Anybody Ready For Some Football? (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Be Wrong)

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: The awesome soundtrack to "Requiem for a Dream". Me love me some Kronos Quartet.

WHAT I'M READING: The Agenda by Bob Woodward, on the first year of Clinton in office.

WHAT I'M WATCHING: Last night it was "The Queen". Pretty darn good stuff. Mirren deserved that Oscar, though I cannot say the same for Forest Whitaker. Also, if it's the weekend, it must be MLS time, baby! Also saw the fifth Harry Potter film today.

A FEW RANDOM thoughts before I display my ineptitude.

1. This makes me curious. Why do supermarkets have those signs on the cart corrals? You know, it says "Please Help Us Keep Our Prices Down By Returning The Cart Here". It makes no sense, because right under it the store puts the information that they cannot be held responsible for damage caused by carts. So, if they are not responsible for the damage, why would our prices have to go up if damage is done? We should be able to leave our empty cart anywhere in the lot, and it doesn't matter, because they are not responsible. The sign makes no sense.

2. Despite what he says, I think when historians look back on Dubya's time in office it won't be pretty. Outside of the Iraq fiasco, he's done a lot of other things wrong. Too much to get into today. One day, I predict Bush will make us look back fondly on Nixon's controversies.

3. Funny interaction heard today betwixt the lovely wife and Number One Son.
THE LOVELY WIFE-"Bob the Builder is a great guy, but don't be fooled. He charges a ton of money for his work."
NUMBER ONE SON-"Don't tell me that."
Made me laugh.

4. This will make you laugh, because you don't live here to understand just how sad it really is.
Near our lovely town is a small village known as Roseland. For years, Roseland's three person council was dominated by a husband and wife team that lived for publicity, no matter how bad. They were known for tossing Roseland citizens out of meetings for making noise, any noise.

Turns out the husband of the disgraceful team has two kids living in Texas with his ex-wife. Turns out the husband also never pays his child support. He owes over $100,000 and never pays, despite being a real estate agent.

Recently, he got tossed in the slammer until he paid $10,400 in child support. He found the money. Shocking, when you consider he had his real estate license revoked last year. Even more shocking when you know that his wife recently purchased a house AND a new car (remember-he doesn't have money to pay child support).

Now comes the funny part. The husband was quoted in the local newspaper after getting out of jail saying this gem that is destined to be inducted into the Stupidity Hall of Fame.
"They're stealing from the children by making me waste my money on attorneys to go to court all the time."

That's right. The guy who has to go to court for refusing to pay his child support is apparently offended that the court system is stealing money from his children by making him go to court to get the child support money.

Now that's a whole new breed of idiot right there.

AND SPEAKING OF IDIOTS:
Now it's time to make my annual English Premier League Predictions for the 2007/2008 season. Those who pay attention know that I'll be wrong. But I gots to do it anyway! Here's how I see the table finishing up come next May.

1. Manchester United (my club has added serious talent to a championship side, and trophy number ten in sixteen years is coming home!)
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Newcastle United (Big Sam is the right man for the job, and the club has a lot of talent that has underperformed; I expect a big turnaround for this club with Allardyce in charge)
6. Blackburn Rovers
7. Tottenham
8. Everton
9. Manchester City (Sven is here, and spending money, but I don't see a huge change from a yo-yo club)
10. Aston Villa
11. Middlesbrough
12. Reading (a very good first year in the EPL, but I think they'll struggle this term)
13. Portsmouth
14. West Ham United
15. Bolton
16. Fulham
17. Birmingham City (I think they will survive, but just barely; last day of the season type deal)
THE RELEGATION ZONE
18. Wigan Athletic (barely stayed up last season, and I think they'll barely go down next May)
19. Sunderland (I'd love to see Roy Keane keep them up, but I can't; this yo-yo club is heading down, probably by mid-April)
20. Derby County (I'd be surprised if they do better than Watford did this year; down by late March essentially)

I see Liverpool winning the FA Cup, and Arsenal taking home the Carling Cup. As for the Charity Shield (to be played tomorrow!), I see Chelsea beating Man United.

The Direct Kick challenge will return next week, seeing as how for the first time in decades I've actually posted two blogs in under a week.

Be Seeing You.