The Trials and Tribulations of Traveling

My buddy Josh has to travel for work every week, and I just don’t know how he does it. I used to love to travel, but now it is such a pain in the arse. If you read my previous post, I just got back from a trip to Salt Lake and Portland to catch U2. Everything was pretty smooth between Denver and Salt Lake. Flight was smooth and on time. We stayed at a convenient hotel near the venue, and no one tried to convert us to the Mormon religion. SLC is a clean, friendly city that is going through much of the commercial boom that Denver is also going through. BTW, if you are ever in SLC, go to Squatters. It is a brew pub in the downtown area with some great beer and food.

The traveling went south (not literally) for our leg from SLC to Portland. A nasty storm moved in to Northern California and Oregon, and we had a connection in San Francisco. Our flight was delayed three hours, but fortunately, the Colts-Chargers game was on TV in the airport. When we got off the plane in SF, we found out our flight to Portland was cancelled. We were placed on the stand by list and hoped to catch one of the next three flights for Portland. We didn’t get on the next one to leave, and then the other two were cancelled. So we stayed at a ghetto Travel Lodge and hopped on a 6 am flight to Portland the next day. The storm had hit Portland with wind, rain, snow, and freezing rain. Our hotel was right across from a light rail station, so we hopped on the train and headed into downtown. Our train stopped at the third stop, and we sat, and sat, and sat. Turns out another train was stuck at the previous stop. So we got off the train in the freezing cold wind and rain and tried to figure out where the heck we were and how to get to the hotel. We jumped on a bus that was heading into the city, and the personality challenged bus driver told us when to get off. We were supposed to wait for another bus, but we saw the hotel was only a few blocks away, and decided it would be quicker to walk in the rain than wait for another bus.

We didn’t get to see much of Portland, as we were beat from the traveling, and wanted to rest up before the concert. Our flight out the next day also left at 6 am and had a connection through LA, which was rather frustrating, as a direct flight to Denver was leaving at the gate next to ours. However, in LAX, I saw this girl who looked really familiar rushing down the concourse. Then I saw her blonde, bony, big sunglasses sister, and immediately knew who it was. It was Nicky and Paris “that’s so hot” Hilton. Too funny.

We made it to all the shows and arrived home safely, and I only had one leg with an obnoxious kid or screaming baby in front of or behind me. I am not in the mood for anymore traveling for quite awhile. It sucks that the actual act of traveling can make you not want to go somewhere.

Merry Christmas!

Fanatacism

I just returned from Salt Lake City and Portland, where I caught my last two U2 shows. Typically, U2’s songs get better when the tour and play them night after night. The songs can develop and become stronger than they were on the album. This was the case again for the Vertigo tour. City of Blinding Lights, Love and Peace, and Yahweh all became personal favorites.

Here is a small synopsis of the shows for those of you who might be interested. For the penultimate show at the Delta Center in Salt Lake, I had actual seats for the first time. The arena had the smallest floor of any of the shows that I have seen, and was very loud, due to its small, tight configuration. It was cool to see the lights on the stage and get a different perspective of the show. The setlist wasn’t very different from the other shows that I went to on this tour, however, I did get to hear Miss Sarajevo for the first time. For those of you who know the song, Luciano Pavarotti sang the middle of the song on the Passengers’ album Original Soundtracks. Bono did an amazing job singing the part (in Italian) and truly showed the power of his voice. It was unbelievable. They also played Until the End of the World (still amazing live) and I Will Follow, both of which I had yet to hear on this tour. Kanye West opened for both shows, and in SLC, some little neocon held up a protest sign that said, “Kanye West doesn’t care about white people. Go Bush.” Kanye danced a little longer in front of this person.

Portland was the tour finale for the US (unless they play Hawaii in the Spring), and there were loads of diehard U2 fans there. The opening and closing shows always draw out the fanatics, myself included. We were on the floor for this show and ended up about 7 feet off the catwalk on The Edge’s side of the stage. The setlist was fairly similar to SLC, with the exception of a cover of John Lennon’s Instant Karma. The crew for the band also came out on stage during the second encore, each wearing a shirt with a letter to spell out, “THE U2 CREW WOULD LIKE TO THANK EDGE BONO LARRY AND ADAM FOR A GREAT 2005.” It was a nice touch, and the band really appreciated it and all of the “Thank You” signs held up in the crowd. Although the show was great, it was a bittersweet end, as I don’t know when I will get to see them again. Still, it was an excellent tour that almost reached the heights of the Elevation and Zoo TV tours. I am grateful for the experience.

Poll Results

Are the Colts going to go 19-0?

Yes 30% (3)
Will lose in Super Bowl 0% (0)
Will lose in playoffs 30% (3)
Will lose in regular season 40% (4)

10 votes total

Say what?

"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so." - George Bush, April 20, 2004

"To save American lives, we must be able to act fast and to detect these (terrorist) conversations so we can prevent new attacks. So, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, I authorize the interception of international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations." - George Bush, December 19, 2005.

So what is it? Do you need a court order or not? And just where in the Constitution or US law does it say that you can get a wiretap of Americans without a court order? The founders of this country set up our government with a system of checks and balances. Hence the three branches of the Federal government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) were designed to provide a separation of powers. It was designed to prevent an individual from gaining too much control. I understand that we need to intercept the communications of terrorists, but there needs to be oversight and protection to insure that our rights and civil liberties are not being infringed.

New CU Coach?

The University of Colorado Board of Regents is going to hold a meeting to discuss the hiring of Boise State coach Dan Hawkins to replace Gary Barnett. There has been a lot of discussion on the sports talk shows around Denver regarding the replacement of Gary Barnett. CU is going through a transitional period as it attempts to move past the rape and recruiting scandal that arose around 2001. Barnett rode out the scandal and amazingly held onto his job until CU lost their past three games. I guess Barnett was not held accountable for the institutional issues, but rather for winning or losing. I think that Hawkins is a good hire. Right after Barnett was let go (with a $3 million buyout), people were throwing out names like Steve Mariucci, Butch Davis, and Dave Logan as replacements. I don't think the Mooch or Davis would have been good fits, as CU's main concern is assembling credibility to its football program without scandal. They are looking for someone with a clean track record. Dave Logan would have been great, however, his experience has been as a Bronco, Bronco's announcer, and head coach of Mullen High School. If he had some college experience, he would have received the job. I think Hawkins is a good hire. How many of you had heard anything about Boise State prior to 2000? Hawkins is 53-9 in five seasons at Boise State, which competes in the WAC. I have also heard that Hawkins has been successful recruiting in California, which is huge. If he can bring the success from a small program in Idaho to Colorado, he will be a great hire.

Life in a Bubble

According to the following article, President Bush does not in fact live in a bubble. He lives in the White House, silly.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
President George W. Bush said on Monday that he does not live "in a bubble" and that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House, rejecting critics' claims that he is out of touch with public opinion.

"I don't feel in a bubble," Bush said in an interview on "NBC Nightly News."

"I feel like I'm getting really good advice from very capable people, and that people from all walks of life ("Cheney, Rummy, and Condi are completely different people") have informed me and informed those who advise me. And I feel very comfortable that I'm very aware of what's going on," Bush said.

But Bush did acknowledge the bubble of security that prevents him from enjoying ordinary experiences.

"I mean you feel in a bubble in the sense that I can't go walking out the front gate and you know, go shopping, like I'd love to do for my wife," he said.

Asked how much television news and newspapers he regularly consumes, Bush moved to dispel a myth that grew a few years ago after he told an interviewer that he does not read newspapers ("I said it, I just didn't mean it. No, that is not a flip flop").

"Every morning I look at the newspaper ("Laura leaves a copy next to the can")," Bush told NBC. "I can't say I've read every single article in the newspaper ("That Beetle Bailey sure does crack me up"). But, I definitely know what's in the news."

"Occasionally, I watch television ("I love it when Chris Berman says, 'He...could...go...all...the...way!'"). I don't want to hurt your feelings. But it's occasionally (Laura limits my telly time)," Bush said jokingly.

"But I'm very aware of what's in the news ("I watch SNL. Boy, I sure am glad that Ferrell guy isn't on anymore"). I'm aware because I see clips. I see summaries," he said. Bush added that staffers also brief him daily on what's brewing on domestic and international issues.

"Frankly, it is probably part of my own fault for needling people ("Uhhh, I wasn't refering to torture there. Torture's bad.") but it's a myth to think I don't know what's going on," Bush said. "And it's a myth to think that I'm not aware that there (are) opinions that don't agree with mine. Because I'm fully aware of that ("Well, yeah. It took five years, but I figured it out")."

Should the Colts Go For It?

The Colts locked up homefield advantage in the playoffs by defeating the Jaguars today. Now football fans are all talking about whether the Indianapolis Colts should go for the undefeated regular season or rest their stars for the playoffs. I think that they should keep playing to win. I am personally getting sick and tired of the '72 Dolphins and their champagne bottles. Yes, you guys went undefeated (see Clavin's Corner). It is a great accomplishment, but things have changed in the NFL. The season is longer. There is now free agency. Players are stronger and faster, and thus injuries are more common. It is much more difficult to go undefeated in today's NFL. If I were Tony Dungee, coach of the Colts, I would play smart football for the remaining games. Specifically, I would limit the carries of Edgerrin James. James carried the ball for thirty times against the Jags. He should not be required to handle that load for the remaining games, as it is not worth wearing him out or injuring him before the playoofs. Peyton Manning is rarely sacked, and thus is not a huge risk for an injury, and they are loaded at wide receiver. I would pull important starters from the game, as soon as it looked like the game was in the bag. I say go for it - there many Super Bowl champs, but only one team that has gone undefeated for the regular season.

Shaq Hit On My Wife!

My wife is working at the Westin Hotel downtown while going to school. The Miami Heat were in town to lose to the Denver Nuggets, and they were staying at the Westin. Shaq came down to the front desk and asked a question to her co-worker. Shaq then saw my wife and said, "Forget you, I am going to talk to the pretty lady over here." She said that he was very nice and a pretty funny guy. Needless to say, since this happened, several of us have warned her to watch out for Kobe when the Lakers come to town.

The Sports Guy

ESPN.com's Bill Simmons (The Sports Guy) answered mail in this week's column. If you have ever suffered through ESPN's "Sunday Night Football", you will understand why I have included this.

Q: Wouldn't it be pretty funny to hear ESPN's "Sunday Night Football" crew give a eulogy?
-- Alex, Syosset, NY

SG: Actually, I was hoping for a Pat Morita tribute during the Saints-Jets game...

Patrick: Guys, we'd be remiss if we didn't say good-bye to one of the great, great actors of our generation, Pat Morita -- what an actor this guy was! Just a great, great, great actor.

Theismann: Mike, when we talked to John Avildsen, the director of "The Karate Kid," he told us that Pat Morita was one of the greatest actors he ever worked with. I mean, here's a guy who was simply robbed for the 1984 Best Supporting Actor by Dr. Haing S. Ngor.

Maguire: I'm gonna tell you what a great actor this guy was. Watch this clip from the first "Karate Kid" when he saves Daniel-San on Halloween ... watch him jump this fence and take out the Cobra Kai -- here it comes, here it comes, WHAM! BAM! Right there! And look at his feet! See his feet moving! Is this guy something? You think this guy doesn't know karate?

Patrick: What a scene for Pat Morita! HOLY COW!

Theismann: And guys, when we talked to Jimmy Franklin, the head writer for "Happy Days" back in 1977, he told us that Pat Morita was the easiest guy he has ever written for -- and this is a guy who wrote for Pat Schneider, Vic Tayback, Conrad Bain and pretty much every great sitcom actor from that decade.

Maguire: And Joe, you want to talk about a guy who could steal a scene? This guy could steal scenes. He'd steal 'em right out of thin air! And you know the thing about Pat Morita -- when he belted out a line like "wax on, wax off," I'm gonna tell you somethin' right now: You believed him. You waxed on, and you waxed off.


Theismann: I'm not so sure he wasn't the greatest character actor of all-time.

Patrick: What a great, great actor and what a huge, huge loss -- you cannot say enough about it. So long, Pat Morita.

Watch Your Nuts

Bird flu, terrorism, Kevin Federline, hurricanes, and now attack squirrels.