You have GOT to be kidding me...

And the news story that will make you most sick today is...

I swear, if this was April, I'd think this was a prank. But it's December, and the source is ABC News, so my guess is it's true.

Free speech means free speech, no matter what the speech in question is. No doubt, that's what truly makes America the great country it is. So that means that they certainly have the right to say what they say. But that ALSO means that, in return, I can point out how vile and racist their speech is. Not to mention disgusting and manipulative of a couple of 13-year-old girls who probably can't even understand how despicable what they're saying is. Their parents should be ashamed of themselves, but they're not, which is of course the real problem here.

"A man of peace who wouldn't give up" my ASS.

Wonder if, when these kids grow up and grow brains of their own, they'll look back on this time of their life and feel the same level of disgust I'm feeling after just having read the story.

E-Mail Time Capsule?

http://forbes.codefix.net/capsule/

Nifty idea, though how the heck they'll find you in 20 years to ship you your message is anybody's guess. Not that I'm not sure what I'd write myself in an e-mail that will, hypothetically, reach me in anywhere from a year to two decades, anyway. "Jeff, make sure you pay the phone bill for 2006. Love, Jeff."

And let's take this a step further and presume that the next 20 years will see the same level of technological advancements as the preceeding 20 years has...by then, we may all be communicating instantaniously via microchip implants directly into our cerebral cortex, bringing the human race together in a way never before seen. Imagine the humiliation when some middle-aged professional, on the fast track to success and on his way up in the world, suddenly recieves a brain transfer of an e-mail he sent to himself way back in 2005, when he was but a teenager with no life and a computer, which simply reads, "AMERICAN IDOL RULZ FOREVER!!!!" If that one gets out over the brain-wave variation of the Information Superhighway, that poor schmo's life would go down the tubes faster than the hydrolic in "The Polar Express."

I just thought WAY too much about this subject. Think I need to go lie down.

Turkey Update

At the McGinnis Household, I've come to think of the Thanksgiving turkey in the same way that others may view, say, Groundhog Day. (Not the movie, mind you, but the actual event.)

You see, whereas other families have turkey cooks who lovingly supervise every moment of the holy bird's ascent to the highest order of food service, my own family has their own...well...unique method of cooking. This can best be summed up in a few words: thaw, stuff, bag, cook for 3.5 hours. No thermometer or anything, not even the barest of attention paid to the pop-up one. The end result is the crap shoot of poultry: will the bird be moist, juicy, tasty and just right, or the Sahara desert?

Well, let's just say that this year, we've got six more weeks of winter coming.

Not even all the gravy in the world coulda saved that one. Sad, really.

Whoops...

I am thankful for Andy for being one of the coolest dudes on the planet to talk movies with. And for being so understanding. :)

Happy Turkey Day!

A grand good morrow and happiest of Thanksgivings to everyone! May you eat your fill of all the gobbler you can eat (unless you are vegetarian, in which case, may you enjoy all the turkey-ish tofu you can eat)!

Me, it's a day of home with the family...for a while, at least, as I have already been informed that I may very well be called in tomorrow night to deal with the Thanksgiving rush. (Those who ask, "are there really that many people who see movies on Thanksgiving?", the answer is yes, double yes, triple yes and a little yahoo.)

And to steal an idea from Lia's blog, here are a few thanks (mostly in alphabetical order)...

I'm thankful for my family, who stand by my side no matter what. I truly don't deserve you guys.

I'm thankful for Abby, who I know I can say anything to.

I'm thankful for Amanda, who's doing so well.

I'm thankful for Anne, who has the most kick-a$$ ringer on her phone.

I'm thankful for Beth, who has allowed me to become part of her life.

I'm thankful for Caitlin, for always being so decidedly herself.

I'm thankful for Chris, now the world's greatest dad.

I'm thankful for Courtney, whose talent is matched only by her heart.

I'm thankful for Elizabeth, whose determination is an inspiration.

I'm thankful for Greg, who's quick to laugh and quicker to pass laughs on to others.

I'm thankful for Heather Cloete, though her new last name is a bitch to spell. :)

I'm thankful for Heather Waterfield, that constant moviegoing companion.

I'm thankful for Jeanine, still one of the world's loveliest people.

I'm thankful for Jennifer, one of many to get engaged this year.

I'm thankful for Jessica, and I promise I will teach you to play poker. For real.

I'm thankful for Jodie, getting a chance to reconnect after so long.

I'm thankful for John, the world's most talented guy, for kicking so much @ss in Chicago.

I'm thankful for Justin, for proposing to her and doing it right.

I'm thankful for Lia, my online homie.

I'm thankful for Lindsey, for reminding me that there are cool movie geeks everywhere.

I'm thankful for Matt Fossa, for being the best prez ever.

I'm thankful for Matt Hirth, for knowing more about wrestling than anyone...but me. :)

I'm thankful for Melissa, who I trust with all my heart.

I'm thankful for Ryan, who brightens any room he's in.

I'm thankful for Steph, whose shyness masks an amazingly gifted artist.

And if your name is missing...blame it on my scattered brain, which is writing this late at night and on minimal sleep. I am thankful for you, too!

Love you all! Happy Thanksgiving!

Living, learning, and loving

The announced cause of death was heart disease aggravated by his past years of drinking and drug abuse.

In a way, this result is even more heartbreaking than if he had relapsed into his old ways. Eddie had fought so hard to put those demons behind him and make the most of his new life. He had regained his health, his family, his job, and the respect and admiration of millions of fans and colleagues. And in the end, in the most tragic way possible, his past would take its final toll.

But in the end, Eddie still triumphed. From the pain of his personal struggle, he tried to inspire others to turn their own lives around. If even in a small way he succeeded, that is the greatest of personal victories.

And from his passing, I will try to take one final lesson - to make the most of our journey, live each day to the fullest, and never take for granted those we love.

Viva la raza.

Eddie Guerrero, 1967-2005

I found out early this afternoon from PWInsider.com that Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis today. He was only 38 years old.

There are few people in wrestling who I would hold up as a hero. I am a fan of many, admire many, but hold few as a true inspiration. Eddie was one of these, but not so much for what he did in the ring, but for what he accomplished out of it.

To be sure, he was an amazing perfomer. One of the greatest ever. No man looked more at home in a ring than Eddie. Heir to an incredible family legacy, son of the legendary Gory Guerrero, Eddie cut his teeth wrestling his brothers in his backyard. He lived, breathed and ate wrestling, and it came out in his work. His career is illuminated with brilliance, studded with classic matches, and his incredible ability to get over as a character, as well.

But Eddie's life story was also beset with heartache and tragedy, even before the events of today. Like many before him, Eddie had faced many demons in his life, including his battles with alcoholism and drug use. His struggles with these demons had cost him his health, his job and his family.

But from there, Eddie would have the most remarkable of comebacks.

He would overcome his alcoholism and drug abuse. He regained his family's love, his wife and children standing at his side to this day. He would rebuild his career, returning to the WWE and steadily being rebuilt into one of their top stars, until, in one of the greatest nights I've ever had the pleasure of watching, Eddie was given the WWE Title. Only three years earlier, his world had crashed down around him. And now, here he stood, at the top of the wrestling world. I'm not sure I've ever been happier for a performer in my life.

Eddie was a hero, yes, but not for his wrestling exploits. Eddie never shied away from his troubled past, or tried to deny that it happened. Instead, he tried to use it to inspire others. He spoke frankly of his abuse in a documentary WWE produced, encouraging others to seek help if they faced the same problems. He was ashamed of what he had done, he admitted, but he was not ashamed of what he had accomplished in coming back, and hoped it might inspire others to face their own problems.

And now he's gone.

There's no word yet as to a suspected cause. His father had passed away relatively young from heart complications. Eddie had been through a great deal physically during the bad years, including several O.D.'s and a car accident that had wrecked him physically. The whispers among the wrestling writers are, of course, that perhaps his demons had finally caught up with him, once again. I truly hope not. But no matter the cause, the end result is the same.

But no matter what, he'll still be a hero to me. Writing about Magic Johnson in the book "The Big Show," Keith Olbermann talks about how, in bringing his disease out into the open, Magic helped open people's eyes, and that by facing up to it, in front of the world, he had probably inspired quite a few people to follow suit in their own lives. "How many lives do you have to save to be a hero?," Olbermann wrote. "I think just one is enough."

Eddie may have let his demons overcome his life in the past, and if they did come back in the present, it is indeed a tragedy. But by facing up to that, bringing it out into the open, and letting his story be told, Eddie Guerrero was an inspiration to many of his fellow wrestlers - and who knows how many in the public.

That was the act of an incredibly brave man. And that is why, no matter what, on this day I have lost not just a favorite performer, but a true hero.

Goodbye, Eddie.

CONGRATULATIONS 2: ELECTIC BOOGALOO!

Mega-huge congratulations to my dear friends Stephanie Ruehl and J. Michael Bestul for getting engaged yesterday!

(Only those two could get engaged after one of them won a game of Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit. :) )

More actual updates soon, I promise!

-Jeff

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

It is my honor to announce that my dear friend Abby Bollenbacher was crowned Miss Maumee Valley tonight!

Way to go, Abs!!!!

A Cool Couple-a Days...

I liked the last few days. A lot. A real lot.

-Work was uneventful, as all the best days of work are, really.

-After work on Wednesday, I got a call from Abby Bollenbacher, who I haven't heard from in a while. We swapped poker stories and I wished her best of luck in this weekend's pageant. As I will again here. GOOD LUCK ABBY!!!!

-Then, I drove to Beth's place, where she was sadly ill with food poisioning, but I swung by to pick up some chairs I left behind there on Sunday. From there we talk for an hour or so about life, friendship, politics, everything. I love being friends with Beth because I can stop by for a quick visit and have such conversations out of nowhere. Getting to know her has truly been one of the great things of this year...heck, in many years.

-From there, a drive to Heather's to drop off her Game Boy and then get roped into an hour-long discussion with her and Mark about British TV and pop culture issues. I was supposed to be on the road by 9:30 at the latest, as I had promised Jess I'd be at Shatner's rehearsal at 10, but the convo just kept going until 9:40 - and then I stayed longer because I HAD to show them the new Homestar Runner Halloween toon. I finally got going at 9:50, calling Jess in the interim to make sure she knew I was on my way.

-And to Shatners I went, to see the lovely and talented Miss Mitolo run rehearsal for her crew as they prepared for their first show of the season on Saturday. And boy, has she got a talented group of kids there. Just tremendously good performers. They could use a little work on knowing when to jump in to help out a scene, but that will come with time. The basic tools, they already have. In SPADES. Twas a great thing to see, and of course it was wonderful to see Jess, as well.

-And after work on Thursday, a few more nice things. First, getting to talk to Anne and invite her to the evening's events, though sadly she couldn't make it. Then, drive to Greg's condo in Port Clinton to watch the TNA Impact primetime special, and formally intoduce Greg to the new company. He really seemed to enjoy it and was very impressed with their work, though his sleep schedule led him to dose off at one point (he insisted I wake him for the main event, though).

-Also, during the evening's proceedings, I got a phone call from Amanda - first time in a long time I'd heard from her, either! Though the wrestling-watching circumstances prevented me from talking to her long, I tried to call her back afterward (but she apparently had already gone to sleep). Hope to hear from her again soon, miss her like the dickens!

All in all, the past few days were a very cool series of events that served to remind me just how damn lucky I am to have so many cool peeps in my life. Things like that, with people like that, really make me glad to be alive.

And that's a really good feeling.