry Bonds. If not, basically, he tested positive for amphetamines last season. Not a big shocker. The part that made me laugh though, is that he said he took it from the locker of his teammate, Mark Sweeney.

What?

What kind of excuse is that? It’s one thing if he went up to Sweeney and asked him for a couple of tylenol. But one, he didn’t even ask Sweeney, and two, it seems he’s claiming he didn’t know what they were. Yeah. Because that happens all the time. I often sneak into my coworkers desk drawers, find some pills, and just take them. So what if I don’t know what the pills are.

What an idiot. Come up with a better excuse than that.

Along the same lines, what happens this year when Bonds breaks the homerun record. Does MLB celebrate it?

Real simple rant today. Does anyone else see something wrong with this?

3329 N Main Street, #A

#A? What moron decided to name apartments #A? Doesn’t a number usually follow the # sign?